Double Dipping is a Big No-No

The clacking of shoes on pavement echoed along the empty street. Sera Lyn found herself hyperventilating, fear gripping at her throat. Someone was coming after her. She wasn’t certain who, but for the past several days, an ominous presence seemingly lurked around the corners.

She chalked it up to being overly cautious at first. After all, she was a noteworthy journalist. Getting the scoop on the hottest current gossip gave her a fair share of enemies. Her connections granted special access to events and behind-the-scenes, allowing her to pester even the most reclusive of targets.

The world wanted to know, so she delivered. It was as simple as that for her job. Even if it meant stirring up the pot on occasion. Scorn and death threats were commonplace, perhaps even seen as badges of pride. After all, nothing spoke volumes more than throwing shade on those out to uncover dirt.

Sera had come to expect such things. But most of the time, they followed telegraphed patterns – bluffs and overreactions for the most part. Sera knew exactly when to step back and when to push forward.

Yet somehow, the vibe that she got this time was… cold and heartless. Like the perpetrator was removed from the situation, simply toying with her.

A hired thug? A professional hitman? Who would go so far?

Sera’s gaze darted back to the corner that she passed. She swore the skid of tires happened at that moment, causing her to panic into a run. There were only a few blocks until she reached the news station, a large organization that made sure to shield its employees when covering sensitive topics. She could take refuge there.

A horn honked at her, which caused her to jump. She wanted not to look. She knew that her fear would only grow if she did.

Yet, her head craned the slightest bit, enough to spot a gaudy truck decked out in multiple colors. Her curiosity had won out, unfortunately. But with that glimpse, she was certain that the truck belonged to the new Progressive party that was up for election. Seen as rising stars in the political domain, many were eager for dirt to stall their ascent. Particularly, the Conservative party that dominated in the past.

The appeal was undeniable. Finding juicy tidbits to smear the fresh-faced newbies gave her a personal satisfaction. Of course, a journalist had to remain unbiased, at least, on the surface. But something about the new party ticked her off, so Sera didn’t hesitate to come up with excuses to sway others into a certain mindset.

Infiltrate and curry favor – those were the basics for getting people to let their guard down. And Sera did just that – pretending to be one of those supportive of their efforts, digging into its members’ pasts, and eventually, finding ways to gain close access to the leaders.

Direct quotes from their own mouths were powerful tools, which could be recorded and edited a certain way. People hardly recalled their exact words, particularly after a round of drinks. With Sera’s connections and experience, she knew exactly how to draw them in.

But now, that’s been compromised!

Likely, someone had figured out that she was a mole, planted there to cause issues. And that someone was daring enough to send a truck to stalk her movements. It hovered around her back, like a shadow. It was a reminder of what she had tried to do. How she was always lying in wait for a good chance to crush them. Now, a hit-and-run had her in its sights.

She reached the guard post and quickly flashed her badge, continuing to run past. Relief came over her as soon as she crossed the threshold, along with a need to catch her breath. Turning around, the truck that followed her was nowhere in sight. Finally, her heart could calm down.

“Is there something wrong, miss?” one of the guards waved at her.

“No… I’m fine. Just late for a meeting.”

Sera marched into the building, putting that episode aside for now. She reached into her purse, clutching a USB stick, like it was her own lifeline. Perhaps, it was. She had finally completed it. An entire speech that would make the Progressive party sound backwards and ignorant, likely isolating a good portion of the voting population as a result.

Was it real? Anything was possible with the right software and enough voice samples. Try as the voices’ owners may fight it, the first strike often hit the hardest. Voters hardly cared about the truth over juicy hearsay, once the taste of interest caught fire.

Sera made a beeline straight for her boss’s desk, popping in like she had the biggest headline of the decade. With a charismatic grin, she placed it on the desk.

“An exclusive inside look! Just a week before the election! And we’re the first to report it, how about that?!”

Her boss, a portly fellow, adjusted his glasses before grabbing the USB stick to examine the files. Placing some headphones on, Sera waited and watched as eyes widened and brows raised. Given that her boss had been in newscasting for decades, such reactions told her everything she needed.

“You haven’t shared this with anyone, have you?”

“No, sir! You are the first!”

“Do they know what is coming?”

“Possibly, I’ve been tailed these past few days. So much that I’ve had to abandon my position and summarize what I have here. I’m worried that there will be consequences.”

Her boss gave a nod, understanding what she meant.

“Fine, I’ll look into it. A lot of reputations would be damaged if this gets out. Best to set up proper measures to smooth things over.”

Sera smiled inwardly, knowing that her task was now over. She walked back to her desk, a weight taken off her. Once the package was handed off, there was no point targeting the lackey delivering it. Now, the might of a corporation was the enemy.

Sera was quite fortunate that the leaders of the Progressive party were inexperienced and ineloquent. Their unpracticed deliveries made it easy to string together words that sounded disingenuous to the commonfolk, far different from the tight-lipped, calculated statements of long-time politicians. This was virtually candy in the presence of those that were used to cherry picking and mincing words.

Sera smiled as she got back to her desk. Checking her email, she noticed one name, shooting a glance around her before proceeding.

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Salutations,

I have received good news of your efforts. The sample that you provided will surely take down our opponents. Poison, self-inflicted through their own words. We are pleased to have your support. This district needs members like you.

P.S. The funds will be wired.

Regards,

U.R. Dummkopf

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Sera quickly deleted the message as soon as she digested it. No one else needed to see it. The email was an obvious tell that the Conservative party had bought her services, connections and reputation included, to smear the other side. It had been a lie that she hadn’t shared it. Why wouldn’t she when there was money to be made from multiple sources?

With these sound clips, the tide would turn back in their favor, just like she wanted. Making extra money was simply a bonus on top of that. Plus, having the backing of a trusted news company made for a far stronger first impression. Hearsay from a reputable source spread like wildfire, without the waters of doubt to contain it. The image of a ‘misguided’ party would surely be tough to scrub, particularly before the voting began.

“HONK!”

That made Sera jump in her seat. Her eyes flew to the window, where a large white bird suddenly appeared.

“It’s only a goose.” Sera sighed in relief.

But then, she noticed something jangling in its mouth.

“Wait, those are my keys! When did it-?” Her eyes widened in panic. She looked all around her purse and in her pockets. Sure enough, they were gone.

Sera watched as the goose flew away, making her dash outside to chase after it. Fortunately, it was still on the premises, so she followed. A misstep rolled her ankle, causing her to take a tumble. But then-

CRASH!

A heavy potted plant had fallen right where she would have been, if not for tripping. She stared at the mess of dirt and pottery shards that now littered the ground. At this point, the goose had flown over the wall and out of the safe zone. She was about to get up and continue the chase, but the sight of a gaudy truck made her freeze. It beeped at her.

It’s here! Again!

There was no way she could leave just yet. Her danger sense, having saved her multiple times, was blaring. Even the ‘accident’ of having her keys stolen didn’t seem so happenchance at the moment.

Giving up, Sera retreated for now. There were more important things to worry about. She could replace keys at any time. She had spares in the office. The truck beeped as she slinked away, adding a spring into her step.

Just then, another goose flew by and snatched the badge around her neck. It snapped off the lanyard as Sera witnessed another ‘accident’ making her give chase around the other side of the building. Just as she turned the corner, another beep caused her to look.

Wait, what?

This time, a different truck, decked out in the style of the Conservative party hailed her. Sera backed away slowly. Were they keeping tabs on her as well now? Were they afraid that she would leak the deal and make them look bad in turn? A mole working for money held limited trust.

Wild guesses flew across her mind. She shouldn’t have taken this job after all. If anyone found out, then she would lose everything that she had built up. But it was too late now. All Sera could do was retreat into the news building and hide. Time was needed for her involvement to be rendered irrelevant. And then, a much-deserved vacation using her bonus was in order.

She went back to her desk, browsing the political news while licking her lips at how things would soon change. Before she knew it, the sun had set, leaving an office that was practically empty. Surely, they had given up stalking her by now.

But as Sera stood up from her desk, a flash of headlights was caught in the corner of her vision. A chill shot down her spine. They hadn’t left after all!

Sera dropped to her knees, crawling under her desk in fear. But then, she ran right into beady eyes and white feathers.

“HONK!”

A goose angrily flapped at her. Sera shuffled away in a panic, only to run into a pair of legs. She looked up to see her boss eyeing her with confusion.

“You’re still here? It’s late. I’m locking up.”

“There’s a goose in the office!” Sera grabbed him and pointed behind her, only for them both to find nothing moving, even after nearly a minute had passed.

“Are you okay? You look tired. Go home and sleep,” he said, a bit forceful at pushing her back.

“B-But, I-, please! Let me stay here for the night!”

“You know that’s against company policy.”

“I feel unsafe out there! I need protection! It’s all because of that scoop I gave you!”

Her boss looked around the room for a moment, like he was expecting someone, but then, he placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Alright, I’ll call a ride for you. There’s no worry if someone takes you from doorstep to doorstep, right?”

“Yes! Thank you! I really appreciate it!”

“Go wait at the guard station.”

Sera felt much more relieved. Now, she didn’t have to walk back, alone and in the dark. After her boss made the call, they both walked out into the night. It didn’t take long for a ride to coast toward them, headlights drowning out Sera’s vision.

It wasn’t until it stopped right next to them that Sera freaked out.

No! No! No! What is that doing here?!

The ‘ride’ was the gaudy truck from before. And as the passenger door opened to welcome her, a creepy laugh echoed from within. Sera was too frozen to react.

“What’s wrong, Sera? This is your ride. I called it especially for you.”

One look at her boss’s face spoke volumes as to what happened. He had known from the very beginning. He had played along with her game, accepting that it had all been a sham. And now, all Sera could think to do was run.

Her feet hit the pavement as she tried to escape. She scrambled to get away as the truck beeped at her, presumably trailing behind. Sera had lost even her safe place.

Just as she rounded the corner, she came face to face with the other truck that had been waiting that afternoon. Her body kissed the air as she was flung back, the collision sending her off to another world.

Sera Lyn would wake up in the role as a villainess, praying every moment that her wits would keep her neck from the guillotine.

v

“And… that’s how you target someone sharp and perceptive. You use distractions and mislead them into an unexpected surprise moment. Fear is the best way to achieve that. Plus, it got her reconsidering all of her two-faced dealings, so maybe, it will set her up to survive a bit longer in the next world.” Jester snickered with satisfaction at the result.

“I dunno, man. You just made me run her over in the end. All that setup for something so anti-climactic feels so wasteful.” Diesel sighed, having tagged along for this request. He felt like shadowing some of the others.

“Hey, when it comes to just running over people, injecting some buildup is part of the fun. Keeps things from getting monotonous.”

“Yeah, yeah. If you say so… So it was her boss that initiated the request this time?”

“A bit surprising that she didn’t catch onto the name of that secret contact. Only had eyes for the money and opportunity to sling mud. Any good boss can tell when his employee is using their reputation to work around company policies.”

“Why not just fire her?”

“Information wars are created through popular figureheads. She would just go somewhere else and cause trouble – making bank at some tabloid company, taking her viewers along with her. In any case, our request succeeded, and we even managed to take advantage of the geese to invoke fear in her.”

“I guess that’s what makes you the ‘senpai’ that the others said to turn to. I never thought to work in tandem with them to get things done.”

“I rather not get into the crossfire of two deities, especially ones that were in a relationship. If you think human divorces are messy, don’t try to moderate one between all-powerful beings.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

The last thing that Diesel wanted to do was attract unneeded attention from Moon Goddess Yue. He would let the geese do their thing, using his abilities to gently ‘push’ his targets from any fatal hit by them.

They were quite crafty though, going so far as to invade the office. Not like a truck could covertly hide anywhere reasonable…

Maybe I should ask Kami-sama if shrinking down to a toy is possible- But as he pondered that, a sudden thought of ending up in a goose’s beak made him reconsider. Who knew what those tricksters would do to steal their karma?

“What is this world even coming to? People being slaughtered by trucks and geese,” Diesel said, sighing.

“Watch the internet come up with a new suggestion as soon as next week.”

Somehow, Jester’s joke didn’t sound so implausible. T*kt*k challenges existed after all.