The past of Sandy Shores

Sandy let out a bored sigh as she laid on her bed in her cell. Boredom was a common theme of her new life in prison, though she was allowed to ease it by playing online chess matches on the prison account. But today, her boredom would be interrupted as a visitor had come to see her.

"Well dang, never thought I'd see you in an orange jumpsuit," Sheila growled.

"Yeah, but the prison lets you wear your normal clothes under it," Sandy replied as she sat up.

While many of her friends were shocked that she was actually a Desperado, none could fathom why, which is what led to Sheila scheduling a visit to get some answers. She also wanted to inform Sandy on what had happened to everyone since her arrest.

"So what do you want to know? Oh, and I can't play over the board with ya so don't bother asking."

"Was everything a lie?"

Sandy smirked and leaned back on her bed. "Well, wouldn't say everything, but that would just hurt ya more, so that's what we'll go with."

Sheila scowled and shook her head. "Well fuck you too. Oh, and in case they aren't updating you on shit, I've now registered with the Ratiocinato party."

Sandy immediately shot up. "Why!? I thought you hated them and your grandpa!"

"Yeah, in fact I hate every damn position they fight for. But the Misericordia party hates me and the Ratiocinato party was willing to give me asylum so to say in exchange for me calling out the Misericordia party in a video. Disgusts me, but guess that's politics."

"And you accepted!?"

"At first I refused, but Katie was the ones that pushed me to do it, in fact she wanted in on the video deal too."

"Are you saying she left the party too!?"

"No, rather she's trying to reform it, but she's up against a wall. Now that Manny's dead, it's been a scramble to determine who heads the party, but regardless of that, they were all quick to brand me a traitor and the ultimate cause of Manny's death. What a sick joke. The guys that want to implement the policies I like want me dead, and the ones that want to implement policies I hate are willing to shelter me."

Sandy clenched her fist in frustration. "Alright, sit down, because I'm gonna tell you everything."

The guard raised an eyebrow and immediately made a call via radio. A few seconds later, another guard arrived with a folding chair and polygraph machine. He set up the chair for Sheila and slid the polygraph machine into Sandy's cell. The machine then sprung to life and hooked itself up to Sandy as the 1st guard motioned for her to begin.

"Well, here's my story..."

Sandy's life wasn't all that noteworthy, at least not until she grew up. She was raised in Southern California and lived a normal life. She got into chess around 5th grade and quickly took it up as a hobby. She wasn't good or bad, and managed to eventually reach a peak rating of 1538. However, once she entered college in 2021, things came crashing down. While she didn't attend the same college as Carol and Imelda had, she had attended one where a politics club completely dominated the campus. To make things more scrutinizing, her uncle had just become governor of California and had incurred Pewler's ire for not becoming his sycophant. Hermie Shores greatly disapproved of Pewler and hated all the radical policies he came up with, leading to Misericordia party faithful to censure him multiple times. As a result, Sandy often bore the brunt of heckling and harassment at college due to being his niece.

...

"Uncle Hermie, why does everyone in the Misericordia party hate you?" Sandy asked.

Hermie thought for a moment as he checked his bobber. "Probably cuz I actually believe in real compassion. Back in the day, our party used to be one that was always cool, compassionate, and one I was proud to be a member of. Then Pewler came. Must be the damn Arizona sun frying his brain, but that bastard is just obsessed with contorting everything we stand for to fit his demented world view. I honestly think he's a Ratiocinato plant, but sadly he might just be part of the bad ole radical faction we've had lurking in the shadows since foundation. What I don't get is how that bastard wooed everyone so quickly. Guy was just a no-name, now suddenly all who question him get censured? Bullshit I tell ya. And worse, he's trying to make it so that in order to support all the policies everyone knows and loves, you also gotta support his demented ones, or you're outta here. Well, hopefully he's just a fad of the week and starts losing influence the more people hear his bullshit. Heh, guess this is how the Ratiocinato party wins elections, malicious bastards. OH! I caught a big one!"

Sandy smiled as she watched her uncle attempt to reel in a fish, which turned out to just be an old boot stuck inside a large soggy take-out box.

"The hell!? Are the litterbugs getting in on screwing me over too!?"

Sandy simply laughed. Despite the hardships her uncle would face either from opposition or within his party, he'd always stick to his guns and not let anything bother him, at least he used to.

One day, her uncle suddenly fell in love with Pewler. Baffled as to how something like that could occur, she confronted her uncle.

"Uncle Hermie, why did you suddenly change?"

"Huh? Because Manny's compassion, baby."

"Ugh, were you threatened? Do you want to go fishing to-"

"FISHING'S HEARTLESS! How dare you suggest such a thing!"

"But you fish all the time!"

"And never will again after being shown the error of my ways. In fact, I'm banning both fishing and consumption of fish!"

"But you said bears eat fish-"

"STOP PLANTING HEARTLESS DRIVEL IN MY MOUTH!"

At this point, Sandy began to realize something was terribly wrong with her uncle. She tearfully left the room and began looking up something on her phone. She quickly found it and played the video.

"Senator Pewler, you just recently came out and said both fishing and consumption of fish should be halted nationwide. Why is that?" a reporter asked.

"Well it's simple, eating other animals is heartless. As you know, I believe in a compassionate grass-based diet with no tolerance for heartlessness."

"But banning consumption nationwide?"

"Hmm, perhaps I should have said WORLDWIDE instead."

"But what about sushi?"

"A heartless cuisine, which should be promptly banned."

"Uh, aren't there some sushi dishes that don't have fish-"

"My intrepid and honorable journalist, The very concept of the dish itself is heartless, and let me assure you, it is far from the only one-"

At that point, Sandy was unable to stomach hearing anymore of Pewler's voice and closed the tab.

The next few weeks were tumultuous for Sandy. While criticism towards her uncle faded, it amplified towards her. Worse, her uncle was now part of those berating her for not selling her soul to Pewler so to say. This also affected her chess, as she was no longer able to focus, and quickly dropped in rating points. Depression was quickly overtaking her as well, resulting in her refusing to leave her room, and even consider dropping out of school and suicide.

As she attempted to drop into a ravine in the woods, someone suddenly grabbed her arm. Sandy turned to notice a hooded figure wearing a white mask with a long nose.

"Why do you seek to end your life?"

Sandy stared at the figure and sighed, replying that life simply had no meaning due to all the hell she was facing. When asked why, she explained how it all started with her uncle, suddenly becoming Pewler's sycophant. Upon hearing the name, the figure pulled out a small circular device from their cloak.

"I believe this is the cause, this is known as a DESPER, and can force anyone to be subjected to a punishment should they lose a chess game."

The revelation shook Sandy, but she only became more bewildered when the figure began telling her of the Desperado league, and how Pewler was likely a member of it.

"So you're saying I need to beat him at chess to save my uncle?"

"No, he is far too skilled for someone like you to beat."

"THEN WHAT DO I DO!?"

The figure stared Sandy in the eyes. "Are you willing to walk a path of blood and deceit?"

Sandy went silent, but clenched her fist and nodded in approval.

"Good, now you are a WWCF member, so first look-up your uncle in the database."

After doing so and confirming he was not present, the figure then ordered her to do something outlandish; join the Desperado league and use the DESPER to save her uncle.

However, the plan would run into a malicious hurdle; Manny Pewler himself.