Using stolen plans for an experimental weapon, a rogue faction has engineered a terrifying new missile and launched it into orbit. As the head of the deployed Special Forces Unit, it is Jay's responsibility to stop it from destroying another hospital. And Jay has the perfect plan. All he has to do is locate the appropriate forms, gather signatures, and submit to proper authorities and justice (perhaps with a smidgen of revenge) will prevail.

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I once spent an entire day getting a form signed so that I could take a very small sample of lithium from one end of a building to another (there was actually a minor controversy about the definition of a 'building' since it was formerly two building that were later combined with a covered walkway, so we didn't really know if it was transport from one building to another or transport within the building). While the amount of radioactivity it could have possibly gotten was very miniscule, I suppose it's better safe than sorry. So I started my day asking 'Pedro' if he would sign the form. He said if it were up to him he would but it wasn't up to him and directed me to 'Becky'. 'Becky' tells me the same thing and directs me to 'Tom'. And so on, until I reached 'Pedro' again, who signed the form because it was 5 o'clock and time to leave. And I realised I had been sent on my own Hero's Journey and the answer was within me the entire time.

I thought it would be fun to capture the sheer ridiculousness of military bureaucracy but have it be something more interesting than not-even-that-radioactive-lithium. And also I wanted something to shove into my arrogantly claimed shared universe-- System Elsewhere. So I took a favourite character, Jay, who is loosely based on a special forces sergeant I knew for a couple weeks, and made him just do paperwork. Let's take something cool like special forces dude thwarting terrorists and instead of having any fight scenes, it's all just paperwork.

Maybe it's too real, but I think mundane things are funny.

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