The story so far (in order):
@dibblers.dabs/a-tale-of-two-pizzas-ongoing-contest
@wrestlingdesires/the-great-pizza-feast
@dibblers.dabs/a-tale-of-two-pizzas-ongoing-contest-week-2
@wrestlingdesires/the-rise-of-the-predas-a-tale-of-two-pizzas
@onewolfe/a-tale-of-two-pizzas-contest-entry
@dibblers.dabs/a-tale-of-two-pizzas-ongoing-contest-week-3
@wrestlingdesires/a-tale-of-two-pizzas-every-man-has-his-price
@dibblers.dabs/a-tale-of-two-pizzas-ongoing-contest-week-4
@onewolfe/a-tale-of-two-pizzas-contest-entry-week-4
@jesustiano/the-life-of-a-pizzaspy
@dibblers.dabs/a-tale-of-two-pizzas-ongoing-contest-week-5
@an-man/a-tale-of-two-pizza-9dffb964649b2
@jesustiano/the-tryouts-of-the-pizza
Other Previous Entries:
@jesustiano/el-adviento-de-la-pizza
@jesustiano/la-bendita-pizza-esp-or
@jesustiano/otto-s-encounter-with-olives
@onewolfe/a-tale-of-two-pizzas-week-3-entry
@an-man/a-tale-of-two-pizza
@dadspardan/a-tale-of-two-pizzas-the-crust-thickens
@wrestlingdesires/a-tale-of-two-pizzas-the-second-pizza
https://ecency.com/hive-185582/@an-man/a-tale-of-two-pizza-0c91a51f4c9e5#@dibblers.dabs/re-an-man-2021831t11856751z
@onewolfe/a-tale-of-two-pizzas-contest-week-5-entry
@wrestlingdesires/a-tale-of-two-pizzas
"Barry... Barry.."
A voice through the barred window of the "new room" he had been assigned by Mr. Preda after his duplicity had been discovered. It was a hastily built holding cell in the corner of the basement where he had been kept chained to a boiler each night until it was completed. Now he at least had a hard, narrow bed to sleep on. Each night they locked him in and each day he worked under constant supervision. The last week had been a panicked blur for Barry as he had attempted to keep up with the monumental workload that was being dumped on him by Chelsea and the Preda's. He had still not seen Wes to get a message back to the Pizza Baron. Chelsea had been too watchful to even attempt to find him.
Why did the voice sound familiar? It couldn't be!
"Is that you Rachel?" His voice cracked momentarily in desperation. "How did you know where to find me? What happened to Wes?"
"We only have moments, Barry, Wes is injured, the Baron sent me in his place. You are lucky one of my counterparts directed me to you!" Rachel's voice was urgent, yet whispered. "What has happened? Why are you being held like a criminal?"
"My cover is blown, Rachel, they caught me eavesdropping just after I sent the last message with Wes! A fool I was to send him off with such an inconsequential report. If only I had waited I may have had a chance to leave with him!" Barry's face was pressed up against the bars on the window as he spoke. "You must help me escape! They are working me to the bone now... and I... I had to tell them something... I lied and told half truths as much as I could... but... they know the delivery schedule and routes now. They know where the Baron is sourcing some ingredients. They know about the Olive Problem."
Hearing that Rachel hissed like a cat.
"You fool! You've handed them leverage and opportunities! How will the Baron negotiate a change in toppings when they know his supply issues! I can't get you out. And wouldn't even if I could! They do not know about me. You will continue to do your work and pass information as you always have."
"What about your contact? I didn't even know we had other agents in the Preda's territory! Can't you free me and they can pass information!" The pathetic desperation on Barry's face was equally evident in his whining voice.
"That is not your business- for obvious reasons you were not told. You couldn't even keep quiet about olives." Rachel replied scathingly. "I will come back each week- never the same night. If you manage to gather enough information perhaps the baron wont be too displeased when we do finally return. Do Your Job Barry. For our parents and the kindness Danny Rupert has shown our family."
"Don't leave me, sister."
"I must. Steel yourself, good luck."
With those parting words the engineer was gone, and Barry was left in his cold cell surrounded by nothing but stone, steel, and the stench of burning oil wafting in with the draft from the window. The exchange with his sister had nearly broken him, but those final words seemed to echo in his mind. His sister was a renowned agent- those who knew of her and her exploits spoke about them in hushed tones as if scared to call her wrath down upon them. She was a force to be reckoned with. She had single handedly installed a spy network in Naples half a world away. She had infiltrated and recovered exposed agents and information from far worse situations than his. He had to trust her judgement. If she believed this was the best course of action he would swallow his battered pride, do the work heaped upon him, and steel himself for what was to come.
As Rachel walked away through the meandering, ramshackle streets and clouds of smoke that filled the air she began to plan. She needed to know what the Preda's were planning to do with the information Barry had given them. Her first step would be to approach the contact that had guided her to Barry. Remembering the parcel he had dropped for her, she paused in a dark, narrow alley to open it.
Wrapped in a greasy, stained, handwritten note was a single chewed up pizza crust.
Meet me at midnight TONIGHT. The abandoned warehouse outside of town. YOU MUST NOT BE SEEN.
The rules for this week remain the same as previous weeks!
I'd like to continue building on the story of the Pizza Baron and his post apocalyptic world. Each week I'll pick a winner that becomes the next piece of the story and wins 20 $PIZZA and a 5 SBI sponsorship from me. I may award additional prizes if I feel multiple entries expand the story well.
Each week I'll write a post announcing the winner and then I will write another chunk of the story and open it up again for the next weeks competition. I'll compile the winning entry for each week. If we reach a conclusion of the epic tale of the Pizza Baron I'll divide another TBD amount of PIZZA among all the winning entries throughout the whole story and publish the finished story here on Hive with all the contributors as beneficiaries. If this goes well we might have the first open source blockchain novella on our hands! 😂
Bear in mind this is an experiment as well as a competition so we will see how many entries I get and how well it goes!
Rules:
Entries must be more than 200 words but less than 1000.
Entries must use the hivepizza tag
Entries must comment on this post with the link to their entry
Entries must fit in the world/scenario that has developed from the previous weeks contest(s). You are free to develop characters, introduce new ones, invite aliens to the feast, I don't care as long it makes some kind of sense in the context! The Pizza Baron should remain relevant to the plot!
(I've named it a Tale of TWO Pizza's for a reason HINT HINT)