View source for Saving Civilization with Spreadsheets

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2018/07/04
|Location=Unknown
|Synopsis=Summary needed
|Cast of Characters=1092
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Another day, another crisis.<br><br>Well, that's not entirely accurate, but the 'Tidepool' disaster doesn't feel that long ago -- and with the fear of food shortages causing runs on grocery stores, once again the pillars of civilization tremble.<br><br>The Board of Directors of Cranston Multinational remembers the last crisis vividly. They remember huddling in this boardroom, incipient panic paralyzing them into shouting useless accusations at each other until Ms Cranston herself snapped them out of it using just her voice, gave them a plan, showed them how to ride the wave not just for themselves and the company, but for the entire world. Each of them remembers her voice calling them to attention, and the shame they'd felt for needing the push. Each of them is determined that this time she won't have to.<br><br>The boardroom is noisy again, but this time it's the noise of a dozen people being productively busy saving the world - and, quite possibly, making a very tidy profit indeed in the process. <br><br>At one end of the table, Katherine Merrington and David Ackenborough are huddled together, David working his brand of magic on a spreadsheet under Katherine's instructions, shuffling transportation schedules and assigning extra capacity from the reserves where they can fit, and updating the total maximum throughput for Juan and Emerson, so they can coordinate with warehouses and produce auctions. Across from them, Judith Chen is on the phone with the representative of the Teamster's Union, negotiating for the extra hours the truckers are going to be making...<br><br>The fear of a thing is not the thing itself. Every month, every week, massive amounts of perfectly good produce is disposed of without ever being sold; the current panic threatening to erupt into food riots is unnecessary - but that doesn't make it any less dangerous... Unless it can be arranged that the shelves will be full again tomorrow, and the day after that, and people will realize that the shelves will remain filled. Which means a great deal more food will have to move across the country than normal. And CMS will see to it that it will<br><br>The door opens, and the room falls silent. Natasha Cranston stands in the doorway, looking over the Board, reading their faces. They stare back, not defiant but resolute. <br><br>This isn't the Tidepool. <br><br>This time, they're ready to rise to the challenge. They but await her word.<br><br>Natasha lets the silence stretch for a few seconds more as she gauges their resolution. Then she smiles, the thin, grim, but undeniably real smile of a general who knows the battle tomorrow will be hard, but that her soldiers are ready to face it. And she nods. "Gentlemen. Your reports, if you will..."