#also just hearing an Israel soldier about how ''super super hard'' his job is though I couldn't resist muttering:

[shinobicyrus]

The tech industry is a huge part of the Israeli economy (accounting for 50% of Israel's exports) and the Israeli government loves their tech sector because it's been indelibly married with their larger military industry complex. Many of the high-tech surveillance and security systems monitoring the Gaza wall, for example, are the product of Israel's massive tech-sector, and all that is for sale to the highest bidder.

So hearing Israel be audibly anxious about how mobilizing a huge swath of their citizenry for ethnic cleansing is hurting their economy, their precious tech sector in particular, fills me with only the pettiest schadenfreude.

But the anti-capitalist in me is also mesmerized by this new portrait of dystopia Israel has dropped. That of the citizen-soldier that must also continue to work part-time while soldiering:

Early on in the war, Raz [a software engineer] was at his base within a few miles of the border with Gaza preparing for a mission, while simultaneously talking on his phone with an overseas customer about a software project. "I had to juggle between those two," recalls Raz, sitting in his company's glass-walled office with a view of the Mediterranean Sea in the distance. "I remember it being super, super hard." Israeli aircraft were firing guns overhead while Raz was talking business with a client. "One of the customers asked, 'What's this noise?' and I had to explain that this is shooting sounds," Raz recalls.

It's like being an "essential worker" but instead of COVID it's a goddamn war. You could write an entire book about the absurd concept of a soldier being force to juggle his job in a warzone for the sake of the economy.

The tech sector in Israel builds a huge number of military and intelligence (i.e. spying) systems, which they export to other countries. It's such a vital part of Israel's entire economy that the IDF is actively pulling back soldiers to lessen the burden on their workforce.

Israel's own economic anxiety has done more to temper their war crimes than international pressure has so far managed.

[deadlypen1]

Contained within is an outline I’ve been working on for the next long Overwatch story I plan on doing. And it’s by far the most ambitious project I’ve come up with so far. The playable characters chosen for this were mainly one’s I haven’t written super in depth about yet. Also it’s just an outline so things are likely to change between now and when I actually write this. And that might be a while due to personal matters.

WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING UNDER THE CUT

Villains who are essentially fascists. 

Zarya/Mei breaking up.

A shit-ton of original characters (including LGBT ones)

Australia as the only location (a place I’ve never been to).

Lots of destruction.

Death of a playable character.

Commentary of events in the real world and in the fandom.

Something that could be interpreted as non-consensual. 

And now, the outline

Overwatch - The Great Junker Revolt of 2078 Outline

 Chapter 1:

Satya, with some other Vishkar employees (Sanjay (m) (from the Symmetra comic), Ajit (m) (from Chittagong, Bangladesh), Amarjeet (f) (from Mumbai), Deepa (f) (from Columbo, Sri Lanka) (has a cybernetic eye, allows for better visuals in construction), Gauri (f) (from Bengaluru), Javed (m) (from Karachi, Pakistan), (has two metal arms), and Mamun (m)(from Delhi) visits Junkertown (Alice Springs) to give an inspection on the Junker’s Vishkar housing. It’s been one year since the development was completely finished, and the area has become moreso a safe haven. Jamie and Mako are excited to see her, as everyone has been expecting them, planning some kind of celebration. It’s become a proper town for the hundreds (thousands?) there, with noticeably less crime (Jamie still ventures out occasionally), and plenty of food and physical activity (Aussie rules and cricket). The people are made up of whites, aborigines, Polynesians, and Asians. The only reason they still call themselves junkers is because the rest of the world does. One night, they have a celebration of the one-year anniversary. Mako puts on his Islander outfit as part of a fire-twirling act. Jamie and Satya dance in the desert (Roadman and Stomper are there too, along with a male (Maori named Tamati, Junker name is Wolfman)/trans male couple (Riley, Junker name Bushwhack), and others who’ll be prominent later on). Jamie contemplates asking Satya to marry him, but relents, thinking now during when she’s supposed to work isn’t the right time. Stomper takes a particular liking to Sanjay.

 Soundtrack:

Y.A.L.A. – M.I.A.

T.N.T. – AC/DC

Get Out Of My Way – Kylie Minouge

  Chapter 2:

Two days before the celebrations are happening, we follow Leslie, an engineer for an aerospace company in Perth. She comes home to her girlfriend Emma (we intentionally know as little about her as possible), talking about her day at work. The company is trying to recreate the slipstream, and feel with 11 years of technological advancement since the initial incident, they can avoid the mistakes of the first go-around. The two go out to dinner downtown, discussing developments happening elsewhere in Australia, like Junkertown. They talk about what it would be like to visit there. As they leave their meal, panic starts ensuing on the streets. A band of radical junkers storm Perth. Here we meet our main villains of the story, though they go nameless here. Random madness ensures in downtown, during which Emma is killed. Leslie flees the city with some others, making their way to Junkertown.

 Soundtrack:

I Predict a Riot- Kaiser Chiefs

  Chapter 3:

The morning after the party, Leslie, with the others, arrive at Junkertown seeking sanctuary and an audience. They talk about the destruction they fled from Adelaide. The junkers decide to take them in, telling them what the living arrangements are like and giving them new Junker names. Leslie’s is Crank. Satya and the Vishkar people wonder who could’ve done this. Mako responds that he knows exactly who did it.

 Soundtrack:

New York Mining Disaster 1941 – Bee Gees

  Chapter 4:

Flashback. It goes back to when Mako was in the Australian Liberation Front, with a wife and child of his own. The raid on the Australian Omnium is taking place and among the more eager participants are Gigantor and his wife, Crazy Steph. Even among the ALF’s crazed anti-omnic ranks, they were considered radicals. They were caught in the blast when it was destroyed, but they survived. Mako’s wife and child, however, didn’t. The surviving members, seeing that their job was finished, split up into the various Junker bands. Gigantor and Crazy Steph’s group were considered the most nomadic, and he worries what an entire junker band of his fascist tendencies would do. Fearing the worst, Satya urges they call Overwatch to bring in backup.

 Soundtrack:

World Destruction – Time Zone (Afrika Bambaataa & John Lydon)

Elephant – Tame Impala

  Chapter 5:

Back at Gibraltar, Winston finishes up his message with Satya and gathers whoever’s available of the main team. They remark on those who aren’t present and their missions. The team sent includes Fareeha, Jesse, Aleksandra, Mei, Lucio, Hana, Torbjorn and Brigitte. They are initially sent by themselves to survey the situation, to determine if any more backup is needed. They make banter on the flight there.

  Chapter 6:

The first team of eight arrive at the settlement, and are given a somewhat less than stellar welcome from the other junkers. Even if some remember how the junkers helped bring down Talon. Despite living in provided housing, they believe they can more than protect themselves. Jamie and Satya argue that they need their friends. Amidst the arguing, an attack from one of Gigantor’s advance troops happens, leaving them unprepared. A portion of Junkertown is destroyed, the hard light structures disintegrating, with a message coming in claiming there’ll be more attacks unless the town is abandoned and the worthy junkers, upon agreeing to return to their former lifestyle can join Gigantor. The Overwatch team then decides to call base for backup. Then, we see some of Gigantor’s main camp, as he goes on a fascist rant on how he’ll destroy Junkertown, take down their Overwatch cronies, then the Australian government itself.

 Soundtrack:

Beds are Burning – Midnight Oil

  Chapter 7:

Backup arrives in the form of many things. Fareeha has some of her Helix troops brought in with their own Raptora suits, including a new suit for Fareeha, the Raptorion, for Fareeha. Jesse has some protégé’s, (Roxanne, African-American, from Houston) (Chaya, a Jew from Tel Aviv, Israel) (“Wee Baby” Seamus, from Dublin) keeps talking about starting his own group of historically themed soldiers called McCree’s Outlaws. Time is spent introducing them, getting acclimated to Junkertown. And learning more about main Junker characters. An early argument breaks out between McCree’s group and some junkers, that results in fighting, involving some shooting and wounding. Some of the Junkers try hitting on the other Overwatch members, with Lucio being flattered by both the women and men (D.va is jealous). Stomper still tries to get with Sanjay, who tries warding her off, while Leslie, working with Torbjorn and Brigitte in helping build Junkertown’s defenses, still dealing with grief. She finds herself attracted to Zarya after making sure her particle gun works. Mei shows signs of being uncomfortable here, with her ice equipment not working right, and showing signs of her relationship with Aleksandra falling apart.

 Soundtrack:

Psychobilly Freakout – Reverend Horton Heat

  Chapter 8:

Jesse has an idea to pre-emptively scare the opposing forces off. It requires his forces, along with Fareeha’s, to find where their camp is and raiding it, taking a very convoluted path there to avoid getting noticed. He doesn’t believe they’re that tough and, with the various Raptora suit’s firepower, they’ll scatter back to their dustpile. As they make their trek to the supposed location, the various members get to know each other better, while Jesse and Fareeha reminisce about the times they spent together as kids. Members of both McCree’s and Fareeha’s groups said they wondered if they would ever get together.

 Soundtrack:

Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap - AC/DC

Pharaohs and Pyramids – Cut Copy

  Chapter 9:

The team reaches the enemy camp, but find it less populated then they’d imagined. Still, they continue with the sneak attack, but the junkers left behind are plenty prepared. While they sneak around, they hear bits of fascist talk similar to what we heard already in Chap. 6. In the ensuing battle, some team members are killed and Pharah’s Raptorion suit is damaged. Then they realize Gigantor and Crazy Steph weren’t there to begin with. Instead, they must’ve gone leading an attack against Junkertown. They bid retreat.

 Soundtrack:

Red Right Hand – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

  Chapter 10:

In the meantime, there’s more bonding between the Overwatch members and the junkers. Each Overwatch member there shares their hardships that helped make them who they are now. Hana, Aleksandra, and Torbjorn talk about their times fighting Omnics at the outbreak of the second crisis. Mei talks about Ecopoint: Antarctica. Lucio talks about fighting Vishkar, which gets some of the Junkers confused because of how generous they’ve been to them. Lucio still has his suspicions despite Vishkar being on Overwatch’s leash now. Crank (Leslie) tells her story of back in Perth, along with the actions we’ve seen already in Chap. 2. She gets some sympathy from Aleksandra, and Crank offers to make some more improvements on her particle cannon, something Brigitte recommended to get her attention. Their talks are interrupted when the enemy Junkers arrive outside the Junkertown walls.

  Chapter 11:

The fighting goes on for a while, with significant portions of the town defenses destroyed. With the missing forces of Farreha’s/Jesse’s men, the defense is less than stellar. A good amount of defenders, including Roadman, (not sure who else yet) are killed. Hana’s MEKA is destroyed, and is unable to properly call in a new one. Zarya’s gun is damaged. The enemy Junkers retreat only because Gigantor boasts about letting them suffer a bit more before coming in for the final blow.

 Soundtrack:

2 Minutes to Midnight – Iron Maiden

  Chapter 12:

Fareeha and Jesse’s team arrive back too late. A significant portion of Junkertown has been destroyed, with the Vishkar people working on rebuilding. Mei, still distraught over the fighting, briefly withdraws as Zarya tries to comfort her. Mei has a long bout of saying what’s been building insider herself. Mainly how she feels out of place in the hot desert, not being a proper soldier, and wondering why she ever agreed to date Zarya in the first place. With the additional pressure of what would happen to them if they lose, at the mercy of the homophobic Gigantor, Mei then breaks up with her and storms off.

 Soundtrack:

Bittersweet – Hoodoo Gurus

  Chapter 13:

After she breaks up with Zarya, Mei goes to Satya and Jamie to tell them what happened. She goes further into her reasoning, including some things she didn’t tell Zarya. The two ask her what she’ll do now, seeing as it’s kind of awkward they’ll still be around. Mei isn’t sure, but it was done for both of theirs safety. In the meantime, people are rebuilding the town’s defenses.

  Chapter 14:

Zarya was blindsided by Mei’s breakup. That had never happened to her before. First, she goes to Crank (Leslie), in the middle of helping Hana build a new MEKA, to have her particle cannon repaired. Crank tries to make her interest in Zarya shown, but she’s too sad right now to pay attention back. She goes to Roadhog to share the news. Zarya talks about her past relationships, and how, despite being seen as a national hero for a traditionally homophobic country, she kept on being who see was through all instances of omnic uprisings in Russia. Roadhog goes into a long story about a woman he loved during his time with the Australian Liberation Front, how they had a little family together, and how she and their kid died while on the run after the Australian omnium blew up. Since then, he hasn’t had any romantic partners, as Jamie, despite his annoyances, sort of became the son he never had. After telling more of how he met Jamie and their initial adventures, Zarya appreciates him saying all that. Later that night, as Zarya gets ready for bed, Roadhog walks into her room, taking off his mask. She wonders what’s happening, but then he tries to force himself on her. Zarya repeatedly tells him she’s not interested, but that doesn’t deter him. Zarya then punches him in the gut and face to force him off. Roadhog finally gets the point and leaves.

 Soundtrack:

Missing – Everything but the Girl

Frontier Psychiatrist – The Avalanches

  Chapter 15:

The next day, the defenses are nearly complete. D.va’s new MEKA out of scrap metal is finished. Roadhog initially ignores Zarya for most of the day, then she confronts him about last night. She states whatever affection she may have shown him yesterday was not meant to be romantic. She’s interrupted when another attack is on the way.

  Chapter 16:

The rest of the town puts up a valiant defense, but plenty of the town is destroyed again. During the fighting, Roadhog leads a group of Junkers outside the town walls to try and take the fight back to Gigantor, and they have a confrontation. It’s ultimately a losing effort. After the fighting is over, Jamie and Satya find Roadhog’s dead body outside the perimeter.

 Soundtrack:

The National Anthem - Radiohead

  Chapter 17:

It is the day of Roadhog’s funeral. A large hole in the ground is dug out for all the other dead Junkers to go in, with Roadhog’s body near the top. Some people make speeches about who they lost so far. Jamie requests some time to say some words about his fallen friend. How they’ve been very much inseparable over the past few years. How they came to know each other. The crazy adventures they’ve been on. How he was the father he never had. Jamie’s crying by the end of it and others start filling in the hole. A group of Gigantor’s men watch from the distance.

 Sountrack:

Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding – Elton John

 Chapter 18:

It has been a few days since the funeral. Zarya and Crank (Leslie) get closer. Lucio, D.va, and Mei help try to cheer Junkrat up, but he’s still noticeably upset. Satya then tries, but he lashes out at her. How all this plans for a perfect post-Junker life have gone down the tubes. During his rants, he absent-mindedly admits that he wants to marry Satya. Satya stops so he can backtrack, then Jamie feels embarrassed he said that out loud. She says she’d be honored, but he insists now is not the time, since Gigantor’s men are still out there. During the night, Jamie rides out of Junkertown on Roadhog’s motorcycle to the enemy camp.

 Sountrack:

Black and Gold – Sam Sparro

 Chapter 19:

Armed with plenty of bombs and other explosives, Jamie storms the outpost by himself, finding it noticeably less crowded than it was before. One of the troops says Gigantor’s main force left the area for Canberra, thinking the group left behind would be good enough. He feels with this might shown, he can take on the Australian capital to carry out his plan. Upon destroying the last of the place, Jamie goes back to Junkertown to tell the rest what’s going on. They then mobilize.

 Soundtrack:

Power and the Passion – Midnight Oil

Demolition Man – The Police

 Chapter 20:

The caravan of Junkers and Overwatch members head down to Canberra when they make a rest stop. More bonding time between the various groups we’ve become accustomed to before they move out again.

 Soundtrack:

Are You the One I’ve Been Waiting For – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

We Ride Tonight – The Sherbs

  Chapter 21:

Gigantor/Crazy Steph’s army arrive in Canberra, causing chaos in the city the same way they did in Perth. The chapter ends as the Junker/Overwatch team arrive.

 Soundtrack

In the Flesh/Run Like Hell – Pink Floyd

  Chapter 22:

The two sides brawl it out in the Canberra streets. Junkrat kills Gigantor while Crank (Leslie) kills Crazy Steph. As the teams regroup amidst the destruction, Junkrat comes to a realization. Despite the generally accepting nature of the Junkers, they’re likely to end up as closed-minded as the people they’ve just beaten. So, without asking for any of the other’s permission first, he decides the entirety of his Junker group should join Overwatch for their own good.

 Soundtrack:

It’s a Long Way to the Top – AC/DC

The Band Played Waltzing Matilda - traditional

  Chapter 23:

The Overwatch team packs up and prepares to head back to Gibraltar, with the surviving junkers joining them to become full members. Mei and Zarya finally put things behind them, as Zarya has grown fond of Leslie. As the Overwatch team, Junkers and the Vishkar team are airborne heading back to their respective bases. Jamie finally properly proposes to Satya. She says yes.

 Soundtrack:

Since I Left You – The Avalanches

Don’t Change - INXS