Transcription

[[Tim, Scott, and Sharon are continuing their discussion of "Brotherhood business." After her enthusiastic outburst in the previous strip Sharon has returned to her stern pose, arms again crossed in front of her.]]
Scott: Milady, this is not news to welcome cheerfully. This may have terrible repercussions.
Sharon: That's what YOU think. I'M happy to dump that monkey off my back.

Tim: No, Sharon, this is bad. REALLY bad. The prophecy has been very polarizing for the Brotherhood, and the fact that we've had you and Fooker and they didn't has kept them at bay. Now that they have their own candidate, they'll be emboldened, perhaps even aggressive.
Sharon: How aggressive?

Scott: [intensely] At best, it may mean minor skirmishes in cyberspace, disruptive but largely innocuous. At worse, a full blown jihad or crusade, a "geek civil war" that may plunge the world into a second dark age. Imagine modern connected systems, utilities, defense networks... all reduced to smoldering slag...

Sharon: [wide-eyed] You're... serious, aren't you?
Scott: [mirroring her crossed-arms pose] As serious as a kernel panic in an ICBM control system.