BLIZZARD HEADQUARTERS. NIGHT. The Blizzard balance team convenes at their inner chamber. The room is dimly lit, undecorated save for a portrait of Robert Kotick on the wall. A dozen or so team members stand in silence alongside a long, rectangular table. As DAVID KIM enters the other team members salute and wait for him to take his seat at the far end of the table. An assistant pulls out Kim's chair for him and backs away. Kim sits and takes a moment to survey the team.
DAVID KIM: "You may be seated."
TEAM LEADER (while everyone sits): "As you undoubtedly know, my Lord, we have been working tirelessly on your project. Even though we have encountered this minor setback, I have full confidence that our plan will succeed as predicted—"
KIM (raises hand for silence): "Who was in charge of hellbat design?"
Everyone stares at Ted.
TED: "My Lord, I only thought—"
KIM: "Your failed design has jeopardized our entire operation."
TED: "No… please… wait!"
Kim raises his hand and strangles Ted through the power of the Force. Ted's lifeless body falls back down into his chair, eyes staring into space.
KIM: "There is a Plan B, I presume."
LEADER: "The widow mine, my Lord. Mark was in charge of—"
Kim waves his hand, as if to show his disdain for these trivial matters.
LEADER: "Well, my Lord, if I remember correctly, our goal is to penalize Zerg players for their incessant use of infestor-broodlord at the end of Wings of Liberty. My Lord had declared the composition balanced but they still repeatedly won with it."
KIM: "Precisely. The hellbat was too… transparent. It affected all of the other match-ups. Who thought that he could design a one hundred mineral AoE unit, kills workers in two shots, and can be loaded two at a time into a medevac?"
LEADER: "Ted, my Lord."
KIM (glancing over at Ted's body): "That kind of foolishness will no longer be tolerated."
LEADER: "About the widow mine, my Lord. It is a unit that can burrow and become invisible, it shoots ground and air, deals 40 splash damage and ignores armor. There's even an upgrade that will allow it to burrow in a single second. It can be built from a factory without an add-on and, get this – it's cheaper than a siege tank. It's even cheaper than a stalker or a marauder! The Terran only needs to throw down widow mines all across the map and stim his marines forward and run back to mine cover. The Zerg will be powerless to stop him."
KIM: "This sounds... promising. But what about TvP?"
LEADER: "Their effect will be negligible, my Lord. Colossi can massively outrange them. Stalkers and void rays, and other units, too."
KIM: "And what in the Zerg arsenal can outrange them?"
LEADER: "Only hydralisks with an upgrade and swarm hosts."
KIM (grinning): "Hydras against Terran? Swarm hosts? Perhaps I can forgive this team's oversight – for now. Proceed with Plan B."
LEADER: "They are already in the game, my Lord. We need only wait for Terrans to catch on. It's only a matter of time."
KIM: "Excellent. In the future, I expect no more setbacks. Were you to encounter any more difficulties, I might have to hold you personally responsible."
LEADER: "Understood, my Lord."
Everyone stands up and salutes as Kim pushes his chair back and makes for the door. Before leaving the room, he turns and looks at Ted's corpse one last time.
KIM: "Be sure that the cleaning lady comes this week. Someone needs to take out the garbage."
The door slides open and Kim departs, his black cape billowing behind him.