B3-25 - Madam President (Patreon)

Amelia Collins-Stone was a iron haired woman. She wore a dark blue pants suit that, although clean and pressed, was a bit threadbare and with some visible repairs. Her face was narrow and sunken, her cheekbones standing out in stark contrast. Maya knew the signs, it was the look of someone who had it rough and had been forced to skip more than one meal a day.

Her pace was calm and measured, but Maya could see the slight pause as she noticed Yosi, Roci, and Bell joining Maya at the conference table. She had brought along two others with her, a younger woman in her thirties, dark haired and wearing a suit, and a large man who was obviously the muscle. He towered over the two women and wore a black suit that seemed to stretch the elasticity of the fabric.

Amelia Collins-Stone

Level 8

[Administrator] Level 12

[Faction Leader] Level 5

Luna Bryan

Level 12

[Disaster Coordinator] Level 21

[Combat Leader] Level 15

Emilio De Soto

Level 19

[Bulwark Mage] Level 22

[Steelborne Battler] Level 19

The President of the United States sat down in one of the chairs, while her companions took up a stance behind her, eyes roving around the bare room.

“It’s good to meet you, Madam President,” Maya said. “I’m happy to see that the continuation of government went through smoothly.”

“Miss Sullivan,” the other woman said.

“Merchant Sullivan or Mistress Sullivan,” Roci said. “You’re speaking to the Matriarch of House Sullivan, the big-“

“Not now, Roci,” Maya said, still holding a smile.

“Matriarch. House Sullivan,” the President repeated, a sour look on her face.

“Oh, trust me. I don’t like it either,” Maya replied. “Nothing more gross than heredity titles and faux nobility. Sends shivers down my democracy loving spine.”

“Does it?” the woman held Maya’s gaze, unflinching and unblinking. “Yet you are still claiming those titles, you are still accepting the System’s awards that go with those benefits.”

“For the time being, they’re needed. The multiverse at large only looks to your System Awarded Titles to determine how trustworthy you are,” Maya said. “I’ve met plenty of people who are skeptical of my intentions and motives. To be honest, I don’t blame them. Yet these are strange times and everything we knew of the old world has been shaken, stirred, and thrown out. I’m not here to rule or become some kind of dictator of Earth. I’m just here to help all sentient and sapient beings on this planet survive as best as I can.”

“A benevolent arms dealer,” the President said, the disdain in her voice not even attempted to be hidden.

Maya only grinned. The meeting was going about as well as she figured it would. Collins-Stone did not like her, did not like what she represented, and did not like the power disparity between the two of them. It was a repeat of everything Maya had been through before. Meeting with whomever ruled whatever and having to deal with all their hangups and demands. If she could suffer through those individuals, she could suffer through this. After all, Collins-Stone had what Maya needed.

“I remember slave owners, lechers, and mass murderers becoming the founding fathers of the nation you now represent,” Maya said. “If it makes you feel any better, I’m more of Merchant than an arms dealer these days. Mostly due to my lack of arms to sell.”

Maya sighed inwardly. She was tired of being called an arms dealer. She also sold chocolates and coffee, damn it.

“I’m not one to mince words,” the President stated, “you have materials and resources that can help our people. Yet you are not helping them. Why?”

“It’s a big world out there,” Maya said. “There’s a lot of people who need help. Logistically speaking, we’re nearing our breaking point. Too much on my plate and too little of a plate to hold it all.”

“Is everything a joke?”

“It’s better to joke and laugh, than scream and sob,” Maya said.

“Half a million people have died in Denver since this Integration began,” the President stated. “Half a million people. Every day more are dying and we barely have enough food to feed the ones that remain. Tell me, Miss Sullivan, how funny is that?”

“Obviously you’re not listening to what I’m saying,” Maya said. “I’m not making light of the deaths or the horrors we’ve all seen. I’ve seen cities burn, I’ve seen them overrun, and I’ve seen tens of thousands slaughtered by man and monster. Half a million died in Denver, I understand that, but six BILLION have died across the world. Unfortunately, Denver is a drop in the bucket.”

“My husband was among that number,” Collins-Stone stated flatly.

“So were my parents, brothers, uncles, aunts, and everyone else I knew,” Maya said. “Death is everywhere. We got the shit end of the stick when Integration occurred. Earth became a Point of Contact world, a spot where the System dumped essence mana into our universe. Now we have to figure out how to survive it, because it will only get worse.”

“How could it get any worse?”

“Extinction,” Maya said. “Humanity will never dominate this world ever again. We’re not the apex predators, top of the food chain, anymore. We’re prey and we’re eventually going to be out leveled by everything that exists on this planet. This is only the beginning, in a few years, decades, we could all be dead.”

“Impossible,” the woman, Luna, spoke for the first time.

“Tier 2 worlds are difficult to pacify,” Yosi said. “They eventually are abandoned and turned into challenge planets for those who seek to grow beyond Tier two.”

“This is also a Point of Contact world,” Roci added. “Which means it won’t just stay Tier 2. Its Tier will grow over the eons, making it more and more dangerous.”

“Right now we’re focusing on keeping as many people alive as possible. We’re giving them what they need, in return for the credits they earn from killing mana mutations. We need those credits to purchase the deeds from the System.”

“We do not recognize the System as any kind of authority,” Collins-Stone said.

Maya nearly laughed, but held a straight face. “That may be, but the multiverse runs on what the System says.”

“The fact that you can just outright buy up the property of sovereign nations is horrifying,” the President stated. “That we must pay this unknowable creature some arbitrary amount to live upon our own land.”

“Yeah, it sucks, but what can you do?” Maya said. “We have to work within the System’s rules.”

“No we don’t,” the President stated.

Maya sighed inwardly again. She shrugged at the President. “If you wish. I’m here for a different matter, one that will benefit your nation and bolster the defense of my base of operations in the Rainbow Sky Hellscape or RSH.”

“I have read your proposal,” the President said. “The sell of weapons and materials to potential enemies is something we cannot condone. We do not know what you are going to do with these weapons. They are also massively expensive.”

“Right now, they’re worthless,” Maya said. “The technology doesn’t work and never will again. The machines themselves are technically garbage, you cannot use them, but I can.”

“You seem very interested in buying our ‘garbage’.”

“Totally. The thing about the RSH is that there is currently no mana within it. It’s a mana deadzone and even when there was mana, it was on the very low side. Low enough that our old human technology could still work. I had a truck that I could drive, a generator that worked, and an iPhone that I could use.”

“What is to prevent you from using these weapons against us?”

“The high ambient mana of Earth,” Maya said. “If it were artillery and ballistic weapons, yeah be worried. What I’m asking for is your guided missiles and munitions. Even if I fired them out of the Cage, they would immediately stop working once they entered the multiverse at large. Their computers and electronics would immediately shut off and at most they’d land with a thud.”

“That could still be dangerous to the American people.”

“In the grand scheme of things, the missiles on board your warships and destroyers aren’t all that powerful. There are weapons that can do far more than even those. I can build a railgun within a day that’ll fire a thousand rounds that have the explosive power of a hundred of those missiles.”

“Is that a threat?”

Maya scoffed. “No, it’s putting into perspective as to how things have changed.”

“Then why don’t you use these railguns?”

“Mana,” Maya said. “I’m running out of it. I’m burning too much of it. I don’t have enough railguns and if I did, I need them to defend the 3S settlements from mana mutations.”

“While you let American cities burn.”

“While I let a lot of cities burn. I’m just one small organization and there are so much that needs to be done. This meeting is already taking up a lot of time I don’t have.”

“You are the one who brought us here, against our will, I might add.”

“Time is always of the essence, Ma’am. I’m trying to thread this deal while defending my base and the settlements I’ve sworn to protect. I apologize for barely giving you enough time to think over the proposal I sent and then arriving to pick you up. We need to move quickly and unfortunately there are some less than diplomatic methods resulting from that.”

“There are concession that must be given before we can entertain your demands,” the President said.

Maya arched an eyebrow. “Concessions? What kind?”

“The United States will establish a military presence aboard this… Cage. The United States shall send Inspectors to ensure that you are not plotting against humanity’s interests. The thresholds you can create, will be used to move materials and supplies between bases as we push to reclaim our nation. You will allow up to a hundred scientists and engineers into your SOAP program. You will stop recruiting from American cities for this mercenary force you are creating. You will allow US military soldiers to observe these Aliens you are bringing over to fight for you. We will also require several of these… tesseracts to study and use. Then, we shall provide you with these weapons you seek at their monetary build costs, for which we shall accept credits in equal value.”

“That is a load of utter bullshit,” Yosi said in perfect English. She looked to Maya and bared her teeth. “Shall I tear her throat out?”

“Easy there, tiger,” Maya said. She looked at the President and once more sighed inwardly. Well at least she was willing to deal. Right now they just needed to haggle on the price. “No to the troops. No to the inspectors. Limited use of the thresholds. I’m fine with allowing more people into the SOAP. I’ll stop recruiting in the US, but those that have already signed up will be trained. I’ll allow observers, but only a few. No to the tesseracts. And we’ll buy the weapons and machines in credits by the metric ton. Say five credits for a metric ton.”

“That is wholly and utterly unacceptable,” the President said. “You think you can just operate without oversight? That will only lead to a terrible end for all of mankind.”

“I’m not finished,” Maya said. “I also want concessions from the United States. You are to rescind your extermination order of the Crows. You are to accept that the Crows and the Pigs, Hogs, or Orcs as they’re called, are not animals but sentient, sapient beings.”

“No.”

“They are to be allowed to live their lives, to form their own towns, villages, or whatever. They are to be given the same rights and status as any human being.”

“No.”

“Not only the Pigs and Crows, but any other former animal that has gained intelligence. They are System Identified Lifeforms and they are to be given the same rights and protections as anyone.”

“No.”

“If your citizens or anyone allied with the US goes about slaughtering these new people, enslaving, or oppressing in any manner, you will denounce it and put a stop to it.”

“NO!” the President rose to her feet, her face flushed with red. “These animals are not people. They are monsters. Just like every one that has been warped by Integration. They are not human. They are horrible animals.”

“I beg to differ,” Maya said.

“You have not seen the horrible things they have done!” the President shouted. “They kill indiscriminately and without reason.”

“Doubtful,” Maya replied. “They’re just trying to survive, like you and everyone else.”

“I will see that they are all wiped from this nation.”

“Christ,” Maya muttered. “I guess history repeats itself.”

The President glared at her. “What?”

“It wasn’t so long ago that people were calling for the extermination of the savages in America,” Maya said.

“This is not the same. They are animals.”

“That’s a matter of perspective,” Maya said. “If you’re going by how long they’ve been here, the American Crow, from which these Crows originated, are indigenous to North America, so they’ve been here longer than anyone. The Pigs, well they’re more like forced immigrants comparable to a certain group of Americans.”

“This is utterly stupid,” the President snapped.

“Murder isn’t stupid,” Maya said.

“We are defending ourselves from monstrosities.”

“Perhaps extending an olive branch will help things out,” Maya said. “They wish to live, you wish to live, all of our lives are in danger because this world will become more and more inhospitable through the years.”

“We will rebuild and return to our place in the world.”

“Look, the America we all remember and love is dead. It’s never going to return to how it once was. It’s never going to extend from sea to shining sea ever again.”

“You do not know the will of the American people.”

“Uh… I am an American, y’know? Anyway, it’s not about will or determination. Its about math. Too many people have died. The monsters are only going to grow stronger and stronger over the years. There’s far too much land to hold. Everyone will eventually have to live in fortified towns and cities, the rural life on the farm is sadly dead.”

“We will not give up so easily, as it seems you have.”

“Ouch,” Maya snarked. “How many times do I have to tell people that this is a Tier 2 world now. A Point of Contact world. That means a lot of mana is still being dumped into this planet and with it mutations and changes that will NEVER stop.

“Do you want to know my long term plan? I want to get everyone off the planet. We’re going to all die if we stay here, but right now it’s about saving as many people as possible.”

“Abandon the planet?”

“Yeah. This bird is almost done. In a decade or two, it’ll be fried to a crisp and living intelligent beings on it will all be dead. Mana mutations are no joke, this whole solar system might have to be quarantined to prevent real monsters from ravaging other star systems.”

The President was silent as she mulled over the information she had been given.

“Still,” she said after a long moment. “What you establish now will have ramifications for the future of mankind. You are already causing far too many waves, upsetting balances that have been long established.”

“You realize Integration has killed six billion people, right? I think that’s more than tipped a few balances and caused some waves.”

“You hold far too much power as it is,” the President said. “This power disparity between our nation and your organization is nowhere near being equal. You want these missiles, rockets, and other munitions, but you’re only willing to pay a pittance for them? These are items that this nation has spent decades creating, billions of dollars building, and you want it for five credits a ton?

“There has to be more to it than just saying you’re going to use them in this RSH. They must have another value, something that you are not telling us. Otherwise, why would you be pushing so hard to obtain them?”

‘I’m pushing so hard because there is a sixty thousand person army marching upon my base of operations. Every minute we spend squabbling over the stuff you don’t need, is a minute that we don’t have to defend my base.” Maya opened up a window and twisted it to show the President and her people. It was the same images that Chu had seen, the marching Tarvana and the absolute dark of the RSH.

The President looked at Maya once more. “I stand by my original statement. If you want these weapons, you shall pay the given price and accept the concessions we have put forward.”

“If I do that, will rescind your extermination order?”

“No.”

“Jesus Christ, lady,” Maya said in exasperation. “I’m only asking for two god damn things. Junk weapons that you can’t ever use anymore and not to go about killing intelligent life because it’s not human. How hard is not committing genocide? How hard is it to just say okay to letting trash you don’t need go?”

“I would expect nothing less from a child,” the President said coldly.

“And I should have expected nothing less from a boomer that can’t get a grasp on the changing situation of the world we’re in,” Maya snapped. She rose to her feet, the President’s guards moving for the first time since they arrived. She looked at them with disdain and shook her head.

“This discussion is over.” The President also rose to her feet.

“No, it’s not,” Maya said.

“You dare-“

“I totally do,” Maya growled. “I was trying to be fair and nice here, trying to discuss this like intelligent people, but your willful disregard for me and what I can do is bullshit. You rode in her on your high horse and have been looking down your nose at me. This after y’all stole a hundred and twenty million credits worth of goods and supplies, which has severely hampered the war effort on my part.”

“That was not my doing,” the woman said. “I hadn’t been sworn in as President at the time.”

“Your nation, your people, your doing,” Maya snapped.

“Then look at it as doing your patriotic duty,” the President said. “You have been selling weapons to anyone and everyone, men, women, and children. Instead of allowing our scientists and engineers to be taught and instructed on how to use and build with this new technology. What George Hazel did was his patriotic duty as we faced incredible odds against monsters that were ravaging our cities.”

“Everyone has been facing monsters, you idiot,” Maya snapped. “You think America is special? You think what you’re going through isn’t happening everywhere? We’re all fighting and dying out there.”

“You seem to have it very easy.”

“Oh, you did not just say that!” Roci hopped to her feet, her violet eyes flashing red.

Maya set a steady hand upon Roci and took a long breath. She felt her anger beginning to wash away. “Okay,” Maya said, feeling a coldness settle upon her. “What is the value of an American life?”

“It is priceless,” the President said automatically.

Maya waved her hand and scores of windows opened up. All of them showed different scenes, different places across the world, from deserts, cities, and the seas. All of them filled with soldiers and troops, trying to survive a changed world. Hanging on by their barest of margins as monsters ravaged and the world sought to snuff them out.

“What is this?” the President demanded.

“Every still existing base outside of the United States,” Maya said. She pushed a window forward, showing a dozen large naval vessels bobbing in the ocean. The decks were crowded with men and women, starving, dehydrated, and staring listlessly into the ocean. “Along with every ship and carrier group that was on the move. The ships didn’t just sink, they stopped working. The crews on them were stuck, it’s sort of difficult to swim a thousand miles to the nearest landmass.”

“What the fuck!” the man Emilio snarled, turning to face Maya. His hands clenched and she could feel the mana beginning to warp around him.

Bell got to his feet, summoning a sword and stepping to Maya’s side.

“You are holding them hostage?” the President demanded, rage contorting her face.

“No. I’m showing you where they are. I’m willing to trade their lives for your trash and promises,” Maya said. “It’s a really shitty way to do business, but you’re not making this easy at all.”

“I will not allow-“

Maya summoned her sawed off railgun; she pointed to a bare spot on the wall and fired. There was a grunt of pain and the wall splattered with blood. A woman materialized, clutching at the wound on her side. She stared wide eyed and then toppled to the deck, groaning in pain.

The President’s mouth moved silently.

“Olivia Chandra, Level 16; [Ghostwalker] Level 19; [Whisperblade] Level 15,” Maya said. “An assassin? Really? Your little mage won’t be able to do anything either.”

The mage look confused, staring at his hands. He stared at Maya with a bit of horror.

“I can’t channel any mana,” he said.

“I’ve removed the mana from your area,” Maya said. “If you continue to act aggressively, I will put you in time out, literally.” The President turned to face Maya again, the rage was gone, instead there was only fear. Maya flinched at the look, the sheer fear the woman showed her made her realized she had gone a bit too far.

“You’re a monster,” she said.

“No. I’m just trying my damn hardest not to be an asshole, but everyone seems to think that they can screw me over because of it,” Maya said. “I just want the ships and the weapons, I want you not to kill sentient beings, in return I will bring home the fifty thousand men and women who are scattered across the world trying to defend themselves in foreign lands and without support. I will allow your people to come to the Cage and learn. I will help you where I can. I will forgive the theft of one hundred and twenty million credits worth of goods and resources.”

“Or what? You’ll allow those people to die? You know where they are, you know the situation they’re in, yet you’ll just leave them be? That’s simply murder by omission,” the President said.

“Then I’ve murdered billions,” Maya said. “I’ve told you, I’ve seen cities burn, thousands slaughtered. What’s fifty thousand more? The reason I bring it up is because their lives have value to you. Not me.”

“You are a monster,” the woman, Luna, said.

“Maybe I am.”

“The multiverse is one of hard choices,” Yosi said. “Those that are unwilling to acknowledge that, they fail to live on.”

“This is not much of a choice,” the President said. “You hold a gun to our heads and tell us we have a choice?”

“In one hand I hold the lives of people, human and otherwise. In the other is your pride and delusions of a nation torn asunder,” Maya said. “There is no gun, there are no threats. I will not fight you, I will not topple your government, I will not interfere with you nor shall I help you. If you try to commit genocide or mass murder, then I will stop you. In case you are wondering, that is not a threat, it is a statement of fact.”

Silence reigned in the room as both sides glared at one another. Bell walked over to the bleeding Olivia and offered her a healing potion. She took it and gulped it down, wincing as the potion took effect.

“You can save those people?” the President asked. “All of our soldiers?”

“Those willing to leave. A lot of those bases have become havens for survivors. They’ve built communities and organized over the last weeks. If they’re willing to leave that and return back to the US, then they’re welcomed into the Cage.”

“I am willing to negotiate,” the President said and moved back to her seat.