This time, it was Max that sifted through papers. "I don't know how we'd store goods without it, but I think we could manage delaying the Eastern Square Market." He set that page down and brought up another one. "We could also hold off on the construction of Capitol Crater."
"Yes," Tousen immediately answered.
Capitol Crater was going to be their main governing building situated in the deepest crater of the attack on Arkasia. The citizens had all voted in favor of its building site as they felt the rise of a newer, stronger city should be reflected by the very reason it had to rebuild itself in the first place. There were heaps of material lying in wait for its construction. And, in all honesty, the militant headquarters were just as good a place as any government building while the citizen count was as low as it was.
"Reroute materials for the manufacturing of as many carrier pyro drones as we can get out of those materials."
"Capitol Crater has been put off for months," Shellan argued.
"And there will be no use for the building if Xishian forces level our city once more," General Yvis responded.
"General's right. We need weapons. As many as we can get," Max agreed.
At Max's words, Shellan relaxed, no further arguments leaving his lips. Tousen had become increasingly concerned by the closeness the two seemed to share. Perhaps he should have a sentry shadowing Shellan too….
"I feel that we've been blessed by the gods to have come this far without having either side breathing directly down our necks," Tousen added. "We hadn't anticipated for this scale of an attack quite yet; however, we knew it would come. Our city should have the tools necessary to defend itself. I'll not let this city fall a second time."
With nods and mutters of agreement from those around the table, Tousen decided it was time to bring their meeting to an end.
"Are there any other matters to discuss?" he asked, his violet gaze resting on each individual. When no response came, he clapped his hands together. "Alright. Let's get back to work, then," he said, rising to his feet. "Vert, I'll be following you out."
Vert nodded, gathering his materials in haste. By the time they left the conference room, only Max had remained at the table. He was flipping through the pages of the text he'd brought with him, probably making adjustments to the materials inventory.
He schemes behind our back.
Tousen ignored the comment. Max could come up with whatever scheme he wanted to. Wouldn't mean a damn thing, nor would it make any sort of difference. The apparition, on the other hand….
"Tousen?"
Vert's voice snapped the young doctor from his thoughts. "Yes? What is it, Vert?"
Vert had a wide grin, pushing up his cheeks as he pointed out the large windows on the East side of the building. Small, rosy flakes fell from the dark, orange-red clouds gathered overhead. There was already a thin layer coating the stone and steel structures that rose to meet them. A few Breathless children outside the iron gates of the building were pointing and laughing, their jackets being dusted by the falling snow.
In the silence of the corridor they stood in, Tousen felt a moment of peace. One he hadn't felt in a long, long time.
"I didn't think it fell this far north," Vert said, watching the snowfall with eager eyes.
"Neither did I," Tousen responded. Finally, he tore himself away from the moment. "Come now. It's time I see your unification plans."
Vert nodded, though he still appeared entranced by the outside world. When he managed to tear his gaze away from the window and follow Tousen down the single set of stairs, he seemed contemplative. Out of the four that had come from the domes to "rescue" Tousen, Vert appeared to be the only one willing to adapt to the ever-changing circumstances. The duo had multiple lengthy talks after arriving at Arkasia that led them to this point of rebuilding their friendship.
Currently, it was at the stage where Tousen trusted Vert's opinion enough to make him the lead on their unification endeavors. Vert, in turn, trusted Tousen's leadership and the young doctor's plans for the future of the planet. However, it still wasn't what it used to be. Neither of them seemed willing to confide in each other. Not like they used to. And there were times where distrust filled the air with inescapable tension. That probably wouldn't ever fade completely.
They both picked up their jackets at the front desk, exchanging brief pleasantries with the new Domer hired on as the secretary for the militant headquarters. The going was slow, but little wins like this showed Tousen that the integration was working.
In the end, it'll fall to nothing, the apparition scoffed. You sow seeds of your own destruction.
Tousen grimaced. The day they'd entered the inner circle of Arkasia was still a blur. He knew upon waking what his intentions were: build a safe haven for those willing to join him and kill the rest. But, it felt like every step towards eradicating the rest brought an abnormal unease with it. This included the mass production of the Expan serum that Katia was at the head of.
It was what Tousen had wanted for a while, ever since he developed Expan. The absolute removal of those in power and those who might succeed them. Isaiah had argued desperately against it but….
Maybe that's why. Perhaps Tousen didn't quite want what he thought he did. Perhaps the ideals of the apparition were rubbing off on him in the most unfavorable of ways. Whispering desires that weren't his own and driving him to draw up plans that countered Vert's.
Nonsense, it muttered, listening in on his thoughts.
I feel as though it's not far from the truth.
Tousen could feel the apparition grow troubled at his retort. But, he didn't have time to think further on it as he followed Vert through the door of his unit and waited for the air purification to finish doing what it needed for the Domer to breathe.
"Want some coffee?" Vert asked, removing his mask and stepping into the kitchen.
"Sure," Tousen answered, setting his briefcase down next to the table before seating himself.
"Some of them are right there if you wanna breeze through them," he stated as he pulled things from multiple cabinets.
Assuming Vert was talking about the neatly stacked papers in front of him, Tousen reached forward and pulled them closer. As his eyes flitted over the plans Vert had drawn up, he realized there were more than just plans in the document.
"A treaty," Tousen murmured, just as Vert set down a mug down beside him. "Trade routes, citizenship identification cards, integration laws…wow. You've done a lot more than I thought you would have. I'm impressed." Tousen grabbed the mug, sipping at the hot liquid as it brought warmth from the chill of the falling snow outside.
Vert nodded, though he didn't seem as enthusiastic as Tousen thought he would have been at the praise. Trying not to read too much into it, Tousen continued reading the document.
It truly was incredible, considering Vert had only been working on this for a month. The treaty was essentially useless, knowing neither the Governing Forces nor the Wings would sign it. Still, it was nice knowing Vert took the time to devise a more civil plan of action.
Trade routes were color-coded over multiple maps, one of which showed dangerous creatures' movements and marked Breathless outposts. Most of the routes led to domes that weren't connected to any of the great cities. Domes that were primarily used to build up the major populace and—according to the records salvaged from the ruins of the old library—weren't shown on general maps. But, Vert had compared those records and copied coordinates from old archives to one of the maps in this document.
A few accompanying notes listed ways to properly integrate a dome into their new society without tearing it down and hauling the inhabitants to Arkasia. Tousen didn't necessarily agree with allowing any dome to stand if it was out of immediate reach. There simply weren't enough resources to properly manage something that far from Arkasia. Still, it was always wise to plan for possible future endeavors.
Citizenship IDs were already kind of a thing, though they specifically segregated Domers and Breathless. There was a logical reason for this; Domers needed modified living quarters to live comfortably, away from the deadly toxins that were harmless to Breathless. However, Vert had a note jotted down warning against segregation and the side effects that would inevitably lead to hostilities. He was right, of course, but his plan of action left much to be desired.
"We should probably call another meeting to flesh this one out a bit more," Tousen stated, looking up momentarily to make sure Vert heard him.
"Yeah, I figured as much," he replied. There's no frustration or anger in his words. Just a stated fact.
When Vert doesn't add anything more, Tousen continues to the next section. The integration laws are pretty basic, supplied with a timetable that gives additional benefits to those that have been in Arkasia the longest. However….
"We won't be able to let them leave in six months," Tousen started, leaning back and looking Vert in the eye. Or, well, trying to. The man's blue eyes are elsewhere. "Honestly, I'd say they really won't be able to go anywhere other than additional territories we may have within the next year, possibly more. It's too dangerous."
Vert huffed, his hands clutching his mug. "I know the logical aspect of keeping them here until we've successfully dismantled the government. I get that."
"But?"
Vert's hand strayed to his spectacles, adjusting them as he always had when frustrated. "But, as much as I understand, I can't help but feel ashamed every single time we rip a family from their home. Every time I see Domed children unable to play outside, forced to stay confined to their complex." He looked out the window at the falling snow.
If this had been a domed city, the snow would have passed through the filtered barrier, allowing the children to play in it. As it was, those from the domes were likely resting in their homes, the wet, toxic liquid dangerous to any Domer with exposed skin.
"It's for their own safety."
"I know!" Vert lashed out. Taking a deep breath, he said far quieter, "I know. But, they wouldn't have to worry about their safety if they'd been left alone in the first place. Or if they knew they only had to last less than half a year before returning to a more open space for them and their children...."
Silence permeated the air around them. Tousen didn't know what to say. He never did when his friend inevitably circled back to this particular subject. Because, no matter how necessary these actions were, Vert simply wouldn't see them. He never honestly had.
Quietly standing up and draining the rest of the coffee remaining in the mug, Tousen said, "I'm sorry, Vert. But, I'm going to have to scrap this last section." He stepped away from the table, pushing in his chair and leaving his hands gripping the top of it. "Perhaps we can revisit it at a later date."
Vert turned his blue gaze onto Tousen. His brows were furrowed, his lips turned downward in a frown. "I don't trust that you will," he replied, sighing before looking away.
There it was. The distrust and the tension that came with it. Tousen shook his head, leaving the kitchen and making his way back to the purification chamber, leaving without saying another word.
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