“Glad you could make it, General Xarin,” said Zinc. He took his boots down from his desk, and stood to shake the General’s hand.
“So am I, Commander Forthgau. I have to confess your brief message was very intriguing,” Xarin smiled.
“More especially because it includes one of your former best and brightest, I think,” Zinc said with a craftier smile of his own. He gestured for Xarin to sit, and joined him on the same side of the desk.
“Admittedly, I do keep an eye on Rhea. How is she? I was surprised when I heard she had been left behind.” The displeasure on the final clause wasn’t remotely hidden.
Zinc raised a hand, but the smile didn’t quite die from his face, “When she had been presumed lost, General, presumed lost, please.”
“Call it what you want, Commander, but I would take your other roamer’s actions more seriously if I were you.”
Zinc stared across at the General, the smile fading only briefly before the self-assured glimmer returned to his eyes. He waited to see how long it would take for Xarin to squirm. Zinc had a knack for intense stares. It was probably one of the things that helped push down the competition for his early promotion to Via Commander.
Sure enough, even Xarin humoured him and looked away for a moment. “So, this plan of yours.”
“A most wonderful plan, General. Think of it as… rubbing two stones together to create a spark over very dry wood.”
“And is Rhea the wood, the spark or the stones?” Xarin asked sceptically. He watched Zinc hesitate, and inwardly grumbled at the man for his infamous theatrics. Theatrics that had reportedly grown more fanciful since he’d become leader. Xarin wondered if the power of coordinating one of the largest areas of the Resistance had gone to his head.
“Rhea is one of the stones,” said Zinc.
Again the hesitation, forcing Xarin to play to it. He couldn’t stop himself rolling his eyes. “And the other stone?”
“Nitrus,” Zinc said triumphantly, as though expecting the two names to make everything clear to his companion. When Xarin answered with nothing but another stare, Zinc continued, “Imagine pitching them against one another, time and again. The cream of the crop, and they hate each other with a passion, constantly trying to beat the other – imagine. We give them bigger and bigger targets so that they continue to better themselves, all the while thinking it’s simply in order to surpass the other.”
“And you think this will be our key to overthrowing IREH?” Xarin said.
“I note your scepticism, but I’m not finished. We better their hacking and fighting with technology. Then, I transfer them over to Riseonei.” Zinc folded his arms and sat back.
“Riseonei? What can she possibly have for them at Tulorn?”
“My dear General, you seem to forget one very important detail that distinguishes Nitrus and Rhea from my other roamers. The same little detail that Riseonei and her Council are more familiar with than we are.”
Xarin’s eyebrows furrowed. “They’re legend’s bloods. I didn’t realise Nitrus was one, too.”
“Yes. Making him and Rhea practically equal in every skill-set.”
“I don’t quite see why you’ll be transferring them to Riseonei. Surely their base of operations is here, and you need them?” Xarin ran his fingers over his cuffs.
“So that she can find a way to train their skills with ether. That, sir, is more valuable to us than them even being here.”
“With all due respect, the fact remains that these are still just two individuals, who will still be up against a mammoth piece of AI and its carpet of controlled forces. However skilled Rhea and Nitrus may be or may become, they cannot go up against that alone.” Xarin started to grind his teeth and clench the arms of his chair.
Zinc explained patiently, as if to a son, despite Xarin being nearly twice his age. “After they are strengthened – and if I’m still alive by that point – the plan will simply be reversed, and they will have to learn to work together. They have enough stamina to raise armies more ruthless than tidal waves. The fact that subconsciously they’d probably still be doing it to top each other would simply add to the strength,” he spread his arms and smiled yet again at his brilliance.
Xarin’s incredulity tipped the scale and sank into a strange sort of pity. He sighed and looked askance at his counterpart, “This is all very dependent on presupposition, Commander. I don’t think either of us are that precise of psychologists. Predicting the behaviour of a battalion, maybe, but the individual? What makes you think you have them pinned down so well?”
“Oh, I don’t.”
Xarin’s face fell even more, pity at madness turning into despair.
“Naturally, it has to be worked right. After all, they’re just as likely to kill each other.” Zinc stood and wandered back around his desk, fishing around in a drawer to bring out a bottle of rare alcohol and two chipped, small glasses. He poured for each of them. “You think I’m going mad, Xarin –”
“I confess I do,” Xarin couldn’t stop himself from saying.
“– and that’s understandable.” He slid a glass to Xarin. “However, what should worry you more is that I am in the peak of mental health.” He returned to his seat. “Now what you need to ask yourself, in light of this information and this wildly-conceived plan of action for the sake of our dying Resistance is: what do we have to lose?”
Xarin was silent, and tipped his glass to and fro in the dim light. The acrid aroma sidled up to his nose, almost putting him off from sipping.
“Consider the facts, General, though I’m sure you know them better than I. As of this year IREH is practically everywhere, even starting to extend its reach into the Tarna Mountains where some of us thought we were safe. With the exception of the four skyhomes, Via, Tulorn, and the two larger terra firmas – excuse me, pli scas – we’re all but wiped out, let’s face it. We amount to, what, a thousandth of what IREH can throw at us?”
“You put it so pessimistically for a leader,” Xarin muttered.
“Hacker, General. I’m incapable of mincing my figures. Now, what you also can’t deny are the files of Rhea and Nitrus I sent to you before you joined me here, and what they say about their performance. Both bear striking similarity to the strength of IREH’s best: Rhea is after all one of its organic prototypes, making her stronger than any woman – or indeed human – should be, and Nitrus may as well be a Mark for his efficiency and coldness. Their advantage is that they are free, and on our side. You’re looking at this all wrong, General. If anything, they could have the upper hand, if we help them reach their potential.”
“Zinc, they remain human beings, no matter their genetics or personalities!” Xarin finally burst. “Two human beings, pitted against a machine with an omnipresent army at its disposal!”
“No, no, Jona,” Zinc insisted, keeping his voice level despite his guest’s agitation. “You must think of it as a machine pitted against two human beings. You see, that is Via’s underlying philosophy: we fight fire with fire, yes, which some cypirates may disagree with, but ultimately we are viewing the fight from the angle of our humanity being what IREH still lacks, no matter its intelligence. Surely you must have known that to let Rhea come here? And surely, therefore, you must see our enemy will fall before them precisely because together they can, in a sense, embody what is powerful about IREH alongside the advantage of their glorious humanity.” He paused. “Please tell me you see that, General.”
Xarin shook his head, “I see all right.” He drained his liquor and stood. “But I’ll have nothing to do with this madness. They’re your soldiers, anyhow, though I must say how disappointing it is to see you so hell-bent on wasting their distinguished lives,” he said harshly. He turned to leave the room, but paused before closing the door at the Commander’s last words.
“Fair, General, fair. But remember the most crucial, intrinsic part of all this, which even you, as a high official, must obey. Secrecy.”
Zinc watched the door close, and moved back around to his side of the desk, returning his feet to the top and pouring himself another glass. He knew General Xarin would keep the code of silence, and was only vaguely discomfited to have had to disrespect the older, more distinguished man. His plan would work some way or another, he was sure of that; even without the help of the other cypirate leaders. Except Lady Riseonei. He needed her help. He may have failed to convince Xarin and the others, but that mattered little.
Riseonei…Riseonei knew what the rest of them could only marvel at and fear. She would need to provide the cocoon for Zinc’s wonderful, deadly butterflies, and help unleash them on the world. He doubted he’d be alive to see it; another reason why he needed her. Taking his feet off his desk, he tapped at his keyboard to wake his system up, and put in a call to Tulorn.
He looked at his streaked reflection in his glass. “You are blessed and cursed with your smarts and your instincts, Zinc. No wonder they all hate you and think you’re nuts.” He paused a moment, then laughed.
