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116 - Blood in the Wells II

 
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Shad

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PostPosted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 8:15 pm    Post subject: 116 - Blood in the Wells II Reply with quote Add User to Ignore List

NDR: I can't embed midis like back in the day, but the official song for this post should be Noriyuki Iwadare - Awesome But Invisible One, off of the second disc of the Radiata Stories ost. I've had it on repeat for hours. >_>

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[p:21wmy54u]The Freedom Fighters touched down on a runway that was, while outdoors, encompassed by a heat barrier. UCPA's headquarters loomed in front of them. Antarctica... not only neutral, but impregnable. From here not even Akigiyama could pose a physical threat. The location would be absurd for a military base, but for a neutral political headquarters it was ideal. The sky was dark, but that didn't indicate the time of day. It was winter here, after all.[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]Security officers came up to greet the Freedom Fighters as they came down off of a United Nations aircraft. Andrew was not keen on using it for this mission, but it was the only plane available built to stand the cold. Andrew, Marcus, Akira, Miwan, Blue, Red, Glenn, Serj, and Krivin all filed out onto the runway.[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]The guards all looked stern. They didn't know what this was all about. Chances are they didn't know anything at all. But the arrival of such a huge force couldn't be good. Blue, Red, and Serj didn't look familiar. Glenn and Krivin they knew only vaguely. Andrew, Marcus, Miwan, Akira... Now there were four world champion fighters you had to live in a cave to not recognize. "How can we help you?"[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"I need to speak with David Holmes immediately," Andrew stated bluntly.[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"Mr. Lizar, you have to understand. We honored your request to land, but... entry by non-UCPA employees or official approval is strictly prohibited. With all due respect, as a security officer it is my obligation to consider the possibility that you are not who you appear to be."[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"I do understand. As the president of the United Nations however I do have pre-approval to enter, and I am in your retinal scan registry."[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"Allow me a moment to confirm this."[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]The guard walked out of ear shot and pulled out a phone. The group stared up at the headquarters in the meantime. The building was a few stories tall - not intimidating compared to say, Hunt Tower or Neo-Pandemonium, but in the flat icy landscape of Antarctica it certainly made an impression. Andrew sighed. He'd been here before, waiting outside a corporate complex for an event that could change countless people's lives.[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]At least five minutes passed before the guard returned. "I was told to inform you that your appearance will be regarded as an official United Nations visit."[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"Then we can enter?" Andrew asked.[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"Yes." The guard handed Andrew a complex sort of pair of goggles, which he held up to his eyes.[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"Identification confirmed: Andrew Lizar, Diplomat, United Nations Liaison," an electronic voice read.[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"Follow me." The guard motioned for the group to come inside the large front gate. The base was built to endure, not to look pretty. They stood back as a colossal metal barricade slowly spread open. The inside of the base was dark. With limited energy, lighting was kept low. A glass staircase stretching up from the cold cement floor to a glass balcony lined with tables overlooking the entrance served as the only real luxury. The silence in the place was eerie. Nothing but the sounds of the doors closing behind them, and an engine buzzing in the distance. Andrew looked over his shoulder to see another aircraft taxing on the runway.[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"David Holmes is busy at the moment," one of the guards said. There was no secretary. "However Strom Palmer, a member of the inner board, is available to meet with you."[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"Fair enough," Andrew said. He could see his breath. This time of year they could only keep the heat up so high.[/p:21wmy54u]
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[p:21wmy54u]A heavy-set balding man was seated at the head of a large triangular glass meeting table, behind a giant video conference screen. The room was poorly lit, like the rest of the building, and cold. He motioned for the Freedom Fighters to take a seat and then cut to the chase. "Now I'm not going to bother you with any bureaucratic nonsense. You aren't here on some UN-sponsored diplomatic mission; you're here for your own vigilante peace-keeping efforts, which I respect, so I will answer your questions in confidence. You have been collaborating closely with Mr. Wight, and I assume this visit has something to do with his disappearance." Blue and Red both nodded with the same sharp glare.[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"That is certainly a part of it," Andrew replied, "but our concerns run a bit deeper. Tell us, and for the sake of your organization, spare no detail. What is the UCPA's involvement with Ohio?"[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"....Complicated," Palmer said with a sigh. "What I suspect Wight told you about our proposal to Samuel Reynolds is true; We offered to help arm Ohio to better fight One Nation." A number of Freedom Fighters looked visibly surprised at his bluntness. "You have to understand; yes Ohio and One Nation were entering negotiations, but peace was by no means a given. If the fight had to continue, our council agreed that it would be appropriate to aid Ohio, and even that would have been a last ditch effort. If Croft and Reynolds could not come to terms, we intended first to declare recognition of Ohio as a sovereign nation. Surely that would have pressured Croft into a compromise! Only if that too fell through would we actually have lend military aid."[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"Then why did you approach Reynolds with the offer prior to his meeting with Croft?" Marcus asked.[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"Th..th....that was a controversial decision, I agree," Palmer retorted. "Some were strongly against it, but the council ultimately agreed that making the offer ahead of time would give Reynolds moral support without realistically jeopardizing the situation. He was a peace-loving man. We just wanted him to know on no uncertain terms that the UCPA stood behind him."[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"...Then why the hell did you promise these weapons under the strict conditions that Ohio reject the peace talks and put them to use?" Andrew asked.[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"That's preposterous!" Palmer declared. "Where on earth did you hear such nonsense?"[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"Samuel Reynolds told me himself." Andrew's eyes narrowed.[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"...Listen, if this is all about Mr. Wight, know right now that his life is not in danger." Red and Blue both scowled at him at the mere suggestion. "His arrest may have nothing to do with any of this. He was caught accessing files that were above his security classification; that's all. If the act was an accident, at worst his job is at stake. Even if, and I do not propose for a second that this was the case, he was actively spying on us, he will serve only a minimal jail sentence. The UCPA does not condone executions under any conditions."[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"Don't change the subject." Andrew's scowl sent a chill down the official's spine.[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]Palmer gulped. "I think perhaps you misunderstood Mr. Reyno--"[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"Or maybe," Andrew interrupted, "you had a vested interest in One Nation losing this conflict that extended beyond your duties. Clarence Croft's disapproval of the UCPA is well known. Could it be possible that your own concerns about self-preservation lead you to encourage war and jeopardize lives?"[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"Our dispute with One Nation, coupled with this irrational hearsay, are absurd grounds for accusations of warmongering!" Palmer's face turned so red it looked like it could pop.[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"I agree," Andrew nodded, and Palmer deflated in puzzled relief. "That is why we rejected the UCPA as a probable culprit. I do believe, Mr. Palmer, what Samuel Reynolds told me. However the peace talks went through, and I also believe what Michael Wight relayed to me: that the board unanimously agreed to do nothing further to hinder the peace process." Palmer lowered his head onto the table and sighed.[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]But Andrew wasn't finished. "If only you had left well enough alone."[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]Palmer looked back up. "What?"[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"The ferocity with which One Nation and Ohio accused one another of assassinating Samuel Reynolds was unfortunate," Andrew went on. "Karn Tzimisces would have had no choice but to ultimately step down from his threats and accusations, had he not been assured of Akigiyama arms and reinforcements. He is a bullheaded general, but not so foolhardy as to wage war with nothing but sicks and stones. Despite his boisterous public declarations, you and I both know that he would have ultimately resigned to surrender without bloodshed had it not been for those weapons." Palmer started sweating hard. He looked more flustered now than ever, though he tried to hide it.[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"I do not doubt that Akigiyama assassinated Samuel Reynolds," Andrew continued. "His life meant nothing to them. War meant profit, and though construction rights for arms seems unbalanced in favor of Ohio, it is reasonable to suppose that the Akigiyama weapons were only on loan; that after the war they would reclaim their expenses and reap the benefits. We broke into Neo-Pandemonium in search of some proof; of some evidence. If only the people of Ohio know definitively that the very weapons they fight with murdered their leader, I hope, I dearly hope, they will turn back from the front and this whole bloody mess can be put to rest."[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]Palmer nodded. "I see."[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"We found no proof I'm afraid, though this has not swayed my opinion." Andrew stated. "However, we found something far more disturbing. Akigiyama have been paid in full for the weapons they gave to Ohio." Palmer grew pale as Andrew continued. "Some organization, some party with millions of dollars, had enough of a vested interest in seeing One Nation fall to purchase these weapons on Ohio's behalf."[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"That is... terrible. Who would do such a thing?" Palmer stammered.[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"You lousy son of a bitch." Glenn slammed his fist on the table and stood up.[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]Andrew motioned for him to sit back down. "I think your organization has been duped, Mr. Palmer, into paying Akigiyama for weapons they had intended to deliver all along. I request that you show us your financial records for the fiscal year. If our suspicions are wrong I will publicly apologize for this grievous misunderstanding and resign from my post as the president of the United Nations."[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"This is the most absurd accusation I have ever heard! You can see our financial records when you show me a legitimate warrant!" Palmer stood up. "Until then, our security will be happy to escort you off of the premises."[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]Akira rose to his feet, and in a moment was towering over the official. A severed phone line hung down at Palmer's dumbfounded side. "People are dying as we speak," Andrew stated authoritatively. "Now you can either share this information with us right now, or you can go public with the UCPA's council-level decision to sabotage the original peace arrangements prior to Reynolds' assassination. Either way your organization is finished."[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]Palmer stared speechless across the table at Andrew Lizar. Akira was still breathing down his neck. And just then, Marcus's cellphone rang.[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"Hey, it's Kevin. I'll put him on speaker phone. Hello?"[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"Hey hey..." Kevin responded across the line. The sound of a woman sobbing could be heard behind him. "So I caught up with Ms. Mitchell."[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"I can hear that." Marcus made a face. "Be nice."[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"Yeah well, she was all choked up from the start," Kevin replied. "Ok, so here's what I got, and it's not much, but maybe you could give it a quick look while you're over there... Do you have me on speaker phone? Might want to keep this one quiet."[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"Don't worry about it," Marcus said, looking over at Palmer.[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"If you say so... Ok, I guess Ms. Mitchell here contacted the UCPA the night before Sam got it. She was really beside herself when I was asking her, but she kept saying something about Sam's speech and just trying to do the right thing and it wasn't supposed to come to this... Honestly, she seems to think the UCPA killed him. But that's just ridiculous."[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]Everyone's eyes turned to Palmer. He looked white as a ghost. "No way. No. No! I swear I don't know anything about this! Jesus, we might have taken advantage of the situation, but we aren't goddamn assassins!"[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]Akira slammed him against the wall, holding him up by his throat.[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"I swear! ack...We didn't have anything to do with this! Check the fucking records, look at everything, Christ!" he whimpered. "I swear... I swear... ack..."[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]Akira let go when his face started turning blue. Palmer fell to the floor and stayed there, shaking.[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"And you tell me to be nice..." Kevin muttered over the line.[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"Who specifically did she talk to?" Marcus asked.[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"Holmes. David Holmes. She had his private number. She was Reynold's secretary. She's got everyone's number," Kevin shrugged.[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"Where is he?" Andrew asked the sniveling mass on the floor.[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]Palmer just went on moping for a minute and then looked up. "He left right when you showed up, said it was an emergency. Didn't you see his jet take off?"[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"Oh great, probably took off running." Glenn shook his head.[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"Don't think I won't take you to court over all this. Blackmail, that's what it is!" Palmer began to get his gusto back.[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"Save it," Marcus replied. "Do you have any idea where Holmes might have went?"[/p:21wmy54u]
[p:21wmy54u]"...He told me actually," Palmer said after some thought. "He's headed to Ohio."[/p:21wmy54u]
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