Video, 10 AM on the 21st

[initiatesnpc]

[ When the feed turns on, there's a poorly-shaven and generally scruffy guy in a labcoat peering critically into the lens. He might not look familiar, but when he speaks, Transports who have been around for a while may recognize the voice. ]

This thing on? Hey, looks like we're broadcasting. I'm a genius, as usual.

[ The view shifts as he tucks whatever is broadcasting into the front pocket of his shirt, showing a hallway within the Hold. His voice drifts in from off-screen: ] We got the best of the best having a powwow in here. You know, the fate of all of Exsilium, and stuff like that. They're gonna tell you guys when they're done, but I say we pick up the pace a little. We're on a tight schedule, you know? [ The view strides forward as he makes for a closed door. ] Just our little secret, alright? I'm not even supposed to be on your fancy network — like they could ever actually kick me off.

[ His voice drops with the last part as he pushes open the door. Inside are ten Initiative employees, and Saul and Medusa, seated at a table and looking terse. Someone shoots a frown toward our loyal broadcaster, who mutters an apology for his bladder and slides into the only empty seat. ]

[ The conversation is already in progress, but context can be picked up on quickly. The Initiative has received Transport reports about "Black Code", along with the meaning — nuclear strike, aimed for Exsilium on October 1st. They have already looked into disabling the bombs via time travel, and found there are too many nuclear plants and resource sites to hit in time. And so these are the heads of each department, debating in strained voices and all looking very generally stressed.

The word "moonbase" keeps popping up, along with things like the catacombs won't withstand the blast, and border patrols are already in place, evacuation is suicide. It's also generally associated with extremely limited life support — the head of the base restoration project insists that it can't possibly sustain over 500, even all of the Transports will be pushing its limits. The conversation is headed toward the inevitable conclusion of abandoning Exsilium for the moonbase, but no one wants to say it. Finally it's the broadcaster himself who clears his throat and speaks. "Look, alright, we're fucked if we stay, and the only way off is our little outer space treehouse. We fit all the Transports and enough people to make sure they don't kill themselves up there, and just… sit back. They're supposed to be saving us anyway, right?"

No one looks happy with it, but no one disagrees. Silence sets in for a moment, until the quiet voice from elsewhere at the table, "We can't let word get out to the Exile population." That raises another round of loud debates, things like you're seriously suggesting we not tell anyone they're about to get wiped off the map? and it will be mass panic if we do, they'll make Transport evacuation impossible! Although there are some very obviously unhappy with it, the debate leans toward the logic of the latter, and a vote passing it is cast. Once it's confirmed that the moonbase is ready to begin supporting a population influx, it's decided that Transport relocation and supply shipments will begin immediately — and the decisions as to which Initiative employees will go with them are to be made at a later time. ]

[ The talk winds down, and someone near Saul and Medusa mutters to them, something along the lines of, I don't envy your job, telling everyone. Saul, already pissed and definitely having been on the "no" side of the voting, lunges for the guy — but is restrained by Medusa's hair. The view shifts again as the broadcaster lifts the camera from his pocket, turns it around to grin weakly into it. ]

Done and done, pals. It was the pen all along! Ha, told you I was a genius, noooo one feels like listening to poor old Sponde…

[ There's a quick raising of angry voices, but the feed ends and cuts them off. ]

[[ooc; Saul, Medusa, anyone else in DITR, and possibly the NPC will be responding to questions here, but also feel free to use this as a general IC discussion space!]]

Comments

[governorkang]

[Sango, you have never been in a war before have you. His voice, and his expression are serious, and he's not showing any sign of being upset over hundreds of thousands of people dying.]

Nuclear weapons are far beyond anything you can imagine, Sango. If the UE is using those on us, it means they're starting to see us as a very serious threat, and even if some of the exiles escape, where will they go? How will they survive? The rest of this world is either a toxic wasteland, or controlled by the UE. Not to mention the border of Exsilium is being heavily patrolled. If they try to leave, they will die. If they stay, they die. We need to survive, to fight another day. That means we can't waste time trying to help them, or dealing with the panic and riots in the streets.

All of our missions are to past points in time, in order to change how things are now. We can work to try and prevent this from ever happening in the first place.

[taijiya]

Yes, and what have those missions gotten us so far? Nothing--not enough to make any difference now, at least, and nothing seems to be changing about that. Even if we could accomplish it--it wouldn't be the same. These people...

[A deep breath. She's more than a little hysterical right now, it's hard to think straight.]

There has to be some way; I can't believe you're ready to just give up on finding a solution and let a whole people get massacred.

[governorkang]

We have a base on the moon now, thanks to a past mission. That's proving to make a difference right now, giving us a place to evacuate to. And, there simply isn't enough room, or supplies, for more than our group.

This is a war, Sango. Sometimes you have to make tough decisions, and sacrifices that you don't want to.

[taijiya]

And you can bet that if we didn't have that moon base--which apparently isn't good enough, because it's helping only a fraction of the people here--everyone would be scrambling a whole lot harder to find a solution that saves the city itself.

What's the point of a war if you can't protect anyone you're supposed to? We're the ones who are supposed to be dying to protect them.

[governorkang]

Even a fraction of us is better than none of us. If we die with them, who will protect them? We can't let emotions cloud our judgment.

[He's not particularly upset about the exiles dying on a personal level himself, but he knows that most of the transports are.]

This way, we have a chance to fix it. They won't stop trying to destroy us, and the exiles with us, but we can at least make it harder for them.

[taijiya]

And what's the point of a fraction of us being alive with no one to protect? What advantage do we have to fending off their advances when there are fewer people to resist, regardless of whether or not the Exiles have powers? How long will it take the United Earth to send a nuclear strike to the moon instead of the city, once they discover we're there?

Kang--this isn't the only way. I know it's not. [Not when she's about to make a contract that, if she's lucky, will negate the need to even have this argument.] I have to go.

[governorkang]

[He growls in frustration, and is about to continue the argument, but the tone of her voice, the rustling of cloth as if from window curtains, and a barely audible hiss from Kirara makes him pause.]

Sango. What are you - where do you have to go?

[taijiya]

[A beat.]

To find another way.

[governorkang]

[That unmistakable low hiss of an unhappy cat is just making him worry.]

Don't do anything stupid.

[taijiya]

Goodbye.

[Aaaand click.]

[governorkang]

Sango -

[Too late, she's already cut the feed. He curses in a mix of languages and shuts off his end as well.]