—July 1st, 2032 | Strategy Meeting | 6 Days Until The Rapture—
"We're about to start a strategy meeting, and everything we discuss can be damaging." Kaze asserted coldly.
"Cabinet members have an obligation to handle this information with discretion.
I will not show mercy to anyone that damages our reputation or endangers our subjects with their carelessness."
Everyone held their breath at his vicious declaration.
"I recommend you leave if you are not confident in your loyalty, information-handling skills, common sense, or self-control." He warned bluntly.
"I'll take you to a debriefing room without question. Speak now if you wish to leave."
The atmosphere in the room dropped below zero. Everyone looked at one another for verification before turning back to Kaze.
Everyone agreed after thirty seconds of thought.
"You have accepted the risks, so let's begin." Kaze said coolly, "Over two thousand people will learn their friends, families, and lives are gone tomorrow.
It's a harsh reality, and we're here to strategize how best to break the news and mitigate, control, and contain the panic.
Let's first discuss the social strategies for breaking the news to the Lockheed students and general populace."
"Why does that require a strategy?" Sage asked, "Everyone trusts you. This meeting proves that, right?"
"It's because he needs us." Veronica replied aptly, "We're your peacekeepers, right?"
Kaze smiled at the shrewd woman and nodded. "Pre-cisely. The Lockheed students trust me, but the two thousand regular members don't.
There's bound to be backlash, so I made them an elite police force capable of keeping order in a world of superhumans.
Without them, everything will temporarily collapse at the most critical juncture."
Kylie's brain worked in overdrive after his statement. "Kaze… we've all accepted you're our benefactor... and—"
"Summarize your point it in two sentences." Kaze interjected, scoffing breathlessly, "Save the PR for the masses."
"Kaze, you set up the apocalypse party on purpose and have proof, don't you?" She gulped nervously.
Everyone turned to him with watchful gazes.
"I do." Kaze confirmed without hesitation, "However, things got messier than anticipated, so the footage is extremely sensitive.
Do you think yourself capable of handling it correctly? Your folly is our destruction."
She dry-swallowed nervously, lacking her typical confidence due to the circumstances. Nevertheless—
"I do." Kylie affirmed, "With that footage, I can close."
—8:00 a.m. | July 1st, 2032 | Lockheed Mansion | 6 Days Until the Rapture—
Kaze and every cabinet member stood before the smiling Lockheed students, excited to leave.
Veronica was healthy, Jake, Kylie, and Sage returned, and the emperor was there to contain the scary blonde.
The cute woman in the frog hoodie was a talk of interest as well.
However, the elites' elation faded as the group set up projector equipment. They instantly got reminded that something terrible was happening and would see it soon.
"Please sit down, everyone." Kylie requested, turning to everyone with a grave expression, "We request that you remain silent until the end of our meeting."
The Lockheed students dry-swallowed, nodding nervously. No one wanted to get on Kaze's bad side, so they obeyed.
"What you're about to see is very disturbing." The spokeswoman warned, "But that's why you must remember you're safe here.
While things are bad, they aren't bad for you, and you have Kaze to thank for that."
Everyone turned to Kaze, who glanced at them with a neutral expression.
Someone tried to speak, but Kylie hit play.
She took the elites through the same journey they experienced, showcasing the razed mall and corpse-riddled university.
Sage took up the mantle after she finished, gazing at the shocked elites. "Anyone that wishes to leave to protect their families and loved ones may do so tomorrow.
However, let's talk about what you will face if you leave."
They turned to her with trembling eyes.
She flipped to one story after the other.
[Supply chain to China disrupted.]
"Trade has stopped, preventing essential materials, food, and commodities from getting here." She explained.
[Trade halts in Malta as highways are gridlocked.]
"We can't get food to stores because trucks cannot get to them." Sage continued.
"Additionally, with the supply chain broken, there won't be food to take to the stores.
A billion people are estimated to die of pneumonia or similar diseases due to starvation, even if the calamity ends tomorrow."
The videos showed highways clogged for miles, unable to move goods and services.
The refrigerated trucks contained food items spoiled or looted with dead drivers in the seats. It was a horrifying sight that spoke for itself.
Soup lines a mile long stretched the area. Everyone got a fourth of a bag of rice, beans, or a can of food for later. It was horrifying.
[Unemployment over 90% due to travel restrictions and Qi Sickness infection.]
"Essential workers cannot get to work." Sage explained, "So people are walking miles to work and finding it hazardous because they need to get in food lines.
Additionally, raw fuel can't get to the power plants. For that reason, it is projected less than two weeks remain before the Meridian City power grid shuts down.
Even communications work will break down around then. The economy is decimated."
She showed a video showcasing when and where the power grid would go out. People could see how quickly their family's home would go out on an interactive map.
[Hospitals overrun or razed. Medical care unavailable.]
"Hospitals are overrun or destroyed, meaning that sick families starving or dying of pneumonia cannot get medicine or help." Sage said soberly.
Arial footage of Maryworth Hospital flashed on the wall, a proud display of Kaze's work.
The building got razed, and thousands of people's charred remains lay on the ground.
[Breaking! Malta's water supply is at risk!]
"Most importantly, the influx of burning and breaking pipes has released water pressure." Sage announced.
"Tap water will soon disappear, and the government is building water stations to prevent millions from dying of thirst.
However, people cannot get to the water stations due to long lines.
Most people south of Manrock Bridge will die from thirst unless they distill ocean water themselves."
No one could believe what they were hearing, even the cabinet members. Economics was something that people didn't think about until they were dying or suffering.
"By contrast, this is where you're living." Sage continued dryly.
The redhead showed videos of Immortal Skye, its facilities, and recreation.
"There is ample food supply to last six months in relative comfort, farmland, a full economy, electricity from backup generators, and recreation." She explained straightly.
"If you stay at Immortal Skye, you'll live in greater comfort than last month.
You'll suffer, starve, and die if you leave. It's that simple."
Pandamonium and chaos instantly broke out in the room.
"If that's true, I need to save my little sisters!"
"Why didn't we know about this!?"
"I can't leave my mom; she's sick!"
Kaze rolled his eyes in exasperation, annoyed that Sage didn't have more tact. He waved his hand, and a faint green light illuminated the room slightly before disappearing.
Everyone took sharp breaths, turning to him with gratitude for bringing them back to Earth.
"Demanding the rational is treacherous if it makes the listeners [irrational], and thus unable to accept it." Kaze growled under his breath, making her smile ruefully.
"Listen, everyone." Kylie said, drawing everyone's attention, "I have two younger brothers, a sister, a mother, a father, and friends I don't want to leave behind.
However, they're all likely gone. We'd be dead if we didn't learn a technique at the apocalypse party."
"Yeah, about that." Linus laughed, holding his hand that hadn't functioned well since Kaze touched it with Yang Qi, "It was called the fucking apocalypse party.
You knew what would happen. Yet you let dozens of people die and didn't let us help our families?"
"Anyone with Minor Vision could tell what was happening." Kaze replied calmly, glancing at the man's traumatized hand, "It's like Yang Qi contacting other Yang Qi.
I didn't need to experience it to know what would happen when more Qi hit the world."
Linus' face heated up in savage anger after Kaze taunted him about his hand.
It was a sensitive spot, as his hand no longer functioned properly. He understood he was at fault, but he still felt angry his "teacher" let him hurt himself.
So he pushed forward in a flight of passion.
Contrary to expectations, the emperor's regent stepped in front of the man with a calm face.
"Sit down, Linus." Jake ordered calmly.
"Or what?" Linus asked mockingly, "What will Kaze's dog do to me? Hurt me like your master, boy?"
"No, I'll remove you from this room like a child." Jake replied calmly, "I'll do it so effortlessly and without resistance that it will damage your ego.
Even a dog like me doesn't have to hurt you because you're harmless and hurt yourself."
Linus' face flushed red when Jake glanced at his hand, but his emotions reversed when the regent glanced at the wall, showing a slide about mass starvation.
"I'll just make you leave, like anyone who insults someone in their home." The regent continued, "It's not a violent action; it's just natural.
Tell me, Linus. Do you want me to escort you out of my master's home?"
—
[Important: This one strategy meeting provides insights into a landslide of juicy developments and strategies, and there are short, periodic flashbacks to it. Before you read it:
1. **This story is linear.** Flashbacks give insights into the present. Present development —> flashback to this meeting —> present development.
2. The flashback ends in the same chapter, and they are explicitly labeled.
3. Flashback to meeting: —July 1st, 2032 | Strategy Meeting | 6 Days Until the Rapture—
4. Returning to present: —July 3st, 2032 | Immortal Skye Amphitheater | 4 Days Until the Rapture—
The flashbacks are super simple and well-labeled; they're not psychological. Thanks for reading!]
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