The room was silent when Jonathan stood up, almost knocking the plastic chair over in his haste. His eyes were filled with hard light, but before he could speak, Jason spoke up from the corner of the room.

He held up his hands in surrender.

"Please wait. We know this is a big decision; that's why we brought you to our base of operations. We're finally willing to make concessions to protect the city. We can offer a lot in exchange."

Jonathan hadn't spoken yet, but he looked like he wasn't going to be able to hold back for long.

The only reason they hadn't walked out of the office just yet was because Jason was asking.

At least that was the reason Mark was hesitating.

They were essentially asking them to hand over unbound in an attempt to make it 'fair'.

It was an insult to the people who had been labeled as unbound and had no way to step down from their positions.

What General Faustus was suggesting was handing them over like trading cards without any thought for what these people might want.

They had found fourteen individuals so far, and while their order had their names there was no guarantee they would help. Mark hoped that people would be willing to open the spire, even if they couldn't help manage it.

Because of this, Mark was the first to respond.

"These eight people you've collected. Where are they?" he asked, unable to mask the frigid tone in his voice.

General Faustus furrowed his brow.

"I don't believe that was the question. We were asking you how many individuals you've gathered."

Jason tore his eyes from Mark to look at General Faustus. There was a concerned light in his eyes as he continued.

"The general has assured me that they are safe and content. They are not being held against their will."

Mark's eyes narrowed, but when he couldn't see any lie in the general's demeanor, his shoulders drooped. His waryness lessened, and he looked towards everyone else.

Ethal was, as always, the quiet thinker, but as of yet, she didn't seem to have an answer.

Karter was ready to tell them to fuck off in a heartbeat. And Sam and Jonathan seemed to be exchanging looks.

Giving the number away right now wasn't the best move, but it also wouldn't hurt them that much. However, the fact that they wanted to control the unbound was.

The honest answer was that they didn't know how important the unbound were.

Yes, they could open the tower, and they had heard the functions could be controlled by them, but how did that really work?

What if they all wanted to do something different, would there be a vote? What if people could only enter under the blessing of the unbound?

Would the Loyalists use the unbound to deny entry to certain people?

This was getting far too complicated for Mark's liking.

Luckily, Ethel finally seemed to come up with an answer.

"We are willing to tell you on one condition. After which any further 'concessions' can be discussed." She paused to look at Samantha and then the general.

"We will tell you the number and names of all the individuals we have found; in exchange, you will do the same. However, you have to agree to let them make their own choices. No coercion or bribery, just fair votes."

Mark was impressed by her solution, though not for long. Ethal had quickly and efficiently come up with a plan that ensured their people were free to make their own decisions while still outwardly agreeing to the request.

General Faustus, on the other hand, was not so happy.

"I understand your thoughts, but that probably won't be possible. Uncontrolled power is one of the biggest threats facing the city right now. How can you guarantee that the people won't shut everyone out?"

Ethel nodded quietly.

"That's the difficult part. We need to believe in the people undertaking this rite to not forsake us. Which means we need to treat them right."

The general crossed his arms.

"I'm not willing to take that chance," he said.

"I know, and that's the problem," Ethel said.

"No, the problem is leaving this up to the kindness of people. We've all been through a lot, how can you be certain they wouldn't betray us? We need to take every step to make sure these people can be controlled."

Mark wore a bitter expression because while he didn't agree with the general, the man's fears weren't for nothing.

Anyone who'd ever played a video game knew how people could get when given the power to grief others.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

They might be selfish or apathetic as long as they are safe; they might even be scared. Regardless, putting one's faith in thirty random individuals was a tall ask for anyone.

Sam spoke up now, and as she did so, she locked eyes with Mark.

"General, I can't guarantee your fear won't come to pass, but I can speak on what will happen if you try to control these people. If all of them don't agree we'll never solve the mystery sitting in the center of our city. To make matters worse, someone else out there could solve it before us, and we don't know what could happen if they did."

General Faustus interlocked his fingers, going quiet as he thought things through. after a full minute of silence, he spoke.

"You were right, Captain Price. They're truly interesting individuals… Seeing as you've kept quiet up till now, am I to assume New Age Society agrees with this idea?"

Lisa and Patrica had been observing everything going on in the meeting, and she nodded.

When Lisa spoke, there was a fond certainty in her voice.

"I've been lucky enough to see their order developing in real-time. We've worked together, and they always made the decision they believed would save the most lives. Sometimes to their detriment. The Loyalists don't have to agree to anything, but NAS will be taking the same stance as its ally."

General Faustus glanced from her to Jason.

"And what would you say in this situation, Captain Price?"

Mark was surprised that the General would ask Jason's opinion over Colonel Rachel, but after the trial, perhaps he was taking Jason's words under advisement.

The man himself stood straighter.

"I don't know the answer, sir. But I agree that trying to control these people will end badly. People still believe in us, we can win them over to our side if we show them we are willing to do what is necessary to change."

Colonel Rachel started to speak, but the general held up his hand.

"I don't need to hear your thoughts, Colonel, because they are no doubt the same as mine. However, it might be time to let someone else with a more flexible outlook take the reins, just this once," the general said. His face looked like he'd aged decades since the conversation started, but he wasn't done.

"Alright, we'll do it this way. A test. If we succeed, I'll make you my chief of staff; if we fail, I'll know I was right not to trust you, Captain Price, but for all our sakes, I hope you prove me wrong."

"Sir, this is too important to-" Colonel Rachel started, but General Faustus silenced her once more.

"Not another peep, or I'll have you removed."

Mark could see that neither the general nor the Colonel were happy, but it took a lot of courage to trust someone else when one knew they weren't suited to the task.

The general was trying to be objective even though it went against everything he'd ever learned. And the catalyst for this change was Jason. His words must have gotten through to the general, now they just had to make sure they didn't fail.

"Well, if you're willing to accept these terms, I don't see why this can't be the start to a strong new union. Perhaps, allies even?" Ethel said, a shrewd gleam in her eyes.

Leave it to the businesswoman to turn these talks into partnerships.

The general didn't look opposed to the idea, but he didn't look happy either.

"For now, I feel like another joint operation is in order. Let's see how things go first. We'll exchange a list of the names and give them time to adjust."

Ethel shrugged as though she wasn't bothered either way.

All of this had gone down in under ten minutes, but it was at this stage that they noticed a commotion coming from the room beyond.

Glancing up, the general hummed at the activity.

"It looks like it's about time. Seeing as you are all here, would you like to stay as we make first contact with the equipment you brought back?"

All of them wore astonished expressions as they realized the Loyalists had gotten their equipment working.

Seeing as they were invited, no one wanted to turn down the opportunity to be there for first contact.

"Then, follow me," the general said as he got up and walked out into the main command room.

They headed out, stepping into the middle of the room, where dozens of people sat at consoles. Overhead, the main screen displayed a map of the city, but now, in one corner, a dialog box had appeared with the word SCANNING blinking inside.

"I want this on the main speakers," the general ordered.

A moment later, a screech of static filled the room, its gray, crackling hum undulating as the system cycled through frequencies.

Beside them, Mark noticed a soldier speaking into a headset.

"This is the United States Emergency Operations Network, broadcasting on all available frequencies. If anyone is out there, if any nation still stands—please respond."

He repeated the message on a loop. The room had fallen utterly silent, every pair of eyes fixed on the monitor.

Mark's pulse quickened. What if they were too late? What if the world beyond their borders had already vanished into silence?

Sam reached out, gripping Jonathan's and Mark's arms, her gaze locked onto the screen.

The soldier continued broadcasting, his voice unwavering. But the only answer was static—quiet, endless static.

The general sighed, lowering his head slightly—

—Then the static clicked.

A voice broke through the fuzz.

"…United States, this is the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Emergency Command. We read you. Repeat, we read you."

The words sharpened, heavy with a thick accent.

For a split second, the room held its breath. Then—cheers erupted.

Laughter and yelps of relief rang out from both sides of the transmission, as if the weight of isolation had suddenly lifted.

It was strange how small the world had become since the fall—how the sectors had not only cut off communication but something deeper, something human.

But now, in this moment, just the sound of another voice shattered that barrier.

They were not alone.

The general allowed the briefest smile to flash over his face before barking the order to quiet down.

The silence was immediate, and from the other side, a commanding voice shouted something in Japanese. Their side went just as quiet, but at that moment, they were the same.

The line was quiet for a second, and then the commanding voice return,d this time in English.

"America, this is Commander Ryoji Takahashi. Glad to hear you're still operational."

The general held out his hand and received a headset.

"This is General Faustus. We took heavy losses in the beginning, but we've consolidated our forces and secured a stronghold in New York. Most of the other states haven't fared as well. We know there are survivors out there, but they're scattered, and their numbers are uncertain. How are you surviving on your end?"

The response that came was filled with equal parts hope and sorrow.

"Survival is… relative. But we endure. Our command structure is intact. Limited military presence remains. Tokyo suffered catastrophic losses, but we are here. If you have not already attempted it, avoid all naval action. The seas are not what they were before, storms that shouldn't form, and creatures that shouldn't exist roam the tides. We lost contact with our Pacific bases months ago. Do you have any reports from—?"

The general shook his head as he answered.

"No, they fell silent a week into this hell. Our satellite network has failed; it's hard to get a read on anything beyond our borders. Have you heard from anyone else?"

"Yes, Germany, Brazil, India, and South Africa have all been on the air for a while, but their check-ins are getting further and further apart."

Mark was stunned that only a handful of countries had managed to get in contact after the walls came down, but General Faustus seemed to have a direction he was going with this.

"And during that time, has anyone spoken about world conduits, Commander?"

There was a pause over the line, but eventually, it came.

"Yes, general. If you are speaking of it, then I can assure you have one in your territory as well. So, to answer your next question, yes. We have a tower in Tokyo."

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