The room fell silent. The only sound remaining was the heaving breath of Theo Xeta.

  “That... That is crazy,” Dr. Stratos stammered. “There must be another way. Look, Vik —”

  “It’s Director Layden for you!”

  “Yes, I’m sorry, Director Layden. You’re talking about thousands of Fraxians.”

  “Three thousand Fraxians, to be exact,” said Theo. “You can’t just snatch them off the streets. Who exactly do you plan on sacrificing?”

  “Go through every prison in the Republic,” said Vik nonchalantly. “Start with the Fraxians on death row, then the murderers and rapists. If that still isn’t enough, we ask for volunteers.”

  “We can’t just sacrifice three thousand Fraxians!” said Dr. Stratos. “Not even criminals.”

  Dr. Flux nodded quietly on the side. Although her face showed no expression, the orange glow in her eyes betrayed her anger.

  “Do you not grasp the gravity of our situation? Let me repeat, without the Northern Stabilizer, the storms will spiral out of control. The entire Northern Quadrant — every province, every city, every last living organism — will be wiped off the map in a month.”

  “We can’t kill our own people before the Storms even reach them.”

  “It’s to save millions!” Vik snapped. “We don’t have time to play nice. Waiting for 200,000 voluntary donations takes half a year! If we round up 3,000 of the worst felons, we can get it done in less than a week!”

  “You mean the worst Fraxian felons,” said Dr. Flux quietly. “While the Valerian murderers and rapists still get a fair trial.”

  Exasperated, Dr. Stratos threw his hand down and headed for the door.

  “I can’t just murder three thousand people. If this must be the way, then I’m out.” He looked at Dr. Flux, and she followed him without a word.

  “Do you think you two are irreplaceable?” Vik’s voice reverted to nonchalance. “Out of all qualified scientists, I’m sure I can find a few who prioritize saving millions.”

  Hearing that, Theo took a step forward.

  “You can replace them, but you cannot replace me. If you do this, XetaGen is out.”

  “The president can compel XetaGen’s collaboration under a national emergency decree.”

  “I’m not just talking about the Stabilizer. If you do this, I pull XetaGen out of the entire picture.”

  Vik fell silent. She did not show any reaction, but Theo knew his words had hit home.

  Finally, Vik spoke. She motioned to the two scientists. “The evening air is fresh, why don’t you two go take a walk outside?”

  Dr. Stratos opened his mouth to complain, but he relented after seeing Dr. Flux leave.

  Vik watched quietly till she could see their silhouettes fading into the dark. She and Theo were now alone in the house.

  “Really, Theo? You’re gonna play that card? You should know better than them. My proposal is nothing personal.”

  “Mine isn’t personal either.”

  Suddenly, Vik laughed. Even Theo was shocked by this laughter, but Vik did not stop.

  “I’m pleasantly surprised,” she said. “To prevent me from saving millions, you decide to threaten millions.”

  Vik was right. That was exactly what Theo Xeta was doing. Theo had installed a kill switch in all XetaGen products, a secret known only to him and the high echelons of the Republic. That kill switch could broadcast a heat signal to shut down every critical piece of XetaGen infrastructure underpinning human civilization — the machines in the food factories, the filters in water treatment plants, the control units in natural gas refineries, and much more.

  While the other three Stabilizers, meticulously inspected and secured, would remain unaffected by the kill signal, storms would become the least of the concerns. Without basic infrastructure, the entire nation would be crippled, leading to an unimaginable death toll.

  “This is the only bargaining chip that speaks to you, Vik. Nothing personal. When it comes to it, I’m sure you would sacrifice three thousand Valerians as well, but you will not risk millions. The numbers won’t work out for you.”

  “Brilliant,” Vik said, not a hint of offense taken. “This is exactly why I always urged you to join the Presidential Cabinet. You are cut out for it.”

  Theo did not respond.

  “But understand this, Theo, I won’t be the only one in the Cabinet who’s willing to sacrifice thousands for millions.”

  “The same bargaining chip applies to them.”

  “Unlike me, they might opt to eliminate the threat in a… slightly different manner.”

  “They have already been trying long before this.” Theo rolled up his sleeves, showing the burn scars from the fight a few nights ago.

  “To be fair,” Vik said. “I did warn you.”

  “Of something your organization orchestrated in the first place.”

  “The VUC answers to many stakeholders. I’ll raise suspicion if I deny this assassination attempt. You know that.”

  “I know,” Theo sighed. “That doesn’t make it feel any better.”

  They stood in silence. Theo gazed outside, veiling his face with moonlight, while Vik sat unmoving in the shadow.

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  He wandered over to the kitchen, where the shadow shrouded the counter in a cloak of opaqueness. With his back turned to Vik and his hands in the dark, he poured them each a drink. He returned, handing a glass to Vik.

  Vik took the glass and stared at it. Theo watched. He knew exactly why Vik was hesitating. His actions had been intentional.

  Finally, after a few seconds that seemed like an eternity, Vik raised the glass. She downed the wine in one gulp. Theo followed suit.

  For them, this meant reconciliation.

  Finally, Vik broke the silence. “I’ll agree to your terms. Maximum non-letha yield. 200,000 Fraxians.”

  “And I want all donors to be compensated fully. Not just by XetaGen. Not just by the VUC. I want President Valtora herself to deliver the promise.”

  “I will try my best.”

  Theo stared at her, silent.

  “Fine, I will get it done, but I need more assurance,” Vik said. “Past data shows a donation of this scale takes at least six months. How do you plan to get it done in one?”

  Theo considered for a long moment, but the truth was, he had no good plan.

  “Past donation data is based on XetaGen efforts alone,” he said. “This time, we use the VUC propaganda machine. Persuade them however you like, as long as you do not lie about the health consequences.”

  “You know what this means, right?” Vik said. “The only way is to divulge the full truth.”

  “The full truth?”

  Vik took a deep breath. “We will need to announce to the entire nation that the Northern Stabilizer has fallen. This is the only way the public will feel the necessity to donate.”

  “Then do that. They will figure it out sooner or later.”

  For the first time, a look of unease crossed Vik’s eyes.

  “You know, Theo. I have always trusted your technical expertise. But all this — understanding how the public thinks, understanding how a crowd moves — this is my expertise. So I want you to trust me.”

  “Elaborate.”

  “Do you know what people do when they are afraid? There will be panic, rage, and then mass hysteria. Chaos, looting, arson, lynching, things that make the November Riots look like child play.”

  “I understand, but the people cannot live in a lie.”

  “When the news breaks out, everyone will know about your leadership in the Stabilizer repair project. Some will worship you, hailing you as the savior of Valeria. But should anything go wrong, some will chant for your death. These factions will clash. Violence will be committed in your name, even if you sanctioned none. People will bleed and die under your name, even though you intended to save them.”

  Theo fell silent. He lamented the situation, but his mind had already been set in stone.

  “I understand. If this means we save all the donors, it is worth it.”

  “Theo, I still need one more assurance. What if your plan doesn’t get us enough donors?”

  Theo considered for a long moment. Finally, he relented.

  “If there’s no progress after ten days, then harvest all you want from the Fraxian criminals. You have my word that I will not interfere.”

  Vik sighed.

  “Good enough. I’ll speak to President Valtora then.”

  They shook hands.

  “Let’s get the others back,” Theo said.

  Shortly after, Dr. Stratos and Dr. Flux returned, both staring at Vik Layden with animosity.

  Theo filled them in, followed by a volley of debate. He told them about the plan for non-lethal harvest, as well as the plan to inform the entire nation about the fallen Stabilizer. After almost half an hour of persuasion, they finally accepted the compromise, albeit with reluctance.

  With that, the two scientists left the house and began assembling their teams. Work would begin immediately, with unlimited resources at disposal.

  Vik waited until they were long gone.

  “By the way,” she said, motioning to Theo. “There were some police activities at Mill Row. Thought you might be interested.”

  “Why would I be?”

  “Remember the candidate you told me to pull a few strings for? Name’s Shon?”

  “Yeah. Also, it’s not pulling strings. It’s to annul the unjust disqualification —”

  “Whatever. A professor of his academy was found at a crime scene in Mill Row. Two dead Valerians.”

  “That’s odd.”

  “She was sixty years old,” Vik said. “No way she could have done it herself. According to her, they were killed by three Brotherhood Fraxians.”

  “You mean the cult? The Brotherhood of the Dragon?” Theo said, concealing his surprise. He had actually been looking into the Brotherhood, for reasons unknown to Vik or anyone else. How convenient this case just showed up.

  “Yeah. She said they conjured an icicle out of thin air. Do you believe that?”

  “Probably just some cheap magic trick,” Theo feigned nonchalance. “Maybe some endothermic chemicals nearby. No way a Fraxian can do that with bare hands.”

  But could they? All those rumors about the Brotherhood… Theo took a mental note to investigate this further.

  “Makes sense,” Vik said. “Another thing. Forensics found a cryo grenade blast on the scene.”

  “A cryo blast?” Theo asked, now even more shocked.

  “Yes. I looked into the night of the assassination, there was a cryo grenade used in your home. Both grenades were manufactured by Octagon.”

  There were four assassins. Theo had taken care of three of them. Only the young Fraxian assassin ran away. It couldn’t be her, could it?

  Regardless, it was imperative that the VUC not know about her existence. Theo had bigger plans for her.

  “Couldn’t it just be a coincidence? Half of the cryo weapons out there are from Octagon.”

  “The thing is, two grenades of the same model would still exhibit small differences in ballistics, due to variations between different production batches. Here, the ballistics are near-identical, meaning they are from the same batch. The two grenades are likely purchased within hours of each other, if not simultaneously by the same person.”

  Theo considered the information. Two grenades of the same batch were detonated within a few days of each other. They likely belonged to the same person. This meant that the Fraxian assassin must be at Mill Row.

  “Hm,” Theo muttered aloud, continuing his show of ignorance. “This is very odd indeed.”

  “Theo, are you sure you have taken care of all of your assassins?” Vik asked, her tone a little more inquisitive.

  “Of course,” Theo said, struggling to control his expression. “No way I would accidentally let one slip away.”

  This was the truth. It was no accident that the fourth assassin got away. It was perfectly intentional.

  With the blockade around the Mill Row crime scene, she could not have gotten far. If she were to get arrested by the police, Theo would have no more chance of recruiting her. He had to find a way to get her away.

  “Interesting,” Theo muttered, diverting Vik’s attention. “Shon’s professor, the Brotherhood, and a cryo grenade blast. This is the most unlikely combo.”

  Vik handed Theo a folder.

  “Figure you would want to investigate this yourself. I got too much on my plate to care at the moment.”

  Theo slid the folder into his drawer. “Thank you.”

  He paced around the room for a bit without a word, but eventually, his footsteps brought him to the window, as they always did. He looked out the window.

  There was the usual city, but there was more.

  A gust of wind cloaked the moon behind layers of clouds. On the distant horizon, where the city bordered the desert, where the Capital’s artificial clouds fused with the raw dunes of the wilderness, a formidable wall of dust stood tall.

  A bright flash tore open the sky, bathing the city in a deathly white halo for a brief second. Immediately after, a loud crack tore open the air, like nature’s whip cleaving through the last remnants of human civilization. A dry thunderstorm, a waterless cacophony of lightning and thunder, had built up at the Capital’s edge, standing on guard over the soldiers of rocks and sand. With every flash, the dust barricade pushed in closer, like an army marching in from the inferno.

  “A storm is coming…” Theo muttered.

  “How long would you give it?”

  “Five hours before it hits the Capital. Six hours tops.”

  The two of them stood there, motionless. Despite all their wealth and influence, there was nothing two mere mortals could do.

  So, along with the two million residents, they watched the storm march toward their homes. Theo closed his eyes. He could see the machinery of the state spinning in motion. The VUC would declare martial law any second. The Stormrunners had likely been dispatched. The other three Stabilizers were set to engage. Like Vik had said earlier, the Capital had no evacuation plan. The only option was to stand their ground and fight the Storms to death.

  After a few moments of eternity, Vik collected her things and headed for the door. She paused and looked back at Theo, but no words came out. Then she left.