Rachel listened to the conversation that followed once they left; Scarlet was already moving back to the cooler for more blood with a bright hum, causing the soldiers to give each other uneasy glances.
Her ears shifted a little to the left, getting a clearer sound from the strategy room; Tom’s voice became louder as she concentrated on the area.
“Major Webber, go with the girls and get them anything they need—in reason, Rachel,” he said with a tired sigh.
Maria chuckled. “You know she be listenin’! Right, right—I’d like to talk to my hermanito … he must be worried sick.”
“Got it,” Webber said, chair making a slight squeak as he rolled back, but paused as the woman on the screen spoke again.
“General, are you sure we should let them go? We need to look into a lot of the information they’ve brought us.”
“I agree with the Secretary of State,” said another man. “The country’s laws will change drastically this year, and we need to identify contingency plans, including the fact that this is a Presidential Election year. Both parties will go nuts over the policy changes; we need to get ahead of this.”
Tom shrugged. “I’ll appeal to the Hatch Act on this one. I’m here for the military-strategic planning on how we’re going to move forward to keep the nation’s best interests at heart, not a presidential race.”
The President took in a long breath before letting it out. “I get it, everyone … what do you think, Jeff? You’ve been the one that seems to be throwing out all the right ideas, putting Tom in charge to lead us here.”
There was silence for a moment; Maria popping her tongue with a bit of annoyance as she waited. After a second, he said, “Tom’s served me well as the Army’s Chief of Staff. I trust his judgment. Let the girls rest … hell, they’re citizens for heaven’s sake.”
The Secretary of State released a low huff before replying. “Yes, Mr. Secretary—but we’re dealing with an unorthodox phenomenon. We’re getting information from birds, dammit! How am I supposed to go back to explain this intel to our allied nations? Phil, what do you say? Surely this is a critical piece of information we can use?”
There was a short pause. “As the Director of National Intelligence, I understand your reasoning, Hannah, but we have been given a lot to discuss. Tom, what that girl—Rachel,” he muttered, likely looking down at his notes, “you trust the intel she gave, and what about the concern she has for the bird’s explanation on the crystals?”
Tom leaned back in his chair, causing it to squeak before releasing a short sigh. “I’d stake my career on Rachel’s intel. Let’s just say she’s as honorable as they come, but as to her concern, there’s not much we can do about it. This is the only branch we’ve got to jump on. Maybe Fiona can go back out and find some more creatures with information after she rests, but I think we’ve got enough to discuss right now.”
The President spoke up, silencing any further debate. “Okay, thank you for what you’re doing for your country, girls. Have a good rest.”
“My pleasure!” Fiona said with a bright tone. “Major Webber! Can we make those calls now?”
“Sure thing,” he said, getting up to guide them out.
“Finally,” Maria groaned. “I’ll be in the—oh, my—flippin’ cold!”
Fiona giggled. “What, you forgot this is Montana in February?”
“How am I supposed to sunbathe in this?” She shouted with frustration. “Dammit!”
“Indoors?” Fiona suggested.
Maria just growled in response, stomping into the chilling wind.
Rachel’s head shifted to glance at Scarlet; she was sitting on the cooler, absently sucking on a blood bag while watching her. Her fangs detached from the plastic, licking her lips as Rachel’s focus moved to her.
“Anything important happening?”
She shrugged. “Maria’s complaining about the weather.”
“Typical Maria,” she said with a soft chuckle. “She’s got a big mouth, but she’s not that intimidating, to be honest, well—unless you didn’t know her.”
A smile touched Rachel’s cheeks. “You’d first see a mesmerizing beauty, followed by the mouth and attitude fit for the gutter before warming up to her big heart. She’s brutally honest about her opinions and how she feels, but that’s what makes her such a great friend, right?”
“I thought that, too! They’re coming back?”
Rachel shook her head. “They’re going to another building to call their family; Webber’s grabbing us some cots, blankets, and pillows, too.”
Scarlet’s lower lip tucked under, blue irises falling to the asphalt before glancing left at the soldiers. They were trying to keep their focus on the crystal, but their eyes understandably kept shifting their way every so often.
A heavy sigh passed through Scarlet’s mouth as her focus returned to the ground, feet twisted around each other. “Hey, Rachel…”
“Yeah?” She folded her arms under her chest, studying the crestfallen Vampire.
“Why—why did my parents do that—believe that stuff?”
Rachel’s face pacified while she thought.
She isn’t looking for an answer … she’s just hurt. She went through her entire life seeing this false image of her parents to suddenly discover what they really believed. Not only that, but having something like that happen after going through The Oscillation is hard to contemplate. Being a part of the group has just been a distraction from the nightmare her life has become … a way to cope.
She accidentally killed dozens of people she knew for years, her father included, and her mother just smiles, saying that’s exactly what she should have done … that’s some mixed messaging. Her mother’s definitely insane, but Scarlet didn’t see her like that at all … it was a complete whiplash; she’s having a hard time fusing the mother she thought she knew with this new fanatic.
Scarlet might even be trying to convince herself that this can’t be her mother, and there’s some kind of magic at play. Her world’s utterly fallen apart, and to top it off, there’s a part of her that hates what she’s become. How can I respond? Well … if I try to put myself in her shoes, even though I might deny it at first…
Rachel walked over and bent down to hug Scarlet; she stiffened for a moment but didn’t resist. After a moment, she wrapped her arms around Rachel’s back, whispering, “Thanks, Rachel.”
She didn’t cry or shake, but her cold body continued to embrace her for a few minutes. After a time, she pulled back and glanced over at the concrete wall. “Can we sit down? Sorry, the blood is giving me some strange emotions,” she chuckled, wiping at a single bloody tear that left her eye.
“No, yeah—no problem,” Rachel replied with an encouraging smile.
They both walked over to the edge, away from most of the soldiers. Sitting down, Scarlet leaned her head against the wall. She tugged a portion of her gown, smoothing it out. Rachel sat next to her, folding her legs as she mirrored Scarlet’s action, head resting against the wall to look up at the concrete barrier.
It took a few minutes before Scarlet whispered, “This all still feels like a mix between a nightmare and a dream … if I’m not focused on the task in front of me, my mind wanders. I don’t know what to expect anymore…”
A lump dropped down her throat, blue eyes closing. “My mom and dad took us on lots of vacations … trips around the world to see all sorts of historical sites. I thought it was fun when I was growing up, but now … now I wonder what they were really doing there. How much of it was a lie? Did they ever love me?”
Rachel wanted to say they did, but at the same time, she wasn’t sure if she could. After running it through her accelerated mind, she said, “I doubt they could have kept up that mask your entire life. They must have loved you.”
Shifting a little, Scarlet brought her knees up to hug them, whispering, “But was it me? Looking back, was I just the eventual plan they had to summon their goddess? I was just some named body of cells they could use to accomplish their goals? The way my mother looked at me … they all looked at me; it’s like this was the end goal the entire time.
“All the rituals I was forced to take part in … just looking at the clock, waiting for it to be over so I could get back to my weekend. I—I didn’t have a clue they were serious. Was I that stupid?”
“I don’t think you’re stupid…”
“Why didn’t I see it, then? My parents were the leaders of a legit cult … maybe they even killed people during those rituals.” A shiver ran down her body as she pressed her face against her knees, mind likely returning to dozens of events she took part in. “I met random people during our trips … my parents would go out to eat with them, and the next day we’d move to a new location. I can’t stop thinking about all the times they were gone. What were they doing?
“And The Oscillation … did they cause it? I mean, we all have crazy powers, and we’re in front of a crystal that teleports us to a different world. Were they really communicating with Scarlet … was it all actually real? Were my parents the ones that caused everything? I don’t know—I just don’t know.”
Rachel’s pulled her hair around, leaning forward a bit. “I can’t say they didn’t … it’s a valid question. You have Fiona, Maria, and me, though … you’re not alone.”
Scarlet fell silent for several seconds; the only sound came from the shifting clothes and hushed conversations of the soldiers, discussing between how they looked to the different events happening around the world.
Another lump dropped down Scarlet’s throat, tone dropping further. “What if you’re deceiving me, too, though?”
“What?” Rachel asked, brow furrowing as she looked over at Scarlet’s gloomy demeanor. “Why would you think that?”
Scarlet shrugged, running her left hand through her hair. “It just popped into my mind. What if you just want me around to benefit yourself, like my parents. What if it’s not really me you want around, but my powers … what if I’m only worth anything because I’m a Vampire? Should I even be alive right now … am I alive?”
Rachel reached over and nudged her, causing her to look over at her with confusion. “What?”
“Did that feel real?”
“Yeah … but that’s not what I mean.”
A smile moved Rachel’s lips as she grabbed Scarlet’s hand. “I thought to have a Vampire as a friend meant others would hate me, and I’d be better off chasing you away? Isn’t that what you were saying before?”
“Well—I guess…”
“I get it … don’t get me wrong, and no, I don’t think I really understand how you’re feeling … how could anyone … you do have emotional sensing. Do you think I’m being insincere? If you suspect I’m lying, you could always ask Maria, too.”
Scarlet giggled softly, looking back down at her knees. “Yeah, well—Maria’s kind of a blockhead, and you’re pretty crafty.”
“I suppose you’re not wrong,” Rachel said, mirroring her laugh. “Still,” she squeezed her hand, “I’ll keep trying to be your friend, and I know you don’t have anywhere to go—which sucks. I bet I’ll have to find a new place to live here in a bit anyways … we’ll just take it one step at a time, and you can live with me.”
“Thanks for hearing me out,” Scarlet sighed, leaning over to rest her head against her shoulder. “I don’t really feel like you’re keeping me around to use me … yet the thought still popped up,” she mumbled.
“I know saying don’t worry about it is pointless; so, I’ll just let my actions prove it. I’m here for you, no matter what you need.”
They leaned against each other for a time, shifting every so often while Rachel followed the discussion taking place back in the mobile home.
Tom and the executive council were still debating; she closed her eyes, listening to their conversation.
“... we going to keep this from the public?”
The Secretary of National Intelligence, Phil, responded, “I don’t think we can; I’ve been getting reports that there are already speculations and questions surrounding the crystals circulating the web. We’ve tried to put a button on it for the time being, but it’s only a matter of time before it starts to hit the big YouTubers, Podcasts, and Social Media in general.”
“Right,” Tom sighed. “We knew we couldn’t fight it forever. The bird’s information on the crystals seem to be holding up, and the public won’t be worried about the crystals, but what we’re going to do about them.”
“The soldiers are restless about our direction, too,” the Sergeant Major muttered. “I’ve talked to a few that are even concerned about their wages dropping or their stations being filled by people with powers.”
Hannah, The Secretary of State, breathed out a heavy sigh. “There’s also the issue of immigration and relief for other countries; the middle east is a hornet’s nest with purges and rival warlords moving to expand their territory. Africa and Hong Kong are in major civil unrest, too.
“We predict Hong Kong is moving further toward civil war to regain their freedom from China, and China’s considering putting boots on the ground to keep the territory while also using the chaos in India to expand further. Still, I haven’t gotten much information about how they’re doing internally.”
The President groaned. “As much as I hate to hear how the rest of the world is doing, we need to first focus on our own citizens. We can’t help out others until we’re in a stable condition to support them.”
“Our allies are demanding aid … what do you want me to tell them?” She asked.
“Whatever you must,” Jeff stated bluntly. “We’re in a state of national defense; the sooner we solve our problems, the sooner we can help the world with theirs, and we’re not the world police; I ran on that, and I believe it. We need to let other nations handle their own problems.”
“Getting back to the topic of the crystals,” Tom cut in, “it’s our most pressing issue. If the birds are to be believed, then we are literally in a state of constant war. We should use this crystal as an experiment to see if their estimation is correct.”
“Nuke the site?” Hannah chuckled mirthlessly. “You think that would be a good decision?”
“I didn’t say that,” Tom huffed. “Rachel and the others can get us further information on how to proceed. Learning how to close the portals and discussing how to warn the populous should be our top concern. The girls weren’t wrong; we might need to look at alternative options to protect the nation.”
“You’re not talking about privatizing the task of closing the crystals?” Phil asked.
“That’s just one of many options. We need to shift the focus off the tribal mentality of those changed people and give everyone a common goal. What better opportunity than an enemy that could show up at any time, and we just don’t have the resources to deal with it, right, Zack?”
“I’ve said it before. Since we passed the major tax cut and pulled back most of our forces in the Middle East to focus on rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure, we’re in a better financial spot than we might have been. However, even with the increase, our deficit keeps growing because spending keeps increasing beyond that.
“Our economic growth is important, and contracting that out to private companies might help with that, giving them the chance to bid on crystals, but we also have to worry about big business and big government…”
“Here we go again…” Hannah muttered.
“No, it’s a legitimate concern,” The President sighed, “and I get your opinion, too, Hannah, it’s why I nominated you … to give me a different angle. Go on, Zack.”
“Right, well, you campaigned on smaller government, but big businesses getting richer is becoming a growing concern with the public. With some of the things you want to do with the presidency in your next term, you won’t have the power to really interfere that much.
“Censorship and these companies monopolizing the market might be a big concern that we need to look into. I suspect you want this to be a grassroots effort, giving anyone the chance to contract these people with powers, and maybe even people that can gain suitable weapons.”
The President hummed. “If we do take that route, then we’ll need to prioritize safety and have a certain degree of oversight and programs to make sure people are qualified, whether they have powers or not.”
“Of course, but look at the top companies in the world, Silicon Valley, they make the oil companies look like a joke. If they were able to get their hands on resources from other planets, they could even start challenging the government. We need to consider both sides; economic growth is great for all citizens, but giving companies the power to utilize the crystals is playing with fire.”
“Let’s move back to the cost,” The President said.
“Right … well, you didn’t run on Entitlement Reform, but it’s something we can look into … yeah, I get it, it’s like the elephant in the room, and you’ve already cut back a bit on the military, but it seems like we’ll have to increase that with what’s to come. We all know we’re going to bankrupt ourselves in the next fifteen years if this continues, and I’ve got to put these figures before Congress.
“Trying to increase that by setting up active military outposts around the country to monitor crystal activity is going to be a massive expenditure. We might be able to minimize that to an extent with technology, but there’s really no telling at this point, and that’s not including the resources we’re already sending to other nations with the military aid that they request. We’re already fronting more money into NATO than every other country combined. We may be doing better economically than any other nation, but we keep increasing our budget.
“To be honest, I don’t see us being able to put forward the money to initiate an agenda that big on a governmental level without sharply increasing tax, which might break the working and middle class. If we tax the companies, we’d force spending cuts, lose more jobs, or they’d move overseas to China, causing another trade war. Frankly, I’m not sure if that would help or harm the economy, at this time.
“Our market was on the rise before The Oscillation, which was a major part of why the public was favorable toward your reelection. However, if we just borrow more money, especially from China—it just isn’t a solution, and we’re not on the best terms with them at the moment. The intellectual property issues we’re having with them is coming to a head, too.
“We could cut back on every program, but if we don’t do something about the Entitlement Programs, it won’t even make a dent—we could eliminate most of everything unnecessary, and that still doesn’t solve the problem. We just don’t have the resources, and we couldn’t get it past Congress without a solution to not bankrupt ourselves.”
“What are you saying, Zack, we should cut off Social Security and Medicare?”
“I didn’t say that; I said this is a critical issue with the treasury.”
One of the people she hadn’t heard before asked, “If I may, Mr. President.”
“Go ahead.”
“I like the idea of hiring private corporations to handle this new threat, and if we frame it right, then we could even double or triple our economic output.”
“Excuse me?” Zack muttered. “How would you do that?”
“Give me a moment,” everyone went silent as he collected his thoughts. “As you said, Zack, we sell the crystals. Now,” he stated, cutting Zack off, “I understand we still have a ton to discuss, and the safety of citizens in a wartime effort is needed. It’s kind of a grim outlook, but basically, overnight, we’re being forced to turn into a military world. We must not only defend but attack, based on the information we’ve obtained. Correct?”
There were begrudging mumbles of acceptance thrown around the call.
“Right, so, we must drastically change how we perceive war; we don’t know how long this might last, perhaps forever, and we need to be ready for the chance that the rest of the world will also have issues. I can’t see African tribes being able to handle waves of monsters attacking them for an extended period of time.
“We’ve got a powerful industrial market to prop us up, and like it or not, the sound of the war machine is starting up,” he muttered, and Tom sighed, seat squeaking with his movements. “Yes, Mr. President, we need programs and tests to make sure we can handle this, but our military must be prepared to handle it if the companies fail.”
Tom hummed thoughtfully. “Okay, so you’re saying allow the companies to give the government resources, and potentially anything dangerous, meaning we need to have a lot of oversight, but provide them with the chance to gain supernatural resources to spur the market forward.
“Soon, we might see magical fire swords and the like circulating the market or electric bullet guns, or whatever, which will also need regulating.”
“In accordance with the Second Amendment, of course,” The President stated. “I can see where you’re both going, and … abilities and the Second Amendment; that’s a whole other can of worms. It might work, but we’d need to put this through the legal department and a host of other committees to work out the details. Congress and the Senate will bicker like cats and dogs over it, but … it could work.”
“All I’m saying is that it seems like the best option to handle the problems we’re facing. We need to prepare for the long haul; this isn’t going to be a temporary thing.”
Hannah groaned softly. “Mmh, this will make a lot of countries pretty scared. I mean, we’re talking about going all in … full-on military mode, while even using private citizen volunteers, right,?”
“It’s a whole new industry that’s untapped,” Zack muttered, clicking his tongue a few times. “The standard of living could rise a ton, but it’s all dependent upon the chance skills or abilities people obtained, and less than one percent of the population has gained powers.”
The President leaned back, causing his chair to creak across the speakers. “Although, it will increase the immigration of these powered people to our nation, correct? Barring the issues that might arise between these powered and normal people, it would strengthen the nation. This could be transformative.”
There was silence for a moment as the other members thought on it; Zack was the first to respond. “I see where that could go … and it could work. It would solve a ton of our financial issues in the long run, but we’ll need something to help us in the short term.”
Tom hummed thoughtfully. “I don’t know how that would function; it’s outside of my purview. However, didn’t you already discuss selling the portals?”
“Yeah, I do like that,” Hannah whispered. “We could make it illegal to enter a crystal, and...”
She paused as Tom laughed. “Like that will stop them; it’s like stepping into a fantasy world.”
“Hold on,” Phil mumbled. “We’re talking like we’ve already decided to release it to the public. I get that it’s going to be hard to keep a lid on this, but have we just given up entirely on covering it up?”
The Sergeant Major groaned. “I don’t see that we have much choice. If those birds were right, they’ll just show up randomly, putting everyone at risk. We need ways to quickly identify crystals and some type of quick response units to take command.”
Zack clicked his tongue a few times. “If we go down this route, then we’ll need to not only get it past the Senate and House, but we’ll also need to set a pre-purchase price. For that, we’d need more detailed information on the danger level of each crystal, and the insurance these companies would have to take out on anyone going through … there’s just so much more to consider.”
Tom shifted in his seat. “Hmm—we could also tax the resources taken back. For a short term solution, this could work—until we find a better one that might not require conquering the other side. Morally, it doesn’t sound right, but if it just keeps getting worse, I don’t see many other choices to keep our citizens safe while not bankrupting us, as Zack pointed out.
“We’ll have to first bring in a bunch of PMCs and brief them on the opportunity and conditions. You could work this out later to put in a bill to send to the Senate and House. Mind if we move on to how to deal with this Azure Frost?”
Rachel listened to them argue and bicker about information and political agendas for several minutes before turning to greet Maria and Fiona as they entered the room with a bunch of soldiers carrying their supplies, including nightwear. She was a little surprised to find Scarlet had fallen asleep on her shoulder.
“I guess Vampires sleep on a clock,” Maria chuckled softly.
Fiona’s dust changed from dark blue to yellow. “She’s so cute, and you’re holding hands!”
Rachel’s body shook slightly with a light laugh before gently nudging Scarlet. Her eyes opened in an instant, moving to grasp the situation before her tension dropped. “Oh—hey guys,” she yawned, shifting her hands to stretch them. “Beds—oh, please tell me those clothes are for us!”
Fiona gave her a thumbs-up. “Maria picked out some things while I made a few calls!”
Maria lifted an appraising eyebrow at Scarlet’s appearance. “Seriously, chica, you gettin’ out of the bride’s dress? It’s not a bad look, you know, even with the mud.”
Scarlet’s face turned the color of her name, looking down at the dirty fabric. “You really think so?”
“Yeah, but I couldn’t see Rachel in somethin’ like that … she looks right at home covered in mud.”
“Thanks,” Rachel said with a bright grin before getting to her feet and sweeping her hair back. “They have a shower we can use?”
“Yup, a hotel across the street, just pick any room … we’ll walk.” She said, giving Scarlet a meaningful look.
Fiona broke into the conversation, seemingly bouncing with joy, yellow dust falling around her green-hued body.
“Good news! Brion, my cat, is fine; Erica is at my place taking care of him. She’s talking to the Major right now … poor guy, she’s pretty scary when the lawyer side of her comes out. I told her that we couldn’t say anything because of the contract.”
“And your sister?” Scarlet asked, following Rachel to her feet.
All Fiona’s cheer diminished, dust turning emerald green as her long ears drooped a little. “I couldn’t get in touch with them, but Major Webber said there are Military contacts at Shannon Airport since it’s now a de facto U.S. military station. It’s about a two-hour drive away from Clifden, but he said he’d have someone go check on them.”
“That’s nice,” Rachel said with a bright smile. “By the time you get up, we’ll have some answers.”
“Well—I don’t think I can sleep,” Fiona said with a forced grin. “I really want to make sure Nora and my parents are alright.”
“What about your brother?” Rachel asked, turning to Maria.
Her smile mirrored Fiona’s. “Well—Felix got in a little scuffle with some guy talkin’ shit on us and was locked up … I sent one of my crew over to get him out. Everyone’s doing good at the block, too. Some heads needed smashing, but ever since Elena changed into a Beastkin Honey Badger, she’s been freakin’ mean. She whipped some thugs’ asses, and got them into shape when they came lookin’ for cash.” She chuckled.
“Someone more feral than you?” Scarlet asked innocently. “Humanity is doomed.”
“Hey, I thug, but damn,” she muttered, flipping a few locks of her long white hair behind her back. “Elena can get out of control, and she’s only sixteen. Girl’s got mad attitude; some of the boys just call her Badazz, but she takes care of her mom.”
“She sounds like a real firecracker,” Fiona commented. “My sister can be a bit timid … I used to be a little timid! Man, The Oscillation changed us so much…”
“You’re telling me,” Scarlet said with a long sigh.
“I’m glad you have people you can count on,” Rachel said, patting Maria on the shoulder.
“Hey! What’s the deal? You’re covered in mud, chica!”
Rachel chuckled before yawning, “Alright—well, let’s get ready for bed. Are you going to go chill in a heated glass room?” She asked as a partial joke.
“For real! There’s a greenhouse nearby, so I’ll be in there.”
“Well, okay,” Rachel said, and they all laughed.
Scarlet teleported her to the hotel room and went to another room to shower herself, using the small bottles to help clean off. They dressed in the replacement nightwear before heading back. Scarlet had to wait a bit for her to finish getting all the dirt out of her hair; it wasn’t as hard as she thought it would be, but still took a bit of time.
She was a little surprised to find she wasn’t hungry. She followed a few more conversations with Tom related to making the crystals public and what it might take to get some of their plans past Congress and the Senate. They both made their cots and laid down, quickly falling asleep.
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put the can of worms that is politics aside, allowing private companies access to the crystals can only end badly, I know it'll be kind of like competing adventurer guilds, but the Idea of plundering other inhabited worlds, just doesn't feel right to me, I know there's ones like the one that committed that massacre, but still.
I've considered it, but I've been debating is the centralization vs decentralization. Both have their pros and cons; centralization is suitable for manufacture or facility, but decentralization is suitable for innovation or creation of companies, such as the IT industries (which has become somewhat of a problem in their monopolies in recent years because of their claim as both a Publisher and a Platform giving them massive government protection).
By acting as companies within the confines of regulation set by Congress, it might be interesting to see what kind of industries are created from it while centralization would be a lot more paperwork and increase taxes by a large margin to hire all the personnel to oversee it.
There's also the consideration of using the new department over the 'Demi' that is being created that could be linked to the crystal events, but that would be a big job for just a single organization over the entire Demi population and having to deal with the crystal ... there could be a lot of issues that give rise in both.
Decentralizing it would stimulate the economy like crazy, and the tax revenue could be pretty high on the goods taken from these crystals, but that also brings in the discussion on how it's to be taxed ... after profit or in the resources involved, and would each team need a government representative and documentation.
Recently, a fan pointed me toward Solo Leveling, and their system got me thinking on a few of these topics and made me rethink a few of the options I was considering. In Solo Leveling it is basically privatized and this has lead to these companies or guilds having massive influence, which in America, where checks and balances are a big thing, that would be pretty bad, and could really create an oligarchy.
There needs to be some kind of accountability if it's taken in that direction, and perhaps all items taken from these portals are first to be examined by the government, but at the same time, we don't want the government to be authoritarian and dictate every aspect of the things people get to keep. There needs to be a delicate balance, and I'm honestly still trying to ponder how this will all function together.
I honestly don't think authoritarian means would pass in the American Culture, and if they were to try and pass that, then they wouldn't be in office long. There would have to be some kind of compromise made, but trying to find the goldilocks zone is proving difficult for me. Any thoughts that could give me some ideas?
Also, in terms of Social Security, it wouldn't destroy the system, but slowly taper it off to a system Australia is currently in some regards using. This would be to slowly lower the debt increase that's been a massive issue in the U.S. as the budget keeps increasing, which is a topic many don't wish to talk about, but economists aren't too happy with how things are going, and I was putting it in there to point out some of the stresses that would be involved in trying to put out a big program like the crystals.
Americans don't like their taxes going up more and by all statistical value, just putting more tax on the rich won't solve it (which isn't a popular answer, but factual, and I'm trying to be as progressive in dealing with this problem as I can, coming up with new solutions). The addition of the crystals and changed people brings a new change that is quite different than our world that brings with it new possibilities, such as many diseases and injuries now being easily cured ... that also means doctor will need to come up with a new way of using their knowledge as healers get involved with the market.
I'm trying to figure out how everything will fall into place and where blowback and pushback will come from, but trying to determine this in every aspect of life can be difficult for one person xD but I try my best. There are many, many things I"m trying to consider ... schooling for one with kids and demi ... children that have powers that could hurt their parents or others, racial skills like Lunar Pride or Emotional Loss (Elinor in UE) that affect Demi's minds that they can't turn off, discrimination, job loss or humans losing their jobs because Demi can do it better, unions organizing to protect human/demi's place in the workplace, foreign conflict, a flood of immigration (has a lot of problems that people tend to minimize until it affects them; I know it's a polarizing topic, but there's a reason we have borders), the possibility of war with North Korea gaining more power and China's expansion (which they're already trying to do to get more power on the world stage), etc.
Let's see...
The problem with a 'united world government' is that it isn't possible with the governing bodies. China, North Korea, Russia, they'd never be a part of it, and the U.N. is not very competent currently in the least.
China exerts massive control, Russia doesn't give a crap (the current oil tap dump game their playing with Syria is hurting the world economy and they're laughing), and the US while yes, footing more money to it than every nation combined, is kind of asleep at the wheel (oh there goes China again pushing its borders into its neighbors, stop it guys).
I mean, the recent show of how some Chinese people went to the world human rights committee for help against what China's been doing and they told the Chinese their names, leaking their identity, and guess what ... they and their families were arrested ... even the whistleblower that blew the lid is now being held at court for talking about confidential things.
From a realistic standpoint, it's just not very realistic. Plus, we have the power struggles happening around the world with governments being taken over and collapsing (I mean, look what's happening in Iran right now with JUST the Coronavirus; people are being burned alive, riots, people are actively trying to infect people ... there are groups in the U.S. that are like that, too ... it's just people that are crazy). Many of the countries that rely on U.S. support when it's being pressed for resources will also fall ... Canada will have a lot of issues, but the U.S. would send aid to help with their pockets of violence.
The big problem isn't the little person. I mean, the majority of the country is Republic with the next being Moderates, followed by Democratic, and then you have the Socialist tiny percentile, but the aspect of how the government would react to a world crazed issue like this and the topic of crystals is a delicate one when I'm looking statistically (and I'm trying to look statistically at this) and with current world events.
The Coronavirus response has given me a lot of good information on how the world governments responses to big threats (China's response has been insane!) and how ineffective governments can be or how authoritarian they can be (China welding people's doors shut for instance, their propaganda department are like North Korea with the new things they're saying, and the full breakdown in Italy as they go into hard lockdown).
People changing and the crystals appearing with monsters and different worlds would be a WHOLE lot more crazy than the Coronavirus response and governments would collapse under the stress of the citizens as anarchy takes hold. Venezuela showed how things can go downhill extremely fast and the crazy stuff happening in Mexico with people now trying to firebomb officials.
People become morons when acting as groups and in mob mentality which will sweep the world, and further misinformation and false reports will exasperate the problem. When things look bad, people, in the majority, don't reach out to help each other but bunker down, it's apocalypse time, look out for yourself, and those that do help out are usually taken advantage of and left to die by more ruthless people.
It takes power to get people back under control, which means pocket groups will immerge from these nations that will be very authoritarian as a vacuum is left from society's breakdown. How the U.S. responds will be more pulling in to solve its own issues, but the US is very anti centralized government, before reaching out to help the world, and by then, it will be largely too late for many, like Russia probably taking over Estonia.
This will also cause a lot of expansion with certain nations, such as China; they're already changing world maps to show areas of the world they don't control under their rule. I mean, right now they're ramming US ships and trying to push them out of international waters to expand their territory.
North Korea will want to take back South Korea ... it's standard propaganda that the North Koreans are taught, and with the U.S.'s eyes off the border, there would likely be some testing the waters from North Korea.
China imprisons and sends gays and other people that won't conform to their authoritarian rulings to prison camps, but with those with powers, they'll likely see a big military opportunity and indoctrinate them, and give them special treatment. How they waited a month before even telling their people about the Coronavirus and allowing massive gatherings shows how a shady centralized government would react to something like this.
I've tried to do as much study as I can into world issues to get a better understanding of how each nation would react, but the U.S. is still a big question mark in many regards. There would be a lot of unrest, not unification, realistically. The religious sects would be in massive change and there'd be people seeing this as the last days ... alien, supernatural, and religious zealots ... crazy people in general.
Many of the current social concerns would more or less vanish as people become more concerned about livelihood over what bathroom I can go into; first world concerns.
So, so much to consider ... and that's mainly the world stage, much less societal changes. I'm still pondering on how the government will handle the crystal issue; there are points to be made on all sides.
Thanks for offering me some of your thoughts. I'm doing what I can. ^_^7
Anyways, I'm off to bed ... I"m so tired.
@AuthorSME damn, I did not expect a methodology report, but thank you for the response. I truly appreciate the amount of thought you are putting into this, and it's quite intimidating honestly, but it's something I can respect.
as for taxes and the like, one of the things that has been causing the deficit is also the ever increasing military budget, which in the case of the story, it is not currently possible to be reduced anymore what with the need to deal with crystals and general chaos. I can say that Americans are willing to accept higher taxes if it means getting something that's important to them, such as "medicare for all" or some form of universal healthcare, as "medicare for all" is a popular policy, because it means everyone has guaranteed healthcare for less than what they are currently paying for health insurance. anyways that's my piece and I hope you rest well.
@Dakon The problem that I see with the 'Medicare For All' argument is the concern about destroying privatized healthcare, which is what those politicians are calling for, but 87% of America is currently happy with their privatized healthcare. You also have the current proposals that I'd have to go off of since I don't have all the knowledge to propose my own kind of plan, but from what is currently being projected, it will be the young subsidizing the old.
I HATED that with Obama's program that forced me to get healthcare that Trump got rid of; I like and don't like many things Trump has done ... the same with Obama, but people can be zealots with their rediculous ideologies as they paint the opposing side as demons. The moral compass of people can be very turbulent.
I know many of the young will initially not think much about it, but with the current proposals, anyone earning more than 30k a year will see at least a 11% to 15% increase in their taxes and since the young don't normally pay for health insurance, that's a massive chunk out of their daily lives that they wouldn't initially think about.
With me trying to plan for the future of the novel and how people would respond, it really makes me doubt how it could all work without causing a massive backlash if such a program is implemented and the ramifications come out since most people don't know the first thing about the policies these people are talking about or their inner workings of how they'd be enacted.
Any increase in the minimum wage to try and counteract such a sharp increase in taxes to the young would cause small businesses to crumble, racked up product prices, and large layoffs (it's happened before, but people have a short memory).
Trying to think logically, it doesn't end well, and yes, the military makes up about 15 percent of the budget, Medicare, and Medicaid currently makes up 27%, social security 24% ... getting rid of the military entirely wouldn't even make that big of a dent.
Plus, more than half the world rely on the U.S. strong military for protection, such as what I talked about before ... if we cut our budget and fell behind, then poor Estonia would go back into basic slavery. The entire western world relies on the U.S. strong military for protection and we also subsidize much of their healthcare systems through our own tax money (which is why our prices are so high).
There's also the amount of money, research, and time that's invested by companies into drugs to get them past the FDA, which a company can spend hundreds of millions on a drug that doesn't work and is rejected. Innovation comes from decentralization and most of the world benefits from the massive majority of discoveries and breaking ground research that's done in the U.S. because of that. It's an extremely complicated thing that is ofttimes oversimplified, just like history.
Italy's Universal Healthcare System is literally just about to collapse from the Coronavirus, and there are many drawbacks to it that people need to weigh against the pros and cons; it's not all sunshine and butterflies. EVERY system has a drawback and if you can't think of one then you haven't thought long enough on it, and I'd rather not have someone propose something unless they can give me all the pros and cons, which almost always, people leave out every ounce of cons.
Russia is vicious, but people don't keep up with their expansions and think that's all a thing of the past. China has issued out statements about China 2025, China 2035, and China 2050 where they'll spread the Chinese government across the entire world and bring everything under Chinese rule ... not a pleasant idea, to be honest.
The world power sets a lot of policies and a standard around the world; if the U.S. falls behind, then China or Russia would then take that position, and their ideologies would spread. These are things that Tom must also consider and any good military or political mind in determining how the world will be running 30 to 60 years from now. People tend to only think in the small scale of if only we could all get along, but that's not how you function. There are things that you find horrible and unacceptable that others don't, and if you butt heads, there will be blows. It's all very complicated, but people often tell me very simplistic answers that just don't translate to the real world.
Let's say they did cut back on military, and that would also mean a big cutback on NATO, which the U.S. pays more than the top 10 paying countries combined, and the U.N. Now, personally, the U.N. is somewhat of a joke, and the Chinese have massive influence within it that causes a lot of internal problems, but it would just leave a vacuum for the Chinese to start pushing their own ideology, which makes Orwell's 1984 look like child's play (people are generally not too up-to-date on world events, which is fine, they have other things on their minds).
I'm trying to come up with a realistic solution that wouldn't cause a massive backlash, and there is an argument to be made for a voucher system with healthcare, but at the same time, that industry is going to be in a lot of unrest with magical healers coming about, undercutting prices, and doing things doctors can't. Suddenly, all those doctors that banked on making good money to pay for their schooling (which is a good thing ... we want a strict process to be there for people that hold lives in their hands) are now in a dying profession and must shift to research instead of practitioners.
People also advocate for a more centralized government but criticize the bureaucracy that is currently happening at the same time ... it's paradoxical. You hate how the government is slow acting from the top-down, isn't that efficient, and the wait time for government programs is exasperating, but want more? I'm stunned by how some people think! xD
There are many things people fail to conceptualize when it comes to the big picture, which is natural when they're trying to live their lives and not get wrapped up in politics. These are things I've just discovered after having to do the research for the story, and I just keep learning more. xD
I am thankful for the thought, but I don't know how well it would fit into the serial, and there's also the issues about compelled service with giving the government more power. I mean, in Sweeden you could go to jail for working on your stairs because that's not your job, and if you run out of your manpower allotment for the year, then tough luck. There are always drawbacks to each system, and you need to be willing to identify which points your willing to give up to the government, and that would be a big point of conflict with Americans.
@AuthorSME you make very good points, and I just want to it to be clear that I was not, and will never tell you how to write your story. I appreciate your thoughtful responses, and I look forward to the next chapter
@Dakon Oh, of course! I'm just telling you my thoughts on some of the directions I could take and some of the things that go through my mind. xD These are the things that I think about when writing ... I'm a bit hopeless xD
@Dakon Okay, so, I just rewrote this chapter. =)) Shifted the discussion a bit more to fall in-line with what I envisioned after some thought.
@AuthorSME about this privatized healthcare being seen as too expensive: people don't realize how the government has its hand in this equation.
The cost of an in-hospital birth with an overnight stay at a hospital, when accounting for inflation, has risen by over 800% since 1943.
Our laws help ensure our safety, but at far too much cost. There is a middle ground between regulation and complete anarchy, but a lot of people haven't taken the time to imagine it.
@AuthorSME The system of privatization of crystals reminds me of what was done in the Middle Ages in Europe, or in the absence of a real state and fiscal system capable of financing a permanent army, the armies were made up of mercenaries paid by looting.
It is a functional but mediocre system, because the mercenaries answer in front of no one. They cared less about their employers' military objectives than attacking profitable targets.
Demihuman SMPs used to attack other worlds will likely do the same. Already, they have caused problems in Iraq by their outbursts and help to turn the population against the American occupation forces. I already see them massacring and robbing extraterrestrial civilians, a great scandal in perspective.
For me, the best solution lies in the conventional armed forces, in UD, we see that races like the ri'boot manage to gain despite a technology close to the Middle Ages, see antiquity. They do have magical powers, but modern weapons do the job just as well.
There are threats where conventional forces are not enough, like Azure Frost, so elite units like Rachel's group would be needed as a complement. Obviously, all the demis of their level are few and are not necessarily voluntary to join the army. Here, private companies similar to fantasy adventurers might be needed, and their oversight would be a problem, but a manageable problem if their intervention remains exceptional. Above all, it would be necessary to limit their size and severely prohibit any monopoly, to avoid ending up with all the powerful demis united in an oligarchy to which nothing can be refused.
The real problem lies in the speed of intervention: the force must be quickly on the spot as soon as the crystal appears. It therefore depends on what is called the projection capacity: the logistical means of the armed forces to intervene in a specific place and operate there. This requires an expensive infrastructure that only a state can afford, so no privatization possible, it will never be profitable enough.
A military presence in every population center is impossible, so the only way is to quickly detect and secure the crystals as soon as they appear. If everything is sorted out in a few minutes, as in New Mexico, it is impossible to react, but that will not change whether the intervention forces are made up of normal soldiers or mythic PMS.
Regular interventions like the one they do here will not be very costly in themselves, the personnel and material moved are small compared to normal military operations. In addition, US-level armies regularly carry out equally resource-intensive training maneuvers. The real problem lies in the incompressible costs: logistics, planes and helicopters, land vehicles, numerous and qualified personnel, the maintenance ... all this is expensive. In Europe, there are only two countries to maintain a real projection capacity, England and France.
The difficulty lies in economic policy: the USA, and all the countries they influence have seen their incomes decrease because of ultra-liberalism, and the profits of companies and financial groups do not benefit the real economy. It would take New Deal-like measures to redistribute the money. The American debt exploded when Ronald Reagan removed the measurements inherited from that time.
For me, the best equivalent to the current situation is the Royal Navy against the French Empire: Napoleon kept landing flotillas everywhere on the Atlantic coast with troops ready to embark, forcing the English navy to patrol permanently, causing 'Huge losses in ships and men, and above all an exorbitant financial cost. Despite this, the United Kingdom managed to write off its expenses because the ships and supplies were manufactured in their country, which boosted the economy and helped recover a good part of the expenses in the form of taxes. Especially since at the time, there was no tax haven. Nowadays, the arms industry poses to states the same difficulties as other companies: offshoring blackmail to lower wages, taxes, demand more and more subsidies, and rather than reinvest its profits, the payments almost entirely in the form of dividends to shareholders, who keep them in the bank or invest them in the stock market rather than in the real economy. The US has the advantage of practicing protectionism (while severely sanctioning countries that try to do so against them), but even within the country there is competition between states to be attractive. Delaware is the official residence of 50% of American businesses, and there is a building that is the official headquarters of 285,000 businesses.
To take the example of the coronavirus, the crises show the need for a welfare state with significant income. Without the measures taken by Roosevelt after the crash of 1929, it is unlikely that the United States would have been able to finance World War II, unless it went into massive debt.
@Alcyon Hmm, all good things to consider while moving forward. Thanks for the examination from your POV. It has made me think about a few things, and it is true that most of the low-grade crystals the U.S. Military would be able to handle. When we start getting into alien tech like the orange aliens or the Azure Frost or New Mexico then we're getting into the territory of magical and hyper-advanced creatures that we need some kind of special force to deal with.
So, having State-Level combatants for the low-tier would be good, and even having Demi join them to gain levels but under military supervision. Selling the crystals in a quick and decisive manner is important and could stimulate the economy with the goods brought back, too that goes into circulation and investment of other companies looking at the material to invent new products for the military to use.
After all, we do have Artificers that can craft magical items that could be used by normal people.
@AuthorSME From a scenario point of view, it's true that this is more interesting than if groups like Rachel's were really regulated. Let's say it's a case of an agreed suspension of disbelief. In reality, I doubt that a more or less responsible government will do anything as potentially explosive as selling a right to plunder. Especially since war holds like alien technology represent a potential threat to national security.