Risky Decisions

< Carpe Diem

## Prologue

Santo stood leaning against a wrought iron balcony, watching prisoners wait in line for their daily gruel, like cows waiting to be slaughtered, while he smoked a cigar. Behind him, a phone rang in his office. He groaned before returning to the sanctity of his office and sitting down in his swivel chair. He placed his cigar in the dirty ashtray that sat on his unorganized desk. Miffed, he answered it.

"What is it?" he grunted.

"You picked up this time, Giovanni," he replied, smirking on the other end of the line.

"Oh, Hermann, it's you. Aren't you busy with the transfer?" Santo picked up cigar and inhaled a puff.

"That is exactly why I am calling. I need you to do something for me."

"And that is...?"

"Well, two things. The first: send two transport trucks to pick up the few prisoners we keep here at Gladea. They are all ready for transport."

Santo unhooked the phone and brought it with him as he went back out to the balcony. "Will do. The other?"

"The other is more of a... personal request."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. I need you to prepare Ms. Yearling for a conference. I would like to speak with her personally later today."

"I will do my best."

In a cold but well lit and comfy-seeming room, Alfred Hermann sat, patiently waiting at his desk. A picture of him and his wife stood on his desk, facing him. The door burst open, with two Alchemilia guards taking a black-haired woman in. Her arm intertwined with theirs, the dragged her to her seat before throwing her into it. She glared at the two men as they left the room.

"Penny Tōh Yearling, Inmate #4023. How nice of you to join me today."

"What do you want?!" Penny screamed.

"Let's— let's talk about your son, Marshall Rooke."

## Protagonists

"Operation: Primo Victoria." Fontaine spoke, assertively.

"We will first cause outrage against Alchemilia among Silivians. This'll get them to set the corporation's defenses up, right? Thing is, they don't know anybody is aware of the tunnels under the water. They're building a train system down there, but since they think I'm dead, they don't have any defenses. They'll be distracted."

"With that, we go through the tunnels in a car. Me, and two others, will work our way up from the basement" He pointed a finger at Atticus and then Marshall. "You two. I saw your resolve back when Baptiste was hunting you down. We'll take a car into the tunnels and work our way up until we can disable the air and sea defenses. The rest of you will come in on a boat and then I'll signal a few of my friends in there to start firing."

"Then, we jam their signals, and move to the top of the island before they turn back on. That means that Gabriel, who will be in a sound-proof panic room that I can get open easily, will not be able to call for help. We'll only have five minutes to get to him. Got all of that?" Fontaine said, staring down the group's uncertain and uncomfortable faces.

Seeing the figures seemingly surrounding him, Atticus felt a sense of panic envelop him. Leaning back in his seat, his breathing quickened as the two miscolored eyes continued to focus on him.

Almost in unison, the figures stepped closer to him, extending their hands forward. "Do you wish to join us? We have been waiting."

As they walked closer to him, he felt a sense of terror settle in, quickening the pace of his breathing even more. Closing his eyes as he shook his head, he screamed internally. *This can't be happening, this can't be happening!*

Suddenly, his eyes flew open and he was back at the table, the familiar faces of his companions once around around him as he let out an audible sigh.

"What's wrong, Atticus?" Blossom looked over and asked, concerned.

Glancing over at her, Atticus froze, remembering their previous encounter. Quickly getting a hold of himself, he replied in his usual calm manner. "Nothing is wrong, I'm fine. No need to be worried about me."

Turning his attention back to the others, Atticus was relived to see everything was still normal. *What is going on with me...?*

"I don't really think we should trust you," Chris said, as he listened to Fontaine. "Last time we helped a man we hardly knew, that led to one of us getting shot, a car wreck, becoming fugitives, and one of us dying. So that's not really a good idea for us,"

Melissa looked at Fontaine. "Why should we help you with this?"

Marshall grew frustrated at this plan.

"What the hell? This is a fucking suicide mission."

"Marshall, calm down," Chris said. "Indeed, joining with Fontaine is basically a terrible idea, but maybe it would be best if we figured out his intentions. Why he needs us specifically,"

Fontaine sighed. "Would you like Euclid to be destroyed? In simple terms, that's what will happen if we don't mobilize against Alchem. It would take far too long to explain the intricate results of Gabriel's actions, but the consequences will be disastrous."

"I think I basically understand what you're saying," Chris replied, as he started picking at his food. "You're saying our world is in danger, and we need to fight the man who got us into this whole mess in the first place. I think maybe we should help you, but do you have any evidence against Gabriel? He seemed somewhat aggressive when we met him, but I didn't realize how bad it was."

"Um.." Blossom interrupted, looking at the group. "Who is Gabriel?"

"He's that asshole who runs Alchem. Corp., the one who hit me with a cane. You're lucky not to know him."

"Mobilize against Alchem? What the hell are you guys going on about? This plan is certainly foolish," Atticus said, still confused on the conversation topic.

*Fontaine had made himself loud and clear, so then why . .* "The Operation of course, Atticus." began Samuel. "P-

"Primo Victoria. Something I've been planning for months, now. You and Marshall are coming with me through a tunnel, shutting down the defenses, and everyone else is going to show up to take out Alchem for good." Fontaine spoke in a respectful tone of voice, despite his words being forceful.

"Going on some weird trip to bomb some company with a strange man we just met who we don’t even know we can trust and get ourselves fucking killed. Just what I always wanted to do. Fucking wonderful."

"Why Marshall and I? What's so special about us? We didn't even agree to this insane plan." Atticus said, backing up Marshall's statement.

"Were you listening, Atticus? I chose you specifically because of your resourcefulness when you were, ahem, fugitives. You've been zoning out, I'm concerned."

"Uh..." Atticus froze for a moment, before choosing to ignore the concern. "Regardless, can we have a moment alone to discuss this plan of yours?"

Fontaine nodded and walked out, bowing slightly to the group.

"Do you four mind stepping out as well? I would prefer to discuss this with only my friends, as it concerns just us." Atticus asked, addressing Blossom, Wen Li, Steven, and Brownlee.

"I am sorry, Atticus, but I feel that I must stay. For reasons I do not wish to disclose," Wen Li responded firmly.

"Stay? Why?" Marshall asked, confused. "You don't even know us. It makes no sense for you to want to stay in this conversation."

"Atticus," Blossom replied. "I get your point, but I'm sure I could find some way to help if you'd let me stay."

"I agree with Rooke." said Samuel, as he motioned to Wen Li. "This is . . bigger than us, certainly. Give them their privacy, they've something to discuss."

"Okay, fair enough. You can stay, for now." Atticus told Blossom. "However, I really would like to discuss this with mainly just my group, so the less people the better.

Steven took a moment to look over the group before speaking up "No, I think that this is something I'd like to be able to stay and talk about also."

Melissa looked over at her brother. "I know you want to stay but I think it's best if you don't."

Wen Li sighed.

"Marshall, I will tell you later when the time is right, is that alright?"

"Fine," Marshall grumbled.

Steven looked at Melissa before grabbing her by the shoulders

"Listen, Melissa. I think it's important that I can stay here and talk about this with you guys."

Melissa pushed his hands away from her. "Don't." She said then looked at Atticus and the others. "Is it okay if he stays?"

Looking at the scene, Atticus sighed, knowing none of the others were likely to leave. Looking at the crowd around him, he began to speak. "Well, I guess we have some things to discuss now."

"I agree, that stuff Fontaine said is a lot to process," Chris replied.

"Sure, Alchem has done some bad, but I think you guys need to pick your fights and I just don't think this is a fight you need to pick right now. To me something just feels off about Fontaine and I think he might be setting a trap up for you guys," Steven replied.

Melissa paused before speaking. "I honestly think we should do it. It's our best option for Gabriel and I, for one, am sick of him and Alchem corp. Whether it's a trap or not, I think we should take advantage of this."

"You should care if it's a trap, Melissa." Blossom replied. "I know I don't know the situation as well as all of you, but it's not logical to take a risk that could be a trap."

"I agree with her," Atticus said. "We don't know Fontaine at all. He has already admitted to being *affiliated with* Alchem, he could easily be one of them and this is yet another plan of theirs."

"It's like if a random guy on the street offered you a million dollars." Blossom added, beginning to clean up the plates and dishes from the meal.

"Exactly Blossom" Steven replied "Fontaine knew what you guys want and need to do. Now all of a sudden Fontaine pops up just to solve all your problems"

Marshall rejoined the group, while Wen Li stayed back and watched.

"I much as I hate old man Gabe and Alchem, we'll all get ourselves killed. It'll be for nothing."

Leaning back in his seat, Atticus continued to think about the situation. "Though I suppose...if he truly wanted to kill us, Fontaine could have easily done it while we were all sleeping. Or at least, kill most of us then."

"Exactly, Atticus, and plus, I know it's risky, but they deserve to pay I think after everything they have done it's worth the risk. They shot Marshall, they caused us to have a car accident, they kidnapped Chris, hunted us down, killed Savannah, what's next, we can't just do nothing when they might kill one of us again, if we don't take the risk with Fontaine, we are all in danger anyways, at least if we take it we have a chance." Melissa told them.

"I think I see what you guys are getting at," Chris said. "Maybe we can trust Fontaine, no matter how suspicious he is, just to see if he will turn his back on us. If he doesn't, we'll know that Alchem. no longer has a problem with us. We need to stick together no matter what, lest anyone else gets hurt or kidnapped."

"I have known Alchemilia Corporation longer than any of you have been alive," Wen Li contributed. "If anything, they should be stopped."

"Technically," Chris said. "I am 300. I was just shut off in that barn for a couple hundred years, and androids don't really age. But I guess I was basically living under a rock most of that time,"

"Wellington, was that really needed?" Marshall said as he shook his head.

Chris also shook his head. "I guess not. Mr. Li, would you mind elaborating on how you know Alchem. Corp? This could help us make the right decision,"

Ignoring Marshall and the android, Atticus looked at Li. "But why do we have to do it? Alchem has caused nothing but trouble for us, sure. But we are nobodies, we don't have an army behind us. We don't run nations. Some of us do not even remember who we are. It's just fully illogical for us to join this suicide mission."

Wen Li, ignoring Chris, looked at Atticus.

"The truth is, if we don't do it, nobody else will."

Steven looked at Wen Li. "That is probably true that no one else will, but I don't think this mission from Fontaine is the time. We don't know him well enough and if it's a trap, we won't have another chance. What we need to do is get in and find information for ourselves and make our own time to strike."

"I feel as if we don't have much of a choice," Chris said. "Alchem. has been terrible to us, so I am definitely joining Fontaine. Granted, last guy we trusted didn't go so well, but I still say at least most of us try it out. Yes, earlier I said to all stick together, but I've realized if we're all under the Alchem. thumb, things may prove problematic,"

"I think I should join the fight with you all, if you choose to go." Blossom said. "I know I don't know much about this but an extra pair of hands couldn't hurt, no?"

Melissa looked at Steven and Atticus. "I'm sorry, but I am joining Fontaine, Because I am not going to let Alchem corp get away with killing Savannah or any of the other things they've done."

Steven looked and Melissa and sighed "Well I can't just let you go in without me, so I guess you can count me in too"

"What?! Are you people crazy?! You’re all gonna get yourselves killed! You’re all going to die! What is wrong with you?!"

Marshall continued spazzing out for quite some time while the group just stared and watched.

Sighing, Atticus shook his head, seeing the argument had already been lost.

"Well, I guess we should call for Fontaine and let him know of our decision."

## Beth and Richard

For the first time in several years, Richard Devlin was alone as the Laboratory of the Unexplainable prepared to begin its morning procedures. He had hoped he could go with Steven to his colleague's laboratory; but unfortunately his scheduled interfered with this plan. There he sat, washing his knickknacks with a slightly damp cloth, as was his ritualistic routine once a month. Navigating through his draws, he came across a picture. Not a regular picture - but one of a young Melissa and Steven. A bittersweet image, it remained him of a blissful past; a past that could not be repeated.

Beth sat at Steven's desks, his files open laying across it. She looked through the drawers, quickly scanning the pages of interesting folders.

After what seemed to be several minutes, Devlin carefully placed the image back into his drawer; now thoroughly dusted off. He walked towards his coffee machine, taking a sip out of the cup of steaming black liquid. He approached the laboratory's main hall, preparing to unlock the doors - when he noticed a small sound of papers being turned and moved. *Suprising,* he thought. *Who could be here now?* "Hello?" he said, audibly.

Beth looked up, hearing footsteps.

"Crap." She whispered under her breath as she began trying to put the folders back
together. She paused, noticing a file with Steven's last name on it.

*I wonder what this is.* She shoved the file under her jacket as the door opened.

"Err . . . Beth?" At once, Devlin arrived in the room; looking at the woman.

Beth froze for a moment, before thinking up a lie. "Hey, sir, Steven left his office a mess. I was cleaning it up, may I help you with something?" she said, smiling.

Richard did not feel at ease at this response - *I locked the doors, didn't I . . . ?* "You're here early, Beth." he said, responding to the woman's quick response. "He made sure to organize the office before he left with my colleague, but, well . . " he chose his words carefully. "Did I forget to lock the doors, by any chance?"

"Why, yes you did sir, and the place was a mess when I arrived." Beth answered.

"Did I give you a copy of the keys?"

"Yes you did, sir, are you feeling okay?" she answered in the midst of laughing. "Shouldn't you remember this?"

Richard took a sip of his coffee. The woman seemed a bit odd to him - but he must have given her the keys to the laboratory; and forgotten. "Well; I suppose that's fine. If I am correct, Steven should be back soon, if you want to talk to him about the state of his office. I'll leave you be, then. . . "

She nodded. "Alright, thanks sir." She walked away from the desk keeping the folder hidden under her jacket. "Did you need something?" She asked him.

"No, no; just do whatever you're working on. Thanks for - erm, well, keeping things clean." Holding his mug tightly, the man walked out of the small office.

She looked around the room and smiled before walking out taking the folder from her jacket and began reading it ad she left.

## Epilogue

Without another word, Samuel commenced his ascent up the laboratory's spiral staircase. Rather than concerning himself with plans for the destruction of Alchemilia; Samuel. The dream - the events of last night, now a fractured memory to all else - still clouded his mind. To him, there was something different about the figures everyone saw that night, different about the voices they heard.

Samuel arrived at the laboratory's second floor. Briefly examining the messy beds and the lone Contraption; he quickly looked through his notes on the nature of dreams. Searching through a file cabinet, he discovered a decently sized leather notebook he used some time ago. He looked at the yellow, aged pages - drawings, equations, and scribbles were in full view.

"It can't be, it can't be . . . " he said, very quietly. He flipped through the pages, remembering the conclusion of the dream. "Projections, projections - they're fabrications of the mind . . . " He came to a page he had entitled "night-walkers", reading over it carefully. *Nothing can enter a dream, night-walkers are a product of northern hyms . . .* he thought to himself.

The man closed the book, and sighed. *I need some sleep.* Taking a small chair, he seated himself behind the Contraption. Feeding the machine a yellow sedative, attaching it's prickled bracelets to himself; he pushed the button and fell into a daze.

White - white, endless in all directions. Samuel looked around his subconscious creation. He could see a blank sky and one that showered snowflakes simultaneously. Unaffected by the low temperature of his environment, he rolled the six-sided die in his pocket. He picked it up, briefly examining the randomly placed shapes and letters that manifested themselves on it.

The snow floated through the sky, like snowflakes with no real destination going in whichever direction they wished, The pale sky was interrupted by something reminiscent of lightning, though silent and dark. It occurred alongside a figure quickly forming from the snow on the ground. The foreboding figure examined a twenty-sided die, levitating it above his fingertips.

Samuel looked at the figure - and he could only smile. Indeed, there was no fear in his eyes. "Years - years of research, has culminated to this. Speak." called out the man, as the warm, frozen snowflakes befell his shoulders.

"Really, I must thank you! It would have taken quite some time to get to Euclid had you not allowed us to bridge the gap..." The figure's form became clear as he stepped towards Samuel, walking on the snow without sinking into it. "You know what I'm going to have to do to you."

As the snow grew hotter, as the footsteps approached the scientist - a slight tear formed in his left eye. Like a small pebble shattering a glass pane, the scene around them began to crack. Each crack synchronized with the approaching footsteps. What revealed behind the snowy curtain was space - stars, galaxies, planets. Samuel could feel his mind closing in, he could hear voices of the past flashing before him. In this - he could only laugh.

"By a *night-walker,* then? I suppose the hymns were correct. Richard would always tell me my work came with dangers." He paused, looking at the hooded figure. "Come visit me sometime."

A dark, swirling material began to envelop Samuel like bandages would wrap a mummy. "Goodbye, Samuel." spoke the figure. With this, Samuel could no longer see, hear, or feel.

Fontaine examined his knife as he approached the sleeping Samuel. His eyes began to flicker various different colours as he smiled, plunging the knife into Samuel's throat where no blood seemed to come out.

Harvest Moon >

 S2: