Book I, Act VIII: Daydreams of the Future and Nightmares of the Past, Chapter II

Edited by: Bieverdog AO3: GalavantingGoose

Book I, Imbalance

Act VIII: Daydreams of the Future and Nightmares of the Past

Music: Music for Uncovering Dark Mysteries - Fables

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFuw-KVGeCohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1hKDlpwZVM&list=PL0smL-Kfec7RJYai-MDnaokipunDr33Wh&index=8

Chapter II

Early in the morning, the governor began his daily routine: production reports from the previous night, reports on construction projects, and a never-ending list of the matters he deemed required his attention. He looked over the desk in his room; an unfinished machine lay bare on it, its pieces set aside. It will have to wait. He barely had any time to tend to it anymore, and he was even late for the daily petitions.

He walked to the window. Its edges were rimmed in gold. Such bad taste, no use other than pomp. His fear was realized; for indeed, queues of citizens now circled around the manor. He never tired of the city view, able to watch it for hours at times. It was always moving, in perpetual change. The city had gone a long way in the brief time since its transformation had begun. What used to be a senseless garden area separating the manor from the city had turned into the very epicenter of change.

The door opened and one of his secretaries with another report, no doubt. "Governor sir, the shipment has arrived." That news he did not expect yet, but he welcomed it.

"Good work. Leave a sample in my study." He turned back to the window.

"Also, your guests are here."

He looked down at his list. "Right on cue. Very well, show them in."

He let them wait for a moment as he continued going down the list, put it in his pocket, and made his way down. He took a deep breath and smiled. The light pouring from the ceiling windows shone brightly on the marble stairs, even slightly blinding him too. At least, the ridiculously grandiose decor had a useful application: it helped dazzle when needed. But he knew the generals were no strangers to opulent displays, especially not these two. In that the aristocrats of Ba Sing Se took the first spot. The generals stiffly stood next to the main door, mildly entertained, not by his entrance, but by the machines he had installed. At least, they had better taste than most. Though they seemed out of place in simple garments–the woman was even barefoot, a peculiar but welcome change to their more lavish compatriots.

He put on a smile. "Welcome, Generals; I'm glad you could make it."

The woman looked rather annoyed. "We came for answers, not idle chatter."

The elderly general gritted his teeth. "Excuse her."

He paid her no mind. "Of course. Come with me." The governor led them to his study, the generals following close behind. He noticed their distractedness, their eyes shifting towards the paintings and statues. "Please have a seat."

The general smiled politely. "Thank you. You have a beautiful home, Your Excellency. Can't say I've seen the likes of it in Ba Sing Se."

The governor smiled as well. "You are most kind, General Yu. You should take a walk around the city; you will be amazed at what we can offer the Earth Kingdom."

The general nodded. "Of course, it would be a pleasure, though I did notice the city is quite crowded. And I saw quite a few people surrounding your house. Do you have any security measures in place?"

He saw that the woman leaned in, showing her first sign of interest, and he smiled politely. "In the city, of course. People often visit the gardens or come here for an audience. And to be honest, I'm late for them; so, it's no wonder it's surrounded. "

The old man smiled back, and the woman reclined in the chair. "I see; then we shan't keep you for much longer. I'll be frank. We distinctly remember a larger number on our weapons request than we received."

He nodded. "I am aware. They are being manufactured as we speak."

The woman tapped her fingers against the desk, glaring mildly. "If expectations aren't met, we might have to reconsider our arrangement."

The old man chuckled nervously at her. "Governor, we are simply worried, you see. We know the capacity of your factories; by now, our request should be more than satisfied."

He clasped his hands together. "I understand your worries. You must know that the production has been hindered. The rules have changed: we're being monitored. They can only be made under extreme secrecy."

The woman leaned in again, placing her hands on the desk. "Are you telling me you haven't solved such a minor issue? Come now, you'll find a way. It would be… unfortunate to end this deal prematurely, don't you think?"

"Shih!" The elderly general nudged her.

The governor held a hand out. "It's alright. I've heard about you, Shih. You're a brave woman; I admire your courage–"

She scoffed. "I doubt you even know what that means. Backstabbers like you don't deserve respect!" She spat on the floor to the shock of her companion. "How should have known better than to trust a half-blood."

He calmly sat back. "Now, now; we don't need such harsh language; we're partners for spirits' sake. This is just a minor setback that will be dealt with…" The woman smiled victoriously over him. He looked at her innocently. "By the way, how is Sun? I hear he's doing well." Her smirk turned to a panicked grimace, but he continued before she could speak. "Now, if a deal is made, there are stipulations for complications and breaches of contract. Typically, reimbursement for damaged goods, late deliveries, boring jargon like that. Mine are a bit more… blunt. Would you want to find out what they are? Or would you want him to?"

Her lips trembled. "You–"

He stood up and put a hand on her shoulder. "Come now; chin up. We're friends, aren't we? I want this to succeed as much as you do. I believe in your cause; it's the reason why we're doing business, isn't it? I'm a man of my word; I'll deliver. I'm sure General How will understand the reason for my delay. And I will be punctual. Do try to act the same."

The old man stood up and nodded. "Thank you, Governor. We'll be sure to inform him. Shih... let's go." The old man nudged her arm, and she followed with her head down.

"Would you like me to accompany you?"

The man shook his head. "We've already taken enough of your time. It's alright."

"Safe travels, then." The general bowed his head slightly and closed the doors behind him.

He sat back. His eyes darted to the sample that had been left on his desk: a cylindrical metal canister. He took it; and it was slightly heavier than he had anticipated but didn't look like much. He was about to open it when he heard a tap against the wall of the library. Perhaps the agents have an insight into the matter. A muffled voice came from the other side. "They just left the estate. Should we follow them, sir?"

"No need; they'll go to him. Besides, How knows better, for now… Do give a heads up to our people in the Si Wong. I want to hear the news from them… If that is all, I should be going." He heard two taps and left, leaving the canister behind. Yet another thing that would have to wait.

He spent most of the early day hearing most of the petitioners before closing and heading straight for the academy, usually his favorite visit. It was always thrilling to see what was new; what new advancements had been made. If only he had time to help around more– He shook his head. Just a hopeful thought of the old times.

At least, he had been able to give the academy the proper funding it needed. Its expenses were quickly overshadowing those of all the other areas. If his manor was the epicenter of change, the beating heart, the academy would be the city's spirit.

Despite that, it only mattered that progress was being made. Its staff had more than doubled and it continued to receive an ever-increasing influx of new students from all over the world. He wondered how everyone could work in the expanding walls of the academy. There, the gilded halls were filled with ingenious machinery from the floor to the ceiling. It was a reminder and inspiration to all scholars old and new of what they had archived and what they could create. But he didn't have the time to linger; so, he walked straight into one of the rooms.

Making his way to the end of the large workshop, he saw a group of the engineers in charge of the project were debating aloud; but before he could listen, they turned to see him and stopped. "Ah, governor, it's good that you passed by. We were just discussing the prototype. It is outstanding, much better than the latest model. It would have been better to work with the engineer that crafted it though, for we are still having some issues deciphering the internal mechanism. That part of the drawing is unintelligible."

The man presented the schematic. Indeed, it was blurred away enough that the small pieces couldn't be told apart; still, it was still a brilliant piece. They could have used such a capable man. He wished things hadn't gone as badly.

"Sadly, that won't be possible, but I might be able to lend a hand." The governor walked up to the desk. On it, the weapon was attached to a pole. He placed a hand on the cold metal, closed his eyes, and focused. In the blackness, he could now see it; thousands of tiny pieces forming larger bodies. The impurities in the metal gave him a clear view of the inside. He opened his eyes and took a brush. As the academics peered over his shoulder, he drew what he saw then checked again until the drawing was finished.

He handed it over to the man in charge. "If you replicate that model, it should give you the same results."

The engineer glanced at the paper wide-eyed and cleared his throat. "That's… Thank you."

"Don't mention it. If there's any way you can improve it, try. I want some variations for it ready by next week. After that, I'd like your team to work on devising a manufacturing blueprint. There's no time to lose."

As much as he would have loved to stay and help, he was needed elsewhere. It hadn't been long since his friend had returned. He didn't even have the time to be with her; and now, he'd have to send her away again. He flitted through the crowds, constantly checking the time. It wasn't hard to find her, for she was always going to the same old places. He stood and watched as she instructed two kids near a fountain, holding a handful of rock dust and fire. It was her classic trick; as children, she had always fooled him with it. The boys were dumbfounded when she threw it into the air, generating a flash of light that lasted only a second. She gave them some of the powder, then she looked at him. She seemed surprised.

"Hey, stranger."

"Good to see you too. Thought you didn't perform anymore."

She sat beside him. "Well, not for anyone… Let me guess. Not a social visit? Was wondering when you'd drop by."

"You did well on your last assignment."

"Could have gone better..." She looked down.

"Nevertheless, you tried your best, and the mission was still successful."

She shook her head in disbelief. "What they did to Langshizi… It was horrible."

He put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey… We'll never allow that to happen. All these people believe in what we're building here. You know I won't turn my back on them; rest easy."

She elbowed him and smiled. "They believe in you, Raizo–that's the reason why."

"...Something's come up: I have a task I can only entrust to you."

She straightened up. "Say the word."

"It happened while you were away. Not a month after finding the location of a priority target, we heard rumors she escaped. She was retrieved some days later, and security is much tighter around the facility. Now we're back to the drawing board. I need you to scout the area, check for any new movements, their timings; see if there's any weak points we can target. If you'd like, you can take some of the others with you. I still don't fully trust them to conduct these operations unsupervised, much less regarding their past ally."

She narrowed her eyes. "But… won't my cover be blown?"

"No. There's folk from all over the colonies traveling around the Fire Nation, but it would be better if you stayed out of sight. We need a good grasp of the surrounding area and the building to safely extract her. There's no need for bloodshed; be discreet."

She scoffed. "Then don't get Reifu on the job, and I'll be fine with a few of the earthbenders."

He nodded. "Done; you set sail tomorrow. I'll provide instructions for safe communication. Be careful, Michiko."

"Always am… Hey, why don't you stay a while? You only show up when there's work to do lately."

"You know I'd stay if I could, but the day isn't over for me."

She sighed. "And tomorrow, and the day after that, and so on."

He chuckled. "Such is the burden of my duties… Take care." There would be time, yet he wondered how many times he had used the same excuse, for they never stopped and could not afford to.

He checked his list and moved on to the next destination.