RB Chapter 75 Preparations
"Miss Cleo, there is something that requires your attention!" A woman said urgently the moment she entered the conference room. Right now it was empty as the meeting had just ended a few minutes ago.
"What's the problem?" Cleo asked seriously. She had still been standing at the podium working upon something as the podium had a touchscreen.
"A new scorpion has advanced."
"That isn't news. Its just a scorpion king, the equivalent of a trivial energy channeller!" Cleo scoffed.
"This is different! Its a scorpion emperor!" The woman had a panicked look on her face.
"What?" This time Cleo became shocked. She hurriedly jumped down and appeared in front of the woman in an instant!
"Where?"
"Sahara desert. The location is the land which previously had Tripoli the capital city of the country of Libya."
"That is bad. The average energy channeler won't be its match. A spectrum level being is needed. But I am busy."
"Notify the cities in its immediate vicinity. I will set off at once!"
"You yourself! But that is dangerous!" The woman hurriedly planted herself in front of Cleo.
"Right now is the best time to engage it. If it is left to its devices, it will gain more experience in the manipulation of waves." That made the woman to back down.
"Before you go mistress..."
"What is it?" Cleo asked impatiently.
"Our Black Diamond branch in Kampala city is facing issues due to a lack of an executive."
"I know, the last one died. Get in touch with the new leader of the city and make him into an executive."
"According to what we have about him, he is very likely to not accept the position." The woman said.
"Now that is a conundrum. Find the descendants of the original ten and pick out the most suitable one to take on the role!" Cleo said before walking out of the room into an elevator.
"Mistress, this time hurry back! No vacations!" The woman shouted causing Cleo to click her tongue in annoyance before the elevator doors shut.
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"A federation..." In an office, brightened from the light coming out of the windows, sat an elder. He had neatly combed hair, sharp eyes and was clad in a black suit. He was elder Muti, mulling over the first meeting of the African Federation.
"It looks like the time I can spend in my hut is going to vanish." He mumbled after a few minutes before tapping his desk. The area in front of him lit up.
"I want Kiwuka to come up here. I am giving her 30...no...20 minutes!" The elder said.
After that, he waited silently...
'We need to become a first class city and enter the upper echelons of the federation. Military power is easy, but economic power... Now that I have opined up the city, the economy will grow. But that is still too slow!'
He was thinking up of ways to raise the economy, but currently nothing was coming up.
During the reign of the ten clans, the economy was so bad that there was a mismatch of technology. Flat screen TVs, touch screen phones and many other things were used by the general populace yet the world had advanced a lot! Now that he had come into power, the people were starting to dump old for the latest!
Many were making regular trips out of the city. Even though it was dangerous and some died, they still brought back plenty of resources from plants, to beast parts. That had been something which the ten clans had monopolised.
Poverty was being eradicated!
A beep sounded, and the door opened, rousing the elder from his thoughts.
"Elder, what do you need?" A woman, spotting a baggy jumpsuit entered.
"Why don't you dress appropriately?" Elder Muti asked a note of exasperation on his voice. Right now, he was the leader of the city, though underneath him was a council.
"Elder, we have been over this, I..."
"...don't care for other people's opinions, I know, but still, can't you try to change?" The elder finished.
"What did you call me over for anyway?" Kiwuka asked, impatience imprinted all over her face.
"I want you to tell me honestly, if I let you let your ants roam outside, how many will you be able to produce and effectively control once they start bringing you enough food." The elder asked seriously.
"About, 5 million. But if I have multiple soldiers, maybe more, as each soldier can control 100,000."
"Hmmm..." The elder rubbed his chin while entering deep thought.
'Could it be that the elder is finally going to let my colony grow?' A sliver of excitement appeared in her eyes.
"We need an army. I have just been in a meeting where all the cities on this continent have come together to form a federation. It will be announced tomorrow...anyway, we need an army. The people in the city have been sheltered for far top long. Some have started going to the wilderness, but it will take many years before they gain any passable experience. I need an army that I can readily use. That's where you come in!"
"I also want you to produce variants of the worker ants. Even though they are weaker, its easy to produce more when they die."
"Really? Why are you preparing an army elder?" Kiwuka asked, puzzled. A battle had just ended what could be the next one?
"Beasts!"
That one word gave a shock to Kiwuka.
"What do you mean? Even my army of ants can't take on the beasts in the wilderness!" Kiwuka protested. Her ants could feed and carry food back to her, but fighting an entire horde of beasts, she wasn't sure that could be pulled off! Her entire army of 100,000 had been reduced to just under 30,000! A terrifying causality rate! And if the clan leaders hadn't been occupied, the entire army might have been annihilated!
"There's no need to panic, I will also try to develop another army, made up of people and technology."
That calmed down the panicking Kiwuka.
"Now, the economy is the only problem left" after ironing out the details, Kiwuka had left and only the elder was left.
"Those associates of mine should also share in the pain." He mumbled before standing up and exiting the office.
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"Helloooo...Eric, are you there?"
'What is it?' Eric thought. He was lying on his bed having no intention of getting up. It had been like that ever since the battle had ended.
He was currently lacking energy to even stand up. The reason was that he had lost his purpose in life. Baguma had died, Elec had died and Lisa had also died. He also felt like killing himself multiple times but he found that pointless.
Right after Lisa's death, Chloe had taken him in and now, he was living in her apartment. He now even had a room all to himself, but that was the last thing on his mind.
"Why does the sun always have to rise? I should have asked Chloe for another room." He mumbled as sunlight peeked into his room right into his face. The windows could be set to become dark as if there were curtains, but Chloe, had set them to become transparent every morning due to Eric not wanting to rise up from the bed every morning.
There was no school since the winners of the battle had refused to let any of the children of the ten clans back. There were still ongoing debates whether it was appropriate even now.
He raised himself up causing the sheets to slide down showing off his chest well toned chest. The only blemish was the scar which tan through his face and slid down to end on his right rib.
He sluggishly stood up from the bed and went to stand close to the window.
A sprawling city entered his vision when he looked down. The apartment was located in the south of the city in a building close to what used to be the Masanyalaze clan headquarters.
Now it was sealed off, no one was allowed in like the other clan headquarters.
He placed his lone left arm on the glass panel and felt its coldness.
'What am I going to do today?' He asked himself such a question. He was only casually dressed in briefs.
"Hey Eric! I know you are awake!" Chloe shouted from in front of the door to his room.
"I am coming." Eric said.
"If you dont appear for breakfast in 20 minutes, I will burst down the door!" Her steps echoed as she went away.
Eric answered before heading to the shower. He knew that she always kept her words. He didn't want her to break it down and then refuse to pay for the damages just so she could barge into his room whenever she likes!
After a few minutes, he appeared at the table. Chloe was already having her breakfast, but her entire attention was on the news.
'Hmm, what would cause her to pay attention?' He wondered, shifting his gaze towards the holographic screen in midair.