Everyone expected great things in the future. All of South America belonged to the new world that Dominic was patiently yet steadily creating.
Unfortunately, his great achievements were forced to halt when he attempted to take Europe due to one simple reason: the walkers in that place were more ferocious.
They controlled the Atlantic Ocean, but Dominic had a very important question to consider: how could he compel his army to go to a war they didn't need?
They held half of the world in their hands, so why fight for more territory?
It's easy to think that it would be for the future of those who still survived, or even to follow Dominic's dream of unifying the world so it wouldn't be ruined once more.
Dominic didn't want to take Europe too quickly; they would offer support, but they would need to sweep through street by street.
The only reason they were now in France was because of its nuclear bombs; they would then go for the United Kingdom, which, along with France, are the only two countries in Europe that have nuclear warheads.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Russia possesses 5,977 nuclear warheads, the highest number in the world, although about 1,500 are retired warheads awaiting dismantlement. About 1,588 are deployed, meaning they have been placed on missiles or are located at bases with operational forces.
In Europe, France and the United Kingdom are the only countries with nuclear weapons. It's estimated that together they have 515 nuclear warheads, of which 400 are deployed, according to SIPRI.
It's also estimated that the United States has 100 nuclear warheads stored across Europe in air bases in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkey, according to the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. These are part of the 5,428 nuclear warheads the United States possesses, of which 3,708 are operational and the rest are slated for dismantlement.
Most of these nuclear bombs have been found; the rest are still being sought. If Dominic wanted to take the world under a single power, he needed to take everything without much hesitation.
His final objective would be Russia, before finally going for North Korea, where there is still believed to be significant resistance against the walkers.
"Alright, we have serious problems. It's not the walkers, but the people who are showing resistance to unification. What should we do about it?" Daniel asked, looking over at all the captains stationed at the base.
Dominic awaited responses, but no one wanted to speak to him here.
"No one?"
"How many people are there?"
"There are two large communities. We estimate that together they number 270,000 people."
"Are they armed?"
"Yes, very armed. The first half, let's say, is made up of the military, and the second by local police."
Dominic nodded slightly, stood up, and walked over to a whiteboard where he wrote the following question: What should we do?
"We offer them our help, explain our intentions, and step aside so they don't feel suffocated. Then, if we deem it necessary for them to become part of our organization, we'll contaminate their water and turn some of the humans into walkers. Then they will seek our help."
Alicia looked at Dominic and said, "We can't do that."
"We can't waste time. As far as we know, half of the living humans here are military, so they should have access to nuclear weapons. I can't put millions of lives at risk," Dominic said, addressing all the captains. No one could object to this issue.
"We have no choice."
Daniel understood this better than anyone, so he said, "We'll send spies. We'll start with small expedition squads to other areas to begin the cleanup."
"If there are no other questions, you can all leave. We'll select the expedition captains later."
"Understood!"
Everyone began to leave the room, but in the end, Alicia stayed behind and said, "We can't kill them."
"I won't. Not all of them," Dominic said, looking Alicia in the eyes.
She knew he was protecting a future, even if he was the tyrant in the story that would be told later. At the very least, she hoped he would be praised for making the best decisions for humanity.
"Are you going on a mission?" Alicia asked, changing the subject.
Dominic shook his head and said, "I'm too valuable to expose myself to field missions. I won't move until we know it's safe to act."
"Then go visit the wounded. They'd feel better if you visited them."
"Are you sure they want to see a man like me? They'd be better off if they were visited by attractive nurses."
"They fight for you. Of course they want to see you."
Dominic shook his head and said, "They fight for their own future. It would be unrealistic not to understand that they are building the future of their families, a future that will mark a new beginning."