In the months following, The riots throughout the city mostly faded, those who were wanted for rioting, often fleeing into the New Atlas zone, where the police could not enter. The Government was in talks with New Atlas leaders about peaceful surrender and negotiations. However, tensions high, the governments demands were too harsh according to New Atlas, and the demands of the New Atlas Government were "Unrealistic" In the eyes of the U.S. Government.
In the meantime, the city had entered a period of relative peace. But tensions remained, The new Atlas zone had become a safe haven for many Quitianians, people of color. As well as the LGBTQ+ community. With the Government not allowed to enter the area, the New Atlas zone became a place where many could live without fear. In one last ditch attempt to end this peacefully, the government would send in a group of negotiators, and at the request of the New Atlas Government, they sent in a few news crews, Including Isa and Jarvis, who would report the situation, and would act as neutral observers.
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The news van drove down the street, life somewhat returning to the city. The sun was shining brightly, the weather was warm, and the wind was blowing gently.
"Do you think the negotiations are going to work? I mean with what happened before with the riots, the demands just for everyone to be let off scott free seems pretty extreme" Isa said, fidgeting with her hands.
"It is a lot to ask. But they need to realize that this isn't a game. They need to realize that if they continue the way they are, they're going to have a lot more problems."
Isa looked out the window. She knew that they were right, but she also knew that the government was stubborn. She sighed, knowing that this was going to be a long day.
"Nice to know they remember us, they specifically asked for us as one of the news crews there, and even asked for you" Jarvis smiled
Isa smiled, This was her dream, Being known, her face, her voice, her work, her writing, People looking up to her, Admiring her. It was something she had always wanted.
But
The way she got that fame.
The events leading up to it.
They didn't seem right, they didn't seem real.
It was the only reason she was able to get it, the fame, the attention, the love, the respect, the admiration, the praise.
Because it was her reporting on the events, the riots, the fighting, the death, the destruction.
That's why she was able to get so famous.
So quickly.
Isa felt sick, but she was the reason, she was the one who helped the people of the city see the truth, to show them the real world.
To show them that things were not as they seemed, That the government was not as righteous, not as just.
That there were problems.
Big ones.
"You ok Isa?" Jarvis asked, looking over to her, his expression of concern
"I'm fine" she said, her voice shaking a bit,
Jarvis nodded. He knew something was wrong, but he also knew that Isa wouldn't talk to him about it. She never did.
"Ok" Jarvis said, his voice calm.
The two were silent for a moment, the only sound was the sounds of the road, and the van.
Suddenly, A blockade of police and national guardsmen came into view, massive crowds of people gathered around them, chanting and screaming A barricade stopping them from going any further.
"Seems like we're here"
The van crawled to a stop as police cleared a route for the van
"Name?"
"Isa Bellas and Jarvis Vargos"
"What channel are you from?"
"One Star News"
The officer looked at their I.D's, Looking at Jarvis with disgust, before looking back at the I.D.
He looked towards the back then gave them back their Id's
"Go. Don't be stupid"
The Van crawled forward into the barricade, the crowd of people getting louder and louder.
"This is insane. Look at all these people. All these people came here because of the negotiations. This is incredible." Jarvis said, staring out the window, the crowds of people.
"Yeah. I don't know if the negotiations are going to work, but at least the people are willing to fight for their rights. That's something."
The van pulled to a stop, the two hopped out, as armed guards approached them
"Weapons and electronics" He pointed to Jarvis "the cameras ok, But we have to inspect everything"
The two nodded, giving the guards their weapons and phones.
The guard inspected them and nodded, handing them back their belongings.
"You can go"
The two walked past the crowds, into the building where another pair of guards awaited, one of them giving them a nasty look as they went in, Isa looking back
"Press?" the other guard asked, stepping in front of the other
"Yes"
"Names?"
"Isa Bellas and Jarvis Vargos"
"You've reported on the riots before, right?"
"Yes"
"Alright, I'll take you to the conference room, You can set up there"
"Thank you"
The guard opened a door, letting the two into a conference room, Negotators talking to each other about the situation, the few other news crews there, getting ready.
"Well, here we go"
The two began setting up, as the door opened, A man and woman walking in.
"Hello, I'm glad you all could make it. I'm Head Negotatior Marcus Hastings and this is my colleague Alias Rutherford"
The two shook hands with the reporters,
"You know why you're here, You're here as representatives for the press. Your job is to report the news, not get involved, Is that understood?"
"Yes sir"
"Good. Now, We're going to have the negotiations in a few minutes, and we'll be starting shortly, So if you have any questions, Ask them now, We'll have a Q and A after the negotiations as well."
"Do you think this is going to work?"
"Honestly, I don't know. But I'm willing to try anything at this point. But the people aren't going to give up, not without a fight. And that's what worries me. That's what makes me nervous. The people are angry, they're scared, and they're not going to let this go. I can understand that. I can sympathize with them. But the reality is, the situation is dangerous, and we need to work together, but have realistic goals, and not expect miracles"
"Are you expecting violence?"
"I hope not, But if the negotiations go bad, I would not put it past the people. But again, the situation is dangerous, and the people aren't going to back down. I can't blame them. But they have to understand that this isn't a game. A fight will not go in their favor, and will not be good for them. They have to be realistic. They have to work with us, not against us." Spoke Marcus
"So what's your plan?" Spoke Isa
"We're going to try and find a compromise. We're going to find a middle ground, a solution that both sides can agree on. I want to avoid violence. I want to find a peaceful resolution to this conflict. I want to end the protests, I want to end the riots. I want to bring peace and order to this city. But the people have to understand that this isn't a simple issue, It's complicated. It's not a black-and-white issue. There are multiple factors involved. I can't just snap my fingers and fix everything. But I'm going to try, And I hope the people will work with us. I hope they'll understand."
"Do you think the protests and the riots will ever end?"
"They've been calming down so hopefully. The government is doing its best to quell the anger, but we have to realize that this is a delicate situation. And the people have a right to be angry. But we have to work together. We have to work together to find a solution. If we don't, This could spiral out of control, and that's not something we can afford. So we need to work together. We need to find a compromise. We need to find a solution. We need to bring peace and order to this city." Alias spoke
Suddenly a beeping sound
"It's time, We ask for silence now folks"
A screen popped up with a small group of 4 Qutianians, One of them being Kalia.
"Hello" spoke Marcus
"Hello" replied Kalia
"We'd like to begin the negotiations."
"I'm listening"
"First, Let's talk about the situation. The people are angry. They're upset. They're frustrated. They want change. They want equality. They want justice. But they have to understand, this isn't a black-and-white issue. It's not a simple issue. It's complicated. And they have to work with us. They have to be reasonable. They have to have realistic expectations. They have to understand that this isn't an easy problem. And we can't just snap our fingers and make it all go away. But we're willing to try. We're willing to work together. We're willing to find a solution. We're willing to compromise. We're willing to meet in the middle. But the people have to understand that this is a complex issue. They have to be reasonable. They have to have realistic expectations, I can't pardon that many people so easily, they can't just do whatever they want without some kind of consequence, Second. With the protection of Quitanian Refugees, we can't have an open border, it is not fair for other people, not everyone can come, not everyone can stay, I know it sucks but that is how it is"
"We understand that, We have tried to negotiate, We have tried to come to an agreement. But the government isn't willing to budge. They aren't willing to meet in the middle. They aren't willing to compromise. They aren't willing to listen. They aren't willing to talk. They aren't willing to work together. They aren't willing to be reasonable. They aren't willing to be realistic. They aren't willing to understand."
"Ok then" Marcus sat "What would be your middle ground? What would be a compromise that you would accept?"
"Those who committed crimes serve no longer than 5 years, no criminal charges for anyone arrested during the protests or riots, a ban on police brutality, And a defunding of the police by 15%, a reform of the police force, the creation of a new task force for the purpose of investigating police misconduct, and an increase in funding for mental health and substance abuse treatment, and some kind of protection for the refugees, even in the smallest manner"
Marcus was silent
"And those are your terms?"
"Those are our terms"
"That is not going to happen. You are asking for far too much. You are asking for unreasonable demands. You are asking for the impossible. And we can't meet those demands. It's simply not possible. And the people have to understand that."
"So the answer is no?"
"No. The answer is not no. The answer is not yes. The answer is we can't meet your demands. We can't agree to your terms. But we are willing to try. We are willing to find a compromise. We are willing to find a solution. But the people have to understand, these aren't simple issues. These aren't easy problems. They're complex. They're not black-and-white. There are multiple factors involved. But we're willing to try. We're willing to work together. We're willing to meet in the different middle."
"That's not good enough."
"Well, it's the best you're going to get."
"Then, no."
"No?"
"No. If you can't meet our demands, if you can't agree to our terms, then no."
Alias stepped in
"A fight will not go in your favor, and will not be good for you. You have to understand, these are complicated issues. These aren't simple problems. They're not black-and-white. And the people have to understand, the government isn't the enemy. We're not the bad guys. We're not the monsters. We're trying to do what's best for the people. For the city. For the nation. We're trying to protect the people. We're trying to prevent chaos and disorder. We're trying to bring peace and order. And the people have to understand, we're on the same side. We're all trying to find a solution. A compromise. A middle ground. We're all trying to end the protests. The riots. The violence. We're all trying to make the city safe again. To make it normal again. And we're all trying to find a way to do that. But the people have to work with us.. They have to compromise."
"You say that, but your actions prove otherwise. You're not trying to protect the people. You're trying to protect yourselves. You're trying to protect your reputations. You're trying to protect your careers. You're trying to protect the city. The government. You're not trying to protect the people. And the people have to understand, that's not going to work. That's not how you win their support. That's not how you gain their trust."
"Ok, Fine, Then, What would be ok for your people?"
The group of negotiators pause and discuss with each other, before coming to a conclusion.
"We ask for a pardon of 1,000 prisoners who were arrested during peaceful protests, A defunding of the police force by 15% over the span of 5 years, The formation of a new task force dedicated to investigating police brutality and corruption, and an increase in funding for substance abuse treatment, mental health care, and community policing. And some form of protection for the refugees"
"I'm afraid that's not possible."
"Why not?"
"Because it's simply not possible, We can create a taskforce but all the other stuff is a lot of politics that we cannot control"
"....Fine, We request a pardon for 500 prisoners who were arrested during protests. We request that the government commit to a plan of action to combat police brutality, and increase funding for substance abuse treatment and mental health care."
Alias sighed "Alright. We will let you know if we can do that."
Kalia and the others smiled
"Good day. and thank you."
"Yeah, sure. Thank you."
The feed cut out and the room was silent, the reporters and camera crews looking at each other.
Alias and Marcus sighed. sitting back into their chairs, rubbing their heads.
"I'm sorry, The QNA will have to be withheld"
The reporters and camera crews nodded, packing their things and leaving the conference room.
Jarvis and Isa walked out, heading towards the exit.
"Do you think they'll really get a deal?"
"I don't know. They want too much. The government isn't going to agree to their terms. I doubt they'll get a deal. But I hope they will."
"Yeah."
The two exited the building, walking down to the van.
"How do you think it went?"
"I don't know, The NAZ seem like they're ready for war, and the government isn't budging, It doesn't look good, and I fear we're just waiting for a war to start"
"I hope it doesn't come to that. I hope we can find a solution. A compromise. But the reality is, the situation is complicated. The people aren't going to back down. The government isn't going to back down."
Isa sighed
"And with the guns each side has, it's not going to end well."
"Yeah, It's not looking good."
"But there's still hope, We might be able to get a deal, a compromise"
"Yeah. Let's hope."
The two got into the van, and Jarvis started it, driving off.