Everyone watched in anticipation as they all sat down. Eager to see what those four had come up with and their reasons for the opening or closing of the Vaults.
‘Abernu, Irene, Williams, Darus.’ Gloria called out to them, standing to the side, acting as a mediator. ‘What do you think we should do?’
Jackson spoke first. ‘Partial opening.’
‘Partial opening.’ Irene echoed beside him. Coming around to an agreement with Jackson, which surprised everyone in the room. Out of any member of the Order Horrifica, Irene was always the most vocal person to disagree with Jackson and his methods. To agree with the reptile spoke volumes.
‘Full opening,’ Williams announced to no one’s surprise. Some hoped she would agree to a middle ground; however, under the rules. They all had to vote on what to do next.
Darus took a deep breath, speaking when he found clarity in his decision. ‘Remain closed.’
The reptile turned to face Darus. From a full supporter to opening the Vaults to opposing the idea, Jackson was curious as to why someone would change their stance on the matter. Though what mattered was that he and Irene made up the majority and should have an easier time convincing every other member.
‘As we have seen here, none of them can come to an agreement.’ Gloria bowed her head, rubbing her eyes in frustration, as she knew it would be a long day. ‘Each member will provide one piece of argument to sway everyone here. Once they were all done, every member here would be provided with a token to cast their vote. The proposal with the most votes would be the action we shall take. Abernu, you’ll go first.’
Jackson straightens his back. ‘Most of our equipment is inadequate. Different types of threats demand specialised tools to handle them effectively. Some Vaults will have the gear we need to engage with these horrors. All we need to do is ask the Council to provide us with the locations of appropriate Vaults to gather what we need. Some Vaults do carry dangerous equipment, some of which we do not need due to their lethality, capacity to destroy, or corrupt a given area. Hence why I support a partial opening.’
His argument was quick and to the point. Some may even argue that the reptile was unprepared to deliver any kind of argument to get them on his side. Though a fair point, the truth was Jackson didn’t need to expand on the reasoning. Stating what they were all dealing with and pointing out the truth was good enough. He didn’t see a need to appeal to anything other than the material needs that weren’t being met at the time.
Irene was far more passionate with his arguments. Going on for almost an hour about the necessity for the equipment in the Vaults and how it would benefit certain units within the Butterfly Legion, while also assisting the Disposal Unit in certain operations. Though he also spent a fair amount of time arguing about the dangers some Vaults may hold. For everyone in the room knew well that some things were best left forgotten and locked away. Though Jackson provided the basic summary of why a partial opening was a good idea, it was Irene who put forward the basis for the approach to be considered.
Williams made Jackson concerned. Intensely, he watched as she listed every possible advantage the Order Horrifica would have in defending humanity from monstrous threats. That the dangers posed by the gear inside the Vaults were minor compared to what they all had to deal with daily. Some would consider her na?ve for not underestimating the severity of the Vaults and thinking that a sword that corrupts the user and the surrounding land was safe to be used when engaging in sensitive operations.
The more Jackson listened, the more curious he became about her. As she recited the necessity of the most dangerous weapons and argued that every member of the Order Horrfica should also have the locations of the Vaults and the ability to access them. The reptile knew something was more than off. Opening was one thing; to have the knowledge of where they all were was a cause for concern. Saying that caused some members to shudder, uncomfortable, for there is a strong fear in knowing things they weren’t meant to know. Williams wanted to change the status quo. Jackson just couldn’t figure out why.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
When it came to Darus, the kit cleared his throat before putting forward his arguments. ‘We are making the wrong choice. Wanting to open the Vaults.’ The crowd looked at him in silence. Taken aback by his harsh opening line. Darus continued with his arguments. Spending his time addressing the arguments put forward by the other three people and how they couldn’t work. That it would be the Order Diplomatics who would decide what Vault would be open, not taking a factor in the needs of the Order Horrfica, but what they believe would keep certain things a secret. Which, knowing them, would only make them keep the Vaults closed even if they voted for them to be opened.
Yet what got people to listen was his closing argument. ‘The more I think about it, the more I realise we are heading straight first into choosing something we don’t understand,’ Darus harshly puts it. ‘Wanting to use the things we put away for a reason because we are scared of this new world. I don’t blame you; I trained most of you and taught you everything you needed to know to survive against any encounter. But at the same time, we never fought anything like this. At first, I supported opening the Vaults, thinking that the weapons and armour inside would keep us safe and even the playing field. However, none of us knows what is inside one of these Vaults. By opening them, who is to say we are going to get what we want or need? There is a sleeping dragon in those tombs, and they should not be awoken. For inside could easily be a monster, or very much turn us into one.’
Darus turned to look at Jackson, demonstrating his point. In response, Jackson looked away in shame.
‘The problem is we need more people, and we need the Council to get us the supplies we desperately need.’ Darus continued. ‘We all forget that the Order Horrfica was in the process of being disbanded a few years ago. As of now, this Order only has a skeleton crew and not a full contingent. How can we properly engage with the enemy when we are below our operational capacity? We are all suffering because we are outnumbered and outgunned. It will take time for our numbers to come back, but that is why we need the Council to step in and bring us capable fighting men and women. Regardless of where they were born or which Order they came from. If we have 10,000 more people willing to step in and fight. Then we will have a chance to turn the tide of this crisis. The Vaults will only be a band-aid solution to what is really the problem. We are stretched thin. Let’s not make a mistake; we must do the right thing and be rational in these uncertain days. Keep the Vaults closed and demand that the Council step in. For we are not in this alone.’
It was all he needed to say to get everyone to understand. Though he didn’t bring everyone in the Order to agree with him, when it came to a vote, he got the votes to keep the Vaults closed.
Jackson, displeased with the outcome, left the conference room early to prepare to go on the earliest possible operation. However, regardless of how everyone voted. He had no choice but to agree. Even if it meant more people would die in the following days. The thing with training was that it would take time, and the Order didn’t have time to spare.
Though if there was a situation when he needed the resources from a Vault to fight his battles. Unlike everyone in that room. He knew where to find them and how to open them.
‘That was unexpected.’ Irene remarked to Jackson as he stood up. ‘We didn’t get what we wanted, but we will adapt. Let’s just hope the Council will listen to our calls.’
‘Agree.’ Jackson replied, making it clear he didn’t want to stay for a chat.
‘Then, I will make this quick.’ Irene leaned in to whisper. ‘Something isn’t right with her. She fought against The Locust and was the only surviving member. Might not mean much, but could help.’
As Irene made her leave, the revolution made the whole meeting more bitter than ever. He turned to eye Williams, trying to catch anything odd in her movements. Yet he could find nothing that could help his case. If she were suspicious, he wouldn’t have the power to investigate her, nor would he have any proof of any wrongdoing. However, as he was the primary unit tasked to fight The Locust, there would be a time when they needed to have a simple chat.
