A Tiger Walks Into The Lion's Den (Red)

I'm not a man that takes meetings lightly, especially when I'm not the one asking for one.

Lucius glanced at his watch. In only a few minutes, according to his quick calculations, his guest would be arriving. He was faced with the unusual situation of not knowing a single thing about this meeting, or the people involved for that matter. Sure, he did a little research once he heard the names, but overall he wasn't quite sure what would transpire today.

The truth is, even the most mundane of encounters can have massive implications. A little conversation can be a power struggle, and a debate? Well, those can turn into wars. Words have more power then any sword, gun, or bomb humanity could ever make.

This meeting could have been a battle of wits, a power grab, or even an assassination attempt. It could have also turned out to be the start of a powerful alliance, partnership, or even friendship. Yes, more then likely it was just boring business, but Lucius was not one to let the dullness of a situation limit him. Whatever the endeavor, he treated it with as much care as he would a situation his life depended on. Today was no exception.

Am i suspicious? Of course i am. I wouldn't be here today if i wasn't a paranoid person, but i also don't let such things keep me from opportunity. If i stand to gain something from a deal, even if the person is obviously looking out for just themselves, i take it. I can always deal with the unpleasantness of short sighted trickery later.

The clock in Lucius' office now seemed like it was louder. Much louder, in fact. Red realized also that he had been fidgeting while he was in thought. Impatience? Anticipation? Tension, perhaps? He couldn't quite tell, honestly. Maybe the flair his mind added to things made such mundane meetings needlessly dramatic, but it's not like that mattered in the grand scheme of things. The meeting would happen as it would, no matter how he framed it.

And that concludes the codex entry for today. An update on this..... Blackwell, will come in the next, if he's sufficiently intriguing. This is Lucius Alba, signing off.

Lucius pulled a small device from his ear. It wasn't your average earpiece, of course. This one worked much like the brain sensors in his mask did, only it was a bit less advanced. He used them most often to record his thoughts for his logs. It was a rather relaxing thing for the man, even though he would say it was for strictly academic purposes.

After putting the small device in a drawer, Lucius poured a drink for himself. He nearly poured one for his guest or possible guests, but he stopped himself. Last time he did that the person it was for seemed to think it had been tampered with it. Not a very good thing to start with.

Meanwhile, Maximilian and his associates would be lead from the helicopter they arrived on and into the sleek and technology infused palace. A squad of Peacekeepers wordlessly expected them to follow through the many corridors. Whereas the outside had an almost science fiction vibe, the interior of the Republic Palace seemed to have remained largely intact, obviously with a few additions. Lucius loved his history, after all.

Once they reached the Lucius' office and they were buzzed in, they would be greeted with a room of similar concept. It was posh, classical, and refined. It might be something you would expect in Buckingham Palace, only with plenty of tech for the dictator to work with. Most of it was hidden, yes, but to a keen eye it was quite obvious this room was more then it seemed. Lucius stood when his guest entered, ever courteous. He even offered a slight smile as he reached out his hand for a shake.

"I've heard many things about you, Mr. Blackwell. If half of them are true, I'm sure this will be a rather productive meeting," Lucius said, presumably as he shook the man's hand. After all pleasantries were exchanged, Lucius sat. He gestured to his bottle, which sat on his desk.

"Do join me if you will. I got it from a monastery in Scotland. Monks don't tend to drink their  centuries old stores of whiskey, apparently," Lucius said, chuckling. Of course, they didn't really have to drink. They might have been inclined to, and it was a bit of a tradition for Lucius to enjoy a drink during such talks, but he never held it against his guests if they declined.

Lucius sat back and watched the two men closely. He liked to get a grasp of who people were and how they worked together. Call it a habit, but he was trying to read them. It was rather difficult not to when he noticed practically every detail from their estimated weight, height, and physical capabilities to the lint on their jackets. It wasn't that Lucius thought any of this information would be useful, only that he knew having enough of it often made for a useful weapon. One or two or ten details were nothing, but combined with some context and some tact, seemingly useless things could come into play; all you needed was an opportunity.

"I don't usually accept gifts, but I'll make an exception, Mr. Blackwell. Thank you," Lucius said when he was given the fine bottle of ancient liquor. He set it aside and sipped from his drink, letting Maximilian continue to get the less serious aspects of this meeting out of the way. When chess was mentioned, Lucius' brow raised, and he smirked.

"Keen observation. Yes, i play...... But i couldn't possibly accept your wager without adding something of my own. You'll get what's behind the painting, in a safe, if you win," Lucius said, helping to set up the board. These were indeed some of the finest pieces he had ever seen. He made sure to be gentle with them. After all, these things were relics, and he would be pleased to have them in his collection.

Lucius took a sip from his glass, and then he made his first few moves. He was aiming for a Queen's Gambit position. It was reasonably solid, but left room for development and attack. After all, he didn't know what kind of player Maximilian was; not over the board or off it.

Not yet.

Lucius was in deep thought looking at the board. Even though he knew practically every theoretically best line for this opening, he remained cautious. Confidence was one thing, but brashly expecting to win was another. Lucius was quite aware there were simply things he didn't know, and even if he had studied something for years, someone could still surprise him. David did not beat Goliath without caution and tact, and the giant didn't fall due to a lack of strength.

Nonetheless, Lucius seized the King's pawn. Sure it doubled his own pawns, but there was nothing in place to avenge his opponent's soldier. Lucius knew when sacrifices needed to be made, but he also knew when to take the sacrifice of another at face value. It was a free pawn, and Lucius had little to lose in this stage of the game by taking it.

Lucius remained glued to the game as David, Maximilian's companion, detailed one of the bigger points of this meeting. Lucius glanced at them periodically, but it was as if the game was more important to him. Or, perhaps, it was the game that was causing him to think a bit more deeply. That said, Lucius half smiled when Sudvoku was mentioned.

"Now that, David, is interesting," Lucius mused, taking a drink from his glass. Finally, the dictator took his eyes off the board. He made eye contact with this David for the first time. His pale, calculating grey eyes seemed to inspect every detail of the man's expression. You could tell what these men had brought to his study today intrigued him.

"Money for Belarus is not of interest, Mr. Blackwell. I chose to start my quest in this country to prove a point, after all. A landlocked, radiation riddled dictatorship stuck in the Soviet era has been turned into what you see today. If it can be done here, it can be done anywhere, and money is simply a tool. It's as easy to get and manipulate as anything else." For the first part of Lucius' speech, he still stared at David, but by the end he looked to Maximilian. The sophisticated aristocrat was fading a bit now, revealing a bit more of Lucius' ruthless deal making side.

"Land in Belarus is ultimately owned by the government. Such stability is needed after the revolution. For me to make an exception, and for me to let you do your research as privately as possible, I'd need bigger reason to do so then money. Unfortunately, beyond the bottle and this beautiful chess set, I'm not quite sure what it is you could offer me," Lucius said. This of course didn't mean no deal could be reached, but there had to be a push and pull to this type of thing. Red wasn't one to agree to something outright, especially not so quickly.

"Besides, as you inferred, i have my own scientists. I have reason to believe they know more intricately about what exactly happened in that meltdown then your team does, so why should i let a third party muddy the water?" Lucius said. He then focused back on the board. He wasn't entirely, or even really slightly, against what these men were saying..... He just needed reason to let them do something that was already being done. After all, Lucius had been conducting clean up for years now.

Lucius pondered what Maximilian was saying, ignoring for a moment his companion. The dictator rubbed his chin and made a few moves, solidifying his pawn structure. The game was closed, and at the moment, so was the conversation. This man just revealed a lot to Lucius, perhaps more then he realized, or perhaps not. Either way, there was a lot of things to consider, and Red made sure to take his time. Sure, he knew ultimately what he was going to say almost instantly, but there were subtleties to this conversation that need not be ignored.

"Mr. Blackwell....... Nay, Maximilian, I'm afraid that you don't understand who i am. Perhaps you don't even really know what Rise stands for, either. That's an assumption, but i would say it's a solid inference from what you said," Lucius said, taking a long drink from his glass. Red made sure to give pause at proper moments, if only to let the tension build. As far as the calmness being placed over the room, Red could tell there was some sort of influence within him to remain steady, but it's not like he needed assistance with that. He was cool as a cucumber as it was.

"Humans are only necessary in the way Neanderthals were necessary. They give us metahumans and inhumans somebody to compete with, and they help us strive to be greater. Once they fulfill their purpose, there will be no need of them. I'm not interested in power or sustained dominance, Maximilien, just as i am not interested in money. These things have always been easy for me to get..... I'm searching for progress, in myself and others. I'm looking to create a world where we're challenged at every turn, and become greater by overcoming those challenges. The great and the powerful and the better will Rise to the top every time, and a world of metas is no exception," Lucius explained. He then gently pushed a pawn forward. An innocent move at first glance, but it's implications were the entire game. Soon, the board would be a chaotic mess of tactics and struggle, a struggle of composure and calculation, but the best man would come out on top either way. Survival of the fittest on a table top.

"You may wish to leverage what superiority you have over the humans for a long while, but for me it's simply a means to an end. The only humans I'm interested in keeping around are those that prove themselves as equals, and even they will likely be reduced to ashes once the inevitable natural selection between metahumans starts. What you're asking for is easy mode. You want, from my assumption, to halt genetic progress just to stay on top. You fear you won't be good enough to retain your power in this new world..........." Lucius made quick moves as he spoke. He created a sort of urgency with his movements, trying to speed up the game. The strategy aspect of this was over, and the simple equations of tactics emerged. This was dreadfully simple now. He tried, to the best of his high ability, to pound Max into the ground. His well developed, defensive position quickly turned into a fully equipped death machine of an army.

"And that's what separates us. My fulfillment comes from overcoming challenges, from proving I'm the best, and from dominating increasingly difficult opponents. How can we learn or improve ourselves if we stick to levels we can easily overcome? You, Max, get fulfillment from the domination of soon to be obsolete lifeforms. Eventually, your control over them will be indistinguishable from the crushing of ants under boot, and only slightly more impressive. Check."

Lucius smiled, taking a sip from his glass as Maximilian clarified. It wasn't that Lucius completely misunderstood, he was just making sure one of his interpretations of what Max was saying wasn't the truth. If it was, then any sort of agreement between the two of them would be impossible. Fortunately, Maximilien had meant something far different, and that something was something Lucius could agree with.

"Well, do forgive my assumptions. I'm not one to hand wave things. If i hear something that i find questionable, i call it out, if only to make sure I'm correct in my interpretation. I was, essentially, making sure we were on the same page," Lucius said, clarifying his intent. The dictator then considered the rest of what Max had said. Was he not of this world? Some higher species? Good questions, but not ones Lucius would ask just yet.

"But yes, you are correct. If we just sit back and let Darwinism do as it will, we will be looking at catastrophe. We aren't fighting with sticks and stones anymore, but science defying superpowers and nuclear weapons. The next major survival of the fittest event, the next fight for dominance, will leave us in ashes. I'm here to make sure we Rise again, stronger," Lucius said. He then gently pushed his bishop into the blocking pawn, placing Max in check again. Yes, that pawn was protected by another, and he had just lost a bishop, but now the position was wide open. Lucius was playing for initiative, and although he was down material, Max's castle had been cracked open. A sensible sacrifice, if a bit shocking.

"These things must be done manually, precisely, and with competent people in charge. My critics don't understand how necessary Rise is. We aren't looking for civil war within humanity, we're looking for the opposite. The transition of dominance must be done with care, and with acceptance. Without Rise, there can only be chaos. Millions of people killing each other until only a few strong remain..... But together, under me, under my colleagues, the next step in evolution can be directed. They can be controlled, put in order, and eventually put on top without the apocalypse knocking at our door,"   Lucius said. The man then leaned back in his chair, taking a little more time with his next move now.

"I'm no villain, Mr. Blackwell. I'm the one that's going to save humanity from itself. I'm the one that's going to carry out the terrible acts that need to be done to avoid the cataclysmic ones. If that's what you want, and that's what you mean, then you're very welcome in Belarus, and you're very welcome to do business here. I know the truth when i hear it."

And just like that, both games had been put on hold. The conversation had reached a point that was satisfactory, for the time being, and the board was far too interesting to be finished in one setting. The pause, abrupt as it was, felt appropriate given the character of the two people involved. See, mysterious as this man was, Lucius felt a sort of kinship with him. It was similar to the feeling he had towards Alpha, Zell, and Blood Tithe. It could best be described as respect, but caution at the same time. Yes, this Blackwell fellow was the real deal, and he wasn't to be dealt with lightly. Time to think about the details of this new relationship was very much welcome.

Lucius stood, offering his own contribution to the conclusion of this conversation.

"There is no doubt about that, Mr. Blackwell. We are very different in a lot of ways. I may even seem like a child to you. But, it seems that like me, you know that the power of youth ought to be recognized, just as the experience of age should be respected. Different, yes, but formidable all the same, and better to be working together than against each other," Lucius said, smiling as a faint red light sparked in his grey eyes, briefly revealing his nature. He did not flinch at the imposing personality before him, but matched it in kind.

Once the two were done speaking about the potential future of their relationship, Max asked about what Lucius had wagered. The dictator stopped a moment, as if thinking. He was contemplating whether to reveal what was behind the safe, but after a moment concluded that it was only fair. Blackwell had, after all, not made what he was betting a secret. Lucius made a specific gesture with his hand, and the painting, as well as the vault door, opened.

Inside was nothing but a glowing cyan sphere, seemingly made of glass. Lucius strode over to it and picked it up, admiring it a moment before speaking.

"This is perhaps one of my most important possessions. Everything that I have achieved could not have been done so easily without it. This is what I call the Catalyst, though, it's unmodified form is known by another name—" Pausing, Lucius gently placed the sphere back in the vault, which automatically closed when he turned back around "The Guilty Spark."

Lucius scanned Blackwell's face for any hint of recognition. No, it was not a commonly known name, but one such as Maximilian may have heard it at some point. Either way, Lucius was going to elaborate on what it was anyway.

"The price for it was a near death experience, and, of course, potentially the worst day of my life. But, perhaps it was worth it. With this Catalyst, true sentience can be achieved in a sufficiently advanced AI. It is everything that science fails to see about consciousness—the metaphysical key to the soul." Lucius sat back down in his chair, taking a sip from his drink as he explained. He had never shared this with anyone, yet he felt compelled to now. Maybe it was a gambler's honor, or maybe it was just that kinship he felt with this man. Either way, he continued.

"I never believed such things existed, but the roadblocks in the creation of my artificial intelligence were too many. Something was missing, and my search for it brought me into a world my naturalistic mind could not even begin to comprehend. I fortunately made it out alive, humbled, yes, but also with something that would help me discover the missing pieces." Lucius was staring off into space as he spoke, scratching his head. His powerful mind was thinking hundreds of different things at once. He didn't know why he was saying this, though. He shouldn't have trusted this man, but here he was, revealing to him what he paid the price to learn himself. It wasn't practical, no, but it felt right. That's the only way he could explain it.

"While our greatest scientific minds create very convincing imitations, they can never replicate true and complete sentience without fully understanding what is behind that painting. They can never bridge the gap between their careful, scientific analysis of what physically is, and everything else, without going far deeper. And perhaps that's for the best. This knowledge is dangerous—powerful. Only those with the proper character could ever hope to wield it in a manner that isn't wholly detrimental. As much as I wish to improve the world, this must stay with the few." Lucius finished off his glass, then finally looked at Maxwell again. He gazed at him dead in the eyes. You could see that Lucius meant every word. That this was of dire consequence was undeniable. And yet, Lucius wagered it on a chess game.

Why?

He didn't know the answer. Maybe it was overconfidence, or maybe it was something else entirely. All that could be said was that Maximilian was at the very least seen by Lucius as worthy enough to get a chance at holding such a responsibility.

"Perhaps I raised you a bit. Though, I must admit, those chessman are something."