18,123Feeling pretty sicky this weekend. None of the symptoms point to coronavirus so no real worries there, more nausea, fatigue and migraines. I think it's stress from work (non-fanfic work) catching up with me. Sorry to say this and tomorrow's chapters may be smaller as a result. I normally have my days off Wed and Fri from my normal work (I work Friday, but it's less intense) since I already work weekends on writing and lessons with my students, but with how this month has been, I've had to work both days, which means I've been working full hours 7 days a week for the past four weeks. Or more than full hours since it's full hours then going home to write fanfiction on top.
Finally got on top of work yesterday and I think my mental relief over it has inadvertently told my body it's okay to crash and burn now, lol. Woke up this morning feeling absolutely wrecked. I think it must be a mental thing because I've been feeling tight and wound like a rope all week, but capable of pushing on because I knew the work had to be done, then the second I tell myself I can finally relax…
Boom. Body crashes.
Cover Art: Jack Wayne
Chapter 121
"Alternative energy sources?"
The man who Jaune still had trouble admitting was his future father-in-law paused between the main course and dessert, the maids working to move their plates away, refill glasses where appropriate and pour Jacques Schnee a cup of coffee. He thanked them politely, which came as a surprise but probably shouldn't have. He'd only ever seen the worst of the man before.
Jacques Schnee sat at the symbolic head of the table, Willow Schnee to his right, Winter opposite her and Jaune beside Winter. There were far more chairs up and down the long table and it looked strange for only having the four plates and cutlery out when it could have seated forty. Despite the effort, it all lacked that sense of a close-knit family, probably because the whole table was overlooked by a rather dour portrait of the family, Winter, Weiss and Whitley looking miserable on it. He'd seen the picture the last life and they'd all been bothered by how sad Weiss looked, but now there was a new portrait beside it. One that hadn't been there the last time. On it, Winter and Jacques were shaking hands, Winter in her Atlas regalia and actually smiling faintly. The bronze plaque beneath read, `Jacques Schnee congratulates Winter Schnee on her defeat of the White Fang`.
It was strange to see the changes happen like that, especially when he might one day be up there as well, probably a painting of him and Winter side by side, or maybe them at their wedding. Jaune tore his eyes away, back to Jacques who had been patiently – and dare he say, proudly – waiting for him to stop admiring the paintings.
"Yes." Jaune spoke firmly. He knew the man respected strength; not as much or as wildly as Raven did, but enough in his own way. "We want permission and some investment to source and research alternative sources that the SDC can later market."
"What's wrong with dust?"
Too much. More than he could ever say.
"Nothing, father." Winter stepped in with a quick lie. "We're not looking to replace or compete with the dust side of the business, more to replace it once that becomes unprofitable. You've complained yourself of the rising costs of securing it due to mining camps having to be constructed further and further away."
"That's true. The costs of construction aren't changing, but shipping raw material so far, logistical fees, insurance and protection are through the roof, to say nothing of transporting the dust so far. Our profits have recovered now the White Fang aren't ambushing every other route, but the fuel costs are through the roof. I'm pushing for less tax on that with the Council of Atlas."
"That would still be a temporary measure at best. Give it ten years and these new mines will have dried up, then we'll have to expand further still."
"I am aware, Winter."
"That's where we're hoping to step in." Jaune said. "What we're looking at might not pay off for ten or twenty years, but with dust getting so expensive and sure to rise even further, someone is going to develop a new energy source. Whatever company does is going to be able to corner the new market, especially if it's cheaper than dust. It could replace it entirely. That might as well be us. You, I mean. The SDC."
"No, Jaune. Us." Jacques was smiling now, a devious but pleased little thing. "You are a Schnee, or soon to be, and I won't have you thinking otherwise. I will not be around forever and it's a relief to know the future of the company is in your minds." He leaned back, closing his eyes and picking up his coffee to waft it beneath his nose. "With Winter, Weiss and now even Whitley moving into the huntsman business I'd feared there would be no one to take over," he admitted. "The thought of leaving my company to someone not of the family was troubling, but no worse than leaving it to someone who won't give it the proper care and attention."
He'd planned to give it away? Or maybe he meant selling it or making his children non-executive directors; removing them from the management and placing the SDC under the trust of upper managers while a share of the profits would be sent their way. It was a shocking though, mostly because Weiss had always acted like it was her birth right.
"I have to plan for the future and the future I've seen hasn't always been a bright one," Jacques continued. "I've dedicated my life to this company. The last thirty years have been spent dragging a faltering SDC back into the light and beyond. There have been good times, yes, but just as many stressful enough to have me losing sleep and cursing myself for ever stepping into the role. In many ways the business is my life's work and the thought of leaving it to people who didn't share my passion… well, I have no right to dictate what my children will or won't do, but it was frustrating."
Despite all odds, Jaune felt he could understand that. It didn't make Jacques any better a father than he had been the first time, especially if he valued his own work over his children, but it explained some of his actions. It humanised them. A faulty human, but still, who wasn't? He couldn't say he was all that interested in the SDC either, but if they could make this work and invalidate dust then it could well become the weapon that saved Remnant. With that in mind, he'd give his own life to it.
"I… Winter and I." He held his hand out and she took it with a smile. "We want to see the SDC continue. The problem is that we're not sure it can with how things are going. That's no insult to you, sir-"
"It is changing market conditions." Jacques said. "I understand. Perhaps you're right. There's an old problem in business, something common to the old guard like me. We do something one way for so long that it can be hard to change gears. I've made our empire off of dust, so despite rising prices and difficulty sourcing it, I've only ever seen dust as the answer. It never once occurred to me to try and branch out. Which is foolish of me," he said with a grimace. "No company survives on one product indefinitely. A portfolio exists to be expanded."
Winter couldn't help herself. "Then you'll allow us to research this?"
"I shall allow it, Winter, so long as you or Jaune lead the effort. I won't accept investing so much if this is to be a half-hearted effort quickly forgotten. And I will invest if you agree. Quite generously."
"I'll lead it, father. There's little for me to do on the security side of things as it is."
"Bored already?" He chuckled, smiling uncharacteristically and with more warmth than Jaune ever expected to see. "My daughter, not even a year since defeating the White Fang and already bored and looking for more work. We must have done something right after all, hm, Willow?"
"Hmm?" Winter's mother looked up with pink cheeks and no small confusion. "Oh. Yes, yes, I agree dear. You're right as usual."
Winter's smile cracked a little and even Jacques frowned, sipping his mug and no doubt inwardly rolling his eyes. Awkward didn't begin to describe it and he had no idea what to say or do. Willow Schnee took it away, however, turning to request a refill on her wine and then ignoring them as though they didn't exist.
"Well," Jacques said, "That aside I'm certain neither of you have any great expertise in the science behind this so you'll need someone to head the new department. Have you already put some thought into that?"
"We have." Winter said. He'd never worked a proper job in his life, but Winter had made it clear that any employer would be impressed if you came in with pro-active ideas and a plan. Even if it wasn't perfect, it showed you were willing to put the effort in. And in a way, this was a job interview. "Jaune suggested we try and snatch Pietro Polendina away from General Ironwood. He thinks we have a chance, especially if we convince Ironwood that this new energy source will be sustainable for Atlas as well. If our dust costs are up, we know for sure the military's will be as well."
They'd talked about it for a while and Pietro was the only name that came to mind. He'd created Penny, a real artificial lifeform not only capable of having aura and personality, but apparently so capable of being human that it could develop a soul that was then able to develop a gender identityso firm that it could inherit the power of the Winter Maiden. That was no small feat! The fact Penny had aura was one thing, and it did imply a soul, but the power of the maidens travelled down women only.
He wasn't an expert on how that worked or how it made sure a person's soul counted as female. Did it only matter what a person believed? Could it be open to interpretation, or was it set at birth? There'd have been a lot of angry discussions about that if it was common knowledge, but the simple fact was that Pietro had already once fooled magic. In fact, in creating a soul, he'd somehow reached into the kind of domain the bloody God of Creation ruled over. Jaune had no idea how they hadn't made a bigger deal of that the first time they'd found out. Pietro Polendina had literally gone and one-upped a God!
What the fuck!?
And if he could do it once, maybe he could do it again in developing a new energy source based around aura or something similar. If he'd made aura from nothing, he might be able to make something similar to power things.
He wasn't the only option, though. There was one other that they'd discussed that no one else could know about, a man who had in his own way proved to be just as much a genius, and every bit as special.
Arthur Watts.
It was a dangerous game to play, but Salem did have an interest in seeing this alternative energy developed, enough so that she might allow Watts to work with them on it. As for Watts, well, the money, power and influence would be more than enough to tempt him. They couldn't mention that to Jacques, however, so Jaune remained silent as the man digested the idea.
"Pietro Polendina. An eccentric man but quite brilliant, I'm told. The SDC does not spare expense where expertise is involved. A fine choice. And the rest?"
"We were going to ask Pietro for advice on that," Jaune said. "He knows a lot more about the research scene than either of us do and he might know people he's worked with in the past who would be specialists in this field."
"Hm. A fair point. You'll need a facility, then. We won't want potentially dangerous experiments being run here."
"We were thinking Atlas, father. Or Mantle. I know you'd rather it be kept in an SDC facility, but we'd have access to a lot more tech there, not to mention we might be able to apply for Atlas grants and funding, plus it would be easier to convince Pietro and other researchers to work for us if they didn't have to move far from home. It wouldn't require me leaving here," Winter added. "The work will be mostly autonomous as there isn't much a soldier like I can offer."
"You've put thought into this." Jacques nodded, pleased. "I have no qualms with this taking place in Mantle, just be sure security is high enough that we don't run into problems with industrial competitors. I suppose you can patent anything that is developed. Yes, I think this has potential. I must admit that I've been worried of late, not for my future but for yours."
Winter blinked. "Ours, father…?"
"You, Jaune, Weiss and Whitley," he said. "I may have created this empire but as you've noticed yourself, it's not sustainable. Dust is getting harder and harder to source. Sooner or later, the business model would have become inviable, and I was concerned that might happen after my death." He sighed, looking years older for a moment. "It's long since time I retired, but it's been fear as much as anything that has stopped me. Fear of not having a proper heir or heiress to give the company to, fear of it being run improperly, but also fear of handing over a company that will grant my successor nothing but stress and pain. I'd honestly thought of selling."
"Selling the SDC!?" Winter gasped. "Father-"
"I'd thought of it, Winter. I have changed my mind now. Still, the idea would have made sense. The company is at its highest point and all I foresaw in the future was a downward spiral. I'd much rather have sold up and distributed the profits among my children to spend as they wish than force them to take over a failing business. At least that way with none of you having any interest in running the company, you could have had capital to do with as you wished."
"F-Father. I never… I didn't realise you'd thought so far…"
"Silly child. I am an old man; I won't be around forever. It was something I hated the thought of but considered an option. Now, though, it fills me with relief like you cannot understand to know that there is someone – two someones – who I can leave the company to. More than that, heirs that will look after their siblings. No petty squabbles or hurt feelings, as I can't see Weiss or Whitley feeling slighted by this."
"No, they wouldn't be. And I'd let them into the company if they wanted to join."
"I know you would, Winter." Jacques smiled proudly at her. "You have my permission. Speak with Ironwood and Pietro. I will have a budget made up for you after I speak with our accountants. If we syphon from our gross into this, we can reduce our profits and minimise our tax bill, if not eradicate it entirely. I don't mind making a loss for a year or two, either. For now, I shall grant you an advance of five million to play around with."
Five million to play with…? He was wealthy himself now, but apparently Jacques Schnee made the one per cent look like paupers. It ought to be enough to get them started, and from there they could leave Pietro to secure the future.
/-/
Jaune grinned and let out a small laugh as he and Winter stopped near the front gardens of the mansion, between the doors and the gates to have a moment to themselves. They would be going to see Ironwood and Pietro together in person. Jacques had been the one to suggest it, saying they didn't spend enough time together and that they should enjoy themselves in Atlas after. It was a surprisingly sweet gesture, and he'd been thinking that a lot about the man lately. Surprise, that was. It really went to show how poorly they'd misjudged him before.
Or just how much of a bastard he'd been. There was no way they could have misjudged all that stuff.
"That went better than I thought it would. We've got our approval. He's even excited about it."
"Mmm."
Frowning, he leaned over to peer into Winter's face. "Is something wrong?"
"Oh." Winter jumped a little and flashed him a quick smile. "No, no. I'm happy with how things went. I just… I guess I'm shocked at the things he said. And I'm trying to lay those against what you told me he was like in the other timeline. It's… hard."
"He's nothing like he was there. He's genuinely kind here."
"I know. That the problem. Did my staying with the military really cause all that? It's the only difference I can think of and-"
"You, Weiss, the White Fang, rapidly increasing dust prices, the fall of Beacon, Ironwood's trade embargo and the return of Arthur Watts." Jaune listed them off quickly. "It wasn't just you, Winter. He just admitted he's been stressed thinking about how the business might fail and he had no one to hand the reins over to. Imagine that times three and that's what the other timeline was. The big difference here wasn't you deciding not to join the army. It was Jacques discovering someone he could entrust his life's work to."
"I… I suppose so. He has never been an evil man and hearing the things he did, I couldn't help but think he'd changed. Perhaps it was the repeated stress that did it."
"It must have been. It can't have just been you, Winter."
"No. You're right." Winter released a quick breath and looked up at the sky. "Didn't Weiss want it? In the other life, I mean. Why didn't she take it over?"
"Weiss… I think she wanted the idea of it. She always acted like it was her birth right and that it would be passed down to her, and she kept talking about how she'd improve the conditions of the faunus, but…" Jaune shook his head. "I don't know how much of that she really meant. I'm not saying she was lying, but I feel like the faunus conditions thing only came out when she found out about Blake and felt bad for them. Weiss' real goal was to become a huntress and make a name for herself that didn't rely on her family name. At least that's what I think. Taking over the SDC always felt like this add-on. Like she'd be talking about something and then just casually throw out the SDC like she'd almost forgotten it existed."
"Weiss didn't care either, then." Winter said.
"I think she genuinely thought she did, but Jacques must have realised she wasn't that interested. I mean, why become a huntress if your goal is to take over the business? And even if she did, knowing what we do now, it's obvious she'd have run it into the ground. Weiss had the right intentions, but her goals were to clear the family's name, not run a profitable business. He must have known handing it over to her would destroy what he'd spent his whole life creating, and maybe hearing her be so entitled about it bothered him…"
He hated to use the word, but it fit. Weiss believed she deserved the SDC for no other reason than her name. Weiss believed it was hers because she was a real Schnee, to the point where she'd even claimed Jacques was only a Schnee through marriage. He hadn't thought anything of it at the time, but that kind of attitude was a bit elitist, wasn't it? Jacques had put in the hours and effort to keep the company going. Weiss just felt she should be handed it `because it was hers`, just like she'd once thought she should have the leadership of Team RWBY.
"Weiss was better as a huntress." he said. "One of the best. As for Whitley, I don't know. Maybe Jacques felt he was too young or maybe he was lacking in his own way. Whatever the case, your father obviously felt he had no one to rely on."
"And mother would have been no help as always. Then, pressed in by Ironwood and the rising cost of dust, I suppose something cracked. It doesn't matter. That life is gone and it's not going to happen again here. I won't let it." Winter tossed her head angrily. "I have a family here and I'm not giving up on that, nor on you," she said, gripping his hand.
Jaune squeezed back. "Let's go see if we can't swing James to our way of thinking."
/-/
"Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in. Finally finding it in yourself to visit, Ashari?" General James Ironwood wore a cocky smile as his secretary saw them in and closed the door behind them. "It's only been, what, a year late? Two?"
"I was waiting for your temper to cool down."
"My temper. Hah." He barked a laugh and gestured to two seats. "I don't know how you put up with him, Winter."
"His sense of humour needs work, sir, but if I focus hard enough, I can imagine he's funny. Sometimes."
"What is this? Gang up on Jaune day?"
"Yes," they said in unison. James continued with, "And you deserve no less for all the nonsense you pulled. Still, it's good to see you alive and well. Ozpin told me you had a hand in Hazel Rainart's death. Privately, that is. He's been telling me so much lately I'm starting to worry for his health. He's never been so open before."
"That's what we wanted to talk to you about. How much did he tell you of the dust situation?"
"He told me we're running out and what happens when we do. He also tells me there's potentially tens of thousands of years before that happens and that I needn't worry about it." Ironwood's fingers drummed on his desk. "Despite that, I'm worried. If we all act as though our actions won't impact future generations, our successors will hate us for it. He mentioned the two of you might be looking into a way out."
"We're starting a new branch of the SDC to look into alternate energy," Winter explained. "Father has given his approval, but we need a lab here along with staff. Jaune was hoping to talk with Pietro…?"
"So, first you steal my Specialist, then my thunder and now my top scientist. Good to see you again, Jaune. Would you like my liver while you're here?"
"We only want his assistance," Jaune said. "We don't interfere with Project Penny-"
"Which is a highly classified project. Why am I not surprised you know of it?"
"-but Pietro is the best mind Atlas has to offer and this is serious enough that we want the best working on it. Jacques has said he'll handle the money side of things. We need this to go well, though."
Ironwood sighed. "I understand. Loathe as I am to give him up, I shall let you speak with Pietro. Or perhaps I shall. He's passionate but focused. He might not be interested in something like this if he thinks Penny is more interesting."
"Tell him we'll invest in Project Penny if he helps us here."
"That may win him over. Very well, I'll do what I can to help. Atlas will only benefit from this if it works out and I've no reason to complain if the SDC is footing the bill. So far, I've not heard any of the bad news your message warned me you might be bringing."
Jaune looked around. "Is this room secure?"
"I swept it myself not thirty minutes ago." Ironwood pushed a button on his intercom. "Samantha, cancel all my meetings for the next hour. Redirect any queries to Clover."
"Yes sir." the intercom buzzed back.
"Now," General Ironwood said, steepling his hands before him. "You warned me you had some troubling news. Something that my old friend, Ozpin, might not have wanted me to know. You have my attention, Ashari."
/-/
"My lady. I felt I should bring this to your attention…"
Salem looked up inquisitively, pushing aside the pot of ink and thick tome she was busy writing. It was a welcome relief to be able to put the quill down and look to Arthur as he entered her study. The room hadn't seen much use in the past one thousand years or so and she couldn't say she regretted that now, either. The translation she was busy working on was almost complete, sure to drawn Ashari in, but the work – ah, it was tiresome. And those `ball-point pens` Watts had tried to convince her to use felt so bizarre. A good quill and ink was so much more useful – proof that all this new-fangled technology he went on about wasn't all that good.
"Yes Watts? Has Ozma made a move?"
"Not Ozma, my Queen, but Ashari. He… well, I think you should see for yourself."
Accepting the scroll, Salem brought it over and looked through the message, one eyebrow rising for a moment before she began to chuckle. That quiet sound would have turned to laughed had she not covered her mouth with one hand.
"I suppose congratulations are in order, Watts. Would you like me to write you a job reference?"
"Sa – My Queen," he amended. "I'm not sure what to think of this. He is offering me a job – me! I am a convicted criminal wanted across Atlas, not to mention loyal to yourself. Why would he think I'd be interested in something like this?"
Because she was. Clever little Jaune working to bring humanity to a new age. It was intriguing even if it wasn't what she exactly wanted. Regardless of their discovers, she had to take over. Ozma would only continue to build the world in his image otherwise. Then again, there's no reason this can't be a good thing. We can use it just as much as Ozma can.
"Jaune is doing this with my blessing," she told him, watching the surprise spread over his face. "As such, you are free to help him as much or as little as you might like – I'll leave the decision to you." She handed him the scroll back. "What shall you do?"
"You have no preference?" he asked cautiously.
"None here. So long as it doesn't interfere with your tasks, you may do as you wish."
"It's unusual. I'm used to less co-operation between us."
Well that certainly wasn't something she had pushed on them. Their little arguments and spats were of their own making, and much of it a fault of their personalities. Cinder was so ambitious that she railed against anyone who had more power than her, Watts felt he had to be the smartest in the room and so put everyone else down, and Tyrian was certifiably insane. The only reason they didn't co-operate more was because they couldn't get over their own problems.
An Ashari knew better. Ah, they really had been the best of her and Ozma's people, resourceful but communal, prepared to work together toward greatness. If only the blasted Cataclysm hadn't come. No, that was the wrong way to look at it. If it hadn't happened then they would have sleepwalked to the loss of magic and the end of the world. As hateful as that time had been, it had been a necessary warning to give them the chance to save themselves.
"I shall have to think on it." Watts eventually said. "There are opportunities to this to be sure, but I would much rather speak with him in person before making a decision."
"An excellent idea," Salem said suddenly, sitting up. "I will have this finished soon to give to him anyway and you need to speak with him. We also need to discuss the loss of dear Hazel. All of that can be done at once if we call a meeting."
"Now?" he asked. "Cinder might struggle to attend…"
"Jaune can bring her out of Beacon, I'm sure, and transport her back again before anyone notices with his pet bird." This would be a good test for him as well, to see if he was prepared to answer the call and risk himself to come all the way to the Grimmlands and kneel before her. "I shall contact him and make clear my… invitation to attend. Reach out to Tyrian and Cinder for me, Watts, and do source some human food. It's so hard to find good steak in the Grimmlands."
"And if he doesn't attend?"
"Then we shall know where we stand, won't we?"
"Yes. You're right." Watts bowed, backing away with a hand over his chest. "It shall be done, my lady. If you will excuse me…"
Waving him away, Salem pushed some white hair away from her face, picked up the quill and dipped it into the pot of black ink once more. As the candle burned low beside her, she worked on the tome, gently inscribing a dead language onto its crisp pages.
Well, not that much shorter a chapter really. In fact I think it's the same as usual. Even like this, I suppose I can fall into a routine so easily. I think I just need to sit down for a day and not have to do loads of writing, let myself rest and catch my breath. It's not so much the writing that's causing this anyway as the deadlines at work. Being behind sucks when you have clients dragging their feet, demanding to know where their content is and such. I guess it's more mental fatigue than physical.
Time to go for a nap.
Next Chapter: 5th September
P a treon . com (slash) Coeur
