Proof of Humanity (RWBY - Lies of P)

Remnant IV: Prototype and Product

"What do you mean he's gotten to the council?" Ironwood asked the man on the phone, his voice rising with every syllable.

The man rambled on about some corporate stuff that Ironwood couldn't care less about. It seemed like the phone operator understood the gravity of the situation and was trying to deliver the information in the most careful way possible.a

"Okay, dust production, I follow, but who the hell approved the SDC's offer?" Ironwood asked, rubbing his temple in frustration.

More blabble from the man in the other end. That was until, he said something that caught Ironwood's attention.

"Wait, stop talking, what did you say?" He asked. The man on the phone repeated himself. "An Atlesian military commander? Are you sure?"

There was an affirmative hum from the receiver. The phone operator started to speak, but was cut off by Ironwood.

"The name."

Silence.

"The name, please."

The phone operator spoke very slowly. Ironwood only needed to head the first name before slamming the phone down, ending the call. The general's hand shook with anger. Then, there was the sound of frustrated growls as he looked for anyway to vent. Finally, the man took a deep breath, looked around to ensure there weren't any watchers, and let out a small weep. That single crack was enough to break an entire dam, and Ironwood broke down, clutching his fist.

---

A week. That's all it took for the Atlesian Council to be flipped on it's head and dominated by Jacques. The instant Ironwood left, the SDC started their greatest campaign push yet, and since the general was in a place with zero access to the Internet, he had no way to even find out about Jacque's plans.

A month ago, the plan was to ensure that Jacques Schnee gained no political influence over the military. Ironwood let down his guard for seven days, and suddenly, the plan had shifted to ensuring that Jacques couldn't become an official council member. Despite the general's best attempts to maintain order in the council, by the time he was able to address the issue, it was far too late. The entire council had either been bribed, threatened, or both.

The SDC quickly became Atlas sole dust provider. All local family owned stores were bought, or to be more specific, taken with a small apology check to avoid lawsuits. The stores mining operations were cancelled so that the SDC could immediately sweep in and begin their own, far more efficient mining operations due to the difference in employment.

What's worse is that once the SDC controlled all of the dust in the area, they severely lowered the prices of the crystals so that the tax payers wouldn't complain. Why would they? Cheaper products means more money for them. Jacques couldn't care less about the profits. The real goal of the deflation was to guarantee that no international business could contend with the SDC.

And thus, in a single week, Jacques Schnee had gained control of the mines, the market, and masses in Atlas.

---

P was sat at a wooden table across from the ginger girl that found him. In front of him was a cup of what he thought was tea. The girl just continued to stare at him, her green eyes glowing brightly into his blue ones.

P grew tired of the girls abundance of patience. "I'm looking for a wizard named Ozma, I don't suppose you know him?"

The girl shook her head no. P sighed, then mumbled bitterly, "Yeah, that was just wishful thinking."