As usual, I do not ow Yu Yu Hakusho or any of the associated characters. The contents of this story are simply the work of a dedicated fan, and I would never wish to infringe on the rights of the rightful owners of the show. So please don't sue me.
Thanks, as always, to EminaKotek-nightmare and KitsunexShi for their continued love and support. Where would I be without you? 3
Live from Studio Torukonay, this is Across the Nation, your Channel Seven news provider!
Hello, and welcome to Across the Nation here on Channel Seven. I'm your host, Jorge Stevenson.
Our top story: government officials announced today that the Tokogawa Industrial Park and its surrounding plot have officially been ceded to Kurama® Biotechnology Systems, Inc. This much-anticipated decision was finally made on Thursday at five-thirty p.m. as King Enma's seal of approval finally graced the resolution. Months of discussion and debate have surrounded this event, which marks the first time in history that a commercial enterprise has been granted full sovereign control over national territory, and many people are wondering: why factors led to this decision? What are the benefits to both the company and the nation as a whole? And most importantly, what methods are in place to ensure that Kurama® will not simply abandon its newfound citizens in favor of higher profit margins? Prince Koenma met with reporters shortly after the announcement to address these questions:
"As King Enma's chief representative, I am here to assure you that this decision came as a result of long hours of deliberation. Every detail of the proposal was considered, and every aspect of the agreement has been, and It is our firm belief that this cession will come as a benefit not just to Kurama®, but to every citizen of Hakusho. Kurama®'s abundant success in the business community has given us reason to believe that they can firmly stand on their own as an independent and sovereign power, and their demonstration of open policy and history of customer satisfaction leaves us with no doubt that they will be able to meet the needs of their citizens.
Do not think, however, that we simply handing this territory over without and terms or conditions of our own. As a separate and equal nation, Kurama® will be expected to uphold the same standards of protection and public service that we have come to expect within our own borders. It must treat its citizens fairly and decently, holding public safety and domestic order at a higher priority than its business interactions or profit margins. And while we seek to treat Kurama® as a friend on equal terms, do not think that will turn a blind eye towards even the slightest injustice within their borders. Any mistreatment of its citizens, any corrupt action or unlawful bargain that is made will be noted. Terrorism, brutality, and dictatorship will not be tolerated under any circumstances, and it is clearly outlined within the treaty that, should we feel at any point that the offices of Kurama® are failing to fully support the health and well-being of their citizens, immediate action will be taken. Kurama® can expect swift and sudden retribution for any injustice committed within its borders that it refuses to acknowledge, and we advise that they do not take liberties with the terms defined by the treaty.
It is hoped, of course, that by observing one another's practices of bureaucracy and domestic affairs that we can both grow together, learning from each other about how best to serve our people. For those of you who will soon become proud citizens of Kurama®, we ask that you please give them your full loyalty and respect. This transition can only go smoothly if we all work together to make it happen. Rest assured that the treaty allows us to keep full eye on your condition and treatment under your new administration, and at the first sign of discontent, we will be on the scene in full force, ready to stand against any threat to your safety and livelihood. The city of Hakusho will never forget your contributions, nor will we abandon you in a time of need."
Prince Koenma went on to say that the proposal came with the full support of the city council. Elsewhere, however, District Ruler Yomi was heard to say that, while he supported the plan in principle, he felt that the terms of the treaty are still too light, allowing Kurama® too much immediate administrative freedom. According to Yomi, whose district saw a significant loss of territory in the cession, the whole process seems to have been rushed a bit, making the city seem more than a little desperate to close the deal, and this, he says, is causing him to question the integrity of both sides.
District Ruler Raizen expressed similar concerns as well, speaking at a demonstration near the new border of Kurama®'s territory. Raizen, who also lost a significant section of his district to the deal, stated frankly that he had never once been consulted on this issue, and yet was expected to simply hand over almost a third of his district to this, quote, "Smarmy little [expletive]" without any sort of compensation, and in full knowledge of the district's inner turmoil, as well as the ongoing territorial dispute with District Ruler Mukuro. Raizen talked openly of rebellion at the rally, claiming blatant prejudice against himself, his district, and his people, and demanded and the immediate return of his district's ceded land. If Kurama® and the city of Hakusho refuse, he says, he will give the order for all those loyal to him and to the district to rise against them both, accelerating the violence they are seeking to circumvent. The actual force of those loyal to Raizen is a mystery, but his confidence in their potential is obviously quite strong.
President and Chief Financier of Kurama® Biotechnology, Suiichi Minamino, had this to say on the subject:
"I am both honored and deeply humbled at the acceptance of my proposal by his Highness, King Enma, and the city of Hakusho. When I first founded Kurama® just a few short years ago, I could never have dreamed that it would grow to such proportions, nor that we would push into economic territory that no business in history has ever explored. With this treaty, we break new ground, setting new standards and developing new and unique ideas. This is truly a historic day.
I understand the stiffness of the terms the treaty demands, and I am of course grateful for the freedoms that it does allow us, but I am also not deaf to the concerns surrounding this event. To our new citizens, on both sides of the Wall, and to the great city of Hakusho, I offer you my personal vow that I will always place the safety and well being of the people above petty business concerns or potential revenue markets. I understand the position I have accepted: I am more than simply a manager of a firm now, I must become a leader of men. And I will strive to fulfill this role to the best of my capability.
To my neighboring District Rulers, Yomi and Raizen, I must offer my sincerest apologies for any disrespect that you may have received during this transaction. I understand that our new borders fall somewhat behind where they once were, and I am certain that many of Kurama®'s newest citizens doubtlessly share your concerns. I have already dispatched emissaries to meet with each of you in the hopes that we might resolve these issues peacefully. I ask you to please receive them as agents of peace, and I'm sure that we can all come to an arrangement that benefits all three of us, strengthening us and allying us against the troubles we face together."
A poll amongst Kurama®'s new citizens indicates a general approval of Suiichi Minamino as a political figurehead as well as a business executive, and expectations are high regarding the success of the fledgling city.
In contrast to this historic event, however, confidence in the city's police force and public safety officials seems to be hitting record lows. Across all three Districts of Makai, violence runs rampant, with parts of the Southeast and Southwest Districts reverting to almost a tribal society. The Northern District seems to be experiencing a slight downswing in the rate of crime and domestic violence, thanks to Yomi's new innovations and improved enforcement measures, but levels remain at a disturbingly high rate. Mukuro's "Mobile Fortress" seems to be an effective pacification tool in the Southwest, but it remains limited in its capacity to manage the entire district. And despite universal loyalty to Reizen across the Southeast, the district remains at the highest level of poverty and unemployment. Governmental offices seem forgotten, and ideas of state seem foreign as the district continues to dissolve into tribes and clans that squabble amongst themselves for dominance.
This social remission seems to be spreading as district violence bleeds over the Kakai Wall into Ningenkai, where the King's forces seem unable to deter the incidents of theft, vandalism, or even trespassing. Interviews with residents of the so-called "Wallbound" regions of Ningenkai report that there is almost no difference between the societies on either side of the Kakai. In fact, many residents of Ningenkai have been caught attempting to flee outside the Wall to avoid the rampant overcrowding within it.
Farther inward, out of the immediate reach of the inter-district conflict, the streets are ruled by gangs of delinquent children, who seem to be adopting a strange mockery of the tribal societies that are becoming popular in Makai. The ineffectiveness of the law enforcement across Ningenkai is leading many people to take matters into their own hands. Across the region, residents across streets and blocks are banding together against the chaos, working together to fight against the terror that the extensive gang activity holds over the city. These "Neighborhood Watch Committees" have seen some surprising success in many areas, dropping local crime rates to almost…
The television flashed and flickered, throwing an erratic strobe light across the darkened room from it's mount high on the wall.
A pair of deep, golden-brown eyes gleamed in the light, taking in its changing patterns like a man watching his favorite movie. A small smile played across his face, between curtains of smooth, silvered hair that fell across his shoulders, blending in with the long, white lab coat that wrapped around his tall frame.
He heard the creak of a door opening behind him, followed by the polite, quiet entrance of a pair of feet. There was a brief pause, and then a small sigh reached his ears.
"It was a good speech," he said, without turning.
"It felt sour."
"But it was a good speech," he insisted.
"Well, they certainly seemed to buy it," the tone was laced with sarcasm.
He nodded. "Mark of a good speech."
For a moment, the television flashed and muttered uninterrupted, spitting out the tales of war, violence, and corruption that its viewers loved to see.
"Turn it off."
He gave no reaction.
"I said turn it off."
He gave a sigh of his own this time, stepping forward and running his finger across a holographic tab below the screen. It abruptly cut out, plunging the room into darkness save for the unearthly blue work lights that glowed somewhere off to his right.
Finally, he turned to face his visitor. "Why has this got you so worked up?"
A pair of large green eyes met his gaze. "I'm sorry, trying to maintain a façade of benevolence in the face of barely-veiled threats, blatant cries for rebellion, and a hundred thousand expectant people tends to make me uneasy."
"Oh, come on, Minamino," he growled, "would you shut up and grow a backbone already? Are you really expecting this journey to travel solely along the straight-and-narrow path?"
"Of course not! I am still a businessman, after all. I know when and where it is strategically viable to bend the truth, but I still have my moral limits-"
"Which you will have to cross, if this venture is to succeed." He stepped forward, imposing his superior height on the man. "You asked me for the world, and I am handing it to you."
"I asked you to get me into the government, and you've instead forced me to become a government. I wanted to change things from within the bureaucracy-"
"A bureaucracy that only serves greed and corruption," he said, folding his arms. "Change from within the system is what corrupted the system in the first place, and you cannot hope to accomplish anything by simply corrupting it further. The government of Hakusho is outdated, its bureaucracy defunct. The only option left is to abandon it entirely and start new, a goal which we are already well on the way to accomplishing."
His companion looked skeptical. "A far from instantaneous process, I am told."
He shrugged, chuckling. "The Kakai wasn't built in a day. Have a little patience, will you? We have only just begun."
Argument concluded, he turned and strode away, towards the eerie blue aura surrounding his primary personal lab station, where he began to start up the carious contraptions and machines surrounding an enormous metallic canister in the center of the room. His green eyed companion watched him, frowning, before finally being driven to follow him. "I'm still not entirely comfortable with this, Youko."
He glanced back, surprised to find the man still present, let alone still arguing with him. "You worry about managing this new government of yours, and I'll worry about our next move forward."
"And that arrangement is precisely what's concerning me," the man stated, voice slightly shrill with frustration. "You leave it to me to establish an entirely new and innovative form of government, one that must immediately quell internal and external rebellion, that is being observed through a microscope by a much stronger power, and one that I must still sell to the people as a vast improvement over the one they've grown familiar with," a small hand gestured angrily at the canister he was tinkering with, "and then you go and build this? How does this represent a government for the people? How does this even represent a worthwhile expenditure of company resources? I don't know that I could even market this as a good idea, let alone a vital and necessary tool for a newborn city whose every move is currently under-"
His shadow fell across the man's ruffled red hair as stepped before him. "The time for backing out," he growled, "ended when Enma's old, recycled signature was stamped across the foot of your proposal. Do you understand?"
The small businessman looked up, meekly. "I- I understand, Youko. I never implied that I was backing out."
He smiled and turned back to his work, touching his finger to a holographic pad. The metal pod ground angrily as it began to unfold.
His companion fidgeted as the pod's contents were exposed. "I suppose I will come to understand its purpose in due time?" there was the faintest whisper of sarcasm underneath the question.
He smirked to himself, gazing at his machine. "In, as you say, due time." He stepped closer to the contraption and pressed a small button, just inside the pod's lip.
The man ran a hand irritably through his short-cropped hair, unable to think of any response except to turn and stride slowly towards the door as the pod's innards peeled back as well, drawing countless cables and complicated tools away from what stood at its core.
He glanced back at the retreating figure as the machine halted its motion. "Minamino?"
The man paused and turned at the call, having nearly reached the door.
"Give my regards to your lovely wife, won't you?"
A pair of expressionless emerald eyes answered him. "I'll tell her you asked after her."
He shook his head as the man left, chuckling to himself. Aloud, he addressed the core of the pod. "Dear Suiichi seems to finally be showing the faint glimmerings of a spine, doesn't he?"
The mechanical thing offered no comment.
He sighed. "It's good that he's showing some strength. He'll need it for he coming trials, I'm sure. And I'm sure he can see that, as well." A small control pad rose up before him, perched on a thin stand. He flipped the one switch it contained. "Let's just hope he doesn't overstep his bounds. We may need him, but we need him in his proper place."
He smiled as the thing hummed into life and straightened up. "Now, let's get to work, shall we?"
The steel-skinned figure stepped from its platform, and its three emotionless eyes glowed to life.