You only live forever in the lies you make:
He entered through the huge door of his office without anyone announcing it. That was his usual behavior.
"Ryūichirō," he reached across the desk to shake his hand.
Seijuro Fujikawa didn't need appointments, profile reviews, or go through the security department's weapons detector. He was part of the primary families and the committee of scientists that developed the idea of the dome and the climate alternation system that saved humanity after the environmental disaster.
Ryūichirō Isaka in the back of his mind was always bothered by his constant visits and unsolicited opinions regarding the way he ran the city. His incessant interference was a nuisance to him, but he understood that in the long run he was a necessary resource and that the old man would not live forever even if he wanted to.
"Mr. Fujikawa." He shook his hand firmly with a condescending smile. "Pleasing as always to have you in my office."
"Pleased as always to be well received, Mr. President," he replied.
"Is there something you wanted to talk about?" Isaka asked as she touched a couple of buttons in his desk to close the door.
"The truth is that I wanted to express my concern about the increase in red alerts in recent months."
Ryūichirō smiled slightly awkwardly.
"Well, your concern is valid," he replied. "But I think that matter concerns the security department, not health."
"Actually it concerns the entire parliament, Mr. President," he said. "I want to sleep peacefully knowing that we are not losing control of the city with so many deserters. I want to think that we are not falling into ideological traps or that we are failing in detecting possible insurgents ... you know, the issue of the subversive station remains unresolved."
"Not to mention the gang that has been stealing species from the city's stations. They go in and out of the dome without a trace. Where is the border police?"
Ryūichirō's smile faded from his face.
"Is that what it comes to?" he asked, his courtesy running out. " To ask me again about the damn station and about the gang?"
"We have a new red alert, Ryūichirō," he spread the pamphlet across his desk. "It is the third this month. This city is filling up with rebels."
"Perhaps the medication is not doing its part ... Seijurō."
"Maybe your lapdog isn't doing his job."
Ryūichirō's face contracted.
"Whatever you think; who you should complain to is the education department, " he pointed out to the pamphlet. "This is a university professor. The "strains of subversion" must be there ... or perhaps you should finally update yourself; things are not like fifty years ago, Seijurō ... people are thinking again."
"And in order to keep that like for thinking under control exists the security department."
"What are you up to?" He asked. "You want me to give an executive order that prohibits people to think, to feel? You want me to order the security department that arrest whoever looks at the sky or sigh in public areas? We'll fill the Vault in ten minutes. People live in Satellite City to feel peace, not to live in fear."
"And those idealistic illusions ended up crushing several of us, Ryūichirō. Take care they don't crush you too."
" I understand that your intention is good, but I remind you that the President is me."
"You'll be president of ruins if you don't stop this," he said as he pointed to the pamphlet.
Ryūichirō clenched his teeth.
"You've done well under my guidance these years, Ryūichirō… but watch the things that happen when you stray from the path I've teached you and decide to go for the more liberal way out. Now you have teachers deserting the city; if this continues, you will have a guerilla on the other side of the wall; one made up of lazy, foreign, stateless and unproductive people who are going to destroy the few resources that the city has left. And when that happens, what will you do? When the dome breaks and the polluted air makes half the people sick, what will you do?"
"I will not send Kaoru to destroy the shelters again, Seijurō," Ryūichirō replied without hesitation. "I won't be responsible for a massacre."
"Well in that case," Seijurō shrugged. "When the rebels take the city and destroy everything, you'll learn that your willingness to negotiate with them lead us to nothing. They'll destroy everything, and you'll be held responsible for a massacre anyway."
"Don't forget that a rebel by himself is only an idealist, but many may be your end and the end of this city" Seijurō got up to leave.
"Seijurō, wait," Isaka called to him before crossing the door, "... I only want the best for this city, but I don't want to strangle it."
"I know, but the people deep down don't know what they want either, Ryūichirō, that's why we have to guide them. Humanity had too many freedoms that almost led to its extinction. Just look at how they left the planet! Wars, pollution, disease, uncontrolled migration.
Satellite City is a young nation, a little inexperienced, but it can become a model of what the new world can be."
Seijurō walked over to his desk again and sat down across from him.
"You are young, and your youth gives you this advantage of glimpsing a new world where we can all live in peace, even in these conditions; but peace is not sustained with good intentions, it must be protected. Because outside this Dome there are people who only want to annihilate us, Ryūichirō; people who will only be satisfied when there is nothing left and we are all condemned. Like this gang that only goes in to steal and cause damage."
Ryūichirō looked down.
"Listen to this poor old man," he pleaded. "I have seen the rage of these people, their unconsciousness and their ability to destroy ... they took my children, Ryūichirō. Imagine all the good things they could do for this City with their talent."
"You're right," he sighed. "You are absolutely right, Seijurō. I'm sorry to question your experience."
"It's okay to do that sometimes," he said with a fatherly smile. "From the questions arise the ways to improve the world. But ... we are not talking about an artifact that helps us to recover the earth or purify the air; We talk about people ... and within this dome there are many people who trust your abilities. Do not disappoint by risking everything by not taking the hard decisions."
Although he was not entirely sure, Ryūichirō knew that the experience of Seijurō and his generation had kept the city afloat even in the most difficult moments; it might seem old-fashioned, but it had worked. What if taking a risk led the world back to disaster? If allowing people to get carried away by delusions only lead to another disaster?
Satellite City was one of the few cities that humanity had left. It was a prosperous, clean, healthy town. Perhaps the only one who could still support itself thanks to its qualified staff.
He might seem a little tight on his precautions , but it was the method that had kept the city safe since its founding.
As long as he was president of the Parliament his responsibility was to watch over the city, to watch over the well-being of its people and its prosperity. And although his methods couldn't be entirely right or applauded by all, he had to be consistent. And that included preventing even more citizens from straying from the path by believing in delusions.
He would not allow a bad apple to rot the others.
"I'm going to ask Kaoru to strengthen the raids on the shelters," he said. "And I'm going to reinforce the border police to capture that gang."
"And it'll be the right thing to do," Seijurō replied. "I know it may seem a little ... severe what you are going to do, but you must keep in mind that it is for the good of the city. And everyone in it."
"I know." He kept his head held high. "It's my job."
"I am so proud of you, Ryūichirō" he reached out to hug him. "Sometimes I feel like you were my son. I know your father would also be proud of what you do for us."
"Thank you, Seijurō," he replied with a half smile.
As soon as he left his office, Ryūichirō took a deep breath and called the security department.
"Mr. President" they greeted when answering.
"Please initiate encryption protocol for national security calls," he ordered.
"Right away," they replied. "Encryption protocol activated."
The voice that spoke to him suddenly softened
"Ryūichirō Did something happen?" he asked with concern.
"Seijurō was here again," he sighed.
"What did he want?"
"He wants to know what we are doing for the red alerts," he replied. "A teacher flee this time, Kaoru. A professor from the college.
"We are looking for him"
"I know!" he said "but it is becoming regular ... And the damn station does not disappear!. I'm afraid that people will begin to fill with strange ideas. Strange ideas against me. I only want the best for this city."
" Ryūichirō, you are the president. You clearly want the best for this city, " Kaoru said.
"But can we be sure of that?" He asked. "How can I prevent people from getting full of ideas and turning against us? How can I stop those subversive groups that are forming in the shelters? How can I get people to trust my decisions?"
"Again you are allowing Seijurō to go inside your head," Kaoru said. "You must trust your decisions, you have been in charge of this city for years and you have done a good job."
"So why are they deserting? Why that damn station still exists?! Why should I face this group that is robbing us, Kaoru?" he sighed.
"Maybe I should be firmer. Let them understand the message; a lot of rebels will not end the peace of my city."
"Then I am at your service, President."
"Let's double down on the raids," he ordered. "And that the border patrol double its routes. No one will cross that dome without me knowing."
"Understood," Kaoru replied.
"One last thing," Ryūichirō added. "Arrange a meeting with the Head of the media department. It can't be that this thing is airing under our noses and that he doesn't know anything."
"Alright," Kaoru replied. "I'll audit him myself."
"If someone wants to end the peace of this city ... they will do it on my dead body."