Two years have gone bysince The Fall of Remnant, Winter Schnee was in the command tower of Nova Atlas. She stood there, looking at her navigators plotting a course through the black void, with shimmering lights. These lights were gateways, or as the navigators came to call them, "Distant Shores." These shores were worlds, and each time they passed they would send out two probes. All of them, every single world, has come back being desolate of life. Her navigators, trained pilots of her nation's former Manta Cruisers, Bullfrog corvettes, and Atlas herself. One of these probes returned, they anxiously awaited results.
"Navigator Blackthorn, what is the ETA of Bird Seven?" Winter asked as she moved strains of her white hair away from her eyes.
Navigator Blackthorn, a young Faunus with wolf ears looked at his screen, "T-minus three minutes."
"Good, Nova Council is wanting hopeful news." Winter stated, putting her arms behind her back.
The three minutes came, but to everyone's dismay, the drone reported yet another world devoid of life. No plants, animals, not even microbial. Another dead rock, but it was the next question that mattered most. The question that would at least at them going at the right direction, and Winter Schnee faced Blackthorn with it. She took a deep breath, and let the question follow.
"Navigator, has Probe Seven reported same instance of the anomaly codenamed Gaian Nightmare?" Winter asked as viewed the data on screen.
Blackthorn took a deep, shuttering breath, "Yes."
"Damn the Gods!" Winter shouted as she slammed her fist down on the panel in front of her, making everyone take a step back.
She glared at the picture on the screen, this would be the eighth world they've seen like this. A dead world, with only one single dead husk of a giant tree! This tree's roots, spread throughout the planet, absorbing all life from it. Nothing short of planned, nothing short malicious, and perhaps with it being linked to The Gateway being the most damning evidence of all. All crew members in the command tower began to get back to work. Winter took a deep breath, composing herself. She looked at the shimmering lights in front of her. These portals each leading to worlds, but only if you could use magic to make the key happen.
Magic, that they were running low, because the very being that opened the gateway was dying. Ambrosius laid within his relic, only barely having enough power to create the key to each gate. His life was bleeding away every time they opened a portal. She thought of all this and had to deal dozens of failures, and they were no closer to finding a new home for those who remained. She marched out of the control tower, toward the elevator. The council was getting ready to be in session, and she couldn't be late.
Pushing the button leading to the council hall, she leaned back against the elevator. Gripping her head hair, she started breathing hard, anxiety gripping her. Taking deep breaths, she found herself calming down. The twenty-three-year-old dealing with the stress of total survival her people. The situation constantly being a hairline away from being horrible, to catastrophic. Hydroponics, Aquaculture, and the very animals bred for food stock is the one thing that kept them afloat. There have been rumors as of late, horrible rumors, that Hydroponics has a malfunction earlier in the week. She prayed, hoping to whoever could be listening now that it wasn't true.
The elevator stopped with a ding letting her know that she had arrived at her stop. She exited the elevator, watching it go down, apparently someone was coming up from below. She took a deep breath, walking down the hallway. Her nervousness gripped her chest. Nova Atlas's council was awaiting her findings, and she was afraid that all she could offer was bad news. She found the doors to the council chamber, opening them up with a scan of her palm. The machine behind security whirled, unlocking the gears holding the door, allowing it to split open.
She saw that most of the council had already convened. With her seat open, with a plaque that read, 'Commander of Military & Exploratory Operations.' She took her seat, sitting on the nice black leather. Allowing herself to fall into it, she sunk low, letting the soft furniture ease her tensions. Among the council was those had volunteered to be first amongst the remaining. The first to order, the first to blame in the event of catastrophe.
Glynda Goodwitch sat upon her chair, straight up with a stiff chin. Her seat on the council, and the plaque reading, 'Head of Education & Child Welfare.' Freshly cleaned, nary a speck of dust on it. She had started the education program for unskilled labor adults, and children. Most children would gain civilian jobs around the ship, but some excelled in military education. Huntsmen was now an antiquated term for that line of profession, but it still worked well. These children, the very few amongst their peers, would become the next generation of Remnant's elite warriors. Warriors that fell in battle to make sure that the lives of their family could find a way.
Professor Oobleck walked into the chamber, and then he took his seat. His plaque simply read, 'Head of Supply & Logistics.' He sat with a frown on his face. The rest of the council looked at him, frowning, as him coming with a sour mood meant bad news. He looked at Glynda, who seemed to want an answer, but all he could do was shake his head.
Ghira Belladonna, at his desk, simply sighed. His plaque read, 'Head of Hydroponic & Aquaculture.' He had his own dire news for the council. However, his friend sitting next to him had already reassured him of another plan in great length. He looked at the council, noting that the Head Of Security was missing. Ghira smiled, knowing that his daughter would be at the man's house around this hour.
Pietro Polendina, a dark-skinned human man with white hair, shifted his wheelchair around to face Oobleck. He frowned, and then turned back to his desk, a plaque reading, 'Head of Engineering & Science.' He took a deep breath, awaiting the other member of the council to come. The last member of this council of six.
Qrow Brawen walked in, his arms behind his back, a small braid made of yellow and red on his wrist. He moved toward his chair, sitting at it, adjusting the plaque that read, 'Head of Security & The Huntsmen Corps.' A position Ozpin himself would be occupying if he had made it out. The council's bell, churchlike, and serene, rang throughout the chamber. It signaled the beginning of the meeting, a meeting that determined the fate of three thousand people.
"Let this be marked for the record," Glynda states as she rose from her chair, "For this meeting will determine the fate of Nova Atlas."
The keeper of records, a small elderly man, brought out a data pad. He pressed record on it, intent to transcribe it after the meeting into written text.
"First order of business?" Ghira inquired.
"The first order of business, and the one we've struggled with, our supplies are dwindling. With the new births on Nova Atlas, our food supply is now in the red. Each month, less and less food will be in storage. We currently have enough to last us five more years, but if current population trends are to keep, our food stocks will last only three years." Oobleck said as he stood up.
Glynda nods, and sighs, "Our population currently sits at three thousands-five-hundred, and seventy-six. Ten percent of the population is elderly, they don't require as much food."
"Yes, but the lion share of our population is children, and young teenagers. The issue remains that they often require more rations to maintain a healthy growth. Two years ago, we may not have needed this conversation, but Ghira Belladonna has made Pietro, and I aware of a dire issue at hand." Oobleck brought forth, turning to Ghira Belladonna.
Ghira Belladonna stood up as the others returned to their seats. He faced them all and took a deep breath. A heavy sigh escaped his lips, and he noted the tension in the air.
"Hydroponics has suffered a massive failure. Blight, people of the council, has affected this year's harvest. We'll only secure sixty, maybe seventy percent of the needed yield. If blight happens again, we will be down to two years' worth of plant nutrition. Aquaculture had a low yield but expected to have a significant yield in six months' time." Ghira stated with his arms behind his back.
Qrow spoke up, "So, we need to crack down harder on any food thefts around Nova Atlas?"
"Theft is going to become a capital offense at this point," Oobleck pointed out, looking at Qrow.
Qrow growled out, and blew a frustrated breath, "So, we line people up who take food?"
"Qrow Brawen, you are raising two girls right now," Ghira states while looking at him, "What would you do if the piece of meat from your home was stolen? Your last bit of monthly ration, taken a week before Ruby, or Yang could eat?"
"I'd hunt the bastard down, but I wouldn't kill them." Qrow replied as he stood up, looking at his fellow council. "You're talking about putting petty theft up for the death penalty."
"It's not petty theft if it risks the lives of fellow Nova citizens," Winter countered.
Qrow slammed his desk, "Let's put it to a vote, I vote against this!"
"I vote for it," Oobleck votes, "Qrow please…this isn't a barbaric decision, but a necessary means to keep food rations constant and equal."
"I vote against it," Ghira states as he crossed his arms, "I think outright death penalty is too harsh."
"I vote for it," Winter states while standing up, "Although this law can be further tweaked before being that…law."
"I don't want us going down the road of inhumanity, I refuse to do so, I vote no on this as well." Pietro stated, looking at the group.
Glynda stood up, "I'm sorry for this, but I vote for it. A child's welfare is hampered by theft. As Ghira pointed out, what if it was Ruby, and Yang, Qrow?"
"I said I would beat the bastard," Qrow replies and glared at her. "If its corporal punishment, lashings, I'm all for it. Death is too far, and death would just destroy hope for us."
"Qrow Brawen brings up an excellent solution," Pietro says while looking at his fellow council members. "I say instead of death, initially at least, corporal punishment."
Winter crossed her arms, "And withdrawal of one week of rations to go back to the general stock."
Qrow bit his lip, and sighed, "That is something that is still stretching it, but much fairer than immediate death."
"This brings us to the next business," Ghira said as he looked at Winter. "Exodus Protocol."
The room filled with tension, Winter watched as all others sat down, awaiting her report. She gathered herself, standing up, folding her arms behind her back. They looked at her, awaiting the news, and on the fleeting hope for good news. She, however, looked upon her fellow council members and sighed.
"Probe Seven was a failure, this marks the Fifty-eighth world that is deemed uninhabitable. This also marks, disturbingly, the twelfth instance of Anomaly Gaian Nightmare." Winter watched as the council talked amongst themselves. "Make no mistake, we're now thinking that our so beloved Gods were more nefarious than thought possible. Each world has been sucked dry of life, but even more disturbingly is that the probes do report breathable air."
"It's like a mockery then," Oobleck said with downtrodden look.
Winter nodded, and replies, "Ambrosius's status is critical. I fear we have ten more attempts, at most. I am wanting to move further into the gateway. We've detected an edge to this void. However, this edge will be only reachable in four years."
Qrow shuttered, and rubbed his hands, "What is likely hood of life on these further worlds?"
"We're running on the assumption that worlds nearest to Remnant's gate is dead. Perhaps we may get lucky, perhaps not. We will try to find a way to breach these gates without the use magic. If we can preliminarily scan these gates, and save Ambrosius until it counts, we may actually find a new home." Winter explained to the council.
The council took these words in, with Pietro looking at Winter, "My team has been developing Quantum Scanners to breach these gateways. We are seeking permission to trial tests in two months' time."
"What parts would you need, remember our fabricators need the raw resources for basic tools as well." Oobleck pointed out, while interrupting Pietro's proposal.
Pietro nodded, "Yes, well I'll need use of the fabrication systems for several advance components."
"Ergo you need what we have as a limit supply of gold, copper, and titanium." The former Professor retorted, and then looked at his fellow council members. "Gold is in short supply, perhaps we need to have a reward system in place for people to donate."
"Impossible given the lack of excess food, for now," Ghira grumbled.
"Gentlemen, ladies, this project should take priority over basic tools. Project Penny has eaten a lot of resources, yes, but I am not creating an illusion for myself to believe that this isn't worth attempting." Pietro reasoned with the council.
"If it means finding a world sooner," Qrow voices up, "I'm all for it."
Winter nods, and voices her view on the matter, "For once today, I'll agree with Chief Brawen."
"Finding a home sooner means less strain of current resources," Ghira points out as he looked at Oobleck.
"I still think we should wait for at least two more probe launch sites, we could pass up a home in the interlude…our only chance." Oobleck solemnly pointed out for the council.
Pietro shook his head, "No, Oobleck. Odds are we'll just find my instances of Gaian Nightmare."
"Probability?" Oobleck asked Pietro.
"I say the further away from these gates, I think our chances go up ten percent." Pietro took a deep breath, "Let's assume the Gods have something to do with the Gaian Nightmare instances. Lets assume Remnant was their first, but treasured world, otherwise why bother coming back?"
Winter nods, "If they didn't value our world, they'd ignored the relic summoning. Ironically, that would've been the best-case scenario…"
"Damn shame," Qrow states as he leaned back, "Just goes to show that we all drew the short straw."
Glynda slammed her fist on her desk, "I will not hear about our luck, they could've killed her! If they cared, even a little, just be done with that bitch! Now, we're out here, floating in a space between dimensions!"
"Yep," Oobleck sighs, "with exactly one percent of the total population of our world."
"They're still alive, probably, those cultist traitors." Winter growled as she thought of them.
"So, we've gone over the issues for Hydroponics, Pietro's New Research, Oobleck's Supply Concerns…oh, and I guess we've just passed a harsh stealing law." Glynda summarized, and then looked at Pietro.
Pietro looked at Winter, "We'll need Probe's One to Three, probably going to strip them down to find best use for the device I have in mind."
"Granted," Winter obliged as she looked at her other council members, "With this we can conclude our council for now."
Glynda nodded in agreement, "Let all instances of curse language struck from record. I call this meeting to a close."
With the ringing of the grand bell, the council concluded. Qrow was on his way out of the door when he was stopped by Ghira. The man held his hand out, and Qrow shook it. The two of them have had each other's backs since the earlier days of the council. For two years they've worked together, striving to push common decency over militaristic rule. He looked at large faunus man, gripping his hand tightly.
"You've gone soft on me, Qrow," Winter stated while walking up to them.
"No, I haven't," Qrow retorts as he looked at her with Ghira letting go of his hand. "I am just speaking with a common sense of decency for our people. Winter, I understand its been hard feeling James's shoes, but you're not in this alone." Qrow said to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Your sister wants to see you, it's been a while."
"Glynda tells me Weiss has been practicing her semblance," Winter told Qrow as she looked into his eyes. "Has she?"
"Yes," Qrow reveals to her, "She's been practicing with Blake over at the Proving Grounds."
Winter gave him a smile, "Good, perhaps she'll be ready to fight one day for us."
"Hopefully she won't, whatever Summer did, let's pray it was permanent." He replied while getting out a flask, "It's water, in case you're wondering."
"I would hope so, I know the first year for you was rough. Summer died a hero to us all, if people like her, and James didn't exist…we'd all be dead or worse." Winter said to him and handed him a letter. "It's for my sister, I know her birthday is coming up."
"What's in it?" Qrow inquired.
"Priority one for a ration machine, slice of chocolate birthday cake." Winter states and let go of the letter. "I know its not much, but it's a tier one ration card."
"You basically gave your cake slice up," Qrow realized with a frown. "Winter, you can't beat yourself over Ironwood's choice."
"I'm not, I'm just…I am worried that I'm becoming more absent in my sister's life than even before Remnant's Destruction." Winter says to him, and then held her arms to her back. "Please see to it that she knows I think of her, Councilor Qrow."
"Yeah, I will, Commander Schnee." He said with a grin, walking away. "I got several more hours before I close shop for the day."
Ruby Rose, the trueborn daughter of Summer Rose, was engaged in an intense game. She glared at the stack of cards in front of her. A gameboard between her, and three other girls, all of them the enemy. She had her squads of Space Marines lined up, and she even had a Librarian. In front of her, one of the most challenging enemies, and her own sister. Her sister, Yang, had an Orc Waagh aimed directly at her. She grinned mischievously and started to speak.
"Oi Der HUMIE, I've come to Krump ya!" I have me shootas, and a Weird Boy ready!" Yang boisterously declared, much like an Orc would high on a Waagh!
"Guess that leaves me, the perfect Eldar commander, to clean your corpses from the battlefield." The white-haired girl states, "Filthy Monkiegh!"
"Weiss," a black-haired girl with cat ears says, "You forget that I'm literally about to invade your world."
Weiss, for all her grandeur presentation fell short, "Wait what, oh crap Blake?!"
"You forgotten, I play as Chaos, specifically I am playing as Slaneesh. I am she who thirsts, and Weiss, I am thirsty!" Blake decreed as she moved her pieces forward.
Yang snorts, and then purrs, "I bet you are thirsty kitty cat, meow~."
"Yang, stop hitting on Blake, because I am about to start hitting your Orcs. For Da Emperoraaaah!" Ruby declared, pushing her pieces on top of the Orc ones.
"Oh-Oh, you're approaching me little sister?!" Yang declared, readying her cards.
Ruby, with a cool expression on her face simply smirked, "I can't kick your butt outside of chain sword distance."
Blake balled her fist up, yapping at them, "That's a Jojo Reference! We agreed no Jojo Reference jokes!"
Weiss chuckled, "Calm yourself down, Blake, lest you play Khorne."
The cat Faunus glared at Weiss, "I'll just make sure you fight my champion, Lucius!"
Ruby, Yang, and Weiss stared at their friend. Blake had just dropped a nuke on them, metaphorically speaking, and then turned white as a ghost at what she realized came out of her mouth. Lucius was a cheating card, at least to them, because everyone in Warhammer was a prideful bastard! Lucius would just resurrect over, and over again. Blake was almost guaranteed the victory.
Yang looked at Ruby, mimicking an Orc again, "Hey, you Humies wanna Kramp some Space Elves and Chaos?!"
"Heck yeah, just this once you xeno filth!" Ruby declared, and then moved her pieces back before completing her turn.
"Wonder what's on the Nova News Network?" Blake wondered, grabbing the remote off the coffee table.
The Tv turned on, showing a wolf faunus with purple hair, and light-colored eyes. She had her hair in perm, and it went to shoulder length. Her dress was finely made, and a mic was near her lips. She waited for a go ahead from the camera man. Weiss noted that she was stationed in front of The Command Tower. Winter no doubt had council earlier, and the news were just now getting to it. The girls watched as the reporter got her go ahead.
She spoke into the camera, with a calm but serious tone, "Hello! This is Lavender Mirabella, of Nova News Network, The Triple N. Today was a landmark day for The Nova Council. Council members have addressed rumors of a Hydroponic disaster, needless to say Councilman Belladonna stated in a brief interview that it was an overblown problem. There is a positive news that Nova has received a record number of infants over this month. One hundred new children, bright eyed and bushy tailed, have been born in November alone."
Yang giggled, "Too much hanky-panky going on in the hangers."
"Really mature, Yang." Weiss groaned, as she fixed her hair into a bun.
"However, not all is good news. Rumors has it that the recent probe launch was another failure. Some citizens are calling up doubt of the council's effectiveness. Although earlier I reported that Councilman Belladonna stated the Hydroponic issue was overblown, he's recommending everyone to save their rations as reliably as possible. Meats need to be in the freezer, canned vegetables saved, and if you're able use salt to cure any meat that won't do good in refrigerated conditions. There is a new law in effect as of tomorrow, noon. Any individual above the age of sixteen will be subjected to ten lashes, and loss of a week's ration card use. This law is to curb the reports of food thefts in the lower sectors of the ship. Tier Two, and Tier Three foodstuffs should be saved. Councilman Polendina states that all households should save at least ten percent of food stocks. In case of hard times. This has been your Nova New Network report for today. Lavender Mirabella, signing off." Yang watched as the Tv switched a rerun of a movie.
Blake took a deep breath, "Listen, guys. My father isn't wanting to cause a panic. The Hydroponic Systems somehow had blight. It killed forty percent of the crops this cycle, and this after the lackluster switchover from the beginning of the year."
Weiss immediately realized what it meant, and shuddered, "Is there going to be food shortages?"
"Not that I'm aware of, but they're still hunting the source of the blight." Blake replied, and then smiled. "I trust they'll find it."
Ruby smiled, nodding, "Yeah! Blake's dad has always kept his eye on the ball, we've got nothing to worry about."
Yang smiled, but then looked at Blake, "Maybe we should save our food together?'
The cat faunus thought about it, and nodded her head, "Starting next ration cycle."
'Yep," Yang replies as she looked at Ruby, "You might be missing out on cookies."
"Bah, humbug, at least I got my strawberries!" Ruby cheered.
Blake frowned, looking at her, "Um, Ruby…strawberries got hit by the blight."
The silver-eyed girl snapped, she turned her head towards Blake, "You're joking…"
"I'm sorry Ruby, but…" Blake started, only to see her youngest friend wail in anguish over her loss.
"NOOO!"
Ghira Belladonna was with several Faunus crew going through vent system of Hydroponic. They noted a terrible smell in the air, almost of death. They wondered up a ladder, and then found to their horror, what the stench belongs too. Yumiko Midori, a young agrarian engineer, was dead. She had been died for a while now, her body rotted, with blight mushrooms growing on her skin. They looked at each other, with Ghira growling loudly, and using gloved hands to grab her body. They didn't need a coroner, the slash across the faunus woman's throat was all that indicated what had happened. However, the most disturbing part was the cut made onto her forehead, a symbol of Salem, a snake eating its own tail.
"Sir," one of them people with says, "What do we do?"
"We get this into Qrow's area, and let Qrow hunt the bitch, or bastard, that did this." Ghira told him, carrying the body reverently.
"What about other engineers, I know that mark sir, someone here isn't playing for our survival, maybe hasn't been since day one." A female deer faunus said to Ghira as she walked with him.
Ghira nodded, replying, "From now on all Hydroponic, and Aquaculture workers are to be into three-man teams."
"Sir, that'll lower efficiency by forty percent," The male fox faunus said next to him.
"It doesn't matter, this cycle's crops are a loss. All of them, we can't run the risk, they've might've been poisoned. Please get with Glynda, go over any recent hospitalizations that may have looked like food poisoning. I want it dated back to the last cycle, Dr. Yumiko went missing five months ago, correct?" Ghira inquired at the end of his orders.
The deer faunus nodded, "She did, sir."
"Start from there, work your way down," Ghira says as he placed the body in an airtight pod. "Go over all scanned keycard records for the area in those proceeding months. Someone, something, had to have made sure her body was well hidden. The killing was done somewhere else."
"Right," the deer faunus agreed, getting out her scroll.
"This is the first murder in Nova Atlas," shuddered the fox faunus, "Sir."
"I understand, Topaz, please get to your family. Today's work is shutdown, our killer has at least a six-month head start on us." Ghira ordered him and watched as the door to Hydroponic opened.
Qrow Brawen marched with several armed guards, he had harbinger readied. He looked over the area, noting that the workers were cutting crops prematurely. His mouth was agape, and then he realized all too well what had happened. Ghira was on the hunch that the crops were tampered, perhaps the blight being the cover. Then they got the news they dreaded, the deer faunus uploaded recent hospitalizations over the last five months. Sure enough, food poisoning skyrocketed around the timeframe of Dr. Yumiko's disappearance, Gods know what exactly causing it.
Ghira looked at Qrow, "Tell Oobleck to start saving any surplus not being used, we may have issue Famine Protocol."
Qrow only had one word to sum up everything, "Fuck."
Winter Schnee walked by Qrow's house, seeing her sister enjoying time her friends. She smiled, sitting on a bench, beautification of the area was a priority for local citizens. They needed to feel at home, because well, they were at home. She watched as her sister had a pillow fight with the young daughter of Summer Rose, and then her scroll rung.
She answered it, "Qrow?"
"Winter, someone abroad is a cultist. Ghira is killing this cycle's crops, we think someone was testing a poison that mimics food poisoning. Last month, Weiss had food poisoning, correct?" Qrow inquired over the scroll, her heart sank.
"Yes, and some of my command staff as well." She realized, and then rose up from the bench. "Tell Ghira to stop, stop now!"
Qrow, bewildered asked, "Why?"
"That bastard wants us to kill our crops, food poisonings happened to Tier One Foods! Foods for us, whoever was poisoning the food had direct access to it during the time! Ghira is killing perfectly good crops, Qrow, stop him!" Winter ordered.
Ghira voice suddenly came over the scroll line, "We stopped scorched earth…we lost another twenty percent of crop yield. I'm sorry, I had no way of knowing that it was just Tier One goods. I found Dr. Yumiko with mushrooms growing on her body, deceased."
Winter sighed, a small relief, "You wouldn't have known who handles Tier One goods, Belladonna. Tier One is handled by robotic means, meaning your issue isn't in Hydroponics…your killer has to have access to robotics. That means only one thing."
"The culprit works under Dr. Pietro Polendina." Winter stated over the line, "And he's probably listening in us now!"