Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Artemis Fowl Series, be it characters or plot, I do not own it, so please do not sue me. ;;
Review Replies:
aperfectattitude: I'm sorry this isn't exactly "soon" but here it is.
NOS mercenary: but I like cliffies... :-p
absolute power: Yes, everything was spur of the moment, the fairies didn't have time to check and see if there were any cameras. And I know! I feel so bad for Arty's poor parents. cries
me, obviously: Well, they don't really let him talk because they're sick of him talking his way out of stuff. lol. And yes, I'm glad Holly finally got rid of his sickness too.
Kit: Erk, sorry. xx
refloc: well, I didn't plan on doing much exploring of Artemis and Holly's relationship... Sorry about not including a trial, but that was what has been keeping this chapter away for so long. I just couldn't make it work. So. Here's the next chapter! dies
Chapter Eight
Manipulation
Unknown Room somewhere in Haven
Artemis groaned and his eyelids fluttered, too heavy to lift open. What happened… was all he could think. One minute he had been watching the Fairy government debate about his fate from a secluded room and the next he was here, wherever here was. He went to rub his aching temples with his hands, but found both of his arms restrained at the wrists. Then his eyes shot open. He was restrained in some eerie chair in a sterile room, all alone. He struggled slightly as he realized he was restrained not only at his wrists, but his ankles and waist as well. His ice blue eyes glared up where the wall met the ceiling in front of him, at where a single camera was positioned.
"I demand to know what is going on," Artemis stated solidly from the chair.
"You're not exactly in a position to make demands," a voice called from behind him.
"Holly?" he turned his head sharply, the chair halting anymore movement and blocking his view. He heard little light footsteps inch closer and she came around the other side of the chair. "What's going on?" he repeated. Holly stopped in front of him and began unlocking his restraints.
"The Fairy Government is releasing you to whatever government you work for."
"Just like that?" Artemis asked, rubbing his rather chaffed wrists as Holly stepped back. "Somehow I don't think that's all."
"Well, you're right. You're going to make the Mud People do what we want them to," Holly explained. Artemis arched a slender eyebrow.
"What do you want the Mud People to do?" he asked rather warily and Holly shook her head.
"No one's told me what our conditions are going to be; I'm just getting you where you need to be," she replied and started towards the door, obviously expecting him to follow. He did stand, but his feet remained in place.
"Holly," he called and she stopped in the doorway. "What makes the People so sure I'm going to cooperate? There is some sort of catch; I know it," Artemis' voice was curt and clear. Holly turned back around and hazel clashed with ice blue. She sighed.
"The reason you were unconscious and strapped in that chair was because we had no weight over your decisions, so it was decided that you were to be fitted with a modified version of a seeker-sleeper. If you don't do what the People ask of you, you'll be euthanized wherever you are, with the push of a button," Holly explained mutedly. Artemis seemingly took the news rather well. He hefted his chin a bit higher and took a deep breath.
"With all of these life-and-death situations I'm going through, one would expect me to expect them," he rubbed his temples with one hand and shut his eyes for a moment. "Fine, I'll be your little messenger or whatnot, but I will not cooperate if I find the terms to be absolutely unreasonable. You understand that, of course?" he opened his eyes and stared at her. "I do not care about the seeker-sleeper. If the People expect me to betray my people just to save my life, they are sorely mistaken," he warned and Holly nodded.
"I know," she nodded slightly. "But we don't have much choice now, do we?" she asked and only silence followed. She turned back around. "Come on, I'm taking you to the surface now," she stated and walked out the door. Artemis gave a short pause before following. The hallways they past through were vacant, and Artemis wondered if the halls had been cleared in preparation for his passage. He shook his head, and thought that was awful presumptuous of him, of course, it was not totally unfounded. They reached a shuttle and Holly motioned Artemis in before her. He sat, rather cramped, behind the pilot's chair as directed.
There was silence inside the shuttle, aside from the shaking of the walls and chairs, as Holly masterfully steered the shuttle away from Haven and towards the surface. Artemis caught her glancing in his direction (over her shoulder actually) several times, before he closed his eyes in an attempt to meditate and gather his thoughts.
"Artemis…"
Or not, he thought, as he reopened his eyes and looked at the back of Holly's head.
"Yes, Holly?" he asked patiently. There was a pause as Holly appeared to mentally debate about what to say next.
"I just wanted to say that I think I understand what you… what you did now," she said, willing her voice to remain strong and even. Artemis tilted his head to the side and folded his hands in his lap, with his eyebrows arched in surprise.
"You… do?" he asked with his voice equally even. Holly nodded minutely.
"You never meant to hurt us, the People. You just… wanted to do your job, and had to do it as fast as you could, because no one else would be able to after you… after you were dead," Holly took a breath, "and so you felt like the weight of the war was on your shoulders, and reacted in the only way you possibly could. I… I understand that. And what you did, even though it was against nearly every rule in the Book, and killed millions, I'm sure it saved countless more," Holly finished and there was a prolonged silence. For a moment a panicked thought raced through Holly's mind that somehow he had escaped while she poured her heart out to him. She spared a moment to glance over her shoulder and was relieved to see him still sitting there. He sat stonily still with a small smile, a real one, playing upon his lips as he stared unblinkingly at her. He gave a small, cheerless laugh.
"Thank you, Holly."
London, England
It was a gray day in London, and the downpour of rain seemed never ending as deliberations ran long in the Protectorate's chambers. Artemis stood before the steps to the entrance of the giant building for a long time, just staring, before he began his slow march up them. His clothes had been momentarily fixed and his long jacket swept the miniature water falls that cascaded down the stairs as he scaled them. He held one hand over his right ear to keep a miniscule piece of equipment dry.
Artemis did not pause as he reached the top of the stairs. The guards in front of the door made for him to halt, but he flashed his official identification card and proceeded through before it could click in their minds that he was the missing Master. Those inside were not so slow to recognize him. He strode through the first few steps of the building and immediately heads turned. He walked through the security checkpoint without being challenged, passing underneath the metal detector without making a sound. People slowed to a halt in the hallways as he walked through purposefully. He willed his face to remain his normal emotionless mask as he rounded the final corner and pushed open two double doors, startling the two guards that stared at him wide-eyed. All proceedings in the large, spherical room froze as Artemis walked his way to the center of the room. He stepped up onto the speaker's stage and glared the speaker right from the podium.
"M-Master Fowl?" a representative for the Science Division who Artemis recognized as his own assistant finally broke out incredulously. A wave of recognition swept over the room as the delegates recognized him and it seemed as if everyone began to rise with shock and questions bursting from their lips. However, Artemis stilled everything with a raise of his hand and a stern look. The delegates sat back, and waited as Artemis put his hands on the podium
"I am well aware that you are all wondering as to where I have been," he looked around, "And as to the circumstances surrounding my disappearance," he added and noted the numerous shallow nods coming from the room. "The truth is, my fellow humans, we are not the sole sentient inhabitants of this planet; something I have known for a long, long time," Artemis saw his assistant coming towards him worriedly and Artemis rose his hand sharply again. "Do not approach me lest you want me dead!" he barked sharply and the poor man halted in mid-step. "I have not gone mad, but you must not come near me, for I am the prisoner of the People and if you try at any time to recapture me, I will be immediately destroyed," he explained.
"Good Master Fowl, please explain," the Irish Prime Minister pleaded, leaning forwards slightly and Artemis turned his gaze towards the man.
"A modified version of a seeker-sleeper, a small device that can immediately release a chemical through the blood stream, has been implanted within me, and if we do not cooperate with the People's demands, the device will be activated and a potent amount of anesthesia will be injected into my veins and I will die within minutes," Artemis explained. He turned his head to face the other side of the room. "So I am to be an intermediary between our two species, as I am also equipped with a communication device," he motioned to his right ear in which resided yet another small, ingenious device.
"'Between our two species'? Exactly what are we dealing with, Master Fowl?" a familiar voice drew Artemis' attention, and he turned yet again to see the wan figure of President Daily.
"I am afraid I am not at liberty to say, but they are known as 'The People', " Artemis replied and President Daily thinned his lips.
"What do these… the People… want?" the British Prime Minister asked.
"They propose a pact between species. We, humans, are to stay above ground. We are to abort all plans for core-drilling. We are also to dismantle all nuclear weapons and are never again to create a Blue-Rinse," Artemis reported and the politicians shifted in their seats.
"That is a hefty demand, Master Fowl. One that we are not sure that you are worth," the President Daily bristled and Artemis turned back to him with eyes narrowed.
"Perhaps you do not realize that there is much more than my life on the line, Mr. President. I am the intermediary between the humans and the People. If we do not come to a satisfactory agreement, a trans-species war could possibly erupt, and if I must say so myself, that would not be a war we humans could win," Artemis warned and President Daily leaned back.
"What do you mean, we could not win?" the Irish Prime Minister asked with a worried brow; Artemis shifted his gaze once again.
"Sir, I have long been in contact with the People, a contact they never wished to happen and one that I used fully to my advantage. The Blue-Rinse we used to defeat the Empire was a modified version of one of the People's own weapons," Artemis nodded slightly. "The rad-gel which has become standard procedure for all nuclear scientists, and anyone slightly exposed to radiation, was also one of their inventions, not mine. I merely introduced humans to their technology, with a few of my own tweaks of course," Artemis took a breath. "The People's technology is far greater than ours and they know everything of us, where we humans, other than myself, know nothing of them," he paused, his eyes roving over the rather unnerved politicians. "So, I must suggest that we come to a peaceful agreement," he finished and several of the delegates nodded in accord while still some glared stonily.
"Master Fowl, we cannot cease all drilling, what are we to do for fuel? And we cannot dismantle all our weapons! We cannot guarantee that the countries outside the Protectorate do so as well, and if they don't then we will be at their mercy!" President Daily shook his head angrily.
"The People manage without fossil fuels; I have been given the plans detailing their power sources and, given some time, will be able to gradually switch the power sources. As for the nuclear weapons disarming, all nations, not just those under the Protectorate, will be subject to this. The People will approach them with the same requests in due time. The People have also agreed to protect our cities, should we disarm as asked and are subsequently attacked," Artemis explained and a wave of dissent roved through the crowd.
"You expect us to make ourselves completely vulnerable so shortly after such a horrid war, and put our faith in another race we know nothing about, that could, supposedly, wipe us out, if they chose to do so?" President Daily growled indignantly. "I think not!"
Artemis' glinting eyes narrowed at the man. "President Daily, I think it would be wise of you to swallow that infamous pride of yours. Do you not remember why this war was started in the first place?" Artemis let his gaze wander the crowd as he absorbed others reactions. "Can we listen to this man, any longer? It was because of his… unwillingness to compromise, his sense of over-zealous patriotism, his exceptionalism that got us into this war," he returned his gaze to the abashed American president. "I do not wish to lay the blame, President Daily. I just want to make you aware of your own faults, and to steer our Protectorate away from disaster and towards peace," Artemis' accusing voice quieted to an almost apologetic one. He lifted his chin a bit higher and removed his gaze from the slumping form that was President Daily.
"Tell me, members of the Protectorate, for it is I that will relay the news to the People. Are we going to cooperate and let an older, more advanced race lead us along the path of reconstruction, or are we going to ignorantly refuse this priceless offer and, in effect, seal our own fate with the blind violence that we are so well known to them for?" Artemis asked, letting the acoustics of the room make his voice carry. He watched as the people in the room exchanged whispers and consulted cell phones. The British Prime Minister voiced a question.
"We are known to them for blind violence?" he asked evenly. Artemis shifted on his feet and nodded shallowly.
"Yes, the People have not always thought of us in friendly terms. Bad events leave longer lasting impressions than good ones, I believe we all agree. And the People have witnessed many of our failures. Our history, a very short one in comparison to theirs, is tainted with wars, seemingly meaningful wars at the time, but now senseless. The atrocities we have committed against each other are numerous, and the People know them all. We ruin the environment, something that they cherish almost greater than their own lives. We steal from each other. Some of us fatten with wealth while others starve in poverty.
"I am not saying that the People are immune to such things, but they have learned from their mistakes, or at least most of them have," Artemis felt a small shock in his ear and he smirked; the fairies may not like all he had to say, but he was not about to let them have all the pleasure. He touched the earpiece tenderly; it whined in his ear and he once again lowered his hand. "You all made me the Master of Science. You relinquished power over the Protectorate to me, you trusted me, and I ended the war for you.
"Now, trust me once again. It is my opinion that we cooperate. I have long dealt with the People and find that we have nothing to gain from rejecting this offer of peace. Of course we will be expected to make sacrifices, but so will they. We are not alone. Do not be foolish. Do not be proud. Let go of human error and learn from the past. Do what is right for our people. What is your decision?" Artemis' words almost echoed throughout the room. More whispered circled, but there seemed to be a reluctance to answer.
"Do we not get time to deliberate? To discuss this with our respective governments and people we represent?" the Irish Prime Minister asked.
"No," Artemis snapped curtly. "This matter is to be top secret. No one is to learn the truth of the People's existence unless absolutely necessary."
"Well then what are we supposed to say? You just fell out of the sky and we suddenly decided to change the way the world works?" President Daily could not help but voice his skepticism. Artemis kneaded his temples. Along with Foaly's braying laughter in his ear and the constant protestations that this man made (which were actually what Foaly was laughing at), Artemis was getting a beautiful headache.
"You will say nothing. You will call off all alerts and declare wartime officially over. We have no more enemies, supposing we do not make one of the People. If you are asked about the changing of power sources, say you had a change of heart. You decided not to kill the only planet that we are currently able to live on. If asked about the new technology we use to replace the power, I will assume all responsibility for it. I will be the human contractor of the People's technology," Artemis heard an angry crunch as Foaly apparently bit into an unsuspecting carrot to vent his anger. Artemis could have sworn he heard something about Foaly being 'so under appreciated'. "Now, you will not be asked about the destruction of the nuclear weapons, because you will not make it public. I do believe only a fool would do that," Artemis saw several nods around the room and restrained himself from smiling. Things were finally turning around. "Now, I ask you again, what is your decision? This will be in the form of a vote, all those in favor of the binding pact between the human race and the People, in which we will in effect abandon most wasteful and environmentally dangerous practices and yet gain superior technology and protection, say aye," he called authoritatively. A resounding amount of 'aye's filled the room, even one from President Daily.
Author's Note: Okay, I am really sorry in how long this has taken me. Let's just say my life got a lot harder in the past few months. However, now that school is just about finished, I should have some free time to finish this! yay.
One thing I wanted to say about this chapter: I am so sorry. I wrote at least four different versions of it. And I didn't like any of them. I wrote one with a trial and that was going nowhere. I wrote one with a direct confrontation of the human and fairy governments, and that didn't really get anywhere either. I also wrote something from Madeline's point of view... but it seemed rather meaningless and depressing. I wrote a lot of other things, but none of them worked. This at least has some potential.
I hope you at least slightly enjoyed this chapter and once again, I appologize for the wait and the length of this chapter!
