TAGIan Donnaghan NOTES N/A
Ian continued to give his advice to the Eclipse Boss, and this time Étienne nods along with it — because it was true, what the mad said to him. At the end of the day, Ian didn't have as much investment in Eclipse's leadership as say the advisors did, so Étienne should be able to trust the man's words at least that much. While hardheaded and often arrogant enough to not listen to advice given to him, the French man wasn't stupid enough to completely ignore everything that someone says to him; he was able to grow as a person by learning from others, after all. He just happens to be more picky about what he chooses to listen to, that's all.
“I will keep that in mind,” Étienne muses as Ian finishes giving his advice, a wry smile on the boss's face. But the conversation shifts now over to whatever information Ian has to give after his latest excursion from the group. His eyes immediately fall to take in the journal that Ian pulls out to read from, and he grins again, mostly to himself.
But as amused as he is, his mind switches into work mode once the doctor launches into his story. Much as Étienne often despises having to be serious and talk about things such as this, he was still able to do it, and he leans further back in his chair with his eyes occasionally bouncing between the journal in the man's hands, and Ian's face. He's somewhat surprised to hear about a fortified drifter colony up north, but then again, he didn't exactly travel far from Stronghold very often. It was much easier to make quick day trips around the area, especially considering the rank he held in the group.
Étienne taps his chin as he thinks over what Ian tells him, another grin earned as the man begins to go into what the colony wanted from them in return. Ah yes, there was always a catch, wasn't there? Transactions were always easiest when paid with money, but they were the most interesting when done via a trade of goods — both of which could easily be accomplished using Eclipse's resources. Still, he had to question if it was worth it in the end.
“Sounds like they want us to do all the dirty work for them. Dangerous, too. All that for just a few scavenged boats and a bit of fish? What's stopping us from just fixing up our own boats and catching the fish ourselves?” Yes yes, it was better to have a trading partner than none at all, he knew all that. Eclipse thrived because of the fact they worked so well with neighboring drifter colonies; if they relied on themselves for everything, they simply wouldn't be as sustained as they currently are.
“But before all that, I suppose the most important question is: can we trust them?” he asks, gaze flicking back up to match Ian's eyes with his own. “You met with them personally. Did anything feel... Insincere about their trade offer? Or would you trust them to uphold their end of the bargain?”
Ian strokes his beard in contemplation of the Boss's question, until it came to him based on his previous observations about the sailing abilities of Eclipse's members
"Well, I can say, based on both field and medical experience, the majority of Eclipse's membership are Stronghold natives of the poorer districts. Don't get me wrong, they are a talented bunch...but swimming, let alone operating sail and motorboats, isn't exactly their forte."
The doctor then made a gesture with his other hand, to serve as a reference for the other side of the coin; those who could do it, but were not in big enough numbers.
"And then we have the members of our organisation who were Drifters like myself before settling down here. Some of us know how to operate boats, but there are not enough to actually maintain a sizeable fishing fleet."
Now, as to whether or not such a community can be trusted based on Étienne's question, there were indeed factors that convinced Ian of their sincerity. The main one of which was two-fold as far as the Infected was concerned.
"I do indeed believe that this fishing community is indeed sincere; their reason for making this supplying deal with us is also the reason why they cannot do it themselves." The Treasurer then stroked his beard again. "See Boss, seven years ago, these fishers suffered a major flu outbrook that wiped out a large portion of their population...I've seen the little artificial island they used as a cemetery for the victims up close. As a result, they can ill-afford to send out their most able-bodied community members, since they are the settlement's lifeblood; being both their last line of defence and the crews that commandeer their fishing fleet."
Ian would then stop, his conclusion would indeed be apparant to Étienne; sometimes, a self-realisation was more profound then it coming from someone else.
TAGIan Donnaghan NOTES N/A
Étienne scoffs a little at the comment about a lot of Eclipse's members coming from Stronghold's slums, but there's laughter in the sound. After all, he too had once been a native of Stronghold — just from a much different part of it. Maybe it was weird for him to have come all the way down from the Inner Citadel to roll around in the mud and filth with the rest of Eclipse's members, but... It was still, somehow, a much more enjoyable way of living compared to being fed with a golden spoon.
In that way, he had joined the organization with less survival skills than those from the slums. From experience, there was some semblance of respect for those that had to claw their way from the bottom of the city's hierarchy just to make something of themselves, but it was true was Ian was saying as well. Living in cramped quarters inside the massive walls didn't give much opportunity for learning other skills of survival. Étienne himself could attest to the fact that he had never learned how to use boating equipment either — not that he'd ever admit it out loud. But then again, he didn't know how to use a gun before either, and now he was something of an expert marksman.
The thought gave him an idea.
He remains silent as he listens to the rest of Ian's speech, nodding occasionally to show that he was still listening to the man. It was sad to hear that the colony had almost been wiped out, but not surprisingly, there wasn't much empathy from Étienne at the tale. He didn't know them personally, after all. It was hard to stir up emotions for faces he'd never seen.
“Sounds like you were busy learning more than you needed to,” he comments once the other man finishes speaking, a small smirk on his lips as he crosses his arms and leans back in his chair. “But at least it all sounds useful. If you think after meeting them that they would be trustworthy, then I think this would be a useful trade agreement for Eclipse to pursue.”
“However,” he pauses for a moment as he leans forward, gaze darkening slightly as he brings up his earlier thought, “I'm not as charitable as you. This agreement is only going to go on for as long as it remains in Eclipse's best interest. I want you to choose people from our group that either already have skills in this area, or you think would be able to pick it up no problem. While we do these little errands for the colony, I want our people learning as much as possible, so that eventually we can have enough knowledge and manpower to fish without relying on the colony.”
“What say you? Help the colony in the meantime until we are self-sustaining.” Perhaps it was cruel to take a trade agreement with the colony, with the idea of eventually turning their backs on them once they've learned the necessary skills. But Eclipse wasn't a charity. Everything they did, was solely for helping better them as an organization.
"I'd be rather piss-poor at both of my jobs if I didn't have a nose for the finer details."
Replied Ian with a chuckle, as the Boss definitely considered his offer; naturally, Étienne was looking at it from a perspective of a man who grew up in a world that had been stripped of its niceties and much of its humane aspects. Ian, however, still looked at things through the lens of an old world humanist who did whatever he could to enrich his fellow human beings. The way he saw the Boss's eventual answer, it felt a bit too short term for his likingl; of course, he had other things to offer that might pique the human's ambitions.
"Of course, I can think of a good couple of people, who, based on previous assessments, are both capable of swimming and show signs of being resilient towards the development of seasickness...these are both a foundation for our boating ambitions."
Ian then held his finger up, the kind that was often associated with Eureka! moments...except he already his moment for quite some time.
"However, having looked at more of their materials and their maps, I'd say a more long-term relationship could be cultivated here for a better future for Eclipse. For starters, the Fishers live within an island fortress built from an old fishery that broke off from the mainland as a result of the sea flooding the area...the only way to get in is through a drawbridge. The Treasurer then stroked his beard in contemplation of his idea. "They also have maps detailing shipwrecks that have been abandoned...both on the mainland and on islands that haven't been swallowed by the ocean. Furthermore...
The Vampire paused for a moment, allowing the information to seep in.
"As well as the potential for salvage from shipwrecks, the Fishers could also serve as a staging point for expeditions further north beyond the old US-Canadian border; there will come a time when we eventually pick the areas around Junkyard clean of valuable salvage after all, so it might be a good idea to consider this for the future of our ground operations..." Ian then gave a shrug and a slight sad smile. "You will have to pardon me in that regard, it seems I've become rather zealous in the pursuit of my duties Boss." TagÉtienne Blanchard
TAGIan Donnaghan NOTES N/A
Étienne was silent as he listened to Ian continue to explain why he thought it would make more sense for them to cultivate a much longer term alliance with the colony he had visited, but the Eclipse Boss... Wasn't entirely convinced. From the short amount of time he'd spent living outside Stronghold's walls — ten years, but it was still short compared to a lot of others living in Eclipse — he'd learned that the world was always changing. There was no time to plan for tomorrow, when today was what mattered. Perhaps if they had a solid foundation to bide their time within, like Stronghold, then it would make much more sense.
But the threat from the Military was already knocking at their door, and Étienne had a hard time believing that it made more sense to play the long con than it was for short-term gains. It isn't until Ian finishes speaking that the Boss finally lets out a sigh, crossing his arms slightly as he matches his gaze with that of the group's doctor.
“You talk as though Eclipse has a guaranteed future... Unfortunately we all know that isn't the case,” Étienne murmurs in a rather somber tone. “The Military has become more aggressive in running off our patrols when we encounter them — albeit, because they're finally recognizing us as a threat to their regime — and we can't afford putting off gains we could get today, for the idea that it might get us more in the future.”
“Our business is best being conducted here, close to Stronghold's walls. It would be a fool's errand to think about moving. As for the maps, regardless of whether or not we have all the maps in the world, we'd still be sending our people in blind to No Man's Land the farther out we go. Maps wouldn't be able to tell us how the world has changed since their creation.” He shakes his head slightly, deciding that it made more sense to go with his original plan. “It makes more sense for us to think short term for now and only partner with them so long as it's profitable for us. We can revisit this issue in a month's time, with the advisors, to determine our next steps.”
Ian gave a slight sigh; one of the problems with the people of this day and age was that they were unfortunately inclined towards being short-sighted. It was not their fault of course; the need to think about surviving every passing day tends to unfortunately make contemplations for the future a rather limited prospect for them. The Vampire knew what he had to say next would be rather narmy by all accounts, but he knew he had to try it.
"With all due respect Boss, sometimes planning for a future ambition can be more helpful than you realise." Began Ian, allowing himself a rare moment of passion to enter his voice. "Yes it is important to dwell on the here-and-now, otherwise the future might not be possible without acting in the moment...but always dwelling in the moment can lead down a fatal road."
The Treasurer then raised his finger upm as though it were the manner of an instructor mentoring a pupil.
"By planning for a distant future, you assure the fine people of Eclipse that there is going to be one; it is all fine and dandy to be running on survival mode, but eventually, even that may not save us. Through looking beyond the here-and-now, you may find yourself with something that is even more potent than desparation."
At that moment, Ian found himself chuckling somewhat...he knew what he was going to say was ridiculous to the people of today; hell, it sounded ridiculous even to the people that lived before the world ended.
"As cheesy as it sounds Boss, that thing I speak of is hope...you'd be surprised at how powerful it can be; makes one far more determined in the long-run than simple survival mode. Now, I'm not suggesting we abandon the Junkyard, that task would be too monumental...what I was suggesting was that the Fishers, if they like us well enough, could allow for a staging point for long range expeditions. As for the maps, these are actually relatively new...by using the old ones as a template, the Fishers have been able to document the changes that have occured in their neck of the woods."
With that said, Ian smiled.
"Of course, those merely what I wanted to say...it matters not that they are heeded, but at least are heard. That is all this old man can offer." TagÉtienne Blanchard
TAGIan Donnaghan NOTES Good place to end?
Étienne's pissed, even if it's not apparent in his expression. While this was the usual sort of thing that he came to expect when dealing with other people higher up in Eclipse — them treating him like some sort of child that needed to be reminded again and again of what they thought was best for Eclipse — it still irked him that the doctor continued to try and change his mind. Long after the Eclipse Boss had made it clear that his decision was final. Out of some semblance of respect, the man remains silent as Ian continues to talk, merely nodding his head once or twice to show that he was listening — because he was. Even if he didn't agree with any of it.
Hope. That word stuck uncomfortably under the French man's skin. Isn't a false sense of hope exactly what the Military used as propaganda in Stronghold? That there was hope as long as the Military was around to safeguard humanity against the infected horde? It makes Étienne scoff. Hope was useful only when wielded by people that used it for good. But it could be just as nasty as it was good. Most of Eclipse had escaped from underneath the Military's hopeful thumb, and the Boss wasn't about to use some false sense of it when leading the organization.
“I've heard you out now doctor,” Étienne confirms for the man once Ian stops talking. “But for the time being, I stand by my decision. I want a list by tomorrow of all the people that you think would be suitable for the task.” Étienne makes for the door, but he only takes a couple steps before he pauses and winces, his right hand grasping his left shoulder as he rolls it slowly to test it out. Pain. It still lingered, like an unwelcome guest.
“... You can bring it tomorrow when you come see me for my shoulder,” Étienne grumbles out in a low voice, clearly annoyed he was even going along with the physical therapy idea. He doesn't look at the other man again as he heads out of the makeshift clinic, so long as Ian doesn't stop him.
THREAD FINISHED
Posted 08-05-2021, 06:22 PMThis post was last modified: 08-05-2021, 06:26 PM by Étienne Blanchard
Posted 06-13-2021, 10:33 PM
A Second Opinion
