[Opener is "Faust, Midas, and Myself", by Switchfoot]
Accordingly, a week later, Penny's squad took a large freight airship with tools to the appropriate spot in the Depression Valley and oversaw them starting to drill through the ground.
It took over a day of them drilling to get under the lake, and the noise was awful.
Drew some Grimm too; they knew man-made machines when they heard them.
But Penny and the DAPA team picked them off so fast, Mercury didn't have to do a thing.
So far, he'd not corrected the impression he'd made on them either.
But he seemed subdued.
Then finally, the drills hit an air pocket.
Penny, Kip, DAPA, and Mercury all rushed through the tunnel after the workers radioed them the news and told them they should come see for themselves.
Penny turned on her searchlights, and the workers had their machine lights on.
Inside this cavern was the biggest array of fire dust any of them had ever seen--and the drillers had see quite a few in their time.
[The second image looks a lot like dust, I think.]
"That has to be worth...millions of lien," one worker said in awe.
"I can't believe it was just sitting here under the lake all these years," said another.
"I'm not sure we can fit it all on the carrier, even if we could dig it all up in one go. We'd still need more help."
"Better make some calls for more mining equipment..."
[Did anyone catch the allusion to the story of Jesus telling his disciples to throw their nets to the other side with what Oscar said and what they found?]
"This is a miracle!" Penny shook Kip's arm. "Even after I found it, I didn't expect it to be this deep of a cave. There's much more than I thought."
She snapped some photos. "I'm sending these to Winter right away."
"Does this help Argus' problem?" Kip asked hopefully.
"Fire dust is in higher demand than almost any other kind except electric," Penny said. "Especially in colder climates. And we've been low on it. So yes, it should help a lot. The council will claim some of this, no doubt, and the miners will take some of the profits, but most of it can go to the SDC and other dust sellers. It'll take time to get it out...but I think your mother's new intention for mining dust might help with that also. The point is, we can sell it, so that'll reassure a lot of people."
"So in fewer words, it's going to help a lot," Darren surmised. "Awesome. And it's really quite a sight. Almont hate to mine it."
"Don't be stupid, Dar, this is a lucky break for us," Athos said.
"Winter wouldn't like the word 'lucky'," Penny mused.
* * *
Qrow got in from a mission himself later that day and found Winter already home, surprisingly.
"Early day?" he wondered, seeing the lights were on.
"Qrow!" Winter came dashing out of the side room holding her scroll and ran up to him.
Then kissed him so fast he was stunned.
"Whoa, what are you so excited about?" he said.
"Look." Winter held up her scroll and flashed images across the screen.
Qrow squinted at it. "Is that dust?"
"YES!" Winter was the most excited she was likely to get. "A mile of it, practically. It's unbelievable! They drilled under the lake, and this is what they found. Oscar was right."
"They found all that under one lake?" Now Qrow was stunned further.
"Yes, unbelievable, isn't it?"
"Yeah, that's a little too good to be true. D---." Qrow shook his head. "How does he always know?"
"I'm so relieved, I could cry." Winter suddenly sank into a chair. "I really didn't know how Argus was going to handle this coming year if we didn't find more resources. It's like a miracle."
"It really is," Qrow agreed. "And you're so happy, I'd hate to bring down the mood."
"What? How? What happened?" Winter looked up.
"Oh, nothing, I was just thinking if something did happen right about now because of my Semblance..." Qrow had her going.
He got hit with one of the chair's pillows for that.
[Lol]
* * *
"Libby? Where are you?" Whitley came into his new--and much smaller--office that was set up for him now that he officially had inherited the company.
"Over here, guv." Libby was stacking cards on a desk.
"Is that really what I'm paying you for?" Whitley paused.
"No one's come in..." Libby said. "And you said to stall the buggers asking for supply updates. Though I don't know what the point is. Just say we don't have enough to go around."
"That may have changed--at least it will have soon. Look."
Whitley showed her the images.
"Good gracious." Libby stared. "That's a pot o' gold if I ever saw one. That's all under one lake?"
"Yes. My older sister is over the moon that's no longer shattered about it," Whitley said.
This was fast becoming an expression in Remnant. It seemed to mean mostly that someone was happy without there being a catch to it.
"Does this mean I finally get a raise?" Libby asked incorrigeably.
"Libby!" Whitley said.
"Just kidding." Libby held up her hands. "It's all right. I'll be lodging for free soon enough."
Libby was, as she would soon hit 17, planning to enroll in Beacon academy also and finish training to be a huntress.
Whitley knew that she couldn't just assist at the SDC the rest of her life, as things stood, but was sorry to see her go and got salty when she brought it up.
Libby had promised she'd still work part time for him on summer break because she didn't like to be idle, but it wouldn't be the same.
"Say, if Ruby starts teaching a class maybe I'll be in it." She switched thoughts.
"No." Whitley shared Weiss' opinion that Ruby shouldn't be teaching any class.
* * *
The news of the jackpot find spread across all the kingdoms so fast that the market spiked almost overnight.
People wanted to put in early orders for the dust.
It was going to be a while to get it to them, but it was easier to make plans thinking there'd be more supplies coming.
Though, notably, Winter said it wasn't good counting your chickens before they were hatched.
"What does that even mean?" Ruby asked Oscar.
"Oh? You know how some eggs are duds," Oscar said, "so you can't be sure before they hatch how many chicks you'll really get.... Doesn't everyone know that?"
"I didn't," Ruby said.
"Oh," Oscar said.
Anyway, the winter months passed with the dust being mined as fast as it could be, so that by the time spring shipping speeds started again, they'd be ready.
Of course there was too much of it to get it all in that time but at least enough to start meeting orders.
The SDC had first dibs, after the council and military had their share.
Whitley was trying to reinstate healthy labor practices in the SDC.... He had realized that the reasons the prices of it were lower was because his father had cut corners in paying Faunus workers and other workers and in safety measures.
To fix all this meant he couldn't sell at such a low price now.
That meant more competition from the small dust suppliers.
But Whitley had learned the wisdom of not needing to have the most money to still have a successful businesses, and since he was already used to living less lavishly than before, the change didn't really show up in his personal life.
Not that it was as easy to get the overseers of the different supply outposts for the SDC to comply. Libby had to hound them with threats from Neptune's mother--who'd since come to work for the SDC, since it paid well--about lawsuits.
Libby's sharp tongue and no nonsense way of handling this stupidity would be missed when she went to Beacon.
Whitley also implemented an idea he'd gotten from the book actually, the story of Joseph.
"It seems to me," he told Winter and Raven when he had the opportunity to have a sort of board meeting with them, "that we'd not have had as much trouble with dust shortage if we'd just have dust reserves set aside for such a moment. I was doing some research, and some towns have tried that in the past. The results were pretty positive overall. Using less dust to begin with, when you could use other sources of fuel, and putting that aside for real emergencies like Grimm and things."
"The military usually has dust reserves ourselves," Winter said.
"But I think not just the military--the public should have it too," Whitley said.
"That's not unreasonable," Raven admitted. "Bandits never have that, and they live on the edge of survival. I can't say I never wish we could save, but having places strictly to store it in would be good. Only, people would try to steal it. Bandits would target any city that was small enough."
"I thought using it privately might be for the best," Whitley said. "Create a clause in the council's contract and in the SDC's that says we're not allowed to tap into it for our personal reasons, and make sure we can't weasel out of it...just in case some other person takes over the company--or council. And then we substitute other sources of fuel instead of the fire and electric dust. Technically it also saves money, since those sources are less expensive than dust."
"It would take years to get people used to that," Winter said.
"But now is a good time to start. We have plenty of fire dust currently," Whitley argued. "And besides, I haven't forgot Miss Likstar's warning. I'm aware that the scientists in Vacuo are already working on alternative energy methods, but that's years in the making also. Still, starting with what we do have now, slowly implementing it over time, the change wouldn't be as jarring when we run out of dust."
"He's right that we need to be prepared for that. It could not happen till our grandkids are alive," Raven said. "But I'm not one of those people who thinks we should just hand the next generation that problem and do nothing about it ourselves."
"No, I don't think we should either," Winter said. "It's just getting the council to accept it."
"Pitch it to them as money saving and they'll probably agree," Raven said. "Especially if us heroes do. Not tired of using that card yet."
"I'm not sure that card will not max out," Winter said. "But it's nice while it lasts."
She nodded at Whitley. "This was a good thought. We'll do our best."
"Good, I'll have my lawyers start working on that contract right now. Best to be one step ahead," Whitley said.
Winter was somewhat impressed by Whitley's business sense.
"Who knew he'd turn out so sensible," she said to Raven once he'd gone.
"I think that about Qrow all the time," Raven said complacently. "Though your brother is still smarter than him."
"Hey!" Winter said sharply.
"Kidding...sort of." Raven put her feet on the desk, which always annoyed Winter. "How are things going with you anyway?"
"Very well." Winter tried to ignore the feet. "And with you and...Rhinehart?"
"Oh, you know about that?" Raven raised an eyebrow.
"You didn't think Qrow would be able to keep his suspicions of it to himself, did you?" Winter said. "Besides weren't you there when he mentioned it?"
"Was I? I forget.... Well, it's going okay. We're meeting a lot more often now." Raven frowned. "Of course I'm not sure he thinks of it that way. I never can tell. But I'm in no rush."
"They say only fools rush in."
"Says the woman who married the guy after less than 2 years."
"We'd known each other longer than that," Winter countered. "On another note...Black. He's been working with a lot of different teams. Has the report changed?"
"So far...he's been less rude, to some of them, but not that much different," Raven said. "Of course I can't tell them we're watching him for that. The team surveys are about everyone, but he pops up in the negative comments about the missions way too often still. Also, Polendina told me more directly that he asked her some very weird questions 6 weeks ago when he was first working with her. Shine also has written me about him. She thinks his real problem is unforgiveness, among other things. Wouldn't go into that much detail though. You know her 'confidentiality' thing." She made quotations.
"That's only fair," Winter said. "I don't like to talk about him behind his back. It's just that, as the leaders, we have to discern these things.... I hear only glowing reports from Emerald's team."
"Yeah, Hazel said she's doing better," Raven said. "Messy business though. I wish we were past petty issues like this."
"But we're not perfect," Winter said. "Time seems to go by so quickly. Why, in few months it's going to be the three-year anniversary of Deliverance Day."
"Three years..." Raven shook her head. "Did we really do it? The gods...Salem...I still can't believe it. I dream sometimes that it didn't happen and I'm still hiding in the woods."
"I dream that Atlas didn't fall," Winter said. "But overall...maybe it was for the best, in a strange way. Would we have dropped our plan and done it their way if it hadn't? Would we have lost our arrogance? The blows were heavy, but they might have been clean ones."
"I'm not sure I'd see it that way, but good came out of it at least," Raven said. "Speaking of clean, isn't Weiss graduating from Shade in the spring?"
"She is," Winter said. "Though she was licensed, I guess she's...more licensed now. Anyway she's not going to wait another year. Theodore lets her do as she wants as it is, but I think she's ready to not live at that school anymore."
"Between the two of us, I'm surprised she stayed there that long. I thought Vacuo would get old, for her," Raven said.
"So did I, but she apparently grew more stubborn the more people told her that..." Winter said fondly.
"It runs in the family."
"Well, it's just as well."
"And you should take some time off," Raven suggested. "You haven't had any since your honeymoon, and that was way too short anyway."
"Raven!" Winter turned red.
"Well, it was," Raven insisted. "And your anniversary is coming up about the same time, come to think of it. I can handle things here.... We really need some more leadership help though. You know Sustrai could handle it well. So could Polendina, if they were interested."
"They seem a little young to tie them down to a job this demanding so soon," Winter said.
"You really weren't that much older than them when you became Lieutenant of Atlas, and you're not that old now," Raven said. "Which is why you need a break. Heck, you don't even like doing this that much."
"I don't think the base would appreciate me taking time off with so much happening," Winter said.
"You just need to have a kid or something. Then they'd have to let you, out of guilt."
"Raven Branwen!" Winter was shocked. "How can you be so crass?"
"You live with Qrow and you need to ask me that?" Raven was so shameless. "What? It's not a bad word. You're married. Why not? Perfect excuse to take some time off."
"I can't believe you said that. You need to stop." Winter got up. "In fact, I need to go. Now, honestly!"
She left.
"She's so fun," Raven said to herself smugly.
[But really we're all on Raven's side secretly.]
* * *
At the base cafeteria a few days after that, Kip was getting food.
Other recruits who lived on base, and some other GOP charges who lived with them (Emerald's project's new acronym) would be in the mess hall, as the military people called it.
Emerald was in there that day and she came up to say hello to Kip, who was with Team DAPA also.
"I know it's been a few weeks, but I haven't even had the time to congratulate you for finding that gold strike of dust," Emerald spoke to them. "People have been really happy to hear it all over."
"Really you should thank Oscar and Penny. I didn't do much." Kip was modest. "Now we're just keeping the Grimm off them."
Attacks had happened since people were in the valley so much, but so far they'd been small.
"He is. We're only there once in a while," Darren said. "You're Emerald Sustrai, right? I mean, not many people have your hair color."
Emerald laughed weakly. "Yeah, that's me."
"Big fan of your work." Darren stuck out a hand while balancing a tray in the other. "The project for refugees is really cool. I know some of them. They really seem glad it worked."
"It's remarkable that you were able to pull it off," Athos joined in. "What gave you the idea?"
"Well, partly it was my own life," Emerald said shyly. Positive feedback was still weird for her. "And partly it was a friend of mine's life. I just thought of people who'd end up like us...alone, desperate, without a family, that type of thing. I was just glad so many of my friends pitched in to help."
"Oh yeah, that was on the cereal boxes," Porthos said. "Heroes support the cause, or something like that. Nice marketing idea."
"Well, that was really my idea--" Emerald began.
"You should sit with us," Aramis said.
Since Mercury wasn't likely to join them of his own volition, it was a safe suggestion.
"Okay..." Emerald said.
The girl who lived with her followed them.
Her name was Trix Tailor.
[There is an old story about a brave little tailor, who was really just able to trick all his opponents into thinking he was invincible. I guess genderbent character ideas are a thing on RWBY, so it fits.]
She was only about 2 years younger than Emerald, so she was about 19 now.
"Are you a huntsman?" Aramis asked her.
"Oh, no, I'm part of the program," Trix said. "But not for long. I've been saving up so I can finally move out. I...work in Argus."
She'd gotten work not long after moving in, intending not to be a burden, she said.
Emerald hadn't really minded either way but appreciated the gesture of independence.
"It's fine, no real hurry. That place has plenty of room." Emerald shrugged. "Honestly, I might like to leave the base myself. The barracks get old after a while."
"They are kind of ugly," Aramis said. "Isn't your pilot Royal Zapato?"
"Yeah, you know him?" Emerald tore open a food package.
"Everyone knows him," Porthos said. "He's one of the most friendly pilots. Doesn't fly us much though. But actually we knew him even before the new arrangement. He was in Argus before Atlas fell, and we worked here sometimes. Did you know his family was super rich?"
"It was?" Emerald said. "He's never mentioned it. He doesn't really seem like the type."
"Well, not all rich people are like the Schnees," Darren said dryly. "It wasn't from dust. They owned some...what was it?... I think they made shoes. I think they did military boots and that's how he got into the military at Atlas, probably. I heard that from someone. Of course they lost most of the money now."
"What happened?" Trix asked curiously.
"Atlas fell, of course," Aramis said. "The company went with it. Well, the warehouse was in Mantle, but it got crushed."
"Oh, gosh...did his family die with it?" Emerald's said.
"Oh, no," Aramis said. "His mom died a very long time ago, and his dad...well, he did die in Atlas, but I think it was before it fell. But so much crazy s--- went down that week, who knows what it was?"
Emerald cranked. "I hope it wasn't our fault."
Awkward silence as they all seemed to remember that she was a bad guy at the time.
"I'm sure it wasn't your fault," Kip said. "You barely even saw Atlas."
Emerald stared at her food.
"It was probably just the election drama or something." Aramis rushed to put a good spin on it. "Or Grimm."
Well, honestly, Emerald thought, Tyrian was the only one of them who killed that many people in Atlas other than Cinder and Neo killing some technicians. And Royal's dad wouldn't have been one of them. So odds were, it was just one of the bigger disasters that did it.
Not that it was that much better.
Emerald got real quiet after that though.
After the meal was over, Kip asked her aside if she was going to Vacuo for Weiss' graduation
"I was going to go because I haven't visited my mother in a while," he said. "Or Aunt Vara."
"I wouldn't mind visiting Weiss, I suppose, and Meridian is pretty fun," Emerald said. "Hey...can I ask...uh, Mercury is working with your team now?"
"Only off and on," Kip said. "He moves around a lot, so..."
"Yeah." Emerald brushed her hair back awkwardly. "I just wondered if he was...doing okay with that?"
"He seemed okay," Kip said. "Though the first day he did ask some very odd questions about my mother...and Penny's life too. She told me later. Very strange."
"What kind of questions?"
"Just...about if we were still angry at people. I don't know why. He seemed to think we should be."
"He did, huh?..." Emerald looked down sadly.
"I don't understand it very well," Kip said. "But it seems to me that Mercury doesn't really understand love very well."
"You think that after talking to him once?" Emerald said.
"No, I think over all the time I've known him that's pretty much been true," Kip said. "I just wouldn't have had a word for it before. But the idea that good things outweigh bad things doesn't make any sense to him, and that's what I think love is. People do bad things, and we don't like it, but if we love them, then the good things they do matter more than the bad things. Or something like that. I'm not an expert on people."
"That's not so bad though," Emerald said. "I guess you've come a long way from your mother's basement."
"I really spent more time in the attic, but yeah," Kip said. "At first the world was scary, all the Grimm and stuff, you know...but now I think, getting over that part, I like it. I think Mother is too careful. And it makes her do things she shouldn't do."
"That and her lack of empathy for anyone," Emerald said. "Not that I should talk."
"I think you have empathy," Kip said.
"I do now.... Once, I didn't," Emerald said. "Or maybe I did, but I resented people too much for having what I didn't have."
"I know what you mean. I used to be jealous of people being freer than me. But freedom can be kind of scary too," Kip said.
"Well, between you and me, Kip, loving people can be scary also," Emerald said. "Because you get hurt when you care."
"But it hurts not to care," Kip said. "It hurts too be empty and lonely, like I used to be. I think I'd rather it hurt because I care than because no one cares."
Emerald cracked a mile. "Yeah...you're right, I think. I shouldn't complain so much. I mean...I have so many more friends than I used to. Still feels weird."
"It does.... You know, I think we're not as different as I thought," Kip said. "Maybe people aren't as different as we think."
"I think Shine told one of us once that people suffer similar things," Emerald said, "that bad stuff isn't creative, but good stuff is. Our good stuff is what's different about us, not our suffering. I guess we're all alike in one way then."
"I think she's right about that. It seems like what makes me happy isn't the same as everyone else, but the same things make us sad," Kip said. "Are you sad, Emerald?"
"I...I'm dealing," Emerald said. "Just thinking about some stuff, that's all. I mean, you know how it is."
Kip didn't really, but he didn't press her for an explanation.
["So Small"--Carrie Underwood]