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High up in the administrative building overlooking Centrax, one Vesper Mica couldn\'t help but glower as she looked on at Marquee\'s precious capital city. Huffing in her cigar, the young Head Intellect ignored the stern and glowering reflection staring back at her as she looked out through the glass windows of her office. Taking in a breath, she let her brilliant mind take in what she knew would inevitably happen to her beloved country and its political standing in the Shallow Deep, her efforts and their consequences playing out in her head as was expected of the great game she was playing.

Despite all of her attempts at reforms and speeding up the rate at which innovations were being approved, the Board of Intellects had done their best to stonewall any of the much-needed reforms she needed to properly strengthen Marquee\'s position in the war. The cowards had constantly derided her concerns, citing that Marquee\'s position as the leading power of innovations made them nigh unassailable by both Vestyge and Kattleyna should either decide to escalate.

Frankly, they were fools.

"Making my job harder..." Vesper growled, her once melodious voice scarred by years of constant smoking. "Why even elect me if they\'ll just deny my every move..."

If she allowed herself to be petty, she would\'ve quit as soon as her first drafts of constitutional reforms were denied. The Board deemed them too radical for the general populace. Radical! In a nation that prided itself on innovation!

"What a-COUGH j-joke..."

Vesper held her chest as she coughed on her own cigar, puffs of smoke escaping her lips as her eyes refocused themselves on her reflection once more. In another life, she might\'ve been the quintessential beauty. Her parents had made sure that she cultivated her looks, her green eyes and shimmering black hair almost making her look Kattleynan depending on how she did her dress. Her face was an even prettier sight, her youth still shining through despite the constant abuse that stress had done to her body.

"No... I\'m not that doll anymore..."

Shaking her head, she looked at her current dress, flashes of frilly gowns and dresses almost superimposing themselves over her clean and slick Head Intellect uniform. The suit was something she herself always cleaned and dressed, her own mind refusing to let others even sully its smooth and immaculate white color.

Composing herself, Vesper took another puff of her cigar, letting out a small stream of smoke before turning to her desk. She had a daily meeting with the Board to conduct, and she would once again do her best to make sure that she did her duty as the Head Intellect of the City-State of Marquee.

Silently, she placed her cigar down and picked up her pen, her mind running countless calculations and scenarios as to what kind of laws or reforms she wanted to pass. Of course, she also accounted for whatever the members of the board would lobby for, the various districts of Marquee being represented to make sure that all areas were being served by the city-state.

Of course, all of those paled against the looming war that would inevitably reach their shores. Sure, Vestyge was still busy with Kattleyna, but Vesper was sure that those savages with their black fuel would inevitably set their sights on her illustrious city. President Stein was nothing if not ravenous and opportunistic, and he\'d definitely try and encroach on Marquean territory, usurping any square meter of land he could realistically hold.

"Greedy bastard..."

Her grip on her pen tightened as she let her mind wander again, the work in front of her being far too easy for her to even take notice. Instead, her worries flared up under the threat of a potential attack. She knew that while the Academics were more than capable of defending against Vestygian and Kattleynan spies, they were wholly inadequate against fighting an entire nation\'s worth of armies and Somatics. And yes, while Academics were Somatics themselves, she had already seen what most of their Academics were even capable of.

And quite frankly, she was deathly afraid...

Her feet tapped against the floor of her office as Vesper reached for the cigar again. Taking in another puff, she let the stick of cancer\'s stress-relieving properties do what it could to soothe her increasing paranoia. While she knew it wreaked havoc on her poor and frail body, at least she was doing it on her terms and not being forced upon her... like that one time- No!

"Focus... I\'m better than this..."

Taking another deep huff from her cigar, Vesper blinked away as much of the fear in her as possible in favor of actually focusing on her work. Her pen flew freely, her stream of consciousness being written in as neat a way as she was trained to do. Her parents had made sure that she was the perfect daughter. Both physically and mentally, even the way she walked was constantly scrutinized, and she had been constantly hit- Nope!

"Ghh... Again with this constant overthinking!"

The stressed leader felt her pulse quickening as she practically drained her cigar for all of its worth, its scalding hot smoke burning through her lungs before she finally coughed at her own actions. Absently, she tried to take another huff, only for her lungs to get nothing as the cigar between her fingers had been utterly depleted.

"D-Dammit..."

Vesper leaned to grab another cigar from her table when she felt as if her heart was about to stop. Immediately, she delivered a solid thump to her chest, her poor organ skipping and flailing as she forcefully willed her body to shut up and keep working.

"I-I\'m not dealing with this today... I won\'t let it get to me," she whispered, her fingers gingerly trailing the now-finished draft that she herself had penned out. "I\'ll see this nation to greatness even if it kills me."

Blinking, Vesper stood up, her draft in one hand as she made her way out of her office. It wouldn\'t do for her to be late just because of a minor health issue. That, and the Board might try and pass one of their inane laws again if she wasn\'t present to veto them.

Shaking her head, she was about to open the door-

"Head Intellect Mica!"

Vesper almost flinched, her own training quickly kicking in as she forcibly composed herself despite the shot of fear that almost threatened to make her run away.

"What is it?" she asked, turning around to see what was clearly a government messenger. "Speak clearly. I\'m in a hurry."

"R-Right!" the poor messenger stuttered as he straightened his back. "Head Intellect, Academic Lewis Marc has filed a letter of recommendation for the ascension of a new Academic!"

Vesper blinked, her brows furrowing in annoyance. "...Is that all?"

The messenger hesitated to speak. "Well, yes, but-"

"Then simply forward the letter to my office," she snapped out. "If it\'s not urgent, then don\'t waste my time."

"A-Apologies, Head Intellect!"

Vesper sighed as she placed her fingers on her forehead, a growing headache almost making her groan as she waved the messenger away to make him leave. Truly, much of her time would\'ve been saved if she had just decided to delegate, but no. She refused to let anything that she hadn\'t seen or done herself pass through her desk. It was much better than somehow making a mistake without her knowing, and she just couldn\'t find it in herself to let others use her name without her being involved in any of the processes that might\'ve happened.

Taking in a deep breath, her lungs missed the hot smoke of a cigar as she entered the meeting hall. If she could, she would\'ve smoked during these meetings, especially with how inane and long-winded some of these sessions could get.

"Head Intellect Mica," one of the board members announced her arrival. "You\'ve finally arrived."

"Greetings to the esteemed Board of Intellects," she promptly greeted back, her eyes roaming and assessing the current state of the Board. "I see that most of us are in attendance today."

"The ongoing war had intensified, meaning that a general assembly should be called as soon as we are able," one of the Intellects, one whose name she should really care about, sounded off. "I would expect that the Head Intellect would\'ve been foaming at the mouth to do such a thing."

Vesper held her tongue, a mere blink being her only reaction as she made her way to her podium. There was no time for her to be arguing more pressing matters were indeed in need of addressing.

Clearing up her throat, Vesper found herself flexing her voice in a way that she knew would do little to reclaim her old youthful tone. Instead, she sounded like an old woman in a young woman\'s body as she addressed the Board. "As you already know, our great nation is currently at war with our neighbors. While it might be-"

"Get on with it already, Head Intellect."

She narrowed her eyes at the one Intellect that dared to interrupt her. Still, her retribution would have to wait as she expedited her announcement.

"In that case, let me propose an innovation that will firmly cement the safety and well-being of our people and nation."

Holding up her draft, Vesper held what little hints of pride she felt for herself as she observed the Board\'s reactions. It wouldn\'t do for her to be overexcited, lest they jump on her like ravenous sharks like they always tried to do.

"This is Project D," she called aloud. "Daybreak."

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