Chapter 114 - Public Relations

Blake watched in annoyance as Jennifer cradled her head within her hands and sighed. Then, she fell backwards into her bed and collapsed while she muttered, “How is this real?”

Overreacting much?

As promised, after he finished talking with Rajesh, he tracked down the influencer and shared the recorded conversation with her. Admittedly, things could have gone better, especially his request to look after the scientists. However, he accomplished his task, and Rajesh remained ignorant of what the scientists could potentially accomplish.

Blake felt the need to defend himself. “Look, I know Rajesh. Unless he thought those people were valuable, he wasn’t going to lift a finger to help them. Matter of fact, I bet right now, he’s tearing the area apart looking for them so he can sell them to me. At least this way, they stay alive.”

After what seemed entirely too long, Jennifer sat up and sighed. “I suppose now I know what I have to work with, and next time I’ll be making the call.” She then looked into Blake’s eyes and smiled. “On the plus side, at least now I know you were telling me the truth earlier.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because you have to be one of the worst liars I’ve ever seen,” Jennifer informed him. “I swear, every single emotion is written on your face, and you couldn’t come up with a believable lie if your life depended on it.”

Blake scowled. “Isn’t being a bad liar a good thing?”

“For a normal person?” she nodded. “Yeah. But, you’re a leader now. If you can’t get your ‘tells’ under control, you’re going to frighten people.”

 “I don’t care about Rajesh or Warner, but I don’t want to lie to my own people. I had enough of that from Baron Bob.”

Jennifer sighed. “It’s not just about lying. It's about projecting confidence. There’s LIES and then there are lies. People want a leader that’s sure of themselves and their decisions. If you show people your doubts, they’re going to lose faith in you. Would you want to follow someone who didn’t even believe in themselves?”

“Better than someone who lies directly to your face,” Blake responded.

Jennifer stood. “We can have that debate later. For now, we’ll focus on your poker face.” Her eyes then focused on his hair and she grimaced. “And your haircut.”

Blake ran a hand through his seared, shortened locks. “That’s from the artillery,” he explained.

“Uh huh,” she replied, dubiously. “Just make sure it’s cut before we do the interviews, okay?”

Blake shrugged. “I’ll try, but it’s kind of hard to cut my own hair.”

She narrowed her eyes. “You have an entire faction full of people, why would you cut your own?”

“Because no one else is strong enough to do it. At this point, my hair’s stronger than chain mail. You have to have a pretty high Physical Power to cut it, even with my level four dagger.”

“How high?” she asked.

“I don’t know, maybe twenty Physical Power? But, that’s just a guess,” he warned her.

“Hey Bobby!” she turned her head and called through the doorway. “Can you get in here, please?”

A moment later, her bodyguard entered the room. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s your Physical Power at now?”

“Uh…” the ex-cameraman’s eyes crossed as he checked his interface. “Twelve.”

“Damn,” Jennifer cursed. “I thought it’d be higher.”

“Most people don’t place all their points into a single attribute,” Blake said dryly. He then turned to Bobby. “What spell did you pick?”

“Strengthen.”

“Oh,” Blake said thoughtfully. “That might actually work.” He turned to Jennifer. “That spell doubles your strength for ten seconds. It may take him a while, but he should be strong enough while it’s active.”

Jennifer turned to her friend and smiled. “Hey Bobby, can you do me a favor?”

***

Blake woke and as Jennifer requested, checked his messages. He sifted through the usual status updates and requests before he read an inflammatory message from his brother.

Oliver Summers: What the hell was that?! Are you TRYING to destroy my reputation?

Huh?

He then read through a series of messages where Oliver continued to complain. His brother demanded he retract the lie and issue a retraction immediately. Finally, through context, he realized that Jennifer released a short segment while he slept that featured portions of his interview. He navigated the social media section of his interface, went to Jennifer’s section, and quickly found the video.

Blake winced in embarrassment as he watched the ‘teaser trailer’ Jennifer released the night before. After his haircut, shave and wardrobe adjustment, they moved to the faction hall lobby. The marble and granite motif, accented by rich fabrics, and elegant furniture was the best venue they could. Blake felt Jennifer spent way too long arranging the room and checking the lighting. However, while the environment was perfect, the interview itself was not.

It was a nightmare.

Unlike the story he shared in the cell hours before, he was continuously interrupted and asked to start again. She repeatedly insisted that his mannerisms were off, he had the wrong tone, or that he did not seem ‘genuine’.

The hours it took to film a short, fifteen-minute video tested his patience to the extreme. It took so long to finalize the first segment, they decided to call it a night and record the others the next day. Jennifer, however, stayed up to piece together the trailer, which used a few short snippets of their first interview, sprinkled between sensationalism.

After she gave a quick update on news around the world, she switched to her promotional video. “Oh boy, do I have a treat for you. I have an exclusive sit down with the Scion of Humanity, and had a long discussion about his past, his present, and how he sees the future. Over the next week, I will be releasing a series of segments that go in-depth to show the real Blake Summers, murderer or misunderstood? You will see first hand the heartbreaking experiences he has lived through.”

The video suddenly switched to show Blake, teary-eyed, as he talked about his brother’s overdose. “That was the last time we saw Oliver. The next morning, we found him in the back room, sprawled out on the floor. It… was too much for him.”

No wonder he’s pissed.

The clip was suddenly replaced with Jennifer, who now looked sad. “Spoiler alert, it is truly heart-wrenching, so grab your tissues. You will not believe what Blake has been through, and what he has sacrificed to reach this point.”

Blake quickly closed the video, too embarrassed to continue watching.

I hope she knows what she’s doing.

He messaged his brother back.

Baron Blake Summers, Scion of Humanity, Ambassador to the Architect: Hey Oliver, just saw Jennifer’s video. That part about you is missing the full context, but it’s true. 

Oliver Summers: I don’t care if it’s true or not! Just get Jennifer to remove it!

Baron Blake Summers, Scion of Humanity, Ambassador to the Architect: It’s her channel, I don’t control what she publishes. If you want it gone, go to her, not me.

Oliver Summers: She won’t respond! I think she blocked me!

Baron Blake Summers, Scion of Humanity, Ambassador to the Architect: There’s no way she would block her number one fan. It has to be a mistake.

Oliver Summers: Screw you!

Blake chuckled to himself. 

It had been a while since he teased his older brother, and was glad Oliver immediately picked up on his sarcasm. After a bit more back and forth, he promised his brother he would, ‘look into it’, but made no further promises. 

After breakfast, he met Jennifer in the faction hall lobby, as planned. “Hey Jennifer, I saw that teaser you posted last night. Are you sure it’s not too much?”

She shook her head. “No, if anything, I don’t feel like I went far enough. We need everyone to watch, not just people who’re bored.”

“Not sure how someone can be bored with monsters swarming around.” Blake shrugged. “But, whatever, you’re the expert.”

The interview that followed was a harrowing experience which lasted the entire day. His patience was tested as he was pestered, nitpicked, and cajoled to death. By evening, he was so frustrated, he could no longer function. Even Bobby, who showed initial amusement at Blake’s treatment, was now openly sympathetic.

“Okay, I suppose we can get something to eat while we talk about the next segment,” she finally relented.

They grabbed food from the cookhouse, but when they saw how packed the tables were, carried their plates back to the faction hall. Before Blake was even able to enjoy his Lupus flank stew, Jennifer began the discussion, “So, tell me about your plans for the faction.”

In an act of defiance, he shoveled a heaping spoonful of meat and potatoes into his mouth and chewed in an exaggerated manner.

Jennifer rolled her eyes. “Fine, eat first. But, think about what you’re going to tell people. Obviously, you don’t want to tip off Warner or other potential enemies by giving certain things away, but any guidance you can give people will be good. You need people to get on board with you. And, not just regular people, faction leaders as well. Right now, Warner is gobbling up support at a whirlwind pace.”

“At least Texas and California aren’t on his side,” Bobby replied. After a moment, he added a belated, “Yet.” 

Jennifer shook her head. “Without an alternative to Warner, it’s only a matter of time before they give in. 

Blake furrowed his brow while he spooned another chunk of stew into his mouth. He was ashamed to admit it, but he was not aware of the political situation in the wider world. He had spent his time after Invasion day putting out fires, or filming interviews. So far, he had not had time to fully explore the new forums and piece it together.

He swallowed his food and asked, “Are you telling me Warner has millions of people in his factions already? How the hell did he move that fast?”

Jennifer shook her head. “No, not millions. But, he quickly got the support of most high level government officials. They formed their own factions and subordinated themselves and any other official state factions to Warner through the system. They said they plan to have a separate faction for every state congressman and mayor, but they don’t have nearly enough nano for that yet. I don’t know what the president promised the governors, but so far only California and Texas are holding out.”

That… may be a problem.

Blake had initially been relieved that Warner had followed his advice and begun to organize factions. However, if Jennifer was right, and the president held a grudge, his family may not be as safe as he once assumed. He imagined armies, hundreds of thousands strong, in a blockade around his cities. No matter how strong Blake was himself, he could not defend against that.

She’s right. I’m going to need a lot of allies.

“How do you know all this?” Blake asked between bites.

Jennifer’s jaw dropped. “How do you not? You’re supposed to be leading this faction. How can you pick the right path, if you don’t even know what’s going on?”

“I’ve been busy,” Blake reiterated for what seemed the hundredth time.

“Then delegate,” Jennifer reprimanded him. “No one expects you to do everything. But, you at least need to know what’s going on.”

Blake frowned. “I make sure I’m kept up to date. I have a meeting with my chancellors every evening.”

“That’s great,” she begrudgingly admitted. “Who all attends these meetings?”

“Just Jessica and my mom.”

“You don’t have any advisors?” Jennifer frowned. “You need to fix that, soon. I think we need to hold off on the last segment. You need to come up with a plan, and fast.”

Blake nodded.

“I’m sure your mother and Jessica are great people, but do either of them have any experience leading people?”

“My mom was a project manager, and Jessica owned a chain of salons,” he answered.

Jennifer sighed. “So, the answer is no.”

“They led people,” he defended.

“Middle management and entrepreneurship are not the type of experience that matters,” she said dryly. “We need someone that was elected to represent people, not someone who paid them to show up.”

“Yeah, because those kinds of people would definitely join me when I’m wanted by the police,” Blake said sarcastically.

Jennifer opened her mouth to argue, when Bobby interrupted her. “Take it easy, Jen. The kid did the best he could.”

After the gentle reprimand, she took a deep breath and asked, “Okay, what about Chairman Tessay? He’s on your side and has led thousands.”

“Once I was sure I could trust him, I planned to make him the chancellor for the Eager expansion town,” Blake replied.

Jennifer frowned. “He openly defied President Warner to side with you and permanently attached his future to yours. What more must he do to earn your trust?”

She has a point.

Blake sighed. “I know that, but… he just comes off as… too slick.”

Bobby laughed. “He’s a politician. What do you expect?”

Blake glanced over to the bodyguard. “I’m not exactly a fan of politicians. Most of the ones I’ve seen only care about their own power. They send people out to die without hesitation, and only seem to care about them if it suits their purposes.”

A light suddenly went off behind Jennifer’s eyes. “I think I finally understand. By your own admission, you were a grunt, right? Told what to do and where to go with no information and no choice in the matter?”

Blake nodded.

“So, because of that, you’re holding a grudge against all politicians now.”

He snorted. “If you’re treated like shit, who wouldn’t?”

Jennifer pointed her empty spoon at him. “You are doing exactly that, right now. Your guards don’t know what your future plans are, how you’re going to stop other factions from attacking, or even how to train for that eventuality.”

Blake stopped chewing.

Am I really doing that?

Blake sat down his spoon and stared into the half-eaten bowl of stew as he considered her accusation. He had put forth a special effort to involve himself in the defense of his faction. He was on the front lines to ensure the safe rescue of those in danger, and had repeatedly put his life on the line to grow stronger. 

Shit. They probably don’t know that.

Despite his intention to lead from the front, only a few knew the actions and risks he took on a regular basis. He had written the guide, answered questions from the initial core members of his faction, and then ignored the vast swaths of newcomers.

I need to start recording weekly updates for the entire faction. Let them know what’s going on and what I’m planning. I suppose I should invite Chairman Tessay to my daily meetings as well.

Blake glanced up from his meal and asked, “How do you know all this stuff? You’re younger than I am, yet you talk like you’re forty.”

Bobby snorted mid-bite and choked on his food.

Jennifer gave her bodyguard a rueful look before she answered his question. “My dad taught me a lot.”

“Oh? What did he do for a living?” Blake asked, curious. He had seen her parents from a distance a few days before, after he rescued her from jail, but the moment he saw they were safe within the convoy, he had left for Payson.

Jennifer looked uncomfortable with the subject, however, she answered his question. “He’s been retired for a few years now, but he used to work for the DoD.”

“What did he do there?” Blake asked and then shoveled a large chunk of a potato into his mouth.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “He would never say or couldn’t say. But, he lectured me all the time about people’s motivations, how to manipulate people into doing what you want. That kind of stuff.”

That’s odd.

“I don’t really like to talk about my parents. I love them and all, but we haven’t exactly had a good relationship over the last few years.”

After Blake asked her what happened, he could see her reticence to answer splashed across her face, and cajoled her. “Come on, I poured out my heart to you, the least you can do is tell me a little bit about your family while I finish eating.”

She took a deep breath and nodded. “That’s fair, I suppose.”

After a brief moment to collect herself, she spoke. “After I graduated from high school, I told them I didn’t want to go to college, that it was a waste of time. Since I had good grades, I don’t think either of them expected that from me. They just assumed I’d follow the same path they did. When I told them I wanted to be a journalist, they told me I was being foolish, and to go to college, regardless.”

Blake frowned.

“When I refused, and they realized there was no convincing me, they kicked me out of the house. They said they weren’t going to reward ‘foolish behavior’.” Jennifer sighed. “It wasn’t until I grew popular and started making money that they changed their minds. But, by then, I was too pissed at them.”

That’s it? 

Blake had expected some tale of abuse or neglect that had alienated her from her loved ones. Instead, to him, it sounded like they cared deeply about her future and were unwilling to see her fail. They pushed her toward what they saw as a safe path in life. He wanted to press her further, but saw how uncomfortable she was with the topic.

Instead, he commented, “If he worked for the DoD, I’m surprised he joined the faction. Wouldn’t he side with his old boss?”

“Warner wasn’t president when he retired,” she corrected his misconception. “But, yeah, he didn’t want me involved with you when this first started.”

“What changed?”

“He saw what Warner was doing and got pissed. After that, it wasn’t too hard to convince him to join me in Arizona. I flew them out to Phoenix, and they drove up to Show Low, a few days before Invasion day.”

If he’s pissed at Warner, he’ll probably jump at the chance to work with me.
 “Do you think he’d be interested in an advisory role?” Blake asked innocently.

Jennifer snorted. “He doesn’t advise, he demands. I don’t know if that would work out too well.”

“Why not? He wouldn’t listen to someone who looks like a teenager?”

Jennifer frowned. “There’s that,” she nodded. “But, you also have a temper. I may be upset with my dad, but I don’t want to see him dead just because he said something you didn’t like. Trust me, he will say a lot of things you won’t like and exactly in the rudest way possible.”

Blake snorted. “I admit, I’m still not used to this body’s hormones, but I’m not going to kill someone because they were rude to me.”

“Haven’t you been eighteen for six months now?” Bobby asked. 

Blake nodded.

“Why aren’t you adjusted yet? I figure a couple of weeks to get used to it, sure, but six months?” the bodyguard shook his head. “That doesn’t sound right.”

“Oh, trust me, I’m not exactly thrilled with the way things turned out, either. I had complete control over my emotions, especially after the threshold elixirs. Then, I went back in time and could barely think straight, let alone rein in my temper.”

“Well, you need to work on getting it under control,” Jennifer advised.

Blake chuckled. “Then it sounds like talking to your dad would be good practice.”

Next Chapter