NationStates Jolt Archive

Valkonezh Square, Valkonezh City

Sergei Volnov sat in a corner of the crowded common area, and observed the young man wheeling and dealing on the far side of the room.

Evgeny Cherviakov’s blue eyes sparkled, his smile flashed like a dueling saber, as he cajoled a short-haired blond woman Sergei recognized as one of the foreign affairs supervisors. They sat on a bench surrounded by adults and children, chattering, crying, working, reading, playing, and mostly pointedly ignoring each other in the pretense that had come to serve them as a substitute for privacy.

The woman was frowning, but although Sergei was too far away to hear the conversation, he had the feeling that she was caving in. He had to admit that Evgeny was as skillful with charm and salesmanship as Sergey was with authority and logical persuasion.

The blonde woman glanced at Sergei without making eye contact or acknowledging his presence, then stood and made her way out through the safety lock. Evgeny in turn stood and strolled casually toward Sergei. He sat down at the other end of the bench and pretended to be studying a form on the clipboard he's holding.

Sergei glanced at him without moving his head. "Well?"

Evgeny smiled slightly. "We’re going to Knootoss.”

Sergei shook his head. "Not just yet. Did you set up the rendezvous with the CNA Agency?”

"They're very busy arranging the surveillance satellite. Everyone there's working double shifts."

"Did you set up the rendezvous?"

The corners of Evgeny's mouth twitched down. "Yeah.”

“Then let’s go.”

-----


Flight 889, en route to Schiphol International Airport

“How could you possibly know that?..." He looked over, abandoning the pretense of ignoring Sergei. "You're keeping things from me again, aren't you?"

"I tell you what you need to know.”

Evgeny scratched his nose, muttering under his breath.

Sergei slumped back in his seat and sighed again. He liked working alone, and resented having to depend on this child. Evgeny's motives were less than clear to Sergei, and that made him uncomfortable. Sergei could use him, but he couldn't trust him, and didn't know if he could depend on him. It was the kind of uncertainty that kept Sergei awake at nights.

Evgeny had been right, of course, and might have saved Sergei from a terrible mistake. His plan, while it might have worked, had been far too risky, born more of desperation than reason. Impatience had always been his weakness.

OOC:
Yes, I know, but I'm out of ideas for the title so don't even think about saying anything about it. Thanks.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Hague
Dutch Democratic Republic of Knootoss

The main tower of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Defence Huge complex overlooked half of The Hague, looming high above the surrounding offices, housed in the old abodes of the Dutch mercantile elite. It was rainy, as usual, and the skies were grey with only small traces of warm yellow light seeping trough the overcast clouds.

Foreign minister Hans van Mierlo stood behind the window and looked down on lower parts of the superministry, gazing into the many cubicles. His eyes trailed to the left for a moment as he thought about visiting the supermarket inside the complex, but there wasn’t enough time left before the meeting. The old political hero of the social-liberal SLP was getting old and weary, being in five consecutive cabinets as foreign minister had worn him out.

To get some fresh the minister opened a window and put his head out of it, looking at the big letters that had been put to the outside of the wall just below him. While he could only see the top side of them he could dream what it said:

"Omnia mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis"

“All things are changing, and we are changing with them”, he whispered. The strong winds at this altitude blew his hair into a mess and he quickly withdrew his head

With his mind cleared, he moved on to work. The visit he was about to receive would prove to be a welcome change of pace, he considered as he punched up the report on Zvarinograd. He casually glanced over it, trying to find a new way of looking at it.

“Nice commies”, he summarised to himself. Pacifist, sortof non-aligned… well, not with the CACE or the IFTA. Which makes them sane, and at risk of recruitment, he continued to think. … and they are actually doing well for themselves.” He grinned as he read the economic review, glad as he was that it would be his ministry and not Economic Affairs doing the negotiating this time.

A female voice sounded tough the intercom. “Sir? Your guests have arrived. Shall I send them in trough elevator 20?”
The minister pressed a button on the desk without even looking up from his report. “Let them in Wendy.”

((On to IRC))

The door to the ministers personal office opens, and the Knootian minister stands up to welcome his guests from the Urbanites region. Evgeny walks inside, head straight, shoulders back and chest outward. He was determined, as usual, to bring this meeting into his country's favour.

"Welcome Mr. Cherviakov", the Knootian pronounces with some difficulty. The sheet hadn't been too clear on pronunciation. He extends his hand: "Hans van Mierlo, nice to see you. I trust you had a good trip?"

"Yes, and it is a privilege to meet you Mr. Mierlo," Likewise, the Russian speaks with a slight slavic accent. "Pardon me for my impatience, however I would like to begin with the relations as soon as possible. The government needs as much manpower as possible, and the lack of skilled personnel is indeed tragic."

You are to the point, Sir", the minister replied with some surprise as he sat down. With a subtle nod, he indicated the other chair on the other side of the desk was meant for his visitor. "I must say I was pleasantly surprised when we were approached..."

Cherviakov Evgeny sighs and brings out a laptop. He punches up several economic displays with some care. "Our country, despite most opinions, is having troubled times. Though economically we are sustaining our economy through pacifism and dismaintenance of our military, our economy can not expand to meet our growing population." Evgeny looks at the laptop's screen seriously, noting a decline and crash of economy. "We need advice, and trade from an economic power in order to awaken it from the economic nightmare that is communism."

"Oh?", the minister notes with much surprise, "Well.. this is certainly unexpected but I am here to help and if you seek to develop..." van Mierlo got a bit exited, this was a very big chance indeed. Carefully, he continued, "What exactly does your government have in mind?" The diplomat closes the laptop, "First, that Knootoss help Zvarinograd to rewrite it's entire constitution. To bring it away from communism and into a democratic, corporate paradise."

"A...", the ministers mouth opens but he recovers quickly. "Well, I'll be glad to be of assistance and so will my colleagues. But you gotta understand that chance is going to be slow. And how about your people?" Evgeny gestures to himself. "I represent a majority of my people's opinion. They too are tired of communism due to the threats of anti-communist coalitions forming all over the globe as well as the degrading living standards. The government knows that, and has decided that it is right to give what the masses wants."

The Knootian nods compassionately. "Well, in that case we will be of assistance. Change may be slow though... one does not change its economic paradigm in a day. It requires a wholly new attitude. For your people too, it will be a difficult transition," he says with some concern in his voice. The SLPer isn't as rabidly pro-market as some of his colleagues and remembers all too well several other painful transitions. “I know that Lietuveska has made a similar change", he continues, "And rather successfully so, even if their political system still lacks some stability."

First a patriot, then a leader, and ultimately a strategist.

From his observer's seat on the balcony called, for some reason he could never find out, a 'square' he looked out through the huge, curved, and nearly transparent bulletproof windows that lined the side of the balcony.

Which one of you is real, Alexey? You have lost your love for your brethren, pride, justice, ideals, piety. All of that is gone now. Luxuries you can't afford, to gain and to lose again.

Below the balcony there were cars that rumbled past the roads like ants moving back and forth. His mind was elsewhere, on the vastness of the sky, the clouds, and on the chess game he was playing with his aide.

You are now the unnerving, unyielding strategist, and you wield the greatest weapon of all, thought.

Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth -- more than ruin -- more even than death. Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible, thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habit. Thought looks into the pit of hell and is not afraid. Thought is great and swift and free, the light of the world, and the chief glory of man.

"Your move, sir." Valkov's voice was clear, flawless; without the distinguising slavic accent of an average citizen of this country.

He analyzed the board, "Queen takes knight, Checkmate."

He could see Valkov slump in his seat, sighing. Premier Alexey Zvarinsky chuckled and turned his attention back to the sky.

Your world is but a game.

#-#-#

Alexey sat in the limousine, and despite Councilor Stanislav's extended hand, had no inclination to get out. He looked up at the councilor pleadingly. "Couldn't I just go dive into an active volcano? Attempt to stomp out a rat infestation with my bare feet? Maybe go clean the Valkonezh Hazardous Bioresearch Laboratory with my tongue?"

Stanislav tilted his head disapprovingly. "Now, Premier, you promised. You even agreed that it's important in these difficult times for smaller nations such as ourselves to appeal to our larger, advanced, neighbors."

He held up an index finger. "I know, I'll volunteer as a practice target for the new weapon some of the more renegade scientists are planning!"

"Premier ..."

"You only said we'd be going to the Forum. I thought perhaps we'd hear a chorus, some chamber music, a little classic music from Russia. You didn't tell me I had to confirm the decision to convert the government over telecommunications to Knootoss!"

"Would you have come if I had?"

"Of course not."

"My point exactly. Come on."

Trêveszaal, Council of Ministers meeting

Nice, but quite big picture of the Trêveszaal where this meeting is taking place (http://www.surfstoel.nl/img/Aeron-Treverezaal-2.jpg)

Galadriël headed the sleek modern table in the old Trêveszaal. The Louis XIV-style room from 1697 was still the meeting place for the Council of Ministers since it had been completely rebuilt.

Foreign Minister Hans van Mierlo had just explained the entire ‘Zvarinograd situation’ to his colleagues, all the time with a trail of doubt in his voice. All the while, Minister of Economic Affairs, Brinkhorst, had been listening with shiny eyes. The smile that played around his lips turned to a grin by the time the expose was finished

“Well, think about it, why are we having an official visit from this tin pot little communist country?”, asked van Mierlo.

“Hans, I beg of you not to refer to it as a tin pot little communist country. It's an ISN,” requested Brinkhorst suddenly.

”A what?”, asked van Mierlo to his colleague while raising his eyebrow.

Minister Brinkhorst explained: “Zvarinograd is what my ministry used to call an unaligned second world country, however this term was largely regarded as offensive, so these nations became known as Independent Communist Nations, and then as Independent Socialist Nations or ISN's. We are now ready to replace the term ISN with HPADN.”
The foreign minister wondered: “What's that?”
”High Potential Alternatively Developed Nation – it means that they're running an inefficient planned economy and are in dire need of corporate investment and market reform. My point is, this is an opportunity that we cannot afford to pass on.”

“You’re talking about wasting the money of the public so a bunch of corporations can invest? I’m not sure too many people would support this Laurens-Jan”, the foreign minister carefully suggested.

“Hans - the public doesn't know anything about wasting government money, we're the experts. In the long term there will be huge profits. Believe me.”

“And if it goes wrong?”, replied the foreign minister bitterly, “Surely you know how much misery is accompanied by a transition process. And guess who will get the blame for all that.”

“So you will not take this wondrous opportunity because of our international reputation? This is why they probably came to us in the first place,” the economics minister rebuked

“Laurens-Jan, if they don’t seek a gullible government to play in some of their games, that is. I am not saying we should reject them, I am saying that we should be cautious.”

Galadriël had watched with some amusement as the liberals argued amongst themselves. She bluntly inserted: “Knootian foreign policy dictates that we intervene.”

Minister van Mierlo jolted his head angrily in the direction of the elf, only to be met with a cold stare: “I beg your pardon. Last time I checked I was the minister of foreign affairs.”
Prime Minister nos Cirdan said slowly: You are here to run your Department, not to dictate foreign policy. Van Mierlo angrily barked . “I think I am. The people think I am too.”
Galadriël again spoke slowly: “With respect Minister you are ... they are wrong.”
”And who does make foreign policy for the DDR; if I may inquire?”, Minister van Mierlo: asked with dripping sarcasm.
”I do”, the elf stated bluntly. Then, her face broke up and she continued somewhat more gentle, trying to inspire confidence: “Hans – I understand your doubts. But this is a matter of the national interest. Please – do this for me. I could give the task to Economic Affairs but I know you will be good at this. I know that you can do this.”
The SLP minister nodded slowly, saying nothing. His eyes were staring idly at the flower arrangement in the centrepiece of the table.

---
Tower of the Prime Minister
For the next meeting with Evgeny Cherviakov. The video screen and the digital connection had been prepared for a conference meeting with Premier Alexey. Both Galadriël and van Mierlo attended, neatly dressed for the occasion.