NationStates Jolt Archive

Eurothian President Kein Manda sighed and leaned back in his high-backed leather chair. He surveyed his office through half-closed eyes, his gaze lingering on the cobwebs in the dim corners of the room, and the dust on the once-magnificent mahogany bookcases. It had been a long time since a cleaning crew was there, and even longer since Manda himself had worked out of the office. Now, however, the room was alive with activity.

Manda watched as officers and technicians bustled about, setting up new computer equipment and checking for bugs in the old ones. He had been forced to move his command to this shithole in the middle of butt-fuck nowhere when insurgents managed to penetrate the defenses of his fortress near the Eurothian capital, Rodan. Now, he was hiding out in the very place he had abandoned thirteen years ago.

Turning around to face the floor-to-ceiling windows, Manda stretched. So much for privacy, he thought. I need a vacation. He gazed off at the mountainous horizon, his mind already in some tropical place, away from all the stresses of leadership and the constant fear of death.

Manda was snapped back to reality by a hand on his shoulder. His daughter, Elle, looked down at him, a frown on her little face.

"Daydreaming again, dad?" she said. "Y'know, it's really not the best expression for your minions, here..."

Manda chuckled. "It's 'impression', and they're not my minions, sweetie," he replied, "they're respectable Eurothian soldiers. Now, what's up?"

Elle shifted from foot to foot. "Mum says you're in trouble 'cause you weren't there for dinner. She wants you to come back to our quarters for dessert, at least," she mumbled. "Please come, daddy! Please! Tanner misses you!"

"Okay, honey, I'm coming." He got up and followed the six-year-old through the activity in the room, dodging people and equipment. In the hallway, he paused to plant a rough kiss on his daughter's blonde head. She looked up at him and smiled, then took his hand and led him through the maze of corridors to the Presidential quarters.

Manda walked into the apartment and stopped short at his wife's disapproving glare. She said nothing, however, and continued to clear the dinner dishes off the table. Manda followed her into the kitchen and stood behind her silently as she loaded the dirty dishes into the dishwasher. She finished, turning around to go back into the dining room for more, but Manda stepped into the doorway, blocking her. "I'm sorry I missed dinner, Sera," he said. "It's all just been so hectic... I mean, moving back here after so long, and getting everything together. Hell, half the techies don't even know how to work the old systems here, and the ones that do can't figure out the bugs that've worked their way in since we left. Damn 'intelligent' computers... work great when there's someone around to make sure they do, but the moment we leave, they can't figure out what the fuck to do..." He sighed. "How 'bout this: Tomorrow night, I'll come home and cook us all dinner. Fajitas or something, like the old days. Promise."

Sera looked up at him and smiled. "Look at you, Kein Manda, great military leader, practically begging forgiveness from a mere woman. What else can I do but accept Your Greatness' ill-masked apology!" Her smile widened into a grin.

"Mere woman indeed!" laughed Manda. "You fought alongside me for Eurothia's sovereignty, and then you managed to turn the lion into a housecat! You don't give yourself enough credit." He pulled her into his arms. "I love you, Serafina," he said, and kissed her.

She laughed and pulled out of his embrace. "Don't let your minions catch you saying that!" she said. "Now, I've got to get dessert ready before your children pitch a fit. They've been looking forward to it all night."

"They're not my min- wha? My children now, are they?" Manda feigned outrage. "They wouldn't be here if you hadn't played your part!"

"They take after you, Kein," Sera said. "Can't wait a single moment to get what they want."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Manda said, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, nothing," Sera said innocently, slipping past him into the dining room with four plates balanced on her arms.

"I'm sure," Manda said as he followed her, a grin on his face. "What's for dessert, anyway?"

Sera laughed. "Cheesecake," she said as she laid out forks. "Now, could you do me a favor and tell the kids it's dessert time? They're in their room."

"Yes, dear," Manda sighed with false compliance as he went to get Tanner and Elle.

Tanner and Elle looked up from their coloring books as Manda opened the door. "Daddy!" Tanner screamed, running to hug his father. Manda laughed as his son clung to his leg.

"Dessert time, guys. Your mum made cheesecake." Manda picked Tanner up and carried him back to the dining room, Elle following at his heels.

Manda stretched and yawned, eyeing himself in the bathroom mirror. Despite his age, he remained in great shape. Kein Manda was one of the few political leaders who hadn't let himself go. He knew that sometime, maybe in the near future, he might be on the frontlines again. Just like the old days. He felt that in order to keep the respect of his troops he should fight alongside them, and so far it had worked. And when he had felt he needed to run, he took them with him. The civilians could hold their own against the insurgents, as had been proven time and again.

He was distracted from his thoughts as Sera walked in, dressed only in a revealing nightgown. She had managed to keep her own figure through three children and the cozy life of a housewife. In short, she was a creature of beauty. Manda drew her into his arms and kissed her. "You're beautiful," he murmured.

"You've mentioned," she said, smiling as she brushed back her long black hair. "Now, are you gonna keep staring at yourself, or will you let me primp before bed?"

Manda chuckled as he moved past her into their small bedroom. "Anything for you, honey." He yawned and fell onto the bed, the strains of the day finally catching up with him.

He had expected an easy move. Just set up the computers, network them with the old ones, and go from there. He hadn't expected the old systems to have gotten so many glitches in the years they'd been without human presence. It's not like they were doing anything, really, aside from keeping the air and water filters going and making sure no one decided to break into the base. He assumed they were programming errors, undetected only because they hadn't presented themselves before now. Either way, Manda had never counted on having to use these archaeic systems again, but now they seemed to be necessery for the defense of his hopefully-temporary home. Pulling them out and installing the newer systems would take time they may not have, so it was much easier to link the two together and just beat them into cooperating. It didn't help that half the techs had never even seen the old systems, so had no idea where to start in figuring out the bugs. Manda had spent most of the day helping with crash-courses and re-training before his defensive ministers had dragged him away to rant at him about how this place could never stand up to a full-blown insurgent attack.

Manda groaned and tried to forget the past twenty or so hours. He worked his way under the sheets with another yawn. Once he fell asleep, he decided, nothing short of an all-out attack would get him out of bed. He closed his eyes and began to drift off, asleep before Sera had even come out of the bathroom.

Kein Manda drifts in a calm sea, just offshore from a beautiful white, sandy tropical beach. He smiles up at the perfect blue sky.

"Daddy! Look daddy!" The voice comes from somewhere behind him. He turns toward it, making his way through the warm water toward his youngest son, who was just digging in the sand near the water. Tanner runs to him as he wades through the shallows, holding something out to him. The sun glints off its metallic surface. Manda beds down to look at it holding, squinting against the bright light. It's a gold pocketwatch, encrusted slightly with salt. He takes it, feeling its solid weight in his hand, and turns it over to look at the back. Someone has carved their initials in it: KB.

"Where'd you find this, Tan?" he asks. Manda opens the watch, noting that the second hand is still ticking away. Following Tanner, he wonders how old the watch is.

"Look daddy, there's more here! I found treasure!" the five-year-old shouts, pulling at Manda's hand until he kneels down to look. And there is, indeed more treasure. He pulls out necklaces and bracelets, laying them on the sand next to him before digging deeper into the sand. After a while his fingernails begin to scrape on something solid. He starts to dig around it, carefully clearing out the sand to keep it
(Kein...)
from falling back into the hole. He digs down the sides of it, revealing a smallish wooden box.

Manda pulls it up a little, brushing sand off the top. It's fastened shut by an old rusted padlock. Nothing he can't get open. He glances up at the ocean stretched out before him. It seems darker, as if a cloud is going over the sun. He shivers, then looks back at the box. He grips the padlock and wrenches it down, a grin
(Kein Manda...)
crossing his face as it snaps off. He doesn't notice the grey at the edges of his vision as he flips the latch up and slowly begins to open the box...
(Kein!)


Manda snapped awake, rubbing his eyes. "What the..." he mumbled.

"You sleep like a rock, Kein!" Sera snapped. "There's someone at the door for you. He says it's important! Get up!" She tossed a pair of pants onto the bed as he threw the sheets aside.

"What time is it?" he asked as he pulled on his pants. He couldn't have slept too long... it was maybe midnight.

"Three in the morning," Sera said. "It better be an emergency or I'll wring that boy's neck for waking me up."

Manda staggered out into the living room, rubbing his eyes. He yawned one last time, then opened the front door. "This better be important, soldier!" he growled.

The young officer in the doorway looked at Manda, almost shaking. "Y-yes sir!" he said. "We've spotted activity in the direction of the city. It may be the insurgents. Admiral Dian sent me to alert you." He saluted and stood straight. Manda admired the boy's courage; not many young soldiers had been able to stand in front of him and not stutter through their message. Especially not at this time of night.

"Wait here, soldier. I'll be right back," Manda grunted. He turned and ran back to his bedroom to search for the top half of his uniform.

"What's going on, Kein?" Sera asked as he dug through the pile of clothes on the floor. "What's happened?"

"They think they may have spotted the insurgents. Don't worry yet, but just be ready in case it's the real thing. If the alarms wind up going - and I hope to Christ they don't - get the kids downstairs fast. I'll try to find Deryk and let him know, so don't worry about him." Manda dropped a heap of clothes onto the bed before yanking his shirt out of the pile. He threw it on and buttoned it quickly. "I love you, Sera," he said, grabbing his coat and gunbelt as he followed the young soldier out the door.