NationStates Jolt Archive

" Come on Marzio, " joked the Secretary-General. " We don't have all day! "

The Secretary of State closed his briefcase, " Alright, I think I have everything. "

" Even if you don't, " Goodchild reminded him. " We can always send someone through to bring whatever you might have forgotten. "

" Now, where is my PDA? " he added, tapping his chin.

Scevola grinned cheekily, pulling it out of his back pocket. " Forgetting something? "

The Secretary-General snatched the device from his staff-member, scowling. "Alright, let's go... we have appointments to keep. "

Heading from the Main Office and downstairs into the Secure Basement, both men entered a facility specifically designed to keep high-ranking members and particularly the Secretary-General, safe from harm. It was a last resort facility, originally only intended to be used in a case of dire circumstances and kept even known only to the highest ranking members of the Secret Service. In practice, it was a sort of 'panic room'; a device typically installed in homes of the paranoid--except larger by several degrees. And just recently it had become the installing point of one of the twenty-eight stargates established across the Unione of Capitalizt States, its coordinates unaccessible to a general directory search unless you already knew them and were willing and able to dial manually.

Standing before the enormous structure, Carmine and Marzio waited patiently as the technical staff worked to form a connection into Northrop-Grumman, a process that the vast super-computer would take only seconds to calculate as soon as instructions were input.

>> OPENING A NEW CONNECTION
>> DIALING...
>> CONNECTION SUCCESSFULLY MADE
>> SENDING AUTHENTICATION CODES
>> CONNECTION AUTHENTICATED

>> INTERPOLATING A NEW WORMHOLE

Suddenly a bright burst of energy was released and the stargate was activated. On the inner circumference of the structure a pure-energy vortex was formed which quickly expanded to fill to the full radius of the structure before converting to seemingly liquid form, 'exploding forward', and retracting itself to its event horizon. The stargate had successfully managed to contain energy being released from the wormhole which now existed between itself and a pre-organized location in the Conglomeration, and the Secretary-General and Secretary of State were left awestruck at its significance.

>> STABILIZATION COMPLETE

Around the vortex soldiers from the UCS Military took up their position and assumed a 'readiness' posture. This was not in fear that the Grummians were likely to use the wormhole to attack but rather a precautionary measure.

" The connection has been completed, " noted a voice, the gate's Overseer and Commander. " You may both walk through. "

Being that it was their first time, both men were nervous but refused to show it. Walking up the steps to the event horizon they kept side by side and in similar step, both entered into the wormhole. And within seconds, they found themselves standing on the other side; the Conglomeration of Northrop-Grumman.

As opposed to the heavily guarded and seemingly active nature of the Austarian side of the gate, the Grummian side was nearly deserted, except for one person. Staring down upon a dated control panel that had only a single incandescent light bulb to illuminate its rusty levers and dull-colored knobs, Air Force Second Lieutenant Marie Burnette waited patiently to see the authentication code from the Austarians upon the screen. Then, one by one the shining green numbers appeared, and Burnette scanned over them, checking to see if they matched the ones scratched on the slip of paper.

“So it’s the correct one,” she mumbled under her breath.

Her brown eyes darted up to the barely shimmering gate that was covered by the multi-ton iron iris blocking all inbound travel from materializing. Then her hand dropped to the twin main levers and simultaneously pressed them down. A pulley system activated along the ceiling and began to crank up two steel cables, which pulled the iris away from the gate as one would for a door.

Ching-ching-ching-ching-KLANK

The cables suddenly jammed inside the cranking system and came to a halt so as to not overload the ancient wiring and motors inside. The lieutenant cursed loudly and pulled at the lever once more, but to no avail. It appeared that the iris would be raised only partially to the ceiling, but that would have to suffice for the moment. It was far enough that anyone coming through would be just fine and that’s what mattered.

Sighing loudly, Burnette flicked a switch and the metal halide lamps illuminated dimly at first with a constant buzz and gradually gained in intensity. She patted the bun of hair on the back of her head, adjusting it so as to remain in perfect compliance with the regulations for her dress uniform, which consisted of the usual dark blue skirt, three button pocket-less blue coat, light blue collared shirt and accompanying tie.

Seeing as how they had exited the event horizon, the officer approached the two Austarians and offered her hand to each. “Good morning and welcome to Northrop-Grumman, Secretary-General Goodchild, Secretary of State Marzio. I am Second Lieutenant Marie Burnette and I will be your escort to the Chairman’s office.”

Her sharp-featured face smiled broadly as she then bowed. “I apologize for the lackluster and rather mediocre entrance today. With the nature of things in the Corporation at this moment, considering the strife and high levels of unemployment, we would rather not make a spectacle of your arrival. It would seem entirely too haughty.”

“Now, if you will follow me, we can begin our stroll,” she gestured towards a long dimly lit hall that seemed to be much like one would see on a submarine. “If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I will try my best to answer them to the best of my ability.”

Dimmly lit halls seemed to be a feature of Grummian states as colonies, Marzio would have thought as he recollected his visit to Alakantar Aleanrahel O’Neill as he was then the Austarian Senior Representative to Mars. Walking down seemingly endless corridors as instructed, he made most of the conversation with their escort as the Secretary-General walked largely in silence; only the click of his heels to make for his audible presence.

" Not a problem Lieutenant, " the Secretary of State replied, smiling gently. " Anything to provide the sensitivity needed for your government and its people. "

Observing his largely uninteresting surroundings, this would have been the first time that Carmine had visited a location within the Conglomeration.

<private comms>

>> Not particularly a people of architecture are they Marzio?

</comms>

Marzio smiled inwardly.

<private comms>

>> No, but we're not particularly interesting ourselves when comparing to say, the Dominion. One has to remember that their suffering their worst economic outlook in decades too, a lack of money going around doesn't inspire much in the way of creativity.

</comms>

" So how have things been in Northrop anyway, err... " Marzio paused as he tried to find the most appropriate title for her before finally settling once again on 'Lieutenant'. " Last I heard things were looking up, conditions improving, and the rebuilding process slow but surely steady? "

" I hope that as a consequence of this meeting, we might be able to assist in some way, " chimed in the Sec-Gen. " Your people and my people are increasingly alike, I feel guilty by not helping my counterparts here. "

“I do hope that this meeting will be beneficial for both of our nations,” she responded politely. “I personally think that further cooperation would go a long way towards fixing some of our problems.”

As they approached one of the metal blast doors leading out of the corridor, the Lieutenant readily noticed that it had not opened as it normally would have. Was it a simple malfunctioning sensor or something else? She slid her ID card through the reader in an attempt to open it that way, but unfortunately, nothing happened.

“How are things?” She jammed her hand behind a wall panel and pulled the sheet of metal away, placing it upon the floor with a clang. Behind it was a small space containing control circuitry, the hydraulic pumps for the door, and a fingerprint scanner, all brightly lit with fluorescent lighting. “The colonies have fared far better than the mainland. They seem to have less of the unemployment problems, governmental problems, and religious issues that we have here. I would assume it’s due to a more streamlined nature of the power structure and of course the assistance from you folks than anything else. Plus, they’re more cosmopolitan, I believe.”

Her fingers quickly tapped at the number pad then pressed against the dusty old fingerprint scanner. With a loud squeal, the blast door slid open partially, once again, with just enough space to allow the three through. On the other side was an enormous hall, dwarfing that of the previous one. It seemed grander and more luxurious; delicately placed wall panels of cerulean blue and silvers much like that of the Martian colony lined the walls, glowing impressively. Though, oddly, the floor was quite dirty, engrained with soil and black streaks running down the length of it.

The lieutenant stepped out into it and carried on her conversation as if nothing was amiss. “Here, we do what we can, but I think we have a long road ahead of us towards fixing all of our problems. It’s not a dreadful outlook. No, not at all. It’s a challenge to the Grummian people, and one that we gladly accept. We’ve been to hell and back in the past six decades. This is like absolute bliss in comparison.”

" As do I, " replied the Secretary-General, being half cut off by a certain amount of surprise to see that hardware was quite this bad.

Watching the lieutenant work on getting the door open, both men stood largely in silence, as she continued to answer their question. Nodding from time to time, they listened carefully as to get a clear picture--a picture otherwise unseen completely from lavish offices and diplomatic handshakes.

" Well, " continued Marzio, carrying the conversation forth. " I think we can both agree that the future of the Conglomeration--and not just the outlying territories, is certainly brighter. So you can be expectant of more 'bliss' to come, Lieutenant, if you don't mind me saying so. "

" I recall a similar civilization, " added the Secretary-General. " Who suffered quite similar circumstances and were forced to rebuild everything. They did so, and became more successful than they had been prior to the disaster that hit them. Today, they remain a considerable part of the United Solaris Federation, a good friend of ours. I can honestly say that the event itself has built a certain character quality in its people, probably the fundamental principal in defining them as a successful people in an otherwise unchartered world. "

“I do hope so,” she replied quietly as the lights overhead suddenly flashed to red. “This is the third time around we’ve had to rebuild everything in this city…”

Burnette backed up closer to the wall and instructed the Austarians to do the same. Behind them rumbled a rather large dump truck, carrying all sorts of scrap metal, concrete, electrical equipment, and soil. It sped up the corridor and did not even slow as it passed the group, dropping more dirt and grease and grinding it all into the floor. Just as soon as that one had passed, another one rumbled by with the same type of cargo. It did not bother the lieutenant that there were trucks running through the capital building as this was a daily occurrence, but she figured that the Austarians would be bewildered by such a thing.

“Just four years ago, a great portion of the city was destroyed in an overnight battle,” she continued on as she walked. “So we’ve spent these past few years trying to rebuild it all. Most of it had to be completely bulldozed under and reconstructed from the ground up. Likewise, the capital building we are in now suffered heavy damage, destroying five out of nine towers and ripping a third of the building completely out. Of course, we can’t simply stop running our government just to rebuild, so we’re currently demolishing the old structure, building a new one, and maintaining some of the more vital sections all at the same time.”

The Austarians were relatively surprised, though they preferred not to show it. Trying to keep a cool posture as much as possible, the Secretary-General began to wonder for his safety.

" Wow, just four years ago? " Marzio replied, largely oblivious to the construction and going back and forths around him. " I had thought it was much earlier than that. Your countrymen are doing quite well then, considering. "

He continued walking, " What prompted most of the fighting then, if you don't mind my asking? Obviously something the government is still quite sensitive about today by the seems of things--I sure hope stability in the Conglomeration has returned permanently. "

Oh what a question to ask! Inwardly the lieutenant cringed when she had heard it, not wanting to answer in the way she was supposed to. No matter how it was phrased it would sound rather strange to anyone not from Northrop-Grumman. But she had a duty to perform…

“The fighting was not due to anything the Grummian population did, other than simply existing,” she answered as she led the group down yet another but smaller corridor. It seemed less damaged and less dirty than the previous but noticeably was completely deserted. “To put it plainly, we found ourselves with an army on our doorstep that had risen from the ground. Presumably it was something that was here thousands of years ago that decided to attack all at once.”

She paused briefly. “Actually, saying they were on our doorstep implies they actually stopped, which they didn’t. No sooner had they been discovered they were pouring over the city’s walls, through homes and businesses, and down our streets. The civilian population did what they could to fight using the weapons we distributed throughout the residential areas. And we tried to use the army and air force, but that did little good. We couldn’t fire unless we had a clear shot, but with the skyscrapers we have and the population running amok, we wound up hurting ourselves more than anything else.

“We finally had to do what we did during the civil war: ordered the evacuation of the districts around the capital building and proceeded to shell everything in sight. Most of the structures had already been burned out, blasted apart, or full of these demonic things. Fortunately, this was in the wee hours of the morning when the population was at home, so civilian casualties were fairly light in the center city. Thankfully, we were eventually able to repel the attacks by dawn due to our own efforts and that of the Chair.”

The group had finally reached a row of shining silver elevator doors. Burnette stopped in front of one and pressed the call button. “Of course, that’s not the end of our problems. Now we have a fairly new polytheistic religion formed in the aftermath of the battle. They want equal rights and a more ‘fair’ government in place on the local level. This doesn’t exactly sit well with the Council of the Eight Churches who manage to put into office a great deal of those government officials and direct them to form a more moral society. So, at one point, the arguing between the two sides became overly heated and one lashed out in violence toward the other. It’s been such a mess. I don’t think anyone knows who really started it anymore…but anyway…that set off a chain of events that, to this day, no one has been able to reverse. Both sides have their extremists who perform attacks like blowing up churches, university buildings, car bombings, among other things, and neither side wants to sit down and talk, no matter how much the Chair threatens them.”

" Hmm, " replied Marzio, stroking his chin. " So do we know why these militants attacked or is it mostly unknown? I can understand the rise of a militant or terrorist group, if they have a particular cause or motive. "

He shrugged, " I don't know about you but I've never really encountered groups where their motive has simply been to destroy. Usually the threat to destroy comes with the intent of bringing about some kind of change, sometimes even as petty as the desire to gain power themselves. But this wouldn't be the first time I've been able to observe crisis' like this--often the solution is to work with and consider the particular grievances of groups individually, and working out a resolution vis a vis such things as the needs of the state and its various community groups in a way that excludes nobody. "

" Unfortunately, " he added. " This is often easier said than done. "

With a quiet ding, the elevator doors slid open to show a styling much like the corridors the group had passed through earlier. It was kept clean though and generally appeared to be unused. Burnette directed the Austarians in, and once they had stepped beyond the door, she pressed the topmost elevator button.

“As far as I know – of course, some of this is speculation,” she shrugged, watching the digital display gradually count the floors. “The militants on one side feel that there is no peaceful way for them to have any sort of power within the local government, so they must force the officials to change. On the other side, they feel that this new religion is a threat to their power and the stability of the Corporation, and also think that if they come to power, then the circumstances behind the civil war will reappear.”

“And I can’t say that I disagree with you, sir, but no matter how much the Chair likes to press people like me to be diplomats, I’m just a military officer.” She smiled towards him as the elevator reached the top floor. “Ah, last stop.” The door then slid open. “It has been a pleasure talking with you both, but not to worry, I will be the one escorting you back when you’re done.”

The Austarians would now be in an office that quite differed from the building at large. Instead of the metal piping, cables, and other industrial materials that seemed prevalent throughout the corridors, the walls here were paneled in fine mahogany – the same with nearly every piece of furniture in the office – giving off a certain eighteenth century European feel to the room. A wall of books of all kinds filled the left side of the room and that of the right, except for the center of one, which contained a stone fireplace.

Now, seeing these new visitors, the Chairman rounded the centrally-placed large desk, which sat directly in front of a row of floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the metropolis below, and approached the Austarians with an outstretched hand. “Welcome to Northrop-Grumman. I’m Chairman O’Neill, and that’s my wife, the Chairwoman.”

With his free hand he pointed over to an elf who sat quietly upon one of the couches, seemingly engrossed in a leather-bound book from the row of shelves before her. She glanced up towards the men and simply nodded in greeting with nothing but a cold expression on her face, then headed right back to her reading, seemingly not caring about anything at the moment..

“It’s a pleasure to meet ya both. I hope our little detour wasn’t too much for you,” the Chairman continued then nodded towards the couches where his wife rested. “Please do have a seat.”

The Secretary-General just smiled and nodded respectfully to his and Marzio's escort for the past few minutes or so, " The pleasure is mutual, Lieutenant Burnette. Looking forward to it. "

Having been left alone both men paused to take in their surroundings before stepping forward into the Chairman's office. Spotting the Chairman first and then the Chairwoman with her book, the Carmine was the first to step forward, taking his counterpart's hand with a firm yet professional grip.

“ Welcome to Northrop-Grumman. I’m Chairman O’Neill, and that’s my wife, the Chairwoman. "

Both men nodded respectfully to the Chairwoman who was seemingly engrossed in her book.

" It’s a pleasure to meet ya both. I hope our little detour wasn’t too much for you. Please do have a seat. ”

" Thank You. This- " he replied, motioning to Marzio to the right of him. " Is my Secretary of State, Marzio Scevola. I am Secretary-General Carmine Goodchild, head of state and government of the Unione of Capitalizt States. "

Marzio chuckled at the Chairman's comment. " It was an interesting experience, to tell you the truth. But I've had worse. "

Taking a seat on a couch that was near the Chairwoman, both men only sat as the Chairman took his own.

" I'll tell you what Chairman O'Neill, " said Carmine, sparking up some conversation. " The Conglomeration may well be being rebuilt as we speak, but the people of Northrop-Grumman are to be commended. Their ability to withstand conflict and bounce back is amazing--I admire their resolve. "

Seeing as how he was expected to be the first one to sit, which to him was an abnormality since he always allowed everyone else to be seated before him, the Chairman took the remaining space on the couches right next to his wife. He leaned back into it with a comfortable sigh and rested his hand upon the arm of the furniture.

“So do I,” he replied with a smile and a nod. “I really don’t think we’d still be around if the people hadn’t been this resilient. They seem to be able to take anything that’s thrown at them. Wars, natural disasters, catastrophes…no matter what, they always seem to manage. I can say that I’ve been very fortunate to have these people to take care of.”

Closing the book that she was reading, the Chairwoman silently peered over to her husband then to the Austarians as they conversed. She watched everything: how they spoke, how they moved, and their aura. These were people that she had never met and knew little of so she was curious yet cautious about them. Oh, the elf would have loved to see how they reacted to her ‘tests’ but then again, her husband was here and she’d hate for him to get in the way of it all.

Noticing none of this, the Chairman continued, “I’d more than love to show ya around town, let you get a feel of the people, but the area is about the same out there as it is in here. You’d probably need a hard hat and something better than those suits. It’s not a good place for anything…nice at the moment. It’s not unsanitary; it’s just dirty, dusty, and full of debris and construction materials. Besides, I’m pretty sure the Lieutenant has mentioned the other reasons.”

Marzio nodded gracefully, " Well we're both military, so it wouldn't be any trouble to us at all. "

" What Mr. Scevola means to say, " interjected the Secretary-General, inserting himself into the conversation in a timely fashion. " Is that we don't really want to be any trouble to you or your government at all. The Lieutenant mentioned that there was a certain amount of social sensitivity at the moment, and I'd hate to think that us visiting would be the cause of another outbreak of violence."

" Or at least contributed to it, " added the Secretary of State.

There was a slight pause.

" No, I'm actually more interested in what we can do to help, if you don't mind my being so forward, " Carmine carried the conversation. " For obvious reasons, it would need to be done sensitively, but I'm actually quite curious about our shared ability to address the underlying issues. Conflicts can be like weeds, as I'm sure you're well aware--unless you deal with the root of it you're always going to see a third and fourth generation of them resurface. "

Marzio cleared his throat, " To make our intentions quite clear, we both feel that the Conglomeration and Unione of Capitalizt States alike have thus far enjoyed a relationship that has been for the most part, mutually beneficial. Our peoples, in at least their aims, objectives, and culture, seem nearly identical, which is why partnerships such as the development of Astria Porta and the extension of working visas to Grummian citizens seems to have worked so well. Of course, given that our peoples and governments slowly become intertwined into somewhat of a shared vision, I think it becomes crucial to start considering how we are protecting not only our own, but each other's interests. "

The Austarians exchanged glances.

" This is probably the bulk purpose of our visit, Chairman, Chairwoman, " the Secretary-General picked up where the Secretary of State left off. " We already have the foundations from which to work from, I believe it's time to start considering building upon that in a way that works for both of us as the next logical step. "

“Help us?” asked the Chairman, as if what Carmine said truly needed any more clarification, which it didn’t. He understood it quite perfectly, but hated to have to explain the problem he faced to any significant degree. “I’m not terribly sure what all you can do, to be honest. The religious conflict is so deep rooted in the local governments that I think it’s going to take a complete restructuring to fix it all. That in itself would force us to rework the foundation for the Corporation’s governance. Then there’s the fact that Grummians…don’t particularly like outsiders meddling in domestic affairs. If anything, they’ll do what they do best – unite and tell you where to go stick it, to be blunt.”

The man’s head dropped slightly in a moment of regret, sighing heavily. He glanced briefly to his wife beside him, his eyes showing how much he grew wearily of this ever constant strife. “I don’t think this is something you can directly intervene in right now. It’s a mess for sure, but it’s something that…Siri and I…have to handle on our own, I’m afraid. It’s our responsibility to deal with this…”

The Chairwoman lovingly grasped his hand and picked up the conversation for her husband, not exactly where he’d left off, but she figured that it would be for the best if she diverted it to the other parts of the topic at hand. “We are always willing for increased cooperation with our friends and allies and even more so open to further partnerships with the Unione of Capitalizt States,” she spoke delicately and seemingly cheerfully. “I do feel that we have much in common with one another and that it would serve both our interests if we pursue these goals. However, let it be noted that we are a cautious people and such things would need to be discussed on length. But, I digress, I suspect from your speaking that you already have some ideas in mind, as do I. Please do tell. I feel that we can be open with one another, hmm?”

" Quite, " replied the Secretary-General as delicately as possible. " And please make no mistake and think that we somehow doubt you at all. My administration fully believes in you and your ability to govern in the Grummian interest. Meanwhile, any offer of assistance will fully encompass consideration for the political, economic, and strategic needs of the Conglomeration. "

Marzio waited for an appropriate time to add his own two cents on the conversation, " I think what the Secretary-General means to say, is that any assistance on our part will be handled as sensitively as possible. So whether it comes in the form of foreign investment or back-room agreements, that pertains to the interests of Northrop in particular. Maybe your government needs cash, no strings attached, to help with the process of restructuring the nation--alternatively, Austarian businesses in particular are eager to operate in markets foreign to the Unione of Capitalizt States, they could provide the much needed boost to get things up and running, and the money flowing vis-a-vis local and/or national economies again. "

Carmine took over from here.

" In short, Chairman, Chairwoman, I hope that you would consider us less of a fellow nationstate in the international community and more of a friend. I fully understand and appreciate the responsibilities you have as national leaders, and also the need for a particularly cautious approach--I have my own to consider in the process bear in mind, but I would like to take the opportunity to basically convey that you're not alone in all of this. If the fact that we are friends is true, it becomes one of my own responsibilities to make certain that we are assisting them in times where we could be more helpful in methods and volumes that are as pragmatic as possible. Of course, if it happens to be that there are no reasonable ways we can somehow make your job any easier then I'm happy to simply say that you have our full and moral support in virtually any endeavor your government sets itself on. "

There was a period of silence and then the Chairwoman spoke, turning the attention of the conversation to more practical terms.

" Well to name a couple of ideas myself and the Sec-Gen here discussed on somewhat brief terms, " the Secretary of State answered enthusiastically. " We have the possibility of mutual defense pacts, complete free trade agreements, and cultural and educational exchange projects, just to name a few. To assist in the redevelopment of the Grummian economy, perhaps the Conglomeration itself will consider initiatives that will promote market activity in methods which benefit the both of our interests. For example, the construction industry might have the opportunity to be booming but I'm almost certain opportunities might be being lost due to a lack of various resources not pertaining to levels of employment and such. "

Carmine smiled and laughed a little bit, " Get the money flowing around, eh? My subordinates seem to consider themselves skilled economists you see, I do apologize. No, but really, I firmly believe that the level of business activity is linked by definition to the success of an economy. The more business activity the bigger and more 'successful' the economy, so to speak. Then you have other issues to consider I suppose, but it's worthwhile talking about economic development specific to the challenges both you and I face in an interdependent sort of way. "

" And that's a conversation worthwhile saving for a complete other day, with all the considerations to be made and such. "

" If you don't mind my speaking openly, Chairwoman, " Marzio turned his attention in full to the elf. " What exactly are the objectives of your administration? I would suppose it firstly entails rebuilding the cities and restructuring things to increase a more long-term viability of the peace and reconciliation process, but what else? I don't suppose Northrop has any enemies that I personally know of. "

" More importantly, what are your thoughts on the future between our two countries? "

<private comms>

>> Be careful Marzio. Don't want to be overextending ourselves to a position that makes them uncomfortable in any way.

</comms>

Both Austarians kept their body language open, arms uncrossed with the Secretary-General leaning comfortably back and the Secretary-of-State forwards.

“What are the objectives of our administration?” repeated the Chairwoman with a curious tone and a slight tilt of her head.

Immediately, her husband picked up the conversation and answered Marzio in a fashion that had not directly answered his question – at least, not right away, “About forty-four…forty-five years ago, an orbiting space station of ours was sabotaged and fell into this city. Over three hundred million people were killed…including nearly all of the leadership. A lowly old general, just nearing retirement, was stuck in this position and had to fill the shoes of the one and only leader we had. My goal then was to reunify and rebuild a shattered nation.

“Thirteen years later, I was shot, beat, and marooned on another planet, presumably for the rest of my life…which almost wasn’t long,” he continued on and his voice grew wearier. “A civil war broke out when…someone…attempted to take over my position and rule over the Corporation with an iron fist, trying to massacre all opposition, destroy all religion, and take on our allies. Millions of lives, untold amounts of destruction, and months of total warfare brought it all to a close. Back in my old position, my goal then was to reunify and rebuild a shattered nation.

“Then just four years ago was that mess. An…entity decided to invade us in the middle of the night, for no really good reason. We were horribly unprepared and only barely were able to repel the army before they had a chance of overtaking us. Everything in the city was left mangled and thousands of lives were lost. My goal then was to reunify and rebuild a shattered nation. Now that we are facing this religious upheaval, with the terrorist attacks, bombings, killings and other ways of death…”

He paused abruptly and sighed; his hands sifted through his white hair with a groan. “I’ve been at this for the past forty some odd years, and I’m getting old…I’m tired and worn out and wishing this would just stop happening; what I want is peace, stability, and an overall wellbeing of the Corporation.”

The Chairwoman gently squeezed his hand as she looked over her with a bit of concern. She noted to herself that he had been under the weather a lot lately, mostly due to the fact that every day he’d open the newspaper or watch the news, it would always seem to be more and more death, and he couldn’t find a way to stop it. “Our enemies are lacking,” she replied finally, giving the Chairman a break. “As you already know, the Allaneans have been on our so called ‘black-list’, but with the addition of the Dersconi and the Cherry Ridgians. The former, of course, came within a hair’s breadth of attempting to annihilate us just for leaving the Greater Prussian Empire and the latter, well, there has been a degree of animosity between them and our current allies in the Non-Democratic Alliance. However, I wish to point out that the relationship we have with these three is primarily avoidance. We stay away from them; they stay away from us. It is for the best.

“Now, as for my thoughts concerning Grummian-Austarian relations, we are open to the usual mutual defense pacts and cultural and educational exchange projects. Mind you, free trade agreements tend to have issues when it comes to the entire nation. Quite a few sectors are completely monopolized by the Corporation, and I feel that most of them shall stay as such for the moment. Some do underperform and ought to be done away with. And others are there for purely national security reasons. I’ve been told that this does not help our economy in some ways, but I feel that either way we turn we shoot ourselves in the foot. Ah, what a hole we’ve dug ourselves into…”

Carmine grinned, " Oh, I wouldn't worry too much Chairman O’Neill. "

" I think every nation has its issues and the Conglomeration isn't any different. Perhaps instead of viewing your circumstances as exceptional, you can consider them challenges. I realize of course that not having walked the same course as you have, I may come across a bit naive. But being the leader that you are, I have a firm belief that you are able, somehow, to bring all of this together. "

There was a slight pause and Marzio decided to weigh into the conversation.

" Regarding the needs of your government, " he began, negotiating the Chairman's amount of despair. " I just want to fully re-illiterate that we acknowledge your circumstances as in some was, being quite difficult, and will work with the needs of the Conglomeration accordingly. "

" For example, our administration requires that certain industries, particularly news-media, be governed specifically by the needs of the state. An information monopoly, if you will, has been established by Mr. Goodchild's office to prevent any sort of dissident and 'popular opinion' becoming a new fad. So I think while on one hand the Conglomeration is going to require certain industries to be protected, the requirements will be relatively equal. "

" The main question then becomes: what needs to be protected and where? And I think we can both agree that minus the more important aspects, the bureaucrats in my office and the bureaucrats in yours should be able to work closely over the coming months to nut something workable out. "

There was a pause and the Secretary-General took over from here. " Overall, here is my vision as I see it: The Unione of Capitalizt States, and the Conglomeration, two formerly very separate economies, becoming interdependent in such a way that each brings a strength to the table to compliment the other's weakness. Your additional capacity with our corporate enthusiasm, your projects-needing-to-be-completed and our desire to invest. "

" All of this, " Carmine smiled. " Without the political sacrifice and disadvantage. "

“Mmmm…perhaps,” replied the Chairwoman with an air of uncertainty about her. Her eyes briefly caught that of her husband's for just a minute, before turning back to the two Austarians. “Mind you, we would rather not wish to use the Unione as a ‘crutch’ – if you will – for the problems that we currently face. Most of this is quite possibly our own doing, and there is not a need to put your people through a traumatic experience by unloading our issues upon them.

“That is my main concern in all of this. We certainly do not mind opening up trade with the Unione, with the understanding that Austarian companies may very well lose all of their money they sink into us, but any sort of forced…for lack of a better word…would seem unwise at this point – partially out of concern for your own people and of course ours.

“I feel that we ought to leave the issue of such integration be at this point…at least, until we get our affairs in order. The Corporation needs to pursue a complete and total restructuring so that it can more effectively govern its nine billion citizens and of course its economy. Things are pitiful at best at the moment due to the growing inefficiency and the unsuitability of the corporate model for this nation. But…these things will need to take time, so I would expect that this idea would need to be shelved for at least a little while. Now, we certainly are still open to the other ideas...”

Marzio listened to the thoughts of the Chairman carefully, nodding at intervals. When he finally brought to a close by saying that the idea of integration should be shelved until restructuring is complete, he looked to the Secretary-General, back to the Chairman and nodded understandingly.

" Whichever works for you and your government, " he replied open-handedly. " We don't wish to impede on the efforts of your government to bring about internal change, either. "

" Which brings us to our next idea- " Secretary-General Goodchild quickly moved the discussion to the next topic at hand. " Military partnerships, mutually beneficial training programs, and co-operating in the field of our national defenses. First off, how would you feel about a mutual defense agreement, outside of the scope of more formal organizations such as the NDA? "

Ah, now this was something more agreeable and doable, at least, so the Chairman thought. Economic matters were certainly not his forte as his background was almost entirely military, hence why he had left most of the speaking in regards to that up to his wife. She seemed to keep after these sorts of things, while he was left up to dealing with the military and day-to-day operations of the Corporation.

A smile crept across his face as he answered the Austarians. “We’ve always been pretty open to them, probably more so than large formal alliances. We mostly try to go for one-on-one agreements since it seems to work out better that way,” he replied gladly, seemingly happy that the turn of conversation was towards something he felt better suited for. “Hrm…Brandoniats…Anagonia…and Underwater Asylum are a few we have currently mutual defense pacts with, and some shared military forces. And we periodically hold joint exercises with all of them and of course the NDA.

“Now, of course, we still are careful when forming these agreements, don’t want to get into some mess when the other nation goes off the wall. But! I did take the liberty of doing a little ‘background check’ and I really don’t foresee any of the same problems with you all. I think we’d be more than will to accept that kind of an agreement.”

Marzio deferred to his superior on this issue, with Carmine being much more of the 'military type'. He had of course served his own term of two years under the compulsory Federal Service program, but found himself more a pen pusher than the gunslinger that the Secretary-General was renown for.

" Good, " Goodchild answered simply. " Then I suppose I can instruct my bureaucrats to begin working over the exact terms of such. I'm curious though; during this stage of restucturing you've been talking about, do you want us to honor any terms of defense to your government should internal matters turn awry? "

" I have another couple of questions to ask you also, " Marzio added as sensitively as possible. " If you don't mind of course. I know that both the Secretary-General and I have a few concerns over some... allies of yours. The Kingdom of Britmattia, to use them as an example, have proven themselves not to be the most constructive when it comes to building a relationship with us. I think we've tried a couple of times at bridging the divide that seems to be growing between our governments, and I can't for the life of me understand why. Nevertheless, they've proven contrary to the interests of our government for seemingly few or little reasons, and as you probably understand it concerns at least me to some degree. "

" What Mr. Scevola is asking you I think, " Carmine ad libbed for the Secretary of State. " Is how much of an impact do allies such as the Kingdom have on internal or foreign policies of the Conglomeration? Ultimately, if they're going to be unreasonable we don't really care what they think of us, but how their attitude toward us affects our other relationships, we do care about. "

“Yes, please,” replied the Chairman with a simple nod. “If things were to get a bit out of hand, that is. But, I’d like to have you keep it in mind that most of our military forces are being used to make sure that everything in the nation stays in order, a state of martial law would be a better way to put it. It’s been somewhat successful so far and will probably continue ‘til we’ve completed our restructuring and sometime after. Most of our concerns at this point are whether or not someone would decide to take advantage of this, but for the moment, the NDA is taking care of that. Either way, just keeping an open eye on things for us would be a great help and would be appreciated.”

The Chairman steepled his fingers, resting his head against them in deep thought. Ah, concerns over whom the Corporation is allied with. He knew this would pose a problem at some point and was surprised it had taken this long. “Their opinions are certainly considered. After all, they are our allies. Now whether or not we actually go along with those opinions is another thing entirely. Our first and foremost concern is what’s best for the Corporation and its people. If we feel that a policy works best for us despite the misgivings of our allies then we will still follow it. We are a sovereign state and we’re not going to be told who we can have relations with or what we ought to do with our people. However, these other nations are free to sever ties if they feel they can no longer be that close to us. We would do the same of course. In the case of a few nations we have on our blacklist, we are still willing be friends with those who are allied to them. But that does not mean that the blacklisted are allowed to send trade, people, or other things through that allied nation. We expect our allies to at least respect our wishes in that regard and we will do likewise.”

Marzio was pleased, " All is well then, our concerns have been gratified. "

" How do you feel about the sharing of intelligence? " Carmine was quick to move onto a similar subject. " Obviously there would need to be some kind of provision to protect Northrop-Grumman's standing in the NDA concerning this, but I'm sure something can be arranged. We'll probably see it nessasary to protect information we recieve via the intelligence component of VERITAS as well. "

" Of course, you could become privvy if you were willing to apply for membership to at least just that specific treaty. A much more flexible arrangement. "

The Chairwoman opted to address this matter, being as she kept a close eye on the Grummian intelligence services and that of her own. Anything relating to the former would have to go through mainly her then be signed off by her husband, but in most cases that was not necessary.

“We’re certainly not opposed to it and actually gladly welcome such an arrangement,” she answered him. “But, of course, that provision will need to be added for us to accept it and must encompass our other allies, plus any future alliances we must join. Perhaps, just a clause stating that any intelligence received from allies would be completely optional to this partnership and would only be exchanged if the situation deems it necessary. Would that be acceptable?

“Now, as to VERITAS, we have considered applying for membership, but our relations with the member states have been lacking, I must say. Presently, we have anything ranging from cordial relations to full-on allied status with only four of the sixteen nations within it. I feel that unless we were to work towards rectifying that problem, I honestly doubt we would join.”

Marzio shrugged nonchalantly, " Whichever are the priorities of the Conglomeration, I do not mind. But these arrangements certainly seem perfect, given the fact that we have our other relationships to cater for. "

" Not to be a stickler for wording at all, " the Secretary-General chimed in. " But 'as the situation deems nessasary' sounds a bit vague in my opinion. Would you rather consider something more specific, to protect the confidence of both yours and mine allies? "

" Perhaps... " Marzio continued. " Intelligence specific to the state and military security of both of our countries are worthwhile being shared, whilst anything not pertaining to specifically that shouldn't? All other information gained personally by our own intelligence community can be shared without restriction. "

Lightly tapping her fingers against the armrest of the sofa, the Chairwoman considered his words carefully, tumbling the phrasing over and over again in her mind to assure herself that this was precisely what she wanted to do. It was only prudent that she do so, of course. She was, after all, giving the Austarians an opportunity to get their hands on some vital information, but on the other hand, it would greatly help the Grummian intelligence services. But yet, something seemed to be off…

“Well…” she responded after a few seconds of thought. “I wish to point out that while your wording has become a bit more specific, it seems to be a mere suggestion or an opinion of sorts than terms for an agreement. Then again, that’s not to say that we can abide by it according to good faith. Trust does go a long way towards strengthening relationships, does it not?”

Carmine smiled and leaned back into his chair. " Well whichever the wording, I think we can both agree that we both understand fully the spirit of our agreement. We share information with you without compromising the security of our fellow Intelligence Departments as provisioned under such and such agreements, whilst you do the same. It's all fairly standard really. "

" Meanwhile, " he continued. " I agree, trust does go a long way toward strengthening relationships. I have no doubt, if you mind me saying so, that the Conglomeration and Unione of Capitalizt States can grow a mutually beneficial relationship that does not compromise our other interests. I only hope, that your other allies will be nessasarily so easy going. "

Marzio looked to the Secretary-General, somewhat answering him on behalf of the Chairman and Chairwoman, " But the Conglomeration enjoys its full soveriegnty, does it not? Why, I hear that m'lady here intends to attend the conference to refound the Concordat of Pheonix. Without proof or evidence that they were subverting their relationships with other countries in some way, it would be fool-hardy to presume the worst. I have full confidence that this component of our relationship will not create any contention with any of their other allies--in fact, if they haven't raised the issue of the Menelmacari-Ctani partnership with the Triumvirate of Yut, why would they? "

Carmine rolled the thought over his head a few times, " I suppose that you're right. " Turning to his counterparts from Northrop, he smiled. " I'm comfortable if you're comfortable. Have you got any other concerns that you'd like to raise before moving onto the subject of cultural and school exchanges? Some ideas of your own even would be more than welcome. "

“No, there really aren’t any other concerns for me over this. I think we’ve gotten the basics pretty hammered out in a way we both can agree on. And the rest can be dealt with all in good time,” the Chairman finally replied with a shake of his head.

“Now…any ideas I might have?” He mulled the question over to himself and considered anything that might have been forgotten in the midst of these negotiations. “Well, no. We’ve covered most of the main bits that I had in mind: the mutual defense pact, free trade, and the like. Alak….er, excuse me…Governor O’Neill…I can’t seem to get the hang of using a title for him” He chuckled in amusement at this, still not used to his son’s new position of power in the Grummian governmental structure.

“Anyway… he’s covered the visa waiver program and the rest of the Mars issues. I can’t say I have anything in mind at the moment, but perhaps I will by the end. Please, do continue.”

" Well, " Marzio cocked his head to the left slightly. " I don't know about you but I'd be considering a cultural and education exchange to be on the same level of integration as what you consider a free trade agreement--in which case I'd be shelving the idea until you felt more comfortable. "

Carmine interjected, " Sorry, but since the Conglomeration has such a high level of unemployment, would you be particularly opposed to our companies coming in to assist with the rebuilding process, making use of the vast personnel-resource that you have available? This was one our main ideas, both in assisting in your redevelopment and expanding the Austarian economy. "

“I don’t think we need to be too quick to shelve the idea, even with all that’s going on at the moment. But on the other hand, we probably shouldn’t go all in with some vast program. Instead, maybe we could start off with a few bits of educational exchange. Nothing overly integrated and time consuming.” The Chairman paused briefly and thought about any number of ideas he had relating to this particular topic. But before long, he had at least one in mind and decided to bring it forth.

“Here’s something we could do…we could work with our respective universities towards creating a student exchange. We could then see how many of the students are interested in spending some time, maybe a year or two, in the other nation’s universities, and if it’s a decent sized amount, which it’ll probably be, send them over. I’d imagine we’d keep track of what they’re doing and, use their experiences to see how and when we could start more ‘advanced’ programs, by which time we would hope to have more of our domestic problems straightened out.”

That was when Carmine entered into the conversation once more, so the Grummian man stopped and listened to what he had to offer. “Well…you’re more than welcome to give it a whirl. Though, that’s not to say that you’ll be all that successful. Right now, the Corporation itself is providing most of the funding towards the reconstruction in some way of getting more jobs out there to the people in a way to boost the economy and making it so that the capital city isn’t a total disaster, which doesn’t help in anyone wanting to open businesses here. Our efforts range anywhere from being wildly successful to utterly dismal. We are doing well in actually rebuilding the city, but getting businesses and the like into it is another matter entirely. Rebuilding all of this does no good if there aren’t people and businesses to move into the empty structures.”

Carmine leaned backward in pleasant surprise, " Well then, that's something. Certainly, where the Conglomeration wishes to maintain a monopoly we'll have our corporations respect your priorities. As for others--where we might be successful in outperforming some of your efforts, I can instruct and provide guidance to them in focusing on these areas. "

" This is good. "

" Your idea for an exchange of students would work quite well, " Marzio smiled. " It was actually along the lines of what we were thinking, I'm glad we're able to work something out that doesn't prove detrimental to the restructuring of your government. "

There was a slight pause and Carmine turned the conversation to more curious affairs.

" So if you don't mind my being nosy Chairman, Chairwoman, what are your thoughts on the future direction of Northrop-Grumman? Obviously you have plans to redevelop the basis of your government, but-- " at this he looked over to his Secretary of State. " I'm actually curious as to how you envisionage the Conglomeration to be in years to come. "

" I've had some thoughts of my own with regards to ideas for the UCS actually, but I need more time to consider them. "

“Envision? Well…at this point, it’s really all less of a vision and more of a hope. How we view the future will basically rely on our plans towards restructuring the government and the outcome of that. We’re going to try to solve our problems and create a much better form of government that can deal with the growing population, the responsibilities of governance, and handling the massive corporate subsidiaries under it, and whatever future troubles may suddenly show up….but…beyond that, we are just left with simply hoping that it all works out in the end because nothing like it has ever been tried.”

Leaning forward in his seat, the Chairman propped his elbows upon his knees and collected his thoughts for just a moment. He then glanced over to his wife as if to debate whether or not he should really continue this conversation topic. A part of him didn’t want to think about what lay beyond the coming years, much less what could happen after the government reworking. The Chairwoman gave him a shrug to go on if he wanted to, so he sighed and decided to answer it further.

“…we’ve actually given the whole redeveloping the government a bit of thought recently, particularly with what all has been happening. One of the main things we’ve considered doing is dissolving the Corporation from its current form. At the least, moving it down in importance so that it’s just a holding company that binds together the various government monopolies…basically meaning that the Corporation handles being a true corporation instead of governance like it does now. Another is to provide a sort of secondary level between the national and local governments…but…that’s still up in the air. The primary idea behind this is to increase the amount of efficiency and responsiveness of the government and to settle the matters of every county and city having their own micronation in the middle of the country with their own laws, governance, and other things.”

Carmine raised both eyebrows in some surprise, " Wow, I didn't quite realize that things were quite so complicated. Now I see why it becomes necessary to think about reforming a lot of the government process. "

" I think all of the ideas set out so far in this meeting have been more than acceptable, Chairman, Chairwoman " Marzio conversed directly now with both of the Grummians. " I really have confidence that what we have achieved today will mean for a great foundation; a real means for our nations to move forward under unprecedented terms and cooperation. I'm really quite excited for what the future has to hold, for the both of us. "

OOC: Apologies for taking my time with this. Have been flat out between college and all my other commitments that most of my creative juices have been preoccupied with other things. Take as long as you need, I'll try to be posting more often.