NationStates Jolt Archive

Howard Greer reclined in his office chair and rested his feet on the polished surface of his desk. He glanced, ever so briefly, at the spectacular view outside his office window — from the 24th floor of the Houses of Parliament in New Providence, he could see clear across the Providence Sea, to the somewhat predictably named Providence Isle.

Providence, he thought to himself. It’s so prevalent in how we work in this nation. And, yes, we’ve certainly had our share of its benefits. And it was an entirely true observation. From the bountiful partnership with the wonderful Republic of Ziobia to the heroic role of the Aieran military in stopping a “global killer” asteriod from striking the Earth, Aiera had benefited greatly from providence.

Providence, Greer told himself, and God’s own intervention.

He turned away from the view and looked at the strikingly beautiful woman sitting on the other side of the desk from him, the lovely and brilliant Queen of Aiera, Andrea Morgan.

“So, have they accepted our invitation yet?” she asked him, smiling. He shook his head.

“No,” he told her, shrugging. “They may not for a couple of days, in all honesty. Still...the message has been sent. I don’t see why they wouldn’t respond. Have you given any thought as to who you’d like to handle the negotiations?”

“Yes,” Andrea replied, nodding. “I’d like to do it.” Greer felt his mouth drop open slightly, and it took him a handful of seconds before he could speak again. What his liege and friend had just proposed was unheard of.

Oh, he reflected to himself, [/i]she did okay negotiating in Ziobia, but the security nightmares were just too much[/i]. In response to those security considerations, the military (who were, in such situations, directly responsible for Queen Andrea’s protection) had tried to put an end to such “foolishness” on the part of their young Queen. Evidently, their admonitions had not registered, or — if they had registered — had not had the proper effect.

“I see,” he said, nodding slowly. “And what about protection?”

“I know the military won’t be thrilled,” Andrea told him, shrugging, “but I don’t see what the problem is. My family has always led negotiations of this nature, whether it was King or Queen Morgan in that day and age. I’m not looking to break tradition, and I won’t.”

“The military might disagree,” Greer pointed out. Andrea shook her head.

“They know I’m resolved to do this,” she told him. “Besides, I’ve already spoken with Kevin Robertson. The Wild Angels have agreed to be my security detail.” Greer nodded approvingly at this, for the Wild Angels were the most highly regarded military unit in all of Aiera — in no small part, he reflected, because of their role in destroying that asteroid.

“Okay,” he said, nodding. “In that case, I guess it just remains to be seen if the other side wants to come to the party, hmmm?”

“Indeed,” Andrea remarked, smiling back at him. “Ziobia, now Late Earth. It’s a shame that we were never able to complete the negotiations in Ziobia to the full extend that Lord Protector Ziobius had desired. That idea of his for a “group of nations” was a truly incredible one, and something I would have very much liked to see brought to life.”

“Now why would you mention such a thing as that?” Greer wondered, smiling at his friend. “And why is there a gleam in your eye?”

“No reason,” Andrea said, shrugging slightly and rolling her eyes playfully. “Just thinking about...things.”

“I see,” Greer said, nodding. “Well, I’m sure there’s more to it than that, but I don’t have time to probe for details.” He stood up and walked around the desk so as to see her out of his office. “Time is ticking away, and I have a cabinet meeting to get to.”

Dale Terra, Lord of Late Earth, looked up from the desk in his private command suite.

'We have been invited to negotiations with Aiera, my lord. Shall we entertain them?' said Glenn Scott; he was loyal to a fault, but something about him always set Dale on edge.

'No, we shall not "entertain them;" we will open full negotiations. You know as well as i do that we may need their support in defense of the revolutionaries,' Dale replied.

'Of course, i am sorry my liege.' Scott bowed politely. 'I will send them a telegram at once.'

'Then you are dismissed.' Dale never completely trusted Scott. He composed his own telegram.

A few hours later, Dale received a reply.

'Sir Scott, please ready the King's Men that we will be departing immediatly. I think our most elite special forces will make a fine showing, neh?' Dale called through the nation-net.

'Your Highness...' Scott called back. 'Airforce 1 is standing by.'

'Thank you, Scott. You will, of course, be in command while i'm gone.' Dale turned off his desk, and was escorted by guards outside his door to his limo. The harsh afternoon sun glared down at him. As soon as he got in, he dialed a number the desk in the limo. 'Watch him,' was all he said.

***

The view out of the jet was magnificent. The fields of Late Earth were coming back to life after the winter had thawed. An F-16 thundered by.

I only hope our investment will come to life like these fields, Dale thought.
More fields blurred by.

'Sir, we are over Aierian air space. We have been recieved, and will be landing shortly.' Said a security officer.

'Thank you, sir. Inform Her Majesty that negotiations will open as soon as she is ready.'

Kevin Robertson watched the Late Earthling aircraft bank into its final approach into the New Providence Airport. As the aircraft settled onto its final vector, three of the hovering defense drones moved out of its path, and then moved back into position behind it when it had flown past them.

Kevin smiled as he watched the drones silently go about their work, for they were only the newest technological marvel to emerge out of what many had come to call the Aieran Rennaisance, the technological upheaval that had accompanied the alliance with Ziobia. The small drones were each armed with a single Class 5 Z-laser, capable of knocking any inbound missile targeted on an arriving aircraft out of the sky with pinpoint accuracy. Hovering at an altitude of 200 metres, level with the top of the airport passenger terminal, the drones served as a last measure of protection for all inbound aircraft.

As the Late Earthling plane touched down, Kevin pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed his wife's number.

"Hello, sweetie," Dara Robertson's voice said into Kevin's ear a second later. "Have our guests arrived?"

"They have," Kevin confirmed. "Is everything at the palace ready?"

"It is," Dara confirmed. "We're just waiting on the delegation now. How long will they be?"

"They have to be taken off the aircraft, and then security has to check them in, confirm they're who they say they are...you know," Kevin told her. "I'd guess they'll be there in...two hours?"

"Sounds good, love," Dara said. "I'll inform Queen Andrea."

"I'll see you soon, darling," Kevin promised. He shut the phone off again and pocketed it. Beside him, his friend and squadmate Joel Brewster turned awway from the expansive terminal window to look at him.

"Shall I have security move in?" he asked. Kevin nodded his approval.

"Move security into place, and then let the people off the plane," Kevin instructed. "Once they've been checked through, bring the motorcade out of the hangar they're parked in and take everyone to the palace."

"What if there are more than 5 limos worth of people?" Joel asked. Kevin shrugged.

"That's tough," he said. "People will have to wait. We can always send limos back to pick up the rest, if the need arises. I can't see how they'd need more than five cars, though." Joel nodded and turned back to the window.

"I'll let them know," he said. Kevin nodded and turned to go.

"I'll see you at Morgan Palace," he said. With that, he finished his turn and jogged off to where he had parked his car. Joel watched him go, and then raised the two-way radio in his left hand to his mouth and began issuing orders.

'Well now, it would seem we have too many soldiers,' said Dale, cheerfully.

'So it would seem,' said the slightly less cheerful captain of the King's Men, Vladimir Kerenski. The King's Men were an ancient division, from the days of feudalism. They were ferociously loyal, and yet, surprisingly independent: their honor code would not let them serve an evil dictator, not matter how much authority.

'Cheer up,' said Dale, 'We needn't worry about security here. Half a company will be more than enough. Besides, the other half will catch up quickly enough.'
He added darkly, 'It's our internal security that I'm worried about. But Zoë should be able to handle that.'

'Sir, should we be discussing Zoë freely? It...SHE...is our main advantage. Without...her...we would be sitting ducks.'

'It's not like she's going somewhere. And yes, we will speak freely of her. She is probably the only thing we have to offer Aiera, besides a few million watchs to help out their economy.' Dale paused for a moment. 'I believe we will be leaving soon.'

'SIR!'

'Private...Donavan? What is it?' asked Dale, reading the nameplate. The man looked nervous. Then again, who wouldn't be? thought Dale, he's only addressing his liege. 'Well Private?'

'S-Sir...There seems to have been a...an...attack, on the central nation-net. A virus has been detected. Scott said it to tell you that someone named Zoë is handling it, and won't be able to attend the negotiations for a while.'

'Thank you, Private, dismissed.' The young soldier scampered off.

'They seem younger every year,' commented Kerenski, who was now approaching 60. Dale himself was getting into his forties. He sighed.

'I remember being that young. Not that he is all that young; youth does look younger when you're old, doesn't it? Ah, here we are! No time for philosophy. Indeed, we may not even have time for ethics, we have only time for politics. I hope this will not be as backstabbing and brutal as negotiations with Rhyno D. Not that it was his fault, the poor brute.' The first limo pulled up beside Dale. As he got in, he said to Kerenski, 'Nice fellow, but a bit on the slow side...Ms. Andrea Morgan, though...now I hear she's a quick one. Though I expect no troubles, we must still be on our guard.'

The limo pulled away as Kerenski squeezed in with two squads. 'Let's go,' he called to the driver. Kerenski, not one to be superficial, had to notice the beautiful country side. The gentle grass put him at ease. So much like home, he thought.

The grass waved at him, as he sped along the road. He snapped out of his funk. This might only be the calm before the storm.

Queen Andrea's dress swirled about her as a strong wind whistled through the front courtyard of Morgan Palace. She watched as the five limousines entered the palace grounds through the main gate and followed the road to the circular turn-around at the foot of the palace steps. Beside her, Dara Robertson stiffened slightly as the security detail moved in to usher the people inside the cars into Morgan Palace. Queen Andrea walked down the top few steps as Lord Dale of Late Earth neared the top, and extended her hand in a gesture of welcome.

"Lord Dale," she said, smiling warmly, "welcome to Aiera, and to Morgan Palace. I hope your stay will be enjoyable." Lord Dale returned the greeting, but Andrea detected a hint of concern in his voice. She made a mental note of it and resolved to ask Dara if she knew of anything that might be amiss.

At the top of the steps, Dara watched the Queen shake hands with a handful of the other delegates. She was about to move to join her liege when the cell phone in her pocket began to vibrate. Snatching the phone up, she flipped it open and looked at the number on its call display. She smiled, slightly, when she recognized it as her husband's number.

"Hello, Kevin," she said, softening her voice from the cool, professional tone she used when on guard duty. "What's up?"

"Just thought you'd like to know about what's wearing heavily on the Late Earthling minds, in case they seem worried about something," Kevin Robertson told his wife. "We picked up handful of flash transmissions to the Late Earthling aircraft. The encoding and scrambling were very good, but they weren't Valhalla by a long shot. The message was vague, but apparently there's some sort of internal dissent going on over in Late Earth."

"We knew that already," Dara pointed out.

"Yes, but this time it's more serious than vague threats against the diplomatic mission," Kevin replied. "Computer virus. The Late Earthlings control everything through a centralized mainframe, and it's apparently been infected. An agent of theirs, who was referenced only by the name Zoe -"

"Probably a code name," Dara remarked, interrupting him.

"Probably," Kevin confirmed. "Anyhow, she or he is handling things...and is apparently going to be a 'little late'."

"Interesting," Dara remarked, frowning. "Okay. Generally, I'm not comfortable with the thought of uninvited guests...or ones that come late to the party. I'll keep an extra eye out."

"Please do," Kevin suggested. "I've already increased security around the palace, and inside it as well. The computer techs here have also activated their extra firewalls, just in case."

"Fair enough," Dara said. "Okay, it looks like everyone is headed inside. I'll see you in a few minutes, love." She closed the phone and pocketed it, and then fell into step beside Queen Andrea as she led the Late Earthlings into Morgan Palace proper.

* * *

Dara quietly briefed Andrea on the newly-developed situation as they escorted the Late Earthlings to the third floor of the palace and the luxurious lounge room there.

"Sior cé's co-earrooder cneadh veerys," Dara said, switching to Aieran Gaelic.

"Cà buan laimhsich?" Andrea asked back, lilting her words slightly and letting the strong Gaelic heritage of her family show through.

"En cairc er ny enmys Zoe," Dara replied. "Na bun dy a."

"I see," Andrea said, switching back to English. "Gramaich orrym fiosrach."

"I will," Dara promised, smiling.

The two Aierans led the Late Earthlings to the large dining lounge on the third floor of Morgan Palace, and Queen Andrea bade all her guests to sit down and make themselves comfortable. As if on cue, thirty servants emerged from various doors throughout the room and began circulating with bottles of wine, pitchers of ale, and carafes of exotic juices - the finest of such beverages to be found in Aiera. As soon as everyone had received a drink, the servants again departed, and then reappeared again bearing trays of food, ranging from simple cold cuts, cheeses, and vegetables, to trays of warm finger foods prepared in a variety of exotic recipes.

"We will break here for now," Queen Andrea told her guests. "Pending the arrival of your late delegate. If it turns out that he, or she, will not be available until tomorrow, we will show you your rooms for the evening. Before you turn in, though, we would encourage you to enjoy a tour of our fair city of New Providence."

She turned away from the Late Earthlings at that point, leaving them to eat, and walked over to speak to Dara.

"Do we have any intelligence assets in Late Earth?" she asked.

"Some," Dara told her. "Diplomats, mostly." She paused, glanced around, and then added one additional detain. "He is also over there."

"Ceil Faileas?" Andrea asked. Dara nodded and said nothing else. Andrea turned away and returned to her guests, but in her mind she contemplated what Dara had said. Ceil Faileas.

Well, she told herself, if there's trouble afoot, he'll be the one to find out who is causing it.




OOC: Feel free to describe this scene from the "other side", Late Earth. I'm just finalizing the agenda of negotiations, so I'll start the actual conference soon.

:D Aiera

Dale tried not to show his concern, but he slipped just slightly as Queen Andrea greeted him.

'Oh, yes, thank you for having me.' Dale bowed, but it was obvious that his mind was elsewhere. This virus issue could complicate things. 'She'll be here soon enough,' Dale said under his breath.

***

The palace was wonderful. Dale himself was more spartan with furniture, focusing mainly on the architecture. This palace, though, was lavishly furnished. The main hall was beautiful. The Queen ushered them to sit, and some entrees were offered. Dale chose not to indulge himself with any liquor. Better to remain as alert as possible, he thought to himself.

'We will break here for now,' Queen Andrea said to the guests. 'Pending the arrival of your late delegate. If it turns out that he, or she, will not be available until tomorrow, we will show you your rooms for the evening. Before you turn in, though, we would encourage you to enjoy a tour of our fair city of New Providence.'

Dale immediatly shot Kerenski a look of anger, though not rage: Dale was always in firm control of his temper.

'If I may?' asked Dale as his officers set up a powerful, portable desk. 'I assure you that this network will not affect your systems at all. I don't even need to connect to your network: i have satalites. I need only your permission.' Permission was given, and all the top officers promptly took out smaller, less powerful desks. Once their mini-network was set up, Dale sent a message to kerenski.

'Vlad, how much do they know?'

'Nothing more than they've said, i assure you. They must have intercepted the call, but nothing of value was said.'

'Good, this is the only surprise we have, right now. I'd like to keep it a surprise.'

'Yes sir...Sir, Zoe has just sent me a message. It seems the virus was made by revolutionaries. Somehow, it got into your personal computer. She also says that Glenn Scott isn't likely to have been the culprit.'

'How long until she's here?'

'She estimates 46 hours and 32 minutes.'

Dale stood up. He tapped his glass to gather their attention. 'Our friend will not be joining us toady, nor will she be available until late tomorrow. Until then, I would like to thank our hostes for a tour of their city. A toast, to our new friends.'

***

The city was amazing. The was art and style everywhere. Late Earth had its share of artistic cities, but the capital, Kisch City, was more functional, less stylish.

The queen rode with Dale in the first limo. Some of her advisors were there, but Dale didn't pay them much attention. Dale had invited Kerenski along, as well as one of Dale's ministers, Guy Davis. For fun, he invited the young private Donavan. He was surprisingly calm, considering what was going on. Curious, thought Dale, that he would be so nervous before. Dale cast the thought from his mind.

The queen and he engaged in small talk, mostly of Late Earth.

'It is a very diverse nation. Culture from many nations has influenced our art and music. We don't place much value on military: what military we need is usually provided by our neighboor, a dictator who calls himself Rhyno D.' Dale paused to sip at his green tea, courtesy of her majesty. The queen questioned him about the politics of Late Earth. Dale was a little uneasy, but he knew it would come up eventually.

'I am, technically speaking, a dictator. My people, though, love me. For the most part, those who don't, leave. Unfortunately, some do not agree with how i run things, and chose to stay and fight. I encourage people to think for themselves, and though i don't like people to disagree, for the most part, they are free to do so. If only these revolutionaries would just make their own nation and leave me in peace.' Dale sighed. 'I'm so sorry, here i've been talking too much. Please, tell me of Aeira...'

Glenn Scott was near panic. Someone had broken in and planted a virus in Dale's personal desk. Getting into the building alone is impossible, nevermind hacking into the desk. He stared at his own desk. He had a list of suspected terrorists pulled up. A cheery female face popped onto the screen. Scott jumped.

Zoe laughed. 'This might take a while. The virus is a quick one. It's pretty smart too, as far as programs go. I can handle it though. It'll take me, oh...50 hours? I'll get a more accurate time later.'

'Th-thanks.' Scott got control of himself. 'Do you have an idea as to who did this?'

'Well, there are the obvious answers. The Freedom Liberal faction is the most likely. There's a relatively new fascist organization that may have something to do with it, but they wouldn't have the power. As for specific names, i know exactly who did it. A man named John Christifori; i just don't know who he works for.'

'I'll assume we haven't caught him because he's in hiding.' Scott closed the list from behind Zoe's floating face. Behind it was a small letter from Aiera's delegate. 'She's been taken care of, yes?'

'Of course. She's quite nice. A real looker to.' Zoe winked at him.

'You're the only love for me.' Scott winked back. Subconciously, though, he thought of a way to use this. It was his main strength, as well as his flaw. He calculated everything; not that he was ruthless, nor even just mean. He liked to think that he just saw from A straight to C: that was his gift, he thought, that he could see past B. 'I'll finish reading this later. Right now, i need some "R and R." I'll call up Dale before i leave. When they get plugged back into the net, send them a message.' Scott turned to leave. 'Oh, one last thing. Can you set me up for an outing with the delegate? I'd like to show her around town.'

Zoe frowned, but it was a pseudo-frown: 'I thought I was your only love?' She disappeared for a few seconds. 'Done. You're meeting her at the lovely Hunan Garden Chinese Restaurant, followed by a nice tour of the city. Do make sure you're home by midnight, or your limo will turn back into a pumpkin.'

'What's that supposed to mean?' Scott called, but she was already gone; or at least as gone as she could be.

Andrea Morgan was about to open her mouth when the small cell phone tucked into a well-concealed pocket on her dress began to vibrate. She frowned slightly.

"Excuse me," she said, blushing. "I have to take this call." She opened the cell phone and raised it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Y ven chiarn," Dara Robertson's voice said, in Aieran Gaelic, over the phone, "Shiu shirrit freill fysseragh a ny S'anmey Dowan co-earrooder."

"Yes," Andrea said, her frown deepening. "And?"

"Veerys settit a gyn tendeil boayrd lhaih a Chiarn Dale," Dara told her. Andrea frowned at that.

"Kanys?" she asked.

"A possan myr t'eh enmyssit Seyrsnys Fialys Cologid," Dara told her. "Ta'dy ve oayllagh rish jannoo. Ceil Faileas obbraghey roie-ronsaght er-nyn-son."

"Good," Andrea said, nodding. "Anything else?"

"Dy ve oayllagh rish Zoe," Dara added. "T'ee a ny S'anmey Dowan laue-jeant chyrrysid...nyn co-earrooder."

"I see," Andrea said. "Thank you." She hung up the phone and pocketed it again, then turned back to face Lord Dale. "Forgive me," she said, blushing again. "Important state business." She glanced out the window of the car and smiled. "Anyhow, where were we?"

* * *

"Aiera is a diverse nation, composed of several sub-nations in fact. To the south is the region of Sonho de Anh, named after our largest river, which is one of only a few salt-water rivers in the world. To the east, there are the regions of New New Orleans, Santa Martino, and Veltireia. To the north, there is Ethnikclashistan, Kerblakkistan, and Erretsfenyll. These were all once indenepdent nations comprising a region called Nonwithstanding Clause, but we've largely absorbed them as a result of the Aieran Rennaissance. It's easier to defend a region under one banner than it is to defend a region under seven or eight."

"New Providence is our capital city, and is home to many of our largest buildings. Morgan Palace itself now stretches thirty stories into the air, and is styled after classical ancient Greek architecture. The main pillars of the structure stretch twenty-seven stories — a monumental height, wouldn't you say?"

"This city, as with all our cities, is designed for height, not sprawl, to contain our population of over 2 billion," Andrea continued. "As you can see, the road we are on here is only one level of road. The average building height in Aiera is fifty-two stories, and we have built roads every ten stories. There are ramps and elevators all over the place. As you can also see, we have integrated a lat of forest and plant-life into our cities — green spaces are important to us."

"The surrounding countryside is quite beautiful, and much of the landmass of Aiera is 'protected space', meaning that it is closed to development. Take the Great Forest, for example — fully 85% of it has been declared 'protected', so that our leapoard population remains preserved and intact. And so that the beauty of this old-growth forest can endure."

"Culturally, we're a mixed bag — there's some German, as evidenced by my family name. Mostly, though, the population of Aiera is derived from the Irish/Celtic lines...hence our adoption of a form of Gaelic as a second official language. It has also influenced our music — most of our music, whether classical or modern, displays traces of our Irish roots. It is very often haunting and beautiful, even when it's upbeat. We've been uncovering archeological sites that seem to indicate the presence of a society not unlike the Ancient Greeks, and that's interesting, since our third major cultural archetype is, in fact, Greek...hence the way we design many of our buildings."

"The government and I have a very interesting, almost symbiotic relationship. I'm not elected, although my family was elected to the position of hereditary monarch...more than 13 generations ago. Generally, the government has power over my decisions, although it is recognized that I can speak for the people of Aiera and...in times of crisis...make important policy decisions with minimal outside consultation. In return, I can be voted out of "office", and the monarchy can be turned over to another family." She paused at this, and glanced out the window.

"So, tell me about some of the troubles in your own nation, especially this Freedom Liberal Party."

* * *

Elaine Fitzgerald watched Glenn Scott as he paced around the front entryway of her room at the Aieran Embassy. The embassy designers had been rather ingenious in their placement of angled wall sections, and several strategically-placed mirrors afforded her a good view of his as he waited for her to finish changing. The catch was, he could not see her — a mirror-glass partition took care of that.

She quickly slid her dress on, adjusted it in one or two places, and then walked over to her dresser and looked in the mirror. A quick touch-up to her make-up, and she turned and walked out to the foyer of her room.

"So," she said, "the Hunan Garden resaurant, hmmn? I do love spicy food. Which makes the embassy posting in Ziobia such a catch! Their culture is so Spanish, and they cook some truly delicious spicy dishes."

Scott, she saw, blushed slightly, and Elaine smiled at that. He seems a nice boy, she thought. Doesn’t seem the most comfortable in social situations, though.

"So," she said, "what line of work are you in?"

* * *

Kevin Robertson turned as he heard someone call out his name. He saw Trevor Carpenter, another member of the Wild Angels, running along the hallway to catch up to him, and he paused in his stride to allow Trevor to overtake him.

“What’s up?” Kevin asked.

“Just wanted to drop you a line — Joel said to tell you directly,” Trevor reported. Kevin felt one eyebrow creep upward at that, and he turned to face Trevor fully.

“And what’s the news?”

“Lady Elaine has agreed to a dinner date...with Glenn Scott in Late Earth,” Trevor told him. Kevin’s mouth fell open, and he shook himself to avoid staring off in shock.

“Shit,” he breathed. “That’s the guy Lord Dale warned us about.”

“Well, his Lordship wasn’t sure,” Trevor pointed out.

“Hang on,” Kevin said, pulling out his cell phone. He quickly dialed Dara’s number and, when she answered, filled her in on the situation. Her response did not surprise him.

“Shit,” she breathed.

“That’s pretty much exactly what I said,” he told her. “I’m not sure what to do.”

“We need to get Ceil with her,” Dara told him. “He needs to watch her, double-time.”

“I’ll arrange that,” Kevin said. “Her whole security detail needs to do the same.”

“I agree,” Dara said. “And can we get a squadron of i4s to watch her?”

“Definitely,” Kevin promised. “I’ll have them circle at about 120,000 feet, methinks.” He paused, and then cast an exasperated glance at Trevor.

“Does this seem...out of control to you, too?” Dara asked. Kevin chuckled.

“Reading my mind, are we?” he chided. “I can’t say...it does feel rushed. But what’s the opinion of someone who is actually psionic?”

“There’s something to be worried about,” Dara told him, “but I can’t be sure what it is. Have you heard about all this stuff that’s been going on with the Late Earthling AI?”

“I have,” Kevin told her. “Thoughts?”

“We need to find out if they’re a nuclear nation,” Dara told him. “And we’d better make it two squadrons of i4s, just in case. I think those fighters can chase down ballistic warheads pretty well.”

“Agreed,” Kevin said. “I’ll get Joel to set it up right away.”

“Okay, love,” Dara said to him, her voice softening just a little. “Be careful, okay?”

“You too, love,” Kevin told her, hanging up the phone. He glanced again at Trevor. “I need you to tell Joel a few things, now...”

'Well,' said Scott, 'I am, technically speaking, a diplomat, like yourself. But Dale keeps little council, so I take over when he's not around.'

Scott took a bite of pork. 'Hmm. I love Chinese food, don't you? I personally don't like spicy food, but with Chinese I make the exception.'

His cell buzzed. He wouldn't have cared, until he noticed that the buzz was playing the rhythm of the Chinese music in the restaurant.

'Excuse me for a moment,' he said, and turned away. 'What now, "Fairygodmother"?'

'Bein' seen. i4s frae lift. Keep law.'

'Aye, Ah aye am. onie help other than 'at?'

'Nae. Ah didne want tae bide thaur mair than Ah did.'

'Ye see they'll ken ye foond thes it.'

'Oohhh aye, Ah div, but Ah needed tae try sometime.'

'Bide close, Ah main need mair help. cheerio the noo.'

'Reit.'

Scott hung up.

'So, you sound scottish maybe?' asked Elaine. 'Don't worry, I didn't hear anything, just the accent.'

'Aye. My last name is "Scott" isn't it?' He winked to take the edge off of the sarcasm. He was being as charming as he thought he could be. It was a gamble, but he always was a gambler at heart. 'Shall we tour the city?'

***

'Kisch City is very functional. For the most part, Late-Earthlanders take great pride in our culture and art. And even though this city isn't the most cultural, you can still see some are in the architecture. See there?' Scott pointed to a large office building, 'How the sides curve? And even the subtle shades of blue and green in the glass...We try to put art into everything. Our main outlet, however, is music. Oh, how the sweet sounds of a good trumpet can sooth your soul. Here, let me give you a small taste.' Scott turned on the radio; a smooth jazz station came on. The sweetest, most beautiful Saxaphone solo simply poored from the speakers: both Scott and Elaine were speechless.

'That was Ryan Davis, a very smooth cat, with his original piece, "Endless Love."'

'You see now why we don't keep up with our military? We spend too much time on eduaction and the fine arts. But I think it's well worth it.' Scott got a look in his eyes: he really cared about this, it was obvious. When they said they cared about city beautification, it was sincere.

They started towards the outskirts of town. It was a rather large city, so it took a while for them to reach the country-side. Elaine talked about her job, about Aeira, a little of this, a little of that.

When they got to the country, they fell silent again. Pasture spread as far as the eye could see.

'I'm sure this is no more impressive than your country,' said Scott. They passed a farm that appeared to be Chinese in style. 'Along with, our art, we pride ourselves in diversity. Even on the farms, you can see Chinese working next to Welsh. I believe that our art flowers so much because of our diversity: think of a Japanese style of painting of a Saharan Desert. Very unique, isn't it? Art, music, and buildings of other cities reflect this diversity like a great mirror, hung in the sky...' He trailed off. His eyes had such a glow in them.

'Even though we all speak english, people go about in their native tounge. I myself am multilingual; (i wouldn't have gotten this job if i wasn't). Even if we tried, we couldn't make this country officially multilingual, there are too many languages. But we get along, for the most part. We have a lot of space. This region is fairly empty, so we have all the land we need. If people don't get along, they move somewhere else. It's a great system, really. It's why Dale has stayed in power for so long, and why no one complains too loudly...' Scott's face darkened. 'Except, of course, for the exceptions. Gleekit bludy--
I'm sorry. I need not go on. Please, enjoy the rest of the drive. I need to make a phone call.' Scott moved to another compartment of the limo and soundproof tinted glass slid down.

***

Dale was enjoying himself, until the Freedom Liberal Party was brought up. It unnerved him that they kept finding information. He would have to be more careful.

'The Freedom Liberal Party is nothing more than terrorists. They wany anarchy, plain and simple. Bloody idiots. They'll gerr thersen i' tooa deep sometime...I feel that anarchy is death: if you don't have someone to protect you, than you will surely die, or kill yourself. (Not literally speaking, of course!). You must know by now that we are a fiercly Chrisitian nation; I in no way believe that I have divine right, but I do believe that I am serving God's purpose in protecting my people.

'The Freedom Party, though, thinks that they should run their own lives. I have expressed to them that they have the right to leave, and that there are many anarchist nations available, they will not leave. We are a peaceful goverment, for the most part. Zoe, whom I think you will meet personally soon, usually disrupts their organization. We try our best to allow freedom, while still protecting the citizens from any danger, including themselves.' Dale sighed. 'Running a nation for 20 years is hard work. You still have the luxury of youth, and it would seem that you have a peaceful nation. Mind you, my nation wasn't always so nice. It took me quite a bit of effort to get it to where it is now.' There was a slience for a few seconds. 'Is our tour coming close to the end? Don't get me wrong, I have loved every minute of it. I do have some issues I need to address for the negotiations.'

***

An hour later, Dale pulled up his desk. He sent a small text message.

Fri. March 26, 2004. 1916h
To: Scott
Fwd: Zoe

VY WULYZOF / NBYS ULY QUNWNCHA.

eND


OOC: Small and simple...I'm sure you can figure it out, but I can always change it (which is the beauty of my code). Oh, and I know you're going to give me hell now with your code

Elaine Fitzgerald watched the exchange between Glenn Scott and the person on the other end of the cell-phone. Across the restaurant, she made quick eye-contact with Chris Hennessy, the leader of her security detail. He arched one eyebrow at her, and she shook her head ever so slightly. No, she told him, nothing to worry about.

She listened intently to the conversation, but through a mask of professional disinterest. To the outside observer, she would appear as though she were paying no attention to the conversation at all. Exhaling slowly to relax her body, she stretched out her mind and tasted the emotions of all the people around her. Throughout the restaurant, the atmosphere was one of contentment, for the most part. Contentment with the food, contentment with the faith...but there was a lingering fear too. It disturbed her to "taste" it, and she stopped probing immediately.

Glenn Scott hung up his phone and looked at her again. With practiced ignorance of all things important and classified, she addressed him.

"So, you sound scottish maybe?" she asked. "Don't worry, I didn't hear anything, just the accent."


'Aye. My last name is "Scott" isn't it?'


He winked at her, and Elaine's mind flared to life again. She reached out, just slightly, and tasted the emotions coming off of him. Silly boy, she thought, he's genuinely attracted to me, isn't he? He's a bit of a charmer, to be sure...well, if it goes any further, I'll have to nip it in the bud. Don't want to string him along, only to tell him about Alan.


'Shall we tour the city?'


"Certainly", Elaine replied, smiling warmly. She glanced, quickly, at Chris Hennessy, and he nodded. He would keep watch.

* * *

OOC: Not sure if I'll have time tonight to post the start of the negotiations, but the treaty is fully drafted, so I'll do it tomorrow night if I don't get around to it by tonight.

:D Aiera

OOC: Cool. Oh, and i said that Scott wasn't falling in love quite yet. Oh well, i guess that's what makes these things interesting, eh? It's all good.
Talk to ya later dude.

Two days after the arrival of the Late Earthling delegation, Andrea Morgan invited Steph Hynek and Sam Luckie, the two negotiators she had worked alongside with in Ziobia, to the conference room a few minutes early to speak quietly with them. As they were finishing their conversation, the Late Earthline delegation, along with their security detail, entered the room at the appointed time, and Andrea greeted each of them in turn. Ushers appeared to help each delegate to his or her seat. Around the room, the Aieran security detail stiffened to attention when Andrea walked to the head of the table and began to speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen," she said, "delegates from Late Earth, welcome to Aiera. We have invited you here in the spirit of peace, hoping to forge an alliance with your great nation that will last to the very ends of the Earth, or the passing of our great nations into the sands of history."

OOC: Respond to this. ;)

"I thank you for your generous greeting, and bid you all now open the folders before you. In it, you will find the first part of the treaty I am propsing to draft here and now. Read it, and please make your suggestions if you feel it prudent to make any changes."




Order of Negotiation

Preamble
The Commonwealth of Aiera (henceforth to be referred to as Aiera) and the Free Lands of Late Earth (henceforth to be referred to as Late Earth) have gathered to discuss the formation of a comprehensive alliance. While it is recognized that the two nations differ greatly in culture and technological development, it is hoped that through this agreement, both nations may embrace their differences, cherish their similarities, and move forward into the future as allies and friends.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Section One
Recognition of Legal Rights, Languages, and Status

A. Aiera and Late Earth will recognize as valid all agreements established in both nations. This includes, but is not strictly limited to: trademarks, patents, legal marriages, property claims, businesses, copyrights, mortgages, and all other properly documented legal agreements.

B. Aiera and Late Earth will recognize as sovereign all lands held as property by each nation, respectively. This includes, but is not limited to, national territory, protected coastal waters, and colonies (for example, the Nation of Eriadain will remain the exclusive property of Aiera).

C. Aiera and Late Earth will recognize and endorse the governments of both nations, as well as their right and ability to govern the people of their nation. This includes the understanding that any diplomatic mission sent by either nation carries with it the full support of their government, and as such should be afforded full diplomatic protection. Having said this, this policy will not be abused or taken as a license to commit criminal acts, and any diplomat found to be engaging in criminal activity will be deported back to his or her home nation for legal trial.

D. Aiera and Late Earth will each recognize as valid the official languages of both nations, and will accept documents and information in any such language. In the case of Aiera, this includes both English and Aieran Gaelic. In the case of Late Earth, this will include English.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

OOC: The way Alan and I did this, he would put up the next section of the treaty, and I'd reply to it, copy the text, and bold my changes that I made.

:D Aiera

Lord Dale Terra sat rigid in his seat, directly accross from Queen Andrea Morgan. The air tightened as she began to speak. As a reflex, Dale sat up just a little higher in his seat as well. Vlad Kerenski, sitting next to him, wispered:
'Here comes the fun part'

'Oh, don't be so negative,' Dale wispered back. 'She's a smart queen. She know's what she's doing.


Order of Negotiation

Preamble
The Commonwealth of Aiera (henceforth to be referred to as Aiera) and the Free Lands of Late Earth (henceforth to be referred to as Late Earth) have gathered to discuss the formation of a comprehensive alliance. While it is recognized that the two nations differ greatly in culture and technological development, it is hoped that through this agreement, both nations may embrace their differences, cherish their similarities, and move forward into the future as allies and friends.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Section One
Recognition of Legal Rights, Languages, and Status

A. Aiera and Late Earth will recognize as valid all agreements established in both nations. This includes, but is not strictly limited to: trademarks, patents, legal marriages, property claims, businesses, copyrights, mortgages, and all other properly documented legal agreements.

B. Aiera and Late Earth will recognize as sovereign all lands held as property by each nation, respectively. This includes, but is not limited to, national territory, protected coastal waters, and colonies (for example, the Nation of Eriadain will remain the exclusive property of Aiera).

C. Aiera and Late Earth will recognize and endorse the current governments of both nations, as well as their right and ability to govern the people of their nation. This includes the understanding that any diplomatic mission sent by either nation carries with it the full support of their government, and as such should be afforded full diplomatic protection. Having said this, this policy will not be abused or taken as a license to commit criminal acts, and any diplomat found to be engaging in criminal activity will be deported back to his or her home nation for legal trial. Should the current governments be forced out of power, whether by legal means or by revolution, this treaty shall be considered null and void, until such time as the new governments agree upon this treaty, or a new treay is formed. A change in government does not include the succession of either ruler to their rightful or appointed heir.

D. Aiera and Late Earth will each recognize as valid the official languages of both nations, and will accept documents and information in any such language. In the case of Aiera, this includes both English and Aieran Gaelic. In the case of Late Earth, this will include English.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dale read the treaty over, on his desk. He added a few things, just to make it exactly clear.

'On this last point, concerning the official languages: Our nation will need a translator, obviously. We would also be honored if several were sent to our most prestigious schools, to be professors and teach our young citizens to speak this language.'

Andrea gave her reply.

'Now then, on to the next section..."

Andrea read through the proposed changes that the Late Earthlings had made, and she nodded slowly as she took them in. She then passed the treaty to Steph Hynek, who read it through twice before setting it down.

"Interesting changes," she said. "Unfortunately, we can't close the book on this just yet. The Commonwealth does not easily enter into temporary arrangements, and the recent instabilities in your nation are of some concern to us. To that end, I've got a few changes to make."

She began writing...


Order of Negotiation

Preamble
The Commonwealth of Aiera (henceforth to be referred to as Aiera) and the Free Lands of Late Earth (henceforth to be referred to as Late Earth) have gathered to discuss the formation of a comprehensive alliance. While it is recognized that the two nations differ greatly in culture and technological development, it is hoped that through this agreement, both nations may embrace their differences, cherish their similarities, and move forward into the future as allies and friends.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Section One
Recognition of Legal Rights, Languages, and Status

A. Aiera and Late Earth will recognize as valid all agreements established in both nations. This includes, but is not strictly limited to: trademarks, patents, legal marriages, property claims, businesses, copyrights, mortgages, and all other properly documented legal agreements.

B. Aiera and Late Earth will recognize as sovereign all lands held as property by each nation, respectively. This includes, but is not limited to, national territory, protected coastal waters, and colonies (for example, the Nation of Eriadain will remain the exclusive property of Aiera).

C. Aiera and Late Earth will recognize and endorse the current governments of both nations, as well as their right and ability to govern the people of their nation. This includes the understanding that any diplomatic mission sent by either nation carries with it the full support of their government, and as such should be afforded full diplomatic protection. Having said this, this policy will not be abused or taken as a license to commit criminal acts, and any diplomat found to be engaging in criminal activity will be deported back to his or her home nation for legal trial. Should the current governments be forced out of power, whether by legal means or by revolution, continuation of this treaty shall be subject to a general referendum of the populations of both nations, and will be continued only in the event of a 67% majority vote in both nations. A change in government does not include the succession of either ruler to their rightful or appointed heir.

D. Aiera and Late Earth will each recognize as valid the official languages of both nations, and will accept documents and information in any such language. In the case of Aiera, this includes both English and Aieran Gaelic. In the case of Late Earth, this will include English.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

She slid the paper back across the table.

"If you can agree on this, then I think we can move on from here," she said, smiling. "Sorry if this suddenly seems like it's going to take a while...we do believe in being thorough, and it's in nobody's best interests to just nullify treaties before voting on them."

"That said," Andrea added, "we will provide the translators you requested, upon ratification of this treaty. And we will provide instructors, as well, so that your own educators might have the opportunity to learn our language."


OOC: Er...were you planning to do any more Elaine/Glenn narrative? I have a couple of ideas, but I need a nice segue into things...;)

:D Aiera

'I think we can accept this. It was, though, in your own interest. Indeed, there is political trouble in Late Earth, and I was merely thinking to protect you from certain...Annoyances, shall we say?' Dale smiled. It was mostly crap, and he new Andrea would see it, but it was necessary for the media. He really did think to protect them, but it was mostly to protect his own government: if the rebels ever got international recognition, they could take over in a heartbeat.

***

Scott sighed, and smiled, then immediatly frowned again. He was alone in his office, brooding. His evening with Elaine had left him with much to think about.

'Wow, what's got you so emotional?' Zoe asked.

Scott jumped. 'How long have you been there!?'

'Oh, you know me. Do I ever really leave?'

'Mental point, but did ye huv tae scaur me lake 'at? Ye coods huv warned me.'

'Yeah, Ah ken. But thes is mair fin.'

'see, that's yer problem, ye need tae learn tae graw up. learn tae be somethin' other than a mental pre-teen.'

There was a long silence.

'Zoe,' said Scott suddenly, 'I'm leaving. Now. Give me a car. Without internet, of course; i don't want you following me this time. No one is to know that I've left, at least until I don't show up. Keep all of my appointments open: don't cancel.'

Without another word, Scott packed his things, and got into the small car that was already waiting.

An hour later, a bomb completely levelled the Chinese restaurant where Scott was supposed to be meeting Elaine, and two of the surrounding buildings.