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The White House, Washington D.C.
May 18th, 2035
01:41 PM, Eastern Standard Time
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United States President Thomas Hannovan sank into his chair in the Oval Office. Famished from not having eaten since breakfast to attend several press conferences, he retired to the Oval Office to clear his mind before deciding on something to eat. Now in the third year of his presidency, he had to realise several new economic and regulatory changes, including institutional reforms. For the last decade the internal political climate of the United States had been tense, as the prospect of a new Cold War with China loomed just overhead. However, he received news just minutes earlier that massive superstorms had touched down on New York and Tokyo.
A knock is heard on the door to the Oval Office.
"Come in."
A sharply-dressed, middle-aged man walks into the Oval Office. Before President Hannover was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Benjamin Notting, holding in his hands a stack of printed papers and a phone.
"Mr. President, there is urgent, distressing news from New York state and Tokyo."
Piquing his interest, the president asked, "What is it?".
"I assure you sir, what I am going to say will sound like absolute nonsense, but these are reports from our military personnel from New York and Yokosuka Naval Base. After the dissipation of these superstorms, we received a total flood of reports of strange 'gate-like structures' appearing in both locations."
President Hannovan stared blankly at Notting.
"...what?"
≈
"One structure has appeared in Kings Point, New York, just east of Manhattan sir. The other one reported by our men in Yokosuka exists in the waters of Tokyo Bay. Local police forces in King's Point are enforcing a wide perimeter around the structures as we speak, but they are also tied up in disaster relief for the devastating storm."
≈
"Ben, tell me more about these 'structures'."
Notting obliged, and set down the papers in his hand. On the papers were photos and screen caps taken from social media, showing a massive white structure towering over a treeline. The structure appeared to house something that could only be described as a portal, like something he would have seen in his grandson's video games.
"Sir, there is more."
Notting grabbed his phone, and showed videos from social media depicting the structures in New York and Tokyo Bay.
"Tokyo has picked up on the existence of the structure, Prime Minister Yoshikawa is meeting with his cabinet to discuss their next steps. Our forces in Yokosuka have been requested to standby in case of any unexpected events."
"Is the structure in Tokyo Bay secured?"
≈
"Tokyo has assured the JMSDF are scrambling ships to the vicinity of the structure as fast as they can. They have rerouted assets from the ground self-defense forces currently participating in disaster relief to help enforce the coastline. Jets have been scrambled to lock down Tokyo airspace."
≈
"Alright... and I assume our boots are on the way to King's Point?"
≈
"Yes sir, boots are on the way."
Suddenly, the president's landline phone rang. President Hannovan stared at the landline with hesitation for a split second, and picked up the call.
"Yes?"
...
"I understand. Thank you."
He turned to Notting with a solemn face, one which expressed what could only be described as momentary shock followed by hesitant resolve.
"There is another structure in Belgium."
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Misawa Air Base, Aomori Prefecture
00:44, GMT+9
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Sleek, angular silhouettes paced a dark expanse lit by small uniform lights in flashing rows. The otherwise silent atmosphere expected of the sweet early morning darkness was swiftly broken by mechanical whines. From the unlit expanse shone circular beams of scorching light, rays extending outwards. It illuminated the rear section of the sleek and angular construct to which it was attached, the heat so great it distorted the image of the very construct itself.
F-35As took to the skies one after another, tearing holes through the air as they each ascended to the heavens. These were headed down to the Tokyo Metropolitan Area to enforce a no-fly zone for any and all uncleared aircraft.
Domestic commercial airliners inbound to Haneda International Airport were each redirected further northeast to Narita International Airport.
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Yokosuka, Tokyo Metropolitan Area
00:45, GMT+9
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The current atmosphere of Yokosuka was one of organised chaos, with many shuffling about the street. Fortunately, most of the city's lighting and communications infrastructure had not been destroyed by the storm. Residents of the battered city came out of their homes, picking debris from the road. Some rushed over to flipped cars in groups, rocking them in a synchronised manner until they could flip them back right side up. Due to the experience of the Japanese in living through typhoons, most of the city and its people were in good condition.
Amongst the crowd through the early morning, a different kind of urgency swept its way through Yokosuka at a rapid pace.
Type 16 MCVs rolled through the streets in the direction of Tokyo Bay. The eight-wheeled behemoths rolled over what debris laid on the road after the ravages of the storm. Soon they reach the coast overlooking the blue waters and the magnificent structure, ready to enforce a perimeter on the ground.
As civilians gathered by the bay to get a glimpse at the towering, slightly luminescent structure in the bay, soldiers soon began to usher everyone away from several parts of the coastline to clear space for a defensive perimeter. Men in green dismounted from their wheeled transports and APCs, laying a row of dark, blotched green on the otherwise grey concrete and tarmac of the ground. Regardless of what the Self-Defense Forces could do, Japanese social media soon blew up with videos and photos taken of the structure in Tokyo Bay from across the coastlines.
Two fellows in blotched green, a man and a woman, snuck a conversation in the middle of their operations.
"Any whispers from Chiyoda Ward? The upper echelons? Anything?"
"Of course not, you and I know the government will be forced to say something in the morning. Might as well wait until then."
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Capital Hanbaso, Republic of Casovyo
Year 2000, Sixth Year of Orosima
Frukai 1, Imekt
0910h, West Casovyih Time (WCT)
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Over the last three days, ancient runes kept in the national archives had been glowing continuously. This proved to be extremely troubling to the government of Casovyo, as old records pertaining to the runes spoke of the unknown but described-to-be unparalled magical properties sealed inside. Today, the runes had stopped glowing for seemingly no reason.
President Orosima sat in his seat, disturbed by the flurry of unprecedented news coming out of the national archives. He furrowed his brow, trying hard to come up with a reason of his own as to why the glowing events over the last three days would just stop abruptly.
The Director of the Casovyonian Archives informed the President of Casovyo in the esteemed Presidential Office of the news with a hint of uneasiness.
"President Orosima, the ancient runes have stopped glowing. We are unsure why it has stopped and are consulting with our top historians."
≈
"Director Calaman, from my understanding... those runes are supposed to be the words of that cursed herald from the past? If they're glowing, something bad is happening is it not? "
Director Calaman of the National Archives of Casovyo did not have a confident response.
"We don't know yet, our team is one missing link away from translating the runes...", he uttered.
The president thus inquired, "What's the hold up then?".
≈
"The Apila om Juriki Codex also made by the herald himself, we are still going through it to figure out the full tran-"
A loud knock shakes both President Orosima and Director Calaman, who both glare at the marvelous varnished wooden door which stands between the Presidential Office and the rest of his hardworking staff. From behind the doors proclaimed a loud, bright voice befitting of one who breaks plenty of news.
"Silinia-comms from the National Archives, President Orosima! They've cracked the codex and the runes!"
≈
"Director, let the man in will you?", requested the President.
≈
"Yes, sir!"
The double doors swung open, revealing a man dressed sharply in the native formal attire. It was one of the president's secretaries, with a look of urgency outlined by his jerky movements.
"I've been told this is extremely urgent, President Orosima. The sender insisted you read this at once."
Due to the reported urgency of the message the parchment had not been bound onto a hard back, much like a clipboard, for easy viewing with one hand. Messages from Silinia Communication Devices required translation from Standard Silinia Code, due to the simplistic nature of how communication via these devices worked. It was the job of a transcriber well-versed in deciphering Standard Silinia Code at a rapid speed to quickly translate the message into Standard Casovyonian.
Hearing of the urgency of the message, Orosima grabbed the paper from the secretary. The secretary excused himself shortly after, allowing Orosima to gently unfold and begin reading the message contained within.
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Frukai 1, Imekt, 2000
This is a message from Lead Historian Naskol of the National Archives.
As of 09:07 according to WCT, we have successfully translated the Apila om Juriki Codex and used it to read the contents of the ancient runes. The following is the message inscribed, translated from the unknown language:
...
In a thousand years hence forth comes true,
from these divine visions I construe.
Beings of life, who walk like us,
arrive on this realm from yonder and thus...
The world shall change for a thousand years,
all which we hold dear tested by trial.
A trial of patience, strength, and faith,
to test true our judgement in mend and scathe.
A peace they seek, with a heart of gold,
dwelling hearts with a story untold.
Long tales speak of blood shed plenty,
yet spared not their fiercest will to be free.
Honest to heart, they describe a wish,
one ultimate evil to vanquish,
who brings armies to quell their plea,
to drown them all in a deep blood-red sea.
Resist, they do, with all their best might,
keep safe their own, to answer their plight.
United they fight like brothers,
to protect their own and countless others.
Summoned forth the resolved, birds of prey,
hunters of the sky who lead the way.
Birds of no heart, nor blood, nor life,
seek for vengeance with a hatred of strife.
Lifeless armoured beasts which stalk the land,
bear thunder and fire, standing grand.
Beasts tamed, controlled, with cautious hands,
the fiery, whistling songs they sing, and dance.
Great vessels trundle, on endless seas.
Bore riches, wonders, and things to please.
Ships of war too, stalk the oceans,
to rain just fury with no emotions.
Unfettered in deliberation,
they considered of themselves, their mind.
Rule by self-determination,
such was the most sacred law of their kind.
Gather in arms, for now is the time
to guide those resolved, and in their prime.
Show them through the true light-shone path,
lest recklessly they trek a trail of wrath.
Like righteous knights of faith they advanced,
to fight sworn enemies, spared no chance.
Allies, we have now, to see right through:
A bright, white star on a vast sea of blue.
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...
President Orosima froze, contemplating what meaning laid behind this ancient herald's poem. Since he had been briefed earlier that the runes were dated exactly a thousand years ago, he supposed the runes glowing at this time could not have been a mere coincidence.
"Uh... President? Are you okay...?"
≈
"Y-yes, yes I am... this, uh, message concerns you as well, as Director of the National Archives."
The director, sensing something dire, grabbed the paper from Orosima and read the message himself. With every few lines he read, a spine-chilling tingle raced down his back. The runes now appeared to him, his dedicated team, and the President to be a foreshadowing of something. Such would make sense, but the herald himself at the time was not in a position to explain more.
"Director Calaman, I need a briefing on all of what we know about Great Herald Apila and his last works, now. I have a very bad feeling about this, and I am certain you feel the same."
The director obliged to the best of his abilities, not wishing to go against the highest-ranking entity in the entire country. Thus, he began to tell a story.
One thousand years ago there lived an old man, Apila Corusca, who was said to be able to see visions and predict future events. He, after waking up in a cold sweat from one fateful series of visions, no longer spoke the Old Casovyonian of his time and which he spoke throughout his entire life on this world. The Great Herald Apila of the city of Juriki had seemingly been cursed to speak a language which nobody, not even those from the farthest reaches of the world, could understand at all.
The great herald took to himself to publish a written account of what he had witnessed, in the indecipherable, cursed foreign language as a warning to those far ahead in the future. Apila was said to have tried his best, writing down the words of this foreign language now forcibly implemented in his brain in the hope that it could be translated in the future if not soon. The Apila om Juriki Codex, and the accounts of Great Herald Apila of Juriki regarding the sombre set of foreshadowing visions, were his last works to be published.
Apila, presumably unable to deal with the grief resulting from his newfound lack of ability to communicate to the people around him any longer, and tormented by the ramifications of those cursed visions, was thought to have hung himself in his home. If sketchy records of the time were to be believed, foul play had not been considered as a factor of the death of the great herald.
Today, Apila is memorialised as a great stone statue in the still standing city of Juriki in Casovyo. The great herald is a symbol of respect for the many people of old Casovyonian times, before the birth of their nation as it was now. Through the times, many had hoped the writings of the late Apila would be successfully translated and his last words understood.
On Aturan year 2000, the codex was cracked. Its secrets finally were now known to the historians of the National Archives of Casovyo. The understanding of the codex allowed historians to translate and read the contents of the runes penned by Great Herald Apila all those years ago. The secrets of the unknown language were hoped to be unlocked soon now that the men and women studying the contents of the runes could read it somewhat.
The ancient runes were now readable, at least to the historians. The problem now, was that they did not have an explanation as to why or how this language existed to begin with. The mystery of how this curse of language fell upon Apila too remains unsolved.
The other problem for a different world however, is that the cursed, foreign language in question was English.
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Glossary
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Name:
Lockheed Martin
F-35A Lightning II
Status:
Historical
Classification / Role:
Stealth Multirole Fighter
Operator:
Japan Air and Space Self-Defense Force (JASSDF)
Japan
---
Name:
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Type 16 MCV (Manoeuvre Combat Vehicle)
Status:
Historical
Classification / Role:
Wheeled Light Tank / Manoeuvre Combat Vehicle
Operator:
Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF)
Japan
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