OBC November City Recording Studio, November City, Osean Federation — October 7, 2020
“Citizens of Osea, welcome to the OBC Presidential Debates for the 2020 elections! I’m Graham Ferguson, your host for tonight. In light of the most unprecedented event in our nation’s history—the Transference of the Osean Federation to the New World—over 500 million people will go to polls next month to determine who will lead our nation in these extraordinary times. Will the ruling National Party under Senator Jonathan Armstrong win an unprecedented fifth term in Bright Hill, or will Osea opt for new leadership under Senator Aadarshini Kumari’s Reformists? Or could a third option such as Governor Mikhael Bronte of the Belkan People’s Party subvert conventional expectations and become the first North Osean to be elected to the Presidency? For today’s debate, all three candidates will discuss and answer questions on the key political issues facing our nation…”
From her podium, Senator Kumari carefully readjusted her outfit as the OBC host continued his introduction. A light cough drew her attention away from herself and towards Senator Armstrong, who had extended his hand towards her in greeting.
“Haven’t seen you around since the funeral, Aadarshini. Campaigning getting in the way of actual legislative work?”
Kumari smirked, returning the greeting in kind. “It’s actually quite useful, going around and actually talking to the people who’ll be voting next month, John—something I hear your constituents have yet to see from you throughout your past few terms in office.”
“Nothing a simple email or letter to my office normally can’t fix,” Armstrong nonchalantly replied. “I must say, though, I’m rather surprised to see Bronte of all people here; didn’t he call this debate ‘a farce to maintain the false veneer of Osean so-called democracy’ during his last rally?”
“I guess he realised that you do kind of have to make your presence known to the general public in order to actually get their votes…”
As if on cue, the two Senators caught a glimpse of the North Osean governor entering the stage and reaching for his assigned podium, not bothering to acknowledge his fellow contenders for Bright Hill as he bristled with his moustache at the lights pointed at him and adjusted his sharp gaze towards the camera. Armstrong shook his head resignedly at the sight, turning back to face the OBC host as he concluded his introduction to the debates.
“Well, best of luck to you, Senator. May the best candidate win, whoever he may be.”
Kumari smirked back. “Indeed, Senator, whoever she may be.”
“That completes the opening statements; we will now enter the main segment of this program, where candidates will be answering questions presented by reporters from our panel. Please introduce yourselves briefly.”
Four individuals from the major Osean, Usean, and Elysian networks each addressed the camera in turn, each of a variety of ethnicities, genders, and appearances to represent the interests of the peoples they relayed the news of the world to. Kumari and Armstrong’s eyes briefly panned towards the last person: a young, golden-haired female elf with flowing red robes who was very distinctly not from the Old World itself.
“Paul Simon, Osean Broadcasting Corporation.”
“Gurmit Chu Kang, Channel NewsUsea.”
“Ayumi Hirose, General Resource News Network, Comona Branch.”
“Alana Forlen, Milishial News Network.”
Forlen’s presence in the panel had been a minor source of controversy after the Holy Milishial Empire approached their Osean counterparts about the MNN being allowed to participate in the proceedings, citing “the importance that Elysia as a whole is made aware of the views of whoever might succeed the current government of a key superpower within the New World”. The Bartlett administration reportedly had its suspicions about the Emperor potentially using his nation’s exclusive non-Osean coverage of the debates—to say nothing about the MNN’s presence in the panel—to potentially skewer public perceptions towards whichever candidate Runepolis itself preferred, but the MNN’s renowned reputation for its coverage of Elysian world news over the past century had ultimately won out over whatever misgivings the President and his government might have had. Alana herself was still fondly remembered by many for her previous journalistic work in Osea over the past year, and the decision to have her represent the opinions of non-Elysians within the Federation and beyond was essentially a no-brainer.
“To remind the candidates and the audience, each reporter will present one question that each candidate will have approximately three minutes to respond to or to comment on each others’ responses. We will begin first with Mr. Simon of the Osean Broadcasting Corporation.”
Paul nodded. “Thank you; my first question is about our national economy. As you are undoubtedly aware, the disappearance of our key markets within Yuktobania and Usea due to the Transference has resulted in a significant shock to our businesses and livelihoods; while our new trade agreements with the nations of the so-called Third Civilization Area and beyond and our sizeable internal economies have somewhat lessened the blow, many of our own cities and regions are still suffering from significant unemployment and the new trade deficit has yet to be achieved even more than a year into our arrival in Elysia. What policies would your respective administrations introduce in order to meet this crisis?”
The moderator turned to Kumari. “Senator, you have three minutes.”
“Thank you. Well, Mr. Simon, our party’s platform is geared towards increasing our existing economic and social ties with the nations of Elysia—we will work with the businesses and guilds and corporations present within the likes of the Milishials, the Muans, the Parpaldians, and the Gra Valkans to bring their goods and factories to our lands. Osea is renowned for its ability to cooperate with its neighbours and peers both in our old world and in Elysia towards shared economic goals; by bringing in new companies to work alongside the existing players of our national economy, we will be able to compensate for the losses that we have suffered from the Transference. Instead of working in a factory for the now-defunct Gracemeria Colours and Creams, for instance, an unemployed worker could find his skills put into use by Candee Corp, a Milishial business now working in close conjunction with General Resource in producing its products for Osean markets. By strengthening our existing economic ties, we will not only be able to draw our neighbours closer to us but also rebuild our economic might in preparation for whatever additional post-Transference problems may arise in the years to come.”
“Senator Armstrong?”
Armstrong nodded, adjusting his tie as he spoke. “Senator Kumari and I are in agreement about the principle of using our newfound ties with the nations of Elysia to repair the damage done to our economy by the recent Transference, although I do have somewhat different ideas about how this is to be achieved. Kumari proposes replacing many of our existing businesses with Elysian counterparts, or creating shared mergers where mutual economic gains are to be achieved—while its is a holistic approach, I might admit, it does ask that we allow Osean businesses to run themselves to the ground in place for foreign counterparts in certain circumstances; the Senator is asking for an approach necessitating a disruptive economic transition that will increase unemployment in the short-term and implies that Elysian markets will eventually come to us and fill in the gap. Admittedly, we are a large market in Elysia, but the technological gap between ourselves and the rest of the New World means that such changes will take time, even with significant investment on our part—it would be cheaper, much faster, and more immediately beneficial for Osea if we were to boost our own businesses to get back to work and begin extending their operations beyond our borders instead.”
Ferguson glanced at Governor Bronte. “Governor, your three minutes.”
Grunting, the Belkan shifted as he leaned on his podium towards his microphone. “The Senators’ proposals all call for increased investment in economic expansion beyond Osea’s borders, but this all just a veneer for a little something that I call neocolonialism. Why do we need to rely on outsiders to solve our own problems, when our predatory economy even before the Transference was far too big for us to sustain and depended on taking advantage of our neighbours both in the Osean continent and beyond? I’ll tell you, right now—the reason we needed our economy to be huge and gargantuan instead of becoming self-sufficient was because the Harling and Bartlett administrations needed cash to fund their gigantic white elephants! What was the point of having Space Elevators and huge drone carriers over Selatapura with enough range to penetrate deep into Erusean territory in the first place?! Now that I think about it, why are we even still maintaining those monstrosities—and adding more to our fiscal expenditures with that damned Arkbird of all things—when we don’t even have any threats within our own continent to worry about?! We must look inwards, and restrict foreign trade to specific areas and fields where deemed necessary such as magic—our nation is prosperous and bountiful enough to depend on itself without ignorant foreigners coming in with their own supremacist business for us to deal with!”
Armstrong subtly winced at the Governor’s mention of the costs for Osea’s superweapons—while the costs for maintaining all of the futuristic technologies fielded by the OSDF was nowhere near as high as what Bronte was implying, the total budget required was still more than enough to require shelving several key projects that the Bartlett administration had been looking into prior to the Transference. And with the subsequent economic crisis only further throwing matters into a tailspin, it was now looking increasingly unlikely that even the next administration would be able to further develop the upcoming replacements to their existing technology and infrastructure without outsourcing their efforts to corporations such as General Resource or even Gründer, god forbid…
“Thank you, Governor Bronte. We now move to our next panelist, Mr. Chu Kang of Channel NewsUsea.”
A middle-aged man with ruffled hair and office clothes sat up, his accent a combination of Emmerian Standard and Selatapuran Usean as he slowly enunciated his words towards the candidates. “My question revolves around our national security—as a Selatapuran, I was one amongst millions of people who witnessed the Annorial Empire’s nuclear attack upon my city with my very own eyes. I have relatives who were hurt or injured as a result of the blast, and I have friends and acquaintances who are…no longer here as well.” Gurmit paused, visibly shaken as he recalled the mushroom clouds above the heart of the city and the Lighthouse itself. “Of course, we also recall the crisis that came as a result of the Parpaldia Empire kidnapping the late Ambassador Harling and its subsequent attempt to invade Sand Island after he was rescued—what would your administration do in order to prevent such tragedies from occurring again? How would your government ensure that any such crises, should they do occur, avoid any further loss of life?”
A vague muttering could be heard amongst the film crew as the moderator turned towards Bronte. “Governor, you have three minutes.”
Briefly pausing to consider the panelist’s words, the North Osean decided to take a more tactful approach to his response while maintaining his positions on the matter. “First of all, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to those who were in Selatapura when the Annorials struck your city. What happened on that day was barbaric and an act of unprecedented violence that cannot be condoned in any way possible.”
Kumari frowned, sensing a catch to Bronte’s words.
“However, what happened in Selatapura was a direct result of the imperialistic actions of Bartlett and Harling themselves in Elysia—our nation’s foreign policy has aggravated those who once viewed themselves as masters of their own little corners of the universe, prompting those in power to lash out in the only way that they recognised until our arrival: violence and barbarism towards a foe that they considered to be inferior to them. Our nation’s subsequent actions against the Annorials—and perhaps also the Parpaldians before them—may or may not be just, but they are a clear sign that further intervention into the affairs of Elysia will only invite more foreigners to empty their troubles upon us. Imperialism and greed will only invite likewise, and Harling’s death to his own hubris has undoubtedly proved that! Osea’s projects and organizations such as the International United Nations will only be a magnet for further trouble if we continue to support them—if we do not want the horrors of Selatapura to repeat themselves, then we must mind our own business and our own business alone.”
“Senator Armstrong?”
The National candidate shook his head dismissively, turning to look at the Governor as he spoke. “Governor Bronte proposes that we resort to isolationism in order to avoid getting caught up in the politics and chaos of Elysia, but simply averting one’s eyes from an incoming threat will not prevent such a threat from striking us—nations such as the Annorials and Gra Valkans will look upon our reluctance to act and consider it as a weakness rather than as an act of moderation. In the void that Osea will leave behind should we adopt the Governor’s proposed foreign policy, a more aggressive nation may end up taking advantage—and we will find ourselves without partners to sell our goods, to share our knowledge and expertise, or to even mount a sufficient defense against a possible invasion. And why would we, when we would have allowed them to take over the entire world without our forces to defend it? What we should instead do is be proactive, to directly tackle all threats to our national security at the very source—with our ships, with our weapons, and our brave people in the OSDF and IUN who have fended off would-be-conquerors and mythological monsters alike and brought our ideals of a modern world of the twenty-first century to Elysia in the process.”
“Senator Kumari?”
Aadarshini considered the points raised by her opponents, ultimately deciding to approach the matter from a more conciliatory perspective. “Thank you. Senator Armstrong and Governor Bronte’s arguments both have merit—excessive military adventurism in the name of pursuing our country’s interests and maintaining our national security will only drag Osea into more conflicts that will undoubtedly cost more lives, but neither will isolationism prevent those who view our existence as a threat to their martial ambitions from targeting our cities and our people. What we must do is tackle the factors and causes of the conflicts between Osea and those that would have otherwise considered us to be their rivals—we must build connections, establish diplomatic and economic links, and seek compromises to ensure that a mutual accord of peace is present between ourselves and our Elysian partners. And where nations such as Parpaldia or the Annorial Empire might reject our offers of peace or subvert our attempts at mutual coexistence, then we will ensure that through the efforts of our soldiers, any attempt at striking our homeland will be stopped! With our existing arsenal of planes and technology, we are now in a position where our nation will be the most advanced superpower in Elysia—we should use this power to encourage our allies and partners to seek peace, rather than pursuing an end to all conflicts by force and aggravating a world where such actions are but a near-daily occurrence for the countries of Elysia.”
The Reformist Senator noted Alana Forlen frowning and scribbling something down on a piece of paper; probably something for her superiors in Runepolis to present to the Emperor upon her return to the Holy Milishial Empire. Ferguson nodded at Gurmit in acknowledgement, before turning to the third panelist.
“Our next panelist: Ayumi Hirose, General Resource News Network, Comona Branch.”
The nation of Comona had long been a close political and economic partner of the Osean Federation even before the Transference, and its subsequent annexation to its larger ally in the immediate aftermath of their arrival in Elysia had gone surprisingly smoothly—not unlike that of its Selatapuran counterparts—despite the misgivings of many people who still remembered the chaos of the Usean Rebellion. It was also home to the newly-established headquarters of General Resource, the corporation having also grown enough power and influence within the island nation over the past few years to dominate its economy and even the regional government’s policies; between the company’s unprecedented merger with its former rival nuCOMM and the privatisation of Comona’s entire public sector, it was an unspoken fact that General Resource had effectively consolidated its control over the island region to the point that not even the Comonans and the Oseans themselves would be able to easily contest whatever actions the company took within Comona itself.
GRNN’s Comona Branch was once known as the government-run Comona Broadcasting Network but had since been purchased by nuCOMM prior to its merger with General Resource; while it continued to relay the daily news and happenings within the Usean island chain and beyond, some more discerning audiences could sense a somewhat slight sense of bias in favor of its new owners in its reports and messaging. Regardless, its continuing role as a key source of news for Useans across the parts of the Old World that now found itself in Elysia made making it part of the debate panel a no-brainer; its representative now carefully rose to her feet, carefully shifting her visibly-pregnant form forward and leaning towards her microphone.
“Senators, Governor, thank you for agreeing to join us for this debate. I wish to expand upon your respective remarks on foreign policy—although we have successfully concluded over three different armed conflicts with the so-called superpowers of Elysia over the past year, we are still faced with the long-term impacts of our actions across Elysia. The nation of Parpaldia, for instance, is calling for the immediate release of Empress Remille and the newborn Crown Princess from IUN custody on humanitarian grounds, in spite of the former Auditor’s previous convictions for crimes against sapient life. The Annorial Empire has protested our repeated refusals to negotiate a formal ceasefire with them in Cartalpas, and the Holy Milishial Empire remains adamant that we provide them with the means of developing their own superweapons in the event of a global conflict against the supposed Ancient Sorcerous Empire. In the meanwhile, we have cultivated relationships with both the Kingdom of Mu and the Gra Valkas Empire, two countries that may soon go to war with each other, in spite of our mutual economic and political links. Regardless of your individual views concerning our national policy, it is the conclusion of our analysts that the Osean Federation may soon find itself dragged into more potential conflicts within the next four years, especially as our economy recovers and expands across Elysia, and its nations come to us seeking closer ties and cooperation—or mediation to avoid open war. As the potential successors to the Bartlett and Harling administrations, what would your policies be regarding these nations specifically and how would they translate from your respective perspectives and philosophies?”
Hirose’s question was definitely aimed to discredit Governor Bronte’s isolationist views by indirectly pointing out the flaws of his plans, the North Osean visibly fuming where he stood as Senator Kumari briefly glanced at him with no small amount of amusement before turning to answer the panelist’s question.
“Ms. Hirose, thank you for your question. Perhaps we should go through the individual cases you’ve brought up, in order to further develop our case towards the people of Osea.”
The Senator paused, carefully considering her words and the scenarios presented to her and her colleagues.
“The Empress of Parpaldia is a convicted war criminal and must serve the entire duration of her life sentence regardless of her nation’s views on the matter—on this, I believe Senator Armstrong and I are in agreement. However, whether her child with Emperor Ludius is to remain in her custody within Osean internment or be brought to Parpaldia is a topic of contention that both her, the Osean government, and the Parpaldian government must immediately address; if she so desires, my administration will see to it that the heir to the Parpaldian throne is safely transported to Eshirant where her father can raise her as he desires. To the citizens of Parpaldia, you will have my word that your next Emperor or Empress, whoever they may be, will be safe and unharmed.”
Even while Osea had been busy with the clusterfuck that was the war with the Annorials, the unexpected surprise that Remille had not only married Ludius but was pregnant with his child when she was brought into Osean custody had resulted in a massive diplomatic firestorm both in the Federation and beyond. Elysian history was rife with tales of would-be-heirs of once-proud kingdoms and empires cut short or struck down before their prime in dubious acts of intrigue, and not even Osea’s reputation as a profoundly benevolent civilization (by Elysian standards, at least) had been enough to fully assuage the New World’s concerns about a similar fate befalling the Auditor and her child—even the Holy Milishial Empire itself was now joining calls within the Concert of Elysia for her immediate release or at least the invocation of their equivalent of habeas corpus, while the Third Civilization Area itself remained indifferent at best or even hostile to their protests. Popular opinion within Osea was mixed between those who still remembered the blatant violations of international laws committed by Remille during the Harling Crisis and were more than happy to see her behind bars, and those who were somewhat sympathetic at least towards the child itself who would have to bear the undoubtedly unfortunate consequences of growing up with their mother imprisoned and their father the ruler of a fallen empire—Kumari knew that her words would ultimately cost her the support of some voters, but was confident that her views on the matter would ultimately win out.
“In regards to the situation between the Annorial Empire, their supposed Sorcerous ancestors, and the concerns raised by the Holy Milishial Empire about the threat that both nations pose, my administration would be willing to negotiate a formal non-aggression pact between ourselves and the Annorial Empire, along with whichever nations would be interested in adopting a similar agreement. Diplomatic compromises within the same vein could be arranged between Mu and Gra Valkas in the interests of maintaining the existing peace—we can work with them and parties such as the Free Leifor movement in reestablishing relations between the different nations of the Second Civilization Area; perhaps we might be able to provide stability to the different regions of Elysia with enough effort to avoid the violence of the Osea-Parpaldia War, should the circumstances permit.”
“If the circumstances permit,” Senator Armstrong quickly pointed out. “The Lighthouse Conference itself was a miracle on part of the late Harling’s hard work to redevelop the Third Civilization Area in the aftermath of the Osea-Parpaldia War, and only came about after we had already completely destroyed the capability of the Eshirant government to retaliate against us—we cannot necessarily expect the same thing to happen again, especially if we consider how the Annorials decided to respond to Harling’s offer of peace with a nuclear warhead to the face.”
The entire room winced at John’s mention of the brutal circumstances behind the beloved Ambassador’s assasination. Many details behind how the Annorials had managed to bloody the Oseans at one of the key hearts of their country had since leaked or were disclosed through various sources to the general public, but even the specific details regarding Harling’s death were hardly widespread information (let alone information that most people would have wanted to learn)—for Armstrong to explicitly describe the event itself was more than enough to send shivers amongst the people present, recalling dark memories of atomic fire and the subsequent carnage in Selatapura.
“Harling’s ideals are still a key influence on our actions in Elysia and will continue to play a role in shaping our foreign policy, but we must remember that as Senator Kumari herself has stated previously, our values and ideals contradict the priorities and beliefs of our Elysian counterparts, many of whom have been here for centuries or even millennia at best—we must show that we are just as capable of matching our words with actions, should the situation call for it. Whether we get trouble from the Gra Valkans, the Parpaldians, the Milishials, or the Annorials, we will respond in kind with the knowledge that our technology—itself already about to become obsolete with recent developments that the Bartlett administration will be announcing in a few days’ time—will be more than capable in meeting their ambitions for many more years to come. If it means sending the OSDF as part of the IUN’s peacekeeping forces to Eshirant, or to Magicaregia, or to Runepolis, or to Ragna, then so be it—”
“To get more of our people killed? To spread the words of a man whose idealism was never meant to survive in our own world, let alone in Elysia? Ensuring peace by preparing for war has only served to cause the very conflicts that they sought to avoid!” The Governor leaned forward in anger, gripping his podium with no small amount of strength. “Harling was an idiot who didn’t realise the folly of his actions until he found himself suffering the consequences of his actions—look at his entire career from the Usean Rebellion to his captivity in Eshirant, and you will find that the only reason he survived was because of others who stepped in to save him from certain death! Every war that we’ve fought came across because our attempts at ‘peace’ were correctly recognised as the aggressive actions of a nation that should have never become as powerful as it was in the first place—from the Belkan War to the catastrophe that was our first contact with the Annorial Empire, Osea’s militaristic approach to foreign affairs cannot and has never been justified in its results! That moronic Harling, as well respected as he may have been in his own beliefs, was either naive in thinking he could blend pacifism with decades of expansion and conflict—or was simply played by the people who supposedly backed him for a fool!”
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A vague grumbling could be heard amongst the people within the studio, several people looking at the Governor with a mixture of expressions—shock, dismay, confusion, and even anger—as the entire nation processed Bronte’s disparaging remarks about the widely-beloved former President. There was no doubt about it, Armstrong and Kumari realised—the North Osean’s words would permanently shape his reputation not just for the rest of the election season but potentially even his career; by linking his policies and philosophies to his personal antipathy of what many considered to be one of the greatest Presidents in living memory, the success of his campaign (and possibly even his party) would depend on whether the majority of the nation’s electorate agreed with him. And by the looks of it, Aadarshini observed as she looked around, the odds of such being the case weren’t too good—the expressions of not just the film crew and panelists but the various other guests observing the proceedings towards the Governor were hardening with each passing second.
Quickly seeking to steer things back on track, the host coughed to draw the camera towards him. “Thank you, Governor Bronte. If there are no other comments, then perhaps we should continue with the programme.”
Recognising the change in the atmosphere, Bronte slowly nodded and relaxed his posture as Ferguson began to speak once more.
“We now go to our final panelist—”
The last person to speak was Alana Forlen, who gracefully rose towards her microphone with an air of elegance (and possibly a hint of magic) as her robes shifted and flowed with her movements. The aura she exuded did not go unnoticed by the other people present—her fellow panelists subtly glanced at her in wonder while the camera crew openly gaped, mesmerised by her display. Even the standoffish Bronte appeared rather taken as she turned to face him, her voice gently echoing her words as she spoke to the Governor.
“Senator Kumari, Senator Armstrong, Governor Bronte, greetings. I come on behalf of not just the Holy Milishial Empire, but the nations of Elysia who have witnessed with awe and wonder as an advanced civilization more powerful than possibly even the Ancient Sorcerers came to our world and revealed to our very eyes the vast wonders and opportunities to be had from earning your friendship and loyalty. This world—not just the kingdoms and principalities of the Third Civilization Area, but beyond—has been permanently shaped by your very presence: the Parpaldia Empire, once seen as the sole harbinger of civilization within Philades and Rodenius yet reviled for its practice of slavery, has now fallen from grace and now exists merely as a single small nation amongst many. In Mu, your nation’s goods and products are highly sought after for their quality and sophistication, and your ancient planes now fly in their skies once more as part of their air force; even Gra Valkas, an empire far more distant from the Central World than even Osea itself, has somehow seen fit to change its ways and pursue a path of diplomacy with your nation instead of continuing its path of conquest and destruction. Yet greater troubles exist out there, and Elysia wonders as to what extent your nation would be willing to help us in the years to come and even beyond.
“The question I wish to ask each candidate today is this: what do you, as the future leaders of the Osean Federation, seek to gain from your newfound presence in Elysia? Where do you see Osea as a nation and as a people in the future, when you have left office and your successors have long since fulfilled their duties in ensuring the survival and continued prosperity of your part of our world?”
Senator Armstrong stood before the podium, considering his final words to the people of Osea for tonight. As a member of the ruling Nationals, he had the considerable task of continuing his party’s hold on both Bright Hill and the Legislature—as an individual, he had the mission of continuing the Harling and Bartlett governments’ policies while introducing his own ideas as part of his own administration. To convince the entire nation to give his party another term in office—more than any other party had ever achieved in recent history to this point—nothing less than a perfect summation of what he stood for and represented would be needed. Clearing his throat, he turned to face the camera.
“My fellow Oseans, under normal circumstances, the best question, or questions, to offer to you in order to decide on who to vote for would be this: has your life improved or changed for the better in the four years that the current administration has been in power? Do you feel that you, your family, and your community as a whole is in a better position now than how it was when President Bartlett was sworn in? In a world where Osea never found itself in a new world and forced to recalibrate our very way of life in order to survive, perhaps those would be the questions that you as voters would ask about Bartlett, about Harling, and about me—as the successor to these two Presidents, you would perhaps be asking if you would want to experience the same changes and policies that the last two administrations have enacted and implemented within the past eight years.
“However, we are living in rather unique times, where the current unfortunate circumstances cannot necessarily be blamed on the existing government itself—perhaps the question more pertinent to our present situation is this: do you feel confident that the current administration has been successful in meeting the unprecedented challenge that our nation faces, and do you therefore believe that another four years with the same Party but with a new President will continue with these successes?”
Armstrong frowned, sensing a flaw in his own arguments.
“Perhaps I should be clear—a new administration, even under the National Party for yet another four years, will not simply be the ‘same old thing’ as the two Presidencies before it; even the Transference alone has already done enough to put paid to that notion. No, a new administration with me as your President, while recognising the value of the ideas and concepts of its predecessors, will also recognise that a new form of leadership is necessary in order to tackle the problems that our nation will face in Elysia. Perhaps Governor Bronte is right in that regard—Harling’s idealism will not survive in the long run without diligence on our part to ensure that his final dream of a modern world amongst the stars is protected from those who would prefer otherwise.”
The Senator considered the ideas floated and debated by his colleagues, analysing their intentions and how he could differentiate himself from the rest; quickly developing his own points into a concise argument, he looked up once more.
“In a different setting, I would say that a vote for me and the National Party would be a vote for stability and continuity—but this would imply that the people of Osea will see nothing change from when Harling and Bartlett were still in Bright Hill, and perhaps that is not what is needed for the Federation to continue its existence within Elysia. What is needed is a government that is ready to step forward, to continue advancing and developing its people, its infrastructure, its military, and its technology beyond even what we ourselves have already achieved in the past twenty-five years. Already, we have already made accomplishments unprecedented even in the history of mankind itself: we have touched the stars and crossed the skies; we have ended wars and saved countless lives; and most importantly of all, we have done in a single year what our ancestors have struggled to achieve within centuries—to bring a world that still once viewed archaic and profane practices and concepts such as slavery, ultranationalism, and genocide as an everyday occurence to the modern times, where international law has brought these vices to the brink of extinction within our lifetimes. What I can promise you as President is that Osea will continue forward even from where we already are right now, until we are decades or even centuries ahead of anything or anyone else, and we will bring the New World along with us for the ride—for it is our duty as a nation of the twenty-first century, which has chosen peace over war, love over hatred, and empathy over willful ignorance, to help our peers and partners find their way to where we are right now.”
Armstrong paused, thinking of something firm to conclude his speech.
“To the people of Osea and to the people of Elysia, this is what I have to say: I cannot promise you the world, but the world is out there for us all to explore. Let’s explore it together.”
Light applause met the Senator’s remarks as he nodded at Kumari in acknowledgment. Her turn to shine, she realised.
“In some ways, Senator Armstrong is correct; the choice before you in this election is not whether or not the past four years have changed your lives for the better, but whether you have confidence in the ability of the present government to respond to our arrival in Elysia or if you believe that my administration would be more suitable to meet the changing needs of these uncertain times. Armstrong uses the accomplishments of the administration he has served in as examples of what you might see our nation continue to achieve should he be elected, and it would not be incorrect to assume that many of the policies that he proposes for his own administration are not unlike those that I myself have advanced and supported in the past. In a nutshell, both he and I are in agreement that the work that the late Harling set out to achieve—the end of bloodshed between the nations of our world and the continued pursuit of prosperity and the wonders of the universe through our exploration of the heavens, of the stars, of what lies beyond—must be continued. For the sake of not just our nation but the countless millions of people within Elysia, such a future must come to pass if we are to survive beyond the situation at hand—but this is where my views with Armstrong diverge.
“Senator Armstrong views the process, the plan that Bartlett and his predecessor set out from the end of the Belkan War to the end of the conflict with Parpaldia, as a system akin to a program that the nations of Elysia will undoubtedly follow. His ideas and his viewpoints come from a person who only sees the words from Harling’s philosophies but does not understand the value behind them—the Ambassador’s vision for Osea and perhaps even Elysia goes beyond merely ending wars and replacing the existing cultural and geopolitical systems of the so-called Concert of Elysia with our own. Beyond the utopian ideal where all the savagery and barbarity that the nations of the New World exercise upon others disappears is a promise: a promise that something better than what we have now is out there for us to offer—a promise that those who would oppose us see as the beginning of their fall from power. Our projects, our achievements, and our prosperity and continued survival as a nation represents far more than the sum of our efforts—they stand as a sign that the systems that once dominated the New World as the Concert of Elysia are no longer capable of meeting the needs of the nations they have claimed to serve. Why, you may ask, did the Annorials target Vincent Harling? Simple: it wasn’t merely because of his position as an ambassador and personal advisor to President Bartlett, or because of his diplomatic value to us as one of the finest statesmen of our era—it was because they saw him and feared him for what he—and Osea by extension—stood for: hope.”
Kumari stood tall, expounding upon her point with intent.
“Hope for a better future where the violence of war disappears. Hope for a world where hunger and diseases are but ancient stories of a dark past, where people of all species, of all cultures, of all religions and nations can coexist in peace and harmony. Hope for a society where no single person or concept or idea is dominant above all else at the expense of others. Hope for a reality that, while not perfect, has a lot less of the imperfections of today’s reality—where the words and proclamations of emperors, kings, and madmen hold no weight and the peoples of Elysia may someday reach the stars as one. Such a dream runs counter to the ancient ambitions of the Annorials, and so they sought to undermine his message and discourage us from persevering with the journey that we’ve taken by assassinating Harling. The Annorials would have sought with his death to permanently discredit his views in order to continue with their own designs for Elysia—will we as a nation allow that to happen?
“Senator Armstrong believes that we can bring about the utopia of Harling’s future through brute force; that through the projection of our military power and the penetration of our economic might into every aspect of Elysian life, both our friends and rivals may recognise the futility of resistance and join us for our final ascendance into the skies. Perhaps with the mindsets of our new neighbours—ancient civilizations who have known nothing else but the ideas of the world that they live in—he may be right about what must come next for us as a nation. But how he approaches our problems, both imminent and unforeseen, may or may not indirectly undermine the very ideals that he seeks to uphold—his administration will undoubtedly continue to expound the ideas and principles of those who see the futility of war for what it is, but it may appear that Senator Armstrong himself doesn’t fully grasp why we are here discussing the words of a man who dared hoped for more than the fires of nuclear war for his homeland, his reality, and his people: because at the very core of what we are candidates are here today for, we hope for something better for ourselves and the generations that come after us.”
The Senator remembered Harling’s final conversation with her, comparing them to Armstrong’s concluding remarks in her head and her own ideas.
“It would be na?ve to assume that the words of an idealistic man whose track record of being kidnapped, imprisoned, and ultimately killed for his beliefs will be more than enough to persuade an entire world jaded by its own history to believe in a better future. Maybe even Armstrong’s proposals may prove to be necessary in the years to come as more nations like the Annorials or the Parpaldians come to the fore. But even as we move on from the events of the past year, we must not forget what brought us here—the culmination of over a hundred years of conflict between three nations who knew of nothing else but war until the very moment that our actions brought our world into the brink of nuclear annihilation. We exist in a New World, but we stare into the reflection of our old selves—and the Osea that I see us becoming in the future is a nation where, through example rather than by force, through cooperation rather than by conflict, through peace rather than through war, we have brought those who have yet to learn the consequences of the actions they would have taken—that we ourselves have taken—into the world that we have created in the aftermath:
“A world where we, the peoples of Elysia and beyond, are not just part of a rich, prosperous, and equal world, but part of something greater than ourselves. That is the Osea that Harling desired from the moment he came to power until the moment he died at the hands of those who would stop him, and that is the Osea that I wish to bring to reality as your President.”
Kumari paused, and stared towards the camera.
“In the words of the late Vincent Harling himself—to those listening, I ask you: will you join us?”
Bright Hill, Oured, Osean Federation — October 8, 2020
“Holy shit. Is that what I think it is?”
From the video call on the President’s monitor, Agent North nodded. “We’ve double-checked the aircraft and run a full analysis, Mr. President, and we’re fairly certain that it’s definitely his plane from the Belkan War itself.”
Thousands of kilometers away, deep within a forest in the Qua-Toyne Principality, the OIA operative turned the camera away from himself and refocused it towards the object at the center of the clearing: an F-15, clearly still in pristine condition, a pair of bluish grey wings and a red dog emblazoned on its rear. A magical barrier enveloped the legendary plane, having been placed there and carefully maintained over countless millennia to preserve the airframe from the elements—even with the spotty connection between Oured and the Lean Know Forest over thousands of kilometers away, the veteran pilot-turned-President could see that only a few quick repairs would potentially be more than enough to get even the now-ancient aircraft up in the air once more.
“We found his aircraft in a forest within the Principality of Qua-Toyne—according to the local custodians of the area, he and a fleet of vessels and soldiers were brought to Elysia over several millennia ago by some goddess, as a final line of defense against the Ravernals. Considering our own records about Galm One’s disappearance involving him and an entire Sapinese carrier fleet fresh out of the drydocks performing postwar cleanup actions…well, I think we can finally figure out what exactly happened to them, after all these years.”
“And all this time, we thought that that whole mess was either some kind of natural disaster or the Grey Men getting rid of loose ends,” Bartlett remarked in awe. “So…is it your assessment that we ended up in Elysia for the same reason? To fight the Ravernals, should they return?”
“Who knows? Perhaps the stories about gods and goddesses fighting the Ravernals and summoning nations to Elysia were true—we have the Muans, the Gra Valkans, and ourselves. I think, in my opinion, the more important question is: what are we going to do, now that we’re seemingly here for good?”
“Indeed,” the President pondered, “what are we going to do now?”
To whoever’s listening to this:
If you’re Kumari, congratulations—looks like Harling was right about you. If you’re Armstrong, just know I’d have won a bet about you winning, but the other guy had the cash and he’s now either a pile of atoms or in orbit somewhere above the planet right now. Sorry about pulling the rug from under you with the announcement I’ll have made immediately before writing this; the old man was rather insistent in his will that it be made clear he doesn’t seem to trust your guts. If, by some improbable twist of fate, you’re Bronte…well, god fucking help us all.
Anyway, you’re now in charge of the most powerful nation in the planet as we know of just yet, and that comes with quite a few nice things: a private jet, a private Beast, Bright Hill itself, and even a personal SSTO if General Resource actually gets the damn thing finished in time for you to be sworn in—and command of the most powerful arsenal of ships, planes, superweapons, soldiers, and pilots in the history of both our old world and Elysia alike. Don’t laugh—you could feasibly order our entire military to obliterate every single capital outside of the continent if you wanted to, and Clements probably would actually go through with it if he saw a good enough reason to do so. Anyway, I’m getting distracted.
The lives of countless millions now rests upon each and every one of your decisions in one way or another, and the impact of what you’ll be doing for the next four years will likely be felt not just here in Oured but across Osea and maybe even the rest of Elysia. It’s not just internal affairs and the economy, however—you’ll likely remember the security briefings Clements and I ran you through earlier this year, right? Well, suffice it to say that we’ve recently uncovered some compelling evidence to suggest that the supposed myths and legends may actually have some truth to them. I’ve already ordered the Department of Defense to prepare a briefing for you once you arrive in Bright Hill, and there’ll be both a presentation and a stack of top secret files for you to look at on your desk. I know you’ll likely have your doubts, but trust me on this—we’re looking at something that could make the Belkan War or even Ulysses look quaint in comparison. We’re talking about atomic warheads over all of our major cities, nuclear fallout from Sudentor to Sand Island, and genocides from Fairweather to Wadsworth—and odds are fairly good that it’ll be all up to you to make sure that never happens.
Don’t worry too much, though—there’s plenty of people in Bright Hill who will be more than willing to help out with whatever you want to do in order to stop what we suspect may eventually happen within a few years’ time. And if, god forbid, the unthinkable does happen, there’s some measures that Clements will be drafting up in order for us to make it out of the upcoming shitshow alive—superplanes, Singularities, maybe even the reactivation of our decommissioned nuclear warheads, if it comes to that. Or, maybe the whole threat never materialises while you’re in office, in which case…well, you’ll just have the Gra Valkans and the Annorials to worry about. Maybe the Milishials, too, if it comes to that.
I do hope you can handle all of these responsibly or at least have the common sense to defer to your advisors if you’re feeling a bit lost—god knows I was in your shoes many years ago when I first came to Oured. At least I’ll be able to leave office with the satisfaction that I managed to help leave Osea intact even after everything that’s happened; I hope you’ll be leaving Bright Hill in four years’ time (or even eight years’ time, if you’re lucky enough) with the same results. Anyway, best of luck—you’ve got some pretty big boots to fill here.
Alex, end recording.
With a gentle beep, the AI program ceased recording Bartlett’s message and immediately saved it into the National Archives; with the right orders and programming, it would be the very first thing that his successor would find upon logging in to the same computer the President was using now. Nodding in satisfaction, Jack leaned back and sighed in resignation.
“Mr. President, Senator Armstrong is calling you. Would you like to answer?”
“No, Alex, let it go to voicemail.”
The program, stored within a circular device on his desk, glowed blue in acknowledgment. “Affirmative. Stand by for incoming voicemail.”
An angry voice abruptly disturbed the silence in Bartlett’s office, the audibly furious Senator echoing across the room. “Jack, what the fuck?! What the hell did you do?! I trusted you, and you go and backstab me like this?! Even if we still win, we’re going to end up splitting the damn party—you’ll end up handing the Legislature to Kumari’s people, at best! Call me back, or so God help me I’ll see to it you never step foot inside the National Party headquarters ever again for your little stunt—”
“Turn that thing off, Alex.”
The President turned around on his chair to look out of the window—the skyscrapers of downtown Oured could be seen over the horizon, the sky mercifully absent of falling stars as Bartlett’s thoughts turned to a memory from the not-too-distant past: four Tomcats soaring in the heavens above, their final flight bringing to a bright and glorious end a legacy of death and hatred and replacing it with one of hope and unity.
He and Harling had held on to and maintained that legacy for as long as possible; with the old man now gone and himself about to retire, it was time to hand it over to someone who would ensure that their work continued on for a new generation. Heartbreak One could only hope the people who followed were up to the task.
“Well, it could have gone better—then again, things could have been far worse…”
Tampines Air Base, Selatapura, Osean Federation — November 15, 2020
“Flight commander on deck!”
Immediately on cue, the sixteen pilots present stood at attention as Clown walked into the hangar, the morning sun reflecting on the tables and seats at the center of the vast space. Standing before the podium and facing his audience, the former Mage One took a long, careful look at the men and women before him: a mixture of Oseans and Elysians, humans and demihumans, from Qua-Toyne all the way to Mu and even Gra Valkas, all looked back in anticipation for what he had to say.
“Morning; take a seat. My name is Captain Brad Kitada, and I’m here to officially welcome you to the IUN-PKF. If you are here, then that means you have not only passed the necessary requirements to be accepted for jet training in the OADF, but have been deemed sufficiently skilled, sufficiently fit, or have sufficient potential to proceed to our elite dogfighting course. Congratulations; by Elysian standards, you are amongst the best airmen that the New World has to offer—”
The Gra Valkans along with several Muan and Milishial pilots were now grinning, basking in the praise seemingly being thrown their way.
“—until now.”
Said grins froze or turned into confused frowns. Clown’s voice remained firm, the instructor intent on giving his students a taste of reality.
“Even amongst the most advanced fighters in any part of Elysia within the Civilization Areas, not a single aircraft has yet to breach the sound barrier—yet the Annorials themselves field fighters that not only exceed this limit with ease, but boast weapons that could annihilate entire air forces with the simple press of a button. What their Ravernal ancestors are capable of, even we can only begin to guess.” Ignoring the winces and silent gasps from the Elysians present at the unspoken taboo of mentioning the Sorcerers’ true names out loud, the instructor continued, “Your nations will likely soon have access to our older fighters and will have undoubtedly sent you here to develop the necessary skills to use them, but this course will go beyond that—because your enemies are more than capable of that, as well. This course will teach you not just how to fly across the skies, but to master the art of dancing in the skies—to use the clouds and the air around you to your benefit, to bend any battlefield to your will, to warp every single rule or understanding of air combat beyond the realm of the sane and sensible, all for a sole purpose: not just to survive, but to win. Why? Because in the skies, against enemies such as the Annorials or even the Ravernals, there will be only one possible outcome other than victory—death.”
Several Elysians were now visibly more attentive to Clown’s words, having quickly realised that a lot more than their own personal and national pride was at stake. The Gra Valkans and Milishials were intently listening as well, their smug attitudes having since been replaced by concern and grim determination—throughout Elysia, ancient legends of the Sorcerers were returning to the public consciousness as eyewitness accounts of the Annorials’ actions in Selatapura continued to circulate across the New World. Having to rely on the Oseans to prepare for the troubles in the years to come was no small blow to the image of the superpowers who were now sending their pilots and acquiring their fighters, but the alternative—instant annihilation, if not something far worse—was a fate universally considered far from ideal, to be avoided or stopped no matter how much effort and sacrifice was required.
“Within this course, you will be assessed on a variety of areas beyond technical and theoretical ability: how you perform as part of a team, how you react to situations beyond the current scope of your abilities, how you improvise and adapt to changes in your mission parameters or the conditions for your operations, how you respond and utilise the technologies provided to you. You will also be assessed on physiological and psychological terms—even Oseans with prior flight experience have struggled to withstand the strain from what you and your colleagues may find yourselves attempting in the weeks and months to come. Understand this: you are not guaranteed to succeed or even complete this training—considering the highly accelerated nature at which many of you pilots ended up here, I would be surprised if any of you will still be here in a few months’ time.”
Clown unexpectedly smirked, slowly placing a stack of documents from his arm to the podium before him as he saw Trigger and another helmeted pilot approach the assembled group from behind. His eyes briefly panning to the blue ribbon embroidered on the latter’s shoulder, the instructor refocused his attention to the rest of the audience.
“Should you successfully graduate from this course, however, you will be given the choice to return to your respective countries and share the skills and abilities that you will have developed with your peers and fellow pilots. With the passage of time, the air forces of the nations that you represent will be capable of fighting against any threat on equal terms—not just with the equipment and planes, but with the pilots that will be using them. Alternatively, you may instead choose a different path: to enter the Lighthouse Division and continue your service within the IUN’s peacekeeping forces, but with access to the most advanced fighters in the history of this world—the Shinden, the DarkStar, or perhaps even the Falken itself—or whatever new superplanes our brightest minds may soon develop.”
Remembering the sight of the otherworldly ADF-01 eviscerating Annorial fighters with its blue beam of light, the pilots present leaned forward in anticipation—each person now imagined themselves inside, leading the way for their respective countries to defeat the Sorcerers and rule the skies. Satisfied that he now had their full attention, Clown nodded approvingly and reached for the projector.
“Let’s begin, shall we?”
Polson, J. (2038) ‘President Jack Bartlett: An Obituary’, GAZE Magazine, 2038(35), pp.3-25.
…it could be said that the final traces of the Old World that Osea once viewed itself in faded away with the death of Ambassador Vincent Harling and the subsequent retirement of President Jack Bartlett—the old guard, having borne witness to the horrors of Ulysses and the Belkan War and personally led the Federation through the aftermath of both catastrophes, were beginning to disappear into the background as the first quarter of the twenty-first century came to a close. In a sense, the Transference itself had all but swept away the troubles of the past twenty-five years: the memories of the skies falling and nuclear fire would soon fade into history, becoming ancient recollections of a long-forgotten world as Harling and Bartlett’s successors eventually stopped looking back at their past and began to consider what lay ahead for Elysia as a whole.
A new generation was soon to step forward to meet the newfound concerns and issues of the New World; not only would the likes of politicians such as Gra Cabal, Marix, Armstrong, Kumari, and Clarkson become household names, but small offshoots of larger corporations such as General Resource and Gründer Industries would come to eclipse even entire superpowers such as the Milishials and Gra Valkans in terms of economic and political power—all of this coinciding right as the advent of a new technological frontier was about to radically transform Elysia itself beyond recognition:
Electrosphere…
Who should be the next President of Osea?
