NOVEL WEB Chapter 2: Island of Steel
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Principality of Qua Toyne
April 19, Central Calendar Year 1639, 6:30 P.M.
Qua Toyne Navy Second Fleet
Water splashed gently onto the ship’s hull, providing a peaceful ambience as Captain Vansen admired the setting sun. Golden rays skimmed past the water, illuminating the ocean with a beautiful glow as the evening crept into the sky. His slumbery, dreamy state was interrupted by one of his lieutenants, who seemed to be quite confused as he tapped on his captain’s shoulder.
“Eh, Captain?” He asked, clutching a spotting telescope.
Captain Vansen groaned, somewhat annoyed that his peaceful relaxation was cut short. “What is it? Spotted the Lourian navy or something?”
“No, nothing major like that, sir. I’ve spotted several islands out on the horizon.”
This piqued the captain’s interest, evident in his posture and facial expressions. “Islands? There aren’t any islands off the coast of Maihark.”
The lieutenant offered the captain his telescope. “Over yonder,” he pointed toward a spot in the horizon. “I saw some shapes in the distance. I could only make out the silhouettes because of the setting sun.”
Captain Vansen accepted the telescope. “Let me see,” he said as he adjusted it, zooming into the specified location. Sure enough, several silhouettes appeared along the horizon. Handing the telescope back to his lieutenant, he frowned at the strange sight. “They don’t look like islands; the overall structure of these things is too angular. It is likely that these are ships.”
The lieutenant viewed the objects again. “Oh! They are much closer than they were before. They simply looked like islands earlier…” he trailed off. “Sir, shall we investigate? There shouldn’t be any other patrols out here aside from us.”
“Agreed. Helmsman!” Vansen called out. “Take us northeast, we are going to investigate the presence of these unknown ships!”
The helmsman complied, and the previously sleepy ship bustled with activity as the Qua Toyne sailors redirected their ship. Rowers below decks helped turn the ship around while sailors on deck adjusted the sails. Vansen continued to monitor the ‘islands’ on the horizon, noticing that they seemed to be closing in quite quickly. By the time Vansen’s ship fully turned around, the unknown fleet had become visible, their ships having furled their sails yet maintaining a mind-boggling velocity. Soon enough, they approached his comparatively tiny vessel, and he looked up at the immense shadow of the metal ship before him. He carefully analyzed the vessel, noting that it had a large cannon placed near the bow. What he had previously mistaken for a mast turned out to be some sort of steel structure, complete with windows, spires, and lights. Several smaller cannons adorned the sides of the vessels, accompanied by tubes and other alien devices. On the hull of the ship, a white phrase presented itself; Vansen surmised that this was likely a designation for the vessel, as other ships had similar, yet different paintings.
As the ship approached, Vansen noticed several beings — humans, to his surprise — aboard waving at him and his crew. He waved back, and the humans aboard the metal ship pointed somewhere behind their metal ship. Within a few minutes, the metal ship had passed him, along with several other metal ships, seemingly forming a defensive perimeter around the enormous ship ahead. The size of this flat-topped vessel was such that even its large escorts were dwarfed by it. The height of the flat-top was immense; Vansen stared with his mouth agape as he attempted to make sense of the size of this behemoth. The vessel, a floating fortress to him, was many times the length of his own ship. If he had to estimate, the vessel clearly had the equivalent length of at least 10 Qua Toynian warships and a height of at least 3 of his vessels, mast included. The width of the vessel could be compared to 3 or 4 of his own ship, side by side.
“What kind of ship is this…?” the lieutenant asked, a combination of fear and wonder written over his face.
“It is no ship. Such a construction that makes those other giant vessels look like ants… It is more like an island of steel!” Vansen exclaimed. “Still, we have a job to do. Men, ready your gear! We shall prepare to investigate the vessel!”
“Sir, how do we even board it?” the lieutenant asked.
Vansen looked around the ship. The steel island seemed to be lowering a large section of itself, with people on it waving, motioning for them to come over. Vansen pointed at it, saying, “I believe we should head that way. We can board using their magical platform.”
Vansen’s ship approached the platform and he led his lieutenant and several guards onto it. He inspected the men on the platform, who wore no armor, instead wearing a strange conglomeration of blue and a black vest in front of it. As Vansen thought about it, he realized that the strange blue uniforms could be a useful camouflage on the ocean, but did not understand why anyone would need to camouflage themselves on the water. Additionally, these strange humans held some sort of black musket, angling them to the side as they stood like statues, still and silent.
Past the platform was a cavernous hangar, with winged objects and magical lighting inside. Several crates were stacked along the walls, giving Vansen the impression that this area must be for storage. Is this a cargo ship? The platform ascended slowly, releasing a metallic groan as it operated. When it reached the top of the deck, Vansen stared at the various winged objects organized near the edges. As he analyzed the deck, he whispered to his men. “By the Heavens, the top of this vessel is so large that it might even be able to host a jousting match!”
His men nodded in agreement, muttering their own astonished remarks.
Similar to the other metal ships, this one had a large tower with windows and skinny metal spires. From this tower, a man dressed in white emerged, emanating an aura of authority. He was accompanied by several men holding black muskets and a man dressed in dark blue, adorning a fashionable pin on his outfit. Vansen noticed that the pin resembled the flag that flew by the tower — one that he didn’t recognize. The flag was interesting: a neat arrangement of stars upon a blue background in the top left corner, with white and red stripes elsewhere. He looked back down to the approaching men.
“Men, remain on standby and present yourselves as honorable servicemen of Qua Toyne!” Vansen ordered.
Vansen walked forward, giving him a Qua Toynian salute. “Greetings, I am Captain Vansen of the Qua Toyne Navy Second Fleet. You have entered our territorial waters and we would like to know of your vessel’s affiliation and objective.”
The man in dark blue sighed, “Oh whew, good to know we speak the same language. I’m Ambassador Samuel Anders,” he walked up to shake the man’s hand, “and the fine gentleman in white is,” he gestured to his right.
“Admiral William Hawthorne,” he saluted. “Welcome aboard the USS Ronald Reagan.” He shook Captain Vansen’s hand. “You have a firm handshake, son,” he nodded in approval.
Captain Vansen accepted the compliment.
“Now, as for our affiliation, we come from the United States of America.” Ambassador Anders produced a paper from his suit pocket, unfolding it and revealing a map of the United States.
Captain Vansen accepted it, a dumbfounded expression plastered on his face. “United States of America? I’ve never heard of that nation. And this… this landmass is immense and so close to our shores! How have we never discovered this before?”
“Unfortunately, we are a transported nation. A freak storm enveloped our world and for some reason dissipated unexpectedly. After the storm clouds parted, we found ourselves on this planet. Speaking of which, what is this planet called?”
Captain Vansen scratched his head. “Oh… we’ve actually… never created a name for this world. Our knowledge of this world is not very extensive, you see, as we reside in the barbarian areas outside the civilized regions. Perhaps someone from a civilized country like the Parpaldian Empire can provide you an answer. Anyway, what is your objective here?”
“Our objective is to establish contact with local civilizations such as your nation of ‘Qua Toyne’ and initiate diplomacy. Several hours ago, while exploring the circumstances of our transfer, we sent a large aircraft to perform reconnaissance of this new planet: the RC-130. We sincerely apologize for intruding on your airspace.”
“I see. Please excuse me, I must report our encounter to my superiors.”
“Sure thing, Captain Vansen.”
——
Principality of Qua Toyne
Qua Toyne Navy Headquarters
“Admiral! Priority transmission from the Second Fleet!” A communications officer burst into Admiral Hayvan’s office.
Admiral Hayvan released a puff of smoke from his mouth as he tapped his cigar. “What is it?”
“Sir, Captain Vansen of the patrol vessel QTS Kraken reports that the strange flotilla they encountered originated from the country of the United States of America. An ambassador representing this nation has apologized for the airspace violation that took place earlier this morning, and has expressed a desire to initiate diplomatic talks with us.” The communications officer then performed a double take, stuttering as he read the surprising report. “And… and the what? The country of the United States was transferred?”
“Hmm… Fascinating,” Hayvan muttered as he released another puff of smoke. “Just like those legends of transferred countries eh? Maybe those folks from Mu weren’t joking around after all,” he sighed as he got up from his desk. “And on top of this news, to admit that they violated our airspace…”
He walked out the door, sniffing out his cigar before he left.
“Admiral, where are you going?”
“I’m going to the Capital! Our leaders are currently discussing the airspace violation that took place earlier this morning, and the implications of it. I must inform them of these new… developments.”
——
Government Conference Area (Lotus Garden)
“What’s with all the smoke?” A clerk coughed. “Sir! You can’t enter this area; this meeting is only for authorized personnel!”
“My apologies, but I have urgent news regarding the earlier airspace violation!” Admiral Hayvan slipped past the clerk.
“Admiral Hayvan of the Second Fleet? What are you doing here?” an official gasped in shock.
“Well, well… Pleased to see you as well, Foreign Minister Matara.”
Foreign Minister Matara stood up, preparing a barrage of insults and obscenities for the intrusion, but was stopped by a tall elf.
“Please, Foreign Minister. I’m interested in what he has to say.” Prime Minister Kanata then turned to Admiral Hayvan. “I assume this is an urgent matter?”
“Indeed it is, Prime Minister,” Hayvan bowed. “I apologize for the unexpected intrusion —”
Kanata held up a hand. “No worries, Admiral. Now, what is it you’re here to inform us about?”
Hayvan saluted. “We received a report from the Second Fleet, saying that they’ve identified the faction which the unidentified aircraft belongs to. The aircraft that flew over Maihark this morning is a mechanical construct of the United States of America, and they have sent a fleet of metal ships to introduce themselves. On board their fleet is an ambassador, who has expressed sincere apologies for violating our airspace and a desire to conduct diplomatic talks.”
“United States of America? Never heard of them,” an official muttered.
“Yes, that is because this nation is a transferred country!” Hayvan announced.
The announcement was met with mixed reactions. Some of the officials laughed, thinking that this was some sort of joke. Others found the claim preposterous, suggesting that they should just dismiss the United States of America. One of the officials was offended by the audacity of the United States: to intrude on Qua Toynian airspace and then apologize for a blatantly hostile action, in his opinion, was ridiculous.
As the chatter settled down, Hayvan continued. “Some of you want to ignore the United States, and some of you want to act with hostility when they have offered us diplomacy. There are also a few here that think the claims of a summoned nation are preposterous, yet we can see their magic aircraft and ships of steel with our own eyes. Now, let me explain our unique position in all of this.
Our ally, the Quila Kingdom, has a weak military overall, only finding strength in the superhuman characteristics of their beastmen soldiers. They are economically weak, impoverished, even. Due to the mountain ranges and wastelands that separate our two nations, logistics is complicated. To our southwestern borders, the Louria Kingdom has been increasing their troop presence along our border towns; it seems as if they are preparing for a war.
Considering this, I ask those who wish for hostilities against the United States, what resources can we even spare against them? Even though we know nothing of their military capabilities, their ability to construct flying beasts of metal and islands of steel certainly demonstrate their overwhelming technological advantage over us.
Sure, we can turn them away, but what good would that do? They have already expressed positive intentions, and turning them away might cause us to miss out on anything they are willing to discuss and offer.” Hayvan concluded his speech and turned to Kanata. “Prime Minister, what is your decision?”
Kanata scratched his chin, carefully considering the information provided by Hayvan. “I see… If that is the case, then we shall accept their apology and invite them over for diplomatic talks tomorrow morning.”
After the meeting was dismissed, Kanata walked back to his office alone, pondering the strange occurrences of the day. “The United States of America… A nation in possession of extraordinarily advanced technology, similar to Mu and the Holy Milishial Empire… Like the two superpowers, this ‘United States’ boasts large, artificial aircraft and metallic ships equipped with magic cannons. I wonder, who are they, and what might they be looking for in Qua Toyne?”
——
Off the coast of Maihark
April 30, 1639, 9:00 A.M.
United States Seventh Fleet
With an invitation to the Capital, Admiral Hawthorne ordered his men to anchor off the Maihark coast, as the fleet couldn’t fit into the small, shallow-water ports. Ambassador Anders looked toward the city. A sizable crowd gathered along the docks, intrigued by the fleet of giant metal ships off their shores. With nothing much to do aside from monitoring radar, most of the Seventh Fleet’s crew emerged above decks, waving at the Maihark crowd, much to their amusement.
Having received appropriate clearance and a suitable landing zone from the Qua Toyne government, the Americans readied a pair of helicopters. Ambassador Anders waited by the helicopters while several men donning yellow vests prepared the vehicles. While he waited, he listened in on some of the conversations the sailors were having.
A marine waiting to board the helicopters, in particular, seemed to be having a meltdown of sorts. As Anders closed his eyes and focused on the man’s words, he became intrigued with the story.
“... Bro, there’s no way that was a dream. You saw the Japs disappear, right? Dude, I wasn’t even on the base and all of a sudden I’m whisked away at midnight, naked in front of the Colonel!”
“Dude, why the hell were you naked?”
“Bro, I was about to go crazy on this Japanese girl! I was in her apartment and we were about to get steamy, taking off our clothes and shit, then she disappears and I’m on the base! The Colonel gets me some clothes and we look outside the window. Bam! Nothing is there. Japan is totally gone, and all we see is some island. Freaky shit, I tell ya.”
Anders smirked while he eavesdropped on the rather amusing story, curious what happened to Japan and all the other countries on Earth. Some rumors already began to circulate about their fates, with one in particular being the most popular. All of the nations on Earth were transported away, leaving the planet a blank canvas. How valid might this theory be? Evidently, this theory was the most popular among scientists and satellite operators within the military, who were able to view last-minute transmissions from satellites before the United States was whisked away. Interestingly enough, many of these satellites seemed to have also been whisked away; maintaining appropriate orbits proportional to this new planet’s size. Anders looked up, his head hurting from this contemplation. “God, what is going on?”
“Not much,” a voice said to his left. “C’mon Ambassador, we’re waiting for you.”
Anders followed the marine to the helicopter and they took off. Anders analyzed the landscape below, the city bearing great resemblance to renaissance era cities in Europe. He sighed as the city became a speck in the background and pulled out several documents from his briefcase to review.
“We come in peace,” he muttered to himself.