GATE — Thus, the CARAVEL sailed into uncharted waters…
As armas e os barões assinalados,
Que da ocidental praia Lusitana,
Por mares nunca de antes navegados,
Passaram ainda além da Taprobana,
Em perigos e guerras esforçados,
Mais do que prometia a força humana,
E entre gente remota edificaram
Novo Reino, que tanto sublimaram;
July 19th, 2022
Morning
*click*
"…finally we check on Madeira, which continues to experience rather unusual cool weather for this time of the year, with temperatures currently rounding the low 20s. The Institute for Sea and Atmosphere is attributing the phenomenon to an atypical depression forming around the Canary Islands. Also noteworthy, a heavy blanket of fog has descended the most of the island's south, especially affecting the Funchal city area. Road authorities are issuing caution to all drivers, urging morning commuters to moderate their speed. Conditions are however expected to be normalized by midday, after which the inhabitants can expect clear skies and temperatures closer to the 30s together with high levels of air humidity, as is typical for the month of July. Back to you…"
"Thank you. I'm certain they'll appreciate whatever reprieve they can get from the tropical heat. We'll be back for News of the Morning at 7, after a short commercial break…"
*click*
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*BREAKING NEWS*
"Good morning. We interrupt the scheduled programming to bring to our viewers last-minute news. An unknown situation appears to be developing in Funchal, Madeira. Reports arriving at our studio from our branch offices in the island give account of a brewing tumult originating in the Marina. Though I should stress that these are unconfirmed as of now, we've been also receiving messages from our colleagues stationed in Funchal that tell of scenes of panic, of people running away from the docks, leaving their vehicles behind in a hurry. As of now, we've no way of telling the nature or cause of this commotion are, as we await for more information to arrive at our station. We'll, of course, keep you up to date of any new developments to the best of our ability. So please, stay tuned for more information as it comes…"
*click*
"…pictures continue to arrive at our website, and various other social media outlets. This picture here in particular, taken by a local citizen from Forte de São Tiago, grants us a view on what is happening at the Marina. As you can see, several dozen ships, resembling what at first glance seem wooden cruise liners, are occupying the whole stretch of the bay and beyond. And if we zoom in… here, we can see numerous smaller boats heading ashore, each with several passengers aboard them…"
*click*
"…112 calls, words, pictures and videos keep pouring out of Funchal, each painting an increasingly clearer picture of the utter chaos that reigns in the city's downtown. Total panic, as thousands of local residents and tourists alike desperately try to flee what appear to be hundreds, if not thousands, of heavily-armed assailants. It is easy to assume that these individuals are related in some manner to the strange ships that landed earlier today. There… there are strong indications of multiple casualties among the civilians, those that could not reach safety in time. We warn you that the following scenes may harm the sensitivities of our more susceptible viewers. Viewer discretion is highly advised…"
*click*
"…sea monsters, as one bystander managed to describe before her call was abruptly cut off. The last sound being a wailing shriek. Many are the identical testimonies, a word-for-word description, that have managed to escape the warzone that is Funchal at this current hour. Of humanoid monstrosities walking besides armor-clad, but still distinctively human, combatants, indiscriminately attacking anyone unfortunate enough to cross their path. For the most part, these creatures seem to be amphibian in nature, 'Homens-Rã' (Frog-Men) as one eyewitness portrays them. Other images showcase different types of these strange beasts, sharing a semblance with crustaceans, cephalopods and even tortoises. What's more, though blurred, by these pictures we can also spot several winged creatures flying overhead, swooping in to attack…"
*click*
"…a video of several local elements of the PSP and GNR engaging the numerous attackers in the streets of Madeira's capital. It's becoming evident by the lack of return fire, that the latter group does not possess firearms, opting instead to charge in against the entrenched public security forces. Adopting slow moving, tightly packed formations, similar to a roman testudo, they become easy targets for the officers' small arms fusillade, and tear gas deployed en masse by the Public Intervention Corps, their ranks quickly breaking under the sustained punishment. In scenes reminiscent of a medieval battlefield, police in full riot gear give battle in pitched close quarters combat against the stunned invaders and, owing to their superior equipment and training, quickly coming out on top. Reports also indicate that troops from the local Army unit, Garrison Regiment Nº3, are beginning to arrive at the scene, providing much needed assistance to the beleaguered police forces and aiding them in restoring public order within the city…"
*click*
E também as memórias gloriosas
Daqueles Reis, que foram dilatando
A Fé, o Império, e as terras viciosas
De África e de Ásia andaram devastando;
E aqueles, que por obras valerosas
Se vão da lei da morte libertando;
Cantando espalharei por toda parte,
Se a tanto me ajudar o engenho e arte.
Afternoon
*click*
"'…for all intents and purposes, the country is presently in a state of war. The Armed Forces of our nation are expected to act accordingly.' the Chief of the General Staff of the Portuguese Armed Forces declared shortly after midday, following an extraordinary session of the country's National Assembly. Other NATO and EU nations' governing bodies are too convening to discuss the developing situation, and the UN has already announced a date for a conference to examine the bizarre incident in Madeira. Stay tuned for more…"
*click*
"…a state of emergency has been declared throughout all national territories. The Navy's Immediate Reaction Force has already set off towards Madeira, with several companies of fuzileiros, Army commandos and airforce special groups being flown to the island ahead of its arrival. The possibility of a terrorist attack has been, as of now, officially been unruled by local Portuguese authorities given what's known of the perpetrators, especially their conduct during the attack. Nonetheless, the government spokesperson indicated that the incident is being classified as an instance of terrorism, adding 'O que mais chamariam a esta barbárie?' (How else would one describe this barbarism?). In addition to the deployed assets, Spanish and Moroccan naval vessels were also sighted heading…"
*click*
[Reporter approaches an injured civilian, visibly covered in blood. The man appears aloof.]
"Excuse me, sir! We're live for RTP. Any word you can give our viewers…? Any family you wish to inform of your whereabouts-?"
"Sangue né meu…" (Not my blood…)
"Any… anything else you wan-?"
"…sangue né meu, pá…" (…not my blood, man…)
[The man moves way from the camera, reporter quickly goes to address a woman nearby.]
"Excuse me, ma'am! We're live for RTP. Can you-?"
"YA ne govoryu po –portugalski… Not speak Portuguese, do not speak…"
"My apologies. Hmm…"
[Reporter tries to get attention of another woman, who turns around when she taps her on the shoulder, startled.]
"Excuse me, ma'am! We're live for RT-"
"Nandeshou!? Hanattoite! Fack off!"
[Noticeably downbeat, the reporter turns to the audience at home.]
"As… as you can see, the survivors are still very much reeling from that have been events unfolding since this morning. Their daily routine rudely broken by the appearance of the otherworldly ships and the invaders that came ashore. The Continente hypermarket where we now stand, rather than seeing people filling its aisles for another busy shopping day, is now becomes a safe haven for those that managed to escape the fighting that still rages outside, as you can hear. One cannot possibly imagine what goes through the minds of these people at the moment-"
[A teenager suddenly grabs the front of the camera and turns it towards himself, frenetically jumping up and down while gluing his face to the screen.]
"BOMBA NELES-!-!-! BOMBA NELES CARALHO-!-!-!" (Bomb them! Bomb them f****** hell!)
*click*
"…deafening explosions continue to thunder in the distance, as the entire bay area is illuminated by the flames that consume what little survives of the massive wooden hulls of the invader's vessels. Artillery batteries, in tandem with several attack aircraft, have been pounding the moored armada relentlessly ever since the military retook control of the Marina, driving most of the enemy's ground forces back to their ships. It did little to help them. Seeing their ground assault driven off, some of the rear elements of the enemy flotilla tried to sail away just as the first NATO jets arrived. You can see the results… those ships now nothing but burnt husks. Worse still for the invaders, their remains are now effectively trapping many vessels between the shore and the Pontinha jetty, where the main section of the fleet had congregated. Not that any would find reprieve should they escape into the high sea, seeing as NATO aircraft continue to mercilessly hunt down any unidentified…"
*click*
"…contrasting with the carnage, now befalling the original instigators, we can now witness the jubilant cries of the islands inhabitants, such as those around the cell operator filming these pictures. An outburst of relief, after the harrowing ordeal many had to go through today, mixed no doubt with the vindictive satisfaction of seeing those who caused it now facing their own reckoning. Following their hellacious day, hardly any can be at fault for being pleased with seeing the sky falling down on the invaders. It should be noted to our viewers that the images you're seeing were taken from Fortaleza do Pico, were many civilians wound up seeking refuge during initial stages of the crisis. The old fortress has the scene of veritable siege, though further casualties were thankfully avoided. This was in large part thanks to the actions of what many civilians and security personnel alike are already praising as 'O Herói do Pico' (The Hero of Pico), that has since been identified as…"
Cessem do sábio Grego e do Troiano
As navegações grandes que fizeram;
Cale-se de Alexandro e de Trajano
A fama das vitórias que tiveram;
Que eu canto o peito ilustre Lusitano,
A quem Neptuno e Marte obedeceram:
Cesse tudo o que a Musa antígua canta,
Que outro valor mais alto se alevanta.
Night
"…do not be mistaken, my fellow co-citizens. What happen in Madeira was nothing but an unprovoked attack against the soil of a sovereign nation… our nation, our Fatherland. And, as a sovereign nation, a victim of a savage act of aggression that resulted in numerous casualties among our compatriots and foreign nationals our esteemed guests, we are vindicated to respond in kind. Such atrocity cannot be allowed to go unanswered, never before, not now, not ever. Therefore, in the capacity as Commander-in-Chief of the Portuguese Armed Forces, and with the tacit consent and support from our allies in the European Union and NATO, I hereby authorize our military to employ whatever means, whatever measurement of force is deemed necessary, to bring these criminals to lawful justice. For the people of Portugal, for the people of Madeira, for the people of Funchal, for those fallen on this Nineteen of July, in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty two… I swear they shall have it." — excerpt taken from televised declaration from the President of the Portuguese Republic, on what would be later known as the Funchal Incident, given on the night of July 19th.
Hundreds of world leaders have, over the hours, expressed their condolences towards the victims and solidarity with the country, reiterating the President's call for justice.
E vós, Tágides minhas, pois criado
Tendes em mim um novo engenho ardente,
Se sempre em verso humilde celebrado
Foi de mim vosso rio alegremente,
Dai-me agora um som alto e sublimado,
Um estilo grandíloquo e corrente,
Porque de vossas águas, Febo ordene
Que não tenham inveja às de Hipocrene.
July 20th, 2022
HEADLINE: BATTLE AT THE SAVAGE ISLANDS
Portuguese soldiers, supported by their NATO allies, have engaged the unknown enemy forces in the Savage Islands. This small and remote archipelago, situated 280km southeast of Madeira and 165km north of the Canary Islands, is deserted for much of the year, the only signs of human presence being the outposts from the local National Forest Services. Following the incident at Funchal yesterday, Spanish naval command out of the Canaries, tipped off by a fishing vessel's radio broadcast, detected a large presence around the surrounding waters of the archipelago, late in the afternoon of the 19th. Preliminary surveillance discovered a sizeable armada of over a hundred ships, of varying sizes, their design consistent with those that came ashore at Madeira the previous day, anchored off the southwest chain of isles. In addition, it is believed that a contingent of ground troops was in the midst of turning the two largest islands into a permanent base of operations, given the construction works that were going on at the time.
In the wake of bombardment by the alliance's naval aviation, mainly targeting the invader's fleet, a mixed detachment of Portuguese and Spanish special forces, airlifted to the locale, recaptured both islands after a short, but furious firefight. Casualties from NATO consisted of a single F-16, ditched at sea due to engine malfunction, and minor injuries resulting from "…umas putas de flechas, nada de especial…" (…some f****** arrowheads, nothing special…), according to 1st Lt. Almeida, field commander of the ground teams. Losses from the opposing side are considered heavy. The near entirety of the wooden fleet was sunk by the initial air attack, dragging most of its crews along with it, and over a thousand foot troops killed in the subsequent ground assault. Survivors are being transferred to the recently reactivated NATO Joint Force Command in Lisbon for processing and interrogation.
:
HEADLINE: STANDOFF AT REINA DE LAS INDIAS ENDS
The last remaining pocket of resistance from the invaders in Funchal has finally been subdued, several hours before daybreak, following the joint Army and police operation abroad the luxury cruise liner Reina de las Indias. The ship had first been taken over during the initial phases of the invasion, and its numerous passenger kept captive aboard it. After the successful counterattack in the afternoon and the destruction of their fleet, the situation quickly devolved into a hostage crisis, with security forces holding off their advance due to fears over the lives of the civilians inside. Rescue operations were delayed till the brink of night, as local police command rationalized that the invaders lacked significant capability to fight in the dark, as was evident by the numerous camp fires they started throughout the Reina's upper deck. After controlled explosions took out the power in the rest of the ship, security personnel initiated the raid, and the Reina was declared secured shortly before the 15 minute mark of the operation's start. Exact numbers haven't been officially advanced, but its estimated that among crew and passenger casualties are to be in the several dozens, the majority wounded. Reports are also coming in of widespread abuses, many sexual in nature, perpetrated by the attackers in the hours leading to the ship's liberation, drawing criticisms over the choice to delay the incursion until nightfall.
:
July 22nd, 2022
HEADLINE: MORE SIGHTINGS OFF THE COAST OF AFRICA AND THE MID-ATLANTIC
Several more of the outlander's ships, these ones bearing a striking resemblance to Viking longships, have been sighted navigating the Atlantic. Given their fanned out positioning at the time of detection and detention, they seemed to be serving as scout ships for the main fleet in the Savages, destroyed in anchor on the 20th. Elements of both Iberian countries' maritime forces have been carrying out several nonstop patrol operations for these three past days in order to arrest these foreign combatants. Use of lethal force has been fully sanctioned should the crews resist detainment, although statements have clarified that it would only be applied in case of risk to the apprehending officer's lives. Some of these vessels managed to come ashore along the coast of Morocco, though no incidents such as that in Madeira occurred before they were apprehended by Moroccan authorities.
:
HEADLINE: JUST WHO ARE THE INVADERS?
Three days have passed since the entire fabric of modern society was shaken to its core by the events in Madeira. Many are those that ponder over the origins of the attackers, and to a lesser degree, on how did their presence went by undetected until said occurrence. From anonymous forum users to famous TV pundits, there's hardly any voice that hasn't taken to the waves to express their opinions on the matter, whether on the Internet or other mass media. The Funchal Incident, as it's being officially termed, has been setting trending records across just about every social media platform in the World, and continues to pick up steam as more developments continue to unfold, feeding the cycle of speculation. Unquestionably, the biggest topic of rumination are the characteristically humanoid, and seemingly sentient, sea monsters that were seen accompanying the human soldiers at Funchal. The most popular theory that has since emerged speaks of the reemergence of the ancient city of Atlantis, to which the subscribers also attribute the rather rudimentary technology with which they staged their invasion. Regardless of the answers we'll obtain, if any, this discussion its poised to last.
:
July 31st, 2022
HEADLINE: "A GATE TO ANOTHER WORLD"
Those were the words chosen by the United Nations spokesperson at the press conference held at the UN Headquarters in New York, nearly two weeks since the Funchal Incident. Following the Emergency Summit at the United Nations held earlier that day, the existence of the non-natural, and by every accounts non-manmade, structure was disclosed to public knowledge. Situated at sea, between the southwest group's two largest islands in the Savage Archipelago, it bears the facade akin an ancient Greek temple, wholly enclosed from all sides save the one facing directly North, the eponymous gate. More baffling still, is that the buoyant structure is perfectly anchored in place, despite the ocean and wind currents in addition to the attempts made by the Portuguese Navy to move it.
Initial unmanned probes taken into its interior, shortly after the islands' recapture, have so far concluded that there an exit on the other side, leading to a whole different world than our own. Bearing the UN sanctioned designation of Special Maritime Region (SMF), it's believed that the invaders that came ashore at Funchal in the 19th originated from this area. Little else is known at the present time, or at least no more information has been publicly divulged yet. Statements concerning the Gate where subsequently given by most world governments, representatives of which attended the Summit, with miscellaneous attitudes regarding its sudden appearance and nature. Though individual nation's interests in relation to the foreign structure were given special focus, each and every declaration stressed the monumental importance of the occasion.
It's estimated that the initial announcement at the UN draw close to a record 3.5 billion spectators worldwide, nearly half of the entire world's population.
:
August 1st, 2022
HEADLINE: PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES NEW ERA
The world's geopolitical scene continues the teeter with increasing precariousness, as NATO/EU vehemently defends its plans to launch an expedition into the Gate. This comes to a head with other major powers outside both entities, who are pressing for a much broader, multi-national UN-led mission. Accusations have been levied against the West of "thinly veiled neo-imperialism" in a "yet another attempt to exploit another World", besides acting without consent from the UN security council. The alliance countered these accusations by stating that its within their prerogative to enact unilateral action seeing that one of its members was attacked by a political entity from the other side of the Gate, which they also argued is beyond the UN's legal reach.
The most vocal of the latter voices is Portugal itself. The nation's government went on to claim it has jurisdiction over the Gate and the surrounding waters of the SMF seeing that the structure is located within their Exclusive Economic Zone, and thus fully within their right to explore. This assertion drew heavy protests by many nations, its allies including, not the least of which by its neighbor Spain, who was swift to reignite a dispute over the borders of the two countries' EEZ, which would bring the Gate under their area of exclusivity.
The day following the UN summit, the country's president once again took to the airwaves to address its citizens. In a fiery speech, that outside critics panned as overly patriotic and jingoistic in tone, more flair than substance, he urged the nation to embrace and commit as a whole to the coming endeavor in earnest. The Portuguese Head of State went on to describe the past weeks and events as "A Alvorada dos Novos Descobrimentos" (The Dawn of the New Age of Discovery) and deeming the REM (Região Especial Marítima - SMF in portuguese) as their new Orient. Among detractors of his views, many decried an utter lack of respect the usage a national tragedy to bolster one's self-image and to promote an anachronistic ideology rooted in the recovery of past vainglories. Nevertheless, according to the polls, the President's popularity has been steadily climbing since the 19th, soaring to record heights after his latest speech. Rising at a similar rate are also the numbers of enlistments in the country's armed forces, Navy notably.
:
August 7th, 2022
HEADLINE: CARAVEL SETS SAIL
In unison with every participant nation, today the National Assembly has voted, by near unanimity, to authorize the deployment of the Portuguese Armed Forces contingent participating in NATO's expedition through the Gate. The assembled task force, designated CARAVEL after the emblematic ship used at the earlier stages of the Age of Discovery, is primarily composed by naval elements of the two Iberian countries, Portugal and Spain, plus vessels and air assets of the British, French and Moroccan navies, supported by the United States. The naval group is tasked with conducting a reconnaissance-in-force into the SMF, seize the other side of the Gate, and set a forward base of operations from which CARAVEL can start exploring the surrounding the area. The ultimate objective of the operation consists in stopping any more incursions like that of July 19th, and establish formal relations with the native population, in hopes to prevent further needless bloodshed and acquire compensation for the Funchal Incident. Notwithstanding its diplomatic nature, the expedition is fully prepared to employ force as a means to reach that end, a NATO spokesperson guaranteed.
Many analysts were surprised by the lack of a direct US involvement in the mission, other than providing supply materiel and logistic support for CARAVEL from our side of the Gate. The Pentagon's decision to restrain their contribution is being attributed to the American President's electoral promise of making the other member states pull their own weight and ramp up their contribution to the alliance. Other hypothesis range from mounting pressure at the homefront to avoid any more overseas entanglements, to respecting the claims of national sovereignty by his ally. Nevertheless, numerous American war vessels, including the supercarrier USS John F. Kennedy, are currently stationed at the Savage Islands to provide assistance to task force and secure it against external interferences. The latter was made all the more poignant after a Russian nuclear submarine was caught within a 50km perimeter of the archipelago. Overall command of all NATO forces in the area was given to Admiral Barry of the US Navy, though CARAVEL operations will be headed by Admiral Albuquerque of the Portuguese Navy, appointed at the behest of the President of the Republic.
CARAVEL is scheduled to cross the Gate later this day…
Dai-me uma fúria grande e sonorosa,
E não de agreste avena ou frauta ruda,
Mas de tuba canora e belicosa,
Que o peito acende e a cor ao gesto muda;
Dai-me igual canto aos feitos da famosa
Gente vossa, que a Marte tanto ajuda;
Que se espalhe e se cante no universo,
Se tão sublime preço cabe em verso.
GATE — …and gave new worlds to the World.
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Welcome dear reader to my very first non-crossover fanfic… posted against my better judgment, as I'm already quite busy in IRL as of late and have another fic I'm dedicating my attention to (and I really don't to leave that unfinished).
Still, after jumping back to GATE for its second season (been saving it up so I can binge watch it), this whole idea 'take the Gate and place it somewhere else' simply cropped up and wouldn't let go until I wrote it down. At first it was just moving the Gate to where I live, but the more I thought about it the more it began to morph into a high seas AU owing to my country's rich history with salt water. All those verses in Portuguese are part of our national anthem FYI, because there's no better way to add some patriotic flavor to a story than that. After coming up with that, I merely began typing the ideas down and… well here you have it. A sort of introduction to the premise, I guess. I can't exactly promise that I'll continue the story (again really busy), much less update regularly, hence the newscast/newspaper style for the introduction. Don't want to go and introduce the characters, if this turns out to be a one-shot. So temper any expectations accordingly...
That's not to say I wouldn't like to hear from you. I would like it a lot actually, should you feel strong enough about it to warrant a review or a PM, positive or negative. I'm always available for a conversation, so don't be afraid to make yourself heard.
Thanks again for indulging this little project of mine… and apologize in advance if this turns out to be its sole child.
(Edit: As I'm progressing with the story, I decided to make some changes to this introductory chapter. First the name itself, which references the first 5 stanzas of Os Lusiadas, which now serve as the dividers between sections instead of the national anthem. The last two stanzas are of particular relevance I feel, as the author is asking for inspiration to the nymphs of the Tagus, same way I'm taking inspiration from his poem.)