Is this thing on?
I'm sorry, it's just…what was that, Tommy? …. Ah, okay, I think it's working now. Thanks, buddy.
Ah…how do I begin this?
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My name is Vincent Harling, former President of the Osean Federation. Today is June 5th, 2019. It has been twenty-one days since the Erusean forces moved in and capture the International Space Elevator during my routine inspection of the facility. I was trapped alongside two of my colleagues in a secure bunker somewhere in the northeast. We can see the bridge connecting to Selatapura from here, but it's heavily guarded by Erusean soldiers, and even if we somehow make it all the way to Selatapura, the city is still under complete Erusean control. There's no way we can escape on our own.
My friend Colonel Johnson has kept us safe here so far, but food and water are running low, probably could last us a few days at most. Tommy managed to reboot an old laptop in this room but we can't do anything significant with it without alerting the Eruseans of our location. We managed to learn that the IUN is mounting a rescue mission tomorrow, though, but that's all we know. I guess all we can do is hope for the best.
The battery's almost out, too, and the charger's nowhere to be found. I decided to record this video…just in case, well, just in case anything happens to me. Johnson and Tommy already recorded their parts so that leaves only me. I wanted people to know the truth…about the Lighthouse and what it really stood for. I must see to it that it must be protected at all costs.
Alright, here goes nothing.
Princess Cossette, if by any chance that you are watching this video right now, please understand I truly have no wish for us to become enemies. I know that your father had you convinced that everything we did is threatening your country's security, which couldn't be further from the truth. I cannot convince your father, but I really hope that perhaps you can still understand, and put a stop to this conflict before it goes on any longer.
Let me say this loud and clear: I never intended to use the International Space Elevator as a means to take over Usea. I cannot emphasize this enough. I understand that the D'Elise Royal Family still has reservations about my country's intentions, seeing how Erusea is still reeling from the effects of the disastrous Spring Sea Treaty that led to the coup d'état in 1998, but to start yet another conflict over it, all this needless…chaos…it's all a tragic misunderstanding of colossal proportions.
The Arsenal Birds Liberty and Justice, the two highly-advanced airborne fortresses which are now under Erusea's control, were never meant to exist. Had I still be in the office, I would never have gone forward with the project. It's true that the Lighthouse is a valuable strategic position that requires heavy security, but I would never let a weapon of mass destruction as terrible as the Arsenal Bird be the centerpiece of it. Alas, it was the decision of my country's current president to include them, but I assure you, they were never meant to be the weapons that will terrify Usea into submission, even if that is what the Eruseans are using them for right now.
I should've been clearer about where Osea and Usea stand. Everything I did, it was truly for the good of the world. Usea was devastated by the many conflicts that happened in the past few decades, not to mention the Ulysses strike. Countless cities abandoned, refugees wandered aimlessly in search of a new home, the cycles of conflict that began out of desperation. The Lighthouse can put an end to all of that. Its unlimited energy could help kickstart the reconstruction efforts that was put on hold ever since the Continental War in 2004. It could solve the refugee issue that has been plaguing the continent for decades. It could bring back even the ruins of the old Farbanti back to its former glory. But most of all, the Lighthouse could prevent something like the Ulysses from ever happening again.
We failed to stop the Ulysses from causing worldwide destruction because we didn't have time to prepare. Stonehenge was the only defense we have and the Chandelier in Estovakia was not completed in time. The Lighthouse could give us that time. Even as I speak, a team of highly trained astronauts from every corner of the world was sent up there seven years earlier, using this very space elevator, to intercept a large asteroid that could pose a potential risk of striking into our planet.
With the Lighthouse, all space agencies across the planet can cooperate together with the superstructure's numerous cutting-edge technology to find and eliminate any potential Ulysses-scenario long before it could become a reality, but it needs your help. I put my faith in my astronauts to protect us from another catastrophe. Now I ask you to do the same for the completion of the Lighthouse. This structure is not only our best chance at survival as a species, but also the symbol of unity and cooperation between nations, and I'd gladly lay down my life to defend it.
It is the stage for humanity to show the best in themselves for the world to see and inspire others to follow. It is the bridge of peace that will lead us into the stars beyond and to our bright future. Then, and only then, do we truly have a world without borders.
... What is it, Johnson? Okay. Keep your head down, Tommy. Stay calm...
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… Whew. That went well, I'd say. …
I'm sorry. An Erusean patrol group has just passed us by in the corridor. They have no idea we're here and we'd like it to remain that way. Poor Tommy, though. He seems pretty nervous about all this. Probably reminds him of the last time he was stuck in a combat zone with me.
That reminds me…
I assume that by now everybody has known about my involvement in the Belkan Conflict nine years ago, about how Belka manipulated my country and Yuktobania into going to war with each other as a revenge of their loss in the Belkan War.
Tomorrow will be the 24th anniversary of the seven nuclear bombs; Belka's desperate act to stop the Osean forces from advancing any further into their country and destroying anything in their way. We forced their hand, and it resulted in the most horrifying tragedy of our entire history, second only to the Ulysses impact. Ever since that day, the hatred that many Belkans have for us has cast a long shadow over the course of history, and the whole world suffered for it.
I was in the middle of it all. I had witnessed firsthand how blind hatred can consume someone and turn them into remorseless warmongers, and thousands of lives are caught in the crossfire. This is not the future we want for our children. We must rise above our dark desires, put aside our differences, and unite together if we hope to bring about a lasting peace. A good friend of mine had taught me that. We must believe that unity and peace are possible, that one can be willing to give their all for the good of many without asking for anything in return. That is the future I would love to see in our world.
I have previously mentioned in 2013 that all records detailing the truth behind the Belkan Conflict to be revealed to the public in the next year. I implore President James Harrison of the Osean Federation, please proceed to do so with utmost importance. Former Prime Minister Nikanor of Yuktobania – my dearest friend - will also gladly vouch for my decision.
This is my final wish. In these hidden records, you will find information about the unsung heroes who have previously gone unmentioned due to security reasons, but I beg you to learn from them. Learn about these pilots' journey from their rise, their downfall, and their redemption. Learn from the mistakes I and so many others have made that led to a bloody and ultimately needless conflict. Learn how to become a better person through these hidden stories, I beg of you. Do not let history repeat itself once again as it does right now.
To Princess Cossette, as I have mentioned previously, I have meant everything I said and I hope that you will now realize what I really tried to accomplish. You are a young, spirited woman with an idealistic mind who looks out for the best of her people; a combination of gifted qualities one should possess as a leader of a nation, but you must understand that reality of the world is not always what you wish it to be. War is not clean. It is a chaotic solution to solve a mundane problem, which ultimately fails to achieve anything meaningful except causing more hatred. I have been through this position before, and I had already suffered from my mistakes. I do not wish to see you ended up the same way as me when there is still a chance to walk away from it.
To the unsung heroes who have saved my life time and time again and brought an end to the Belkan Conflict, I once again must say thank you from the bottom of my heart. I will never forget how you fought for our soldiers' lives and let them come back home to their families. I will never forget how you rescued me from my captors and revealed the true culprits behind the conflict. And I will never forget how you risked everything to end it. Thank you for being the blaze of light that shines through the darkness and led us into a peaceful world. This bridge of peace that I am currently residing within is my greatest gift for you and what you fought for.
To my wife Amelia and my daughter Annabeth, I'm sorry that I was never really there for you. I buried myself my work and barely has some time to be a proper husband and a father as I should have been. I have always loved you both from the bottom of my heart and I wish I have had more time to express it.
Amelia, you've always been the shining beacon in my thoughts that led me through the troubling times. All that ruthless political maneuverings and hours of endless piles of work at Bright Hill, I couldn't have made it through it all without you. You are the greatest lady a man could have ever asked for, and I am blessed to have you as my wife.
And Annabeth, daddy loves you very much, okay? I'm coming home to you soon so don't you worry one bit. Be strong for your mother and keep on working on that Arkbird model. I'd love to see it when I finally get home. I promise I'll bring you to an air show later. Be a good girl, okay? See you soon, Annie.
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Okay, Johnson said we should rest up for now. We don't know when the IUN will mount a rescue operation tomorrow so we'll have to be prepared for anything. Heh, why does this all seem pretty familiar? If I could somehow see four planes with black wings flying as the cavalry tomorrow, I can believe with certainty that everything's going to be alright, but I know that it's unlikely to happen.
I'll have to end the recording now. The battery's almost empty now anyway so I doubt it'll last a minute longer. I'm going to stash this laptop somewhere in one of the old desks in the room. Hopefully, someone will discover this and play this video. It's a long shot.
Maybe nobody could ever find our videos at all. Maybe what we've done here is all for nothing.
But one can hope, right? After all, hope is what keeps us going. As long as we never lose hope, we will never truly lose ourselves.
I'm sure everything's going to be fine.
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Author's note: One more one-shot! I put this little fic together during what little break-time I have from my day job, so it might feel a bit rush in some place, but I really wanted to write it. I wanted to give some closure to our favorite president, Vincent Harling.
You know his name, you know what he did, and you know what happened to him in that fateful mission. Being a big fan of AC5, I was very upset for a large while after that (not to mention already reeling from Brownie getting shot down in the mission just before this one. What the hell, Project Aces!?). I have to write this, to give Harling some final closure that ends his journey on a high note. It's the least I could do for that guy. What is it with me and getting overly attached to some fictional characters? xD
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this one! A little break before I begin to write the next chapter for "A Night In San Salvacion" fic. Also, a bit random trivia, but Harling's wife is named after Amelia Earhart, the famous American aviator and their daughter Annabeth is named after my favorite character from the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan. Her father is a pretty kickass pilot, after all, xD.
Also, a quick shout-out to Spare 15 (reddit) and his YouTube account "Strider 1 Trigger" for doing a voiceover of this fic on his YouTube channel. Please check it out as well and subscribe if you can. :)