Port of Maihark
March 17th, 1639
Sir Yagou looked out at the harbor as a colossal metal ship pulled into view at the mouth of the harbor. Kravchenko motioned for him and Foreign Minister Matara to board a smaller boat that will take them to the metal ship. The metal ship was like a palace, with many windows and spires. His earlier fears of a rocky and damp trip subsided, and he was shocked upon hearing that the trip would take no more than a day.
"Will we meet any members of the royal family that sent this floating palace?" He asked.
Kravchenko snorted. "We haven't had a royal family for over a hundred years. No, this ship is owned by a company that let us rent one."
"How do you make such a large vessel move? I don't see any sails."
"We use a propellor attached to an engine to push the ship. I am not clear on the specifics, but most of our ships use this setup for propulsion."
As the delegates got on to the cruise liner, they were met with the sight of bright lights and well-decorated interiors, indicative of the wealth of a superpower. Kravchenko told them, "This trip will take a while. In the meantime, feel free to explore the ship, though stay out of locked doors or blocked zones. If you are lost or have questions, feel free to ask the staff."
Usea, Port of Odesa
March 19th, 1639 (adjusted to New World/Central Calendar)
The trip on the cruise liner had been very relaxing for Yagou, and he was a little sad that he couldn't enjoy the luxuries forever. The ship's staff helped handle his luggage and guided him to Kravchenko, who was waiting at the exit for them. The sight of the city in front of him, of tall glass towers and innumerable shorter buildings pointed to a wealthy city.
"Those are some impressive glass towers. How expensive was all that glass?" His jaw dropped in astonishment.
"We are able to produce cheap glass, although each tower still costs a few billion rubles."
Yagou felt like his mind was shutting down. Each tower was a few billion of their currency, yet Kravchenko had mentioned it like it was nothing. "How many of these cities are there in Usea?"
"Too many to count. Despite being our main southwestern port city, Odesa is nowhere near the largest or most impressive of these cities. In fact, we are heading to Moscow, the largest city in Usea and the capital. Anyways, let us get on this vehicle, called a car. It is similar to a carriage but uses an engine rather than an animal for movement. We will be heading to an airport now."
The drive to the airport was quite loud. Matara and Yagou ceaselessly interrogated Kravchenko about Usea's history, culture, and technology. They passed an accident where a car had accidentally hit a pedestrian when Yagou asked them to stop. "The emergency services normally handle cases like these, but I suppose you can take a look," said Kravchenko, as he pulled out his phone to call for an ambulance.
"Let me see to the injured man, I can heal him."
"How?"
Matara stepped in. "He is capable of healing magic. Watch."
Yagou took a deep breath, placed his hands over the man, and a green glow appeared. The unconscious man's broken leg bent itself back into its correct position and the cuts on his skin closed. The man woke up and Yagou told him to rest a bit and take care of himself.
"Magic? We never had any in our world. Our world also did not have wyverns, elves, and I assume many other things this world has to offer, " Kravchenko said in a slightly surprised tone as he got back into the car with the two Qua Toyne men.
As they drove on, Matara pointed at a large field with a large steel-and-glass building and many winged crafts. "What's that?"
"That is Odesa International Airport, where we will be taking a plane to Moscow, " replied Kravchenko. They handed their luggage to an airport worker who stowed the boxes into an opening at the bottom of one of the planes. "The experience on a plane may be similar to a wyvern, as both fly in the sky."
The experience in a plane was only superficially similar to a wyvern, louder but the seats were much more comfortable. The enclosed pressurized cabin also gave an experience more akin to a boat. He wondered how advanced and wealthy the Useans were. Neither Mu nor the Holy Mirishial Empire had anything comparable to these Usean crafts. The flight continued in silence as Yagou and Matara gawked at the passing clouds, the terrain below, and the sheer speed that such things were blowing by. After some time, Yagou and Matara had some talks with Kravchenko regarding potential arrangements between Usea and Qua Toyne.
A few hours later, after the plane had landed in one of Moscow's four main airports, Yagou and Matara were greeted with the sight of massive planes and an even larger, brightly-lit airport. "Welcome to Moscow, the capital of Usea. I will take you to your hotel for the night. Tomorrow, I will give you a tour of Moscow and after that, we will meet with the president of my nation."
Markov pressed his head into his arms. The loss of imports was going to lead to a food crisis, with farmland in Ukraine being unable to sustain feeding Usea's population of 271 million and food reserves not being prepared for situations like these. Manufactured goods were also getting more expensive, as without Chinese and African imports, Usea's aging factories couldn't keep with demand. It was fortunate that there weren't any concerns regarding pathogens in the new world, so trade could flow more freely should negotiations go smoothly.
"President Markov?" Someone knocked on the door. It was Prime Minister Maksym Kovalenko. "The delegation from Qua Toyne has arrived in Moscow. You will be meeting with them tomorrow afternoon. Also, according to the defense minister, this world appears to have krakens. A navy destroyer was beset by a swarm of enormous octopuses in the southeast area off Vladivostok, in the tentatively-named New Pacific Ocean, but they were easily dispatched by 100mm high explosive and depth charges."
Markov sighed.
Usea, Moscow
March 20th, 1639
Yagou and Matara headed down the elevator, where Kravchenko was waiting for them in the lobby. "Good morning. Did you both have a good rest?"
"Certainly. The bed was very comfortable and the magical wind generator was very soothing."
"Ah, the air conditioner. It's not magical. Instead, it uses technology subject to thermodynamics that draws in air, cools it, and expels it. However, I'm sure our scientists would love to study magic."
Yagou looked at Matara, who looked back, thinking the same thing. "I'm sure we can discuss a suitable arrangement during our negotiations."
Kravchenko nodded and handed them watches. "This is a time-telling device. Use it to keep track of our schedule. Let us begin our tour!"
As they drove through the city, Yagou and Matara couldn't help but stare in wonder at the size of the city, the colorful displays, and the many tall glass towers, far more and far taller than in Odesa. Kravchenko really was telling the truth when he said Odesa was nowhere near the largest or most impressive.
As they drove out of the city, Matara asked Kravchenko where they were heading. Kravchenko replied, "We are heading to an air base. It showcases the best of the Usean Air Force."
When they arrived at the airbase, they could hear the roar of jet engines. Soon after, a pair of steel dragons and a trailing pair of smaller dragons appeared, passing over the heads of the crowd, a sonic boom following shortly after and rattling their bones.
I've always loved the military and been a nerd for the stuff, even if I did become a diplomat thought Kravchenko as he watched the fighters climb.
"Are these the same type as the one that flew over Maihark?"
"No, that one was the Il-38R, an older reconnaissance plane. These are combat aircraft, the Su-57M and Su-75MF, the primary air superiority fighter and primary light multi-role…"
Yagou and Matara stopped listening, focusing on the jets pulling off wild maneuvers in the skies above. They knew they must never anger Usea, for Qua Toynian air defense would be nothing in the face of these dragons. On the other hand, if Usea sent them against Louria…
The guard outside his office opened the door. "President Markov? It's the Qua Toynian delegation."
Shortly after, Ambassador Kravchenko entered with the two men donning medieval-style clothes. Markov raised his eyebrows at the men's pointed ears, something that Kravchenko had not mentioned in previous communications. He guessed that elves and other fantasy beings also existed besides the krakens and wyverns.
"President Markov, " greeted Kravchenko.
Markov stood up. "Welcome back, ambassador. And you men must be the delegates from the Principality of Qua Toyne. I am President Alexei Markov. Welcome to the Unified States of Eastern Eurasia!"
The delegates bowed, one stepping forward to address him. "Thank you for you and your nation's hospitality, President Markov."
"Now let us head to the conference room to begin negotiations." The rest of Markov's ministry was already present. The Qua Toynians took their seats, hearts pounding and sweat forming out of nervousness.
"The first topic we will start with is trade. What does your nation have to offer?"
Yagou spoke up. "Our lands are blessed by the goddess of the earth. Our lands are incredibly fertile and our sub-state Quila contains abundant natural resources and minerals."
"Oh, that's very good. Our nation is actually on the path to a food crisis. Normally we import about 80 million tons of food each year, but that is from multiple-"
Matara interrupted. "80 million? Our nation can easily produce that many, with a hundred million to spare! However, we lack the ability to transport that much food."
Markov's eyes widened. "Excellent! We are willing to upgrade your infrastructures, such as paved roads, railroad systems, and port expansions. You may also buy our agricultural machinery."
Yagou smiled. "Good, we have a deal. We are also wondering if it would be possible to purchase your steel dragons. They would help greatly in defending our lands."
Markov frowned. "Unfortunately, we have passed the New World Technology Export Act, so we cannot sell our modern aircraft to you...yet, at least. Besides, training to fly these aircraft would be very difficult. However, we are willing to set up a defense treaty to aid in your defense should you be attacked, although we will need to establish military bases in your lands. Also, we would like to have access to knowledge regarding magic and access to resources in Quila."
"Very well, we agree to these terms." Inwardly, Yagou and Matara were overjoyed. Securing the defense treaty meant that Louria would never be able to conquer Qua Toyne or Quila. Their shoulders relaxed as the meeting came to an end.