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Phase 17:Unintended consequences
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Part 7
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News from the second meeting between Tony Stark and General Tyr from Asgard spread through Earth's halls of power like wildfire. This meant even more changes were coming.
Like across most of the world, the changes were a double-edged sword in the United States. They brought incredible, often unexpected prosperity to some while serving as the death knell to whole industries. Some were in a position to change in time, and while not precisely facing prosperity, they were expected to endure. Others faced ruin, and its face was that of Tony Stark.
Then there was power and influence, ideology too. Stark Industries was growing by leaps and bounds, firmly entrenching itself at the top of the Fortune 500 list. As an industrial concern and weapons manufacturer, the corporation had always been influential. Under Tony Stark's revitalized leadership, SI grew and diversified, entering new markets by storm while preparing to break even more new ground.
That sped up the ongoing realignment. Those betting on Tony Stark and SI doubled down on it, while everyone else found themselves hard-pressed to choose a side. SI was already too powerful to ignore. The only question for many in power as if they should back or oppose it while they still had the chance.
In Europe, the fires of change were burning bright and not necessary for the better.
In the United Kingdom, energy independence was within grasp. This opened many new opportunities and, combined with the ongoing wars, strained the fabric of society even further. New and old ideologies were about to clash for the future of the whole nation. Some wanted the Empire of old back or never truly comprehended it died in the flames of two world wars. Others saw a priceless opportunity to achieve their vision, which meant Britain had to stand alone and unburdened by external constraints like the EU.
And even those who saw the future of the United Kingdom as forever linked with Europe felt more than little unease at what was happening on the continent.
From Paris to Warsaw, from Brussels to Rome, from the shores of Spain to the cold forest of Finland, Europe was at war the continent hadn't seen since the Nazis took it by storm decades ago. If anything, the conflict revitalized NATO's existence and boosted the European Union. It was becoming painfully clear that smaller European countries would never have the economy or militaries to protect themselves or thrive in this new world of fusion, aliens, and impossible threats like Wakanda.
The EU's long, halting, plodding advance toward more unification and centralization was suddenly a vital theme discussed by all governments of its member states. In this new world, standing alone would be a lonely and deadly place to be. And even the organization's greatest adversaries had to admit that with its aid, many member states would find it easier to adopt fusion in a reasonable timeframe. That was critical because the energy independence that Tony Stark offered the world was a priceless gift that a country had to have unless it wanted to be left behind.
Fusion reactors were expensive. The overhaul of power grids required to make the best of them was often even more so. The economic and political rewards far exceeded the price… if a country could pay it in the first place.
Yet, this, not quite a new direction the EU was slowly moving towards, was something only some accepted. Politicians and industrialists across the UK were by no means unique in being wary of the new direction shaped by decision-makers across Europe. A stronger, more united EU, one with more teeth beyond denying money, was something that only some member states, their governments, or the opposition agreed with. For some, it was a matter of sovereignty. For others, such a stronger EU meant less power or simply less opportunity for graft.
In Moscow, the people within the Kremlin looked warily across the border. Their primary issues remained survival and maintaining their position in the cut-throat politics of the Russian Federation. Any attempt to look outwards would be punished by rivals looking for weakness to exploit. One day, Russia might be united enough to rekindle its dreams of an Empire. Until then, survival and, if the opportunity arose, reining in a few of the autonomous regions within the country was all that might be possible.
Africa was on fire, literally and figuratively. Wakanda's weapon shipments ensured criminals, rebels, and terrorists had teeth, the kind they had rarely enjoyed since the fall of the Soviet Union. Not everyone was fortunate, like Morocco. Government forces across the continent bled at the hands of insurgents and organized crime, while often unstable governments tethered on the edge of the abyss. The potential food crisis, again, because of Wakanda's madness, didn't help manners.
It was a dark irony that mutual hatred of Wakanda was the one thing that united Africa as a whole these days.
The alien threat? Future development? They would only matter once Wakanda was dealt with. There would be no future until Wkanada was de-fanged or gone for good. For an increasing portion of Africa, either outcome was acceptable.
The Middle East was on fire, though Wakanda was merely a distraction and an opportunity this time. Long-simmering issues, advanced weapons, and the distraction of three ongoing wars gave terrorists and insurgents priceless possibilities too good to let slide. Governments had to scramble to find a path forward while their house was literally on fire.
In India, Wakanda's outrage sparkled focused fury, harnessed by nationalists nationwide. Soon, there was little doubt about who would win the next elections with promises of security and a bright future in cooperation with Stark Industries.
China found itself with a priceless opportunity to diplomatically reset the board and avoid what might have been a direct course toward a cold war with the United States. It still had to struggle with nationalist and expansionist elements within its government, making it harder to take full advantage of the new paradigm politically.
Yet, on the economic front, cooperation with SI for fusion technology and the development of exoskeletons meant that economic growth was more than ensured despite the ongoing wars and strife. That fact, by itself, suggested that the compact between the Chinese people and its government remained intact.
In South-East Asia, the changes brought opportunities, yet in some regards, changed little. China was still the behemoth everyone was wary of yet kept trading with.
Japan eagerly embraced exoskeletons to ensure its people could work effectively longer before retiring, yet still struggled to find a culturally and politically acceptable solution to declining birth rates and thus population.
South Korea had to remain focused on the North, where the Kim regime appeared increasingly unhinged with every significant change that hit the world.
In Taipei, the new paradigm sounded like a potential death knell. The possible warming of relationships between China and the US, or at least the necessity of cooperation, could prove to be fatal in the long run… Just like China acting sensibly and winning economically over Taiwan might eventually end up with a new status quo unacceptable to too many people, especially among those currently in power.
The winds of change were blowing, and no place on Earth would remain untouched for long.
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Part 8
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The Golden City
Wakanda
The city Ihna Amvake returned to after weeks of combat was the same, yet different. She only had the opportunity to see how the war affected the rest of Wakanda outside its warriors because her Talon needed maintenance and upgrades. Otherwise, she would be preparing to fly another mission instead of trying to relax on the train on the way home.
Ihna was sure that if she tried, she could touch the fear permeating the train car. People were constantly looking through the windows as if certain that any time now, more missiles would strike the shield, yet, this time, it would fail.
The constant angry murmurs were a new thing in her experience. It didn't help that she could see groups of people gathering across the city while many of the best-known roads were blocked by solid blocks of Border Tribe warriors.
The constant glimmering lights all over the mountains nesting the city didn't help calm people down. Now and then, Ihna saw her travel companions look warily at those lights where construction crews and groups of engineers were busy building more defensive cannons and doing their best to restore those worst hit during the outsider attack that struck the city weeks ago.
Finally, the pilot reached her stop and quickly made her way out of the train. Passing by the park near her parent's building, she heard a veteran warrior speak in front of a large group of youths.
"We must protect our future! If we fail, the outsiders will plunder Wakanda and leave us with nothing, as they did to the rest of Africa!" As he spoke, the old warrior shook his fist, and many of the youth followed suit. There was no mistaking their anger or eagerness to find a target for it.
Ihna slowed down her pace and watched the gathering. There was something she hadn't seen before going on. As a pilot, there was no place for anger or other emotion while flying, no matter how dangerous the mission was or how wrong it went. Cold precision in planning and execution got the job done and gave you the best odds to get home intact, especially now when everyone sane knew how dangerous the outsiders were. At best, adrenaline helped your reactions a bit, yet at the same time, it was a double-edged sword affecting precision and rational decision-making.
What that warrior spoke of went contrary to all of Ihna's training and experience in combat. It was anger and arrogance that killed most of her fellow pilots. Instead of offering rational arguments, the warrior was using the wrath of the youths. He wasn't trying to calm them down or tell them that rash actions and decisions might get them killed in combat. Instead, he was giving more fuel to their anger and aiming it as if it was a weapon instead of an obstacle to overcome.
Ihna shook her head and walked away, wondering who to speak with about what she just witnessed. With the King himself and the Golden Tribe betraying Wakanda, then the military miscalculating and grievously misjudging the outside world's capabilities, the pilot wasn't sure if there was anyone left she could talk with.
Still, this can wait until tomorrow evening, when she has to return. Until then, Ihna had few precious hours to spend with her mother and sisters. Who knew if she would live to see them again?
=SI=
Joint Dark Energy Mission Facility
Mojave Desert
Nevada, US
Fury stalked through a long corridor, lined up with armored doors ready to slam shut, cameras, and security personnel. This place was vital for America and the world's security, and he wasn't about to take any chances with it. That was especially true because the last time Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. was active, it ended up with nothing to show for but a wiped our Air Force base.
The Director entered a large conference room with a long metal table surrounded by comfortable chairs. Some of NASA's best scientists and 'freelancers' with useful specialties sat around, sipping coffee and tea while looking at folders with classified information about the mystery they would soon attempt to crack.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Director Nicholas Fury of SHIELD. By now, you've all heard about SWORD, that aliens are real, and that our place in the universe is less than ideal. We are here to do something about it," Fury spoke loud and clear while walking to the head of the table. He picked up a small remote waiting for him and pressed a button. Screens came alive, showing the aftermath of the alien attack on the US Air Force Base close to three decades ago, then that of the battles in New Mexico and Wakanda's attack on universities, among other things. He sat down and gave the gathered scientists and engineers a few more moments to absorb the gruesome pictures before swapping them for a close-in image of the Tesseract and what Hydra achieved with it in the forties of the previous century.
"Some of you are here because their theories are now proven," Fury nodded at Dr. Selvig and Dr. Foster. "Practical wormhole travel is possible, though it is another question if it will be within our reach within the lifetimes of any of us. That is how the Asgardians rapidly traveled to Earth and back. We need a way to localize any deployment of people or material using wormholes first on Earth, then within the solar system. After that, it would be nice if there is any way to block the formation of such phenomena. Naturally, he looked at the scientists in question. To get there, we would need to spend a lot of time and resources working on the theory and practice surrounding the creation of artificial wormholes."
Selvig and Foster perked up at that.
"What might be otherwise impossible can potentially become possible thanks to this artifact straight out of myth," Fury continued. With another press of a button, everyone looked at the Tesseract from various angles. "During the Second World War, Hydra was able to utilize this object to create technology that is only now becoming feasible without it. If you manage to re-activate it and figure out how to utilize it, there might be no limit to what is within your reach."
If that happened, SHIELD would have a proper counter to Stark if the man went bad or was playing them all. Not to mention, having an alternative source of defenses for Earth was common sense.