CHAPTER IV: Veiled Diplomacy
August 1961, A.D.
"Good afternoon gentlemen. I'd like to welcome you to the Nevada National Security Sites. We are currently located in Area 7 which is dedicated to several types of nuclear tests."
Chris looks all around. He and a large contingent of officers, scientists, and a few black suited G-Men were following a man wearing a white lab coat. Ever since their arrival days ago, they had no answers as to why they were there or why they were brought to a nuclear desert.
In front of the group was a small community that looked like it was built recently. Newly erected structures and freshly paved roads were surrounding a large new hangar of sorts. It was concerning, as all of their official travel documents had TOP SECRET stamped all across them. Some felt they were brought out here to be experimented on without anyone knowing.
"Now, if you will all follow me, the general is waiting for you all at the granite access tunnel for exploration."
"Granite?" one of the officers questions quietly.
"I guess we are geologists now," Chris jokes. The group chuckles before they continue on.
A few minutes later, they are gathered in front of the hangar. One thing that stood out to Chris, was the fact that railroad tracks were laid in the road up just to the front of the door. He looks to where the tracks lead and spots a large pile of unlaid track and crossties. He notices several machines used for paving and road making were parked nearby as well.
"I have a feeling that they are going to be doing some more construction," he says.
"All for an aircraft hangar? What could possibly require heavy road infrastructure and railroad access?" another officer asks.
"I am sure the scientist here will explain to us what the hell we are dealing with," says one of the G-Men in a black suit.
They all go quiet when the doors of the hangar start to open with an electric hum. The officers snap to attention as General David Reynolds walks out, flanked by staff and technicians. He glances across the group of people in front of him. He could only see a lot of young and inexperienced officers, a few black suited government agents, and the usual boring scientists. The general furrows his brow before he speaks.
"Gentlemen, I bet you are all wondering why you have been brought here under such secrecy. The answer is this." He turns around and the doors to the hangar continue to open. The group stares in awe at the structure that it was concealing.
"This gentlemen, is the G.A.T.E. This structure is that of an enigma. It appeared out of nowhere during a nuclear test a couple of weeks ago. That is when we met, how do I put this, the extra terrestrials."
"We made contact with beings from another world?" one of the scientists asks from the group.
"In a sort. They are human, but they come from another dimension. I think the scientists here have called them interdimensional beings. Dr. Krüger can explain the technical details for all of you scientists. If you will, Dr. Gordon will take you to our data and research facility to speak with him."
The scientists all follow the doctor and leave behind the officers and G-Men. General Reynolds continues.
"Now, then, shall we continue?"
A minute later, everyone is inside the hangar and staring in amazement at the Gate. Everyone jolts as the hangar doors start to close behind them. Darkness closes on them before their eyes adjust to the lower light levels provided by the hangar's dim light bulbs.
"Now, down to why you are all here. After getting past a language barrier, we were able to establish a small diplomatic meeting for the interdimensional people. They have requested the aid of the United States in a war that apparently is too much for them to handle. I don't know how they convinced him to do so, but the President has ordered you all to enter the Gate. All of you were selected for specific tasks in determining if we are to aid these people. The agents here from the Department of State are tasked with protecting our ambassador who is already there, while all you officers were selected to observe the threats and capabilities of the other world. Any questions?"
"Yes sir, are we going to have extra firepower while we are on the other side?" an agents asks.
"Yes. You will be accompanied by a detachment of Air Police. Until our military experts finish their reports, and if it is determined the Army can take over future operations, the Air Force will be providing all of you with additional security and transportation. The observers will also be armed as well."
"What can we expect to see on the other side?" a captain asks.
"You will just have to find out once you get through. Now, if you please." General Reynolds motions to a bunch of parked cars, jeeps, and M35 trucks and the group makes their way over. They all get into respective vehicles and a chorus of starting engines fills the hangar. Reynolds gives a quick salute as the convoy rolls out and heads into the Gate.
"Good luck gentlemen and God be with you."
Summer, Year 681, Second Age
The day, like many, was a sunny one, with a few clouds and a slight breeze. To many, this peak season of summer had the best conditions for working and enjoying life. However, to others, it was the perfect season for an army to attack without exhausting itself too much. And that was exactly how it was going to go for General Suldris, the Orc general in charge of the Western Army. While his army was the smallest orc army in all of their Master's Dark Army, it still outnumbered all Imperial forces they would face at their destination.
One common thing of normal orcs was the fact that they hated sunlight. Most of the forces of the dark army couldn't stand it. That was not the case for the Western Army. Over the past sixty years, a special army was made for the invasion of the southwest. Kidnapped humans and elves were forced to breed with each other. These crossbred half-elves, had the best qualities of humans and elves of being sound in body and mind. They were then forced to breed with orcs, creating a strong force of half-orcs, capable of fighting the humans further south with ease.
Suldris walks up to the edge of a cliff and looks down at a city below. The humans had no idea they were even there. For the past month, the Western Army had moved in complete secrecy. Utilizing giant worms and stolen dwarven technology, they had tunneled under the main highways that separated the Mountain Range of Ice and Snow from the Romalia Mountains. From there, they moved to the Dumas Mountains and were on their way to launching their offensive in the south.
"General, our legions are in position. We are able to attack the city when you are ready." Suldris looks back to see his second in command, Ugurk, walk up to him.
"Very good. We will wait for mid-summer before we attack. For now, have the army set up camp and prepare to send out our infiltrators. I want them to identify the strong points of the city, and gain the trust of the locals. When we attack, the humans will be cut down before they can even prepare for an attack."
"But why wait so long sir? We should attack them now while they are unaware."
Suldris turns back and looks down at the city. The large town was bustling with activity. He could make out the small dots of wagons and horses, bringing in goods and weapons to be traded. The town appeared to be minimally guarded, being deep in the heart of the Empire. However, it was also on the main highway, which could be reinforced from the Imperial Capital and the Southern Kingdoms easily.
"Because, the Master's plan has yet to take shape completely. We must wait for the Empire's attention to be brought to the north. Once it is, we will strike quickly, destroying this town, and then the Imperial Capital. But to do so, our infiltrators will need time. Before we can even do so, our other armies to the northeast will give us the signs to attack."
"Very well sir. I will inform the army to make camp for now."
"Good. Do not worry Ugurk, our time will soon come, and Italica below will face its reconning. And when it does, we will ensure the ground is soiled with the blood of the cursed Imperial Alliance."
August 1961, A.D.
"So Miller, what is it like being a stock car racer?" Second Lieutenant Archie Butler asks.
'I should've kept my damn mouth shut about my past back in Italica.' Chris thinks to himself.
At the beginning of their journey, they picked up Princess Pina Co Lada and a few of her knights from their military garrison at the Gate. At her insistence, the convoy stopped in Italica so that they could do a little sightseeing and so that she could show them their economy and culture. While they were stopped, some of the princess's knights wanted to know about them. Unfortunately for Chris, he begrudgingly had to disclose his past to one of them, and it shocked the other lieutenants and a few of the captains with them. One of those being his new friend, Archie.
"Well, what can I say? I drive fast and try to win."
"Oh come on man, it's gotta be better than that. Tell us, what's the most interesting thing that has happened during one of your races?"
"Well, last week, on the last lap I crashed my car. And when I talk about crashed, I mean I went airborne and barrel rolled that sucker."
"How does a car on flat ground go airborne?" Captain Nolan Clarke asks.
"Well, when you're going 130 miles an hour, and you are spun out by another racer's crashing car, anything can happen."
"I am surprised you didn't break your neck from doing that," Archie says.
"Almost. But I will say, the race winnings made up for the close call."
"I guess so if you plan on doing another race. When's the next race?"
"It is supposed to be tomorrow afternoon. I am disappointed I won't be able to participate in the first race of the month. Oh well, duty comes first."
They nod slowly in understanding. The conversation pauses and Chris takes a glance out the back of the truck. He took comfort in watching the small rocks bouncing off the grille of the M35 behind them. It was somewhat mesmerizing. He is brought away from his thoughts by Butler.
"I wonder what their capital is going to look like. You think it will be like Italica?"
"From what I heard, the Princess told Ambassador Rivers that the capital is at least ten times larger, and has more impressive architecture," Captain Clarke responds
"Hmm, the one thing I wonder is if it has more of those humanoids we saw."
"The what?" Chris asks.
"You didn't see them? What are you, blind?"
"I was mostly focused on talking with an old friend of mine."
"Man, you should've seen them. They look like normal people, but they aren't. You remember The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and the Narnia books Miller?"
"Mostly."
"These people are just like the ones in the books! Part human and part animal alike! I never thought that I'd see fantasy come to life."
"Well, I will believe it when I see it. Are you sure they weren't wearing animal skins or costumes?"
"I am 100% sure Miller, we saw real humanoids."
Chris shakes his head in disbelief. Before he can say anything further, they are all pressed to the front of the truck. All of them steady themselves as the truck begins to apply its brakes. They look out the back of the truck and see a stream of horse-drawn carts and people all lined up next to their convoy. The people looked at them with curiosity and fear.
Curious to see if they arrived at the capital, Chris stands on the back of the truck and peers over the canvas cover. He is astonished to see a massive city surrounded by white stoned walls. A small mountain in the center had several large buildings on it that he could only assume were the central government buildings.
"Hey everyone, we are here."
While normal toll and border crossings took a long time to get through, they paled in comparison to the time it took to enter the capital. At first, the city guards panicked seeing the motor vehicles and raised an alarm. They locked the main gates and the Air Police nearly had a shooting spree as most of the guards had bows aimed at them. Thankfully, Princess Pina and her knights were able to ease the guards and lower their heightened state of security.
The convoy slowly made its way through the streets of the capital, catching the eyes of curious onlookers and scaring quite a few with their rumbling engines. The Americans couldn't help but chuckle at their fright. Eventually, the convoy was able to make it to the central government buildings. They were welcomed by the great pomp and circumstance of the Saderan Empire. Knights, cavalry, and soldiers formed a great welcoming committee. Hundreds of senators, nobles, and military leaders were present. And the greatest there, was the Emperor himself. At the top of a slight stairway that led to the mountain, he sat on a movable throne.
To say the Americans were astonished was an understatement. All this, just for them? It felt like they were heroes being welcomed home after being at war, but they had done nothing. To not be disrespectful, the officers formed up while the ambassador greeted the Emperor and the other nobility. After an hour or so of formalities, they were allowed to move on.
They were taken to a palace that would turn out to be their accommodations during their stay. The Jade Palace, as it was called, was a large white-stoned building with a green roof and light green trim. The building's purpose was to house visiting nobles and royal families, so it was a bit more formal than what the American's had ever experienced. After parking the vehicles in rows and unloading bags, they all changed into the most formal clothes and uniforms they had.
That brings them to tonight's banquet. It too, was another formal occasion that was very different from the average American dinner party or cookout. For Ambassador Rivers, it was to be expected. But for the military observers, it was almost completely overwhelming.
Molt stares across the room with a stern expression. While he was joyous to learn from his daughter that she had returned safely, the supposed allies that she brought were a strange group of individuals. From their strange attire to their strange contraptions used for getting around, he had a slight hint of distrust in them. However, he trusted that his daughter had made the right choice in bringing them there, and decided to see how things played out.
He rises and walks down a few steps from his throne into the sea of conversations, stories, and legends. He notices the invisible wall that was separating the room. The Americans were on one half, while the Imperials were on the other. It wasn't a distrust of one another, but it was their obvious language barrier. It made conversation limited, as there were only one translator, and that was the American ambassador. Molt didn't care about the politics, but wanted to learn about the military strength of the Americans. He walks up to the group that had formed around Pina.
Before he cuts in, he takes notice of his daughter's beauty. Her crimson hair was in a long braid and flowed down her back like wine. Her Imperial gown with red and white would dance across the room whenever she would walk. It makes him proud to know that his daughter had grown into a strong woman of the Empire. He clears his throat to gather the group's attention.
"Pina, my dear. How are things going with the Americans?"
"Father. They are going quite well. In fact, I was going to formally introduce you to their ambassador. This, is Sir Thomas Rivers of the United States of America."
"Your majesty, it is a distinct honor and privilege to meet you," he says before giving a slight bow.
"Indeed. As Emperor of the Saderan Empire, I'd like to welcome you to our lands. I wish we didn't have to meet under such difficult times."
"I understand your struggles, and our government has strongly considered aiding you in your cause. However, many are hesitant to commit our military to another conflict."
"Another conflict?"
"In the past 20 years, our country has fought in 3 major wars. Our people grow weary of conflict and may not have a desire to start another one."
"Is it not the decision of your leader?" Molt asks. It was strange to hear that the people had a say in their country's military campaigns.
"While he can order our military into action, he cannot do so without approval from our congress. And even if congress approves military action, the people of the United States may not. However, our people have historically shown to be more supportive of nations in need of aid. So not all hope is lost in our military joining your cause."
"These wars you spoke of. How major were they that it made your nation weary of it?"
"Well, the first of the three was the Second World War, which is the most devastating war in all of our world's history. Roughly 80 million people lost their lives during that conflict. Our nation alone lost almost 500,000 lives."
"80 million!?" Pina gasps. The group who was quietly chatting was now silent after hearing the number of deaths.
"Yes. The next war we fought in was the Korean War, which had only 3 million casualties. It was still devastating for the region, but was significantly less than the World War. The most recent war, which ended last year, was the Atomic War. Roughly 5 million people lost their lives in the conflict."
"So in the last 20 years, your world has lost nearly 90 million people? How does your world have any people left to populate the lands?"
"Well, our world's population is still growing. In fact, it is the highest it has ever been. Our world has a population of over 3 billion."
"How remarkable. Tell me, what would you say is different of our world compared to yours?"
"Your majesty, that will be a very long conversation that I'd love to go into thorough detail with you."
"Be my guest."
"So, how are we supposed to have a banquet/dinner party if we can't even talk to them? Mr. translator over there is too busy with the politicians. I guess we are here to look good and make America look more sellable," Archie says, slightly upset.
"Don't worry lieutenant. Politics is way more complicated than that. And with a language barrier, it is important that the politician speaks with the politicians. I don't think us sharing war stories or talking tactics will solve this political game of chess. We are but mere pawns, and will be used when we are needed," Captain Clarke says before sipping on a cup of wine.
Chris nods in agreement before looking across the crowd. It appeared to be all nobles and senators there, wearing fine robes and toga-like apparel. He continues to pan across the room and notices that several of the Imperials were looking at them with curiosity. It was probably the uniforms they were wearing. They were wearing the U.S. Army's new service white combination uniform. It was the same material and make as the class A green uniform, except that the jacket was white. It was selected as a summer alternative to replace the khaki class As.
"So, what shall we do? Should we try talking up a few of the royals and get a few friends in high places?" Archie jokes.
"I don't know about you, but I am going to get more of the food they have. Whatever seasoning they used for the meat is excellent," Chris says before he walks over to the long table with food.
He could feel the eyes of both his fellow officers and the Imperials. He hears a few whispers and gasps when he takes the serving fork and stabs it through the meat he was served earlier. After fixing the rest of his plate with some salad and a few eggs, he turns and comes face to face with three of the princess's knights.
He is caught off guard before he regains his composure. They were stunningly beautiful. One had golden hair formed into long curls. Another had short silver hair. The third had dark purple hair, and it too was short, though it was slightly longer than the silver haired knight.
"It is an honor to finally meet the soldiers from America. Before I continue, are you able to speak our language?"
"I-uh. Good evening. I am sorry, but I do not speak your language," Chris responds sheepishly.
He sees their disappointment and the one with golden hair gets angered. He braces for any physical harm, mostly for his ears.
"How are they the best selection of military officers if they can't even speak another language? Their ambassador is able to do so."
"Remember Bozes, not all of them are able to speak our language. Remember what Princess Pina said?"
"Yes, I remember. 'Our language to them is a long forgotten dead language that is only remembered by some of their religious leaders and scholars.'"
"That's right. So we should not become agitated at our guests because they cannot understand us."
While they talk, Chris sets down his plate on a table and pulls out a book for translation. He flips through it until he finds the right section. He finds a greeting and looks for the pronunciation section of it. He clears his throat and tries to communicate.
"Good evening, my name Lieutenant Chris Miller. It nice to meet you. Me apologize for poor language, but will try speak to you," he says. He looks up to see the three with shocked expressions. He swallows thinking he might have said something wrong.
"Even though it isn't perfect language, at least he tried," the silver haired knight says before continuing, "it is nice to meet you as well, Lieutenant Chris Miller. My name is Panache Fure Kalgi, this is Bozes Co Palesti, and Beefeater E Caty," she says slightly slower and motions to each of them. Chris flips through the book and tries to translate it as best as he can. He makes out part of it before continuing his terrible translations.
"I U.S. Army soldier. I here to evaluate enemy to deem threat or not."
"A threat or not? Listen here you. I don't care if you are a skilled evaluator or not. The orcs from the north are a very serious threat and have killed thousands of our people. So make sure you know that before you make any decisions about them," Bozes says sternly to Chris.
"I sorry, did not know. We not told of this world until this morning. We know very little of here."
"Wait, you didn't know our world exists? For our world, everyone knows about the Gate and how it opens. It is taught to every generation and will continue to be," she says, shocked at how they barely knew this place even existed.
"Our world, Gate secret. Only few know. We selected few are explore and evaluate."
"You must be an important officer if you were selected to explore our lands and evaluate the conditions of war. Tell me, are you an experienced warrior on the battlefield?"
The conversation continues with the three taking more interest in Chris and his struggling translations. They chuckle a few times, and it draws a few more knights from the Order of the Rose. A few other American officers see this, and walk over and also pull out their translation booklets. Soon, the American soldiers and the knights were all talking to one another, in a way. A few senators and generals even join in to learn about them. Ambassador Rivers looks over from his conversation with the Emperor and smiles.
Molt looks over as well, and he shows a small grin. Seeing both Imperials and Americans talking together was a reassuring sign that made his slight district go away. He knew that if the American soldiers were willing to overcome the language barrier, then they would most likely be interested in helping them. It would go down in Imperial history as the first seeds of one of the strongest alliances Falmart had ever seen.
Author's Note(s): Howdy y'all. I am glad to have finally completed chapter four of this series. I bounced the chapter around a bit before I found something I liked. I hope you enjoyed it, and I will see you for the next one.