Northern UtopiaBoard

Strenght and Muscle and Jungle Work
March 23rd, 2024
7:15:19 A.M
Ziemel, Estland
North of Kotra, Soniskalot

`` Welcome to Estland boys, we're a bit ways from the place where the main fight is but, don't worry, you two will have your moment soon! ``

Spoke a grizzled man wearing black overalls with flight gear and a pair of aviators as he looked out of one side door with a PKM mounted to it. The door gunner of the PKM sat on a seat next to the side door reading a magazine while the other door gunner was post manning his PKM while observing the ground below as they neared their destination. Besides the door gunners and the flight chief, not to mention the two pilots in the cockpit, two soldiers wearing black uniforms with tactical gear sat beside one another as they stared at the grizzled flight chief staring out into the sky.

`` I was in Azerjia you know? Of course, I was a pilot back then with my bud from the academy. We flew several missions in a MiM-24D Gunship, did our stuff, and such... What about you two? ``

`` I was a Naval Infantry, landed in Altikar and helped depose the government, was there for a brief moment until all our forces pulled out after that sono'vab__ch Nikolaev ruined everything. ``

`` What about you son? You seem older than your buddy over here, you have the look of a man who has seen some stuff. ``

`` Interior Army, First Iskarian War, switched over to the Red Army and became an SSO operative, went in on a suicide mission to assassinate the Iskarian leadership, barely completed it with only 1/10th of our original forces remaining. ``

`` Well I'll be, special forces huh? Fancy, don't see you boys often, I'm guessing you're with the Special Operations Division and he's with the Ground Operations Division as just a normal foot infantry? ``

`` Appears so sir, also, he's not my buddy per se since we only met like a week ago. ``

`` Well, I'd suggest you make friends with this fellow over here if you wanna survive... Anyways, check your equipment, we're about to land! ``

The helicopter approached Ziemel where Estland's SV-Z forces were training to deploy to Iskalot right as Askelewi forces had begun a large-scale offensive in the area with strong resolve and Kuzian guns. Cutting throttles, the helicopter landed on the base as its rear clamshell doors split open, letting the two soldiers see Estian soldiers and Vostok operatives. A black MiM-24D and a MiM-8HIP gunship are parked beside one another with maintenance crew tweaking away with their internals while standard MiM-8 with side-mounted PKMs are seen flying out of base towards Iskalot where the fighting was taking place. An interesting sight was going down as ground crews were seen strapping a BMP-2D to a massive civilian MiM-26 helicopter with straps before long, having finished strapping the vehicle, the helicopter began slowly ascending before picking up speed as it too flew west towards Iskalot.

`` This is where we split. `` said the guy in the Special Operations Division as he walked away from the MiM-8 helicopter as it was seen flying off west as well. The normal infantry looked around confused for a second before a guy in a black beret called out for him.

`` Hey! New boy! Get over here! We're moving out within the hour, hurry up and get yourself ready. `` said the man wearing the black beret as the infantryman hurried towards the seemingly high-ranking person.

When the pay is good and the risk is high...
March 23rd, 2024
12:58:16 P.M
North of Chilantakoba, Iskalot

(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCGp5iw1CjU)

`` GOOOOOD MORNING ASKELEWI! ``

A voice came through the radio as several MiM-8 helicopters were seen flying real low toward the frontlines of the Cultural Border Zone where Askelewi forces had started their offensives against Iskalot forces. Nearly grazing trees and the ground itself as they all landed in predetermined locations before flying off to provide air support with their side-mounted PKMs. Vostok operatives hurried out of the helicopters, joining the already present operatives there, bolstering the total number of forces present as before long, a big firefight began erupting as soldiers on the ground supported by a BMP-2 and a BMP-2D began firing in the general direction of the enemy. Up in the air, a MiM-24D would be seen firing off several rockets into the general location of the enemy before popping off flares as it scurried away. Artillery shells from a 2S3 Akatsiya positioned a few clicks south of them began saturating the area with HE shells after a bit of bullets whizzing everywhere, a T-72M1 showed up with hastily painted camo as it began firing at the enemy's position with HE rounds.

A salvo of 122mm HE rockets from Vostok's Tornado-G MLRS came raining down as after a bit of eerie silence, the Vostok operatives began advancing while being supported by three armored combat vehicles and several armored infantry mobility vehicles. The two gunships came back around as they shot off another barrage of rockets as well as a hail of bullets from its front-mounted flexible 12.7mm autocannon as well as automatic fire from the two PKBs mounted to an open window on either side of the helicopter's side doors.

They were making a beeline for Tipiskawin, the quote "beating heart of Askelewi" as one of the officers remarked. `` Fortune favors the bold. `` Which also happens to be their motto as well.

Their plan was simple, once they were within a reasonable distance from the Askelewi forces moving south toward Chilantakoba, their forces would split up into small fireteams and they would set up ambush positions while light infantry assisted by armored vehicles would hit the Askelewi forces with surprise hit-and-run attacks to draw them into the ambushes to maximize casualties. Of course, while this is happening, helicopters will occasionally harass Askelewi forces as they support the light infantry in their attacks while artillery would initiate precision strikes directed by recon teams close to or behind the enemy frontlines to hit convoys and damage or destroy vital assets to the Askelewi forces such as communication equipment, supply lines, convoys, and officers gathered in tents if present near the frontlines.

Another set of helicopters came in from the north-east, having flown over the massive mountains, they dropped off several special forces operatives onto the ground a few klicks north of the frontlines, well within enemy lines as the helicopters flew off back the way they came from. Their mission was plain and simple, cause havoc behind enemy lines with their expertise being former Red Army special forces, they split off into different teams as they scattered into the Askelewi countryside with AKs, RPKs, RPGs, and a few Verba MANPADS to note. They have about a week's worth of supplies on them as they're ordered to live off the land by basically looting stores and other private places while sabotaging as much as possible, placing landmines, and IEDs, tearing up roads and railroads, torching commercial and industrial facilities, and be a massive nuisance to Askelewi to the best of their abilities.

NNC Broadcasting Tower, Omni City Astana-Anders
———————————-———————-

~Hello again and good evening to whoever is watching, this is Alexi Gourge and today we have an exciting batch of news coverage for all of you for tonight's broadcast, so without further fanfare, let's begin.

To begin off, in what has surprised many within the country, incumbent Lord President Fide Thomas Rush, has just announced a radical set of economic reforms, entitled the Greater Economic Reform Package Act (2024) (GERPA). With regards to the act, GERPA intends on establishing what it describes as much needed reforms in regard to the Nineth-Four-Five-Year-Plans. This includes arguably some of the most radical pieces of legislation proposed thus far in Fide's Administration. One of which is the establishment of three new different types of government-mandated price controls. Those being: Fixed, limited, and Free prices, in which will be assigned to goods and commodities based on individual assessment of value and necessity, with immediate and necessary goods being determined by the Federal State Planning Assembly, whilst those products in some product group for which there were no substitutes, like foodstuffs, are applied on the average price over a period or a window within which prices were free to fluctuate, and luxury items being able to fluctuate on the whims of the enterprise producing it, respectively.

The other controversial piece of legislation of the GERPA was three-fold, which seeks to implement a new radical form of taxation known as a Negative Income Tax, in which reverses the direction in which tax is paid for incomes below a certain level; in other words, earners above that level pay money to the state while earners below it receives money. In what some economists has called one of the first nationwide implementation of Universal Basic Income, the current plan is to tax those on the upper 10% in terms of income, that being currently those who make over LI790,980 annually, and have the difference give it to the current bottom 20% in terms of annual income, currently those who make less than LI89,077.

It not only seeks to give to poor individual recipients either, but rather also aims to do so with regards to failing enterprises, either state-owned or Communal-owned Enterprises. According to GERPA, it also intends on further regulating the growing private sector of COEs, in which it aims at reducing what it perceives as the excesses of the Nineth Plans. In it, it claims that for now on, the top 10% of COEs within a given Metropolitan Commune will be given an additional income tax known as the Communal Negative Income Tax or CNIX. All revenue from the CNIX will then be distributed by each regional Secretariat of the Economy as dividends towards all COEs which earned a profit during that quarter. 20% of all CNIX taken will be transferred into a new federal agency known as the Federal Communal Enterprise Board, which will be funded by CNIX taxes, and federal and provincial communal funding, which will give interest-free loans to budding Communal-owned Enterprises.

It also claims they will implement a similar program known as the Federal Negative Income Tax Scheme, in which Provincial Communes under financial burden will be allowed emergency benefits from profitable COEs alongside Metropolitan and Provincial Communes, with approval from the Federal Government.
To finish off the GERPA, it also aims to permanently abolish tuition fees, meaning Federal Universities and Secretariats of Education will be constitutionally barred from instituting tuition fees, even under times of significant economic crisis. Instead, it aims to offshoot this, alongside the general change in taxation policies, by instituting the Federal Public Work Scheme (FPWS), in which recipients must perform public work and labour in order to receive benefits. It also aims on having university students, alongside those in grad school, to also perform public work to offshoot the banning of tuition fees, as a substitution for a formal career and job, in which it will be counted on their resume. All of this, according to Lord President Fide was designed to, quote:

" [...] achieve several major aspects of the ongoing Nineth Plans of my following administration. The main tenants are a reduction in inflation. An increased in the production of high-quality products and growth of our national light industries. Strengthening both regional and federal bureaucracies. Strengthening unity between agricultural and industrial workers and populations. And most importantly, the reduction of both regional and economic inequalities caused by the inherent nature of decentralizing productive forces. I felt it would be hypocritical on my behalf for me to be the Lord President of a nation that values an egalitarian society whilst not addressing inequality within the nation itself. I feel this law is as every bit as justifiable as my decision to sign it into law."

Most political and economic analysists seem to be cautiously optimistic of GERPA, with many noting that public service requirement might potentially outweigh the potential downsides of a negative income tax within studies, that being a decrease within the employment for those who get it. However, opposition is still rife, with Leader of the Opposition, Damien Noahs, stating that for the upcoming election, scheduled to begin on October 1st of this year, that he and his party, the National Union Party, will campaign to repeal it, arguing that the act will only reduce potential economic growth and not expand it. Only time will teel to see if the radical reforms are worth it.

In foreign affairs', Federal Ambassador to the United Kingdom of Miotia-Candor, Stephanie Frame, alongside Deputy Secretariat of the Intercontinental Commonwealth, Derek Keiser, is slated to meet with Foreign Affairs Chief, Sayomi Katsura, and Viktor Mikhailovich of INCOM member, Novoroyska, in order to discuss repairing relations following the civil wars in both The Achaemenids and Altikar.

"Through this and alongside other related events, we, the Federal Socialist Republic of Astana-Anders, acting on behalf of all parties of the Intercontinental Commonwealth as a whole, hope to see through this as a testament for improving relations between both ourselves and the United Kingdom of Miotia-Candor and Kjanu."

To cap off this segment for tonight, in what some have been calling the trial of the year, the Vangravan Steamed Hams Affair, in which a local manager of a state-owned Dining Hall, was arrested and charged for substituting store-bought hamburgers for a new dish called "steamed hams", which soon morphed into a class action lawsuit against her, with some believing it to expose the potential room for gross food tampering and misconduct within the service industry. Today, more controversy was added to the affair, when President of the human rights organization, the Astanai Institute for Human Rights (AIHR), stated they would support the defendant, Shalin Young Waltz, in the suit. According to its President, Margaret Richmond, the suit and charges brought against her by the Shermanboro Metropolitan Public Prosecutors' Office, are:

" [...] a gross and almost hysterical misuse of judicial and legal authority and responsibilities on the part of the state department. Whilst I will not make any comment on whether or not she should be punished for the "steamed hams issue", I will say that what the Metropolitan Public Prosecutors' Office have charged her with is a gross breach of constitutional and legal practice, but also sets a bad precedent for human rights within Astana-Anders. The decision to charge her with violation of the National Food and Drugs Tampering Act, the Dining Halls Regulatory Act, and the Malpractice and Tempering of Commerical Goods Act (1978), and the decision to seek 5.5 million Lien in damages is ridiculous to a comical degree, as all such violations are only brought before her due to the fact that it exposed what could have happened if the matter was more serious, rather than what actually did happen.'

" [...] the fact of the matter is that Prosecutor Melissa Granholm, for charging her with such violations, is a dangerous showcase of a slippery slope fallacy within today's judicial system, in which it is only concerned with punishing people in addition to what they did, over what they have actually done. It should already be satisfactory enough to charge her with violating her Terms and Services Contract, misappropriating food, and deceiving the public, but there is fundamentally no need to charge her with serious felonies over what her actions exposed, not what she did as an individual person, with no intent to cause anything that would lead to any normal prosecution would hand her with."

AIHR President Margaret would further add that it would be instead filing a countermotion against the Shermanboro Metropolitan Public Prosecutors' Office, arguing that charging her with several federal felonies in what they regard as state felonies at best and misdemeanors at worse, is a serious breach of both Shalin's right to a free and fair trial, as well as violating her constitutional right to being legally served in a fair and constitutional manor. It also states that it believes that her being served on behalf of plaintiffs that were not directly affected nor even living within Trenchavenue, the affected Metropolitan Commune of the incident, is in violation of legal standards, that unless the crime is related up to provincial felony charges, then one cannot sue another from a different Metroplitan Commune.

The ongoing trial and circumstances have led to much debate online. According to our analytics, the Vangravan Steamed Hams Affair is becoming one of the most talked about trials within SocialBloc. Some have argued she should be charged with federal felonies, arguing that her misusing store-bought meats is a clear violation of the National Food and Drugs Tampering Act, the Dining Halls Regulatory Act, and the Malpractice and Tempering of Commerical Goods Act (1978), which explicitly punishes any handling of food that is not legally stated within state and union contracts, arguing that the potential of causing serious bodily harmed is similar to that of an Attempted Murder charge. Others, however, believe that the decision is only about the potential of what she could've done, as unlike an Attempted murder charge, there was no clear or direct intention on causing harm to another. Others believe that the Shermanboro Public Prosecutors' Office decision to seek compensation is unethical due to the fact that the already pre-existing charges would already be more than enough, with contrarians arguing that it is to seek damages on behalf of those deceived as well from the Vangravan Secretariat of Labour and the Secretariat of Public Safety for not doing enough to prevent the incident and its potential to do worse harm from occurring.

That's it for this hour, coming up next: Secretariat of the Intercontinental Commonwealth, Callahan Rogers, is to hold a press conference later this week, expressing the desire for the establishment of an INCOM Parliament as soon as possible to draft an "organization constitution." More on that, after these messages. ~

Tipiskawin Airport, Askeland

"Bring them over here!"

Honorary Lieutenant Zavbil Qizenola pointed at a yellow square painted on concrete ground on the side of the airway. An olive-colored armored truck drove slowly besides the large cargo zone which already had piles of large boxes here and there. A forklift UGV was placing the boxes in neat order, leaving more space for new supplies to fit in. The truck stopped, and Qizenola walked behind the truck to see what they got. The driver stepped out and joined the honorary lieut. Qizenola could hear briefly rock & roll playing in the driver's cockpit before the door was shut. The driver opened the hatch which revealed large boxes on wooden pellets. A small, pellet-sized flatbed emerges from the floor and automatically carries the boxes out. 4 pellets with boxes carrying ammunition is exported to the cargo zone by the automatic forklift, where they waited for their final destination.

Honorary Lieutenant Qizenola is the commander of the Separate Logistics Company from the Pre-Emptive Intervention Forces. She is responsible for arrivals of all military-related equipment to the airport. She gained the Honorary Lieutenant rank for her sheer willingness to work alongside his men while also doing the Logistics commander's job. She has to be always aware of what comes and goes in the airport and make sure all the equipment gets sent to their destination. The recent days have been busy for her company. Kuzian Air Force cargo planes have landed in the airport in cycles of just few minutes. The conflict has escalated in rapid pace, which can be seen as a sudden influx of air traffic in the airport.

As she observed the forklift placing the supplies on their place, Qizenola heard someone calling her name behind. She instantly turned and saw Captain Dalverden, the commander of the Support Unit that Qizenola's company was part of. Dalverden signaled the honorary lieutenant to come with him. They both walked in the terminal building, in a small private conference room guarded by two heavily armed men in single-color, dark purple uniforms. Inside there was Korl Dóler, the CEO of Pleike LLC's sub-unit operating in Askelewi. The man was smoking a thick Trinian cigar while leaning on the office chair that looked like it was about to crack under his weight. Dóler has been living in Tipiskawin since the arrival of Pleike in 2019, and has been responsible for modernization of the biggest cities and towns in the country. In return, he's the owner of great majority of the industries in Askelewi. Some say that he has even more influence than Wîpîyamâhtâw, the Grand Chieftain himself.

Dóler: "You two are late!"

Dóler said with an arrogant voice, throwing his unfinished cigar on the ground and stomping over it couple times. The captain sat down and reluctantly shook hands with the obese man.

Dalverden: "Mr. Dóler, we apologize for our late arrival. It's been a very busy day for the whole unit ever since the war started. How are your ammunition factories doing in the city?"

Dóler: "They do very well. The war economy had doubled the bills in my pockets, which I always love to see. Anyway, I hope you understand that I'm a busy man too, and I absolutely hate when someone is late. Besides, armymen should never be late!"

Dalverden: "Again, we do apologize. What was the reason you called us anyway, if we may ask?"

Dóler: "My men are coming. Expect to see Oktan Corps operatives arriving in a purple plane."

Dalverden: "Oktan Corps? Why are Pleike's special operatives being sent here, as if the situation isn't escalating fast enough?"

Dóler: "Gas. The natives found natural gas - a sh*t ton of it - just north of Anisakvija. However, those are absolutely nothing compared to potential findings in Tawach- or whatever the place name is. Up north anyway. With that much of natural gas and helium, we can become the richest madafakas in this world!"

Dalverden: "You do already have Pleike's own security forces here. They could surely handle securing the natural gas for you. Besides, loads of forces across the world is coming to help Askelewi in their invasion."

Dóler: "The thing is, I do not fully trust the foreigners. The news of these enormous deposits that lie untouched underground have spread faster than light. They may be after to my gas. The Oktan Corps are coming just to make sure no one touches my gas for free."

Qizenola: "Mr. Dóler, with all due respect, the airport is already exceeding it's limits in terms of air traffic and storage space. We simply can't-"

Dóler: "Nuh uh, girl. I do not want to hear garbage like that. You WILL make space for them."

Qizenola: "But our capabilities-"

Dalverden: "Don't worry, Mr. Dóler. We will make it happen."

Dóler: "Good. Expect a few doubloons in your pockets if you carry your promises."

Dalverden saluted and led Qizenola out of the room with him. They both walked in the busy terminal building filled with all kinds of uniformed soldiers. There were the Askelewi government forces helping Kuzian soldiers in carrying smaller packages in trucks at the main entrance. There was the Pleike Security personnel guarding every doorway in the building. Some Anterian stormtroopers could be seen outside jumping in their vehicles and start heading towards frontlines. The two officers walked outside and saw two purple planes already landing in the airport. Two flatbed trucks carrying three FV-720s each had to hurry out of the way and were close to colliding with the planes. Couple soldiers near the runway can be seen making wild gestures and were visibly angry at the planes. The planes parked at the ramp, quickly unloaded a company of armed men and few trucks, and continued their way to the taxiway, skipping the long queue and departed the airport as soon as they left. The soldiers were wearing black uniforms with the yellow "Oktan Corps" patch attached to shoulders. They did not bother to salute or even glance at the honorary lieutenant nor the captain, but instead walked straight past them towards the terminal. This was expected, as many of these operators are former high-ranking officers or special forces soldiers who wanted to earn more money in war business.

Qizenola: "So... Why did we even allow them to land here?"

Dalverden: "They're owned by Pleike LLC. They are owned by Bjuzkas themselves. We have no say over them. Besides, they did their stuff quite fast and caused relatively little havoc anyway."

Qizenola: "Things really did take a drastic turn after the gas deposits were found. First Electrican companies seek out to help the country, and now Anterians have also landed here."

Dalverden: "It's likely the escalation would have happened anyway. Who wouldn't want to partner up with a government who has hold of natural gas and helium? Although, Pleike LLC. technically owns them, but things may take a different turn after the war is over. Anyway, we have lots of work to do. Just wanted to notify you that things will get way busier here. Expect Electrican Security contractors to arrive sooner or later."

Qizenola: "I understand."

Captain Dalverden left Qizenola as he walked back to the terminal. Qizenola walked back to the storage units. The honorary lieutenant saw a large squadron of 20 Kuzian transport helicopters flying in distance towards south. They were flying quite low, almost touching the monumental pine trees that surrounded the airport. They either carried supplies or Pre-emptive intervention forces that Kuzians have stationed in Tipiskawin. It's possible that VOSTOK's increasing presence in CBZ has caused Shanting to send more men to frontlines. This time it's not just the trainers, but actual soldiers who fight alongside Askets and Anterians, whenever they eventually arrive to the frontlines.

Ploieştone, Keserogan Republic

Office of the First Secretariat of National Progressive Front of Clariași

th/April/2024, 11:05 A.M.

It is a quiet day; it is the first day in the while since it was just that. Quiet, no more shouting, nor debates, nor rallies and protests, just quiet. It is such a shame she won't be here to experience it. Anhexla looks outside of her office windows and sees the last bit of snow melting from the trees. It is the joyous colours of springtime. She sees the blooming of petals all across the small lawn of her building's office, from the daffodils to the roses, from the Volcano Ash tulips to the Egg yolk dandelions. And far off into the distance is the bustling metropolis of a rebuilding city, where she sees the flags of her republic flying and towering above all other buildings.

She sees the construct cranes rising up beams of pure, grey steel, as the working class begin to drill and hammer it in, before the hot hellish red of a welding torch brings it all together. If she's remembering correctly, that's the office space for a new bank she signed into law the other day, I think it was called the Credit Bank of Clariaşi or something of that sort. Things are progressing, if not tomorrow it'll be finish, then the tomorrow after that. Ad infinitum and all that jazz. Whatever the case will be, she won't be here to see it. She turns her heads around to her now empty office space. All her personal items now packed away into boxes, going to packed away to her own house at the state's expense.

... It's been 63 days since the beginning of her talks with Svetlana, and she wasn't too pleased with the outcome. At the beginning, both her and I agreed on a solution, when we would finish negotiating, we would both resign from our positions voluntarily, as to no divide the country nor give the other an advantage against the other. Then they alongside their legal and advisory teams hashed and argued over legal and constitutional rulings. In the end, a resolution was confirmed just last week, and we both resigned right then and there. The office of President and her Cabinet would be replaced with a directorial system, in which each head of the Republics would be a member and take up a new position within the governmental bureaucracy, either as Cabinet members or members of state-owned enterprises. The dual supreme court would be abolished and replaced with a full Administrative Court, which will be divided between legal and constitutional matters.

Finally, Clariaşi will be granted greater autonomy and will retain its status as an autonomous republic, meaning it has the full powers it has so now, but she can no longer be in charge of it, alongside the military now being quasi-incorporated into the state military, whilst still retaining local independence. She's a little sadden, as she sees her cardboard boxes lying around the floor. She wished she could've seen the end of it. But in the end, I guess it just wasn't in her cards. She stares at everything. The banner of her republic and Veoannia itself. The coat of arms of bundles of grain in a neat-little u with the motto of the republic spelt out. The upholstery of her office's furniture and the decour of the room. If only she could've lasted longer.

If only pre-war Veoannia could've lasted longer. If only the 1971 war for independence had lasted longer. If only the war against the IAF had lasted longer. If only so many things had lasted longer. If only she herself had lasted longer, maybe things wouldn't be so bleak as they are now. Perhaps if Monroe had just lasted longer, than maybe the GRNV itself would've been dead sooner than later. But no, instead, she's still here. If only so many things had last longer, than maybe things wouldn't be so bleak to her now.

It repeats, again and again, those words, "lasted longer". Lasted longer. Lasted longer. If only this train of thought could last longer, than she could be swept up in it and not have to think about anything else. But alas, she's here. Here and now. And as she looks around the room one last time, perhaps for how much longer, than it would be too much for her. She turns towards an electronic clock built into a wall. It reads 5:05. It's been five minutes later than her scheduled time to leave. But she's planning on lasting, just a tiny bit longer, if only until 5:10 or 5:15 or 5:20 or 5:25 or...

... But she can't, five minutes is never enough. One always seeks more. Another five minutes. Perhaps that's all she wanted. She looks around one last time. It's 5:06. It's long past due time now. And as I walked down these sacred halls of our history, of me and my comrade's history, of everything that was sacrificed for these halls, all to lead towards this. I wonder if this is how Monroe felt when he resigned. That poor, sorry. b@stard, that Monroe was. I never liked him, nothing more than a mere fascist. And yet, no matter what, he was right about how that Veoannia was. It was divided, born haphazardly in a mad dash for independence. An independence of Veoannish, a people that who had for so longer never felt the sense of their own sun, of their own land, of their own breathes leaving their mouth, without needing the blessing of Omni City to do so.

And they got that wish... only too bad they had made the deal with the devil to do so. That Faustian bargain, as I recall, when I walk past the portraits of me and my council of fellow commissars down the white hallway. I walked past all of them. The Veoannish and the Black Astanai, the remainder of what remained of the old guard, the last generation of those how fought a secret war when Clariaşi even after the Treaty of Aughiev was signed. And then I look at myself, I looked younger, the artists must've tried to flatter me, and I looked less tired. I am tired. I never worked well with others outside of my guard. The guard I had fought and bleed. I am a soldier after all, and I soldier on even without a war to fight against. Maybe that's how Monroe felt as well before his death.

And that was my Faustian bargain, to sacrifice myself, as was the nation's as well, we sacrificed ourselves as well. We sacrificed our present to make a deal with the devil. And in exchange for a quick victory, we made a deal with the devil. The devil that was Monroe. But I wonder sometimes, as I turn left to the hallway, seeing ministerial offices where I once held meetings and shouted at my companions. Oh, how those memories flood back to me just now. I wonder if Monroe missed that as well. I cannot help but imagine many of us now sympathize with the devil now. The devil who seems so long dead. But may haps he himself made a Faustian bargain, maybe in exchange for holding up the deal, he would lose being the devil himself. Maybe that's why he resigned in the end.

Maybe he lost himself during and after the pre-war years and then killed himself as President. We all killed ourselves on that day. The day Veoannia died and a bunch of faux Veoannias took his place. And I can't help but feel sick from that. Sick of feeling sorry for that b@stard. That same b@stard who made sure that 700 loyal members of the republic can never go see their families again. Hadn't we all suffered enough for so long? Why extend it? Why didn't he just stop? He retired after independence and before the 2015 General Election, so why rejoined?

As I walk inside of the elevator, and the doors shut behind me, all I can hear is the whooshing and disorienting speed of the machine and its cogs whirling as it lowers me down towards the pits of hell, where I shall spare the rest of my entirety with her and the devil himself. I wonder if the devil has decided to make him a prince of hell. And yet, that's still so funny to me, why? I just don't know. It's hard to say I sympathize with him, and yet I feel like I have to. And yet he buried so many bodies, so many of my comrades. So many people I never got to knew but I got to say the pain of their families. The tears in their eyes. Those same tears I saw for so many years when I had to see my comrades die... so many of them died.

... And yet he was a soldier. Far longer than I was. I'm only 38. He was 59 when he died. And yet he cried he too when his comrades died. When his parents died, I supposed. I almost want to say he suffers in hell instead of becoming a Prince of Hell, because he was human as well, as am I. And yet he killed so many out of an ideal as disgusting as it was morally repugnant.

And yet he died too, resigned and alone to a fate he couldn't escape. Maybe I was right, maybe the Faustian bargain was that devil's own demise, a testament to him never being able to not be the devil. To not feel the warmth of the sun. Especially now with whats-his-face now in charge for some reason. And as the doors open, I get to be greeted by the heat. The heat of hell and the sun, of sin and of salvation. As it bathes the world with its orangey glow as God disappears and the uncaring moon arises sooner rather than later. Do I want it to last longer?... Do. I. Want. It. to. Last. Longer... I... I don't know anymore.

All I know is, for the time being. I am finished. As I walk out of the receptionist desk, and I smile one last time to the employees there. I caretaker triumvirate government made up of the Executive-President of the Clariaşi Council of Commissar-Ministers, the Chairperson of the NPF's Politburo, and the outgoing most senior general of the People's Self-Defense Forces of Clariaşi. And I was outside and see the light of the sun illuminate me in its orange glow, I am blinded for one second by its magnificence. Yes, for a second, I truly forget my present moment and situation.

"Excuse me ma'am." Says an armed guard, holding out an armoured car door for her, as she stands there, mildly confused.

"... I'm good thank you, I'll walk."

"But Ma'am, you live thirty minutes away from here?"

"I can manage, I'm not even a public official anymore."

"... If you wish, ma'am."

and as he drives off, I walk down the steps of stone and concrete and I walk towards a bench just at the end of this streets corner. And I plop my body onto it, and I stare off into the sunset. Arched back, hands together, and I contemplated. I wonder who will replace me. We hear in the Highsteppe, never seem to have any success with successors. Well, almost never, Fide seems to be an exception, for now... And I sit, contemplating my life as I look onto the horizon, blocked off by the tall skyscrapers of a future I may not witness from my that window again.

"Hey." A soft voice whispers.

She turns her head around and sees Ana, standing there with her purse dangling from her shoulders, as a weary smile is hidden subtly by the suns' rays.

"Hey." She says, giving a weary smile back as she sits down next to her.

It's been so longer since she's been with her, her short, yet beautiful black hair and that light brown face, popping against the foreground of the sun and all its might. That solitude and shyness, just waiting for something to open her up and see the beauty of what her was inside. And yet, for the first time in forever it seems, they aren't talking. As Anhexla just slouches, contemplatively, whilst Ana just sits there, not knowing what to do now as well.

The sun begins to set even further as it reaches the apex of 5 o'clock, as the streetlamps and colourful lighting beings to turn on in reaction to the death of God it seems. And as she does so, its heat dissipates, and the warmth is replaced by that oh, so familiar, Veoannish cool. And as it does so, that feeling of contemplativeness is replaced with that of melancholy, as nothing is done. Ana still sits there, awaiting, anything for something to happen. And Anhexla cannot give anything to her. Any sign, nothing. The future is as uncertain as it is dark and bleak.

And yet, before she even notices, Anhexla reaches for her coats pocket, and pulls out a cigarette and a lighter. And lights up the drug. Still hunched back, she takes her time, letting it burn across the paper and tobacco smoothly across it, little splashes of orange and black zigzagging across it all as she just sits there, letting it all burn, her eyes closed. Nothing being done. And then, she takes it out and gives out a large exhale of smoke, as it softly imprints on the air nearest to her, before dissipating once and for all. And after all of that, Ana turns around, and gives a little smile, a weary smile. A tired smile. A smile barely holding on. But after all that has happened in this sort while, it's worth it.

"... so... what are you going to do now?" Anhexla acts, to the soft surprised of Ana.

"Oh, uh... I plan on.... I plan... on. Plan... on.... Huh, you know, I never really thought about what to do after my job as Commissar-Minister. I just kinda assumed I would be doing it forever."

"Heh, I knew you would say that." Anhexla says before slouching on the bench now.

"I stop it. It's just... all I ever really knew was being a pencil-pusher you know. Granted, it's one of the most prestigious types of pencil-pushing in the world. But... still pencil-pushing never lest."

"Yeah... Hey, wasn't your father also a bureaucrat?"

"Hmm? Oh! Well, yeah. He and my mom were both once city councilors of Sommering before becoming Commissioners of Clariaşi, though I was born before that. Because of that I was able to become a clerk whilst working in Ploieştone when Veoannia got its independence before I became a regional MPA."

"... You never liked talking about your past, you ever notice that?"

"..."

"Come on, you can tell me..."

"... you're right. It's just that... well, I never thought I would ever want to become some kind of bureaucrat. Parents were always super busy, so I had to spend time with my aunts and uncle's half of the time. Then the other half was trying to survive the lineage of death threats and attempts on my life because... well... Veoannia in the 2000s. And I though why would I ever become a bureaucrat when half the time I can't even enjoy myself... So, I instead tried to pursue my own passions... into the find out I'm only really good at the pencil-pushing stuff."

"Oh, come on, you're not a pencil-pusher. I mean, come on, you ran a department of labour, you got to negotiate with labour unions and help with management issues for a whole-@ss republic, that's not something to scoff at."

"That's still pencil-pushing you know. And I just... was I bit ashamed of it you know, I mean, I wanted for so long to not become this, and look where I am now. An unemployed bureaucrat. I wanted for so long to not become this, that I ended up not realizing that all the stuff I actually liked, made me good at this job.. and since jobs were so scarce back then... I choose this path..."

"..."

"..."

"... Look, I maybe cannot relate, because I have a good experience with bureaucracy like that. But you're not just some kinda pencil-pusher. And I'm not just saying that because of your former position. I'm saying that because you actually helped people. You helped to rebuild the economy, your labour plans are now bringing us to the point where I could've legitimately begin expanding rather than just constructing. You know, maybe you didn't like it at first, but you're not just what your parents are doing. You're actually doing something in this world... and hey, maybe we need stuff like that."

"... I mean, I guess, but... I just wish I could just do other stuff you know."

"So, you can always become a bureaucrat again or go into another field, like historian or an analysist."

"Wow, so exciting."

"Hell, if you want, I say try a shot at being Minister-President of Clariaşi."

"Ok, now you're just flattering me."

"Hell no. I literally called Svetlana, SVETLANA. A sk@nk. To her face. After stepping out of her car. I say what's on my mind."

"Except around me no."

"What? Pff, no."

"I know you do that because you don't insult me like you insult your friends when I'm with you."

"Well, that's not always true."

"... Really?"

"Yeah.' Anhexla says before beginning to pull towards Ana, inching ever closer to her face, as she sees her face beginning to blush red from confusion and nervousness, before finally landing a kiss on her, and as they do, they both shut their eyes, and just letting it sink in.

"I think you make a great head of state, better than even Svetlana." She says after kissing her, before pulling away and letting the two of them recover, their blushes returning to normal.

"... is that your way of insulting me?"

"Insulting your pride and expectations, yes."

"... alright then... I was wrong."

"So, is being a bureaucrat all that bad?"

"Not... so much... but... only because of you, Hex."

"... In that case, take up my place then..."

"... Yeah right, as if anyone would actually consider me to become Minister-President."

"You're renowned for your labour policies, you have excellent negotiating skills, you're calmier than me, and you're related to me, just some nepotistic advantage, that's all."

"Yeah, and related to the lady who just got kicked out."

"And you're going to let those that win get the last laugh?"

"... Ok, fine... I'll... I'll become Minister-President... but I can't promise anything though..."

"Don't make promises, so you never break them..."

"Is that you never say I love you except under your breath." Ana says smugly with Anhexla blushing in response.

"... yeah..." She says with a warm smile before slumping on her shoulder, as the moon begins to rise...

and the moon's rays of moonlight replace what was once that of the suns.

Ingheviște, Sáráyis dól cal Veoannish

29th/January/2023, 1:57 A.M.

The flag of the Greater Republic of Veoannia flows against the current southwestern wind, as it flails and flies across the sky, the symbol of Monroe and his regime do battle one final time with the skies of the above, an uncaring bluish grey. And as it flies there, it begins to come down. Inch by inch, millimeter by millimeter, before being expelled in its entirety. And as it falls down one last time, the true flag of Veoannia arises once more. A simple flag, with a simple design. The Úríçhetahlich, those flags of a most personal orange, black, and white, fly once more, over the sacred halls of the Sáráyis dól cal Veoannish, the Complex of the Veoannish.

It is almost impossible to imagine just a little almost 3 years ago, this very city, whose population only numbered 200,000, would explode so rapidly, and become a little over 1.1 million. It is impossible to imagine that to even comprehend just how much has change. Not so much how much has grown, but more so, purely destroyed. It's all Pellaeon can think about. As he stands there, across the sacred roads that lead towards the sáráyis. His admiralty coat flowing over the cool spring winds of the morning, flanked by two armed guards, trying to avoid inhaling the smoke from one of his cigarettes, the same cigarette he's smoking in his mouth.

He soon raises his hand and motions them away, to which they agree, personally glad that they no longer have to not try to whiff in the stench of his cigarette. And as Pellaeon stands there, watching the flag of his new nation fly and float across the rising sun, it can only signify one thing. Progress. Eternal history marching forward, ever forward, never backward. And as he thinks of this, he looks behind him, and sees the awake city across it, its colours clashing with the monochromatic grey with the indifferent natural grey of the sky. Yes, progress. Eternal progress.

He soon resolves to head back inside. There is no major governmental or ministerial function for today. They're currently undergoing a caretaker phase. He has stopped the rebellions and the riots and crushed any attempts to destroy his fragile stability. He has already outlined and blueprinted what shall come next. And all the rest will follow suit. That is the course all of history has taken. It is progress. Eternal progress, always forward, never backward. As the saying goes. And as he walks down the halls, the grand overtures of life that has now since passed echo throughout it. It always echoes. It echoes throughout the halls of what was Veoannia proper. Before 2022. It always calls out to the living, calling beyond the grave.

And much like life, it will be reborn, into something new. Progress. Progress. Progress. That is what the eternal return truly is. Progress. Progress. One day, as he walks down the ministerial board rooms, he takes a peep at what once was, the so-called National Assembly of Veoannia. He sees the red carpeted halls and walls that taper over the dark brown floorboards and furniture. It is staged like the typical parliaments of the other democracies. And yet in that centre, the most defiant centre, is where the so-called Prime Minister would make addresses to them. And where Monroe would step in for 2 years and proclaim his declarations of hatred and populism. No matter what he was, he was a reactionary. A reactionary in both the Marxist and Anti-Marxist terminology. Something that tried to defy history, to return.

Regardless of his rejection of Palingenesis and other such ideas. He would stand there, stating that he would help to create a world of a so-called "international order of ultranationalists". Pure tribalism. His ideas of state economics were vague and plagiarized notions of the old fiefdoms and the Marxist and socialist states that so utterly has failed. From Novoroyska, to Kjanu, to Monhaine, to Ovstylap, and his most despised Astana-Anders. All of them failed. Revolutionaries and the reactionaries, born out of the excess of trying to defy progress. To defy history. To defy God almost. Even though he has been to a Catholic Church for years now, he knows that a God exists, if not literally, then something exists in its place.

If not with the powers of a God, then perhaps the idea of a God. It is all the same regardless. For him, it is the very nature of humanity and history. Not so much the concepts, but itself, its nature. And as he thinks, he continues to walk past these halls. he plans on when he finally may transition into civilian rule, that he may rebuild it. He sort of has to do that anyway, just with how much this place has taken a beating during 2023. He is still surprised that the thing has burned down yet with just how many attempted coups last year. Either way, soon enough, he will finally get a separate office from that of the legislature. And with that, he shall take his residence at the former headquarters of the old one-party, the "Party of Greater Veoannia" ... that name alone is cringe enough.

He has already seen it enough. Once he reverts its historically protected status, he will occupy its contents. The room of the former Chairman will become his Presidential office. And the rooms of the various secretaries will become the rooms of his soon-to-be cabinet elect. The election campaign is already scheduled for April 10th of next week and shall end on May 10th. Finally, he will be free to enact and transform Veoannia back to its place. A developed country, and beyond that. And he shall do it, letting progress flow through him, and letting him take course.

As he passes through numerous doors and guards opening it and shutting it for him, seriously, why did Monroe install so many doors. And he reaches the remains of his office. Or at least, what is left of it. It appears that after so much time, construction is still undergoing. Large pockets of the wall and floor are still visible, even parts of the roof. The red carpet highlighted with orange coloured tapestry and geometry has begun to fade away. The furniture not destroyed from bullets and hellfire, ravaged by the natural elements instead. The only reason why none of those rioters even managed to come inside was due to members of the National Military Gendarmerie embattling them to the very last man.

He honours them. And history shall honour them as they will him eventually. Still, with that said, he turns around, turning his back to the bright yellow warning tape and makes his course for the former place of the Cabinet of Ministers. Now soon to be another ministerial board room under his watch. He soon passes through the same few select doors and begins turns on the next left after the 8th door. After navigating a few more tricks and turns, he makes it to the Office of the Cabinet of Ministers. Now deserted. It reminds him of when the initial Junta was still active. But he is glad that all of them are gone now.

All of them. Every last one of them. As time wore on, more and more of them eventually sought to resign from their cabinet positions. The Neomonroeists were the first to do so, feeling threatened and disappointed with his move. Especially following his decision to allow The Atlas Archipelago to station troops into Hongrevia, as well as his general idea of giving Hongrevia self-governance. Further selling of shares and securities within the blooming private markets also helped. And yet, the moderate conservatives themselves felt threatened by him as well eventually. His move to retain many aspects of military's role in politics upset most, and yet, it was his role within constitutional reform that made many resigned.

The Ministerial Executive for the National Constitution, a department he'd set up whose sole goal was the rewrite the constitution, upset quite a few of the more moderate fellows. The goal was to have the vote for both upcoming elections in early May be also a vote on accepting the new constitution, instead of forming a constitutional assembly, and if rejected, the newly-elected delegates would form a Constitutional Assembly to write a new draft, and accepted, then it would go on as plan. Who were in this Ministerial Executive? Why, the very same ministers of course. And yet even with his resignation, all agreed to still keep their duties until the new elections.

Yes, democracy. He begins to think about it as he lights up a cigar. Such a name that is used every so often nowadays it has lost all meaning to it. All iterations of it have their lost meaning. Liberal democracy. Anti-democracy. People's democracy. True democracy. Direct democracy. Christian democracy. It is all just buzzwords now. A carcass for the buzzards of populists and academics to fight over tell the end of time. And true be told, their right. Democracy has lost all meaning... but only because people have been blinded to it all this time. As he begins to reminisce about the meetings during those turbulent weeks following that poor son-of-a-b@tch's death. Yes, democracy. Democracy.

Republics. Inscribed in history by the The Soviet state of Svalbard all those centuries lost. When it was the most Serene Republic of Trondelang. And inscribed in its very history was one phrase. Freiheit, Gleichheit, Brüderlichkeit, Óagirsúe, Vorhiolarnas, Fráetreyconhas. Liberty, Equality, Fraternity. Yes. Those very words. The very words that have defined generations upon generations. Revolutions upon revolutions. Reactions upon reactions. Until they all fell down. Ashes to ashes and all of that. Yes. Those very words are the words that have defined history itself until now. When those words were uttered. And why do they endure to this very day. No matter how much they are b@stardized into oblivion? Because they're the present. They're history. They are what allows us to be human, in spite of all of our flaws and psychopathic tendencies.

That is the pure heart of democracy. That is what the truth of human existence, is it not? Limitations. Limitations. The present is but the only thing that separates the here, this moment, from non-existence. Either past or future. No matter what some sham of a political activist, technocrat, or demagogue might tell otherwise. For is it not the point of a democracy to surrender one's freedom? The libertarians and anarchists might say otherwise, but one look at The Commune State of Khong-Bang or The Enclave congressional armed forces should be more than enough to persuade someone that is wrong. Indeed, one needs to look no further than The Atlas Archipelago, in all their arrogance and facades, they speak of a truth.

A truth no better exemplified than the existence of a ballot box. The surrendering of one's freedoms, not all, but some, to the duty of the state. Yes, that is the culmination of what democracy must be to survive. That is what all governments proclaim, plus-or-minus those autocratic states. And yet even there, we see the truth of what the state is. The state is not the enemy, nor is democracy some ultimate expression of infinite freedoms. The extinction of libertarianism proves more than enough the lies of that, and the hypocrisies of The Commune State of Khong-Bang solidifies the arrogance of the left. Nor is it merely the way of which people may express themselves fairly.

Even the so-called liberal democracies, the good guy republics and monarchies that spread... to be fair only in Wasaru, must engage themselves in direct violence against their own democratic beliefs. It is them that must be forced to limit what the people do and say, not in the name of identity politics, but in the name of state security. No, no. That is not the point of democracy. It never was. It is not the pervasion or er@tic delusion of some bygone and dead past, like the fascists and nationalists of my predecessors, of Jadefall, of the Dahua Republic, or any of those failed states. Nor is it some divine, untouchable, almost cruel future, like those blind-folded communists of Novoroyska, Astana-Anders, Kjanu, and the rest of the world.

No, it is never that. It is the present. The surrendering of one's freedom, of one's anxiety, of one's problems, of one's life, to the will of the Parliament. Of the Cabinet. To the wills of society and of civil and common law. To the institutions of bureaucracy, of the workplace, of the operatic gears and grinds of the state itself. It is the present. It is history. It is... GOD.

And that is why he identifies as a conservative, a conservative democrat. He thinks to himself as he stares blankly at nothing, at the empty rooms of faded white paint and the little infinite patterns of the brushstrokes, left behind until the next coat of paint. The conservative, and not those right-wing politicians and academics and fascist thugs that hyperventilate at the thought of pre-democratic times, of the eras of the Clerical scammers, of the Landowning elites, of aristocracy and oligarchies and plutocracies and Monarchies, and all of those filth of the past, of the womb and before conception. No, the true conservative. The conservative democrat. He, and those so few left in the world, believe in the present. The status quo. For moderation in extremes, and extremely moderation.

Never too much, yet never too little. A delicate type-rope walk between unbridled and unrestrained few markets, and the purges and famine of an Ivanovian command economics. Between the enslavement of a fictitious social-Darwinist world cooked up in their backyards whilst their parents argued in the background, and the endless discourse of autonomy and identity. Between isolationism and unchecked multilateralism and internationalism. Between tribalistic xenophobia and the self-hating multiculturalism. There lies the conservative. The man, the Übermensch, if one must say, that can transcend it all. To dream of neither past nor future, but the present.

And he aims to be that man. That Übermensch, that can guide Veoannia, and reunite it. As the shining pillar of not only democracy. But of life and history itself. Of the present. Of the warmth of orange, of conservativism. He shall start with the economics, of course, of course. He shall begin with construction and manufacturing. Resource extraction maybe required. But it shall be supplemented easily. When the skyscrapers, bridges, oil refineries, and megacities are built, there shall be direct payment to the workers. 10, 15, no, 20%! Then, 99% of public and 49% of private enterprises shares will be up for grabs by the workers themselves. He shall subsidize agricultural products, to which they will form syndicates to drive up prices, as well as electricity, transportation and fuel prices, establish boards to help funnel investments and loans into the business-owning middle-class, via low interest rates for all, special economic zones in all big cities.

He shall establish price controls and progressive taxation so the government may help drive further investment. They shall build all that is to build! They shall keep universal healthcare, education, and access to water, of course. He shall develop the ports to allow for greater international trade, doing away with protectionism. He shall rebuild his military, as well as building up other nations military... hmm, The Atlas Archipelago and their companies may do good, would be cheaper to do that than at home, he supposes. Might need to set up some economic zones for that, however. He shall unite all people, giving what little devolution he can, by giving councils the ability to deal with minor offenses and issues, and each little town will specialize in one good to help diversify and help develop. Yes, yes. It is all coming together.

All the while, the ultranationalists of both Orange and White and the Anterias will be so busy fighting each other in Hongrevia that they shall have no reason to mess with me. Such will finally allow them to see why it is a bad idea to waste your life on the past. All the while, what economic advancement can be made he will collect as taxes and duties, fueling economic development. All the while, he shall serve for, one-term. The present waits for no one, one must define it whenever the chance he gets. And if be so, democracy will continue forever. Always in the present, a perpetual motion machine. President after President.

Who knows. Maybe in this lifetime, he shall see Veoannia reunited, now outshining even that of Astana-Anders, and he knows he will enjoy every second of it. And he knows he will, for there is nothing that young idealist Fide hates more than another pragmatists. But that is the for the future, a future that doesn't exist beyond his grave. And he knows, that all will be well. The people will be happy and content, and he will establish a legacy ad infinitium. Yes. There is no better time, than the present...

KALEVI NEWSPAPER 13/4/2024

2,000 new contracts - Ziemelkrasti Readiness Unit increases unit amount by 350 men in CBZ

The commander of Ziemelkrasti Readiness Unit, Colonel Lieutenant Egons Zvinelis has publicly announced that a long-planned Emergency Response Unit will be deployed to Cultural Border Zone in Iskalot-Creeyo region in attempt to support the Iskalotian government and stabilize the region. The decision was finalized after SV-Z announced that 2,000 new contracts to the organization were signed with new operators. The new Emergency Response Unit consists of 5 mechanized infantry platoons, 2 armored units whose size is yet unknown, an attack helicopter squadron and a combat sapper platoon. The size of the total force has not been published, but estimates range around 350 additional SV-Z Operators being deployed in Cultural Border Zone. Depending on the course of the conflict, the SV-Z has capability of further increase or decrease their presence in CBZ.

The President Longins Grube has given an approval for a start of the crisis management operation in Cultural Border Zone, with aim to clear possible saboteurs far away from the frontlines and ensure the safety of the civilians. For this purpose, the International Jaegers from Limnazi International Corps are deployed in Iskalot region to fulfill their task and stabilize the area. Although the International Jaegers do not actively participate in conflict and focus solely on protecting the civilians and infrastructure, this decision is major. For the first time in history are Estian-speaking soldiers allowed to participate in the Creyo-Iskalot conflict in one way or another. The decision for a start of the crisis management operation was made after rumours of a suspected gas attack conducted by Asketian Armed Forces began spreading. While no concrete evidence has yet been brought to table, even the rumours of usage of chemical weapons by any side require immediate, serious response for the sake of civilians.

The Parliament approves the government's budget plan

Yesterday, the Rahvaparlament approved the new budget for Estland. The biggest changes were seen for the Ministries of Defence, Infrastructure and Environment. The Ministry Of Defence received additional 33 billion Markkas, which is the largest budget increase to them in years. The Ministry of Infrastructure also received additional 12 billion Markkas. The Ministry of Environment on the other hand faced even more suppression, as their budget for this year is nearly 20% smaller compared to last year, now standing at 22 billion markkas. Many applaud the changes due to the increased destability in Southern Wasari, but there were some, especially the environmentalists and pacifists, who did not see much improvement in this year's budget. Many politicians in Rohelinet party expressed worry of the environmental impact of the decision to cut the budget from the ministry of environment.

The armada of the south has arrived - Shanting increases its presence in Askelewi

The airspace was filled with carrier planes and helicopters coming from the United Kuzikstan, heading towards the airports, airbases and airtstrips of Askeland. The recent satellite imagery shows that many military bases across Askeland established by Kuzians have grew significantly in size and in terms of personnel, indicating that Shanting is ready to intervene in Askeland if things turn south. Several aircrafts coming from North Electrica and The Atlas Archipelago were seen flying to the same direction. Although the Electrican forces operate independently and are not related to the government, it's likely that the country of Electrica has selected their side in this conflict. The arrival of Anterians also show which side they have aligned to. It's likely that increasing manpower in Askeland is part of the plan Shanting has in to putting more pressure and increase the treshold of Novoroyska, an important ally of Iskalot and Estland from intervening further in the conflict. If the rumoured plan works well for Shanting, it could shatter the image of INCOM as whole, or in worst case scenario, dissolve the alliance altogether. However if things turn south and INCOM indeed pushes forward to intervene, it could escalate the conflict faster than a fire spreading in an oil leak. Overall, the situation is devastating and there seems to be no sight of weardown of the conflict in near future.

Matti Went to buy milk but never returned home - The investigation continues

ENTIMÄGI, KIVIMAA - 1 month ago, the family of Keskõl woke up in surprise as the man of the house, Matti Keskõl, was missing. Matti's wife, Maria claims that Matti was supposed to walk to the nearby grocery store and buy milk, as the children drank all the milk in the house earlier day. However, Matti's journey to the store still hasn't come to an end. Keskõl family called a search & rescue operators to find the father, but so far no traces of him has been found. After further investigation, there has been few things that have been solved: Matti indeed walked out to get some milk. The evidence gathered from the empty milk canisters and family reports support this crystal clear. Matti was also seen by the neighbor walking towards the store that was 75 meters away to be exact. Matti was relatively known in the town and everyone knew he had no other businesses to do than take care of his family and work in the local elementary school. Even the cashiers of the grocery store knew Matti well, and did see him walking in the store with a canister of milk during the day of disappearance. However, Matti never walked to the counter, and him walking between the toilet paper shelves was the last moment anyone saw him.

Matti is "slightly overweight", 173cm long, weighing 108kg middle-aged man with balding hair. He normally wears black glasses, red lumberjack shirt, denim shorts and a trucker cap. Any signs or clues of Matti's location must be reported to the police, so the investigation can finally end on more fortunate note.

KALEVI NEWSPAPER 27/4/2024

Ceasefire in Creeyo - A turn towards peace?

Yesterday, Askets and INCOM forces agreed on a ceasefire, with last shots heard near Dubkov. The ceasefire was made in agreement by all parties and will last at least for the duration of the peace talks held in Ligul, Impeck. Although no concrete signatures have been made yet, especially the Iskalotian forces have seemingly began accepting the fact that the war is going to be over soon. The frontlines are being observed 24/7 by all sides, and even a lightest spark could light the volatile front back in full-blown war. Anterian proposal for Iskalot ceding Creeyo-majority regions in CBZ for Askelewi has gained popularity in many participant nations, although in Askelewi, the Tahapatsa & Tawechine community has been strongly against accepting only small territorial changes, still hoping for the complete ownership of their indigenous lands. The President Longins Grube step in his private jet and took off towards Impeck this morning, soon after the decision for peace talks was made.

Estian International Jaegers have arrived in CBZ

The first International Jaeger company has been stationed in Cultural Border Zone. Their main purpose is to help the locals who have been hurt the most by the conflict and keep the ceasefire going as long as possible. The International Jaegers are supposed to meet with Anterian and Kuzian peacekeepers in Vermezi tomorrow in seek for cooperation and establishing a joint-peacekeeping mission between the two sides. Limnazi International Jaegers were met with delight by locals in Beketovs and began establishing connection with the civilian population as soon as they landed by providing humanitarian aid.

Back and Forth

Arrosta

Electrica, National Water Reserve and Purification

A woman sat at the screens tiredly, she had been doing this for the past 10 years, one of 5 different screen watchers watching the security camera's of the NWRP. Electrica's center for water purification and also the site of the national reserve, she landed this job looking for something that wasn't too much work after all what would happen here at the reserves? She contemplated using her phone o alleviate some of her boredom but if she was caught she'd either get a chewed out or have her pay docked, both she did not wanna experience, so she continued to watched the screens looking slowly between them seeing the same empty halls and areas with only a few workers or the robots walking around to do their various task. However something caught her eye, the robots weren't moving, at first she be lived it was nothing but the trick over her eye so she began to look at where there were other robots but they too didn't move, was this some sort of malfunction? That's impossible these machines are kept maintained and some are different models than the others, she attempts to contact the maintenance building but finds that there is no signal.

How does a government facility loose signal?

Immediately noticing something is wrong she would grab her equipment and a sub machine gun off the wall and leave, entering into the usually quite halls that now beared a eerie pressure. She walked quickly down the hallways and paced one of the unmoving bots.

Guard: "Hey métallo! Status report?" She had a feeling this didn't mean much but she might as well tried and see if the machines were responsive however as soon as she gets closed the machine jerks around and falls to the floor, the guard having jumped back aimed at the machine, but it was long since passed having deactivated when it hit the floor. "What in god's name is this?"

After the disturbing scene she would move with much more haste through the facility before eventually leaving. She then sees multiple vehicles outside with people wearing both strange uniforms. Usually she would have gone out and approached them but everything told her that was a horrible idea. So instead she would sneak around watching them as they would begin entering the facility and tampering with the machinery, however what was really concerning was the stranded devices and weaponry that glowed with both green and dark yellow light they all had.

'This is way above my pay grade, no way I'm dealing with this!'

She was just about to start leaving when someone left out of one of the large vehicles, a man with long brown hair wearing a strange outfit looks around at the carnage before turning towards the reserve.

Man: "Bela kurio, na adminotai ellus od Itodolous"

The woman listens to the strange language, perhaps it was some secret way of communication? She continued watching as he takes out a container and her alongside a small group of compatriots walked over to the reserves, fearing the worst she would fallow in behind being as quiet s possible, the sounds of skirmishes could be hear throughout the facility and whenever a scream comes threw her hair stands on end. Once close they would begin speaking but this time in a language she could understand.

"They believe that this new age will be their golden age, but we shall put them to the test." He opens the container and reveals a crystal like object that had a faint neon yellow glow. "Like kings, they never know if their drink is true, or treacherous.

That's when the the guard finally realized, this wasn't a attack to destroy the facility, they were attempting to poison the reserves! She looks around for anything and finds a pistol on the ground of a fallen security guard, knowing she only had a few seconds she fired at the man holding the crystal, and the bullet when right through his head and right as she attempts to fire at the others. The impossible happens.

"If you wanna be a spectator in this." The man turns, blood dripping down his head as he looked back with a calm smile, his eyes having a faint yellow glow similar to the crystal. "You should have sat back and watched. As he says this one of them would spray the substance at her, she tries to dodge but all this does is only cover half of her body in it. The pain was unimaginable as she felt half of her body dissolve away, she lets out screams of anguish as she fell to the ground.

As the security guard writhes in pain the man turns and drops the crystal into the container, and soon a yellow substance begins to spread from it and then begins unnaturally traveling out into the pipes and tanks of the reserve. It was done, he turns around and begins walking back to his vehicle and contacts someone.

"It's done. How have the other teams done? As he walks, a body on the ground twitches. "Good, the weakening of the light shall begi- he is interrupted by a hand on his ankle, and surprisingly it is the guard woman from before, still somehow alive and moving despite half of her body being a melted form, struggling to keep him from moving. He stares mildly surprised and smiles widely. You are still alive? Hmm, perhaps you have the gift?" Once he says this the guard is picked up by one of his companions, and is taken away. Her vision fades as she sees her easy job go away with each passing seconds.

A New Crisis

Electrican National News

The nation has awaken to a shocking and horrifying discovery, the nations water reserves and all of the nations natural reserves have all been contaminated. From what is known for the past week or so those who have been using water as of late has been experiencing a new form of sickness, something that has seemingly gotten worse as time passes with it now being dubbed the "Golden Suffering" as many have been hospitalized with recordings of immense pains and failure in the body, or the strange yellow rashes appearing on the bodies of people who used the water to clean. Because of the the entire water utility has been shut down and current quarantine zones in the central United Freedom Sector, the northern Skywalker Sector, and most of the Urbanite Hive Sector. So far the New Horzion, Starfreeze Plains, The Moog, and Capital Sector has remained unaffected

Throughout the recording there are pictures of people, young and old alike suffering from the effects of the "Golden Suffering" ranging from strong yellow-gold rashes on their bodies, a golden ring around their eyes, and hundreds if not thousands being admitted to hospitals or the creation of new emergency hospitals all over the quarantine zones.

With the information out many become outraged looking for answers, many believed that this was some form of sabotage and the blame immediately went to the age old enemy: Astana-Anders. While this was refuted past events have been reference for a cause to suspicion and despite the non aggression pact the sheer ideological difference between Electrican and INCOM, alongside the close proximity between the country and one of it's members could be cause so doing so. Whatever the case the Council has been working to address the fears of the public while also speaking with both the Astani government and INCOM as a whole over the matter, and in other news the Council has made efforts to provide families across the country with uncontaminated water sources with the nationalization of bottled water production and shipment and of course making use of one of the few untapped water reserves that were not affected by this event. But since the reserve is only able to provide water for the next 5-7 years, which will thrust Electrica into a Water Crisis.

Further images and videos showing soldiers around the country delivering water to families, and others of both the Milita and the military protecting the last reserve. However it shift with a video of cybernetics.

However there may be some hope as it seems that the GS is able to be gotten rid off if parts of the human body is replaced with cybernetics, thanks to a byproduct created by the cybernetics and the human body which has been nicknamed: Cyborg Blue. Medical researches has begun researching both the GS and the CB in order to counter this medical crisis, and massive wave for cybernetic surgery, production, and investment has risen as a result. We can only hope that the situation continues to improve.

The first trial has arrived

Joys of the past
Northern Rusenia, Three Point Peninsula
Tectunia
A long time ago...

(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFhb0e2rkHc)
"Darling, did you see Yura's other pair of socks? I can't seem to remember where I put them."
Asked Yukina as she wandered around with a basket of neatly folded clothes.
"No dear, I've been here making dinner. Maybe it got flung away by the wind?"
Replied Markus in aprons peeling a potato in the kitchen before cutting into into smaller pieces with a knife as he dropped them into a boiling pot with other vegetables. As he began stirring the pot, he'd turn his slightly to the left as he'd ask Yukina a question.
"What was Tamamo here for? Did you invite her for dinner?"
Asked Markus as he continued to stir the pot while adding salt to it, occasionally taking out the ladle to taste the soup.
"Oh, just reminiscing about old times, nothing too serious, she declined the offer."
Replied Yukina as she organized clothes into drawers just out of his view.
The eyebrow twitched, it was a lie he thought to himself since he overheard what Tamamo was saying when she was still here, still so disapproving of their marriage. He'd wonder to himself why Tamamo was so disapproving of their marriage, perhaps a disdain for humans, perhaps she didn't like Markus, perhaps she was envious? Whatever the reason, he was not too pleased about it as he continued to stir the pot while lost in thought. Suddenly, he came to his senses as he pulled the ladle out to taste the soup before taking it off the stove as he began pouring it into three wooden bowls. After pouring it out, he pulled out a loaf of bread and sliced it into several slices before serving it on a wooden plate as he went to prepare the dinner table. Yura, Markus' daughter ran into the dining room as he looked at Markus with a smile.
"Daddy, is dinner ready?" Asked Yura excitedly
"Yes my sweet pumpkin, help daddy set the table okay?"
Yura nodded as she helped set the table for dinner.

Markus set down the bowls and the plate of sliced bread as he sat down, little Yura climbed onto her chair while Yukina settled down onto her chair next to Markus she took a glance at him before grabbing the spoon as the three of them began digging in.
"Yukina, do you ever miss our old friends from the institute? When both of us were studying there for magic?"
"Sometimes, my time spent there with you was some of the best moments I could hope to ask for. Our precious memories there brought us to this point." Said Yukina as she turned to look at Yura happily eating her dinner.
"Yeah... Do you remember when I sneaked into your room by disguising myself as a girl?"
Yukina chuckled "Yes, I remember the headmaster chewing you out in the hall in the middle of the night when he caught you sneaking back out. Didn't you get suspended for a month?"
"Oh yeah! Uh, honestly, the headmaster was the spawn of something evil, he was just the meanest and overly strict person ever."
"Society is built on rules and regulations!" Said Yukina, talking in a deeper voice, seemingly trying to mimic the headmaster.
"Don't give me that."
Yukina chuckled "Ah, those were the days huh?"
"It sure was..."
Markus turned to look at Yura who seemed to be listening to their little banter.
"Daddy, mommy, will I ever go to school?"
"Yeah." Replied both of them at the same time as they turned to look at each other before having a slight laugh.
"Yeah my little pumpkin, we'll enroll you into school once you're older."
"Anyways, Yura, how was the day for?"
"Um, I played at the wheat place with Teo, we played hide and seek."
"Teo? The kid from the house down the road? We should go greet them sometimes, their parents seem to be nice folk." Said Markus as he turned his head toward Yukina.
"Sounds great, yeah, we should meet them sometimes, maybe exchange gifts?" Said Yukina as she took a spoonful of her food.
"Yeah, oh, do we need anything right now? I'm gonna head down to the village tomorrow to gather things we need, we need to get some vegetables since we're low in that regard." Asked Markus as he took a bite of his dinner.
"Hm, nothing that comes to mind... Oh, could you perhaps get some sugar? We're running low on that right now."
"Sugar? Okay, I'll go down to the village and trade in the wheat we got from our last harvest for sugar, anything else?"
"Daddy, I want a toy!" Exclaimed Yura.
"Okay sweet pumpkin, if you promise to help Daddy in the fields, I'll get you whatever doll you want once we head to the village tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay!" Said Yura excitedly.
"Now, finish your meal, and let's get ready for bed okay? Daddy and Mommy will read you a story once you're in bed okay?"
"Okay!" Said Yura as she began eating her meal.
"It's moments like these that make me wish it'll last forever." Said Markus as he gently grabbed Yukina's hand and held onto it.
"Me too darling..." Said Yukina as she embraced Markus' hand whistle looking at one another.

Markus is seen scraping whatever food was left on the bowls into an empty as he drenches them in another bucket full of water before wiping them with a wet towel he sets them aside to dry before finishing the dishes as he grabs the bucket of used water and the other bucket with leftover food scrapes as he went outside. He emptied the used water at a nearby patch of wheat as he left the bucket outside while he emptied the other bucket into a compost bin which he also left by the door before entering his house. Now inside, he went upstairs he saw Yukina and Yura washing out their mouth with salt and water before Yukina followed Yura into her room while holding her hand as she tucked Yura in before taking a seat at the edge of the bed. Markus entered the room as he sat next to Yukina placing his hand on her shoulder as the both of them looked at Yura.
"Yura, ready?" Asked Markus as he looked at Yura with a slight smile.
"Ready Daddy!" Said Yura with a smile on her face.
"Okay..."
"Once upon a time, there was a man who lived in a village, he was an energetic yet gentle and kind-hearted man as he'd help around his village, doing good deeds for the people he'd known since he was a child. One day, a fox appeared in the village, while seemingly harmless, the villagers were suspicious of the fox and actively ostracized it but the same kind-hearted man took the fox in as his companion. unbeknownst to the man, the fox was a creature from a faraway land who could use magic to create beauty out of nothingness as it transformed itself into a beautiful woman and greeted the man. The fox thanked the man for his kindness and asked if he wanted a wish granted by her magical powers the man simply replied, I wish to be with you. While taken aback, the fox lady accepted as she decided to stay by his side, not as a companion but as the man's significant other, although much to the dismay of the fox's brethren who disapproved of their union. Both of them together went to a school of magic where they learned many fantastical things as well as getting up to mischief. The man and the fox were like a match made in heaven, a more perfect union between a human and a magical being. Eventually, as the man grew up, the both of them settled down in a quiet place where they'd start a family and would live happily ever after together... The end." It was a story all too familiar to him since it was the story of how he had met Yukina, although a little embellished since it was meant to be a story at the end of the day.
Yura looked at both of them with a tired expression as both of them kissed her on the forehead before gently and quietly leaving the room. Closing the door behind him, Markus yawned as he turned his attention to Yukina.
"We should probably go to bed huh?"
"Yes darling, I think we should." Said Yukina before grabbing his hand as the both of them walked down the hall and entered their room.
Laying into bed, both of them embraced each other as Markus hugged Yukina and the two of them started falling asleep.
Till death do us part...