Summoning America

Chapter 70: Clandestine

March 1, 1640
Otaheit, Mu
Embassy of the United States of America

Director Klein stood beneath a massive communications tower, staring up as he marveled the view. Wind sent his dark trench coat dramatically flapping in the wind while his associate stood firm, shielding his eyes from the dust. "Wonderful, isn't it, Minister Deville?" He said, looking over at the tall, black-haired Caucasian to his right.

"It is," Deville agreed, "Although, I fancy that you didn't request an appointment to admire your own technologies."

Klein laughed, "I'm not that narcissistic. Well then, if it's straightforward you desire, then it is straightforward you shall receive. Let's head inside, we can discuss this further."

The pair walked into the recently built embassy building and were greeted by a cool blast of rejuvenating air, courtesy of magically enhanced air conditioning. Deville looked around, finding numerous differences between the current embassy and the one the Americans had just moved out of. This new building was built with a distinct classical design, yet contained futuristic technologies hidden within, from a plethora of mounted screens and scanners to a system of camouflaged metal constructs outside. He could only guess them to be some sort of defensive system.

Much like the other embassy, this one ran off electricity, supplied by the local power grid and backed up by American generators. Fluorescent lighting and humble wood furnishings decorated the structure's interior, with an indeterminable number of systems concealed inside the walls. As he walked with Director Klein toward the local field office inside the embassy, he noticed a strange commonality that stuck out in all American establishments.

The Americans seemed to love air conditioning so much that, despite Mu's cool temperatures in the northern hemisphere, they went so far as to incorporate light rejuvenation magic into their ventilation systems. Even the new McDonald's restaurants that had sprung up incorporated this technology. Before he could give any more thought to the subject, they reached the office.

Despite the office's new condition, it was already slightly cluttered due to the importance of the Mu field officer's missions and the influx of materials. Stacks of documents were piled on the main desk, giving a hectic impression. Deville felt flattered by the pile of documents and asked himself, is Mu really this important?

The two men took seats. As soon as Deville felt the soft embrace of the cushioned chair, Klein spoke. "Minister, I requested this appointment because I, on behalf of the United States government, wish to coordinate with Mu Intelligence."

A pang of concern, perhaps even trepidation, flashed over Deville's face. "Something tells me it isn't as simple as that... Of course, I'd be happy to work with you, but why?"

"We have reason to believe that the Gra Valkas Empire is planning to move on Mu soon. We want to prevent this from happening, if possible. If not, we want to help you resist the Gra Valkans."

Deville noticed Klein's word choice. The way he spoke implied an aversion to intervention. "What do you mean?" Deville asked simply, hoping to get more information before he responded to Klein's stated objectives.

Klein flipped a laptop on the desk, showing Deville a series of photographs. "These were taken over the Leifor-Hinomawari border and the Leifor-Sonal border. They're likely weeks away from invasion. From what we can see, they've gathered two hundred thousand men for each front. Once they've completed their invasions, we anticipate them to begin moving for their next step."

"War with Mu..." Deville finished Klein's thoughts. "This is new information. Every time we've sent reconnaissance aircraft to the border, we were intercepted by Gra Valkan warplanes. How did you manage to secure these photographs?"