Frenzy & Torch

Chapter 14: More Visitors

Queen Violet was scheduled to go to a Doniha Day party later. Aristocratic figures, politicians, and other prominent people from the business world would attend. She wanted to spare herself the displeasure of shaking the hands of greedy robber barons, the career politicians with promises as fake as their smiles, and the other self-important rich people, by getting drunk.

"Your Majesty!" said the muffled voice at the door.

"What is it, Horlo?" she responded like her mother was asking her to get up and help with some chores. She wished that was the case so bad.

"It's an emergency! Mr. Ralemus says there are spacefaring vessels heading directly for our planet!"

Oh, shit. "Are they friendly or hostile?"

"We don't know! They will arrive within the next hour!"

The emergency council of military leaders, political advisors, and Ralemus, were convened in a matter of minutes. Violet stormed into the room but resisted the urge to spew obscenities, choosing to stay cool instead— courtesy of being half elf like Annabelle. "Ralemus, what's going on? Do you have more information?"

"The ships appear to be representing the "Milky Way Alliance". Their intentions are unknown, but it likely has something to do with Councilwomen Laminaurus and Marigni."

"Have you received a reply to your cosmic letter yet?"

"I have not."

Queen Victoria readjusted her tiara and plopped down in her seat. "What the fuck is going on up there? We've got ships flying our way and two lower enlisted soldiers who are clearly withholding information from their goddamned queen. Maybe they're on their way to tell us they're dead or something." She squeezed the bridge of her nose. "Alright, I want our military forces and civil organizations at the highest level of alert. All citizens shelter-in-place until further notice. Spread the word to the rest of the country. Whatever plans we've drafted for an extraterrestrial invasion the past few days, I want you people to decide on one, fast."

The massive PPF cruiser was accompanied by several United States Fleet and Imperial Japanese vessels. The latter nation had a personal stake in this whole situation: they wanted answers to the destruction of the Ryūjō and the disappearance of her crew.

"Fuck!" screamed the captain in the bridge of one of the Fleet vessels, the USS Louisiana.

"What is it, sir?" asked his XO.

"Where on this planet are they from?!"

" ... Ah, damn, that is pretty important to know."

"Alright, well, send the recon ships. Have them do preliminary sweeps into those major continents down there, then we'll let the intel folks analyze the footage and tell us what's up. I want low-altitude candid shots."

On the East Hemisphere, a few recon ships flew over the snow-covered steppes of Ruskva, the communist rival nation of Gladexus. They blew the snow, and nearly the roofs, off the shoddily built wooden houses in a random village. The inhabitants stepped outside wearing thick fur coats and hats, chattering in a panicked foreign language and thoroughly scared by what could have caused that ear-shattering noise. The ships were variants that did not have the cloak feature, instead relying on their speed to evade danger. The people on the ground caught a glimpse of them as they flew away.

Across the Corleoctic Ocean in the nation of capitalist Gladexus, Annabelle's sister, Sofie, was walking to her blacksmith assistant's job in the business district of Eisenfaust when a chariot with two watchmen came barreling down the trail.

"By order of the crown, return to your homes immediately! This is a national emergency! Remain in your homes until you receive the all-clear message!"

She stopped in her tracks as the knot in her stomach tightened. Something was very, very wrong, and what terrified her was the fact that she didn't know what. There was another sound, this time coming from the sky. It was distant at first, then it grew into a roar unlike any she had heard in her life. The next thing she heard was her mother running toward her and shouting.