Turn of the Century

Chapter 1 - Asia

"...so if you could prepare that discussion with Minister Ikeda and his colleagues as well as acquire the inputs of Mister Ishimura and his colleagues before Prime Minister Nobuharu returns, that'd be fantastic."

He pursed his lips, shifting in his seat under the soft light of a newly christened star-filled sky, and harsher tones of fluorescent light tubes. "Understood, I'll arrange for it right away."

He couldn't have given a damn what the voice said. He was slowly withering, having spent well-nearly ten years of his life in an office answering calls and pushing papers while slowly climbing to the esteemed position of 'Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs.' It was an irredeemable mouthful of a title that meant little more than dealing with the jackasses in the diet AND other countries. Of course, he'd have to at least pretend he cared if he wanted a comfortable life at home. A real shame.

In any case, he had a job to do. A job that entailed pushing papers and answering phones in a lonesome office. The fact that he was still alive was a testament to his sheer willpower, or maybe the sheer power of a strong caffeine addiction, especially over the past month or so.

The voice came again through the phone's speaker, low but breathy. "Thank you, and that is all."

Gritting his teeth, he'd respond promptly, "Goodbye."

"Goodbye." The voice would reply, noise then shifting to a low beeping sound.

Setting down the handset, he'd get up and pace around his desk. Circling it thrice before in the claustrophobic nightmare of a room he was in before feeling sufficiently de-stressed post-six-hours of dormant phone calls, then slowly settled back into his office seat. The worn fabric resisted little. First, he sifted through the documents that sat in neatly stacked manila folders. He skimmed through one's front page - past the thick kanji at the top and instead to the various subheadings listed. Then through another, and another, all on multiple topics which led to little more than a wandering gaze once read.

But most importantly, reading all in the same order. Past the title, straight to the table of contents, and a glance down. All of them were roughly the same, save for a month's difference in title date. He then looked back. Not to the papers laid out across the table, but to the telephone.

He'd reach out, hesitating with an unusual stiffness as his hand came to almost cradle the telephone. It was all far too tiresome. He gave it a moment's thought. The present stillness of his office, then the prospective future of what he thought a few hours from then would be like - call after call, word after word. It certainly had its appeal to some people. But he wasn't some people.

"A half-month gone longer." He'd mutter to an empty office, bringing the handset back to his grasp whilst tapping on the receiver's number pad with his free hand, distinctive beeps sounding off with each press. Damn it all.

[+]

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Headquarters, Chiyoda Ward

2:32 AM

Deep within the bowels of a certain building was a congregation within a meeting room. Two dozen or so men had gathered, each clad in black suits and suitably formal coats. There was little remarkable about the scene, only metal placards with etched names present along a short table dedicated to the most senior of those present.

The head of the table began with opening the session, remarking, "Gentlemen, I am very grateful for your arrivals on such short notice at this hour," all nodding in agreement, bagged eyes most apparent as their heads all came back up. "Now, nearly every embassy has lodged complaints that they had wholly lost contact with their respective nations. This has coincided with a communications blackout on our lines with the Prime Minister and his team, and all of our ambassadors and diplomats abroad." He looked around, giving a second to eye every person seated at the table. "I saw everyone in the office on a landline earlier trying and failing, and I want to know why nobody can contact anybody out of the country - our missions, consulates, and the Prime Minister especially."