Turn of the Century

Chapter 2.1 - Unthinkable

Kanoya Airfield, Kanoya

6:12 AM

Kubota Nobuyuki. He was a barrel-chested man, who stood at a commanding height of five foot eleven with only a few decimals keeping him from reaching six feet.

Since he'd woken up, he'd consistently found himself fairly agitated at how things had all begun to transpire. Outside, things looked... not right. But not wrong either. Something major, so inconspicuously conspicuous which felt off. So much so that it was shouting at him that there was something wrong with it, but just slight enough in the difference that he couldn't figure it out. He thought it to be pedantic to give it any more consideration—he chalked it all up to deprivation; his eyes must've been just a bit blurry, he thought. It was best not to think about it.

Then at roughly three, the alarms were all tripped and an adjutant from Fukuoka had personally arrived and delivered to him orders that read vaguely along the lines of Japan no longer being on Earth. A preposterous claim, yet one Fukuoka claimed was backed by every manner of scientific body and astrological group, who made what was wrong finally obvious to him. The night sky. Everyone was of course on edge, and Nobuyuki's reflections revealed little to him besides the fact that he was stuck two hours behind.

Sincerely, he strongly hoped this was only a fever dream—one gone wrong yet gone lucid. Else he'd never see Takaki's face again, not in person at least. But the thought itself was enough to bring a tremble to his already clenched fist. Just why did he have to choose that American university? No tears left, for he held them back well.

The door forced itself open as a toady-looking Lefttennant stepped in, grimy boots tapping subserviently against newly-mopped hardwood. He clasped a manila folder, speaking at a volume a few decibels below shouting, "Leftennant Commander," he bowed, boots coming together beforehand with a knock, "New orders from Fukuoka, issued twelve minutes ago."

Greedily, Nobuyuki ripped the page away from the folder, tearing it wide open onto his desk with an unblinking gaze that burned into the card like magnified sun into an ant. The page read:

[=]

Orders for MSDF personnel of Kanoya Airbase as advised by Joint Staff.

In light of recent events, a total shift in the surroundings of the archipelago of Japan has occurred, where key information needed to advance beyond the archipelago is currently insufficient. This operation seeks to verify existing claims and investigate regions directly outside of Japan to accurately inform future decisions, particularly concerning outside inhabitance.

Moderate risk has been assessed, where ASDF RADAR Station Fukuoka has identified <10 believed aircraft of unknown type from westerly and southerly headings in the past 4 hours, verified to not be registered civilian or SDF activity.

To assess these anomalies,

One P-3 Phorcys flight of Kōkūtai One is ordered to depart Kanoya Airfield at 0700 for a southerly heading to investigate and record points of potential geographic, political, or military interest.

Two P-3 Phorcys flights of Kōkūtai Seven are ordered to depart Kanoya Airfield at 0700 for a westerly heading to investigate and record points of potential geographic, political, or military interest.

[=]

He considered the wording; throwing a bone to whichever ravenous thoughts lay deep within his mind. It was with regrettable timing, for though formal introductions had been done, he was still in all other senses of the word an outsider to the base personnel. Not only this, but military action being done so preemptively? It'd cause a riot! So senseless, so rushed.