Turn of the Century

Chapter 3 - Foreign

5th Story Conference Room A2, MOFA Headquarters

12:20 PM

Minister Yoshimune paraded himself through the halls with an unmatched stride, undisturbed by the managers who shot past with portable phones in hand, or diplomats and lowly apparatchiks hurriedly rushing along with stacks of papers that wilted and lost petals every corner they cut across. He was helped along by two aides of little importance beyond delegating instructions down the line.

Wiping down his forehead with a handkerchief, he'd come upon just the door he was looking for; an elm wood door accessorized by a translucent placard listing out the room's purpose and its number. He took no hesitation in opening the door and stepped in.

Upon entry, Yoshimune scanned the room, as if to make sure he'd entered the right one even despite the fact that he could navigate the building blindfolded.

To his right, the short back wall was covered completely by a faux-bamboo screen with austere ink-wash artwork splattered across it. A trio of Japanese flags draped from flagpoles stemming from the same base further accompanied this, outer flagpoles angled outward by about fifteen degrees. At the front wall to his left was a more modern design, with a projector screen pre-installed yet left undeployed.

Two tables had been set up in the center of the room, with about two dozen people in attendance. Just as with prior meetings at the Prime Ministerial level, one was for important officials, though much smaller, and the other for a disproportionate amount of observing aides to make notes for future reference. Against the wider table were nine office chairs, the one at the head without a pair on the opposing side.

Along the table were the usuals implements; readied documents and reports for study, hopefully working black pens, brass nameplates, and glasses of still water on the lacquered and matted surface. Not so fancy as the Prime Ministerial meeting, with its telephones that were never used, but more ornate than most parliamentary advisory boards.

Of note in attendance were parliamentary Vice Ministers Joben and Takuji, one lean and adorned by a roundish pair of spectacles with balding scalp, and the other with a texture like a wrinkled candy wrapper, topped by a perfectly black cowlick. Both sat to Yoshimune's left side, accompanied by Administrative Vice Minister Tohaku who could be most easily identified by a fat nose and backward-leaning stance. Everybody who needed to be present was; every Vice Minister and the best academics and consultants that the Ministry could fetch at that hour.

Yoshimune quickly skimmed through a card for opening remarks, half of it useless formality that he'd rather not go through, instead assuming they were all well aware of what had happened, and what was being done. Mentally blacking out the parts he'd snipped off for brevity, Yoshimune gave an impatient huff. "Allow this to open our first emergency summit for foreign affairs issues relating to the current transference emergency," Yoshimune would say. His words met still eyes, still bodies.

As Yoshimune concluded, the remaining twenty-three people in the room bowed and took their seats, imminently followed by Minister Yoshimune who slid into his chair with ease. Not so uncomfortable as it had been earlier in the day.

Placing both of his hands on the table, Yoshimune quickly moistened his lips with a flick of his tongue for an uncomfortable silence. It preceded the same croaky and geriatric voice that he usually spoke with. "Now, on matters of most pressing importance, I'd like to set up an emergency task force to ascertain a full list of immediate and future consequences—ideally we should have them take in all information possible."

From diagonally across, Tohaku nodded as if to bow once more, before speaking. "Er..., I believe we can spare quite a bit of manpower from the analysts' office," he'd say, turning a page with an audible crinkle, "It should be enough, and I'd bet we could call up some Yashiori Institute consultants to help out if we can't come up with any solid strategy here."