First Light of a New Age

Chapter 4: Impending Disaster

Austronesian Empire, Imperial Maharlika, Maynilad, Malacanang Palace.

1999, 31, 4th Week, December.

Celebrations were transpiring in and out of the palace, to the far side a lone man can be seen running through the crowded steps, while shouting urgently.

"Your Majesty, we have a situation!"

The man was sweating profusely as he continued to call out for the emperor. Eventually, the emperor took notice of this man and ushered him into a private place where they could speak privately. The dignitaries present around the palace were puzzled by the unexpected interruption, but none of them dared to invade the privacy of the emperor. Whatever it is, it must be very important for someone to dare to disturb the emperor's celebration for a new millennium. However, uneasiness was widespread among the dignitaries.

The young man was panting heavily and was taking his time catching breath. Unfortunately, what he has doesn't allow much time and so he spoke as soon as he was able to catch a bit of breath.

"Your Majesty, I have brought grave news. I have figured that it is best to inform you this in person, instead of calling you through the line, as I believe this is of utmost importance and must avoid any risk of the information being intercepted by our enemies that we in fact know what they are doing." The man said.

The emperor's gaze sharpened. "Alright, young man, you have piqued my interest."

The young man nodded. "I have come from the Intelligence Division of the Austronesian Constabulary, and our spies have uncovered shocking news from over the other side of the ocean."

The emperor's eyes twitched with tension, his mouth slanted downwards and his expression turned stern.

"Go on," he urged.

"Your Majesty, it seems that the North American Empire has developed a technology capable of controlling the weather. Before we could extract more information, the radio went silent." the young man paused.

"..." The emperor sat in stunned silence, his hands trembling slightly. After a moment, he composed himself and issued a directive. "You, young man, have done a great job of bringing this to my attention. Your division will be recognized for its efforts. But your job here isn't over yet." the emperor said.

He took out a sheet of paper and quickly penned a letter, after which he sealed it with his emblem.

"Because of the possibility of our lines being tampered, you must deliver this letter to the Imperial Secret Police near here. Because of some reasons I cannot go there as I'm visited by other dignitaries here, just to be safe. If a spy is present, they won't suspect anything if I remain here unless they notice something is out of place. Now young men move there as fast as possible and without raising much suspicion," the emperor ordered.

"Right away, your majesty," the young man responded.

The man then moved out silently out of the palace without drawing attention and headed directly to the Imperial Secret Police.

The letter that the Emperor sent contained a warning for the police to alert their brothers in Xinhua about the rising tensions and to prepare for potential conflict. Unfortunately, the worst was only to come and the situation would soon escalate. Not long after the young man departed, another official burst into the celebration, disrupting the peace once more.

"Your Majesty!"

The dignitaries exchanged puzzled glances, feeling utterly clueless about what was happening, which gave off an awkward atmosphere through the palace as the official rushed forward. Unable to hold back what the official was about to say, to which he blurted out all the things that he was going to say.

"Your Majesty! We have detected a massive storm that was classed just now as catastrophic developing in the heart of our empire! We urgently need you back at the headquarters!"

This brought shock to the faces of the dignitaries, while it shocked the emperor to the core. It seemed like if he was correct on his assumption, that would mean that the North American Empire had indeed developed a technology to control the weather. Thinking how this would be disadvantageous for them in warfare brings chills to the emperor.

However, this shock didn't last long as he quickly regained his composure and immediately gave his first orders to the official.

"Alert the populace of this information and have them evacuate to the evacuation centers. Mobilize the Liberation Army for potential conflicts and to manage the disaster," the emperor commanded.

The final order sent shivers down the spines of the dignitaries, which made some of them ask what was happening. These people were the president and prime minister, Sebastian Miles Oliver, and Lucian Magnus Remy.

"You'll be alerted of the information I received earlier shortly. For the meantime, assist me in providing relief to our citizens who might suffer a once in a lifetime disaster and to face our potential aggressors." Emperor Maximo directed.

"We understood, your majesty," replied the president and prime minister.

Both leaders wore perplexed expressions but agreed to comply with the emperor's orders.

"My fellow Austronesians, it is very unfortunate for me to say, but the celebrations as of today are canceled and I strongly advise you all to evacuate to the nearest evacuation center," Emperor Maximo informed the dignitaries.

After giving a speech to the dignitaries, the emperor retreated to the palace, where a fortified bunker awaited him in case a war broke out. Like all evacuation centers, this bunker was designed to shield the population from potential nuclear fallout. This results from non-stop warfare in a world that is doused with gasoline where a single spark could burn the entire humanity.

Safely ensconced in the palace bunker, the emperor coordinated efforts across the Austronesian People's Empire. The president and prime minister, situated in a separate bunker, the two of them worked alongside him to navigate the impending crisis.

Soon enough, to the disappointment of the populace, they were finally evacuated and were, in fact, still having celebrations inside the bunkers, albeit less lively than they were on the outside.

The Liberation Army, Constabulary, and Imperial Secret Police remained on high alert, expecting on what was to come. They fortified strategic locations and set up relief stations for those unable to evacuate in time. The usually bustling nation seemed eerily quiet, as if the entire nation of The Austronesian People's Empire became a ghost nation.

As the clock ticked, the tension across the empire intensified, leaving everyone waiting for the storm to pass.