08-15-2018, 12:27 AM
13.30
Cattaldad
Hebrosian Mountains
Conternia
August 8th
Ezra Griffiths carefully peered through the keyhole before opening the door to his small hovel, making sure no-one had snuck in. He knew it wasn't likely, but in his position you could never be too careful. He'd lost track of the days (weeks? Months?) since he fled the capital, abruptly booted from Mirrel House. He kept playing the events over and over in his head - Barrow telling him about the operation, him agreeing, the MCPD bombing; he'd known then that sanctioning the operation was a mistake, but before he could do anything about it, the next thing he knew there was a prominent academic missing, three CIS covert operatives dead in downtown Melissa City, a leaked file identifying all four operatives and tying them to Conternia, and press asking him what he knew and when he knew it. And he had no choice to but to say that, yes, he had sanctioned the operation, after publicly declaring neutrality, and yes, he had known it was dirty. That he hadn't known what the operation would involve, never would have agreed if he had, was immaterial. A whole career spent trying to be decent, to be honest, working his way through the ranks of the Conternian Social Democratic Party first as an activist then a Minister, always trying to embody Conternia's values: integrity, community, progress. It had all been undone by one mistake. He often grimaced to himself as he realised that it was precisely because he'd made people expect honesty of him that one dishonest act had been able to sink him. He'd had to get out once it became apparent his career was over, and so he'd come to the remotest place he knew: the town of Cattaldad in Conternia's infamously inaccessible Hebrosian Mountains. He'd stayed there in his younger days, meeting with activists for the rights of the indigenous mountain tribes, and new nobody would be looking for him there. And so he now lived a solitary life, going out only when absolutely necessary, showing his face and speaking as little as possible - he still remembered enough of the language to get by, not that e was having much opportunity to use it - and listening intently for word of what was going on in Lauchenoiria. Shaking his head and snapping out of his latest bout of melancholia, Griffiths, having seen there was nobody inside, gingerly opened the door and entered his new home. As put down the bag of food he had gone out to purchase from the market on the table, he noticed something that gave him a sharp intake of breath: lying on the counter, a brown paper package. Someone had been inside. Someone knows where he is. This was very bad. He walked slowly toward the counter and picked up the package, reading the words scrawled on the paper:
'Listen, then come to us'
Slowly, carefully, peering through any cracks he could find, Griffiths unwrapped the package. Inside were three items: a piece of paper, bearing an address, a blank CD, and a CD player. After a moment, he put the tape into the player. After a crackle of static, voices became audible. The quality was rough, but he quickly realised that these were voices he knew. As he listened, his eyes went wide and his jaw dropped.
*
One day earlier
Mirrel House
Kiwi Bird City
Conternia
"As we approach these talks, we are firm in our commitment to peace in Lauchenoiria". Etan Bloomberg tried to keep his impression inscrutable as he addressed a crowd of reporters outside Mirrel House for the second time in a matter of days. The announcement of peace talks in Sanctaria had came as a shock, and he was aware that this was not an eventuality Operation Counterpoint had been planning for. Nonetheless, an official line had been decided upon, and he was determined to seem in control as he laid it out to the world. "However, the situation being what it is, we believe that a complete military withdrawal is not realistic or desirable at this point. Thus, we intend to maintain a military presence - a limited one, but a strong one - in the country going forward. Conternia's previous government helped make this awful conflict worse, so we feel it right to take on some responsibility for its recovery. We believe in Lauchenoiria, we believe in Conternia, and we believe in free minds, free eyes, and free people! That is all, thank you". The crowd erupted into questions at that, but Bloomberg walked away from the podium before he could make out any of them. He nodded to his two bodyguards, who flanked him as he walked back into the house. Almost as soon as he walked through the door, he heard his phone ring. Taking it out of his pocket, he saw the number and quickly ducked into the bathroom to answer it after locking the door.
"Hello?"
Donna Barrow's voice sounded from the other end of the line.
"Great speech. I liked the part about your commitment to peace in Lauchenoiria, almost sounded like you believed it."
He laughed bitterly. "I do believe it. What's going on? Are we shifting strategies with regards to the talks? I thought it was settled that we argue for a continued post-conflict presence to aid the peace process, control the redevelopment of infrastructure"
"Yes, but it couldn't hurt us to have a contingency plan"
His brow furrowed
"A contingency plan? What do you mean?"
"Well, let's be honest, your strategy is going to prove contentious. Most nations want this over with and will worry that keeping your troops around will drag it out. I'm simply letting you know that I've got something in place if things don't go our way."
"And what is that, exactly?"
"A sniper two rooftops away ready to blow away every Lauchenoirian representative in the room, in an apparent attack by communist hold-outs. Set the whole thing right back to square one." She paused, then added
"If worse comes to worse"
Bloomberg breathed deeply, let himself mentally get used to the idea, then spoke.
"Is this line secure?" He asked.
Barrow snorted
"A little late for that, isn't it? But yes, it is"
But it wasn't quite so secure as they thought. For, hundreds of miles away in a Lauchenoirian outhouse, the call was being listened to by someone Barrow had left for dead. Helen Blunt turned to the Lauchenoirian hacker who was tapping the call.
"Are you getting all that?"
"Yep.", he responded. "Every word."
"Is there any way I could get a manual copy of the recording?"
"Sure, for a price."
Blunt rolled her eyes but continued.
"And would you have a way of getting that recording transported somewhere?"
"You know I do. Where do you have in mind?"
"Conternia. I'll get you the address later." She turned to leave, then turned back. "Thanks for helping me. I might be about to save the world with this recording."
Cattaldad
Hebrosian Mountains
Conternia
August 8th
Ezra Griffiths carefully peered through the keyhole before opening the door to his small hovel, making sure no-one had snuck in. He knew it wasn't likely, but in his position you could never be too careful. He'd lost track of the days (weeks? Months?) since he fled the capital, abruptly booted from Mirrel House. He kept playing the events over and over in his head - Barrow telling him about the operation, him agreeing, the MCPD bombing; he'd known then that sanctioning the operation was a mistake, but before he could do anything about it, the next thing he knew there was a prominent academic missing, three CIS covert operatives dead in downtown Melissa City, a leaked file identifying all four operatives and tying them to Conternia, and press asking him what he knew and when he knew it. And he had no choice to but to say that, yes, he had sanctioned the operation, after publicly declaring neutrality, and yes, he had known it was dirty. That he hadn't known what the operation would involve, never would have agreed if he had, was immaterial. A whole career spent trying to be decent, to be honest, working his way through the ranks of the Conternian Social Democratic Party first as an activist then a Minister, always trying to embody Conternia's values: integrity, community, progress. It had all been undone by one mistake. He often grimaced to himself as he realised that it was precisely because he'd made people expect honesty of him that one dishonest act had been able to sink him. He'd had to get out once it became apparent his career was over, and so he'd come to the remotest place he knew: the town of Cattaldad in Conternia's infamously inaccessible Hebrosian Mountains. He'd stayed there in his younger days, meeting with activists for the rights of the indigenous mountain tribes, and new nobody would be looking for him there. And so he now lived a solitary life, going out only when absolutely necessary, showing his face and speaking as little as possible - he still remembered enough of the language to get by, not that e was having much opportunity to use it - and listening intently for word of what was going on in Lauchenoiria. Shaking his head and snapping out of his latest bout of melancholia, Griffiths, having seen there was nobody inside, gingerly opened the door and entered his new home. As put down the bag of food he had gone out to purchase from the market on the table, he noticed something that gave him a sharp intake of breath: lying on the counter, a brown paper package. Someone had been inside. Someone knows where he is. This was very bad. He walked slowly toward the counter and picked up the package, reading the words scrawled on the paper:
'Listen, then come to us'
Slowly, carefully, peering through any cracks he could find, Griffiths unwrapped the package. Inside were three items: a piece of paper, bearing an address, a blank CD, and a CD player. After a moment, he put the tape into the player. After a crackle of static, voices became audible. The quality was rough, but he quickly realised that these were voices he knew. As he listened, his eyes went wide and his jaw dropped.
*
One day earlier
Mirrel House
Kiwi Bird City
Conternia
"As we approach these talks, we are firm in our commitment to peace in Lauchenoiria". Etan Bloomberg tried to keep his impression inscrutable as he addressed a crowd of reporters outside Mirrel House for the second time in a matter of days. The announcement of peace talks in Sanctaria had came as a shock, and he was aware that this was not an eventuality Operation Counterpoint had been planning for. Nonetheless, an official line had been decided upon, and he was determined to seem in control as he laid it out to the world. "However, the situation being what it is, we believe that a complete military withdrawal is not realistic or desirable at this point. Thus, we intend to maintain a military presence - a limited one, but a strong one - in the country going forward. Conternia's previous government helped make this awful conflict worse, so we feel it right to take on some responsibility for its recovery. We believe in Lauchenoiria, we believe in Conternia, and we believe in free minds, free eyes, and free people! That is all, thank you". The crowd erupted into questions at that, but Bloomberg walked away from the podium before he could make out any of them. He nodded to his two bodyguards, who flanked him as he walked back into the house. Almost as soon as he walked through the door, he heard his phone ring. Taking it out of his pocket, he saw the number and quickly ducked into the bathroom to answer it after locking the door.
"Hello?"
Donna Barrow's voice sounded from the other end of the line.
"Great speech. I liked the part about your commitment to peace in Lauchenoiria, almost sounded like you believed it."
He laughed bitterly. "I do believe it. What's going on? Are we shifting strategies with regards to the talks? I thought it was settled that we argue for a continued post-conflict presence to aid the peace process, control the redevelopment of infrastructure"
"Yes, but it couldn't hurt us to have a contingency plan"
His brow furrowed
"A contingency plan? What do you mean?"
"Well, let's be honest, your strategy is going to prove contentious. Most nations want this over with and will worry that keeping your troops around will drag it out. I'm simply letting you know that I've got something in place if things don't go our way."
"And what is that, exactly?"
"A sniper two rooftops away ready to blow away every Lauchenoirian representative in the room, in an apparent attack by communist hold-outs. Set the whole thing right back to square one." She paused, then added
"If worse comes to worse"
Bloomberg breathed deeply, let himself mentally get used to the idea, then spoke.
"Is this line secure?" He asked.
Barrow snorted
"A little late for that, isn't it? But yes, it is"
But it wasn't quite so secure as they thought. For, hundreds of miles away in a Lauchenoirian outhouse, the call was being listened to by someone Barrow had left for dead. Helen Blunt turned to the Lauchenoirian hacker who was tapping the call.
"Are you getting all that?"
"Yep.", he responded. "Every word."
"Is there any way I could get a manual copy of the recording?"
"Sure, for a price."
Blunt rolled her eyes but continued.
"And would you have a way of getting that recording transported somewhere?"
"You know I do. Where do you have in mind?"
"Conternia. I'll get you the address later." She turned to leave, then turned back. "Thanks for helping me. I might be about to save the world with this recording."
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