10-31-2020, 11:38 PM
(joint post with [nation]Democratic Republic of Eiria[/nation])
October 30th
Xiomeran Business Association headquarters
The ballroom of the XBA headquarters was filled with the country's top-ranking CEOs and corporate executives. Two of them were just glad to be out of prison. Atzical, the CEO of Lohuā Licā Companies, and Pa'zi, the CEO of Imperial Petroleum, had been arrested on Xochiuhue's orders after they had dared to question his leadership. The experience had given them a new appreciation for being able to relax and sip champagne at the top of the XBA Tower.
The other titans of Xiomeran industry who were present had their own reasons to celebrate. Xochiuhue had nationalized their industries for his "war production' scheme, and had let the Empire get embroiled in a trade war that had proven disastrous for the Xiomeran economy. The nationalization of their companies had been rescinded, and the trade war was possibly going to end as well. When the person responsible for all of that finally walked into the ballroom, they couldn't help but cheer their savior.
The applause as Empress Calhualyana entered the ballroom was sustained, loud, and quite genuine. And it was very pleasing to her ears. "Thank you all, ladies and gentlemen," Calhualyana finally said, raising her hands to bring an end to the applause. "I know your loyalty to the Empire has been severely tested in the past few months. I am very grateful for your support. Your leadership is one of the things that makes this Empire work," the Empress said, to another round of applause. "Together, we will restore Xiomera to prosperity, and preserve your hard work for generations to come. I promise you that I will never use you as the scapegoats for governmental failure. I also promise you that, unlike Xochiuhue, I will not allow that kind of governmental failure in the first place," she added, to loud laughter from the crowd. "But this is a party, isn't it? Let us celebrate the future of Xiomera," she said as a servant handed her a drink.
The servant who had handed the Empress her champagne quickly but regularly handed the gathered guests champagne glasses, occasionally going around with refills. Tucked in a secret fold of her uniform was an empty vial, containing sticky residue that she was careful not to touch. Even if the effects would be much less severe for her, she didn't want to risk it. Once all of the patrons had been served, she retreated back behind the crowd with the other servants, watching Calhualyana speak to the executives. She had a hard time not grinning, knowing what was coming next. Focus on your mission.
As Calhualyana circulated among the executives, chatting and drinking, she began to notice her limbs growing slightly stiff. She was also feeling tired. I must be working harder than I thought, I'm suddenly exhausted, she thought. As she continued to chat with people, her throat began to feel itchy. Please tell me I am not coming down with a cold, that's the last thing I need right now.
The Empress continued gamely to try to entertain the crowd, but she continued to feel worse. Within fifteen minutes of having her drink, she had finally had enough. Making her apologies to the gathered executives, she made an excuse about having to return to the Palace for urgent business.
When she made it back to her limousine, the lead ASI agent for her security detail noticed that Calhualyana was moving decidedly more stiffly, and asked if she was allright. "I'm fine. Just drive me back to the Palace, please," she said as she got into the vehicle.
As her caravan rolled down the highway towards Montelin, Calhualyana began to feel even more odd. She tried to tell her security lead something, only to find that she couldn't speak. Or move. Her eyes grimly stared at the agent, who noticed that the Empress was unable to do anything. "Your Majesty?" the agent asked, gingerly reaching forward to touch her shoulder, and realizing Calhualyana could not respond. "Something's wrong! Divert to IMH!" he shouted into his headset, directing the caravan to change course to the Imperial Military Hospital.
The "servant" walked down the city streets away from the XBA headquarters, fake uniform and heavy makeup identity disposed of. She fiddled with the burner phone she was given, sending a brief text to a long international number. After all, she needed her extraction team to arrive as quickly as possible. No one else could know what truly happened to Calhualyana, besides her superiors. In her black clothes, she vanished as quickly as she had appeared, taking the weight of truth with her, as well as a secret she would carry to her grave.
Imperial Military Hospital
Three hours later
Calhualyana sat up in her bed, sighing slightly. The paralysis and muscle weakness that had hit her had finally worn off, much to the puzzlement of the Imperial military doctors who had tended to her. "Someone administered you a drug of some sort, your Majesty, possibly liquid-borne," the lead physician said.
"The champagne," Calhualyana said grimly, touching her lips.
"Quite possibly. It seems to be a quick-acting drug, completely unknown to us. We have begun to try to figure out its origins, but we've never seen its like before."
"What do you think the intent of this drug was?" the Empress demanded. The lead physician shrugged. "If it was meant to cause you serious or lasting harm, it completely failed. It's very odd, it doesn't seem strong enough to do more than cause temporary symptoms. You should be completely fine now."
"Either someone was intending to kill me....or send me a message," Calhualyana murmured. "In any event, this requires me to send a message of my own." She climbed out of the hospital bed, now completely unaffected by the paralysis. "We're returning to the Palace. I have plans to undertake."
October 30th
Xiomeran Business Association headquarters
The ballroom of the XBA headquarters was filled with the country's top-ranking CEOs and corporate executives. Two of them were just glad to be out of prison. Atzical, the CEO of Lohuā Licā Companies, and Pa'zi, the CEO of Imperial Petroleum, had been arrested on Xochiuhue's orders after they had dared to question his leadership. The experience had given them a new appreciation for being able to relax and sip champagne at the top of the XBA Tower.
The other titans of Xiomeran industry who were present had their own reasons to celebrate. Xochiuhue had nationalized their industries for his "war production' scheme, and had let the Empire get embroiled in a trade war that had proven disastrous for the Xiomeran economy. The nationalization of their companies had been rescinded, and the trade war was possibly going to end as well. When the person responsible for all of that finally walked into the ballroom, they couldn't help but cheer their savior.
The applause as Empress Calhualyana entered the ballroom was sustained, loud, and quite genuine. And it was very pleasing to her ears. "Thank you all, ladies and gentlemen," Calhualyana finally said, raising her hands to bring an end to the applause. "I know your loyalty to the Empire has been severely tested in the past few months. I am very grateful for your support. Your leadership is one of the things that makes this Empire work," the Empress said, to another round of applause. "Together, we will restore Xiomera to prosperity, and preserve your hard work for generations to come. I promise you that I will never use you as the scapegoats for governmental failure. I also promise you that, unlike Xochiuhue, I will not allow that kind of governmental failure in the first place," she added, to loud laughter from the crowd. "But this is a party, isn't it? Let us celebrate the future of Xiomera," she said as a servant handed her a drink.
The servant who had handed the Empress her champagne quickly but regularly handed the gathered guests champagne glasses, occasionally going around with refills. Tucked in a secret fold of her uniform was an empty vial, containing sticky residue that she was careful not to touch. Even if the effects would be much less severe for her, she didn't want to risk it. Once all of the patrons had been served, she retreated back behind the crowd with the other servants, watching Calhualyana speak to the executives. She had a hard time not grinning, knowing what was coming next. Focus on your mission.
As Calhualyana circulated among the executives, chatting and drinking, she began to notice her limbs growing slightly stiff. She was also feeling tired. I must be working harder than I thought, I'm suddenly exhausted, she thought. As she continued to chat with people, her throat began to feel itchy. Please tell me I am not coming down with a cold, that's the last thing I need right now.
The Empress continued gamely to try to entertain the crowd, but she continued to feel worse. Within fifteen minutes of having her drink, she had finally had enough. Making her apologies to the gathered executives, she made an excuse about having to return to the Palace for urgent business.
When she made it back to her limousine, the lead ASI agent for her security detail noticed that Calhualyana was moving decidedly more stiffly, and asked if she was allright. "I'm fine. Just drive me back to the Palace, please," she said as she got into the vehicle.
As her caravan rolled down the highway towards Montelin, Calhualyana began to feel even more odd. She tried to tell her security lead something, only to find that she couldn't speak. Or move. Her eyes grimly stared at the agent, who noticed that the Empress was unable to do anything. "Your Majesty?" the agent asked, gingerly reaching forward to touch her shoulder, and realizing Calhualyana could not respond. "Something's wrong! Divert to IMH!" he shouted into his headset, directing the caravan to change course to the Imperial Military Hospital.
The "servant" walked down the city streets away from the XBA headquarters, fake uniform and heavy makeup identity disposed of. She fiddled with the burner phone she was given, sending a brief text to a long international number. After all, she needed her extraction team to arrive as quickly as possible. No one else could know what truly happened to Calhualyana, besides her superiors. In her black clothes, she vanished as quickly as she had appeared, taking the weight of truth with her, as well as a secret she would carry to her grave.
Imperial Military Hospital
Three hours later
Calhualyana sat up in her bed, sighing slightly. The paralysis and muscle weakness that had hit her had finally worn off, much to the puzzlement of the Imperial military doctors who had tended to her. "Someone administered you a drug of some sort, your Majesty, possibly liquid-borne," the lead physician said.
"The champagne," Calhualyana said grimly, touching her lips.
"Quite possibly. It seems to be a quick-acting drug, completely unknown to us. We have begun to try to figure out its origins, but we've never seen its like before."
"What do you think the intent of this drug was?" the Empress demanded. The lead physician shrugged. "If it was meant to cause you serious or lasting harm, it completely failed. It's very odd, it doesn't seem strong enough to do more than cause temporary symptoms. You should be completely fine now."
"Either someone was intending to kill me....or send me a message," Calhualyana murmured. "In any event, this requires me to send a message of my own." She climbed out of the hospital bed, now completely unaffected by the paralysis. "We're returning to the Palace. I have plans to undertake."
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