Shina’s POV:
Shina watched the men return, but this time dawning strange masks and hoods that completely covered their heads and faces.
She watched one of them walk up to Arzia and asked her about something while the other 4 stood behind him with their weapons behind their backs. After a few moments of her thinking, she seemed to agree and led them to a medical tent nearby, and soon they all disappeared into it.
“I Wonder why they're back?” Zaphrea asked curiously and earnestly as she looked towards where the men and their officer went, ”and why the medical tent of all things.”
Truth is she was curious herself, but of course she didn't want it to show since a knight like herself was supposed to be stoic and steadfast. What would the others think if she would start acting like a squire or a little peasant girl?
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Shina nearly screamed when she watched Zaphrea go up to the strange vehicle and start to touch it, “Woah, this thing is a beast!” She said as she grazed her hand over the strange vehicle.
“Zaphrea! Don't touch it!” She yelled out as she walked towards her with her hands out reaching for her.
“Why, it's not like it's gonna bite me or something.” She says as she slides her hands through the vehicle's doors, “woah, it even has an entrance on the top!” She says in excitement as she looks at the vehicle’s top where there seems to be a cylindrical hatch on top.
Shina had to admit that she too was curious about the vehicles that the men drove, but with a situation like this going on they had to show formality and self control. Granted they never really faced, trained nor expected for a situation like this so who can blame them for their curiosity.
All of the sudden, both of their attentions were focused on something else as the familiar sound of the gateway opening came into existence and the whole camp stood still, even catching the attention of the officer and the men who seemed to be done with whatever they were doing in the tent. Then a figure dressed in tan and dark brown clothes laced with gold stepped out, then Shin realized what she was wearing, she was wearing the uniform of the royal messages.
As the gateway closes, the messenger looked around for a bit before speaking, “Attention to the 1st expeditionary battery, her holy majesty has forwarded a message to you,” her voice boomed out as everyone stood where they were, listening, “By the order of the holy royal family, your orders of resource gathering and expansion hath changed to diplomacy and relationship building. This is due to new updates and development of information about this world, and we see it fit for the whole empire, that we must change our goal.” The messenger ends as she looks around again just as the gateway opens up and she steps back through it again.
Looking around, she could see that the men and the officer seemed to be talking to each other before the officer handed them a book. They seemed to thank her before walking back to the vehicle and driving away.
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Ronald Reagan skimmed the first pages of the new report, moments before this he was preparing for his second re-election but now, he has to deal with a so-called portal opening up in Germany's most watched over area both by NATO allies and the Soviets. The first few pages was just a movement report of the armored platoon that was sent over to reinforce the area, the second however was about a lieutenant’s makeshift team opening up contact with the unknowns and managing to enter the camp. But before he could continue reading, three knocks sounded from the door across from him.
*Knock*
*Knock*
*Knock*
“Come in.” Reagan said towards the door with a raised voice as he placed the papers in front of him.
The door slowly opens and a figure he recognizes as a CIA agent stands in the doorway holding stacks of papers, but before the agent could speak he beats him to it, “Hold on, let me guess,” he says as the agent leaves his jaw slightly opened,” Fulda gap?” he questions and the agent seems to think before answering.
“Eh, yes and no sir, well technically half yes.” The agent responds before continuing, “New mixed reports of the Fulda gap incident we are now calling ‘ the Fulda link’ or ‘link’ for short, and reports about the Soviet Union, sir” he says as he stares at him.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Alright, place 'em here.” He says as the agent marches towards his desk, placing the papers with an audible ‘thunk’. “Anything else I should know?” He asks the agent.
“Expect a call from the head of the CIA.” He responds back from his position behind the table.
“Anything else?” Reagan asks as he slides the stack of papers towards himself.
“Negative sir.” The agent responds back while he arranges his tie.
“Alright thank you, you are dismissed.” He says as the agent snaps a quick salute, does a 360 turn and marches out of the door, slowly closing it.
Reagan takes the first stack of papers and reads through it, “counter Soviet intelligence, Fulda gap high alert, and CIA deployment heavily recommended…if we could detect it, we should've expected the Soviets to detect it as well.” Reagan says with a sigh to himself as he pulls the second stack of papers towards him.
“Biological threats investigated: after a team under the command of lieutenant Henderson managed to obtain a book consisting of the OWs biology, history of microscopic entities, we managed to assess the biological threats. As to our current understanding of them, they seem to have a very similar immune system as to us, granted in a slightly weaker state but effective nonetheless.” Reagan reads and he wonders if their world could have biological weapons but he quickly puts those thoughts aside as he continues reading.
“Within the book contains several diseases and illnesses examples such as, green nose, broken stomach, and red eye. These diseases act similarly to the common flu, food poisoning, and pink eye. All diseases are able to be treated, however the book also mentioned how these diseases react differently to other species within their world which is referenced in paper A-48#.” Reagan took a moment to process the last few words in that sentence, “different species…in one world?” He wonders how their immune systems could differ from species to species.
“Book also mentions similar elemental compounds, which could suggest similar materials to earth, in which case, we are sitting in a gold mine of resources and heavily recommend diplomatic ties to open trade.” Reagan wonders the implications of this, if their world has similar resources to earth, then their economy, military and wealth could triple overnight…or more!
Reagan held up a phone next to him and typed in some numbers.
*RING*
*RING*
*RING*
*RING*
After a few seconds of ringing, the phone finally contacted the other line.
“...Yes I am giving the order for it…tighten it of course…no…no…now's not the time…security forces will be supplied…understood…logistics are no problem…Henderson of course…yes…n-yes yes…thank you.”
Reagan places the phone back to its original position. He sat there wondering if he did the right thing, if he was getting the full picture, or was it only the frame he was looking at instead of the bigger picture.
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“So we're being sent in?” Henderson asked Zack where movements before they were just preparing to be sent back to the FOB, “Let me guess…it's because we are the only ones who can communicate with them huh?” He asks Zack who just stares at him blankly.
“...Yes...” he slowly says to him before continuing,”we're also interpreters for a diplomatic convoy that's being sent, but first we'll have to explain what's going on to them before we could actually go in with a whole ass convoy.” he ends and Henderson stays quite for a bit, with a contemplating look on his face.
“Damn it, alright let's get moving.” He says as he marches towards the humvee, “ get the others.” He shouts back at Zack as he grabs his rifle.
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Booker’s POV:
He was pissed, this was like what? The 400th time they went back to that little camp, sure there were plenty of hot women over there but a man’s sleep is sacred. Especially when their snores are as loud as tank engines. Speaking of tanks, most of them were literally parked smack dab in the center of their own camp, which was quickly becoming a forward operation command center, and with recent news about a diplomatic convoy being sent over they were all just itching for some action.
“How long till we get to shoot something?” he asks no one in particular as he checks the bullet casings in his magazine.
“I'm starting to wonder if this baby is just for show.” Huston responds back while petting his own rifle, “Aren't you just begging for some action? Aww yes you are!” He baby talks his rifle as Booker stares at him with a smirk on his face.
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Booker watched Henderson from the humvee's open top, he seemed to explain the situation with the upcoming diplomatic convoy and what to expect.
The head leaders of the camp all listened to him with wide eyes, and what seemed to be a hint of excitement to their sparkling eyes. He watched as they nodded their heads in agreement, asked questions, and wrote down notes. All seemed to be going well. Looking around he could see soldiers around the camp watching them, but not with an intent to kill.
It actually kinda freaked him out a little by the amount of people watching, the about of WOMEN watching them nonetheless, the only time he got this amount of attention from this many women was when he fucked up on that one prom proposal. Shaking those thoughts from his head he looks towards two women who seems to be look at him intensely, seeing that his squad mates were occupied on something else he gives a quick wink and a smirk at them before looking away, but before he fully does, he can see one of the woman's jaw hanging open with a slight blush on her face and the other one nudging and pushing her quite a bit while laughing.
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After a few minutes of Henderson and their heads of leadership talking, they seemed to finally come to an agreement as they shook each other's and walked off.
“So what ‘appened?” Booker asks as Henderson closes the door of the humvee behind him.
“Basically they just gave me a quick rundown on how their diplomatic policies go in their world.” He says as he takes a cigarette out of its box, “not much from our world to be honest.” He ends off as he lets out a puff of smoke.
“Well things just got a lot more interesting.” Same says and everyone gives a sigh and nods in agreement.