Chapter 1: The Beginning
The start of the new year, 2052, the years preluding to this one was filled with pain and sorrow ever since the outbreak of three major outbreaks, continental wars and terrorism.
2040 was the year where countries saw the rise of Nationalism and Xenophobia after the frequent terror attacks caused by an Arabian-based terror group called "The Brothers of Jaffar" as well as rogue elements paid off by hostile foreign governments.
The national consensus of Japan after multiple surveys throughout the year regarding the plans for the country sought the desire to increase national spending on public security after the terror attacks on The European Federation, China, The Russian Federation as well as The Union of North America.
"We desire the overall increase of public security!" A salaryman in his 40s cried out.
"This isn't what the country was like years before! We can't even take walks without the fear of brown and black men harrassing me and my daughter!" A mother yelled out, her xenophobia apparent.
This was a Japan where societal norms were being undermined, rampant hate on black and brown people began to break down the internal peace that Japan strived for.
This is.
2052 Japan.
January 1, 2052.
Naikaku Sōri Daijin Kantei, Tokyo
"This is getting out of hand" said PM Nishiro Kamiyama, he rubbed his temples as he held a difficult expression on his face.
On his table was a report the Ministry of Public Affairs compiled, detailing the different views the people had on Kamiyama's cabinet.
Feeling himself breaking down, he plops the stapled sheets of paper on his darkwood office desk and slouched on his comfortable and cushy fine white leather chair.
"Haaaah" He lets out a sigh, or rather a
groan of annoyance.
'The public is getting more and more riled up, I've already sent out as many ADAMs to assist local law enforcement, but they still say the streets aren't safe'
Kamiyama wasn't a big fan of Blacks and Browns, but he didn't outright ban them, the contributions they've made to tourism, a prime moneymaker is what keeps this country afloat, especially with the amount of money they've burnt developing and refining the ADAMs.
ADAM means Autonomous Deployable Assistance Machine, developed by a team of College Robotic Engineering students at the Tokyo University Technology and Engineering Branch, these robots revolutionized industries, with different variations suited for different grueling tasks, they have made life much easier for people.
The ADAM has a thick but lightweight Titanium Alloy body fit for grueling combat and high-stress environments with a 360° omni-directional body to fit into spaces humans couldn't otherwise, it resembles a human in shape only, having features like legs and arms as well as a wide torso and small head, it is fitted with multiple electronics on it for navigation and control.
Using a revolutionary power source called a Fuel Cell, it stores energy equivalent to a nuclear reactor without the risk of radiation leakage or eruptions using a newly discovered mineral called Erythium, it is a dense red mineral found in the mountains of Afghanistan and Chile, Erythium is found deep underground, formed under immense pressure and radioactivity from the sun and the stone, but despite recieving so much radioactivity, it holds none of it, it was the wonder mineral similar to Uranium back in the 50s.
Kamiyama finally decided to work, his short break was more than enough to get him in motion again.
But as he was still adjusting himself, an alarm blared out, his phone vibrated and rung in sync.
"A magnitude 10 earthquake has been detected, origin point: Valdivia, Chile please be guided and head inside of the shelters at ---"
Kamiyama turned around to his rear window, a swarm of Law ADAMs were sent out to patrol the area, autonomous cars drove to parking lots where after it was filled, was pulled down with extreme caution, people calmly left their houses and went straight to the shelters the PA System said, ADAMs also assisted the evacuation of civilians.
The door opened suddenly, revealing two ADAMs and his chauffer.
"Prime Minister, we need to head to the shelter" One of the ADAMs said.
"Thank you, has the staff been evacuated yet?" The ADAM froze for a second before responding "Affirmative, Prime Minister, all staff has been evacuated to the shelter, would you like to be taken to them?"
Kamiyama nodded and said "Yeah"
Japan's EEW or Kinkyu Jishin Sokuhou was upgraded again and again since the time of its implementation, it has efficiently saved the lives of millions of people with its sophisticated network of nodes and seismic monitoring stations inland and out at sea in Japan's Area of Responsibility.
They had about five minutes before the earthquake hits Japan, but by then, the earthquake would cause minor damage thanks to years of dampening technology capable of withstanding magnitudes above 10 but below 11, Japan has been eagerly exporting this technology in hopes of securing lucrative amounts of Erythium and other precious resources.
The entire country grinded to a halt as it braced for the shifting of tectonics, the shelters held firmly, protecting millions in thousands of points, some said that this was a waste of money and that these should've been allocated to more public spending and subsidies for corporations, but Kamiyama's predecessor held firm and continued with the construction of the first hundred.
The populace exited, thinking to themselves that the earthquake was over, that life has gone back to normal.
"W-What the!?!" Everyone looked at the panicked man, confusion on their faces, they wondered what he was so worried about.
But that was when a few others looked to where the man was looking at.
The day had turned to night, everyone first thought it was a prank, PM Kamiyama thought so too, but the internet cut out, google wasn't responding, Youtube wasn't working, it was permanently offline.
Why was it offline?
Kamiyama looked at the crowd of people, little by little everyone took out their phones and snapped pictures, all of them were agape, some cried and some hurled their lunch.
But all of them looked up.
Kamiyama decided to see.
Lo and behold.
"W-When was that there?" He was shocked.
The night sky, the shining stars, and then the twin moons.
He held his phone to his ear after speed dialing someone, there he took a deep breath and spoke into it.
"Get me everyone" He turned off his phone.
Chapter 2: The First of Many Meeting
Naikaku Sōri Daijin Kantei, Tokyo
Kamiyama waited for the rest of his cabinet, seated with him in a meeting room was Ministress Kaede Fujiwara from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister Juncho Akeda from the Ministry of Public Affairs and Minister Tada Homizumi-Horikita from the Ministry of Defense.
"We are currently waiting for the report from JMA and the other cabinet members, but for now let's hear your opinions on the event that we witnessed" The person speaking was Prime Minister Nishiro Kamiyama, he held a low and serious tone, his face was stiff; devoid of emotion.
"I can hardly believe the things that I saw earlier, twin moons and a sudden change of time? Are we in some kind of isekai?"
Minister Juncho Akeda shared, eliciting chuckles all around the room.
"Well we can't void that out yet" Nishiro Kamiyama, still so serious, made Juncho Akeda retreat back, Nishiro didn't find it that funny it seems.
"W-Well for now let's just wait for the report and we'll get right on it" Minister Tada Homizumi-Horikita tried to lighten the mood by shoving the problem aside.
"How's your family taking it in, Tada-San?" Nishiro asked the large bald man named Tada.
"They are adjusting, still can't believe this happened just after New Year's Eve too" He shook his head in disbelief, others besides Nishiro did so too, sharing their own grievances.
"True, I couldn't get out of the office without being swarmed by journalists demanding answers" Ministress Kaede spoke, she and Tada chuckled while others sighed, Nishiro was among those who sighed.
"Has the Republic of Hawaii said anything yet?" Nishiro posed the question, the person who answered was Ministress Kaede.
"None so far, I've already asked for a meeting with the Hawaiian Ambassador" Nishiro nodded.
"I wonder why our network is down..." Nishiro couldn't help but ask.
"Ah, speaking of our network" The person who intervened was Minister Juncho Akeda, Nishiro nodded for him to proceed.
"We haven't recieved any satellite signals, maybe it's the interference with the second moon, but the public is complaining about the lack of it, I would like to send a request to JAXA for a physical check on their internet satellites" Nishiro paused for a second before nodding yes.
"That's alright, I'll forward the request to JMA" Akeda thanked Nishiro.
"I hope its just a malfunction" Tada blurted his thought out, but they just ignored him.
It was a ridiculous assumption, Japan? Isekai'd? What is this? A light novel or something?
Two knocks on the door and Nishiro allowed them to enter.
"Sorry we're late, we've been held up by traffic, our cars weren't working for some reason" Four more people entered the room, seating themselves in the open spaces, they bowed and sat on their comfy white leather chairs.
"Your report please, Director Shiroma" Shiroma was a pale man dressed in the same style as them, they all wore formal suits, ironed and neat looking, devoid of ornaments and decorations besides the Japanese pin flag on their right breast pocket.
Shiroma ordered his secretary to hand everyone the report, once they recieved their copy, they opened it immediately and poured through it.
Already, something wasn't right.
"What do you mean the stars don't align with our star map? Are you sure the rotation of the earth has been accounted for?" A complaint from Minister Kodama Mikio from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology spoke out, but Shiroma corrected him instantly.
"We've made absolutely sure of it, the grand piece of evidence is the existence of a second moon, everyone in my department is at an uproar, and the lack of satellites is also a major problem we are looking to resolve soon" Kodama sat back down, calmed.
"Please look into it thoroughly, we need those satellites" Shiroma nods "I know the importance of it, we've already sent the request to JAXA for a launch, they are still guestimating a launch time"
Nishiro looks at everyone gathered, they've all understood the report.
"If in the event that we are actually in a middle of a nation-wide cyberattack, we will commence a curfew and reactivation of our human operatives, please relay this to your respective ministries and departments that you are to share all information via flashdrives, effective immediately" Everyone could see it, the face of a man resolved to finish what the unknown has started, using flashdrives to share information wasn't a new thing, but they had to make sure nothing was leaked to the enemy, wherever they may be.
"Are you issuing martial law, Prime Minister?" Tada looked at Nishiro, dead in the eye.
".....Yes, set a curfew from 4 AM to 9 PM"
A few hours later
Embassy of the Hawaiian Republic
After the conquest of Canada and Mexico, the US was exhausted with military strife and public dissatisfaction, the war was costly and has left the US in a state of diplomatic isolation, no longer the premier superpower, countries scrambled to fill the void, the second contender for the premier superpower was China, then the European Federation then Russia.
Years passed after the assimilation operation of the US was complete, renaming itself as the United States of North America, reclaiming the spot of premier superpower as an international powerhouse in economy, technology and military, the USNA offered Hawaii a chance to rejoin the USNA but refused after its independence was secured by China.
Japanese and Hawaiian tensions cooled thanks to multiple state visits and relief provided by Japan, outmaneuvering China diplomatically, gaining another ally in the Pacific.
Japan and Hawaii are currently allies thanks to the countless material and technological support Japan invested into this small island nation.
Ministress Kaede Fujiwara wore a neat bun and modest makeup, her youthful and beautiful appearance has made headlines around the country countless times, earning her the title as the Idol of Japan, she uses her charm to persuade other nations into bowing before Japan, to her, she was just doing her duty as a citizen of the Nation of the Rising Sun.
Everyone around the Embassy recognized her and her colleague immediately, she stopped just before the front desk.
"Hello Ministress Fujiwara, what can we do for you?" The clerk asked with a beaming smile, Kaede exchanged it with her own smile, showing off her pearly whites. "I am here to meet with Ambassador Kapula Nohealani, it is an urgent matter" The clerk typed on his keyboard, the clicking and clacking of the keyboard was tickling to the ears.
He then pressed a number on his landline phone, putting the reciever to his ear, a few whispers and mumbling was heard at the other end before the clerk could speak.
"Ambassador Kapula? Um, Ministress Kaede Fujiwara is here to meet you... yes, yes of course.... okay, understood... yes, thank you sir" He puts the phone down.
"He is waiting for you now" Kaede smiles "Thanks Alani-San"
The elevator ride was nice and quiet, they waited for it to finally reach the office of the Ambassador of the Hawaiian Republic Diplomatic Mission.
"Good Afternoon, Ministress Kaede and Deputy Minister Hanada or rather, Good Evening" He greets the entering Kaede and Hanada.
"We'll have to adjust our clocks I guess" Kaede joked.
Ambassador Kapula chuckled as he sat down "Have a seat please, anything to drink?" He asked.
"We're good, anyways how are you and your family?" Kaede asked, but the question left Kapula sad.
Kapula looked at Kaede with a difficult expression, he opened his mouth to speak
"W-We haven't been able to contact them, our landlines outside Japan has been cut off... I can't contact my family" Kaede and Hanada held their heads low.
"We're still trying to figure out the problem, but not to worry, we have sent JAXA on it to fix our satellite network, in no time we'll be able to contact other countries" Everyone around the country was scrambling for answers, those in the various companies that constructed their own lines were facing the brutal population subscribed to their internet services, the government's own public wifi system was downed, causing trillions of yen in damage just today, the international stock market crashed causing further distrust in the Yen.
It was a situation where a globalized economy was cut off from the world.
The meeting between the Hawaiian Ambassador was unfruitful, thought Kaede and Hanada, it only warranted more questions than answers, they painfully realized.
Chapter 3: Weapons and The Situation
January 10, 2052
JASDF Base Fukuoka
Prime Minister Nishiro Kamiyama, Minister Tada Homizumi-Horikita and their security detail was visiting JASDF Base Fukuoka for the launching of a new top secret military unmanned reconnaissance drone called the Hayabusa UAVLV.
A military engineer and techinician walked with the PM and MoD, highlighting the various systems on it.
"As you can see, it is similar to a smaller version of the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk, it has two internal weapon bays to maintain low radar visibility with its sleek angular design" Engineer Shiroe excitedly explained to the party.
"Like the old F-117, it had a payload capacity of 5,000 pounds, we've managed to replicate this payload cap with refined materials as well as Erythium to power the UAVLV." Technician Juno chimed in.
The Hayabusa's internal weapon bays opened, letting everyone take a look at the amount of space available.
"Unlike the old Raijin and Taka UAVLVs, the Hayabusa has a larger capacity of weapons, enabling it to carry 4 to 8 medium missiles or 6 large ones, 2 large bombs or 4 to 6 smaller ones as well as a 30mm rotary autocannon like the Bushmaster or the Japanese Type 22 Autocannon" Juno realised the rambling he was making so he decided to take out a copy of the blueprints for the Hayabusa
In summary:
Hayabusa Unmanned Aerial Vertical Lift Vehicle:
Power System:
- Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cell System
The PEM Fuel Cell System uses Erythium to power the various systems aboard the Hayabusa.
It disperses emissions similar to water vapor.
To ensure that no energy is wasted, the onboard PMS or Power Management System oversees the operations of the UAVLV, dynamically allocating the energy to the critical systems such as its Engine System and its Weapons System.
Engine System:
- Plasma Jet Propulsion
Although highly costly in manufacturing, it is the most efficient type of propulsion today, using a series of small generators to create plasma from the Erythium Fuel Cells, it is also capable of using atmospheric gases as a propellant, reducing fuel cell dependency.
Weapon and Defense Systems:
- 2x Internal Weapon Bays for bombs and missiles.
- 1x 30mm Type 22 Internal Rotary Autocannon
- 1x Laser Point Defense System
- 2x Internal Countermeasure Pods
○ Chaff and Flares for diversion of Infrared and Radar Guided Missiles
○ Decoy Drones to mimic the UAVLVs Radar signature.
- Radar Jamming Array
A.I. System
- 4th Generation M.A.I. System "Mai"
○ Capable of identifying and conducting operations when given a mission with a score of 95%, it is used in almost all of Japan's Military Tech.
- Swarm Function
○ Enables the AI to use its decoys to create a wave or swarm to overwhelm a position contested by the enemy, the effectiveness of it is yet to be proven however.
Everyone was in awe at the various systems within the Hayabusa, in only its planning and drafting phase back in 2030, the Hayabusa was made to contest with the Chinese Qilin UAV and the American OX Python UAV.
Juno has stated that the UAVLV they are seeing is a fully functioning model, ready to be used for power projection, though only five have been built so far because of its dependence on Erythium.
There have been plans to use Hydrogen Fuel Cells to mimic the power production of Erythium based ones, but they could only achieve half of what the Erythium powered Hayabusa UAVLV was able to project.
"Well we've already shown off all of its toys, now its time to show its projected cost for production" Already, Nishiro was sweating bullets.
"As explained in the blueprint and documents, the cost to produce just one is around 3.2 Trillion Yen, most of it is due to the import of Erythium" Nishiro looked at Tada with a pained expression, imagining the public outcry for building such an ambitious UAVLV...
"W-Well let's make do with the Hydrogen version of it, how much would it cost for that?" Juno handed another blueprint to the party.
"O-One point Five T-Trillion..." Nishiro tried to keep his composure as he read out the costs and maintenance of it.
"A projected maintenance fee of around 400 Billion Yen..... Are our fighters still adequate enough, Minister Homizumi-Horikita-San?" Tada replied with "Well if we are up against Oceania and South East Asia... I guess we will make do, but our fighters are in need of an upgrade"
Tada recalled the roster of Fighters and Interceptors used by the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force.
- 312x Mitsubishi X-2 Shinshin Multirole Fighter
- 251x F-35 Lightning II Stealth Multirole Fighters
○ 127x F-35A CTOL (Conventional Take Off and Landing)
○ 124x F-35B STOVL (Short Take Off and Vertical Landing)
- 91x F15J/DJ Eagle Air Superiority Fighters
- 52x F-2A/B Multirole Fighters
They were all best in keeping the sovereignty of Japan, but times have
changed and the world was boiling with conflict all around the globe, the terror attacks exacerbated world-wide mistrust of Brown and Black people, turning many nations xenophobic.
Japan was part of many who harbors a distrust on foreigners in general.
The Hayabusa UAVLV aimed to replace manned fighters and close-air support jets, but the costs far exceeded the cap the Kamiyama Cabinet was willing to pay.
The showcase was stopped after the costs was revealed, Tada decided to order the drafting of another unmanned multirole plane at a cheaper cost.
"It was a real shame huh? We could've used something like that to retaliate against the Chinese" Tada comments, letting out a sad sigh as he recalled the showcase.
"We'll figure out a way to expel them from our waters soon, for now we should focus on the domestic problems"
Tada nodded.
The days before the 10th were filled with anxiety, shops closed down due to low supply, many seemed to be riling up against the curfew placed, helicopters and ADAMs roamed around, correcting public behaviour every minute.
With the cancellation of flights out of Japan, most became vagabonds in the streets of Tokyo, most of them were foreigners simply visting.
Embassy after Embassy demanded answers from Nishiro, but he could only apologize because of their lack of ability, they didn't want to raise international suspicion by flying over another country's airspace, for all they knew, it could be a passing moment, when will this even halt? None knew the answer.
Tada looked out the window of the Osprey Helicopter they rode, its cabin was silent, noone said a word the ride back to the Naikaku Sōri Daijin Kantei.
From below them they could see cars, helicopters, buildings and the populace, living life in Japan.
On one road, they saw multiple Type 25 Unmanned Main Battle Tanks and a group of soldiers on patrol, taking great care of themselves and making sure they wouldn't harm the people they swore to protect.
But the citizens didn't care, rather, some were hurling stones at the SDF, some hit their armor, but they marched with pride.
This was the situation, the people were distrustful, but that was about to change.
Chapter 4: The Day After
January 11, 2052
Naikaku Sōri Daijin Kantei, Tokyo
Gathered around the same meeting room was Nishiro Kamiyama, Prime Minister of Japan, Tada Homizumi-Horikita, Minister of Defense, Kaede Fujiwara, Ministress of Foreign Affairs.
Streaming the footage on a holographic display, everyone's eyes were glued to the screen, all they saw was the horizon, nothing was out, a series of numbers kept increasing, this was how far they were from JASDF Base Fukuoka.
The closest major city and base to Korea.
".....The Raijins have reached the 200 kilometer mark... Oh God" The drone
operator couldn't help but mutter, but everyone paid no attention to it.
They couldn't believe their eyes, where was it?
"W-We made sure that they are heading in the right direction.... right? Wh-Where the hell is Korea?!?!" Nishiro panicked, everyone in the room was.
Korea was a close ally of Japan after the unification, Japan was the first to offer its assistance in the Second Korean War, leading them to a glorious victory.
But where was that regional power? A power that fell short of Japan?
"Contact Fukuoka Base, deploy more UAVs" Nishiro commanded, Tada did what he was asked to without hesitation.
The amount of UAVs they had deployed prior to this was 10, 5 of which was sent to the Philippines, 3 to China and 1 to Russia.
"Sir! We've made contact with the Russians!" A sigh of relief was exchanged all around.
'Maybe we can collaborate with the Russians?' Nishiro and Kaede thought, but the next bit of news was disheartening..
"The Russians... The Russians stationed in the Sakhalin and Kuril Islands have confirmed... t-the-the disappearance of the rest of the Russian Federation..." Confusion and despair, what the hell was happening to Japan?
"We have just recieved a hail from Jeju Do while Diplomat 5 was en-route to Shanghai" Another sigh of relief, then they must've navigated wrong?
"Contact the Russian Federation at Sakhalin and ask if they are sure of their homeland's dissappearance, also, send a diplomatic mission and evacuation escort to Jeju Island" Tada and Kaede affirms and contacts their respective ministries.
"Continue the approach to Shanghai airspace please" Nishiro commands, now focused.
'Was the magnitude that severe that it has managed to displace an entire continent but leave these islands alone? That would kind of explain the dissapearance of our underwater lines.... no no, it won't explain anything at all...' Nishiro held his head, aching from being exhausted these past few days.
"Talk to me, can you confirm anything Diplomat 9?" Tada spoke into the mic.
"Nothing so far, Sir, all I see is blue and the occassional islands here and there" The islands Diplomat 9's operator was talking about were small islands, some were unfit for habitation, more confusion among everyone involved as they encountered more and more new islands.
"Send a research team and an escort to those islands, they might hold an answer or two.." Nishiro spoke, still focused on the screen, Tada replied with a "Yes, I'll contact Minister Kodama to send a team out as soon as possible"
Diplomat 9 cruised at an altitude of 8,000 meters, the clear sunny sky made visibility clear, allowing everyone to see the most minute detail on the ground.
The on-screen distance tick kept going up until they reached what should've been Shanghai, what awaited them was nothing but a few small islands worth, nothing mentioning.
From the looks of it, Japan was suddenly plopped in the middle of the ocean in some planet, there was no variation in the air, making it breathable for humans, but they all knew that because if something was off they all would've died from suffocation.
"What's the next step, Prime Minister?" Tada asked him.
"Continue the flight path" A bold request, but it was harmless.
"Affirmative" Tada leaned closer to the mic
"Diplomat 9, continue the fl-" Nishiro raised his hand, causing everyone in the room to watch him with anticipation.
Nishiro gestured that the mic be given to him, Tada complied and handed the device.
"How do you switch it to make me audible for everyone?" Tada walked over to Nishiro's side and flicked a switch.
"Thanks, eh-hermn" Nishiro cleared his throat then sent his order.
"Continue your flight path, continue until you find.... other life" Everyone around the room was stunned to see Nishiro's bold order, Tada, reeling from the shock immediately went to Nishiro's side.
"Prime Minister, we have already deployed over 10 Raijins, just one costs 100 billion Yen to make" Tada explained calmly.
"I know how much it costs to make the damn thing! But we are still in the unknown, we've come across the Koreans and Russians, something tells me that there is more out there"
"...Very well Sir, The Ministry of Defense supports your decision of aggressive recon" Nishiro nods, thanking Tada for his cooperation.
Hours passed as Diplomat 9 cruised at a steady altitude of 8,000 meters above sea level, its ultra definition camera captured everything with crystal clear quality, allowing everyone to see so much of the new world.
The first time they came across it, it marveled them, none could peer their eyes away from the majestic flock
KAAAAAAAH
Cried the flock leader of the majestic Griffins, its eagle head and lion body was reminiscent of fairy tales and fantasy works, it bore an eerie similarity to it.
"Woah..." Kaede couldn't help but be mesmerized by the sight, the Raijin's 360° Ultra Definition Camera recorded the flight of the griffins.
"Prime Minister, we've been notified by Base Fukuoka that they are ready to commence the diplomatic mission to Jeju Do" Nishiro gave his approval to start the mission to Jeju Do.
"This is Diplomat 9, I believe I see land, over" Everyone's attention snapped back to the holographic display, and sure enough.
Land ahoy.
Waves broke through, crashing on the towering spires with shipwrecks strewn all over, jagged rocks and a steep cliff was what Diplomat 9 saw, this was their first sign of life.
"Diplomat 9, Climb to twenty-thousand meters above sea level, make sure you're not spotted by the locals, over" Diplomat 9 complied, the Raijin UAV was similar to the RQ-4 Global Hawk UAV, with a longer flight range, faster jet and better energy efficiency thanks to the use of Erythium fuel cells, this specific Erythium model of the Raijin UAV was uncommon because of its dependency on Military-Grade Erythium, causing it to be more costly than a conventional UAV.
The Raijin was developed to contest with conventional armies as part of the Autonomous Japan Act to repurpose manned equipment to a automated platform like the ADAMs System, this has, of course sparked international concern over a robot uprising thanks to popular media and culture back in the 80s and 90s.
Most still hold unfavorable opinions on this subject of a unmanned army, but the Kamiyama cabinet didn't care if it meant letting robots do the difficult jobs for humans, being a soldier was one of these difficult jobs, although the human soldier wasn't phased out yet, there has been talks of developing the 5th Generation of ADAMs, this generation of ADAMs promised that it would finally put humans out of the picture.
"We are approaching what looks like a walled city" Diplomat 9 reports as he zoomed in on multiple buildings and strongpoints.
Indeed it looks like there were humans, though behind in technology.
"Are they in the medieval era?" Kaede commented.
"Looks like we've found a long lost civilization? How should we proceed Prime Minister?" All eyes rested on Nishiro once again, but just as he was about to speak-
"Incoming... Are those dragons?!?!" Everyone looked at the display again, this time there seems to be flying lizards approaching fast, but what was even stranger was the things or rather people that rode on these.
"There's people riding those dragons! Can you believe it?!?" Everyone was shocked, but Diplomat 9 wasn't going to let them catch up to the Raijin.
"Evasive maneuvers! They shot at us!" Diplomat 9 veered away from the town, people seemed to be panicking as they scrambled into their homes and shops, from within some sort of barracks came out hundreds of men in armor, some wore cloaks while the rest were armed with crossbows.
The ballistae in place across several towers aimed at the speeding Raijin, they couldn't lock onto it however due to how fast the Raijin was flying.
"Capture as much info as you can Diplomat 9! Escorts are on the way!" Tada ordered, to which Diplomat 9 replied with a "Affirmative" masterfully dodging numerous fireballs being spat out by a growing number of dragons.
"Jeez! Feels like I'm playing a bullet hell right now! HAHA!" Diplomat 9 kept dodging the fireballs, anything on the ground was too far to hurt him so all he needed to do was circle around the medieval town, occasionally hitting on the VTOL System to momentarily pause the Raijin.
Diplomat 9 captured photo after photo while recording the sights, this would continue for a few more hours, occasionally he would zoom into the people riding the dragons, capturing their equipment for analyzation..
"Diplomat 9, Escort 1 and 2 have arrived at your location, fall back now" Tada commanded.
Diplomat 9, as if nothing had happened, complied with the order, fearing a chase would happen between the dragons and him, he decided to ask Tada something.
"Sir, permission to use afterburners to shake off my bandits?"
"Permission granted"
The first encounter with an otherworldly nation, what will Japan's reaction be to the news?
Chapter 5: Sailing to New Islands
Naikaku Sōri Daijin Kantei, Tokyo
Everyone was currently on break after the reconnaissance operation, notes were made on the technological level as well as the various animals they've come across.
For now, Diplomat 9 has successfully identified the first native civilization in this world, but that was all they could manage, to the Far East where the American continent laid was a thick fog, dangerous waves that could sink the largest ships as well as a vast amount of underwater predators, most have tried taking down the Raijin assigned to that flight path, spraying a hugh powered jet of water, the Raijin barely made it out of there minutes after it was recalled to JASDF Base Tokyo.
A compiled report of the civilizations has been made and was sent via a encrypted email.
- Approximately 7,534 Kilometers West was the first civilization, using dragons as their airforce.
- 5,755 Kilometers North, the second encountered civilization, it is a civilization that thrives in what could be called this world's version of Siberia.
- 5,627 Kilometers South-South East is a archipelago-like nation with various cultures, video footage suggests that it is un-unified yet.
Next was the list of possible expansion for Japan.
This next list was primarily for resource acquisition and off-shore production of goods and materials, this is so that Japan has more room for housing without the need of cutting down the historic forests of Japan.
- 1,991 Kilometers West is an Archipelago with the largest island being similar in size to Okinawa Island based off of high-altitude photographs and videos.
- 1,861 Kilometers East is another Archipelago with the largest island being similar in size to Hokkaido, judging from Aerial photographs, the land is fertile, sitting just slightly above the Equator.
- 1,210 Kilometers South East is an Island the size of Negros Island in the Philippine Republic, it is another valuable untapped Island.
All of the potential nations they could meet were thousands of kilometers away from Japan, the Cabinet let out sighs of relief knowing that Japan may be able to safeguard their peace, especially now that they've found large Islands that could serve as pure agricultural and industrial powerhouses, the breadwinners of Japan.
This was coincidentally the name of the operation.
"Thank you for your hardwork, Mikio-San" Nishiro thanked the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Komada Mikio, a charming middle-aged man that has contributed heavily to the prosperity of Japan as a Technological Giant.
"This is for Japan after all, I will be sure to send the request to the public once my duties are over" The request Komada Mikio was talking about was the recruitment of Agricultural Specialists and Experts, people with Civil Architecture and Engineering backgrounds as well as Archeology, they needed as many people as they could find to survey suitable fields for housing and farming.
"Operation Breadwinner must be a success, at all costs..." Nishiro reminded Mikio, who parted with him.
Beside the Prime Minister was the Minister of Finance, Koizumi Yori, a smart man that rose through the ranks, he is currently in his mid 30s.
Yori poured through the budget allocated to Operation Breadwinner and sighed.
"Projected budget of 100 Trillion Yen, we need to make sure this works, Japan is bleeding money by the hour" Yori reminded Nishiro, unbothered by Yori's advice, he patted him on the back.
"Operation Breadwinner will be successful, I guarantee that, soon we'll be living the Golden Years again.." Yori shook his head.
"Whatever you say, Sir..."
A certain apartment in Tokyo
"... I am soooo bored..." A woman cried out as she laid on her futon.
"Grrrrrrh! WHY'D IT HAVE TO BE TODAY OF ALL DAYS!!! MY DAILIES!!! I CAN'T RANK UP MY OPERATORS IF WE CAN'T CONNECT TO THE FUCKING WIFI!!!!!!" She thrashed around, left and right she flailed her arms about.
"The government isn't telling us anything, I can't fly abroad, anyone who breaks curfew is forcibly sent home!! Ughhhh!" Whining and whining, she couldn't help it.
".... click" She tapped on the remote of her flatscreen TV, on it displayed 'No WIFI' at the top right corner, she decided to navigate to cable television mode and tapped next program until she was bored.
But when she dozed off for a minute, a miracle happened.
Ting
"Hello Doctor"
She shot up, looking at her laptop, she didn't know if she was dreaming or not.
The familiar voice of her favorite operator, the BGM of the main menu screen and the infamous sanity bar made her come back to her senses.
"THE WIFI IS BAAAAAAACK!!!!" She scrambled onto her laptop.
This was the reaction of everyone nationwide, the secret launch of a new Internet Satellite commissioned by the Japanese Government before the transference, the KumoNet I was successfully orbiting the new world.
Soon, other launch sites began their operations after receiving the modules, next in line was a GPS Satellite and a Spy Satellite, both would be launched tomorrow evening.
Cheers and jubilation spread everywhere in Japan, there was finally Internet, though it has a long way to go before it could be just like Earth's, Japan was just getting started.
March 10, 2052
Port of Tokyo
The cold night of March had people gathered, they wrapped layers on their bodies as they waited for the cruise.
This was the first cruise ship to ever reactivate in 2052, the reason for this was because they have been tasked with transporting the brilliant agricultural, architectural and engineering minds of Japan to construct a settlement in the new world.
Its escort was an Izumo-class Helicopter Destroyer, they were controversial back in 2012 because of its blatant sidelining of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution which prohibited Japan from making, maintaining and usage of carriers because of its classification as an offensive weapon platform or vessel.
The Izumo-class had a displacement of 19,500 tons, a length of 248 meters, a beam of 38 meters, a draft of 7.5 meters and a depth of 23.5 meters, it sailed in tandem at 30 knots.
Sailors watched as the hundreds of intellectuals/specialists boarded the Asuka III.
Once everything was loaded up, they began to sail out of the Port of Tokyo, sailing through the wide bay then finally exiting Tokyo proper.
An attachment of 2 Maya-class Guided Missile Destroyers from the 7th Japanese Escort Flotilla and 2 Taigei-class Attack Submarines from the 12th Submarine Fleet escorted the Luxury Cruise Ship, the Asuka III.
ADAMs were deployed as the security and assistance detail to speed up the data gathering process.
As everyone made their way to the main hall, they sat down on the plastic chairs.
Once everyone found their seats, conversations were exchanged with their seatmates, friendships blossomed between the audience as they waited for the briefing.
Brief chuckles and laughs, some bellowed out while some grieved, they related to each other in more than one ways these past months.
ADAMs occasionally brought out warm tea and choco, it depended on their preferences, the specialists were enjoying their free snacks.
Then someone emerged from the double doors ahead atop an extravagant staircase.
He was the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Komada Mikio.
Mikio stood behind a podium with a sheet of paper and a microphone, he breathed in then spoke, his voice echoing throughout the main hall.
"Welcome everyone to Operation Breadwinner, has everyone acquainted themselves with their future partners?" Mikio's question was answered with varying yesses and nods of affirmation.
"I will now explain Operation Breadwinner, please watch the holographic display" Everyone's attention was focused on the holographic display on different spaces across the large main hall, a holographic copy of Komada Mikio stood just beside it as he floated from the floor with a blue-ish hue.
The display showed Japan and all of its Islands, Jeju as well as the Kuril and Sakhalin islands, this caused a lot of confusion among the specialists, they weren't familiar with this map, with endless waters and new islands, there was even an island in the Pacific Ocean the size of Hokkaido!
"Operation Breadwinner aims to supply Japan with a sufficient agriculture and industrial base away from the mainland, this is to leave more space for important buildings in the mainland while offshoring the necessities for the populace and economy." He paused for a second, taking a sip from his bottled water.
The display then zoomed in on the island south east of Japan, this was where a relatively medium-sized island was located, just a couple hundred kilometers away from Minami-Tori-shima.
Above the island was a name, the hologram suddenly rotated around the island, thanks to the remarkably high-quality footage and a few unmanned missions to the island, they were able to produce a 1-to-1 copy of the island.
"We will first go to Hayama Island, the closest adequate island to Japan which is about 1,210 kilometers southeast away from the mainland, the CADAMs ( Combat Autonomous Deployable Assistance Machine ) will first disembark from the ships and secure a beachhead, they will then setup a regional base of operations to secure the island then promptly construct agricultural and industrial bases after you guys conduct an extensive surveying of the island for optimal land usage."
"Teams A, B and C are assigned to Hayama Island"
The hologram zoomed out of the island and promptly positioned it towards another island on the map, the largest island in this new map.
"Next would be Fuyugiri island which is 1,861 kilometers east away in which teams D, E and F are assigned to"
Zooming out of the island and showcasing the last one, the hologram displayed the island to the audience, this was the newest and farthest island from Japan.
"Then Shinsegai island which is 1,991 kilometers west from Japan where teams H, I and J are assigned to"
The hologram then displayed the three major islands of the operation, detailing their discovery dates and times, discovered by which UAV and their operator as well as the plans for the islands.
- Fuyugiri Island (1,861 km East)
● January 11, 2052 13:10
● Operator Kuramoto Keiichi
● Diplomat 09
- Hayama Island (1,210 km South-East
● January 11, 2052 15:01
● Operator Asai Satoshi
● Diplomat 06
- Shinsegai Island (1,991 km West)
● January 12, 2052 15:59
● Operator Uyemara Hajime
● Diplomat 13
"We will build up a strong military presence in the waters surrounding those islands then construct the necessary facilities to supplement Japan" Komada declared.
A member of the team raised her hand, causing Komada Mikio to deviate from his routine "Yes?" He asked the member.
"Hello, I am Tone Saki, a part of the Civil Engineering Team B, I have a few questions regarding the land for the operation" Mikio was prepared for this question.
"....What I am about to say is strictly confidential, until we publicly announce it, you are required to keep quiet about it as per the contract you've signed when you were admitted to the Port of Tokyo" The mood dropped to a chill, everyone heeded the words of Komada Mikio with an unwavering focus on his speech.
"Earlier this year, after the magnitude 10 earthquake that struck Japan, we have lost all outside communications, Japan was essentially in the dark back in January" This was dubbed Dark January, it was a time where Japan couldn't contact her allies, causing fear and paranoia for Japan.
"By February, we've mitigated these problems by developing our production sectors with material or monetary support from the national stockpile, this stockpile has fed the population and satiated the consumer goods needed to satisfy the needs and wants of the Japanese people for a time" Komada reasoned.
"Before that however, during our reconnaissance flights with UAVs on January 11, we've discovered small remnants of Korean and Russian land and settlements that lived on Jeju, Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, Diplomat 9, a UAV headed to Korea spotted Jeju Island.... but couldn't find the peninsula which was supposed to be only 250 kilometers from Tsushima Island..." In bathed breath, people couldn't believe the information Komada Mikio relayed, everyone was either shocked and confused or both, mixed reactions filled the heads of the audience.
But Komada was still speaking, he raised his hand to let everyone know he still had something to say "It was in which observers on the ground has confirmed the disappearance of Korea, the same could very well be said about every other country too..." The people panicked as they recalled their loved ones, friends, family, significant others who were abroad...
Japan was whisked away to this strange world.
"We promise to find a way to connect Japan to Earth by any means necessary, the Japanese Government will find a way!" Everyone besides Komada and his personal staff weren't sure on how, maybe they will send rockets to space? Maybe teleportation like the one back in January?
They didn't know.