33 New York City

July 1, 2019

Sera Sindis looked around as the world turned dark, a weird display of distorted space drifting past as they continued through the wormhole. The two other Sonaran passengers, two of the King's aides, were similarly confused and curious about the transportation. As soon as the convoy emerged on the other side of the portal, Sera was bathed with blinding sunlight. She squinted a bit, her eyes adjusting from the partly cloudy environment of the North Grenden Plains to the blinding heat of this alien desert. Feeling the heat from the sunlight, she was immediately grateful for the device the Americans called an "Ay See", which had no discernible translation, as their standard communication spells couldn't decipher acronyms.

In the other vehicles, Sonarans and Mekkanese alike displayed profound surprise, amongst a swirling cacophony of other emotions. The scorching desert was an environment not many were used to. A barrage of questions and considerations ran through their minds. Is this really a different world? Did all Americans live on a desert world? No, that couldn't be; various pictures clearly displayed lush fields of grains, towers of steel overlooking an ocean, and beautiful greenery within cities.

Their questions were quickly answered when Perry spoke through the radio. "Welcome to Earth. We will be arriving shortly at our Groom Lake Facility in Nevada, otherwise known as Area 51."

Once the convoy arrived at the base, some personnel came to help the guests out of their vehicles and guide them to the briefing room, where they would be taught American cultural norms and important information regarding pedestrian safety, society, and above all, how to deal with any media coverage. Inside the briefing room, the instructors utilized various presentations sourced from the tour industry and schools. The first topic, pedestrian safety, taught the Gaerrans about street lights and their significance. The Mekkanese immediately recognized this system, as they had implemented something similar in their own society once vehicles became widespread. The second topic involved numerous lectures about social interactions in America. Each Gaerran was given a phone and some money in case they somehow got lost, and they were given instructions on how to call their guides in such an event. Finally, the Gaerrans were informed that they might encounter hordes of reporters and journalists who will descend upon them like hawks in order to reveal their presence to the entire world, to billions of people.

Consequently, the Gaerrans were reminded to keep a low profile. Most of the world would be expecting something truly alien, and not anything remotely similar to humans. Thankfully, their profile was further reduced since the Gaerrans were not wearing overly extravagant clothing. King Selios had even left his crown back in Sonaris. Still, there was a chance of being found out, and regardless of how intrusive or annoying the reporters can get, they were told not to react. The Gaerrans agreed. With the basics now settled, they were dismissed from instruction and guided toward a hangar where Ambassador Perry, his diplomatic team, and a jet waited.

——

Two Hours Ago…

Washington D.C.

"That is excellent news! Please relay my thanks to General Harding once the renovations are complete. Speaking of which, any updates on the new gate?"

"Sir, we are still testing the capabilities of the new mithril compound we've developed. Initial test results were promising, with about an inch of what we're now calling mithrium being as strong as three feet of reinforced concrete. Further refinement will take time, but we expect that we can enhance the capabilities of this new compound tenfold within the next year."

President Keener factored this new information into his plans for what they are now calling Fort Grenden, renamed from Fort Washington. With the recent revelation of the existence of magic and monsters, there was no telling what kind of threats lurked beyond the portal. So far, hostile encounters in Gaerra have been limited to primitive natives, giant spiders, and a large dragon, easily the size of a destroyer. Testing has shown that objects larger than the portal itself couldn't rematerialize properly, but with the existence of magic, who knows if this could hold true? Therefore, President Keener concluded that all precautions must be taken in order to minimize otherworldly threats yet maximize potential profits.

"I see. Begin installation of the compound as it is currently. Given all that has happened in the span of just a couple months, I would hate to imagine what dangers may surface in a year. We could always just upgrade the gate later on."

"Yes, Mr. President," the aide said. As he was about to leave, Keener stopped him.

"Wait. One more thing… make sure the self destruct mechanism is operational. If there is something out there powerful enough to overrun the most fortified position in two worlds, then we need to make sure it does not gain a foothold on Earth."

"Of course, sir." The aide nodded slightly before taking his leave.

President Keener sighed. Hopefully, such drastic measures wouldn't need to be implemented. With his term ending next year, he was essentially gambling. So far, his bets have paid off, with Ambassador Perry's report on the treaties and deals with the natives. With carefully orchestrated information leaks, he aimed to both reinforce the technological edge of the United States and its allies against the East and in doing so, satisfy his voters. As for their allies? A few trade and technology deals would certainly keep them from calling out what might appear to them as yet another wave of American imperialism and colonialism.

Eventually, his counterparts in the UN Security Council's P5, particularly China, will push for full access. Britain and France will be easy to deal with because of their close relations with the United States. That leaves Russia and China. If they band together and force a stalemate, the United States might be forced to concede access. However, Russia is more receptive. Thanks to Ambassador Perry's earlier missions, the Russian Federation has been more cooperative with NATO, to the point where Cold War fears of a nuclear war have been finally put to rest. President Keener filed away these thoughts as he grabbed the telephone on his desk and dialed Stacy, the lady who managed guests and foreign diplomats.

Climbing to the top and making a name for himself was easy in comparison to his tasks now: maintaining his position and bringing his friends in the Ascension Party up with him.

——

In the skies above Pennsylvania

"My, it got dark quite fast!" Sera remarked as she looked out a window. The sun, which was hours from setting earlier, was now minutes from dipping below the horizon, its beautiful orange glow receding as the purple skies above darkened.

The Mekkanese diplomat — the legateur — on the other hand, was not as surprised as he stared out of the opposite window. John Perry surmised that it was because the Mekkanese had already commercialized air travel to enough of an extent that their population saw it as normal. Despite the normalization of air travel in Mekkan, Prion Bonaparius never stopped appreciating the beauty of the skies. Seeing the lights from the cities below also reminded him of home.

Sitting across from Serawas Perry himself, who was now explaining the circumstances of the unnaturally expedient nightfall. Sera tried her best to keep up, but following Perry's lessons on Earth's revolution along with their plane's motion made her head spin. Such scientific knowledge was not common to the everyday people in the Sonaran Federation. John, noticing Sera's confusion, stopped his explanation and smiled.

"Let's just enjoy the sunset and the wine."

——

Three hours later

John put his glass of wine down after he finished taking a sip. He was sitting at a large table with the envoys from the Gaerran nations: Lady Sera Sindis, King Sarnan Selios, Legateur Prion Bonaparius, and Third Commander Jean Deaunius. Sitting beside him were General Harding and Lieutenant Colonel Ava Keyes, both of whom were recalled back to Earth for debriefing. While they waited for the food, the Gaerran natives discussed their impressions about America.

"The spires of this city almost reach to the heavens! How can they possibly stand against the weight of the sky?" King Selios asked.

The Mekkanese delegation looked toward Ambassador Perry, who was providing most of the answers to their questions, sometimes consulting a mysterious device the people around here seemed to always carry. Prion, aware of the technological discrepancies between his own nation and the nations of this world, paid close attention to all of Perry's answers.

"I'm not much familiar with structural or material engineering, but we use materials that can withstand greater amounts of pressure, or weight. A lot of our buildings use steel compounds because they are durable and convenient, easy to mass produce."

Sometimes Perry's answers were less than informative, but at least they could help lead his people in the right direction. If anything, securing partnerships between Mekkanese and American companies should be a top priority. That way, scientists, engineers, and culture workers from both societies can mingle and learn from each other. Prion made a mental note to ask Ambassador Perry about this later, as the food was now here.

As the dishes were set down, the Gaerrans all could smell the alien spices used to create these masterpieces. Rosemary? Oregano? These plants did not grow on Gaerra, nor did anything similar surface. Despite the genetic similarities between humans and some other animal and microbial species common to both worlds, it seems that genetic divergence led to a shocking lack of spices on Gaerra. The visitors sliced into the steaks, from which a dark mahogany sauce oozed, and took their first bites, the succulent meat causing their taste buds to go wild and their eyes to go wide. The expert culinary techniques that went into this filet mignon, as the Americans called it, rivaled those of the finest chefs in Mekkan, perhaps even surpassing them in some regards.

"This must be quite expensive," Prion remarked.

"Oh, don't worry about the cost," John reassured him.

How could this be? He remembered what Ambassador Perry had told him days before: his nation produces enough food for a billion people. With such abundance, there's no wonder that food like this has great availability. "Ah, so everyone can purchase a meal like this daily?"

"Well, not quite. The food is pretty expensive; I think we've racked up a bill of over a thousand dollars already, but hey, the government is paying for all this so it's basically free."

They continued to eat, trying the various alien foods included in the dish.

"This 'mashed potato' reminds me of the nashota nashota crop back home!" Sera was pleasantly surprised by this discovery. Within a few seconds, she received a tap on the shoulder to find John holding a phone, with a picture of a crop.

"Does nashota look something like this?" he asked.

"Why, yes! In fact, it looks the exact same!" she answered.

John was intrigued by this. Perhaps some things in Gaerra had equivalent Terran counterparts, except with different names. His thoughts were interrupted by King Selios, who asked a question.

"How many people live in this New York City?"

"I'm not sure of the number to be exact, but I believe it is around 8 million."

"Wha- that is the same as entire nations!" King Selios gasped.

"Indeed," John affirmed.

King Selios laid back in his seat, his plate empty, and both his mind and stomach full. 8 million in just one city was a tremendous number. How could that many people fit into one city? He looked out of the window and realized the answer. Outside, steel towers proudly stood, contrasted by the plain night sky and illuminated by the city's lights, which seemed to be coming from everywhere at once. The lights from the skyscrapers stretched as far as the eye can see, all across the landscape, and some even dared to pierce the heavens, their lights so high that they might even be mistaken for stars. The lights shone so brightly that he could not even see the stars in the sky, but then again, what were they compared to the stars rising up from the ground? Even compared to his recent visit to Divinia, this metal jungle was far more splendorous. Certainly, if the concept of abundance was a city, this would be it.

——

Month 7, Day 2

Eana, Eanif Imperium

A man dressed in mithril armor, itself emitting a golden glow, stood upon his castle's balcony as he overlooked his fine city. Emperor Vox Evalion enjoyed nights such as these, when he could see the lights of his shining city, its glory perhaps rivaling that of even Divinia. Built upon the backs of enslaved beasts, he hoped to see his empire expand to the point where he could challenge the other nations. Perhaps he could even conquer land from the brutish orcs, something that neither the Mekkanese, the Divinians, nor the Quod Republic have been able to accomplish. First, he needed to secure his own continent, although ousting the Divinians and Mekkanese from their colonies wouldn't seem likely for the time being. Another concern was that of the Americans, who had swiftly crushed the Nobian Empire and the Bractin Gang in a month's time. If the reports he received were in fact truthful, then it wasn't really a month long war, for battles waged during the spans of merely a few days were sufficient in bringing about the complete surrender of both parties.

While the elimination of two of the biggest obstacles to his conquest was pleasing, he was worried that an obstacle larger than the two combined may have surfaced. Even if his factories were able to equip his entire army with the latest Second Form gear, it would still take several months to repeat the same feat accomplished by the Americans. Although the Second Form rifles and artillery pieces were much more powerful than their Mekkanese counterparts, they had a painfully slow fire rate.

Despite being somewhat balanced in terms of firepower, Evalion's forces lacked a critical component of modern warfare: mobility. Compared to Mekkanese fighters, Eanif Reborn Wyverns are actually faster, but they couldn't be mass produced, nor could larger versions be manufactured in order to carry troops. Compared to Mekkanese personnel vehicles, tarrasque-drawn troop carriers were slower, but had greater maneuverability in harsh terrain. If the Americans had superior vehicles compared to the Mekkanese, then their quick victory may be explained.

However, he still could not make sense of the dead spy's report. Before his untimely demise, the spy Ketan reported seeing hellfire being rained down upon the entirety of the Bractin Gang, annihilating the camp in one fell swoop as metal swords shrieked through the skies and wiped out their wyverns using explosive homing arrows that traveled faster than any natural object. Furthermore, the power of the flying machines were so great that a couple of the larger ones were able to decimate a mountainside, causing a catastrophic rockslide to bury much of the Bractin encampment. At first glance, this report seemed too outlandish to be true, unless the Divinians had done it. Still, Divinian involvement couldn't have been possible since his other clandestine operatives in the area reported no residual magical energies. Perhaps Ketan exaggerated? No, since the same operatives reported seeing the aftermath of the battle, or rather, extermination. There could be no other explanation: the Americans have a weapon similar to the mana bomb, but without a magical detonation catalyst such as mana crystals. How?

In the midst of his contemplations, a man hurriedly knocked on the door of his chambers. Emperor Evalion returned to his room in order to open the door.

"My lord!" the man sputtered, tired from his sprint. "Please, forgive my intrusion."

"What is it?"

"My lord, some of our forces participating in the Beastia Alliance Subjugation Campaign have reported witnessing a bright light shooting into the sky, near the hunting grounds of the Hydra."

Emperor Evalion exhaled. "Unfortunate. Have the Unborn Project paused for now. We need the Tamers to prioritize the Hydra. Send them on our fastest wyverns. I do not recognize the significance of the light, but there is a possibility that it may interfere with our future operations."

"It will be done, my lord." The imperial messenger bowed and took his leave.

Back to his thoughts. What was he thinking of again? Yes, it was about American military capabilities…

——

Ecith Kingdom

Deep within the aptly named Hydra Forest, there lived an enormous beast who hunted for food every hundred years. It would hunt for a year before returning to its hidden cave dwelling to hibernate, allowing its food sources to repopulate. The titanic monster would, from time to time, engage in mating rituals, attracting other hydras lurking in the ocean below, who have remained in the water mostly due to their subsistence on oceanic life, unlike their counterpart who dominates the Hydra Forest. Mating calls are produced in a very high frequency range, audible only to a few types of Gaerran fauna. One day ago, the terrestrial hydra slumbered, and would have done so for the next 70 years.

——

"What kind of world has insects this big?!" Emma shrieked as she swatted a large fly with the butt of her rifle.

"You wanna tell her about the time with those spiders?" Dr. Jones asked.

Just hearing about this made her experience a most unsettling feeling, yet her curiosity was more powerful and she asked away. "How big were the spiders?"

"Massive. Probably the size of a horse. And there were a ton of 'em. If it weren't for Jones and Kel, we wouldn't all be standing here right now," Henry recounted.

Just thinking of a spider that large sent shivers up her spine. This was truly an alien world, complete with fantasy monsters. As she thought this, a high pitched, screeching roar erupted from a swath of forest several klicks inland. Somehow, despite being an ultra high frequency, the birds within the region took to the skies, as if they didn't need to hear the roar in order to sense the danger.

"What the hell was that?" Henry asked.

"Probably what we were sent here to find," Ron replied.

"Damn. Lamarr, radio back to command and inform them of the situation. C'mon, let's keep moving toward the mountain range. We still need to investigate that beam of light."

——

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