The American In Another World
Chapter 46: American Diplomacy
The American Sea, 300 Miles West of California
Persistent rumbling shook the chassis of the Type 35 passenger jet as the Mirishial aircraft struggled through heavy turbulence. The subtle buzz of the magic engine inside the plane radiates through the cabin, providing ambient background noise. This sound was initially annoying, but dozens of flights helped the Mirishial delegation to eliminate the noise.
A fat man cleared his throat as he reviewed documents about the United States. Taking his duties seriously, he only stopped as bells rang out throughout the cabin, signaling an announcement from the pilot. “Minister Phiam, I just received a manacomm message from America! They requested that we stay on our current flight path and receive the escort they sent.”
"Watchers?" Phiam spoke to a miniature manacomm mounted around his head. “Well, let's do what they say. We don't want to make an unpleasant first impression.”
“Understanding, Minister. I'll convey your wish to the Americans.”
Satisfied, Phiam paid no heed to it anymore and returned to his studies. Intrigued by what escorts he may have seen, he analyzed documented data on American aircraft. Although they are often likened to Mu aircraft, Phiam sees no resemblance between their general design. The only characteristic that American aircraft have with Mu aircraft is that they are mechanical. He read further, discovering many rumors that American planes can travel faster than sound.
His ego felt challenged by this possibility. Science somehow surpasses magic? It doesn't make sense, he thought. Nonetheless, Mu's rapid innovation and the rapid dissolution of the Parpaldian Empire suggested otherwise. He looked up from his papers, finding Rydorka sitting opposite him. “Say, Rydorka. You're famous enough to predict the extent of foreign military technology. Does the 'supersonic jet' rumor seem reasonable?”
Rydorka rubbed his taper ears, gathering knowledge for hundreds of years to answer the Minister's questions. Before he could answer, a gust of strong wind shook the plane. An announcement from the pilot later followed, indicating that the escort had finally arrived. In silence, they watched two sleek silver engines soar upwards, disappearing from view before returning to the Type 35 side. Looking out the window, Rydorka saw the pilot of one of these planes waving towards him, and he came back.
"I think it should answer your question, Minister."
Phiam nodded slowly, his mind still realizing that the rumors were indeed true. “Kurasa. In that case, it seems like I need to reevaluate my strategy, now they have proven themselves more advanced.”
“Didn't they do it during an interview with MNN?” Rydorka asked.
“Their items are of high quality, but do not reflect the level of their technology. I was impressed with their bombers, but I suspect even Mu could develop such weapons, given a few years. Overall, I didn't get any surprises from the interview it was — just some slightly impressive notes.”
"I see," said Rydorka. He looked out the window as their ship went down, intrigued by the incredible diversity of ships below. Separated by flaming buoys, the ships followed a path that was appropriate to their technological level. An organized line of American yachts, steamships, and cargo ships filled the port, demonstrating the rapid revitalization of the American economy. “We will be landing soon,” Rydorka said, his gaze fixed on the large field of large aircraft below.
Phiam said with great surprise. These otherworldly people continue to surprise him with their technology, each time eroding his fragile ego. “Even we have not expanded our flight infrastructure so far..
——
Washington DC
"Not enough," sighed a desperate voice. “We need to accelerate our infrastructure development in Quila. We've cut five years from our fossil fuel stores and new mines in the Midwest aren't enough. All FAANG companies complain about chip shortage, and consumer price index starts to get out of hand.”
“Quilans starts to be wary of our aggressive expansion. We can't force ourselves too hard, or we can undermine the trust we've built with them,” a quiet voice speaks.
Lee leaned back in his chair, thinking of alternatives. “Secretary Heiden, is it wiser to remind Quilan of our generosity, or better to bribe them with technology? I know they are curious about the radio tower..Maybe we should offer them communication technology?”.
“I'll suggest the latter, sir. I can do it right away and send you a list of materials and technologies that we can use to bribe Quilans.”
"OKAY. Oh, and Gordon, how's the Mirishial delegation doing? I heard they were supposed to arrive today.”
Secretary Heiden turned around. "Oh, they'll be at the airport in a few minutes."
"alright. Give them the same tour we gave our guests from Mu, then have them fly here in a few days so we can start a business.
Heiden nodded. "It will be done, Mr. President."
After he left the room, Lee scanned his surroundings. Several other secretaries are still present — along with the Vice President and the Chairman of the House of Representatives — ready to guide the future of the United States. “Alright then,” Lee stood up and squirmed before sitting back down. “Time to clean up the papers piled up on my desk. Miss Schiefer, how's the new budget?”
An old woman replied, her age reflects her time in Congress. “Same as always, Mr. President. The committee is poised to sign more stimulus checks and relief funds for our hardest-hit businesses, but we are already starting to see the impact on inflation and consumer price indexes. Mr. Moss should be able to explain in more detail.”
Lee clasped his hand and placed his chin on it. "Hm. We will soon receive payment from the Parpaldians, now that their government has been rebuilt. Is it better if I ask them for comparable payments in raw materials?
"Hmm" Moss tilted his head. “It will alleviate some of the shortcomings, but if I remember correctly, the Republic of Parpaldian lacks many of the lighter materials such as silicone.”
The Vice President spoke up. “How about the magic gem? Can we ask Parpaldia for a magic gem and use it to trade, as these items have a higher valuation beyond the so-called 'Civilized Areas'?
"Jacob, you may be interested in something .." muttered Lee, his mind was already working at high speed to extrapolate a solution involving magic gems.
“Vice President Coleman, such an exchange could work. We will have more effective purchasing power than if we only used Parpaldian gold. Maybe you can use this gem to lure Quila? Moss looked at Lee.
“Yes, maybe. Alright then, I will secure the payment in gold and magic gems, gold so that we can finance the factory in Louria and magic gems in exchange for materials. Mr Hubbard, what do you think?”
A clean-shaven gray-haired man replied. “The Commerce Department will see the efficiency of this exchange and I will send you a report at the end of today, Mr. President. However, I suggest focusing on resources found outside the Topa Kingdom. Maritime surveys have found an incredible store of resources, from oil to heavy elements like uranium. I think there's more stuff in the interior, but first we have to clean up the monsters that inhabit that region.”
“Interesting,” says Lee, share a view with Coleman. “I don't think we'll get too much disagreement from Congress,” he turned his attention to Speaker Schiefer, “Will we?”
He chuckles. "Of course not! It may be some of the newer pigeons and progressives, but they are an extreme minority. They can shout about colonization and imperialism, but I am sure they will see the benefits that the American people will feel once we go through this. It would be a little strange, because we are not officially declaring war on any country. To be honest, I don't even think you need congressional approval for this, but I'm going to start a proposal, just in case .”
“I appreciate that, Miss Schiefer. Robert,” he turned to the big black man by his side. “Start gathering intelligence in the region. We can use the resources up there.”
——
San Diego, California
“Their intelligence and wealth never ceases to amaze me,” Phiam said sadly. He looked out his hotel window, saw a brightly lit skyscraper looming like a beacon in the darkness of the night. “I almost admit that these Americans are superior to the Holy Mirishial in all things except magic, but even in that they catch up quickly. They may be magically incompetent, but they seem to already know how to use the rudimentary magic gem device. It has been months and they have produced a modified manacomm booster and magic cooler! Imagine what they can do in a year!”
“Imagine what we can do in a year,” Rydorka said. Details about their new creations are unclear, but I know that they use scientific principles to enhance existing magical technologies. Maybe we can try it, and empower our technology by making it more efficient.”
Phiam's defeated appearance fades as his proud spirit finds the firewood necessary to reignite. “It.... awesome insight! Rydorka, you're phenomenal! Once we arrive at their country's capital, I can start negotiating to get their knowledge!” He rose up with his grin and fist in the air, then lost his courage. “However,” said, sit back, “I need to discuss with Your Majesty. I must be vague, to allow American interest to flourish while we work on a decent trade. ”.
Rydorka continued watching the Phiam monologue and explained his plan, occasionally nodding.
“... and it reminds me, Americans have kindly allowed us to see an air show and visit one of their museums. I hope that Technical Officer Baeluno can get some information from this activity.”
"I'll definitely remind her once she gets back from the library."
Phiam hummed curiously. "It looks like he's used to navigation here."
“She told me that she knows how to use one of their phones. I can only count a few times when I see a student as fast as him.”
Incredibly, Phiam answered, realizing the implications of scarcity, especially given Rydorka's age. "Why did he go to the library instead of the bookstore?"
Rydorka shook his head. “He wants to write some notes. He had gone to the bookstore before. He was told that he could buy books, but he could not return them. Evidently, the Americans sifted all the cargo out, but I think this only applies to ships. Theoretically, we should be able to keep some books on our plane.”
Phiam smiled cunningly. "remarkable. It's really incredible. It won't be much, but it's a start. All right, if he doesn't come back within an hour, make sure to pick him up. We have a great day for the tour tomorrow.”
;)