Preamble | Chapter 0

Prologue

Europe. It is the homeland of many nations, the birthplace of many empires, and the scene of countless military conflicts. But this is not the Europe we know. First of all, Eastern Europe did not suffer so much from the Bolsheviks before the Second World War. And the Second World War itself lasted less, Germany, although with significant territorial losses, remained united, and the brutal racist policy was not fully implemented. Also, the countries of the socialist camp were more independent than in real history. The USSR could not maintain absolute control of its territories for a combination of certain mysterious and not so mysterious reasons, so a certain democratization took place. This allowed, in 1991, the newly created countries to form as states more quickly. The European Union, after its creation, developed almost identically to our reality, but there were significantly fewer opponents, including among the ruling elites and the people. This made it possible in 2019 to unite all European countries under one economic bloc, which would later become a military bloc. After the collapse of Russia in 2023 (in real life, there were separatist movements that wanted to secede, but for obvious reasons they were crushed), Ukraine, Belarus, Finland, and the Baltic countries took a certain piece of territory. Subsequently, they became the most anarchic in Europe, peacekeeping troops were deployed in part of Russia, which is now a country controlled by the European Union. Of course, this situation could not last forever, so the peacekeepers were withdrawn and the locals were given self-government. As for other parts of Russia, the following states were formed: The Siberian Republic (independence guaranteed by all EU members), the Caucasus Federation, the republics of Chechnya, Dagestan, Tatarstan, Mongolia (later annexed by - guess who), the Far Eastern Republic, and the Republic of Karelia.
The next 13 years (2023-2036) passed quietly, but the world was surprised by several important things. First, China has begun to actively expand in Asia, quite humanely, one should say. Secondly, the idea of technocracy has gained popularity in the Scandinavian countries, and because of this, the government in these countries has changed to a technocratic one.
Third, this period was marked by the formation of the European Confederation, a military, economic, and political bloc that offered even greater inter-integration for the EU member states. Military initiatives were not the only ones - a massive infusion of funds into science and the technology industry began. The countries with the largest scientific expenditures are: the Scandinavian countries, Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Portugal, and Iceland. Fourthly, the first model of a fusion reactor outside the ITER project was built and tested ( https://youtu.be/mZsaaturR6E)! It was built by certain European and American TNCs. The results completely dispelled the idea that this energy source was unprofitable and extreme. An urgent council of humanity was convened. After the presentation of the previously described scientific inventions and some others, it launched a universal declaration on unified human space exploration. This means equal participation of states in updating the grid of interstate satellites, building colonies on the moon to create the first space outpost, and mining Helium-3 to provide the Earth with fuel for fusion (link). The international community has also considered the Skyhook project (link), which is being implemented by several government agencies of the European Commission, the United States, the South American Union, and the Federated Republic of Oceania.

The following year (2037), the Scandinavian countries amazed the world by uniting into the Nordic (or Scandinavian) Federation. Now the royal families of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden have political power (not absolute, of course), thanks to the royal council. This federation also has a certain form of epistocracy - "Value Voting". Voters vote exclusively for the ends of government, not the means. At the same time, technocratic governments should develop policies that realize these goals in the best possible way. In Eastern Europe, namely in Ukraine, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Belarus, technocratic revolutions broke out, and they can be called bloody with a stretch, because most of the military actions took place only in Belarus. As soon as the blood was shed, the EU began to demand a ceasefire and peace talks and debates. This happened, but only in Belarus. During those very talks, which were broadcast on free resources, it turned out that the proposals and demands of the technocracy were not as terrible as propaganda and stereotypes portrayed. Soon, the above-mentioned countries adopted the ideas of technocracy and techno-nation, and democracy was replaced by epistocracy - Multiple Voting. Proposed by John Stuart Mill in the XIX century, the system is based on the general proposition that having the right to vote does not mean having the right to an equal vote. Everyone has at least one vote by default, but those who can pass an exam or receive an education receive additional votes (the weight of one vote can be zero). Belarus, albeit through a coup, has gained a technocracy. Nothing lasts forever in such a changing world, not even humanism. Yes, the boring humanism is finally leaving us - wave goodbye to it. Now smile and look at its replacement - transhumanism (link). There are almost no supporters of humanism left in the EU, but its replacement is rapidly becoming popular in other parts of the world.

Over the next six years (2037-2043), all European countries abandoned democracy in favor of epistocracy, in one form or another, and embraced the ideas of technocracy, transhumanism, and techno-nation. At the same time, the initiatives of the EU and the EC were merged, which led to the restructuring of European countries. The first celestial hook of its kind was built (https://youtu.be/dqwpQarrDwk), albeit in the orbit of the moon. It was justified by two things: after the first colony was founded, cargoes appeared that should either be sent to the moon or sent to the earth. A new space station has been built, but not just one, but two! The largest American-Asian-Oceanic (meaning the United States, the Federation of Asian Provinces, and Oceania) and European-African-South American. The unification of the EU and the EC contributed to the creation of a single secret service, the RPC (█████████ ████████ ███████). It manages a special research bureau: the Science Pantheon Lab, a center for the study of anomalies. Its scientists have found strange new particles: they just appeared out of nowhere, their number was only increasing, and only over Europe. Judging by the results of experiments, this is a unique method of interaction with the outside world. It is somewhat similar to the use of nanorobots, but different

At this time, the United States was in the midst of a new crisis, and in order to overcome it, it had to reduce its influence in other parts of the world. China, and now the Asian Federation, would soon control Korea, the Philippines, Indochina, Mongolia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Kyrgyzstan in full or almost full control. A war is brewing...

In 2045, a united America recognizes the government of the African Reich, which was immediately met with diplomatic condemnation. On March 6 of the same year, America and Africa began a war with the Federation of Asian Provinces (China). The advantage was on the side of the aggressors. Then the EC began to support the eastern "ally" with volunteers, but America and Africa noticed this, which led to an immediate declaration of war by the EC. World War III began...

By May 30, Europe had lost the southern part of the Iberian peninsula, Sicily, and the territory of Bulgaria. At the same time, the project of common European military doctrines was introduced. Over the next two months, all the seized territories were returned, and the offensive in North Africa began: Tunisia was occupied, as was northern Morocco. Unfortunately, we lost the Falkland Islands, Greenland, and Iceland. Since a naval invasion could have been launched from there, the British doctrine of sea dominance was applied.

Despite the desperate defense of the African troops, their losses reached an exorbitant 3 million, and after the huge cauldron in the Middle East, this number was 5 million. This enormous number was secured by heavy losses. About 798 thousand personnel were wounded and killed in this operation. The war soon turned into a positional war. Attacking through the desert was foolish, and continuing on, albeit with air support, was suicidal: the infrastructure was severely damaged. The only acceptable solution was to gain complete air superiority, which would have been easy if not for the comprehensive support of the United States. Bombing of Europe was frequent, but the scientific leadership seized 22 years ago still gave an advantage in the effectiveness of countermeasures. . However, industry was inferior to Asia and America, and other countries had more human resources, except for the Federal Republic of Oceania (FRO) and the South American Union (well, what was left of it after the emergence of proxy countries sponsored by the United States).

In the east, the situation was much worse. Japan was a special autonomous region of the Asian federation, although not only it but the entire eastern coast suffered from constant naval invasions and raids. Some parts of the coastline were even controlled by the enemy. A treaty was concluded with the ocean: they were given the territories of Indonesia and some islands and rights to resources in certain areas of the Pacific Ocean in exchange for ending the war and switching sides.

On August 29, a joint Asian-Oceanic amphibious operation took place in Ethiopia. The next day, European troops made a breakthrough in Western Sahara. Within a week, the front line in North Africa shifted by about 1500 km. There was also a breakthrough of the eastern flank near Egypt. As a result, the front line approached the equator. The generals were already celebrating the success of the African campaign. The following month, the African Reich surrendered.

On September 14, the implementation of the "Two Walls" plan began. It means a naval invasion on the coast: the Federation of Asian Provinces on the west coast of the United States, the EC on the east coast, and Oceania on the territory of Chile occupied by the OA or the United States (all of which are the United States). On October 25, 2045, a comprehensive truce was signed. America collapsed, and as a result, the South American Union regained all its territories, including Panama. Iceland, the Falkland Islands, and Greenland were returned to the EC. A puppet government of the Canadian Confederation was also created, which, in addition to the territory of Canada, includes Alaska and all the states of the United States with which it borders. The united America itself is divided into an independent United States with the territories of Mexico and the territories of Central American countries without Panama. The Federation of Asian Provinces has taken over California, lower California, Oregon, and Nevada. Africa is divided in a somewhat more interesting way, with all of North Africa, along with the Sinai and the Suez Canal, belonging to Europe. A puppet government of the Saharan Republic was created. Oceania took Madagascar. Asia grabbed the territory of Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, part of Sudan, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and retained the entire Middle East. All other territories of the African Reich were transferred to the control of the EC, namely its vassal state, Attica.

4.12.2045. Special Order of the EC Parliament:
● The Presidential Committee of European Leaders, the O5 Council, is established;
● A direct order for the RPC:
○ Disclose all data on the unknown particles discovered in 2041 (henceforth referred to as el_MAGI-MMXLI) to civilian research centers. However, prevent the disclosure of [data removed];
○ To encourage scientific institutions to study ways to use, counteract, destroy, and otherwise interact with el_MAGI-MMXLI;
○ The RPC Intelligence Department to start surveillance of the Federation of Asian Provinces.
● Resume pre-war space exploration, request lunar colonies to provide full reports on the protocol [data redacted];
● Analyze the military experience of the last war and use it to supplement military doctrines and the research base of such scientific institutes as artificial intelligence and neural networks, computer vision, . . (imagine a large number of names here);
● Break through the Asian/Chinese firewall. Implement the "reality is illusion" plan;
● Relevant specialists and institutes should start designing an earthly celestial hook (https://youtu.be/dqwpQarrDwk) - the results should be coordinated with the scientific council;
● New strategic allies are the Canadian Confederation, the United States, the South American Union, and Oceania.
In 2047, an amazing thing happened - the global average temperature dropped by 0.84°C. And the satellite grid was completely updated to meet modern standards. Tensions were growing between the EC and the Federation of Asian Provinces (FAP or FPA) over zones of influence, the space hook project, hostile policies, lunar colonies, and more. On March 7, the EC hosted a government-initiated scientific conference. The results of the el_MAGI_MMXLI experiments were reported. According to the new information, it is possible to interact with the above particles in practice. The 4th Advanced Scientific and Technical Department has built a device capable of reflecting them: hypothetically, it can be modified to create an anti-el_MAGI_MMXLI, according to the new term - anti-el_M_MMXLI. The Institute of Theoretical Physics has presented us with a hypothetical model of how to interact with el_MAGI_MMXLI, although it requires a much higher concentration of these particles in matter than we will have in the coming years and decades. The University of Technological Medicine, after conducting experiments on various living beings, convinces us of the relatively low danger at the current density of el_MAGI_MMXLI in the environment. Nevertheless, an increase in their concentration can cause pseudo-radiation sickness. The First Eastern European University of Biology and Chemistry proved the hypothetical possibility of this.

17.7.2048 Special report of the RPC intelligence department. The use of highly effective biological weapons by the FPA was observed. The "Terracotta Army" is a group of armies characterized by the use of experimental stimulants and inventions outside the standard set by soldiers. All information from the documents obtained is systematized and stored.

On August 7, 2048, the "Last War on Earth" began. On August 8, 743 missiles were launched towards Europe, and of course the air defense system neutralized them... as much as possible. Only 93 missiles reached Europe. As it turned out, they were biological weapons. This gesture of war was seen by the government and people of the EC as a demonstration of their ruthlessness, unjustified cruelty, complete disregard for both international treaties and the idea of civilian non-involvement in war. The FPA has taken a step towards the abyss: now the troops, no, not only the troops, but also the people are inflamed with that old feeling that has not been felt for about a century - absolute hatred.
Okay, let's get back to biological weapons. In the vast majority of cases, these were re-engineered viruses, like influenza, and less often bacteriological weapons. The population in the infected regions died extremely quickly. Part of the army was withdrawn to protect uninfected regions. Samples of biological weapons were immediately delivered to specially prepared laboratories. The brightest minds in medicine, biology, and chemistry were studying them. To do this, some specialists were transferred from studying el_MAGI-MMXLI. The search for an antidote began immediately. A week later, 5 ways to counteract the infection were presented, rough and not very effective, but... the only ones... so far.
At the same time, the Asian army did not stand still: the Bulgarian territories were ceded, but a line of defense was established along their border. The defense of the Transcaucasus was difficult-some territories were ceded, but in general the front remained almost in the same place. The Ural Mountains, the border between Europe and Asia, were breached, and Russian troops were unable to hold out under the onslaught of the FPA troops. After such a rapid offensive, the enemy received many prisoners of war. The 2nd Ukrainian Army Group moved to the breakthrough areas of the Ural defense line. Upon arrival, a protracted battle began: the Ukrainian army was forced to delay the breakthrough of the attacking FPA troops. The FPA army outnumbered the allocated number of soldiers by 3.8 times. But we should not forget what happened earlier - the use of biological weapons. Absolute hatred is not a fleeting feeling. Every soldier lost something after this act of unjustified cruelty, whether it was family or friends or something else. No one now thought to show sympathy for the FPA. The local population in the occupied territory also shares these feelings. They are trying to pass on to their own army accurate information about the location of enemy troops, logistics points, and the whereabouts of officers.

Now, a little about the operation itself: Ukrainian troops are to stretch along the front line as much as possible and act according to the tactics of active defense. After containing the enemy's offensive mood, a passive offensive is launched, and when there are less than 7 hours left before the friendly troops arrive, the offensive will begin with medium intensity. However, things did not go according to plan: local residents reported to us that about 120,000 Asian soldiers had arrived, with at least 56,000 pieces of equipment moving with them. Therefore, the phase of active defense continued until the immediate arrival of the allies. An experimental air flotilla [data redacted] was sent to help eliminate the breakthrough. The fighting was fierce: the numerical superiority literally destroyed our divisions. But... the enemy washed his hands of our blood.
Somewhere near Kazan

"Reinforcements will arrive in 6 hours - we have to keep going..." - bomb explosion

"Come in, base, this is 76, we've lost strategic advantage - let us retreat.... Base, this is 76, we've lost strategic advantage, allow us to retreat...?" The radio operator turns to the junior lieutenant and looks at him with a look of anxiety and fear. At the same time, the lieutenant stood there with a stoic expression, turning away and looking toward the battlefield. After a tense silence, he said: "Tell the frontline regiments to take up the most favorable defensive positions and hold them to the last. Meanwhile, try to contact the other divisions and coordinate with them..." - his voice began to sound anxious - "Contact the base in 5 minutes, if you fail, tell me." The lieutenant came out of the field command base, although he seemed calm, but his trembling could be seen up close. "If we retreat, there will be an opportunity for a cauldron, and this will make the defense even more difficult. Now there are 2 and a half enemy troops for one of our divisions, and if the boiler is made, the situation will be worse than ever. AND WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO ABOUT IT! Everything is already hanging by a thread - and here we are losing the frontline headquarters! If we retreat, if we surrender, we will betray everyone. If we retreat, if we fail..." - a smile appeared on his face" - "If.... No, I will not surrender. Neither I nor my soldiers; we will stand as long as necessary!". Now he began to laugh, quietly, maniacally: "And indeed, if...". Now he went to the regiments that were resting after the battle. He had a difficult task before him - to rouse the soldiers to a desperate defense, but he knew he could do it, because they were all loyal to the European nation, to their country, and knew enough to realize the consequences of their actions."
It was a suicidal defense. No one had the right to retreat after the order "last stand". Yes, it was cruel, but it was the only way out. The fighting was fierce: no one could gain an advantage, the sky was flickering with constant explosions and gunfire - it turned into hell. Meanwhile, there are 2 hours left before the reinforcements arrive, but this is not a reason to give up - the defense will stand to the last!

It's time to change the hot spot - let's turn to other parts of the world. North America has become the scene of the greatest betrayal in recent years - the United States... which remained independent and enjoyed enormous support from the EC and Oceania, stabbed its donors in the back. But they dug their own grave - the people rose up: they saw with their own eyes what help they had received, what freedom they had been given, what hope they had been given. The uprising quickly spread to all regions of the United States, with the greatest damage on the East Coast: US troops were cut off from supplies, and it is not easy to be in a region where every other local can kill your soldiers. After the prompt intervention of the EC Expeditionary Force and regular Canadian troops, the cauldrons were closed, with no casualties. Although at first things were in favor of the EC and the Allies, later, due to the peculiarities of the landscape, the offensive slowed down and became very slow. This situation on the front did not satisfy the high command. Then General Sanchous suggested using volunteers from the local population to help us prepare the offensive. This idea, of course, received a flurry of criticism, but some generals and a marshal were interested. A few days later, the first deep penetration group was fully prepared and sent out as soon as possible. Success, surprisingly, was not long in coming: constant secure communication with the population on the other side of the front was established. Two months later, in October, a detailed plan of attack was ready, and the aviation was informed about the location of the hidden infrastructure. At the same time, we received reliable information about the 69,000-strong FPA army, with the main characteristics of the divisions as next: heavy armored vehicles, MLRS, and LORA; the aviation is dominated by multi-purpose fighters. This has forced the postponement of the plan to a later date, preferably when the Asian armies are disorganized due to the movement to their positions.

Now Africa and the Middle East, no lands have been given up, and even more so, we have seized new territories: Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Sudan. There is only one problem: Attica has rebelled. Now the EC has to redeploy Spanish and Italian reserves. Moreover, some troops have been caught in the encirclement. They will hold out for a while, but Attica must surrender as soon as possible. To achieve this goal, it is ordered to apply the P.U.B.G. protocol (according to this protocol, 100 groups of four specially trained commandos will perform an airborne assault operation in the country's capital ____. All soldiers are equipped with a universal lightweight exoskeleton with a set of protective equipment according to the Special force equipment class_remoteSuicide standard, including a set of P-f stimulants; optoelectronic devices of universal class modified for long-term use, a set with 3 different types of weapons: The first is little_killer, containing an automatic sniper or assault rifle, submachine gun, single-shot grenade launcher or pyrotechnics kit; the second is uggra_h3, containing a handgun, or assault rifle, single-shot or disposable grenade launcher, pistol; the third is sni-var1, containing a sniper rifle, submachine gun, pyrotechnics kit; or a large-caliber sniper rifle (up to 9 kg with ammunition) and a submachine gun. If a specific model is not specified, provide weapons that meet the requirements by classification. After providing the weapon, if possible, fully equip it for comfortable operation, it is possible for the owner of the weapon to select the modules).

1.11.2048
On the orders of O5, RPC takes control of the [data removed] fleets recently sold to the PAC (Anti-Asian Alliance), according to the [data removed] agreement

Over the capital Attica

"Prepare groups 40-60 for landing," the loudspeaker said. The officer got out of the cockpit. Now he has to make sure that all the rules of safe parachuting are followed. He is confident that everything will be done perfectly, after all, he is not dealing with recruits, but with experienced soldiers, most of whom have airborne experience. But he was worried about something else: 'Why are they being sent on such a suicidal mission, haven't they found other ideas? Yes, of course, there will be fifty of them, but still...' - he could not get rid of these thoughts. Meanwhile, in one of the groups(53):

"How many of us do you think will return as the 200th?" - said a man with a noticeable Russian accent.

"Not so many, every 5th group at most. By the way, you can speak Russian if it's easier for you." - said the second, who was getting used to the new equipment.

"Yes, you can speak in Russian, we'll understand you anyway, and besides, we'll stop hearing your accent." - said a soldier with brown eyes and a small smile, which no one could see through his balaclava anyway.

"Well, then," said another member of the group, "maybe we should introduce ourselves?

"Serafim Zhukov is the Federation of Eastern Ruthenia (certain territories of European Russia), former leader of the FSB infiltration group" - said the man who started the conversation

"Ivan Kerna - Ukraine, a veteran of the airborne assault troops" - said the second man, who had been fiddling with the equipment all along.

"Miron Kozlovski - Belarus, captain of the armed forces". - A brown-eyed merry man.

"Now it's my turn, Lukasz Nowicki - Poland, a fighter in the elite paratrooper corps" - The fourth man said as he exhaled and invited everyone to introduce themselves.

"And why are we doing all this when the 'brochure' has all the names of the team?" - Serafim said, speaking in Russian.

"After your name is written down in three ways, and each of them is wrong, you'll understand" - Lukas said in a half-serious tone.

Suddenly, sirens sounded and a loudspeaker announced: "80 seconds to arrival - everyone get ready!" Conversations instantly died down and the gear was being packed up - a chaotic but somehow calming sound....

Capturing the capital of an enemy country may seem like suicide, well, it is, but these 400 people are here to capture the ruling elite and generals and then evacuate. To ensure positive conditions for the mission, the largest number of drones simultaneously controlled by ROY were deployed. In general, "SWARM" is an advanced artificial intelligence technology developed thanks to huge funds poured into science.

The drones used for the support were built under the European Future Combat Air System program. The composition of the drones is as follows:
● Hetman D-com. Its function is to control the Swarm, meaning that Hetman directly controls each drone in the Swarm. But it is piloted by a human, who is able to make adjustments to the swarm.
● 6-free ATsriker is a UAV developed by private companies such as Airbus. The main task is to destroy targets with an air-to-air attack. The first variation includes two sets of swarm missiles, 22 high-speed homing missiles, and a light machine gun. The second modification, unlike the previous one, contains a small-caliber autocannon, the same two sets of swarm missiles, and 8 high-speed homing missiles.
● hoi4_tatcBbr is a drone developed with the assistance of both corporations and the European Confederation. This device is used for two purposes: ground support and strategic bombing.
● The ###l3l06h is a kamikaze drone, a hybrid of the "most practical Illyrian drone" with a conventional reconnaissance UAV modified for long-range flights. The "most practical Illyrian drone" or Sui_LD is a kamikaze drone designed in accordance with the principle: minimum cost - maximum benefit. Everything in it is as rational as possible. Of course, this meant sacrificing range and more, but its low-cost production and relatively high efficiency made it a dominant player in its field.
● M_stamod-Lb is a typical attacker developed by a collaboration between TNCs and European countries. Several modifications are used at once.
All of the above units will deter enemy groups. The ratio of bpl is 28:137:263:400:300.

2.11.2048
Parts of the internal negotiations of teams 41-60:
"41 in place, waiting for 10". - Over the next minute, teams 41-50 arrived, "one third has arrived, heading to target location a3".
~~~~~~~
"Two thirds have arrived, we are creating favorable conditions for one third."
~~~~~~~
"Targets are marked. Two-thirds start the storm, one-third prepare for deep penetration."
"Vizier will come to the rescue."
~~~~~~~
"a3 not confirmed, b3 received; 44, 49 minus. We expect a crisis".
"Two-thirds agree; b3 satisfies you?"
"In full."
~~~~~~~~~
"Two thirds of the base, when will the terrible judgment come? Sinners are pulling me down."
"Wait..., the angels are far away. The saints have not gone to heaven."
~~~~~~~
"Two-thirds are stopping the storm, minus 60, 51, 56"
"Two thirds agree, one third will be released for a walk."
~~~~~~~~~~
Signal flares appeared in the sky, a sign of the imminent arrival of the envelopes, or the appearance of saints marking the arrival of angels. Meanwhile, the RPC agents sent in advance made contact with the paratroopers, and several "critical infrastructure attacks" were prepared.
~~~~~~
"One-third, anti-drone unit destroyed, minus 58. How was your walk?"
"Two thirds, join us: we're having fun."
"The team agrees."
~~~~~~~~~~~
Two-thirds, namely 53, have a personal conversation.
"Fuck, that's all the stimulants. Who has more? " - Seraphim.
"Be patient," Lukas said with anger and fatigue, "we'll get out soon".
"What patience? I have four holes in me, and he says be patient..." Suddenly Ivan interrupted Seraphim: "Hey Yerzhan, catch this," Seraphim caught it and wanted to say something, "Now shut up: you are not the only one who has new holes in his body."
"I take it there's no need to joke about 'working holes'?"
"Fuck, Myron, shut the fuck up!" Serafim shouted into the radio.
~~~~~~~~~
The retreat of troops from the capital of Attica with the help of convertiplane.

During the retreat, a1 (president), c2 (less than half of the ministers), b3 (prime minister and presidential adviser), a4 (a certain number of influential senators), a5 (certain tycoons) b5 (half of the top generals), a6 (foreign attachés), a7, a8, a9, a10, a11 (undercover agents), b12 ([data removed]) were delivered ....

The surrender of Attica was not long in coming - it happened the following week. They would have held out longer if the media hadn't shown the new prisoners in some unknown way, not on the direct orders of the top, and this had already started a chain reaction.

On November 1, in addition to the previously described capture of targets, the North American front launched a "people's" offensive. As expected, the enemy's defenses failed, except for literally fortresses with MLRS that burned all living things. Disorganized units were sometimes captured by guerrillas.

At the same time, the South American Union (S.A.U.) entered the war. It immediately launched a series of destructive attacks on seaports and cut off the FPA troops from supplies. To our surprise, the soldiers surrendered quite quickly. The radicalized locals suggest immediate execution of prisoners is an interesting proposal, but we follow the rules of war.

November 8. The Ural Front is returned to its pre-war form. The Middle East is under our control. Some of the pre-war territories of the FPA in Africa, along with a tiny part of our Attica, have not yet been recaptured. The P.U.B.G. plan has been recognized as effective, and recent preparations to neutralize the Chinese firewall have been successful. The "reality is illusion" operation (a huge hacker attack that will neutralize Asia's digital infrastructure and reduce the effectiveness of its armed forces, including air defense) will begin as scheduled.

09.11.2048
A special report by scientific institutes and Prometheus Lab.

The bacteriological weapon, namely the virus used in the August 8 missile attack, has a low degree of interaction with el_MAGI-MMXLI. Experiments conducted, documented, and stored at [data removed] have presented three variants of interaction:
● Inactivity - when exposed to any dose of el_MAGI-MMXLI in 60% of cases.
● Cure - occurs when exposed to high doses of el_MAGI-MMXLI. Usually, the probability of such an event is 5%; increasing the dose leads to an increase in the probability of cure. The final proportion has not been formed.
● Increase in virulence - at medium and higher radiation doses occurs in 10%. The chance of increasing virulence is directly proportional to the probability of cure.

The increase in virulence due to irradiation may be a way to produce the same virus used on August 8 (now called vira lecten).

Already 10 million people have died, and quarantine conditions are the most stringent in the last 2 decades, even under coronavirus restrictions. The only available and most practical way to fight vira lecten on a human scale is vaccination according to a special protocol, and artificially improving immunity. Currently, this is achieved with a patch injector.

The bacteria (temporary term - 1-bw_bact) contained in 16% of the missiles that landed are almost completely immune to antibiotics. Based on information from medical institutions, we concluded that we are dealing with superbugs. In cases of medium and high complexity, bacteriophage treatment should be used (https://youtu.be/YI3tsmFsrOg).

Scientists have found a way to control small amounts of el_MAGI_MMXLI, combine them into streams, and direct them. Dr. Leitzer invented the general hypothesis of the reflection of these particles. And Dr. Heckrog synthesized the first anti-el_M_MXLI. Details of the synthesis are in the document [Redacted].
The production of antimatter has become cheaper again, and experiments with its use have become more frequent.

The "sky hook" is ready for construction in outer space (according to the council's order, it should wait until a safer airspace situation is established). The team at the orbital station has been instructed and prepared for the installation of the Sky Hook.
The theoretical Tsar Bomba has been manufactured and is in full readiness. THE CONTROL OF THE THEORETICAL TSAR BOMBA IS CARRIED OUT DIRECTLY BY THE MEMBERS OF THE O5 COUNCIL.

Prometheus Lab:

The location of the constant appearance of el_MAGI-MMXLI - OBJ-0 - has been found. It is located at [data removed]. Due to its relative location, the research is very difficult. It is recommended to conduct comprehensive research on OBJ-0 after the end of hostilities.
The nature of el_MAGI-MMXLI turned out to be even more mysterious: Dr. Leitzer and Dr. Vaclav discovered the possibility of new subtypes of el_MAGI-MMXLI. For the time being, research on this topic has been reduced in priority.

RPC's emergency appeal.

The presence of thermonuclear weapons in the FPA is confirmed. The location of one warhead is known. The FRO have entered the war on our side, though not officially. Now the South American Union and Oceania are preparing for land and sea attacks on the FPA. The flotillas previously "sold" to members of the anti-Asian alliance are fully under our control. The inspection of the long-range railguns showed no deviations. We are waiting for permission to help the troops of Oceania and the South American Union.
Permission granted

As of November 20, 2049.

North America is secured. After the Oceania fleet blocks the sea connection with the metropolis, the FPA colony is quickly captured. The line of the Ural Mountains is broken through, and the troops continue to move slowly into enemy territories. The Middle East front captured the territory of Iran, trapping 5 divisions in a cauldron near Tehran. The North Asian and South Asian fronts have merged. Now there is a continuous front from Siberia to Pakistan. Allied or Coalition troops captured Indonesian and Malaysian territories and the southern part of Thailand.
On December 13, 2049, the operation of the northern offensive began. In the process, many lands in North Asia were captured. Due to the redeployment of enemy armies, the European Army was able to completely capture Pakistan and Afghanistan, and increase its holdings in Central Asia. The Allies possess a large part of India, most of Indochina, and the Philippines. Soon, the Japanese islands are attacked by our flotillas, which participated in a series of naval battles to destroy the FPA fleet, and by the Coalition's amphibious units.

On January 10, 2050, the FPA lost 67% of its territories - Siberia and the Far East, the Japanese islands, Taiwan, and Central Asia were taken away from them.

On January 29, 2050, the FPA shrank to the area of China. Hong Kong and Macau easily surrendered to the Coalition forces after being bombarded by our flotillas. The Himalayas stopped the European-Oceanic offensive.
On February 3, 2050, the FPA offers peace, of course they have done this before, but now they threaten to use strategic weapons. The top generals and the O5 council have ordered the immediate acceleration of the FPA's surrender, with the "reality is illusion" information attack to begin either on schedule or in an emergency.

Two weeks left...

The Battle of the Frontiers is a series of battles along all the borders of the Federation of Asian Provinces. Now the entire enemy territory can be attacked by airborne troops.

One week left...

"Reality is illusion" is being fulfilled. Now experts are looking for the location of strategic weapons stockpiles. The results are inconclusive, but we have identified who the "keys" are. We are allowed to "calm down" the local population: we have too little time.

Only 4 days left...

They found 74 bunkers, 43 of which are large enough to be located under military bases, while some are relatively small and far from populated areas. Therefore, the use of anti-bunker bombs and chemical weapons is authorized.

Only 3 days left...

O5 Council

O5-01 - representative of Scandinavia (Royal Council or its representative) O5-02 - Chancellor of Germany, O5-03 - Prime Minister of Great Britain, O5-04 - President of Iberia, O5-05 - President of France, O5-06 - President of the Alpine Confederation, O5-07 - President of the Danube Federation, O5-08 - Prime Minister of Illyria, O5-09 - President of Greece, O5-10 - Prime Minister of the Benelux, O5-11 - President of Poland, O5-12 - President of Ukraine, O5-13 - President of Italy, and O5-14 - President of the Baltic Union, O5-15 - President of Belarus, O5-16 - Prime Minister of the Federation of Eastern Ruthenia (officially the Federation of Eastern Ruthenia and the Peoples of the Western Urals).

O5-04: "So, today we are discussing a dangerous situation that arose 11 days ago: the FPA government, or what is left of it, is threatening to use strategic weapons if we do not agree to a peace treaty."
"Do they still want a white peace?" - O5-08 said with a note of fatigue.
О5-05:" No changes... how do they want to get consent when we have basically surrendered them."
"Yes, they capitulated to the point where they are threatening us with a 'nuclear winter' - O5-02.
"Enough about that, it's time to think about solving this dilemma," O5-09 said nervously. "We captured several bunkers, most of them are not interesting, but there are 3 quite interesting ones. They are connected to the main or main bunkers. Besides, we've been contacted!"
O5-06 almost fell out of his comfortable chair in surprise.
"Let me guess: they are demanding immediate peace?" - O5-10 said and smiled falsely.
О5-09: "Surprisingly, no. Instead, they offer to disclose the coordinates of the main storage facility, of course, for a price...".
Q5-10: "Billions of dollars, endless drugs, a harem of virgins or...".
О5-11: "Should we leave the FPA independent and put them at the top of the government?!"
A sudden silence enveloped the hall.
О5-11: "Are these really their demands?"
O5-09 said with a small smile: "Yes!".
O5-12: "I don't see any reason to be happy: it's the same thing as it was before, or you, O5-09, didn't tell us something."
O5-03: "O5-09 did not say one important point - they do not demand a white peace, but want to surrender, with certain conditions for redistribution of the world," he continued after a short pause. - "First of all, these conditions are still quite favorable, but there is one problem - until we kill some of the political elite, the threat of a 'nuclear winter' is still with us."
"Well, that's not all the information," O5-05 replied coldly, "according to the negotiating team, for the best course of action, we need to destroy two huge bunkers, the location of which will be known after the revolutionaries' proposal is agreed upon. I think it's possible to break through a few surface levels, but things will not go well from there. If it drags on, the use of strategic weapons will be inevitable."
O5-06: "Okay, I think we should agree that this is just the only good option." Everyone nodded and O5-06 passed the order. Now we just have to wait.
"Now that we've dealt with that, I recommend looking at the situation with vira lecten and 1-bw_bact. The total number of deaths is 12 million, an impressive number to say the least, but that's not the problem," everyone looked at O5-07 with interest, "the main problem is mutations caused by reassortment with other viruses."
"As far as I remember from the school curriculum, this is a natural process and there is nothing strange about it. " - said O5-12.
"That's the problem: it's a natural process, so it goes away on its own, and this can cause a new pandemic." - О5-07.
О5-01: "Do we have any way to counteract? "
О5-07: "There are several options, but so far doctors have settled on the option of monthly vaccination. If a new subspecies of vira lecten appears, it will also be studied and included in the vaccine. In the meantime, the doctors are waiting for our support to implement their plan."
О5-08: "This could hit our economy and stability. "
O5-13, after a brief reflection, said: "Don't forget that we have moved away from the market economy, albeit partially, so we have nothing to fear, there will be no crisis."
After drinking a glass of water, O5-07 saw the eyes of the other council members on him. "What?" he asked anxiously.
О5-02: "You started it, you finish it. "
"Good. Medical workers have been given extra 'attention'. Forced euthanasia of the 'hopeless' is allowed," O5-07 sighed. - "Anyone disagree? After 3 seconds of silence, O5-01 poured himself some water, breaking the silence with the depressing sound of water. "Since everyone agrees with O5-07, we can move on to a few more pressing issues. I think everyone knows about the 'sky hook'," the audience nodded. - "The Space Bureau has confirmed its readiness to launch the components into orbit and subsequently collect it, but our situation requires a delay in the project. Are there any objections? "
"No, no..." - the audience said almost in unison.
"Then I want to rejoice with you: as of today, field specialists have already found 50 missile silos with nuclear weapons. Experiments have been conducted with them, the results of which are very useful. Leaving aside the details, the FPA keeps in constant contact with the nuclear warheads. Thus, if the signal is lost or not received for a certain period of time, the warhead carrier is launched at the last entered coordinates, or the warhead detonates itself. - Everyone looks at O5-01 in surprise. "Don't worry - it was determined by analyzing the electronics, there are no casualties. "
Suddenly, the screens of the tablets built into the table lit up. A high priority message had arrived. Everyone immediately looked at the screens. It was a request from the negotiation team to connect them directly to the O5 council for direct talks with the "revolutionaries". The request was obviously granted.
"Colleagues, please put on a headset from the boxes under the table to the left of each of you," O5-04 spoke in a pompous, businesslike manner. "I hope you remember the slogan of the free Internet of the European Confederation."
O5-01: "Of course we do," the others nodded slightly, "we had a hand in its creation.
"Please finish your conversations and confirm your readiness." - A few light darts across the screen and the O5-04 began a straight line. The silence in the room was broken by an unknown voice: "Good afternoon, EC leaders (the name "O5 Council" was used only within the European Confederation, and it was presented to the world as a summit of European leaders, this name sounds less suspicious and secretive), I am glad to see that you have responded to my request." A sharp silence fell on the room because all the members of the E5 are erudite enough to know that silence is sometimes the best answer. "My name is John Xina, you are already aware of my demands, so what is your answer?" Again, silence, oppressive silence... then suddenly O5-04: "Good afternoon to you as well, I hope you know our names?", a short "yes" answer came at the same moment. - "That's good, now let's get down to business: your proposal is extremely beneficial to both sides, but what is the guarantee that your side will successfully carry out the coup?"
"And what is the guarantee of compliance with the terms of the FPA's surrender? Neither you nor I can give each other any guarantees, so we have to take our word for it. Or you can always try to do it yourself. "
"John Xina, I'm glad to hear you say that, obviously we have to cooperate. Now let's get down to the details of the coup. Do you need our help?" - O5-04 said, although because of the voice changes, all the council members sounded remarkably similar.

"The main power elite that controls strategic weapons is located in 7 bunkers. In 4 bunkers, my supporters have an advantage, but not an absolute one, so there will be a small uprising there. According to the security protocol, these 4 bunkers will lose control of the missile silos to prevent them from being captured by the rebels. One more storage facility in Mongolia, the coordinates have already been transferred, please seize it. It's a so-called control bunker, it doesn't have access to the strategic arsenal, but it has a significant role in this little play." - After taking a breath, John Xina continued enthusiastically. -" Another bunker, in the capital, is where the current leader of the FPA is kept. Neither we nor you will be able to capture him. But with a working regulatory bunker, we will be able to take advantage of the gap in the system and declare a state of rebellion in their country. This will mark our victory." - the "revolutionary" said almost shouting.
"You have exceeded our expectations. Please keep in constant contact with the negotiation team. We will fulfill our part of the agreement, but please provide us with the exact location of the 'capital' bunker. That's all... good luck to all of us."
............

Only 2 days left...

a civil war broke out in the FPA. So far, everything was going according to plan: the task force arrived at the Mongolian bunker. The assault is expectedly difficult, but generally successful. A "gift" from the god of death, the destroyer of worlds, is on his way to the "capital" shelter.

Only 1 day left...

The regulatory bunker in Mongolia has been captured, and consultations with rebel specialists are underway. The "gift" has been delivered to the "capital". Workers on the ground are already installing it.

15 hours left...

"Dear John Xina, we cannot declare the 'capital' bunker in a state of rebellion. Someone has fixed a system vulnerability," one of the rebellion's supporters said in a trembling voice.
"What...? GET ME ON THE PHONE TO THE NEGOTIATING TEAM IMMEDIATELY!" Scared to death, his subordinate could not even move. "I said immediately!" Another shout brought the insurgent to his senses, and he immediately ran to fulfill the order... possibly his last. The negotiating team reacted quickly. The President of Iberia (O5-04), as the President of the European Confederation, had to deal with this himself, unfortunately... it was simply not practical to call others, unfortunately.
"John Xina, I've been given a general statement about the current situation. How can we help?" - Sakarbik Enrique, was not a perfect politician, he was just good enough not to be replaced at the beginning of his career. Of course, so many years of work have given him a huge amount of diverse knowledge and experience, so now this man is perhaps the worst enemy in the political arena: he has tied up both outright radicals and annoying and overly proud liberals. Now, in his 2nd term as president of Iberia and his first as president of the European Commission, he has to make a decision that will determine the fate of the world.

"The capital's bunker needs to be damaged, and not just with anti-bunker bombs, but with something more ambitious. I don't care if it's an assault or something else, but it's the only way to save our world."
Sakarbik Enrique replied with a stony face: "There is one option, but you might not like it."
"I am ready for anything now!" - the future leader of the FPA said emotionally.
"After the first level of the bunker was captured, I instructed the relevant persons to install a weak nuclear charge there. "It was a last resort, but we had no other option." - The President of Iberia contacted the technical staff working directly with him. - "The order of the President of the European Confederation is to fire on target C!" All he heard in response was "YES". Meanwhile, John Xina was horrified by recent events: not only by the use of nuclear weapons a century after the last, but also by his willingness to accept it. 'I may have condemned myself to eternal torment, but... to hell with it. Morality is invented by people, and they will break it.

13 hours left...
"Capital" bunker.
A crime against humanity... That's what the UN would say if it existed. In the future, this act will be considered a way for the ruling elite of the FPA to avoid the court.

The nuclear explosion quickly damaged the bunker, if not half destroyed it. The revolutionaries were able to use its near-complete incapacitation as a sign of rebellion; they were the only ones with access to strategic weapons. It was time to "surrender".

It remains ...

The peace conference was held in Hong Kong. The first statement was from the European Commission - they announced the liberation of the FPA and handed over certain territories to it, of course, those requested by the rebels, now called the Republic of Asia. To say that this caused outrage would be an understatement, yesterday's allies became yesterday's worst enemies for hours. It all ended on a positive note: Oceania annexed Hindustan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, part of Indochina, Macau, and Burma. The South American Union took over the Philippines, Central America, the southern territories of the United States, Taiwan, northern Vietnam, Hawaii, and Japan. The European Confederation took Western and Northern Siberia, Turkey, Transcaucasia, Lebanon, Hong Kong, and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Kotzebue, Anadyr, and Magadan as military observation bases. Governments were also established: The Far Eastern Republic, the Transcaspian Khanate, Persia, and the United Arab Emirates.

On February 28, 2050, all wars on the globe officially ended. Soon, a council of humanity will be held to discuss further unification of the Earth under one banner and other problems and challenges. On March 14, the "sky hook" was finally launched into orbit. This feat was watched by the entire planet: numerous live broadcasts, news, photos, articles, videos, and footage from outer space! The operation began on the 17th of the following month; the cargo ship[7] with a record amount of payload is heading to the Moon to unload, pick up industrial products and return back, again using the "sky hook". Everything is getting better, and even the former enemies do not feel hatred against each other. On June 28, 2050, a summit of humanity was held. Not only politicians but also various famous people were invited as witnesses. The summit itself discussed the post-war order of the world and announced the impossibility of further development of humanity in fratricidal wars: "Any next war will be the last! The world community is obliged to prevent new wars between people; we are facing perhaps the most important event for our entire species - its complete unification. Therefore, we, as the unified council of humanity, the successor to the United Nations, declare the abolition of International Humanitarian Law!" The faces of everyone present could be described as a spectrum from extreme surprise to outright hatred. The next few minutes were spent on realizing the earlier phrase, and then a flurry of criticism fell on the speaker. "Stop immediately!" the speaker shouted for the fourth time. - "ENOUGH!" The crowd, which was still furiously expressing its indignation, was now silent. "Finally, *sigh* please listen to me. Wars between humans are almost banned, according to the document we will release after the meeting. Again, according to this document, all countries of the world must officially conclude non-aggression pacts with other countries." - Seeing the incredulity on the faces of the audience, he continued. - "Okay, let's draw an analogy: why do we need laws regulating slavery when it is prohibited? So why do we need laws regulating wars between people when they no longer have a place in this world?" The room was filled with nods of agreement. - I'm glad to see that. So, the issues are resolved. I am announcing the closing of the 3rd Humanity Summit!"

"Let's drink to not becoming radioactive ash" - an unidentified high-ranking official at an unofficial celebration after the third council.

In 2051, the consequences of the use of biological weapons in Europe were completely eliminated. However, the list of mandatory vaccinations has been expanded by one or two items. The company's SpinLaunch kinetic launch system is also built on the moon. It sends cargoes to Lagrange points or to Earth orbit, from where they are picked up and delivered to the ground or continue to be operated in space. Humanity has also been able to improve the ways of interacting with matter on a cellular scale (we are waiting for biological weapons that react to certain nucleic acids (DNA, RNA). There is talk of colonizing Mars.

Science Pantheon Lab report

Dr. Elmar, together with Drs. Heckrog and Leutzer, were able to construct a device that could convert el_MAGI-MMXLI to anti-el_M_MXLI. They called it the E.H.L. synthesizer. Dr. Waclaw's team actually invented a device to easily determine the amount of el_MAGI-MMXLI in the environment - the Waclaw meter. Its readings have revealed relatively higher amounts of el_MAGI-MMXLI over the territory of central Europe, so the E.H.L. synthesizer will be placed under the flows of these particles. An anti-el_M_MXLI counter is being developed.

2052. The Attica Protectorate is reformed into an independent state. "Arms Revolution" - several different discoveries in chemistry, physics, and related fields have significantly improved the characteristics of weapons and made their production cheaper, and new weapon designs have emerged. On March 9 of this year, a treaty on the prohibition of wars between people was signed at the United Nations Humanity Council. On this occasion, the practice of compulsory military service is no longer found, but contract service still exists. After numerous studies of various scales, Universal Basic Income (UBO) was introduced in the European Union in 2017, and is still being tested in other countries. The installation of E.H.L. synthesizers continues as needed.

The year 2053. A "small" technological breakthrough has occurred.
Self-guided bullets. Filled with tiny sensors, the .50-caliber bullet can quickly change course in midair, giving even mediocre shooters sniper-like accuracy with the ability to easily hit moving targets. The price does not allow for frequent use.
Solar panels with an efficiency of more than 30% have become commonplace, as research is underway to cross the 42% efficiency threshold.

The production of camouflage uniforms has taken a big step forward. The ability to conceal the wearer through the implementation of invisibility patches based on a structural protein that common squid use to change the color and reflectivity of their skin. This protein, called reflexin, operates at the same wavelengths as night vision systems.
Replacing silicon with graphene in a variety of devices. When it is cost-effective and promises to increase efficiency, silicon is replaced by graphene. Although the industrial production of graphene is new, it is developing at a significant pace.
Graphene supercapacitors are also being actively introduced. The startup, which made the Solar Impulse 2 solar-powered airplane back in 2015, has been constantly developing its solar airplane project together with numerous companies, and has now presented the 5th aircraft of the Solar Impulse series. Arcflash labs has introduced new civilian electromagnetic acceleration guns: Gr-5 anvil H, Gr-5 anvil (continuation of Gr-1 anvil) despite numerous statements about the ineffectiveness of the development. A new generation railgun, the Birkeland, was also presented.

2054. The colonization of Mars will take place in 2056.

Science Pantheon Lab's report was sent to the O5 board.
The entire territory of Europe, Greenland, Iceland, part of Turkey and the Transcaucasus are covered with E.H.L. synthesizers. anti-el_M_MXLI is more susceptible to external manipulation. According to the general hypothesis about el_MAGI-MMXLI, if there is a way to manipulate the environment through el_MAGI-MMXLI, it requires the presence of el_MAGI-MMXLI in the object of interaction, or its sufficient concentration outside the body. In the presence of anti-el_M_MXLI, the interaction with el_MAGI-MMXLI is complicated, as the anti-particle seems to act as a "negative gravity" element for the ordinary particle. The OBJ-0 studies did not yield the desired results. Only the increase of radiation through it and the change of its location became known.

The year 2055. Prometheus Lab.

The radiation of el_MAGI-MMXLI has increased many times - E.H.L. synthesizers are on full power; in case of an emergency, please use the underground doomsday shelters.
April 2055. The research probe is sent to OBJ-0. During the flight, it will pass through it and use Wenceslas sensors.
May 3, 2055. Radiation has increased even beyond the hypothetical limit. On May 5, a state of emergency was declared. The population had known about el_MAGI-MMXLI and related things, except for some classified data, since 2041, so they obeyed. After numerous educational reforms, the population really became more critical thinkers and stopped looking like a mindless crowd (a bit of utopia, I know).

06.05.2055. Red light enveloped the EC just after sunrise. Europe has been moved to a "brave new world" but they are resisting....
(https://youtu.be/4TRjevBJMJc change usa on European confederation)

Terra incognita | Chapter 1

View Online

Part 2

Terra incognita

It was a quiet, calm morning in May. Caroline was already awake and enjoying a freshly brewed chai tea on her new coffee maker. She lived on the fourth top floor of her house. Her apartment can be called a penthouse, no wonder it has a terrace. Such a house is not cheap, but her job as an interior designer gives her enough money, although it can only be called easy from the outside, and UBO helps. In general, it is possible to live on a single income, but work is also rewarded. "In 26 minutes, it will be sunrise. I hope I woke up so early for a reason." Minutes passed like seconds, and the alcoholic coffee drink in her hand helped her ignore the morning chill.

The sun appeared over the horizon. 1...2...3.... Red light flooded her hometown of Leba and Karolina lost control of her body.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It took a few seconds for Karolina to realize her surroundings. She was still at home, in a comfortable chair, with a half-full glass of coffee on the table. Suddenly, her smartphone screen lit up. She immediately reached for it, and when she picked it up, a synthesized voice began: "Do not turn off your device. This is a security alert. This is a security alert from RPC, in cooperation with Science Pantheon Lab and the European Security Service. The entire territory of the European Confederation and its dependent lands have moved in space. Please remain calm and avoid panic. If you are indoors, do not leave unnecessarily. If you are on an airplane or watercraft, please take all possible measures to return to Europe; this message will be repeated on radio frequencies after this message ends. At the moment, a state of emergency of the highest order has been declared throughout the EU. Please remain calm."
"As if I had a choice." Outside, ambulance sirens and, soon after, police sirens sounded. "Ummm, okay, I'd better stay home: it looks like the situation outside is not good."

An hour later, at the emergency council of the O5
...
O5-01: "We have moved to another planet!"
О5-13: "I will tell you more: we do not know whether all our possessions have been transferred and whether there are any other states from Earth here. In addition, no artificial radio waves have been detected, except for our own."
"Either intelligent beings here have not reached a sufficient level of development, or the planet is not inhabited by intelligent beings." - O5-12 said.
"Why don't you consider the third option with a highly developed civilization? " - asked O5-06 with genuine curiosity. "Think about it," began O5-11 smugly, "if there had been a highly developed civilization here during the time we have been here, they would have noticed us, or even made contact. We haven't detected any alien radio signals with satellites before...".
"Did the space infrastructure move completely with us?" - O5-02 interrupted.
"So far, the presence of 2, that is, all, space stations has been confirmed, 76% of the total number of satellites, including Starlink. Some satellites have fallen out of orbit and will burn up in the atmosphere, but their share is small. By the way... the moon and the settlements on it moved with us."

There was a moment of silence.
О5-02: "This is good news. I hope the sky hook and the loads in the Lagrange points have not disappeared?"
О5-04: "The hook is with us, there is no accurate information about the rest."

With a bit of anger, O5-12 said: "Can we continue...? Okay, silence is a sign of agreement. So, for now, let's focus on the options of no civilization or its low development. О5-04, how should our people behave in case of contact, I doubt that the existing protocols are suitable?"
O5-04, aka Sakarbik Enrique: "Sure, but why the big fuss?" The answer was not long in coming: "Magadan, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Anadyr, Kotzebue are cities that became our military bases. They could have moved with us, and if so, we have no contact with them. Probably at least one of them could have moved relatively close to the habitats of an intelligent species. Otherwise, sooner or later we will encounter the locals, if they exist."
О5-04: "Let's raise the priority for this. Does anyone have any other topics to discuss?" After waiting a few seconds, Sakarbik Enrique continued: "The state of emergency continues; I will convene an emergency council on European affairs in an hour and you should be present. By the way, organize an extraordinary meeting of the parliament in 4 hours."

Alexander Bakti is formally a special member of the European Parliament and a special ambassador, but in fact he is an assistant to the O5 Council and the "creator of Scandinavian technocracy." His biography may surprise you: he was born in Ukraine, moved to the United States at the age of 16 after completing his secondary education, where he lived for 6 years, then moved back to Europe, namely Norway. In 2033, he began to actively support technocrats, and later gained great authority among them. In 2036, his presence was noticed as a representative and one of the leaders of the technocratic party. In the following years, he ceased to stand out, but his significant support for the creation of Scandinavia and the initiative of a European confederation did take place. So now he is what he is - a technical specialist and a politician at the same time, of course he is not the best at everything, but his wide range of knowledge and experience still make him a valuable person.

Today, he, along with several others, was summoned by the leader of the O5 to participate in an urgent council on European affairs.

The Emergency Council on European Affairs has yielded results. First of all, the resources that are not extracted by open pit methods have recovered to some extent. Oil and natural gas fields have "recovered" their reserves by about 80% of the theoretical maximum. This applies to fields on the shelves in the oceans, and yes, this proves the transfer of not only land but also part of the seabed. The method of recovery is interesting, as it created an additional layer of rock to isolate the fields. At the same time, communication with Greenland and the moon colonies was restored.
A number of issues have been selected to be included in the agenda of the extraordinary session of the Parliament

The extraordinary emergency meeting of the parliament required the presence of all MPs, even special ones. In addition to the parliamentarians, the leaders of the EU member states were present. An incredible thing happened at this meeting: no disputes arose, and even the right-wing accelerationists fully supported the proposed initiatives or made adjustments to them like others.

In short, a course of relative adaptive isolationism was adopted. The use of "recovered" resource deposits has been resumed. Aerospace exploration of the planet's surface will take place; the lands directly adjacent to the borders of the EC have no restrictions on the type of exploration. The colonization of new lands is allowed only with an affirmative response from: the European Council, the E5 Council or European leaders, the EC Parliament. When locating the locals, do not make any contact without a good reason and do not give away your presence. Military units along the borders should increase their combat readiness. Shipping on the high seas is limited. All foreign citizens can obtain European citizenship. Moon colonies now fully report to the EC, as the only country participating in the pact of mutual assistance in the study of outer space. Science Pantheon Lab is tasked with studying the anomalous properties of this world and the causes of displacement.

The Internet is now partially functional, but important data has been saved, along with thousands of zettabytes of other content.

May 7, 2055, the day after the transfer.

Science Pantheon Lab has discovered some changes in the environment. Anti-el_M_MXLI in all known relocated territories has formed a clear structure that prevents el_MAGI-MMXLI from entering the EC; E.H.L. synthesizers are currently inoperable due to a significant lack of el_MAGI-MMXLI. Also, an incredibly large content of el_MAGI-MMXLI has been discovered in the environment of the planet on which we are located, but their properties differ from those observed on Earth (therefore, there is a need to rethink theoretical terminology). This matter cannot penetrate the anti-el_M_MXLI shield, although their counterparts could do so at higher abundances. EC scientists suspected the cause of the transfer to be el_MAGI-MMXLI. The public scientific community was called upon to study the nature of this matter at all costs.

15:00 on May 7, 2055. Brussels. Speech by the President of Europe - Sakarbik Enrique.
"Dear compatriots, we are facing the greatest challenge for humanity - to survive in this unknown world. But remember who you are. You are Europeans, no matter what ethnicity or nation you belong to. We are one of the cradles of civilization, one of the best through the ages. We will not bow down to difficulties, but conquer them. Our history is a constant struggle, constant conflicts with nature or with other people. This struggle, in all its manifestations, for life and the future created humanity. And we, as representatives of Homo sapiens, are the only ones on this planet who will repeat the feats of both eras: The colonization of the moon, which is the eternal satellite of the Earth, and the Great Geographical Discoveries. Just as the first explorers stepped on the lunar soil, and just as the first sailors stepped on the sand of the coast of an unknown land, we will take the first but confident step. I know it will be difficult, painful, and tiring. However, if the motto of humanity is per aspera ad astra, then we will be able to preserve the heritage of our native land and use it in the best possible way. For the sake of life, tomorrow, and ideas, we will not only survive, but also dominate this land!"

08.05.2055. The beginning of the Ural exploration. The territory up to 700 kilometers from the conditional line of the mountains survived in the best condition; the local population is now being checked. approximately every next 100 kilometers, 10% of the infrastructure is lost and people disappear in whole groups. After crossing the 1400 km mark from the conditional border of the mountains, no people or signs of their presence were seen. Instead, the area in southern Siberia looked like a cold desert, with the exception that the soil had become clay. Further ground exploration in this area is prohibited. Aerospace reconnaissance reports a large area of desert land stretching from southern Siberia to the former Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (now conventionally designated as Zone 2). The research corps was ordered to explore Zone 1 (700 kilometers after the Urals). The expeditionary department of Science Pantheon Lab is on the same mission. In advance, all people must use personal protective equipment of increased safety (such as a chemical protection suit).
The southern borders of the EC, the territory of the Middle East, have suffered greater losses, and instead of an Arabian peninsula, there is a sea with numerous small islands. The eastern borders of Persia (Iran) differ dramatically in vegetation: broadleaf forest covers about a third of the country (east and southeast). Among the African possessions, only the territories of Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Libya, and Egypt have been moved - all of them have been partially moved, almost all of the desert part has been replaced by water. Their relief does not correspond to the true one. Climate change is also expected here.

Greenland, at first glance, has been completely relocated. The Canadian Arctic archipelago has also moved quite accurately, but no traces of humans have been noticed, unlike Greenland. Natural conditions at this stage of research are not too different from the norm.

The Biological Threat Department has not yet detected any new living or non-living matter that could harm people. Foreign satellites that have been relocated are now being brought under control.

RPC Special Report

2 civilian airplanes went missing, and due to their small size and remoteness from us, it is reasonable to assume a plane crash. As for our continent, the existence of another intelligent civilization has been confirmed: newly created satellite maps show traces of intelligent life. These are usually roads, villages, cities, and farmland. The population of the planet could not be accurately identified, but the absence of any artificial electromagnetic waves makes us believe it is underdeveloped.

On May 11, 2055, the main lands of Europe return to normal life, with full recovery taking about a month. The Persian Forest is declared a high-risk area. The Science Pantheon Lab expedition discovered a huge number of el_MAGI-MMXLI. Also, E.H.L. synthesizers are able to work in the environment, but with lower power. Presumably due to the lower "charge" of el_MAGI-MMXLI. The newly created Anti-el_M_MXLI do not differ in properties from those synthesized on Earth. This classification will soon undergo revision due to a significant number of inconsistencies and the discovery of subspecies of these particles.

Report of the Intelligence and Study Services together with the RPC

Thanks to the European Space Agency, the Confederation General Intelligence Service, the Ministry of Defense, and the Science Alliance of Europe, we have received a huge amount of useful data. Let's start with the moon that existed here before us. It can be identified as an asteroid or meteorite by its size. So far, its trajectory has not damaged any space infrastructure, but otherwise the space body will be destroyed or otherwise lose its dangerous nature. Returning to the asteroids, three of the 2055 asteroids have been delivered to close proximity to Earth and have been transferred with equipment on them. The mining probes will be ready for launch in May.
The newly captured military satellites have ammunition and equipment for kinetic bombing. All other vehicles have no unexpected characteristics and are described in the document [data redacted].
The planet we are on has 5 continents. Moreover, there are no analogues to Antarctica.

The local population on our continent has been identified as animals of the ungulates or horse-like order. They are similar in proportions to horses; they are about the size of ponies. There is no reliable data on the level of intelligence, but we have evidence of the existence of a civilization with medieval technologies, but with some serious differences. The social structure has not been studied. So far, the unofficial names are ponies, miniature horses.

Insect-like creatures morphologically similar to the previously described ungulates are also represented as aborigines. Technological, cultural, and social development is at a kind of tribal level. It is quite possible that this is due to biological features. Speaking of biology, a strange process was noticed that modifies their bodies. One of the hives is quite close to us compared to the others.

The next local species is similar to representatives of the deer family. The proportions are preserved despite its small stature. It clearly shows the feudal system and its inherent technological features. These "deer" live on a micro-mass to the west of us, the southernmost point corresponding to the location of Bermuda, when the northern edge approaches Nova Scotia. No active large-scale conflicts have been detected.

On the third continent, which is ~5% larger than ours, there are 5 intelligent species at once: 3 of them have been described previously and, due to insufficient study, no significant differences have been found, the two undescribed species are griffins and minotaurs.

Let's start with griffins. General morphological features coincide with mythological ones, and there are currently 7 armed conflicts, probably caused by feudal fragmentation. By the way, this species occupies a dominant position on its continent.
Minotaurs. General morphological features coincide with mythological ones. It is located on 3 huge peninsulas; the total area is about 400,000 km². The political system is probably an average between a republic and a feudal kingdom - a class-representative monarchy, but please treat this version as deeply hypothetical. There was also a huge number of slaves. Therefore, a guess has been made about the slave economy of this state.

The fourth continent is the largest. A large area of jungle, monsoon forests, and evergreen broadleaf forests gradually turns into mountainous terrain as the temperature drops. Deserts occupy a significant area, although they are located in the central part of the continent. The population is still the most diverse: miniature horses/ponies, zebras, bison, hippogriffs(?), griffins, yetis, and the exact equivalent of horses have been spotted. There is probably an overwhelming advantage of the rural population over the urban. The situation is different only in the north. There is a clear centralization of countries; the core of any state is a coastal city. There is some evidence of the existence of an underwater settlement near the hippogriff capital, but it is not yet possible to prove its functionality as a real city.

The cities of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Kotzebue, Anadyr, and Magadan have been contacted. They, along with the 17th small coastal defense fleet, are somewhere in the Arctic desert. Currently, the only possible communication is by air. A request for humanitarian aid is being processed.

The site of a plane crash that took place after the transfer was found. The data is contradictory: the country's territory is mostly a flat peninsula, but turns into mountainous, rugged terrain on a small piece of the mainland bounded by a wall. The climate is subarctic, and there is too little agricultural land to feed even the estimated population seen in the open.
Due to the possibility of human survival, which is likely to lead to the disclosure of our existence and some aspects of civilization, an immediate request was made to the O5 Council (after consultation with the military ministries, it was approved with certain conditions) to send the MTF "Truth Seekers", the 5th Northern Reconnaissance Fleet and the Nordica-7 multi-purpose squadron from Greenland.
The report is over.

Two stories: survival and murder | Chapter 2

View Online

Part 3

Two stories: survival and murder

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Kotsebu, Anadyr, Magadan were moved on May 6 along with Europe, not completely, but rather the area close to the coast guard ships. Why did this happen? The ships have already been irradiated by el_MAGI-MMXLI and obviously transferred the matter near them, although this is nothing more than a crude hypothesis. Nevertheless, we have what we have. The first day can be characterized as anarchy, numerous building collapses, accidents, ships suddenly dug into the ground, broken communications, electricity problems, impending famine, weather... weather as usual (subarctic climate before and after). The situation is dire, and the absence of some local leaders has severely hampered the organization of the people, but then Notker Gluck, an admiral in the EC Fleet, temporarily in charge of the 17th Coastal Defense Fleet until the shortage of personnel is resolved. He is organizing an administration for the preservation of humanity, and at the same time his own little autocracy. Of course, the primary goal is survival, but in such circumstances, a strong hand of leadership is not a bad option.

The next day, May 7, 2055, in a house near the pier.
"Mr. Admiral!" said the Rear Admiral Engineer, saluting, "You can do without the sir."
"Yes! The repair teams are made up of soldiers and utility workers. Anadyr, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Kotzebue and Magadan have moved to an unknown territory; all cities are within a 2.4 km radius circle. Temporary tent settlements have been erected to meet the basic needs of the residents. The weather is deteriorating, and technicians report that they will not be able to communicate with satellites for the next two days. The power outages will be fixed by re-equipping one of the submarines, but for now, total austerity has been implemented. We have two Solar Impulse 5 aircraft, 63 operational and tactical level UAVs capable of reconnaissance. Reconnaissance groups are in constant contact with us".
"Thank you for your service, Rear Admiral Edgerton Lotta. You are dismissed".

Not listening to his visitor, the admiral was lost in thought: 'The situation is critical: famine is a matter of time, and literally tearing out chunks of cities has already killed more than 100 people. *sigh*. I was lucky to be transferred: "While your home attack fleet is undergoing a routine maintenance check, you are in charge of the 17th Coast Guard Group, or go on unpaid leave." Like hell I'm going to agree to join another fleet now. God forbid we're the only people here, I'm not a politician or a bureaucrat. Aaaahhh!'

May 8 and 9 were marked by constant attempts by Notker to somehow control the situation, and he even achieved some results, but there is no reason to rejoice. 750 citizens were forced to move to tent cities. Some local professors and teachers, who were obviously not sitting still, tried to see the satellites through telescopes, but the blizzard had its own plans. The Solar Impulse aircraft only opened up another 50 km of Arctic wilderness in all directions. Everything is consistently bad, but the northern reconnaissance team spotted a group of 8 reindeer in the evening of May 9, but in clothes? The Admiral will have to deal with this with next to nothing and 4 chunks of cities threatening to collapse every minute.

On May 10, a group of 8 deer appeared again, only closer. Team North is following them and is ready to open fire. As for their armament, the admiral personally ordered them to be armed with two Gr-5 Anvil and some large-caliber rifles with integrated silencers. It was a strange choice, but when it was necessary not to reveal their firing position, it was more or less justified.

Recording audio communication between military personnel.

"Targets detected at 30°".
"Confirmed, continue to monitor, proceed with caution."
After 10 minutes of observation.
"Objects leave the field of view. Where are they going?"
"I have no idea, but the next 50 kilometers are just cold desert - they must be either crazy or their goal is worth it."
After a minute of observation, the group returned to the base.

The head of the administration was distrustful of the news about intelligent animals, but his opinion will not change anything. "As long as they don't show aggression or excessive interest, don't consider them a problem."

The morning of May 11. Notker was dozing in his temporary office. He might have fallen asleep had it not been for the shout of one of the workers: "The satellites are working!" The Admiral, jolted out of his sleep, flinched and said with false friendliness: "Now again and quietly." The visitor, realizing his mistake, began to speak in a trembling voice; "I'm sorry, Mr. Admiral..." A short silence and a threatening look put his mind in order. "The engineers have managed to connect to the satellites, the signal quality is not the best, but it's good enough for work."
"If the news hadn't been good, you would have been reprimanded, but the apology is accepted". - Without waiting for a reaction, Notker stood up and walked over to the guest and said: "Now take me to those masters."

The connection to the satellite network did not go unnoticed. Therefore, the communication took place as quickly as possible. The head of the administration led the "negotiations" that took place in the combat room of the first-rank cruiser General Gavs. Well, if he was leading, he was rather standing aside and not interfering. The only noticeable movement on his part was a request to provide the administration with fuel, food, and defense supplies, but basically everything went well without him. Surprisingly, his small self-proclaimed country now really has the status of an EC entity in the form of a city with direct subordination, as was the case with Istanbul. "Sir, they are telling us to prepare an airstrip if there is none available, and to tell them more about the meeting with the natives, and to keep in constant contact if possible." - said the operator.
"Tell them that all information about the natives, including the records of the operatives, is being transferred as it comes in, and the runway... we'll use the one in Kotzebue. As for the constant communication," he points to the engineer who brought him in, "you and your team have been working on that? A nod. "Now you are attached to this ship, you will live in the ship's barracks. Your main job is to keep the radio room and antennas as functional as possible; if the operators are out, you will replace them whenever possible."
"Yes, sir!"
Notker stayed in the radio room for another ten minutes and came out. He had a smile on his face.

Somewhere in the endless snows of the Crystal Empire
"What are we waiting for? There are already more than 30 of us, you remember: the more participants in the ritual, the... *sigh* the weaker they are."
"And the fewer of us there are, the easier it is for the knots of harmony to take away our strength!"
"I know, but the number is already sufficient."
"Let's wait another day. Tomorrow, three people should come with some kind of healing sphere, and then we will perform the ritual of destroying the alicorn amulet."
"ALICORN'S AMULET! It has the power of Cadence! Where did you get this?!"
"During the Battle of Canterlot, a few soldiers somehow sneaked into the storehouse of magical items, and I was among them."
His interlocutor gave a small laugh. "It will be hard to lose this battle."

Later that day, the administration sent a 2-stage aerial reconnaissance to the area of suspected local residents. The Solar Impulse 5 TD (transport drones) aircraft conducted a large-scale reconnaissance, while the UAVs conducted a more focused survey of the area. First of all, they studied the route of animals spotted by the reconnaissance team. At a distance of [data redacted], a complex of ruins was spotted.
The operator of one of the drones: "I'm going for a detailed inspection of the ruins."
"The base allows, a carrier of ultra-small reconnaissance robots is deployed near you."
~~~~~~~~
"I see a tent with a campfire, or rather several of them. They all use the remains of buildings as natural defense. Base, is the launch of the 'flies' authorized?"
"No, TMD devices 1 through 3 are allowed."
"Copy that, I'm taking control and launching the flies."

Meanwhile, the "North" reconnaissance group.
"Base, call some bird for us immediately: 4 targets with packages on the horizon."
"Expect one 1678-B in a minute."
"When the eyes in the sky arrive, the ground surveillance stops."
"Yes, it's 'north', describe the people you've been watching so far."
"4 natives, deer. The individuals are seen for the first time; they move faster than the previous groups of creatures. One is wearing a bag with some things, several jewelry pieces are visible. Two of them have a piece of metal pottery, crossbows, a set of arrows, quite possibly with different types of tips, or with poison. The fourth carries a package with a... sphere? All the targets have cloaks, which is probably used for camouflage, although they look pretty decent."
"Thank you for your work, eyes are nearby; please wait for the drone operator's response for further action."
"The base has been adopted; we are ready to get ready."
~~~~~~~

The head of the administration reread the reports: "A group of 32 + 4 locals on the way, located in the ruins near us..." Do they speak English?! Come on, no way, though... oh well; what's next. "The group is imbued with revolutionary sentiments and is ready for a coup d'état in the Crystal Empire. Weapons: 42 swords, 53 spears, about 600 arrows, 29 bows, 9 crossbows." Did the fly operators have nothing better to do? Okay, what else, but the transcript of the deer's conversations. I'll have to listen to it. I have to report to the management tomorrow."
He was suddenly interrupted by the head of intelligence: "Mr. Admiral, may I?" He received a nod and continued. "The natives are preparing to attack the Crystal Empire tomorrow, and they're going to perform a ritual beforehand. We can broadcast the video to the higher-ups."
"This is good news. Tomorrow, as soon as they start working, let me know and contact the technicians attached to the radio room: they will help with the broadcast."
"Yes, sir!"

The next day, at 7:00 a.m., the administration established a direct radio link with part of the EC's top leadership. In addition to the introduction to the case by Notker, 36 revolutionary reindeer were monitored. During the whole day, they performed 3 rituals with the "splitting" of the alicorn amulet, and the "healing sphere", and the enchantment of weapons and armor. After these preparations, 26 people looked tired and sleepy, while the other 10 did not seem to feel the difference. The ten hardy ones began to discuss the plan of attack...

As a result of the conference, permission was granted for soldiers to open fire in case of a threat of attack by these animals; The most detailed map of the capital region that the deer want to take over; A group of diplomats will leave tomorrow and arrive at the same time; In case of contact with any local residents, personnel should call "New Reich" their country.

On May 12, in addition to holding a conference with the administration that lies next to the capital of the Crystal Empire, our troops reached the peninsula where the passenger plane had crashed earlier. The MTF "Truth Seekers" went in search of survivors.
The group is pre-equipped with additional medical supplies and has 4 reconnaissance UAVs with thermal imagers. The survivors were found quickly: they were burning unnecessary items or fabric from the seats to keep warm. The AI of the drones noticed the heat signature of the fire immediately and transmitted the data to the rescuers.
"Alpha House, we are approaching the wreckage; did you get information about the two people?"
"Yes. We are ready to receive the wounded immediately, we are waiting for an answer."
"We've arrived, wait for the signal."
8 people wearing black military ammunition and assault rifles got out of the helicopter. Each of them has a black backpack and a bright red[1] waist bag attached under the backpack.
"Bravo, Charlie to that tent *points to it*, Delta, Echo check the other one, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel check the perimeter."
Three soldiers enter the largest tent.
Bravo: "Three bodies, and obviously supplies."
Charlie: "They died because of their injuries after the disaster, and it was probably a kind of infirmary."
Alpha is dejected: "Okay, let's get out of here."
~~~~~
Delta and Echo approach the second tent.
Delta: "The fire is still burning, let's go in."
The two rescuers went inside through the door, even though it was just a piece of cloth, and were met with a loud scream.
"Quiet, quiet. We've come to rescue you," Echo said in a surprisingly soothing tone.
In front of them sat a man wrapped in clothes and someone else was lying behind a makeshift heat shield. The man recovered in the few seconds the two soldiers were inspecting the tent. "My name is Karl Chap, this woman has 2nd degree frostbite and possibly a fever...."
Delta interrupted him: "Are you two the only survivors, or are there more?"
"Annika should have been looking for fuel for the fire in the rubble, *sigh* another one was taken by those beasts yesterday!"
"Who is more specific?"
"I don't know, they were some small horses, like the living dead. There were four of them, three of them broke a few bones and they fell down, but continued to kick. One, the most intact one, started running away from us. After, I don't remember, 2 or 5 minutes we heard Edgar screaming. Then I couldn't find him after 2 hours of searching. That's when we decided that he was taken by those monsters."
"One eight, survivors near plane 3, two in a tent with a fire and one near the wreckage. Over."
"Foxtrot reporting, another crash victim and three dead natives have been found."
Alpha with two operatives approached the tent where he had sent Delta and Echo. "Alpha House, three survivors are heading your way, prepare the medics. One has been kidnapped by the natives and is probably being held in the fort."
"Get ready guys, we are leaving here". Meanwhile, Delta provided basic medical care to the frostbitten woman.
"Charlie and Beta, stay here in an hour, we'll be back with snowmobiles and other useful things."

A temporary operational base on the peninsula.

Major Sanders considered his plan of action. 'If they haven't killed the last survivor, we don't know where they might be. We'll have to use flies and call in a separate engineer battalion just in case. After briefing the operators of the reconnaissance drones, the mass reconnaissance began.
The first target was the fortress. The Hetman A-com drone dropped an oblong metal cylinder from a low altitude. It immediately released the brake parachutes, and then the main parachute. After hitting the snow, the capsule opened. A bunch of small drones, the size of flies or bees, flew out of it. They all flew to the castle. Its interior was not surprising, everything was quite simple, but more and more decorations appeared on the way to one hall. It turned out that this was the place where the council of necromancers was held, and the "flies" arrived just in time for the beginning. A transcript of the conversation is available. Some of the "insects" sat down closer to the council, while others began to explore the dungeon. Among the numerous cold stone rooms with iron bars, they found our prisoner. There were traces of blood on him, but no signs of torture. An attempt was made to wake up the target. The attempt was successful: the target made contact. His testimony was saved.

In the temporary operational base
"They speak English?!" the insect's operator was surprised, almost shouting. "That's not the weirdest thing, just look at them," his teammate replied. Major Sanders was experiencing the clinical death of his logic. "Colored grasshoppers are half dead... Where have I been..." After standing motionless for some time, the officer finally regained consciousness. "А? Okay, I'll figure it out later. We need to save the hostage, but how? A direct attack will not work: there are too many risks; just waiting is the same. I can't just send diplomats or..." The operation's supervisor ran out of his office and went in search of the chief engineer. When he met his subordinate, he immediately asked where the head of the technical department was. "Mr. Sanders, the chief engineer is here, what do you need? " came a voice from behind the major. The major returned to the target of his search and immediately ordered him to his office. When they both arrived, the major began: "I need help. Can we use 'flies' and the like to put on a 'show' for the locals?"
"Oh, I get it: we need to send another batch of drones with working speakers?"
"Yes, but it would be nice to equip a few more drones with LEDs to create a 'magic fog'."
"The former will not be a problem, but the latter will require some kind of artisanal modernization. How much time do we have?"
"About 20 minutes, even less."
"We'll deal with the delivery later, but for now I'm off to do my job."
"In the meantime, I will find a voice for our play."
"Good luck," they both said and left the office.

Somewhere on the base
"Hey Frank, you're an actor by training, right?"
"And I even have experience."
"Fine, go to the engineering department or to the drone operators and tell them you're the voice of the show."
"You know you can't lie, right?"
"I'm telling the truth, and you'd better hurry up before they find some sucker who can't even put two words together."

Eight minutes had passed since the previous events. Two more cylinders with "flies" arrived. It consisted of about 70 jumbo-sized devices, unfortunately, not all of them survived the landing, but enough. They have already taken their positions in the castle, and the "voice" has already been instructed, and even the speakers have been tested. All that remains is to wait for the "fireflies" to help impress our necromancers. From the negotiations of the so-called "council of necromancers", the structure of this state is already quite clear. First of all, it is not a state at all: it has no permanent population as such. The creatures previously spotted and identified by the locals are dead people "raised" by magic. The head of the ruling elites is Rosa Meledicta, a tyrant, a bloody executioner, who complicates negotiations and forces the EC commissioners to conduct them with an emphasis on force.

Another two minutes passed.
"Frank, are you there?" - a woman's voice came from the headphones Frank was wearing.
"Here, waiting for orders."
"The motion trackers on your hands must be turned on"
"They both work."
"Now move your hands and fingers," he moves his hands and fingers, "yes, they work properly. While you have time, maybe you want to ask me something."
"Can I be on a first-name basis?"
"Only with Rosa Meledikta, and with me," he laughed, "you can do it too.
"Great. Do you know what motion trackers are for?"
"You play a thief, and to make your speech more effective, they decided to show motor skills."
"Well, logically; to some extent, yes."
"The drone check is over, we can start talking anytime."
"Turn on the direct line; I'll tell you when to start."
"Yes, sir!" - The woman on the other side said mockingly.
Frank listened intently to the conversation. 'You have to catch the pause and start with a sinister laugh, as corny as it is.

In Fort Magehold. In the hall where the necromancers' council is held.
The Rose of Maledicta: "...prepare forces to attack the Order!"
*Frank turns on the microphone
"And ha-ha-ha, the little bugs are playing their games! Small things don't deserve a chance to live."
"How dare you," said one of the necromancers.
"How dare I? You vile sorcerers have kidnapped MY slave, and YOU want respect?!"
"ENOUGH, you... appear before us if you are anything at all!"
"Ha-ha-ha.... Rosa Meledicta," she shuddered at the tone of her voice, "if you knew how close you are to death, and I just need to snap my fingers and my army will come here... The smaller drones somehow extinguished the torchlight, and the "fireflies" formed the image of a person, or rather a "skeleton". "...but you are smarter than that, my necromancer filly?"
"It's impossible..., how..., it's impossible to teleport here!" the blood coven supporter shouted. - "The coven master himself set it up! No one has ever been able to break through it so easily!"
"Then I'll go first, huh?"
Rosa gathered her thoughts and began, or rather tried to, but Frank interrupted her: "So, are we going to settle for the return of my slave, or... a brutal massacre by my troops?"
Frank had already begun to imagine victory when he heard the unicorn's laughter. Its horn filled with magic and a purple mist began to form around the human image, and after 5 seconds a giant beam from its horn struck the fireflies' frame and an explosion sounded. [TECHNICAL REPORT: 37 fireflies damaged; 8 incapacitated; the rest that were hit by the beam were not damaged].
"This bungler didn't even try to defend himself," said a bone cult leader.
"Then rivers of blood will cut through the cold earth... You can put up barriers, shields or hide - you cannot escape my soldiers!"
Rose Maledicta, after casting a spell that can destroy souls in their wake, shook, but said: "Oasis Stream, immediately move our troops from the Order here! Addiction Seed, check on those unicorns in the dungeons: we'll have to launch the barrier."
~~~~~~~~
"MTF "Truth Seekers" reports: a transparent barrier has appeared around the sphere-shaped fortress."
"Roger that, observe the situation; if necessary, you will coordinate the bombing or lead the assault and capture of targets."
"Base accepted".
After the negotiations were over, most of the microdrones tried to leave the barrier, but only the smallest "flies" managed to do so. Four reconnaissance UAVs and a Hetman A-com were still hovering over the castle, and they ensured uninterrupted communication."
"Truth Seekers invite a shot from a hand grenade launcher".
"Yes, sir!"
*A shot and an explosion in ten seconds
"The base, no visible damage or structural changes were noticed."
"We see it. I'm sending a biplane bomber. If the barrier is destroyed, prepare for an assault."
"Accepted."
The drone drops a 25-kilogram "firecracker" bomb, and no changes are noticed. The drone is sent to attack again with a 50-kilogram bomb.
"Base, the ponies have gone out on the balcony - we recommend using high-explosive shells."
"Understood, MTF. A special support group is on its way to you - the forces for the assault have been increased."
"Okay, let's go to radio silence."

On the balcony of the castle.
Addiction Seed: "It's just an explosion spell, right?"
Melohan: "The level of the Equestrian Senior Guard". Rosa looked at the old lich necromancer with a sinister grin. "Don't mention that worthless country in front of me..."
After a mild concussion, Addiction Seed exclaimed, "It can't be! 3 unicorns are dead! If they keep going, the barrier won't hold!"
"They won't have enough magic. Sooner or later, they will run out of steam," Melohan said.
Meanwhile, the biplane went into standby mode and the fleet received a request for precision bombardment with kinetic shells of the enemy structure. The response was positive. A few minutes later, there was a roar and the magic shield was penetrated. There was little damage: only one tower was destroyed.
"Eight spellcasters dead, three more on the verge!" - Addiction Seed shouted in panic.
~~~~~

It took several more bombs and rockets to break through, or rather destroy, the barrier. The "Truth Seekers" and their support team immediately went to the damaged fort. The "flies" who remained there helped to reconnoiter the premises. In addition to the man, several necromancers and their "servants" were captured. After a detailed inspection of the building, all working microdrones will leave with the remaining part of the support team.
~~~~~~~~~
"What should we do with these animals?" - asked the commander of a recently deployed MTF (mobile task force).
"We're keeping them in a cell for now, and then the Prometheus Lab team and a few biologists will come. In short, they want to get information about everything from the structure and functioning of the body to magic and the world around them. - Major Sanders said with obvious pleasure. - "It's ironic that unsuccessful negotiations have brought better results.
Unidentified objects were spotted in the southwest. The number is 20474.
"What is it?" the soldier asked. "It must be the army they pulled back from the border. To be honest, I thought it would be smaller, but it's probably just cannon fodder, at least for us."
The "huge army", although it was just the closest troops to the castle, was completely defeated by the Nordica-7 squadron. Meanwhile, SCIENCE PANTHEON Lab was developing protocols for restraining and interrogating captured subjects.
It took only three days to transport the captured objects to the nearest military research facility at █████████. Each prisoner will be studied in such a way as to obtain information about the biological species to which they belong. In addition, "intelligent" representatives of the natives will undergo psychological tests and analysis of their psycho-emotional state.

The following text may contain elements of cruelty and violence.

SCIENCE PANTHEON LAB. Research subjects can evoke empathy, which puts certain experiments at risk of failure. In order to avoid such problems, people who do not have empathy to a greater or lesser extent were involved in the work. All subjects were interviewed by Dr. Dino. To ensure safety, the subjects were implanted with an explosive module and several sensors to track their vital signs. Each subject will be eliminated after (2,592,000 seconds) 30 days unless otherwise ordered.

The first meaningful dialog with subject eques-0RM_del. Dr. Dino is behind a glass barrier in the chamber with the subject. The glass partition is made of impact-resistant glass additionally covered with a film. Real-time audio and video recording is performed. In case of emergency, in order to extract the interrogator, the cell is filled with sleeping gas, and only after the subject loses consciousness, the extradition of one or all of those present in the cell is allowed. In cases where the majority of supervisory specialists consider the release of a captured/injured interrogator to be an irrelevant decision, certain actions may be taken to keep the subject as long as possible. It is also possible, although not recommended, to destroy the subject along with all others in the cell.
Dino: "Tell me your full name."
eques-0RM_del: "By shackling me, you have lost your fear."
Dino: "Please tell me your name."
eques-0RM_del: "Do you want to die? Then I will gladly end your existence!" There was a sudden crack and the ice spear launched at the doctor split and fell to the floor in shards.
Dino: "Once again, I'm asking for your full name."
eques-0RM_del: "Shut up! I will not submit to anyone! I will find a way to kill everyone here!"
Dino: "Everything will end better if you start following orders. We don't want you to die, and it's only your actions that are making it closer. As for our deaths, our master sees death as a temporary state, not a permanent one. And you have already felt his power and you cannot cope."
eques-0RM_del is silent. Suddenly, her horn begins to glow and a dark purple aura appears around Dr. Dino. His clothes begin to rise and he feels like he is in a gravity-free state. As soon as the man rises up, the unicorn's face lights up with a gloating smile.
Dino, trying to adjust to levitation: "Judging by the beads of sweat, you underestimated your resistance to magic. It's a pity you can't realize your situation. Think how much time you'll spend resisting, and how much of your life we'll take as a substitute."
eques-0RM_del: "Torture will not frighten me! Your miserable existence *tense breathing* depends on me and your slow death is guaranteed. *heavy breathing becomes more frequent* Let's get started..." - With these words, the unicorn falls unconscious, followed shortly by the doctor.
The result is unsatisfactory. The injection of a gas with a soporific effect occurred immediately after the projectile was created by the subject eques-0RM_del. Dr. Dino was not physically injured by the subject's actions. To subdue eques-0RM_del, arbitrary influence on sleep patterns, unnormalized changes in nutrition, and control over personal space are allowed. The next interrogation will take place in a week in a cell with built-in Wenceslas sensors and divided into sections, each for a specific type of experiment.

2 days after the failed interview[2]

Dr. Dino conducts another interrogation with another prisoner, eques-4RM_del.
Dino: "Tell me your full name."
eques-4RM_del: "Aeacobus."
Dino: "Hmm. Were you a member of the so-called 'council of necromancers'?"
eques-4RM_del(Aeacobus): "Yes, I was one of them, but *stutters* I was ignorant, a fool who despised mercy."
Dino: "You, Aeacobus, will pay for your mistakes, but answer my questions and avoid another mistake.... Now, what is your position or political will?"
eques-4RM_del(Aeacobus): "I was the chief necromancer of the south, but I had no power, especially after Rosa Meledicta came to power."
Dino: "Did you have any friends or partners who lobbied for your interests and positions?"
eques-4RM_del(Aeacobus): "Only Ms. Lunar Frigid would do such a thing, though she must have had her motives, especially given her nickname of 'succubus vampire' and her involvement in the blood coven."
Dino: "Who am I to you, and who is my master?"
eques-4RM_del(Aeacobus) was visibly surprised and only after hearing the question to the end did he calm down: "You are my benefactor and one of the servants of my new master."
Dino: "Heh, heh, good answer, but don't hope to appease the master: he will, on the contrary, view this sycophancy negatively. Now let's get back to you, to your body. Is your species called a minotaur?
eques-4RM_del(Aeacobus): "Yes... And please, I am ready to give my body and soul if only you will put in a good word for me."
Dino: "Enough! You sound disgustingly worthless. The Master would never have chosen you if it weren't for the will of chance, which is why you're still alive. Your future is uncertain from the moment you resist the Master. Death, life, eternal torment - everything is possible, but nothing will give you certainty. Ahh, let's continue. You are the only one among the 'council' who looks alive, but at the same time you are not part of the coven - explain why."
eques-4RM_del(Aeacobus): "I refused to become a lich and tried to preserve my natural form using coven knowledge and some non-faction technologies."
Dino: "Is there a state entity behind the 'Council of Necromancers'?"
eques-4RM_del(Aeacobus): "A League of Terror, but there are barely a few hundred inhabitants, not counting the mages."
Dino: "So, a territory under the control of a criminal group that has wiped out the local population and then turned them into zombies - it's been a long time since that happened. In the south, there is the Arcturian Order, and you would have to attack it any day now. What is the essence of such hostility and what do you know about the attitude of other countries towards you?"
eques-4RM_del(Aeacobus): *a story about the canonical Equestria at war League of Terror*.
Dino: "Okay, now the language question: What language is dominant in the "council", and what languages are generally the main ones in the world"
eques-4RM_del(Aeacobus): "The 'council' spoke Equestrian, because half of them had somehow come here from Equestria or New Mariland. the world languages are Equestrian, Zulfurian or the language of zebras, Eastern Ponian, although it is very similar to Equestrian, Griffon with its many dialects, Lower and Upper Mountain, and, I think, Sterpevian."
Dino: "Perhaps the last question for today: how do you get into the league of horror?"
eques-4RM_del(Aeacobus): "I thought you knew. My new master used soul magic, and all of them have been associated with the League at one time or another. Did he really bring his magic to this level himself?!"
Dino: "The deadly god... his nickname is all I have the right to tell you, now go on!"
eques-4RM_del(Aeacobus): "...Dark magic draws all its wielders to these cursed lands, and the stronger the mage, the greater the pull."
Dino: "And what about your path, Aeacobus?"
eques-4RM_del(Aeacobus): "I was able to interest you - that's good. I was born in Asterion. At the age of 14, I joined the service, but not just any service, but the allied forces of the Concordat of Free Nations. It was there that I tried wild magic in a hobby club. From that moment on, I spent the next 16 years studying magic. I immediately realized that conventional magic was not suitable for me, and so I studied alchemy, necromancy, blood magic, soul magic, deer spiritual arts, and Zoroastrianism of zebras. At the age of 22, I found my way to the Barradian Magocracy and died there. Before I died, I managed to say a few spells, but I don't remember what they were. After the next raising of the dead, I was reborn in the body and mind I had before my death. After a short rest and a conversation with the Pentarchy, I left this unfortunate place. My wanderings led me to the capital city of Grifonia, where I gained some experience in occultism and soul magic. I met an aristocrat there, and he sent me to the League of Thirst, and I promised to return. The road to the abode of evil took another 3 years. After that, I didn't count the years and just lived here."
Dino: "I hope we will meet again: I don't want to lose such an interesting person...."

The interrogation was considered extremely successful. Eques-4RM_del has now been removed from the elimination list, as have objects 0 through 2, 4 through 9, and 13 through 23. A certain exception is eques-6RM_del, which is being studied as a physical body while awaiting elimination. All the data obtained have been submitted to the full RPC, the Special Commission on Science and Technology, and SCIENCE PANTHEON Lab.
~~~~~~~
Order of the RPC with the support of the Special Commission on Science and Technology:
...
A permanent garrison can be deployed on the peninsula, but only within the 50-kilometer zone (note 3) is it allowed to build permanent structures. Under no circumstances may a port on the peninsula cross the Schoeman-Mintrans conditional development level 2 classification. No person, device/equipment must keep 100 km away from the land borders of the countries (note 4), except as specified in note 5...

Primum contactu humanitatis | Chapter 3

View Online

Part 4

Primum contactu humanitatis

On May 18, 2055, 36 individuals went to seize power in the empire. This time, the scout group is expanded to 20 people. They are equipped with a chameleon suit, augmented reality visor, and chemical protection. All small arms are equipped with silencers, unless they have an integrated one. Twelve soldiers carry Gr-5 anvils, which allow them to destroy single targets almost silently. While tracking the deer, the dedicated soldier corps is divided into three groups: mobile; advance, which is at a fixed distance ahead of the targets; and active, which provides direct eye contact. All groups, except for the mobile one, move on foot. The journey took 1.3 hours - the protective dome was already visible (entry inside is prohibited without an order), so the aborigines accelerated, and the advance team was sent close to the barrier.

The targets came close to the dome - the initiative to escort was transferred to the front line.
"I'm inviting the 'flies' inside the city," the commander said. "Over, two 'packages' will arrive in 17 seconds. Do not cross to the other side!"
"All right. Radio silence until the attackers are active".
~~~~~~~
The Crystal Empire was in a good mood - their savior, the dragon Spike, had arrived, but without the six elements. Cadence and Shining Armor were looking around their domain while Flurry Heart was sleeping. The crystal ponies are happy with their lives; everything is getting better after the war with the Caribou.

Flashback
Crystal empire, close past
The Caribous tried to defame the crystal heart. There are no exact reasons, but according to the prisoners' stories, it would "force our 'bedfellows' to get rid of their slave chains". On the very first day, hordes of deer made their way to the artifact, but the commander of the guard, Shining Armor, kept a circular defense. But eventually the attackers broke through and quickly surrounded the castle, where the last line of defense of the heart was the militia mixed with the guards and Empress Cadence. The princess did her best to heal and protect the soldiers, but.... "If only an hour more... then victory would have been in our hooves" - a prisoner's comment. Her husband launched a suicidal assault that ended in a double encirclement. The Caribou were cut off and pressured from both sides - eventually they lost their fragile balance and began to break through to their own, outside the city. Some of them succeeded, most were killed, and a few were captured. And then Cadence and Shining Armor took command of the defense and a protracted siege began...

End of flashback

"Objects have broken through the wall and are moving inside. Four left," one of the disguised soldiers reported. "Copy that. An attack on civilian infrastructure and civilians has been detected. Preliminary consent to engage has been granted, the final decision is yours".
The deer stormed into the city, tore through the wall's garrison, and killed the next guards in seconds with various magics. Meanwhile, the four behind the barrier activated an energy-sucking spell, but a group of pegasi headed for them. The fliers pierced two of them, and engaged in a close battle with the others. Perhaps they would have had a chance to win if not for the gigantic magic reinforcement of their opponents. And soon the only survivor is thrown back on a disguised man. However, the scout quickly rolled over and avoided the collision, but unfortunately, he was spotted.
"One-four, they have spotted you - avoid making sudden movements. All the rest of you, choose your targets, I'm authorizing a preemptive strike."
The soldier slowly stood up, arms raised, when several ice spikes flew toward him. Death was close, but all the icicles barely scratched the armor. Then the aborigines fell dead.
"One-four, the danger has been eliminated - report."
"No serious injuries, just a few bruises."
"Copy that. Base, air support and permission to cross the barrier!"
"The birds will arrive in 2 minutes, permission to enter and use all weapons has been granted."
The Caribou were going to the castle, killing all living things on the way. The cries of pain did not stop. Suddenly, an elite squad of crystal ponies appeared in front of them with the blessing of the princess herself, but they took no more than 10 minutes. Then the 32 reindeer split up: some to capture the castle, and the rest to spread fear and destruction. This is where people come into play.
"Over. The advance team is inside, we're starting to eliminate the enemy".
"Accepted. A mobile and active group will join you shortly".
~~~~~~~
"Three targets at 245°!" Three quiet shots rang out, probably inaudible in the chaos around them.
"Corpses have been spotted - do not show your positions!"
~~~~~~~
In a panic-stricken castle
Spike was in a bad state: besides panic, his wings were injured. Cadence was also worried, because the Caribou, already considered to be one of the worst enemies, now possess magic equal to that of Celestia's school graduates. 'Where did they get such powers? No, that's not the point now - how to stop them. The help from Equestria won't be here in time, and it's too late to evacuate. Spike enters the room, although that's an understatement - he pushes the door so that it slams against the walls. Walls of pale blue crystal, the finest fabrics and gentle, yet so out of place, rays of sunshine decorated this room.
"Something from Flurry Heart?" - Cadence put on a mask of calm.
"Everything is as good as it can be. - The dragon looked at the princess. - "Don't give in to panic and worry, they won't help anyone, and fear... it will always be there..."
The Empress looked at Spike in surprise: 'When did he learn to read emotions so well? Even Twilight couldn't figure it out so easily.
"The Wanderbolts will be the fastest to get here, but they won't make it on time anyway. How about we hide at the train station outside the city?"
Of course she considered the idea, but the caribou needed a heart, nothing more, and running away would only make things worse. "Spike, please take the Flurry Heart, the guards, and as many residents as you can and escape!"
"But...."
"Please..."
The dragon walked out of the hall uncertainly. The princess watched the barrier: 'They're sapping the power of the shield.... Even Sombra couldn't do it.
~~~~~~~
We are returning to people.
"9 targets eliminated - 27 to go."
"Base received, I see 3 deer. They are moving towards us *several shots*. Three 200s".
"The other three... they created golems? Out of crystals?"
"Shoot for the thin parts; I allow large caliber".
Most of the golems are destroyed, and the stronger ones are shattered by large-caliber bullets. After all, no one could cancel the crystal structure of materials, not even magic. Seeing the quick loss, the three beasts ran away, but the relative silence was cut by a sudden crack.
"Plus three two hundredths from the multicopter."

~~~~~~~~
South of the castle
"Shining, they are surrounding us!"
"We're making our way to the station! Keep going!"
"Golems!"
"Unicorns, attack the golems!"

A UAV was flying in the air, with its body covered with active camouflage elements , it did not stand out against the sky, but you could still see its cylindrical shape ending in cones. A sphere with moving observation equipment could be seen in front, and an unmasked propeller behind. On the long wings, which begin somewhere in the middle of the drone, there are 4 aerobombs.
"A bunch of civilians and 12 'revolutionaries' creating golems and wolves? The enemy's total number is 24"
"Bombing is allowed, don't hurt civilians"
~~~~~~~
Spike couldn't believe his eyes: Caribou, incapable of magic other than rune magic, summoning magical creatures on the level of talented unicorns with years of practice, and using unknown combat magic. 'No, no, no, we have to save Flurry Heart. The corpse of a guard with deep wounds all over his body fell in front of him. 'Run, Spike, run...' the dragon thought as he jumped over the dead pony and started running in earnest. In the chaos of the battle, no one heard the whistle of the two shells, but the loud explosion and shock wave briefly attracted the pony's attention as pieces of flesh, stone and soil flew in all directions.
"Five deer were killed. Three more were seriously injured. In total, three simmoned creatures have been killed. Further bombardment is too risky - I switch to the multicopter, and the 1679-B drone returns control to the AI". The drone begins to turn smoothly and flies over the crowd. At this altitude and with its camouflage, no one noticed it. Now it was flying further south, where two deer, or as the ponies say, caribou, wanted to block the escape routes from the city.

"Base, explosive munitions are loaded, proceeding to destroy targets."

A hail of bullets fell upon the creatures of magic. Flesh was torn to pieces, dirt rose from the ground, stone was cracked and crumbled into dust, and the air was saturated with a sickening mixture of blood and dust. This horrific sight was accompanied by a loud, cutting through the chaos, noise.
"Targets destroyed, transferring control to AI".
"Good job, but be on the lookout".
~~~~~
Spike and Flurry Heart ran without looking back, the last thing they saw was a flying monster with a too perfect shape. Then there was noise and screaming. The two were trying to get to the train station as fast as they could and catch a train.
"Spike, I know a shortcut," the little alicorn turned into an alleyway, followed by the dragon and several guards. "We'll go to the depot now, and from there it's still faster to the station. *distant screams* do you hear that too?"
"Flurry, don't pay attention, just keep going."
~~~~~~~~~~
The defense of the crystal heart caused many difficulties for the caribou: 4 of them died and three remained, but eventually it fell. 'Did that bitch get away?' the survivor thought, as magical bolts and beams hit them from the rear. The Empress and her guard would kill these animals or suffer a fate worse than death.

~~~~~~

Let's get back to the advance group.
"Hey, is that a Santa convoy or..."

"Ho, ho, ho, go to the naughty children, my servants. It's time to punish them!"

"Task force base, there is a fight in the castle, the use of magic is detected, there are three enemy subjects."
"Copy that, we're going in quietly."
~~~~~~
At the pedestal of a crystal heart
"You will not be able to conquer the heart *spits blood*. Just like you couldn't last time *rude kick*."
"Be quiet! You will pay us back in full. Your fate is worse than slavery - now your whole life will consist of satisfying our desires. We will crush your pride to dust, turn you into brainless cattle that will serve until we get bored!"

Meanwhile, a rather large rectangular pipe with a hole in it emerged from the armored vehicle. Suddenly, a small drone with a jet engine flew out of it. It was traveling at 170 km/h, and its contents were deadly - a highly explosive mixture, along with a small supply of fuel. In principle, it was an ordinary barrage projectile, but its small size and weight allowed even infantry without exoskeletons to carry 2-3 of these drones.

Near the crystal heart.
"What is that whistle?"
"Look *explosion*...". Before he could raise his hoof, he instantly disappeared in light and smoke. The nearby explosion stunned the caribou, as it did Cadence.

Cadance POV:
I was just praying for Shiny to save me. I saw what they did to the live mares: raped, abused, tortured. Hundreds of those dead eyes looking only for death as the highest display of mercy. I couldn't be brave anymore after they destroyed our guard.

They are waiting for someone... *explosion and subsequent contusion* ...my head, I can't hear anything.
When Cadence recovered a little, she saw it - a cracked, burnt stone, the remains of a torn body that could not even be called that. Now the caribou came to, too. The one in front of him tried to raise his shield, but he didn't have time and repeated the fate of his comrade. The semi-conscious alicorn's thoughts were blurred by pain, fatigue, and contusion, but she still saw something approaching.
What kind of monster is this? Is it a golem? Did it really kill those two without showing itself?
End of Cadance POV

"Two are dead, the last one should be left alive, but we act on the situation."
"Reconnaissance base, estimated time of arrival of pony reinforcements is 8 minutes."
"Accepted."

The last "revolutionary" launched an enchanted crystal into an iron monster. It is capable of penetrating magic shields, and the dark energy in it will infect the victim and eventually turn the carrier into an umbra pony. However, for this to happen, you need to at least touch it, but two meters away from the APC's hull, a small cylinder flew out to meet the projectile. When the distance between them shrank, there was an explosion, and the crystal turned into fine dust.
"Iron fist worked fine, but you'd better stun it." The 20-millimeter cannon started firing at the ground near the caribou to keep it from focusing. One shell hit the armored corpse of a guardsman, tearing through his armor and tearing out a chunk of bloody mess. In less than a minute, the APC was already under lock and key. Suddenly, for the locals, its hull lifted in some places and people came out. Their heads are completely covered with a white camouflage helmet with protrusions - cameras. All their bodies are covered with a white tight-fitting chameleon cloak, but now the active camouflage mode is off, which allows us to see them. The protruding elements of the exoskeleton and body armor stand out sharply on the fabric. They were holding rifles wrapped in cloth. But its enormous length of almost 800 mm was still visible.

"The target hid behind the shield. I'm asking for permission to use tear gas," the reconnaissance group commander said through the radio built into his helmet.
"Do whatever you need to do." Two men got out of the other armored vehicle. One was carrying two gas grenades, the other was carrying aerosol cans. "Serge, spray him." Following the order, he sprays the contents of the can on the interested caribou. The mixture penetrated the barrier and panic was visible on the face of the doomed animal. A moment later, the future prisoner began to feel the first symptoms: irritation of the skin and mucous membranes, increased tearing and salivation. With each passing second, his concentration was disappearing.
"Well, the result is obvious. Look at these ponies or whatever they are..."
~~~~~~~~
A little earlier
"Flurry! I told you to go straight to the station!" said the tired purple and emerald dragon.
"We'll run faster than that crowd anyway." Time was on their side, but not luck. Around the corner of the house, several dozen summoned monsters and the caribou himself were waiting for them.
"Princess run!" - the guard shouted, ready to repel the attack, but a short whistle and explosion interrupted the upcoming battle. On the opposite side of the pony, behind the puffs of black smoke, there was nothing left of the deer, and only a few of the magical creatures were injured...
~~~~~~~
Normal time line. Under lock and key
"We have 3 survivors, one is a royalty". - one of the soldiers radioed.
"North Group, prepare a container for the microdrones. Also, there are no living rebels left, except for yours. Estimated time of arrival of the pony contingent is 4 minutes. Diplomacy is allowed, you are familiar with the restrictions, right?"
"Yes."
"The group of diplomats and the humanitarian cargo will arrive in about half an hour."
"Base, send the vet here as well." Serge, as a field medic, dealt only with people and would not want to kill any of his possible future patients.
"He will arrive with the negotiation mission. In the meantime, you may administer painkillers at your own discretion, and the use of any other medications is authorized until further notice. Over and out."
"Copy that. *Sarge, go give that pink spot some painkillers."
The soldier went to fulfill the order with quiet anger toward his commander. Taking out a disposable syringe from a pouch, he approached the wounded princess, and she began to move. "Hey, you! Don't move! We've come to help you." - 'How did our intelligence know they speak English? And the most significant difference is our larger volume of words they don't understand!
Cadence was habitually afraid: unknown creatures, vaguely resembling minotaurs, who had so easily torn apart three attackers that the elite guard and she herself could not handle.
"I'll give you some medicine to relieve the pain," he said, as he came closer and wondered if it would be better to give her a few pills. Crouching down in front of the pony, the doctor said: "Don't move! It will hurt a little bit now, but then you will definitely feel better." Serge automatically took off his medical backpack, quickly pulled out the disinfectants and disinfected the injection site. "One is gone, now one in the thigh. Don't worry, it won't hurt much."
...
After a few minutes
"Everyone get ready: contact in 37 seconds!" the commander radioed.
A large crowd of ponies was moving toward the castle along the main street. Most of them were guards in armor made of a material similar to silver, and a unicorn with white fur, purple silk mane, and dark purple armor was rushing ahead - Captain Shining Armor
"Princess Cadence, can you move?" - the doctor asked, and received an anxious nod in response, "There is no reason to worry, Princess: your subjects are running to you."
"Who are you? Get away from the Empress at once!" - the captain of the guard shouted as soon as he arrived.
"Quiet, quiet. Here is your princess." One of the men came forward.
"It's true, Shiny, these creatures saved me from the caribou and eased my pain," Cadence quickly interjected.
"Then I'm sorry... and thank you," Shining Armor said without aggression.
"Anxiety when life hangs in the balance is a normal thing," the reconnaissance team commander came forward, freeing his men from the horrific possibility of negotiations. - "However, we have come for help that will determine the chances of our survival."
"The Caribou attacked you too!?" shouted Cadence sharply.
"Unfortunately or fortunately, no. It's just that one rather large city moved to the frosty desert for some unknown reason, and we went to explore and came across you. But I think we can wait for the arrival of the diplomatic team and your recovery for now."
"Thank you for your concern, but until all the Caribou are destroyed we cannot guarantee safety," said Shining Armor, and was about to ask for help when he was interrupted: "I doubt there are many left, though the summoned monsters may have remained. In any case, we're staying and defending the castle and the surrounding area."
"We will definitely pay you back," the guard captain said in a quiet tone.
~~~~~~
At the same time, on a train that was rapidly leaving the Crystal Empire.
"Spike, what do you think saved us?"
"Fast running, good guards, a shortcut and luck."
"No, that's not what I mean. When we went to the depot, there was a caribou there, but at the same time some spell left no trace of it."
"I don't know, Flurry, maybe he performed the spell incorrectly or one of the guards used such magic - I don't know. The point is, we're alive."
"I guess you're right," Flurry looked out the window, satisfying her childlike curiosity. - 'This is the second time I've left home because of the caribou. What do they miss? Why can't they live together like we do?
~~~~~~~~~
Somewhere in Canterlot Castle.
...
"Princesses, why can't I follow the plan?" - Twilight asked in an emotional, almost shouting voice.
"Calm down, Twilight. We can't risk another princess!"
"Are you afraid for me? Okay, I'll take the Wanderbolts or Luna's Noonday Moon with me."
The argument was interrupted by the stallion's low voice. He, as the first male monarch in the last two centuries (in fact, for a much longer period of time, but sometimes side branches of the royal family formally received power and title), became a new figure of power for everyone and won the respect of the common people and soldiers. Twilight, on the other hand, despite all his merits, was wary of him, but she did not oppose him either, rather his dark past influenced her.
"Twilight, I don't want you to fall into the trap of the Caribou runes like Celestia and I did in our time. We won't be able to save you in that case. Do you understand that?" - His voice sounded like thunder in the silence of the room.
"Yeah, but they might have Cadence, Shining Armor, and Flurry Heart as hostages. Then we need to intervene, even on our own, but I'm ready."
"I don't want to let you go, even with the Wanderbolts!" - Celestia said in a raised voice, but was abruptly stopped by the stallion.
"Sally, we won't convince her," he said in a magically soothing voice. "It is better to bless and release such a devoted princess than to treat her like a naughty child."
A scroll flies to Twilight in a red aura. "I would never want to do anything so reckless as to force me to reveal the spell against the Caribou. Your goal is certainly noble, but war is war and all methods are good."
Unfolding the scroll, Twilight quickly began to read, not taking her eyes off it, absorbing every line and every word with primal curiosity. The creative approach and cold mind that worked on this undoubtedly amazing creation of the magician's mind did not care about the unicorn itself, but only about efficiency. "This is the best work I've ever seen! Such an unusual combination of two opposite techniques! And then there's the safety technique inside the main spell!"
"Enough flattery, Twi. Let's get on the road!" - The stallion with the dark fur said and smiled fatherly.
The Wanderbolts were waiting for Twilight in one of the rooms of the castle. The large white marble balcony existed in incomplete harmony without the usual green plant decoration. The glass balcony doors were open and gave space to the warm draft and hot sunlight. The interior of the room was very different from most rooms inside the palace. The cold blue lamps placed in the corners emitted almost no light: their mesmerizing effect can only be seen at night. In the middle of the room were old tables made of carved wood, stacked in the shape of the letter "n". On them were stacks of paper and maps of the area and the architectural plan of the castle. All the upholstered furniture was pushed back a considerable distance, emphasizing the room's elongation. On either side of the room, the Wanderbolts sat on upholstered chairs or sofas. Spitfire, Wave Chill, Midnite Strike, Sassaflash, Wild Fire, Starry Eyes, Angel Wings, Sightseer stood around the table discussing and studying the plan of attack. There were eight of them. Eight veterans of the first Caribou War. The Wanderbolts had been reformed after the Griffin attack. It's not that they are not connected to the military, especially given the militaristic heritage in their culture, but now it is more of a military than a sports organization. Among them stood out Rainbow Dash, who was just approaching the door to the room of muttering and thinking. She had also fought in the Pegasus army, but she had been separated from the battle group by order of the princesses. So now, out of anger, she shamelessly opens the door separating them.
"It's time to go," the rainbow pegasus almost ordered. And it served as a sign to the beginning of the end.
"We'll take care of Twilight; you're needed here: defend the sky for the princesses." - this is how Sassaflash said goodbye for herself and the whole team.
They all walked in silence. The walk took only a few minutes. And in front of the huge door to the third dining room, or as the court magicians called it, the room of seals. The princesses and the king were waiting there. All the tables, which were already few in number compared to the other halls, were pushed to the walls, revealing huge swirling circles and other shapes on the floor.
"Okay, dear ponies, you have agreed to rescue a member of the royal family. Because of this, we are forever indebted to you. You will come back as... no, you are already heroes and you will definitely come back! We will do everything we can to help you; you will never be forgotten. Now go, dear ponies. Twilight, stand in the middle of the magic circle on the green triangle, and you Wanderbolts, stand on the green lines going to the center... yes, that's right."
After Celestia's speech, optimism and confidence took over the hearts of her subjects. Unexpectedly for Twilight, the king spoke to her.
"Twi, you're like my own... I don't know how to express my feelings, but I can give you some practical advice: use all your magic to teleport - if there's a magic-based trap, it will be neutralized by the surge from your movement, and good luck." He didn't know how to cheer up others nicely, as the other princesses did. Twilight, however, still took the gesture to heart.
'Maybe I shouldn't think of him in a bad light?' the purple filly thought as she thanked her stepfather.
As she recited the spell in her mind, the magic circle under Twilight and Wanderbilt's hooves began to glow. This side effect of being filled with magic signaled the beginning of teleportation. In a matter of seconds, the air around them was filled with a light haze of the color of the young alicorn's magic. Then, with the crackle of numerous sparks, it disappeared, creating a vacuum that quickly filled with air.

~~~~~

In a crystal palace.
A pop sounded in the throne room. It was followed by the sound of a body falling and the rapid flapping of wings. As planned, the Wanderbolts immediately rushed to the caribou, but there was a problem - they were alone in the huge hall. All the pegasi froze, flying barely two meters away from their original location, forming a sphere with the unconscious Twilight in the center. It didn't take long for the pegasi to land on solid ground. Spitfire ordered them not to leave the castle and not to get close to the windows. Wave Chill, Midnite Strike, Sassaflash, and Wild Fire stayed with the unconscious Twilight, while the others went to reconnoiter the situation.

The main hall was the first in line. It didn't look like there had been any commotion or battle, so they moved on, keeping their guard up. Room by room, hall by hall, there was no sign of any fighting, except for the growing amount of commotion from the guards preparing and evacuating everyone in the castle. After some time, they reached the lowest floor before the stairs to the crystal square. Traces of the battle were already visible here: broken windows, cracks in the walls, and corpses.... In some places, the walls were destroyed or pierced by ice spears.Sightseer saw one unfortunate man who was pierced by one such spear and still hanging at a height of about 1.4 meters. He had long since bled to death, and the ice, due to its magical nature, would not melt quickly. This contemplation of the unfortunate pony was interrupted by the sound of walking and the loud opening of a door. All four pegasi quickly took up their fighting positions and prepared for a surprise attack, but Shining Armor and several guardsmen came out. There was a rather unexpected silence...

Primum contactu humanitatis | Chapter 4

View Online

Part 5

Primum contactu humanitatis

Twilight Sparkle was lying unconscious in the throne room. Four pegasus vanderbills were guarding her. The surprisingly quiet atmosphere made the members of the elite squad very nervous. With some caution, they tried to see something through the windows from safe viewing angles. Of course, they saw the landscape of a partially destroyed city, but they did not notice any active battles.

Spitfire and three other pegasus went on a reconnaissance mission 20 minutes ago. A sudden knock on the door of the main hall where Twilight was lying unconscious. Someone's hoof was beating a precise rhythm: knock, knock, knock, knock, knock - the pattern of an Equestrian flight camp. It's definitely a Spitfire. The door opens a minute later and reveals a tired Shining Armor and the captain of the fliers.
"There is no longer a threat - relax," Spitfire said and looked at the guard captain, who was about to run to his sister: "She's fine, she just spent a lot of mana. She's the one who brought us here."
"It was obvious. I hope she recovers as soon as possible. Can you take her to the hospital on the floor below?"
"Yes, of course... Where is Princess Kadenza?"
"She... I just took her to the same hospital. My dear... wounded. I could hardly look at her, so beaten and tired."
"I'm sorry we didn't help earlier..."
"It's not your fault, it's not anyone's fault. They came to her aid anyway"
"Do you mean the lock security department? Or..."
"No. They were minotaurs, I think. I've never seen anything like them... they don't look like living things, but they helped us, and they helped us a lot. Cadence owes them her life."
"Minotaurs? It's rather strange for them to come this far north."
"I know. It's too suspicious, and their appearance just when the castle troops were defeated."

While the captain of the fliers and the emperor of the crystal empire were discussing the attack, diplomats were already rushing to the city. They landed on a military plane in Kotzebue. The operational delegation consisted of 18 people, not including security. Among the members of the mission were: Dana Szwieczek, a senior representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Roman Sanchous, military envoy, commander of expeditionary forces and operations; Alexander Bakti, secretary of the O5 Council, special representative of the European Parliament; Jan Dobrzesny, ambassador from the European Commission, leader of the diplomatic mission; Antonio Frack, ambassador from the European Commission, expert in military and cultural cooperation; Anna Frack, freelance specialist in analyzing the bureaucratic system and the functionality of government agencies; Anderson Muller - political strategist; Frederik Artenis - political strategist, ambassador from the European Commission; Ruzha Probert, Alexandrina Johannessen, Lydos Baum - technology agents, lawyers from the European Commission's Ministry of Justice; Euclid Samuels - responsible for security and emergency operations of the diplomatic mission; Štěpán Freund, Dottie Sauveterre; Iolanda Freund, Mélody Sauveterre - medical workers, sociologists and psychologists, personnel for determining the mentality and assessment of society; Henrik Archer, Suoma Alting - EC Special Envoys for the General Directorate of Intelligence, professional negotiators.
Another APC specialized for the northern climate is moving down the main street. It contains Henrik Archer, Suoma Alting, two guards and a communications officer. The main alley is littered with the remains of buildings, corpses and broken crystals. A few guardian ponies looked cautiously at the strange vehicles. From above, the "wings" watched them, ready to use abnormal force in case of an attack, and ahead of them was a reconnaissance team eagerly awaiting the negotiation team, and finally they arrived. The APC stopped right in front of the castle. The reconnaissance group quickly moved to it, forming a safe corridor for the negotiators. Two people got out of the vehicle: a man and a woman in decent business suits, but with bulletproof vests covered by jackets.
"Reconnaissance team, stay put and guard the vehicles. Do not show hostility to the natives. Report your actions to me and the command. Serge, come with us," the brigade commander said and approached the negotiators. After a formal handshake, they went inside to the hospital where Shinning Armor was supposed to be. The monumentalism of the castle surprised the newcomers: glass and crystal pillars supported the massive castle, the masonry of the square and the roads in general looked like a solid crystal snowflake. The entrances to the castle were spiral staircases stretching upwards for 3 floors.
"The good old stairs."
They climbed for some time. When the stairs led them to the main corridor, they began to see signs of panic and shock and death... Several corpses were covered with white cloth, but the most unseen still had to hang on ice spikes or lie on a kind of torn carcass next to the creature that killed them and could not get far. Almost immediately, guards and nurses began to appear. Their gazes followed the group of people with anxiety of incomprehension. This walk continued until they reached the royal hospital, where doctors and nurses were running through the wide-open doors, and the entrance was guarded by two crystal-covered defenders in blue and twilight armor.

"We can talk to Shii-ning Armor if he's here," the platoon captain asked politely. The ponies were naturally wary. Of course, they knew that the creatures in front of them had somehow saved the Empress, but that didn't change their xenophobic nature.

"He's waiting for you inside... with the princess..." - the guard answered unkindly.
"Thank you," the soldier replied. He turned and continued to his men: "Let's go, and I ask you not to stare at the pony. If our gaze is invisible and directed rather into infinity, it is much easier to read yours."
"We were not born yesterday, Mr. Chief, especially since we are from intelligence," Henrik said, following the commander.
"Stop it Henrik, better help me take off my body armor, it's getting too much," Suoma said in a hurry, overtaking her husband.
"I wouldn't recommend it, these ponies are prone to kicking you in the torso."
"But let our lady negotiator take off her vest, Serge. In case of an attack, the detailed end is more than assured for us."
"Rod, maybe you shouldn't get my wife's hopes up. Especially since we know our hopeless situation. It's not the first time."
"Stop this circus. I didn't have time to take the women's vest and now I'm in no condition to endure the horrible tightness. Death doesn't look as horrible as it usually does and even gives at least some clarity."
*Henrik takes the vest from Suoma and begins to see the princess's bed, which is their goal*
Their seemingly idle discussion attracted the pony's attention with its dispassionate appeal to death. In general, the sight of humans was puzzling and disturbing to the particularly xenophobic inhabitants of the crystal empire, and sometimes even passive aggression. As the small delegation approached the Cadence chamber, a yellow pegasus came out to meet them. There was a moment of silence and the fuses on the people's weapons went off. The pegasus did not pay much attention to this, but instead noticed their size, especially their height. Their clothing was also strange, especially the certain equipment that served no aesthetic function and was too light for protection. When her eyes began to analyze the negotiators in detail, Rod intervened:
"Let us through please."
"Did you save the Empress?"
"Excuse me, but is it possible to know who we have the honor of speaking to?" - Henrik suddenly interrupted the commander and stepped forward, still holding his wife's vest.
"I am Spitfire, Captain of the Wanderbolts, and I would like to speak with you instead of the rulers of the crystal empire... If possible, can you follow me to a more appropriate location?"

They failed to reach their original goal, but now they have an even better one. They left the hospital under the judgmental gaze of the ponies. It was a long walk - two floors up and now they are in a room that looks more like a small cafeteria than a specialized room. They are definitely next to the throne room and several guest rooms. They didn't come all this way for nothing, because Twilight Sparrow is right next door, a few walls away. She was guarded by several Vanderbolts and given a mana restoration potion and an energy drink. If she was in good condition, she could help Spitfire negotiate instead of the tired Shining Armor and the wounded Cadence. Of course, after such a shock, this is unlikely, but there is still hope.

"Please have a seat"
"Thank you, Captain Spitfire, and now that we're in a calm environment, let me ask you a question."
"Yes, of course, Mr...", Spitfire stops. Here the negotiators enter the conversation - "Henrik, and Ms. Suoma. We represent our people in this difficult time, but right now I would like to ask about the current state of the Crystal Empire. We understand the concept of the threat from the reindeer, but we don't have the whole story. Since we were forced to intervene, you now have reason to trust and, in a sense, hope in us."
"Deer? I assume you mean caribou?" - a nod from both EC representatives - "Okay. The Caribou are ruthless, cruel monsters that came from the north. Their kingdom, which existed as a tyranny in the territories of the Yaks, penguins, polar bears and New Griffonia. It was like Tartarus in the real world. I hate to talk about their social system and how much land they conquered, but it was completely contrary to our pacifist faith. We tried to contact them: we sent delegations, diplomatic missions, gifts, but no one ever returned. It got to the point where we simply could not understand where almost a hundred ponies had disappeared. Elements of Friendship went on an exploration of the eastern mountain range to find the cause or at least clues. They found something: the ruins of a place where dissident Caribou lived. Only from their words did we start to piece together the overall picture, like a mosaic of tiles. And last year they attacked. Luckily, they significantly overestimated their strength, although they did a lot of damage."
"If I'm not mistaken, these Caribou had almost a personal grudge against the Empress."
"This is a separate tragic story for us, if I may, I would not like to recall those events, I will only say that Cadence and Shining fought back."
Suoma: "Don't worry. We didn't come here to reopen old wounds, but to build friendships.. please accept our sincere condolences for your grief!"
"Thank you... I appreciate what you did. You helped us when you yourself are in difficulty and confusion"
"There is no need to thank us, because we love and care about our neighbors."

...

This conversation continued in a friendly spirit, and introduced people to the history of the pony. Of course, there would be no room for mistakes by the negotiators. Meanwhile, the polar administration was rebuilding the logistics network. Airplanes arrived and departed every hour, carrying hundreds of tons of cargo for various purposes. Notker Gluck now had three tasks: to continue to service the continuous air convoy, to reorganize all the relocated cities and ships into a single structure, and to support the activities of the diplomatic mission in the Crystal Empire. Notker Gluck was sitting in his office giving orders to the negotiators when Alexander Bakhti walked in.

"Talk, talk for now. I've come to talk about our people." Notker hastily ended the conversation and prepared for a heated dialog about the urgency of supporting the expedition. "I have received a direct request from the highest ruling level to extend the stay of our people in the territory of the aborigines. So let's get the next three planes unloaded as soon as possible and send the humanitarian cargo to the expedition. By the way, we also need a few more trucks and one or two RTGs. To be honest, this is not a request, but an order. I hope you can handle it, and if you have any problems, don't hesitate to contact me or others: we are happy to help. Do you have any other questions?"
"None, except for one. Do I have a chance to become a scapegoat?"
"Yes, we will try to help avoid this, but if at least one task fails, we will not be able to do anything in the short term."
"I see. Then I can go about my business?"
"Yes. Of course... Good luck!"

MMXXIV

by Pseudo_UAEU

Preamble | Chapter 0

Prologue

Terra incognita | Chapter 1

Part 2

Terra incognita

Two stories: survival and murder | Chapter 2

Part 3

Two stories: survival and murder

The following text may contain elements of cruelty and violence.

Primum contactu humanitatis | Chapter 3

Part 4

Primum contactu humanitatis

Primum contactu humanitatis | Chapter 4

Part 5

Primum contactu humanitatis