Predice
TNPer
January 1st, 2021
12:30AM
Antofagosta
Vittorio, trying to scrounge up some sleep in his bed, was tossing and turning. Something was keeping him up, but it certainly wasn't the fireworks. No, this was something else.
Suddenly he jumped up. He heard something wailing. The wail was very distinctive, but he couldn’t put his finger on it in his tired, half-asleep state. Elisa, who'd been sleeping next to him also woke up, confused. As if on cue, a very rapid knocking started on his door.
"The door is open." Vittorio said, in a groggy, tired voice.
The door opened, and through it burst Brig. Gen. Pietro Collizini, Vittorio's Aide-de-Camp. He was not in his usual ceremonial uniform, no– he was in fatigues which he would practically never wear.
"Your Serenity, you have got to see this, right now." he said in an exasperated voice.
"Does this have anything to do with the sirens that are presently ear-fucking me? If not, I don't want to hear any of it." Vittorio responded in an impatient tone.
"As a matter of fact, yes it does. I'm afraid it is pretty bad. I will be waiting outside, please get out as soon as possible." Pietro said, as he stepped out and closed the door.
"Well fuck me then." Vittorio said as he began to get out of bed.
Suddenly, he felt a hand pulling him back.
"Before you go, promise me everything will be alright." Elisa said, clearly upset.
"You know I can't promise that my dear. I’ll tell you everything when I know what's going on. I love you." Vittorio said, as he embraced Elisa.
"I love you too, please come back soon." Elisa said in a shaky voice as she leaned in for a kiss.
Vittorio reciprocated. He could feel the tears hit his cheek as his lips met hers. It was a brief kiss, as Vittorio broke it off, and said:
"I love you, Elisa. I have to go now. I will be back, I promise."
Elisa could do nothing but nod, and whimper. Vittorio hurriedly pulled on a shirt and pants before getting out of the door.
Pietro was waiting outside as he said he would, and he opened his mouth to speak but Vittorio was quicker:
"So, care to tell me what the FUCK is going on right now, that is important enough for you to pull me out of my bed at twelve-thirty at night?" Vittorio said, again in a very impatient voice.
"Well.. I would like you to see rather than hear it from me. Follow me." Pietro responded calmly.
"Pete, this better not be a fucking prank." Vittorio said in response.
"Vic, I assure you, it is not." Pietro said, calmly again, "Please, follow me."
"Alright, where are we going?" Vittorio asked him.
"We are heading to the meeting room. They will get you a clear picture of what is going on." Pietro responded.
The seriousness of the situation now began to dawn on Vittorio. It suddenly hit him– the sirens that had rudely interrupted his sleep were air raid sirens.
They walked through the hallways of the Palace, heading downstairs, without talking. Nothing in the palace seemed out of the ordinary, yet.
Then they reached the meeting room. There were sentries outside the room. This was getting really worrying now. The sentries saluted the two men, as they headed inside.
There, Vittorio really began to understand what was happening. There were four Generals there, who saluted him as he walked in.
"Your Serenity," one of them began, "I'm General Gianluca Busio, that is Major General Matteo Conti, that is Major General Antonio Brisgoviani, and that is Brigadier General Tomasso di Casio."
Vittorio shook each General's hand as he was introduced to them.
"So, what exactly is going on?" Vittorio asked.
General Busio began: "I'm sorry to inform you, but Predice is under attack. New Aleman launched a surprise attack at midnight. Preliminary estimates tell us that at least three-hundred and fifty thousand New Alemaner troops are involved in this offensive, with many more staging in New Aleman. This is very much not a probing attack. Those air raid sirens? Those went off because New Alemaner missiles have hit the city..."
"Wait wait, slow down." Vittorio interjected, "You're telling me New Aleman is actually invading?!"
"Unfortunately, yes, that is the case, your Serenity. The forces we have on the frontier are not strong enough to contain the enemy offensive for long. We hoped that not posting major forces on the frontier would de-escalate the situation. This turned out to be a miscalculation. A number of cities were struck by missiles. I would recommend that you, in your capacity as Supreme Commander-in-Chief, immediately declare full mobilisation." Busio said.
"I... and you're sure this is the real deal?" Vittorio asked, in an unsure voice.
"A hundred percent, your serenity. An emergency session of the Chamber of Deputies has already been called. The Deputies will gather by five O'clock." Busio replied.
"Give me the order. I will sign it immediately." Vittorio replied.
January 1st, 2021
1:30AM
Antofagosta
Vittorio fiddled with his wedding ring as he sat, collecting his thoughts.
"This is fucking crazy Pete. This is not what I signed up for..." Vittorio said, weakly, as if he'd been sapped of all energy, all strength.
"We don't always get what we signed up for. It's what we do in situations like these that defines us. I will be here to support you." Pietro said, as he placed a reassuring hand on Vittorio's shoulder.
"All of this just feels like a dream..." Vittorio cut himself off and his face lit up as if he'd suddenly realised something.
"SHIT, Elisa, I promised her I'd be back to tell her everything. It's been like an hour now." Vittorio said, in a panicked voice.
"Oh. Yeah you do that, and afterwards, I need you to come back out. We have to discuss what happens next. We'll discuss it over a cigar." Pietro responded.
Vittorio made his way quickly back to his bedroom, opening the door, ready to tell Elisa everything, only to find her asleep.
Vittorio sighed, as he made his way over to the bed, and kissed her gently on the forehead.
"Out already?" Pietro asked, surprised.
"Yeah, she was already asleep, poor thing. I'll tell her everything in the morning." Vittorio said, deflated.
"No rest for the wicked. Still up for the cigar?" Pietro asked.
"I have a terrible headache. Let's go have that cigar." Vittorio responded, massaging his temples.
"Here," Pietro said as he handed a cigar to Vittorio, "Let's head to a window."
The two men walked quietly to a window close by, and Vittorio opened it.
"Light?" Pietro asked.
Vittorio simply nodded.
"You're in for a loong day man." Pietro said, lighting his cigar.
"I don't think it'll be just a day, man." Vittorio responded, matter of factly.
"Ain't that the truth..." Pietro responded.
January 1st, 2021
5:00AM
Antofagosta
"We will do a roll call now. Please press the button at your desk to indicate you are present." the Speaker said.
The screen began to fill up with seats of those present.
"Four hundred and one deputies present, twenty-four absent. This emergency session may begin." the Speaker said.
Suddenly from a far corner, a young deputy stood up, and began singing the national anthem. It wasn't long until other deputies joined him, and soon, the entire room was singing the anthem. Following the anthem's conclusion, the Speaker began:
"The order of business for today's emergency session: votes on the declaration of a State of Emergency, and a declaration of War on New Aleman."
12:30AM
Antofagosta
Vittorio, trying to scrounge up some sleep in his bed, was tossing and turning. Something was keeping him up, but it certainly wasn't the fireworks. No, this was something else.
Suddenly he jumped up. He heard something wailing. The wail was very distinctive, but he couldn’t put his finger on it in his tired, half-asleep state. Elisa, who'd been sleeping next to him also woke up, confused. As if on cue, a very rapid knocking started on his door.
"The door is open." Vittorio said, in a groggy, tired voice.
The door opened, and through it burst Brig. Gen. Pietro Collizini, Vittorio's Aide-de-Camp. He was not in his usual ceremonial uniform, no– he was in fatigues which he would practically never wear.
"Your Serenity, you have got to see this, right now." he said in an exasperated voice.
"Does this have anything to do with the sirens that are presently ear-fucking me? If not, I don't want to hear any of it." Vittorio responded in an impatient tone.
"As a matter of fact, yes it does. I'm afraid it is pretty bad. I will be waiting outside, please get out as soon as possible." Pietro said, as he stepped out and closed the door.
"Well fuck me then." Vittorio said as he began to get out of bed.
Suddenly, he felt a hand pulling him back.
"Before you go, promise me everything will be alright." Elisa said, clearly upset.
"You know I can't promise that my dear. I’ll tell you everything when I know what's going on. I love you." Vittorio said, as he embraced Elisa.
"I love you too, please come back soon." Elisa said in a shaky voice as she leaned in for a kiss.
Vittorio reciprocated. He could feel the tears hit his cheek as his lips met hers. It was a brief kiss, as Vittorio broke it off, and said:
"I love you, Elisa. I have to go now. I will be back, I promise."
Elisa could do nothing but nod, and whimper. Vittorio hurriedly pulled on a shirt and pants before getting out of the door.
Pietro was waiting outside as he said he would, and he opened his mouth to speak but Vittorio was quicker:
"So, care to tell me what the FUCK is going on right now, that is important enough for you to pull me out of my bed at twelve-thirty at night?" Vittorio said, again in a very impatient voice.
"Well.. I would like you to see rather than hear it from me. Follow me." Pietro responded calmly.
"Pete, this better not be a fucking prank." Vittorio said in response.
"Vic, I assure you, it is not." Pietro said, calmly again, "Please, follow me."
"Alright, where are we going?" Vittorio asked him.
"We are heading to the meeting room. They will get you a clear picture of what is going on." Pietro responded.
The seriousness of the situation now began to dawn on Vittorio. It suddenly hit him– the sirens that had rudely interrupted his sleep were air raid sirens.
They walked through the hallways of the Palace, heading downstairs, without talking. Nothing in the palace seemed out of the ordinary, yet.
Then they reached the meeting room. There were sentries outside the room. This was getting really worrying now. The sentries saluted the two men, as they headed inside.
There, Vittorio really began to understand what was happening. There were four Generals there, who saluted him as he walked in.
"Your Serenity," one of them began, "I'm General Gianluca Busio, that is Major General Matteo Conti, that is Major General Antonio Brisgoviani, and that is Brigadier General Tomasso di Casio."
Vittorio shook each General's hand as he was introduced to them.
"So, what exactly is going on?" Vittorio asked.
General Busio began: "I'm sorry to inform you, but Predice is under attack. New Aleman launched a surprise attack at midnight. Preliminary estimates tell us that at least three-hundred and fifty thousand New Alemaner troops are involved in this offensive, with many more staging in New Aleman. This is very much not a probing attack. Those air raid sirens? Those went off because New Alemaner missiles have hit the city..."
"Wait wait, slow down." Vittorio interjected, "You're telling me New Aleman is actually invading?!"
"Unfortunately, yes, that is the case, your Serenity. The forces we have on the frontier are not strong enough to contain the enemy offensive for long. We hoped that not posting major forces on the frontier would de-escalate the situation. This turned out to be a miscalculation. A number of cities were struck by missiles. I would recommend that you, in your capacity as Supreme Commander-in-Chief, immediately declare full mobilisation." Busio said.
"I... and you're sure this is the real deal?" Vittorio asked, in an unsure voice.
"A hundred percent, your serenity. An emergency session of the Chamber of Deputies has already been called. The Deputies will gather by five O'clock." Busio replied.
"Give me the order. I will sign it immediately." Vittorio replied.
January 1st, 2021
1:30AM
Antofagosta
Vittorio fiddled with his wedding ring as he sat, collecting his thoughts.
"This is fucking crazy Pete. This is not what I signed up for..." Vittorio said, weakly, as if he'd been sapped of all energy, all strength.
"We don't always get what we signed up for. It's what we do in situations like these that defines us. I will be here to support you." Pietro said, as he placed a reassuring hand on Vittorio's shoulder.
"All of this just feels like a dream..." Vittorio cut himself off and his face lit up as if he'd suddenly realised something.
"SHIT, Elisa, I promised her I'd be back to tell her everything. It's been like an hour now." Vittorio said, in a panicked voice.
"Oh. Yeah you do that, and afterwards, I need you to come back out. We have to discuss what happens next. We'll discuss it over a cigar." Pietro responded.
Vittorio made his way quickly back to his bedroom, opening the door, ready to tell Elisa everything, only to find her asleep.
Vittorio sighed, as he made his way over to the bed, and kissed her gently on the forehead.
"Out already?" Pietro asked, surprised.
"Yeah, she was already asleep, poor thing. I'll tell her everything in the morning." Vittorio said, deflated.
"No rest for the wicked. Still up for the cigar?" Pietro asked.
"I have a terrible headache. Let's go have that cigar." Vittorio responded, massaging his temples.
"Here," Pietro said as he handed a cigar to Vittorio, "Let's head to a window."
The two men walked quietly to a window close by, and Vittorio opened it.
"Light?" Pietro asked.
Vittorio simply nodded.
"You're in for a loong day man." Pietro said, lighting his cigar.
"I don't think it'll be just a day, man." Vittorio responded, matter of factly.
"Ain't that the truth..." Pietro responded.
January 1st, 2021
5:00AM
Antofagosta
"We will do a roll call now. Please press the button at your desk to indicate you are present." the Speaker said.
The screen began to fill up with seats of those present.
"Four hundred and one deputies present, twenty-four absent. This emergency session may begin." the Speaker said.
Suddenly from a far corner, a young deputy stood up, and began singing the national anthem. It wasn't long until other deputies joined him, and soon, the entire room was singing the anthem. Following the anthem's conclusion, the Speaker began:
"The order of business for today's emergency session: votes on the declaration of a State of Emergency, and a declaration of War on New Aleman."