Far Shores

[Sunset Sea Islands]

Far Shores


Concorde carrying Oyusard delegation arriving in the SSI

December 21st, 2018, 10:00, King Tomasso International Airport

At first, the decision to purchase @Fleur de Lysian Concordes for both civil and diplomatic transportation was mildly controversial, now, however, 15 months later, the aeroplanes had shown their usefulness on several occasions. Today was another example of this. The supersonic vessel carried leading @Oyusard diplomats to the Sunset Sea Islands in record time. The twenty-two thousand kilometre journey only took the Oyusard ambassador to the Radiant Republic, Tai Lubis, Foreign Minister Lili Epol, and the Matriarch herself, Kera Eka Lam only a little over ten hours. Aside from their aides and assistants, a fourth diplomat arrived alongside the three main guests: the Oyusard ambassador to @Gallambria, Kayleigh Hani.

The code of conduct for events like these was studied in well by now. Decades of intense efforts of establishing international diplomatic exchanges made the Sunset Sea Islandians into masters of logistics when it came to transporting foreign emissaries and VIPs from A to B.

As the four women descended from the aeroplane, the state orchestra of the Radiant Republic of the Sunset Sea Islands began playing the national anthem of Oyus. Flags of both nations lined the red carpet that connected the aeroplane's stairs and the opened doors of a bullet-proof limousine.

At the same time, Prime Minister Theresa Tumbleweed, and Nguyệt Hoàng, the SSI ambassador to Oyus, left the limousine. First, the national leaders shook hands as they turned toward a camera. Nguyệt Hoàng, the only male diplomat involved in the meeting, stood a little bit behind the Prime Minister and bowed slightly towards the Oyusards. However, as Theresa Tumbleweed turned towards the Foreign Minister and the ambassadors, the Matriarch also approached Hoàng and, to his surprise, extended her hand towards him. Gratefully, he accepted the greeting. Once everyone had greeted each other and enough footage was recorded to satisfy the news outlets of both nations, the six politicians entered the armoured car.

The inside was as luxurious as the plane the Oyusards arrived in. The black interior was tastefully decorated with golden accents and the leather seats were arranged in such a way that the six of them could directly talk to each other. Prime Minister Theresa Tumbleweed was the first to take the word.

"Once more, now that we're in private, welcome to the Radiant Republic, Kera, Foreign Minister and Ambassadors. Although this car is navigating autonomously, a chauffeur is sitting behind the wheel for safety measures. However, to ensure that You can feel at ease, he can not hear us. Furthermore, there are no surveillance systems installed in this car, so You can rest assured. Several foreign diplomats have asked about whether or not their vehicles are being listened in on, so we have taken precautions to prevent such unpleasant situations. As this car will first us on a tour through the nation's capital before we will be arriving at Yuyake 101, I'd be glad to offer You a drink from the wide selection of non-alcoholic beverages in the car's bar. We have even acquired some traditional Oyusard beverages, should local choices not satisfy Your thirst. But first, let me ask You, Kera, how was the flight?"

[Glimmer]

The thought and professionalism behind the welcoming of the Oyusard delegation was not unnoticed as the four women took it all in. Perhaps the only time that any of them were slightly concerned was Epol, turned to the Kera, while the Oyusard national anthem was played in orchestra form as opposed to the traditional song - though no one would for sure have been able to tell unless they were looking for it specifically in archival footage. Otherwise, no one would really know. Of the pack, perhaps the only one who seemed not as well prepared as one would have hoped was the newly Ambassador to the Radiant Republic, Lubis, who had just been inaugurated into the office not even 2 weeks ago. Possibly why Hani was plucked from Bromwich for this meeting.

The four settled into the black luxury tank, receptive of the Prime Minister's words. Lubis would be the only one taking up the PM's offer to take a friendlier drink from home, as the other three merely opted for water. "I appreciate the notice and respect afforded in not recording our conversations. I pay no mind to the actual practice, just so long as I am aware. The flight was smooth. It was quite different. A pleasant one.I would like to apologize for Ambassador Lubis. We have only just brought her in to the Ministry within the past couple. Unfortunately, there are not many of us that are well acquainted with travel within Oyus, it is not something we do often." Epol would chime in, reinforcing Lam's statement, "We are working right now in getting all these new faces up to speed. For this reason we have brought along Ambassador Hani, who has served a fair share of time as the top diplomat to Gallambria." Hani would nod her head. "It is an honor to be guests, Prime Minister, and we very much appreciate your reaching out to us as we start this new chapter in our country's history. There is plenty I hope we can discuss."

[Sunset Sea Islands]

The armored limousine leaving KTIA

December 21st, 2018, 10:30, Motorway to Sunset City

"Please, there is nothing to apologise for. Believe it or not, I too was young once. Also, if I may say so, this trip might be an excellent learning experience for You, Ambassador Lubis. I am glad Your trip was satisfactory, especially considering the distance between our two nations. Furthermore, the honour is mine, Kera. It is not only good behaviour to welcome new friends in the Radiant Republic, but also a pleasure."

Although King Tomasso International was located on the outskirts of Sunset City, the drive to the city was relatively short, in part thanks to the well-maintained high-capacity motorway, in part thanks to the police bike motorcade escorting the limousine. As the vehicles approached the suburban districts of Sunset City, the motorway began to incline. The road passed above hundreds of newly built family homes. For the foreign emissaries, it must have been a strange sight. Although it was clearly evident, that these districts were for the wealthier members of society, most of the buildings were made out of fair-faced concrete. The rising popularity of new-age SSI Brutalism could not be denied. The guest could see electric cars parked on the sides of the road, charging from street lights. The integrated chargers were not the only curious thing about the lights, however. There were surveillance cameras right below every light source, enough to have a complete overview over the entire street, no, the entire street network. As the towering skyline of Sunset City slowly grew on the horizon, so did the density of surveillance cameras per area.

Sunset City was a jungle of glass and concrete, housing tens of millions of inhabitants, several times as many as there were people in the entirety of @Oyus. The technological progress the nation made since the fall of Mat Troi Lan was undeniable. After the war, the Sunset Sea Islands were nothing but another source for cheap labour in Thalassa, with the added bonus of the stunning environment. The first foreign investors produced clothing and other textile goods that were cheaper to manufacture in the SSI than in their home countries. Over time, however, sometimes with, sometimes without the aid of foreign help, local inventors opened their own companies, relying on innovations to stay competitive on the international market. This mentality of always maintaining a bleeding edge in the fields of technology, innovation and business made the Sunset Sea Islands into the economic powerhouse it was today. What once was but a city of sewers and fishermen, now was one of, if not the most populous and technologically advanced city in the world.

This was also apparent through minor details. For example, the limousine did not stop once throughout the whole journey, every traffic light it passed was green. The Synapse System, the infamous AI controlling not only the Sunset Sea Islands' surveillance mechanisms, but also the metropolitan public infrastructure, prioritised certain vehicles, for example, police cars, ambulances, fire engines and, of course, diplomatic and government vehicles. By skillfully controlling the city's traffic lights and calculating detours, the limousine's path was barrier-free, without interfering with the rest of the traffic in any noticeable way.

There were many architectural wonders throughout the city. Over the course of the drive, the Prime Minister revealed herself to be a skilled tour guide, as she entertained the guests by sharing her knowledge about dozens of the city's most important sights. One building, however, throned above the rest of the monumental skyline of the megalopolis: Yuyake 101, the seat of the national government and the Ministry of Welfare. The limousine stopped right in front of the main entrance, where another carpet, this time a golden one, led inside the building. "Now, dear guests, if You might follow me inside, we can begin our talks in all seriousness."

As the group walked towards the entrance, the Prime Minister's secretary and bodyguard, Mai, who revealed herself to be the driver, followed the diplomats at a certain distance without making a single sound. Even though she walked several meters behind the group, even the guards lining the carpet didn't pay any attention to her, maybe they didn't even notice her existence. Mai did not take the elevator the rest of the group took to the 99th floor, where the diplomatic conference rooms were located. She took a special, fairly well hidden one, that travelled fast enough to arrive before the main one, giving her several seconds to make sure the floor was safe. Except for her, the PM and the other parties involved, there would be no other people on the entire floor. At the sound of the bell marking the elevator's arrival, Mai had already vanished.

The room in which Prime Minister Theresa Tumbleweed led her guests was tiled with dark Marmor, decorated with golden accents here and there. One example of the tasteful interior design was the traditional art of Kintsugi; fixing broken vessels with gold, a @Kipanese form of art imported at the end of the Thalassan War, whose popularity in the meantime surpassed its popularity in its home country by far. The golden cracks created a stunning effect on the vessels decorating the walls of the room, their value was impossible to estimate. Some of the art pieces appeared strange to the outside observer, as Sunset Sea Islandian taste, especially in art, was quite exotic. Some of the exhibits were supported by stone hands seamlessly sticking out of the wall. A Marmor table was placed in the middle of the room, just large enough for all of them. The moment everyone had taken their seats, the Prime Minister began speaking again:

"We have three main topics to discuss today.
First, since we have just established embassies between our two nations, we should discuss the details of this bilateral relation, including taxes, visas and further diplomatic standards.
Secondly, as members of the Group of Island Nations, it is clearly apparent that our nations have a lot in common and are faced with similar challenges. We can use this as a starting point for exploring how our nations could learn from one another.
Furthermore, we need to discuss potential Oyusard participation in the Manamana League. We have come to the cognition that Oyusard input could increase the environmental sustainability of the Manamana Canal, something we, the Radiant Republic, dearly care about.
Is there anything else You would like to add?"

[Glimmer]

“Prime Minister Tumbleweed, I think those are great starting points for discussions. There is a lot to hash out having more formalized relations between the Matriarchy and the Radiant Republic. Being members of the GIN is precisely one of the reasons we believe this new relationship would not only be a good one, but a necessary one too. We would be more than happy to host officials of the Radiant Republic to coordinate possible solutions to issues we face. Likewise, we are more than willing to send members here to help come up with solutions presently and in the future.

I would venture to say that participation is not just potential but rather certain in the Manamana League. We have every intention to ensure this project is successful as we can only stand to benefit and we would be happy to increase the sustainability of the canal. Seeing the canal’s completion is considered a top priority as far as foreign policy and economic policy goes for us.” Lam stated.

Epol, the Foreign Minister, and Hani, the Ambassador to Gallambria, nodded in agreement. While unconfirmed, it has long been rumored since the Matriarchy made a massive change in foreign policy that it had almost everything to do with the canal. Everything else seems like icing on cake when collaborating with other nations. If completed, the location of Oyus made it a prime location as a business friendly nation to conduct commerce, including being able to further dabble in shipping. No doubt, Manamana East would double its income. No matter the amount of money the Matriarchy invested it would quickly make it back given a little time and acclimation.

“Visa policy is something we would definitely discuss as we would want to establish something in line with our core principles. We would also welcome foreign investment in domestic projects to promote growth, especially smart growth.” Epol added. She was well aware of a project by the shipping magnate in Costa Scura and the Kera’s desire to aid projects similar to it. However, it had to be done right. Too hasty or allowing a shoddy job, and it would be anything between riddled with crime, to being a nightmare whenever it experiences a typhoon. Regardless, it would get nowhere without some help from the outside. 

Hani followed and made a push. “Seeing our industries grow would also be something we would seek to do by possibly having the introduction of our own automobiles here. Our companies are flushed with cash to use for investment and have asked us to trailblaze an opening to investment abroad.” Ambassador Hani understood that to grow domestically, it needed to invest abroad. Oyus was too small of a country to see the full potential of its businesses. It is easy to grow quickly with so few people on the isles. Many businesses could become content with the excess profits and begin lining their pockets with hefty bonuses as opposed to reinvesting it.

As each rose to speak, the other would sit. The multicultural nation that is Oyus with several populations of non-native nationalities had dreams of ascending to higher places in the world and at home. However, to achieve this goal it would take reaching out to the world to show that it was a willing partner in the betterment of the human race and deserving of such a reward. One of the reasons why Kayleigh Hani was so high up in the Ministry was for the very reason she understood the journey ahead for the Matriarchy in order to achieve its goals, long term and short. It was of great astonishment when she passed up the possibility of being the next Minister before the Kera chose Lili Epol.

“I believe that would be what we would want to cover. As we discuss further, I am sure we will find other things of interest. There is surely plenty both our countries can offer each other.”

Edited March 25, 2020 by Oyus
Brisore -> Costa Scura (see edit history)