Through the Looking Glass

Smoke and Mirrors: Into the Flames of Conflagration

Washington DC, United States of America, 

August 2, 2006, 9:00 am. 

Walking along the corridor of the White House, the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States of America, the country that is considered to be the second pillar of the Organization of Free Nations. The secretary of the treasury, a young man in his early 40s is walking with great haste while holding a briefcase and after walking for a few paces he arrives in front of the door that leads to the Oval Office, the official workplace of the president of the United States of America. 

The forty-three-year-old man with blonde hair and wearing formal attire knocks on the door and after a few seconds the door opens allowing him to enter the Oval Office, "Mister President, " he greeted while walking towards the resolute desk where President Edward Roosevelt is sitting along reviewing the interface in front of him that only he can see and as he walk on the carpet the door closes. 

"Secretary Maxton Solomon, " President Edward Roosevelt calmly greeted while lifting the cup of coffee from the resolute desk and looking at the interface display screens that showed various information that was only for his eyes, "You requested a meeting about five minutes ago, " he speaks informing the former of his request while glancing at the time display that is being displayed by the holographic screen, "Samantha, " he quickly called erstwhile secretary Matxon Solomon, the forty-three-year-old head of the department of the treasury stands in front of him, "Kindly turn off all displays. " 

"Soundproof would also be advisable, " Secretary Maxton Solomon speaks after the Holographic Display screen that the president of the United States of America was looking at has been deactivated. 

"Oh, " the head of state and government of the United States of America calmly responded before lowering the cup of coffee on the table while secretary Maxton Solomon placed the briefcase on the resolute desk, "I do think that has to be off the record, " he remarked while looking at an icon on the resolute desk whose bar turned green a while ago informing him that the entire oval office is secured, "So what is the rush? " he quickly questioned. 

"Well, mister president the Artificial Intelligence, the smart one, " Secretary Maxton Solomon speaks answering the question at hand about why he requested the meeting as he speaks he unlocks the briefcase which in turn reveals nothing he quickly touches the button and a holographic display screen materialized displaying information. 

"I want the summary I am not looking at those raw data. " 

"Well mister president this is the summary, " he answered which made the president of the United States of America raise an eyebrow while looking at the information being displayed and his eyes quickly narrowed down on the Union Jack and the French Tricolore. 

"I can see the flag of the United Kingdom and France not to mention Germany, " he stated before touching the Holo Screen that is projected by the briefcase and pulling it towards himself, "And I can see that everything is on the rise, " he pointed out. 

"That is our concern mister president, " Secretary Maxton Solomon pointed out, "Lady Amelie ran a few simulations with the help of some of our AI at my request when she brought this to my attention. " 

"Good news or bad news from the perspective of the United States of America, not the European nation-states. So get to the bottom of it, " the president of the United States of America requested.  

Hamburg, Federal Republic of Germany.

A cargo ship has just entered the port of Hamburg, a major commercial port of the Federal Republic of Germany where tons of industrial goods and raw resources are being transported out and into the container ships that are docked on the pier and flying at the mask of the container ship that has just recently entered the port is the flag of the Germania Kaiserreich flying beneath the flag of the Minerva Steel and Coal Union, a far more centralized economic and political union located in the Continent of Minerva located at the middle of the Atlantic Ocean between the continent of the Americas and Europe.