The Long Road ch.3
Title: The Long Road ch. 3
Author: parable91
Characters: Canada, England, Taiwan
Rating: PG
Warning: Language
Summary: An extraterrestrial invasion sends the world into disarray. Witness the bitter - and increasingly desperate - struggle over the years between the Earth’s nations and a foe bent on their destruction.
Ch. 3 Close Encounter s
The rain had finally stopped but the afternoon sky remained dark and forbidding. The forest land was quiet. Birds did not resume their singing, the chattering and dashing of squirrels did not exist, beavers remained hidden inside their dams. Nature could tell when the unnatural was near, and nature reacted to the unnatural with silent fear.
The unnatural silence that had befallen the wet highway was broken by a lone car roaring southward.
“Sorry, I’m busy at the moment. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you later.”
Taiwan felt like ripping her hair out. An hour’s worth of phone calls to all her nearest neighbors and nothing to show for it. She seriously hoped that Thailand was just sleeping on his side of the world. Concentrating, she did the math in her head and frowned. It was 6 AM over there. Thailand was an early riser; he should have been up by now and seen her twenty missed calls. Maybe he was just sleeping in? Staying in bed in the early morning like a normal person for once? That could very well be a possibility.
Rationalizing failed to sooth her worries. Biting her lip, Taiwan hit the Send button and called again.
In front of her Canada was fiddling with the radio. The American station they had been listening to once they had crossed the boarder had abruptly gone off the air and Canada was looking for a channel with news on the nearby area. In the passenger’s seat England was engaged in a task similar to hers - calling every nation in Western Europe - and meeting about the same success as Taiwan was.
“Poland!” he cried eagerly, “Listen, I -” he stopped in surprise. Taiwan leaned in to hear what was on the other line.
“ - Just kidding! I’m not really, like, here right now. But leave a message and I’ll pick up the phone for real next time.”
England all but snarled at the phone and hung up without leaving a message. Taiwan shook her head and looked back to her own phone. Same thing. Was everybody under attack already? Was her home under attack? It had been an hour since she had spoken to Japan, what had changed since then? Taiwan decided to give him another call. She scrolled through her contacts, hit his name, and held the phone to her ear. It rang. And rang. And rang.
Finally a voice, “This is Japan speaking. I’m afraid I cannot make it to the phone right now. Please leave a message or call back at a latter time.”
Taiwan wasn’t sure whether to chuck her phone out the window or just start crying. This was just too much for the island nation. Just what was going on back home? Were her people safe? Was the military mobilized? Why wouldn’t her boss pick up the phone? Did the invaders land on the island? Could they attack by sea?
Stop it!
Worrying over things she had no control over was not going to help. She had to focus. For now she was stuck with America’s family, the best thing she could do was watch what was happening here and continue to gather information from abroad. All she had to do was call everybody to find out what they knew. The only problem was that she had already called everybody she knew and no one was answering. How could she gather intel when their was no intelligence source?
Or was there?
Scanning her contacts again Taiwan came up with one name she had previously (and purposely) skipped: North Korea. Taiwan grimaced. North Korea had never really forgiven her for trying to help South during the war. Never mind that she hadn’t actually done anything, the fact that a family member would do such a thing was enough for the rogue nation to blacklist her forever. Should she even call that psychopath? If the South was being invaded surely North was having problems as well. And the other Korea never answered any of her calls before. Still, sitting in the dark was worse than having to put up with North Korea’s ranting. They were predictable, and at least they were something she was used to. She hit Send and waited.
“Hello? Switzerland?” England’s relieved voice caused her to look up. “It’s England, I - oh Liechtenstein? I thought this was - it is?” Relief turned to confusion. “So why are you - is that gunfire? Are you two under attack? By who?”
Both Taiwan and Canada listened attentively, straining their ears to hear what was going on in Europe.
“They’re not human?” England was saying, “How many are there? Where did they land? Did you say on your house? Where are you now?”
“At Austria’s house, Hungary is here too.” Replied what sounded like a surprisingly calm Liechtenstein.
“Is that England? Tell that bastard he better get his ass over here right now!”
Still calm Liechtenstein said, “My brother asks that you come back to Europe as quickly as possible, England. We really could use some help.”
“I can’t. I’m at with Canada right now.”
“Who?”
“Canada!”
A loud crash.
“Sorry England, I’ll call you back. The invaders just broke into the kitchen. Brother! I have the rocket -”
She hung up.
The car was silent. Canada stared straight ahead at the road. England took the phone from his ear and flipped it shut. Taiwan looked from one to the other, waiting for some other reaction. When she got none she looked down at her own phone. North Korea hadn’t picked up. She had worried for nothing.
Canada cleared his throat.
“We should be at the airport in about half an hour, eh? From there we can arrange a landing near Cheyenne Mountain. Hopefully we can get there in time to meet Alfred.”
Taiwan thought about that for a minute. She could get a plane to go home after they got to Colorado. Would America lend her one? Taiwan looked out the window and into the dark forest. Yes, he would. She thought. Most of my military equipment came from America anyway. Heck, why didn’t she just ask Canada right now, he could lone her a plane at the airport.
Wrapped up in her thoughts, Taiwan was taking in the now brighter scenery without actually processing what she was looking at in her mind. Thus, she didn’t notice the alien ship flying outside her window until it was only half a mile above the forest. Then her eyes flicked up at the black blotch in the sky. Her mouth fell. Her eyes widened.
“Guys…”
Canada and England turned to see an ashen faced Taiwan gazing in horror outside the window. Head swiveled and now all three nations could see what was causing worldwide chaos.
The ship was still a ways off, but it was getting closer. It was big, easily dwarfing any water bound ship any of them had ever seen. A huge, egg shaped structure making its way down from the sky. Lights flickered on and off on the black hull. The bottom half of the bow looked like a giant dark windshield, reflecting the tree tops below it.
Canada slowed to a stop. One by one the trio got out of the car. Canada actually took off his glasses, wiped them on his sweater and put them back on. Taiwan and England just stood there, mouths agape.
The ship was emitting a low, deep hum. With a deliberate speed that indicated this was not a free fall it descended onto the forest below. Within minutes it had touched the ground, crushing trees and whatever wildlife that was unfortunate enough to be caught under it. The earth shook slightly. Terrified birds from the surrounding area chirped madly and scattered in all directions.
A minute passed before the nations or the ship seemed to do anything. The personified nations were fixated on the alien vessel, their vision of it much blocked by the trees in front of them. The vessel stayed silent and unmoving from their vantage point. Then the unmistakable sound of machinery reached them from the area of the alien ship.
Taiwan took an involuntary step back. England muttered something that sounded like, “Dear Lord.”
“Maybe we should get going, eh?” said Canada. The others jumped at the suggestion and quickly climbed back into the car. Canada got into the drivers seat, put on his seatbelt with shaky hands, and fumbled with the keys for a moment before managing to get them into the ignition. The car came to life. Canada hit the gas. The sudden burst of speed sent Taiwan and England reeling back in their seats.
“Bloody hell!” roared England before quickly buckling his own seatbelt, “Are you trying to kill us!”
“We need to get out of here as soon as possible!” Canada yelled back, “Remember the news? Every time one of those things lands they begin attacking the closest human settlement. The town we’re heading to is only thirty minutes away and there’s no major military force here! ”
“But this is the border!” Taiwan exclaimed as she pulled herself upright. “How can you not have anything here?”
“ ‘World’s longest undefended border’ remember?” said Canada as he made a gradual turn so fast it managed to throw Taiwan to the other side of the car and hit her head on the door. “A few checkpoints, local police, that’s about it here anyway! And we gotta go fast, the towns on the other side of the forest.”
“Shit.” said England.
“Wait,” Taiwan said as she got up, rubbing her head, “Are you saying we have to go around the aliens to get out of here?”
“Basically.”
Taiwan fastened herself in before doing anything else. Then she took out her phone again and called America.
“Hi! US of A here! I’m off being a Hero somewhere. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you.”
He’d had that same answering machine for decades now, despite having lost his appeal for being a ‘Hero’ awhile back. Familiarity did not bring comfort though. She wanted someone to talk to; someone who knew what was going on. Most of all she wanted to go home.
They drove for another twenty minutes with few words between them. Soon enough they started seeing houses along the side of the road. Twenty more minutes later, and they were at the airport with Canada booking a flight. It was a small airport, and no one seemed to realize yet that aliens were not too far out of the city (Canada had called the local police though, as well as the closest military force, his and America’s) so there was little panic.
While Canada arranged for a plane Taiwan sat on a bench near the vending machine where England was buying something from. She let her head fall back and stared at the ceiling, fiddling with her hair absent mindedly. How could she keep her island safe from here? So far she hadn’t felt any jolts of pain like America had, so she could assume that hundreds of people weren’t dying at the moment. But for how long would that last?
“Worrying won’t do you any good.”
Taiwan lifted her head to see a solemn England standing above her with two sodas in his hands. She looked at him in surprise.
“What?” Did he just read my mind?
Instead of responding England offered her one of the sodas. “Thanks.” Taiwan took it and checked the label (Diet Coke. Good, she was supposed to be dieting) before popping it open and taking a huge gulp. England opened his drink as well but refrained from drinking. After she finished he spoke again.
“I know how you feel, Taiwan. Helpless and confused. Not knowing just what is going on, feeling isolated from events both far and near. Wanting to be relived but can’t stop thinking: what if I’m next? The enemy is just across the channel, can I stop this threat I know nothing about?” He took a swig of his soda, while Taiwan stared at him. When he finished he looked her in the eye. “Am I right?”
“I - Yes, how did you know?” the younger nation stuttered.
England smiled grimly, “Despite what we say and do, we island nations think alike. Such thoughts are always in the back of our minds. But more importantly, you can’t keep worrying. No, I didn’t say you shouldn’t be concerned.” he added quickly before Taiwan could protest, “I’m saying that having concerns does you little good unless you see to them constructively.”
“Well how do I do that!” exclaimed Taiwan.
“Know your enemy, know yourself, and victory is never in doubt.” England said calmly.
“What, you’re China now?”
“Do you get what I’m saying?” England frowned.
“Yeah, but Sun Tzu isn’t exactly the best help here.” Taiwan moved her left hand up and down for emphasis, the right began crunching her half empty soda can, “We don’t know a thing about the enemy, other than they’re all over the world!”
“Then what do you know about yourself?” England leaned over her and pointed at Taiwan’s forehead, causing the young woman to lean back in her chair with her eyes looking above to the older nation’s uncomfortably close finger. He then actually poked her forehead.
“Where is your navy currently deployed? When’s the last time you upgraded your aircraft hardware? What are your contingency plans for an aerial assault? Where to your plan to evacuate non-combatants?”
Each question came with another poke. Each poke seemed to literally drill England’s words into her brain. What were the answers to those need-to-know questions? Taiwan knew them, each one. All at once she felt like an idiot. England was right. Instead of worrying she should have been working on ways to ease the fears. Just because she wasn’t at home did not mean she could not find ways to do something productive.
England could see the light in Taiwan’s eyes and he smiled. A real, genuine smile this time. Taiwan grinned back, her confidence restored.
“Even a little knowledge can go a long way in war.” The bushy browed nation said.
“And now I know.” Taiwan affirmed.
“And knowing is half the battle.” replied England, “Well then, we best be going then, my dear. I believe we have a plane to catch.”
Next Time: While some nations are still in the dark, others have already been thrown into the fire. Witness the violent struggle in Europe as Austria, Hungary, Switzerland and Liechtenstein find themselves besieged,