INTERNATIONAL FREEDOM COALITION
Eighth Summit of the International Fuel Corporation (IFC) Alexandria, Aestorian Commonwealth, January 2016
#IFCAlexandria2016
CARS FORBIDDEN
COUNCIL IN RESIDENCE
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AAS Peacock, Conference Airship, Whittington Citadel, Alexandria, Ausitoria
"Good idea, these conference airships," approved the Prince Kazpia, after whom the airship was named.
"Very stylistic," nodded Sir Henry Taylor approvingly. Ausitoria honed its soft power with all the care and attention that some fools dedicated entirely to their military power. Why have one when you could have both?
They sat on an armchair just inside the entrance, waiting to greet whoever might enter first: they were a mere hundred paces, red carpeted all the way, from the gilded aircraft steps that stood waiting, although in the soaring southern summer temperature of 28°, that would be quite enough to distinguish their fellow tropical allies from the less fortunate arctic sort. Moored at the end of runway, they stared out, the battlements of the citadel on their right, the majesty of the city of spires all behind them, the 'floating' skyscraper-castle-on-stilts towering like tottering artwork above them on the right, the container ships steaming past all along the left of them, and the reclaimed runway straight ahead of them, with that absurd road-and-railway bridge bridging the sea above all the planes that shot in towards them, bang on time every eighty-one seconds, to make their landing. It was like threading a camel through the eye of a needle.
Despite the frenetic activity, to them it was idyllic under the sun: a demonstration of just what could happen when a nation could develop perhaps as nations ought to, interested only in the generation of every type of prosperity for as many people as possible under a maximum of collective centralized power. Ausitoria had been down for the 8th Summit since long before they had expected to become Prime Minister, and by the time they sat down to start the agenda, they might well have ceased to hold that position, although they doubted it. In their hearts they knew that a little spot of controversy could hardly derail from the fact that overall, their government was the most efficient, most effective, least partisan, well-rounded, liberal, pro-freedom ministry-of-all-the-talents that the Coalition had ever had the good fortune to enjoy, even if the trouble was that the Ausitorians knew that they were now virtually irreplaceable, and could be just a little bit arrogant as a result. They were good at institutions: it was their thing.
Ausitoria was not prone to security issues, mercifully, but security was nonetheless tight, with a flight of fighter aircraft overhead, and the band, ready to play any anthem, was merely the only visible sign of the ground forces. Cars beeped across in the harbour, and people chattered in the neighbouring park-museum; a roar of nearly half a million people packed into a square kilometer brimming with almost everything worth seeing, anywhere, anytime. Underneath the soft vibrations of the dozens of trains that came to rest beneath their feet could perhaps have been separated from the lapping of the waves: those nurturing turquoise seas, those sparkling waters, the reason for all this, and the reason why Ausitoria was free, prosperous, and always in coalition with somebody.
They discussed which flight-path to take. Certainly they would fly down the gulf, along the historic mountainous coasts and beaches, the historic heart of the Ausitorian Empire, towards the open Ocean, but never quite getting passed that horrendous city, spreading down on either side of them, until, with a turn to the left, they would sweep down more rugged coast, and then, with another turn to the left, down more coast and the historic backwater of Julerton, and then turn left through the narrow strait and ancient trading ports back again. Assuming there were no silly typhoons on the way.
This was the meaning of Ausitorian hospitality: a diverse, eclectic concoction of everything that an Ausitorian ever thought good.
"Ah," said the Prince, noticing a craft approaching, and rising. "Look, there comes the..."