Captured in Unity

POV - Governor CAL

[Day 1, March 2002, 2pm]

"And finally," Darrien added "I have also included $5 million for the Governor's office, designated for General Administration and discretionary spending."

"Okay, at least $5 million can be used," I muttered to myself, finding some solace in the potential funding. At least the presentation went smoothly without any interruptions from anyone else after those two. Ugh, I'm craving a cigarette right about now.

"Everything seems acceptable to me," I declared. "Are there any further concerns or objections from anyone?" After a moment of silence, I continued, "No? Good. Meeting Adjourned. Dismissed"

As I stood up, everyone followed suit in perfect unison. Stepping out of the room, I caught sight of my security detail and motioned to Farhan and Hamid for a smoke break. The guilt of constantly bumming cigarettes off them nagged at me; I might need to buy them each a carton after this.

A wheeze caught my attention, and when I turned, Jordan was standing there. Farhan promptly lit my cigarette as this irritating man started complaining about Sara. I sighed internally but nodded, promising to look into it simply because she was associated with the previous regime. "Anything else you want to discuss?" I asked, keeping my tone neutral.

""Nothing else," he muttered dismissively, and with that, I resumed my smoke break, eager to put the encounter behind me.

"Governor!" a voice sounded. Oh my god, what now? I turned towards the sound and saw Shaav, the coughing guy. Concerned, I quickly stubbed out my cigarette to prevent him from inhaling the smoke.

"Governor, with the $8 million allocated for the year, it's not enough to develop the entire region. Splitting it could dilute the impact and give the impression of indecision." I felt annoyed at this point, wishing he would figure it out himself. "You seem smart enough. Draw up three plans and bring them back to me by next Monday." I gestured towards the convoy. "It is for you, I presume?"

Shaav agreed hastily to create three proposals and left, a motherly shout could be heard, "Oh, Shavvi, are you alright? Doctor! He's here!" As they were focused on Shaav, I asked for another cigarette from Hamid. Then a faint "Is that your new Governor, Shaavi? Can I talk to him?", but I could hear it. Shaav said something unintelligible to his mother before she curtseyed, and I respectfully bowed in return. "I miss my mother," I confessed, taking a puff. "At this rate I wont be going back for another 20 years."

As footsteps approached, Janick emerged into view. I hastened over to him, eager to discuss a matter of importance. Amidst a few shared laughs over the absurdity of Isekai agriculture prowess, we shook hands and departed, each returning to our respective tasks.

"Hey Governor" The General's voice echoed. "People like you will find it difficult to go back, which is why we brought more Governors here to govern other regions," The nonchalant way he said it rubbed me the wrong way. "The video feed is set up, come meet them"

"Jesus Christ," I exclaimed in disbelief. "Are they all situated correctly, or did they just fumble the introductions like me?" fearing for the safety of the others unable to cope with the transference.

"You can take a look for yourself. We've set up a webcam and informed the other Governors to attend," the General informed.

"Ah... So you admit there was a fumble, and they didn't take it well," I inquired, hoping to find some solidarity together as people of the near modern world.

As we returned to the council room, we veered left past Darrien towards the Governor's office and closed the doors. Inside awaited a stately conference table, adorned with the insignia of the state. Positioned at the head of the table was the webcam, its lens focused on the room, while a laptop displayed a grid of boxes, each representing a kidnapped individual.

"Hello?" I ventured cautiously into the silence.

"Hi, who are you?" a feminine voice responded.

"Hi there, I'm CAL. I was kidnapped and forced to become the Governor of..." I paused, struggling to recall the name.

"Lilac Gardens, Fahar province," the General interjected.

"Ah yes, Lilac Gardens. What about you?" I inquire feeling worried

"Um.. I was kidnapped as well. But uh.. I'm placed at the Cashew Forest"

"Cashew Forest?" My eyes widened as the name registered. "Wait, wait, wait, is the map the same as Pistachio Forest?" I asked, a sense of despair creeping in.

Her voice started to tremble, and a few hiccups escaped before she broke into uncontrollable sobs. "It's alright, please don't cry," I said, feeling a pang of sympathy for her distress. 

"Where are you from?" I asked, hoping to divert her attention from her distress. She sobs even more uncontrollably than before. 

From the screen, multiple countries were mentioned by various voices, ranging from masculine to feminine and different accents combined: India, United States, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Tunisia, United Kingdom, Malaysia, Canada, Turkey and many more.

The girl's sobs gradually subsided, and her response came softly, "China."

"Hi there, I'm from Malaysia," I replied, switching to Mandarin to further comfort her. "Don't worry," I reassured her, addressing everyone present. "We're all in this together, and we'll support each other no matter what. Right, guys?"

A cheer of unison erupted, resonating with the shared determination to assist one another. With the diverse backgrounds represented by these individuals, we forged a unified front, embracing our shared plight. Much like in multiplayer, we pledged to support each other, deploying troops, calling in airstrikes and drones, establishing garrisons, and even being open to negotiating peace treaties if the situation called for it.

As we closed our webcams one by one, a sense of unity lingered in the air. Through the windows of our respective Governor's offices, we stared out into the vast expanse beyond, each lost in our own thoughts yet bound together by our shared experience. The silence spoke volumes, echoing the unspoken understanding that we were not alone in this ordeal.

Exiting the Governor's office, I noticed Darrien still lingering in the corridor. 'Hey, Darrien,' I called out softly, breaking the quietude that enveloped the space. 'The meeting's over an hour ago. Why are you still here?'"