1 Chapter 1 - A Strange New World

President Vladimir Putin's eyes fluttered open, immediately assaulted by a pounding headache. "What...what happened?" he murmured, trying to shake the fog from his mind.

He slowly pushed himself up from the damp, mossy ground, glancing around in utter confusion. Lush, verdant greenery and massive trees with vines as thick as anacondas surrounded him on all sides, filtering the early morning sunlight down through the dense canopy overhead. The chirping of exotic birds and the scurrying of strange critters echoed through the humid air.

"Where am I?" Putin said aloud, staggering unsteadily to his feet. The last thing he could remember was sitting at his desk in the Kremlin, looking over troubling reports from the defense minister about NATO troop buildups near the Ukrainian border. Now, somehow, he found himself completely alone in some sort of primordial jungle.

Cautiously, Putin began making his way between the enormous trunks of the ancient trees, trying to get his bearings. Nothing about his bizarre surroundings seemed even remotely familiar. It was as if he had been transported to an alien planet while he slept.

After several tense minutes of disoriented wandering, he suddenly heard voices ahead speaking Russian. Putin quickened his pace, brushing aside twisted vines and low branches until he arrived at the edge of a small clearing. He froze, eyes widening in disbelief.

A group of a dozen or so Russian soldiers stood conversing in the open area, many of them still in full uniform. They looked just as confused and distressed as Putin felt, muttering anxiously among themselves about their predicament.

Stepping out from the tangled undergrowth, Putin called out assertively, "Comrades!"

The soldiers all turned in unison, their faces lighting up with shocked relief at the sight of their president. "Mr. President!" one of them cried out joyfully. The group immediately crowded around him, bombarding their revered leader with anxious questions.

"Where are we, sir?"

"How did we get to this strange place?"

"What should we do now?"

Putin raised his hands, quieting the cacophony. "I do not know any more than you about where we are or what forces brought us here," he admitted frankly. "But we must quickly determine how much of Russia has been affected by this disturbing event. Our first priority must be locating and unifying with any other Russians who may have also been transported to this alien realm."

The soldiers nodded resolutely, ready to dutifully follow Putin's authoritative lead, even in this bizarre new world. To them, he was still their undisputed president.

"Arm yourselves and form search parties," Putin commanded decisively. "Fan out in all directions through this jungle and look for any other Russian citizens or military personnel. We will regroup here in this clearing in exactly one hour."

The disciplined men quickly dispersed to carry out his strategic orders without question or hesitation. Putin watched them slip into the emerald undergrowth, shoulders squared with stoic Russian determination. Whatever mysterious forces had snatched them from their homeland and brought them to this strange, primeval place, the Russian people would not falter or cower in fear. They would adapt and survive, rallying around their bold leader, as they had so many times before in their tumultuous history.

And once they gained their footing in this new realm, Putin thought with a steely glint in his sharp blue eyes, they would build an unstoppable empire mightier than any other in this alien world. Russia would rise again, greater and more powerful than ever before.