ushernet Chapter 204 - 204: Meeting with the President
Chapter 204 - 204: Meeting with the President
"Maxime Valdreuve, will you be one of those young geniuses who will shape the world and restore humanity to its former glory?"
...
Back on the Predator 2000.
"And so I was saying..."
But just as the mayor wanted to finish his sentence, one of the two guards approached him.
"Mr. Mayor, we're about to land."
The mayor instantly looked serious and turned to Maxime.
"Very well."
"Maxime, prepare yourself mentally and try to make the best possible impression on the person you are about to meet."
Maxime, who had been listening to the mayor's words with interest until then, was suddenly taken aback.
No matter who he was going to meet, he wouldn't change his personality because of the advice given by the mayor.
It was more the travel time that surprised him.
"But it's not even 30 minutes, is it?"
Aleksei Dorne nodded.
"25 minutes to be exact, but with our speed, all the places in the Western Federation can be reached in essentially an hour. So it's not surprising."
With that, Maxime did some quick mental calculations.
"That corresponds pretty well to the distance between Nansoy and Sirap..."
"So we would be at the capital?"
If that were the case, Maxime would indeed be excited. It would be the first time he visited the famous capital of the Western Federation.
The aircraft descended with impressive fluidity, stabilizing just above a huge building who
"Maxime Valdreuve, welcome. Please sit down. We have much to discuss."
Maxime obeyed without a word, sitting down in one of the armchairs in front of the President's imposing desk. His gaze remained fixed on Nathaniel Voskar, trying to analyze the man behind the legend.
"Aleksei, Anna, you guys can leave us."
They all bowed without saying a word, then left the office. Anna took care to close the door behind her.
The old man folded his hands on his desk, observing him with a slight smile.
"Do you know why you are here, Maxime?" he asked calmly.
Maxime thought for a second before shaking his head.
"No, Mr. President," he replied honestly.
Voskar nodded slightly, as if he had expected this answer.
"You are here because you have attracted the attention of the highest echelons of our Federation."
He paused, then continued:
"What you achieved during the invasion of the Pyrans and, more recently, your performance on the dimensional battlefield against the Dravaks... these are facts that we cannot ignore."
Maxime remained silent, attentive.
The President rose slowly, heading for the bay window. He contemplated the illuminated city for a moment before speaking again:
"Humanity is in decline, young man. Our era of supremacy is over. The other races in this universe surpass us in power, in technology, and even in organization. We have survived this long thanks to our ingenuity and our humility... but soon it will no longer be enough."
He turned, his piercing eyes fixed on Maxime's.
"That's why we need young people like you. Individuals capable of defying the odds, of pushing the boundaries."
Maxime felt his heart beat faster.
"You want me to join the army?"
Voskar shook his head.
"Not exactly. We already have enough soldiers. What we need are real leaders."
The president let slip some important information, but seeing the lack of confusion and surprise on Maxime's face, Maxime smiled.
"You already have level 2 authorization, don't you?"
Maxime didn't think that such information deserved to be hidden from the president.
He himself, as president, had to have a higher level of authorization, and above all he detected no malice on his part, so he nodded.
"Well, then you should know that what we really need are figures capable of leading humanity into a new age of prosperity... or at least, of ensuring our survival."
Silence fell over the room.
Maxime was beginning to understand the importance of this meeting. It wasn't just an invitation to serve the Federation; the president had a very specific purpose in inviting him here.
The president sat back in his chair and leaned slightly towards Maxime, leaning on the table, then said:
"Maxime, listen carefully to what I'm about to say."