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The Last Days

Serenierre

Established Nation
Joined
Jun 27, 2008
Messages
6,692
Location
Karachi, Sindh
Capital
Villesen
PCB Headquarters
4.12PM

The meeting had been hastily called by the senior leaders of the PCB. The report by the AP Paris had unsettled the party elders thoroughly and the party's reputation had been shaken to the core. The PCB, as soon as the news had broken, had gone into crisis management mode. The party also had started to distance itself from the beleaguered PM, something which had, apparently, worked.

"The Queen called me, earlier today, and said that Plantard was on his last legs as PM... she wants to dismiss him and appoint one of us in his place." George Bettancourt said in an even tone.

"And what if we refuse to back stab an ally?" asked Villepin

"Elections... which... we are bound to lose." interrupted Bettancourt, the head of the PCB.

"So choose what you want Villepin." bellowed Mitterand

"Gentlemen, now is not the time to get so emotional. We must look at the situation with objectivity and be sure that the PCB remains above the fray." Bettancourt continued "Most of us don't want Plantard to continue as Premier... and if the Queen also thinks that way we must align ourselves fully and completely with what the Queen says and will do. The image of the PCB is at stake and, with that at stake, our reputations and political futures also are at stake.

So now, by a show of hands, we will vote whether Plantard stays or goes."

"Which ones of you want Plantard to resign?" asked Mitterand.

Slowly each of the thirteen members of the CEC raised their hand thus sealing the fate of the Plantard administration.

"I will inform the Queen as to what our decision is and I will call Plantard tonight." said Bettancourt nonchalantly.

Grosvenor House

8.04PM

Plantard was not in his best shape. He was right in the middle of the biggest political crisis he had ever had to confront. Within a couple of days he had gone from being an immensely powerful personality, within Belmont, to being one of the weakest and most vulnerable. Since the day the AP broke the story, the Prime Minister had been blockaded inside Grosvenor House as a virtual prisoner. Hundreds of protesters had set up camp in front of the Prime Minister's residence demanding him to resign.

The demonstration, apparently, had spread across the nation. Much larger and much loosely regulated, demonstrations against Plantard had broken out in Marseilles, Orleans, Toulouse, Montpellier and Beziers. The PCB had already started issuing statements to distance themselves from the Prime Minister and slowly his political allies were deserting him. The grip he had had on power had, within a couple of days, slipped out of his hands.

Sitting silently, and alone, in his dimly lit office, the Prime Minister was smoking a cigar and was on his third glass of whiskey.

"Prime Minister" said his secretary "Your son is here."

It took the Prime Minister sometime to register what had been said. "Oh yes... send him in" he said with a slight slur.

In a few minutes, his son was sitting on the chair in front of the Prime Minister. Pierre Plantard had been alarmed with the demonstrations against his father's government and needed to know how is father planned on dealing with everything.

"Father... so were you planning on doing what that report suggests?"

"Of course... there is no doubt in my mind that the red bastards want to convert Belmont to their way. Communism is the threat of the century."

"But-" he was interrupted by Plantard senior.

"You know" Plantard said to his son, "I thought that if AP Paris took the blame... everything would be fine. But everything has just gone out of control."

"Why are you so depressed? You've weathered worse storms."

"Only with the support of my friends... that is a blessing I no longer posses." he paused, took a breath and continued "You see, son, Bettancourt called... told me to resign... then the Top Lady called... told me to resign as well. I look out of window" he pointed at the windows "the people tell me to resign. Looking at these circumstances... do I have any other choice?"
 
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