International Revolutionary Bloc Headquarters Building
Government District, Vlaanderen
Bataafsche Volksrepubliek
[IMG2]albumid=86&pictureid=805[/IMG2]
The IRB headquarters building was located in the centre of the Government District. Unlike its surrounding buildings, this building, finished in the late 1960s, was adorned with a glass façade, unusual for the city of Vlaanderen, famous for its concrete structures. Today, however, was a special day. The IRB was holding its Winter Congress this week. Thousands of delegates from all of the IRB member states had flown in to Vlaanderen and were checking into the cities hotels, eating out at the government approved restaurants and cafés and preparing to settle in for a long week of discussions vital to communism, supposedly.
Supreme Leader Jaap de Graaf, his son, Karel de Graaf, Foreign Commissar, Arjan van Vliet and, of course, the Batavian ambassador to the IRB, Maurice van Arsdale, were all in attendance. Security was extremely tight, especially with the bombing and police assassination of the week prior. Although things had been quiet for a few days, the Staatsveiligheid and the Metropolitan Police were taking absolutely no chances. The Government District was sealed off to those without special pre-approved passes and visiting delegates were forbidden from exiting the District during the day, only to be escorted to their nearby hotels.
Inside the Delegate's Lounge on the ground floor in between the two towers of the building, people were finishing their drinks and heading into the main chamber to begin. The agenda being handed to them was thirty pages long and written in three languages: Dutch, French and Slavic. Host language, diplomatic language and a third member language, respectively.
With everyone seated, or almost to their seats, Ambassador Van Arsdale seated at the front with the three most important men in the country turned on his microphone.
'Ladies and Gentlemen, please take your seats.' Van Arsdale repeated the phrase in the three working languages as well as the Vangalan vernacular, for polite and good measure.
'Merci, merci. Dank u wel. Spaciba. Welcome to Batavië, welcome to our glorious capital and welcome, of course, to the International Revolutionary Bloc's Winter Congress!'
Van Arsdale continued in French and waited for the hall's boisterous applause to subside.
'Before you you have a copy of the Agenda for this week's Congress. I will read from it for you.'
'Electing an IRB Chairman
IRB Defence Measures
IRB War Games
Economic Activity and Trading within the IRB Preferential Trading Area (IRB-PTA)
The Fascist Threat to the East
Other'
Van Arsdale Set down the paper, 'And now, a brief word from Roerganger, that is Supreme Leader, Jaap de Graaf. Founder and Eternal Father of the Batavian People's Republic.'
The applause carried the elderly gentlemen to the front podium.
'Thank you all. Thank you.' he spoke in a southern Dutch accent, acquired from spending most of his life in the capital city and its surroundings.
'It is such a joy to see all of my comrades here today. We are the only true bulwark left to prevent fascism and tyranny from spreading to the entire world. Our people, led by true comrades of the Left, are fortunate to live in fair and free societies, unlike the brothers in the East and elsewhere. I trust that this week's Congress will solve many of the IRB's issues and problems at hand and also bring about a change in anti-Fascist tactics. Again, I thank you.'
The Supreme Leader smiled and returned to his seat, sipping his water and trying to look relaxed. Van Arsdale poke once more.
'I open the floor to Ambassadors of other IRB member states to make comments before we begin discussions. Discussion may begin immediately after opening remarks if so desired.'
Government District, Vlaanderen
Bataafsche Volksrepubliek
[IMG2]albumid=86&pictureid=805[/IMG2]
The IRB headquarters building was located in the centre of the Government District. Unlike its surrounding buildings, this building, finished in the late 1960s, was adorned with a glass façade, unusual for the city of Vlaanderen, famous for its concrete structures. Today, however, was a special day. The IRB was holding its Winter Congress this week. Thousands of delegates from all of the IRB member states had flown in to Vlaanderen and were checking into the cities hotels, eating out at the government approved restaurants and cafés and preparing to settle in for a long week of discussions vital to communism, supposedly.
Supreme Leader Jaap de Graaf, his son, Karel de Graaf, Foreign Commissar, Arjan van Vliet and, of course, the Batavian ambassador to the IRB, Maurice van Arsdale, were all in attendance. Security was extremely tight, especially with the bombing and police assassination of the week prior. Although things had been quiet for a few days, the Staatsveiligheid and the Metropolitan Police were taking absolutely no chances. The Government District was sealed off to those without special pre-approved passes and visiting delegates were forbidden from exiting the District during the day, only to be escorted to their nearby hotels.
Inside the Delegate's Lounge on the ground floor in between the two towers of the building, people were finishing their drinks and heading into the main chamber to begin. The agenda being handed to them was thirty pages long and written in three languages: Dutch, French and Slavic. Host language, diplomatic language and a third member language, respectively.
With everyone seated, or almost to their seats, Ambassador Van Arsdale seated at the front with the three most important men in the country turned on his microphone.
'Ladies and Gentlemen, please take your seats.' Van Arsdale repeated the phrase in the three working languages as well as the Vangalan vernacular, for polite and good measure.
'Merci, merci. Dank u wel. Spaciba. Welcome to Batavië, welcome to our glorious capital and welcome, of course, to the International Revolutionary Bloc's Winter Congress!'
Van Arsdale continued in French and waited for the hall's boisterous applause to subside.
'Before you you have a copy of the Agenda for this week's Congress. I will read from it for you.'
'Electing an IRB Chairman
IRB Defence Measures
IRB War Games
Economic Activity and Trading within the IRB Preferential Trading Area (IRB-PTA)
The Fascist Threat to the East
Other'
Van Arsdale Set down the paper, 'And now, a brief word from Roerganger, that is Supreme Leader, Jaap de Graaf. Founder and Eternal Father of the Batavian People's Republic.'
The applause carried the elderly gentlemen to the front podium.
'Thank you all. Thank you.' he spoke in a southern Dutch accent, acquired from spending most of his life in the capital city and its surroundings.
'It is such a joy to see all of my comrades here today. We are the only true bulwark left to prevent fascism and tyranny from spreading to the entire world. Our people, led by true comrades of the Left, are fortunate to live in fair and free societies, unlike the brothers in the East and elsewhere. I trust that this week's Congress will solve many of the IRB's issues and problems at hand and also bring about a change in anti-Fascist tactics. Again, I thank you.'
The Supreme Leader smiled and returned to his seat, sipping his water and trying to look relaxed. Van Arsdale poke once more.
'I open the floor to Ambassadors of other IRB member states to make comments before we begin discussions. Discussion may begin immediately after opening remarks if so desired.'