"The whole continent appears to be destined...to be peopled by ONE nation."

- John Quincy Adams

Gaia, "New Zhongguo". June 21st, 2038.

The sun hung high in the sky, casting dappled shadows through the dense canopy of towering trees. The forest buzzed with the muted calls of hidden birds and the rustle of leaves stirred by a soft, humid breeze. The light filtering through the shifting clouds illuminated the scene below, where dozens of workers, clad in orange uniforms and protective hardhats, moved in orchestrated unity. Each worker carried the tools of their trade—chainsaws roared like angry mechanical beasts, and axes swung down with rhythmic thuds, slicing through trunks with practiced precision. The smell of fresh-cut wood mingled with the earthy scent of rich, disturbed soil.

Around them, support vehicles lumbered like iron leviathans through the underbrush. Feller bunchers clamped around trees, their saws whirring as they felled massive trunks in mere minutes. Bulldozers growled as they pushed aside boulders and fallen logs, clearing paths that would soon become arteries of a future city. Huge excavators scooped up tons of dirt and and sand, their hydraulic arms moving with deceptive grace, while caterpillar trucks hauled their loads away. Motor graders and compactors followed, their metal blades and vibrating rollers leveling the terrain into a flat, ideal foundation for construction. Overhead, the sky hummed with activity as drones hovered like vigilant eyes, mapping the forest floor and sending real-time data to workers below.

Every machine, every worker, was part of an unstoppable tide of steel and flesh, cutting through what was once untamed wilderness. The forest, a stronghold of ancient trees and whispering shadows, now yielded its secrets to the relentless advance. Here, the future metropolis of New Zhongguo would rise, spreading Chinese civilization with every step forward—a civilization that had endured for 5,000 years, now reborn on this new world.

Sitting high in the cab of his bulldozer, Zhang Qiu’s hands gripped the controls with a familiarity that had long become second nature. The engine beneath him roared with each maneuver as he guided the massive blade across the uneven ground. The absence of a GPS system had proven challenging at first, but drones equipped with LiDAR technology circled above, transmitting detailed maps to the navigation screens in their vehicles. It was a sophisticated partnership between human intuition and cutting-edge technology that made the clearing work possible.

Zhang's eyes were focused, scanning the terrain as his bulldozer crushed rocks into dust and pushed logs aside with a deafening rumble. He enjoyed this job, the power it gave him to shape the land without the backbreaking labor that others endured. Compared to his time as a rice farmer back in Jiangxi Province or the grueling construction work he had taken on in his youth, this felt almost luxurious. Yet, amid the ease, there was a question that nagged at him. What would they build here? Would it be just another cluster of uniform concrete towers, the kind that swallowed families whole and suffocated them in cramped spaces?

Zhang dared to hope for something more. He recalled visiting his grandparents in Pingyao as a child, walking wide-eyed through the narrow, cobblestone streets lined with majestic wooden buildings. Their sweeping eaves, delicately carved beams, and red lanterns swaying gently in the breeze were relics of an age when artistry and architecture were one. The memory of intricate latticework and dragon motifs on the city gates painted his thoughts as he bulldozed forward. He wished that New Zhongguo would echo those centuries-old designs—an empire reborn with the elegance of its history woven into the fabric of modernity.

A crackle from his radio pulled Zhang from his reverie. He picked it up, recognizing the familiar voice of Cheng Ming, one of his colleagues. “Zhang, the drones have spotted something unusual. A trail, about 76 meters to the east from your location,—could be animal, could be something else. We need you to check it out and clear a route."

Zhang’s brow furrowed. “A trail?” He shifted in his seat, peering at the navigation screen in front of him. Sure enough, an image flashed across the display—a faint, curving path etched into the dense green of the forest, cutting through the trees like an old scar. He radioed back, confirming he saw it and would proceed.

With a slight push of the lever, Zhang directed his bulldozer eastward. The vehicle rumbled and groaned as it turned, the massive steel treads grinding over crushed logs and dirt. The sound of his engine was joined by the rumble of other bulldozers following suit, each a colossus flattening everything in its way. Workers on foot paused briefly, looking up as the line of machines changed direction, then returned to their task of felling trees, undeterred and focused.

As Zhang neared the path, the forest began to thin, revealing a broader view of the trail. His eyes widened. The path was wider and more defined than the drone image suggested. It wasn’t just a crude animal track; it was a road—a road of gravel and tamped earth, worn by the passage of countless feet or wheels. It was bordered by ancient stone markers, some crumbling with age, others carved with symbols that seemed hauntingly familiar yet alien.

He felt a shiver run down his spine. This was no natural occurrence. The meticulous layering of rough gravel, packed earth, and primitive cobblestones told a story of design, of a people who had built this passage for trade or travel. But who? Until a few months ago, no human had ever set foot on this world.

The radio crackled again. “Zhang, what do you see?” Cheng’s voice held a note of urgency.

“It’s… it’s an old road,” Zhang replied, unable to tear his gaze away. “Man-made, by the look of it.”

There was a pause before Cheng responded. “Report this to the colonial authorities. Now.”

Zhang’s heart thudded in his chest as he relayed the discovery. This was something much more significant than just a path; it was a whisper from the past of Gaia, a thread that connected their future with a mysterious history they had yet to unravel.

Around them, the rest of the workers kept to their tasks, oblivious to the moment of revelation. Machines tore at the earth, hands loaded timber, and the relentless rhythm of construction continued. They were too absorbed in the labor of building New Zhongguo, a new beacon of Chinese culture, to notice that the road Zhang had found would soon lead them into a clash of civilizations. One almost as old as their own, and one that would challenge their claim to this new land, testing their resolve and vision for the destiny they so fervently sought.

Northern Wastes, Crystal Empire. June 21st, 2038.

In the heart of the Crystal Mountains, where the wind howled like an untamed beast and the snow danced in chaotic spirals, Crystal Beau ventured deeper into the ice-veined caverns. The landscape outside was an unforgiving tundra, a realm of ceaseless white where the sun's weak glow struggled against the heavy shroud of blizzard clouds. The biting cold wrapped around everything, suffocating in its frostbitten grip. Yet, within the darkness of the Crystal Cave, the bitter chill was tempered by the glimmer of hidden treasures embedded in stone.

The cave was a marvel unto itself, a network of tunnels and chambers adorned with luminous veins of azure and magenta that wound like veins beneath its crystalline skin. To most, the frigid void would be a death sentence, but Beau, a Crystal Pony of the ancient line, had been blessed with an internal warmth born of generations past. This unique magic hummed gently within him, shielding him from the worst of the cold as he ventured where few dared tread.

The reason for his journey was simple yet steeped in personal meaning: a rare pink crystal he had promised to find, a piece to adorn the room of his young daughter. The sparkle in her eyes when he’d told her his plan had been worth every icy step. But these caves were more than just a miner’s dream; they were remnants of an era long before the tyranny of King Sombra, before the long shadow of Equestrian rule dulled the Crystal Empire’s sovereignty. In those days, mining was a lifeblood industry, their jewels prized across the land. Now, Empress Mi Amore Cadenza, with her benevolent yet out-of-touch reign, had let those traditions fall into obscurity, focusing instead on Friendship and cultural reform rather than economic self-sufficiency.

Beau sighed, the soft, ephemeral mist of his breath dissipating into the chill. Cadance, with her Equestrian ideals, had been a mixed blessing, bringing peace but not the renewal of old glories. Still, Beau did not linger on political laments as the rosy glow of a small crystal caught his attention ahead. Its light stood out against the cavern wall, as if calling to him. It was perfect.

He reached out, anticipation and pride surging in him, only to be interrupted by a sudden scuffling of feet behind him. Before he could react, there was a flash of steel, a cold line of light at his neck. His eyes widened in pain as a blade ripped through his flesh, severing the vital vein. The pain was brief, but the shock—oh, it was agonizing. The machete twisted, shredding his trachea, and blood gushed out in warm torrents. A brutal kick to the back of his knee sent him crashing to the frozen ground.

His vision swam, dark spots eating away at the edges as his life ebbed away. He saw his killer, shrouded in shadow, only the gleam of hard eyes and a scarred face visible in the flicker of dying crystal light.

The creature loomed over him, monstrous and foreign, its bulk an amalgamation of rough cloth and sinew. It withdrew the blade, its steel dripping crimson, and without hesitation, drove it down once more. And again. The wet sound of flesh parting met the silent cavern until Beau's head rolled from his body, glassy eyes staring into the infinite, unseeing.

Yeva watched as her husband, Mikhailovich, methodically hacked at the strange creature with the precision of a butcher. Each slice and heave of muscle was necessary, she told herself, a reminder of the old world where survival reigned supreme over compassion. Her stomach turned at the blood pooling beneath their boots, mingling with the frost in dark crimson rivulets, but she stood firm. Their little girl would not go hungry tonight.

"Bag," Mikhail’s voice cut through the silence, rough and low. She nodded and reached into her satchel, pulling out a stack of plastic bags, folding them open with a practiced motion before handing them over. The air was pungent with the scent of iron and something indescribably foreign, making her nostrils sting.

The thought of taking this flesh back to their settlement for food gnawed at her. Would it be safe? What unseen dangers might it hold? She pushed the thoughts away; they would boil the meat thoroughly, purge it of any foreign taint.

As she turned, the gleam of something pink caught her eye, a soft glow seeping from the wall nearby. Yeva's brow furrowed as she switched on her flashlight, its beam slicing through the gloom to reveal a crystal, as big as her fist, shimmering with an otherworldly light.

“Mikhail,” she called, voice steady but tinged with awe. He looked up from his grim work, blood-slicked hands pausing mid-cut as he followed her gaze.

They shared a glance of wonder and grim determination. The cave, once a cold, dark shelter, had transformed into a cavern of untold riches. Dozens of similar crystals lined the walls, hidden behind layers of frost and stone, their light refracted in a thousand hues.

The implications were staggering. Food was no longer the only prize; the hidden wealth of this cave could change everything for their people. This treasure would be their salvation, a lifeline to wrench their country from the brink of collapse and restore its power on the global stage. Yeva's heart thudded in her chest as she imagined the future: the return of Russia’s glory, not through war, but through the might of ancient, arcane power.

Their fortune had turned, and with it, the fate of nations shifted unknowingly. The ancient caves held secrets not just of magic but of an age-old civilization, and the path forward for the people of Russia would be written in blood and crystal.

Gaia, 7 kilometers from "New Santo Domingo". June 21st, 2038.

The moon cast its silver glow over the "New Amazon," painting an otherworldly hue on the canopy of the dense, alien jungle. This lush wilderness seemed almost to breathe with life, its foliage rustling as the warm, humid breeze swept through. Crickets and nocturnal insects produced a symphony that echoed through the towering, moss-covered trees, creating a familiar yet unsettling harmony. The paths the Brazilian scientists and documentary crew forged were marked meticulously with digital beacons that blinked green intermittently, casting their light onto the twisted roots that tangled the forest floor. Recon drones, sleek and silent, flitted above, their lights dancing like fireflies, illuminating sections of the shadowed underbrush and providing an extra layer of safety.

Davi Barreto, an experienced nature documentarian, stood confidently in front of the camera held by his long-time colleague, Manoel Guimarães. His face, partially shadowed under the glare of the flashlight, radiated both excitement and exhaustion. With one hand gripping a microphone embossed with the National Geographic emblem, Davi took a deep breath, inhaling the mixed scent of wet earth and strange floral sweetness.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he began, his voice low but imbued with the practiced intonation of a master narrator, “we are now deep within the heart of the ‘New Amazon,’ a forest that holds striking resemblances to the legendary Amazon of Earth. Our expedition began at 11 AM today, and here we stand, nearly eight hours later.” The light flickered as Manoel adjusted his grip, capturing the sweat on Davi’s brow and the gleam of fascination in his eyes.

Davi turned slightly, gesturing to the dense forest around them. “The scientists we are accompanying remain stunned by how eerily similar this ecosystem is to our own, yet, it carries subtle, enigmatic differences. A diversity of plant life surrounds us, bearing properties unlike anything we’ve seen. And while we've cataloged dozens of unique species on this journey, one thing remains conspicuously absent: any animal larger than a small bird.”

He paused, letting the quiet of the forest momentarily reign. The sudden crackle of a walkie-talkie broke the silence, prompting one of the scientists to check in with the others scattered further behind. Davi turned back to the camera, his voice now tinged with curiosity. “Scientists believe that local predators might be the reason for this peculiar absence of larger fauna. What form these predators take, we cannot yet say. But rest assured, we plan to push forward until sunrise before making our way back to New Santo Domingo.”

A shout of excitement from one of the scientists made Davi glance back over his shoulder. The flashlight beams converged on a single tree, its twisted branches holding a bounty that glistened like a hidden jewel in the moonlight. There, hanging like forbidden fruit, were apples with skins painted in shimmering, rainbow-colored hues, glistening with a subtle luminescence. The scientists gasped collectively, their eyes wide with astonishment.

“Meu Deus,” one of them whispered, pushing her glasses up her nose as she reached out cautiously. “It’s like something out of a fairy tale.”

Manoel zoomed in with the camera, capturing the extraordinary sight of the fruit. Davi stepped forward, narrating with renewed energy. “And here, we have what may be one of the most remarkable botanical discoveries of the decade—a fruit resembling an apple but with a kaleidoscopic skin, glistening with an inner light. Could this be an indication of unknown genetic properties or simply a unique adaptation of Gaia's flora? The implications are staggering.”

The scientists, unable to contain their excitement, carefully climbed to pluck a few of the apple-like fruits, placing them reverently into glass containers designed for preservation. The moment felt electric, alive with the promise of a groundbreaking discovery. But then, a sudden, sharp sound shattered the moment’s reverie—the unmistakable snap of a twig.

The group froze. The forest seemed to hold its breath, the once-lively background chorus of insects falling into an eerie silence. Manoel swung the camera in the direction of the noise, the beam of light catching twin glints of reflected yellow eyes. A low, guttural growl emerged from the darkness, raising the hairs on the back of every neck.

“Everyone, stay still,” whispered one of the senior scientists, her voice tight with barely suppressed panic.

But the warning came too late. A dark shape leapt from the underbrush with terrifying speed, jaws lined with thorn-like teeth latching onto the leg of a young female scientist. Her scream pierced the night, raw and filled with agony as the creature’s weight bore her to the ground. The sudden, frenzied chaos erupted as two more beasts followed, their wooden forms illuminated by the flashlights.

Manoel’s camera caught them in horrifying detail—creatures shaped like wolves, but composed of interlocking branches, bark, and glowing green eyes that exuded a menacing light.

Davi reacted on instinct, shouting and swinging his microphone at one of the beasts that lunged at him, managing to strike it across the snout. The creature recoiled momentarily before letting out an enraged snarl. The rest of the group hurled rocks and broken branches in desperate attempts to fend off the attackers, but their efforts were futile against the relentless creatures.

“Hold on!” A burly member of the crew, designated as the group’s security, pulled out a revolver and fired. The sharp retort of the gunshot echoed through the forest, the muzzle flash momentarily blinding. One of the creatures yelped, collapsing as splinters exploded from its chest. The other two halted, their growls morphing into wary whines as they weighed the threat. Within moments, they slinked back into the shadows, the soft glow of their eyes fading into the depths of the forest.

The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the ragged breathing of the group and the whimpering of the injured scientist. Blood darkened her pants, and hands trembled as they began tending to her wound.

Davi turned to Manoel, who still held the camera steady, albeit with shaking hands. Mustering a semblance of calm, he spoke directly into the lens. “It seems we've just encountered one of Gaia's... predators. A creature unlike anything seen on Earth. Unfortunately, our journey must end here as we make our way back to New Santo Domingo to seek medical attention for our colleague. Stay safe, and join us next time as we continue to explore the unknown.”

The camera clicked off, and without a word, they began their arduous trek back, the forest now a realm of shadows hiding teeth and watchful eyes.

But little did they know the discovery of the rainbow-skinned fruit would lead to an unprecedented shift in the culinary world. Its unique flavor profile, described as a harmonious blend of sweetness, tartness, and an otherworldly hint of floral spice, captivated chefs and gourmets alike. Renowned culinary schools devoted entire courses to understanding and incorporating this fruit into haute cuisine, sparking a global obsession.

Brazil capitalized on this newfound resource, cultivating the fruit under strict agricultural guidelines to maintain its quality and rarity. Exclusive restaurants competed for the chance to feature it on their menus, with dishes and desserts commanding astronomical prices. The fruit became an economic boon for Brazil, elevating its status on the world stage as the epicenter of Gaia's luxury produce.

Demand skyrocketed, drawing diplomatic attention as countries vied for trade agreements, and stories of the fruit's origins—discovered in a remote, moonlit expedition through the untamed "New Amazon"—became legendary. The fruit was branded as “Zap Apple,” a name that resonated with its vibrant, multicolored skin and electrifying taste, immortalizing that pivotal moment of discovery and the brave explorers who first found it.

Author's Note

What do you think the Chinese will do if they meet Kirin?, will they teach them the lessons of Mao or put them at the table for dinner?
-9999999999 Social credit

NO, we're NOT bringing the Soviet Union back from the dead, that's been done by so many fics, it's so cliche it almost makes me cringe. (Please don't send me to the Gulag)

About the Brazilian, I just want to see Gordon Ramsay cook a gay looking apple for my MasterChef special chapter.
I want my apple drippy bruh 🗣️🔥🔥🔥