in Russian Ukranian war with a system

Chapter 17: REACHING MOSCOW



Currently I am sitting in a small civillian helicopter that is taking me from Kursk to Moscow to have a meeting with the president of this country, and the reason I did not get an army helicopter well, I requested them since I can gather more information about Moscow after all I only know very little about it, like it is on the Moskva River in western Russia and is the nation's cosmopolitan capital. In its historic core is the Kremlin, a complex that's home to the president and tsarist treasures in the armory. Outside its walls is Red Square, Russia's symbolic center. It's home to Lenin's Mausoleum, the State Historical Museum's comprehensive collection, and St. Basil's Cathedral, known for its colorful, onion-shaped domes.

Well, now that I think about it, I just know some basic information about the entire world too, and if I am going to some place and that too to meet the place's leader, then I have to gather news about those places moving towards my goal of obtaining information regarding Moscow. Let's start a talk with my pilot, whom I think is a KGB agent since who will be foolish enough to send an army officer with a civilian? You know there is a chance of assassination, and to make it more interesting, I am a diplomat too. Well, I know I am not, but in their eyes I am, so I need double protection. 

"How is the war going for the public, sir, since I heard there was talk of conscripting civilian pilots in the air force going on?."

"Sir, the war situation is still the same for us."

Wait, the pilot is a man I thought it was a woman since I was unable to see his face clearly, and I thought they would try to honeytrap me for their benefits. Well, it is nice since even if I have memories of different people, I am still a boy at heart, so let me continue the conversation with you, boy.

"What do you mean?."

"Sir, no one ever touched us for conscription, and I think no one will ever will, and that is due to fighter planes needing a very large amount of fuel. Our government decided to only use it for having air superiority and for tackling enemy planes. It is not like the second world war where we had to bomb cities to disrupt enemy troops and to drop their morale so they do not need too many pilots."

"Why do they not attack enemy cities in the war?" I thought we had a quote, Everything is fair in love and war'."

"Sir, even if they want to bomb some cities, they cannot since they are afraid of the Geneva Convention; after all, we are still considered a bad country in the world, and if we attack civillian areas, then we will be considered barbarians, and moreover, we are not Canada who are good at this."

"What did they do?."

"Well, I can only say that they followed the rule, which said be the reason new rules are added to the Geneva convention."

"Please brief me about it. I am interested in it."

"Well, you know, in the first world war, nearly every country stopped doing trench raids because it was too brutal, but they kept doing it because they liked it."

"What? I thought they were nice?."

"Well, there was a moment when they threw canned food to the Germans during the war."

"See that is the Canada that I know?."

"Well, let me say the main part, so after that, when they asked for more, they were really surprised because this time instead of canned food, it was grenades, so if you are curious why the Geneva Convention is so long, you should talk with Canada."

"Well, that is indeed something."

After talking with him for some time, I came to the main question.

"Hey, can you tell me about Moscow?."

"Well, today Moscow is not only the political center of Russia but also the country's most populous city and its industrial, cultural, scientific, and educational capital. For more than 600 years, Moscow has also been the spiritual center of the Russian Orthodox Church."

"No, I meant something interesting about the place."

"Well, there are many interesting facts about it, but the most amazing is that it is so huge that it has the right to be the country with its official population of 12 million."

"REALLY??."

"Yes sir."

"Well, continue then."

"The Gorky Park is a Central Park of Moscow, with an attendance of more than 100,000 a day on the weekend, and do you know there is a legend of a secret branch, the so-called Metro-2: bunkers and tunnels connecting the Kremlin and other strategic facilities?"

"Why is there such a legend?."

"The legend is due to the things that happened in the Great Patriotic War (WWII), when Metro was used as a bomb shelter underground. Even during the war, new metro stations were built, in particular Novokuznetskaya, Paveletskaya, Baumanskaya, Elektrazovodskaya, Semenovskaya, and Partisanskaya, to keep the people safe from the bomb raids, and you know there was a report of more than two hundred children being born in this type of bunker."

"Well, that is quite interesting, so do you have any more fun facts about it?"

"Yes, sir, I have another thing about the place. You know, Moscow boasts the largest number of billionaires in the world. According to Forbes, there are 84 billionaires in the city with a combined wealth of 367 billion dollars. New York takes second place in this ranking with its 62 billionaire residents. This is one of the things in which we are ahead of the USA."

"Well, this is indeed interesting, but I wanted to hear some story and not this type of thing, so do you have any other story about it?."

"Well, let me think about it."

After that, he went to search his memory, and I went to mentally prepare myself for my upcoming meeting with the president, and after some time I heard his voice.

"Sir, I remember some interesting facts, but they are not some stories, so can you tell me about whether you want to listen to it or not?."

"I will listen to the facts then."

"Very well, sir, then first I will tell you about the male and female voice in the city. It is for telling people about where they are going, so if you hear a male voice announcing the stations in Moscow Metro, then you're going toward the city center, and a female voice if leaving the city center. And then again, male voice when moving in a clockwise direction, and female when against it."

"That is something interesting now."

"Yes, it is very interesting, but if you are a foreigner and you know about it, then you can come to your destination easily."

"Well, go on then."

"Then next thing is we have a monument after a processed cheese, "Druzhba" (Friendship), which is devoted to the characters of Krylov's fables—tthe Crow and the Fox."

"You really love it, I presume."

"Yes, sir, now coming towards the next, we have tram number 3, which is the oldest route in Moscow. The first tram started its way on April 6, 1899."

"Well, all of this is nice, but do you have any McDonald's here or not?."

"Sir, what are you thinking about Russia?" Yes, we have McDonald's, and you know the first McDonald's opened in Pushkin Square on January 31, 1990. The line to the cafe ran for several kilometers on that winter day; it is still vivid in my memory."

"Well, sorry for having a stereotype."

"It is not your problem; it is all due to the western media, which shows that Russia is a backward country with nothing famous brand in here, but I want to say to them that we have many world-famous brands in our country, which include Adidas, Samsung, Nike,Apple,LVMH,Burberry,Pepsico,Aeroflot Russian Airlines, and many more."

"Wait really?."

"Yes, sir, when we land in Moscow, I will personally take you to the local market and show you the scene there."

"Nice since I was hoping how to visit the area and which places to visit."

Now I think he is not a KGB agent since an agent will not give this much intelligence to some random stranger, or maybe he really is, but he is a very good agent, and that is the reason I cannot find any flaw in his demeanor and talking skills.

"You know so much about this place; are you a resident of Moscow?."

"Yes, I am a resident of Moscow."

"That is the reason you know so much about the area."

"Yes, sir, sir, I have a question for you. Can I ask it to you?."

"Yes, you can."

"What places are you going to visit, and do you have a guide with you or not? If you do not have, then my wife and I can tour you around?."

"Well, I am actually for a meeting here, but I would appreciate it for you to accompany me while touring the city before the meeting since it is the first time I am here."

"Very well, sir, then I will call her here, so can you tell me when is your meeting so that we can prepare a good travel plan for you?"

"Well, it is tomorrow morning, so we have plenty of time."

"Actually, sir, we do not since you would need at least a week to travel the whole Moscow, but do not worry, we will give you our best experience."

"I look forward to it."

After hearing this, he started to focus on the way since we reached the airport and were ready to land, and Moscow here I come.


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