Forsaken Ashes

Forsaken Ashes is a speculative fiction piece set in May of 2024. A Japanese volcano disrupts a diplomatic flight between Taiwan and North Korea, and whether or not it was a plot by leader of the latter, Kim Jong-un, is disputed.
==Characters==
Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-un
Hau Lung-pin
Chen Chu
Alden Fenech
==Text==
The September of 2015 was a surprising one. Kim Jong-il, having had difficulties with diabetes, had passed away. He was succeeded by his youngest of three sons, Kim Jong-un as Supreme Leader of North Korea. As of recent, the “Democratic People’s Republic” (my ass) has remained relatively undisclosed, as it typically does.
	It is now May 2024. Earlier this month, significant seismic activity struck Japan’s Ryukyu Islands. On the 14th, it was reported that Jong-un invited the president of Taiwan, Hau Lung-pin, along with other Taiwanese leaders, to a diplomatic visit to North Korea, requesting them to depart the next day. On the 15th, the Ryukyu Islands volcano of Akusekijima caused a massive eruption, spewing tons of ash across the surrounding airspace.
Air travel shortly shut down across Eastern Asia. Unfortunately, the Taiwanese officials were already nearly halfway there when the eruption began. Before an outside source could give warning, the aircraft was awash in ashes and outside of the windows were pitch black. Ash obstructed the pitot tubes, rending the ability to tell the plane’s speed undoable. The turbines, clogged with hazardous amounts of silica and carbon, were enough for the plane to be declared in a state of crisis.
The pilots took proper measures to ensure the safest possible emergency landing. The airplane was approaching the surface of the East China Sea at a rapid pace. The passengers were advised to brace for impact with no explanation necessary.
Glancing out at the murky exterior, Hau Lung-pin made a remark to Vice President Chen Chu: “Fourteen years ago, when I was Taipei’s mayor, a similar eruption occurred at an Iceland volcano, one with a name I can’t even begin trying to pronounce. No one got caught in the treacherous cloud. Aren’t we able to predict one of these coming nowadays?” She replied, “Not sure, though I vaguely remember that Icelandic eruption. I was Mayor of Kaohsiung at that time.”
The conversation was interrupted by the shaky emergency water landing into the aforementioned sea. A South Korean control tower picked up on the plane’s abnormally low altitude, and quickly responded with sending out a rescue team by amphibious helicopters. Before getting there, the tower got a hold of the plane through radio, making them aware of the rescue on the way.
The South Korean copters arrived at the floating plane. Hovering over it, attempting to give further directions to the Taiwanese, contact appeared to have been lost. A rescuer was lowered down with a rope ladder and drilled an opening through the plane’s roof. He, and the others, hopped through.
To their surprise, the aircraft’s interior was completely deserted, and disturbingly clean, but the rescuers sighed by the absence of a spill of blood. “Hey, check out the sub out this window!” one of them exclaimed. A submarine was visible almost fully beneath the water’s surface, with a North Korean flag on the sail sticking out.
Some of the men took two inflatable boats near the watercraft. Soon enough, it ascended and a hatch on it was allowed to open. Firearms in hand, they entered with extreme caution. Making a turn around the first corner, they came across the North Korean and Taiwanese officials engaging in seemingly peaceful conversation.
“Fear not, for concern is of the least necessity.” explained Kim Jong-un “This sub will take us to Pyongyang, where our negotiations will be carried out.” A rescuer questioned “We trust you that this isn’t some fabrication? You must’ve foreseen the eruption and timed the coming of this vessel. Were you plotting any hostages?” Hau Lung-pin was convinced “Nothing of the sort is happening. They’re only here to help save us.”
The submarine closed up and began to depart north. Two South Koreans were still aboard the airplane. They went into one of the helicopters to try making contact with the sub. They were unfortunately met with all of its features pertaining to communication and transportation being dysfunctional. Neither the other copters, nor the plane’s radio, worked as well.
Back in the North Korean sub, “What about those guys left on the plane?” asked a rescuer. Jong-in answered “They have their helicopters, don’t they?” “We should at least let them know things are okay.” suggested Chen Chu. Kim and Lau were unable to pick up any plane or copter radio signals. “We better turn around” Jong-un commanded.
The two left behind noticed some outlandish looking devices afloat in the ocean. One of the men, who possessed considerable experience in mechanics, identified them as devices that, despite being relatively small, were built to disable a wide range of machinery, including vehicles. They were presumed to have been left by the North Koreans to shut down the choppers. Using some tools from a box in the plane, he was successful in making one active.
Unexpectedly to them, the two witnessed the submarine coming back. When it was close enough, the disabling device was thrown towards it, suppressing the vessel. Afterwards, everyone met in up the plane.The one with the repairing skills said “This seems typical of North Korea, to lure all of us here and sabotage our transports.” “You have it all wrong. We were trying to get a hold of you.” explained Jong-un. “It’s true.” said Lung-pin, “That’s why we came back.”
	Although it was concluded that the North Korean’s couldn’t have been responsible for their suspected bad actions, in particular for leaving the waterproof disabling machines in the water, whoever did remains unanswered. Everyone took the sub to Pyongyang.
	That night, in a hotel in the North Korean capital, Hau Lung-pin noticed a breaking news story on TV. A Maltese cargo ship was disabled with such a device in the day’s incident, a ship whose captain’s name is Alden Fenech. The nationality of those involved in the occurrence were said to be Yemeni.
==See Also==
Criticality
Map of the Problematic