[center][b][u]The Republic of Brazil[/u][/b]
[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/05/Flag_of_Brazil.svg[/img][/center]

[b][u]4 January 1950[/u][/b]

[b]Eurico Dutra[/b]
They were all coming into Eurico's office from a lunch to continue their conversation. Eurico had met that afternoon with Minister Fernandes, who handled Foreign Affairs, Minister Canrobert, the head of the Ministry of War, Carlos Luz, the Minister of Finance, and Nereu Ramos, the Vice-President. Eurico had told them to be ready for heavy American aide in Brazil, if President Truman agreed to help out Brazil. The group agreed they would be ready by the 11th of January, a week from today, to greet any Americans that might come to help and that they would continue to be ready for two weeks following that, but if American assistance did not come through by then, the consensus was that Brazil should look for help elsewhere, perhaps in the United Kingdom.
General Canrobert shared a vision with Eurico about transforming Sao Paulo into a major military city. They decided they wanted to construct dry-docks for larger ship construction, create several factories for arms production as well as the production of other military hardware. The two also wanted to try and acquire as much military technology as possible from the United States.
Minister Luz voiced his disapproval of the entire plan throughout the meeting, but was finally swayed to concede that if it was going to happen, he would like to see the construction of a modern road and highway system connecting the coast of Brazil from Sao Paulo all the way to Fortaleza, and possibly further, along with smaller roads to the interior of the country, to connect the entire country together to promote intra-Brazilian development.
Minister Fernandes expressed a desire for the development of more advanced telecommunications within the country, something that was quickly agreed upon among the group, to which Eurico also quickly added that it should include better communications with the United States. He also wanted to better access Brazil's oil resources, to allow Brazil to create a host of petroleum products that it could then export.
Nereu Ramos, mostly siding with whatever Eurico voiced, said they should also try to industrialize Brazil's agriculture output, so that Brazil can help out the effort to rebuild Western Europe. He also, talking to the plan of the National Brazilian Academy of Science and Technology, suggested Brazil push to get American scientists to work in Brazil developing not only Brazil's intellectual resources but also it's technological ability.
"Are we done here, then, Senhor Presidente?" Minister Luz asked Eurico after they summarized what all they had agreed on in his office.
"One more thing, mostly to you, Carlos, but also to the rest of you. Should we ask for a free-trade agreement? I feel such a thing would help the relations between the United States and Brazil even more so."
"I don't think we should," General Canrobert told them, "I think it would be too much a threat to Brazilian sovereignty."
"I'm afraid I must agree with the General, Senhor Presidente," agreed Minister Fernandes.
When Eurico looked upon Nereu, his face said that he wanted to speak with Eurico privately, so Eurico cut through the silence, "And you, Minister Luz? You're in fact the Minister of Finance, I'd like your advise on this [i]financial[/i] affair."
"I think it is a very smart idea, personally. Free trade has shown in the past to be very beneficial. And it shall allow Brazil to have an open market when we start exporting products en masse, wouldn't you say?"
"Very well, then Ministers. If you would excuse us, I wish to speak to my Vice President alone, now," Eurico smiled to them. "I shall do my best to keep you all posted on what the United States decides."
When they had left the room, Eurico looked quizzically at Nereu. "What's on your mind?" he asked.
"All of these actions, Eurico, they're going to alienate the base of the Social Democratic Party. We rely on wealthy, plantation owners, and what you're doing is going to completely polarize them against you," he told his old friend.
"If that means Brazil will prosper, so be it," Eurico laughed. "Besides, if we succeed, the people might vote for our reelection anyways, without us needing our base."
"Eurico, my friend and brother, don't forget where you came from, now," Nereu implored, "You come from the plantations, and now you want to leave them out in the cold?"
"I am adapting to a new era of humanity, Nereu," Eurico countered, "This is how the future will be made. The progress of industry, not the stoicism of plantations!"
"I still don't think it a wise move," Nereu said, "But I'll support you. We cannot appear to have a divided house, now, can we?"
"No, we can't. I'm glad you're supporting me, Nereu."

[b][u]7 January 1950[/u][/b]

[b]Harold Arelo[/b]
They had been scouting out the coast of Antarctica for a little over a day as the sun set that evening. They were also now heading along at full speed, well out of view from any prying eyes. They had found a few decent places to land along the Antarctic Peninsula, but ever since they started scouting the mainland of the frozen continent, they had moving especially fast, not seeing anyplace remotely desirable.
By this point, he was acquainted with most of his crew, and knew them all by face and name. He had even discovered a few fellow communists, which he introduced to Antonio. It was Antonio that had introduced Harold to [i]The Communist Manifesto[/i] during World War Two, after all. If only Brazil would apply the principles that Marx presented in his works. But President Dutra had outlawed the Communist Party. So he and Antonio had been living false lives to make it seem like they were die-hard capitalists, and over the years they had become rather good at it. Generally the only people that saw through the disguise were other Marxists, and so they retained their positions in the military and in society.
It was, in fact, while Harold was reading excerpts from [i]The Communist Manifesto[/i] when someone began to furiously pound against his cabin doors. He quickly hid the book under his seat, before getting up to head to the door. "Sir," a crewman who worked with the engines was shouting, he could tell by the voice, but still couldn't quite place who it was, "Our gas tank just got a hole in it. We're losing gas quickly, but we're close to getting it plugged. Either way, we need to head to port, [i]NOW[/i]."
Harold opened the door and saw who it was. "Leonel," he said shocked at the urgency that was present in the young man's voice. He hadn't ever heard him speak like that before. "Did you say we've lost gas?"
"Yes, sir," he said, saluting his commanding officer.
"At ease, boy," Harold told him, before rushing past him to head off to the pilot.
When he got there, Georgio looked at him with urgency, "I assume you've heard the news. What are we to do, sir?"
"Take us to the nearest port at full speed, of course, Georgio!"
"Sir," the pilot started, "The nearest port would be in South Africa."
Harold let out a long whistle. "Well," he said at last, "We aren't on particularly bad terms with South Africa. Make haste, Georgio. We're ignoring the orders to move slowly when we aren't scouting Antartica's coast."

[b]Eurico Dutra[/b]
[quote=Harry S Truman]
President Dutra,

I warmly received your letter some days ago, but waited until I had something concrete to offer before replying. With the Marshall Plan in effect in Europe, our monetary support can not be as large as we, or possibly you, would like, but my economic advisers have spoken to several leading captains of American industry about the possibility of launching a delegation to Brazil. This delegation would meet with you and your ministers and survey the countryside. Their purpose would be to find places to build and expand current Brazilian industry. Factories manned by Brazilian workers producing goods for all the rest of the world, goods stamped with the logo "Made in Brazil". With American money and industrial might we can create an economically strong and viable Brazil. With the troubling news coming from Cuba, now more than ever the Americas, both North and South, should stand united as partners in freedom and industry.

Yours truly,
Harry S Truman
[/quote]
[i]Excellent![/i] Eurico thought to himself as he read the letter. The sun was just setting. The close of the first week of a new decade was marked with the United States pledging assistance to Brazil. [i]The world is changing very fast indeed. I need to write him back, though, in order to explain what Brazil seeks specifically, though.[/i] After trying to pen the letter several times, Eurico finally produced a final copy of it.

[i]To President Truman of the United States,

I understand your situation in Europe does not necessitate Brazil as a high priority on your list of countries to provide aide to, and so even minor assistance would've been appreciated. What you offer is a gift from God himself.
Brazil shall be ready for your delegation on the 11th of this very month, January. Your delegation shall be meeting not only with myself, but also with our Minister of Foreign Affairs Fernandes, Minister of War, General Canrobert, Minister of Finance Luz, and Nereu Ramos, Brazil's Vice-President. It would be very much appreciated to learn who all will be sent on America's delegation to Brazil, but I understand if you do not have time to write me back in between now and then.
Moving on from that, I would like to speak to some specifics that Brazil is seeking out in this arrangement.
Brazil seeks to create a stronger military, in light of recent events in Cuba. As such, we seek to turn Sao Paulo into a major military-focused city within Brazil, with the construction of dry-docks for larger types of ships than Brazil has ever produced, in addition to the creation of factories to manufacture arms and other pieces of military hardware. Any military technology that the United States could provide Brazil with would also be very much appreciated in our quest to form a stronger military.
Brazil also seeks to construct a massive connecting highway system, at the very least from Sao Paulo to Fortaleza, but it would be very beneficial to go beyond that, including smaller roads into the interior of the country, to promote migrations of rural people to work in the manufacturing centers in various Brazilian cities that we are sure will be created, along with the construction of a modern telecommunications network within Brazil, and between Rio de Janeiro and Washington D.C. to allow for better communications between our nations and to promote further industrialization of Brazil and more national unity.
Brazil also seeks to make better use of its oil resources in manufacturing of petroleum products.
Our nation also seeks to modernize and industrialize our agricultural process (which would include the use of petroleum based insecticides and herbicides) in order to increase Brazil's output of wheat, corn, rice, sugar, and other crops in order to provide aide to a Western Europe under reconstruction.
I am also planning the construction of a new university in Rio de Janeiro, the National Brazilian Academy of Science and Technology. I would then like to humbly ask if the United States could spare any scientist, engineers, or other intellectuals to teach at this academy to promote the intellectual resources here in Brazil and/or to promote the technological growth and development of Brazil.
Anything is better than nothing, and so I thank you no matter what, Mr. Truman.

For Freedom and Democracy,

Eurico Dutra[/i]

[b][u]10 January 1950[/u][/b]

[b]Harold Arelo[/b]
They were almost out of gas for the engines, but they had enough to make it into port. If South Africa would let them. The sun was rising, and they were several miles off the coast of South Africa with the engines off. Just far enough to still be within international relations, Harold had launched a small scout boat with three of his men, including the ship's best English-speaker, to request permission to come into port and to request assistance so that they may find their way back home to Brazil.
It was a risky move. There was no reason for South Africa to help them, except out of the goodness of their heart. [i]If you were ever going to help this mission, God, now would be the time.[/i] 

[b][u]Summary:[/u][/b]
-Brazil Prepares for an American Delegation to Survey the Country for Aide
-A Secret Brazilian Mission to Antarctica Struggles to Find Suitable Sites
-Brazil Sends a Letter to the United States Outlining Specifics that Brazil Would Like in Aide
-A Brazilian Scout Ship is set to Arrive at Sunset on January 10th, it Will Request Permission to Dock for a Larger Vessel and Seek Assistance to Allow the Ship to Head Back to Brazil