Pentober 2026 - Day 19: Globe

Ok so, what is Pentober? Promptober? It's a writing tradition that's been around the web for a while where you write up a short story every day in October based on prompts. Some go for pen and paper, some digital; everyone has their own style. I'll be posting here, and I'll be using the prompts from https://www.topinfiction.com/p/pentober-2026 

House rules are that I vomit-write the story; no planning, just taka taka taka on the keys. I get ONE edit at the end of the draft (if I even have time, lol), then we post it. House rules also say that I get to play catch up and do multiple days separately on one day or combined if work gets wild and I can't write. Get it? Got it? Good! Here we go.

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"The bar is in that globe over there."

"Oh, it's one of those."

Jack laughed, "Yes, it is; it's not a reproduction, though. It's from the 1860s. Found it at a yard sale."

Tim raised an eyebrow at Jack as he poured himself a neat whisky, "Where on Earth did you get so lucky?"

"Middle of no where outside of Atlanta. Must have been hanging around in some woodshop or storage since the Civil War. Had to have someone touch it up a bit but, all in all, it's fine."

"Look how different everything is on it. All the countries are totally different."

"Yeah I know, it's fascinating to stare at. Whatever map they used is pre-Civil War, for sure. You ever wonder how in another hundred plus years the globe will look even more different still?"

"Senator, isn't that what we're here to talk about?"

"You tell me! You're the one that sits on all of the foreign policy boards, international charity boards, and runs a defense contracting business. You've got a better eye than I do for it and I'm on the Foreign Affairs Committee!"

Tim Floyd closed the globe bar and gave it a big spin, stared at it, and gently put his finger down on the rotating celestial sphere, slowing it to a stop right above somewhere in the far, icy, Eastern reaches of Russia.

"Rare earths," he said.

"Very important to the economy, Tim."

"I know! We have untapped reserves, China has untapped reserves. India. Brazil. Australia. Vietnam."

"Sounds like a trade deal."

"Not with Russia on the brink. If they fall apart, half a dozen separatist groups and border countries are going to make a mad dash to divide up their corpse."

"What do you suggest?"

"We make sure that whoever controls it is aligned with us. We make sure they're ready to bleed any enemies we have slowly while we set up companies to extract everything."

"A silent acquisition?"

"Silent as a thief in the night."

"You know who your targeting has bought off much of the same people that are going to have to approve this?"

"Well...what if they weren't in office?"

Jack leaned back in his chair, shocked, and regarded the man. The statement had a treasonous air about it, but there was more behind it.

"Open that globe back up and pour me a drink, I want to know more about what you mean."