The portal first opened on an otherwise unremarkable Tuesday afternoon. By six that evening, it was all over the news. A door to an unspoiled landscape of craggy mountains and vast seas under a maroon sky.
An important meeting was called the moment the President was done playing golf. He glared at his advisors the way he usually did right before a lot of people lost their jobs.
“A flag,” he said. “We need a flag there.”
“Why?” the Secretary of State asked.
The Secretary of State cleared out his desk while the task force got ready.
Their objective was clear: claim this strange new world for the American government before anybody else got any clever ideas.
The flag was up within the hour. The portal snapped shut within two.
Over the desolate, alien world the flag fluttered, unnoticed by anybody else in the universe.
Word Count: 145
This is for Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers. Thanks to Priceless Joy for running the challenge and Yinglan for providing the prompt photo!
Living Authors' Society 
I like your take in this.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Since about the mid-1960s, there’s been an international treaty in place saying no country can lay claim to anything that’s not on Earth, so, given this is a parallel dimension or other planet, the President couldn’t legally make such an order, and even if he did, legally, it could be refused.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s true and I was aware of it, but didn’t have time to mention it (or, given that it’s me, make a joke about how illegal what they’re doing is) in such a short piece.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great story! I like your take on this prompt J.A.!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great take.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks!
LikeLiked by 1 person