Queen Zaria Trilogy

by Danny Dunn

  Zari and Zaria, “We accept your findings as is, they vote unanimously to bring in up to 1,000,000 guests onto the island. Zari delivers the Council’s decision over the network.

  Zari “Citizens frantically attempt to get family members to join them. It turns out not to be the no-brainer they thought and hoped it would be. This was the 4th world war in less than 300 years, so the world was not as motivated to escape.

  All and all, there were only 300,000 temporary guests, and only 200,000 were permanent. Thousands of new citizens are arriving every day and are being greeted by family members. The total population of the island was now at 1 million. Within 3 months, all of the guests were on the island.

  Four months after the new citizens had arrived, Zaria opens up the news on her computer. Headline “Gulstoff unleashes a deadly virus on the world.

  Zari announces an emergency council meeting.

  Zaria “I am recommending that we immediately do the following;”

  1) Close off the island, and anyone that leaves does not come back until the virus issue is entirely resolved.

  2) Send a team to secure samples of the virus to develop an antidote.

  The Council unanimously votes in favor.

  Zaria “I will send a team today to Forcon Island. It is the closest island to us that has been hit by the virus.”

  The Zari-Bots takes off for the Island airport 8 hours away - 10:00 AM - The team arrives 8 hours later. There are bodies everywhere. The robotic team takes samples from 20 bodies, and they bring 5 bodies back with them on the plane. They load the plane and head back and arrive ten hours later on Zari Island.

  Zari island airport 5:00 AM the next day

  The Zari-bots land and taxi to a remote area of the airport. The robots seal the contents they have gathered and packed it into a case which they then also seal. They then place the pack and the bodies 100 feet from the plane. The Zari-Bots shut themselves off and remain inside the aircraft in isolation until the immunity serum is produced and the population is immunized.

  Bio-research department - 10:00 PM

  The samples are delivered to their bio-labs, where the teams begin working on their antidote. They work 24/7 on coming up with an antidote. The Zari-bots assist in the processes and help dramatically reduce the processing time of identifying the virus. While the Bios is asleep, the Zari-Bots continue to move the project along. Only 4 days after the samples arrived, they have identified the virus.

  Zari addresses the population and tells them they have successfully secured samples of the virus, and our scientists have identified the virus. They are now working on an antidote, which I am told should take between 2 to 4 weeks. Our Bios and our robots are working 24/7 on the immunity serum. We will keep you all posted. Unfortunately, the virus was unleashed via drones all across the world, and the entire bio population is dying very quickly.

  Two weeks later, the Zari-Island Bioresearch and development department has produced the immunity serum and is now working on creating enough to issue it to every citizen on the island.

  Zari, We have some unfortunate news. At the current rate, 90% of the world’s population will be destroyed within the next 2 months. The virus was airborne and spread far too quickly for anyone to react in time to stop the spreading. Before releasing the virus, the user of the virus inoculated all their citizens so that they would be immune. After the virus was released, the virus mutated and came back to infect the citizens of the country that released it.

  10 days later - Wednesday is declared inoculation day. Every citizen is ordered to stay at home. 150,000 robots are used to administer the antidote to every citizen in every home on the island in one day.

  Emergency meeting

  Announcement - Zari “We have successfully delivered the antidote to every citizen of the island. All we can do now is to wish the best for our fellow citizens of the planet.”

  Over the next month, radio communications with the many contacts they were keeping in touch with have died. Of the 3,000 plus contacts, they were getting updates from regularly, all have gone silent but 25.

  One year after the island was administered the serum, Zari Island scientists determine that a giant asteroid is going to collide with their planet in 2 years. The Zari Island team projects that it is about 6 miles wide.

  Zari “Dear Citizens, there is no way to paint this any other way. Our scientists calculate that our planet’s Asteroid Diversion system is just too small to divert an asteroid the size of this one enough to cause it to miss us on the next orbit. We will hold an emergency meeting tomorrow to develop a two-year plan for preparing to survive a non-direct hit of our island. Currently, we believe it will strike land in my home country, and we are working on pinpointing its exact point of impact.

  “We have all lost family to the virus. All we can do now is to ensure survival for ourselves and our species. I do suggest you warn your families back in your home countries. The governments of our home countries are choosing to ignore the magnitude of the imminent disaster. I recommend that you all read the opinion our scientists and Zaria have written and do what you feel is right in communicating with your loved ones back in your home countries.

  Council meeting Zari addresses the council “We are holding this meeting to develop a plan for long term survival of a significant asteroid strike which, at this point, is projected to be a land strike in the eastern seaboard of my home country of Ustar. Zaria, could you give us an overview of what to expect?

  Zaria addresses the council “Yes sir, based on data of previous asteroid strikes, this is what we should expect; 3 to a 4-year total blackout of the sun, which will disrupt natural food production.

  Zaria plays a simulation of what to expect. The video shows a large object traveling through space. The asteroid bursts into flames the second it hits their atmosphere. As the object rockets to the surface, pieces break off the main mass, and the smaller balls of fire spread out as they descend. The 6-mile-wide mass traveling at 66,000 miles per hour, the 6 miles wide rock travels the 300 miles high atmosphere in a mere 16 seconds. The mass strikes the coast of their home country at a 20-degree angle heading inward. The 6-mile wide object creates a crater 15 times the size of the object creating an 80-mile wide creator over 7 miles deep. Upon impact the mass breaks up into tiny particles and melts solid rock burning and crushing a crater 7 miles deep into the earth, debris of sizes ranging dust to 30 meters in diameter which propel back up into the air, but due to the angle of impact, the bulk of the dust and debris follow the direction of the impact. Everything within 1,500 miles is on fire, buildings, forests, and anything else with fuels to burn. The fragments that broke off during the descent are also on fire and are igniting fires for another 2,000 miles surrounding the impact point.

  Extending in the direction of the strike, a massive firestorm sweeps inland, and all in its path burns instantly. The firestorm spreads wider as it travels at around 5,000 miles per hour. At the crater, a circular plume of dust containing sulfur, dirt, molten debris rises toward the atmosphere. Still, on fire, the plume rises to the top of the atmosphere and begins to spread out as it is being held into our atmosphere by gravity and the outer layer of our atmosphere. As the plume rises, the larger pieces are being pulled back down by gravity and are landing back down onto the planet, creating a rain of fiery rocks ranging in size from BB size to the size of refrigerators.

  The thickness of the plume is so intense that all land of the planet turns dark as the cloud spreads. Projecting outward from the crater, there are large shockwaves that create tsunamis. There are multiple tsunamis in the range of 100 feet tall.

  Zaria stops the simulation and adds that if the impact were to happen in an ocean, the tsunamis would be more in the half-mile to one-mile high range.

  The simulation continues. Within 24 hours, the cloud has spread to cover the entire planet, which is now pitch black. The heat is trapped by the atmosphere and the cloud, which causes the planet’s temperature to rise 15 degrees for t
he next 90 days. Acid and dirt rain showers the planet. CO2 levels increase from the heat. The sulfur in the asteroid from the moment it enters the atmosphere is vaporized and is turned into an aerosol, which spreads out across the entire planet, making breathing the air deadly. The fires add carbon monoxide, and smoke to the atmosphere. The levels of sulfur, smoke, and other toxins in the air kill off most of the life forms on the planet.

  The simulation timeline accelerates and a month passes for every 3 seconds of simulation. The planet is dark. Temperatures fall from 15 above normal to 15 degrees below normal, where they remain until the cloud begins to clear after 4 years.

  Zaria summarizes “Planetary increase in temperature of 15 degrees or more above seasonal highs for the first 90 days. This will be followed by a gradual fall of 12 to 15 degrees lower than average for the 3 to 5 years due to the sun being blocked by the dust cloud created by the impact. We will be living in total darkness for 2 to 3 years. We will need to prepare for the following; CO2 contamination levels for 5 years; acid rain from the dust cloud for the next 3 years; Dramatic increase in UV-ray penetration for 10 years due to the breakdown of the planet’s atmosphere.

  Councilman 2 “from what I hear even if this is true which our previous president says it is not, this asteroid is much smaller than the last one that hit 100 million years ago and here we are now.

  Zaria replies that the previous asteroid was 25% larger but was only traveling at 44,000 miles per hour. This one is traveling at 66,000 miles per hour. The impact of this one is going to have an equivalent impact magnitude of 750,000,000 of our first atomic bombs.

  End Chapter 5

  Chapter 6 – Did You Really Think We Didn’t Know You Were Coming?

  Zari, "I propose that we develop a list of actions to take in preparation for the effects of the strike. The council agrees to each develop their action list and send it that night for Zaria to compile and calculations for review the next day.

  Zaria "I have prepared my list of asteroid strike preparations and have broken them down into three categories which are food, power, and air

  To maintain minimum storage goals, we need to do the following; increase food production immediately to maximum capacity; use the high-speed construction vessels to improve our fishing of the open seas to maximum ability; increase fish farm storage to the maximum.

  To maintain safe energy production and storage level, we need to do the following; double core-heat conversion, double tidal mill capacity, double windmill, triple energy storage capacity.

  For air, we need to do the following; add water-tight seals to all transportation system doors; test every water filtration system on the island. Add CO2 filtration to the transportation system. Test every sun filtering skylight and green-dome ceiling panel on the island.

  Zaria "Vote?"

  All voted unanimously to execute the plan.

  The President of Ustar, Zari's home country, issues a press statement. "The small island community started by despondent, one-time Billionaire, who spent his fortune on an isolated civilization, is spreading highly exaggerated rumors that a 26-mile wide asteroid is going to strike us in 2 years.

  “According to our very competent scientific teams, an asteroid is going to pass by us closely but will miss our planet by at least 2000 miles. Everyone, please be calm. We are not sure what is motivating this man, Zari, and his AI robot to alarm everyone. We believe it is that he is now broke and needs to fill empty houses on their island. But trust me on this. We are in no imminent danger of being hit by an asteroid."

  In the next Council meeting, Councilman 2 is very agitated and points out that the President of the most powerful country on the planet is publicly stating that we are wrong and that Zari is Broke. Councilman 2 is muttering among the other council members that they need to take charge and remove Zari and Zaria from the board.

  In the meeting, Zari recommends that they should all go to the university where they are tracking the asteroid and see for themselves. They schedule a visit to the astrophysics department, where their top astrophysicists present many images and simulations of the asteroid’s orbital path. They then show the council a model of the asteroid colliding with their planet. Later, councilman 2 suggests that maybe the president is right, and maybe the scientists are just showing them what Zari and Zaria told them to say and that they just made up the models.

  Zaria has her bots working 20 hours per day to complete all the actions on their lists. Her goal is to be ready on the next orbit to give them a year to make your arrangements adjustments.

  One year after asteroid detection, Zaria has completed every item on the list and is now in the mode of adjusting everything. Next will be the and testing all of the upgrades.

  President of Ustar "My fellow citizens our scientists have found a new smaller 2-mile wide asteroid that is going to strike our planet in one year. We believe it is going to strike water off the east coast. As a precaution, we are going to evacuate our eastern regions to ensure there is no loss of life. An asteroid of this size will cause some long-term effects but nothing to be concerned about.

  "Over the next year, we will evacuate the entire eastern portion of our country to anywhere outside of the eastern region of our country. We will fly every citizen in the region anywhere they choose to go on the planet over the next ten months. We are reserving the final two months to relocate the personnel who stay to evacuate our citizens. Two months will provide us plenty of lee-way to get everyone out in time.

  "We will be establishing an evacuation department to handle the logistics of the process. Please do not panic. There will be plenty of time to get you all out. Just remain calm and let us do our job in getting you out.

  GNN "What we are seeing is a level of chaos like no other in history. Scenes of large crowds looting, traffic going nowhere. Long lines for food, water, airports completely packed.

  GNN reports that it has visited several privately-owned astrophysics facilities. They all agree with the Zari Island physicists regarding the size and the strike point of the 6-mile wide asteroid. They are all predicting this to be a life-ending event.

  Six days before impact day. It is early am, and an alarm goes off on Zari's computer and inside Zaria's internal alarm system. Zaria tells Zari that it's our defense system. We have intruders approaching by air, and by vessel, she tells him. Zaria turns on the lights and puts the infrared view up on the video wall.

  The system displays 22 Intercontinental ballistic missiles that have launched from several locations traveling at over 6,000 miles per hour with an ETA of 20 minutes. The ETA of each is a missile listed on the right of the screen under the threat list.

  Sirens are blasting the warnings from buildings, transports, windmill-towers, mountain tops, and homes. Zari announces over their public address system that they are under attack and to evacuate immediately. The councilmen have been requested to call-in while they evacuate. Within one minute, all the councilmen are on the phone.

  Zari updates them and indicates that the 22 missiles are the most pressing at the moment, and they are now 17 minutes away.

  An aerial view of the island comes up on the big screen. The screen they saw for the defense system test comes up. It shows a much wider area than displayed in their previous test. The summary chart shows a breakdown of what it sees still coming: 15 carriers each most likely equipped with the following; 5,000 level 5 bomber drones, 100 rockets, 20,000 robots. There are 25 bombers each capable of firing; 10,000 bio-form killing drones, 12 neutron bombs each, and eight air to surface rockets each. There are 12 submarines scattered around them that are all within 20 miles capable of firing 16 neutron warheads each.

  Total potential targets = 652,162. The threat report on the screen shows that all targets are within Zari Island’s striking range.

  Zari asks Zaria if she can put a satellite video image showing the tops of the planes that will show its insignia. Zaria brings up a video of the squadrons heading their way and blows it up to where they c
an see Uster’s insignia.

  Ok, now broadcast this live to the world. I will make an announcement. Evacuation sirens are going off everywhere on the island.

  Zari addresses the population “To all citizens, Ustar has launched 22 ICBMs and has warships and warplanes heading directly at our island. We have attempted to contact them, but they do not respond. We feel that one of their weapons will be neutron bombs, which are used to destroy life and not buildings. It is clear to us that they intend to take our island for their own to use as their refuge when the asteroid strikes. Please calmly gather what you need and tell the transport you are evacuating. It will take you to the nearest evacuation point located under a mountain where you will be safe even if everything they fire is delivered. However, our system is capable of destroying everything they use to attack us. We will update you every few minutes, but please go now to ensure the safety of your families.

  Zaria sends the video connection out live to every station in the world. Zari is addressing the world "Ladies and gentlemen, I am Zari of Zari Island, my own country of Ustar is attacking our tiny island. 8 minutes ago, they launched 22 ICBMs that are heading directly at us. They also have warships and warplanes that have now crossed into our international waters.

  I am informing the world that we are a small, neutral, friendly country promoting Peace and Equality for All. However, if the carriers, bombers, and missile-carrying submarines do not turn back, we will be forced to defend ourselves. So that your government and specifically your president cannot continue his path of lying to his people as he has done regarding the asteroid, we are broadcasting this unprovoked attack live to the world. We were right about the asteroid, so The President of Ustar is now attacking us to steal our island to protect their politicians and richest buddies.

  President of Ustar asks his military General, "are we close enough yet? Have the commander tell them that if they surrender, we will negotiate and not attack."