The Independent Worlds (The Sixteen Galaxies Book 2)

by Drayman, William

  The British prime minister had the floor, but Michael’s concentration on the speech was minimal. The prime minister had an amiable personality, but his voice was a monotone drone. Michael’s focus snapped back to the podium as the prime minister was cut off mid-sentence. He barely had a second to notice the British prime minister was gone before the lights went out. He grabbed his torch out of his jacket pocket with one hand and pulled his Sig Sauer P228 with the other. There was pandemonium all around him; torches flickered everywhere. Shouts and challenges flew amid the chaos, but Michael ignored it all. He shone his torch onto the president’s seat. It was empty.

  Someone grabbed his shoulder. He spun round and shone his torch into the face of the detail’s leader, Daniel Mitchelton. Michael shook his head. “The president’s gone, sir.”

  The lights came back on. Mitchelton swept his gaze around the room. “He’s not the only one, Mick.”

  A brief lull in the pandemonium followed. Security agents and political aides all stared at one another in perplexity. Twenty of the world’s leaders had vanished into thin air.

  Michael and his boss exchanged a look. Mitchelton nodded. “The alien.”

  *****

  Easter Island

  Kestil smiled at the bemused faces of the assembled world leaders before him. He went to a lot of trouble to get the seating around the table perfectly matched to the room he portaled them in from. Thus, from their viewpoint, they hadn’t moved. However, instead of a climate controlled conference room, they were now seated around a table out in the open, with a windswept vista of the Pacific Ocean not far away.

  He held up both hands to the alarmed group of VIPs. “Ladies and gentlemen, please remain seated and calm. You are in no danger. I would ask you all to be quiet, but I don’t need to. I have removed your ability to speak, for now, as I know each and every one of you is fond of doing exactly that.” He saw President Maitland’s baleful glare and smiled at him. “Please, all of you, hear me out patiently. I promise you will find it very enlightening.”

  He banged his hands together. “So, for starters, where are we?” He swept a hand to indicate the view before them. “Easter Island, former home of the Rapanui. A very fitting site for this little discussion of ours.” The assembled politicians exchanged puzzled looks as Kestil continued.

  “This island is the most isolated inhabited place on the planet, did you know that?” He turned full circle, as if to consider the view. “It’s not much to look at, though, is it? Lots of grass, some hideous stone statues, and a few palm groves. However, it wasn’t always like this. At one time, it was a literal paradise. It was covered in beautiful forests of sub-tropical trees. Until the Rapanui arrived.”

  He glanced at his prestigious audience. The entire group sat and eyed him warily. None of them tried to get to their feet; they just sat there and watched him. He smiled and continued; “It’s worthy of note that the local Polynesian word for tree actually means ‘wealth’, or ‘riches’. It’s no surprise they would consider trees to be wealth, really. They used every part of the trees in their daily lives; the fruit, the leaves, the bark, the wood, all of it.” He held up a finger. “Guess what happened next.”

  Everyone knew the answer to that question. “Yes,” Kestil continued, “they consumed and they consumed. Year after year, tree upon tree, hectare upon hectare, they destroyed it; every last bit of it. Inevitably, they fell to civil war; a petty squabble over the last remnants of what was once an abundant supply of wealth. When the Europeans arrived, the disease they brought with them finished off an already decimated population.”

  Kestil sighed. “Of course, the Rapanui were simple natives, not like the modern and sophisticated people before me here today.” He held out a hand towards them. “Such an advanced civilization would never over-exploit the resources of their land and seas without a plan to replenish their supply, now would they?”

  The group of world leaders all stared down at the table in front of them. The aim of Kestil’s lecture was lost on no one. He gave them a minute to ponder his words before he continued. “The trouble with you people is that you’re stuck on a treadmill you can’t get off. If you stop the pillage and distribution of the world’s resources, you lose the fealty of those you purport to lead, don’t you? Then again, preservation of this planet isn’t really on everyone’s agenda, is it?”

  Several of those assembled exchanged a furtive glance. President Maitland frowned at Kestil and shook his head. His face clearly indicated he did not consider this to be a good time. Kestil nodded slowly. “Yes, some of you know exactly what I’m on about, don’t you? Not all of you, though.” He laughed at the expressions on their faces. Some puzzled, some angry, but most of them frightened.

  Kestil gave the Chinese president a nasty smile. “I like the name; Project Exodus. Very symbolic indeed.” The man’s face reddened.

  “I must admit,” Kestil continued, “I consider myself a being who looks at the bigger picture; able to sacrifice the few to save the many. But you people; you’re something else. Each and every one of you involved in Project Exodus is comfortable with the sacrifice of nearly all of your people, just to save your own miserable hides. Now, that right there is pure evil.”

  He frowned at the group. “Something puzzles me, though. With the advent of Nuthros’ intervention, and my own, for that matter, you didn’t stop work on that project. Instead, you actually intensified your efforts. So, let me ask you this; did you really think either one of our advanced societies would let a bunch of primitives, who can’t even manage one planet without terminally corrupting it, loose in the universe to destroy even more of them?”

  He waved a hand and a hologram appeared in the center of the table. A group of spaceships bore down on an unfamiliar planet. Kestil gave a low laugh at the quizzical expressions on their faces. He waved a hand and nodded to them. “You may speak.”

  He waited, but no one said anything. “Very well, keep your silence, then. I must say, for a primitive race, you did marvelously well in the location of a suitable planet. You also worked wonders in keeping it a total secret. Rare international cooperation indeed. I thought the elimination of the unfortunate astronomer who discovered it was a bit harsh, but he doubtless wanted credit for his achievement. Close to Earth in size, bearable climate. Yes, I think this planet is perfectly suitable for colonization.” He paused for dramatic effect. “Or is it? Now, enjoy the first live-fire test of our brand-new mainline weapon systems; mass drivers.”

  They all watched heavy projectiles leap from each ship and hurtle toward the planet. The projectiles glowed near white when they entered the atmosphere. They smashed into the planet’s surface and shock waves flew around the whole thing in seconds. The shattered ground and roiling seas were soon lost to sight as thick clouds of smoke and debris engulfed the entire globe.

  The British Prime Minister leapt to his feet and thumped a fist onto the tabletop. “You…you absolute monster!”

  Kestil regarded the British statesman as a father would a petulant child. “Oh, I’m not the monster, Mr Prime Minister. In fact, I am more of a savior, in truth.” He waved the enraged Englishman back into his seat.

  He placed his hands flat on the table. “Your society has absolutely no chance to save your planet without our help. But, rather than accept my assistance, you prepare for life elsewhere. Let’s get something very clear, right here and now. You are not leaving Earth without my blessing. And you won’t get that until you fix your homeworld.”

  “And what do you get in return?” the Chinese President asked.

  Kestil roared with laughter. “You people, honestly. This is not a bargain I’m offering you, Mr President. This is simply what is going to happen, whether you like it or not.” He held out his hands. “Surely you realized your ship would never get past our fleets, if you actually got to launch the thing.” He looked around at them all. “No, you didn’t think that far, did you? You honestly believed you could continue to work on escape from this
planet, as if I somehow wouldn’t notice.”

  “So,” the Indian president said, “we are little more than your prisoners, it would seem.”

  Kestil waved a remonstrative finger at him. “No, no, Mr President; not my prisoners, really. All of you are prisoners of your own stubborn refusal to deal with reality, even when your scientists have warned you for decades that you couldn’t go on as you were. Oh, you started to listen, eventually. But only when the disasters began to pile up at a magnitude too large for your insurance companies to ignore. And then what did you do? Got together and planned to escape the consequences of your own stupidity.”

  The Turkish president leapt to his feet. “What escape are you talking about? I know nothing of this!” He turned to his compatriots. “What is this Project Exodus he speaks of? Why were our people excluded?” He slammed a fist on the table in frustration at their blank expressions. “Tell me, damn you all!”

  Kestil held up a hand and beckoned the enraged man to sit down. “My dear Mr President, please remain calm. Yes, your fellow statesmen, along with a cabal of the very wealthiest individuals from across the globe, were preparing to abandon this world and nearly all its people to their ultimate demise. A forward base on the moon is already half-built, actually. Payloads have been shot into space under the guise of experiments for years, now.” He laughed at the naked rage on the Turkish leader’s face. “Come now, Mr President, are you really surprised your fellows are that callous?”

  The French president leaned forward in his seat. “You seem remarkably well informed, monsieur.”

  Kestil pointed to the Frenchman. “An excellent observation, my friend. And that is something you should all be aware of, and never forget. Thanks to my technology, I see and hear everything that is pertinent to my purposes. Everything. The knowledge I have is enough to topple all your governments, provoke civil war across the planet and usher in complete anarchy upon all humanity. After all, my ‘Letterbox Sniper’ has already thinned the ranks of some very unscrupulous characters. Let me assure you, I can do a lot more than that.” Several started to protest, but Kestil held up his hands. “I have no intention of any such action, don’t worry.”

  “Then why say it?” the Australian prime minister asked.

  “Because,” Kestil replied, “you must be aware of my total power over you all.” He swept his gaze across them. “I realize that, as politicians on this fetid little planet, you may have completely lost sight of something relatively simple. That is; the nature of truth.”

  Many of them frowned, and he laughed at them. “You see? The very mention of the word, and you are uncomfortable.” He threw his arms wide. “The truth is just reality. It’s not difficult to grasp, it’s not complex and mysterious; you people just make it that way to avoid the need to deal with it. The fact is, mankind has, over the centuries, tried every form of government it can possibly conceive. Great wars have been fought, millions of lives have been lost, and for what? The pinnacle of your achievement, the crowning glory of human self-rule is? Democracy. You call it ‘The Free World’.”

  He walked to the table and slapped his hands down on the surface. “Here’s the reality for you, all of you. This democratic freedom of yours is a miserable and catastrophic failure. It is tied to an antiquated and ridiculous notion of growth as a measure of success, with no acknowledgement of the limited sustainability of such a policy. The whole mess has brought untold calamity and misery upon those who are a part of it, yet you still force it on the rest of the world at gunpoint.”

  The British prime minister sat back and folded his arms. “And you have something better to offer?”

  Kestil leaned toward the unfortunate head of state. “How could I have anything worse?!”

  He straightened back up. “Nuthros came to you and laid it all out, openly and honestly. He was wrong about timelines, of course, but the rest was spot on. And you couldn’t accept it. I took a subtler approach. Found some good people to work with, and got things headed in the right direction. Still you carry on as if nothing’s changed. However, the time has now come to wake you all from your stupor, because events demand an accelerated timetable. I am here to help you; all of you. But, you would rather abandon your planet and your people. So, you must understand that you will accept that help whether you like it or not. I will reform your world’s political structure to achieve global unity. I shall provide technology to eliminate environmental damage. You shall have the best education system, the most efficient infrastructure, the eradication of sickness and disease, and the removal of all that inhibits your proper social integration. All this will be done with a gradual process that will ensure as little disturbance as possible to the Earth’s stability. Also, eventually, you will be welcomed into the Independent Worlds as a full member planet. And you may take all the credit; my role will be largely hidden.”

  The Canadian prime minister sighed. “And we have no choice whatsoever.”

  Kestil shrugged. “The alternative is that I leave you to destroy yourselves and this planet. But, even if that came to pass, you must understand that there will be no escape from your demise.” He surveyed them intently. “For anyone.”

  They all sat in silence. “Right,” Kestil continued, “we must get you back to your little conference before your security people have apoplexy. Please remember all we have discussed here. I would advise you to keep the content of this meeting secret.” He waved a hand in the air. “Make up some lies and half-truths, you’re all pretty good at that. President Maitland will keep you informed as to what happens next.”

  “So,” the German president said, “Maitland belongs to you?”

  Kestil laughed. “No, Mr. President, you all do.” He held up a finger. “As, in fact, do all the bank accounts and secret holdings you all possess, plus those of your families and proxies, wherever they may be on the planet. Every single one of which has just been halved.” He waved a hand in the air. “Think of it as a minor demonstration; in case any of you still harbored lingering doubts as to my ability to execute my decisions. I’m afraid you cannot possibly insulate yourselves, or your loved ones, from what may come upon you, should you fail to comply.”

  15

  Global News Update

  “…Delegates at the G20 summit in Beijing, China, announced today that, after an extended special meeting yesterday, agreement has been reached regarding preparations for a global transition to a one world government. This government will be formed under the auspices of the United Nations, and a president will be chosen by all member nations’ representatives. Several delegates praised US President Michael Maitland’s selfless efforts to push the agenda forward towards this goal.

  When one correspondent asked how such a momentous agreement was reached so quickly, the British prime minister replied ‘Let’s be perfectly honest; we have no choice in the matter.’ While most of the leaders were quite happy to talk about the meeting, The Turkish prime minister refused to comment, except to describe the gathering as, ‘Very revealing.’ A full meeting of the United Nations may be convened as early as December this year.”

  *****

  Western Queensland

  Mandy looked around her in confusion. A young man in his early twenties wandered in, absentmindedly scratching his nose. He looked as surprised as she did. “Hey,” he said, “can I help you?”

  “Where am I?” she asked.

  He blinked. “You mean you don’t know?” He half turned to the doorway behind him. “Hey Ron,” he called, “you got a sec?”

  Ron Baxter walked in and did a double-take when he spotted the newcomer. “Mandy?”

  Mandy sighed in relief. “Ron; thank God for that. I thought I’d lost my mind for a minute. What is this place?”

  “Well,” Ron replied, “it’s our base on Earth. But, what are you doing here?”

  “I portaled Mandy here, Ron,” Truly replied.

  Mandy frowned. “I thought Truly couldn’t be on Earth. Any contact with Kestil’s AI and it t
akes her over, or something like that.”

  Ron nodded. “Yeah, it’s a copy of Truly, updated by short-burst laser package to the ship every hour or so. It’s bounced off a host of satellites, to confuse any trackers. We are totally off-grid here. Well, sort of; it’s complicated.”

  “Well, why am I here, Truly?” Mandy asked.

  “Ah,” Ron responded, “I think I know the answer to that. Nuthros and Jack have been captured by Kestil’s men; long story.”

  Mandy stared at Ron for a few seconds. “Right. Are they…are they alive?”

  “They were when they were taken, but as of right now, we have no idea.”

  “So, again, why am I here?”

  “Because I knew that is what you would want,” Truly replied. “If you found out while on the ship, you would have wanted to come straight down. I merely pre-empted you on that.”

  Mandy rubbed her forehead. The resentment brewed inside her; she was a woman who hated anyone contesting her own self-determination. However, Truly was right, not that Mandy would ever admit it out loud. “Okay, what can I do to help?”

  “Well,” Ron said, “right now we still need to put a plan together. David’s doing his usual zombie statue trick, so we’re waiting for him, really. Truly, or at least the copy here, is doing what she can to locate Kestil’s base, but she has to avoid any contact with Earth technology, so it’s very limited.”

  The younger man stepped forward. “I’m Garth, by the way. Me and the boys have built a rig that Truly designed. It uses packet bursts bounced off satellites and up to the ship. Truly sends requests down via the same route. We’re using it to search for Kestil’s base. Trouble is, Truly says that Kestil’s AI has just gone to the quantum level, and is now free to roam networks undetected by hiding its superposition and entanglement coded qubits inside standard binary code. It can somehow read across to ordinary binary and influence data at that level, but can penetrate any system in the quantum state. Isn’t that unbelievable?!”