by Greg Ripley
VOICE OF
THE ELDERS
Greg Ripley
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
FIRST EDITION FEBRUARY 2018
VOICE OF THE ELDERS
Copyright © 2018 by Greg Ripley.
All rights reserved.
No parts of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Printed in the United States of America.
Book cover and interior design: Gary Lindberg
To those who have come before, sounding the alarm of climate change, and those who fight for our children and future generations.
Without change something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken.
—Frank Herbert, Dune
During your lifetime, the people of our culture
are going to figure out how to live sustainably
on this planet—or they’re not. Either way, it’s certainly going to be extraordinary.
—Daniel Quinn
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Epigraph
Table of Contents
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
Acknowledgements
About the Author
1
United Nations Building, NYC
March 20, the Vernal Equinox
“Your attention, please. The opening session of the Youth Assembly will begin in ten minutes.”
Rohini Haakonsen could hardly contain her excitement. She’d worked hard, and now she was at the United Nations. Rohini walked through the lobby and gazed at all the different faces. Much like the people of New York City, the attendees came from an amazing variety of cultures and customs, some more familiar than others. An African woman in a brightly colored kente cloth headscarf spoke with a man from Scandinavia. He wore a green wool suit and had a blond handlebar moustache and a goatee. A man in a sarong and a Nehru jacket joined them. He must be from Sri Lanka, Rohini thought. Even in Europe and the United States, people were returning to traditional clothing.
The Youth Assembly was a program structured around the UN’s long-range goals for sustainable development. Many of the world’s brightest young leaders were attending the opening session. While the world had made major progress since the Paris Agreement, Earth continued to warm. Every month set new records, and every year seemed hotter than the last. Their efforts might be too little, too late. Low-lying island nations were already relocating their populations as sea levels rose.
In other places, unprecedented droughts caused major food shortages, inevitably followed by protests, riots, and political instability. Even the American public were waking up, after being duped by the fossil fuel industry, the corporate media’s obfuscation, and many politicians’ complete denial of reality. Around the globe, people were becoming desperate and demanding their leaders stop this existential threat to humanity, and leaders were finally starting to listen.
During her high school years, Rohini spent summers with her aunt and uncle, and she learned firsthand the plight of many in the developing world. Her mother’s colorful family was from India. Her uncle Kailash ran an organic tea plantation in the foothills of the Himalayas, near Darjeeling, and her aunt Shanti worked for an NGO, empowering women in rural areas of India and Nepal and training them to be solar technicians. Many of the women were widows who lacked a stable livelihood, but who cared deeply about preserving the planet for future generations. India’s burgeoning middle class was mainly limited to the largest cities, and recent economic strides left the rural poor mostly untouched. Rohini’s time in India and Nepal left a lasting impression.
Rohini found her seat. She greeted other attendees and looked over the program agenda.
“Excuse me.” A man waited to edge past her knees. “I’m in the next seat,” he said. Rohini stood for him to pass.
“I’m Liam,” he said, and offered his hand. “Pleased to meet you.”
“Hi, I’m Rohini. Nice to meet you too.” She shook his hand and wondered where his accent was from. Canadian?
“Is this your first time?” Liam said.
“Yes. I’ve got to say I’m excited to be here,” Rohini said, beaming. “What about you?”
“It’s my first time too. I’m glad to be here, but I’m not convinced anything useful will come out of this.” Liam shrugged.
“A cynic, huh? You don’t think we’ll accomplish anything here?”
“Don’t get me wrong—I certainly hope we do—but I was so hopeful after the Paris Agreement, and despite all the press it received at the time, I don’t feel like much has changed.” Liam frowned.
“I can see that. Well, maybe this year will be different,” Rohini said.
Dr. Susan Yang, the Youth Assembly chair, stepped up to the microphone and began her address, greeting the assembled UN officials and delegates.
“Good morning, everyone. I’m so happy to welcome you all to the opening session of the Youth Assembly—” The crowd’s startled gasps drowned out her words. Four people appeared directly behind her. Dr. Yang’s brow furrowed in confusion as the crowd looked past her. She turned and realized she was no longer alone on the dais.
“Do not be alarmed. We mean you no harm. We are here to help,” one of the intruders said, raising his open palms.
Rohini sat in stunned silence, as did most of the crowd. She glanced at Liam to find him slack-jawed. Others had jumped out of their seats. Some noticed the bright flash preceding the strangers’ appearance, and others simply glanced up to see them suddenly on stage.
The two men and two women wore clothing like historical costumes. Rohini didn’t recognize the style, but it reminded her of clothing she had seen in rural Nepal. The fabric looked rustic, yet refined, like the raw silk shawls she had seen in the Himalayas.
Two of the strangers wore robe-like garments. They were brown with some sort of green symbols or decorative motifs woven into the edges of the fabric. The other two wore fitted clothing, like padding or armor.
Rohini thought of the body armor she’d seen on riot police. She had observed them up close on more than one occasion,
while attending protests and marches in college and high school—a family tradition.
But this “body armor” appeared to be made of a natural material, more like leather, and was padded in places. The armored man and woman flanked the two robed strangers like bodyguards or protectors. They looked relaxed but alert as their eyes scanned the crowd.
Rohini had studied some martial arts, but something about those two screamed “don’t even think about it.” Rohini wasn’t easily intimidated, especially by other women, but the way the female “bodyguard” carried herself made Rohini think she wouldn’t want to go there.
The woman looked right at Rohini and gave her a slight smirk as they locked eyes. Rohini felt frozen in place, like a child caught red-handed. After a moment of panic, Rohini was relieved when the woman broke their gaze and continued to scan the crowd. She knew it wasn’t possible, but Rohini could’ve sworn the woman knew what she’d been thinking.
Security personnel rushed toward the podium, but they stopped at the foot of the steps and slowly retreated. Were they as shocked as everyone else?
Dr. Yang spoke up: “Who are you people? What do you want?”
“Please, allow me to address the assembly and all your questions will be answered.”
The robed figure who had spoken before stepped up to the podium. Dr. Yang backed away warily, keeping an eye on the other strangers. Rohini was a little surprised at how easily she had acquiesced to the intruders. Why isn’t anyone stopping them? Something is really off here.
“People of Earth, do not be alarmed,” the stranger began. “We mean you no harm. In fact, we have come to help. We are from another world, a world much like your own. We have come many times throughout your history, but we have chosen not to reveal ourselves, until now.”
The crowd reacted with a cacophony of anxious murmurs. “Did he just say they are aliens?” Rohini said.
“I think so. This is insane,” Liam said, wide-eyed.
“We have revealed ourselves now because Earth is at a critical point. If something drastic is not done to reverse the runaway climate change, human civilization will be at risk.
“We have waited and watched, hoping your culture would develop the political will to make these changes, but the greed of those who control your economies and political systems is clearly too great an obstacle to overcome.
“Only now that you are at the point of no return have your governments come together in a serious way. You possessed the knowledge and the technology to avoid this calamity, but you have waited too long. Many of your future leaders are assembled here today, and much of the world is watching, that is why we have chosen this moment to make ourselves known.
“We have come to offer our assistance, so that you may avoid this fate, with which we are only too familiar. Many generations ago, our world was at a similar impasse. Some among us believed technology and unfettered growth held the promise of a better future. Others saw this way of life was simply unsustainable.
“This division in our society ran deep, resulting in the Great War. Untold lives were lost, and our civilization was left in shambles. Those who believed in a technological solution left our world in search of a new home, unable to imagine another way. Those who chose to stay healed our world and developed a new way of living, in sync with our biosphere. We chose to follow nature’s example and were rewarded with a stable and sustainable future.
“We have not eschewed technology altogether, but we have developed regenerative technologies that do not harm our world. We offer you this knowledge, as well as the wisdom of our culture. To facilitate this, and to help you understand our culture, we invite you to choose a number of your people to come study our world. They will of course be returned unharmed and will serve as a bridge between our planets.
“We leave you to decide who to send. We simply suggest they be of sound mind and body and possess a certain level of physical fitness. Our way of life is, shall we say, less sedentary than yours has become.
“I know you have many questions. I assure you we will answer them upon our return. For now, I will leave you with this: Many of our kind have developed what you call ‘telepathic abilities.’ We can quickly convey great amounts of information from mind to mind. I will now reveal some thoughts directly to your world leaders to reassure them that what we say is true.”
The stranger held a hand to his temple and closed his eyes for a few moments. When he opened them again, he rejoined the others.
Dr. Yang spoke out, giving voice to the questions on everyone’s minds. “Wait, we still don’t know who you are. What should we call you? When will you return?”
He opened his mouth to speak, and Rohini sensed a brightness building around the strangers. As the words left his mouth, there was a flash, and the four figures disappeared from the dais. They vanished as quickly as they had appeared. But his words remained, echoing in Rohini’s mind.
“You may call us the Elders.”
2
Rohini’s mind reeled. Did that really just happen? Aliens appeared at the UN and offered to help save Earth? And they’re going to take people to their planet to learn about their culture? Are you kidding me? Where do I sign up? If she hadn’t seen the aliens, she never would have believed it.
“Please tell me I’m not dreaming,” she said.
“I’d be happy to pinch you,” Liam said, with a lopsided grin. “But unless we’re both dreaming, I think that really just happened.”
“Cute,” Rohini said, her eyes crinkling.
She felt a chaotic mix of emotions. Rohini was excited by what this could mean for the planet, but she was terrified by the darker possibilities. It was all too much.
Rohini went over the events in her mind, and she realized with a start she had been right. That woman did sense my thoughts! Was that what happened to the security guards? Did one of the aliens stop them with their mind? Did their spokesperson actually communicate telepathically with our leaders? The implications swirled in her head. If they really are going to help save the planet, how wonderful! But why? Out of the kindness of their hearts, or are they trying to pull the wool over our eyes? Can these “people” be trusted?
Before being allowed to leave, the attendees were questioned by several different government agencies. Rohini lost track of them all. An endless stream of agents, from agencies with unfamiliar acronyms, each took a turn. Some didn’t even bother identifying themselves. Obviously, the government is taking this seriously.
One agent stood out in her memory—a woman with green eyes, like her own, and straight red hair pulled back in a ponytail. She seemed familiar, but Rohini couldn’t place her. She must just remind me of someone. The woman was particularly interested when Rohini mentioned one of the aliens had seemed able to read her mind.
“Tell me more about that. Were you able to sense the alien’s thoughts as well?” The agent said, raising an eyebrow.
“No, but I got the distinct impression she was reading mine,” Rohini said. “I thought I was imagining it until the other alien—the one speaking—said he was communicating telepathically. Then I realized it must have been true.”
When she was finally allowed to leave, Rohini hoped she might run into Liam. She hadn’t seen him since the agents began questioning everyone. The American attendees had been separated from the foreign nationals. Oh well, I guess I’ll see him again tomorrow. She left the building and made her way home.
Rohini lived in Manhattan, so she was no stranger to walking, but on a typical day she would have taken the subway home. It was a good five miles back to her place in Harlem. But even though she was tired, she was also wired. Her limbs were heavy, yet her brain kept buzzing. Maybe a walk would help settle her thoughts and pump some life back into her sagging limbs.
She decided to head up 5th Ave and go through Central Park on her way uptown, as she often did when she was overwhelmed or needed to
think. She could tell when she hadn’t spent enough time in nature. She always got a little more stressed and anxious, and her fuse got a little shorter. She could usually roll with the punches in her daily life, as long as she got sufficient time in nature to keep herself on an even keel.
She wove her way through the park, skirting Turtle Lake, and made her way through the Ramble up to Belvedere Castle. The castle had been one of her favorite spots in the park since she was a little girl, reminding her of fairytales, princesses, and heroines on epic quests.
She climbed the hill to the castle and went inside, waiting in the short line at the one-way circular staircase. When she got to the upper level she made her way over to the wall, rested her arms on top, and sighed as she looked out over the lake at the city she loved.
Her family had moved to New York City when she was twelve, after a childhood spent in Minnesota. What might have come as a culture shock to many Midwesterners had been a relatively easy transition as her family had visited the city many times over the years to visit her aunt Priya.
Looking down at the rocks at the water’s edge, a few of the ever-present turtles caught her attention. She had always been fond of turtles. There was something about the sense of peace and stillness they exuded, especially the giant tortoises; regardless of what was happening around them, they moved at their own pace. These little guys were simply sunning on a rock, soaking in the warmth of the afternoon sun.
Rohini realized she had been standing at the wall for quite some time. The rocks were now in the shade and the turtles had moved on. Somewhat refreshed, she headed home. As she left the castle the outside world crept back into her thoughts. Rohini wondered how the rest of the world was reacting to what had taken place at the UN.
She overheard a few people talking about the aliens at the castle, but not many. If they had been in the park all day they may have been out of the loop, she thought. Or maybe word hasn’t gotten out yet. But how could that be? The meeting was streaming live around the world. Now her curiosity was piqued.