Wake-up Call: 2035

by Robert J. Traydon

  The invitations themselves stated that the summit’s specific purpose and agenda would not be disclosed prior to its start, and that: ‘New, conclusive evidence has come to light showing that if resolute steps are not agreed upon and taken immediately, then humankind will face certain extinction.’ The Principals hoped to motivate attendance by making it clear that humanity’s future existence was wholly dependent on the summit.

  They also made known the fact that this would be the largest assembly of the world’s most influential people ever in the history of the modern world. They stated the paramount importance of the dignitaries’ attendance at the summit, and emphasised that non-attendance could have dire ramifications for their nations, or their respective spheres of influence. It was also made clear that an alliance of nations had committed to arranging the entire summit and that all travel and accommodation expenses would be covered in full. Cost could therefore not be used as an excuse for non-attendance.

  The invitations were, at first, viewed with a fair degree of scepticism and reluctance, but as the hours ticked by and news of the unprecedented summit spread across the planet’s media platforms, curiosity gained ground. There was no doubt that it would be fascinating to witness the revealing of this ‘new evidence’ first-hand at the summit, while also being in the presence of such illustrious company. As such, dignitaries began cancelling their scheduled engagements, which in turn made others available. The number of acceptances increased as a result, showing just how interlinked the world’s most influential people were. It quickly became a case of those not having accepted being in the minority, which made it easier for them to renege on their previous obligations.

  The list of invited dignitaries was the subject of much discussion on news networks. To be on the list was seen by many as a measure of prestige. Some of the Principals even received phone calls from celebrities and other high powered individuals, to find out whether they were also on the list, and if not … why not. Many were disappointed to know that they were not included, with some going so far as to ask how they could get their names onto the list. Some Principals were even offered ludicrous sums of money in return for an invitation.

  Debate raged as to why certain people had been selected to attend and others had not. It was a hard-hitting reality check for those people who regarded themselves as distinguished, wealthy, powerful and important, that they actually held little or no influence. There was a marked difference between self-regarded importance and actual influence, something not everyone was prepared to accept. The media frenzy worked in the Principals’ favour, pressing those who had either declined or not yet accepted, to go ahead and confirm their attendance.

  In between making phone calls the Principals had worked on their individual summit responsibilities, including their presentations and session structures. They referenced the encounter data that Payton had uploaded onto their IntraGlobe group’s knowledge exchange, and found it remarkably easy to use and add to their content. Whenever a Principal required assistance or clarification, Edward Payton was on hand to offer it, since the majority of the information lay within his area of expertise.

  With just 40 hours to go until the start of the summit, almost all of the Principals’ preparation work was complete. Further to that, 464 of the 500 invited dignitaries had confirmed their attendance. This was regarded by the 12 Principals as a resounding success and they were very optimistic that the remaining 36 dignitaries would follow suit. It was unlikely that any person would purposefully shun the opportunity to be part of the globe’s most historic gathering of dignitaries, luminaries, celebrities and other VIPs.

  |GMT + 04:00| 4:00 p.m. Earth: United Arab Emirates – Dubai

  Note: Dubai time is reflected for the duration of the Principals’ stay in Dubai.

  It was late afternoon when the Principals began arriving at Dubai’s International Airport. Except for Edward Payton, all the Principals had entourages with them. The 12 had coordinated the landing times of their flights to be as close to 4:00 p.m. as possible. From the airport tarmac, they were transferred directly to the Burj al Persia Hotel* on chartered helicopters. The view of the city from the air was striking – it certainly lived up to its reputation as being the ‘skyscraper mecca’ of the world.

  [* The Burj al Persia was Dubai’s latest addition to its stupefying skyline. Reaching an awe inspiring height of over one mile, it had convincingly smashed all previous ‘tallest building’ world records set before it. The hotel had 1 500 rooms that could accommodate up to 3 000 guests at any one time. It was most famous for its hugely popular and exclusive, 250th floor, Mile High Club.

  The complex had been built along Dubai’s coastline on a reclaimed crescent-shaped stretch of land. The building was circular in shape throughout its entire height and adorned by elegant circumferential wind turbines, which had been cleverly integrated into the tower’s superstructure at intermediate levels.

  The glass exterior of the building was the latest generation in integrated transparent photovoltaic cell technology, thus effectively making the building one gigantic solar panel. The 200 000 square metre shopping centre’s roof was made up of parabolic trough solar power modules, which provided enough power to air-condition the entire hotel and shopping complex. Dubai was rarely short of sun and when it was, there was usually wind, a convenient yet underexploited dove-tail effect. The building was dubbed the world’s first ‘carbon-negative’ hotel since it produced more power than it used, making it a net contributor to the grid.]

  The helicopters ferrying the Principals landed on flared, petal-like helicopter pads located on the 100th floor of the hotel. They felt the stifling humidity and searing heat of the late afternoon sun as they disembarked and made their way towards large tinted glass doors. As they entered, they were struck by the building’s cool interior, which was at least 15°C cooler than the outside temperature.

  In the private reception lounge, everyone could relax while their passports and irises were scanned and they were checked into the hotel. The building’s head of security informed them that the entire hotel was managed via ‘iris recognition security control software’, meaning that no-one could access parts of the hotel that they were not authorised to. This was reassuring to the Principals, as was the knowledge that the entire building had been reserved for their exclusive use for the full duration of their stay.

  They were then escorted to their accommodation which was all located on the building’s 50th floor. This floor was home to the hotel’s renowned ultra-luxurious suites, which had private hotel staff and a host of select amenities. The Principals would be staying in the suites, while members of their entourages were accommodated in adjacent rooms.

  5:30 a.m. Earth: Dubai – Burj al Persia (Sunday)

  It was now 5:30 a.m. on Sunday morning, half an hour before the pre-summit meeting. The 12 Principals were in their suites freshening up after their night’s rest. All of them had slept surprisingly well.

  The meeting venue had been confirmed as the Persian Panoramic boardroom. It was located on the Burj al Persia’s 200th floor, which was dedicated solely to mid-sized meeting rooms.

  Hotel staff showed the Principals to the boardroom. As each of them entered, they were welcomed by a magnificent 180 degree view of the city of Dubai. The staff then offered them refreshments and breakfast snacks, which they gladly accepted. The Principals engaged in idle conversation while watching the dull, red sun rising behind the horizon’s polluted hue.

  At 6:00 a.m. they took their seats around the oval Mahogany conference table and got started. The US President opened the session, “Good morning everyone. The fact that the 12 of us are all here together right now demonstrates our commitment to dealing with the monumental challenge that stands before us.”

  Jameson summarised the meeting agenda and the proceedings began. The Principals spent the whole day running through the summit introduction, presentations and discussion structures. Everyone had prepared their sections meticulously wi
th only a few small changes being needed to bring them all into line, and ensure that flow and continuity were maintained throughout.

  They discussed the press conference that was scheduled for the fifth and final day of the summit, and how best to structure the extraordinary announcement of the encounter and Ultimatum to the world’s population. All of the top 100 news networks from around the world that had been invited to attend the press conference had already confirmed their acceptance. Many others had requested permission to attend, but were refused.

  It was just before 6:00 p.m. when everything was finally wrapped up and declared ready for the summit. At that moment, the US President received an astounding notification from her Vice President, which she immediately shared with the other Principals. The notification had originated from Director Henderson at NASA, who had obtained startlingly high resolution images of the spacecraft using one of NASA’s geo-mapping satellites in orbit around Mars.

  She projected the images onto the overhead screen and the others were equally awestruck. The definition was significantly better than had been achieved by WorldSeeker and the spacecraft’s daunting magnitude, structure and detailing could now be fully appreciated. The Director had also managed to have these images independently verified by the guest astronomers. All the Principals were greatly relieved to have this additional evidence on hand.

  Jameson closed the meeting, “Having reviewed our material, I am feeling very positive about the summit. More time would not have made us any readier than we are right now. According to IntraGlobe we have 483 dignitary acceptances, including all 195 heads of state. Just 17 dignitaries from the original list are unable to attend, but their respective substitutes from our backup list have all confirmed their attendance. This should be regarded as a terrific achievement considering the exceptionally short notice period. Thanks to everyone for your notable contributions – we have all done extremely well.”

  They had taken due care not to underestimate the intimidating challenge that stood before them. The Principals knew that they would have to convince the numerous dignitaries that the rules which had governed the human landscape for so long, would have to change; and that humankind had no option but to comply with the Ultimatum as set out by the Galactic Federation. It would need to be a fully co-operative endeavour, embarked on with the buy-in from every single person on the planet. The notions of population management, land expropriation and lifestyle moderation would be newly charted political territory for many nations, but they would have to realise that they had no alternative.

  Diplomacy was the preferred way forward, but if that did not succeed, a stronger stance would need to be taken. If that also failed, then as a last resort, coercion by means of consequence would have to be considered. The Principals all hoped that it would not to come to this but had to be realistic with their expectations.

  6:00 p.m. Earth: Burj Al Persia – Auditorium

  The Principals had one more task for the day, which was to inspect the auditorium. They travelled in two separate elevators down a vertical distance of 1 280 metres to the ground floor foyer of the Burj al Persia. The ride in the maglev elevator took one minute and was almost imperceptible to its occupants. Waiting for them in the hotel foyer was Zhuge’s Presidential Assistant. She introduced herself as Su Ling and then escorted the Principals to the summit venue.

  As they entered the auditorium, they were taken aback by the sheer size and magnificence of the facility. There were 20 meticulously aligned, arc-shaped rows of desks and chairs ranging from 20 in the front row to 30 in the back row. Identically positioned on every desk was a class-leading Y-RAX tablet, a notepad and pen, an iced water thermos flask and crystal glass, voting keypad, microphone and translation earpiece, and respective dignitary nameplate.

  The slightly elevated stage was furnished with a curved table with 12 chairs. Next to it was a stately glass lectern with integrated ultra-book laptop and space for speech notes. The decoration theme of the auditorium had been specified by the Chinese President himself. The side and rear walls were all adorned with reliefs of rainforest, savannah and desert scenes, populated by a wide collection of beautiful birds and wild animals.

  Of particular relevance was the feature wall at the front of the auditorium, which had been decorated with a collage of the world’s most recently extinct species. It showed thousands of creatures, ranging from large mammals and reptiles, to small plants and insects*.

  [* The hotel’s purpose-built ‘interior laser projector’ had been used to generate the reliefs. The auditorium’s interior ‘colour memory’ paint retained any image that was laser projected onto it. The reliefs could be renewed or changed at any time and the projection process took less than an hour. It was in the design of the reliefs that the real effort and time was required.]

  The Chinese President was very pleased with what he saw: “Well done, Ms Ling. The venue is looking spectacular.”

  “Thank you very much, Mr President.”

  Zhuge moved on after the Principals had had a chance to look around. “It would be appreciated, Ms Ling, if you could brief us all on the hotel’s external security plan.”

  She responded, “Certainly, Mr President. As agreed with the heads of the American, European, Indian and Chinese Defence Departments, a one kilometre diameter exclusion zone barrier has been established around the entire perimeter of the hotel, both on the land side and the ocean side. The shopping mall has been closed as requested and the shop owners have agreed to the compensation terms. Vehicles, watercraft, aircraft and people who are not part of the hotel staff, the Principal delegation or the dignitary list, which includes entourages, will not be allowed to enter the exclusion zone. Exception will only be made for authorised members of the press for the final day’s press conference.

  “The United Arab Emirates has mobilised 600 elite members of their police force, 200 special forces military personnel, as well as 400 coastguard and naval personnel, to safeguard the entire perimeter of the hotel at ground level. The personnel will have at their disposal a fleet of 50 crowd control water canon trucks and 30 protest defence personnel carriers.”

  She continued, “The ocean side will be protected by the UAE Navy and Coast Guard, which includes two missile interception destroyers, two submarines and eight coast guard vessels. Armed military personnel will be deployed around the full perimeter of coastline.

  “Also provided is full 24-hour UAE Air Force support. Two F18 fighter jets complemented by two rapid-assault Rooivalk X-class combat helicopters will be in the air at any given time. These will be refuelled mid-air to ensure uninterrupted air support around the Burj al Persia throughout the full duration of the summit. On top of all of this, the building is equipped with 20 of Israel’s most sophisticated Iron Dome protection modules. These are located at intermittent heights of the building to deal with any inbound objects that are deemed to be a threat, such as drones or missiles.”

  The Principals showed their personal approval of the measures. The Chinese President asked, “Are the representatives of our respective Defence Departments satisfied?”

  She replied, “Yes, Mr President. We had a ‘final inspection and sign-off meeting’ at midday today. As agreed with the UAE Defence Department, the Chinese and American Navies will be providing additional sea and air support at all times. From higher in the building, the two aircraft carrier groups are visible approximately 10 nautical miles off our coastline.”

  “Excellent,” said the Chinese President.

  The 12 looked around the auditorium one last time before leaving. They were all spellbound by its grandness and decoration. This was, without any doubt, the most ideal venue to host this incredible summit. The Principals then returned to their suites for a quick dinner and some much needed sleep.

  7. UNIFICATION

  |GMT + 04:00| 5:00 a.m. Earth: Burj Al Persia (Monday)

  It was 5:00 a.m. on Day One of the Global Unification Summit. Media trucks had been rolling in for the last 24 hour
s and congregating along the Burj al Persia’s exclusion zone perimeter barricading. As they parked, their hydraulically operated satellite dishes were automatically lifted and rotated to line up with their communications satellites. Word of the summit had spread like wildfire across the international media fraternity and even now, media vehicles and representatives were still arriving and jostling for prime position to get coverage of the incredible event. As had been anticipated, it was a chaotic frenzy of media activity.

  Taking into account the number and variety of distinguished persons on the invitation list, the summit was obviously addressing a concern of global importance. However, the reason behind it and what its agenda entailed, remained a tantalising mystery. The conspicuously spontaneous hosting of the summit just days after the alleged temporary disappearances of various world leaders, only added to the intrigue. Whatever its purpose, it was going to be covered by the media in riveting detail.

  Television news networks around the world were already broadcasting live from outside the exclusion zone, in a build up to the event. Speculation had engulfed the media on all platforms. Theories were being put forward and examined by panels of experts, trying to link the disappearances to the impromptu organising of the summit. Some were even going so far as to link NASA’s recently announced New Horizon colonisation spacecraft to the whirlwind of conspiracy.

  The dignitaries and their accompanying entourages had been arriving steadily at the hotel since 5:00 p.m. the previous afternoon. Most were ferried from their private planes directly to the hotel’s helipads by the fleet of chartered helicopters. Those that arrived by cavalcade had to be escorted by military Oshkosh JLTVs (Joint Light Tactical Vehicles) through the thronging masses of onlookers that were lining the exclusion zone barriers.