by DiMirra
"I will digress for a moment to give you some information that you may not have yet. We are aware that you spy on us, as we spy on you. It is much easier for us to control access to our small organization than it is for you to control your behemoth of a nation. Our company, Coherent Harmonics, made a breakthrough in the field of background radiation. This discovery means that within the year we will be able to offer every living being on the planet, at little or no cost, an endless and portable supply of non-polluting energy."
Even though Chinese are known for their 'poker faces', I could tell by their expressions that they were truly surprised.
"This, my friends, will be part of the package to entice countries to cede their sovereignty to a United World in which they will have membership. Those who do not join will be denied the benefits. It really is as simple as that."
The Premier, intrigued, said, "Please continue."
"We only want three nuclear powers in the world for the time being. Eventually we should all agree to dismantle the arsenals.We would ask you to disarm North Korea through persuasion or action, whichever works. We will be responsible for disarming what's left of Iran, and of course India. We are working diligently with the Saudis to heal the soul of Islam. Once that is accomplished, we will disarm Israel.
"We don't ever want to go through this horrific suffering we are all being subjected to again. I believe that four honest men can work out a strategy we all can agree upon to create a United World.
"Let us speak about the unspeakable -- who will live and who will die. The world is heavily overpopulated. The human race, as a species, is rapidly destroying the very ecosystems that sustain all life, and for what?
"The Ebola variant virus that is ravaging your country was created in Northern Waziristan. Unfortunately, it is now appearing, from unintended infections, in what's left of Pakistan, as well India and Malaysia. My son, Ali, has transferred targeting coordinates to your Defense Minister for a nuclear strike from your forces on all of Waziristan. Any country, any culture, that would allow such a thing to occur must be completely destroyed. It is the price to be paid for looking the other way and ignoring the evil within.
"You have access to the same data and studies that we do, so you are aware that the world is drastically overpopulated. If we allow this current contagion to run its course in certain areas it will dramatically reduce the stress on world ecosystems. Those are hard words and an impossible choice but I don't see a better alternative. Even if we start today, it will take months to get ahead of the contagion."
"The spheres of influence will remain much as they are for now. If a country in your sphere has an issue, you will solve it, as we will in our sphere.
"Governments don't live together. People live together. Our few functions as the world's government must be limited to providing law and order, small and limited bureaucracies, establishing a reserve currency backed by real value, and creating opportunities for our peoples to flourish. We are not Capitalists, we are not Communists or Socialists or any type of 'ist'. We are people looking for the best way to live together and create an harmonious relationship with the planet."
"Gianni," the Premier replied, "we know you and your family. "We have confidence in what you said here today. We three will deliberate on the way forward and advise you on the outcome.
"I will give the Defense Department a green light on Waziristan. You asked to visit a children's hospital with infected young ones. If you still wish to do so, it has been arranged for after lunch."
"We do. We'll provide these children with the actual cell therapy so you can see, in a matter of days, what we have spoken about is true. We will leave you one hundred doses of the cell therapy. If you are unable to reverse-engineer it, we would be delighted to supply all that you need without cost, predicated upon the strategy I just laid out."
"Ultimately, what my family wants is a world at peace within itself and for every occupant to be well-employed in a field at which they excel. There should be no more growth for the sake of growth. That saps our resources and energies, pollutes our ecosystems, and leaves us wanting more without knowing why. We, the human race, must pursue our dreams and fulfill our promises but not at the expense of the planet and the cost of our souls.
"Thank you for your time and patience with us today, Premier. We'll be in constant contact with your office as this tragedy plays out. I have squared your attack on US Naval assets with General Hamilton. While he's not happy about the loss of so many servicemen, he will not be seeking retribution. His exact words were, 'Now is the time to put away the bloody thoughts and begin making Peace.'"
With that, we departed. We took the chopper to the military hospital wing that was caring for the dying children. Although it was unnecessary, Francisco and I donned the Hazmat suits to enter the wing, because it was protocol. The sense of evil was pervasive, even through the suits. Who could do such a thing?
The virus wasn't evil. It was doing what it needed to stay alive. The people and the culture behind this particular virus would pay dearly for their error. As I looked upon child after child being consumed, my mind began to wander. I wondered if God could ever forgive us for what we do to each other and to this paradise He put us into for our safekeeping. I suppose these thoughts were my defense mechanism for sights that were too much to bear.
Francisco spoke with the administrator who was instructed to give the cell therapy intravenously to all 178 patients in this facility. He had already started the process when I came across what appeared to be a 6-month-old infant. I inquired about her circumstances and was told her parents had already succumbed to the virus. I met with the administrator. I asked him to notify Raffa the minute she recovers so I could adopt her. He looked skeptical, but knew that my word carried the authority of the Premier.
Chapter 33
Beijing: 15:30, January 24th
I was exhausted but relieved to be sitting in our jet as it lined up for take off. We had a twelve-hour flight in front us. I was fast asleep even before we left the ground. About 4 hours into the flight, Tori waived a double espresso in my face. I awakened when that aroma, unlike any other, wafted into my nostrils.
I lit a cigarette. Don Francisco joined me. It was time to check in with Ali. We had been out of contact for more than 12 hours.
It struck me that I was very hungry. I decided on tuna sushi and some stone crab claws. Francisco, Uwishun, and I would eat in the Communications Center while Ali briefed us.
"Gentlemen," Ali opened.
"The African Nation congress will be well attended. Keny has worked his magic. It will be up to you, Father, to close the deal."
"The Grand Mufti has gone into the cave at Mount Hira. This is the talk of the Islamic world. I suspect this will be better than we hoped.
"I have a compiled list of unfriendly Clerics and a longer list of jihadist organizations that oppose any changes, with coordinates for all.
"I leased an Anotov 124 transport from Vasily. It will take two trips to move the Sharp Swords to Saudi Arabia.
"We'll also send twenty all-Berber kill teams, for the Clerics, to a base operating out of the airport.
"We've received our new Guardians. I'll deploy two to each kill team. If you wish to review my strike plan, I can forward it to you."
"Ali, no need for any review," I answered. "Make it so. As far as the Clerics go, resort to extreme prejudice. Make a statement. Let the Guardians eat them."
Ali resumed, "There are a few hot spots in Africa, so I have kept two Sharp Swords. They're still based in Kenya. They'll strike three targets -- two Boko Haram forward operating bases and the jerks in Sudan again."
"Ali," I asked, "Does Ham have a count on surviving congressional members and any high-ranking administration hacks who survived the DC detonation?"
"Not that I've heard but I will enquire later this evening when next we speak."
"Slowly but surely, the military and National Guard units are controlling the killing and looting. The
biggest problem is still the contagion, with fresh cases occurring all along the Atlantic seaboard. The new authorities are taking that very seriously. Right now our best guess on a casualty count will be close to 50 million, about fifteen percent of the population in The States.
"Europe is different matter. There are large, young, hardcore jihad communities in Great Britain, France, Holland, Sweden and Germany. They have been resupplied and are trying to mount a counterattack. The militaries are not unified, disciplined or well trained. This is going to be slugfest, house to house, for a couple weeks. The Ebola contagion is way out of control so I suspect Europe will lose half its population."
"Ali," I said, "perhaps when we meet with the Generals we can offer support. I believe they're going easy to keep casualties down. That
does not help the big picture. They need to think like "Napoléon. If he were here, I believe his message would be, 'If you want to take Marseilles, then take Marseilles.'"
Ali resumed. "Pakistan is a 'no-go zone' and will be for months.
"China lit up Waziristan with forty big nukes. The video is queued up for you to view at your leisure.
"India struggles with Ebola virus that is showing up all over the country. It will be weeks before they can access and evaluate New Delhi. The Military has assumed control. They are in contact with General Hamilton and us.
"Russia has finally surfaced. They gained control over their southern border through a week of bloody fighting. It appears they are annexing territories they lost when the USSR collapsed, and with little or no resistance. They have taken this opportunity to start a pogrom -- ethnic cleansing of the various Muslim populations inside Russia and in the states they are annexing. There is no one to stop them.
"There is still plenty of disorganized, sporadic violence in Latin America. I suspect it will stay that way for several months. This gives Don Francisco a perfect platform for unification."
"Ali," I broke in, "I need an immediate succession plan for the current leaders in the following countries -- Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. Also, please ask Ham for three AC-130U Specter II gunships, with crews, landing in Taroudant in the next 36 hours. We will replace the markings on the Specters with the battle flag of Arabia.
"While you're at it, ask Ham to transfer control of the USS Connecticut to us. She's perfectly positioned for the European campaign. If he asks why, tell him it's to help Europe, because they still have a few unassailable hot spots.
"Baba, I'll make it all happen," concluded Ali.
"I'll stop by for a quick coffee tomorrow, on my way to Lugano," I answered. "Much love to all."
I walked forward to the dining room. Francisco had Vivaldi's Four Seasons, one of our perennial favorites, on the ATC audio system. Tori brought me a double espresso. I joined Francisco, who offered me a fresh Cohiba. We sat in silence, enjoying our cigars and the high fidelity music.
The Vivaldi segued into Paganini's Carnival of Venice. Still we sat without speaking. I broke our verbal silence when I asked Tori to fix us a light snack of fresh shrimp and stone crab with a warm baguette on the side, served with ice cold Safari Lager from Tanzania.
"Grandfather," I asked, "do you personally know any of the leaders who will attend the upcoming African Congress?"
"Johnny," he replied, "I know the delegations from South Africa, Nigeria and Mozambique quite well. I've met some of the others but do not know much about them. I will have a conversation with those I know."
We would land at Nanyuki airfield in about an hour. Keny would meet us and we'd spend the night at the Fairmont Safari Club, an old and venerable facility. Keny had a sizable security force in the area for the Congress, which would be held on the grounds of the hotel.
We rented the entire hotel for security purposes. The few guests were moved to other facilities at our expense. Following Uwishun's suggestion, Gary Dunn set up perimeters, to five miles out, with roving patrols. There would be drone surveillance 24 hours a day, to ten miles out. As we landed, our 757 rushed past an open hanger holding my Gulfstream G650, which was guarded by a squad of fierce looking Berbers.
I went to the aft bathroom to freshen up. For the first, time I noticed the Cellbot therapy was working its magic. Gone were the crow's feet from around my eyes and the furrows from my forehead. I looked like I was 35 years old within only days after treatment.
I could hear Keny's booming voice greeting everyone as the plane stopped. I entered the salon. Moving with the speed of a Black Mamba, faster than the eye can perceive, he grabbed me in a bear hug and lifted me off my feet,
"Johnny, it was magnificent!" he boomed. "You should have been here! We have accomplished in one week what former African leaders could not do in 50 years!"
I replied, "We're winning this war, Keny. "Tomorrow, we must win the peace."
The next day, we woke up early and took our breakfast on the terrace of the Presidential Suite in silence. We were both deep in thought.
I strode out upon the stage with high energy, knowing this would be a day of days.
"I'm going to speak the truth to all of you today so you clearly understand what has happened, what is happening now, and what will happen soon. There will be no help from the western countries or China. My family and our confederates are your only hope.
"Sub-Saharan Africa comprises 41 countries. We believe 36 of these are starting down the right path. Today, I issue a warning to the Central African Republic, Sudan, Ethiopia, The Congo and Somalia. There is now a new order in the world. It's called 'The United World.'
"We formed an independent Peace Force that's charged with restoring law and order. Those leaders who put themselves first, or who are corrupt, will be destroyed and replaced with new leaders, again and again, until the errant countries get it right.
"I direct your attention to the screens behind me, where you'll witness your own corruption and the disasters you wrought on your populations. You will also see that we are watching you full time now. For example, when you are committing fraud on your people, or in Switzerland, making a huge deposit in your bank account.
The screens were full of images of clandestine meetings of leaders and criminals, some of them at this very meeting.
"Today, your bank accounts and safe deposit boxes have all been turned over to Untied Africa, which is currently run by Kenyatta for a six-year term. I direct your attention to screen six, where you see the head of the Swiss banking authority"
"Good afternoon Gianni, I do confirm that all Sub-Saharan African national accounts, as well as thousands of personal accounts and safe deposit boxes have been turned over to United Africa, currently under the direction of Kenyatta. These amount totally to a little over 750 billion dollars and of course there is a treasure trove of interesting documents in the boxes."
"Thank you Commissioner. I am quite sure that bank websites will be overloaded within sixty seconds. We'll take it from here and begin our nation-building process with honest leaders."
The delegate for the DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo) jumped up and shouted, "You can't do this!"
And I countered, "Who will stop me? You, Sir, have accumulated a personal fortune of over 11 billion dollars, yet your people do not have schools, access to medical care or clean drinking water."
"I will stop you!" he said.
I motioned to one of our Guardians who was stationed nearby, who promptly jerked him off the ground by the scruff of his neck. I motioned to another Guardian to detain two others who were just as guilty. A hush fell over the crowd as they realized they were being introduced to a new life form, a more ferocious creature than any they had yet seen.
"Tonight, we will deliver you to a tribe of Pygmies, in your own country, whom you treated with unusual harshness. If you do not remember how, they will help you remember. I understand they enjoy such entertainment.
"Does anyone else want to discuss their bank accounts?" I asked. Then I waited. The hush of the crowd remained unbroken after several long moments.<
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"Alright then, let's get on with the meeting. It has been over 50 years since your countries have become independent. Yet your people are no better off. In many cases, living conditions have worsened. You manufacture nothing. You invent nothing. You educate almost no one. Most of your population is unemployed. Your inhabitants have limited access to clean water and nutritious food. This is unacceptable!
"You deplete your resources for the benefit of a few, while your countries lack foundational infrastructure. You destroy your forests, and you waste the animals that live there, so rapidly that nothing can replenish itself. What legacy will you leave your children's children?
"United Africa will not stand idly by while you continue such atrocious and revolting behavior. Here is our promise -- if you stand with us, we will provide first-world health care for your populations. We will finance your infrastructure. We will help you use your resources wisely for the benefit of all your people. We will provide your citizens inexpensive, non-polluting energy to power their homes. We will establish law and order, and a justice system to deal with offenders. We will, within five years, make you part of a first-world continent."
The screens became filled with pleasant graphics showing what could be achieved, given their cooperation.
"If you stand against us, we will destroy your leaders. Then, if you continue to stand against us, we will destroy you completely. You will disappear from the map. I direct your attention to the screen to my right and to Pakistan, which no longer exists."
Mushroom cloud after mushroom cloud appeared from high and intermediate altitude images depicting extermination of a corrupt culture.
"It starts today. Kenyatta will explain all the details. So now you must choose, choose wisely."
Kenyatta started with, "Your militaries shall all stand down. You shall surrender operations to our designated authority in your sector. You shall accept twelve advisors from United Africa whom will help you form new governments with term limits.