“Ah good, grab some refreshments and let’s get started, magnus Smith is bursting with questions and it is now time to answer them.”
Introductions were made and glasses filled and they made their way to the conference table. No sooner had they settled themselves than Shimazu made a surprising statement. “I have just a few minutes ago been informed that we have confirmed a further three habitable planets outside of the two already confirmed.”
“Three?” asked Le Clerq rhetorically.
“Yes, the remote telescope is proving very effective.”
“The remote telescope?” asked Prax puzzled.
“Yes, put into operation a year ago… Same model as the orbital telescope but placed in a more central position about a hundred light years away, closer to the centre of the Milky Way. We have also narrowed the parameters of the search, which all adds up to a greater success rate.”
“It may mean we may miss some life-bearing planets,” added Le Clerq. “But it also paradoxically means we will find more class-A planets sooner and eliminate unnecessary probe expeditions.”
“I see,” he said, suddenly realising where all of this was headed. “I assume this means we have arrived at the culmination of our historical destiny, operation rescue.”
Shimazu nodded and smiled. “And being the superb chess player that you are, you know what comes next perhaps?”
“Preparing Earth I assume and I also assume that I may have a role to play? I would also guess that is where Tshentso Jayarama is?”
“Yes, correct on all counts, and where we ask you to go – after a period of preparation.”
He sat back in his chair, his mind racing with many strategic and tactical possibilities. They waited patiently for him to ask another question. “So we are not really concerned about aliens, we are either preparing an invasion of Earth or concerned that they may attack our mission in some way?”
“We are preparing for both possibilities,” said Shimazu. “And training as many defence units as possible to accompany the expeditionary teams to these new planets…”
“Of course, to avoid what happened on Pangaea…” he added.
“We simply will not allow that to happen again. In fact we have two units ready, the first expedition will leave in just over a month. If all goes well we will be able to establish permanent colonies in just over a year.”
“So, where do I fit in?”
Le Clerq leant forward and pulled his gaze directly to her penetrating green eyes. “It is now vital that we establish a diplomatic corps and hand-in-hand with that goes…”
“An intelligence department.”
She frowned at the interruption but let it slide.
“The truth is that we are not sure of Earth’s capabilities, but we have heard rumours that one of the new nation states has rebuilt the capacity to develop void technology.”
“How robust is your information?”
“It’s sketchy. We’ve only had agents on the ground for four years.”
He was genuinely shocked. “But I thought…”
“That we had only started sending manned probes recently?”
He nodded.
“As soon as we regained the capacity to make interstellar jumps the first thing we did was send probes into orbit around Earth. It has been kept a secret because, frankly, the news was not good.”
“Earth is in a bad state,” added Shimazu.
“Initially we were not confident that it was possible, or even desirable to initiate operation rescue. We kept this news a secret because our modelling suggested it would depress the general population. Deep in our psyches we’ve longed to return,” Le Clerq continued.
“Tshentso…?”
“Insisted, yes. As a direct descendent of the Founder she reminded us that he had left Earth with a promise to return and that promise was enshrined in the Accord. Eden is obligated.”
“And she’s on Earth?”
“Has been for the last two years.”
“Where?”
“The Buddhist Republic of Greater Himalaya.”
It was at this moment he realised there was a lot he didn’t know. Like most Edenoi he had learned a bit of Earth history and he hadn’t heard of a Republic of the Himalayas, the last he had known it was a collection of small states, with Tibet brutally annexed by China.
Le Clerq sensed his confusion immediately. “There is a lot for you to catch up on, which is why Yvgeny and Pandit are here…”
He took a closer look at them as Le Clerq gestured in their direction. Peter Yvgeny was around fifty, his serious face beginning to show the lines of age, his arm tattoos blurred, his pierced earlobes sagging from large gold earrings, his shoulders slightly stooped, possibly from spending a lot of time reading. Ravi Pandit was smiling broadly, her young face open and curious, her upper torso suggesting that she was also a gymnast, or dancer: her shoulders broad, her breasts small and high, her skin unmarked. He guessed that Peter hardly exercised and Ravi was quite the opposite.
“They are experts in Earth history and culture; Pandit is Yvgeny’s protégée. No one else on Eden knows as much as they do. They have been vital in analysing what data we have.”
“I see…”
“Well, I wonder if you do,” interrupted Shimazu. “Because if you had you would have perhaps taken the conversation in a different direction.”
He tilted his head, puzzled by her comment and gestured for her to continue.
“A war is won or lost on intelligence. Although we have started the process, we have not formalised it. In a sense this meeting, your recruitment, is part of the process…”
“Of establishing an intelligence agency…”
“No,” said Shimazu slightly annoyed. “Intelligence forms only one part of the broader function of a diplomatic corps.”
“An ambassador?”
“Which necessarily involves espionage – the great game,” added Le Clerq.
“Tshentso has suggested we may be able to establish a diplomatic mission to the Northern States of America.”
Prax thought he had misheard. “Don’t you mean the United…?”
“It collapsed,” interrupted Pandit somewhat excitedly. “Shortly after the exodus: in the first decade of the resources war. The old United States is now divided between the Northern States, including Canada; Latino America; and New Jerusalem, otherwise known as the Kingdom of Christian America.”
He shook his head, puzzled. “Kingdom?”
“Not in the sense of having a monarch but in the sense of the Kingdom of God.”
“God?”
“Yes,” added Yvgeny in much more measured tones. “The resources war sent Earth into a new Dark Age. Earth went backwards, further into religion and superstition. This complicates things a great deal.”
Prax realised he was now getting lost in unfamiliar territory.
“Perhaps we should end this meeting,” Shimazu said abruptly. “Strategos Le Clerq and I have other matters to discuss, especially in light of the discovery of three more habitable planets. Yvgeny and Pandit will escort you to the canteen where they will begin to explain the recent history of Earth and where you can have a more substantial meal.”
He had wanted to ask more questions but she stood, indicating that it was an order.
“Actually, if I may strategos,” said Yvgeny, clearing his throat. “I have an important report to finish. Magnus Pandit can more than adequately prep magnus Smith. My input is only really vital at the later stages.”
Shimazu looked at Le Clerq, she nodded that it was appropriate.
“Okay then, magnus Pandit, will you escort Prax… I mean, magnus Smith to the canteen?”
There was awkward silence as they walked down one corridor and turned into another. “I’m sorry magnus, I don’t mean to be rude…” he apologised as they stood at the doors of a lift waiting for it to arrive.
“Ravi - we don’t need to continue the formalities.”
“Oh of course, sill
y of me, you can call me Prax. It’s been a bit overwhelming.”
“I understand,” she said as the doors parted. “I wish I could say it gets easier but as each new report comes in from Earth the picture becomes even more complex. Peter seems to cope. He’s more of a meta-historian and sees these things in a more comprehensive context. I’m better on detail. Peter can be a bit vague on the small things.”
He felt his stomach jump as they dropped at speed. When the door opened he was surprised to see people walking about clothed, either in lab coats, work overalls or simple black sarongs.”
“No one’s naked,” he said aloud.
Ravi laughed. “Oh sometimes you’ll see someone, a defender from outside, but this canteen feeds the staff from mechanics and R&D, or clerical staff. Semi-civilians seconded to the effort. It’s the opposite outside. The defenders seem to take pride in staying naked, even when cold winds sweep down the mountains: all part of the self-imposed toughening process, and to show off their physiques.”
They entered the dining hall. Once again he was surprised to see daylight shining through large windows that revealed a panoramic view across the rich reds and purples of the forest canopy.
Ravi noticed him looking. “We can go outside if you like.”
“Not very secure,” he observed.
“Oh, there are blast shields that come down, but if it came to that this area would be evacuated. Most of these people work all day under artificial light, especially in the deeper levels. This makes a welcome change.”
They joined the queue at a smorgasbord of steaming bain-maries. He was starving and piled his tray with a bean stew, spiced noodles and mashed tubers. Ravi chose a more modest portion of sea grass pasta.
She directed him to a quiet corner of the outside patio. “We can talk freely here,” she said.
He put a spoonful of bean stew in his mouth. “Hmm, delicious.”
“Oh yes, the food’s good. Some of the best gourmands have developed the menu. It requires a certain discipline not to get fat. I envy the defenders, they burn it off quite easily.”
“I assume they have their own canteen?”
“Mess, they call it a mess. Same food, perhaps even better. But it’s a rowdy, boisterous place. You have to shout to be heard.”
He nodded and smiled but this was small talk. “So I guess you can begin by explaining the current geopolitical situation on Earth.”
She nodded as she twirled the pasta around her fork. “I will assume that like most people you are familiar with geopolitical situation up to the point of the exodus?”
He nodded as he scooped up a spoonful of mash.
“Well, shortly after, and I’m trying to make this brief - you can check your screen for the details at your leisure – Earth went through a collapse in carbon fuels, principally oil. Even though just about every government had been warned about an imminent collapse, the carbon corporations consistently thwarted any serious attempt to cross over to renewables.”
“If I’m correct the corporations controlled many governments?”
“Effectively, yes, even the democracies. The Russian Federation was controlled by oligarchs, China by powerful families linked to the Communist Party, the democracies by a network of corporate interests. The carbon corporations hoped to profit from managing scarcity and drip-feeding new technology at inflated prices. The crazy thing was that those who bothered to look could see what was happening. However, the problem was that the average person just couldn’t be bothered to look, or didn’t want to believe what was right before their eyes. This is where Peter may be able to explain why humanity seems to have a suicide wish.
“In any case, what actually happened was that the various corporate conglomerates didn’t have the type of control they thought they did and they began to compete against each other and pressure various governments to go to war to advance their interests.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that. All wars are over resources and the economic interests that stand to benefit have been behind all wars, whether it was the Senatorial families of Rome, the internecine conflicts amongst the royal families of Europe, the mercantile corporations driving the exploitation of the New World, the Arab slave traders exploiting Africa or the oil corporations of the twenty-first century. In this case the oil fields of Arabia collapsed and along with it several royal families. The Shia government of Iran still had active oil fields and excuses to invade Iran were inflamed.”
“But Iran was hostile.”
“Yes, very hostile, run by religious fanatics. When a new grand Ayatollah took power he ordered a pre-emptive nuclear strike.”
“Really, they actually went to a nuclear war?”
“Not globally. You see the Ayatollah believed that the Mahdi was about to appear.”
“Jesus - the second coming or something?”
“Well yes, there were many Christians expecting the End Times but they were largely passive and didn’t control a national army. This is an area you’ll need to do a lot of work on because it feeds into the situation on modern Earth.”
He nodded.
“Okay, so, the Mahdi was the Shia equivalent of Jesus, in any case, Iran didn’t target Israel or the West, it targeted rival Sunni countries fearful they were preparing to invade Iran: mainly Pakistan and the Gulf States. As soon as the missiles launched, India and Israel acted reflexively, or opportunistically. Neither the US or Russia blinked, largely due to their own internal difficulties. Of course tens of millions died and Muslim countries descended into sectarian chaos as Sunni and Shia sought revenge on each other. The Middle East never recovered, millions more died and country after country collapsed. It is now controlled by a complex network of tribal and feudal warlords and small caliphates.”
“And the Western nations? Europe?”
“Collapsed shortly after. The great Middle East war destroyed the world economy. The EU collapsed, Greece, Italy, Spain, England, all became incredibly insular and started to revert to old regional divisions. Most countries expelled their Muslim populations – who didn’t go peacefully. Islamist terror increased dramatically. Germany and France remained relatively strong, especially the regions that had made big investments in renewable energy, but by that time the world’s manufacturing base was collapsing and it was losing the capacity to build enough solar panels and wind turbines. In essence they had left it too late. Europe is now roughly were it was at the turn of the eighteenth century.
“At the same time China decided to make a grab for the Arctic oil fields. Global warming was melting the arctic ice and the various carbon oligarchs saw it as an opportunity. So they went to war, dragging in Japan and most of north Asia. Meanwhile in America, the Texas controlled US government started to make aggressive noises about oil in the Canadian arctic. This is of immediate interest to you.”
He raised his eyebrows as he slurped some noodles. “I’m listening.”
“This exacerbated tensions in the US. As you know, some of the northeastern and northwestern states had made an alliance with Canada. This inspired the civil war. Over the long term other players intervened, especially Mexico, who, inspired by a government run by the drug cartels, decided to reclaim territory they had previously owned, namely Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. The war on the southern flank fatally weakened the old USA and it too collapsed. But things weren’t over because the next phase was the Arctic war and the corresponding Antarctic war in the south. It was almost lost to China except for the increase in rebellions in southern China, mainly over food. China is now ruled by three warring dynasties.”
“And the Buddhist Republic?”
“Ah yes, with the collapse of China, Tibet was able to reassert itself and it expanded to include parts of Mongolia, Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim and even into Kashmir and Afghanistan.”
“This is just the broad picture. I haven’t mentioned SE Asia, Africa, Australasia or South America. There were lots of losers and Earth’s population plummeted. Billions
died of starvation, disease, conflict, and resource depletion, and global warming made some tropical areas almost unlivable. People attempted to flee but the global crash meant countries couldn’t afford to take refugees. Most died languishing in refugee camps; many were massacred. Everything went backwards and most of the planet has reverted to small enclaves controlled by warlords of various nasty descriptions. Current assessments suggest that there are only three stable configurations other than the Buddhist Republic worth engaging: the Commonwealth of Pacifica, the Scottish-Norse Alliance, and the Northern States of America. These are now the only polities that can be called a nation state.”
“And the population level? How many do we have to rescue?”
“Oh, I doubt we’ll even think of trying to rescue them all. It’ll be a handful at most; most won’t leave anyway. Some will kill you just for suggesting it. Some think Earth humans aren’t worth saving because they’ve degenerated too far, but it is now less than a billion, back to pre-industrial levels.”
“In just two hundred years?”
She seemed surprised. “Well, yes, the same time it took to get from one to seven billion. As for the geopolitical changes, well, Earth empires have risen and fallen throughout history. The Roman Empire expanded and collapsed, the Islamic Empire expanded and collapsed, The British, the American, and now Earth it would seem.”
“Except now the planet is exhausted and there’s nowhere to expand to.”
“Unless we help them.”
“So should we give them new planets?”
“Not in their present state. Most of them are insane you know, with varying degrees of trauma and psychopathology. Oh don’t get me wrong. We should rescue the sane ones. Do what the Founder did, pick the best and brightest, offer them the chance, but it will only be in the thousands, not the millions. Besides, we don’t have ships big enough. We’d need thousands of ships and we simply don’t have the capacity to build that many. We’d have to turn Eden into one giant factory and that would break the Accord.”
He hadn’t considered that possibility. Indeed, if it came to that he would vote to preserve the Accord. It was then the reality of the Eden Defence Force took on a sinister reflection. Like the armies of Earth it could be used by the elites against the people, although he was sure it would never come to that.
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