“Thank you, I don’t know…” she started to respond.
“You’ll have the chance to give a speech at the official investment,” interrupted the strategos. “The other thing you will need to know is that as head of security it will be magnus Zhang’s responsibility to gather intelligence on the military capability of the Northern States. And as head of security, she will have the responsibility of assessing any threats to the mission and dealing with them appropriately. In this her authority is final.” She directed this last comment at Prax. “Do you have any concerns?”
“Only that she seems quite young.”
“Indeed, which may be an advantage. I doubt she will be taken seriously on Earth and this will aid her task. As for what knowledge she might possess… Turns out she has been studying military strategy out of her own interest. Her guardian’s report indicates a high level of tactical and strategic comprehension and intelligence. I will not be speaking out of turn if I tell you that in time she may herself rise to the rank of strategos – as might you magnus,” she said to Torv, taking her by surprise.
“Ma’am?” she responded, blushing.
The strategos smiled. “There is one other thing. I have heard reports of sexual tension between the both of you.”
Prax raised his eyebrows and Torv went a deeper shade of red. The girls rushed over immediately, taking him completely by surprise. “It was us,” said one.
He was confused. “But how?” He looked at the strategos, curious as to why she had allowed them to interrupt.
She laughed. “But surely you understand that these girls are master spies?”
“They’ve been spying on us?” protested Torv, her embarrassment deepening.
“No,” said one.
“It was obvious,” said another.
“We can smell hormonal changes…”
“We have sensitive hearing…”
“And we can read lips…”
The strategos shrugged her shoulders with mock helplessness. “It was their idea. All I am doing is giving you my permission. The girls have suggested that you may be unaware that you have been a bit terse these last few days magnus Smith.”
“Yes, grumpy…”
“We can sense the increase of cortisol and norephedrine…”
“You like Torv…”
“And she likes you…”
“We asked…”
“And she blushed…”
“She is getting aroused now…”
“Mae,” objected Torv glaring at one of the girls.
“It’s true.”
Torv rolled her eyes. “You need to work on your sense of boundaries…”
“But we are right are we not?”
“You are just being silly…”
“Yes, flirting with Prax…”
“Acting coy…”
“A faux innocent.”
Prax thought he should try to rescue her but the girls suddenly changed the topic.
“We are ready to have another chess game. We have studied.”
“Will you?”
“Now, please?”
“Magnus Torv should come too.”
“We are sorry if we embarrassed you.”
“I think that’s my cue,” said the strategos backing away. The girls surrounded him and Torv and began to pull at their arms. Once again they had surprised him - again he found that he could not object.
He smiled at Torv and she gave a weak smile back. He could tell that she was very fond of the girls, despite their complete lack of tact. So they followed as the girls lead them to their quarters not too far from the strategos’s office. Somehow he guessed the night would bring even more surprises.
44
Nuku
They debated what to wear. The humidity and the prediction of rain made the decision for them. The most practical solution would be to go naked, any clothes would get damp, clingy and uncomfortable and the humidity required as much exposed skin as possible to allow for the cooling effect of evaporation. Besides, it was a sporting event and not a night out the theatre, so most people would be naked to imitate their athlete heroes, not that she was following the crowd.
They also decided to make a proper fan’s night of it, hitting one of the bars near the auditorium for a beer or two and then grabbing a quick meal at any number of the food stalls that would be outside the stadium. Her favourite had always been grilled prot husks dripping with spicy whipper sauce. They were messy but delicious.
They caught the subway and filed out of the station with the crowd; excited children pulling at parent’s arms. There was a light misty rain, which only served to dramatise the laser lights sweeping the sky and the slightly eerie blue light of the glowing panels of the stadium exterior (lit by bioluminous dyes excited by a small current). They found a crowded bar and squeezed their way in to order a drink. Over the din Nuku told Isla of her sporting days playing soccer with the Gliders. Isla lapped it all up and laughed at all the right places. She was easy company (perhaps because she was infatuated).
The rain was heavier as they walked to the food stalls. They didn’t rush. The moisture would fall off their naked skin and the rest would evaporate in the stadium. Besides, the rain on naked skin was always a sensual delight and some over excited children were lying on the grass, revelling in the feel of raindrops on skin and slimy wet silk grass underneath. The prot husks were especially delicious because they were the first of the season, their nodules bursting with flavour with each bite, the juices running down their chins (this was where the rain was an advantage).
The stadium was alive with the hum of thousands of murmuring voices. They found their seats up the back and looked around at the spectacle. Wushu students were on the floor entertaining the growing crowd with a choreographed display of martial and gymnastic skill. There were two large screens at either end and camera drones were buzzing about capturing random shots of the crowd and displaying them on the large screens, mostly to the delight of children who waved and pointed when they saw themselves in shot.
The excitement began to build with the first of the junior championship matches, starting with the six to eight age group. It was between a boy and a girl, both bird-eyes. The boy won but the girl made a good account of herself, only failing because of a misjudged flying kick that allowed the boy to knock her to the ground. The crowd winced and oohed in sympathy with the loud thwacking sound as she hit the mat. The referee stopped the match because of their young age.
After two more matches the stadium had finally filled. A break of twenty minutes was announced and they followed the crowd out. Isla went to the toilet whilst she went and got carbonated fruit drinks and popped taff seeds.
The mood had changed when they returned to their seats. The screens were showing highlights of past championship bouts and pictorial profiles of Zhang Biyu and Simon Fallaci. A hush descended when the penultimate bout was announced between two female bird-eyes, Jewel Chevalier and Faith Onyango. It was a gruelling match that took both of them to the limit – Chevalier won and Isla said she thought she would be a future grand champion. Nuku could not disagree. She was an especially skilled fighter.
The sound in the auditorium was getting raucous as the excitement built. When Fallaci came out there were roars and laughter. Nuku was shocked when she saw his erection, not out of any moral objection, more out of the absurdity of such an arrogant peacock display. Isla was delighted. “He’s pretty,” she said to Nuku and then she joined in with the humour of the crude catcalls. “I’d ride you honey,” she shouted at full voice.
“You’d ride him?” teased Nuku, pushing her. “Would it even fit?”
Isla pushed back with mock offence. “Yes, he’s pretty and yes, it would fit. I’d make it fit.”
Nuku nodded in admiration, although privately she thought it was only sexual bravado.
Their trash talk was interrupted by the appearance of Zhang. The roar was deafening. The match was furious and seemed to be over in too short a
time. The final blow was both sickening and thrilling. It was clear he had been knocked unconscious before he hit the mat, Zhang’s last kick being placed to exact maximum damage. Her final humiliation of Fallaci sent the crowd wild.
They stayed to watch the presentation and when Isla noticed that people were being allowed to access the central area she grabbed Nuku’s hand and dragged her along. By chance they were near the entrance to the change rooms and managed to get to the front as Zhang walked by. Isla’s normal preternatural reserve broke into childish enthusiasm as she reached out to touch her champion. Nuku held back but couldn’t help assess this champion athlete who looked surprisingly petite. Zhang caught her eye for a moment and it was like an electric shock. She smiled as if she recognised Nuku and then was swept up in the adulation. It was unnerving and it sent a chill down her spine. She was not superstitious but it felt like a premonition. She felt certain they would cross paths again.
The excitement spilled out of the auditorium with the crowd. Over stimulated children ran around attempting wushu moves and girls were running up to boys, flicking their penises and running away giggling (a common game reactivated by the night’s events). It was beginning to rain heavily. Some people ran for cover but most delighted in it, some doing cartwheels and spinning around to expend their adrenalin rush.
Isla suggested they go dancing so they headed to the clubs by the docks. They danced until midnight when a wave of sadness suddenly hit Nuku. In two days she would leave the capital. These last few days had been a delightful bubble that she was deeply afraid was about to burst.
When they finally fell into bed in the early morning their lovemaking happened in the liminal state just before sleep and was especially tender and bittersweet.
45
Aviva
The video conference with Aviva was scheduled at eight am to allow for the time difference between California and Thimpu. They had all risen early to undertake their fitness program in the hotel gymnasium and arrived freshly showered and dressed in a motley collection of mismatched gym clothing (a few had purchased souvenir Bhutanese sweatshirts featuring the national flag). Breakfast was provided and after making their selection they sat around the conference table with coffees and food in hand and the screen flickered to life.
“Hello everyone, I’m Aviva Rose,” said a casually dressed, slender woman with long, wild red hair and freckles.
“Hah, not what I was expecting - a carrot top,” said David with his usual insubordinate humour.
“Hi David. A bluey, don’t you Aussies say in your ironic lexicon?” she said smiling.
“Yeah, Fanta pants, ranger, ginger, bloodnut…”
“Yep, heard ‘em all, plus some. I also get Woody…”
“Woody?” asked Prosperous, completely confused.
“After a New York Jewish comedian… He was a redhead too,” added Constance.
“Woody Allen,” said Archimedes. “I’m sorry about David, Ms Rose…”
“Aviva, and it’s not an issue…”
“Yeah, she’s cool bro,” interrupted David. “Relax, chill, no need to apologise for me Archi man. I think gingers are deadly, eh?”
He looked around him to note the amused smiles at his calculated irreverence. Li Li seemed especially amused.
“So, to get back on topic, I’m here to answer all your questions regarding my area of responsibility as head of corporate security. As you know, out of respect for the importance of your mission, you have a high security clearance and I will try and tell you everything I know. If I say I don’t know, it will be because I genuinely don’t know. But perhaps before your questions I should bring you up to speed with some important global political realities. I am sure that most of you will have figured much of this out already but there are some details that might surprise you.”
“You are talking about substantive intelligence?” asked Akoi.
“Yes, attained through backdoors in our quantum systems,” replied Aviva. “Some of what you are about to hear is classified corporate material that not even the most connected government security agencies know. It will help you understand the great game as it is really being played.”
“The great game?” sneered Anne sarcastically.
“Yes, a euphemism for the complex manipulations of the powerful and wealthy that transcends any single, national imperialist endeavour.”
“So we are talking multiple national imperialisms?” asked Archimedes.
“Beyond that. The early part of the twenty-first century has seen the definitive rise of competing corporate imperialisms that transcend the nation state.”
“Which was well under way in that late twentieth,” interrupted Li Li.
“Yes Li, you are quite right, although national governments still had some control. But what is happening now is that these corporate imperialisms are steadily taking control of governments. I can tell you now that they have assassinated several world leaders…”
“The president? I knew it!” gasped Constance.
“Yes, of both the US and Russia…”
“No one seriously thought that was an accident,” Junji scoffed.
“Who?” asked Anne, her face beginning to go red with suppressed anger.
“In the US a coalition of carbon dependent corporations supported by Arab money we call the Texans. They call themselves the Good Ol’ Boys…”
“Oil?” spat Akoi. “The reason my people were destroyed.”
“Much more than oil - all resources: minerals, water, arable land, armaments, water, people.”
“Bastards,” spat Anne.
“Yes,” replied Aviva. “Exactly the same bastardry that devastated your people, David’s people, Akoi and Prosperous’s people. The same old land grab, but now that they’ve grabbed all the land and most of the resources they are trying to grab it from each other.”
“So, can you confirm that the politics of decline has begun?” asked Li Li.
Aviva raised her eyebrows at such an astute question. “I’m afraid so, yes. I’m also afraid that we are teetering on the edge of a global conflict.”
“World War Three?” asked Junji.
There was a sudden silence in the room and several people leant forward nervously, afraid of the answer.
“No, not quite. We think the era of large multinational conflagrations is over. We expect to see an increase in small national conflicts, civil wars, proxy wars and inter-corporate wars…”
“Inter-corporate?” asked Constance.
“Yes Connie. In the past corporate aggression was expressed through hostile takeovers and of course, many corporations have extensive security departments. We’ve noticed quite a lot of capital concentrating in certain corporate conglomerates, as if corporations are making alliances – these conglomerates now operate militias. These assassinations are part of the larger chess gambit, jockeying for position if you like. The short-term aim seems to be control of Arctic resources: oil, gas, methane capture from melting permafrost, strategic control of oceans.”
“And the Antarctic?” asked Junji.
“Yes, although the main aim is the north because of the rapid Arctic melt.”
“And I assume you’ve gamed all this?” asked Li Li. Archimedes nodded his head in appreciation of her question and she guessed he was on the verge of asking the same thing.
Aviva nodded. “Yes, extensively.”
“And the outcome?” asked Archimedes.
“Devastating no matter which way you look at it, but there are so many factors and wildcards. Other interests are acting to block the ambitions of the Texans. There is another grouping connected to old East Coast money and Wall Street, yet another based on the West Coast and Silicon Valley.”
“But it’s insane,” protested Anne naively.
David laughed. “Them whitefellas always been insane.”
“It’s not just whitefellas David. It’s the Arabs and Chinese too,” said Akoi.
“Aided by corrupt locals,” sighed
Prosperous quietly.
“And I suppose you’ve gamed the outcomes for each of our home countries, non?” asked Li Li.
“Yes. I can tell you that a French oil consortium is conspiring with British and Russian interests and were involved in the plane crash that killed the Russian president. Naturally the Russian mafia was involved – all to weaken a rival Russian/German/Finnish consortium,” said Aviva.
“If one can truly separate the mafia from the oligarchs,” observed Archimedes.
“I just don’t understand,” moaned Anne. “What do they gain?”
“Not being on the bottom of the heap,” said Constance answering for Aviva. “In this scenario those on the bottom die of starvation and disease. Those at the top survive.”
“Unless you find new lands to supply human greed?” asked Akoi.
“Yes, as Europe did with the Americas, Africa, Australia – but now the whole world is fully conquered and there is nowhere else to go.”
“Which makes our project critical to the future of humanity?” asked David, his eyes wide with the realisation.
“Yes, to survive you need to either expand outwards or contract inwards like an armadillo curling itself into a ball. Whatever unfolds, there will be pockets of humanity that survive. The elites want to ensure they control those pockets…”
“Because they don’t know about Dr Evil’s plans,” muttered Akoi thinking aloud.
“Dr Evil?” asked Aviva, puzzled.
“Sorry, a silly nickname for Akash,” apologised Archimedes.
Aviva gave a little, wry smile. “Ah, I see, apt in a way I suppose…”
“And of course they can’t know,” said Li Li bringing the conversation back to the topic.
“No. The simple fact is that is we lack the capacity to defend the project in that scenario. We might have had a chance if we had the protection of a powerful nation state, but all the main contenders have been corrupted from within. The Texans now control the US; the Russian consortium controls the Kremlin; the Chinese are on the verge of yet another internal purge. Our only hope is to keep it a secret for as long as possible.”
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