“The next meeting we need to be ready to discuss how we are going to implement a sustainable economy. Right now everything is free except food which requires work to obtain. That is going to end soon. Part of the Conference was about how the consenting nations were going to interact. How each country dealt with money matters internally was up to the individual nations. I did talk to the Russian delegate, General Nitikin and he indicated he was willing to use the same system that we use as far as printing money. Of course that would make it easier for both of us. Spain said they would go along with us as well. Germany and France were semi-committal, so who knows what they will come up with?” Randy said.
“You’re talking about a system where money is exchanged for goods or services, right?” Dan asked.
“Essentially correct.”
“Give me an example of how this would work,” Angie asked.
“Okay. I decide I want to open a restaurant. Nothing too fancy but an alternative to the only one we have now. The building is free because we have so many empty. The electricity is free because the community supplies all power. Same for water and sanitation. Actually, pretty much everything is free except additional labor and I would have to pay for food. That would no longer be free. I would obviously have to charge for the meal. To do that, customers have to have money and now they would have to pay for goods and services. Now the restaurant would have to pay the help out of the money they collect for the food. Initially we would need to regulate how much things cost and what workers would get in the way of wages. Remember, this is not like before. Everyone will start with the same amount of money essentially. To make the system work initially we will have to be diligent in how much profit anyone can make. We will probably have a fixed percent at first and see where it goes from there,” Randy explained.
“I see some real problems. People will find a way around any regulations,” Angie said.
“Not here and not now. Profiteering will result in banishment just like any other crime.”
“So if someone figures a better way to do something and can make more money we punish them?” she said.
“I...I think we should table this until next week. Like I said, everyone needs to take some time to think about the pros and cons and how we can implement a system that will get us started so we can generate an economy.”
“Seems to me whatever the market can bear would work just fine,” Angie replied.
“Right. We will discuss that as well. Now, unless someone has additional business I want to go to the Worker’s Center and talk to them about finding a way to lower the weekly work schedule. Anyone?”
No one added anything so he adjourned the meeting.
“Angie, could I see you for a second?” he asked as everyone was leaving.
“I have a couple of things to do but I have a few minutes,” she replied.
Randy waited until the others had left before speaking.
“Angie, something is really bothering you. I thought it might be me but it seems deeper than that. I mean if I’m wrong and it is me, we should talk about it.”
“Look Randy, I don’t want to get into a long drawn out explanation. It’s not you, okay?”
“Anything I can do to help? You need to talk about it?”
“There is nothing anyone can do.”
“Angie, you’re a beautiful young woman and you seem to be so angry about everything. Is it really that bad?”
“Oh hell Randy. Look, I lost my two girls. I left them with my mother while I went off spelunking in Laurel Cannon, Pennsylvania. It was a stupid thing to do. I’m standing here alive while my mother and my two girls are gone. I should have been with them.”
“Angie, are you blaming yourself for being alive? None of us had a choice. I lost my parents and my fiancée because I decided to go scuba diving. By all rights I should have been with her. We were going to get married in the next couple of weeks. Instead of picking out flower arrangements, I took off diving. Even so, I didn’t cause her to die. It was just the way the cards fell.”
“I understand that but it doesn’t mean I can just say ‘sorry about that, it wasn’t my time’.”
“I’m not saying that. All I’m trying to point out is that there is absolutely nothing you could have done to protect them. Your dying would have changed nothing. The past in over. Actually, today is sort of the past, but tomorrow we get up and start over again. It’s what all of us can do from this point on that matters. Look, I’m going to tell you something I’ve never told anyone before. Partly because I am kind of ashamed and yet it is just the way it was.”
“Are you sure you want to tell me?” Angie asked, sitting back down.
“Yeah, I think it will help you understand and it will probably help me to get it off my chest. The day I went scuba diving, I went with my regular partner. We had been diving together for three or four years. We had absolutely no romantic interest in each other. As I said earlier, my fiancée, Patricia, wanted me to go look at flowers for the wedding. I begged off to go to this really cool dive site. Obviously being in the cave saved my life but of course Patricia didn’t survive. The girl who was my dive partner and I finally got out of the cave and discovered a whole new world. We hooked up with others eventually and sort of drifted apart. The next time I saw her she was thirty-five pounds lighter and I could hardly believe she was the same person. As you may have guessed, it was Rachel. We married, had Sophia and now she is dead too.”
“But you didn’t cause all of that to happen.”
“Yeah, my point exactly. You as much as said that when you talked to me that day. You didn’t cause your situation either. It was just a few days ago you were telling me to get over my pity-party. So what about you? You said I needed to think more about the others. I’m doing that now, mostly thanks to you.”
Angie laughed and said, “This had better be a true story or you’re in big trouble buster.”
“Oh, it’s true. It sometimes bothers me the way things worked out but after a while I realized I didn’t plan or plot for it to happen. It was beyond my control, so I have come to accept it.”
She sat there a minute and finally said, “You’re right. I have been angry with God for letting this happen, angry at all the people that survived and don’t realize how lucky they are, but mostly, angry at myself.”
“Is that why you pushed so hard for the Utah Freemen elimination?”
“Probably. I just can’t understand how those morons can be like that. Having been lucky enough to survive, why would they go around killing people? What’s the point? They can get anything they want for free so why kill innocent people? Damn right I’m pissed as hell at them.”
“Look, I hear you. I agree we need to find a way to stop what they are doing but I don’t want to stoop to their level. We will take care of the problem and thanks to you it is now on the front burner where it belongs. That’s what I mean when I say you have a great deal to contribute. You do make a difference, one I appreciate.”
“You know Randy; I just may stop being mad at you as well. You’re a pretty nice guy.”
“I know, everyone thinks so,” he replied.
“Ah, and so modest too.”
“You betcha’.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
Beijing, China
Major Zorn, now going by Colonel General Masato after eliminating the tyrant General Tasan, immediately began to implement changes. One of his first objectives was to eliminate almost fifty-percent of the military force. The largest reduction was in the officer ranks.
The second thing was to contact Russia and America. He sent a message telling them that China was no longer under a strict military regime.
He was a little concerned when he didn’t receive anything back for a few days but eventually America replied that they were more than pleased to have them join the other nations. While it would be virtually impossible for China and America to meet face to face, it was suggested that perhaps Russia could meet with delegates from C
hina at some point between the two countries.
Russia immediately agreed to the meeting and suggested the city of Astana. General Masato agreed and indicated that he would be one of the delegates. He wanted to hear firsthand what had transpired at the Portugal conference. The dates and details were worked out between Russia and China with America being kept in the loop.
* * * *
“Do you truly trust the Russians and Americans?” Feng Zhijian asked the General.
“I have no reason not to. We are all in the same position. Why would they offer to include us if they had other motives?”
“But we do not know their motives,” Feng pointed out.
“You are sounding like Tasan. They want nothing we have. What could they possibly gain by being devious? They certainly don’t need more land. We cannot make any judgments until we talk to them face to face. They are more advanced that we are. They have figured out ways to help their survivors live a lot better than we have done so far,” the general said.
“That may be true but our people have never been in this situation before.”
“I doubt theirs have either.”
“I mean, free from military control. Our people have never had this luxury and don’t understand what it truly means.”
“I believe General Tasan said the exact same thing once. He was wrong and so are you. We just need to assure them that the future is different from the past. I recall at some point a group of civilians tried to get rid of Tasan and the military control. Some of them must still be alive. I know he eliminated two of the leaders but there must be others like them. We need to get to those people and have them help us set up the government. We need them to show that we really intend to change China’s future.”
“It will be difficult to win them over. They will fear it is a trap to eliminate any opposition,” Feng pointed out.
“Then we must find a way. It is my goal to step out of this business. I am not cut out to be a national leader. I am much too carefree to be tied down to the mundane day to day running of a nation. It would bore me to death.”
“You would just give up being the leader of China?”
“Why not? I never wanted to be in the position in first place. That is for others with different interests than mine. No, Feng, I do not want to be the leader of China.”
“Truly amazing. You are the most powerful person in all of the country and yet you do not want to be.”
“Feng, I said I was too carefree and I meant it. Routine is boring to me. I’m not a detail person. Broad concepts? Yes. Details? No.”
“And you think by talking to the Russians you will gain some insight about how to help the people accept the changes you are suggesting?”
“They seem to have done so from what I gather from the transmissions from Russia.”
“Who will you send?”
“Why, you and I. After all our travels, it will be like old times.”
“Oh my. You mean you will almost get me killed again?”
“Probably,” the General said and laughed.
Feng did not laugh however.
* * * *
Astana was a medium size city of seven hundred thousand people before The Event. Located in Kazakhstan, it is the only large city that is half way between Moscow and Beijing. Both Nitikin and Masato would have a long arduous trip. Even flying it would take at least three days to reach their destination.
They had agreed to meet at the Presidential Palace which was easy to locate. The palace is an impressive massive modern stone building with a bright blue domed central roof. Nitikin reminded Masato to bring warm clothes.
Astana is the second coldest capital city in world. The yearly average temperature is just a shade over thirty-five degrees. Located on the Ishim River, which remains frozen much of the year, it is a totally modern city with new architecture replacing the older Russian buildings. The Kazakhstan Central Concert Hall, Bayterek Tower, and the Pyramid of Peace and Reconciliation are some of the most impressive modern buildings in Europe.
The meeting has been set for the first week in April. Both would fly in to the Astana International Airport on the southern outskirts of the city. The airport was much like the rest of Astana, new, vibrant and as up to date as any airport in the world. The theme of the terminal was similar to the Presidential Palace.
Russia would send a team to Astana to supply electrical power to the Palace and the Rixos Presidential Hotel along with food and transportation so that when the Chinese delegation arrived everything would be in place.
It was a huge undertaking for the Russians but Zorn wanted to get things off on the right foot. He also wanted to size up this new leader of China. He was sorry that Randy could not meet with them at the same time. He had other things he wanted to discuss with him.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
- ASTANA, RUSSIA –
Yegor was amazed when they got off the plane in Astana. They found several hundred people still alive in the city. Most had gathered in the Concert Hall for Miners but a few had ventured to the airport when they heard the plane coming in for a landing.
The stories they told were repeated time and again, just as they had been in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and many other of mining towns or military underground facilities. The Kachar iron ore mine was just outside of Astana and was why so many had survived in this remote region.
Yegor was even more surprised when he came upon a group made up of twenty-three men and women from one of Russia’s secret military bases that was much like the Area 51 Skunkwork’s facility in America. Of course the almost thirty-thousand foot long runway should have been a giveaway. That was almost twice the length of the famous Area 51 runway. The small town of Pertoavlovsk certainly wouldn’t need anything close to that long.
He found the people hungry for news of which he could only offer a limited amount and said they could stay where they were or he would send back planes for those that wanted to re-locate to Moscow. No one would be forced to move if they didn’t want too. Most were amazed at being offered a choice. The world had indeed changed in more than just one way.
* * * *
“Welcome General Masato, I am Yegor Nitikin.”
“It’s General Nitikin, isn’t it?”
“Not here. We are both Generals so I see no reason to keep up any pretenses.”
“Ah...music to my ears. I am not too fond of titles as well. This is Feng Zhijian, he is what you would call my right-hand man.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well Feng Zhijian,” Zorn said, more or less butchering the last name.”
“Please, just call him Feng, no one can pronounce his last name.”
“My mother and father could,” Feng replied.
“But they are not here are they? Anyway, who is this strong young man?” Zorn asked.
“Ah, sorry, this is my second in command, Lieutenant Colonel Sidorvo. Today he is just Eugeny Sidorvo. It was a long trip, would you like to go to the hotel and settle in? We have food arranged there for you as well.”
“Maybe a quick freshen up, change of clothes and we could talk while eating if that is alright with you?” Zorn said.
“That would be most welcome. You will get to meet my lovely wife as well. I brought her along to sit in on our discussions. I hope that is all right with you.”
“Of course, men can be very boring without a different perspective.”
“Good. The hotel is just a short distance. I will have my men deliver your luggage. We can ride or walk.”
“Walk please. My rear is sore from sitting so long. A walk would be most welcome.”
“Then we shall go.”
The two men talked about their backgrounds and what they were doing when The Event occurred. The story was similar and not unlike everyone else’s. The ground had saved them. Being in the right place at the right time when the world changed forever.
Zorn warmed up quickly to Yegor and the two enjoyed the walk to the hotel. Zorn and Feng were shown t
o their suites and were amazed to find hot showers available.
* * * *
“I have to admit I don’t understand how the money system is supposed to work. I heard what you said but I am no financial wizard so I will have to rely on you and the Americans that this will work. I don’t even know if we have any of this...whatever. How could a gram be worth over eight million Chinese Yuan?”
“That is one reason Russia is going to use the same money as the Americans. We are going to use Russian Dollars as we are going to call them. That way we are talking the same amount without complicated conversions. We are having America print our currency. It will look different than the American version but the dominations will be the same and the value will be the same.”
“So you are suggesting we do likewise?” Zorn asked.
“Spain, Italy, Germany, and we are all using the same system. France, well, is France. Who knows what they will do?”
“Then it would seem that the best thing China can do is to follow suit with the rest of the countries.”
“It certainly seems the best method for now at least.”
“And you trust the Americans?”
Nitikin paused a second, “In general I do. Randy Boling is an honorable man. The country seems interested in mending past indifferences. I believe they are genuinely working to make the world a better place. I don’t see them as wanting to rule the world or have undue influence.”
“That is high praise.”
“Who knows what will happen years from now but it seems that this is the time to set the tone. I enjoy Randy and his Major Miller, sort of his right-hand man. They are both good people.”
“And the other countries?”
“Who knows? Spain and Italy seem fine. Germany? I never know about them. They are fine right now but they always seem right for a takeover by some radical faction. I will keep a very close eye on them,” Nitikin said.
“And China?”
“Well...I am hoping that your presence signals a new working relation. China, like Russia, has always been a military state. Now we are the military. What we do will set the tone for how our nations interact.”
THE REVELATION - Book 3 (THE EVENT) Page 17