The Colony

by Rishi Sriram

  colony to determine what really happened. Moving on to the topic at hand,

  The Board will evaluate what the seven have stated on their experience. And

  if those statements are proven as factual, as per our plans...” He paused and

  turned to the others, who nodded and urged him to continue.

  “...we will continue as planned and go about the celebration, which will

  be a dear surprise to you all. Alright, we shall start; here is the first thing, a

  simple introduction. State your full names, and your age.”

  Sitting on the left corner was Max, then to his right Parker, than Nathan,

  then Kara, Nemiah, Emily, and Jessica. Max seemed a little nervous at first,

  but he closed his eyes for a moment, and then spoke confidently, “My name

  is Maximillian Henderson, and I am ten years old.” There was small cheer for

  him, and he grinned in response.

  Parker’s shyness had disappeared. He smiled, showing no signs of fear.

  “I’m Parker Morland and I’m also ten years old.” The crowd roared again,

  and he couldn’t help but laugh.

  It was their leader’s turn. Nathan spoke confidently, looking the inquirer

  straight in the eye, “I’m Nathan Shaw and I’m eighteen years old.” There was

  a loud cheer and all the reporters clapped and whistled loudly for him. Down

  the line, all seven of them introduced themselves, and the board was ready to

  begin.

  Director Perry began, “What exactly happened after you landed on Mars?

  I want each of your stories, starting from you there at the end—Max, was it?”

  He nodded, took a deep breath, and responded: “Once we landed, we left

  the shuttle and everything was normal. Nothing weird happened yet. I was

  with my…mom and dad, and they were looking forward to colonizing the

  planet. We were so happy together, and then. And then.” He stopped and his

  breathing grew shallow, sniffling a little. He soon collected himself, wiped

  his tears and then continued.

  “The pilot of the shuttle then led us to the animal center, showing us the

  animals, strange animals.”

  “Strange? How so, Max?”

  “They were experimented on, and looked like different animals combined

  together,” Max replied.

  The directors looked at their notes and jotted something down, then

  looked up, gesturing for him to continue.

  Max told them what had happened from the time they arrived, to the

  announcement that they’d all be killed, to Nathan’s fight with The

  Chancellor. A man with a wispy mustache spoke, concealing a laugh, “Thank

  you Max. That helped a lot.” One by one, the other six reported their sides of

  the story as well. It all seemed to gradually add up. It was silent for a while;

  the directors were rapidly writing things down and typing messages on

  screens. After a while, Director Perry spoke, “Most of what we needed

  clarification about had already been answered by the seven of you. That

  includes Emily and Jessica, who we had to chase down all the way to St.

  Paul. Sorry about that, by the way.” He seemed apologetic but tried to hide a

  little smirk. Emily had a fake smile on her face, seemingly angry for

  whatever had happened the day before.

  The Director avoided her subtle glares and moved on, “The main motive

  of this conference was to ask this next question. We spoke with the other

  surviving colonists, those I’m sure you’ve met.” They nodded.

  “Well they had great things to say about the seven of you, on your own

  time you can find what they said specifically, but it was filled with positive

  feedback. They highlighted everything the seven of you did, making you

  seem like their saviors, godsends if you will.”

  It was hard for Nathan to not smile glumly like an idiot at those words

  that had really brightened him up. The very fact that the other colonists had

  told the world great things about them touched his heart.

  “There is just one more thing. Nathan. Are you aware of what they had

  said about you in specific terms, including those seated directly next to you?”

  Nathan turned to them, clueless; they all had innocent looks, avoiding eye

  contact with him. He just shrugged his shoulders, nervously smiling, and

  responded, “I don’t know. What did they say?” He glanced at the others

  nervously, giving them sheepish smiles.

  “You’ll find out later,” finished Director Perry. His heart sunk, way to

  leave me hanging.

  “Anyhow, enough delay. Here comes the question we had been waiting to

  ask. What do you make of overpopulation? What do you think must be done,

  and what do you think of the issue? The Chancellor’s actions might not have

  been the most peaceful, but he is most definitely right. Overpopulation is a

  serious issue.”

  They were all quiet; however, Nathan couldn’t help but feel that the

  question was directed at him specifically. He came up with an answer. “I

  think that we can get rid of overpopulation, but that process requires the

  entire world to be on board with the plan, and to stay committed. For one, we

  need to integrate lessons on population, and the environment, into school

  curriculum at every level of education.”

  Director Perry smiled and spoke, “The Board has already come up with a

  well-thought-out plan, although it’s only missing a few components to it, and

  we really like what you said. What we believe is that our world needs to

  adjust to an aging population. That means we need to set a governmental

  limit of two children per family, and for every child born after that, they

  would not receive any governmental assistance. After all, one of the reasons

  The Chancellor was so popular was because of most people in the world

  receiving governmental assistance. And if a child didn’t receive

  governmental assistance that would subsequently result in them having much

  fewer rights than the first two children. This would put a serious dent in

  overpopulation, we would make serious progress.” There was applause from

  the audience, and then Perry gestured back toward Nathan. “Do you or

  anyone else have anything to add to that?”

  Nathan responded immediately, “I think the government should provide

  minor financial incentives for future parents to only have one child. The one

  example I can think of is lowering taxes for those who obey the child limit.

  That would be a major incentive for future parents. I’m sure the Board could

  come up with much more on that basis.” The Directors didn’t respond and

  jotted down a few notes.

  Nathan continued, “Although I think that above all the thing of most

  importance is the education aspect. That means that thoroughly informing the

  general public of overpopulation and its effects would work toward the cause

  of getting rid of it. If the younger generation is informed, they are bound to

  provide further possible solutions, and support the workforce that is behind

  this change. This includes informing children with appropriate information

  respective to their ages; this would be the first big step. It’s a lot to ask for,

  and would require a lot of effort, but it would work. That’s all I have to say.”

  The Boa
rd seemed happy with his answer, and turned to discuss with

  each other everything he had said. His words were strong, and warranted

  respect, it showed he understood the problem, and was thinking of realistic

  ways to solve it. Nathan knew education was important but he wasn’t sure if

  it was sufficient. He was counting more on the tax incentive to be effective.

  The screens flashed, “Heroes Respond to Board of Directors with

  Powerful Words.” Nathan was somewhat relieved; feeling like the conference

  was over. Although he still had something to say. He stood up slowly, and

  picked up his microphone. “I’d like to say that my friends and I will work

  hard to make the world a better place. It might sound a little strange coming

  out of my mouth, but I sincerely think that we can rid the world of

  overpopulation, and many other issues. I’m sure it will happen, someday or

  another.” The board glanced at each other, and then broke down into

  laughter. He was confused, and offended, he was being serious. He turned

  back to face his parents, who were just as appalled. What was so funny?

  The laughter quieted down, and this time, a different director spoke. His

  voice was gruff, and stern. “We hoped you would say that. It is one of the

  reasons we are coronating you as the new Chancellor!” Nathan’s hearing

  went dull for a second, and then he said, “Wait what?”

  CHAPTER 17

  THE CHANCELLOR

  Fact: The amount of land available on Mars is almost equal to that on

  Earth.

  The crowd went nuts, everyone cheering and screaming, throwing things

  in the air. The press had crossed over the railing, and was rushing in to

  get a response from the newly appointed leader, but he was still. He couldn’t

  get it through his head, I’m the next Chancellor? Those sitting near him were

  just as shocked as he was. The Board of Directors rose from their seats, and

  walked toward Nathan, a metal ring in one of the director’s hands. It was the

  former Chancellor’s ring, it signified his power, his rule, and it allowed him

  access to quite nearly anything. It was an artifact that whoever contained,

  ruled the world. Crushed under the intense pressure of the situation, Nathan

  felt obliged to stand up.

  Director Perry gestured to the door, “Let’s take this outside, I have a

  feeling that a much larger audience will have formed outside.”

  Nathan’s mind someplace else, he nodded, following behind the directors;

  he felt so lost. The light shone on him as he neared the exit, he could hear

  rampant cheers, carrying throughout the entire city. The moment he stepped

  out of the door, he felt like he had just left a barrier, the sound suddenly

  exploding in his ears. There was an enormous crowd standing outside. They

  were all down the stairs of the building, and between the first step and them

  was a large platoon of burly officers who guarded the stairs with their lives.

  Walking across the flat marble floor in front of the capitol, the directors came

  to a stop near the middle of the front. There was a wooden podium a few feet

  in front of him, and a blue adorned carpet wrapped over it. Running up the

  stairs, sweat trailing down his forehead, a man in a suit handed each one of

  them a microphone, including the newly appointed leader.

  At his line of sight, Nathan could see thousands of people stretching out

  to the horizon, shuffling around and chanting. When had they all gathered

  here, did they already know about this? Director Perry stepped forward, and

  welcomed the crowd, “Hello everyone. How is everyone doing on this

  memorable day?” He was received with a mixture of baffled expressions, and

  a ruckus of energetic screams.

  He chuckled, and continued. “All of you have assembled here for one

  reason, and that was merely to witness the responses of these seven colonists

  and their stories. None of you were aware of this until we announced it a few

  minutes prior, that this young man right here is your new leader.” There was

  a strange silence, and the cheering had dulled.

  Perry, unaffected, continued, “The Board had only discussed this topic

  yesterday, and we came to a unanimous decision that he was the right person.

  It was clear, from everything he had said, the way the other colonists had

  spoken of him, and what he has done for the expedition—he is the one who

  will know how to lead us. He is a born leader.” Nathan’s heart warmed at the

  compliment, although he also felt greatly burdened.

  “If he could lead one hundred thousand people and they trusted him, why

  not give him a shot at thirteen billion.” The crowd cheered again—this time,

  those who were unsure now joined the applause. Nathan couldn’t help but be

  impressed; at the most he had actually led around five hundred people. And

  yet Director Perry had twisted the facts in his favor, making it seem like the

  entire colony had been under his command. The ability of a politician,

  Nathan thought to himself.

  “We truly believe that the traits Nathan Shaw possesses, are what make a

  strong leader and much more. Not to mention that he has an intelligent and

  quite promising approach on how to oppose the overpopulation issue. Though

  the colonization expedition might have led to the death of many, and been a

  most tragic experience, on the flip side, it has brought out to the world what

  may be our decisive future. Now, a few words from the man himself, who I

  know did not expect this.”

  He turned to look at Nathan, a bright smile on his face, and said, pointing

  to the crowd, “Go on, this is your moment, live it.”

  Nathan stepped forward a little and took a deep breath. He didn’t know

  what to make of it all, but he understood that the role was his now, and he

  had to accept it. There was no choosing to take the position or not, it was his

  turn now to make a change. With a wide grin on his face, he started speaking.

  “This sure is a real surprise. I’m—” He gulped, taken aback by the number of

  people in the crowd, there were really a lot of people present, and this was

  only a small portion of the entire world.

  “I’m at a loss for words. I assume that firstly I should thank the Board for

  bestowing such an honor upon me—assuming the world’s fine with that.”

  Having a little fun, he cupped his hand around his ear, urging a response. The

  crowd roared in excitement.

  “I’ll take that as a yes. I’d like to say that this role means a lot, and

  although I might not have been a fan of The Chancellor, he certainly did

  bring forth positive movement to the world in his actions as The Chancellor.

  He was a strong, decisive man, whether anyone liked it or not.” To this point,

  the crowd was agreeable.

  “Prior to this coronation, I had already intended to strive to change the

  world. I established that whenever I returned, if I returned. I would work

  toward making the world a better place. I believe that this is my opportunity

  to carry that desire out, and my intentions have changed only a little. My

  current, and ongoing aspiration, is to become a leader that the world can rely

  on, a strong helping hand for those who need it, to
help us stand together, to

  help us stay united.” The crowd was pleased with his words, and was keenly

  listening.

  He was given a sudden sense of confidence, and continued, “We will

  fight for our problems together, that is the solution: unity. We are one state,

  one country, one continent, one world. We will live together, breathe

  together, fight together, and die together. My presence is to merely assist, to

  moderate those bonds, to create them, and to strengthen them. My first order

  of action is to ensure that everyone is allotted proper education. We can only

  fight to make the world a better place, we can only advance, we can only

  move forward by becoming smarter. Intelligence, teamwork, and unity are

  the keys to everything. I for one had learned that from experience on the red

  planet, from my friends. They all represent their own redeemable

  characteristics. Nemiah is intuitive, analytical, and tends to look at both sides

  of everything, which is the kind of mindset our people need to have. Kara is

  composed, resilient, and adapts to whatever comes her way, something else

  our people should follow. Emily is persistent—whatever life throws at her,

  she’ll fight through it, and manage under any circumstances. Should I forget

  to say that these three children who may seem young are filled with a selfless

  nature to constantly work for the better?” He took a pause and gestured to the

  three, who couldn’t help but grin widely at the remarks.

  Nathan moved on, surprised at how smoothly the words were flowing out

  of his mouth, “I pledge, that I will do whatever I can in my power to lead this

  world down the right path, and live up to the faith the Board of Directors has

  invested in me. I am passionate in my belief that the future of the world is

  reliant on our ability to nurture a diverse array of individuals who will be the

  leaders of a new world. We will build again, the start of a new age. That

  means reconstructing. On a global aspect—if our world can anchor itself in

  embracing their diversity, and working together to maximize their strengths,

  then we will constantly be moving forward, no matter what. I’m sure that the

  Board’s leadership is aligned with this vision.

  “Prior to anything, I must thank my family and friends, who had

  supported me in my actions, allowing me to share this memorable day with