Extinction Level Event
Page 26
09 EPIPHANIES
New York City
Perhaps it was due to seeing the desperate violence and wantonness caused by wretched lives that finally made Governments around the world reconsider the United Nations Resolution 1555. Perhaps it was Hartaagnaan's ability to speak clearly and willfully, or perhaps it was Zihgneg Nahk's ability to persuade quietly, that drove consensus. Perhaps it was a newfound trust in the organs of the multinational body, lead by leaders like Trevor Manjak and Bao Feng.
Whatever the reasons, another special session was called to reevaluate the status of Resolution 1555. Perhaps it was the politicians around the world who saw that, if nothing was done, they too would be included in the global extinction event along with the masses of supporters who voted them into office, in the cases where they were voted in at all. Resolution 1555 passed 143-26 and was adopted by all members of the United Nations, with all participatory nations pledging to begin following the plan in order to upholster the world's agricultural infrastructure, and start working towards less soil-independent means of growing food.
Wars cold and hot between neighboring countries began to die down after the passage of Resolution 1555. Brushfires in Africa were cut short, India and Pakistan began slowly lowering their national alert levels, and martial law was lifted in Russia and China. A new sense of hope crept into people's lives, a breath of fresh air that replaced old pungent scents with nascent new ones. It would take a large effort on the part of nations and peoples to put aside their distrust and individualistic tendencies and begin working together on the projects outlined under Resolution 1555.
The first materials for the conversion of several skyscrapers in New York were visible to passing pedestrians on the streets of the city. Workers are seen carrying large tanks to be fitted into floors of previously abandoned buildings in areas of the Brooklyn and Harlem. Construction material for several design-specific vertical farming skyscrapers are piling up at several sites all along the West Side, as the first girders are placed and the steel beams take shape. Each one of the new planned “Farmscrapers” is expected to feed over 50,000 Manhattanites. The number of urban gardens multiplied threefold in the last month, as small landowners start pitching in neighbors and friends to build small close knit plots of fruits and vegetables, all without the use of soil. The world famous rooftop garden atop the Rockefeller Center has begun hosting tomato plants, with plans to add lettuce and apples in the near future. In the new twist of events, the new greenery of the Big Apple had started to turn the city that never sleeps into an unlikely producer of big apples.
Trevor “Trip” Manjak had returned to the City, as events and conferences were wrapping up. Hobbling on one leg, he still managed to get himself through from LA to NY in one piece, even managing to wade through the sea of diplomats that tended to crowd at the UN headquarters. The doctors had finally allowed him to leave, without crutches, leaving Manjak with a limp and pain in his left chest. Other than that, he felt as back in fighting shape as he had ever been. There was one last meeting with Haartaagnan himself before returning to Rome, where FAO was hosting a conference for hundreds of biologists and engineers, going over plans for the development of the new farmscraper cities in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Manjak walked under the hundred sixty-six fluttering flags feeling as if a new man.
Manjak walks briskly through the marbled halls straight into Haartaagnan's office, on the 38th floor of the Secretarial Tower. Bright sunlight floods reflects off the glinting skyscrapers of New York's East Side, flooding the spacious office with illumination. Manjak pauses for a moment as several dignitaries from Cameroon exit the office, nodding briefly to him as they pass by. Manjak walks in, greeting the Secretary General. "I see you've recovered quickly, as we all hoped you would. ", quips Haartaagnan, "It would have been unfortunate if I would have needed to begin a search for Maurice's replacement."
Houston, TX
Upon learning of the upheaval in Los Angeles, Krishnan decided to return to the University of Texas Medical Center. He logs into his computer, and files away several documents that he didn't attend to in his rush out to Los Angeles a few months back. Next he opens the hundred or so business letters that have piled up in his mailbox during his absence.
The phone rings. "Hello? Dr. Krishnan speaking." "Hey I'm finally out!", a voice with a slight Russian accent replies, "No thanks in small part to you." "Viktor! So you're out already, that's great. So you left that text message for me, I presume? How did you know you were getting arrested? Why didn't you tell them about Medina's involvement, or his culpability? I've got a lot of questions I would like to get some answers on." "Patience, my friend.", purrs Konovalov over the phone, "I'll explain everything. Perhaps we shouldn't be talking about this over the phone." "Perhaps you're right", Krishnan quickly realizes, "Where are you now?" "I'm in Washington, but I should be back in Texas later today. I have an idea, something I figured we should try. All this time, and it took some silent thinking in jail for me to realize the solution was sitting in front of us the whole time." "What solution? The re-growing agricultural growth and redevelopment or something like that that the UN has adopted?" "No. Another, perhaps much simpler solution- Xerophytes."
"Xerophytes? Like for example, the pear cactus? Someone must have tried engineering one. And the need doesn't really exist anymore, now that the whole world is developing and entirely new base for growing food."
"More specific. Vegetables such as celery and rhubarbs, a fruit, are much more hardy than say wheat or tomatoes. But these all still require soil in which to grow. However, cacti such as the one you mentioned live in deserts, where soil quality is low and is supplanted by sand as well. Worm populations virtually nonexistent."
"So you want to feed people on pear cacti-rhubarb hybrids? What about onions, they are from the steppes of Central Asia, aren't you considering them?"
"Not quite. Several different hybrids, to be precise. I was talking to a few botanists while imprisoned, and they recommended a mixture of berries, Saskatoons, pears, hard kiwis, artichoke, various onions. Plants that would survive in more arid, colder environments."
"Last time I checked the planet was warming up. And I don't know if anyone has mentioned this to you, but we've progressed past the cave man stage of evolution some time ago. Berries and nuts have been off the menu for a while now, Viktor. I simply don't see the potential that you see. Not with the advances in horticulture and aquaculture that we have had in the last few decades."
"You're a pessimist.", huffs Konovalov dryly. "No, just a realist." "Bah. I'll talk to you later then. You going to California?" "Not for a few weeks, not with the mess going on there now." "Okay. Take care my friend. And thank you very much for your help. " Whats' gotten into him? wonders Krishnan. After hanging up Krishnan returns to reorganizing his office.
Intent on preventing Krishnan from having a free hour, the phone quickly rings again. It turns out to be Dr. Wang calling from UCLA, having taken over Krishnan's duties as chief scientist of the Epidemic Investigation and Prevention Team.
"What is it now?" huffs Krishnan, "I just got back from Washington, Wang. Like twenty minutes ago. This better be important."
"I thought you might like to know that we found two specimens of Giant Palouse, and are keeping them in a secure and self-sustaining tank. Dr. Rodriguez is looking after them. As expected, no other live worms were recovered from the area where they were found. We also have gotten more police security around the buildings as a result of the recent shakeup at NBACC. Who knows if there are other delinquents who may wish to impede our progress for no logical reason."
"That's great news Wang. Have the worms started mating yet?" "Yes. Though Rodriguez reminded me that we don't know how long until the cocoon hatches or how long it takes for the embryos to reach maturity." "Regardless, that's great. Maybe we can eventually repopulate." "That will takes years, decades, before the Giant Palouse can take over as the world's primary detritovore." "That's why
Resolution 1555 was adopted. Politicians finally got their heads out of the ground and realized we needed a new approach. . . a truly new approach to deal with this and prevent similar happenings in the future. I hope we all learn something from this.
We grow, we change, we evolve. But of course, why am I saying this to you. You already know my views."
"Of course." "Anything else?" "Nothing at the moment. The city seems rather tense." "I'll bet. Curfew still in place? It is calmer now?" "Not really. As you saw in the news we just had a massive riot two nights ago. Huge, I woke up around 5:00am by several police sirens' near the campus. Of course I wouldn't go back to sleep after that. I watched some of the news live as the National Guard took on some gangs who were inciting people to riot and everything. That's also the main reason why we have so much security around here now, although we are also concerned about people like Mr. Medina."
"Ok. As the saying goes, -keep a cap on things until I get back. Or something like that." Krishnan hangs up. At least we found two Giant Palouses. Just about the only stroke of real luck I've seen since this disaster epic started. After cleaning up a few last things, Krishnan decides to visit Konovalov, make sure he's okay, and then return to the City of Angels.