Voice of the Elders

by Greg Ripley

  “I’ll take it here. Thank you, Chelsea,” he said, taking the phone from his assistant.

  “Gruber, have all the necessary arrangements been made?”

  “Yes, sir. Everything is in place.”

  “Excellent. Nothing left to do but sit back and watch the world burn—I’ll bring the marshmallows,” he said, chuckling to himself as he ended the call.

  He’d laid his plans carefully. This was one show he didn’t want to miss. Walking quickly to his office—handing off the phone to Chelsea on the way—he picked up the television remote and turned it to one of the 24-hr cable news networks to watch the morning’s events unfold. It was one of the few modern touches in the otherwise classic room.

  He usually kept it tuned to the business channel where he could keep an eye on the markets, as his family had for generations. At one time his grandfather had kept a ticker tape machine for that purpose. The machine still sat, unused, on a corner table near the window, a nod to the past. As he changed the channel, a panel of talking heads were already previewing the day’s events, giving their two cents on what it all meant. You have no idea, he thought. In a very short while, all hell will be breaking loose.

  17

  Washington DC

  June 20, the Summer Solstice

  It was a warm sunny day in Washington, DC. A light breeze was blowing, just enough to take the edge off the typical summer humidity. They were headed to the first of what Rohini assumed would be many press events for the Earth Ambassadors. She wasn’t looking forward to all the attention, but she was eager to meet the others who had been selected for the program.

  As Rohini and Jane rode towards the city, ensconced once again in the backseat of a blacked-out SUV, Rohini couldn’t help but be reminded of their sudden, unexpected departure from DC two months ago. The events of that night were still fresh in her mind, as though they’d happened just yesterday.

  Her memory of that night almost seemed clearer now. In the immediate aftermath of the attempted abduction, it had all been a blur. She had still been a bit shell-shocked that night, and for the first few days at Quantico. Her daily training with Jane had been a welcome distraction from the trauma of the event.

  But truth be told, Rohini was fairly impressed with herself in dealing with it all. She had always thought she was reasonably easygoing, able to adapt herself to changing circumstances with some degree of aplomb, but she’d never had to deal with something quite like this. Rohini was glad she hadn’t become a cowering mess when it counted most. If I had, I might have ended up in the back of that van, despite Jane’s efforts. Her quick reaction had given Jane the time she needed to do the rest.

  When they arrived in DC, Rohini and Jane were taken to the White House first, where they met briefly with the president. His national security advisor filled them in on the progress of the investigation into Rohini’s attempted abduction. They had come up with dead ends for the most part. They thought they had a solid lead when they found a partial print in the van the kidnappers had used—which had somehow survived the fire—but according to their records it belonged to a deceased Army sergeant who had died in Iraq years before when his Humvee was blown up by an IED.

  After that lead fell through, they’d hoped to pick up something through the vast web of electronic surveillance programs which had become ever more pervasive over the years, but there was so much chatter about the Elders and the Earth Ambassadors from everyone around the globe that it was still like trying to find a needle in a haystack. The trail had gone cold.

  “We’ll be heading over to the Lincoln Memorial shortly for the press conference,” the president said. “I know you’re anxious to meet the other Ambassadors, but don’t worry, we’ve scheduled a casual luncheon in the State Dining Room for you all after the press conference. You’ll have plenty of time to get to know them before they all head back to their respective countries. Are you nervous, Rohini?”

  “Yes, Mr. President. Is it that obvious? I’m always like this before public speaking.”

  “Relax, Rohini. You won’t have to do anything but stand there and wave to the crowd. We didn’t plan on having any of you speak today. This is just a way to announce that we’ve found our team. The public will have plenty of chances to get to know you all over the next few months. We’ll have more events and we’re even going to embed a film crew with you all during your training once the team is together. This is historic. Everyone will be interested in keeping up with you all, especially as we get closer to E-Day,” the president explained.

  “E-Day?” Rohini asked.

  “That’s what we’ve taken to calling the day the Elders return. It has a ring to it, don’t you think?” President Johnson replied.

  There was a knock on the door as the president’s assistant poked her head in, “Mr. President, Martin Franklin is here.”

  “Excellent, send him on in.”

  A man with glasses and a shortly trimmed beard entered the Oval Office. He looked like a mix of lab rat and gym rat to Rohini. Like a physicist who did CrossFit. The president introduced him as the other Earth Ambassador chosen to represent the United States.

  “Martin, welcome, this is your counterpart, Rohini, and this is Jane Smith. I’ve got another quick meeting, I’m afraid. Why don’t you all head on out to the motorcade, you can meet some of the other ambassadors while you’re waiting. I’ll be there shortly, and we’ll be on our way.”

  Rohini, Jane and Martin chatted as they made their way through the halls of the White House. “So where are you from, Martin?” Rohini said.

  “I grew up in Northern Iowa, but I live in Tennessee now,” Martin replied.

  “Oh really, I lived in Minneapolis until I was twelve,” Rohini said.

  “Nice. I went to the U for my undergrad,” Martin said. “I love the Twin Cities. I try to get back and visit when I can. A lot of friends from college still live there.”

  “My dad and I go visit every year on our way to my grandparents’ farm. It’s changed a lot since I was a kid, though,” Rohini said. “What are you doing in Tennessee?”

  “I work at the Oak Ridge National Lab,” Martin said.

  “What sort of research do you do there?” Rohini said.

  “I work in the Energy Efficiency and Electricity Technologies Program. We focus on making existing technology more efficient and reducing energy consumption. I was mainly focused on our program to design and build affordable, carbon-neutral homes.”

  “Did you work with the Elders’ designs? I heard they had provided some sort of way to make solar panels more efficient,” Rohini said.

  “I didn’t work directly with that group, but it was part of what led me to apply for the ambassador program. I thought the opportunity was too incredible to pass up, and I’m assuming my work in the lab won’t be as vital now that we’re receiving the Elders’ assistance. What about you, Rohini? Why did you apply for the program?”

  Rohini looked over her shoulder at Jane, who was trailing behind them and raised her eyebrows in a questioning look. “You can tell him, Rohini,” Jane said. “I’m sure it will come out among the other ambassadors eventually, if it hasn’t already.”

  “I would have applied for the program,” Rohini said. “Like you, I thought it was an amazing opportunity. As it turns out, I didn’t even have to apply, I was chosen for it.”

  “What do you mean?” Martin said.

  “There are four of us among the ambassadors who were specifically asked for by the Elders,” Rohini said.

  “Really? Do you know why?” Martin asked, incredulously.

  “I don’t,” Rohini said.

  “Do you know who the others are, or why we were picked?” Rohini asked, turning back to Jane again as they continued to make their way towards the waiting motorcade.

  “I know who the others are, but if the president knows why they were chosen, he hasn
’t said,” Jane replied.

  “Who are they?” Martin asked.

  “Besides Rohini, the others are Jean-Luc from France, Guangming from China, and Oksana from Russia,” Jane said.

  “I wonder what the common thread is.” Rohini said.

  Rohini and the rest of the Earth Ambassadors, had been presented with a white blazer for the press conference when she arrived that morning. It bore an embroidered United Nations design on the left breast, with the words “Earth Ambassador” emblazoned below.

  Once outside at the motorcade, they saw the rest of the Earth Ambassadors —easily identified in their own white blazers—already waiting. There were lots of quick handshakes and bows as they introduced themselves, along with a few kisses to each cheek from the two members of the EU contingent, Jean-Luc from France and Heinrich from Germany.

  Rohini paid special attention when she met the others Jane had named, but if there was anything that distinguished them from the rest, she wasn’t able to divine it from their initial meeting. After a few minutes of small talk, they were ushered into their respective vehicles. Soon after, President Johnson arrived, flanked by several members of his Secret Service detail, and the motorcade departed.

  Rohini, Jane, and Martin had the special honor of riding with the president in “the Beast,” as the presidential limo was known. As they drove towards the Lincoln Memorial, people waved at the motorcade. Thousands of people were expected on the National Mall that morning as the whole world turned its attention to the press conference announcing the final selections of the Earth Ambassadors.

  The excitement had been building ever since the program was announced and now all eyes were on Washington, DC. No other heads of state had accompanied their respective nations’ selections, but all the countries constituting the program had sent an official representative of their governments to the event. Being in DC, this was President Johnson’s show. He would be introducing the ambassadors to the world, acting as master of ceremonies for this most momentous event.

  When they arrived at the memorial, they were led through a back door into the building where they would wait in the wings until they heard their cue. Rohini didn’t mind if the president took his time, this was one of her favorite places in Washington. She’d visited it for the first time with her family years ago, long before coming to college at GW.

  Rohini had been struck then, as she was now, by the mood of the place. Being modelled after a Greek Doric temple, she thought the builders had managed to create a sacred atmosphere. While there was plenty of symbolism built into the structure itself, such as the thirty-six columns for the number of states at the time of Lincoln’s death, Rohini had always been most fascinated by the monument’s murals. They depicted some of the timeless values the country was founded upon, and that Abraham Lincoln had embodied in his life. As they waited for the event to begin, Rohini found herself with a good view of one of them.

  “Emancipation,” as the mural on the south wall was called, was located above a copy of the Gettysburg Address. Its central image portrayed the Angel of Truth freeing slaves from bondage, representing Freedom and Liberty. On either side of this were two additional images which Rohini had always found intriguing. Justice and Law were represented by the image on the left, a woman seated on a throne. She held a large sword in one hand representing Justice, and a scroll in the other representing Law.

  The other end of the mural depicted a figure representing immortality. This figure was again a woman sitting on a throne, this time surrounded by three figures said to represent Faith, Hope, and Charity. While she knew these were specifically Christian theological terms, she had always felt they pointed to something more universal, almost like a threefold version of the Golden Rule.

  She had never made the connection before, but now looking at the figure Immortality, depicted in the mural, she recalled how the saints of Daoism were often called immortals. Immortality in Daoism was sometimes thought of as a physical immortality, but it was also seen as a state of spiritual immortality or enlightenment. The woman on the throne took on a greater significance when she saw her anew in this light.

  The three figures surrounding her, Faith, Hope, and Charity, also reminded her of a similar set of three virtues expressed in the Daode Jing. A passage came to mind, which surprised her, as she hadn’t read it in years.

  I have three treasures which I hold dear.

  The first is compassion.

  The second is frugality.

  The third is humility.

  With compassion one can be brave.

  With frugality one can be generous.

  With humility one can lead others.

  As she mused on the murals, she realized Jane was by her side. “Beautiful, aren’t they?” Jane said.

  “Yes, I’ve loved these since I was a kid. I haven’t thought about them in years. It’s nice to see them again. I used to pretend I was Justice over there, running around playing with a wooden sword,” she said, pointing.

  “Interesting. It must be genetic,” Jane replied enigmatically.

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Oh nothing. It’s not important.”

  Rohini was going to explore this further, wondering exactly what Jane meant, when they were told to get ready for their entrance. The event was about to begin.

  18

  Rohini and Jane heard a cheer go up from the assembled crowd outside as President Johnson walked to the podium, waving as he went. The president would be giving his address from the same place Martin Luther King, Jr had given his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, one of many historic events at the memorial over the years adding to its significance, especially to the Civil Rights movement.

  Although many events followed it, none was as momentous as the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, the occasion for MLK’s speech. None until today, Rohini thought. She found it appropriate this location had been chosen. This is a moment of unity for all mankind, or at least all Earthlings. Were the Elders a part of mankind? Rohini still found herself stumbling at times, making the mental adjustment to this new reality.

  “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you all for coming,” the president said, beginning his speech. “Thank you for sharing this moment of Faith, Hope, and Charity with your fellow humans,” Rohini’s ears perked up at his mention of the exact same virtues she had just been contemplating.

  He continued. “Faith in our ability to come together as one and accomplish what needs to be done. A renewed sense of Hope that a bright, livable future for our children and grandchildren is not only possible but probable. And the spirit of Charity which allows us to put our own pettiness, our own egotistical sense of self-importance aside, so that we may focus on the needs of the least among us and the welfare of us all.

  “While these values are most familiar to those of us coming from the Christian tradition, these are universal spiritual values that all of the Great Faiths of the Earth share.” The hairs on the back of Rohini’s neck stood up at his words. She felt like he was channeling the same thoughts she had been having moments before.

  “Today we have come together as one human family to celebrate the selection of a group of exceptional individuals who have been chosen by our various nations to represent us, to represent all of us, to represent the Earth herself, on this unprecedented mission.

  “When our new friends, the Elders, appeared to us that day at the UN, I, like many of you, I’m sure, was shocked. I was also, of course, suspicious and skeptical of their claims. But when the Elders’ spokesman communicated with me directly, I and the other world leaders knew that this was an opportunity unlike any which has come before. Not just an opportunity to save the planet, but an opportunity to save humanity from the dark days ahead we had all assumed were inevitable.

  “It had begun to seem like the dystopian nightmares of many of our most popular books and films of the past few
decades would be inescapable. I think I speak for all of us when I voice my relief at the renewed sense of hope we all feel, as well as our sense of gratitude to the Elders, not just for offering their assistance in saving our planet from the chaos of climate change, but also for delivering the kick in the pants we all needed to make it happen!”

  There was a loud raucous cheer at his last line, the president expertly tapping into the pulse of the people. He had always had a natural gift for it, always seeming at ease, able to relate to any crowd without seeming to be pandering. It was a fine line. Many attempted this high-wire act in an obvious, ham-fisted way, but he was a master of walking that razor’s edge.

  “And now the moment you’ve all been waiting for. The reason we are here today. I’d like you all to join me in welcoming your Earth Ambassadors!” The president partially turned his back to the crowd, extending a hand up the steps towards the monument, where Rohini and the other ambassadors were being ushered down the steps behind him. Jane, waiting near one of the pillars bordering the entrance of the memorial, gave Rohini a thumbs-up as she began down the steps.

  As the ambassadors descended, the president clapped along with the rest of the crowd, gathered in the hundreds of thousands, filling the area in front of the reflecting pool and flanking it on either side as far as Rohini could see. The ambassadors began to fan out across the steps, forming a line a few steps above where the president stood behind the podium. Rohini felt a flush in her cheeks as she, Martin, and the other Earth Ambassadors exchanged smiling glances, emotionally overwhelmed by the outpouring of goodwill from the assembled masses.

  The next few moments were a blur. An Elder appeared next to President Johnson at the lectern. At least Rohini assumed it was an Elder as he seemed to materialize out of thin air. He wasn’t dressed as the Elders at the UN had been. Instead, he appeared to be an old Native American man, his gray hair in a single braid down his back and a red bandana tied around his head. He wore a button-down shirt, like those you would find at a Western wear store—the kind with faux mother-of-pearl snaps—and blue jeans.