by Gabriel Dica
The decision was made to go inside and investigate.
We couldn’t send any tech; we tried many times before but anything we sent in just stopped working after a very short time. There is no physical barrier isolating this huge area from the rest of the planet, so we can simply walk inside. And over the years, some of us tried to reach inside and explore. Most never came back, but those that did, mapped only a very small portion of the outskirts, reporting increasingly uncontrollable confusion the further inside they tried to reach.
I was contacted and began my training shortly after; and they started researching a way to get me in and out alive.
By the time our scientists developed the suit I’m wearing – a biomaterial that grows naturally, combined with a small lifeform found in the ocean, shaped in a specific pattern with a hardened exoskeleton made from a rare resin; my suit isn’t really a suit, it’s more like a living, breathing organism that protects me, the only reason I can survive in here – the isolation bubble around the mountains had already started slowly expanding. We came to call this isolation bubble “The Dead Zone”, an area where nothing known to us can survive; and we don’t even know exactly why. A scientist theorized that the observed effects are consistent with an unknown signal somehow interfering and disrupting our brain functions… maybe. But that still doesn’t explain why tech doesn’t work inside…
The lack of data allowed rumor and speculation to flourish: from the destabilization of our planet’s core to a new form of intelligent wildlife to creatures from another planet. But rumors are just rumors until proven true or false. That’s why I’m here, why my mission is so important. I must find out what’s causing the Dead Zone to expand and how to stop it. It’s crucial.
I haven’t moved today. After spotting the anomaly in the valley below me, I decided to take my time and analyze my options. I’ve entered the Dead Zone ten days ago and haven’t seen any movement, any sign of life, no trees and no animals, no structures, nothing, just rocks and snow and wind. And with some distance still to cover before I reach the center of the Dead Zone, I didn’t expect to find anything in this valley. But something is definitely here. The wind is picking up the snow and carrying it across the valley, except one small area nearby – it looks like the wind is… going around it somehow.
I’ve spent enough time on this peak. Time to start moving again.
I jump down the cliff and start moving towards the anomaly. For some reason I find myself clenching the rifle like my life depended on it. My rifle. What a false sense of security it provides… Because our advanced weaponry doesn’t work in here, they had to design for me something that more closely resembles an ancient blunt weapon than a rifle – it’s basically a long barrel and grip made from a strong resin, just like the exoskeleton of my suit; it fires high pressure compressed gas projectiles – it’s somewhat effective over short distances, but the reloading time is terrible. It was interesting shooting physical projectiles out of a long tube in training, but here, if some unknown wild animal were to attack me, I’d be dead if I don’t manage to kill it with the first shot. But a false sense of security is better than nothing, so I grip the rifle tighter and keep moving towards the anomaly.
I was right, the wind is going around this area. I stand back as I try to analyze what’s causing it, but nothing’s visible, except the snow under this zone is smooth, like the wind hasn’t touched it in years. I start moving forward, I need to get inside to dig up the snow so I can investigate what’s causing it. But I hit myself on an invisible wall. The small area is encased in some sort of energy field. Wait… It resembles the energy fields we use to protect the wildlife monitoring stations; but why is it here, how is it still operational? I thought nothing worked inside the Dead Zone. Some sort of old tech, maybe? Some old design that isn’t affected by whatever is disrupting everything in here? Is that even possible? But if anything was placed in here, I would have known… And where’s the field emitter? It should be right in the middle of the field! Strange…
Today, all our tech receives wireless energy transfers from a network of emitters placed across the planet, but before this technology was implemented we used to carry energy through buried cables to power everything. If this is an older design, maybe it still uses cables. I start digging around the field and soon enough I find a cable leading me deeper inside the Zone.
But it’s almost dark. Time to stop for the night.
This simple, daily routine is starting to be annoying! Light, wake up, move, climb, dark, stop, sleep. Repeat. Finding this anomaly is the most excitement I’ve had in days and I’m still no closer to finding out what’s happening here. I hate being here, completely isolated from everyone else. I used to like being alone, but here, in the Dead Zone, I’m completely cut off, I hear nothing, I see nothing, here I’m truly alone. And I don’t like it.
Speaking of my daily routine, time to go to sleep.
Thursday, April 15, 2320. 6:45 AM, UTC
President Locke is annoyed by this entire situation. He views the Civil Council appointee, Alexei Hofmann, as nothing more than a distraction, a courtesy he extended to the civilians. In his mind, choosing not to turn the weapons at his disposal on the population should have been met with applause and gratitude, not interference in the W.A.’s affairs. He did them a favor, and this is how they repay it?! No, in his mind, Alexei holds no power, he’s nothing more than an insignificant pawn in a world lost without the W.A., an organization Locke controlled unhindered.
President Locke, standing up: “Enough of this! Earth is dying, already on borrowed time! The decision to invade Asha has already been made! We’ve built the ships, we developed the invasion infrastructure, we’ve trained the personnel! All I have to do is say one word, one word and Earth is saved! Under MY leadership!”
Alexei knows well what the President thinks about him, about him being here; he made it clear several times. He compares him to a child playing with power he doesn’t truly understand, fighting for a cause he doesn’t really grasp. He means well: saving humanity is everyone’s goal today. But saving it no matter the cost? Saving today at the expense of tomorrow? Have all other options been explored?
Alexei doesn’t care much for the President’s outburst, he’s of no consequence and his only purpose is fulfilled: placing him in the same room with the man controlling the greatest power humankind had developed, the Titan class Santa Maria ship. Alexei already controls, through the Civil Council, a billion strong revolution army across the globe, hidden from the World Alliance. A billion people – tired of waiting for the W.A. to save Earth and disgusted with the open corruption that was infecting all levels of leadership – were ready to start The Last Revolution, as they proudly call it. Infiltrated in all levels of the current leadership and even on the Santa Maria, they were just waiting for Alexei to get Admiral Sterrow on their side. There was a contingency in place, in case the Admiral decided to remain with his current allegiance – start a mutiny and take over his ship; but it was risky and even if successful it would delay the invasion. That was to be avoided, if at all possible.
Alexei decides to ignore the President’s agitated state. He often had outbursts just like this one, so no one in the room paid too much attention to it. However, as tensions started rising, it was clear that time was running short. He decides to skip on the Council research and turns to the Admiral: “Let me ask you: do you know what was decided shortly after the Jatko Genocide, behind closed doors, by your World Alliance?”
Admiral Sterrow, also unimpressed with the President’s outbursts, turns his look to Alexei, curious about the point he’s clearly trying to make. “Two things: survival at all costs and exclusion of the public from the decision making process for highly sensitive matters. In my opinion, a sad day remembered by history as a grave failure of our leadership, a day we almost lost whatever humanity we had left inside us…”
Alexei, happy with the Admiral’s response: “And yet you are loyal to the same leadership that k
eeps making similar decisions today. Oh, don’t look so sad Admiral, we lost our humanity long before that; this invasion had been set in stone for centuries, assured by our ancestors; how we move forwards with it is, however, our choice. Anyway, that particular day is sad for something else entirely: that was the day the World Council laid the foundation to becoming the corrupt, selfish, militaristic dictatorship it is today!”
President Locke: “Here we go again! You can’t even go one full hour without hurling insults at the World Alliance! An alliance that saved humankind from extinction and…”
Alexei, looking straight in the Admiral’s eyes, looking for a reaction: “Saved?! You merely delayed the inevitable! What do you have to show for your two-hundred-years of absolute power over an entire planet? People are still starving and choking while you, the fundamentally corrupt leadership that you have become, control every single gram of resource we scrape. All leadership here on Earth basks in luxury while…”
President Locke: “We?! You don’t “scrape” anything! It’s the Alliance that builds, mines, transports and processes every single gram of mineral we can find! You just sit back and wait for the resources to reach you! You don’t do…”
Secretary Nazari: “Gentlemen!!! Stop acting like children!!! Earth doesn’t have time for your egos! Or enough space for it, for that matter!”
Secretary Nazari, realizing what she just said to the world’s leaders: “Oh! … Um… Sirs… … I m-m-mean, we should… at least try to act professional and…”. Slowly she retreats backwards in the poorly lit corner just behind her.
Alexei: “…”
President Locke: “…”. He sits down in frustration, mumbling something unintelligible.
Alexei, amused: “I admire your candidness, Miss Nazari! I imagine “Mr. President” doesn’t have many people like you around him.”
Alexei: “Tell me, Mr. Sterrow, on Jatko, did we kill an entire planet for nothing?”
Admiral Sterrow is wondering what this meeting is really about. The line of questioning seems out of place. But for now, he decides to play along. “No, sir, we did not. We found much needed resources, similar to our rare earth elements. After starting the mining operations and extracting them, we were able to start building advanced technology again and managed to delay the Earth’s Expiration Date by another hundred years. It was an incredible achievement, sir!”
Alexei: “Yes, another pivotal moment in our miserable history! Allow me to offer some insight. Your mighty World Alliance found another one hundred years of life for Earth. In itself, indeed a great accomplishment. But here’s a short recap, to put things into perspective: when was the W.A. founded?”
Admiral Sterrow: “2105, sir.”
Alexei: “And when did we accomplish this incredible feat, prolonging an entire planet’s life by one-hundred years?”
Admiral Sterrow: “2108, sir! Where are you getting with this?”
Alexei: “And what was the W.A.’s next major accomplishment?”
Admiral Sterrow: “Sending the second probe to Asha.”
Alexei: “And when did this happen?”
Admiral Sterrow: “Spring, 2120, sir…”
Alexei: “Admiral, I know you are military, loyal to the end, fighting for the… whatever W.A.’s cause is these days. But even you must see that something’s wrong here! It took you only three years to achieve something incredible, but it took you twelve years to send a lousy probe?! And two-hundred years later Earth is still dying, mankind is still doomed!”
Admiral Sterrow: “Sir, adapting the atmospheric destabilization device to Asha’s…”
Alexei: “No, no, no! That’s a public excuse, not a real reason. After your praised alliance discovered the resources, you made the news public to the entire population. And of course the people cheered and praised and thanked you! So much that they started basking in the fame and glory that your achievement brought them, forgetting the wars and revolutions that got them elected only three years before! Enough to trigger a reversal to their basic instincts they had just before the unification: competing, stealing, lying. So much that they couldn’t let go of that insatiable feeling; after the news of the discovery started to fade away, they sought other ways to maintain their power. But with no more wars happening, no more territories to control, no more bragging rights to rub in other people’s face, what could they do? They started controlling the flow of resources arriving from Jatko. And instead of distributing them across the planet or using them to build the technology needed to save us, they were selling them to the highest bidder, regardless of what that meant to the planet, to its people! This, my dear Mr. Sterrow, is but a clear symptom of a much more severe, underlying problem with humanity! But I’m getting ahead of myself…”
Admiral Sterrow, disturbed by Alexei’s accusations: “I am loyal, sir! I am dedicated, sir! I’m a fighter, willing to gladly sacrifice myself and my men if the need arises for what I believe in, sir! But I am not going to just stand here, having my beliefs ridiculed by a civilian! A civilian that I am fighting to protect! Sir!”
Alexei: “It may not seem like it now, but I do appreciate all your sacrifice, more than you think. And there’s a vastly important reason why you and I are meeting today. But for now, all I want to say, Mr. Sterrow, is that perhaps your loyalty and dedication are misguided, your desire to fight and sacrifice directed towards the wrong cause. My words are not directed at you, but at the organization you represent.“
Alexei: “The second probe we sent to Asha, the orbiter data we gathered, the increasing development of the ashans, all these events, what do they tell you, Mr. Sterrow?”
Admiral Sterrow: “That our probe landing on their planet at the same time they started evolving isn’t a coincidence.”
Thursday, April 15, 2320. 2:15 PM, Local Time
Professor Noya: “This is when we realized the truly grim situation we were really in. Decades of ignorance and consuming wars had taken a huge toll on the planet and its precious resources. Shortly after the fighting ended, scientists started looking for ways to solve the food problem. It very quickly became apparent that we had no way out. The most essential resources for building advanced technology were either depleted or running out. Without advanced technology, we had no way of reducing pollution, which was already causing extreme weather events, destabilizing the ecosystem, melting the polar caps and flooding most coastal areas; without reducing pollution, both in the air and in the water, there was no way to grow more crops, at least not at the scale needed.”
She again turns to Filip: “So? Where did that leave us?”
Filip, already standing up, turns towards his colleagues as he starts talking: “No more breathable air, no more drinkable clean water, no more food and no more resources to build the new technologies that would help. Scientists calculated that in little over 100 years, Earth would become unsustainable for human life. The news of Earth’s expiration date caused wide-spread panic, but with recent events still fresh in their minds, instead of looting and rioting people turned to each other, helping in any way they could to solve the problem. It was the year 2105 when humanity finally, truly, realized that it can either work together and have a chance at survival, or stay divided and slowly die. It was on March 1st 2105 when the World Alliance was officially signed into existence, the first time in human history when all the world’s nations were swearing allegiance to a single civilian-controlled entity, dedicating all their remaining resources to a singular purpose: saving humanity. A proud moment, celebrated to this day.” That same year, the newly formed World Alliance started repurposing all military technology that survived the Last World War for a desperate search for new resources. The first World President, General Archer H. Davis, voted in office by the vast majority of people, was given full and unrestricted control over the entire world’s military to use it as he would see fit. And as a true symbol for mankind, President Davis rose above the challenge and in just one year a plan was already created, voted and a
pproved.”
Noya, with her head down, looking at her tablet, mumbles: “Sadly, decisions were never made that fast ever since”, interrupting Filip and drawing attention to herself. Clearly un unintended action, she doesn’t seem to care.
After a short pause, Filip continues: “The plan was… ambitious, to say the least. After the W.A. was formed, it very quickly became apparent that Earth couldn’t be saved; not in the short time it had left and not while it was consumed by its huge population. We, humanity, had to relocate. Previous studies were checked and rechecked and now there was no doubt left: our planet would become completely unsustainable in only one hundred years; a new planet had to be found, soon. Technology wasn’t the problem; four world wars provided an abundance of instruments at our disposal. The energy shield invented in WW3 would protect us from radiation and debris on the journey to the new planet. The quantum communications and atmospheric destabilizers invented in WW4 would help us terraform a new planet while maintaining communication with Earth. The massive ships necessary to transport us to a new world were just years away from being built.”
