“Tell me, Governor, why is it that this, and most of the other re-location projects are only sixty percent full? These new relocation areas are modern, energy efficient, have all the newest amenities, and are available at zero percent loans. There are still millions in the northern cities however that refuse to move. In a year from now, we are going to start seeing flooding, earthquakes, and the other effects from the encounter and people still are not willing to move. A large portion of the industrial base has already moved due to the tax credits and other incentives offered for companies that moved their factories south, but some people are just so damn stubborn. Is there anything else we can possibly do to entice them to start moving now?” asked the President.
The Governor was quiet as he thought for a moment, and then answered. “Mr. President, I am afraid that we are going to have to face the fact that many people are not going to leave their homes up north, on the coast, or in the earthquake regions until they get scared.
When they can see the Dwarf growing in the sky, and the ground starts shaking, or the streets start flooding, then they will move, and then it is going to be chaos. It will start with a trickle and then turn into a flood of humanity all trying to escape to safety. I would be ready at that point to keep order as well as possible. Many of the people who have already relocated south or inland were the city dwellers. Moving from an old apartment in downtown Chicago to a brand new one in a better climate was a no brainer for them, especially with the zero percent loans to help them buy a new home. It was an opportunity for many who have never owned a home to buy one at a good price. Others who do not want to buy a home simply lease at the subsidized prices.
You also have to look at our country’s population. From a peak near three hundred million, I think the latest census showed that by the time of the encounter a year from now our population will be below two hundred million. With so many Hispanic immigrants going back south to their homelands, and with the strict birth control policies implemented twenty years ago, our population is falling dramatically. The relocation projects were built to hold around one hundred million residents. Many have chosen to buy land or older homes here in the south so not everyone moved into them. I believe that we will have about a fifteen percent surplus in federally built housing after everyone else relocates.”
“We may need that surplus,” replied the President. My advisors are recommending now that we evacuate just about everyone from the Hawaiian Islands, at least until after the encounter is over. There is considerable agreement that the volcanoes there are going to become quite active, and may endanger large portions of the populace. Hell, the Island chain is nothing but the tops of volcanoes sticking up out of the ocean anyway. The Prime Minister of the New British Common Wealth is also asking if we could possibly accept a couple of million Canadians that have refused to re-locate to Australia. Australia, and the northern New Zealand Island are busting at the seams anyway from all the people from the United Kingdom and they can hardly support any more. The British were a little more draconian and started a mandatory immigration policy last year for the last people that refuse to evacuate the home islands. Only vital industry and farmers are going to be allowed to stay after the encounter. It is pretty well accepted that the entirety of Ireland, Scotland, and Great Britain will probably be under ice within ten to fifteen years or so.”
“I think that the Canuks might fit in pretty well here,” said the Mayor. Their climate and life style is similar to what most of these residents have had in the past. If they can contribute, and have useful skills, then let’s bring them on board.”
“Mr. President, may I offer some advice?” asked the Governor.
“Of course,” said the President jokingly. “Everyone else does.”
“No, I am serious,” replied the Governor. “While I agree that the people relocating to our southern states should have their own congressional representation, I think that there should be a time limit on the constitutional amendment that is being made. In order to ease their transition, let them elect representation for their federal zones for say eight years, and then the present number of senators and representatives should be adjusted back down to an appropriate level for the population. Otherwise, there will always be an “us and them” attitude. People will not be assimilated into their new homes and will try to remain separate and that would not bode well for the country as a whole. The sooner everyone accepts the new status quo, the sooner things will settle back down to normal.”
The President nodded. “That is what my advisors have also been telling me. Right now we still have a north and south disagreement so to speak. The politicians from the northern states hate to lose their congressional seats as the population is shifting so there is some bitter debates going on. I am just hoping that people will wake up and smell the roses in the next year. Things are not going to be the same after the encounter.”
The mayor laughed. “Mr. President, with all respect, we all know that you are not a politician by nature or choice. You need to realize that when it comes to politics, nothing ever changes. Those in power want to stay in power and those that are not, want to replace those that are. It has always been that way and always will be.”
The entourage had reached the end of their walking tour and there was a group of several hundred people consisting of local residents and some reporters waiting where the President’s motorcade was parked. In the group there was a little boy about six years old standing in front of his mother trying his best to salute the President. The President walked over to the little boy and saluted him and crouched down to speak to him. “What is your name sonny?”
“Michael Waslasky, sir,” the boy replied.
“How do you like living down here in the south in these nice new apartment buildings Michael?”
“They are really nice, but I can’t wait for it to snow and get cold,” said Michael.
“Oh really, why is that?” asked the President in surprise.
“Because I like to go ice fishing with my father in the winter time. The lakes down here never freeze into ice,” said Michael.
Everyone laughed and the President replied. “Michael, you may get your wish much sooner than you expect. What do you want to do when you grow up Michael?”
“I am going to study real hard and be an astronaut in the Space Force,” said Michael. “I want to go live on Mars or some other really cool place.”
The President smiled at him and looked up at the boy’s mother. “Well Michael, you go to school and study real hard and we might just have a place for you some day.” The President tousled the boy’s hair, waved to the crowd and walked to his waiting transportation van.
Chapter 47
August 14th 2042
Waipio Valley, Hawaii
“Damn it,” Jessica cursed in exasperation. “That is three that have gotten away today.”
Maria, her field partner shrugged. “I told you we have been having trouble catching Pueo specimens for DNA samples.”
Jessica threw her bird net down and sat down on a rock to rest. The humidity was really getting to her here in the tropical rain forest. She had come to believe that the humidity was bad back in Georgia, but here it was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Maria and Jessica were one of five teams trying to get as many DNA specimens as possible from the Pueo, an owl endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.
They had two more weeks before the DNA Ark field office was going to close here in the islands. There was a great concern that the volcanoes that formed this island chain, as well as several that were below sea level in the vicinity were about to become very active as the encounter with the Dwarf neared. As many animals and plants as possible that were endemic to these islands, were being sampled and the DNA samples being sent to the Ark Projects before the volcanoes starting erupted. If the scientist’s fears came to bear, many of these plants and animals could very well become extinct in the very near future. Jessica had flown to Hawaii to give a pep talk to the teams still
there and see how the work was progressing. She had decided to stay and help as the work was coming to an end. Catching these owls was giving the teams fits. They had tried large nets strung between trees as well as trying to net them on bait traps. They were having little luck trying to get DNA samples from at least five hundred different owls.
“Ok, let’s get back down to the ground transport,” Marla said. “Maybe some of the other teams have had more success. This was the only nest that was known to been in this area. We thought that there were hatchlings in it but I do not see any egg shells so she may have not laid eggs yet.” As they made their way back down through the forest toward the forestry road Maria struck up a conversation with Jessica. “Where are you going to be during the encounter time, Doctor Driskall?”
“Marla, please just call me Jessica, we are not in a classroom right now,” laughed Jessica. “I will probably stay at the project headquarters in Georgia. I expect that we will be getting a deluge of last minute samples that will need to be analyzed and stored. We are still trying to develop a method of re-creating artificial cell membranes for DNA implantation. So far, we are having very little success perfecting that technique. Until we can work that out, all these samples we have collected will just be so much data in a computer memory bank if the species goes extinct.”
“How is that supposed to work?” asked Maria, “I am sorry, but my major is actually geology. My boyfriend got me involved in this since they shut the university down here. I have permission to stay on as one of the geology team members that are staying behind to observe and record volcanic activity, so I am just passing the time for a couple of months and trying to lend a hand.”
“Well,” said Jessica, have you taken very much biology in college?”
“Just Bio one and two,” answered Maria.
“Then you should know about cell reproduction and all that stuff then,” Jessica continued. “We now have the ability to take this DNA that we are storing, recreate it, and put it in an egg cell where the DNA has been removed and the cell will grow and develop normally. The process is a little easier to do in plants as you do not have to worry about egg cells at all. The problem we are having is finding the solution for what to do if there is not an egg cell to put the DNA into. What if the whole species is dead? We need a method of producing that first egg cell so that we can then recreate the species again. Everyone jokes about which came first, the chicken or the egg? Well, after millions of dollars and countless hours of research we still do not know!” she said with a laugh.
“Maria, are you not a little afraid to be out here when the Pacific volcanoes start becoming active? There could be some very large Tsunamis and it could also be very dangerous from the eruptions of ash and lava.”
“It will not be that bad. We are going to be on board ships, so as long as we are in fairly deep water Tsunamis are not that big a threat. We will also try and stay up wind from any ash clouds. The chance to see the islands grow from new volcano activity is too good to pass up as far as my field of study is concerned. From all the destruction caused by the lava and ash, new land will be formed and the islands will grow. Someday after the encounter when the volcanoes calm down again, we can then re-populate the islands with the plants that were endemic to the area. Maybe this time we can do it without introducing any pests like the stupid Mongoose that was brought in here to kill the rats that men had brought in accidently on board ships. The mongooses have done nothing but decimate the bird populations.”
“Maria dear, you sound more like a biologist than a geologist. You would get along well with my daughter Brianna. She is working on her doctorate in Biology at the University of Georgia now.”
“No, not really,” said Maria. “I love all of Hawaii, the volcanoes, the rain forests, the animals, all of it. They are all part of what makes it such a unique place. We would not have one without the others; they are so intertwined with our Earth Mother.”
Jessica glanced at the young woman walking ahead of her. “Maria, are you a Gaian?” she asked.
Maria stopped and turned to look at Jessica. “Does that surprise you, Jessica?”
“Well, said Jessica, I really had not thought about it until you started talking. I have heard that the Gaian movement was gathering momentum in some of the lesser developed areas of the world, but I had no idea I would find members of it here in a tourist resort area like Hawaii.”
Maria put her hands on her hips and stared at Jessica in amazement. “Who do you think is volunteering and helping gather all your DNA samples across the world Jessica?” she asked.
“Well, predominately college students and volunteers from different wildlife agencies,” said Jessica.
“And why are they doing this?” asked Maria.
“Well, to help preserve our planets biological diversity of course,” replied Jessica. Maria shook her head and pulled out her water bottle and offered it to Jessica. She sat down on a rock outcrop and motioned Jessica to sit also.
“Jessica, the Earth is our mother. For billions of years she has nurtured all of us living things and allowed us to evolve, change, and be one with her. Recently, humans have over multiplied and have hurt our mother; we are leaving scars that cannot be easily healed. The different species that we have over hunted or driven to extinction evolved for a reason. Wiping them out is an insult to our Earth mother.
If you take a hard look around, you will find that probably eighty to ninety percent of your volunteers are either Gaian or have leanings toward those beliefs. We believe that it is our duty to help protect the mother. There are also some people who think that the coming of the Dwarf is somehow related to the damage that humans are doing to the planet. They believe that it is Gaia herself somehow bringing the Dwarf to try and cleanse the parasites that humans have become off the planet. We are helping your project because we hope that someday we can help restore global homeostasis. Many of us hope that the human race is drastically reduced in number so that we can once again live in peace and harmony with nature.”
“Maria, I had no idea that so many volunteers were Gaian. I knew the movement had gathered many young people to that philosophical point of view. Although I agree that we have damaged the planet, I do not think that the planet can summon something like the Brown Dwarf to come and purge humans off the planet’s surface. As a matter of fact, it may very well be humans that protect all the life here on the planet if the Dwarf slings some big asteroids this way. One good hit by a large one and all advanced life could be wiped out. I don’t think that would be very good for maintaining a global homeostasis. It is the DNA samples that we are collecting that may one day bring back many of the species lost or that are going to be lost after the encounter.”
“I am not downing or being critical of your beliefs, Maria. Actually, I think they are admirable, as long as not taken to extremism. We sure do need the volunteers. Please do not be offended by anything I have said.”
Maria just smiled. “I am not offended. Whether you think you are a believer or not, you are helping our mother and most of us know that. What type of beliefs does your daughter have Doctor Driskall? I think you said she is getting her doctorate in Biology, right? Talk to her. Ask her how she feels about the Gaian philosophy. I would hazard to guess that the majority of today’s Biology students share my beliefs, whether they formally recognize them or not. You may be surprised what your daughter shares with you. Come on, we need to get down to the transport and meet the others,” Maria said as she stood. “We still have about a mile to hike.” She turned to start down the trail and Jessica stood to follow, deep in thought.
Chapter 48
December 9th, 2042
Houston, Texas
Peter sat in his office looking at the latest data that Robby Tully had forwarded to him from the Elpis probe. The data was quite interesting. Actually, it was too interesting, Peter thought. All hell was about to break loose in just a few months and he was more interested in data from the probe orbiting the newcomer pla
net Elpis than the multitude of data that was being collected on the approaching Brown Dwarf.
Peter tapped his PA twice and told it to call Robby. While he waited for Robby to answer, Peter marveled at his new technological toy. The old cell phones, watches, musical players, personal computers of just twenty years ago were now being replaced by the PA, or personal assistant. No larger than a large wrist watch, it was worn on the wrist and had become nearly indispensable to everyone. It was a communication unit, computer, phone, clock, and medical assist device all rolled up into a small marvel. It was an eight millimeter by six millimeter plastic and carbon fiber square worn like an old wristwatch, or as a brooch on your shirt if you were a woman. It could remind him of appointments, make calls, make reservations, do calculations, transmit digital images to monitors, and a myriad of other things. It could even monitor his blood pressure and heart rate and call emergency medical support if it decided he was in need of it. The major drawback was that it knew where he was twenty four hours a day. Many people thought this an invasion of privacy, but the tradeoff was acceptable for the majority of the owners of the little marvels.
His PA beeped and told him that it had a reached Robby. “Robby this is Peter; do you have a minute to run up to my office? I have a few questions regarding this latest data from your probe.”
“Ask and you shall receive,” said Robby as he stepped in the door. “I was already on my way over,” he grinned as he plopped down in the chair across from Peter. “Pretty interesting stuff there, don’t you think?”
“Very much so,” replied Peter. “Is this correct? The atmospheric data is showing an atmosphere that we would expect to see at about fourteen thousand feet here on Earth. Oxygen is at fourteen percent and carbon dioxide is down to one point seven percent. Someone with a good set of lungs could actually breathe this stuff and live. What is causing the dramatic shift in composition?”
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