by Rabia Rahou
As the system is always in a constant war inside and outside, violent rebellions here and there often break out for different reasons, but mostly related to the mediocrity of life and the aspirations for freedom. Of course, they are immediately countered by extreme repression from the media and the state’s officials. They start a reclamation, and no matter how peaceful it is, we will point them as the enemies of the peace. The emperor will accuse them of weakening the empire, as probably they are instruments in the hands of our enemies. Therefore, most of the revolutions are countered by the super-nationalists that defend the emperor on every occasion. Luckily, they are the majority as we keep them suffering so they live in a perpetual and extreme Stockholm Syndrome. All this is for their own good, of course. Sometimes, when the movement perdures, we crush it violently, and then we keep only the most docile and give them an imperial pardon. This is a way to show the society that we are clement once they accept their suffering. If the people keep quiet and avoid any interaction with the state, we raise the taxes to generate a rebellion so we can crush them again. Then comes the imperial pardon, and so on, and so on… it's a closed game that only fools play.
No one outside the Imperial Circle can touch the big businesses, and no one not related directly to the Circle can be wealthy. It is important and safer to keep wealth and power at home. Again, we are doing this for their own good, so they can focus and enjoy their simple lives, not wandering around searching for power and wealth, as they are out of their reach. And even if they could grab some of it, they would indeed destroy their peaceful lives with greed. Only a higher being like the royals can manage their lives and wealth at the same time. As they are superior thinkers with high living standards, and that’s from the moment they were born. They are born into wealth and power, so they are used to it. They will do goodness, as they never met anyone in their entourage who had the feeling of greed because everything is abundant. So, no matter how smart and courageous you are, with the best minds around you, plus the best luck in the world, you have no chance of building a big business here. The state can issue any law at any moment requiring complicated administrative procedures that you will have to comply with to continue operating, at least on the main territory. Those laws are tailored for a specific group of people in a specific business field. An example is the law of agro-credit that the senate issued last year. It required all the agro alimentary corporations to be state credit free or risk closure. The problem is that any corporation on the Rotanios main territory by law must be owned by at least 7% by the RotBank, which is the state business bank. The business has a state credit from the start, so the natural move for every corporation is to buy the state’s shares to be credit free and comply with the new law. Here is the twist, the bank didn't sell its shares to every corporation, only those whose owners were the closest to the royal family could buy the shares and be state credit free. Others that were not that close could just sell their business to the Rotbank with big bribes. But most of the agro alimentary corporations, the best and the most creative, built by the hard-working talent, just closed. Those exceptional minds will be integrated into our system as managers and thinkers. We will do so to regenerate the system. Unfortunately, we must bribe them to get them loose so they can merge with us easily. Turning them against their people is important, so by showing them that they are more intelligent and sophisticated compared to the average person, they will realize they can no longer stay by their side. Our table is small, and if you qualify for a seat, you must take it.
The competition was destroyed, and only two corporations remained. Now they control all the food supply in the empire and are, of course, related straight to the Imperial Circle. In fact, one of my boys owns one. That is the Rotanios way. The game is closed with no chance for talents to win at anything, because of the naive assumption that if the roles were inverted there would be compassion. The reality is cruel, as is human nature. No one would give his precious hunt for free, and we must keep remembering that to stay insensitive and act logically. We must suppress all the super-nice emotions that our brain produces to fool us, to make us soft so the toughest can overcome us. But one must show benevolence to bind with the crowds. One must fake understanding to gain the sympathy of the people.
That’s why, after the exceptional minds, come the best talents, as they are not wasted but hired. We make them and their families happy as we sell them fake dreams of success. In reality, we own them and their descendants. They will work only for us, under our supervision. They must solve our problems, and their talents will benefit only us. Their only chance to bloom is by working for an Imperial Circle business. They must work for us or perish. Of course, they would not be in leadership positions but work as nameless and detested consultants, because even when they work directly for us, they must still suffer.
The Rotanios Empire never failed, although existing on the edge of failure seems to be our eternal state – the never-ending fall. We never crashed because we have inexhaustible resources from the infinite land we possess and defend from any invaders with a fierce army and from the internal revolutions and independent movements with extreme nationalism. These are but “fluctuations,” as we call them. We exist in a permanent, unstable state of existence that gives an illusion of stability, like that of an atom.
Our emperor, Oris the Third, named by the population “Oris the Playful,” did add his little touch on the system, a genius touch that surprised me. He kept his spirit of amusement and play all throughout the creation of the Empire Tournaments, the tournaments that gave the population an escape from their miserable daily life, a move that was widely appreciated by the Circle, not as a game, but as a new concept. The concept that Oris discovered by establishing the Tournament was genius. He finally gave the ultimate ideal for the empire of Rotanios, a more sophisticated vision for the future, the seal that I was looking for all my life to close the Rotanios ideology.
Oris understood that the population loved the game he had created. The idea came to him when he was lying down on the carpet after three continuous days of drugs and sex at his harem. It started as a joke that every man should run after a woman he loves, in a field, and, if he catches her, he will be the official owner of her for a certain period until the next run. When he sobered up, the Minister of Sport and Culture invited him to a closed military arena to present him a surprise that he had concocted for him.
Six men and a woman were running inside a maze. The men were armed with weapons and only one rule – they can't kill the unusual. Oris was very amused by the set. He congratulated the minister for his execution and dedication, and he also decided that the game was extremely diverting and must be implemented as the only National Tournament. Right then and there, the National Women Tournament was created. Every month on the women's days, the tournaments are played live on every station. This was very successful, as the stadiums are fully booked every season. After a decade, even the women loved it and justified it in many irrational ways to keep watching it.
The Emperor understood one thing that was extremely important, no matter what the game is, if it's the only one, they will love it. He believed that just like the tournament, if there was only the Rotanios ideology on this planet, it will be loved to death too. No matter how bad the emperor would be to the population, they will justify it and understand it, no matter how smart or dumb he is, handsome or ugly, cultivated or ignorant, merciful or cruel, evil or saint, weak or strong, crazy or rational. He will be worshiped as a god, as he is the only emperor in the known universe.
From that point on, a bright future for the royal family was secured for eternity. Therefore, expansion is the main goal for the Rotanios ideology, finding a way to push the ideological borders further until nothing is left. All divergence must fail and leave the space for the Rotanios ideology to invade people’s minds. All the people from all the nations must embrace the ideology until their nation surrenders unconditionally to the Empire. They will implore the Empire to let them beco
me a part of it. The emperor can march into their capitals in big parades that welcome the invader as the ultimate savior. It has happened before, and the Emperor had every reason to believe that it will happen again. The emperor will dictate the laws in those countries as in the confederations of the Rotanios. From there, the emperor, as the supreme leader, could manage the planet easily. As a supreme deity, he is above people. As a god, he can easily decide to finish off half of the planet’s population and still be considered as wise. He could just justify it as a thoughtful, rational decision to save the other half and the planet. And, by the way, be right in that he would believe that the normal population can’t grasp such complex idea, and he has the infinite wisdom. His actions would be contemplated as the act of god.
The ten most powerful men in the Rotanios Empire had a meeting every month after the tournament. The power that would decide who lives and who dies in the Southern Hemisphere sit in a semi-circle facing the fire. This time, the news is quite disturbing. Rumors of a “fluctuation,” as we call it, is found to be true. The chief of the services speaks about unusual reports. It seems like the Amiens are building an ultimate weapon that can destroy every empire on the planet.
I’m sitting in my comfortable armchair, waiting for the Imperial Circle to gather, picturing my name and my rank on it, “Fuvo,” the First Spiritual Advisor, wondering if I shouldn't ask that it be written in gold like Emperor Oris.
Suddenly, Oris enters the room, and I could feel the fireplace erupting. He was followed by the ten most powerful oligarchs in the Empire, the Imperial Circle. Oris addressed Tonias, our First Military Advisor. He went straight to the subject without wasting time, just like I taught him to do with every important matter.
“Tonias, this is not new. Everyone tries to build an ultimate weapon from time to time, but the balance is kept by the opponent’s ability to match the threat. And we have enormous capabilities. In nuclear weapons, we are the leaders. We can destroy this planet and every planet in the Solar System, too, if we want. So, why so much concern?”
“This situation is very different. We may not be able to launch an attack on an AI system. More alarming reports say that a worst-case scenario is possible since we might not be able to launch anything from any device. Our arsenal will be obsolete.”
“Then we will attack by launching the nuclear devices manually!” Oris looks like he is annoyed by the over-alarming reports.
“They already have an AI that analyzes the air quality and its composition around the capital. But with this new machine, they could analyze not only the air, but the tiny vibrations traveling through the air for every moving thing, no matter how small it is, and predict with precision its nature. Everyone has an AI device on him. They will combine those with an astronomical computational system that runs a new, mysterious code to produce the best predictions and analysis. Your Highness, we already turned over every stone looking for a solution.”
The Emperor stays silent. He probably thinks this can’t be real. Surely, there has been a miscalculation. Either that or this is just a play going on behind his back by his entourage. But, if this is true, then one must act tonight. I gave him a small, secret sign that signaled he needs to act and show the Circle that he is aware and will handle this situation as an existential threat, just like I taught him.
After a pause, Oris said, “When did they start this campaign, and who is in charge of the new weapon?”
Tonias replied, “Our services reported that it is actually still in the beginning phase. The top three scientists from Consoft, DM, and ONC are working now at their military headquarters, the Arc. It is top secret, and even the military commandments are kept out of the campaign. Except for the engineers and the Commander of the Armies, General Konu, no one has access. It is also very well hidden. They built a deep, nuclear-style bunker for the operation. Something like that never happened before, and it’s confirming our data.
Oris turned to me and asked, “What do you think, Fuvo?”
I replied, “Your highness, this is a very serious problem. The new threat is dangerous and real. I have in my possession a complementary report made by my services. Your Highness, the First Citizens are the real commanders of the new weapon.”
Oris spoke with me in a very friendly and funny way, as he usually does. “Yes, Fuvo, you didn’t have to consult with your services. The First Citizens run the country, my friend. Their government with their opportunistic politicians only knows begging, begging for attention from their people. But more importantly, begging for attention from the First Citizens to keep them in power and to keep financing their no sense political campaigns. I despise them, as they are, in fact, the worst of us, Fuvo. Never has a politician done any good. They are creatures without souls, flatterers of the idiots, banned forever from my empire. Although…, who is this unknown Chief of the Armies, Konu? And how big is his role in the operation?”
Tonias replied, “Your highness, Konu, until recently, was a complete unknown colonel. He is by far not an existential threat to our empire or anyone, because, and let’s say it frankly, he is a “nobody” in the army. The orders of his nomination came straight from the First Citizens, as no decent general would risk world peace for their new weapon. So, they chose an opportunistic colonel from the General Affairs office. I can even compare him with the politicians or worst, as he excels in flattering the First Citizens. He is a little man who will not hesitate to kiss their feet for an extra star, and ironically, for a badge of honor, too – even if that means starting a world war. Your highness, to be honest, my focus now is on the computer. It is the real existential threat. I’m afraid that it will generate a god-like being, and this being will be all-powerful and most importantly, conscious. Your highness, I wisely request a preventative strike, now!”
“You wisely request?”
“Your highness, I meant… through your…”
“Tonias, is it wise to bring a god and use it against our enemies?”
“Anyone or anything that could give us the upper hand is welcome.”
“Then you are even more stupid and foolish than the First Citizens. If a higher being came to exist somehow, he would destroy everything and everyone without caring. He would not defend or become an ally, or even try to understand our miserable world. He would step on this world just like we step on the ants’ world – with a total disregard. That is because he would bring his own reality. He would not live in ours, just like we don’t live in the ants’ reality. The First Citizens are fantasizing and dreaming that their new god will protect them through his infinite wisdom, just like we protect our favorite species and care about our pets. That is a childish, naïve way of thinking. Yes, we do protect and care about some other species, but only after we finish the nuclear tests on their islands and oceans, mass murdering them by the millions like they meant nothing to us. And that is because our reality dictates that.
“I can see your perplexed face, as maybe you meant or wanted to argue that this new god will be so much of a sage that he will indeed care about them, or even care about all of us. He will resolve all our problems just by being a super-nice God, incapable of hate or doing harm. Therefore, he will have to reason with us, try to convince us that we must live in peace and harmony, enlighten us with the ways of the virtues, inspire us with his magnificent way of being, so we could copy or try to copy him, to be like him – magnificent.
“Reasoning with an unreasonable creature like us would be unwise for a god, just like we don’t reason with the chimps when they start a fight over some fruit at the zoo. Therefore, an unwise god is not actually a god. Knowing all of that, I doubt there will be any god, but maybe here and now, something is hidden from my sight. Therefore, we can’t take a risk. We must strike preventively and neutralize them.
“Tonias, mobilize the army for a full-scale, nuclear strike simulation. Prepare the scenarios for an urgent, top-security meeting. Make sure that the First Citizens know that we are preparing a full attack on thei
r capital, and we would be delighted to kill and torture them and their families without a gram of mercy, and their women and children will be the special guests for the Women Tournaments.
“Fuvo, mobilize the population for a full invasion of the Amians’ territories. You have my green light for a larger-than-life patriotic campaign over all the medias. They are our second shot in case we miss with the strike. The First Citizens will then have to deal with billions of humans with torches, ready to burn the world down for their emperor, the Royal Family, and the Empire. How wise is that, Tonias…?”
That night I thought that Oris excelled, and all my efforts paid off. Watching how sure he was about the situation, how wise and strong were his opinions, made me feel proud. I am writing these events in my second book, so one day, hopefully, the world will follow our way, the Rotanios way.
Only a strong and wise leader will prevail and rule the world.
Chapter 9
The Quantum World
“The spiritual bound formed between two beings can fundamentally change the physical world.”
