“It means it’s too cold for me to be far from a heater,” Jackson drawled with pretend gloom.
“That’s too bad because you’re coming with me. Remember the last recon I went on in Brazil?”
“You’re right. I’ll bring some coffee,” Jackson retorted, smiling.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence in my recon abilities.”
Jimbo entered the room along with a blast of cold air. “You guys ready to see some wild Alaska?”
* * *
Draven, utilizing to his advantage the information he had received beforehand on each of the ten leaders present, worked his way around the table, appealing to individual egos and eccentricities as he unfolded his plan for control of the world.
“Distinguished guests, you’ve been handpicked to join me in restoring the world after the devasting events of the past month. I ask that this week you all take a more in-depth look at the message you will soon be presented, looking for the opportunity not only for the world but for each of you and the part of the world you represent here today. I hope each of you will be inspired to share my vision of bringing the world to a level of prosperity and peace never before known to mankind.
“I foresee that within the next three months, the globe will be ruled by our centralized government, which will consist of ten regions ruled with semi-autonomy by a regional ambassador, or king, if you will. If you accept my plan, each of you will be made the ruler of your own area of the world—under my authority, of course.
“I call this plan Project Babylon. I chose the name Babylon since it was one of the most advanced civilizations the world has ever known. Throughout history, Babylon has been written about with awe and reverence, a history that we will recapture as we inspire the world within this new era for humanity. It is a project in the sense that it will take dedication and a rigorous process that we will define this week. The conclusion of our venture, once fully manifested, will bring the world under one government,” Draven said, pausing briefly in an attempt to detect any resentment among the world’s most powerful political leaders who were seated around the large conference table.
Intentionally choosing his first pawn by playing on the former U.N. secretary-general Maximilian Aguilar’s sense of pride, Draven began to paint a picture for Aguilar of power beyond his wildest dreams. “Maximilian Aguilar, please stand,” he said, and the group watched a hesitant Aguilar rise to his feet and move away from his seat at the table to stand in front of Draven. “My dear friend, you graciously paved the way for my ascension, stepping down from a seat of power, when most men would not have done so. You are a man of destiny who sees the potential of lasting peace and prosperity my leadership represents. Therefore upon the establishment of our universal government, you will be the first named U.E. Regional Ambassador. I bestow upon you the title Ambassador to the Unified South American Nations, which will include all of Central and South America.”
“Sir, I am at a loss for words.” Aguilar fell to his knees and praised Draven without hesitation.
Draven made no attempt to stop the overly emotional response from Aguilar. He merely began walking around the conference room, bestowing similar titles on the leaders present, listing the regions and countries that would be under the rule of each ambassador, flawlessly reciting all the information by memory. He enhanced his control over the influential group by conferring each of the titles in the future ambassador’s native language, down to each person’s unique dialect. Before long, the appointed ambassadors were bursting with pride, just as Draven’s spiritual guide had predicted.
He continued in a magnanimous tone, saying, “The Unified African Nations will consist of all the nations on the African continent and the island of Madagascar, led by the representative here from Nigeria. The Unified Russian Nations, led by the representative here from Russia, include Russia, Mongolia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Turkey.
“The Unified Asian Nations are comprised of China, Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula, Japan, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines, led by the representative here from China. The Unified Indian Nations, led by the representative here from India, include Sri Lanka, all Indian Ocean islands, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. The Unified Nordic Nations will be led by the representative from Denmark and will include Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Greenland, Finland, and Iceland. The Unified European Nations, led by the representative from Germany, include Germany, France, Switzerland, all Central and Eastern European nations, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Greece. The Unified British Commonwealth Nations, led by the representative here from Great Britain, include the United Kingdom, Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, Ireland, and all Atlantic Ocean islands.
“The Unified Arabian Nations will be led by me,” Draven said in Arabic. “My region will be unique, as it will hold the world seat of power in a location yet to be disclosed and include Israel, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Iran, and the entire Saudi Arabian Peninsula.”
Draven made a grand show of concluding his announcements of future titles and holdings for the exuberant room of leaders, coming to stand near the seat of the American president. He spoke in English once again. “President Rodgers, please stand.”
Gabriella watched nervously as President Rodgers casually stood and buttoned his suit jacket, much less animated than his peers before him.
“Last and certainly not least, President Rodgers, the esteemed leader of these United States of America. I know you’re a man that cares deeply about his country and ensuring your legacy as a great American president. You have been such a tremendous example of leadership for the world during your many years of global service. I was truly touched by your sentiment of hospitality upon my ascension to the world stage. It is with great honor and pride that I bestow upon you the title of Ambassador of the Unified American Nations, which include the United States of America, Canada, Mexico, all the Caribbean islands and the remaining Pacific islands.” Smiling broadly, Draven delivered this pronouncement as though conferring an incredible honor.
“I am speechless,” Rodgers stated flatly, quickly lowering his eyes to prevent Draven from seeing how revolted he was by the man. He hoped the schemer interpreted his minimal response as the result of being thunderstruck instead of the disdain he was trying so hard to mask.
President Rodgers was glad that Gabriella had “supplied” Draven with his idiosyncrasies being pride and love of country. It allowed him to better maneuver in his understanding of Project Babylon.
“Your silence is expected. There is no need to say anything. It is quite apparent that you are overcome by the honor I have bestowed upon you,” Draven said silkily, gesturing for President Rodgers to be seated before concluding with the same chilling words he had spoken to each leader before him. “Your service is to me. You will do as I ask to ensure peace for all.”
President Rodgers did not respond, but Draven seemed satisfied that the American president was so overcome with emotion that he couldn’t acknowledge him.
Gabriella felt distant from the meeting, more like an observer looking through a two-way mirror than one seated in the conference room. She noticed that President Rodgers seemed agitated and more cognizant than the other leaders sitting around the table. She only hoped he was not being drawn in by Draven’s pomp and circumstance.
* * *
Jackson felt a lump of pain rising to his throat as he took in the commanding view of untouched Alaskan wilderness beauty high above the secret nuclear missile base. He knew his wife Sarah would have loved the endless expanse of snow-capped peaks and sprawling forest. He prayed he would see her face again someday.
“Awesome view, right, Jackson?” Christopher pointed out.
“You called it,” Jackson replied.
“Yeah, this is my favorite vantage point of the base,” Jimbo said, handing out two pairs of high-pow
ered binoculars. “Okay, so as you guys can see, the base is located in a U-shaped valley right at the base of this mountain. There…” he pointed to the snow-covered main road, “…is the only way vehicles can enter the base’s footprint. As you probably remember, the road deadends at the helipad ten miles southeast of here. What you didn’t see or know is, the road is surveilled every hundred meters by cameras and infrasound equipment, meaning we know if something is coming. In addition, antipersonnel and tank mines are placed at selected points along the road.”
“Wow, that seems a little aggressive for one road,” Christopher stated.
Jimbo replied, “Well, think about what this base holds and our purpose here.”
“What about the boundaries for this place?” Jackson asked.
“The helipad marks the southern boundary, protected and hidden by the ridgeline of that granite mountain you see in the distance. Over there…” Jimbo pointed to the west, “…is a 100-mile-long glacier-fed river that eventually dumps into the ocean. We monitor the shore on both sides via motion-activated cameras and laser fields over sixty kilometers both directions of flow. To the east, about twenty kilometers out, you will see a line of black spruce trees that serve as the eastern boundary, guarded by a series of motion-detecting sensors, infrasound detectors, and laser fields placed randomly through the trees. Finally, the plateau we’re standing on makes up the northern border of the base, extending another fifteen kilometers north from here. It’s marked by the mountain range you see, which continues deep into the heart of Alaska and is protected by the same technologies as the other borders. The bottom line, gentlemen, is that it would be nearly impossible to find this place or get here without us knowing.”
“I am impressed by the security and the remoteness. I just hope you’re right about no one being able to get here,” Christopher said grimly.
Jackson spoke up, a look of concern on this face. “The one big error in picking this place that I can see is where we are standing. I mean, the base sits in a large U-shaped bowl. A few explosive charges in the right place could bring this entire mountain down on the launch areas.” He pointed to the towering solid granite mountain face looming over the base below.
“You’re right, Jackson,” replied the chief master sergeant. “But the location and the weakness you highlight are why the base was built here.”
“What do you mean?” Jackson queried, apparently puzzled.
“When the ICBMs launch, the heat and vibration from the launches will break this mountain apart and bury this base, thus hiding the fact that it ever existed. We can remotely deploy the missiles once we are given the launch command by the president,” Jimbo explained.
“I got it. That makes sense,” Jackson agreed, both surprised and relieved.
“I just hope we don’t have to find out if the design works,” Christopher said quietly.
* * *
Rodgers had been silently praying for strength to resist Draven’s manipulation as he watched leader after leader blindly falling into the pit of an unknown future with the ravenous wolf named Draven, despite his portrayal of himself as a sheep. He was grateful that God had protected him and allowed him to seem disingenuous to Draven thus far. Now he just needed to discover all he could about Project Babylon, as he was convinced Draven Cross had to be stopped at all costs.
“It is an honor to be counted as one of the world’s top leaders and to have the opportunity to hear firsthand your plan for ushering in this era of world peace you’ve described. However, I think we all would like to hear further details on how you plan to do that, Mr. Secretary-General,” President Rodgers remarked carefully.
Thankfully Draven assumed the American president’s insistence on hearing the details of Project Babylon to be his agreement to serve him.
“Such enthusiasm from our most distinguished leader! Well, ladies and gentlemen, let me elaborate on what I aim to accomplish this week with you all. By the end of the week, the path to universal peace will be solid…and well funded,” Draven said with a smile, drawing laughter from all those present in the room, except Gabriella and President Rodgers.
As the Project Babylon presentation she had seen days ago was brought up on a giant video screen, Gabriella met Rodgers’s eyes as he gave her a reassuring smile. She breathed a sigh of relief that he had played his role well enough that Draven appeared to believe he was a loyal supporter of whatever was coming.
Draven stood, confident that he had in the palm of his hand the nine most influential world leaders, poised to serve him in his one-world government. It was in this moment of prideful reflection that the heavy feeling came to his mind, indicating that the Prince of This World was about to speak to him.
“You’ve won their prideful hearts. Now bind them to the plan with economics and religion,” the Prince said in Draven’s heart.
“The primary task for the remainder of this week will be building the process to achieve a single global economy, driven by one currency. My vision is to one day move to a cashless society based on the single currency, but first things first,” Draven asserted, bringing up an infographic that outlined his economic plan. “As you can see, the disappearances have forced the international financial system into a recession. The estimates of damage caused by this event are nearing tens of trillions of U.S. dollars. My economic plan will eliminate foreign exchange transactions and hedging costs, and a single currency will reinvigorate stalled world trade and improve the efficiency of global capital allocation, which for too long has resided with only a few nations in this room. The near-term benefit will be a fast allocation of resources the world needs to rebuild, thus speeding up the global recovery process.
“We will move to three currencies initially and transition to a single currency over the next three months to prevent economic panic. China’s yuan will be the currency for Asia, including Russia, the Indian subcontinent, the Indian Ocean islands, and Australia and Oceania. The euro will be the currency of choice for Europe and the African continent. Finally, the United States dollar will be the currency for all of North, Central, and South America,” Draven finished.
All of the ambassadors except Rodgers applauded the economic plan. The American president knew he had to voice his displeasure, and his mind raced as he strove to speak in a manner that wouldn’t raise Cross’s suspicions.
“If I may make a comment, Mr. Secetary-General?” Every eye in the room immediately focused on Rodgers.
“Yes, please,” Draven acknowledged.
“While I do believe there are some significant benefits to the plan you laid out, I have two primary concerns. First, I think it will be a tough sell to get the American people to sign off on moving to one currency if that currency is not the U.S. dollar. A lot is at stake if the dollar is not the reserve currency for the world. Second, what do you plan to do about resistance to forming your one-world government? I mean, that is the only way a single global currency would ever work,” President Rodgers said, trying to keep his voice as meek as possible, hoping Draven would tell him more about his plan to control the world.
“While I think we all appreciate and can see the genuine concern you have for such a bold and aggressive economic plan, I believe your thinking highlights why the world craves a one-world government. While it is understandable up until today, your entire focus is only on the American people,” Draven responded, unspoken censure in his tone.
“You’re absolutely right, and it always will be in some shape or form,” President Rodgers returned, interrupting Draven.
“Yes, I can see your passion. As I was saying, for too long the world has revolved around the political, cultural, and economic policies of the United States of America. A one-world government will ensure that everyone in the world has a voice in government. The buying power for citizens in the poorest nations will be the same as in your great nation, Mr. President,” Draven replied forcefully, only to be cut off once again by President Rodgers.
“At what cost, Secretary-Gen
eral?”
“The cost. That answer gets to the heart of your secondary concern. In any revolution or dramatic paradigm shift, sacrifices will need to be made. Based on the support I’ve received thus far in this room, I don’t anticipate much resistance. I see the job of each of you in this summit, who have sworn allegiance to me and this plan, is to leave here this week prepared to carry forth our shared goals. If need be, President Rodgers, threats to global peace will be isolated and eliminated. Does that answer your concerns?” Draven intoned icily, which spoke volumes.
“Yes, sir, it does. I believe everything is crystal clear now,” President Rodgers replied quietly, working hard to keep his face neutral, knowing he mustn’t tip his hand.
“Excellent. America is a vital element in the world to come,” Draven responded, seemingly assured of the American president’s cooperation.
President Rodgers avoided Gabriella’s eyes. She didn’t know what to make of the economic plan or the president’s body language. She was looking forward to the end of the day so the two of them could communicate over the quantum devices.
* * *
Jackson was enjoying the postcard-worthy scenery as he rode back down the mountain with the chief master sergeant and the major. His heart was focused on living out whatever time he had left on Earth in a way that was pleasing to God. He had found such joy and peace in his daily study of the Bible and Rev’s journal. He prayed multiple times a day for Christopher to come to salvation before it was too late, and with Gabriella now working for a man he considered to be the Antichrist, Jackson prayed she would also come to have a relationship with Jesus Christ sooner rather than later.
“Hey, you guys mind me asking you a question?” Jimbo queried as he drove the lumbering SUSV back down to the base.
“Go for it,” Major Barrett responded.
Chief Master Sergeant Petty said, “What do you guys think happened last month? I know what the new secretary-general has the world believing, but do you guys agree or what?”
Rapture Advent of the Last Days Page 22
