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Book 3: Chapter 52: Waiting
Book 3: Chapter 52: Waiting
Book 3: Chapter 52: Waiting
Riker
February 2252
Sol
“Well, that’s it, Will. They’re now completely dependent on us.”
I turned to look at Charles, slumped in his chair. The weariness was psychological, of course. VR avatars didn’t get tired, unless we wanted to. But if ever there was a reason to just give up, even for a few moments, this was it.
The report had just come in, and was sitting in my holotank. The last viable large-scale farming operation had failed. Almost complete loss of the crop, not nearly enough saved to make up seed stock for the next year, even if nothing was allocated to consumption.
“Right.” I sighed. “So, do we reallocate our dwindling supply of metal to make more farming donuts to keep them fed?”
“Or more colony ships to get them off-planet?” Charles knew the routine, and slid smoothly into the mantra.
“Or stasis pods to put some people on ice to reduce the pressure on supplies?” I finished the litany without emotion.
It was old news. Geometric progression sounded great on paper, but it assumed you had infinite resources to draw upon, and no external pressures. The reality was less forgiving.“So, what now, Will?”
“Well, the good news, if you can call it that, is that without any more farming requirements, we can start moving enclaves underground.”
“Yeehah.”
“This will be a fun session. You want to join?”
Charles shook his head. “Not even on a bet. Let me know how it goes.” And with that, he popped out.
I grimaced. Yeehah, indeed.
* * *
The UN meeting was quiet, even by recent standards. Everyone present understood that the event, although small in itself, represented a watershed moment for humanity.
Minister Sabrina Scott currently had the floor. She gazed into the camera for a moment. “Mr. Riker has provided his projections based on each option moving forward. None are attractive. All have risks. We face some hard choices over the next several sessions, and we no longer have the luxury of interminable debate. I am therefore going to ask for a non-binding vote at the end of each and every session. The first time that we get more than fifty percent for one of the options, I will move for a binding vote.”
Scott relinquished the floor, and I noted that it was several seconds before anyone asked to be recognized. In the old days, it would have been a free-for-all. ????B??
Not for the first time, especially recently, I recognized a feeling of despondency. I would have to get that under control. The last thing they needed was to see me giving up hope.
And there was still the Bellerophon. They had enough material to build stasis pods for every single human being on the planet, once they arrived and we could get our considerable manufacturing capability focused on the task.
The question, of course, would be whether we’d have time to do that before the Others showed up. Assuming they showed up. And if they showed up late to the party, would they be content to just cook the planet and be done? Or would they come after us?
This was a well-worn groove, and I couldn’t afford the time to keep tracing it.
Back to work.