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[The information for this chapter came from the files of Ambassador Moroforon, Slindo Merofort and Paula Wilson. As the latter was viewing the day as a semi-independent observer, I have decided to use her perspective for most of it, rather than head-hop. RBB]
I was a little surprised when Perfect asked me to accompany her to the meeting with the Ambassador and her team. Again, she was putting her need for a secretary in front of my actual purpose as her biographer. Nevertheless, it promised to be an important day in creating some of the criteria for implementation of Federation membership. I was going to learn what the costs and benefits might be for the world.
The room was luxurious and comfortable. In attendance was the Ambassador, Yol Merofort, Ya Mistorn, and Yol Herodeen, plus me, of course and Perfect.
We were offered drinks and I decided to stick to a rather lovely fruit juice I’d discovered. The others all took drindle, which I understood to be a low-alcohol distilled drink taken with water in varying quantities. Perfect flooded hers in comparison with Yol Merofort who did no more than show his glass the water flask.
The Ambassador spoke first after the pleasantries were out of the way, ‘Ya Okafor, are we able to speak plainly and off-the-record?’
‘Yes, but I’ve asked Paula to keep notes, so not completely off the record. I’ll hold them in my personal files, though,’ said Perfect.
‘Okay. First name terms. I’m Garincha, and this is Slindo, Heldy up there and Bod sitting next to you. Is that all right, Perfect? We want to be able to be frank with each other and explore possibilities.’
‘That’s fine, Garincha. What’s on your minds?’
‘The Federation is offering your world the chance to become a world of true equality, with the poorest people in your own country of Nigeria being better off than the current poorest in the richer so-called western countries. Almost immediately they will see their incomes grow until all people have the same income. Naturally, as part of this, the people with inflated wealth will find it eroded to put them on the same level as all of the ordinary people. Slindo, list the other main features.’
The powder blue ape shifted himself in his easy chair. A small secradarve globe materialised in front of him and instantly misted up. He studied it and said, ‘All production in the world will be mechanised and, within certain limits, anyone can have whatever they wish. Each person will be asked to give a percentage of their time to work on jobs which will be less easy for our machines to handle until we have become familiar with your industries and institutions. It will take time to refine machines to deal with Earth-specific functions. Initially, until machines can be designed or modified to carry out all of your production, those who work in such areas will be expected to assist Federation engineers as part of their community service.
‘All health costs will be covered by the Federation. Everyone will have a home and the selection will improve as time goes by. Initially you will need many millions of prefabricated homes, which will gradually be upgraded.
‘The Federation has some wonderful education bots who can esponge into people’s minds everything from quantum physics to studies of the arts. The whole world will speak Galactic Standard and any number of your own languages. All transport is autonomous. You will have starships and ultra-speed shuttles, similar to Garincha’s. Immediate help will be given for natural disasters and your people will be welcomed throughout the known galaxy.’
‘Yes, I think I am aware of most of what you say, Slindo,’ said Perfect.
‘What we can’t understand,’ said Garincha, ‘is why some of your leaders seem suspicious of the Federation and, in a few cases, actually hostile to some aspects. We cannot have hugely wealthy individuals on Earth, they must be prepared to adjust. We cannot have countries refusing entry to people who want to travel or live in them. Yet these seem to the be aspects which most upset some of your leaders.’
‘And the religion thing,’ said Heldy from the terasco, where she caressed a tinkling melody which spiralled into uneasy discordant notes.
‘Yes,’ said Bod, ‘Peoples seem divided into religious groupings which sit uncomfortably with each other. We’ve noticed that on this trip with Yol Mahmood, Yol Ahmadi, and even Ya Eze from your own country, Perfect.’
‘Yes, Miriam Eze is a Muslim. We also have a lot of Christians in Nigeria. I suppose it would be fair to say that the bulk of our population have strong religious views. We have some fanatical Islamists in the north of our country too,’ said Perfect.
‘Violence and segregation cannot be tolerated,’ said Garincha.
‘Religion is a very sensitive issue. Around the world, we don’t just have Muslims and Christians, but there are factions of both. We have Shiite and Sunni Muslims, Catholic and Protestant Christians, Hindu, Buddhist, traditional Chinese and I could easily name a dozen smaller religions. In addition to that, there are a growing number of atheists and agnostics. Religious freedom is essential. Earth will not change the right of people to follow their own choice of religion,’ said Perfect.
‘No!’ said Garincha, ‘No, no, no. Anyone can follow any religion they choose, but it must not lead to segregation or interdenominational conflict or violence.’
‘I’m relieved to hear that as it would likely be a red line for the Earth.’
‘But, Perfect,’ said Slindo ‘We are getting reports of wars and smaller conflicts between the Sunnis and Shiites. It would have to stop.’
‘It would be difficult to achieve that, and segregation might be a required early step. Keep them apart,’ said Perfect.
‘No, that never works,’ said Garincha. ‘If a Shiite family wants to live next door to a Sunni family, it must be supported and,’ she looked at Heldy, ‘what’s that marriage thing in the big democracy?’
‘Marriage between Hindus and Muslims in India,’ said Heldy, providing a low, accompanying background of depressing bass chords on the terasco.
‘And the girls in the same country,’ said Garincha.
‘Yes,’ said Heldy, ‘girls in India and parts of Africa, including your own country, are submitted to forced sexual intercourse and marriage before they are fully adult.’
‘All of that will need to be addressed,’ said Garincha.
‘How will this be managed on Earth?’ asked Perfect. ‘You must have encountered it before.’
‘Yes, we have but not in such numbers,’ said Slindo. ‘Police bots manage the situation and keep people apart if they are aggressive. It’s not tolerated, and each party involved will find their afeds reduced. Where actual violence, or even unpleasantness, occurs then a prison sentence will be imposed. A day in stasis is a very convincing deterrent.’
‘As part of membership, every human will have a charter of rights and proscriptions and these rules will be made very clear,’ said Garincha.
‘What sort of prison sentences will apply?’ asked Perfect.
‘A soft approach is always used first. A day in stasis, increasing as required,’ said Bod.
‘What is stasis like?’
‘The person’s body is made inactive and they’re given the task of reading something which is relevant to their crime. Meanwhile, they can see life continuing all around them. Being in stasis is unpleasant as every square centimetre of the body is squeezed. Not a nice sensation. Would you like to experience it?’ asked Slindo.
‘Yes. But not right now.’
‘The stasis field works muscles to maintain fitness and a liquid diet provides exactly the right number of calories,’ said Slindo.
‘So, you think you can overcome the religious tension in the world?’
‘Certainly, but it’ll need the help of the leaders,’ said Garincha, ‘and that’s what worries us.’
‘Why is Yol Spence so against everything he’s been shown? Can you help us ease his fears?’ asked Slindo.
‘The United States of America is all about enterprise and business. Most of the world’s billionaires are from the US. It’s totally ingrained in the country’s ethos to make money. In addition, they’ve some strange views on poverty, health and education. If you’re poor, you get the worst education and health treatment. This means that the rich get richer and the poor, although improving at a crawl, remain poor,’ said Perfect.
‘Yes. Ja Ruud, one of our diplomatic team, travelling with Yol Spence, says that he gives the impression that he’d rather grind someone into the ground than help them to their feet. We’ve also heard his views on health,’ said Slindo.
‘America is a land of opportunity, as well, though,’ said Perfect. ‘Anyone, no matter how poor, is able to become rich through hard work, good ideas, and a modicum of luck.’
‘He’ll dislike the Federation because it stands against all of these American aspirations, then?’ said Bod.
‘I fear so,’ said Perfect. ‘How do we overcome it?’
‘Not easy,’ said Slindo. ‘We can impose our system, but that’s never been successful in the past. The best way would be to explain the Federation to the population of all countries and allow them to make a decision to join. Far better than imposing anything.’
‘How can I help?’ said Perfect.
‘We need to whittle down the chain of command on Earth to a single group of five or six individuals,’ said Garincha. ‘Could we ask each of the other leaders and their countries to give their allegiance to one of the permanent security council members? That way we’d only be dealing with the French, British, Chinese, Russians, and Americans.’
‘No. That wouldn’t work,’ said Perfect. ‘Perhaps France and Britain could combine as they are both European, but that leaves India, the eastern island nations like Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan and so on, the Middle-Eastern Islamic countries, Africa and South America. And that would only work if Australasia and Canada cooperate.’
‘We’ll need to think on this further. The bigger the committee, the more difficult it is to get agreements implemented. Thank you so much for your help, Perfect,’ said Garincha, and the meeting was over.