| |
[President’s meeting pieced together from the secret White House intranet and Bob Nixon’s autobiography. Prime Minister’s telephone call from official Downing Street recordings. Remainder from the Secretary General’s notes. RBB]
‘Well, what did you expect, Jack?’ said the President’s brother-in-law as they, Bob Nixon, and the President’s sister walked from the Roosevelt Room into the Oval Office.
‘It seems as if no one is interested in anything but themselves,’ said the President.
‘And you expected them not to be?’ asked Helen Bond.
‘I did warn you, Mr President,’ said the chief of staff.
‘But the hostility...’
‘Not really surprising,’ said Mike Bond.
‘Here we are, with an opportunity to rid the world of poverty and rid the world of the need to work endless hours. We’ll have interstellar travel and be able to do anything we ever wanted with our lives,’ said the President.
‘But your friends will be worse off,’ said Mike.
‘I know, but in such a noble cause. How could they be so self-centred? I’m shocked.’
‘Do you want me to cancel tomorrow’s meeting, sir?’ asked Bob.
‘No. No, leave me to think about it. Helen, Mike, do you feel the same as the others?’
‘Jack, it’s only natural. We’ve all built up personal fortunes and you are suggesting we throw it away for a future life on a pittance, probably losing our homes and lifestyle in the process,’ said Mike.
‘Helen? Do you feel like that?’
‘Sorry, Jack. We’ll live with it if it happens, but you can hardly expect us to welcome such a change,’ said Helen.
‘Okay. You’d better leave me. Bob, call the VP in. We need to give this some more thought.’
Mike and the President shook hands, ‘Don’t envy you your problem, Jack,’ said Mike.
Helen kissed and hugged her brother and left the Oval Office.
Jack Spence sat in one of the easy chairs towards the back of the room. Bob Nixon sat quietly with him while they waited for John Slimbridge, the Vice President, to join them.
‘Nancy!’ shouted the President.
His secretary opened the door from her office and looked querulously at the two men, ‘Yes, Mr President.’
‘John’s joining us. Coffee for three, please... oh, and some of those amaretto biscuits you keep hiding from me.’
‘Yes, Mr President. You know I’ll have to tell the dietician?’ she said and laughed.
The corridor door opened, and the VP entered. Tall, distinguished, with black-rimmed spectacles, neat swept-back greying hair, and wearing a slick pin-striped suit.
‘Did you watch the video, John?’ asked the President.
‘Yes, sir.’
‘What did you think?’
‘I smell a rat. It’s all too good to be true,’ he said with his soft Boston accent.
‘I thought so, too, at first, but I was actually on these worlds. I saw how it worked. No poverty, everyone happy. They don’t have wars and even domestic violence is rare. It was as good as it looks!’ said the President.
‘I don’t think you’ll have much trouble selling it to the average Joe, but any businessman or wealthy industrialist is going to be horrified. How’re you going to convince them – this group we’re seeing tomorrow? Are you expecting their support? You won’t get it!’
‘No. It’s starting to look like that. Any ideas? What about you, Bob? You know you can speak freely with us.’
‘Mr President, in my opinion, the only way you will get their support is if you take them on a similar trip with you. When you called me at the end of that second day, you were so against it, I didn’t think you’d last the week. Now, you’ve come back full of the highest praise for the Federation.’
‘Yes. I woke up to the reality. Damn it, what do I do?’
‘Sir,’ said the VP. ‘Cancel the meeting. Let’s you and I go to see the Ambassador and talk it through with her. Maybe she’ll have some ideas.’
The President looked at his Chief of Staff, who nodded.
‘Okay. Bob, cancel the meeting... tell them something came up and we’ll hold it another day. John, I’ll try to get to see the Ambassador later this afternoon. You okay with that?’
‘Of course, Mr President. Just tell me when.’
««o»»
‘Just a moment, Madame Secretary General, I’ll put you through to the Prime Minister,’ said the secretary at Number Ten.
A few seconds passed.
‘Perfect, how are you?’ Prime Minister Hood said in Galactic Standard.
‘Ha ha, Ken, you’ve got the habit too! I think we’re all finding we’re dropping into it amongst ourselves.’
‘How can I help you?’
‘Just wanted to let you know the Ambassador did agree to keeping the entire General Assembly,’ said the Secretary General.
‘Right, thanks, but I think there might be bigger problems.’
‘Fire away, Ken.’
‘There are going to be legal complications.’
‘How’d you mean?’
‘Each country is going to be handing over its law, order, and security to the Federation. Britain doesn’t have a constitution so we can get around any problem with an act of parliament. Most countries will have legal problems, especially dissolving their military, taking arms away from their citizens, opening up free border crossings. All of this is going to be problematical to a greater or lesser degree throughout the world.’
‘Yes, I see the point.’
‘And it’s not just that, I’ve been discussing it with senior colleagues and there is huge resistance to having their incomes and personal wealth reduced. I really don’t know how we’re going to get around it. I’m convinced, but I was on the excursion to other worlds. We might need to extend that to include senior people in each nation.’
‘It might be possible.’
‘I think it’ll be essential. There’s no problem selling this to the population at large. The income figure of about thirty thousand is okay, but the great landowners and industrialists will not be so easy.’
‘Did your colleagues not see the upside? The effect on world poverty etcetera.’
‘Yes, but personal self-interest is far more important to them. Frankly, Perfect, I was shocked and am not sure how to proceed. Perhaps the video needs to be broadcast to everyone, but even that wasn’t enough for my group.’
‘Ken, I’ll go back to the others and see if they’re getting the same vibes. I’ll get back to you.’
‘Thanks, Perfect, but make it soon.’
‘I will, Ken,’ she said and hung up.
««o»»
Perfect Okafor encountered the same response from each of the Security Council members and then contacted the other leaders who had been offered spots on the excursion.
They, too, had reservations, but those from poorer countries like Bangladesh and most African nations were less concerned about the shock to more wealthy individuals and were welcoming the chance of joining the Federation.
At a later meeting with the Ambassador, Perfect discovered that they’d be happy to take more individuals on shorter guided visits, perhaps to Arlucian and one other nearby planet to keep delays to a minimum.
Perfect was to provide lists of names and four starships would be made available. The Federation certainly seemed to be prepared to go the extra mile in making sure we were welcomed into the fold.