c. 2024 Rod Ice
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(9-24)
As Kelly Strafe approached the eastern coastline of North America, a barrage of rockets began to appear from distant shores, and installations across Calimex. Prime Keeper Gardino had been too impatient to wait for signs of an attack, and launched munitions from his arsenal preemptively, in a massive strike. The missiles were tipped with a variety of deadly payloads. Some carried radioactive material, while others had been equipped with chemical agents. Yet none of these formidable creations could rise high enough above Planet Earth to pose a threat to the Ibid craft. They were guided poorly, and slow by comparison to the technology of engineers from Mars.
Instead, the autocratic ruler reopened old wounds for his homeworld, and himself.
Damage to the fragile ecosystem was almost immediate. As explosions occurred around the continental middle, new winds were stirred. The cycle of storm activity that had become familiar to survivors of the Great Uprising intensified. It was as if Mother Nature had been enraged by this careless display of arrogance.
Strafe sat at her control panel, trying to analyze data streaming in from the ship’s array of sensors. She saw bright flashes randomly scar the landscape, below. A few of the lethal projectiles simply fell backward to their point of origin. This caused havoc in the isolated, Pacific kingdom. Communications chatter soon filled the airwaves, with lively descriptions of the ensuing chaos. Blame for these accidents was officially redirected through the use of real-time propaganda, with charges of an invading force having surrounded their territory. But citizens who lived in the region must have known better.
On the Red Planet, and elsewhere, mankind had outgrown such despicable habits. Yet here, on the grand, blue sphere of their ancestors, that evolutionary curve had not yet taken place, for everyone.
As a cautionary measure, the former Space Force officer navigated out of orbit, briefly. She steered the Ibid vessel into a slingshot maneuver that crested the Moon, and provided an extra layer of security, during the Calimex barrage. This strategic wrinkle quelled uncertainties about the sophistication of Gardino and his armaments. But it also interrupted her search for Dr. Judson Baines.
This pause coincided with another meeting of the Atlantia congress. Matron Grelda Kohn had called her people to gather again at the great hall. The sky had been crackling overhead with raw energy, loosed by their counterparts on the western fringe. This intentional surge was visible to everyone in the territory. Whispers buzzed around the chamber, as she took her ceremonial place before the group. Her brass gavel tapped at the bench.
“I have no need to speak about the threat we see coming from beyond our woods. Is anyone surprised? We know of the peril that lingers, in distant lands. We reject their worship of imaginary heroes. We believe in the righteous power of simple folk! But now, I have to ask a favor. We need to exhale deeply, and expel someone who does not belong. In a spirit of peace, and grace. Not in anger...”
Porthos Pyle stroked the bald top of his head. He bowed deferentially before offering a comment.
“Who, madam? Who are you naming here, today? Who do you think is out of place?”
The wise crone cupped her chin in one hand, pensively. And sighed with regret.
“We have a stranger among us, and it has not taken long to see what result his presence has wrought. Am I possessed by demons? No indeed, my thoughts have never been sharper. I ask you, all of you, to consider our course. What may we do, as the skies darken with smoke and ash? We are not fighters. We do not make war. A century ago, those evil passions nearly caused our race to be extinct. So, I challenge you to find another way. Let us move to harden our resolve. But also, to act with wisdom, and courage...”
Baines stiffened as every eye turned on him, for a point of focus.
“Okay, I get it. You think I broke some kind of seal between the worlds, by coming here?”
Kohn brushed the long, gray strands away from her face. She did not smile upon her duty.
“Tell me how else to make this community safe, and I will do it...”
The university professor struggled to form a coherent reply.
“You’ve had overtures from the other states, before, right? And you gave them a hard pass. That coastal district is an entire continent away. They couldn’t amass the armies needed to invade your territory. Maybe they’ve climbed the societal ladder a few rungs higher, but not far enough to march across the land between there and here. What you see is a shell game, or a puppet show. They’re trying to look tough, and hope someone is impressed. Are you impressed?”
The Atlantia matron shook her head, with a sad expression.
“I am concerned, sir. Concerned, as a mother caring for her brood. Everyone you see in this hall depends on our cooperation. As do I, and all of my relatives. We live in this realm peacefully. I won’t sacrifice our purity to be expedient. It matters that we cling to the goodness of living as sisters and brothers. Helping one another, healing the sick, uplifting the weak, caring for the disabled. To take up swords against our enemies would be to misunderstand what it means to be present on this stone, circling the sun. Our fate is their fate. Everyone is connected. If they are blind, then we must educate them to their own delusions. We already know where doing battle with enemies will lead us, ultimately. We see it in the graveyards of our ancestors...”
Baines felt a chill run through his body.
“So, that’s your plan? Hunker down in the forest, and hold your breath? That’s it?”
Kohn closed her eyes, thoughtfully.
“If you like. I believe that you already know what aggression will precipitate. How do people behave where you come from, sir? Have they learned the lessons that this rock can teach? Do they know how not to kill each other?”
The geek scholar winced with guilt. He had been put into checkmate by a master of chess.
“Yes, they have...”
The exalted figure stood up suddenly, and smoothed her hemp robe.
“Then I must bid you goodbye, friend. Be well. Be well, and safe!”
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