End of the Beginning: Chapters 30 & 31
Chapter 30: October 18th
The Pearl River Delta, Southern China 2pm (2am in Washington)
President Hufang sat on a low stool, surrounded by a large group of rice farmers. Zhaohui had asked him to tour the south, showing that he was with the people and using the power of his presence to help push forward the changes that were needed.
“You will be like Chairman Mao meeting with the peasants” she had said excitedly; an excitement that he did not fully share. As the sweat slid down his back, and he worked at looking calm and President-like on the uncomfortable stool, he knew that he would much rather be having a a policy discussion back in Beijing. He was at home with his native Mandarin and Shanghainese, as well as his adopted English, but less fluent in Cantonese. He had to think a little before forming each sentence and listen with an extra bit of care. He reminded himself to relax his body a bit more and smile a bit, while hoping that he did not resemble some bad actor.
Think Mao.
“Thankyou comrades for inviting me here. It’s been my pleasure to spend the morning with you and enjoy the hearty delicious food. We must always remember that we come from the land, and that the reforms that have allowed China to reestablish its rightful place in the world started on the land. Without the great strides that we have made in food production the whole reform program would not have been possible. In the same way that the land has been central to the reform program, the land will be central to the reforms needed to combat climate change. You have all felt the summers become hotter and hotter, and have noticed the slow rise of the sea. If we do not change our ways these things will accelerate, with the and being ravaged by drought and taken by the rising seas.” He stopped for a few moments, to allow his message to sink in and was rewarded with the nodding of heads.
“Across the whole of our great nation we are making great strides in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and after many years of work between farmers such as yourselves and our scientists, the rice paddies can be an example to the rest of the nation. The mix of new rice varieties and farming methods can reduce emissions by more than half. This is a truly remarkable achievement, one that China can be proud of and can share with the world. An achievement that a son of this village has been very much a part of!”
He patted the young man next to him on the back and paused to survey the crowd and give them time to enjoy their pride. “I ask you to become a model for the rest of China, and an example to the rest of the world in how our farmers and scientists can work together to change the world. This is a new era for our great country, to show the world how to be both sustainable and moderately wealthy. To grow, while lessening the depth of our footprints, treading lightly but purposefully.” Hufang paused and affected a thoughtful and solemn pose.
“I would love to spend more time with you, but my schedule is a demanding one that leaves little time for such personal pleasures. So, I must leave you. Thank you again for your great hospitality, and for taking the time out of your day to be with me.” Hufang stood up and spent time on the obligatory handshakes before making his way to the awaiting helicopter.
“You would make a very good western politician, perhaps you should run for U.S. President as well” quipped the U.S. journalist that was accompanying his trip.
“Why would I do that, you already have such a wonderful President?” he replied, conscious that his words may very well find their way onto the world’s media nearly instantaneously.
Athens, Greece 1pm (7am in Washington)
Thomas and Simone relaxed outside the tiny coffee shop that graced a small street only a stone’s throw away from Syntagma Square. It was good to be in the shade of the street, with the temperatures still hovering above 30 degrees in what used to be the start of the descent into cooler temperatures. Instead, the summers had begun to feel like those in North Africa and cooler had become a relative term. The birthplace of democracy had now been pummeled by crises for over two decades, with its descent in the league table of wealth seeming to accelerate once again. Beset by never ending financial crises, forest fires, drought, and the endless stream of refugees. The sounds of yet another political protest resonated from Syntagma Square, deadened enough by the intervening streets to be more like background music than anything threatening.
Simone leaned back languidly as she took a sip of her coffee, before uttering a sigh. The kind of sigh that communicates one thing above all; life is good. The world may be coming apart at the seams, but for Thomas and Simone life was good. The week in Greece had confirmed it. She enjoyed watching him work; his endless fascination and boyish enthusiasm for how things worked, his excitement in trying to explain it to her, and his muscular readiness to go wherever was required. He enjoyed watching her work a room full of self-important people in expensive suits, always ready with the right words to put people at ease while instilling respect. They had enjoyed the past couple of days with just each other, a welcome break from the endless meetings.
Safely out of earshot of others on this quiet street, they felt comfortable talking openly. Simone started, “These demonstrations are like a pantomime put on to keep the poor children entertained while the rich adults continue to run their country. The latest ‘left-wing’ politicians will strut around indignantly only to collapse back into the arms of the financiers, while shouting words of betrayal and defeat. Then another island or port will be given away to foreign creditors. It’s amazing how a country can be taken over if things are done incrementally and indirectly. By now, the average Greek has become accustomed to the fact that this is just the way it is and there is nothing they can do about it. Better to leave for a better life somewhere else if they can.”
“They do make great coffee” Thomas countered “and many of those foreign creditors are really rich Greeks that hid their money abroad tax-free and are now buying things up on the cheap.”
Simone smiled contentedly back at him “you do have a point there.”
A look of superiority crept across Thomas’s face “two points actually.” She decided to ignore his instinctive smart-ass behavior and continued on.
“Just as fast as the Greeks leave, the refugees arrive to replace them. With the temperatures starting to be just like those in North Africa, the refugees may actually feel quite at home. Of course, with the borders closed there is nowhere else for them to go. If you think of the refugee crisis as a Darwinian winnowing process, you could say that Greece are getting the most resourceful and highly motivated refugees; such people that could be very good for the Greek society if given the right chances. Then again, the best of the Greeks are leaving at the same time, so difficult to know what the net balance is. It’s probably bad in the short term, as those leaving take with them their skills, money and social connections. With so many of the refugees desperately trying anything to survive, things could deteriorate quite quickly.”
Thomas had had enough of the depressing discussion, “Let’s forget about such things for now and just focus on the few days off that we have. You have two choices; a boat trip to see the sunset from the water or a lazy afternoon in bed with room service.”
Simone thought for a second, “couldn’t we do both?” she asked.
“I think we could fit both of them in, if we start immediately” replied Thomas as he beckoned to the waitress.
Near Kronstadt, Russia, Gulf of Finland 3pm (9am in Washington)
President Yazov stood with the press on the bow of the ship as it bobbed up and down beneath the towering presence of the world’s biggest wind turbine.
“Space-ships, nuclear power stations, fighter plans and wind turbines – all made possible by Russian science and engineering”, he proudly proclaimed. Size was important; both in the amount of electricity that could be generated and in the political statement made to the Russian people and the world. Yazov knew that Russia was still stumbling into a new world that would need its oil, gas and coal much less than before. He must keep the country together, and its people focused, as it made the necessary sacrifices to make its own future. “Thankyou for your time”, he said to the press, “wonderful company, but I must now get back to affairs of state.” He made his way inside and into the safe confines of the captain’s cabin.
Once the door was safely closed, he could relax the facade. “My stomach was not made to be on the sea, especially this slow rocking back and forth” he said to Dmitry as he downed a couple of anti-sickness pills and poured himself some water. “It’s funny, I can deal with a big storm easily, but this slow rocking motion plays hell with my innards.”
Dmitry laughed, amused at the sight of the suddenly very human man in front of him “So you really are human after all?” he quipped.
“My shit stinks just as much as yours does” came the swift reply. “Now what is this about some young man from Norilsk, you think that it would be good to get him a position in Moscow?”
“Victor Zinoviev” Dmitry answered “he had the guts to speak up when I asked the locals for solutions, and the provided an excellent presentation of what was needed a few weeks later in Moscow; a very promising young man, and a very useful ally to have from Siberia. Having him in the government would help send a message about our taking notice of the wishes of the region, something very useful given our plans there. Having no power structure in Moscow, and somewhat of an outsider in his hometown, he would be very dependent upon our patronage.”
That was enough for the President “so, easy to manipulate and would be a lot of help in co-opting the Siberians. The message about us accepting talent from the outlying regions would also help us. A good idea, you are thinking about some junior position.”
Dmitry was pleased “A position that covers the reconstruction of Norilsk but also gives him a bigger role in Siberia generally.”
Yazov nodded, “yes, lets discuss some more later, I am sure that we can find the right post for him.”
Aspen, Colorado USA 7:30am (9:30am in Washington)
Jose breathed in the beautiful crisp air; the western summer had lingered with the temperatures still above 20 degrees centigrade during the day and keeping above zero overnight. He sipped his coffee as he watched the sermon given by reverend Anderson the evening before. “We have sinned against god by despoiling the Earth that he so graciously provided to both use and treasure. If we do not end our wicked ways we will be ousted from our Garden of Eden” came the words from the screen.
Very good Jose thought to himself as he nodded his head and moved onto the agenda for the day. He touched a button and after a couple of seconds the face of his friend Richard appeared.
“Jose, how’s the vacation in Aspen going?” was the sarcastic welcome.
Jose laughed, “more seeing how much CEO’s and their lackeys will prostrate themselves to get their heads deeper into the public works trough. How are things with you?” he replied.
“I seem to have suddenly gained a much greater ability to be wonderful company and tell incredibly funny jokes. Of course, I can sense the knives those that are suddenly treating me so well would like to plunge into my back!” stated Richard.
“It’s good you see through the superficial obsequiousness so well, many get so easily swayed by such artificialities. Just remember how they used to treat you, revenge is best served with a cold heart. ‘Keep you enemies close’ is one of those very good Chinese sayings. Sun Tzu, I think. We may need to take down some of those fair-weather friends and closet enemies in the future, but they will serve their purpose for now.”
Richard smiled back, “was there something new in your coffee this morning? You are going all Machiavelli on me, a bit early for such heavy scheming!” Richard looked away for a second, seemingly listening to someone else, “sorry Jose, have to go. Have some fun on your vacation”.
Jose shrugged his shoulders “don’t I always?”
After breakfast, Jose dressed and made his way to the main meeting hall where he mingled with the contractors before the meeting began. He was an expert at such things; smooth and charming, but with a little bit of steel just showing through. After the endless coffees and superficial discussions, it was time for his performance. The hall was full and quiet, it was obvious who was the most important person in the room, and Jose knew it. As the compere droned on with endless complements for the esteemed guest, mixed with lame jokes that earned polite laughter, Jose prepared himself.
Perhaps a little bit of mafia boss tinged with a hint of Mussolini and then stern father would work well he always enjoyed picturing his speech just before he was about to give it. Helped get the juices flowing. At last, the compere was finished and he beckoned to Jose. He strode over to the lectern and waited for the fulsome applause to die down.
“Thank you, thank you” he said munificently as he remonstrated for the applause to finish. “Our President has made it clear that this is a time in which we need to understand who are our true friends and who are our enemies, and act accordingly” Jose stated before pausing to maximize the discomfort of his audience, then “so it makes me so happy to be surrounded by so many friends” as he smiled fulsomely, surveying his audience. “Our great country has been awakened by the challenge of a truly sustainable future, and we can all profit from being part of that future. This is truly a land of opportunity for those that will work with us to create that new future.” His speech would continue for another twenty minutes, but he had already got his message across. Be with us and you will profit handsomely, be against us and we will act accordingly.
Guangzhou, China 10pm (10am in Washington)
The room was well hidden at the back of the restaurant; the other diners were oblivious to its existence and the powerful men and women sat within it. It was a relaxed atmosphere within the room; the elite of the Pearl River Delta were enjoying their time with the President. He was used to dealing with such people, many who shared his experience of living abroad and enjoying many western tastes. As he sipped his Macallan whiskey, he knew that it was time to remind them of their responsibility to the state. He made eye contact with Xiaohui and she tapped the glass in front of her to being quiet to the room. All eyes were on the President.
“Thank you Xiaohui. This has been an extremely pleasant evening, and I have enjoyed all of your company greatly. It is unfortunate that I have to spoil it slightly, but such things are part of my job description” he smiled comfortably and then continued “part of my job is to help us rise above the immediate and take the actions required for longer-term success. I do very much understand that the changes that Xiaohui has been asking of you can be quite disruptive in the short-term, but they are critical for our long-term success. We cannot wait for the waters to start taking back the land before we move to a safe place. We must carry out that move well in advance and there can be no foot dragging. If we act now, we will take great advantage when the waters rise; as they will do, and probably much earlier than any of us feared only a few years ago. I ask for your commitment to these changes, both for your own businesses and to carry the message across the business sector. Your service to the party will be remembered.”
For even those that disagreed with the President, to publicly disagree with him would be unspeakable. The fact that he was making such a direct request, rather than quiet discussions one on one, underlined how seriously he was and how risky it would be to not support him. As he slowly looked around the table the heads nodded, some more enthusiastically than others, but they all nodded. It was time for Hufang to move onto something more pleasant, “I have been told that this establishment makes a wonderful mango pudding, my favourite. I hope that you will all enjoy some with me.”
Dhaka, Bangladesh 9pm (11am in Washington)
Mahavir stood surveying the lights of the city below him from the top floor of the City Centre building. This was a delicate set of discussions with the Bangladeshi government that needed to take place outside the public gaze, and the offices high atop the tallest building in the city provided a safe and discrete place. It seemed that his staff had successfully smuggled him into the city without drawing any attention. The situation in Bangladesh was becoming critical, and with the religious animosities still running high it was best to hold any inter-government meetings well away from the cameras. The others started to filter back into the room, so he turned and made his way back to his seat.
After a few minutes, everyone had found their place and the room became quiet, it was time for Mahavir to move things on. “I trust that everyone has now had time to review the final version of the announcement, are there any further changes required?” He sat calmly and surveyed those around the table for any signs of disagreement, there were none. A sense of relief pervaded his body; it had taken many weeks of negotiations to come to this agreement and many days to finalize the wording. It was a great achievement, bringing together China, Europe, the USA and India in providing the financial and technical help necessary to stabilize Bangladesh in the face of climate change. Flood barriers would be erected, millions moved away from areas prone to flooding, alternative energy systems built and food aid guaranteed. India’s border with Bangladesh would remain relatively quiet, protected by the Bangladeshi armed forces. The tenuous religious balance would be maintained, and India could focus on keeping the border with the despairing millions of Pakistan closed.
Chapter 31: November 19th
Pyongyang, North Korea 2.15pm (1.45am in Washington)
Jeong Hwi looked up at the beautiful blue sky as he knelt on the ground. His upper arms strained against the rope that held them tightly against his body as his knees scarped against the gravel beneath them. Weeks ago, he had been one of the most powerful men in North Korea, and now here he was on his knees facing an anti-aircraft gun. He had displeased the Supreme-Leader and this was the result, a rapid fall from grace. There was a large audience present to watch him be blown apart; this was to be as much a lesson for others as a punishment for him. The crowd became silent; he could hear the breeze rustling through the trees and the song of a bird behind him.
Perhaps the Supreme Leader will have the bird killed for having the temerity to break the silence with his song?
The dark humour failed to lessen the deep foreboding that dug its way deep into his bones and found its way into every corner of his mind. It was nearly time, so he raised his head to look straight at his nemesis. He would die with dignity, not looking pathetically down at the ground. He closed his eyes to make one last prayer to the god that he was not allowed to believe in.
Suddenly, the quiet was broken by shouting and the sound of gunfire. Then more shots and screams of disbelief and fear became mixed with the other sounds. He opened his eyes to see that the Supreme Leader was no longer supreme; he was dead. As were many of the other leaders, with the rest lying on the ground injured or restrained. He saw a man casually walk toward him, kneel down and cut him free from the ropes that restrained him.
“It wouldn’t be fitting to have the new President of North Korea tied up, and on his knees, now would it?”, the man said to him softly as he smiled. Jeong struggled to his feet, to be met with salutes from the military men around him. He was too shocked to feel anything, was this real or just another sadistic game from the Supreme Leader?
Beijing, China 3:15pm (2.15am in Washington)
Chang nodded contentedly at the large screens in front of him that showed the feeds from the satellites and drones. The old North Korean regime was gone and the integration of that country into the world could begin. He listened for a moment to the voice that came out of his earpiece and then turned. “We have full control of the artillery and missile batteries, so the threat to the south has been removed” he communicated to the President and the U.S. General McAdams. It would be a long, slow, and painful transition as the two Koreas were re-unified as a demilitarized and neutral country, but it would be worth it; one less powder keg to worry about in a turbulent world.