Chapter 1, part 1
Chapter 1
New York City, New York
Shem Finch stood outside the doorway leading into the United Nations Security Council chamber. It was back and the mission had failed. All he could hear was the breathing noise his personal ventilator, or PV as they called them, made. Sweat beads pooled on his forehead. As he opened the door he could hear the muffled sound of voices through PV’s. He knew tempers were hot.
“Dr. Finch, please have a seat.” The UN’s Security Council President stood peering over his glasses.
Shem walked toward the rectangular table in the center of their broken circular table. It reminded him of the Knights of the Round Table. This was not Camelot. Pulling out the gray fabric and wooden chair he had a seat.
“Sir, I have no idea what went wrong. The probe was not due back for another month.” Shem said
“Dr. Finch. I’m afraid you do not understand why you are here.” President said “Lights please.”
As the lights dimmed the screen before them was filled with a satellite image of a planet and looked vaguely like Earth.
“I don’t understand” Shem said
“What you have before you are images pulled from the probe. It came back a success. We have found a new planet and we want you to go full speed ahead with the new ship. The security council has decided upon a lottery system to pick 50 males and 50 females to carry forth the human race.”
Shem’s head was swimming. He was working hard on the new ship and it’s hyper drive. Working long 20 hour days to get it ready. The entire human race was in his hands. Shem Finch, PhD, Professor of Quantum Physics at MIT. In his hands. What a burden. But it worked. It fucking worked. Snap back to reality.
“Dr. Finch, you have 1 week to finish the ship.” The council member for China spoke up.
“ONE WEEK? That isn’t possible. We are already working 24 hours a day. I need two more weeks.” Shem was frantic.
“Not possible. There are already so little of us left. If the human race is to survive, they have to be gone within a week.” The French councilwoman spoke up. “you will have whatever resources you need. More manpower, is that what you need?”
“No, no I’ll get it done. But I can’t promise that the ship will make it past its destination.” Shem started having cold feet.
“We are all but dead anyway Dr. Finch, but we will have died trying.” The President spoke up.
Shem left the council chamber and walked down the hallway. Breathing, even through the PV had become a hard task. Everything took more time to accomplish, even walking out to the street.
The streets of New York City did not look like they used to anymore. Fewer people dwelled there. The bigger cities were abandoned years ago due to their high smog content. The only way to get around was with a PV. The UN security council still held their meetings there. They figured it would be safer there than anywhere else. If anyone knew about the ship they were building, there would be mass panic and chaos to get a seat on it. The council had decided on a lottery system from the central data bank. 50 males and 50 females would be picked. It didn’t matter how important or ordinary they were. Everyone was going to have an equal chance. Except Shem. He had a seat automatically. He was the only one that could pilot the ship. He was the only one who knew how it worked.
As Shem walked down the street toward where he parked his car, he thought to himself how in the hell am I going to get this finished? Shem got into his car. Yep this is how it all started. The Industrial Revolution. The invention of the car. Mass production of consumables. They had managed to kill mother earth. She was dying a slow death and soon all life would be asphyxiated. The population of human beings was down to half of what it was just 5 years earlier. Plant life had died. The rainforests of Brazil did not exist anymore. They had all but one more chance and it all rested on Shem’s shoulders.
New York City, New York
Shem Finch stood outside the doorway leading into the United Nations Security Council chamber. It was back and the mission had failed. All he could hear was the breathing noise his personal ventilator, or PV as they called them, made. Sweat beads pooled on his forehead. As he opened the door he could hear the muffled sound of voices through PV’s. He knew tempers were hot.
“Dr. Finch, please have a seat.” The UN’s Security Council President stood peering over his glasses.
Shem walked toward the rectangular table in the center of their broken circular table. It reminded him of the Knights of the Round Table. This was not Camelot. Pulling out the gray fabric and wooden chair he had a seat.
“Sir, I have no idea what went wrong. The probe was not due back for another month.” Shem said
“Dr. Finch. I’m afraid you do not understand why you are here.” President said “Lights please.”
As the lights dimmed the screen before them was filled with a satellite image of a planet and looked vaguely like Earth.
“I don’t understand” Shem said
“What you have before you are images pulled from the probe. It came back a success. We have found a new planet and we want you to go full speed ahead with the new ship. The security council has decided upon a lottery system to pick 50 males and 50 females to carry forth the human race.”
Shem’s head was swimming. He was working hard on the new ship and it’s hyper drive. Working long 20 hour days to get it ready. The entire human race was in his hands. Shem Finch, PhD, Professor of Quantum Physics at MIT. In his hands. What a burden. But it worked. It fucking worked. Snap back to reality.
“Dr. Finch, you have 1 week to finish the ship.” The council member for China spoke up.
“ONE WEEK? That isn’t possible. We are already working 24 hours a day. I need two more weeks.” Shem was frantic.
“Not possible. There are already so little of us left. If the human race is to survive, they have to be gone within a week.” The French councilwoman spoke up. “you will have whatever resources you need. More manpower, is that what you need?”
“No, no I’ll get it done. But I can’t promise that the ship will make it past its destination.” Shem started having cold feet.
“We are all but dead anyway Dr. Finch, but we will have died trying.” The President spoke up.
Shem left the council chamber and walked down the hallway. Breathing, even through the PV had become a hard task. Everything took more time to accomplish, even walking out to the street.
The streets of New York City did not look like they used to anymore. Fewer people dwelled there. The bigger cities were abandoned years ago due to their high smog content. The only way to get around was with a PV. The UN security council still held their meetings there. They figured it would be safer there than anywhere else. If anyone knew about the ship they were building, there would be mass panic and chaos to get a seat on it. The council had decided on a lottery system from the central data bank. 50 males and 50 females would be picked. It didn’t matter how important or ordinary they were. Everyone was going to have an equal chance. Except Shem. He had a seat automatically. He was the only one that could pilot the ship. He was the only one who knew how it worked.
As Shem walked down the street toward where he parked his car, he thought to himself how in the hell am I going to get this finished? Shem got into his car. Yep this is how it all started. The Industrial Revolution. The invention of the car. Mass production of consumables. They had managed to kill mother earth. She was dying a slow death and soon all life would be asphyxiated. The population of human beings was down to half of what it was just 5 years earlier. Plant life had died. The rainforests of Brazil did not exist anymore. They had all but one more chance and it all rested on Shem’s shoulders.
posted by Tracey at 10:27 PM
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