Rise of the Meritocracy

By D.H. Draws

It was a booming time for the energy industry in the U. S. Oil and gas companies were getting rich. James P. Watsen was an unassuming and modest bioengineering graduate student far removed from the oil and gas business. All he wanted was to graduate and work in the medical nano technology field while living a quiet life with his lovely physician wife, Mai. But when his geophysicist sister Flo makes a heart stopping discovery about the future drilling site of the oil and gas company she works for, his quiet life must change forever. As the company makes plans to drill and potentially set off a series of devastating geological reactions that would surely destroy North America and beyond, she turns to James for help to stop them. In over his head against such a powerful company, James must find the strength to come out of his shell and lead his band of young international scientist friends to carry out a plan that will make the governments of the world listen. Will they succeed in time or will the corrupt corporations and politicians be allowed to destroy the earth?

• Language: English
• Publisher: D.H. Draws
• Release date: Jul 17, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476423708

D.H. Draws

D.H. Draws lives in Houston, TX, U.S.A. She has a bachelor's of science degree in Molecular Biology and has worked in the graduate program at the University Eye Institute doing clinical research in the Vision Sciences. She also has an interest in the law and has a paralegal certificate.Her interests include science, conservation, international cooperation, law.

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Rise of the Meritocracy

D. H. Draws

Copyright 2012 D. H. Draws

Smashwords Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form and by any means including by electronic, mechanical (e.g. photocopying, scanning, recording or photography) or by any information storage system without the written permission of the publisher, unless used for the purpose of review or promotion of this work to the general public.

Author’s note:

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

This book is available in print at most on-line retailers.

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Welcome to My World

Chapter 2: In the Beginning

Chapter 3: Like the United Nations

Chapter 4: Meeting of the Minds

Chapter 5: A Light Bulb Goes On

Chapter 6: Dangerous Projections

Chapter 7: The Madness is Mine

Chapter 8: Self Experimentation

Chapter 9: An Untidy Welcome

Chapter 10: The Fingers of Corruption are Far Reaching

Chapter 11: Kill the Messenger, Ignite the Cause

Chapter 12: Call to Action

Chapter 13: Silently Planning for Shut Down

Chapter 14: A Bloodless Coup

Chapter 15: The Waiting Game

Chapter 16: The Turning Tides

Chapter 17: A Brave New World Order

Chapter 18: A Meritocracy for All

References

Preface

It is apparent by the fictional stories of the future which predict scenarios of a world of human dystopia and oppression brought on by evil overlords of the human or alien variety, that there is a common and prevalent feeling of helplessness and impending doom. It is not hard to imagine why this is the case as we continue to struggle with real social, economic and environmental problems without clear solutions. We cannot help but think that the world as we know it will end, and end badly. It is from these impotent feelings that we gravitate towards imagining the end point of society or the final phase of decay after all the goodness and hope have been sucked out of the world. The darkness of the future (real as well as imagined) results from a loss of order and goodwill which stems from the lack of a reliable moral compass as well as the ever shifting social mores which dictate the acceptable level of bad behavior and corruption we allow to exist without censure, punishment and reform. This instability results from laws being made not based on the natural laws of the universe, but instead on human nature--which is not always steady and rational.

It is not hard to imagine that the result of a social order derived from such an uncertain nature creates the potential for a stark and miserable future that will either come as a final apocalypse of man-made war, total and unalterable environmental destruction or as an alien invasion that we are unable to defeat. With the current structure of political leadership, which caters to lawyers, politicians or military figures, it is not inconceivable that the fallout from an apocalyptic event will inevitably be a ruthless world where people live in a daily struggle to eat and not be eaten, literally. We are reminded of this downward slide daily every time we hear of beneficial policies falling by the wayside because of politicians putting the good of the party (and themselves) before the good of the people.

Alternatively, some science fiction tales prefer to portray the human condition as rising from the ashes of destruction into a better world and society where technology is our savior and we are all living in peace and order. People in this future are devoid of hunger or physical want because machines are magically able to produce all of their basic needs of food, water and shelter. Where these machines come from, how they are made and maintained or where the elements are harvested to materialize the food and drink are never explained.

Whichever end point is portrayed, the road to such life altering societal change from now to then is often short and unmarked, skipping the details and fast forwarding to the last part of the story in which the new world is either highly ordered or completely chaotic. My guess for this omission of intermediate events is the thought that the steps in between would be too slow an evolution with too many unknown developments to think about. After all, it took one hundred and thirty one years to get from the first telephone to the iPhone. However, we must remember that it is the scientists and engineers that move the wheels of progress and they are human too.

Interestingly, although scientists are usually the purveyors of innovation and change, they are often depicted as something less than the other heroes of literature and fiction. Instead of the strong and brave hero, they are the quirky sidekicks or odd and hidden away in their laboratories and basements. Sometimes these awkward geniuses are pushing the boundaries of humanity with their experiments and are unable to interact with general society because of their lack of social and communication skills. Although there are certainly some people of that ilk, many are normal, intelligent and congenial people. In any event, it is this transitory stage to the future that I have endeavored to address by offering a possible roadmap from here to there. Perhaps the missing piece between our current existence and the efficiency of the future is that special person or persons who will be able to bypass national politics and self interest to reach for a higher goal. The person to take us all to a better place should possess the perfect blend of the intelligence of a scientist, the social skills of a diplomat, the heart and bravery of a soldier fighting for freedom and the humility of the average man. In the case of this story, that is our hero James Watsen. This book takes place in our world of the early twenty first century along with our real world problems. The characters and events are fictitious, but draw from the realm of definite possibilities. Their personalities and lives are constructed from bits and pieces of people I have known and possible interactions I imagine could have taken place.

In the end, the message is simply that the path to our destruction or deliverance is laid out by the decisions we make as a society and by those who we allow to make these decisions for us. We revel in the tales of science and technology saving us, but we forget that it is only because of the people that toil in it that it can be so. Why then, are they not the ones chosen to lead us there?

---D.H. Draws

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Chapter 1

Welcome to My World

If I were to tell you that a band of seven modest scientists as far apart as the United States, England, Russia, Germany, China, Japan and India would find a way to successfully shut the world down in a non violent manner and hold it at a standstill in order to have a seat at the leadership table two years ago, you would have laughed in my face and called me a fool. But now, all you can do is look at me and wonder; how did he do it? How did they do it?

Indeed at this moment I still wonder myself. Just a couple of short years ago, I was not even a blip on the radar. I was just a simple bioengineering graduate student working in a lab that no one paid any attention to except for the small scientific and medical community that used our nano technology camera equipment. Don’t get me wrong, our work was solid and significant, but far removed from politics and Washington, D.C. I had no political aspirations and my involvement in world affairs consisted mostly of water cooler conversations, listening with moderate sympathy to my wife tell me about the latest catastrophe half way around the world and perhaps an occasional donation to a non-profit organization. So I can only marvel at how I sit here now, holed up in a country cabin, in a small town in Texas engaged in cloak and dagger activities and negotiating with the most powerful man in the world, the president of the United States. I say negotiating, but considering he has just deployed the National Guard to come down and flush me out, I would say the scales may have tipped slightly in his favor. Two years ago, just the idea of facing military personnel would have shook me to the core, but now, I’ve come so far and done so much that thinking about how this will all play out gives me a kind of adrenaline rush. Don’t worry. I’m not a madman or even a mad scientist, although that is debatable. I just have the support of six of the brightest young minds supporting me, and my lovely physician wife to patch me up when I get into trouble.

I wouldn’t be here without them. And three of them wouldn’t have had to be evacuated from their home countries to avoid being taken in by their country’s militaries without me. The old me would have said, Perhaps things have gone too far, but I’m not that person anymore. Too much has happened and the good of the world is at stake. If I backed down now, everyone who supported us would suffer as well. From the top researchers that put their reputations on the line, to the lowest technician who put his job in jeopardy because they believed in our cause. How can I let them down?

There was a shuffling behind me and I turned to see Mai putting down some food. Was it lunch time already? I hardly had time to think of eating, but then the rumbling in my stomach reminded me that I was hungry. She always took such good care of me. I was so lucky to have such a beautiful and caring wife. What about her safety? I had to think about that as well. If I were captured and jailed or even killed for all this, what would happen to her? To all the plans we had for family and a long life together? Did my self-appointed responsibility to the planet trump my personal responsibility to her?

What are you contemplating so intensely? she asked looking at me with deep concern.

Truthfully, I’m thinking about surrendering. The news is reporting that the president has just dispatched the National Guard to come get us. I don’t want to put you in danger, I said guiltily.

Absolutely not. You can’t quit now, you’ve come so far. We all have. We still believe in you, she objected.

But with violence looming at our door, the stakes have become too high. I need to protect you. On our wedding day, I promised I always would.

And you always have, but we’re in this together and the others are counting on you. You’re just exhausted from not sleeping much the last two days. You’ve got to stay strong for them. They’ll find a way to get you out of this.

At that moment, the indicator light on my laptop started flashing. A sign that the president was back on-line and wanted to talk. I looked at Mai and we held our breaths. This would probably be the last chance to negotiate a deal before he sent troops in to get us. I reached over and turned my computers and the video camera on.

Yes, Mr. President? I asked as calmly as I could.

Well James, we have found your little hideaway. I am deploying the National Guard to come get you now and I have approved the use of deadly force if you do not cooperate. It’s over, you lose, he said smugly leaning back in his chair smiling broadly like the Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland (1).

But you can’t just come kill me when I haven’t harmed anyone, I protested. I’m a citizen of the United States. I have the right to a fair trial.

YOU are an enemy of the state and I charge you with treason. Therefore, I revoke your rights and judge you guilty. Your sentence will not be commuted and no one will help you. I am the president, the commander-in-chief and that is my decision.

I don’t think the rest of the citizens of the United States will agree with you.

Well, that is why I am their leader, I know better than them. Besides, they are not here to have an opinion. This is a secure line and we are the only ones that are aware of this conversation. If you resist, I have instructed the Guard to say that you provoked them into using force and they were just doing their jobs.

I wouldn’t be too sure about that, I said staring him in the eyes and smiling.

What do you mean? he asked.

Let’s just say, this may be a secure line, but the one behind me recording this conversation … not so much. It’s going to one of my good friends in India who is preparing it for the public as we speak. We’ll let the people of the United States and the world decide what to do with me.

His eyes widened and his face nearly crashed into the screen from his emotional hysteria.

You sneaky little bastard! How dare you play games with me! he shouted a flush of red engulfing his face making his rage apparent.

Tut, tut, language sir. There is a lady present.

Hi there! Mai interjected putting her face in front of the camera briefly.

I’m not playing games sir, I’m negotiating serious matters. You just forgot that I’m a scientist and we like to back up our data. We’re clever like that, I said with unadulterated sarcasm.

It doesn’t matter, he declared trying to gain his composure. The Guard is still coming to get you and for all the trouble you’ve caused, no one will support you. You’re finished. The next time I speak to you, it will be with you behind bars, he stated brusquely and cut off the connection by switching his tablet computer off. He sat back and heaved a large sigh. He took out his handkerchief and mopped the sweat from his brow. It wasn’t often that he felt at a disadvantage. Up until now, he always felt in control of the situation and it was just a matter of time before he put this troublesome little scientist in his place. From that last conversation, he wasn’t so sure. Surely, his comments would be overlooked even if the public saw it. If not, his aides would put a positive spin on it and clean it up. It usually worked with the general public. Look at how this fellow had so disrupted life. Who was he but an insignificant rabble rouser? The public would never support him. Or would they?

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Chapter 2

In the Beginning

Well that went well, I said turning to Mai and the video monitors that showed my accomplices who were watching gleefully from their respective homes.

It was brilliant, Charles said sitting comfortably in his home in the UK.

You got him right where you want him, laughed Sartaj in India.

Only downside is the National Guard is coming to get us. If ever it was time to turn the tide of public support for us, it would be now. Can you get it together in time Sartaj? I asked trying to sound casual, but the break in my voice revealed the true anxiety that was welling up inside me.

I’m on it James. Sit tight and I’ll get back to you in an hour or so, he replied with an extra dose of confidence to reassure me. I nodded in response and told them all I was going to take a break and try to get a little rest as I had been up the better part of the last couple of days. They agreed and said they would monitor the mood and