A Unity of Opposites: Chance and Certainty

By Steve Gossage

Twenty-second-century Earth experiences an eco-social upheaval that involves an asteroid and Earth changes. A new United Democratic Nations conducts a campaign to deal with the asteroid, Earth changes, and neofascists.

Behind the calamities, a Texas megabillionaire, Doug Parker, is responsible for setting off the chain of events. Two cousins from Virginia, Jonathan and Billy Cole, enlist to serve the UDN. Jonathan continues to serve the FBI-UDN in an operation that involves a continuing neofascist urban guerrilla, a mysterious Dr. Minge, and extraterrestrials. And will Jonathan also find romance too?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 31, 2017
• ISBN: 9781543410884

Steve Gossage

Lived for many years on the East Coast. Studied and worked in applied plant science for over 30 years; also did undergraduate work in American history and sociology. Is a martial arts enthusiast. In his youth he wrote sci-fi short stories. This is his first book. Currently lives in the Midwest. (please feel free to edit or make complete sentences, as the editors see fit.

Book preview

Introduction to

Twenty-Second-Century Earth

The new United Democratic Nations (UDN) emerged from political grass roots’ pressure exerted by third world Southeast Asian (outside of China), African, and South American members of the old United Nations for a more equalitarian governmental structure. The new UDN’s first accomplishment was to pool the competing national and corporate aerospace industries into one space exploration mission. This united effort created a large international moon colony, space stations orbiting around Earth, and the beginning of a Martian colony all working together for peaceful purposes.

The Green Community Movement (GCM), in a parallel historic development of third world countries led by Southeast Asia (outside China), launched an international movement for cooperative and ecologically sustainable regional economy because of the negative effects of climate change on poorer nations.

The European Confederation (EC) emerged after NATO and the European Union broke up because Southern European countries grew unhappy with the Northern European domination of the EU and NATO’s domination by the United States. The EC was especially worried by the aggressive nuclear arms modernization race. The Southern Europeans regrouped within the looser framework of the European Confederation. The Green Community Movement (GCM) caught on social fire in Southern Europe. Within a more free association, Northern European states led by the Netherlands, France, and Germany began to steer a neutral path between the great power rivalry of the West and East but still maintained important political and economic ties with the British Commonwealth and the United States of America.

Northern Star (strategy/tactics assessment and reaction) is composed of former NATO allies: the United States of America, the British Commonwealth, Iceland, and some newer Eastern European NATO nations regrouped to aggressively oppose the new Chinese and Russian trade/military pact known as China and Russia Together Secure. Northern Star tried to push back expanding Chinese and Russian capitalist competition.

The superwealthy Parker family and its New Energy and Farm Ventures Corporation, a subsidiary of Texas International Equities, dominated Northern Star. The Parkers accomplished this mighty feat by old-fashioned money politics and skullduggery, accompanied when necessary by old-fashioned social friendships and marriages. The Parkers pushed to invest and build a massive and very profitable US-consumer-based network centered on Northern Star capitalism.

US demographics in the twenty-second century had shifted due to a surge of new immigration from North Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and business competitors from China settling on the East Coast of the United States. Immigration from Eastern Europe had offset somewhat the large non-European population. A jump in the white US citizen population had occurred as well. New white right-wing sentiment grew in reaction to the historic non-European immigration. And a cosmic event would set off a deadly eco-social whirlwind, sucking two cousins from Virginia, Jonathan and Billy Cole, into UDN service.

Chapter 1

ON THE EDGE OF THEIR SEATS

In the lounge of the United Democratic Nations (UDN) Moon Base I, two men sat near two pagoda trees. Specialists and technicians relaxed within a wooden lounge protectively covered by layers of metallic skins capable of rapid self-repair. And the base was powered by a recycling nuclear fusion reactor. Red and white flowering camellia shrubs framed the ordering counter. Blooming variegated pink and white rose vines grew up and around wooden beams set against the walls where prints of famous Earth landscapes hung. Orchids of many colors from each of Earth’s continents draped over the counter. David Cleary, an Earth defense specialist, was sipping his Chinese black tea, glancing through a large layered portal with a view of the blue Earth. Vladimir Isimoff, an astrophysics specialist, was relaying the latest news of the superasteroid field speeding from nearby galaxy Andromeda into Earth’s solar system. Other personnel from nations in the UDN also sat discussing the situation, drinking teas and coffees. It sounded like any typical noisy café on Earth.

David was a small cheerful man, blue eyed, with graying blond hair. He wore the British Commonwealth uniform of navy blue, trimmed with gold and a dark blue tie. Vladimir was a tall serious man, with dark eyebrows, dark thick hair, and a slight Russian accent. His olive-green uniform was highlighted by red buttons signifying the socialist foundation of the modern capitalist economy and the strong minority position of the Russian Communist party within the nationalist coalition. He spoke with speed and urgency.

Most of the asteroid field, up to 99.9 percent, will pass harmlessly through our solar system. A fraction of 1 percent may actually hit either Mars or Earth. There is a fifty-fifty chance there will be a collision with Earth. To stay on top of the asteroids’ path will require constant observation and calculations. If the asteroids’ path is toward the Earth, we can avert a disaster by two alternative methods. First and most favored by our opposing powers, both your Northern Star, he stated with disdain, and mine, he stated with equal disdain. The China and Russia Together Secure pact is to fire a missile to explode a nuke at a correct distance from the target asteroid to change its direction. The second, I think, safer alternative would be to use an exploratory robot rocket to take samples of the asteroid and nudge it into a different path.

Vladimir continued, The problem with the explosion I fear is the asteroids are honeycombed, made up of smaller spheres. Therefore, I predict, the explosion will scatter debris in dangerous disarray too close to Earth. According to my calculations, debris can be pulled into Earth’s orbit, and a few may hit Earth. Then, too, there is an unacceptable chance that one can hit a populated region!

David smiled wearily and spoke slowly, I think you lay out the possible scenarios correctly, but power politics come before good science. My observation over time is that our opposing powers may keep a balance of stability in the world and, at the same time, try to outwit each other with dire consequences for all. Both powers want to test this new weapon, target tracking missiles with new nukes (TTM) that can evade antimissile technology. One missile fired from Earth around the moon can separate into three or more TTM nukes. Those smaller missiles can hone in on new Earth targets with 100 percent accuracy or reconnect as one missile again and return to the old Earth target. The TTM nukes can, at any moment, turn on a dime from a base signal or judge from its own computer when to switch targets as well as from long to short range or vice versa, even if to explode above target or directly on target or penetrate underground. All decisions can be made as circumstances change. TTM nukes are easily and quickly mobile, are relatively small and powerful, and have a tight explosion and low radiation contamination radius. It’s a new toy to play with.

David paused to sip his tea. I had hoped the European Confederation reps could help turn votes around within the UDN steering council, but the northern Europeans tipped it over to our side! He laughed. Well, it’s all out of our hands now.

The two men looked up through the portal to admire the Earth.

On twenty-second-century Earth, the Texas megabillionaire Doug Parker from Dodge City, Texas, put all his chips on the TTM nuke strike. The Texan had much influence on the world through his New Energy and Farm Ventures Corporation, a worldwide mega-trillion-dollar conglomerate, and the associated mega-trillion-dollar Texas International Equities investment muscle. Parker hoped that international business would organize around this hub to ensure US dominance of capitalism. Parker was a tall energetic light-brown-haired man with a jutting jawline and a barrel chest who worked an average of fourteen to sixteen hours a day to advance his business. After work, he relaxed with a small Cuban cigar and a glass of bourbon whiskey.

Doug lived and worked on his huge ranchero estate. His Baptist chapel with a Spanish-style steeple and a beautiful courtyard divided the mansion. One side was for him and his relatives or close friends, the other side for business guests. The mansion was big and luxurious with Spanish-tiled roofs, steep arches, hanging gardens, water features, and walls painted pastel yellow with brown trim.

Doug Parker was with his nephew Arthur Adams, a tall fair young man dressed in a brown sports jacket and brown slacks from Boston, Massachusetts. Arthur’s mother was Doug’s sister. She tied the Parkers and the Adams in blood and wealth. Arthur’s father owned extensive shares in international banks, finance, and insurance. The two men relaxed in Doug’s spacious den built with a mix of exotic foreign and expensive native woods decorated with Southwest American Indian and Mexican Indian quilts, rugs, and pottery. Doug poured out expensive bourbon whiskey from his collection into two glasses and then picked out two cigars of specially bred and organically grown tobacco on his own island near Cuba.

Doug said, Arthur, my boy, this is the best bourbon whiskey and best cigars in the world, American-owned and made.

Parker gave Arthur a cigar and glass. Both men sat on expensive leather couches.

Doug lit up, took a few puffs, and spoke again, "There’s nothing like a good cigar and a whiskey after a hard day. I’ll get straight to the point, Arthur. Soon we’ll test a new TTM nuke because now it’s certain that one of those dang asteroids will collide with Earth! I don’t trust the Chinese and Russians, but we can all learn something about the capability of TTM nukes. The Chinese are really the leaders of that China-Russia pact. Russia follows China’s footsteps, and the Chinese unfairly interfere with markets. The Chinese state bank and state industrial and energy infrastructure drive the markets geared to plans drawn up by so-called Red Business Experts. We really lead the British Commonwealth and other countries in Northern Star. It isn’t as big as the old NATO alliance, but it’s more agile.

The Chinese are cunning. They stoked up the Green Community Movement in Southeast Asia, and it spread to southern Europe. That’s how the Chinese are trying to split up the West. The Chinese are playing the game of imperialism. They can’t do that, Doug cackled. It’s our game.

Arthur stepped into the conversation. Look here, Uncle Doug. You’re too paranoid about the Chinese. The Green Community Movement may have started in China with small farmers and some Marxist intellectuals. But the majority of business-minded Communists steered China to modern capitalism. Modern capitalism should not be imperialistic. Instead, it should be a mutually beneficial global arrangement. We are too competitive and waste too many resources on the military.

Doug listened quietly, sipping his whiskey. And then he cruelly joked, Arthur, Arthur, you sound like one of the Kennedys. Do you know what happened to JFK? He was assassinated because he gave away the farm—Cuba.

Arthur fired back, reviewing everything he remembered about the Warren Commission’s report. Doug just sat smiling and relaxing on his couch. He thought Arthur was an intelligent young man but maybe too idealistic. Big business is a jungle where only the fit survive.

Parker, a bachelor and playboy, had no heir. He hoped Arthur would take over management of the Parker Empire one day. Doug looked up at Arthur and slowly talked again.

Arthur, you made some good points tonight, but I have a big day tomorrow, so I’ll turn in now. Good night, boy.

While Doug slept, Arthur followed the most recent news about the asteroids on the telecomputer.

The Parker family had invested capital into both major political parties for years. Doing so helped them build an economic empire consisting of New Energy Ventures and Farm Corporation and Texas International Equities. Doug, like his father before him, kept renewable energy subordinate to his recycling nuclear fission plants with political muscle and, in part, by incorporating some significant solar and wind power as augments to the whole electric utility system. Though all coal-fired power plants were eventually shut down and fossil fuel emissions effectively regulated, global warming had not been averted in time.

Agriculture too was dominated by the Parker Corporation. Within the farming empire, farms, large and small, were organized as franchises. All large and small farms were sold Parker’s organic and inorganic fertilizers, pesticides, organic and GMO (genetically modified organism) seeds, and appropriate tools and machinery. And Parker directly and indirectly controlled vast gas, oil, and new fossil fuel resources, all efficiently managed and regulated by energy science computer programs. The Parkers also encouraged and invested in cheap hybrid robot car production while they discouraged cheap all-electric robot car production.

Two Earth days later, David and Vladimir literally sat on the edge of their seats, holding their breath along with the UDN personnel and the whole population of Earth as they waited for the missile strike of the asteroid. David and Vladimir sat among hundreds of personnel below the moon’s surface within reconstructed caves of mineral mining and refining complexes and various experimental stations. They were all glued to a fifteen-by-twenty-two-foot three-dimensional telecomputer screen, watching the progress of the asteroid shot.

The missile strike seemed successful. But the UDN’s personnel gasped as the menacing asteroid broke into smaller spheres, arranged like a pearl necklace, that were pulled into the orbit of the Earth. One piece of asteroid debris destroyed a space station and another struck a remote region of the moon. Then two of the pearls collided with Earth. One struck Central Europe. The other struck the Atlantic Ocean near the United States, causing a tsunami that washed onto the Southeast Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Something totally unpredicted occurred when another asteroid was pulled into Earth’s orbit to become Earth’s second moon. Vladimir, David, and other UDN personnel jumped up and shouted curses in all their native languages.

The tsunami wave rolled along the coast of Virginia as well as parts of North Carolina and Maryland. The wave carried cargo and navy ships far onto land. All of Virginia’s coastal cities were swept away. Along the Southeast Mid-Atlantic seashore, extensive levies, seawalls, and reservoirs with accompanying desalinization water plants and water supply lines, seashore hotels, resort apartments and homes, and tourist businesses were all washed away. Bays, rivers, and creeks were reshaped and reconnected. The James River flooded over into lower portions of Richmond, Virginia. Fortunately, most of Richmond remained intact. The nation’s capital, Washington, DC, was likewise flooded by the Potomac River on lower levels. Most of DC survived. However, the Chesapeake Bay washed away much of old Baltimore, Maryland. The backflow of the tsunami carried away coastland, destroying what remained of beaches, wetlands, and hardwood forests. Freshwater and soil were contaminated by the spread of some dangerous radioactive matter and by chemical spills. Most fission plants were located in secure reinforced structures well away from the shoreline.

The huge wave of water drowned four hundred thousand people instantly and made millions of others homeless. Rusting skeleton skyscrapers stood above downed power lines and tons of debris. It was a disaster for all the coastline of Virginia and parts of the North Carolina and Maryland coastlines. There were billions and billions of dollars lost to the tsunami. Virginia suffered the most losses.

Of all the European countries, Germany suffered the most casualties and damage from the asteroid collision. Buildings collapsed and were flattened. Rivers were redirected, washing away century-old farms, and food supplies were affected. Though thousands were killed, many more were saved. Germany planned and prepared superfast radar tracking for evacuation of their affected population within a strong underground public safety infrastructure and underground high-speed trains. All were constructed years before as a result of the new nuclear arms modernization race between the great powers.

Aboveground, destruction of most cities and towns along with fires and chemical contamination made most of Germany unlivable. Many Germans had to relocate until German society could be rebuilt. Many stayed underground or in nearby countries to work on rebuilding Germany. More Germans suffered from depression and trauma-related illnesses than injury and death. Emotional help, therefore, was of utmost importance for their recovery.

When the tsunami rolled down the Southeast Mid-Atlantic United States and asteroid debris hit Germany, Doug Parker also became depressed. He felt the psychic weight of the tsunami and the German asteroid debris crash down on him. Doug was haunted by the ruins, dead bodies, and the sad, shocked faces of the survivors he saw on the supersized 3-D telecomputer screen. With realistic and vivid clarity, the tragedy was brought into his den. He wouldn’t eat. Instead, he stayed glued to the screen for three straight days. He fell asleep with the latest news as a backdrop to his nightmares.

The fourth morning, he rose up early and took a jog on his vast estate. Doug ran through the cow pastures into the woods and then back to his mansion. There it stood, like a monument to wealth.

When he looked up at the monument, Doug thought, That’s my problem. It’s time to take a vacation from it.

Doug showered and shaved. Later he ate a mighty Tex-Mex breakfast.

Doug contacted Arthur via telecomputer. Arthur’s intelligent presence helped Doug focus better.

Doug started, Arthur, my boy, it’s time you took over the business. I feel too guilty to carry on. My friends and I screwed up royally! We talked some key players in French, Dutch, and German politics to vote in favor of using the TTM nuke. I think it’s time for some new blood.

Arthur objected, You shouldn’t blame yourself for the multiple forces of history and the universe’s chaos, but I will be glad to mind the store for you until you feel up to it again.

Doug was relieved. Thank you, boy. He rethought and said, Thank you, young man. I appreciate your loyalty.

Arthur smiled. No thanks needed, Uncle Doug. We are family. By the way, are you going on vacation somewhere?

Doug answered quickly, I’m going horseback riding and camping in West Texas through New Mexico and maybe even Arizona.

Doug Parker planned the trip to last for many months, with arrangements for lodging in New Mexico during the winter and to have friends join him at various points of his travel. Days on the trail with his close friends through mountains, plains, forests, canyons, and deserts along with resting in winter lodges passed quickly. Doug only wanted one strict rule to be enforced: no news, good or bad.

While Doug vacationed, the United States National Guard, reinforced by the UDN, helped rescue and aid people, clean up debris, decontaminate soil and water, and assist with rebuilding. The federal government employed the millions of jobless and homeless to work in the new Civilian Conservation Corps to rebuild beaches, beach habitats, wetlands, and forests along the devastated mid-Atlantic shoreline. This area would become the Seashore National Park. Well to the west of the Seashore National Park, a new Works Progress Administration started rebuilding smaller towns and cities for the homeless. Most impressive was the project to build a graduated series of barriers, porous to sea life, at the mouth of a larger Chesapeake Bay to control wilder ebbs and flows caused by Earth’s new moon. Rotatories were placed by the barriers to harness power transmitted to the small towns and cities. All these projects being built were helped by an advanced aerospace technology finally released and turned back for use on the Earth.

An American version of the Green Community Movement, the Green Prosperity Movement (GPM), arose to address many issues of ecological concern. The GPM put together a four-part program for the United States.

1. Build more eco-friendly water barriers in bays and some key rivers, along with relocating and reestablishing more wetlands to harmonize the new changes in ocean movement.

2. Establish more cooperative ecologically sustainable farms and industries in new eco-social regions.

3. Harness new tidal power as well as wind, solar, and geothermal energy for powering co-op farms and industries.

4. Encourage studies and research on the possible ecological effects on Earth from the new additional moon.

The UDN and the Green Community Movement based in Southern Europe helped the German military clean up and rebuild Germany. Massive aid allowed Germans to build new eco-friendly towns and cities based on their historic architecture. The GCM lent eco-scientific and technical assistance, restoring the German earth by removing toxins from the soil and restoring its carbon elements, beneficial fungi, bacteria, and worms. They helped establish new native or compatible tree and shrub stands as well as new sustainable farms and gardens. Many German communities returned while some German communities, too traumatized, did not. The German government sent resettlement help to the traumatized Germans abroad.

The reconstruction of human and natural habitats in Germany, like in the United States, would have taken years if restrictions had not been lifted on the aerospace industry. Highly maneuverable antigravity ships could quickly and safely transport human workers as well as new lightweight and stronger building materials and more efficient and faster working robots to any location. Furthermore, aerospace nuclear and chemical accident management advances helped with environmental cleanup in both countries.

Robot antigravity ships could plug into the soil-compatible mature tree and shrub materials provided by nurseries worldwide. Smaller and lighter wheeled robots worked side by side with human garden-plant and farm-plant experts constructing new gardens and small farm fields. Specialized garden and farm robot workers helped humans maintain the proper cultural conditions required for the survival of all new plant materials. Working full time, crews aided by fast giant humanoid and specialized construction robots could assemble buildings and homes almost overnight. Robot cranes lifted building material. Giant robots fitted or wielded or nailed or bolted together the necessary parts for structures while robot humanoids provided craft touches on the building projects. Robot humanoids also did hazardous dirty chemical and radioactive cleanup jobs in record time. Human workers assisted and refinished, checked, and managed the robots’ work. All such projects were done without objections from conservative big business leaders. Especially helpful convincing them and recruiting them to the cause was Arthur Adams as temporary head of New Energy and Farm Ventures/Texas International Equities.

Two years passed, most reconstruction was finished, and Doug Parker was in Arizona. Doug became a healthy cowboy. He was about ready to return to his estate and catch up on news about reconstruction and recovery. A few months later, he met Arthur in the den, just like the old days. Doug was happy to hear how the family insurance covered his losses from one pocket into another pocket. He was also pleased to hear about the fast recovery in the United States and Germany, aided by