Earth's Rubicon

By Richard Pryor

The High Council of Sentients is comprised of Gray Elders. Each Elder is charged with exploring, developing, and maintaining a full quadrant (or one-fourth) of the known Universe through peace, understanding and enlightenment among all its life forms (sentient and non-sentient). It was an awesome responsibility for each Gray Elder.  

Today, there was considerable tension at this High Council meeting. Elders were greatly concerned about the pace, direction and changes required for Earth (its newest intergalactic member). Some High Council members felt that it was dealing with a ‘petulant’ planet. Earth’s leaders felt they were being ‘bullied’ into terms unbecoming of enlightened extraterrestrials.   

  

Specifically, the High Council’s Plan for Earth could not be implemented because of three key points. First, mankind lacked a ‘one world governance’ structure capable of speaking to it with one voice. Second, mankind hesitated to fully embrace AI (artificial intelligence). Finally, mankind ignored many planetary problems, despite having pledged to address them. Simply put, Earth is now in a state of chaos and rudderless. Its leaders are desperate to find any common, unified vision for effective governance; questions persist about AI and its existential risk to mankind; and, Earth’s greatest planetary threats remain unattended.  

  

Fortunately, the Grays enlist the aid of a ‘maverick’ Ambassador and both begin to take charge. A new, seven-member continental world government is selected and installed; a plan to boost mankind’s level of intelligence is cleverly implemented; and, Earth’s newly ‘unelected’ government enacts a series of decisive protocols and takes bold action to heal Earth before it’s too late.  

  

So join this new, exciting intergalactic sci-fi thriller about how mankind seemingly “gets its act together” and takes a rightful place at the High Council’s table to help govern the Universe.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Outskirts Press
• Release date: Aug 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9781977267634

Richard Pryor

Richard J. Pryor is a published writer with a life-long interest in science fiction and space adventures. He recently wrote Project Earth: Vice or Virtue, an exciting adventure about aliens testing man’s morality. He also wrote The High Council of Orthia, a mesmerizing entreaty from aliens to join their mission and vision for the Universe. His interests began early in life with the old black and white broadcasts of Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone series, blossomed with the Technicolor adventures in Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek series and continues with inspired stories from George Lucas’ Star Wars series. After service to his country in Vietnam (Army), he pledged to serve his community. For years, he keenly supported good government, affordable housing, diabetes research and hurricane victims. Today, he enjoys a fulfilled life in retirement with both family and friends on Table Rock Lake in Missouri with his wife, Mary Beth, and their Australian Labradoodle, Penny. 

Book preview

High Council Musings

With its new-found intergalactic membership, Planet Earth was just beginning to learn more about the High Council of Sentients, its membership, operations within the Universe and some of the intergalactic protocols it had so shrewdly established over many eons. These were in place for the benefit, control and safety of the entire Universe. Indeed, mankind was clearly humbled by its scope, authority, work and relevance.

Yes, mankind was still in the shock and awe phase of any sufficient understanding that as the dominant species on Earth (homo sapiens), he was just one very tiny amoeba of a life form within the vastness of the Universe. Clearly, man was now feeling like a very small child who looks to its parents for care, nurturing, knowledge and that general sense of stability.

Mankind had now accepted the Grays for who they were:—extraterrestrials. They were different, but in a good way. They were here to help us and not hurt us. They were unique beings. On average, their total height was about six feet. Their slender gray/blue body structures were very stick-like, seemingly for great efficiency. They appeared to be a type of bionic machine that was fully encased within a thin film of ‘gray/blue body wrap’ that onlookers could relate to being some sort of skin. This covering appeared to cover some type of delicate, translucent circuitry therein. They had a large head which was oval and it clearly held superior cerebral capacity. Their eyes are very large and dark, but with no discernable pupils or color. Their noses consisted of two small holes, ostensibly for sampling its environment. Their ears were virtually non-existent and undetectable. They always communicated using telepathic thoughts obviating any need for what we might call human vocalization. They only had one small slit of an orifice on its face below the two small holes of its nose, presumably what we might call a mouth. For this particular High Council meeting, the Gray principals were clothed in simple white, flowing, floor-length gowns laced with platinum bands.

The High Council of Sentients of Orthia is comprised of five Gray Elders: Ikolf, Htron, Tsae, Htuos, and Tsew. Ikolf was Council’s Chair. They were enlightened vessels of truth and light that possessed the total sum of all knowledge and wisdom gathered by the Grays ever since their sentient life began eons ago. Their expressed purpose over their long existence was to seek out, establish and ensure a higher order for all life forms within the Universe. Each Council member was grounded in great truth and understanding, held a healthy respect for both sentient as well as non-sentient life, and advocated changing the status quo only with pure logic and reason.

Each High Council Elder (excluding its Chair) was charged with exploring, developing, and maintaining a full quadrant (or one-fourth) of the known Universe through peace, understanding and enlightenment among all life forms (sentient and non-sentient). It was an awesome responsibility for each Gray Elder and they took this responsibility very seriously. All communications were of the highest priority and each was done using thought projection.

The Gray Council Elders worked hand-in-hand with their Supreme Gray Elder, Ikolf. The latter did not advocate for or against any particular High Council agenda item, but only adjudicated issues after considering all of the recommendations from each of the four Gray Elders. One of the Gray Elders (Tsae) was charged with the absolute oversight of the quadrant of the Universe that now includes both the Milky Way and Earth.

Today, there was some mild tension at this particular High Council meeting. Although the High Council’s First Charge (Ameil) and Earth’s key representatives seemed to be on the same page regarding Earth’s current status among similarly ‘distressed’ planets and their need for transformations, key policy initiatives and positive momentum were now threatened by a lack of due diligence from Earth’s leaders.

Specifically, the High Council’s Plan for Earth could not be implemented because of three key points. First, mankind lacked a ‘one world governance’ structure capable of speaking to it with one voice. Second, mankind hesitated to fully embrace AI (artificial intelligence). Finally, mankind ignored its many planetary problems, despite having pledged to address them.

Indeed, Ameil and some Council members began to sense that Earth was in a state of chaos and rudderless. Many leaders on Earth appeared to be desperate to find a common, unified vision for its effective governance; AI was perceived by many to be an existential risk to mankind; and, key threats to Earth’s sustainability remained sorely unattended.

The Gray’s competing vision for Earth’s transformation was both bold and aggressive. Even though some envoys and ambassadors were now on a first-name basis; most of the ‘non-contentious’ policy initiatives and treaties were still being crafted; and, a few limited interstellar visits had taken place between Earthlings and citizens of Orthia, these three remaining steps were just ‘a bridge too far’ for many on Earth to now accept!

Moreover, most on Earth were not prepared for the plethora of interstellar communications, new overtures requested on action items and the impact of all these proposed changes to their daily lives. Earth’s leaders were now facing severe disruptions since they ‘officially’ became a member of the High Council of Orthia. Deep and profound questions lingered within the minds of many as to why they even ‘enlisted’ for High Council membership in the first place! Some felt, given the gravity of all this new and different knowledge from distant extraterrestrials, that things were just too one-sided, and mankind was at a clear disadvantage. Even more unsettling was the fact that the majority of Earth’s leaders didn’t even know the names of all the members of High Council of Orthia despite the signed interstellar treaty currently in place between them!

Ever since their Joint Resolution of Concurrence had been signed, some Earth leaders began suffering deep pangs of anxiety. They were reeling from the immediate impact of all the new science, technology, and biosciences flowing generously to Earth from another species. Frankly, Earth was clearly overwhelmed. It lacked any real understanding of its need for a competent world structure for governing, communicating and processing everything with more intelligent ‘beings’ within the Universe; the potential impact of AI (artificial intelligence) upon mankind (and the Earth) by accepting their appeals to embrace it; and, the best way to implement all the massive changes needed to make Earth life better, now and for the future. Yes, each issue was fraught with danger and now seemed somewhat intractable for both parties to resolve.

The High Council meeting adjourned briefly for all parties to gather both their thoughts and their allies. Tsae and the other Elders arose and crossed the chamber to speak privately with Ikolf. He was visibly perplexed over what he heard from Earth’s delegation about their overall lack of progress and the perceived resistance of some of Earth’s leaders in moving all things forward without a single, proper governance structure in place. He thought about telling Ikolf that the High Council could make all of the needed changes sought without Earth’s input or any say in the matter, but quickly caught himself and realized that was not the High Council’s chosen way of doing business. Clearly, the High Council was dealing with what some would call a ‘petulant’ planet, but mankind would get over it at some point!

Ikolf reminded Tsae and the others of some of Earth’s historical inflection points from all their readings and the data they had gleaned about Earth. Telepathically, he shared man’s background and said the following, "For centuries, mankind has clearly struggled to create the most effective and efficient structure for governance with the discipline he needs to work for both him and his offspring. Indeed, history confirms that failure is inherently the rule and any success (albeit limited) is the clear exception!

What began eons ago as a loose collection of humans huddled in a rock cave has now evolved into a loose collection of humans huddled in a concrete UN building in New York City! Even to this day, mankind continues to flail about hoping to find some type of solid governance structure that works with the clear, effective guidance it needs to adequately guide and support the propagation of his species.

To reminisce, early man on Earth generally coalesced into tribes or clans for very practical reasons:—hunting, gathering and a general sense of security. Clan members did not know where/when their next meals would come. They also did not know how to hunt effectively, but quickly learned that the law of large numbers could do the trick. More humans could do more things, e.g., forage for more food; find more water, fire and shelter; create more clothing, tools and armaments; and, provide greater security for the clan. Indeed, more humans could sleep in peace and away from nearby predators and other warring clans. Hence, the rise of the clan, destined to live a rather spartan existence, cohabitating and living with shared burdens.

With all these burdens in place, fierce rivalries quickly arose over just about anything and everything:—food, clothing, shelter, women, fire, tools, security, and taking on any nearby opportunities and/or threats. Hence, the inevitable rise of rivalries over purpose, direction and leadership. In general, everyone shared in the clan’s common tasks, but the clan’s leadership was always an open question. Only a few brave souls even sought clan leadership, with intense (and bloody) rivalries taking place for the honor. Generally, only the fittest survived these conflicts and they assumed the mantle of either being the clan’s chief, leader or king."

Tsae accepted the basic premise of Ikolf’s treatise, but reminded him that it was all part of man’s ‘normal’ evolution. He continued with some great wisdom of his own stating, "The life cycle of every sentient being is generally reduced to a basic, four-step process: — birth, development, reproduction, and death. It is the way of things. Any governance structure contrived by man is only introduced into this four-step cycle to create some kind of perceived order or discipline