The Return (The Next Galaxy) Page 6

  President Parker held her forehead.

  “Madam President, I can vividly recall, you were never one to handle stress too well. I can visualize you holding your forehead, trying to contain the pounding headache that is already rushing through your brain. That is too bad; I mean, having to continue to suffer from that nasty migraine,” her image continued. “I would advise you to see a doctor as soon as possible. I know what it could degenerate into, because I have experienced it already.”

  “Is this some kind of joke?” the Russian president asked.

  “And if the Russian president is there,” the image of the Russian president announced, “I believe that he would already be wondering if this could be a prank organized by his American counterparts to deceive him into giving up on further stockpiling of nuclear arms. Come on, Mr. President, you are far smarter than that. For once, stop thinking that your life is supposed to be all about winning some sort of battle of supremacy against the United States. You, and every other person in this room, need to pay very careful attention to this recording.”

  The Russian president glanced at the Chinese president with confusion written all over his face. The Chinese president shook her head. “I am not going to agree to any of this. It must be a prank.”

  At that moment, the image of the Chinese president spoke. “Madam President, what have you been able to do about your husband’s cancer?”

  The Chinese president gasped and looked at the other delegates in the room. “How? How did she know about my husband’s cancer? That is a highly classified secret. Not even my cabinet members are aware of his cancer.”

  The image of the Chinese president continued to speak. “We are telling you all these things to prove to you that we are the same people as you are in this room today. Please pay very close attention to what is on this recording.”

  The room became silent as the image of President Parker stood up and addressed them. “Our messenger must have already briefed you by now. But I am sure you are still harboring doubts. However, the fact is that in a couple of years from now, your world as you know it will be consumed in a global crisis that will lead to its complete destruction.”

  “And in the process, your world will be consumed completely and start disintegrating and falling apart in three years from now,” the image of the Chinese president said.

  The image of the Russian president raised a hand. “But the saving grace will be the Deep Probe initiative, which you are all fortunate to have initiated and launched just as the crisis was getting out of hand.”

  “Once that mission was judged a success, you all decided to send humans back to Earth to this particular date and time to stop the war from happening in the first place, because that is the only way to protect the Earth from being destroyed in the first place,” the image of the Chinese president said.

  “And this is why we have sent our people from the future to you right now,” the image of President Parker said. “He is here to take over your Earth of today for one major reason. That reason, as you must already be aware by now, is to ensure that Earth is not destroyed by us humans for any reason whatsoever. This is why we have made this recording. We want you to simply hand over the administration of your planet right here and right now to the messenger and his team.”

  “Please consider this request as highly urgent and extremely important,” the image of the Russian president continued. “We all collectively have agreed that this is the only way to prevent you from being foolish enough to start the global crisis in the first place.”

  “So is that what we are supposed to do now?” President Parker asked. “Simply hand over Earth to you, Davius?”

  Davius nodded. “It is for the greater good of mankind, Madam President.”

  “You have to cooperate with Davius and his colleagues as they take over your present-day Earth,” the image of President Parker replied. “And believe me, Madam President; it is for the greater good of mankind that you do so.”

  Suddenly, the Chinese president gasped. “My goodness, it has already started!” she shouted, pointing outside the window.

  They were all in a state of confusion and bewilderment as they turned their attention to the scene outside the window.

  The skies were now filled with several spacecraft similar to the initial seven that had been floating outside the UN Headquarters building. They seemed to be falling slowly from the skies and clouds above, like raindrops falling towards the ground, and flying through buildings and sidewalks and walkways.

  Soon the streets were sprawling with what seemed to be thousands of beings like Davius. They were floating around with practiced ease, entering buildings, escorting people out of the offices, and herding them into the streets. Loud announcements were made for the people to not panic and head to the safety of their homes.

  “We are friends of President Parker. We come here in peace. Do not panic. We are taking over earth for your own good!”

  Friends of President Parker indeed, thought President Parker bitterly. All the glorious achievements of the American people come to naught.

  She thought of how passionately the greatest American president, Abraham Lincoln, had fought for freedom for all men and women. His impassioned plea made in a speech in 1858, a fragment of the original manuscript of which was part of the national records of the government, was imprinted in her memory.

  Made so plain by our good Father in Heaven, that all feel and understand it, even down to brutes and creeping insects. The ant, who has toiled and dragged a crumb to his nest, will furiously defend the fruit of his labor, against whatever robber assails him. So plain, that the most dumb and stupid slave that ever toiled for a master, does constantly know that he is wronged. So plain that no one, high or low, ever does mistake it, except in a plainly selfish way; for although volume upon volume is written to prove slavery a very good thing, we never hear of the man who wishes to take the good of it, by being a slave himself. Most governments have been based, practically, on the denial of the equal rights of men, as I have, in part, stated them; ours began, by affirming those rights. They said, some men are too ignorant, and vicious, to share in government. Possibly so, said we; and, by your system, you would always keep them ignorant and vicious. We proposed to give all a chance; and we expected the weak to grow stronger, the ignorant, wiser; and all better, and happier together. We made the experiment; and the fruit is before us. Look at it— Think of it— Look at it, in its aggregate grandeur, of extent of country, and numbers of population, of ship, and steamboat, and rail…

  The Russian and Chinese presidents too watched in acute horror the scene playing out in front of them.

  “This is a goddamned coup d’état! That is what it is,” said Boris bitterly. “I am sure, Madam President, the same scenes are playing out in Moscow and Beijing at this very moment.”

  “Shh, Boris, Davius will hear you,” said the Chinese president fearfully.

  But Boris would not stop. With tears running down his cheeks, he sang aloud the Ode to Liberty by Russia’s national poet Pushkin-

  Listless Cytherean princess, sing

  No more. Begone out of my view! But you, great scourge of tsar and king, Proud Muse of Freedom, where are you? Come rip my laurels off. Bring stones And crush this coddled lyre. Let me Sing to the world of Liberty

  And shame that scum upon the thrones.

  Reveal to me the noble path

  Where that exalted Gaul once strode, When you in storied Days of Wrath Inspired in him a dauntless Ode. Now, flighty Fortune's favored knaves, Tremble, O Tyrants of the Earth! But ye: take heed now, know your worth And rise as men, ye fallen slaves!

  I cannot cast my gaze but see

  A body flayed, an ankle chained, The useless tears of Slavery,

  The Law perverted and profaned. Yea, everywhere iniquitous

  Power in the fog of superstition Ascends: Vainglory's fateful passion, And Slavery's gruesome genius.

  “This is like the Bolsheviks taking over fr
om the Russian Czar! These so-called human descendants of ours will not remain peaceful for long. We are in for terrible times. They will start with sweet lies, move on to falsification of history, discredit the press, and culminate in genocide—just like Stalin did. Just you wait.”

  His words proved prophetic, as they saw one of the invaders execute a citizen of New York City who had tried to attack members of the invading party with what appeared to be a firearm. A chill ran down the spine of the people present in the room. Davius saw that and made a bid to assuage the feelings of the people present in the room.

  “That was a common criminal bent upon creating trouble. He had to be punished. Don’t worry, we don’t intend to trample upon anyone’s fundamental rights.”

  “But don’t you need to try a person before punishing?” asked President Parker feebly.

  “Yes, indeed we do. Only, we are able to determine guilt in moments because of our superior and advanced deductive powers. There is no question of justice delayed being justice denied in our world.”

  How very convenient! Next they will operate labor camps to mine for minerals and natural resources. The era of human liberty is truly over and there is nothing that we can do about it, thought Boris bitterly.

  “Don’t worry, Boris,” said Davius, as if reading his thoughts. “Let me read out the charter of rights for people of Earth, so that there is no doubt in anybody’s mind about our noble intentions.”

  “But we have our Constitution!” protested President Parker. “The Preamble clearly states: We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

  “That is the United States Constitution. We were thinking along the lines of a universal charter,” replied Davius evenly.

  “We have the UN charter,” offered the Chinese president weakly.

  “I know what the UN Charter says,” said Davius a little impatiently. “Here, I will recite it for you. WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED

  to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and

  to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and

  to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and

  to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

  AND FORTHESEENDS

  to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and

  to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and

  to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest, and

  to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples,

  HAVE RESOLVED TO COMBINE OUR EFFORTS TOACCOMPLISH THESE AIMS

  Accordingly, our respective Governments, through representatives assembled in the city of San Francisco, who have exhibited their full powers found to be in good and due form, have agreed to the present Charter of the United Nations and do hereby establish an international organization to be known as the United Nations.

  “But this doubtlessly noble charter will not be able to save you from destruction if we don’t save you. As I have told you before, it is to save you all from assured destruction that this takeover is necessary, as mandated by you all yourselves, thousands of years ago. Well, thousands of years, at least from our perspective.”

  So he began to read from his charter, which in essence gave supreme power to a council of 150 people from the future, one person designated for each of the major countries of the world. The existing heads of states would continue to hold power, but would have to do so under the close supervision of the visitors.

  Nobody really cared to hear or understand what he was saying. They were simply too terrified. It was as if doomsday had come. In one corner of the room, Prime Minister Chandra was consoling a sobbing President Binaca with an arm on her shoulder.

  “Hush, hush. Things are not that bad. At least we will live. If you are feeling very weak, why don’t you pray? It will give you strength. Let’s hold hands and pray together. This is Gandhi’s favorite hymn. Repeat after me.

  Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;

  The darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide;

  When other helpers fail and comforts flee,

  Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me.

  Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;

  Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away;

  Change and decay in all around I see—

  O Thou who changest not, abide with me.

  I need Thy presence every passing hour;

  What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s pow’r?

  Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?

  Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

  I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;

  Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness;

  Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?

  I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.

  Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;

  Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies;

  Heav’n’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;

  In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

  Soon the others in the room joined in. Their singing reached a crescendo and attracted the attention of Davius, President Parker, and the Chinese president.

  “The poor devils, as if praying will help,” said President Parker without emotion.

  “This is again a sign of the primitive nature of your

  society,” said Davius dismissively.

  “Don’t you worry. These people are in shock. They will soon come around,” said Davius confidently. He

  further continued.

  “I know that you people still doubt our intentions.

  But that is the nature of human beings. You always

  doubt. One may come with the best of intentions, but

  you will doubt. You imagine that we are conquerors,

  even though we are human beings, too.

  “This, even when we have informed you of our

  intent. Anyway, it does not really matter because in a

  few months’ time, when peace and order returns,

  people will realize that everything happened for the

  best and they will support us—and by us, I mean you.” “We are not in a state of war now. At least among

  ourselves,” said the Chinese president a little quickly. Davius looked at her with contempt.

  “Didn’t you hear yourself in that video from the

  future? You yourself will condone our action.” “Voluntarily?”

  “Yes, Madam President. Very much voluntarily.

  Why do you people still resist what has already been

  ordained? Can’t you see? You don’t have much of a

  choice either way. Either you believe that we come in

  peace and learn to work with us or you fight amongst

  yourselves and destroy yourselves in the process.” “You mean we have the choice? You will leave us to

  our devices?” asked Boris hopefully.

  “No, you have already made that choice. You

  invited us here, remember? Coming back to what I was

  saying, your choices are limited. You either accept our

  offer of cooperation and survive, or fight us and face

  certain death.”

  “W
ow, that’s quite a choice you give us,” said Boris.

  “We are damned if we do, and damned if we don’t.” “How many times do I have to remind you? You

  made the choice yourself.”

  Everyone kept quiet now for they knew that it was

  futile. Davius would have his way.

  Good thing I never had children, thought the Chinese

  president, If this is what our descendants are going to turn out

  like.

  Davius continued with his sermon. “Just think of

  the benefits that access to our advanced technology

  will provide you. No more diseases, longer life spans,

  cleaner environment, and above all, freedom from war

  forever. Earth will truly become the paradise that you

  people dream of. In a few days from now, our

  lawmakers will consult with the leaders of the various

  nations and instruct them about the new way of

  governing the people.

  “The beauty of our method of instruction is that it

  will happen in a matter of hours by telepathy. You all,

  the leaders, will become like us. You will be the ruling

  class. Everybody else will take time to evolve to our

  level. We—and you—will be the rulers. Not because

  we are making slaves out of the people, but because

  whatever we do will be for the good of the people. We

  will be their guardians who will ensure that no harm

  comes to them.”

  President Parker spoke after a long time. “You

  mean like in that old movie, The Matrix. I am sure you

  know of it, since you are all-knowing.”

  Davius answered after a long pause, his tone

  suggesting that he was a little offended.

  “Yes, President Parker, except that we are not here

  on any sinister mission to exploit the Earth’s natural

  resources. Like I told you, we are your own people. We

  only have your best interest at heart. You people are