Oni2:Caged Birds: Difference between revisions

Hanna arrived in the east Russian sector. Average temperature of chilly zero degrees and bleak tundra landscape were not an expected welcome. Actually she had not expected anything but now she thought why people were even living here.

A taxi was already waiting for her. She saw the driver in front of the car waving a hand. There was no need for that, nobody else was around in this cold wasteland. The man was wearing a thick jacket, open, for him the temperature must still have felt quite warm.

"In a figurative sense, more than you think." He smirked.

The man laughed. "No kidding. You will see it for yourself. - Actually, take a look, right there."

"This city you see was built for their support. Here live the families of technicians, construction workers, soldiers, etc."

"Outbreak of a plague. A nuclear incidence. An invasion."

"Yes. That too. Multiple reasons, you see. - After global warming really started to kick in with the meltdown of permafrost and methane hydrate, this area is becoming more habitable."

"The thing about Russia is that it doesn't get too hot. It just starts to get comfortable, like Canada. The WCG has chosen Green Village to be the central place for preparing the land for new generations."

"What about the bio crisis?"

"The colder temperature have kept xeno hybrids away. And the toxin levels are here less high. Apparently, they got plans for these latitudes."

"If you say so. But with all this half-dead rusty-green grass and stray trees this doesn't look very inviting."

Blake nodded. "While that is true, you really have to think in decades here."

"Let's face it. Humans only change when they fall flat on their faces. Damage and pain tells them what to avoid, not intelligence. They are ... inert masses. Not a hundred crying little girls with protest banners in front of some institution will change that. People may protest for political and economical independence, for a stable climate and clean oceans. But they don't really want to change themselves."

"Isn't this the fault of our representatives? Every political party is promising their members the heaven on earth just to vote them into power. In their own ideological blindness they can't do the math for the true costs.<!-- Everyone ignores the factors of the … enemies.-->"

"Yes, you are generalizing a lot of things. - And you don't think the politicians are to blame?"

"Of course, they too. They want to become re-elected. Especially policians had have no other profession. Right there a contradiction of being a representative. But the real power comes from the people. And what do they do with it? Little."

"Did you ever had the feeling that fighting politicians over details in talk shows are a gain for our society? The average Joe doesn't have the time to differentiate. In a society of specialization he is not meant to think, but to work. Therefore the slogans must be simple to mobilize them."

"Planed or not, economic-wise globalization made the WCG adapt the European model. That is former states are now so much interconnected that a war between the regions – trade wars, resources wars, or any other wars – will damage everybody's economy. You can say about the WCG whatever you want but they keep the nationalists in check and prevent a nuclear holocaust. It's probably the only thing that the WCG is better at compared to all other systems. This interconnected global community renders the red button pointless."

"Interesting point right there. What about ideological dissidents and other people that are strongöy obliged to their own conscience?"

"That means more waves of refugees, the WCG will get a thousand million new inhabitants, distribution problems, civil wars."

"Exactly. People got inflexible ideas on how a good life has to look like. Sharing resources with others, especially with new strangers, endangers those ideas. Existential fears promote hate and therefor violence. That's why our representatives [https://www.theguardian.com/law/2019/jun/03/icc-submission-calls-for-prosecution-of-eu-over-migrant-deaths have decided to make it difficult for refugees to enter our territory.] The death and torment of the refugees was known to the politicians. And when that information was presented to us, the very most of us gave a damn.<--[https://www.zeit.de/politik/2019-08/migration-angela-merkel-fordert-staatliche-seenotrettung Two month later a placebo for the rest.]--> - The situation was already bad and it is getting worse."

"Basically you are saying, we cannot save ourselves by political means and social consensus anymore."

"What is fueling human survival and prosperity? Innovations and exercising science. The harnessing of fire, the creation of the wheel, the use of electricity. - We need every good scientist to break through these crises. If you really join us, you will be part of the elite, actually saving lifes."

"What about the the non-WCG states?"

Blake smirked. "You cannot save everyone. When we have saved ourselves we can export our knownledge to them. Question is can stay professional in the meantime and do what is necessary? Of all things that Green Village is, it is also an actual prototype of a self-sustaining village meant to withstand most difficult conditions. But we need your help to finish it. Can we count on you?"

"I became scientist to improve our lifes, that's also what I'm here for today, of course I will help you."

 

 

"Calm down. This was just the political bullshit protocol. Terrorists don't write on their forehead that they are one. Only the most utterly ideological tinted blockheads and for those we have a special place."

"Hey, you passed. Don't be mad."

 

 

Green Village came into view, including its defense ring. Reason enough for Blake to reveal further details about the facility.

 

"Remember our talk about ideological blindness. Green Village is also a sci prison. The inmates themselves are unable to play a stabilizing function yet they can be of use."

 

"Aren't you too fast with your evaluation? I could still change my mind."

"No, you will not. Walker said I can trust you and he was always honest to me."

<!-- If the WCG is all bad it would have been wiped much earlier. Authoritarian systems destroy themselves by continuously generating new enemies. Always remember that you can improve the system by being part of it, your presence radiates back on it." Blake throw her a smile. "Don't give up on us, then we don't give up on you."

"You haven't seen Green Village yet. You have no idea what is possible."-->

"Good, good." The head of HR said. "I reviewed your talk with Ms. West. Sometimes just I don't know what side you are standing on. By chance, you are not a double-agent?"

 

 

"Aha, is that so."

Blake exited the office. He grounded his teeth. "Paranoid asshole. Suspecting me of double play."

He smirked.