AmEarth
Chapter 23

Neil Chen Tyson had been furious at Peter’s behavior at the last Supercomputer Committee meeting and still could not believe how short-lived the new “ignorant president” scheme had been. Peter would lie and the world would discover the alien hoax even faster than before. Chen was determined to stop this as soon as possible. He traveled from his home in upstate New York to the AmEarth headquarters and ordered an emergency meeting of the committee. The quorum was seven members and if unanimous, a resolution could pass. The computer room was empty when he switched the machinery on. Lights turned on inside the huge glass table that housed the computer keyboards that the members used, and two large monitors lit up with the familiar date on screen.

’10/5/2045 — Good evening, President Chen,’ Essie said.

“Call the committee members. I would like a quorum for an emergency meeting.” Chen responded.

In various homes and apartments in the New York and Washington areas, the wafers summoned a quorum of members. The monitors flashed members’ names as they agreed to join in the meeting. Chen saw the names light up, and about five minutes later he had five members joining him on the screen: General ohn Redford, General oberts, Director of NASA Larry Kanter, Economic Minister usan Petrov, and Secretary of Foreign Affairs onathan Richardson.

Then there was a pause. No quorum yet. Chen waited the agreed twenty minutes and was about to call off the meeting in frustration when a final name began to flash.

Director of Extraterrestrial Affairs ergio Ramirez-Bulatov

A quorum at last.

The connections were made, and all six members joined virtually. Some just communicated via an avatar phone call, while others were represented by a video call. Chen disabled Essie before starting the meeting and all members could see this on their screen. It was well understood that Essie needed to be kept out of the Committee’s decisions if their where to keep her in their control.

“Welcome, members. We barely have a quorum, but I called this emergency meeting because I am very worried that our new president is going to drop the ball. He knows about our fabricated past, and this problem needs to be addressed. I move to inform Essie that President Peter Johansen was the wrong choice; that he is aware of the truth behind AmEarth and will not be able to fulfill his duties appropriately. We will then her decide Peter’s future.”

Jonathan Richardson of Foreign Affairs immediately voiced his valid c.

“We just finished an election cycle, Neil. It was a lot of work and quite an expense to boot. Do you really think this is warranted?”

“I’m really not willing to open the discussion. You all know me, and when I am certain of something, I’m usually right. I want Peter to go,” Chen stated.

“What does the resolution say?” Ramirez-Bulatov asked.

“Sergio, this is perhaps the first time you’ve chosen to engage in any way with this committee. I actually expected you not to show, as usual,” EPhen snapped at the dissident voice.

“Et alors…” Sergio replied.

“The resolution simply states that Peter was the wrong choice because he is an inexperienced president and will not be able to successfully lie to the people. He has compromised the intent of the last directive, and the computer should be informed.” Chen rattled off his answer as though it should be common sense.

“I would like to read the resolution before it is entered. Can you send us copies?” Sergio said.

“But you’ve never…” phen began with a note of suspicion in his voice.

“I would like to read it as well,” General Redford added.

“That’s fine. I have the document here. Sending it now,” Chen replied.

General Redford objected a few moments later once he had the file in front of him.

“This is twenty pages long! I cannot and will not make a decision on this in an emergency time frame. I will read this and we can revise it tomorrow.”

“But we need this done tonight. Peter is about to go on air in New Zealand, and there are provisos in the resolution to stop him from doing so,” Chen shot back desperately.

“Neil, if Peter is caught lying tomorrow, then so be it, but you will not have my vote on this tonight,” General Redford replied.

“Nor mine,” Sergio added, and then signed out of the conference call.

“But gentlemen!”

They were already gone.

“Hmmm, well, I guess we will need more time. Thank you all,” Chen said before signing off himself.

With that, the remaining four members signed off and disappeared. Neil Chen sat alone in the Supercomputer Committee room, looking slightly defeated, but determined. A fight is what Peter would get, and as soon as his speech in New Zealand ended, he would be able to determine the true efficacy of this new president.