AmEarth
Chapter 31

Ex-President Chen sat in his luxurious home office under house arrest. The paneling had been brought over from a seventeenth century castle in France. Books with cracked, ancient bindings surrounded him and a huge painting by Claude Lorrain hung over the marble fireplace. The room’s high ceilings and double French doors had a palatial scale that made him look, as he now was, insignificant.

Neil Chen was still furious at the president for confining him to a ridiculous house arrest. What was he thinking? Chen spent most of his time at home anyway; his staff tended to all his needs and cooked and cleaned. He lived like a king with his beautiful third wife. Nothing had actually changed, except that he couldn’t go to New York for dinner. This was the first weekend he spent entirely in his home in decades.

That coming Monday Peter had allowed him to go to the Supercomputer Committee meeting. Ex-president Chen was still reessing the meeting that transident. Now they would see him in person and hear all about the indecency of Peter Joansen! hadn’t even seen the messages regarding the meeting he had missed. He’d left his palatial home in hisllowed by the Ssecret Sservice. His usual drive down the Saw Mill River Pparkway was scenic enough, but none of thos goldentrees and fall landscapes could diminish his antiipation of seeing Peter face-to-face again.

At the Supercomputer Committee meeting, the usual members were in attendance, including Sergio and Peter. Chen arrived and sat as usual at the head of the table. Some participants were projected in on computer screens from their foreign locations. The meeting began with a summary of the past resolutions prepared by Sergio, expressly for Neil Chen’s benefit. The familiar light that announced Essie was present as well was lit. A loudspeaker presentation narrated by her began.

voice.

“Before we begin this meeting, members have requested a summary of resolutions from the prior meeting of October seventeenth, 2042. A quorum was obtained and the resolutions 25861, 25862, and 25863 were passed unanimously,” tssie announced.

Ex-president Chen turned white as a sheet. That date hit him like a punch in the stomach and he could barely contain his emotions. He had been on that damn plane on the seventeenth!

“Resolution 25861. The removal of anticompetition clauses in the commodity industries. No longer will the world economy be able to sustain the growth and concentration of wealth in the following industries with monopolistic protection: semiconductors, fishery farming, pork, cotton, wireless technologies…” Essie rattled off dozens of monopolistic clauses that would be removed.

Chen stood up. Everyone ignored him and focused on Essie’s speech. Peter, however, locked eyes with Neil. He wanted the ex-president to know that he was behind this. They kept gazing at each other, not speaking, until Essie finished. Chen sat down again, cooled off, and thought about what to do. He then pushed the button that turned off Essie.

“I’m not happy about this. This is a direct attack on me and my family,” Chen began boldly.

“Essie agreed that monopolistic clauses needed to be removed to ensure peace on the planet. It was needed,” Sergio said.

“Who the hell do you think you are?” Chen replied in a nasty tone.

“Just hold off one moment, Neil. You’re speaking to the most important member of this committee,” Peter interjected.

“You’re mad,” Chen said.

“Last time I checked, the work that Sergio does is irreplaceable and unique. Everyone in this room can be replaced, except him. Can any of you create a unique species of aliens? What if we need more evidence? Will we use your sketches, Neil?” Peter shot back.

“No one is irreplaceable,” Chen muttered.

“Well, what’s done is done. I also have a new resolution to propose to Essie today,” Peter announced.

“I also have a resolution,” Chen shot back.

“Fine. Let’s put them in and see what she thinks. Acceptable?” Peter invited Chen to insert his drive.

They both inserted the small drives into the table and downloaded their resolutions as Essie’s light went back on. to irwas ill- prepred. He had no counter-resolution for the damage done to his industry. He was proposing a resolution to remove Peter because his lying scale score was far too good and was probably a compuh that could fail at any time. . The was quick with its response.

“Former President Neil Chen Tyson, your resolution is not tenable. Peter Johansen is the acting supreme president, and his speech score was flawless. There is no need to replace an effective president.” Essie spoke in her matter of fact tone. t

“President Johansen, your resolution is being considered. The database is performing a quick scan of the potential for your concept for a name change to AmEarth. Preliminarily, it is good. In the next three minutes, I will have a definitive answer,” Essie said.

Chen stood up again.

“What is this about? You think you can change the name of AmEarth now? Are you mad? What are you possibly going to call it? Johansenville?” Chen screamed, losing his fragile sheen of calm.

Peter didn’t answer. He let Neil’s emotions run their course. He had already told everyone on the Supercomputer Committee about the name change proposal before Chen came in. They had all agreed that it was a brilliant idea and had no issue with it. Chen looked around in desperation to see if anyone would help to stop this moment.

“Just Earth,” General Redford softly said.

“Is anyone going to do something about this man?” Chen waved his hand at Peter, losing what little credibility he still had.

“Earth,” Redford said again.

“He is hell-bent on destroying me! What did you say, John?” Chen asked.

“Earth.”

“Earth what?”

“Earth is the new name.”

Chen sat down, pained, panicked, and sweating.

“Bring him some water,” Redford said.

A member poured a glass of water for Chen, who drank it slowly. It felt like his last gulp on AmEarth…Earth. It was brilliant. How could this idiot have come up with that? Chen considered that perhaps he hadn’t played this situation right from the beginning. Essie interrupted his thoughts.

“The resolution by Peter Johansen is approved. AmEarth will succeed with greater strength if the name is changed. Earth shall be the new name for the global government.”

The meeting continued without any further comments or shouts from the broken ex-president. He just sat there until the meeting ended. When it was all done, he could barely get up to go home. He was exhausted. All he wanted was to go back to his mansion and rest.

Peter and Sergio left together and took the elevator to the Shadow White House for dinner with their wives and kids. It was the eve of Thanksgiving and they had prepared a turkey dinner with all the trimmings as a sort of private Thanksgiving party, a tradition they would continue for many years.

“Whew, that was something,” Sergio said, feeling the cold air from the elevator fan cool the sweat on the back of his shirt.

“Yes. I think we have put Chen in the rearview mirror,” Peter said.

“I hope so.”

There was a short pause.

“Sergio?” Peter began again.

“What’s up?” Sergio said.

“The one thing we need to make sure is that we keep the lenses as guarded a secret as the formula for Coke. It needs to be foolproof.”

“I have news for you. Nothing is foolproof…But we can try.”

“Only all of this depends on it…”

Peter said this slowly as the elevator doors opened and finished the sentence while moving his hands showing the Shadow White House foyer as if it where a showcase in The Price is Right.

The foyer had beautiful high ceilings and mahogany staircases. A butler waited on them and followed them around until Peter dismissed him. They went to the Oval Office and sat in comfortable sofas perpendicular to the fireplace, exhausted from the battle with Chen. Now, they were content and just sat there, quietly resting. To their side, behind the presidential desk, were the familiar round windows through which Manhattan was visible. From that high up, it was an amazing view, shimmering in sunset’s golden tones.