Chapter 51

Aina time: 8:56 AM, day 288 of 1449

Earth time: 11:08 AM Eastern Standard Time, Tuesday, July 21, 2043

Lynda saw the remaining members of Congress enter the dining hall and take their seats. She leaned over to Jennifer and whispered, "You know, I just had a really weird flashback."

"Yeah?"

"We have over twenty women and twenty men in this room now. Isn't it amazing they're not firing guns at each other?"

"Ha! I know what you mean. The gender just doesn't matter here... Yeah, it is still amazing..." Jennifer looked up and smiled timidly at Kahn who was walking toward them. He sat down in a chair next by Jennifer.

"We'll be starting in just a minute. How are you both feeling?"

Jennifer glanced at Lynda's arm monitor. "Four greens. Uh, Lynda. Doesn't that mean you can take it off?"

"Uh, not quite. Four blinking greens are what I'm waiting for. Dr. Mayoni says that's the final signal for mathematical checkmate, game over for the plague. Let's see yours. Oh... Well, at least no reds..."

Jennifer turned to Kahn. "I'm feeling okay though, a little weak but clearheaded. My mind feels fine, more peaceful than it has in many years."

Kahn nodded and then spoke softly. "Jennifer, this goes without saying, if you start to feel unwell, please retire from this meeting at any time..."

Jennifer nodded and Kahn walked back to his own chair and cleared his throat. "I call the meeting to order. To start, I would like to memorialize the unanimous decision of the Congressional meeting last night. Jennifer Diaz and Lynda Johnson, it gives me great pleasure to grant you full citizenship of the Hopewell people. As adults, you are now also members of our fourth branch of government. Congratulations!"

After several minutes of applause and friendly chatter, Kahn called the meeting back to order. "Our second item on the agenda is a report about Earth from our new citizens."

Lynda stood up and addressed the Congress. "Jennifer and I have discussed how to do this. Jennifer has a lot more detailed information concerning your 1436 expedition. I'll start off with a general description of Earth now, and then give Jennifer the floor."

Lynda took a deep breath. "At the beginning of June, 2043, Earth's estimated population was 900 million, about where it was in 1776, the old U.S. Revolutionary War. The current population is also 99.8% female, 1.8 million males and the rest females. The WFM is near their goal of eradicating all males outside of WFM genetic research labs." Lynda looked around the room, and she saw a great sadness sweep over the Congress.

She continued. "There are two areas still held by Equalists, Hawaii and part of the southern island of New Zealand, both with 60% male populations. Hawaii has about two million people, and New Zealand had about one million. I use the word had with New Zealand because the WFM is in the last stages of an extermination war there. At the beginning of June, we... no, forgive me... they started spraying a new bio-weapon that targets the human Y-chromosome."

"What?!" yelped Mayoni. "Oh, forgive me for interrupting." She and Kalea exchanged shocked looks of recognition.

Kahn spoke up, "Mayoni, Kalea, what?"

Kalea nodded. "Mayoni saw the horror first. The bio-knowledge of what Mayoni calls the wise ones. It seems the WFM is beginning to write the recipes for the wise ones' cookbook."

The meeting paused in silence, many members looking deeply troubled. Lynda didn't understand the point, and after a moment decided to continue. "Over the sprayed land, it takes about a month to insure 99.9% male eradication. Our troops were going to make their final push in early July, slaughter the few remaining sick males and begin offering the women the choice of death or joining the WFM. The battle is probably already over. Hawaii is probably the sole remaining territory not controlled by the WFM. Jennifer thinks it might be a long time before the WFM dares an invasion of Hawaii. It might be a stalemate situation..."

Kahn nodded thoughtfully. "Sounds like they have a doomsday weapon of their own. Nuclear weapons? Am I correct?"

"No, not nuclear weapons. After the horrors of what happened in the U.S., the Equalist Alliance made a unilateral pledge that they would never use atomics in warfare again. They were hoping for a compassionate response from the WFM. They didn't get one. The Equalists were exterminated in Northern Europe, but they died vowing they would not destroy the planet just to spite the WFM. As for why The WFM is afraid to attack Hawaii, it ties into what you did during your 1436 expedition... and now... Jennifer will explain."

Jennifer stood up. "I haven't been in special ops for years, not since radiation illness washed me out of elite forces. But I was an undercover agent in Tucker County, back when your 1436 expedition came. What you did, the WFM thinks the Equalists in Hawaii did, and it scares them tremendously."

Jennifer looked around the room. She had everyone's riveting attention. "Our underground network would always make sure I got the radio parts I needed, so I would continue to be invaluable to the mayor. They always made sure Sal somehow could buy a working PC after we fried the area with electromagnetic pulses. We had a secret recorder built into the cable modem in the Last Castle Café hotel lobby. What it recorded has tortured the WFM for years. It's what's saving Hawaii now. You leaving the calling card of the Hawaiian secret forces was an absolute stroke of genius on your part. Along with the other evidence you planted, the WFM decided it was just too risky to attack Hawaii. There's just too much they don't understand."

The members of the 1436 expedition in the room looked at each other in confusion. Finally Mark thought it was his duty to speak up. "Jennifer, no offense, but none of us knows what you're talking about."

Jennifer stared back in confusion. "You moved in and neatly took out the three Federalis agents in the area, Steve, Bert, and John, even tricking the mayor to do your hit for you. The WFM assumed to did it as a delay action, to give yourselves time to get away."

Mark paused. "We didn't know they were undercover Federalis. It was just a fluke. But still... What?"

"What do you mean, what? Kara's team succeeded in their mission to take out Steve and Bert. They left the calling card of the Hawaiian special forces in the SUV. Sal never did find it. The Federalis did, a month after you left. They thought it was a Hawaiian hit too."

Kara interrupted. "Jennifer, my team's mission was to scout Harmin, not to liquidate Federalis agents. This calling card, what was it?"

Jennifer went to an easel and drew a large K on it, with three distinct slashing strokes. "It stands for Kilauea, the name of the Hawaiian special forces. But you already know this... Don't you? They're named after the volcano, right?"

The room looked baffled. Then Kara stood up. "Oh, forgive me for breaking in, but I've just remembered something. It was a small detail. I never logged it into the mission report. When I was ditching the SUV in the stream, I was overcome with fury, furious at the violation of Lois. In addition to destroying the tires, I carved my initial into the leather of the driver's seat, three strokes, just like what Jennifer has on the easel. But my K just stood for Kara, not Kilauea... I do apologize. I'm embarrassed that I let my emotions control me like that..." Kara sat back down.

Jennifer looked stunned. "But... But your teams planted so many other leads back to Hawaii..."