...And We Will Have Snow

Chapter 2-6: Going Public

They all knew that a prediction of snow would not be well received by a world wrapped up in the perceived threat of global warming. Particularly since their prediction was based on data extracted from the Q, which no one was likely to believe either.

So the order of business was clear. They had, in their island, a working model of a completely self-sufficient modern community, and they had a VR representation of an expanded version that could be viewed by anyone anywhere. They had fulfilled phase one of their mandate.

Tengri decided it was time to lay out his vision of what would come next.

"I will present our model to the Walden Project organizers. They'll view it remotely through VR helmets, slaved to my access point here, so they'll see it displayed from my position, but will be able to look around as I walk them through it.

"I expect they'll see that anyone given the same experience will understand the advantage of living in such a facility. Especially when I explain that the self-contained power source makes it completely independent of local climate variations."

"Will you tell them about the Q?" Ray asked.

"I'll certainly mention our use of the quantum computer link, but I think it'll be best to downplay how we made the VR model. If they ask I'll just tell them it's a product of your genius. I don't think they'll want to know the details."

Tengri paused, as if he might be consulting the Q himself.

"When the time comes that such self-contained living facilities are needed, whether from coastal flooding driving people inland, northern snows driving people south, or rising temperatures in the midlands driving people into climate-controlled community shelters, it will be up to the organizers to make the units available. They have the resources to build them, at least enough to get the ball rolling. And they have access to the power units, although as I understand it those will soon become available broadly.

"For us, I expect there will be plenty of need to show people the ropes, demonstrate how the units function, and how to keep them functioning. So our next task is to prepare for that. We need to anticipate as many of the questions as we can, and make VR demonstrations to answer them. That's our next job.

"When things get rough it will also mean travelling to installations to sort out and settle unexpected difficulties.

"As this new mode of living starts to take root, I think many of the units will be populated by groups of like-minded people. The organizers assure me that global satellite links will remain in place, even be further augmented. There's no reason to think that communication networks will be interrupted, now that secure power sources are assured. So the new living units won't be isolated.

"But even so, people will still want to join groups they feel at home in. If anything the internet will facilitate that. People who are now members of virtual groups, when forced to relocate, will be inclined to join such groups physically.

"Some of those subcultures may be well suited for the kind of communal living we are envisioning. Some may not. They won't all have a natural shaman for a leader. They won't all have someone with a link to the Q to guide them.

"Unless we provide it.

"As I've said before, we can expect to be faced with situations where existing cultures can't adjust to the new reality. They will want to preserve their old ways, as a matter of principle, or pride. That won't always work.

"But I've watched our little group transform through the use of the Q link. Some of us had developed shaman awareness before we came here, were acutely aware of the Q, whatever we called it. Others simply took it for granted, as it seems most people do, or had trained ourselves to ignore it as bad science. Now, because of the VR feedback Ray developed, we have all realized our shaman potential in a way I think has never been done before.

"This is a special gift, an evolution if you will. It is an evolution that can be made available to everyone now. I think, and I hope you all agree, that it falls to us to make that happen."