The Solution (2nd Edition)

Mikey

Knowin' Stephen Wu was about to explain more on Land and Aviation Technology, I'd shuffled to the edge of my seat and refreshed my iLenses a second time.

    "Today, there are one hundred and ninety-two countries worldwide," he said. "Based on Xen Lai's vision, the plan would be for every nation to have two Land Chosen Areas - three hundred and eighty-four areas, internationally.

    "Within each area, there would be:

    "One Dormitory/Colony;

    "One Dock;

    "One Freighter;

    "And based on the doubling element, each country would have six Land and Aviation Technologies spread across their two sites.

    "Worldwide, there would be:

    "Three hundred and eighty-four Dormitory-Colonies;

    "Three hundred and eighty-four Docks;

    "Three hundred and eighty-four Freighters;

    "And including The Central Column, the global amount of Land and Aviation Technologies would equate to; one thousand, one hundred, and fifty-three."

    With admiration, I'd stroked at my stubble. Stephen's numbers were impressive!

    "Now, still speaking hypothetically," he said, "approximately thirty-four per cent of Freighters would hold peripheral positions in the Earthian Star configuration, and have secondary purposes, each with technical processes...

    "The first process would be Cold Storage. Approximately five per cent of Freighters would have Cold-Vacuum refrigeration/freezing capabilities and would return to their docks on the ground. The aim being to collect sustainable meat and fish stock. Only stock which has been regulated and approved would be loaded. The Freighters would return to orbit, re-connect with Earthian Star, and distribute evenly. Additionally, some quantities of food preservatives such as salt and brine would be on board for regular use.

    "The second process would be Water Transportation. Approximately ten per cent of Freighters would be robustly designed with Cryo-Hydro capabilities. They would be allocated to countries with the largest water treatment facilities. Then, engineers and army personnel would build overground pipelines; similar to the legendary Trans-Alaska Pipeline System; and spanning as far as needed. The pipes would allow clean water to be ferried from water treatment plants to Land Chosen Areas - and then directly into the Hydro Freighters, ready for launch. Additionally, treatment chemicals such as chlorine dioxide would be stored in cargo holds to control bacteria such as Legionella. Gas storage of hydrogen and oxygen would also be in place as a secondary method to produce water. Due to the heavy weight of the liquid of life, the orbital transportation of it would be very energy-consumptive, too. Therefore, it would be these Natural Resource Freighters such as the Hydro's, which would have more atomic energy allocated to their enormous engines... Once onboard, the water would be frozen, liquefied when required, then introduced into the Tripod Reserve Tanks and distributed evenly.

Tripod Reserve Tank

Water Tank One: drinking and wipe-washing

Water Tank Two: agricultural irrigation

Water Tank Three: Sanitary Recycling System

    "The third process would be Agricultural Extraction. Approximately ten per cent of Freighters would be reinforced to facilitate Bowery Vertical Aerofarming and filled with zero-point-eight per cent of the world's excavated farming soil. Once seeds had been planted, water would be released from Water Tank Two, and fed into the on-board irrigation system. The introduction of hydroponic light would follow, as would the eclectic diversity of Earth's organic crops, producing constant, induced harvests. Periodically, the soil and minerals from the Farming Freighters would also be rotated with soil back on Earth. This would ensure maximum nutritional conservation and would be done while the remaining Earth-bound farming soil was regenerated naturally, via Base Team One. Meanwhile, onboard Freighters, tons of organic food waste would be fed into Recycling Composters. Furthermore, crops would be protected with herbicides, bactericides, fungicides, miticides, molluscides, nematicides and virucides.

    "Linked to the third process of Agricultural Extraction, the fourth process would be Fertilization Storage. Approximately three per cent of Freighters would be our Flora Freighters. Small collections of holo-insects, such as those designed on solitary bees and butterflies, would ensure cross-pollination of food plants. This mimicked choice would hopefully prevent mutation and crop failure.

    "The fifth process would be Health Welfare. Another three per cent of Freighters would be our Accident and Emergency Freighters. The mass of medical staff would tend to all Eligible Patrons. They would be the active force to stem and manage any disease or virus which might come about. As a precaution, they would have an antidote store to protect individual Freighter communities - or the united Earthian Star population. Furthermore, they would ensure that the new One Child Policy was enforced purposefully among the biological female population, before the conception stage of pregnancy.

    "Everyone, the final process would be Archiving. The last three per cent of Freighters would act as our Species Arks. Archive professionals would keep active stores of profiled DNA and fertilized embryos of every single known organism on Earth. We would need this essential resource in a post-World-Ender-storm, scenario. Conclusively, animal cloning could be utilized. With the current international ban lifted, this could quickly repopulate flora and fauna species groups, if and when destabilization evoked extinction threats. Thank you."

    As Stephen finished, silence seemed to claim the world. But I had to say somethin'. "Chon, your brother's Rain Man, dude."

    "Mikey, I can't disagree, even if I wanted to," Sarah interjected. "Xen's a god-damn savant."

    Chon was the last to comment. "Guys, it would seem you're both right. I always knew he was good at what he did. But this is a level above, 'all levels'. Why didn't somebody tell me I have a genius brother?"

    "Chon," I said earnestly, "your māma is a fellow Elder, and always has."

    "I know, I know," he admitted. "I just didn't realize how much she really meant it."

    As we all continued to digest The Solution's content, Stephen settled back in his seat, while Xen returned to the podium. I wracked my brain about what awesomeness was comin' next, and despite any hateful opinions of others, I was lovin' it! Even with Chon aside, Xen had almost worked his way back into my good books. He was makin' history and we were all a part of it.

End of Chapter 11