บท 18: 18;HARSH DESCISION
The room erupted in chaos. Leaders shouted, voices overlapping in a cacophony of panic and outrage. The German president, standing at the center of the chamber, remained unshaken as the implications of his suggestion to nuke the planet sank in.
"What you're suggesting is madness!" roared the Australian prime minister, his face red with fury as he stood abruptly, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. "If we nuke the planet, where the fuck are we supposed to go? Are we just going to float into space and hope for the best?"
The tension was palpable, every word slicing through the heavy air. The German president gestured toward the screens, motioning for calm. Before he could respond, another figure rose—a slender man with sharp features and an air of quiet confidence. It was the president of the European Union.
"Prime Minister," the EU president said, his voice calm yet firm, "I understand your frustration, but we may already have a solution to that particular problem."
With a few taps on the tablet in front of him, the screens around the room flickered and changed. The image of Earth disappeared, replaced by a sleek, futuristic spacecraft, its massive structure gleaming against a backdrop of stars. The vessel was unlike anything the gathered leaders had ever seen—a marvel of engineering that seemed to belong in the distant future.
"This," the EU president said, his voice steady but tinged with urgency, "is the 247 Arc. And it's very real."
Gasps filled the room as the leaders leaned forward, their eyes fixed on the screen. The 247 Arc was colossal, its design resembling a hybrid of a massive aircraft carrier and a space station. Its segmented hull, lined with glowing blue panels, suggested advanced propulsion systems and a self-sustaining habitat.
"This vessel," the EU president continued, "was built as a joint venture between us and China, with the goal of exploring the far reaches of the galaxy. It was meant to be humanity's first step toward colonizing other worlds."
The Chinese president stood next, his tall frame commanding attention. "The Arc," he explained, his voice measured and authoritative, "was originally designed to accommodate up to two billion people. However, due to significant resource constraints during its construction, its capacity is now limited to one billion people—and an additional two million troops to ensure security and operations aboard the ship."
The revelation sent a ripple of shock through the room. The world's leaders exchanged incredulous glances, struggling to comprehend the implications of what they were hearing.
The president of South Korea was the first to speak, his voice heavy with disbelief. "So you're telling us that you want to take just one billion people," he said, his tone rising, "and leave the rest of humanity behind? And then nuke the planet? What kind of plan is that?"
Before anyone could respond, the Canadian prime minister stood, his fiery resolve evident in the way he clenched his fists. "He's right!" he shouted. "We can't just abandon the rest of the population. That's genocide on an unimaginable scale! How can you even suggest such a thing?"
The room descended into another storm of arguments. Accusations flew, tempers flared, and alliances fractured under the weight of impossible decisions.
"Enough!"
The voice of the American president cut through the noise like a thunderclap. He rose to his feet, his commanding presence silencing the room. "Listen to yourselves," he said, his voice steady but laced with frustration. "If you have a better plan, we'd all be happy to hear it. But right now, this is the only option we have on the table. Do you think I want to leave people behind? Do you think any of us do?"
The Japanese prime minister stood next, his tone measured but urgent. "The president of the United States is right," he said. "We need to hear this plan in its entirety. Right now, our best course of action is to consider what's in front of us. If we keep arguing, we'll waste precious time that we don't have."
The Russian president, a formidable figure with an air of quiet intensity, rose and addressed the room. "Alright," he said, his voice deep and steady. "Let's say we agree to this plan. What happens after we take one billion people into space? What do we do then?"
Before anyone could answer, a new figure entered the room—a man in a crisp suit bearing the emblem of NASA. He strode to the front of the chamber, his expression resolute.
"That," the NASA scientist said, "is where we come in."
The scientist tapped a tablet, and a new set of images appeared on the screens. "As some of you may already know," he began, "a few months ago, Dr. Halsey succeeded in creating the first-ever cryosleep drug. This drug has been tested extensively on humans, and it works."
A murmur of surprise rippled through the room, but the scientist raised a hand to preemptively address their questions. "The plan is simple," he continued. "We can use the 247 Arc to take one billion people into space and put them into cryosleep for forty to fifty years. During that time, the Earth will recover from the nuclear fallout, and we can return to rebuild."
The room was silent for a moment, the enormity of the plan sinking in. Then the scientist added, almost reluctantly, "But there's one catch."
The leaders braced themselves.
"For the cryosleep to work—and for humanity to have any hope of repopulating the Earth—we can only select individuals between the ages of 12 and 60. Anyone outside of that range is at too high a risk of complications."
Gasps filled the room, followed by a tense silence. The American president broke it. "Do we have enough of this drug for one billion people?" he asked.
The scientist nodded. "Yes, we've confirmed it."
The room erupted again. Some leaders were partially in agreement, while others outright refused the plan. Accusations, objections, and desperate suggestions flew across the chamber. But amid the chaos, one thing became clear: while the plan was far from perfect, it was the only glimmer of hope humanity had.
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