Chapter Two: Secure in Peace

 It had been a near thing, but Leahe had been saved. A laborer had remarkable vitality. Satau stayed with her whenever he could. There were rumors that perhaps she was part of a mission for the High Priest, or an operative of some kind. In reality, Satau was scared to leave her side. If he did, he thought that she might be tossed into the gutter. A routine disposal of a slave that couldn’t work anymore.

Am I saving her life? Satau wondered, looking at her pale, motionless body. She lives, she goes back to Goshen. I could have her work for me as a domestic. But she’d never last in a place surrounded by Egyptians. She’d never last on the work parties. Not with one arm.

Khnem joined him now and then, giving him updates of the frog situation. “They just keep coming.” He reported. “This was amusing for a while, but now the disposal is getting more serious. We keep stickin’ them, and the bodies keep piling up, and nature’s taking hold. We have to haul them away now, and wagon after wagon is full up. The horses and camels don’t want to haul the wagons, because they keep stepping on the slimy things; so we need humans to haul some of the wagons. Twice a day, they’re piled high. It’s crazy. A wagon train goes through the market, and people come running to toss the dead critters on the pile.”

“Where are they hauling them?” Satau asked, still watching Leahe.

“Anywhere they can take them. They’re setting up kilns and furnaces here and there and torching the things. Ever smelled a frog pyre? It’s not fun. The slimy things don’t even burn without a lot of help. I mean, they’re not firewood.”

“What does father think?”

Khnem blinked. “He’s up in the Throne Room now. Pharaoh was concerned at the numbers, so father is with the Priest of Hekt, conjuring up baskets of frogs himself, to show the gods can match Moses.” He reported. “You didn’t know?”

“I haven’t been back to the Shrines much for a while.” Satau admitted.

Khnem blinked slowly. “She’s a slave.” He said, as though he was missing something. “A hundred slaves a day are punished or discarded. I mean, I recognize this one. She’s the one you and Takarut were drooling over before he left for Goshen. But she’s damaged now, so she can’t really be worth all this, can she?”

“Khnem...”

“No, I’m serious. What do you think is going to happen to her now? If Sari was in an accident and lost a leg, you’d want to save him. He’s been your horse ever since he was a foal. But if you saved his life, then what? A horse that can’t walk or run will never be whole again. A slave that can’t work… Seriously: Why have you invested so much in this one?” Khnem asked, genuinely curious.

He’s the second person who’s compared her to livestock since I brought her to the Healers. Satau thought flatly. “Because I had to.” He said aloud, unable to give another answer. “She wasn’t involved, Satau. She’s never worked in the kitchens, but the King picked her at random to ‘motivate’ the kitchen-hands.”

“Sure.” Khnem nodded agreeably. “If he punished one of the kitchen workers, they’d have to train up a new one.”

Satau wasn’t surprised it meant so little to his brother. In fact, he was having trouble putting it into words himself. He roused himself. “I should head upstairs. My father might need help with the magic tricks.”

“He has the gods to help him.” Khnem cut him off. “Come on, I’m curious.” He looked at Leahe’s face. “She’s pretty. Is she yours? Because you know there are a hundred more like her…”

He thinks I was just trying to escape my curious big brother’s gossip. Satau thought darkly. “Tell me about the magic my father did.” Satau insisted. “Don’t make me go and ask Ashura.”

Khnem twitched, her name finally getting his full attention. “Fine. He’s been performing the trick for days now. An empty basket, in his hands, and suddenly there are frogs jumping out. People say the same thing is happening all over Egypt, but father is the only one that can do it on command. Even the Priest of Hekt can’t keep up.” His face had that same awe that he had when Satau had conjured a serpent. “Do you think you could do it too? Would the gods grant you that?”

If he turned his back for twenty seconds, I could snatch one of the frogs from underfoot and perform a ‘reveal’ right now. Satau almost, almost told him, but knew he couldn’t. The truth didn’t impress anyone. Secrets only had power when they were kept.

~~/*\~~

In the Throne Room, the magic show was still going on, and everyone was impressed. Conjuring a frog from nothing was a simple variation on a number of magic tricks the Priests could perform at will.

General Aadesh, in charge of Pharaoh’s armies, wasn't moved. “With due respect, great King, we don’t need more frogs, we need less frogs!”

“Why?” Jambres countered, ever so reasonable. “I’ll admit they’re a pain, but nobody died of thirst because there were too many frogs about. Cleaning them up is just like hauling enough water and replanting our crops after the Nile returned to normal.”

“The Priest is right.” Pharaoh declared to his Court. “Goshen is going through these things with us, and unlike Egyptians, they have to clean it up afterwards. They’re just making more mess for themselves. If they think the frogs plaguing us are amusing, or an act of their God, let’s pile up the bodies in Goshen for burning.”

“It’s not a question of disposal. The frogs are coming faster than we can kill them and pile them up. We’re overrun. By the time we’ve killed five frogs, seven more have jumped into the barracks.” Aadesh explained. “And that’s not even counting what we’re finding when we crack open the grain stores.”

“We can outlast it!” Jambres countered. “Moses can’t keep conjuring frogs forever. He’s only one man.”

“One man, who claims to be backed by one god.” Jannes said, as he strode into the Court, as though the room was waiting for him to come in and save them all. “Jambres has demonstrated ably that one man with the backing of Egypt’s gods can conjure frogs. But Moses is not in Egypt. He is hiding in Goshen, until such time as he comes to lay his demands on the Pharaoh again.” He strode between Jambres and Pharaoh. “Jambres has been able to match the sorcery of Moses, but not the scale of such tricks. So either Moses is a very good magician, or he’s backed by supernatural power. And we don’t know which.”

“Does it matter?”

“It matters a great deal, my lord. A man can be ignored, or killed. A god can’t even be lied to.” Jannes bowed low. “As a god-incarnate yourself, you surely know this.”

Khnem glanced at his father. Jambres was saying nothing, but his son could see anger growing at the way Jannes had just taken over the whole meeting. Without even looking in Jambres’s direction, Jannes was speaking for the temples now.

Pharaoh was considering those words, nodding slowly. “A test is needed,” He decided. “I will tell Moses that he’s won. I will tell him that his people can go, if the frogs are removed. If Moses is really backed by a god, surely this ‘Jehovah’ will not be fooled, and the frogs will stay. If Moses believes me, and the frogs are gone soon after, then Moses is no different than any other magician.”

Jambres felt a thrill go through him as Pharaoh looked in his direction. It was clear that ‘any other magician’ now included him.

~~/*\~~

The frogs had been so ubiquitous that most people were used to it. There were rumors that the King had changed his diet, because the frogs just could not be kept out of his food, despite every precaution.

The Fishermen were ready to give up the trade. The Nile was so full of frogs that there was no hope of catching any fish. The Hebrews were in a similar state. Fishing in the Nile was the only food source they had that came free.

The Healers demanded that the frogs be kept on the floor at least, away from the medicines, and the patients. The sound of their croaking and ribbiting was everywhere now. So much so that Satau barely noticed it anymore.

Leahe woke up eventually, and found Satau beside her cot. “...not dead?” She croaked.

Satau smiled at her. “No.”

Leahe looked at her arm, severed and bandaged. “Oh.”

Satau tried not to look pitying. “How does it feel?”

Leahe looked up at him, memory catching up. “The others?”

“Still in prison, until the frogs go.” Satau reported. “No other reprisals though. Pharaoh’s food is still being polluted sometimes, but I think he forgot about your friends.” He lowered his voice. “I haven’t sent word to Goshen yet. I wanted… I didn’t want to tell Takarut or your father, until I knew you’d survive.”

“Why get their hopes up?” Leahe groused. “If I can’t work as well as the able-bodied, the masters and the foreman will decide I’m not worth the rations.”

Satau had no answer.

Leahe looked around, suddenly realizing where she was. “You brought me to the Palace healers?”

Satau nodded, still not sure what to say. “I told them I would cover the expense.”

Leahe blinked hard, then looked up at him, as if trying to understand what she was seeing. “Why would you do that?”

“Because… I had to. Even if I didn’t know why yet.”

Leahe took a deep, slow breath. “Well.” She whispered finally, going faint. “You’re next, you know.” She rasped, holding up her stump, almost brandishing it at him.

“You’re in no position to make threats.”

“Not what I mean.” Leahe returned, halfway between a moan and a grunt as she tried to find a comfortable position. “The whole point of slavery is that we’re not really people. Not under law. The whole point of Royalty is that one bloodline is more ‘superior’ than anyone else’s. Egyptians literally think they have holy blood on the throne. When Pharaoh decides to punish your father by lopping your arms and legs off, nobody’s going to say anything then either.”

This was a point that hadn’t occurred to Satau. “Two Plagues now. How many more are coming?”

“As many as it takes.” Leahe said with grim certainty as she closed her eyes and passed out again.

~~/*\~~

Takarut had been hanging around the Palace, waiting for someone he knew. Someone who might be willing to offer information. As the feud between Moses and Pharaoh drew on, the number of people willing to go back and forth between the Palace and Goshen was growing shorter.

Finally, Satau came out of the Palace, and walked a direct path to Takarut. Direct enough that he’d clearly been spotted long ago, and Takarut came to meet his old friend halfway.

“She’s alive.” Satau promised before Takarut could even ask.

Takarut let out a breath. “Good. The others?”

“Locked up. Takarut, Pharaoh cut Leahe’s arm off. He did it himself. She was picked at random. Her punishment was an example to the kitchen staff. The frogs have been getting into everything, including the ovens.”

Takarut started tearing up. “Gods!”

Seeing the anguish made Satau want to comfort him somehow, but there was nothing to say. “Come on.” He said finally. “I’ll buy you a drink or three. We haven’t done that in a while.”

~~/*\~~

The tavern was as busy as ever. They swept the frogs out of the way and sat down. Takarut had no money left, but Satau’s credit was still good, and they had wine and beer in their hands swiftly. Over in the corner, a group of half-drunk regulars were making a game of teasing and poking at a frog they had cornered, laughing to themselves.

“Word is that Pharaoh has summoned Moses back to the Palace.” Takarut said quietly. “They’ve apparently come to terms.”

“It won’t last.” Satau said immediately. “Pharaoh is testing Moses. After all, if he’s a sorcerer, he’ll declare victory. If he’s genuinely working for a god, then surely this Jehovah won’t be fooled by trickery. It’s all a test.”

“I think Moses knows that, and he doesn’t care. The longer this goes, the stronger Moses’ position is.”

“I think you’re overestimating the Hebrews.” Satau said honestly. “The plagues are hurting them as much as anyone in Egypt.” The look on Takarut’s face made it clear he didn’t agree, so Satau moved on. “How is it, anyway? Living in Goshen?”

“Awkward.” Takarut admitted. “I’ve been their enemy long enough that they can’t really see me as a neighbor. I’ve been… learning, with the Elders. There’s a lot to learn, and I have to admit, some of it is fascinating. I’ve grown up in one class about the gods or another, and the stories of Jehovah are nothing like Ra, and Hathor, and Thoth.”

“Anything in those stories that might help save lives?” Satau asked dryly.

“Sure, but I don’t think you want to suggest them to Pharaoh.” Takarut returned. “You’re not wrong, about the frogs bothering us too, but… For the most part, it’s an annoyance. Hauling wagons of frogs is easier than hauling stone. And the one major difference: The Hebrews aren’t scared.”

Satau said nothing to that, taking a larger sip.

“Things are changing, old friend.” Takarut said sagely. “The Slaves see change as a good thing, and the Masters see it as a bad thing. That says more about the state of how things were before than how they are now. The Nile, the Frogs… almost everything in Egypt is the purview of one god or another. The Hebrews don’t worry about the symbolism nearly as much as the Egyptians do. No Hebrew symbols of Jehovah are involved, because there aren’t any.”

~~/*\~~

Nem-ur was not freed from his daily lessons with his Tutors, just because his rooms were full of frogs. Jannes swept them away constantly, but did so without thought. Nobody even seemed to notice them until they got underfoot. They were an annoyance, but one that everyone had to deal with, so they all agreed to get on with things. Nobody could laugh at someone for an embarrassment or irritation that they all had to deal with equally.

“Teacher, may I ask a question?” Nem-ur asked. “The official story is that the Nile was muddy, and that the frogs are just regular frogs, escaping the river that was poisoned.”

“You don’t agree?”

“Nobody who heard Moses speak believes it’s a coincidence. I was on the barge when Aaron struck the water. I watched the blood flow upstream.” Nem-ur waved that off. “If there is a supernatural power behind Moses, why are we ignoring him?”

“Because his demands are impossible.” Jannes said simply.

“That’s what my father would say. I want to know your opinion.” Nem-ur pressed. “I won’t tell anyone if it’s something… controversial. I want to know, as a Priest, why not give the Hebrews their freedom?” He gestured back towards the Throne room. “My father has people telling him the economic reasons why we have to keep the workers, and others telling him the political consequences of showing such weakness, but… Speaking as a Priest, why not let them go?”

“I’ve heard Acolytes and Soldiers who just want to be able to sit down without frogs getting in their way who would have asked the same.” Jannes admitted. “But they do not reason as a Pharaoh does. An ordinary person might think it was worth releasing them, just to be nice. They are wrong.”

“Why?”

“Ask yourself, why do sheep need shepherds, or horses need bridles?” Jannes returned easily. “Your father wouldn’t consult his horse about affairs of state. The royal falconer wouldn’t try and train a fish to fly. It’s simply not within the creature’s capacity. It’d be cruel to expect them to achieve more. You wouldn’t beat an animal for not being able to talk, would you?”

“No, of course not.” Nem-ur retorted. “But a slave can talk. They’re not… well, animals. They’re people like us.”

“Not like us.” Jannes assured him. “But a donkey and a horse look alike too. You wouldn’t have donkeys haul your war chariots. If they were capable of it, you would. But expecting a donkey to keep up with a war horse would be unfair.” Jannes spread his arms, encompassing the whole world. “Everything that was created has a place. We are all at our best and greatest when we are doing what we are meant to do. It’s not unfair, because the highly placed have great responsibility. You know this, I’m sure; given your own superiority over all Egypt.”

“If that’s the case, then why would Moses want the slaves freed?”

“Same reason a donkey will fight the leash whenever it’s tugged. Too stupid to know the difference between the right direction and the wrong one.” Jannes waved that off. “If your father set them free right now, it’d be far worse for them than anything else we could do. They simply don’t have the capacity to be more than slaves. If they were capable of better, they would have better.”

Nem-ur looked unconvinced.

“You don’t agree, but take my word for it. They can’t lead themselves.” Jannes said easily, as though it was the most natural thing in the world. “They’d be miserable out in the wilderness. No food or water, brutal desolation. They’d eat each other if we didn’t civilize them. Take my word for it, your highness. A civilized person and a slave are not equal. They need our leadership, or they'd fall on each other like wild animals.”

~~/*\~~

Satau was waved down by the other Acolytes as he returned to the palace, and directed to the Throne Room. “The Priest of Hekt is all but doomed.” Khnem told him discreetly as he reached the Throne Room door. “It’s gone on too long. Pharaoh needs a piece of meat to sacrifice. Muhyee has been pleading for his life for an hour.”

Satau joined the crowd at the doorway, all of them pretending they weren’t listening in.

“-can only do what a man can do, great King. My appeals of Hekt have been unceasing, and my Acolytes have all joined me. You can hear their testimony that we are doing all that can be done, making every offering that can be made-”

“And you haven’t made a difference.” Pharaoh cut him off. “You’ve been pleading your case for long enough that it’s clear you have nothing new to offer. Either you are deliberate in your failure to make a change, or simply incompetent. The first duty… in fact, the only responsibility of a High Priest is to present our petitions to the Gods. If Hekt won’t hear you, then why are you running the Temple?”

Muhyee looked to Jambres, desperate. “My lord, please…”

Jambres looked at him for a moment, and then crossed his arms deliberately. “We’ve always said that the gods must not be taken for granted. That includes the men responsible for their worship, does it not?”

Muhyee sank into himself, realizing there was nobody who would come to his aid.

Pharaoh rose from his throne and waved to his guards. “If Hekt is displeased in his High Priest, then perhaps the best way to appease his disapproval, and be done with these infernal frogs is to offer him the servant that displeased him.” He clapped his hands briskly. “Take him away!”

“No! NO, PLEASE!” Muhyee begged helplessly as the guards took him by the shoulders.

~~/*\~~

The Court was adjourned for the day, and everyone went back to their own duties. Satau fell into step behind his father as the High Priest went to the Shrines.

“Not even one word, father?” Satau asked him, displeased.

Jambres looked back at him with a frown, then saw his face and sighed, glancing around to make sure they were unobserved. “I take no pleasure in it, son. But Muhyee was High Priest of Hekt, and that meant he couldn’t be saved.”

“You could have tried. Or even made a token effort.”

“All that would have done was gotten me on the block next to him. And frankly, you’re not ready for that kind of promotion yet.” Jambres told him. “Son, one day you’re going to learn that in a monarchy, all politics are personal. There’s a reason Moses went to Pharaoh, and not me. The whole nation turns on the opinions of the King. Our job is to guide that opinion when we can, but we cannot contradict it.”

“You think Muhyee was to blame for any of what happened?”

“Not really, but the frogs have been around long enough that someone was going to be blamed, and there was no way to prevent that.”

Satau frowned. “It’s not that I disagree, father. It’s just… If we don’t speak up when the hand of fate comes for Muhyee? Who will speak up if it happens to us?”

“Well, you worry about that. I’ll worry about the other thing.” Jambres said dryly.

“What other thing?”

“Moses has conjured a second plague; and threatened a third. There’s nothing to suggest he can’t conjure a fourth. He’s already struck at the Nile. What will his next target be?”

Satau bit his lip. “I can try and find out.”

“Your brother told me that you’ve been taking personal care of a slave girl that Takarut has a special interest in. I’m assuming you’re doing so for the sake of your old friend. Keep that door open, because Takarut is the one person in Goshen who might talk to you.” Jambres nodded. “While you’re at it, see if you can figure out how they’re doing it. The Nile might have actually been mud and clay; but frogs coming out of a river that’s been dead for a week?”

Satau shivered. “Doesn’t seem possible, does it?” Even so, he was relieved. His brother had obviously conjured up a plausible story to explain his efforts to save Leahe. It was practical enough that even Satau believed it could be true. “She’ll be well enough to travel in a week or two. I’ll take her home, and see what I can find out from Takarut.”

~~/*\~~ Ryder ~~/*\~~

Months passed. Nate and Ryder went back to their respective lives. They kept in touch more after the funeral. Nate sent his brother links to articles from the Witnesses, one or two of which Ryder even referenced in his news reports, but they mainly spoke of personal matters.

Nate taught his students, the lessons getting more awkward from time to time as more heated or charged topics kept affecting the students at younger and younger ages. Nate couldn’t bring his personal beliefs into the classroom. The syllabus was decided and directed by parents and local government leaders.

Ryder went back to reporting the news, rushing from one place to another, as things got harder and more out of control. Things discussed in the newsroom were often sources of tension and arguments between the reporters. Dion took it in stride, halfway between a circus ringmaster, and a drill sergeant, keeping his people in formation as they went to air every day with new stories.

Then one day, everything changed.

~~/*\~~

The weekly rundown was where they discussed the investigative stories. Most television news was reactive, simply reporting what was happening as soon as it came up. There were other stories that took some digging and investigative work, and there were only so many resources that could be dedicated to each, so Reporters had to pitch their ideas and leads to Dion.

“Transitioning to Renewables is working in most of the world, albeit too slowly to make the Climate Scientists less… suicidal.” Otto said. “But in most of the industrialized world, they need something a lot faster. I want to do a story about Nuclear Power-”

“We’ve covered every Nuclear accident for-”

“No, this story is about the one and only proven track record. There’s one group that has government oversight, and still manages a near-perfect record on Nuclear safety for decades.” Otto put in.

“Who?” Dion asked in surprise.

“The US Navy.” Otto said with a grin. That surprise meant Dion was interested, and that meant he’d cleared the first hurdle. “They’ve been using Nuclear power in their ships, their submarines… people sleep twenty feet from the reactor and there hasn’t been a single spill, meltdown, or case of radiation sickness in years. It’s because their people get trained constantly, and they have an unlimited budget for safety and maintenance. Harvard’s put up a study saying that if the Navy was given authority over Nuclear Plants…”

“Combine military with Nuclear Power plants? Try getting that one past the activists.” Dion scoffed. “But I’m interested. Bring it up with Maggie and see what she thinks.” He turned to his rundown list. “Ryder?”

“The Global Financial Crash started with the Home Loan market. They were considered rock solid, so most of Wall Street built their entire fortunes using them as collateral, and then pretended everything was fine when the Bubble started to pop.” Ryder reported. “I’ve got two off-the-record sources that say something similar is happening now with the global food supply.”

Dion sat up. “Explain.”

“Well, it looks like the crop reports are at least partially exaggerated by the people who make their living off-”

Maggie ran in and thrust her phone at Dion. Ryder hesitated, knowing that Dion wasn’t giving his attention anymore.

Dion rose from his seat. “The U.N. will be making an announcement in two hours, and we’ve been instructed to give them our every cooperation.”

“The U.N.? Not our government?” Ryder was surprised, also getting to his feet.

“Apparently the announcement is global.” Dion nodded. “They’re breaking in on every network.” He headed out. “And before you ask: No. That’s never happened before. Two hours from now, they’ll be telling us what’s on their mind. One hour from now, I wanna know a lot more than we do now.”

Otto already had his phone out as he left. “I don’t have many U.N. sources. They’ve been such an afterthought for world leadership… It’s not like anything newsworthy happens there first.”

“I know what you mean.” Ryder agreed. “But a global announcement, breaking in on networks? Announced globally from the U.N. Headquarters. What time is it in London, or Beijing? Whatever it is, it can’t wait for everyone to be awake.”

~~/*\~~

There were monitors set to air every channel, and all of them broadcast the announcement. The opening shot was of the U.N.’s main chamber, where every seat was filled, every delegate in attendance.

“How often is the whole assembly there?” Dion asked those watching with him. “Not just the Security Council, but every member…”

The Secretary General began proceedings with a speech. “‘Geography has made us neighbors. History has made us friends. Economics has made us partners. And necessity has made us allies’.” The spokesman said powerfully. “Those words were spoken by the late President Kennedy when he addressed the Canadian Parliament in 1961. He said ‘What unites us is far greater than what divides us’.”

Dion was barely following the speech, focusing on the visuals. “That’s the US and UK Ambassadors flanking him… What could they possibly be announcing?”

“The United Nations was formed after the Second World War, and founded by the winners. The goal was to ensure Peace and Security for the world. In recent years, every member of the Security Council has been plagued by their own affairs. Smaller wars, economic hardship, political upheaval. Anyone watching the news has seen that the U.N. has not been living up to its charter.”

“Maybe they’re finally disbanding?” Karla offered. “Between the civil wars and the economic sanctions; all the Charter members are mostly fed up with the rest of the world…”

“Whatever it is, it has to be coming from the Americans first. The United Nations can’t even turn the lights on without their say-so…” Dion reasoned, looking to Maggie. “There’s nothing from the usual suspects? Usually, if there’s an announcement, they leak it first. They let the Press prepare some commentary, soften up the ground…”

On Screen, the announcement continued. “And in our time of half measures, the world has gotten closer to the brink of disaster. The world has global problems, and we need global solutions. Because the things that unite us are far more important than anything that divides us. We have, at the very least, the same air, the same water, the same earth to live on. And we’re in danger of losing it forever. Everything the human race has ever achieved is on the line with each new generation.”

The entire U.N. Assembly was already on their feet, cheering, applauding.

Maggie shook her head. “No, nothing. I don’t get it. What are they announcing? They can’t possibly-”

“For too long, we’ve been telling the world what’s important, and not done anything. That changes now. This world will be Secure in Peace! The Coalition is already chosen, not only to identify the threats to the world, but to take action! There is only Peace and Security when everyone is Secure in Peace!”

“Secure In Peace!” Those in the chamber shouted, roared, and chanted in full accord. “Secure In Peace! Secure In Peace!”

“The Vote will be held this afternoon, to form the Coalition, meant specifically to solve Global Problems, regardless of petty individual interests. It will be drawn from all member nations, without borders or nationality of it’s own-”

“Vote now!” The members roared, caught in a wild frenzy. “Vote now!”

(Author’s Note: The Cry of ‘Peace and Security’ is all speculative. The October 2019 Study WT says: “We know some things about the declaration of “peace and security.” However… We do not know what will lead up to it or how the declaration will be made. And we do not know whether it will involve just one proclamation or a series of announcements. Whatever happens, we do know this: We should not be fooled into thinking that world leaders can actually achieve world peace. Rather, it is that declaration that we have been told to watch for. It is the signal that “Jehovah’s day” is about to begin!”)

“You ever seen anything like this before?” Maggie asked in shock.

“All those groups on the same side of something? Sometimes.” Dion considered. “Anything that involved actually taking action of some kind? Never.”

“...that had never been able to unite over anything, and finally enough is enough! The world is a place where you can build a bomb in one country and bring it to another country, so what affects your neighbors is your business. The world is a place where you can swindle natural resources in your country, and cause a deadly hurricane in my country, so how you manage your resources is everyone's business. We've been hundreds of nations too long, and never appreciated being one people. But it's clear that the world cannot last much longer, unless we change everything; and Enough is Enough!"

“Vote Now!” The crowd chanted again. “Vote Now!”

And so, live on air, the General Assembly called for a vote on the formation of the Coalition, and the vote was passed, unanimously. One by one the Member Nations were called, as if summoned from darkness into the light. One by one each Member Nation rose to their feet, the Delegates waving and cheering. One by one they all pledged their support. Every nation. Every language, the cheer getting louder and more passionate with each member that agreed.

The whole room, all the delegates, and the audience united in their chant. “Secure in Peace! Secure in Peace! Secure in Peace!”

The entire newsroom was staring up at the screens in jaded awe. This was a kind of wartime rhetoric, but they’d never heard it used to usher in peace.

As Executive Producer, Dion got them moving again. “Alright, listen up! This is our new lead. We need to find political and social experts that can offer commentary. Toss out the rundown, delete everything on the prompter. We have to rewrite the whole broadcast. Everyone talk to your contacts, we have to give a summary and commentary in less than an hour. We’ll have a final rundown meeting twenty minutes before air. MOVE!”

~~/*\~~

Everyone in the newsroom had sources they could call. The question everyone was asking: Was this actually going to do anything, or was it just politicians making themselves feel useful by pushing paper around and making speeches?

“The world power structure isn’t what it was ten years ago.” Gordon made his report. “We’ve seen that the problems of the world need global solutions-”

“They have for over a hundred years. Since when has the global need trumped personal gain for these people?” Dion cut him off. “What are the legal experts saying?”

Karla took that one. “I called a friend at Legal, who knew some law professors. He says the majority of international law is a gray area. Corporate law is written faster than political or military law. But so far, it looks legit. The U.N. has created a legal entity with international jurisdiction.”

“So what?” Dion was unmoved. “Human Rights agreements, War Crime tribunals, Climate Action treaties. Even the Geneva Convention. All of these things are signed into international agreements and they all get ignored by every signatory whenever it suits them.” He let that sink in. “Unless they add military power or at least authority to prosecute? This is just another toothless bit of flag-waving.”

Karla looked saddened by the cynicism. “But if they could make it work, wouldn’t that… Wouldn’t that be really good for the world?”

Dion and Gordon both grinned. “Karla, your ability to look on the bright side is always appreciated, but it’s holding you back as a journalist.”

Dion nodded, looking wistful. “Even so, she isn’t wrong. I’ve been covering world disasters for thirty years, watching things get worse and worse. Time was, journalists used to shine a light on something evil and it would stop. This job used to be a calling, to keep the world accountable… Feels like that fight’s been over for way too long. We can't even keep up with social media anymore.”

Even as he was talking, his assistant came sprinting into the room, and handed him her phone. Dion looked, and nearly jumped from his chair. “My god!”

Gordon was startled. “What? What is it?”

~~/*\~~

Twenty minutes later, they reported the Breaking News. “Following the shocking international announcement made just one hour ago, almost every member of the United Nations, including the members of the Security Council, pledged their legal and military support to the new Agreement. This Coalition is made up of members from all the national militaries, and are acting under the authority of the United Nations. The U.N. has had peacekeeping forces for many years, but this is the first time there was a mandate for any armed service to enforce international law on member nations.”

Watching from the control room, Dion was shaking his head in awe. “I still can’t believe it. It’s the first time that any show of political unity has actually done something without a war being involved.”

“Keep that journalistic cynicism handy, boss.” Ryder offered. “To me, it looks like there’s just one more army in the game. How does that bring about anything good?”

~/*\~~/*\~~/*\~

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