The Solution (2nd Edition)

Michelle

Having shared my amazing moment with Mikey, I was now totally sure. He was, 'The One' and by nightfall, he'd be mine. I'd be his. We'd be, each other's.

    More notably, as Sarah had seen, I couldn't keep my eyes off him! Nor could I wait. More than anything, I wanted a Long Kiss Goodnight and to bump pelvises!

    However, on a more serious note, I wasn't sure of our potential future together, especially where The Vote and The Lottery Draft of The Solution were concerned.

    Had Mikey voted yet?

    If so, was he in favor of staying on Earth?

    Or leaving it?

    In all honesty, I was torn, and struggling on which way to go.

    As discussed on the Damon Weaver Show months back, remembering the possible and unknown ramifications of the program wasn't making my decision any easier.

    If I casted a confident vote, maybe Mikey and I would end up on the same Freighter?

    Would The Draft be so kind?

    Maybe we'd grow old together and live long enough to see our children's children venture into Andromeda, our neighboring galaxy, far, far away?

     If I casted a non-confident vote, would Mikey stay with me on the surface?

    What would life be like if we volunteered for China's Base Team One?

    More selfishly, maybe our careers would take precedence, with us running BTV together some day?

    Sooner rather than later, we'd have to discuss it.

    While I'd tried to predict our various futures, Mikey touched my forearm. Chon had asked a question which I'd only heard partially. "Sorry, Chon, what was that?"

    He was kind enough to retort. "I was just saying, when the time comes, how do you feel the public will take The Rising Clans and Pink Lady revelation?"

    "It won't be good," I said honestly. "As soon as the world realizes The Solution has illicit elements, I think it will totally unravel."

    Then I turned to my soulmate and put the question his way. "Mikey, what do you think?"

    After a worrying huff, he elaborated. "With just The Solution in mind, I reckon it could halt the remainder of Phase One - before Phase Two even has the chance to get started."

    In true GGE style, Mikey had clearly absorbed The Solution's finite details.

    Sarah was next to chime in, and spoke politics. "Well, here, I'm sure it'll affect Lee's first term as well," she said. "Once Mishina's core demographic know he's affiliated with O-Kenai, he'll lose support. It's a big contradiction of his anti-corruption manifesto."

    "Hmm," Chon buzzed. "Maybe Lee shouldn't be running the risk. But, after what we witnessed in The White Horde, do any of us really have a choice? In the greater scheme of things, Lee and Xen can't control O-Kenai. I doubt any member of The Rising Clans can either. Let's not forget, they're at her mercy, too."

    "Sad, but true," Mikey breathed. "I just hope the masses remember why The Solution exists, 'n' why the pilgrimage is so important. This'll probably be the only chance humanity gets to flee..."

    Having said that, was Mikey really ready to settle among the stars?

    As I'd watched him eat and laugh with Sarah and Chon, I chewed the inside of my cheeks, contemplatively. I did so until I was interrupted. In a strange way, we all were. But the interruption didn't come from the efficient serving drone, the prompt manager, or even another patron who'd recognized Chon and the rest of us. The interruption came from within, and was actually a government transmission which every person in The People's Republic had received.

     Along with Chon, Sarah and Mikey, I'd accessed the iDot atop my wrist; beamed out a holoscreen; and let the automation play. A second after, the blond-haired A.I.D.A avatar fizzled into being and began.

    "CITIZENS OF CHINA, THIS IS A SEVERE WEATHER WARNING! WARNING!! WARNING!!! Super Cyclone 'Seymour' is building momentum in the North Pacific Ocean. His trajectory is predicted to move over Old Japan, then across the East China Sea, before making landfall on our eastern seaboard. The Defense levee mega wall will reduce his wind-tidal impact, however, we can still expect breaches. Subsequently, all major road and rail networks are now closed, as is national airspace, with an immediate grounding of all craft. Citizens, prepare to utilize Personal Disaster Kits, preferably in the safety of your homes. End of transmission."

    Sarah gasped.

    Chon got vocal. "It's so soon after Sadie."

    And Mikey despaired. "You've gotta be kiddin' me. Thanks to my dance-off with Chon, I'm still outta fibre-mesh! No way I'll be able to conjure a PDK."

    Then I breathed an answer, followed by a double question. "Mikey, you can share mine.

    "But guys, is this it?

    "Is the World-Ender storm finally upon us...?