The Solution (2nd Edition)

Chon

Me and Sarah couldn't have been happier for Mikey! Finally, he had a worthy distraction in the form of recognized glory. The fact it had also come from an Elder only made it that much sweeter! But the emerging situation for the rest of our quartet was, bitter-sweet...

    Understandably, Michelle was devastated that she had missed out on the big guy's experience.

    Meanwhile, Sarah was struggling with centrifuge... Who was I kidding. She was failing, and miserably. Not only that, but the worse-case scenario was she could be drafted to Base Team One if she didn't improve - and thus - without me. In an outlandish bid to rectify the possibility, Sarah had been back and forth to iPlaza with Mikey and bought a shit-ton of fibre-mesh. In fact, the amount she'd purchased meant that the extra pouches needed to be stored in her chest, buttocks and thighs - which wasn't a bad thing. It helped in creating the positive visage of healthy bodyweight and people had begun complimenting her more. Nonetheless, serious about honing her straining maneuver technique and overcoming G-Loc, Sarah did away with high fashion holo-mags. Instead, she used the extra mesh to beam out a domestic centrifuge pod, which took ages to conjure. Still, despite her efforts to invest in herself, practice and improve, I did my best to push the Base Team One notion to the back of my mind.

    This allowed a reoccurring issue to resurface - 'SS-CSP'...

    Sam Branson had mentioned Star Shuttles during his introduction and I needed to keep my wits about me if I was ever going to decipher that riddle ahead of time.

    In the same brainstorm, mùqīn entered my headspace. Suki, too, who I was still yet to have a proper catch up with. My elusive and 'Eligible' cousin kept popping in and out of random affairs. Nevertheless, I knew there would be good reason. Furthermore, with a nature as inquisitive as mine, I vowed to find out why.

    Come to think of it, what was Xen up to?

    He'd completely dropped off the radar. While he was being inconspicuous, my only hope was that he was applying his unorthodox genius to overcoming a couple of things...

    1: The numerous promises he had made since before The Solution, throughout, and thereafter.

    2: How he planned on subduing Robin Albers and The Pink Lady once and for all.

    Over the remaining weeks of June, I'd put all of the above to one side. Our latest brief from Dieng took priority and it was time to get back to business. In and around completing Waterpool and Centrifuge...we'd been tasked with documenting final CMC proceedings for Lee.

    The UN was keen for an update.

    Rightly so, I started my correspondence as I often did with a brief and pleasant introduction. "Good morning. Throughout the early summer months, every one of The Coalition's Eligibles underwent The Medical," I explained.  "However, not all of them passed successfully...  For twenty-six per cent of the hopefuls, the physical pull of 'six gravities' or 'six gees' as it's casually known, proved too much.  Based on the multitude of Nastar recorded footage, this was due to some key symptoms.  The first was visual impairment, while the second was dense pressure in the chest.  With six gees being the equivalent of half a tonne in weight, it's easy to comprehend how the tests led to frequent G-Loc in these overwhelmed candidates.  More interestingly, I can reveal that the majority of this percentage was made up of our privileged consortium members - the wealthy and older Eligibles, who along with O-Kenai Ashii, will fund most of this unfathomable campaign.  Conclusively, the Tripod Coalition has issued this official A.I.D.A statement:

    'Disappointingly, most of our consortium members failed the centrifuge. However, we will not defer them to national Base Team Ones as previously suggested and recommended by the FAI. Instead, we will follow the head physician's recommendation, by taking their frailty into account. We will also do this with as many other normal Eligibles as possible.  Therefore, as a contingent exception, oxygen support and secure sedation are the planned safety measures for those Consortium Eligibles during the launches.'

    Before continuing, I raised a brow to create an argumentative rouse. "Now this decision means The Contingency will still go ahead.  It will also mean that some of the twenty-six per cent of Eligibles will be deferred to their Base Team One, and likely feeling hard-done-by..." I analyzed.  "...Nevertheless, I hope those Eligibles who have failed - and are not being made exempt - will use the rest of today to join a Base Team One, rather than become, 'Roleless'.

    "Progressing on this update, I've been informed that all Eligibles will know their standing by noon today - July 1st 2049.

    "And naturally, this brings the remaining focus onto the other important faction - the compulsory Base Team Two," I shared. "At this stage, we know The Coalition heads are liaising with the prison institutions and preparing to mobilize all convicted persons. We've also been assured that The Pink Lady's threat remains intact, should any disorder follow... Moreover, The Coalition Army and sub-divisions that will police the colossal workforce have dispatched their A.I.S.U's, and here in China, General Harris Kanxia of our People's Liberation Army will oversee the process.

    "Therefore," I piped up before simmering down, "as of now - Phase Two has officially begun.  To all watching, this is Chon Lai reporting live from the Bird's Nest.  Michelle in the BTV Studio, back over to you."

    By no means had Sarah mastered her technique. But thankfully, Sam Branson had acted as head physician and granted her exemption.

    With an exception of Mikey and Michelle...things were back on track, for now.