Author's Note

This still developing story is set in the same world as John Michael Greer's "Star's Reach" Star's Reach - Chapters 1 to 9 (bottom to top)  but 40 to 60 years before - and over 400 years after today.

To quote the author of the seminal original:

More than four centuries have passed since the industrial civilization of our own time stumbled to a halt under the self-inflicted burdens of peak oil, global warming, and drastic environmental change. Now, in the dark age landscape of deindustrial America, an unlikely band of seekers begins a quest for a place out of legend, where humankind may have talked with other worlds -- a place called Star's Reach.

The underlying assumption in this fan fiction is that just one society - the various nations of Scandinavia - has maintained social and political stability as Climate Chaos and resource depletion destroy the civilization of today. The Scandinavians were able to do this by consistently making rational decisions in their long term self interest during difficult times - plus a bit of luck.

"The Union of Scandinavia and Antarctica" explores the impact on a future society of repeatedly making rational decisions - and following through with them - even in the most difficult of times.

How much better will our future be if, in the face of disruption and horrible stresses, we respond with logical analysis and sane actions ? And if we avoid deliberately destroying our societies when times get tough ?

A Brief History

A Brief History of the Union of Scandinavia and Antarctica

The European Union cracked under the pressure of reduced oil & natural gas imports and Climate Chaos, with all of the various financial, economic and social ramifications. It reformed into a smaller European Union with France, Benelux, Germany, Poland, Czech, Slovakia, Hungary, the Baltic Republics and Scandinavia (including Norway and Iceland).

Social stresses continued to mount with increased Climate Chaos, seas encroaching on coastal cities and limited resources and energy supplies. Islamic conversions soared in a Religious Revival. Christianity did not have the appeal or fervent supporters that Islam did as society was stressed in multiple dimensions. France became a majority Muslim nation by 2049 and strong Muslim minorities existed in most of the rest of the EU.

Meanwhile, the reformed EU became 96% energy independent as renewables, nuclear power and efficiency dominated what energy was available. In the rest of the world, including the United States, China, Japan, Brazil and India, central authority fractured as local interests overrode formerly "national" interests. Many millions were displaced by new permanent droughts and rising sea levels - faster than the IPCC had predicted. This devolved towards increasing anarchy and despotism while the shrunken EU managed to hold its societies together.

Sub-Saharan Africa leveraged it's remaining resources, including a surplus of food, in a depleted and hungry world. Using control of much of the world's remaining mineral resources and agricultural surpluses, sub-Saharan Africa combined into a handful of rising powers.

Then the Great Hunger came ! From 2057 to 2060, when major volcanic explosions in Iceland and then Indonesia combined with Climate Chaos, environmental degradation and depleted food inventories. For four agonizing years, around the world, there were fewer calories per capita than required for health and maintaining weight.

Scandinavia responded with rationing and overfishing it's previously well managed fisheries. Rationing allotted enough food for children and almost enough food to maintain weight for working adults. Suicide by the elderly was encouraged, while they were allotted a slow starvation diet. In much of the rest of the EU, the wealthy and well connected ate well enough, while famine ravaged the slums.

The stress of competing for food lead to the final breakdown of the EU and the further rise of Islam. France had a violent revolt that lead to millions of dead, fighting over both food and religion leading to the rise of the French Caliphate. The crop failures of 2057 and 2058 – the after effects of the two volcanic explosions – lead to war between France and Germany, with half of Belgium allying with France and the rest of Belgium and the Netherlands with Germany.

For mutual protection and aid, the Union of Scandinavia was founded. A federal union of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Greenland, Faeroe Islands and Estonia.

Nuclear weapons were avoided in the first year of war, but not the second. The Islamic Republic of France launched a first strike against military targets, avoiding major cities, with its superior arsenal – while shutting down it's nuclear reactors before hand. None-the-less, the industrial base of France was severely damaged in the counter strike. Massive flooding in the Netherlands killed millions and sent millions more flooding into higher ground.

The French blitzkrieg north stopped at the Kiel Canal, where a combined Scandinavian force “drew the line”. Rising sea levels were already changing the historic canal into a narrow strait connecting the Baltic and the North Sea, with the banks of the canal still above sea level in the middle. The Jihad then turned east till reaching the borders of Greater Russia.

The Four Horsemen rode across Germany and much of Europe as they did during the 30 Years War. Civil wars did as much in North America and China.

Comparable wars, civil disorder, famine and disease - newly emerged, newly created and ages old - erupted throughout most of the world. The infrastructure that had once supported almost 10 billion people collapsed. 

As the worst of this subsided, and rebuilding and reorganizing a shrunken and profoundly shaken population started, a truly massive solar flare hit the earth. Likely stronger than the 1859 Carrington solar flare, the solar flare fried much of the electrical supply, controls and computers around the world on December 25th and 26th, 2074. 

Some people alleged that orbital nuclear weapons were exploded in the glare of the sun, but this rumor was never confirmed and no coherent theory developed as to why any nuclear power would do this. Although one Doomsday cult claimed responsibility - claiming that they had infiltrated the USAF and launched three missiles in order to end the sins of the modern world.

The struggling industrial civilizations of the world were thrown into utter chaos as basic services like electricity, water, sewage, transportation and communication were disrupted without time to prepare or the ability to repair. 

A number of underground hydroelectric power plants were able to restart the next day, but without a grid to feed power into. In Scandinavia, with it's thousands of hydroelectric power plants, and a few other isolated spots around the world, there was sufficient technical expertise and social cohesion to restart the most basic services of industrial civilization. Most of the world plunged into the darkness, the darkness of a New Dark Age.

Meanwhile, the waters rose, and rose and rose.

Much of Denmark and Estonia were evacuated as they flooded. The Kola Peninsula was annexed when it became an island attached to Finland. Denmark and Estonia shrank significantly.  Colonies were started in Greenland first and then Antarctica as the ice sheets retreated there. 

The hostile, chaotic environment in Antarctica as the glaciers melted made settlement difficult there, but desperation drove the effort. 

In the aftermath of the Great Hunger, Australia continued to decline into chaos as drought swept the country, immigration to New Zealand and elsewhere was blocked. Meanwhile, the areas around the two Australian bases in Antarctica had initial success with cultivation of potatoes and a few other crops. Over 250,000 desperate Australians flooded in - far exceeding the carrying capacity of the still frigid land. Most starved or froze but a few survived.

More thoughtful and prepared settlement by Scandinavia followed in the 2080s on the other side of the continent, on the Palmer Peninsula and on the leeward (eastern) slopes of the Ellsworth Mountains. But even these isolated settlements were subject to hungry years and great difficulties in supplying the necessities of life. However, by 2125, a respectable base had been established - and the Climate Chaos moderated enough and warmed enough to allow a steady stream of settlers to arrive and survive - if not thrive.  And arrive they did, especially from Denmark as it flooded - except for a steadily shrinking Jutland Island.

After three centuries, the Climate stabilized and the population of Antarctica and Scandinavia grew - but well within sustainable limits.  West Antarctica and the Palmer Peninsula were settled first and much more densely. The ice melted there first, the Palmer Peninsula was generally more northerly than East Antarctica. Although West Antarctica and the Palmer Peninsula suffered from periodic deluges of  volcanic ash from the Mt Erubus area as the sudden loss of ice weight destabilized the crust.

As the glaciers retreated in Greenland (called Greonland), the reindeer rapidly moved in to feed on the new lichen. The glacier scoured rock had some dust that collected along what became creeks. In some places, grass naturally followed the course of these creeks up from the coast. In more cases, humans helped spread first the grass and nitrogen fixing lupines, then willows along the creek banks. Later, a variety of trees would be introduced - lodgepole pine, Siberian larch, Swiss & Siberian stone pine, Douglas fir, Sitka spruce and the Icelandic birch.

The experience with retreating glaciers in Greonland was applied again to Antarctica.

The still hostile environment lead to the introduction of a hardy bovine hybrid, part European bison and part domestic cow, that could survive the winters unsheltered and could both browse in trees and graze on grass - the zubron. Later, the zubron would be introduced to the Antarctic forests.

Changes to the ionosphere due to exotic and long lived man made chemicals made traditional shortwave radio communication unworkable and traditional long distance radio communication was no longer possible.

AM radio still worked reliably for distances of a few hundred kilometers after nightfall, and occasionally for a few thousand kilometers.

Long wave radio communication, using Alexanderson antennas in southern Greonland, the Palmer Peninsula of Antarctica, Ascension and St. Helena Islands, provided constant contact across the Union, North to South and from Greenland to Iceland and the island of Scandinavia. 

Long wave radio uses water to follow the curvature of the earth, not bouncing off the ionosphere. It can also use the earth's crust, but unevenly and not nearly as far.

As the rest of the world descended into the Great Dark Age, resources diminished and the population slowly dropped in Scandinavia. Ever more technology was abandoned by Scandinavia, but not forgotten. The Union simply did not have the resources to maintain all that once existed in 2041 - the high water mark of human technology.  A deliberate triage chose what technologies to retain and which to abandon, step by step on the way down to a generally 1940's level of technology - with some specific exceptions.

In the 2070s, both Greater Russia and the European Caliphate broke up into warlord dominated regions that would occasionally reunite and then fall apart for centuries. The Rus became more devoutly Orthodox Christians as refuge from the chaos of the world.

The Union of Scandinavia (and later the Union of Scandinavia & Antarctica) lost its religious tolerance and "converted" or exiled its Islamic population.  Meanwhile, they accepted several hundred thousand Israelis, secular and non-Orthodox religious, after Israel collapsed from internal conflicts and lack of resources.

The Union had friendly relations with the Rus and New China, and traded heavily with them - while keeping a more hostile stance towards the Islamic south.  Some trade and some raids, especially for food in bad years.

The melting glaciers of Greonland and Antarctica uncovered the only parts of the earth not yet exploited for minerals. New railroads and hydroelectric power served the new mines, forests and fields.

The Islamic Caliphates began to attack commerce between Scandinavia and Antarctica, so that years might pass between convoys between the two. Yet regular radio contact kept some cultural and political connection. 

Free access to the stored information about technology and occasional convoys with critical technology kept Antarctica nominally a part of the Union. The attitude grew that the Union was the last bastion of civilization against the barbarism and superstition that engulfed the rest of the world.  A world view that was not entirely true.

The Union was well aware of both the initial contact of Tau Ceti in 2024 and Star's Reach. A hope developed that Tau Ceti might provide some key technology or understanding that could materially help. So a listening post was set up in Iceland to monitor both Tau Ceti & Stars Reach - and later to directly communicate with Tau Ceti.

Communication with Tau Ceti became a symbol of the Union's superior civilization, a clear marker between itself and the barbarian world.  Stars Reach was rightly seen as a small island of the Old World - itself adrift in an ocean of barbarism in North America.

This story starts a few months after the Alien Invitation to join the 38 species Conversation was received in 2409. The first scene starts about 50 years before the time that Michael Greer's "Star Reach" begins. 

This history adds details, and deals with another part of Earth, but tries to stay true to the original.

If one has not read Greer's serialized novel, I would suggest reading the chapters since January 2013 at a minimum.

I am constructing the "bones" of this fan fiction, while trying to work through the personalities and drama - if I have the skill to do so.

Best Hopes,

Alan S. Drake

Antarctica 2400

Rose & Tan Areas above Sea Level

When the glaciers melted, the land beneath rose as the weight was removed. This process created massive seismic events as well as increased volcanic activity. The Palmer Peninsula and the Ellsworth Mountains had comparably fewer glaciers, and hence less isostatic rebound.

Antarctica has undergone glaciation and deglaciation multiple times, so the geology along the fault lines tends to move smoothly without excessive binding - which creates massive earthquakes. None-the-less, the very rapid loss of mile thick glaciers created quite a few major earthquakes throughout Antarctica.

West Antarctica is the "small" peninsula that connects in the middle of the much larger East Antarctica. The TransAntarctic Mountains run North-South (west of the South Pole) between East & West Antarctica - and also provide the western coast of East Antarctica.

The first Scandinavian settlements were on the Palmer Peninsula (going north from West Antarctica towards South America) and just northeast of the Ellsworth Mountains of West Antarctica. (the highest mountains of Antarctica).

The two earlier Australian settlements were around their two Antarctic bases.of the 21st Century. One is on the large bay at "3 o'clock" and the other on the coast at "5 o'clock".

By 2340, only the mountain glaciers of West Antarctica and some higher elevation glaciers in East Antarctica remain, and they are still retreating.

Of the 1.9 million citizens of Antarctica, only 270,000 live in East Antarctica.

May 23, 2013 at 8:36 PM

Chapter 1

Chapter 1 (Draft)

Original Work 

The work below is a spin-off of the original series by Michael Greer (link above)

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Kristiana Egilsdóttir rose in the United Althingi and declared “We, the last truly civilized remnant on Earth, do have the right to respond to the alien invitation ! Who else should we consult except our settlers in Antarctica ?

The squabbling Caliphates to the South ? The despots of the Rus ? The Mexican Empire or the cabal that runs Meriga ? That lonely handful of families at Stars Reach ?

There is not a single truly representative democracy of any size outside the Union of Scandinavia and Antarctica. And how can a single dictator or emperor or a small elite speak for all of humanity ?

And outside of Stars Reach and ourselves, there does not seem to be anyone capable of even understanding the Alien Message, or responding. If Antarctica agrees, let us respond quickly with a “Yes' !

It will be 40 years more before we receive the response, unless the alien computer code has more deep inside. Let that 40 years start soon - soon enough that many here in this chamber today will live to learn of the response.

Let us take the first step of a journey that will last many lifetimes – and open many doors that will invigorate our civilization and perhaps help restore it. There is much to gain in the distant future, and only vague fears of uncertainty to hold us back. Let us respond with a strong “Yes” to the alien invitation.

Cowardice and weakness are not our heritage !"

After almost a year of debate, and widespread showing of the actual Invitation, the people of Scandinavia voted in a plebiscite to respond “Yes" to the Alien Invitation – provided that Antarctica also agreed. But Antarctica did not seriously consider the issue.

Meanwhile, several of the Caliphs accused the Scandinavians of sorcery and summoning jinn (capital offenses under Sharia law), and the Rus murmured about witches and fairies.

So, from a geopolitical perspective, the delay waiting for Antarctica’s approval was a good thing. It could have provoked war with the south - and broken some of the alliances with the Rus,

A dozen years passed, and Kristiana Egilsdóttir was elected to the largely ceremonial post of President of the Union of Scandinavia & Antarctica.

She asked for a private dinner on the night of her inauguration with the King of Norge, the Queen of Swei, the Presidents of Island, Finland, Norrland, Groenland, the Representative of Antarctica, the Prime Minister of the Union and the leaders of the three other major parties.

This state dinner was billed as a “get acquainted” occasion, but after the food had been cleared, she rose and declared “I have important news. The Tau Cetans have told us that they said “Yes” to the Alien Invitation. This message arrived at our radio observatory at Reykholt two weeks ago, and my predecessor left the issue to me to deal with. Tau Ceti said that this would be their last communication with us till we also said “Yes” - at least that is what we understand the message to say.

All of Scandinavia has democratically agreed to say “Yes”, if Antarctica will but agree. However, it has been a decade since the issue has even been brought up in their Riksdag. Not “No”, but no answer and they are not even thinking about it !

I suggest that we give Antarctica another year – 366 days – to make a decision. And if they cannot, then their power of veto will waste away. We have in this room those with the authority to make such a decision. Some would say that I alone have that power – but I wish to broaden the consensus and invite debate.

What say you ?

That dinner lasted till well past midnight – and all agreed that Antarctica has two years to make a decision after having the question brought to their attention again by the President.

The Morning After

The Morning After

Kristiana awoke with a startle - feeling strange sheets as a strange alarm went off.  No partner in the bed - and then she realized where she was - who she was - and what she had done last night.

"Well, it has started".  Will last night be a tipping point in the history of humanity ? Possibly - but in all probability the answer will be long after I am gone.

Well, what now ? Her role is supposed to be primarily ceremonial, but also moral and acting in the greater national - and now human - interest. Her time as Minister of Energy, Foreign Minister and Prime Minister will give her tools to manipulate behind the scenes.

One goal is to influence Antarctica. It has been almost a century since the President made a personal trip to Antarctica - perhaps now is the time to help reunite the two cultures again.  Towards the end of her time as Prime Minister she had set in motion a new Grand Convoy to Antarctica just as the last one returned - but with two new ships.

Her housekeeper had asked before her inauguration her food and morning preferences, so she left her bedchambers and found a note on the table saying "Skyr and fruit are in the refrigerator" with an arrow pointing in that direction.  She ate that while scanning the morning paper "Late Night Festivities at the Presidential Inauguration" was mentioned in a sidebar. The rest of the front page was largely about the inauguration.

She quickly showered and dressed and then left her personal chambers.  Promptly at 8:30 AM, as she had earlier requested, the staff arrived. It all seemed so surreal - a new life had begun.

"Today's schedule is relatively light, Madame President. The Norge champion football team will arrive at 1:30 PM and the Union Prime Minister will arrive for his weekly consultation at 6 PM. We will be glad to show you around the Presidential Palace at your convenience."

She toured her new residence, meet the team - a fine group of young women - and was sitting in her private reception room when the Prime Minister with his personal secretary arrived. Once her Minster of War when she was Prime Minister, she knew him well.  She almost rose to greet him, then she remembered protocol.  Once upon a time, she had been the one going to the Presidential Palace to brief the President.

He briefly bowed, expressed his congratulations and then sat down. "Madame President, first let us cover the other issues before we discuss the decisions of last night". So they covered the upcoming opening of the Union Althingi, and her opening speech, the outlines of the budget (with more detail to follow), the diplomatic situation, and the upcoming election in Svei.

"And that leaves Antarctica. How are we to notify them that they need to make a decision ?"

"Perhaps I can help do that in person".

The PM gasped. "No President has visited Antarctica in almost a century !"

"Then it is well past time to do so."

"Due to the risk, we must keep this secret".

"All Grand Convoys sail in secret.  And we need to tell the radio and newspapers to not mention the decisions of last night under the State Secrets Act.  Several of the Caliphates have ambassadors here, plus merchants. Scandinavia has already made their decision with a plebiscite- there is no further need for public discussion here. And Antarctica has no Islamic embassies or visiting merchants."

"Delta Pavonis is deep in the Southern sky. It is always in the Antarctic sky, and never in ours. If your government will agree, I would like to sail with the equipment needed for another interstellar communications station. Antarctica can fabricate the antennas and wire, but not the computers or the rest. I think that such a project could fire their imagination".

"Yes.  We will discuss this at the next Cabinet meeting".

"Till next week ?".

"Yes, Madame President".





  

Reviving Technology

Twelve days after the inauguration came a day Kristiana was looking forward to. Perhaps the most substantial direct power of the President of the Union of Scandinavia & Antarctica is Chairing the Technology Committee.

The President is the only elected politician on the Committee, the rest are professors and engineers. The Technology Committee is charged with deciding which technologies to revive or abandon.

In the past, the Committee did triage on technology, deciding what to give up and what to struggle to keep in those stressful years.  Today, the more pleasant task is deciding what technologies to revive. Unfortunately, technologies useful in violence against humans too often got priority.

Once she declared her candidacy for the Presidency, she and three other candidates were invited as observers.  After observing four meetings, and reading the minutes for several years back, she was not quite so lost with the issues, the criteria and the logic used in making decisions.

After the initial opening remarks and congratulations, Kristiana went to the item she has placed first on the agenda - Technology in Antarctica.

"As you all know, Antarctica does not have a representative on this committee, they do not have a university with research capabilities and only agricultural and forestry research stations. The only manufacturing that they have that requires technology beyond mid-20th Century is to produce medicine for local consumption - and even in that area we ship them the more difficult to fabricate medicines.  And they do not even have that much mid-20th Century technology.

In the last census, they had 1.9 million people to Scandinavia's 7.1 million.  The Antarctic culture is evolving away from Scandinavia as they move away from learning and education.  The frontier mentality there needs, in my opinion, to evolve.

It is the role of this committee to select technologies to revive, and new technologies to pursue - and that includes technology for Antarctica. What should we do ? And how to do it, given the disconnection between this committee and Down Under ?

I should also mention that I plan to visit Antarctica with the next Grand Convoy - and I can bring some people with me.

Arni said - "Yes, we need to bring Antarctica into the development of technology, and more than just duplicating what we do up here in the North. Antarctica needs to do their own original work. And that will require a spark that they do not yet seem to have."

"Intellectuals will likely always be a minority in Antarctica, but they need to become a visible, and important minority".

Gudmunder responded "We must be careful not to disrupt the mutually beneficial North-South trade. We ship technological products south and get a variety of critical metals back. Plus wheat in bad years."

Bridgette broke in with "When, not if, Antarctica recreates some technology we do not yet have, we can trade for that as well. It is MUCH better to get it from Antarctica than not at all".

"Antarctica is *US* - not some foreign power ! We on this committee, despite the lack of a Southern representative - do represent both the North and the South" declared Kristiana. "We need to think of Antarctica as an integral part of our entire Union".

She then shifted the discussion to an issue that was quite important to her.

"As you know, Antarctica has yet to respond "Yes" or "No" to the Alien Invitation. As most of you also know, Delta Pavonis is high in the Southern sky and cannot be seen directly from Scandinavia. Apparently we can communicate with the aliens of Delta Pavonis on long wave, just as we received their message. But it should be better to do so with direct line of sight communications."

"The small community of Star's Reach  appears not to be able to agree to say "Yes". So if we are to say "Yes" and not involve them, we need to use radio signals that do not reach Stars Reach. A higher frequency line-of-sight radio link from Antarctica is the obvious solution to joining the Alien Conversation without involving Stars Reach - or any of our primary rivals that may develop the required technology to listen in."

"In addition, from a geopolitical perspective, if may be better to keep our communication with "jinns and sorcerers" away from Islamic powers. So may I suggest that we bring the radio gear necessary for an interstellar communication post with us on the next Grand Convoy. This should fire the imagination of more than one bright, young Antarctic student. We should bring copies of our entire Cetan archives as well as the movie theater version of the Alien Invitation to provide the basis of an Antarctic Alien Contact Research Institution - unless someone can come up with better acronym."

A bit of laughter at the end of that dramatic proposal.  And they quickly agreed to ship the necessary equipment and data south on the next Grand Convoy.

They also quickly agreed to go ahead with field tests of four different types of Old World solar photovoltaics - being developed primarily for export. Ascension and Base Islands were the logical long term test locations but they added Antarctica for "social reasons" as well.

The committee agreed to approve and recommend funding experimentation with an oxygen atmosphere adaptation of the photovoltaic device Tau Ceti had transmitted.

The committee tabled a request for production of a more sophisticated integrated circuit chip.  The resources required, the risk and the marginal benefits from a one generation better logic chip and larger memory chips - "Does not compute" as Gudmunder quipped. Arni added "Besides, we still have 14% of the batches of durable chips that Denmark and Sweden ordered for long term cold storage at the end of the Old World".

A research professor at the University of Nye Aarhus wanted permission to repeat and expand Old World research to use X-rays to stimulate metastable Silver 108 (Ag108). A physicist on the committee had to spend 20 minutes just explaining this one.

When nuclear reactors split uranium or thorium into two atoms, about 4% of the atoms were Ag108. Most Ag108 atoms had round nucleus and were stable. 48% of the silver in the world was stable Ag108. But a good percent of the Ag108 formed by fission had oblong shaped nucleus.  These were metastable atoms.

With a half-life of 418 years, these metastable Ag108 atoms would spontaneously rearrange themselves into round nucleus and emit a gamma ray to get rid of the now excess energy.

The Union had reprocessed tens of thousands of tons of used nuclear fuel to extract the platinum group metals (palladium, rhodium and ruthenium). Over 16,000 tons has been processed further to extract the silver, zirconium and some other metals. These tons of silver were slightly radioactive due to metastable Ag108, which restricted their use.  It would be thousands of years more before the radioactivity would fade away naturally.

Some Old World researchers found that certain X-rays would stimulate metastable atoms to decay immediately - instead of waiting for several half-lives. This researcher wanted to pick up where the Old World left off. The used nuclear fuel held by the Union, reprocessed and not, had almost 16,500 tonnes of slightly radioactive silver in it. This researcher MIGHT find a way to make that silver generally useful, instead of being restricted to applications where people had very little exposure.

He needed only modest resources to pursue this research, so the proposal was quickly accepted once it was understood.

A previously tabled proposal to develop zeppelins decades before was brought up again by Kristiana. She talked about the benefits in accessing vast sections of East Antarctica, far from any rail line.  She also pointed out that the winds in interior Antarctica should not excessively disrupt zeppelin use.

Gudmunder suggested several potential military applications of zeppelins.

Anna pointed out that Zeppelins would mostly use available technology, unless they wanted to use a better gas bag envelope than gold beater's skin. The Old World had several good candidates for gas bag membranes, but none were made today.

Further discussion lead to deciding to charge Antarctica with developing Zeppelins if they would fund the research & development. Several technical experts would be encouraged to immigrate South to help in the development. Later, they could export Zeppelins to the North, perhaps flying South to North.

There was a lengthy discussion in trying to recreate an Old World anti-viral drug which was never produced in Scandinavia - and hence there was no detailed production information in the archives. It was estimated to be able to reduce about 450 deaths per year in those under age 72 and another 110 in older people. This antiviral was also effective against the genetically engineered "Blue Tongue" virus. This virus had apparently died out, but a stockpile may still exist outside the Union or a remote population might still suffer from it.

After extended debate, they agreed to approve work on synthesizing the most difficult precursor chemical.  If researchers could successfully do that, then an effort could be made to do the rest.

And with that the meeting drew to a close. The committee members went to the adjacent Presidential Library for drinks and more discussion - while waiting for dinner to be served in another room of the Presidential Palace in Bergen.

The Technology Committee was an all day affair most months. The after meeting informal discussions were a vital part of the process. A most enjoyable and stimulating conclusion to an exhausting day.

Nobel Prize Awards

This years awards are as follows:

The Nobel Peace Prize goes to the Sultan of Turkey for shipping several shiploads of grain and edible oils to the Southern Rus after their second poor harvest. His gift at their time of great need meet the highest standards of charity and preserved the peace by preventing raids of desperation for food.

The Nobel Prize for Medicine goes to Ivana Ivanovich of Muscovy for her innovative work on using pH and silver solutions to treat serious skin infections.

The Nobel Prize for Agriculture goes to Jin Wang of New China for developing the cherry hybrids "Red Dawn", "Red Sunset", "Yellow Sun", "Pillow" and others. These hybrids  extended the range of cherry cultivation as well as the cherry season.

The Nobel Prize for Chemistry goes to Zhou Dadi of New China and Lief Sorensen of Jutland for their work on the release of carbon dioxide from the oceans and the effects of this on ocean pH, ocean chemistry and stabilizing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

The Nobel Prize for Physics and Engineering goes to Arni Benidktsson of Antarctica for his pioneering theoretical work on new zeppelins involving a hydrogen core and a hot air inert gas surrounding the hydrogen core.

The Nobel Prize for Literature goes to Erik Egilsson of Iceland for his epic "The Decline and Fall of the American Empire" where he traces the consistent refusal to make logical decisions in America's long term self interest. He explores the consequences of choosing short term gratification and making irrational, emotionally driven decisions time and again. His epic work is a resource for not only for historians but also a guide for decision makers and informed citizens today and tomorrow.

Expanded later into story form.

Preparing for the Weekend of Remembering

{sigh} Being a Philosopher Queen is not all it is cracked up to be.  But I did ask for the job.

She stared at the white piece of paper with a sharpened pencil in her hand.

OK, it is always good to start with a well known saying.

 Lessons learned from experience should not be relearned from new mistakes

No, that is not it, as she angrily drew a line through the sentence.

OK, what are my themes for this annual period of introspection ?

For over three centuries we have looked back at what we once had. The Old World that ended 349 years ago today. All of our electronics and much of the electricity we depended on for survival vanished with an invisible solar flare.  Yet, this was just the final death blow for a civilization that was already clearly dying.

Now, perhaps, it is at long last time to turn our eyes forward to the future. Mindful of the past - none-the-less the Old World is slipping into history to join the Vikings and the Roman Empire.

We set aside these three or four days, as winter arrives and the days shorten in the North, to think about what was, what is and what will be. What is worth doing - and what just destroys ourselves and the world around us. What is worth working for, worth living for and even what is worth dying for ?

Ok, not bad - but I am going down a well worn path. She laid down one pencil and picked up another.

One of our traditions is that politicians, and everyone else, can say the truth as they understand it on this weekend without it being held against them. I may have need of that tradition.

There is general agreement that the Old World doomed itself - driven by the verities of human nature. Humanity, including Scandinavia, destroyed the world we lived in while extracting, or just destroying, everything that could not be replaced in a truly mad rush to consume MORE! As all others rushed forward into our mutual doom, we Scandinavians pulled back just a bit from the rest in the plunge other the cliff.

We prepared and adapted while there was still time to do so - even though we were not clear about just what we were preparing for. We were far from perfect in our preparations, but we did make an effort towards sustainably, redundancy and reducing our use of fossil fuels. 

Nature placed us in a favorable place as Climate Chaos engulfed the globe. We settled Greonland as the glaciers retreated and used that experience to settle Antarctica in turn.

We found, and clung to, a different part of human nature - our rationality. And if we ever depart from this, we need only look elsewhere in the world to see the inevitable consequences.

Good :-) as she grabbed another pencil.

We are now slowly emerging into a different stage of our development. So far, for over three centuries, we have been walking like an exhausted person, putting one step in front of another, trying to just keep going. Just now, perhaps, it is time to raise our gaze to the horizon.

Where do we want to go ? There are many paths we can take from here, in every direction. Providence, and our own rationality, has given the Union of Scandinavia & Antarctica an opportunity that appears to be unique in the history of humanity.

{sigh} Is that enough ? Perhaps. Let me  eat supper and reflect.

After a fine dinner with the President of the University of Bergen, some Deans and selected students of excellent mixed vegetable soup, cod cheeks (Presidents do eat well), new potatoes, asparagus and rhubarb pie she returned to her task.

At dinner, they had discussed the Alien Invitation (all were strongly in favor of "Yes"), the academic balance between the three pillars - Technology, Social Sciences and Humanities at universities, the state of Antarctic education and the limited number of students that came North.

With her mind refreshed, and belly full, she picked up the pencil again.

There is something in human nature that wants MORE - and rationality can be used to rationalize this very basic human drive. Far too often rationality follows and does not lead this desire for more.

We settled Greonland and then Antarctica to replace the lost lands of Denmark - or so we told ourselves. It is impossible to recreate those moments in history, but I wonder if we would have still settled the new lands out of a lust for expansion if we did not have millions of Climate refugees looking desperately for a new home ?

OK, time to make that link. As she picked up a new pencil.

There is one path open to us that promises MORE - but more rationality. The Alien Invitation will expose us to novel ideas, concepts that will challenge us and unique ways of thinking. Millennium of experience and thought by dozens of civilizations are available to us. 

The limits imposed by nature will give us time to reflect and absorb these new worlds of thought.

She put down her pencil and went to get a cup of hot tea out of the insulated carafe used after dinner.
ANYTHING to escape from the difficult pain of writing !

Beyond the unique opportunity presented by the Alien Invitation, we live in a world where our Union is currently First among nations. The best technology, the largest population by a modest margin and the only mines not yet exhausted. But we are still fewer than 9 million people, our technology is a century behind the Old World peak and our few mines are finite.

We need to plan for the longer term, as our foremothers and fathers did.

For almost four centuries, our civilization has been like an exhausted traveler, struggling to survive.  We struggled just to put one foot in front of another - to just keep going !

Now, after almost four centuries, perhaps it is time to left our gaze from the road, and the obstacles,  immediately ahead and look to the horizons.

The Old World, like the Vikings and Roman Empire before them, is slipping into history as the centuries pass by, one by one. Ahead are a number of possible New Worlds, still shrouded in the mist of the future.

We have an opportunity, perhaps unique in human history, to shape our own destiny. But before we ask "What do we want", let us ask "Why do we want it ?"

This could use some editing - I used the Vikings & Romans twice - and that weary step by step analogy twice.

But that is the truth! For centuries we have been struggling just to get by. Now we finally have time and energy - and enough dominance - to look at our longer term options.

A world wide empire ? That would last a few centuries, and what would that gain us ? The "us" of humanity as well as the "us" of the Union.

Perhaps a benign assimilation, much like the Roman Republic assimilated the rest of Italy ? Some peoples, yes, maybe. From all reports Zealand might fit in. Maybe Nuwinga, Ganda - perhaps even Meriga. Although that Gaia nonsense would be an issue. Even our friends the Rus and New China would likely not become very good Scandinavians.

The world is much much more than just a few selected peoples. Assimilation of all is not the path - even if it was possible.

Rationality and valuing the long term social good are our hallmarks - traits not easily taught to others. {sigh}

Perhaps a good nights sleep will give me the answer to the best path for humanity for the next few millennium. Or perhaps the Aliens will just tell us. {chuckle}

She laid down her worn pencil and prepared for bed.

Future Chapters - Bits & Pieces

 I have not the discipline or skill of Michael Greer.  But here are some bits & pieces of future chapters.
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Madame President, we are here to discuss your plans to visit Antarctica.

There are some rumors circulating that you will be on the next Grand Convoy. We are unsure if any of these rumors have reached any of the Islamic embassies - or their spies.

We always sail the Grand Convoy in secrecy. We do not think that the Spanish or Liberian Navy can successfully challenge the convoy, but we do not wish to test that assumption. And so-called "pirates" have taken ships that became separated from the Convoy in decades past. The technology we take has value, which is why we separate every critical technology into two or more ships. Capturing just one has limited value.

We have three southern Greonlandic fjords where we assemble the Grand Convoy.  We randomly switch from one to another - and the planners do in fact roll dice to pick which one.

All three have sheltered anchorages that cannot be seen from the open ocean - or the coastal rail line.  From one of the three, the convoy will sail one evening at dusk.  This reduces the risk that an off-course Islamic fishing boat will sight the convoy sailing, and radio ahead.

There will be sixteen ships in this convoy. Four armored ships with 75, 88 or 105 mm cannon, plus the new USAS Kannon and the USAS Antarctica that you and your entourage will be traveling in. The other ten merchant ships include six steel hulled and four steel framed wooden hulled ships, but all are of the modified Cutty Sark class, so they sail much the same and can keep pace.

All ships have sails and auxiliary power - although the auxiliary power varies considerably. Besides the crew and 8,510 tons of freight, 623 passengers will be on this passage. 105 crew members will emigrate to Antarctica and be replaced in Antarctica with 105 crew wishing to settle or study in the North.

Previous Grand Convoys have taken from 49 to 119 days to travel North to South, and slightly longer South to North. They are timed to pass through the North Atlantic just before the hurricane season starts in earnest.

There are no hurricanes possible within 9 degrees of the equator. The cold water currents of the South Atlantic and geography prevent truly dangerous hurricanes from forming there.

We need to create a cover story that will cover your disappearance till you are well at sea. hopefully south of the Azores.  We are currently at peace - but so called pirates have often attacked at such times.

Please consider what might work as a cover story. Talk with your staff, but keep this plan from becoming known outside a small group.

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As she took the special rail spur in tunnel towards the waiting Grand Convoy, her escort proceeded to tell her much of what she already knew, but she kept quiet. As Prime Minister she had approved building these two ships more than a decade before.

"The USAS Antarctica is the prototype of a new class of armed merchantmen that need not sail in convoy, although traveling in pairs or threes may be advisable once the USAS Ascension is completed.

We hope that this class of ships will create a constant flow of people and goods between North and South, instead of Grand Convoys every few years.

She is capable of sailing without sail, if you pardon the term, from Greonland to Ascension Island and possibly even to Antarctica at the slowest speed.  She burns a special bio-diesel methanol mix in a slow speed diesel engine to generate electricity, which then powers the electric motors driving the screws. Much of the fuel loaded in the North comes from tree sap, distilled to remove water and then dissolved in methanol, thereby reducing the problem of burning food for fuel. Once we refuel in Ascension, we will switch to a conventional bio-diesel shipped from Antarctica.

Her sails will save fuel and often increase her speed. Yet to keep pace with the Cutty Sark class ships also in the convoy, she will to use her auxiliary motors most of the time to supplement her sails.

She has three swivel turrets, mounting twin 105 mm cannon towards the bow and two 88 mm cannon towards the stern, to discourage a stern chase. And a single rapid fire 57 mm Bofors gun just forward of the main mast. The rifling of the barrels is opposite in each pair, so they do not create torque when fired in volley. {That she did not know). The forward and aft turrets have almost a 300 degree traverse, a bit more for the mid-ship 57 mm. The masts are mounted between the two main turrets, except for the mast most forward. That mast can be tilted down over the bow and the bowspirit.

We have been sailing the USAS Antarctica between various ports without Islamic presence for almost two years now, and she appears to be quite seaworthy. Rumors have circulated, and we are sure that something is known of her in the Azores. Hopefully enough to discourage any "unauthorized" pirate attacks.

She has a unique titanium hull, alloyed with 0.28% ruthenium for improved corrosion resistance. The ruthenium comes from processing used nuclear reactor fuel. The framing was also titanium, but with a less ruthenium alloy. Much of the remainder of the interior was built with plywood and recycled plastics from the Old World. 

This light weight structure increased the cargo and fuel she can carry, and should give her hull and framing a working life of much more than a century. The interior, engines and masts will likely need to be rebuilt in a few decades.

She has a crew of 43, cabins for 80 to 102 passengers and 1,914 tonnes of cargo.  All capable passengers are trained to help repel boarders, just in case.

"How much ruthenium did she require ?"

This surprised the aide, who stammered, "Three and a half tons from our nuclear fuel reprocessing. It makes the titanium almost totally resistant to corrosion. The hull, frame and plates should last for centuries."

He then continued on his rather obviously memorized speech.

The USAS Kannon is built around a single German 380 mm cannon. The Germans originally designed the gun for shipboard use but installed it in Denmark as a coastal gun. It was left behind in Denmark after the long ago World War II.  Four comparable 408 mm cannons were left in Norway and all five were transferred inland from museums as the waters rose.

Nowhere in the world is there artillery comparable to the 88 mm and 105 mm cannons deployed by our Union forces except a very few left over from the Old World. The existence of these historic very large artillery pieces is, as far as can be determined, completely unknown outside the USA. With a light weight shell, this unique gun has a range of 40 km, well over the horizon. A single shell can sink any ship afloat or devaste any fortress.
 .
.. more ...

They pulled out of Jamestown Harbor with the early morning sun on auxiliary power and then quickly set sail tacking southeast. For the next 27 days they sailed south, passing Tristan du Cunha in the night. Just before the Grand Convoy entered the Southern Ocean, at 39 degrees S latitude, the USAS Kannon turned back with the military escorts to Ascension - her new base when not escorting the Grand Convoy. This was far south of any known pirate sighting.

The Kannon would be docked inside a covered dock in a secondary inlet on Ascension. It should remain secret, beyond some rumors, from the Islamic powers for quite some time.  Several other rumors were being deliberately circulated as well - to hide the truth amongst the false. Based at Ascension, she would be close to West and South Africa, and close enough to the Azores and Europe if needed there, or Antarctica if needed there.

The Grand Convoy entered the Southern Ocean ! Wild winds and waves that traveled around the world, without a speck of land to absorb the energy.  A wild ocean for eons.

The USAS Antarctica, as planned, furled her sails and separated from the rest of the convoy with her electric motors driven by the biodiesel generators. Hard shocks rocked the ship as her bow bit into towering waves for three days till she entered the lee of the Palmer Peninsula. There the seas were still rough, but nothing compared to the wild sea she just left.

Sails were set, and she quickly headed for the capital of Antarctica, Nye Copenhagen. Named after the lost city that so many settlers left behind.  Nestled on the Ronne Sea, not far from the base of the Palmer Peninsula, Nye Copenhagen was midway between Palmer and West Antarctica. An ideal location for trade as well as governance at 79 degrees latitude, nestled in the shadow on the Ellsworth Mountains on the northern bank of the Minnesota fjord - the only pass through the 4,500 meter Ellsworth Mountains.

The rain

 shadow of the Ellsworth Mountains, the highest in Antarctica, also made the coast around Nye Copenhagen the sunniest place - and one of the least windy - in Antarctica. Places further north may have more sun on the top of the clouds, but not as much reached the ground.

Four major rail lines radiated out from Nye Copenhagen - the Palmer Line, the East Antarctica Line that lead through the TransAntarctic Mountains between the Theil and Whitmore Mountains and two rail lines that went deep in a loop through the hinterlands of West Antarctica around deep Vostok Lake. A rail line ran along the coast north towards Palmer, the other two tracks went up the Montana fjord to East Antarctica, with one turning towards the highlands of West Antarctica. All 1.1 meter gauge like her native Iceland and Spitsbergen.

Since they arrived in late Spring, the days were already long.

Nye Copenhagen had been told of her coming, first from Greonland and then from Ascension. The AM radio of the USAS Antarctica reached a station on Palmer 31 hours before their arrival in Nye Copenhagen. The town was well prepared for the first sitting Union President to arrive in 89 years !

Not just the citizens of the capital but tens of thousands from the hinterlands had traveled by packed trains for this historic moment.

She had requested a day or two to recuperate from a rough crossing before launching on her Grand Tour - but that did not dampen her reception :-)

The President and Prime Minister, with her cabinet and several members of the Opposition, were waiting for her unsteady walk down the gangway. At her request, the Captain took the ship in slowly once in calm waters to give her more time to prepare - physically and mentally.

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On the train towards Western Antarctica, she passed through arboreal forests, several times catching glimpses of Zubrons here and there. The only ungulate suitable for the challenging environment of new forests on old glacier fields in Groenland and in Antarctic.

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The day after her landing had been left open for her rest and recuperation. It was a Saturday, so she asked if she might attend one of the five synagogues in Antarctica, but without public notice. Crowds were waiting outside her guest house, so ....

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On the third day since landing, the President, Prime Minister and the Security Ministers gave her a briefing on external affairs.

We do not allow any foreign vessels to enter our waters, and we have not found any evidence of an unauthorized landing. But we would likely not find evan a small settlement for many years if they put it up a random fjord or a few kilometers inland.

The only powers with sufficient technology to possibly reach Antarctica in the South are the various states of Argent and Brazil, Southern Africa and further north in East & West Africa and maybe, just possibly, the Kiwis.

As you know, the Australians set up two settlements - at Davis on Pryoz Bay and Casey in Wilkes Land in the 2060s. We long ago incorporated Davis into our society as the port for the major river of West Australia.. The other former Australian settlement, Casey, has remained isolated. We do not have a rail line there and trading vessels only call there five or six times per year. They vote and send a representative to our Althingi, but they are a people apart, with their own language.

Kristiana asked "How many are there ?"

About 5,600 in the last census, but we believe that several hundred more are in the remote forests. So 6,000, give or take,  Plus several thousand more that have moved into our cities and settled areas and their immediate descendants. Their homeland has descended into barbarism and savagery, so that tie is gone forever.

Australia itself, as you know, fell very hard to Climate Chaos and over population in the 2060s. They were already on food rationing when the Great Hunger hit and that set off famine and civil unrest, with the strong eating well.  This, in turn, set off a quick spiral downward with their two Antarctic settlements being populated by desperate refugees from the chaos. Most starved, but a few survived.

Based on our coastal exploration and a few inland expeditions, Australia may have only 100,000 to 200,000 people left.  Mostly hunter gatherers, and some irrigated agriculture in the formerly Snowy and Blue Mountains.  Except for a few remaining mineral deposits that they did not ship to China, there is little left to attract anyone there.

Tasmania is somewhat more interesting. They are still a green land and maintained a minimal industrial civilization, based on their hydropower till 2250 or so.  But that collapsed as well in a civil war.  And after that, their population crashed. There may be just 10,000 Tasmanians left, maybe 15,000 or even 20,000. Like Australia, their most fearsome weapon is a crossbow made from salvaged materials.

Our expeditions have found several hydroelectric power plants that we can rebuild. The land is fertile enough, and wet enough, to establish a successful colony - either ours or someone else's.  One question is what to do with the remaining Tasmanian savages.

The Kiwis are better off. The North Island has several strong sheriffs that owe nominal fealty to their King. The South Island is split into two Republics and a Kingdom. We have helped all four keep their small hydroelectric plants going and supplied semi-finished goods for domestic manufacturing. Cloth and sewing machines for example. Horseshoes and anvils and so forth. And we help them keep their rail lines running. We quite deliberately keep them dependent on us. And no weapons !

But they have little to export to us except speciality foods. Apples, butter and cheese and so forth. We have wool enough, and wheat and meat. They want more than they have value to trade for. We have considered whether to rehabilitate their largest hydroelectric dam and build an aluminum smelter and other power intensive industry there. This could forge a deeper and more permanent bond.  However, the lack of unity may make that investment "complicated" with future intra-island conflicts.

The Kiwis build small ships for coastal trading and to go between North and South Island.  As far as we know, not one has crossed the Southern Ocean and only a few have gone to Australia or New Guinea.

Africa is the largest potential problem, East and West Africa. ...

For the last two decades, both Argent and Brazil have been broken up into small kingdoms and republics. As such, their industrial potential and technology have been stifled. Again, both we and the North have provided assistance to keep their hydroelectric dams and railroads operating at a minimal level.

We have friendly relations with the largest coastal power, the Republic of Bahia. Since they are a limited franchise democracy, we share some values. Bahia has extensive coastal trade along the Atlantic and considerable trade across the Atlantic to Benin. Our Base Island is along that route and frequently sights sails.  A few times an apparently Bahia ship, with light round shot cannon, has anchored off base Island. A warning shot or two and they pulled up anchor.
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At aptly named Zubron, she was taken on a tour of their breeding operations (thankfully, she was spared the slaughterhouse !). Her tour guide explained "Our system was first developed in Groenland, but they have since moved to more intensive methods."

We let the heifers and steers wander the forest on their own, but we keep all the bulls here in these pens.  When a heifer comes into heat, she will come towards the pens and often bellow for a bull. We let those in that we chose not to cull immediately and let them breed. After the heifer is breed, we keep her is this larger fenced ranch.

After she calves, if the calf is a heifer, we mark the calf and let them back into the forest almost immediately. If the calf is a bull, we keep them until he is old enough to castrate (She winced just a bit at this) and release them to the forest or to slaughter for veal.

A very few bull calves are allowed to develop into young bulls if they and their mothers exhibit desirable traits.

Harvest teams go from a variety of rail heads into the forest and slaughter the steers and older heifers. Unless they are very close to our packing plants, we field dress them and bring back just the meat and hides.

"And what traits do you find desirable for your bulls ?" she asked.

......