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The president is sitting in
his office, looking concerned. In front of him is one of his chief
aides.
'Mr. President, we have a problem.'
'Tell me.'
'One of the pharma
giants this morning
announced that clinical
trials of their new
anti-cancer drug have been very successful. As a result, we estimate
that the population of developed countries could increase by almost
thirty million over the next ten years.'
'I see,' says the president, studying the figures.
'And sorry, sir. There's more... It seems that despite our best
efforts, a peace treaty is about to be
signed by North and South Korea, putting
paid
to our efforts to
encourage region-wide military
conflict.'
'Keep me updated, and inform me of new developments. So... do you have
any
good news for me this morning?'
'Actually, sir. I do. In response to the recent increase
in birthrate in south east Asia, we have released a new
influenza virus spread by poultry.
We calculate that its release should cause a mimimum of five
million deaths this year alone.'
'That's great, but it's not enough. The world's population is fast
approaching eight billion. We are running out of time, I may have to
consider another war.'
'But Mr. President, the economic risk of all-out
war is too great. It
will significantly reduce the population in any given area, but the
economy will be
ruined. That could affect us badly. Wall Street would not be amused.'
'I am well aware of that, but it may be our only chance. If we can't
control the population then the world will be destroyed. It's as simple
as that and I can't let it happen.'
In an office in Switzerland, a
disparate
group are assembled
for a secret meeting. There are CEOs of
pharmaceutical companies, spiritual leaders, computer visionaries
and
cosmologists.
The chairperson stands to address
the group, 'Ladies and
gentlemen. Thank you for coming at
such
short
notice
and under such
difficult conditions. Today, I have good news to tell. The population
has just
reached seven point five billion. We believe that the critical
eight
billion mark will now occur four years earlier than expected,
in May 2019.'
'That's wonderful news,' says an American woman who had flown in from
Sedona in Arizona. The ancient prophecy
will soon be
fulfilled.'
One of the Russian cosmologists then speaks, 'Today, I bring good news
too. I would like to announce that we have identified another three
planets
that are giving off the same signals. There are now over forty
neighbouring stars that have planets that have achieved global
awareness. Of course, the public know nothing of this... yet.
Around the room, people start clapping. 'Ladies and gentlemen, when our
world's population reaches exactly eight billion, there will be a
chain
reaction. The thoughts of all
people across the globe will be
united. We will achieve a state of universal
awareness and join other species
on
other worlds in a new age of enlightenment. Humans will finally find
peace, love and understanding. The reason for mankind's existance
will be understood.
We will become
one with God.
In a small wooden shack in a slum in Srinigar, northern India, a baby is born. She opens her eyes to a world of war and disease, of poverty and diasters. Her lungs breathe the polluted air, her eyes fill with dust. But this baby girl is different from others born this day. Her mother and aunts see something special in her eyes, something wonderful in her face. She is not a normal child. One of the ladies hurries off to find the local Hindu priest. She has amzing news to tell him. By the end of the day, the area is full of holy men, television crews, politicians, famous actors, and thousands and thousands of people. They all know who this girl is. They all know the golden time has come.
The president is exhausted. He hasn't slept well recently, in fact, he has hardly slept at all. Little did he know when he was elected, that his job brought with it secrets that are almost beyond comprehension. During his term of office, he has been responsible for so much death and destruction around the world. And yet, he knows that if he fails to act, then the world will be finished. He can't let the world end, it is his duty to protect the many by any means, even if others have to suffer, even if milliions have to die. And now, he had just been told that she had come - the one child who will be the catalyst for the final change, and the final destruction of humankind. He thinks for a moment and then makes a short phone call.
One hour later the world is in
shock. According to the news agencies, a group of Shia
extremists
on a suicide mission has
tried to kill the Chosen One.
The baby girl is alive but over three
hundred Hindu devotees
were killed in the suicide bombing. In response,
Hindus across India start attacking and slaughtering Muslims.
The situation
is
getting out of control. In his office, the president receives a call, '
I'm sorry Mr. President, the operation was unsuccessful. We need nore
time.'
The president sits back in his large leather seat, exhausted
by the increbible guilt and responsibility that his job brings
with it. He shakes his head and thinks about the foolish group of
people who think the
New
Age
will bring universal enlightenment
and
peace. Whe nhe became president, he was shown ancient secret texts
showing that when the
world's population reaches exactly eight billion, everyone's brain will
connect
in
one enormous neural
network. The power of our connected brains will be immense, and all
this power of thought will be
harnessed
by the Chosen One. In an instant, she will gain
the power of a god.
And in that instant, she will decide humankind is not worthy, and she
wil choose to destroy. With one
thought our world will end. The president's job is to ensure the
population never reaches critcal mass.
The next few years are a battle. A war between the powers of destruction and the powers of healing. New virus pandemics spring up from nowhere and ravage the world. Wars break out across the globe, terrorists wreak havoc with their deadly campaigns. But combatting these horrors is a new generation of super-drugs that heal the sick, an army of peace-makers ending the wars, an explosion of books and speakers who encourage love, harmony and understanding. And, all the while, the population is increasing and the Chosen One is growing. She is protected by hundreds of devoted soldiers and thousands of people from all religions, who surround her new mountain home and keep her safe. There are numerous attempts on her life, but none are successful.
A new president sits in her seat in the Oval office. A few months before, she had become the first woman president in the history of her great country. She should be feeling proud, but she has been told secrets that she had no idea about before. The population clock on the wall keeps ticking as the number inches closer and closer to eight billion. On her desk is a red telephone. On a submarine in the Bay of Bengal, two nuclear missiles are being prepared to be launched at a target in the mountains. A navy commander is waiting by his red telephone. He is waiting for a call. The population is about to reach eight billion. The time has come to make a decision.
Adjectives
all-out:
Using a lot of energy, determination and anger.
disparate:
Very different. Not connected with each other.
critical:
Here meaning extremely important.
universal:
Here meaning 'involving/done by everyone'.
neural:
About the nerves or nervous system. Here meaning 'one-large brain'.
numerous:
Many. A high number of something.
Verbs
put
paid to sth.:
To prevent or stop something from happening.
assemble:
Here meaning 'to meet together in the same place'.
address:
Here meaning 'to speak formally to a group of people'.
be
fulfilled:
Here meaning 'to be achieved'. Especially something that was hoped for.
hurry
off:
To move quickly away to another place.
fail
to act:
To not do something that would stop a bad thing happening.
slaughter:
To kill many people in a cruel and violent way.
harness:
To control and use the power of something.
ravage:
To damage something badly, or destroy it. Perhaps in an
uncontrolled way.
wreak
havoc:
To cause a lot of problems, suffering, or damage.
tick:
Here meaning the number of people increases.
inch
closer:
To move very slowly.
be
launched:
Here meaning 'to be sent into the air'.
Nouns
a
chief aide:
An important assistant to a politician.
a
pharma giant:
A very large pharmaceutical company.
a
clinical trial:
A series of medical experiments to test if a new drug works.
a
military conflict:
A fight between armies. A battle or war.
poultry:
The family name for chickens and similar birds.
a
visionary:
Someone who has strong and clear ideas about the future.
a
cosmologist:
Someone who studies the origin and structure of the universe.
a
prophecy:
A statement that something important will happen in the future.
global
awareness:
A situation in which everyone understands the same thing.
a
chain reaction:
A situation in which one thing happens and causes another thing to
happen. This continues quickly and is difficult to stop.
a
galaxy:
A very large group of stars.
a
slum:
An poor area of very cheap buildings without good facilities.
Srinigar:
A holy city in northern India.
a
term of office:
The period of time that a president does his/her job.
a
catalyst:
Here meaning 'someone who causes an important event to happen'.
a
Shia extremist:
A person who has extreme Islamic religious views.
the
Chosen One:
A name given to a person who is very special because they have been
chosen by God for a special purpose.
a
devotee:
Someone who admires and follows another person or religion.
the
New Age:
The name given to a period of time when people have deep spiritual
ideas and beliefs that don't belong to the main religions.
enlightenment:
A state of mind in which someone understands the meaning of life.
a
critical mass:
An amount of something that starts a chain reaction.
a
pandemic:
Am illness that affects many people oncer a wide area.
a
campaign:
Here meaning 'a planned series of actions to achieve a goal'.
a
population clock:
A counter that shows the population number, as it changes.
Expressions
'at
short notice':
Used to mean 'without much time to think or prepare'.
'little
did sb.
know':
Used to say that someone was not aware of a situation.
'the
many':
Here meaning 'most of the population'.
'all
the while':
Meaning 'while this is happening'.
ver does well in life'.
Expressions