Chapter 5.28: A better compromise

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From Cassy's diary

New Sixam was given two days to respond to Arizhel's speech, but our government denied its support even before finishing to analyse the simulations she mentioned during her speech. For Arizhel and the others who followed her, choosing to ignore their data had been the ultimate proof of our complete lack of any rationality. Thus, they decided to abandon any area under the jurisdiction of our government, and moved from their old base on the Moon to even older bunkers on Sixam. Up there they are proceeding to collect the necessary resources, aiming to start their search for a new planet to colonize in the next few months. 

They then cut off communications stating that they would not hesitate to respond militarily if we attempted to stop them by force, but also that anyone who was reasonable enough to decide to join their cause would have been allowed to reach them on Sixam. 

In the days that followed, however, I analyzed those data line after line, and I haven't found any mistake, not even in the decimals... Yet, even if they consider our attitude as nothing more than a useless obstinacy in denying the evidence, there must also remain some variable that they didn't consider, some feasible way to slow down climate change in the next centuries… I have the feeling we are so close to the solution, but it's so frustrating to be unable to visualise it yet!

Cassy: (distracted) In their simulation they also considered the evolution of the geopolitical structure of the whole planet Earth in the next two centuries, it's impressive!

Venus: I think you're overthinking it… Okay, pollution and climate change may be a little out of hand now, but most of the scientists in the world are working on it! At least one will have the right idea in time, right? Leaving to colonize another planet is at the very least exaggerated, c'mon!

Cassy: ...

Venus: (sarcastic) Although, thinking about it, we might as well have been lucky. Think what would have happened if, instead, their calculations had said that the only solution to pollution was to eradicate humans so that planet Earth would remain "inhabitable for the sixamians generations to come"!

In New Sixam most people seem to have the same opinions as Venus, they are not taking it seriously and are going on with their lives as if nothing had happened. However, after seeing those data…

Venus: I told you you were too distracted, this time I won!

Well, she could actually have a point if I'm so distracted to lose a chess game...

But at least not all the events I have to think about these weeks are negative. For example, dear diary, did you know that Toq's birthday will come soon? It's the first time he celebrates together with us, thinking about it.

He didn't want to throw a big party, but our family is now large enough to make even a small house party organized among us quite crowded.

On planet Earth, aging is always seen as an inevitable misfortune, and we only focus on our health and beauty fading away. Instead, Toq explained to me that, among ancient Sixamians like him, old age is rather seen as synonymous with wisdom, and that everything he has learned in recent years is making him feel much wiser than in the past. I sort of like this point of view, we probably would have a lot to learn about this too.

Or, at least, this is what Steve kept repeating to himself, because a few months later it was his turn to blow on those candles. As you see, dear diary, we don't have many chances to get bored in this house!

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A few days later…

TV: … and we are ready to pass the microphone to Ms Jones for the sports news.

Sirio: By now even TV stopped talking about it, isn't it?

People are definitively not taking Arizhel's warnings seriously, even here at home the only ones who haven't passed over it yet are me, Toq and Sirio.

Toq: There are a few points regarding this subject that remain unclear to me, and from what I perceive it is the same for the two of you as well.

Cassy: Definitively.

Toq: I was considering to discuss the matter with an old acquaintance of mine, he helped me to clarify my ideas more than once in the past. And I was wondering if you would like to participate, too.

Sirio and I were a bit surprised by that question, we had no idea about who could he be talking about. But if there's one thing we all have in common it's curiosity, so how could we say no?

So we met Antaan. From what Toq later told us, we learnt that he is the oldest Ancient Sixamian to have reached the planet Earth. He used to be their captain, and Toq seems to have maintained a respectful relationship with him. So we knocked on his door bringing some tea leaves as a gift, Toq was sure he would appreciate it, and prepared ourselves to ask our questions.

Antaan: I am glad to ascertain your state of health, Toq. While you are Cassiopeia and Sirio, I presume. I have often heard about you in the past, and I am grateful to make your acquaintance as well.

Sirio: (to himself) He really has a weird way of speaking…

Cassy: (diplomatic) We're grateful too.

Toq: Antaan, we want your opinion about Arizhel's actions. Did she ever discuss with you what she has in her mind?

Antaan: No, I have not had any chance to talk with her in many years. But I have examined her calculations, without finding errors. With the information now available, Arizhel's plan appears reasonable to me.

Toq: ….

Antaan: I know that reading those data you came to these conclusions too, Toq. But despite this, you have made choices very different from those of Arizhel, as well as from mine. But this does not mean that any of us is necessarily mistaken, it all depends on the question we are trying to answer.

Cassy: Sorry to intrude, but until proven otherwise, I know the data you're talking about as well. And I think I also spotted the variable that really determined the final result of that simulation.

Antaan stared at me with an amazed expression, perhaps he didn't expect me to intervene. Toq and Sirio, on the other hand, seemed rather to be wondering why I had waited for so long before speaking.

Cassy: According to their model, New Sixam's technology has a very good chance of reaching the level that would make it possible to avoid climate catastrophe within a few decades. According to that forecast, however, this would not be enough because the other Nations would take too long before deciding to act and agreeing on a common action plan. 

Sirio: (surprised) Wait, so according to Arizhel is it easier to find another habitable planet than to convince the other earthlings to collaborate with us?

Cassy: Well, yes, this seems like a good summary.

Antaan didn't say anything for several minutes, as he reasoned about what I had just said and decided how to answer.

Antaan: This is a rather original synthesis of those data. So what would be your counter-proposal to Arizhel's plan?

Cassy: I think it's obvious, we have to find the technology to provide the energy we need without pollution as soon as possible! And focusing more on strengthening our communication channels with the other Nations wouldn't be bad, actually.

Antaan reflected for a few more moments, before turning to Toq with a hardly interpretable expression and commenting:

Antaan: I think I understand much better some of the things you told me in the past, Toq.

Sirio: Sorry, can I ask you a question too?

Antaan: Nothing prevents it

Sirio: Recently we also learnt that Arizhel has a family a bit like ours, however… I mean, I don't understand why she decided to leave the Earth and leave the others back, that's it.

I can't deny that I asked myself that question too. Arizhel had always seemed the same cold and rational person since the very moment she arrived on Earth, but it's also evident that she can't have remained totally indifferent to all the people she met while in here. I mean, otherwise, she couldn't have had a family, isn't it?

Antaan: Toq was not the only one among us who had to learn about himself, nor the only to make difficult choices. This has happened to us all, sooner or later.

Sirio: …

Antaan: Arizhel had to make many sacrifices, but she decided a long time ago that she wanted to use her resources to be able to preserve the wellbeing of all the Sixamians, and not just of a handful of them. Despite everything, she did it because she believes this is a right and honourable choice.

Sirio: It also seems like a very sad one, however…

Antaan: You have a peculiar way of reasoning, perhaps you could be able to elaborate alternative solutions that are precluded to us. Arizhel's plan is by no means a univocal answer to the current problems,  and I see no elements to exclude that you could eventually find a better compromise than the one she found.

At that point Toq nodded and then stood up, and we understood that it was time to say goodbye. 

Once we left that house, all three of us were more silent and thoughtful than usual. I wasn't sure if I liked this Antaan, but he certainly made us think about many things, and in a very different way than we've ever done before.

Toq: I agree with you, Antaan can be quite cryptic with his answers. Sometimes, it would almost seem like he does this on purpose...

Sirio: Wait, are you trying to make a joke, Toq?

Toq: Ahm, maybe... Or maybe I should work a bit more on this before.

Sirio: (amused) Don't worry, it was actually pretty funny.

This meeting was indeed quite cryptic and didn't give us any answer, yet I think it wasn't a waste of time. Actually, I start to have much clearer ideas about what to do than I had before.

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