A Planet In The Middle Of Nowhere Book 1

foreword

During a lengthy lay-off, I made a blog-serial (which no one noticed)- a planet in the middle of nowhere- its address is aplanetinthemiddleofnowhere.blogspot.com. I wrote and posted, the story of the World of Hope on my blog. However, since I didn't always have access to a computer or the internet, I finished the story by hand and never posted the end on my blog. Now I am tweaking it and polishing it (I hope), making it more consistent. You can find updates on my progress for the rest of the story on my old blog.

Note, in some places on the blog I failed to change the name from Oasis City to Sparkle City. I searched on the net and found a book already called Oasis. It had been written as a serial blog at storyhack.com by Bryce Beattie. (It's a good story- I also read that during my lay-off. Check it out.) Also on his website, besides the story and its sequel, were several articles on writing and links, which, one thing led to another, and I decided to make my blog into a series of ebooks.

Also, please note, in the story (part two) part of the plot deals with folks unhappy with their leader, so they wish to draw attention to that fact with protests. I wrote this before the so-called Arab Spring, and I want to say I don't necessarily support such violent protests or violent revolution. Indeed, at the time, I had more in mind the work of Nelson Mandela or Lech Walesa.

And now, on with the story-!

What Already Happened

The day that the Dreamer woke up, November 21, 1963, has long been celebrated by certain idealists of Earth for its significance in changing a man who then changed the world.

Dr. Simon Somnum had been a theorist pondering the possibility of alternate timelines. He had wondered if, when a person was faced with a choice, did that person indeed choose one thing, with the resultant consequences, but also, did that same person also choose something else, resulting in another set of consequences, thus creating a different timeline simultaneously with each choice that was faced, because, indeed, the man actually made both choices at the same time!.

November 21, 1963, was the day Dr. Somnum was to give a lecture on that very subject at a prestigious university in Texas. However, things turned out differently than what he had planned, because, after he had developed car trouble a few blocks away from the place of his scheduled speech, he managed to contact a service garage to fetch his car within the hour, and then he began that fateful walk the last few streets to the university, hoping to make his destination and be on time, or at least as close to being on time as possible.

And then the old woman carrying a paper bag full of groceries stumbled before him, spilling her fresh produce all over the pavement. Dr. Somnum briefly considered pretending he didn't see her and just continuing on, since he was running late already. He dismissed that thought and turned back to help her gather her things. As he did so, that was when the life-changing event happened.

Twenty feet down the path he would have been hurrying along, had he not stopped to help the woman, was where it all happened. A heavy oversized piano, of all things, being hoisted by a crane to the penthouse atop the nearby apartment building, suddenly snapped the cable holding it in midair. It plummeted to the concrete below, smashing with a discordant thwang, knocking a deep hole, practically a crater, into the walkway.

The doctor caught his breath. I- I should have been at that very spot, where the piano fell! Why, if I hadn't stopped to help you gather your groceries, ma'm-- He involuntarily shook from a chill running down his spine.

Dr. Somnum decided then and there to change his speech. Such a close brush with death changes a man's perspective about what's important.

Dr. Somnum preached that day how he realized alternate timelines were logically impossible, and even if they were not, so what? What good could come from wasting one's time pursuing such intellectual entertainment? Would that bring peace to the Earth? He spoke how he had stopped to help the lady, not out of choice, but because he in fact had no choice. That was who he was. He disbelieved in freewill, dismissing it as a mere fantasy. So much for being able to make different choices leading to different timelines. And if there were freewill, how could a man make all possible choices by making each choice in a separating universe? Then where would be the freewill anyway, or the responsibility for exercising such freewill, if all possible choices are made at the same time, anyway? How could that be? No, it made more sense to accept man was a mere animal, a clever one at that, admittedly, but one that merely reacted to stimuli reflexively.

This new direction in his thinking made him consider the varied and diverse ways of thinking throughout the world by different peoples and cultures. He concluded that this diversity of ways of thinking caused uncountable problems for humanity, each individual and each group pulling in so many different directions at once for different goals, making harmonization and world peace impossible. The solution must be to channel these diverse ways of thinking into a single pathway, a uniform understanding of what was best for the collective whole of the race. Unity in diversity. Worldwide.

Excitedly, he tried to stop the President of the United States the next day, as his motorcade made its way through Dallas. He wanted to share with the national leader his vision of how to achieve world peace. Instead, he got himself tossed in jail for disrupting the President's entourage. The Secret Service, spooked by the matter, redirected the President's route.

Later that day, the President actually went to visit Dr. Somnum in lockup, to find out what his interruption was all about. He had heard of the doctor, and now he wanted to hear what the doctor himself had to say. The President frowned on the Dreamer's ideas. Sounds like Communism to me! However, he realized Dr. Somnum meant no harm, and so arranged for his release. One thing he had to agree with the well-intentioned doctor about, however, was that there must only be one universe, so make the best of the one they had.

Frustrated because the leader of the country paid his ideas little mind, Dr. Somnum decided to share his views with other leaders of the whole world, and their peoples. The world needed to wake up! He would wake them! He would share his dream with them!

Over the years, more and more influential people picked up his viewpoint. Many world leaders liked to hear what he had to say. He could not have reached so many with his message, had it not been for many wealthy people sponsoring his efforts. His dream became a global movement.

Of course, not everyone shared his vision, which took on a push for a world government body, to direct planned regional blocs of nations and countries toward a universal good for all. What of checks and balances between different nations? some of the throwbacks fretted. Why give up our right to self-rule our own neighborhood to some bureaucrat who lives on the other side of the world?" Rather than try to explain anything to those kind of people, who seemed incapable of understanding anyway, the leaders of the movement simply ignored them. The press and tv news stations were very helpful in that way of dealing with those opposing Dr. Somnum's ideas, because they seldom covered any of the dissent and awareness rallies.

The world became smaller as the countries formed into zones and started to work on co-operating with each other. Communication systems grew, thanks to advances in technology, so it became a small matter for a man in Asia to call his brother in North America. And travel increased as well, folks going here and there, to and fro, making it easier for the man in Asia to actually visit his brother in North America. As the trend towards globalization grew and grew, everything seemed to be working out, fulfilling Dr. Somnum's wonderful dream. At first, anyway.

It didn't take long for many to realize there were two kinds of countries and zones in the world- the haves and the have-nots. Despite all the advances and co-operation, it became apparent to many that not everyone enjoyed the same benefits and prosperity these regional zones were supposed to provide. The have-nots discovered the haves were not as willing to share as the have-nots had expected.

Dr. Somnum saw that the globalization process, rather than reducing tensions and fears of wars, had the opposite effect. And the shortages from disasters in the 80's and 90's added kindling to the smoldering situation. To make matters worse, Dr. Somnum finally realized, not all his wealthy sponsors helped him out of a sense of altruism. Only too late, much too late, did he realize that they wanted to find new people to exploit, or to gain positions of power so that they could help run the world, so that they could be the elite running things the way they desired. And, of course, for their efforts, the elite would be compensated accordingly, or so those deceivers had expected it to be.

Dr. Somnum became ill, watching his dream become a nightmare. His aging body suffered failing health. The doctor fell into a deep depression because of the mess of the world his message had caused.

A well-known evangelist visited his bed of sickness. He did his best to explain to Dr. Somnum the reason his plan could not work. He told him of the Four Spiritual Laws of life, and of the sin-factor each person had inherited from fallen Adam. Until sin, the fly in the ointment, was removed, humanity could never achieve a paradise.

Dr. Somnum rejected the idea of sin. Being a secularist, he considered man an animal, he told the evangelist. Man needed to be trained, tamed the right way, and Somnum's dream could still become a reality. Dr. Somnum just couldn't figure out how. But- the doctor was very vocal about his next assertion- religion couldn't solve the problem. No, that is what helped to make the problem, since so many different religions helped divide the world. What the world needed, Dr. Somnum reasoned, was a unified religion. Yes, maybe in that way, religion actually could solve the situation. After all, one religion was as good as another, so why not just blend them all together...

The evangelist pointed out, all religions cannot be right, since they contradict each other. Either there was none right, or only one. The evangelist said, only in one religion did its founder rise from the dead. History suggested the resurrection narrative's authenticity, if one only carefully considered. The evangelist further went on to say that Dr. Somnum had not really awoken on that fateful day in 1963, or he would not equate all religions as the same. He said the doctor still slept, but did not know it, and that it was time for him to truly wake up.

No, Dr. Somnum insisted, his dream could work, and he would one day find a way to make it work! Dr. Somnum died a year later, a very disappointed man, as the world teetered on the brink of chaos, each wanting what the other refused to give, and many actually needing more than the available resources could provide.

The international space station, the Peace Lab, was launched with much fanfare, in the hopes that the crew could find answers to the world's needs. It had been put into orbit, away from the world, where controversial experiments could be conducted with the understanding that, if the experiments produced cataclysmic results, at least the Earth should not be contaminated and harmed from the failed testings. But what solved much of the problem was the Peace Lab's tragic accident, which opened the wormhole to some distant, uncharted galaxy, to a planet in the middle of nowhere.

That new world provided new hope for the people of Earth- if only someone could be found to keep order there while the world developed into a colony serving the Earth, a colony that would deliver fuel ore and ample hybrid foods grown on the farms on the new world. The Earth leaders looked for someone to make the planet in the middle of nowhere into the World of Hope, a new hope for humanity, and thus make possible Dr. Somnum's dream, after all.

The Earth Leaders had found such a man- Xavier Bright! He would work with Earth and help them by governing this new land in such a way as to make the colony productive and fruitful. He would send the bountiful prosperity to those struggling on his homeworld . At first, the Leaders delighted in their selection for the position of governor for that world, and for all the goodness which he had attained for Earth by his governing the World of Hope. What a good choice! That was what they thought at first...

Full of Hope

Xavier Bright stepped out past the well polished brass door of the Governor's House, a modest mansion of what appeared to be marble and much expensive wood, a dwelling befitting his position, although not quite as much as his office truly deserved. Well, times were indeed tough on this tiny world, so he had to settle for a mere twenty-room dwelling. The sacrifices he had to make-

Gov. Bright felt the top of his head, to be sure his hair was not messed up. Of course it wasn't, but sometimes it pays to double-check these things. Even though some would classify him middle-aged, he still had all his hair, and not a one had yet turned grey. His physique lied about his age, too, as though he were still in his young prime.

The morning sun promised another beautiful day ahead. As usual, the governor expected little free time to actually enjoy it in the Morning Garden just across the lawn to his left.

Security Leader Tretl Clyden, Gov. Bright's junior by a decade, stood by his side. I know what you're thinking, Gov. Xavier. All these gardens and landscaping in your yard, but no time to spend relaxing, to appreciate the governor's estate. Well, you know what I think-

Yes, I do, Security Leader Clyden; just because I may not have time to sit in the gardens does not mean that I cannot appreciate their beauty as I pass by. I like to surround myself with things which are aesthetically pleasing. Furthermore, even if I were unable to see them in passing, I still enjoy merely knowing they are here. You, Sec. Ldr. Clyden, are a Philistine.

Security Agent Samm brought the limousine down the driveway and stopped in front of the governor and Sec. Ldr. Clyden. The uniformed Agent Samm got out the limo to open the back door for Gov. Bright, but B-12, one of the two robots accompanying Gov. Bright, beat Samm to the door. The five-foot tall metal and plastic biped machine held open the car door, waiting, pleased to be able to serve.

Gov. Bright made no move to enter the limo. He remained standing on the official governor's welcome mat, breathing in the air. The Enviro-Gens are doing an excellent job today, I see. Sec. Ldr. Clyden, please tuck in your shirt. I suppose I should be glad you at least put on your uniform today.

Suddenly, from behind a nearby row of hedges, a desperate-looking man jumped out, the blaster in his shaking hand trained on Gov. Bright. He bellowed, Where's my brother?! Did you put him in the mines? You can't do that to my brother! I- I'll kill you for that, Leader Bright!

It is only Governor Bright. I govern for the Leaders of Earth. I am not a Leader. Not yet, but give it time.

I don't think you will live long enough for that to happen, said the other. His hand still trembled with anxious excitement as he tried to do the deed, while Gov. Bright remained cool, not even batting an eye.

Gov. Bright did, however, raise an eyebrow, staring at the shaking weapon held by the man. Now wherever did you get a blaster? I doubt you have the proper permits.

Clyden stepped between the governor and the intense citizen. Listen, son, you don't want to do anything foolish-

M-move out of the way! I- I don't want to hurt you, Sec. Ldr. Clyden, only the governor!

Clyden shook his head. You know I can't let you do that.

From behind, Agent Samm clubbed the trespasser with his own Security Agent blaster. The man swooned and Clyden leaped to him, easily pulling the contraband gun from his grasp. The man fell to his knees, holding onto his head, moaning.

Xavier Bright checked his watch. If we are going to have so many interruptions today, I am not sure we can make it to the rocketport on time.

As Sec. Ldr. Clyden cuffed the man, he scolded his superior. I told you we need more guards about the grounds. And see, this is exactly why I tell you we shouldn't have so many bushes and trees about, providing so many places for would-be assassins to hide behind.

What? Ruin the landscaping and the view because of a nobody like this? scoffed Gov. Bright. "We already have enough Security Agents moving about the grounds. Besides that, Sec. Ldr. Clyden, the Security Agency building is just over that rise over there, abutting the estate. No, I don't think we need more. I trust you and your agents can get the job done just fine with