Best Intentions

Life on Earth went on. Two more years had passed and United Nations troops continued to sweep across the African continent. Everything seemed to be going just as Mark had hoped.

More troops were detached from the militaries of the major and minor nations around the globe for United Nations peacekeeping duties.

It was inevitable that when difficulty arose, it would come from a familiar quarter.

“Mark,” said CJ. “Secretary-General Bhan Jae-Sun would like to speak with you. He says it is of a most urgent nature.”

“Thanks, CJ. Please put him on.”

“Hello Mr. Secretary-General, what can I do for you? Operations look good, but you say there is a problem?”

“Yes, Mr. Richards, with the assistance you have provided everything is exactly as we had hoped. Something which may turn into a problem is occurring however, and it could undermine everything accomplished to date.”

“Mr. Secretary-General, please tell me what the problem is.” Though Mark could guess.

“Well, we have been in contact with President Stone regarding the replacement of the United States troops in Iraq and Afghanistan with United Nations peacekeepers. He has been reluctant to discuss the matter with us.”

“Are you telling me that they will not give up military control of those regions? That is completely unacceptable!”

“That is correct. Some of the other members of our coalition have begun questioning me regarding the United States refusal to abide by the agreement they signed. If the other members believe one nation is exempt from the rules everyone else is expected to follow, we will have a problem. This cannot go on for much longer or I’m afraid that the whole thing will collapse.”

“We can’t let that happen after all the work that everyone’s put into this effort,” Mark replied.

“Yes,” said the Secretary-General. “Also, while the United States has contributed a fair number of troops to the peacekeeping forces, they haven’t assigned many experienced soldiers. Most of their recruits are men who have been on garrison duty at various U.S. bases around the world. We were hoping that the troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan would be reassigned to peacekeeping duty. Their combat experience coupled with the new equipment that you have provided us would be an invaluable asset.”

“Of course, except they are still involved in combat situations,” Mark said with a sigh, “I will need to speak with President Stone again, this time on behalf of the United Nations. It won’t be an easy conversation as he and I have not enjoyed the best of working relationship so far.”

“Yes, I am familiar with some of your history with the president, but we are out of options. He won’t accept UN authority in this matter. All he offers is his promise to take the matter under advisement. That sounds like nothing more than a delaying tactic.

Everything we have accomplished to date, significant as it is, is in jeopardy. I hate to ask this of you since you have done so much for everyone already.”

“I understand, Mr. Secretary-General. I will speak with President Stone right away and let you know the outcome.”

“Thank you, Mark Richards. This means a lot to me and the world. Goodbye and good luck!”

“Thanks, Mr. Secretary-General. I think I will need some luck.”

After he had signed off with Bhan Jae-Sun, Mark sat down to think about the argument that he would use when he spoke to President Stone. “I better make it good,” he thought.

“CJ, it looks like I need to speak with the president once again. First I want to make sure that Vice President Foster isn’t around to interfere. I see his hand in the president’s refusal to follow the UN resolution.”

“Affirmative, Mark. I will check the itinerary of the vice president and determine when he will next be absent from the White House.”

“Thanks, CJ. I hope it is soon, the Secretary-General sounded upset at the whole thing and I admit I’m getting steamed at President Stone’s attitude. I find myself wishing his term were up. At least I could look forward to a different administration.”

It didn’t take CJ long to break White House security to get a copy of Vice President Foster’s itinerary. According to CJ’s information, the vice president would not be back for the following two days.

Mark decided to make an early night of it so he would be well rested for his talk with President Stone in the morning.

Morning came far too soon for Mark’s taste and he sat eating breakfast while he went over his arguments in his head. At eleven o’clock CJ made the call to the White House. One of the general secretaries picked up the phone. “Good Morning, White House, how may I direct your call?”

CJ played secretary for Mark. “Good morning, I have Mark Richards calling for President Stone. Is the president available to speak with him?”

“Does Mr. Richards have an appointment to speak with the president?”

“No, I am afraid not,” CJ said. “He hopes the president will make time to speak with him. It is a matter of some urgency.”

“Please hold while I check with the president’s personal secretary.”

Soft music played for three or four minutes, but a different person picked up. “Hello, this is President Stone’s private secretary, how may I help you?”

“I have Mark Richards calling for President Stone. Is the president available to speak with him?”

“I’m sorry. Let me check with the president, please hold for another moment.”

“This is getting ridiculous, CJ,” Mark said with frustration.

“Hello, the president will speak with Mr. Richards now. Just let me transfer the call.”

It took another couple of minutes and Mark was considering hanging up and calling from a ship hanging above the White House when the line was picked up again.

“Hello Mr. Richards, this is Roger Stone. Sorry to keep you waiting. What can I do for you?”

“Mr. President, thank you for taking my call. There is a matter of some urgency that we need to discuss.”

“Certainly, Mr. Richards. What’s on your mind? I understand the UN campaign has been effective.”

“Yes, Mr. President, that’s true. However, I received a call from the Secretary-General yesterday. I believe he has been in touch with your office as well?”

“Yes, my staff spoke with him several times over the last couple of weeks. If the call is about the same matter, I’m waiting for a report from my staff.”

“Mr. President, with all due respect, what exactly is there to look into? You signed onto the United Nations resolution just like the others, yet you haven’t turned over patrol duties in Iraq and Afghanistan to UN troops. People are dying, including Americans and civilians. How can you allow this to continue?”

“Well, we’re doing the best we can. We can’t just leave, we would be perceived as weak and you know that we can’t have that. If you provided our troops with the same equipment that you have given the United Nations’, we would bring an end to the fighting in short order.”

“If I start providing advanced equipment to any one nation’s troops, the entire coalition will fall apart. The best solution would be for you to just assign the troops already on the ground to United Nations control. That would mean they would get the new equipment and you wouldn’t be seen as withdrawing.”

“The vice president should sit in on these discussions, Mr. Richards, but he is out of town right now. Why don’t we table this discussion until he returns?”

“I know exactly where he is Mr. President, and when he will be back. The fact that he is out of town is why I called you today. I hate to say this but I don’t believe the vice president has the best interests of the country at heart. I do believe that you can be reasonable about this situation and I’m hoping that you will make the correct choice.”

“Well Mr. Richards, I do consider myself to be a reasonable man. You yourself haven’t been reasonable, by refusing to let our scientists aboard that ship.”

Mark fought hard not to say anything that would make the situation worse. President Stone was insufferable.

“Look, Mr. President. You are forcing me into an uncomfortable position. Don’t make me do something both of us will regret. Bringing peace to the world is important to me. Both Iraq and Afghanistan are glaring examples of the exact opposite.”

“What will you do, Mr. Richards? If you intend to withhold the solar energy from us we will just continue using oil and nucular power.”

Mark grimaced at the president’s miss-pronunciation of the word nuclear. “No, Mr. President, I’m not planning on doing anything like that. That would have a negative effect on the citizens of the United States. If we deploy United Nations peacekeeping troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, they will stop the fighting. They would of course take anyone who is armed into custody, including United States soldiers. No one will be hurt, but the fighting will stop.”

“You cannot do that, Mr. Richards. UN troops will not attack U.S. forces.”

Mark ignored the president’s bluster. “Do you want to bet on that Mr. President? You have a choice to make. If you feel that withdrawing the troops or turning them over to fight for the United Nations will make the world perceive America as weak, how do you think it will be perceived if they are captured and disarmed?”

“You can’t threaten me, Mr. Richards. The United States government will not capitulate to ultimatums.”

“This isn’t a threat Mr. President,” Mark said, finally allowing his anger to show over President Stone’s stubbornness. “It’s a fact! I want peace on this planet and I’ll do anything to get it. Try not to think of it as capitulation, think of it as doing what is best for everyone concerned. I just want you to make the right decision. Helping to bring peace to the world isn’t a bad thing. No one will think less of you for cooperating.”

“You aren’t leaving me any choice in this matter, Mr. Richards,” said President Stone. He sat looking down at his desk for a few moments without speaking. “Ok, I will agree to assign the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan to the UN, but I will ask you not to share this conversation with anyone,” the president replied, thinking about the Everyday Show episode.

“I didn’t want to have to resort to using coercion, Mr. President. You have my word. As far as anyone will know, this was your own idea.”

“You do understand, Mr. Richards, that we will have to ask for volunteers to be transferred to United Nations control? I won’t force anyone to serve unless that is what they choose.”

“I understand, Mr. President. I wouldn’t have it any other way. As an incentive, I will promise that the troops who agree to serve as UN peacekeepers will be allowed to keep the new equipment when the campaigns have been completed. I will also promise limited access by scientists to CJ at some point. He won’t give them his technology, but he could help them to explore new ideas.”

“Well that’s something, Mr. Richards. I think that we have the beginnings of an understanding.”

“Goodbye, Mr. President and thank you for the cooperation.”

President Stone arranged a special address to the American people and he outlined his plan to turn any U.S. troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan over to the United Nations for peacekeeping duties within the areas they already patrolled. The transfer would be on a voluntary basis.

Americans were overwhelmingly in favor of his decision and his popularity increased overnight. President Stone was now more popular than at any other time in his tenure as the leader of the free world.

The vice president was furious when he found out what President Stone had done. “Roger, do you realize that the entire world will think that we caved in to pressure from Mark Richards?”

“Relax Doug, no one will know about that. We’re getting some good press out of this for a change and will receive a bunch of his equipment when it’s over. To tell you the truth, I’ll be glad not to be responsible for what is going on over there anymore.”

“I don’t agree with you on this, Mr. President, I really don’t. You’ve opened a can of worms now. What happens when he makes more demands?”

****

Mark had CJ connect him to the United Nations once he had gotten off the line with the president. He was connected with Bhan Jae-Sun. “Hello Mr. Secretary-General.”

“Hello Mr. Richards, how are you?”

“Fine, Mr. Secretary-General. I wanted to contact you to let you know that I spoke with President Stone this morning. He will turn over peacekeeping duties in Iraq and Afghanistan to the UN troops and whatever American troops agree to volunteer for peacekeeping duties under the command of the United Nations Security Council will be assigned.”

“That is wonderful news, Mr. Richards. I hope that you didn’t have too tough a time convincing him that this is the right course of action?”

“Well, I promised not to talk about it but I did have to throw my weight around to get him to agree. I did soften it by telling him that the troops could keep the new equipment once the job is done. His people should be getting in touch with you. Please don’t mention that we spoke.”

“I will keep the information to myself, Mr. Richards. I am just happy that we will get experienced troops that we greatly need.”

“Yes, I don’t think you will have to worry about getting volunteers. The U.S. military wants the technology and I don’t think they’ll give the soldiers much of a chance to decline service with the peacekeeping forces.”

As Mark had predicted, more then ninety percent of the United States troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan decided to serve in the peacekeeping forces of the United Nations. After that, even more countries decided to add their troops to support the United Nations’ efforts.

With the combat experience they already had, the U.S. soldiers needed little training in how to use the suits and disruptors.

Collateral casualties dropped substantially when UN troops took over duty in Iraq. Having a truly neutral and international force seemed to calm the troubled country and even the number of roadside and suicide bombings decreased from the first day.

Within a single year, all the fighting in Iraq was over. Elections followed and before long they had an elected government. Mark had CJ provide machinery to help in the rebuilding and Iraq became the third in the region after Israel and the Palestine territories to receive one of the new power receiving stations.

Afghanistan took somewhat longer to pacify due to the mountainous terrain, but in time it joined the peace that swept the world, though there were still incidents of violence. The UN was forced to maintain a large contingent of troops to maintain the peace.

Mark was pleased with the results. The United Nations had gone from a basically toothless organization that spoke much but accomplished little, to the ideal it had always aspired to. World attention turned towards the countries that had decided not to pursue the course of peace. There was a public outcry that these rogue nations be made to see the light.

“What can I do, CJ? I want to respect every nation’s sovereignty. If a country’s leaders abuse power and hurt their citizens, not to mention being a menace to neighboring countries, something needs to be done.”

“Several countries match the description, Mark. To which do you refer?” CJ asked.

“The two that stand out most in my mind are North Korea and Iran. Kin Te Ill of North Korea has been threatening nuclear war ever since his scientists first constructed atomic weapons. Much of the country’s population goes hungry but he doesn’t care. He just wants to hold onto power for himself and his sons.

“The President of Iran, Mohamed Andijon has no real power. Yet when it looked like he might have faked the last election results and the Iranian people protested, they were mercilessly beaten down and arrested. Some even killed in the streets and others died in prison. The real power in that country though is in the hands of the religious leaders. They dictate every aspect of the people’s lives from haircuts to dating. Women in that country have been killed for just being in the company of a man who is not part of the family.”

“You must follow the dictates of your conscience, Mark. I will, of course, support any decision that you choose.”

“I know, CJ, thank you. I need to discuss this with the UN Security Council I think.”

Mark proposed a course of action to the United Nations that would have them assume control of these two countries until new leadership could be established.

Lisa Smith, the American delegate and current head of the Security Council, objected. “Mr. Richards, Kin Te Ill has nuclear weapons and has threatened to use them if his borders are violated by foreign troops. We can’t risk an attack. What if he should launch a missile at South Korea or Japan?”

“Madam Chairman, I should have mentioned this to the Security Council earlier. You do remember how CJ’s technology neutralized the radioactive waste from nuclear power plants around the world?”

“Certainly Mr. Richards, something like that would be hard to forget. You don’t mean…”

“That is exactly what I mean, Madam Chairman. I had CJ design and construct delivery systems to get the radiation-eating bacteria into the North Korean weapons facilities. All of the warheads and stores of nuclear material have been neutralized. Kin Te Ill knows by now as well. His threats and ranting are completely meaningless!”

“He does still have a huge standing army for us to contend with as well as missiles and chemical weapons.”

“Yes, that’s true and in days past it might have made a difference, but not anymore. Even just using the equipment I have given you, UN troops could sweep over their soldiers. However, they could still launch missiles containing chemical agents to cause havoc. Not against the peacekeepers due to the air filtration equipment but against their own and the South Korean people. CJ can position several modules over North Korean territory that can pinpoint and disable any missiles before they can be launched.

That would give our troops an even bigger advantage over theirs and prevent civilian casualties. Hostilities should not last long. I dare say the toughest part of the operation will be caring for the civilian population afterwards.”

She spoke to the Chinese delegate on the Security Council. “As an ally of North Korea Mr. Ambassador, will China object to the operation?”

The Chinese Delegate stood. “Madam Chairman, after what Mark Richards has done for us both by destroying that asteroid and providing us with unlimited electrical power, we could hardly object. North Korea’s leader is an embarrassment to the Chinese government and the sooner he is replaced, the better it will be for us all. We do request that they be given an option to surrender before an attack is launched.”

“Mr. Ambassador, you know what Kin Te Ill’s response will be to any ultimatum, but we will do it. Simply attacking would not be right, anyway.”

Mark thought otherwise but decided to keep his opinion on the matter to himself.

“Well, if we have no objections, the resolution is passed. The operation will be planned out immediately and the troops will be readied. When everything has been prepared, the message for Kin Te Ill can be delivered.”

Mark was mostly pleased with the way that had gone. “One down,” he thought, but wouldn’t let it go at that. “Members of the Security Council, we still have the matter of Iran to discuss. The religious leaders control the people through fear and intimidation. I’m sure everyone knows what went on during the recent farce they called a presidential election.”

“Yes, Mr. Richards, we are all aware of that situation. We did file a complaint with the leaders over the treatment that the citizens received.”

“That didn’t change anything though, did it? Pictures sent over the Internet were more responsible for curbing the violence than anything else.”

“I think that we can all agree that something will need to be done eventually about the repressive government, but let’s focus on North Korea for the present.”

“Ok, Madam Chairman, as long as it is on the agenda I am satisfied.”

“Let’s adjourn this meeting of the Security Council. Our military commanders have a campaign they need to plan. Thank you Mr. Richards, if there’s nothing else, this meeting is adjourned.” Banging her gavel everyone rose and left the chamber.

Lisa Smith rushed to her office to her secure phone line.

“I’ve got to contact Washington immediately,” she thought. She had grasped the situation as soon as Mark Richards had informed the council about North Korea’s former nuclear capabilities. Ms. Smith was connected to the president’s office.

“Mr. President, I have just come from a meeting of the Security Council. I have learned something disturbing that you need to know.”

“Go ahead, Ms. Smith. The line is secure and the vice president is here with me.”

“Thank you, Mr. President. The security council has just voted to attack North Korea.”

“That is not a wise decision, Ms. Smith. Kin Te Ill has nucular weapons and is just crazy enough to use them! Was that even discussed?”

“Yes, Mr. President. That is exactly why I called. Mark Richards attended the meeting and assured us that the North Korean nukes have been neutralized.”

“Neutralized? How?”

“He claims that he used the same biological organisms formerly used to eliminate the nuclear waste stockpiles from around the world.”

The president and vice president just looked at each other for a moment, their eyes widened and they were speechless.

“From the silence, Mr. President, I see that you realize the implications of his statement just as I did. If he can deactivate nuclear weapons in North Korea, he could do the same to ours!”

“Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Ms. Smith. We will look into this matter immediately. You’ve done your country a great service and I assure you it will not be forgotten. Please keep us apprised of any further information that comes your way.”

“Thank you, Mr. President. I certainly will. Goodbye, sir.”

President Stone turned to the vice president. “Doug, we have to have a readiness check conducted on our nucular arsenal immediately. Contact General Chilton and have him take care of it. These orders cannot be known to come from me. The inspections have to be routine operations.”

“Right away, Roger.” the vice president got up and headed over to his office to get in touch with the General.

General Chilton, as the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, arranged for the inspection of the nuclear stockpiles in several locations around the country as well as five Trident-class nuclear submarines currently at sea.

He felt that this would be a good representative sampling of U.S. nuclear strength.

Besides, he thought; if I order any more inspections, someone may realize that something is wrong.

He couldn’t rush things so the inspections took two and a half weeks to complete.

When he reported to the vice president that everything was normal and no degradation in U.S. military strength had been caused, Vice President Foster breathed a sigh of relief.

Though he and the president as well as General Chilton understood that Mark Richards could render the weapons useless any time he chose. This was an intolerable situation as far as the vice president was concerned.