The Future

THE FUTURE

By C

PART II

CHAPTER 16

                         

       Four months after the successful revolution that brought an end to the longest and bloodiest war in history, a Summit was convened in which all nations were represented by the women chosen to be their new leaders. Most were in their mid to late thirties and among the few survivors this old or older remaining in the female population. They had been deeply involved in the underground and had worked with each other for years, but this was the first time they had ever convened as a single body. The first part of the agenda involved routine official acts such as appointing a permanent leader of the newly established world governing body, ratifying bylaws, and approving new constitutions for each nation. After the routine matters were disposed of they would begin to deal with the large number of difficult and complex problems that confronted them. They had to agree on policies to be adopted, establish priorities, and finalize plans on rebuilding massive destruction that was still widespread.

       One of the more important issues to be resolved was to establish a policy for conserving, producing, and distributing food. This issue would be based on the results of an extensive survey that would reveal how much food was available and contain projections on amounts that could be produced in the future. The survey had only recently been completed, and the results had not yet been made known to the members of the assembly. Another pressing issue to be addressed was developing a plan regarding the male population which was still being held in confinement.

       The vast majority of males had been rounded up on the day of the revolution, and efforts had continued afterward to locate the small number that had been missed. This effort was successful, and, by the time the Summit convened, all known males were being held in custody. Up to this point, most were still relieved that the war had come to an end, and they continued to offer little objection at being detained. But this contentment would not last indefinitely, and the women knew that only a limited amount of time was left to finalize plans as to how they were going to handle the situation.

       The Summit was the conclusion of what had already been an enormous effort put forth prior to it being convened. Countless committees, subcommittees, and specialized groups had worked tirelessly compiling information and developing policies to be recommended for implementation. The heart of the organization was the "Central Committee" which was made up of prominent women from all walks of life including doctors, economists, engineers, and scientist. All of the information that had been compiled was submitted to the Central Committee who analyzed the data and developed final recommendations to be presented at the Summit for official action. The wisdom and judgment of the members in the committee was held in such high esteem that it was a almost a forgone conclusion the vast majority of recommendations would be passed with little or no changes being made.

       The Central Committee was chaired by the same farsighted woman that had been the driving force in organizing the underground movement and had served as its "Supreme Commander" since its beginning. This woman, now in her early forties, was still attractive, and her face displayed a look of deep compassion while, at the same time, radiating with self-assurance and confidence.

       The first official act of the Summit was to appoint a woman to serve a four-year term as leader of the new world governing body. This position would be all-powerful and therefore retain the title of "Supreme Commander". There had been little doubt from the start that this appointment would go to the same woman who had held this title from the very start. It still, however, took the formality of an official vote. The formality did not take long, and she was quickly elected by acclamation.

      It was in this way that a woman was given an exalted position which countless men in past times had longed for and tried desperately to obtain – often resorting to brutal and barbaric force. It was a woman who reached this elusive goal that had evaded so many powerful and ruthless men. It was a woman that was the first person to become the undisputed leader of the entire world. It was ironic that when this goal, a goal that countless obsessed men had brutally sought, was finally reached it had not only been reached by a woman, but by a woman that had not even sought it and was not present when the selection had been made.

       It was firmly believed by almost all women that their uprising would have never succeeded if it had not been for the skill and wisdom of this remarkable woman. Since the very beginning, she had been forced to carry a tremendous burden that often required making difficult and painful decisions requiring a profound degree of inner-strength and courage. The demands upon her had become even greater after the war had ended as she was confronted with the monumental task of trying to bring some semblance of order to a ravaged, war torn, world. She was a woman that possessed a great degree of compassion for others, but she also had the inner strength to pursue a difficult and unpleasant course of action. The abilities of this dynamic leader would be vividly demonstrated in the skillful manner in which she would guide the members of the Summit into approving a shocking course of action of such enormity of that it would, by far, have the greatest and most lasting impact on the world that history had ever known.

       The first three days of the Summit dealt with routine matters in which no earthshaking events took place. Numerous issues were discussed and approved that dealt primarily with establishing priorities and methods for rebuilding the destruction and devastation. It was what transpired the fourth day that would have a monumental impact upon the world.

       The Supreme Commander opened the proceedings of this eventful day in a calm, self-assured, manner that gave no indication she had lain awake the previous night in a state of almost unbearable depression and torment. She spoke in such a confident and authoritative manner that no one in the audience had the slightest suspicion that inwardly she was experiencing the most profound degree of stress, pain, and sadness she had ever known.

       The Supreme Commander took her place behind the podium and, for a brief moment, surveyed the assembled women that had grown silent and were giving her their undivided attention. She then began her address. "Ladies, I regret that urgent business with the Central Committee has prevented me from being with you until now. Before proceeding with today's agenda I would like to thank you for bestowing upon me the honor of electing me to continue serving as "Supreme Commander". I accept this great honor with deep humility, and I offer my solemn pledge that I will never abuse the authority that you have so graciously bestowed upon me. My one and only desire is to offer whatever abilities I possess in serving you and doing only that which I consider to be in your best interest and that of the world.

       She was interrupted by a loud ovation and waited until it died down before continuing. "The deputy Supreme Commander has done an outstanding job in my absence, and I offer both her and you my congratulations on the remarkable progress that has been made in just three days. You have been successful in ratifying the bylaws of this world governing body that calls for true peace and harmony among all nations. You have chosen to name this governing body the "United Nations" but, unlike its predecessor, it will be an organization in which nations will truly be united.”

      “All nations, from the largest to the smallest, will be free to practice its desired culture without fear of outside interference. The only restrictions placed upon any country are that it will not pursue a policy of oppression against any of its citizens or interfere with its neighbors. You have made many wise and thoughtful decisions in adopting resolutions aimed at rebuilding the massive destruction that still surrounds us. As chairman of the Central Committee, I would like to thank you on behalf of its members for adopting the vast majority of proposals that have been presented to you for consideration. There are still important issues to be resolved, however, which will require making many difficult and painful decisions. In this regard, I have full confidence that the wisdom, fortitude, and courage you have displayed will continue."

       "Before we proceed with today's agenda I would like to provide you the results of a final tabulation on the respective sizes of the male and female populations. The total size of the world population at the beginning of the war was approximately eight billion which was divided fairly equally between male and female. The male population now numbers slightly more than two billion thereby reducing it approximately fifty percent. This is an appalling statistic until we compare it with that suffered by the female population which now numbers only two hundred and fifty million - a reduction of ninety six percent."

       The Supreme Commander paused as a mummer passed through the audience. "Yes ladies, the cold fact is that ninety six out of every hundred of our number that were alive at the beginning of the war has now perished. This is the most vivid statistic yet that exemplifies the extent of the horrors and suffering we have been forced to endure. It also means that men outnumber us over eight to one which makes the victory we achieved even that much more impressive."

       "We have long known that pregnancies after the first several years of the war were caused by rape. Of these, very few of the victims and even less of the newborns survived the strenuous ordeal. To our knowledge, the few infants that did survive were all female. This is due to the known fact that female infants have more stamina than males. It is for this reason that the youngest members of the male population are in their mid-teens."

       "The harsh and brutal conditions that befell the female population resulted in the vast majority that survived having remarkably similar characteristics. They are intelligent, resourceful, strong-willed, hardened - and, they are very young. In addition to facing perils of war, we have been forced to work to the very limits of physical endurance, forced to face bitter cold in severe winters without adequate heat and stifling heat of summers where cooling was nonexistent. The most difficult of all, however, was being forced to live in unsanitary conditions with disease running rampant throughout our ranks. All of these factors took a heavy toll, and it was only the most physically fit containing a strong will to live that managed to survive. These are characteristics found primarily with youth, and it is for this reason that very few women now survive that are above their mid-twenties.”

      “You are aware, of course, that most of us in this room are above that age. This is apparently due to younger women looking upon our maturity as being desirable features when choosing their leaders. I know I have told you nothing new, but I mention it because the unique make-up of the female population will have a significant bearing on our being able to overcome a critical issue that I will bring before you shortly. Before I address this matter, however, there are several other issues needing attention and, with your permission, we will take care of these before proceeding to the critical issue I referred."

       Once again, a mummer passed through the members of the assembly but no objection was raised, and the Supreme Commander continued. "The next issue on the agenda deals with adopting a course of action to take in regard to the male population. Before we turn our attention to the male population as a whole, however, we need to first discuss the dictators, their cronies, high ranking military commanders, and fanatical terrorists. These brutal men played primary roles in the insane madness that has engulfed us for so many years. It is the war crimes and atrocities committed by these barbarians that are responsible for the insane tyranny we have been forced to live under, the massive destruction that surrounds us, the billions of innocent lives that have been lost, and the almost unbearable degree of pain and suffering that women have been forced to endure."

       "These men still pose extreme danger even though they are being held in maximum security prisons. Some have already made attempts to escape which, thankfully, up to now have failed. It will, however, be only a matter of time before some of these attempts prove to be successful if we do not take immediate and decisive action. These individuals are mentally unbalanced and ruthless beyond imagination, but, this does not prevent them from also being devious and cunning with an ability to inflame blind passion within other men."

       "It does not require a great deal of speculation to recognize the grave danger that any of these men would pose if they were to escape and managed to free even a small number of men being held. Our ability to guard the numerous compounds is stretched to the limit, and a organized attack on one, even from a relatively small group, would almost surely prove to be successful. The men being freed would be added to the ranks of a force that would grow steadily as attacks on other compounds were made – each one releasing more and more men. We would soon be hopelessly outnumbered and could do nothing to prevent brutal tyrants from once again taking over with everything that our years of struggle and sacrifice enabled us to so valiantly achieve being lost."

       "I know that each of you is aware of what I have stated, but it had to be mentioned so that it can be recorded in the official record of these proceedings. The Central Committee discussed this issue, but the debate as to what action should be taken was quite brief. The resolution that I am about to present received unanimous approval. As chairwoman, I did not cast a vote since a tie breaker was not required, but I would like take this opportunity for it to go on record that I offer my personal endorsement in the strongest terms possible. The content is quite brief, and I seriously doubt that it will come as a surprise. It calls for every single one of the men in question to be executed as soon suitable arrangements can be made. I now present this proposal for your consideration and official action - the floor is open for debate."

       The room was silent for several minutes before hands began to be raised indicating desires to comment. The statements that followed were strongly supportive of the resolution without a single objection being raised. The period of discussion did not last long, but the mood of the assembly was quite somber. The Supreme Commander had been correct in her assessment that the recommendation would not come as any great surprise. The women had known for some time that such a course of action would have to be taken. The heinous crimes for which these men were responsible, and the immense danger they posed by remaining alive left no other option. The only difficulty the women faced was in realizing that the time had finally arrived for this step to be officially acted upon. It was a sobering experience for them to realize that they were about to call for the deliberate death of others after struggling and sacrificing for years to bring such activity to an end. The discussion was brief, and when it ended the Supreme Commander called for a vote.

       The resolution passed unanimously. The results were read by the clerk, and the Supreme Commander announced the resolution to be officially adopted as presented. She paused for a moment and then continued. "When the Central Committee first approved this proposal it called for the executions to be carried out by a long used method of punishment for war crimes - death by hanging. Circumstances later arose, however, that made it necessary to delete this provision from the proposal, and develop a separate resolution to be placed before you which recommends an entirely different method for carrying out the executions. The reason for separating the two issues is to enable me to delay presenting the second proposal until other items on today's agenda can be discussed and taken care of."

       "The revised method for conducting the executions is, to say the least, somewhat unusual, and how you vote on the next several issues will have a decisive bearing on whether this particular method should or should not be considered. Quite frankly, if I were to reveal the details at this time you might begin to have serious doubts as to the extent of my mental stability. It will only be after you are made aware of the upcoming issues that you will be able to understand the reason for postponing discussion of the method of execution to be used."

       The Supreme Commander's remarks left little doubt that something highly unusual was about to be revealed, and a mummer passed through the assembly indicating aroused curiosity. The Supreme Commander stood patiently and allowed it to subside. It was during this period that many of the women noticed the expression on their leader's face becoming extremely grave. The tone of her voice, however, remained firm and confident when she once again began to speak. "Ladies, you are aware that the male population is being held in confinement. You are also aware of the reason for taking this course of action. The savagery and turmoil that raged during the war, combined with years of constant fighting, has taken a heavy toll on the mental stability of numerous soldiers. This has resulted in many becoming ruthless and capable of committing barbaric acts, and we are well aware that women would be primary victims for these deranged men. The hard fought victory we achieved would prove to be meaningless if we allowed mentally unbalanced and dangerous men to return to society to terrorize and prey upon defenseless women."

       The Supreme Commander was interrupted by applause, and she waited for it to die down before continuing. "The only way to prevent this from happening was to place all males in custody immediately after gaining control. This action gives us the opportunity to screen them and isolate those found to be mentally unbalanced and/or possessing a violent nature. In addition, it enables us to identify those that give us reason to suspect being unwilling to work with us in building and maintaining the peace we have fought so hard to achieve. It was our intent that no man should be release that would not freely pledge to support the goals and type of government we have established."

       "When it was decided that after taking control we would round up all males and hold them in confinement the only objective, at the time, was to enable us to accomplished what I have just stated. We planed to detain them only long enough to enable identifying those found to be dangerous or unwilling to work with us and then releasing the remaining majority. We felt confident that those who would be set free would not pose an immediate threat since they would surely retain vivid memories of the horrors of war and would crave nothing but peace. They would, for a while at least, be content to support the type of government we had established.”

      “We were aware, however, that this plan would not have a permanent effect and would not prevent the atrocities of war from ever again taking place. If past history is of any guide, men would soon forget the lessons they had learned and once again start to behave in the same manner as men have always done in the past. When this happened, it would only be a matter of time before the world would once again experience the terrors and insanity of war. But, our action would at least enable peace to be known for a few decades and possibly longer before a major conflict occurred."

       "It was only after the decision had been made that all males would be placed in confinement for at least a short while that we realized it would provide a unique opportunity which had never existed in the past and, in all probability, will never exist again. There would be a period in which the world would be controlled entirely by women – a period in which no men would have a say in what would be taking place. The decision as to which men would be released and those to remain in confinement would rest solely in the hands of women. This realization caused us to speculate on how this unique opportunity might be utilized to possibly accomplish far more than originally planned. We were aware that studies made prior to the war had linked a male genetic defect to a type of mental illness which resulted in the men inflicted having a violent and brutal nature. We began to wonder that if a genetic defect could be found that was the cause for one type of male violence then did it not raise the possibility that other forms of violence and brutality within men could not also be linked to genetic flaws."

       "A study of history reveals that the cause of past wars can be traced to actions of only a small handful of men or, in many cases, to only one man. The vast majority of the soldiers that followed them would have been content to live in peace if it were not for an apparent weakness of being influenced and inflamed by the actions of power hungry tyrants which, in turn, led to others being forced to fight to defend themselves."

       "The question was asked – “what was it that caused the men responsible for starting these past wars and committing countless inhumane atrocities to act as they did?” Since all tyrants have been men it obviously has something to do with the male makeup, but was it something that just happened by chance or is it possible that it was the result of some type of male genetic defect? If it was indeed the result of a defect then it might be within the realm of possibility for a way to be found identify it and, in so doing, be able to know which males possessed it."

       "Once we began to speculate on this possibility we knew we could not just stand by without at least making an attempt to find the answer. The enormity of what could be achieve if this were found to be true gave us no choice but to put forth a maximum effort to try everything within our means in an attempt to solve this mystery. If we could discover that a male genetic defect did in fact exist, and if we could find the means to identify it then we would know in advance the men who posed a potential threat to starting future wars. If this discovery could be made during the time that the male population was being held we would be able to test each and every one to find the ones containing this defect. We would know the potential danger of these men and they would not be released even though they might appear normal in every other respect.”

      “The next step would be to find the means of eliminating the defect so that it would no longer exist in future generations. If this could become a reality it would be of such enormity that it truly staggers the imagination. We would have found the means to eliminate the greatest scourge that has plagued the world since the beginning of mankind. Never again would innocent people be forced to experience and endure the horrors and atrocities of war."

       Another round of applause erupted, but it was quickly suppressed by the Supreme Commander in such a manner that it left little doubt that such a reaction was not called for. Her action and the grave look on her face made it obvious that she was about to reveal something that would to unpleasant. "An enormous scientific effort has been put forth that utilized every conceivable means in attempting to solve this puzzle. It is with deep regret that I inform you that everything tried has resulted in failure. We were, of course, limited in what could be done while the war was going on, but since it ended an enormous amount of research has been conducted in trying to find the answer. Particular attention was given to the war criminals that we have just called to be executed since these are the very type of individuals we are trying to find the means to identify. Countless test and studies were performed in trying to discover a common genetic link but, so far, nothing has been found."

       "The failure, however, does not disprove the theory. The field of genetic science is extremely complex and one upon which we have barely begun to scratch the surface. The scientists involved in the research remain confident that the basic hypothesis is sound, and if given sufficient time there is a high likelihood of finding the answer. Unfortunately, it was becoming apparent that we would be unable to give them the time that would be needed. We knew from the beginning that it would be beyond our ability to hold the entire male population in captivity indefinitely. Out success in keeping them confined up to this point has been due to the vast majority still being so relieved that the fighting has ceased that very few have expressed objection to not being allowed to go free. But, this surely will not last."

       "Several weeks ago, it became apparent that we were rapidly approaching the point where it would be necessary to begin releasing men back to society. With this thought in mind, the Central Committee approved final plans for a recommended policy as to how the repatriation would be carried out. It was the intent, at that time, to present the plan at this gathering for your approval. But now, however, conditions have become known of such drastic magnitude that this plan is no longer a viable option."

       "The conditions to which I refer are the contents of a report that was received several days prior to the Summit being convened. The report identified an impending crisis about to befall us of such staggering and monumental proportions that the Central Committee was called into an immediate emergency session that only ended yesterday. It was the chairing of this session that forced me to be absent from attending any of the prior proceedings of this assembly. As a result of the emergency session, the Central Committee has adopted a new resolution in regard to the male population. I assure you that it is no understatement in stating that this resolution drastically differs from anything we would have envisioned in our wildest dreams."

       An uneasy murmur went through the audience, and the Supreme Commander paused to let it subside. The grave expression on her face had increased noticeably which only served to heighten the concern and caused a foreboding chill to pass through all that were present - something obviously was seriously wrong. In a subdued but still firm voice the Supreme Commander continued. "When the extreme gravity of the crisis became known, the Central Committee put forth a supreme effort in searching for a possible remedy. Numerous options were considered but, in the end, there was only one solution that had any possible hope of success.”

      “Before I reveal the nature of this solution it is imperative that you fully understand the magnitude of the dire predicament in which we find ourselves. You are well aware that, for more than a decade, armies throughout the world have taken practically all available food for their own use - leaving women to fend for themselves. It certainly is not necessary for me to take time describing the desperate course of action we were forced to take as the only possible means to prevent dying from starvation. It is for this reason that each of us is acutely aware of the critical importance of having enough food to at least meet minimum needs."

       "One of the major unknowns that we had been unable to determine prior to the end of the war was the amount of food that had been hoarded and stockpiled by the dictators for their armed forces. We also had very limited knowledge of what could be produced in the near future. It was because of these unknowns that we immediately invoked a strict rationing policy until a survey could be conducted to find answers to these questions. We were, of course, aware that we faced a serious problem, but we did not anticipate it being of a magnitude that could not be overcome by prudent planning. Unfortunately, this optimistic outlook has proven to have been a major miscalculation. The survey has been concluded, and it shows us to be on the brink of a desperate crisis of such magnitude that is almost beyond comprehension."

       The Supreme Commander paused and looked around. There was total silence among the members of the audience and their faces displayed looks of increasing anxiety. They gave her their undivided attention and listened intently as she continued. "We were aware, of course, that in the latter stages of the war armies began to concentrate on attacking each others food supplies in the hope of depleting it to a point that it would bring surrender where military might failed. We were not aware, however, of what we have now found to be an almost unbelievable degree of success that these attacks achieved on all sides. Countless warehouse and storage facilities, throughout the world, have been totally destroyed, and a large portion of those that remain have been damaged to the extent that the food within has spoiled and is no longer suitable for human consumption. To make matters worse, severe and prolonged droughts have been plaguing most of the world for the past several years which has taken a heavy toll on what few crops would have survived otherwise."

       "Disease in what little remained of livestock has also increased dramatically to the degree that very few still survive with some species being practically nonexistent. If this were nor enough, present supplies of seed and fertilizers are woefully inadequate even if we had agricultural equipment and machinery available for planting new crops - which of course we don't. The end result of all of these factors has proven to be devastating. The limited stockpiles of food that remained at the end of the war are being rapidly depleted, and the means for producing additional amounts in the near future is severely limited to the point of having very little value. Ladies..., it is my sad duty to inform you that the entire world is on the brink of being completely out of food."

       A gasp of shock and disbelief swept through the audience, and the Supreme Commander waited for it to die down before continuing. "The report containing the findings of this impending disaster shows the results of detailed studies whose conclusions have been checked and re-checked to the point where there can be no doubt of the accuracy. These studies show that it will take a minimum of five years to regenerate livestock herds of a size to enable them to once again become a major source of food. And, it will take an almost equal amount of time to rebuild factories and then manufacture enough farm equipment and materials needed to begin growing crops of sufficient quantity. But, as things now stand, we do not have five months - much less five years. Ladies, unless we take immediate and decisive action the entire world will soon find itself on the brink of massive starvation."

       The Supreme Commander looked at the audience. "I can see by your faces that you took note of my implying that there is some action we can take to avoid this impending crisis. Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do to prevent a calamity of monumental proportions from transpiring, but there is action we can take that will prevent total doom for all. The sacrifice that this will require, however, is enormous.”

      “When I stated that all available food would soon be depleted I was referring to food in the traditional sense as known in the past. As women, each of us is acutely aware that this is not the first time in which we have found ourselves confronted with the dilemma of being faced with impending starvation due to "traditional" sources of food no longer being available. When this happened we had no choice but to turn to a very "untraditional" source which was the only available life sustaining nourishment that could be obtained - the flesh taken from the bodies of soldiers killed in battle. Choosing this desperate course of action was a difficult and traumatic experience for us, but it was either that or die a slow and agonizing death from starvation."

       "Ladies, we are once again faced with having to chose between two options. The first is to do nothing and allow the world to be overwhelmed by massive starvation that would soon plunge it into chaos and anarchy that would be far worse than that which we have just endured. The second option is to obtain enough food to prevent this calamity from taking place, and there is only one source that is available in sufficient quantity to fulfill this need. The source to which I refer is the same now as it was before - flesh of the human male. Nothing has changed except that we no longer have a war to provide a plentiful supply of bodies that are already dead. This time, it will be necessary for men to be killed for the sole purpose of using their bodies for food."

       The Supreme Commander paused and looked at the stunned faces of the audience before continuing in a calm voice. "Ladies, it is the second option that the Central Committee recommends that we adopt, and, as much as it pains me, it is this proposal which I will soon place before you for consideration."