James's Descent Ch. 09

He'd return to his level with an introduction to someone.

*

Year 236 AA.

The world has been explored in full, every shore seen and landed upon, every spot of land accounted for, every ocean measured in both area and depth. The age of exploration was passed unless one took particular interest in the cave systems of New Astoria or the details of its ocean trenches. The world had three great continents, Avalon, known as the "main" continent, the one that Hope's Landing was a bit west of the center, Republia was the wide and "tall" continent to the east, almost stretching from the north pole to the south, with only a few natural channels mercifully there for ships to pass right through, and Commun was the western great continent, the smallest and shaped as an L. Astorians had established on each of these continents. There were many islands, but those fell in the sphere of one of the continents.

Each had its flavor and its riches. Avalon was by far the largest, with a consolidated and diverse food industry, stretching through many climates it could produce anything that counted as edible and many byproducts of such crops. Their other cultivable products were not bad at all. Republia had remarkably modest deposits on land, whatever ore veins that sparked the initial rush had dried up and the land was not as fruitful as one could hope. But several generations living there had rooted the people in place... and so they adapted and now they produced "industrial" goods, supplementing their diet with the thorough fishing their master-crafted ships could bring back by the tons. They adapted their process to deal with a less pleasant environment, much as one might assume of another island with poor farmland and shit mineral deposits. The story for Commun was reversed as the continent had enormous troves of natural resources, precious ones in particular. And from these inequalities came today's meeting.

"My fellow overseers..."

The overseer of Avalon was an older woman of noticeable girth, but Martha was chosen for her wits, not for her looks. A rare female variant as most women are more content with the small picture, taken more to a caretaker role than a leading one.

"You say that even though you still want to rule over us."

To her right at this circular table was the "female" overseer of Republia, Jenna had a fierce temperament and took no shit from people... which some considered valuable as the one to stand up for all of them.

"I won't deny that, but it was only a question of size rather than rulership. And remember, we don't rule, we see to the desires of our people."

"Then I am grateful that the desires of mine are not weighted against your continent to come behind. As you no doubt wish."

And, last but not least, the overseer of Commun was a thin man with piercing eyes and a sharp mind. Jack was known for his odd mind, but he could hold a bigger picture than most.

"Can't we start a meeting in a good mood? I swear, you make me dislike these moments."

And Kari... the caretaker of this "international community". While from Avalon, she tried to keep the desires of all in balance, though often one could question her allegiance. The woman was only in her thirties, but she had been advising higher and higher communities since finishing college. This was the most difficult so far.

"Such it is. We have conflicting interests. Business it is, then. I am mostly content with our position and have found no grand desire within Avalon to warrant changes in our interactions."

"Of course you are." Jenna reached into her briefcase to produce the page-long description of the proposed change from her side. "While I think this is more of a local policy, I have brought it here, if only for your interest."

The document in triplicate copy outlined the full execution of an import tax. And quite the hefty one... twenty percent. Taxes were not new, if they were rare. When the people can vote on individual actions, the government has very little oversight.

"That's... quite the change." Martha tried to consider the implications... and voiced them. "This would discourage trade between our communities, as traders will want to increase their prices to maintain their margins or give it up fully."

"Good. That's the point. Our local production can't compete with either the quantity or the quality you have to offer. Local business is being discouraged. So I think we should discourage the competition to make sure we don't end up at your mercy. Or else those traders will increase those prices even more."

Ah, economics. The art of dealing with scarcity. Naturally, when imported goods are much better and in greater volume than local ones, when they fulfill the demand to the point of starving out the competition, this discourages anyone from engaging in local production. Thus you inch towards a monopoly of the import goods which can give them a vast amount of control over the price and distribution... and give its masters a greater political power when your people can starve at their command. However, the free market can adapt in the face of such a monopoly as increased prices and demanding extras can make local production once again a grand option. Subpar rice is still better than nothing and its low price could equally drive the demanding traders to go home with their hands up their asses.

Some might look at this idea and say it was an exercise in stupidity, as one must let these cycles develop naturally rather than trying to play with them. But there were other intentions in play here. As with all political games... it is never about the people.

"I can't condone this and would suggest we not go through with it. Jack?"

"Oh no, I think we should go through with it."

Always the same with those two. Teaming up against her to outvote her. But today it would not matter. This was not a vote.

"I don't remember asking if I could do this. We are doing this and it's our local policy for your people to know it. Just so I don't hear about complaints when your traders get taxed in port. And if they try to run off with our money... well... they can run for a bit. They won't get home."

That was obviously a threat. Tensions had been rising for a while. Even as there have been some organized assaults in each other's territory, it was always small groups and not the will of the whole. Desperation and greed coupled with geographical separation to lessen consequences, the shield of the community to guard them against a more organized payback.

"Such is your right." Jack went along with this, even if it hurt them as well. But this should hurt that trade back... for different reasons. He slid a proposition as well. A reverse of hers, in fact. "And ours. We have so much wealth leaving our community and so little comes back to us. This is our way of making sure you do not take it for granted."

Someone should tell these politicians to stop messing with the economy. But Jack's reasons were less patriotic. Commun's rare metal exports had more silver changing hands than one can imagine. Even a five percent tax was a big number to end up in the community coffers... and if he could shave away just one percent of that... he'd get his money's worth for this position.

"And I assume you'll chalk this up as local policy. Maybe I should make my own declaration... that we'll ban any trade with the other continents. Leave you to fend off for yourself for a few years and see how much you think of yourselves."

Any other time, this line would be treated as a joke, a small show of force to make people settle down and remember their positions... that they did depend on each other to a degree. Without Avalon buying the other products of these nations, they'd have no leverage to claim what they were offering. But spirits had been sour for a while.

"You know what? Go ahead. Actually, how about we break off completely? Go our own way."

"No, you can't do that!" Kari realized the implications.

"Afraid for your job? No, I agree with Jenna. I think we have gone together a bit too long... you've come to rely on us and yet we can't rely on you."

That was a lie, but Martha saw that they had become set on this course. Perhaps not the best political move. She did the math in her mind... they should come around in a while. Commun depended on their food more than they thought and without their more robust demand for their goods, the price of their local production would fall. But pride is a powerful emotion.

"So... then I put forward the declaration that Republia will go its own way. No trading with any of you. We'll handle ourselves. Let's see how long you last without our help."

Every person here had a similar mindset. They thought themselves the ones to move the world forward while everyone was holding them back. It was ironic that the Age of Affluence would begin with the separation of the nation into three... Republia, or as it would become known later... the Warsworn Republic, Commun... to later become the Communist Union. That left Avalon, for which the fates had another idea in mind. The plan of He Who is Everything was coming together. It was looking like that being might ruin it, but now they have become like everything else.

It was not a terrible time. The first half of this age would be marked by troubles, but those challenges led to a renewed vigor for the three nations to improve themselves, to manage without the other... to surpass their limits. But the purpose was no longer a calling, it was wealth... everything was leveraged towards the acquisition of personal wealth. A new generation would rise with a hunger for the wealth of the world, a bounty so rich and promised to them when they were older, an image that was bigger in their mind than reality had to offer.

They would commit the first sin against the outsider... as the new generation would reject the challenges before them, demanding the wealth they were promised... and when it did not come, they turned to squeeze that promised treasure out of everything they could. Avalon would be plagued by something to rise above the government... its many companies forming something stronger in power than its communities. The Trader Alliance was not a government, but it would hold immense sticks and carrots for whoever was in charge, promising and delivering the wealth they could obtain by beneficial policies... beneficial to them, not others... or threatening a cease of operations to leave the people behind starving for their product. They would become a government in all but name.

High Noon is the peak of an empire when its wealth and the ease of obtaining it are at their highest combined. It would be the "golden years" of 280 to 311, when the products of the trader alliance were plentiful, cheap, and available everywhere in the continent, and through some more nefarious means they would reach the markets of the other countries... rebranded, claimed as local and still bringing in a profit. Jobs were plentiful, and the returns were enough for people to retire at forty years of age with a house fit for ten people. It was the time of growing skyscrapers and the rise of a new god... silver. Even if the teachings of the outsider were still the main religion, with only a few astray cults here and there, they became mere guidelines... if it allowed something, it was okay, if not... well, one always has the right to question.

It all changed with the "first" attack of the Warsworn Republic, a decisive strike that demolished a rather prominent building, leading to hundreds of deaths. A state of war was declared and so did the astorians take arms against each other. Everyone forgot to question that event... and those who did were branded as traitors. A common tactic from then on.

And so the empire started to fall.

*

"Ah, and here is finally the prospective one."

James was introduced to this man, who was apparently called Caellus. He saw an aging man of forty, richly melanated and with the calm demeanor of one who had passed through life enough to know its challenges. They met in a quieter area of the lounge, a more modest area where it was all about quietly hanging out.

"I see that Lucy had introduced me already."

"Oh, she talked about you. I admit, after so long being her favorite it might bring a bit of disappointment to no longer be the newest one."

"And here I thought I was the only one. So, let me guess... your story is similar to mine."

"Indeed it is. Though the summoning from another world by the will of the people is a grand entry. I too sought a way to break away from society, to start anew somewhere else without the weight of the past. I gathered many who were of eager disposition and we threw ourselves into space... toward a new planet to be our home, where the old could not reach us. Let me just say that my struggle was a bit greater... not just finding the prospective idea, but creating the vessel. We were pre-spaceflight."

A similar story indeed. James assumed that the man had been fed enough information so he would not provide exposition that he did not ask for. Quietly sipping a beer that tasted of golden horizons, the man got into learning what this other "paragon" had achieved.

"Quite the challenge and I won't say it was less so. But, I feel like Satan got us together for a point. Mind skipping to that?"

"Ah, very well. I was a bit tempted to speak of what my people achieved, but I think we might find a similar story there. The point... as you say... is that after your death, they will begin an ascent... the rise of a nation, as done so through a billion iterations through all worlds and the history of those worlds. There will be times of challenge, of wealth... and there will come the days when that wealth is not enough for the people. They will become... no better than what we left behind. Such is the nature of mankind. Yes, we gave them great directives on how to avoid those ways, orders that they followed with zealous determination for several generations... but then come those who forget the lessons of the past, those who ignore them... and so comes history to show us once again what awaits us in the twilight years of an empire. They will call for you, desperately, loudly... and you will be tempted to return." A pause. "I urge you not to do so."

This was a truth that the man accepted long ago. Even if he wanted to think "My people are better", that was pride and rejection of reality. No... this was very possible. He could hear the voices more.

"You say that like I have an option. The only return I see is going through the gate... and that's not even guaranteed... and I'd forget everything. No more useful than any other."

"No, there is a way. I will not tell you because I would wish for you to not pursue this. But I fear you will find it anyway. That is the path to godhood. But I have seen others take this path... and they have never endured it with our spirit. Absolute power can turn one into a monster."

"Godhood? Like... wait, isn't there just one god?"

"She did not tell you? How uncouth."

"I didn't give Satan much of my time, to be honest."

"Then, to enlighten you... yes, there are gods. There are, in fact, many gods, of different levels and powers. The smallest god is the will of a world, a people... and they can be human. Ascension to such a step can come from two places... either one creates a world... as you have done... or they seize that crown from another."

"Wait, I CREATED a world? I thought... actually, I didn't much think about it."

He'd need to unpack this later. Another sip would let the other speak.

"Oh, yes. Or else there would be another to receive those cries. Technically, you were in a position where you could ascend further... but lacked the ambition to do so. It is not a wrong thing... do not worry yourself."

"So, is there anything bad if they are without a god?"

"Theoretically. Another might see that this world has no one to protect it and come seize it, enforcing his way, though they may be equally busy with fighting other deities... and I understand that the 'empty world' trap has been employed so often that many are wary of such a situation. If none come to claim it, either the world will fade away in a few thousand years... or they will make their own god. I say to let either of those play out. Let them summon an idea of you, but not your spirit itself. Because if you go there... we will consider it a great loss."

"Wait... you said that gods rule A world, but they can... conquer others. Do they fuse or..."

"No, a god may rule multiple worlds, much as how a man can rule multiple plots of land. Often, they delegate. Gods who amass enough worlds can move further in power and ability, able to rule possibilities, ideas, concepts. An intentional incentive so his servants war among themselves and do not gang up on the creator. He Who is Everything rules every world we may know, if by delegation, even if one does not serve him directly, you are part of him. Absolute power... from each's perspective."

A valid point. Absolute power... he had that before? Though he endured it for a while, perhaps tempered by his mortality. Something told him that James would not return as a mortal.

"Out of curiosity, what would happen if I take their offer? In the grand details. What would I come back as? I don't assume that I'll just rise from the dead. My body's probably dust by the time they call me."

"Oh, not such. You would return as... an observer. You will see it from the outside, but you will also be able to influence it. And even act directly, create avatars, events, minor or major. A god... a controlling force. But it is more than that. You would be the guiding will of the world, of the laws of the universe, and humanity itself. What you will... shall be. Even if you do not declare it. You will be their direction."

"Hm. Sounds a bit like how we got started, just... well, for real. I assume I won't sit in some comfy chair and play at a computer but.... Be some incorporeal force that simply knows and affects things."

"Correct. For a god is very much the universe they rule in itself. And no, I do not know this firsthand... it was described by the Destroyer."

"Ah, I guess you have another name for Lucy."

"Lucy...." He looked rattled for the first time. "You seem so comfortable with this being."

"I'm the furthest away from comfortable. But let's say I have a bit of experience."

"Very well, still... I urge you... when the cries become strong... ignore them. Let them be. It is... not going to end well. Even if you maintain enough integrity, the process will sneak up on you. The great Tempter will force out your darkest urges, empowering them until you become exactly like all the others. A foregone conclusion, one that she has seen repeat more often than you can comprehend. It would sadden her greatly... and many others."

"Better to die a hero than live long enough to become the villain."

This was a lot to internalize. That he might be drawn to help people again, that he might do so, but in pursuing this he was throwing himself to a path of corruption that would strike with surety. Pride would not help him... declaring that he would not do this was wrong. No, he was as susceptible as anyone to propaganda, advertising, and God's infinite corrupting power.

The alternative... that Astoria fades away into nothingness after a couple thousand years, or that they create some duplicate of him to serve as their deity... they were not pleasant fates for them. Would that duplicate merely be the collection of their perspectives, but thoroughly wrong compared to him, merely the answer to their question and not the question to their wrongs. Whichever choice he took, they were fucked.

It was only a question if he could resist that call to be a hero.