Chapter 7
The meeting of the council had ended and now Mwende joined Lion-O and Panthro as they headed to the lab. Lion-O had partially filled them in as to what Ben-Gali had discovered and Mwende found it hard to believe. The lion said that at first the different clans of Thundera hated each other but eventually they realized that only together could they back a better world. That wasn't to say that there still weren't crackpots out there but since the unification of Thundera many generations ago, much of the infighting had ceased.
"So what have you got Ben-Gali?" Lion-O asked as they entered the lab.
"Regrettably a theory that holds water," the white tiger shook his head.
"We have begun evacuations and construction crews are on their way to New Thundera and Third Earth," Mwende explained.
"Good because we think whoever is doing this is smart enough to cause the earthquakes but stupid enough to not realize what they are doing to the entire planet. If we cannot stop them, the planet will be doomed," Cheetara spoke up.
"Good Lord," Mwende shook his head, still trying to absorb what he'd been told.
"We believe that someone created an earthquake machine and is using it to target the Asian biospheres," Doctor Ali said.
"Why?" The President asked.
"They are the biospheres most affected by the quakes and the strength of the quakes is spiking in their vicinity," Doctor Sven spoke up.
"The first question would be who hates the Asian communities so much?" Panthro wanted to know.
"Legitimately, the Asian communities are the most technologically advanced. Despite this, their human rights record is not so good. Korea and Japan treat their people well but China lacks very much in that department. It is an old hold over from their regime on Earth before it was evacuated. We managed to stop their smog output and institute better human rights policies but to be honest, some things are just ingrained. I understand the struggle as Africa spent most of its troubled history infighting and treating its citizens poorly. Most of that disappeared when we moved to Mars, mostly due to the fact that everyone shared what they had with the African nations since we were creating a new world. The years of third world countries are long behind us," Mwende explained.
"So they could be targets of their own people," Lion-O said.
"While it is possible, I doubt it. The Chinese might not get along with each other but they would never do anything to jeopardize the entire nation as they view theirs as the best. My guess is that either someone from another Asian biosphere is doing this or it is the Russians," the President told them.
"The Russians?" Ali raised an eyebrow.
"The military deal that Russia and China had fell through when some Russians attempted to kill President Chang. Needless to say, it was an idiotic move. You see the reason that we call it "Little China" is that the population and area it is made up of, is smaller than the original China on Earth. They are not weak but because of their technology, they are sought after as an ally. Russia and China had been doing business for years but some Russians were tired of being held to the Chinese high prices for the technology they cannot make on their own. Japan refuses to negotiate with Russia, though why that is, I'm not entirely sure," the dark-skinned man admitted.
"Well would the Russians have access to the technology to make an earthquake machine?" Panthro wanted to know.
"They aren't that hard to make believe it or not," Sven said.
"I'll take that as a yes," Ben-Gali shook his head.
"Doctors give me possible locations for placement of this machine. I will send security forces to quietly investigate. Have you spoken about this with any of your other colleagues?" Mwende asked.
"We have not. I know that we would not create such a device," Sven told him.
"I haven't either. I know that ideologically we don't get along with China but I doubt that we would try something like this. Besides I believe we would try a more direct approach and starve them of fuel," Ali admitted.
"Keep this between us then. Meantime, I can imagine that you'll want to make a call home King Lion-O," Mwende said.
"Yes I would," the lion nodded.
To Be Continued…