Nicholas Smith - The Biomass Revolution

The briefs contained these secrets, and Sonii knew it was imperative they remained in the right hands, for at the heart was the deepest secret of them all. It was one very few people knew.

Sonii could distinctly remember the first time he read the report. It was several years ago, but the mission name, Operation Fallout, was seared in his memory.

Not long after Tisaia was founded, the new government was desperate to know which other countries had survived. With the Biomass Wars fresh on their minds, Tisaian officials tasked the newly minted Council of Royal Knights with identifying any potential threats.

In time the Governor ordered the Knights on a secret mission. He hand-selected five Royal Knights and procured the only working plane in Tisaia. Engineers retrofitted it to run off Biomass and said the plane would be able to travel the world without stopping to refuel.

The engineers were right. In the first few weeks of the journey the Knights sent back startling images and reports of the cities on the coast of South America. From the sky the cities looked like total war zones, the infrastructure completely obliterated. Electricity was sporadic at best, but somehow people were alive, surviving in the grisly conditions.

As the Knights made their way to Europe the reports became bleaker. Not a single city remained from aerial view. Skeletons of skyscrapers and high rise office buildings were all that could be seen. No lights, no people, no sign of anything. The United Kingdom was nothing but a desert of ash.

Just when they thought conditions couldn’t get any worse, they flew over Eastern Europe and Asia. There was nothing. Not a single city recorded. Not a sign of animal or human life. The trace of radiation from the air was so severe no human could have survived on the surface. It wasn’t until they got to New Zealand and Australia that life appeared again. The radiation from the apocalypse, for the most part, had not affected these areas. Maybe it was the wind that blew most of it out to sea, or perhaps the jet stream. The Knights did not know exactly why these countries were spared, but New Zealand and Australia both had pockets of thriving life: green fields, livestock in the country, and electricity in the cities.

When the Knights finally returned to Tisaia, they met with leaders in a cloud of secrecy. It was then a committee was established, of mostly Plebrocrats and Royal Knights. The committee combed through the pictures and reports. Within days they sent their findings to the Governor, who filtered through the images in shock. The desolate landscape and charred cities of Europe and Asia were all he needed to see. His mind was made up. There would be no more recon missions. There would be no reaching out to help those outside the walls. Biomass would stay in Tisaia.

The Governor’s immense fear influenced Bill 99. And soon the gates were closed. No refugees would be allowed in Tisaia and any recent immigrants were to be reported, put into camps and deported into the Wastelands. Anyone harboring an immigrant would be tried for crimes against the State.

No one, save for a few Royal Knights, the Governor and a handful of Plebrocrats who helped draft Bill 12a knew the truth of the recon mission from years ago. Over the years the Plebrocrats had become increasingly isolationist. They structured Bill 12b so the Biomass would forever stay in the control of Tisaia, who, they argued, “had won the right to reap the fruits of its labor.”

Sonii knew Governor Felix would continue to side with the Plebrocrats, who made up 90 percent of the legislature. “Political parties” were words all but forgotten in Tisaia—the Plebrocrats had dominated the legislature for as long as he could remember. The other ten percent of the one-chamber elected representatives consisted of retired State employees or distinguished Knights who ran as independents. Rohania and the immigrants were not represented at all. Democracy was a word from the past, one forgotten by most. It was only a matter of time before the Plebrocrats would control the entire legislature. It was part of Sonii’s plan, a piece of the puzzle he had been constructing for years.

Sonii slid the bill back into the pile of legislation and watched the orange rays of sunlight peek through the rectangular glass windows. The warm glow was mesmerizing, a treasure in a normally gray bleak world. Every morning he found himself in the same seat, sipping out of the same tea glass, anxious to see if the sun would rise. He could still remember a time when the sun didn’t hide behind the gray clouds and he would always welcome its bright warmth.

The clanking of armor from the adjacent hallway distracted his thoughts. He didn’t need to turn around to see Leglo and Fonti, the Governor’s two handpicked Royal Knights bodyguards as they entered the chamber.

Both Knights wore the traditional armor and were dressed with red capes, signifying their special rank as Protectorates. Sonii always felt at ease in their presence, as he knew they were two of the most well trained Knights in the entire State. They, like the other Protectorates, had sworn an oath to the Governor by committing to a life of seclusion. It was an oath broken only by death.

Sonii brought a hand to his aging forehead and massaged several wrinkles, while the two Knights guided Governor Felix into his chambers. He stood promptly to face the Governor. “Good morning, sir.”

Governor Felix acknowledged him with a nod and sat down across from him at the monstrous marble table.

“You’re in early this morning,” Sonii said, trying to hide his surprise.

“Today is an important day for Tisaia,” the Governor responded, running a finger through his thick mustache.

Governor Felix was a husky man; he wasn’t overweight by any means and could probably even pass as one of his own bodyguards. His handlebar mustache was his most infamous feature, an attribute most of his staff would not dare copy. The combination of his mustache, size and booming voice made him a very intimidating leader.

Sonii continued to study the Governor’s features as the large politician combed through the pile of bills in front of him. Governor Felix petted his thick mustache, something he always did before speaking. This frustrated Sonii, who was not a patient man. He didn’t like to wait for the Governor’s thoughts, especially when he could already guess what the man would say. Nonetheless he waited, knowing his place.

“Well, we’ve almost done it, Sonii.”

“Sir?” Sonii asked, trying once again to hide his surprise.

The Governor looked up from Bill 12b, which he gripped in one of his massive paws.

“We’re this close to passing this bill with a majority of the chamber!” The Governor said, pinching his fingers together.

“And if I can negotiate terms with the rest of the independents then perhaps we can get our unanimous vote after all,” he finished, his grin hiding behind his carpet of a mustache.

Sonii crossed his legs and slouched back in his chair, taking a deep breath. He cocked his head and admired the sunrise still beaming in through the stained glass windows before responding.

“If we can get a unanimous vote in favor of this bill, then perhaps we can win over the general population that does not support it. How can citizens argue when the entire legislature votes in favor of this bill?”

Governor Felix stood and walked over to his wooden desk. “The point is…” the Governor paused at his loss of words.

“The point is, even if there are citizens that disagree with this bill, they won’t for long. Commander Augustus has promised me the TDU will be crushed by the end of the year. With that victory, those supporting the TDU will lose all hope and be forced to accept defeat.”