Henry checked the time. 1:50 PM. He gathered some papers and stacked them together. He then got up from his desk and strolled across the hall. As President of the New York City Council, Henry was constantly busy talking with all of the members, individually as well as during meetings. 
He stopped at an office with a door that read “Evan Chang.” Henry knocked. A loud voice yelled,
“Come in!” 
Henry peeped his head through the door and sure enough, an Asian man with long, black hair was sitting there with his reading glasses on, scrolling through his holo-tablet. He looked up.
“Hey Evan.” Henry said, flipping through pages in his stack of papers. “I have proposals for the proposition.” 
“Great, let me take a look.” Evan responded, as Henry handed the papers over.
Evan was a man of Chinese descent, but because he was a third-generation American-born citizen, his diction was flawless.
Evan squinted at some of the sentences, with a look of irritation. Sighing, he dropped the papers on his desk and put down his glasses.
“Henry, I appreciate that you put a lot of what I asked for in here, but we’re missing some important pieces in order to reform health care. What about the policies for immigrants? What about hospital integration with holo-tablets?”
Here we go, Henry thought. Let’s start with a real example.
“Well, here’s the thing Evan.” Henry said, persuasively. “Do you remember President Obama’s administration?”
Evan nodded. Henry continued.
“Then you know that health care is a sensitive topic for us to approach. You don’t want to pull an ‘Obamacare’ and flip the entire system on its head.”
Evan stared with skepticism. I gotta step it up, Henry thought.
“Hear me out on this, I say that we have to start with the doctors. That’s a good first step. We can let the app market handle the hospital integration, and we can slip in immigration in a less extreme proposal.”
Evan rubbed his chin in deep thought. Alright, Henry thought. Time for the grand finale.
“By the way, Republicans would tear this thing to shreds if we don’t start small. This can go places, but it has to pass to go anywhere.”
Evan nodded in approval.
“Hmm… I guess I can still go behind it.” 
Henry smiled, and snapped his fingers. 
“You do that Mr. Chang! I’ll see you in half an hour.”
Henry walked out the door and into the hallway again. This time, he passed his office to the other end of the building. He reached the café, and noticed a few members sitting at a table. He noticed that they were all republicans or moderates. Perfect. 
Henry ordered a small coffee, thinking about his next move. He wanted this bill to pass, but he also wanted everyone to be on board, or at least approve of it.
Coffee in hand, he subtly passed by the three council members, stopping to conversationally say hello.
“John, Anthony, and Felix! Good to see you all today. How’s it going?”
His co-workers responded with a trace of hesitance. Reel ‘em in with a rumor, Henry thought. He sat down in a chair next to the three, and slightly leaned forward towards them.
"Hey, I’ve been hearing talk about an upcoming proposal. I don’t know all the details yet, but I know some of the democrats want plan to get some reforms on health care in today’s meeting.”
The members looked at each other with skepticism. 
“Listen, as council president, I understand that you guys are a minority in this house, and I really do think you ought to have a say in this bill. I was just wondering what you guys thought. Would you go for a restructuring of the healthcare benefits in place currently?”
John, the most moderate of democrats, responded.
"I’m kind of adamant... to what extent do the reforms go?”
“I’m pretty sure they’ll go for just between the doctors and us. Not many changes to applications… but I’m not sure. For all I know, the democrats might want to change the policies entirely.” 
Anthony, an elderly conservative, scratched his hair in mild frustration, and spoke up.
“I definitely wouldn’t stand for a complete restructuring. I worked on setting those policies up before.” 
“To be fair, that was 15 years ago, and times have definitely changed within these years, as we all know. Regardless, I don’t think they will make it a big deal.”
“Yeah I’m pretty sure the democrats won’t turn to any major drastic decisions,” Felix said. “If so, I’d go with it.”
Henry looked to the others, and they nodded in approval. Mission accomplished, he thought.
“As long as we take part in the revision processes, we’ll be on board.” Anthony said. 
“Well, that’s always good to hear,” Henry lightheartedly replied, as he stood up to leave. “We’ll find out soon enough. See you in twenty minutes.”
When 1:30 PM came around, he was already in the voting chambers, ready to start the meeting. The room was fairly large, and he was in the high chair. He pulled up his holo-tablet, which he resized to fit his podium, and opened the cloud community app. As the members oozed into the room like a sea of human syrup, bubbles on the screen representing each delegate filled in. Henry tapped his fingers on the podium. Henry prepared to watch all the pieces fall into place.
As the last delegate took his seat, he projected in a loud voice:
“I call this meeting to order at 1:32 PM, Friday, October 11, 2030. Let’s get to work people.”
Henry clenched his gavel and tapped it with force.
“First order of business: financials. Mr. Treasurer!”
As the treasurer read off all of the check requests, financial proposals, and letters from businesses, Henry looked at the delegates that he talked to previously. He saw Evan, sitting where he always sat, reading through the proposal and making notes in the margins. 
Ten minutes later, the financials were fully read. The pieces are in place, he thought. 
“Thank you, Mr. Treasurer. Second order of business: Legislative Action.”
Henry looked at the bubbles on his holo-tablet, particularly Evan Chang’s. A notification box opened up. 
“The council recognizes a request from Representative Evan Chang of the fourth district. Will the representative please rise to make a request?”
Evan stood up, and cleared his throat.
“Complaints from doctors and hospitals about the nature of the New York healthcare system are growing as there is an increase in advancing technologies. Times are changing, and the Democratic Party knows that New York policies have to adjust to these changes.” 
Henry slightly nodded in approval as murmurs began to fill the room. Evan glanced at Henry.
“We would like to propose the drafting of a reform plan focused on healthcare systems for hospitals and doctors. The nature of this proposal is not to restructure the current plan, but expand and adjust specific policies regarding medical and biomedical equipment, as well as smoothening out the development of hospitals and other medical institutions. This will be beneficial for our health care system as well as our citizens. Thank you.”
Henry looked at the three members he talked to earlier. They were nodding their heads, which was a good sign. Henry spoke up.
“Thank you, Mr. Chang. The council recognizes the delegate’s proposal. All those in favor of the drafting of a health care reform bill focused on technological and institutional advancement, please say ‘aye.’ All those against, please say ‘nay.’”
The room filled with ‘ayes.’ It was music to Henry’s ears. 
“Please submit your votes via holo-tablet under Mr. Chang’s proposal.” 
The members looked down and pulled out their miniaturized tablets and tapped on the screens. Henry looked at his tablet as the bubbles flashed. The bill went through.
After the meeting ended, Henry strolled casually through the halls. He stopped at a painting. It was an old portrait of a well-dressed man. The man was balding, but his smile was full of life. Henry looked below the painting. A caption read: Henry Clay, the Great Compromiser.

A couple hours later, Henry was at his house in the New York suburbs, getting ready to go for a walk. It was about 6 PM, and the sun was about to set. He put on his jacket, slipped on his shoes, and strolled out the front gate. 
Walking down the streets of New York, Henry shivered from the late-fall breeze. Henry stopped by a café to get a warm hot chocolate. He looked around at the other customers. He noticed a young couple sitting together and smiled. As he sipped the warm sweet milk, he thought of how he met Portia.

Four years before the Sahara Encounter, Henry was beginning law school at Harvard University. On his first day, he went on the campus tour to explore the interior of the well-known school. When they stopped by the chemistry lab, he carefully observed the equipment. Fascinated, he split off from the tour group to look around more.
And then she appeared. Red hair, pale white skin, and dark-brown eyes, she was an angel in a lab coat. She was writing notes while looking at a test tube. Henry stood there, frozen, unsure of what to think. He hadn’t seen anyone in America as pretty as her. She looked up, and smiled.
“Hi! Are you from the tour?”
Henry responded with a slow nod, eyes fixated on her beauty. 
“Well this is the lab. Any questions?”
Eyes wide, he asked, in a voice of awe,
“What’s your name?”
She smiled again. Just kill me now, Henry thought.
“Portia.” She said. 
The name echoed in his head, bounced around like a beach ball. Portia Portia Portia… It kept repeating until the tour guide pulled him away. He didn’t remember the rest of the tour.

Henry took his last sips of hot chocolate and gestured to turn on his holo-tablet, resized as a small block for messaging. He tapped the contact Portia.
Thinking of you, he messaged.
Sent 6:24. 
Seen 6:24.  
Aw, what time is it down there? She replied.
Almost sundown.
Blow it a kiss, I’ll catch it in a few hours. :)
haha k, see you soon <3
Henry pinched the hologram off, and walked out the café through the park. He noticed many things on his walk; two children playing with toys, a group of teenagers glued to their holo-tablets, an old man feeding pigeons. As he reached the pier, he saw the bright orange reflection of the sunset in the water. The sun began to set, and he thought about his relationship with Portia.

Henry was an outstanding transfer student from Iran. He started out as an awkward student, a sore thumb in a foreign culture, but Portia helped him get used to college life. Raised a Massachusetts girl, she told him about all American colloquialisms and what to do at parties. Before long, Henry became pretty popular among his law school peers. He was smart and amiable with anyone. Whenever problems between students arose, Henry would always think of something wise to say and bring the tensions down. Portia noticed this quality in Henry, and the two became close. After they both graduated, they lived together in New York for about a year. Henry got a job at a nearby law firm, and Portia did some chemical research for NYU. 
Then the Sahara Encounter took place. A few weeks later, Portia got a call from Caltech to do an internship with ESTA’s engineers for four years. To work with the engineers on this new frontier of human advancement was the opportunity of a lifetime, and Henry was supportive.
“You definitely should do it!” he said, gesturing softly.
“But what about us?” She responded, hesitantly.
“We can make it work, I promise. My boss offered me an opportunity as an assistant officer at the New York City Council. If we build a strong foundation, we might even be able to start thinking of raising a family.”
Portia paused. Henry grinned, and said, “Any questions?”
It was an inside joke between them, referencing when they first met on the lab tour. Portia laughed.
“I can’t argue with such a talented lawyer like you. I’ll start packing up.”

He tapped his fingers on his lips and blew lightly toward the sunset. Aside from holiday trips, Henry hadn’t been with Portia in four years. He was busy rising in position to become President of the New York City Council, and she was busy learning about the dynamics of “fusion chemistry”. In a few days, Portia would return, and they would be together again.  
As he walked through the park to go home, he noticed the two children he saw earlier. They were fighting over a toy figurine of a soldier; it was like something out of a kid’s movie. Henry interrupted the fray.
“Why don’t you guys share all the other figurines?”
The kids whined, simultaneously,
“But he’s special!”
Henry smiled.
“Everyone has their own way of being special.”

The next morning Henry received a call during his breakfast. He quickly swallowed his sugar-coated corn flakes and swiped his watch to answer the call.
“Hello? This is Henry Taran.”
A deep and slightly raspy voice responded.
“Hello Henry, my name is Lloyd Dwyer. I’m the Head American Ambassador-at-Large to the United Nations.”
Henry already knew who the man was by his name. In law school, he studied many of Lloyd Dwyer’s legislations passed during his terms as US Senator. Despite being a moderate, Senator Dwyer was a charismatic and robust debater for his positions. He was hired on the UN representative’s staff in 2020, and rose up the ranks to become head ambassador. 
Dwyer was one of those major political giants who inspired people like Henry. He and President Radley were close friends, and the two helped maintain US influence while also reforming American policies to adjust to the times in the five years following the Sahara Encounter.
Henry was at a loss for words.
“Let’s just cut to the chase. I’m calling to ask if you’d like to be on my staff. I’ve taken a look at your work over the past few years, and I think you have a lot of potential as an international politician. I just happen to be in town today, and I’d like to talk about it over lunch.”
Henry stammered, eyes wide.
“W-well sir, I’d love to meet. I’m f-free anytime.”
“I’ll meet you at Justin’s Burgers over by Main Street at half past noon.”
“I’ll be there. Thank you sir!”
Henry swiped to end the call, then took a deep breath. He had always wondered what it would be like to work on the ambassador’s staff, and he knew that international political collaborations had become extremely important in the past few years, as Earth contacted Xect fairly often.
Henry stumbled upon another thought; he might even be able to meet with Tsikkeans at some point. His mind raced with curiosity as he continued his work.
When noon came, he began to get ready. As he picked out an outfit, he thought to himself, I’ve got to make an impression. He looked in the mirror. His tan skin contrasted with the light blue shirt, his hair was slick and his tie was, as he used to say as a kid, “en pointe.” He was just formal enough to look important, but just colorful enough to look casual.
As Henry drove his electric BMW onward to Justin’s, he wondered why Lloyd would want to meet at a burger joint. Henry would go there for comfort food, but never for business. Henry pulled into the driveway and stepped into the restaurant.
There he was. An international giant, a political powerhouse, ordering a double cheeseburger. Henry rushed over to his seat. Act cool, he thought. 
Lloyd Dwyer stood up and extended his arm. Henry smiled and shook Lloyd’s hand. God, his grip is solid, he thought.
As they both sat down, Henry got a good look at the man himself. His smile showed the crevices in his aged face. He was only in his early 50’s, but there was deep wisdom his eyes. His hair was dark-gray, but thick. His eyebrows posed as friendly, but Henry knew they had a hidden sharpness from pictures of Lloyd he saw before.
Lloyd had a content look on his face as he got a good look at Henry. To break the ice, Lloyd started some small-talk.
“I used to come here as a kid when it just opened up. That must have been in the late 70’s.”
Henry responded to keep the conversation going.
“You grew up here?”
Henry already knew the answer to that, but it was a good opportunity to get some dialogue between them. He didn’t want to seem like a stalker.
“You bet, Henry. It was a time of change in one of the biggest cities in the world. I remember these suburbs pretty well.”
“It’s a captivating place.” Henry said, nodding.
“What about you, Henry? Where did you grow up?”
Henry recollected his thoughts. He’d been asked this conversationally many times before, but now it seemed like an interview question.
“Well, sir, I was born in 2002 in Ahvaz, Iran, in the Isfahan Province.”
“Ah, I’ve heard of it. Lots of oil discovered there in the early 1900’s”
Henry was fairly impressed. 
“That’s right. Anyway, considering that I was only 12 years old when ISIS took over, I wouldn’t really consider my adolescence very pleasant.”
Lloyd sucked air through his teeth, scrunching his eyebrows together as he felt the period of bloodshed that defined the late 2010’s.
“That must have been tough for you.”
“It was, but the Arabian Revolution began when I just ended Junior High School. My dad, Rafeek Taran, was the right hand man of Emran Adil.”
Lloyd was surprised.
“I did not know that! Wow. He must be a renowned figure in Ahvaz.”
“He is. Even though he was busy almost every day organizing the New Middle East, he managed to get me into prestigious educational programs, fulfilling his goal of bringing me here to the United States.”
“I’m guessing that’s why he gave you an American name.”
“That’s true, and I don’t blame him. This country is pretty amazing.”
Lloyd chuckled. 
“I can’t argue with that!”
A waitress came with the cheeseburger in a paper bag. Lloyd put it away.
“I’ll enjoy this later. Right now, let’s get to business.”
The ambassador’s tone changed from conversational to formal fairly quickly, and Henry leaned forward to listen in. 
“As you know we handle all the US affairs with the United Nations, and we monitor other ambassadors that operate internationally. Our goal in recent years has been to sustain American representation on the world stage, especially when Xect ambassadors come to visit. In the past five years since the Sahara Encounter, we’ve had about 6 meetings, 4 of which have been within this year of 2030. Clearly, contact is becoming more frequent, and it’s growing harder for the nations of Earth to contribute to ‘planetary’ relations. Yes, that is a new term we’re using.”
Henry was fascinated. He had studied international relations before, but he had never heard of planetary relations. 
“Does that mean we have a planetary political stance?” Henry asked.
“Not just yet. So far, Tsikkeans address us as five separate powers:  the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Central Earth for the Middle East.”
“Central Earth.” Henry repeated, curiously. “The Arabian Federation must love that title.”
“They do, and geographically, it kind of makes sense. They pretty much were the first civilization.”
“I guess so. Anyway, why did you ask me to come here?”
“Well, considering that planetary politics is a growing field, we want more political experts to help in preserving America’s influence in the world community. I want to hire you to join us.”
“It would be an honor, Mr. Dwyer, but why me in particular?”
Lloyd smiled. Henry could detect an attitude change, now it was more personal.
“Henry, I’ve looked at your records as President of the New York City Council, and, like I said earlier, I see potential in you. You cut crime rates in half since you were elected. You called for educational reforms in science and technology. You developed more infrastructural advancements than any other council president in the past 30 years. I think that’s enough proof to say that you are a man who can manage a team and develop compromises. As an ambassador, those qualities would be very useful to you.”
Henry paused for a moment. This was an exciting opportunity. He couldn’t think of a better way to serve his country, while also learning about the cultures of the world. Or even, in the Tsikk’s case, the cultures of the galaxy. 
“Mr. Dwyer, I would love to be a member of your staff.”
Lloyd began to stand up. Henry imitated.
“Perfect. We’ll call you in a week to get all the formalities out. You’ll probably need to arrange your resignation of the city council.”
They shook again. This time Henry tried to get a good grip on Mr. Dwyer’s iron fist. The two then began to split ways.
“I’ll get on that immediately. Thank you, sir!”
“Just call me Lloyd, son. We’re going to be working together very soon, after all.”
Henry laughed lightly. “Alright Mr. Lloyd. See you soon!”
Lloyd smiled and waved goodbye. He then turned around and walked out the back door, cheeseburger bag in hand.

Henry stood for a moment, then took a deep breath. He wondered who to tell this news first. 
As he left Justin’s Burgers, he pulled out his holo-tablet and swiped down his contacts. Evan, Portia, his brother Ahki…
Dad.
He tapped on the picture bubble and selected ‘call’. He heard the ringing through his nano-earpiece.
He hadn’t contacted his dad Rafeek in a year. It wasn’t that he was afraid to, he just felt like they had little to talk about, considering he hadn’t been back home since he left for college. They were both politicians, but they were different kinds of politicians… Henry was a communicator, a man of perspective. Rafeek was a leader, a man of principle. They didn’t share many interests.
The ringing stopped. A deep, Arabian-accented voice answered:
“Hello?”
“Hey dad, it’s Henry.”
“Oh hi son! How are you?”
Henry tried not to sound too ecstatic nor apathetic.
“I’m doing well. How’s Ahki and Isabel?”
“They’re great, actually. Ahki started off a strong final year in college, and Isabel just started dating this accountant she met from work, he’s a great guy.”
Henry grinned. He felt proud of his little brother and older sister.
“That’s awesome dad! Listen I wanted to call you up to deliver some good news. I just got hired by an American ambassador to go work at the UN.”
“Wow, really? That’s… that’s incredible, son! When do you start working?”
“Not sure yet. But it’ll probably be very soon.”
“Henry, that really is good news. I’ll be sure to tell your siblings.”
There was a pause. Henry was trying to come up with the right words to say.
“Hey dad, I want visit you guys sometime.”
“Henry, for now, just focus on your new job. We’d love to have you come visit us, though.”
“Alright then, I’ll update you on how it goes.”
“That would be great. Ahki and Isabel are going to be very proud, as am I.”
“Thanks, dad!”
“Oh, and son… your mom would be proud too.”
There was a long and piercing silence. As seconds passed by, Henry wasn’t sure what to say. The sounds of nearby cars filled the air. In an attempt to break the ice, his dad spoke.
“Well, uh, I’m sure you’ve got important things to get busy on. Talk to you soon.”
“Yeah… bye dad.”
He swiped the call to hang up. He got into his BMW and sat in the driver’s seat. He stared out the window for a long time. 
He barely remembered what his mom looked like. He only remembered how, in one day, she was gone from his life forever.

It was a perfectly regular afternoon in the town of Ahvaz. Henry was 12 years old, and he was walking home from class. 
It was a boiling hot early-summer day. School was over in just a week. As Henry opened the front gate to the house, he felt like something was different. He looked behind him.
He noticed two people wearing red bandanas and sunglasses in a truck on the other side of the road. They were watching him.
He closed the gate and walked nervously across the lawn. 
He opened and entered the front door. His mom was sitting in the office room.
“Hi sweetie. How was school?”
“Mom,” Henry said quietly. “There are some guys outside our house. They were looking at me and I’m kinda creeped out.”
She looked outside the window. Her eyes widened. 
“Henry… I need you to stay inside.” She said, as she stood up from her chair.
“Who are they?” Henry asked. He hadn’t felt this kind of fear in his entire life. It ate away at his chest and stomach and he couldn’t bear it. He noticed his breathing get heavier.
“I don’t know.” His mother replied. Later on, Henry learned that she was lying.
She yelled in the native Arabian dialect. “Rafeek! Come now!”
His father rushed into the room. She began to whisper something to him. The man’s rich, dark eyes looked out the window.
“It’s really them…Get the children to a safe place.” He whispered as rushed to the door to lock it.
His mom grabbed Henry by the sleeve, and called out to the siblings.
“Ahki! Isabel! Stop what you are doing and come down right now!”
His siblings ran down the stairs and came to their mother. She brought the kids to the living room closet, and hid them behind the clothes. 
“Stay here, don’t make any noise. We are going to call the police and get help, but right now, you must stay safe.”
Henry nodded. His mother closed the door.
Henry’s head was spinning, exacerbated because he was cramped in a pitch-black closet.
“Henry, who’s out there?” Ahki mumbled in a wavering voice.
“I don’t know, little brother.”
“Be quiet!” His sister snapped. The children breathed lightly and listened carefully.
The next part was a blur in Henry’s memory. He remembered a lot of banging, his mother screaming, and a gunshot, one that terrified the three helpless kids.
They could hear a lot of yelling, and it soon died down. The kids were too afraid to open the door.
It felt like an hour passed before they door opened. The light from the room blinded Henry and his siblings, and when their eyes adjusted, they saw a man in uniform.
“You’re safe for now.” He said in a firm voice. “Please stay within the premises.”
Henry, in a trance state, shuffled to the front room. The furniture was toppled, the door was unhinged, and his dad was sitting on in the floor, leaning on the wall. Never in his life had Henry seen his home in such broken condition.
“Dad, what happened? Where’s mom?”
“Henry… your mother’s gone.”
Henry’s mind stopped at that moment. That moment, engrained in his mind forever.
He still had his backpack on.
Many hours of grief passed. Henry learned that his mother was kidnapped by rebels from ISIS. They had recently been known for launching a massive terrorist campaign, attacking towns and selling women and children into slavery. His mother became one of many victims of the latter in the late 2010’s.
Henry felt hollow, like a book stripped of its first few chapters.
Henry went outside. The night was black, and his father stood on their porch, staring up at the twinkling lights in the sky.
“Son, we live in an age of hatred. We are in the heart of a beast tearing itself apart.”
Henry looked at his father’s eyes. They were restless, scanning the constellations.
“This beast was once powerful, many years ago. Can you believe it? Before ISIS, before the Muslim Brotherhood, before all the wars that carved these nations apart, the beast stood strong. Spawned by the Fertile Crescent, his growth was unstoppable, unified...”
Henry stared, silent. His father turned to him.
“Resentment is killing the beast. His survival should not be about Sunni against Shi’ite, nor Muslim against Jew, nor Brown against White. If this hateful pattern of history is not stopped, the Middle East will fall.”
He kneeled one knee down to Henry’s level. Henry felt a cool breeze run through his hair.
“Son, I vow to help unify the beast. I will try to find your mother, and in her name I will end the likes of ISIS and bring unity to all of Arabia. This age of division will end.”
In the years that followed, Henry’s father would encounter Emran Adil, an ambitious but passionate young man from Dubai who had similar plans for unification, except this time with a fellowship. Dubai was a melting pot of many foreign tourists and citizens. This combination of cultures inspired Emran to develop a new denomination of Islam called Wahii, derived from the Arabic word for unity. This new branch called for mutual benevolence with other forms of civilization and religion, and called for the synthesis of Arabian cultures to reach a common goal of peace in the Middle East. It denounced extremist practices such as jihad, and incorporated more Judeo-Christian values into the Islamic set of beliefs. 
Henry’s father Rafeek met Emran on a business trip to Dubai. The two became partners, and spread the idea of Wahii. Due to the charisma and eloquence in his sermons, Emran became the face of the religious movement. Rafeek was a more political activist, going to government and community conferences to spread the word of Arabian unity to the region’s leaders. 
Over the course of four years, countries from Egypt to Israel to Kazakhstan appealed to the UN to assist in dismantling ISIS’ growing power. By 2021, ISIS lost the majority of its leaders, and the organization withered away against the mighty power of the unified Middle East. 
As Henry began, these countries began to arrange an alliance of power and the establishment of a unified government. In October 2023, while Henry was beginning his second year in college, the Arabian Federation was founded over the course of a few weeks. The nation instantly became the fifth largest country in the world. With a large workforce, a dedicated new social system, and powerful political leaders, Arabia soon became a world power. The beast was back on its feet once again.
Unfortunately, despite all this growth and development, Henry’s mother was never found. The Taran children managed to adjust, but nothing could fill the feeling of emptiness that plagued their childhoods.

Henry shook off his childhood emotions and started his car. 
Keep moving forward, he thought. Don’t look back.

One month passed. Portia returned from her four year internship, and the two enjoyed a relaxing few weeks of transition before Henry’s new job began. Meanwhile, the city council members voted on who would be their next president, and to Henry’s delight, Evan Chang was elected.
It was Tuesday, October 22, and Henry was getting ready to catch a plane to Geneva, Switzerland to meet his UN team.
“Do you have your passport?” She quizzed Henry.
“Yes, mom.” He replied sarcastically.
Portia smiled, and gave him a peck on the cheek.
“I’ll send you an ebook to read before the flight. Don’t waste so much time browsing the internet on that holo-tablet of yours.”
“Sounds good baby. I’ll call you when I get there.”

A couple hours later, Henry was in the waiting terminal. He realized how efficient plane travel had gotten over the years. When he was a kid, it took almost an hour to get on a plane! He couldn’t imagine what it was like to wait over twenty minutes for a flight. He got a notification.
Portia shared an e-book: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy.
Henry had heard of it before. He flipped through a few pages to get a good look at it. He saw a line of dialogue that caught his eye. He read through it.
Understand, my dear fellow, that outside this union all is filled with deceit and falsehood and I agree with you that nothing is left for an intelligent and good man but to live out his life, like you, merely trying not to harm others.
Henry felt intrigued and slightly uneasy. He read on.
But make our fundamental convictions your own, join our brotherhood, give yourself up to us, let yourself be guided, and you will at once feel yourself, as I have felt myself, a part of that vast invisible chain the beginning of which is hidden in heaven.
Such powerfully unsettling dialogue, he thought to himself. Where does the other end of that chain lie?
He got on the plane.

He selected his luggage photo from the baggage claim menu. A couple seconds later, his bag sucked into the claim tube. That’s cool every time, he thought as he pulled the luggage out by the handle.
As he took a cab to his hotel, he looked around. The day was sunny and the lush green trees scattered the hills of the countryside. When he arrived into the city, the first thing he noticed was the architecture. They were tall, old-English style buildings, apartments and shops alike. He could feel a sophisticated European vibe as he continued to stare out his cab window. 
He arrived to the hotel and checked in. The President Wilson Hotel was quite a sight. It was near the coast, and the modern architecture inside was astounding. He was expecting to be picked up, so he waited in the lobby.
Henry got a call. He swiped his watch to answer.
“Hello?”
“Hey Henry, its Lloyd. What do you think of Geneva?”
“I think it’s beautiful! I love the architecture.”
“I noticed that my first time too. Hey so, I’ve sent one of the staff members to pick you up. He’s in a black SUV, and he’ll fill you in on the basics for working at the UN.”
“Sounds good, Lloyd!”
“Welcome to the team, son.”
A couple minutes later, he noticed the SUV, and walked to it. The driver’s door opened, and a short young man with white-blond hair got out to welcome Henry.
“Henry Taran!” The man said with an articulated with an English accent. “Welcome to Geneva.”
Henry shook his hand. This guy looks younger than me, he thought.
“The name is Collin,” He said as he opened up the passenger’s seat door for Henry. “I’m Lloyd Dwyer’s assistant.”
“Nice to meet you Collin.” Henry replied.
As Collin exited the Hotel driveway, he checked his holo-watch.
“So I have a list of things we have to do today. Uhh, firstly we’ll stop by the office and have you meet the team.”
“This is the US representative team for the UN, correct?”
“Yeah, but we also manage and communicate with the other ambassadors in other countries. We pretty much constantly analyze and stabilize our relations with other world powers.”
“Nice. Has it been busy recently?”
“Oh definitely. Especially with this new planetary political scene, we’ve been hiring a couple of other new specialists to analyze the Tsikkeans and represent the Americas during the planetary meetings with them.”
“Alright. Hey, Collin, I’ve looked at the job description a couple of times already, but would you mind going over exactly what I’ll be doing in all this?”
“Well Henry, it’s kind of been up in the air. Because we’ve already hired a lot of cultural specialists, the staff is involved in collaborative decisions on American policies. Considering that our job is becoming more encompassing and essential, multiple heads are better than one.”
They reached the embassy. It was a big building with hints of Greek architecture. Numerous flags of many countries circled the structure. It could almost be a US national monument, if it weren’t in Switzerland.
The stopped at the front gate. A security guard gestured on a holo-screen and the gate opened.
As the two parked and walked to the front door, Collin spoke up.
“I should probably mention that the staff might be a little hectic today.”
A little hectic was an understatement. When Collin opened the door, Henry saw a massive commotion. It was a straight hall, with offices on both sides. Papers were flying, voices were yelling, and bodies were rushing between doors.
“Woah…” Collin said in astonishment. “We’ve never been this busy before. Something must be wrong.”
Henry stared at the commotion, eyes wide. He felt slightly overwhelmed. Collin noticed this, and laughed nervously.
“Aheh, just sit tight.” Collin grabbed a moving staff member like catching a flying football. He shouted to his ear over all the noise.
“What happened here?!”
“We have a major situation with the Tsikkeans. Go talk to Lloyd for the details.”
Henry and Collin shuffled through the hallway, dodging the hurtling staff. When they reached Lloyd’s office, he was on the phone. 
“I don’t care what airspace they’ve entered, make sure no one retaliates.” He noticed his recently hired apprentice. “I’ll call you back.”
After Lloyd hung up the phone, Collin asked, in his unsteady English accent, “What’s the situation, sir?”
“Well boys, our fellow life forms from above have arrived on Earth, in mass. It’s not an invasion, from what I hear, but they are entering restricted military regions.”
Henry blinked numerous times. Henry was curious yet afraid of what could happen. A woman ran in the door.
“Sir, a new report is in,” she said, panting. “They’re at the WS3’s”
The ambassador-at-large paused, then rubbed his chin in thought.
“The WS3’s… Why?” He asked the woman.
“Not sure, I’ll keep you posted sir. Check your holo-tablet for updates.”
As the woman left the room, Henry asked,
“What are WS3’s?”
Collin responded almost instantaneously. “Weapons Storage and Security Systems. They’re facilities that protect special weapons. Developed by NATO in the late 80’s, the United States and her allies store almost all nuclear weapons there.”
Henry stood still, staring at Collin in surprise. Lloyd spoke up, as he kept refreshing his holo-tablet.
“I hate to ruin your first day Henry, but this is new ground in the history of the human race, and I need to make sure our country doesn’t step in the wrong places.”
“What could it mean?” Collin asked speculatively. "The Tsikkeans haven't visited our planet without warning since they first came here five years ago."
Henry contributed a theory bubbling in his head.
“Maybe they’ve come to study our military practices.”
“Then why would they come in mass?” Collin responded.
“I think we’re about to find out why.” Lloyd said. “Take a look.”
Lloyd stretched his tablet to a large monitor size, and played a live video report.
Shaky footage played of the alien ships above numerous nuclear factories and weapons sites around the world. The ships began to coil in mid-air when the transmission was intercepted and static appeared. Suddenly, a video of a Tsikkean in its ship played. It stared into the camera with its four dark eyes as its computerized voice began to speak.
“Humans of Earth, I am a Tsikkean representative from the Xect Interstellar Council. We have recently learned about the nature of your military development, and the council has unanimously decided that your race no longer has the need for the advanced weapons that you currently use. As a result, we have arrived to revoke your nuclear technologies for your own benefit. We will give you a chance to negotiate. You’re ambassadors have ten minutes to respond.”
Henry and Collin looked at Lloyd, whose eyes squinted in frustration. Those powerful eyebrows began to show. Mr. Dwyer pressed a button on his holo-tablet, contacting his tech team.
“Boys, get in here and hook up a conference call with the United Nations.”
Seconds later, three people with laptops and camera equipment. Lloyd sat in his desk and smiled slightly at Henry and Collin.
“You boys better enjoy watching this.”
After a few minutes of setting up the camera and tripod, a tech-guy on the laptop said,
“We’re connected. You are live with the Tsikkean representative in 5… 4…”
When the countdown reached 1, Henry turned to the screen.
Five representatives appeared below the Tsikkean footage. Captions with their name and region of representation displayed below them. Henry looked to the right corner. Lloyd Dwyer – Americas. 
“Welcome representatives.” The Tsikkean stated. “Please inform us your response.”
Lloyd spoke up first. “The United States and her allies in the Americas does not yet support this action.”
“Why?” the computerized voice boomed.
Lloyd responded, firmly. “The Earth’s balance of order has been sustained by Mutual Assured Destruction for almost a century. Countries have developed nuclear technology in order to achieve a stalemate in power.”
The representative from Asia added, “Furthermore, nuclear weapons are regulated by the United Nations, and we do not need to be revoked this responsibility from a foreign species.”
The Tsikkean calculated, turning its head. It then spoke, slowly.
“Mutual Assured Destruction is not a concept that we understand. We believe that it is a miracle that your species did not become extinct from the military rivalry of the Cold War. We do not condone the practice of international competition, and it would be a crime for us to allow you to use such practices.”
The European ambassador spoke up. “How does your species thrive, ideologically and technologically?”
“Land nations were a concept that Xect removed hundreds of years ago. As insect life forms, we thrive based on an international social contract of unity that is accepted worldwide. If your species has any hope of becoming a galactic power, you must evolve from your concepts of competition, such as nationalism and capitalism. Our objective here is to save you from the most dangerous form of human competition, nuclear warfare.”
The ambassadors paused apprehensively. Finally, the Tsikkean spoke.
“Please formulate a response that we may share with the Xect Interstellar Council.”
Lloyd glanced at Henry and Collin, then stared at the camera again.
“The Americas do not support these actions.”
The other ambassadors followed.
“Asia does not support these actions.”
“Europe supports these actions.”
Lloyd leaned in and opened his eyes in astonishment. Henry felt extremely uncomfortable by this look. He scratched his head compulsively, then listened carefully.
“Central Earth supports these actions.”
Henry clenched his jaw. He knew that the Arabian Federation had become more left-wing, but he didn’t know that they would support something like this.
“Africa abstains.”
Collin sighed, partly in relief and partly in disappointment. The alien representative spoke.
“Thank you for your response, this message will be reviewed at the XIC. It is decided that the Tsikkeans will continue with our actions until the council decides otherwise.”
“What!?” exclaimed Lloyd as he was cut off. “Ughh, all that talk for nothing.”
“Wait, they’re still taking the nukes?” Collin asked.
“Yes Collin. I guess they’re pre-emptively trying to protect us. The American public will definitely not like any of this.”
As the cameramen exited with their equipment, Henry coughed nervously. Lloyd stood from his desk and looked at him.
“Well, damn. Henry, I guess you came at a bad time. We might want to give you a tour tomorrow.”
Henry didn’t want to go back to the hotel. He spoke up.
“Sir, I’d like to stay here. I don’t have to be anyone’s burden; I just want to see how you guys operate under a situation like this.”
Collin looked at Lloyd. The aged man nodded his head.
“Very well, Henry. Stick with me for now. Things are going to get interesting.”

Henry followed Lloyd out the door. Lloyd gave a quick overview as they walked across the busy hallway.
“Our team has two offices, one in Geneva and one in New York. We sent you to this one just to see what the UN meetings are like. Considering the events that just took place, you can expect one very soon.”
“I’d imagine there will be some heated debates.” Henry mentioned, with concern.
“Definitely. I haven’t seen stances this far divided in a very long time.”
Henry waited a moment, carefully crafting his thoughts. He finally spoke.
“It’s all about foreign policy, Mr. Dwyer. There’s always a root to some opinion.”
Lloyd nodded his head at Henry, impressed. 
“I like you Henry. You will be a very valuable addition to the team.” Lloyd turned around and yelled, “Power meeting in 10!!!”
The room was silent for a slight moment, then everyone began repeating the phrase.
“Power meeting?” Henry asked.
“15 minute meetings without all the long formalities.” Lloyd responded with ease. “Short, sweet, and to the point.”
The two continued walking until they reached a door on the left, labeled “Power Room.”
It was a big room with a round table made of deep mahogany wood. Collin, who was just behind them, pressed a switch on the wall and an XL holo-tablet descended to the table surface. Henry had only seen them in the commercials. It was said to feature three dimensional presentations.
As ten minutes passed, the staff rushed in like Tetris blocks to fill the seats. Lloyd called the meeting to order.
“Alright everybody. As you may have heard, the Tsikkeans are taking our nuclear weapons, in an attempt to save us from our own path to destruction. I want a speedy report on American opinion starting now.”
At that exact moment, everyone started interacting with the XL holo-tablet. They swiped online articles and news reports they browsed to the middle of the screen. After about 60 seconds, Lloyd called out, 
“Time! Alright let’s see what we’ve got here.”
Collin tapped a few control settings and a 3D hologram of each individual article appeared above the table surface. Collin swiped through each individual one as the staff called out summaries of their chosen articles.
“The Washington Post predicts that Americans opinions of Xect is dropping.”
“Local news channels from the US and Mexico are asking citizens for their reactions. A majority of them do not approve of these actions.”
“Legislative officials have shared their opinions through Twitter. Many of them are shocked at our western Allies’ decision to support the action.”
Lloyd interrupted the reports.
“Oh and that’s another thing, can anyone tell me why Europe is supporting this? Did they forget the Enlightenment or something?”
The room was silent. There was quiet chattering, but no one really knew why the EU and Western Eurasia would have this opinion. Henry spoke up.
“Perhaps they’re looking for an alliance?”
Lloyd snapped his fingers and pointed at Henry. 
“Yes, an alliance! If they wanted to give up they’re only defenses, they’d want something in return: Tsikkean protection. How about the other world powers?”
The staff members mumbled and turned their heads to each other, searching for someone to contribute a theory. Henry’s head spun, and another theory came into his head. He grew up in ‘Central Earth,’ and he figured out how they would react.
“The Arabian Federation is a relatively new nation and the world economy does not yet recognize it as a world power, despite their position to become one.”
Collin asked, in response,
“Then why would they hold a pro-Tsikkean stance?”
“Think about it.” Said Henry. “The Tsikkean policy is against competition between nations. The Arabian Federation is being denied the benefits of our competitive economies, so they might support a very progressive view of international assimilation. Furthermore, the Federation was founded on the principles of unity, and I think they are assuming that the concept can be applied worldwide.”
The room was dead silent. Henry’s chest was beating from his lengthy monologue. Finally, Lloyd slapped the table in approval.
“Excellent prediction Henry! I want all of you to start researching any new laws, policies, and movements in those nations that contribute to his theories. Find out what they’re thinking, because we need to give the right reaction at the right time to keep this world in order.”
The group began to chatter and pull out their holo-tablets when Lloyd called out again.
“One more thing! Find out why Africa is divided on the subject. Geographically, they’re awfully close to the supporting world powers, so we need to find their sweet spot and build it from there. Meeting dismissed!”
The staff scattered, leaving Henry, Collin, and Lloyd alone in the room. Lloyd patted Henry on the back.
“That was good work, Mr. Taran! I’d like you to be my co-assistant from now on, at least until I find a different assignment for you.”
Henry was thrilled. He looked to Collin, who smiled, then back to Lloyd.
“Thank you Mr. Dwyer.”
Lloyd chuckled and left the Power Room.

Later that night, Henry was in the hotel room, unpacking his luggage. He was both exhausted and satisfied with his first day on the ambassador’s team. What a crazy day.
He sat in the mattress and pulled out his holo-tablet. He needed to tell Portia about his day. He swiped to favorite contacts, and tapped on Portia’s photo.
She answered seconds later.
“Hey Henry! How was your first day?”
Henry smiled. Portia’s voice was always a soothing sound to him.
“Portia, it was a mix between stressful and remarkable. Did you hear about the whole nuke thing today?”
“Who didn’t? Everyone was talking about it today.” Portia quickly gasped. “Were you involved in that?”
“I was in the room with the American ambassador. Isn’t that awesome?”
“Wow! That must have been scary being there while this whole thing was happening.”
“It wasn’t that bad. Were you scared?”
“More like infuriated. I can see how the aliens probably had to take our nukes based on protocol, but I don’t understand why half of the planet would back them up on doing it.”
Henry scratched his hair impulsively, and laughed nervously.
“Hahah, yeah… It was a little surprising to me too.”
“A little?” Portia asked. Henry wasn’t sure if she was serious about it, and an awkward silence lasted a few seconds. His girlfriend finally broke the ice.
“Hm... so how is Geneva?”
Henry felt relieved. Here’s something he’d like to talk about.
“Stunning. The scenery is great, and the architecture is amazing, in an antique sort of way. By contrast, the hotel is really modern, I’ll send you pictures.”
“I’d love to see them!”
“Oh also, Portia, they have an office in New York that I’ll start working at, so we don’t have to move.”
“That’s great.”
The two chatted for a few more minutes before they began to say their goodbyes.
“Well,” Henry said. “I have a lot of busy UN meetings to go to these next few days, I better get my sleep.”
“OK, baby.” Portia said, with an angelic tone. "Have a wonderful sleep, and go show those big politicians in the morning what the amazing Mr. Taran can do.”
“Goodbye, honey.”
Henry heard his companion say ‘bye bye’ as he hung up the call. He immediately crashed on the pillow.

At the UN meetings, Henry watched as debates sparked between representatives. Whenever a discussion started to get heated, he would turn to the Secretary-General, Elizabeth Rivera, and each time felt a little sorrier for her. This conflict began to show a new significant divide in political ideology, proving that, even in times of great advancement, humans can still find something to bicker about.
But as time went on, Henry found out that this issue wasn’t just something politicians only bickered about. 
He spent the early part of November back in New York researching the debate of pro and anti Tsikkean support. He found that his theories for Europe and the Middle East were correct. The EU and Arabian Federation leaders and social figures began to voice their interests in strengthening Earth-Xect relations. They called themselves supporters of “universal interventionism.”
On the other hand, Asian and American countries saw a rise in Tsikke disapproval, particularly by business experts and conservative politicians. They claimed that the Tsikkean ideology does not mix with the current international system of competition and capitalism. Supporting the ‘most natural route’ for advancement on Earth, for Earth citizens only, these people described their opinions as a redefined “humanism.”
Henry was taking notes as he watched his television monitor. It was an interview between two representatives from Africa, a continent which remained divided over the issue. The delegates at first spoke in a sophisticated manner.
“Personally, I hold the opinion that Tsikkeans may have an understanding of our race that we cannot see from our own perspective,” the representative from West Africa stated. “…and that could be very useful to us.” 
“The deliberate actions that the Tsikke are taking aren’t examples of them helping us understand more about ourselves.” the South African representative refuted. “These actions are defying our international world order, and we don’t want them to spin things out of our control.”
"But its not about our international relations anymore. The countries of the world have to become unified in planetary opinion in order for us to have any hopes as a intergalactic species. Imagine the possibilities!"
"You can't just throw out the balance of world power like it’s worth nothing. Half of the nations on Earth don't want us to completely ally with each other, let alone with aliens. We've been doing perfectly fine with a capitalist economy and a military stalemate. If these 'Tsikkeans' take that away, then what will we have left?"
Henry watched the two carry on their debate like a ping pong match, getting more intense as the game progressed.
“Humanists like myself understand that to put our fate into a foreign species would be too risky to keep a stable society. We just encountered them a few years ago.”
“Another point there, sir: the term ‘humanism’ is highly overrated. That term was used in the past before, and it was in the context of religious independence. These aliens are not gods, we don’t treat them like gods.”
“Oh you don’t? That old idea of divine interventionism follows a similar ideological path to yours, why does the term ‘universal’ any different?”
At that point, Henry switched the channel. He knew bringing religion into the discussion would always end badly.
He began to get up from his sofa when he glanced again at the television screen. He had switched to a Discovery channel episode of bug wars. There were two insects, an ant and a spider, wrestling. The larger, hostile spider latched its arms on the ant’s body and began to spin it in a web. The spider had the upper hand until another ant came by and stung the spider’s abdomen, injecting its toxic venom into its system. The spider squirmed and positioned itself into an attacking stance when Henry turned it off. What an exciting brawl, he thought. 
He walked from the living room to the kitchen, where Portia was stirring up some vegetables into a salad for lunch.
“Find out anything new, honey?” She asked.
“Not much.” He said with melancholy. “People are starting to get more heated about this whole thing.”
“I can imagine so,” Portia replied. “Especially if you’re in a position like that, it seems like the whole fate of the world depends on your idea.”
“Yeah…” Henry mumbled, looking down at the hard wood floor. Then where does that put me? he thought.
Portia, as if reading his mind, stopped what she was doing and turned to him. She put her arms around his neck.
“It must be hard for you to be in the middle of this thing.”
“It’s not a big deal.” Henry wasn’t sure if he said that on impulse or if he meant it. He chuckled lightly.
Portia tilted her head, examining deep into Henry’s eyes. The two had a short moment of serenity until an incoming call buzzed his pocket. He pulled his holo-tablet out and checked the contact.
Dad.
He swiped to answer. Portia went back to the kitchen.
“Hey dad!”
“Hi son. How is the new job?”
“It’s great, really exciting stuff.”
“I can probably guess that it’s very busy, considering… recent events.”
Henry shook off the awkward moment of silence. The call wasn’t about politics.
“Definitely, but I’m sure it’ll tone down in a few weeks. How is?”
“They’re doing well. Your brother got a part-time job at the local newspaper.”
“That’s great.” Henry looked at the time on his smart watch. 1:30 PM.
“Hey Henry, I was wondering if you’d like to visit us next week. I get that you might be busy, but Thanksgiving is coming up. Even though that’s not really a celebrated holiday over here, it would be great to see you then.”
Henry glanced out the window. The New York skyscrapers in the distance reached out to the grey cloudy sky. He was getting tired of the busy streets of the Big Apple, although Ahvaz wasn’t really that different from American cities. He decided that he should see his family.
“I probably could get work off for a few days to visit. I’ll talk to Portia, we’d love to come. I’ll update you.”
“Great son. Hope to see you soon!”
“Same with you. Bye dad.”
Within the next hour, Henry talked to Portia, who decided to come. She had never seen Henry’s home town before, so she thought of it as a nice addition to their relationship. Henry called Lloyd to get a couple of days off, which his boss graciously gave, then booked the plane tickets about 3 days in advance.
When the couple was waiting at the terminal, Henry was browsing the internet for fun facts. He nudged his girlfriend.
“Hey did you know that the fire ant is named from its alkaloid venom sting? It causes a burning sensation, hence the name.”
“Huh,” Portia said, showing minimal interest. Henry smiled. I guess I’m the only one interested in venom, he thought.
When they arrived in Ahvaz, Henry began to give a tour through time. As they drove their rental car through the city streets and suburban blocks, he would always recognize and point out a moment of his upbringing in a nostalgic mixture of suffering and joy. 
“That’s the park where my dad and Emran Adil preached to the townspeople about the way of the Wahii.”
Portia stared with intent, absorbing Henry’s experiences.
Henry continued to recall these moments of his past when he noticed a change. There were new buildings, restaurants where markets used to be, hotels instead of temples. There were a lot more metro stops. The city was livelier than before, and Henry hadn’t seen it like this before. 
He soon realized that he lived through the years of terrorist oppression and the years of religious revolution, but never had he seen the actual long-term effects of the revolution. The Federation was founded when he was in college, so he really had no idea what it was like to live in the new large nation. Henry wasn’t sure what to think of this.
He soon forgot about this when the two reached the Taran family house. So much happened here, the memories flooded his mind. 
Pulling himself out of the daze, he parked in the driveway and honked his horn twice. As the couple exited the car, three people leaked through the front door. Henry froze and got a good look at his family.
His dad looked much older, with grayer hairs and wrinkled skin. As an advisor for the new nation of the Middle East, the man’s job might just be more stressful than Henry’s.
His younger brother was almost unrecognizable. Ahki lost that youthful complexion that Henry remembered. His angled jaw and wide shoulders showed that the young boy was now a young man.
His older sister was fairly different too. Throughout their childhood, Isabel’s dark hair was straight, always tied in a single ponytail. Now it was curly, and it freely fell on her shoulders. 
He walked up to the front steps. He was nervous. It’s been five years, he thought. Don’t do anything stupid.
As he hugged his sister and less-passionately hugged his brother, his dad shook hands with Portia. Henry then introduced the brother and sister to his girlfriend and vice-versa.
“So nice to meet you all.” Portia said, gleaming. “Henry has been talking about a trip for some time.”
“It’s nice to meet you too.” Henry’s father replied. He turned to Henry. “Your siblings were quite excited to see you as well!”
Henry smiled. It was nice to know that, even in these changing times, his family still thought of him.
“Come on in,” said Ahki, gesturing. “We have some snacks and drinks.”
“Maybe they want to lie down after that long flight.” Isabel said to Ahki, with a subtle attitude. She turned to Portia. “Are you guys tired? You can lie down if you want.”
“I think we’re fine.” Henry said. “It was only a four hour flight.”
As the group went inside, Henry noticed a small ant on the doorstep. He walked over it, letting it be.

Henry and Portia had a great time over the next few days. The family showed them new attractions in Ahvaz, including a large, upscale mall and a movie theater that showed films from around the world. Things really have changed, Henry thought.
On the last day, the group went to see the new government buildings. Henry’s dad first gave a tour of his building. It was a large building of Middle Eastern architecture. There were numerous pillars surrounding the circular structure which contained many hallways with curved ceilings.
“In these rooms,” Henry’s dad said in a theatrical tone. “A group of political reformers drafted the constitution of the Arabian Federation. Inspired by the European Union, we made a foundation of human rights and multicultural harmony.”
Henry was surprised. He didn’t know that his own father was a founding father.
“We set up a two branch government with checks and balances. So far, a majority of the politicians here are universal interventionists.”
Henry felt a slight itch on the back of his neck. He looked to Portia, who glanced at him with a slight grimace.
“Henry,” Ahki said with curiosity. “You went to the UN meetings in Geneva, right? Did you meet the Federation’s representatives?”
“Ah, I did not, brother.” Henry responded with a sympathetic tone. “I’ll be sure to talk to them at some point.”
“I met them once.” Ahki said. “They’re pretty inspiring people.”
Henry knew that one of those delegates represented Central Earth during the nuclear incident. He tried to divert the subject.
“So, dad, what was it like to bring the nations of the Middle East together?”
That got him talking for a little while. Henry’s main concern was to not bring international politics under discussion, for Portia’s sake. The group strolled out of the building.

After the group came home after a long day of walking, the men sat at the dinner table while Isabel taught Portia some Arabian food recipes in the kitchen.
After a few minutes of silence, Henry’s dad got up. 
“Oh I forgot, I have to make a work call, be back in about ten minutes.”
Ahki and Henry nodded then simultaneously took a sip of water from their cups. It was an awkward moment. Ahki broke the ice.
“So, Henry, I’d like to know something, out of pure curiosity.”
“Sure, ask away.” Henry knew that Ahki was always a contemplative boy as a kid. I guess he didn’t grow out of that, Henry thought.
“Were you involved in that nuclear weapons ‘crisis’?”
Ahki put air quotes with his fingers around crisis with a slightly cocky attitude. Henry’s neck began to itch.
“Uhh, yeah. I was actually in the room with the American representative.”
Ahki widened his eyes and blinked, nodding slowly.
“Oh really? Tell me this, why was that guy so… inclined to be against the weapons regulation?”
Is that what they’re calling it? Henry thought. He avoided eye contact, staring at his water glass.
“Well, um, I think he was just trying to protect the American people’s interests. You know how protective they are of their weapons, haha.”
Henry nervously laughed. Ahki did not think it was funny and squinted his eyes at him. His little brother then sighed and took a sip from his glass of water.
“The whole culture over there is too conservative for my tastes. That whole Cold War thing was so long ago, why would we ever need those nukes?”
Henry was slightly annoyed at this ignorance of history. As he formulated a response, the itch on his neck grew hotter.
“You do know that the ‘whole Cold War thing’ was one of the major causes of those numerous conflicts here in the early 2000’s, right?”
Ahki laughed, rebelliously.
“Yeah, but we’ve moved on from that, unlike those Americans. Things have changed around here.”
Henry’s neck was burning. He tried not to think about the whole political issue.
After a few seconds of silence, Ahki quietly remarked, “But I guess you wouldn’t know anything about that.”
Henry locked his gaze directly into his brother’s eyes. Those eyes, almost red from defiance.
“Brother,” Henry tried to speak slowly and calmly, but anger was leaking through. “That’s hurtful. What is your problem?”
“There’s no problem,” Ahki said, slightly raising his pitch. “I’m just trying to point out that you don’t know what it’s like to live here anymore.”
Henry’s jaw clenched. That itch was becoming unbearable.
“We both grew up here together, Ahki.”
“Yeah,” his brother snapped. “And you left to go to a ‘prestigious school’ in America. Dad would never stop talking about you for months.”
“Just because I left for America doesn’t mean I’m still not your brother.”
“All those years you were the star of the Taran family. Isabel didn’t have your ‘ambition for excellence’ or whatever.”
Henry glanced at the kitchen, and hoped that Portia and Isabel couldn’t hear. He tried to take deep breaths.
Ahki kept going, raising his voice and sharpening his words. “Of course, I soon realized that I don’t need a degree from an American school or have an American girlfriend to be true to our family. The Taran name was built hear, in the beast of Arabia!”
Henry was shocked and slightly confused. “Are you implying that I’m not true to our family?”
Ahki deepened his voice, eyes dark with anger. “I’m implying that you don’t belong in Ahvaz anymore.”
Henry slammed the table. The water spun in the glasses. It looked like the water would spin forever. He sharply whispered, “I have had enough of this.”
Henry stormed out the living room and onto the front lawn.
Eyes watering, Henry stared endlessly at the night sky. He wasn’t sure what hurt him the most, the blow to his cultural identity or the fact that his brother turned against him. He remembered all of the fights he and Ahki used to have as kids. He never thought it would turn into this.
After what seemed like hours, he felt soft arms reach around his waist from behind. Portia?
He turned around. It was his sister, with a concerned look on her face.
“Why do you cry, little brother?” 
Henry wiped the tears from his cheeks. 
“Things have changed in Ahvaz, sister.” He said, with a quivering voice. “I’m not sure if I belong here anymore.”
“Henry,” his sister whispered, calmly. “We may have different political beliefs, and we may live in different cultures, but that doesn’t change the past that we share together.”
Henry remembered Isabel as a quiet older sister who followed whatever fun mischiefs Henry and Ahki were up to. Whenever the boys were down, she would always find a way to lift their spirits.
Isabel slowly grasped Henry's shoulders and said, “Little brother, you can make it through this dinner. You can think about this issue later. For now, just enjoy the last moments of this reunion. OK?”
Henry nodded, took a deep breath, and followed Isabel into the house.
Portia and Henry’s father were setting up the table. Ahki was typing something on his holo-tablet. He still looked irritated. 
When the family was about to eat, Isabel whispered to Ahki in Arabic, “Put it away.”
Ahki put the holo-tablet into his pocket and glared at Henry. He knew that look, and could tell that his little brother was up to something. 
The next twenty minutes of eating were filled with silence, aside from little talks between Portia and Henry’s dad. Henry’s itch was still there.
After dinner, Henry and Portia immediate went to the bedroom to get a good night’s rest before the flight the next day. 
“Was something wrong today?” Portia asked, as she packed up the luggage. “You were awfully quiet during dinner.”
Lying on the bed, Henry sighed. 
“Let’s just say brother has... changed.”
Henry didn’t want to mention that it was about politics, but Portia could already tell.
“Well, don’t think about the whole ‘interventionist’ thing. It’s probably just a phase these people are having.”
These people? Henry thought. That comment didn’t really ease his mind. 
Portia joined Henry on the mattress.
“Don’t worry about it, sugar.” She said softly. “We’ll leave Ahvaz very soon.”
Soon she was sound asleep. Henry stared into the ceiling. 
Suddenly his neck was burning hot. He felt it with his fingers and rubbed over a small bump.
It was an ant bite.

The next morning Ahki was gone. 
“He has a very busy job at the Ahvaz newspaper.” His father explained. 
“I understand.” Henry replied as he packed the luggage into the car.
Isabel was at the door, saying goodbye to Portia. When Henry’s dad put the last bag in the car trunk, the two girls walked toward the rental car. 
Henry caught a glance at Isabel, who was smiling. The two hugged. She was happy, so he was happy.
Finally, he turned to his dad, who patted him on the back.
“I’m proud of you, son. You’ve proven to be a hard-working and all around good man.”
“Thanks dad.” Henry felt proud, but then remembered his brother’s comments.
His father pulled him aside, a couple of feet away from Isabel and Portia.
“Listen, Henry. I know that Ahki might have some issues with the Americas, and I understand his concerns. Given recent events, our country might not be as… respected over there.”
Henry stared at his dad, puzzled.
“Son, if you run into any trouble in the US, at work or around town, just call me.”
Henry understood his concern.
“Sure dad. I will.”
The aged man nodded and gestured to the car.
“Well then, off you go. It was good to see you.”
“You too, dad!” Henry said as he got in the front seat.
On the drive to the airport, he looked around at the city dwellers. They stared back.

A few days later, Henry parked in the New York UN Headquarters' driveway when he got a notification. A text from Portia read, You might want to check the news about the Arab Fed.
Henry rushed into the office and found Lloyd’s room. Lloyd’s eyes were glued to his holo-tablet. He glanced at Henry then stretched the display to show him.
“Look here.”
Henry watched. It was a special address from the Arabian Federation Government. The speaker, who represented the Federation’s senate, stood on a podium in front of many news cameras. He spoke in Arabic while English subtitles appeared below him.
“About 4 days ago, an article from the Ahvaz News Agency caught the attention of the Arabian people. This article was titled ‘A Human Duty’, written by Ahki Taran.”
Henry’s eyes widened as he leaned in towards Lloyd’s desk.
“Mr. Taran wrote a passionate article exploring the political significance of our species’ future. He wrote that, much like the founding of this great nation, the world must let go of the cultural stigmas holding it back from true advancement. Ahki said that this advancement lies in the hands of the Tsikke.”
“That is ridiculous.” Lloyd commented. Henry listened in as the speaker continued.
“Ahki also added in a section in regards to his brother, Henry Taran, the American ambassador for the United Nations.”
Lloyd looked at Henry. Henry felt his heart sink.
“He said that, quote, ‘the Americans stole my brother, and turned him into an antique, a believer in the ways of the past, and we must not give in to the same fate.’ We here at the Senate agree.”
“What?!” Henry exclaimed, putting his hands in his hair. He could not believe this was happening.
“The people of the Arabian Federation have sent us this article in overwhelming numbers, and have spoken in support of Mr. Taran’s call to action. As a result, we will be sending delegates to our European and African allies to help establish a new world alliance under the supervision of the United Nations. We will also be enacting sanctions against the United States and China as long as they continue to support the political interests of the anti-progress ‘humanists.’ If you are not with us on this, you are against us. We hope that Asia and America will reconsider their stances on our Tsikkean allies, for it is our human duty to support the advancement of all. Thank you, may the beast of Arabia stand strong.”
“My God, sanctions?!?” Lloyd cried. “Collin!”
Collin ran into the room. Lloyd shrunk the holo-tablet and dialed a number, saying “I’m going to contact the President; I need you to encrypt the call.”
“Right away sir,” Collin said, pulling out his own holo-tablet.
The two left the room. Henry stood there, staring at where the screen was. 
“It’s all my fault…” he whispered to himself. He couldn’t believe that his brother would unleash such hateful words against him and America. 
He clenched his fists until he could feel his own pulse. He could feel his face get hot as blood rushed through his veins.
I have to fix it, he thought. 
Step 1: stop that “new world alliance.”
He went through the door and rushed to the secretary’s office. A woman was filing some papers.
“I need to speak with the UN Secretary-General.” Henry demanded. 
The woman looked at Henry curiously, and said “I’ll see what I can do, check your holo-tablet for the call in a minute.”
Alright, Henry thought. He walked down the hallway when he was stopped by Lloyd’s hand.
“Henry, you don’t have to work here today, I can let you take the day off.” Lloyd said with sympathetic eyes.
“No sir, I’m fine. Really.” Henry said. He wasn’t sure if he meant it.
His holo-tablet buzzed, and he pulled it out of his pocket. 
Elizabeth Rivera.
He went into his own office and swiped to begin the call. As it rang, he recollected his thoughts. Stop this alliance before it starts. Henry knew that he wasn’t doing this out of American interests. This was about keeping international peace stable.
“Hello, who is this?” a stern female voice answered.
“Secretary-General, this is Henry Taran, I am a member of the American representative team for the United Nations, and I am calling on behalf of recent news regarding the Arabian Federation’s recent address.”
“I just finished seeing that. Wait, you are the brother that article was talking about, right?”
Henry’s palms became sweaty from nervousness. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Well, Mr. Taran, please tell me your concern.”
“Ms. Secretary-General, I would like to say that a strengthening in the alliance between the Arabian Federation, Europe, and North Africa would prove to be very dangerous for the world order.”
“Henry, they are not doing anything illegal in doing so. Treaties between the Middle East and Europe are a rare thing, you know.”
“Yes, but you and I both know that the United States will feel threatened by the growing interests of the universal interventionists!”
“Henry, I alone cannot stop this alliance from taking place.”
Henry’s mind raced. He realized that if Elizabeth stopped the talks, it would add more aggression between the two parties. Suddenly, he came up with a new idea.
“Ms. Rivera, I don’t ask for you to forcefully prevent it from happening, but instead I’d like for you to propose that America, China, and South Africa be involved in the talks as well.”
“Hmm, that just sounds like a recipe for more conflict.”
Henry stared at his desk. That may be true, he thought. But it’s a risk I’m willing to make.
“Trust me, Ms. Rivera, it would be preventing an even greater conflict. Plus, the whole intent of the alliance was a ‘world order,’ am I right?”
“You do have a point, Mr. Taran. I will talk with the representatives from China and South Africa and if their interests would agree.”
“Thank you Ms. Rivera.”
As soon as Henry hung up the call, he felt a lingering fear in his heart. It crawled underneath his skin and ate away at conscience.  He was sweating. He hadn’t felt this kind of pressure before.
Henry got up from his desk and looked around for Collin. Surely he could help Henry sort all this out.
A hand gripped his shoulder. “Mr. Taran.”
Henry turned. It was Lloyd, but his face was a little distressed, eyes wider than usual. Those eyebrows showed their edge. 
“Y-yes, sir?” Henry stammered.
“Our secretary Martha back there told me that you just called Elizabeth Rivera.” Lloyd said with a heavy tone.
Why did I do that without asking him first? Henry thought. I have to say something.
“I did, sir.” Henry said. The hallway became more quiet as his coworkers began to look at him.
Lloyd looked around. “Let’s talk in my office.”
Henry nodded and followed his employer. Lloyd sat in his office chair and Henry sat in a chair opposite to the desk. It felt like going to the principal’s office when he was in grade school.
“Look, I understand that this might be a shock to you, with your brother and everything,” Lloyd stated with sympathy. “but I need you to tell me why you just called the Secretary-General of the UN.”
Henry formulated the reasoning for his actions in his head. I have to say this right, he thought.
“Sir.” Henry said assertively. “I contacted Ms. Rivera to express my concern over the talks with the Middle East and Europe.”
“We’re all concerned about it, what was your point?” Lloyd interrogated Henry,
“I proposed to get China, the US, and South Africa involved.”
There was a silence as Lloyd studied Henry, showing hints of approval. He’s still apprehensive, Henry thought.
“Mr. Lloyd, I think that if the US is to remain a respectable country, negotiation would be the best and safest plan of action.”
Lloyd raised his eyebrows. Henry could sense that the man was considering his option.
“Well, Henry, I have a question.” Lloyd said, leaning forward. “Perhaps you’d like to explain how we are going to justify our involvement in these affairs with other countries?”
Henry thought about this one. He knew that there would be a few isolationists who would support inaction, but he knew that, if the talks are successful, an overwhelming majority would call for peace.
“Firstly,” Henry began, connecting the words as he went along. “We should say that these talks intend to lay our international issues on the table and approach the situation with the Tsikkeans with caution, in order to evolve and protect our national interests.”
Lloyd looked at Henry with one eyebrow down, as if expecting something else.What else, what else, Henry thought. 
Oh wait, he needs to know my commitment! 
“And also,” Henry continued. “I will take full responsibility for the talks involving the US. I’ll assist the representatives, I’ll respond to the media, whatever. I am willing to take that risk.”
Lloyd smiled. “Those are the words I wanted to hear, because from now on, I am promoting you to US ambassador for the United Nations.”
Henry almost jumped out of his seat from shock. Eyes wide, he pushed back in his chair, gripping its metallic handles.
“W-what sir?” stammered Henry.
“That’s right. You WILL take responsibility for this, because I think you are very qualified to do so.”
Henry stared at Lloyd. In disbelief, he felt his jaw start to drop. Closing it, Henry sat upright, blinking compulsively.
Is this a joke? He thought. He’s talking so sincerely! 
“You won’t be alone, because I’m going to send you to these talks, and I’m going to help you prepare for them.”
Wow, Henry thought, adjusting his seat. It’s no joke. I’m an ambassador now. Where do I start?
An avalanche of questions began to bury his mind, so he began with the most important.
“So, as UN ambassadors,” Henry began slowly. “We have to talk with the leaders and representatives of any and all countries…”
Lloyd chuckled. “Yes, that’s right.”
Henry picked up speed in his thoughts. “For the good of the US?”
“For the good of the US.” Lloyd repeated, amusedly.
“Well.” Henry said, collecting the thoughts of his recently scattered mind. “Where will we begin?”
“I’ll give you a bit of diplomatic training over the next few weeks.” Lloyd said, in his formal tone. “Then we’ll research and review over possible outcomes, important topics of American interest, all that good stuff.”
Mind racing, Henry nodded slowly.
Smiling, Lloyd asked calmly, “Are you ready?”

“Are you ready, Henry?”
Henry was sitting in a large conference room. There were grey walls and a dark red carpet covered the floor. The room had a few doors, protected by security guards. A single window brought in the moonlight, which was lost in the almost blinding ceiling lamps. Henry’s chair was one of seven which surrounded a circular marble table.
“Henry, wake up!” A voice yelled in his earpiece. “Are you ready?”
Henry snapped out of his daze. 
“Yes, Lloyd.” Henry whispered, checking his watch. 
It was 5:50 PM on January 21, almost two months after Henry was promoted to ambassador status. In those two months, he spent most of his time with Lloyd and the team, researching everything he might have needed to know in preparation for this meeting.
He looked around the table. He memorized who would be here. The universal interventionist regions were to his right: European Union representative Allen Hawthorne, Arabian Federation representative Daya Johari, and West African representative Yonas Dashik. The humanist regions were to his left: Heng Xing and Lea Rashidi, the Chinese and South African representatives, respectively. Henry, of course, represented the humanist United States of America.
The seventh seat across from him was the main attraction: the Tsikkean representative of the alien planet Xect. Henry did not know its name, and tried not to look directly at it.
“Alright, let’s review. What are America’s international interests?”
Henry responded almost immediately, soft enough for nobody to hear. 
“We want Central Earth and Europe to drop the sanctions; we want stronger representation in future meetings, without associating with continents farther from the two Americas; we want fewer regulations on trade with African regions.”
“Nice,” Lloyd quickly approved. “What can America offer?”
Henry spoke mechanically, as if he memorized foreign policy on flash cards.
“We will offer financial packages to allies in Asia and South Africa; we can further supply American engineers to ESTA, as long as they are not forced to collaborate with Tsikkeans.”
“Well spoken.” Lloyd replied. “Alright, what if things go sour?”
Henry didn’t like this part. He hoped he would never have to use these tactics.
“We will cut funding from ESTA entirely; we will continue to advance our military program with minimal supervision; uhhhh…”
Henry forgot the last one.
“And we will begin talks of military alliance with Asia and South Africa.” Lloyd said. “Don’t worry, Henry. The only thing you have to worry about is that Tsikkean.”
Despite the many years of contact between the two species, humans had found out very little about Tsikkean history and politics. Henry knew that they evolved in a harsh environment of massive species competition unlike any habitat on Earth, but that was about it. He planned on making observations during the meeting.
“The meeting is about to start.” Lloyd said. “Make sure to check your watch for messages from me.”
“Alright.” Henry whispered. He looked at the cameras set up around the table. The world will be able to see how this meeting goes.  He felt his palms sweat.
“Hey,” Lloyd said in an encouraging tone. “Don’t get too stressed. Just pretend that it’s like the City Council. No big deal.”
But Henry knew it was a big deal. This wasn’t just any meeting of the continents; the Earth had been distressed by conflict and controversy. It was up to him to bring back the balance, or face the possibility of war. The idea disturbed him. He shook his head slightly to let go of that latching worry. His job was to represent the American people, and nothing else.
He checked his watch. 5:59.
“OK, Henry.” Lloyd said. “I’m going to go. Good luck, you’ll do great.”
As the call was dropped, he observed the other members of the table. They looked serious, prepared for this meeting that can decide the fate of the human race. All the cards were here, and Henry hoped that he could deal his right.
The Arabian Federation representative Daya stood up.
“It is 6 PM on January 23, 2031. This meeting has been organized under the supervision of the United Nations. The Arabian Federation is willing to discuss any and all international issues as we address the formation of a world alliance to defend the future of the human race. All those in favor of these conditions, please say ‘aye’.”
Henry heard ‘ayes’ from the six other representatives, including himself and the computerized voice of the Tsikkean.
“Let’s begin,” Daya said, sitting down. “The Arabian Federation will issue a treaty of an economic, political, and military nature. I hope that as many countries as possible will be able to sign it. My first proposal for this treaty is the official recognition of Xect as a planetary ally. Would anyone like to discuss this?”
“The Tsikkeans are willing to offer as much as the human race is willing to accept. We have calculated that our academic capabilities are at least 500 years ahead of your time, and we are willing to give the human race this intellectual property with a price.” The Tsikkean expressed.
“What kind of price?” Henry asked. I need to get information from him, he thought.
The Tsikkean stared at Henry with his four dark, cold eyes. Henry could see its mandibles and teeth covered by its dark mouthpiece.
“Your species will be able to decide this in due time. If we are to have an alliance,” the Tsikkean expressed, turning to every representative. “It must be strong. We do not want such an investment to go to waste.”
The Tsikkean was hard to read. No emotion in its voice, no expression on its face. Henry stared at it as the people around him continued discussing.
“An alliance must also be built on trust.” the Chinese representative Heng stated.  “Given your recent actions against our nuclear technologies, I doubt your capacity for the trust of an alliance.”
The Tsikkean stared at the representative, calculating.
“We considered the revoking of your weapons of mass destruction as an action to save your species from annihilation. Since we do not have a similar understanding of military practices, we will avoid any collaboration in arms within the near future.”
Henry was relieved with this. No future weapons were being handled, thankfully.
Lea Rashidi from South Africa spoke up. “How will Earth Space Travel Association continue to be in operation under this new treaty? America is willing to continue funding and supplying more engineers on certain conditions.”
EU representative Hawthorne responded. “I suggest that we dismantle ESTA and begin with a new space travel program under this new treaty, and under more Tsikkean supervision.”
No! Henry thought. ESTA is one of the key pieces holding the nations of the world together. He was just about to object when he got a notification on his watch. It was a message from Lloyd.
Don’t refuse this, Americans want to reestablish NASA.
Henry’s jaw clenched. He realized that the American interests would get in the way of international peace. But he had to play his part.
“I approve of this.” Henry said. He knew it was a blatant lie.
Half an hour passed as the group continued on the topic of economics. Henry continued to feel uncomfortable with his part. He realized that all the things he researched about in American opinion were perpetuating the political divide. He hated it.
“I think we should take a break, don’t you?” Henry asked the group, concealing his discomfort.
The representatives nodded and mumbled among themselves. Daya stood up, saying, “Very well. Let’s regroup in five minutes.”
Everyone stood up and split off to different parts of the room. Henry got a message from Lloyd: Don’t waste this time, talk to the American allies.
Henry looked at the Chinese and South African representatives. He didn’t want to feed the flames of aggression. What can I do? Henry thought, as he frantically looked around the room for a possible solution.
He saw the Tsikkean, slowly strolling around the table. Henry walked towards the alien, making sure not to intimidate it. 
As Henry inched closer to the Tsikkean, he saw the abnormal biology that the creature was comprised of. Underneath all that armor was that orange hard exoskeleton, a smooth shell that coated the Tsikke’s appearance. The resemblance to an ant was uncanny, if it weren’t for the tentacle-like ‘hands.’ 
Trying to walk around the huge Tsikk legs, he sneaked up to the Tsikkean’s line of sight, stopping it in its path. Henry tried to say something to begin a conversation. 
“So, what are some impressions you have on our species?”
The Tsikkean stared at Henry, who was trying to maintain a cool face. God, this is terrifying, Henry thought, to be this close to a Tsikkean.
“We believe that your species pays too much attention to sentiment.” The Tsikkean responded. “As insect beings, our survival depended on knowledge in pure utility. Your mammalian devotion to personal connections would have no place in our habitat.”
Henry began to put the dots together. He suggested an idea to the Tsikkean.
“Perhaps you’re right, and with this devotion to personal connection, humans typically have an animosity towards anything that opposes this connection. It has been directed to different things in the past, between tribes, religions, and even ethnicities.”
The Tsikkean slightly turned its head, observing Henry. 
“Your society is more dysfunctional than I had previously thought.” It said coldly.
Henry’s watch buzzed. Lloyd texted, What are you doing? Henry shut off the notifications. 
“That may be true, but there is something to be learned here.” Henry said, inquisitively. “Right now, a lot of people see you as the enemy, because you pose a threat to our present international connection. If this aggression continues, you might not even have a species to ally. I suggest that you trust in us to decide on your involvement here on Earth.”
The Tsikkean stared at Henry then looked outside the window. The moon was shining; it’s white light clear as ever.
“Perhaps not on Earth then.” The Tsikkean said, entranced by the light.
What? Henry thought. He looked out the window. What could it be thinking?
Daya Johari walked back to the table.
“Our five minute break is over.” She called to the group. “Please return to your seats.”
Everyone sat in their respective seats except for the Tsikkean. It continued to stare out the window.
“Is everything alright?” Daya asked the creature.
The Tsikkean quickly turned to the group.
“I have a proposal.” The Tsikkean said, still standing. “This new space program’s first initiative should be to provide us with a scout colony on your moon.”
Henry almost couldn’t comprehend the words when the Tsikkean said this. It was a bizarre concept, unlike anything he had ever thought of. He played the words over in his head.
As soon as he understood the claim, a shiver of ice ran down his spine.
“No…” He whispered to himself. This would be horrible; did the Tsikkean understand nothing that he told him? If Xect makes a stronghold on the moon, hell would break loose. Universal Interventionists would call it protection; the Humanists would call it oppression.
“It takes a lot of energy to travel to and from the end of the Milky Way, and we would use this outpost as an opportunity to remain in contact with Earth while not interfering with human society.”
The representatives from Universal Interventionist regions agreed wholeheartedly that this would be the most productive path.
Henry wasn’t sure what to do next. He hadn’t prepared for anything like this. He turned back on the notifications to see what Lloyd thought. His watch screen filled with notifications.
Back out, call off US involvement.
Things are about to go sour, use those tactics we trained!
The American people need you to denounce this offer now.
Henry stared at the messages. Seconds of panic felt like minutes of torture.
No, he thought, looking back up. As an ambassador for the UN, I must keep these superpowers together.
“America will abstains; business will continue as usual.”
Henry discovered that the words he uttered will have drastic consequences back home. He glanced at the Chinese and South African representatives, who glared at Henry. They then voiced that they would reduce funding, but still support the mission.
Henry felt odd. He created a compromise, but he didn’t really feel as triumphant as he used to. He may have only delayed the inevitable. He may have done nothing to ease tensions. Only time could tell the results of this agreement.
Lloyd’s message read on his watch: What have you done? 
Henry’s mind was racing as the group finalized their decisions. He knew that the Tsikke posed no military threat to the Earth; he could use that as a response to criticism.
The next thing he knew, the meeting ended. He stayed in his chair as the ambassadors left. He looked up to the window. The moon stared back at Henry, unmoving.

Henry got a call as he was driving home. He swiped to answer.
“Hey Henry.” A familiar voice said.
“Oh, hi Evan! How is it going?” Henry asked. He hadn’t talked to Evan in a few months, and he wanted someone to distract him from all of these international problems.
“I’m actually not doing too well, Henry.” Evan said, with worry in his tone. “Everybody is talking about what you did today… and they’re not too happy about it.”
Henry expected this, but something lingered in his mind. He felt stuck between two sides of the world.
“Well.” Henry said. “I did what I thought was right for the American people.”
“I know that Henry.” Evan said with a little frustration. “But the American people want to stay to Humanist principles. And if that means opposing the rest of the world, that’s the risk they’re willing to make.”
Henry pulled over. It was dark out, and Henry could barely see the stars.
“Evan, you’re my pal.” Henry said. “You know that I don’t intend to make things any worse.”
Henry could hear Evan sigh. 
“Henry, I worry for you. People around me have been threatening you.”
Henry could feel the gravity of his decisions.
“I-It’s probably nothing.” Henry stammered, quietly.
“I’m not sure, man.” Evan said apprehensively. “The internet is booming with hate forums on your decision. People are calling it an abysmal mistake on your part.”
Henry was silent. He didn’t know he would get so much criticism to give in to the Tsikkean proposal.
“Henry, I’ve got to go.” Evan said after a minute of silence. “Please be careful out there.”
Henry continued driving after Evan hung up. He got another call. 
“Hello?” Henry said after he swiped to accept the call.
“Hey, Henry. It’s Lloyd.”
Henry didn’t say anything. He knew that he ignored Lloyd’s help and that he was probably unfit to be an ambassador in his mentor’s eyes.
“Look.” Lloyd’s dry voice said. “I’m not mad at you for what you did. You took responsibility for this meeting and you will see the consequences of your actions. As an ambassador, I can say nothing to you. But as a friend, I can only warn you. Things are about to get more stressful. I’ve heard rumors of hate mail and even death threats coming your way.”
Henry remained silent, not out of defiance, but out of fear. He looked out the window.  The night was getting darker.
“I trust that you know how to be cautious in such circumstances.” Lloyd said, before hanging up.
The night was at its darkest, illuminated only by the dim streetlights that led to his house. Henry’s mind felt like this, jumping from one hope to another in a world of blackness. Was there any destination?
As Henry pulled over to the driveway, he noticed something abnormal. The lights in his house were off.
After parking his car, he walked up to the gate. It was open. Realizing that this was unusual, Henry looked around. Nobody was there. A chill began to crawl down his spine.
He went to the door, which was also open. Where’s Portia? He thought.
“Hello?” He yelled into the house. No answer.
Henry proceeded to search every room in the house. He called Portia’s phone, which didn’t answer.
Henry began to feel an intense paranoia. Flashes of his mother’s kidnapping came back to him. No, he thought, shaking off the memory.
“Don’t look back…” Henry whispered. He repeated the phrase as he turned on the lights.
He then noticed a note on the kitchen counter, written on a sheet of paper. He leaned forward to read it closely.

You are a TRAITOR to your COUNTRY and your SPECIES.
As liberators of the human race, we will not let you stand in the way of our freedom from the ALIEN OPPRESSION that is slowly taking over this country. We are the Human Liberty Clan of America, and we have kidnapped your wife because you must know our message. The Tsikkeans and their allies must be destroyed in order to maintain our humanity.

Henry’s stomach dropped. His fingers shook as he followed each word with his hand.

Your crime today will cost you. You, Henry Taran, will decide what that cost is: Your life or Portia’s. We have snipers that are following you and listening in on your calls right now, so don’t try calling the police.

Henry looked around. Peeking out the window, he could see a small red dot on the roof of a nearby building. A shiver gripped his spine. He continued reading.
 
You have three days to decide. On Sunday, January 26, at exactly 12:00 AM, we will kill one of you. You will call us at the number below to decide who it will be. Keep in mind that if you save yourself, we will not stop our mission to stop those in our path to liberation.
Long live the Humans of Liberty.

Below this paragraph was a seven-digit number. Henry dropped the note, his body shaking from fear.
How could it all lead to this? He thought. Why me? 
These questions reverberated in his head, endlessly whipping at his mind. A thrashing pain rushed through his stomach as his eyes began to water. He slumped down to a fetal position, taking short, scattered breaths. His face grew hot.
Henry felt as if a horrible phantom had taken hold of his body as he cried uncontrollably. Tears dotted the hard wood floor. He hadn't felt this kind of stress since his mother was taken. Flashes of Portia and those horrible memories from his childhood appeared in his mind. He felt powerless to his trauma.
Henry sat on the floor for what seemed like hours. He no longer had the strength to get up.
What will I do? Henry thought, sniveling. 
As he tried to calm down, he remembered when he visited his dad a few months earlier. 
"If you run in to any trouble … just call me." His father's voice echoed in his head.
Henry reached for his holo-tablet and dialed.
He didn't know how he would explain any of this, nor how calling his dad was somehow going to help.
"Son?"
"Dad," Henry croaked. He felt as if he couldn't recognize his own voice. "Portia's been... taken."
There was a long silence. Henry soon became aware that his call was being monitored by the spies of the Humans of Liberty Clan, so he tried to explain his dilemma without revealing any specifics.
"Dad, this meeting has put me in danger..." Henry lowered his voice as if someone in the room could hear him. "and I'm frightened."
"My god..." His father whispered. "Has someone threatened you?"
Henry looked out his window and saw the red dot again. He hadn't been shot yet, so he continued talking. 
"Many have threatened me. I don’t know what to do."
Another long silence. He gazed anxiously at the sniper, then at the tear-sodden note.
"Son, I wish I could help you..."
Henry's chest felt cold. It was a loneliness that he had never fathomed. Who could understand his dilemma? How could anyone understand what he had stood for? Could his own father not give him a reason to continue living?
Henry's frustration transformed into rage. He stood up and grunted as he threw the tablet at the wall. The device shattered into many glass shards. 
Henry stared at the mark on the wall that he made, mesmerized by his own action. After a few minutes, he realized how tired his body was. He abruptly passed out on the floor.

Henry saw a shadow of his mother. Or was it Portia?
The shadow began to morph, then wrapped itself around Henry. He couldn't see anything, and he felt as if he was suffocating.
Get me out of here! He said, terrified by the darkness. 
Suddenly, his claustrophobia left as looked up to see that the shadow was twinkling with far away stars. It was the deep sky, much like the one his father looked at on the night of losing mom, much like the one he looked at on the night that started all this.
He saw Isabel, the sister who comforted him on that fateful night. She spoke to him.
"Everyone may have differences between themselves, little brother. When all seems lost, your calling will guide you."
These words showered upon Henry's mind, enriching him with questions and emotions.

Henry woke up and looked around. It was early in the day, and light flowed into the kitchen, revealing the dust that spun around in the cool morning air.
Henry slowly recalled the dream he had. 
My calling will guide me? He thought. What did she mean?
This question's importance died down as he made another realization. He would soon be killed. 
He scrambled to his feet and reread the note again. Three days.
The thought that a sniper was constantly watching him brought him much dread, but it did not paralyze his mind like it did the night before. The gears in his head began to turn, and he began to ponder.
What will I do? His thinking paced faster. I can't call for help, and I certainly can't find Portia on my own.
He walked to his living room, mind racing. What to do...
He then noticed his computer screen. It was flashing a notification: an email. Henry walked closer and tapped to open it.

From: UN Secretary-General Elizabeth Rivera

Henry's eyes widened.

It has come to my attention that the meeting that you had requested did not receive positive responses from the Humanist nations. Many ambassadors have denounced your position of supporting the Tsikkean actions. Further sanctions have been thrown around, and rumor of military mobilization is spreading. As a result, I am required to deliver a proposal known as the Threshold Protocol.

Henry had never heard of this protocol. It must be a secret operation.

In the event of overwhelming conflict, the world's ambassadors will decide if the end of peace is at hand and whether or not the United Nations itself should dissolve in the face of war. This is a secret initiative that was created by the UN's founders after WWII, and was once proposed during the Cold War. The nations agreed that it was not time for the UN to disband, as the humanity had a chance to survive then.

Henry could feel the weight of this initiative as he leaned closer to the screen to get a better look.

And now, half a century later, humanity faces a fate of strife and eventual war. As a leader of an anti-conflict organization, I am obligated to both propose and argue against this proposal. However, I believe that I do not have the impartiality nor the determination to do the latter.
This is where you come in. As soon as you receive this message, I will have sent out the private message to all UN representatives, delivering the formal proposal for the Threshold Protocol, and asking for their attendance on the morning of the 26th. I will have immediately resigned my position and assigning it to you. As of the moment you read this, you will be the new Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Henry was stunned. This was a responsibility that was almost unfathomable. He was now the leader of the most important international organization in history.

You are the only representative I know who has consistently fought for reconciliation between the two sides of this conflict. This is why I've chosen you to take my position. It is up to you to deliver a speech on the morning of the 26th, a speech that will argue against the ending of the United Nations. Despite that I am afraid that it may already be too late, I have a hunch that you will help us mend this political divide. Good luck, Henry Taran. May peace be with us all.
Elizabeth Rivera

Henry's eyes were glued to the screen. It had all come to this, and it was all up to him. The immensity of this responsibility sunk in, and Henry almost began to panic.
But then a realization stopped his train of thought short. 
This was 'the calling.'
Henry's gaze wandered around the desktop screen as this epitome hit him like a freight train.
It all makes sense, he thought. My background nor my country defines who I am. All I know is harmony, and that is the way it always has been.
Henry remembered his past as these thoughts continued this path. He was always the mediator, the contender of truce.
He realized that this was what he was born to do: to fight for peace.
It mattered not if his efforts were unsuccessful; What mattered was that he carried on, striving for unity.
Nothing, not even the threat of death, could stop him.
Henry used his computer to message Lloyd: Pack your things, we're going to HQ.

I should be freaking out, Henry thought.
It was the 26th. Henry and Lloyd were walking toward the United Nations Grand Assembly Building in St. Petersburg Russia. These buildings had been established only a decade before, and they were beautifully designed structures.
The air was intensely cold, but Henry did not care. He looked at Lloyd, who was shivering, then quickly gazed back at the buildings.
The two hadn't spoken much on the way there. Even Lloyd didn't know how to advise him. Never had they been in a situation as heavy and significant as this.
I should be freaking out, Henry repeated in his mind. His wife was nowhere to be found, he was going to deliver a speech to the leaders of the world, and he could be shot at any moment.
But he was not freaking out. Henry calmly checked the time; Almost 10 AM. Two hours left.
As morbid as it sounded, Henry knew that this was the only way. He had lived his life like this, and he will die like this. 

After an hour of preparation, Henry stood in a hallway in the building, staring at a painting on the wall.
It depicted an elderly man in yellow, a woman in blue, and a man in red lowering a corpse into a coffin. The corpse was dressed in only a white garment covering his groin and was supported by the hands of these grieving people. A shadowy man in the top left stared down as an angelic woman in the top left appeared to float above the scene.
Henry looked at the artists name. Nicodemus.
Lloyd came into the hallway, holding his holo-tablet.
"Henry" he said abruptly. "We're starting in a few minutes, but someone has called for you."
Henry reached for the tablet, then looked at the number. It was the same number as the one printed on the note from the Human Liberty Clan.
"Hello." Henry said apathetically after lifting the tablet to his ear.
"It is time for you to decide. We have your wife imprisoned, and we have snipers on your tail as we speak."
Henry looked at Lloyd, then at the painting.
"I choose myself."
Lloyd looked at Henry with a confused look.
"Very well, Mr. Taran." The voice in the phone said. "You will be eliminated very soon. Long live the Humans of Liberty."
Henry hung up the phone. 
"What was that about?" Lloyd asked Henry, squinting his wrinkled brow.
"It is of no importance." Henry said vaguely.
Lloyd stared at Henry with a doubtful look. "OK... well, you're on in any second now, so get your ass to the podium."
As Henry slowly walked to the door that led to the stage, he turned his head to see one last glance at his friend in person, but he was already walking to his seat. Henry turned back to the podium. 

He felt his blood pulsating through his head. After staring intently at the audience of ambassadors,  his gaze shifted from their intimidating glances to the window. There it was: the red dot that would lead to his end. 
"I, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, call this meeting to order at 11:00 AM on January 26th, 2031. I will now present my argument regarding the Threshold Protocol proposal."
Henry could feel an air of tension as he spoke those words. He took a deep breath as the camera prompters scrolled through a speech, which he had written within the previous two days.
"Fellow ambassadors, as a fellow human on this beautiful world that we call Earth, I present to you a dilemma that will dictate the course of history. The Threshold Protocol forces us to determine the fate of the UN, a beacon that has guided civilization in times of peril for almost a century, striving for a world held together by terms of peace."
The ambassadors in the audience were dead silent.
"Today, this peace is threatened by the most prominent issue in recent human history. Six years ago, we first encountered the extraterrestrial beings known as the Tsikk. These aliens did not come to invade, steal our resources, nor declare war on us."
Henry felt a rise in energy as he articulated this. His gestures complemented his words.
"No, they delivered something much worse: they tore the human race apart; we're left to bicker and fight on this lonely rock until we cause our own extinction."
"But is it their fault? I would say not. Human civilization has been divided many times before, it is inherent to our competitive nature of prejudice. Tsikkeans describe our species as 'dysfunctional,' and to an extent, they are right."
Henry noticed Lloyd in the crowd. He at Henry with a bewildered expression.
"But there is another inherent aspect of our nature that makes us different from our alien acquaintances. We share a deep desire to care for one another. As social mammals, we strive to sympathize with and help one another; There is no drive more powerful than this."
Henry paused, allowing the audience members to reflect. Back to the point, he thought.
"This is why I come to you today. I urge you all to reconsider these acts of aggression against each other. Universal Interventionists and Humanists do not have to antagonize their political adversaries. Yes, we do need to find the most beneficial path to advance our capabilities, and yes, we also need to  preserve the economic and cultural integrity of our species. These are valid arguments, not to be fought with violence, but with diligence."
That was supposed to be it. The speech on the teleprompter ended there. Henry looked around the audience, and saw eager faces. This doesn't feel right, he thought.
He suddenly felt compelled to continue without a written speech.
"The past few months have contained some of the most stressful and overwhelming days of my life. I've been promoted to one of the most powerful positions in the world, my family has looked down upon me, and my life has been threatened by members of my own country."
Henry paused again, for effect. He couldn't believe that he was making this up as he went along. His heart pounded, and his head felt a rush of emotions as he continued to speak.
"But I know that I was born to do this, to fight for unity until my very last breath."
Henry's eyes were watering, yet his voice grew stronger than ever.
"I think that you all may have a bit of this drive inside of you too. It is a result of the tragedies and prosperities of our ancestors, it is what saves civilization from extinction, it is the desire to keep peace alive."
For a single moment, a split fraction of a second, the ambassadors felt what he was talking about. They felt that this bickering was unnecessary, that aggression couldn't be an option.
Tears streaming from his face, Henry continued. "I'm sure that you all know that feeling, that urge to love and accept."
This was Henry's moment. It did not matter if he was successful in preventing the Threshold Protocol.
"And even though war may seem inevitable, love will endure, and the light of peace will live to shine on the human race another day."
That's it, he thought, closing his eyes for a brief second. 
It's time to go now.
He stared at the sniper's dot.
He nodded slowly.

Despite the spring season, the clouds blockaded the sun, and a soft breeze shook the trees of the Swiss countryside.
Henry's family and friends were all seated in rows of chairs, dressed in black. Portia, Evan, Ahvaz, Isabel, and his father Rafeek sat in the front row, looking upon the podium on which Lloyd Dwyer stood. 
Lloyd cleared his throat as he pulled out a notecard. He gazed at the coffin on his left, then faced the chairs.
"I was ordering a cheeseburger when I first met Henry. Humble beginnings, I guess. When I shook his hand, I had no idea that I'd just met the most important man I'd ever encounter. Henry was an incredibly bright young man, very knowledgeable in his work. He proved to become highly capable in diplomacy. Unfortunately, circumstances couldn't have been worse for him."
A moment of silence fell upon the grieving family and friends. Ahvaz wiped a tear from his eye.
"But..." Lloyd continued. "Henry understood that these circumstances could end his life, yet this did not stop him. He contained a aptitude for sympathy that I had never seen before in my entire career as an ambassador. His values drove him to continue in the face of death. We will remember Henry Taran for these values, and may his capacity for love survive in our hearts in these times of war."
As Lloyd walked off the podium, everyone stood up to watch the full burial. 6 men lifted and lowered the coffin into the grave and covered the hole.
Portia was first to walk to the grave. She placed a bundle of flowers next to the tombstone.
Its inscription read:

Here Lies Henry Taran (2002-2031) 
UN Secretary-General, Exceptional Peacemaker
He was last voice of harmony,
May God Bless the Great Compromisers