Desperate Games (7 page)

The departure of the main parades was signalled by the setting off of giant rockets, the bases for which were sufficiently near the cities for their roar to be audible and even deafening and suitable therefore for awakening in the people the collective enthusiasm necessary for the display of important audio-visual processes.

Some of the peace
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had protested about a din which was reminiscent of the deadly machines of former times. It was easy to appease them by pointing out to them their actual symbolic meaning. In fact, while these rockets were certainly missiles bearing death, they were not intended to fall back to earth. Once they had reached the height of their trajectory, beyond the atmosphere, they were made to disintegrate by a remotely fired explosion. All that remained was a harmless dust, which was gradually diluted in the immensity of space, while our planet was kept clean, freed from so many evil germs.

About a hundred of these devices were launched in this way in the area around New York, from where one could see the network of their white trails losing themselves in the sky, while their roars made the earth tremble and some hearts began to
beat hard. Then the din quietened down and the first sections of the parade appeared, and were soon passing in front of the official platform, where Fawell was sitting beside his daughter, who had come to join him there, and the majority of the
Nobels
.

The first groups consisted of the former national academies, who were here presenting themselves separately, in the expectation of being unified into one world organisation. At the head was the French Institute, which had made a great success of itself and for which people were not sparing with their applause. For the French Institute was taking part in the ceremonies in New York along with many other scientific bodies from distant regions. In the same way the most famous American associations went on parade in Moscow and Beijing, the English in Ireland and the Israeli ones in the former Arabic states. Fawell had decreed this to confirm the truly international character of the festival and the definitive abolition of frontiers. The French notables were moreover flattered and honoured to present themselves before the leader of the government.

Their participation was very important, involving not only the scientists but also the entire Académie Française and others. The Académie Française had protested furiously against the authorities’ initial intention to keep them out of the event. The
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of literature had supported them and the organisers had finally admitted that men of letters and of the arts could, if it was deemed necessary, play a role in the festival as they had played a modest part in the spiritual development of the world.

Listening to the cheers which greeted the French academicians as they passed by, Fawell did not regret this decision. They were distinguishable by their mode of dress, their beautiful green uniforms decorated with embroidery, their hairstyles, and their swords (which they had fiercely retained despite certain protests) provided a colourful touch, which warmed the hearts of those nostalgic for military parades. They marched in serried ranks, with their secretary always at the head, who tipped his
cocked hat with unrivalled grace as they passed in front of the platform. Music accompanied them in their progress, including melodies reminiscent of the warlike marches of former times. They were clearly trying very hard to follow the rhythm, vaguely following a sort of rhythmic pace, and if their efforts were not always crowned with success, the people paid tribute to them for trying, by giving lots of encouragement to them with shouts of ‘Well done!’

Fawell, who was silently observing many things, noticed moreover that throughout the ceremony the crowd paid much more attention to the uniformed notables than to the others.

The procession continued thus for several hours. After the most famous academies there came the provincial ones, and then various associations, the staff of the research laboratories, and finally various groups of technical experts who had a close relationship with scientific matters, and among whom were also cosmonauts from several countries, especially from the Soviet Union. In the very front rows Ruth, with a surge of affection, noticed Nicolas Zarratoff, who had arrived just the night before, and whom she had not yet seen. She smiled at him and sent him a furtive kiss.

Each group observed an important rite, which was obviously intended to have an important symbolic impact. Before passing in front of the platform, it was preceded by two standard-bearers, one brandishing the new banner and the other the former national flag. The second one left his position a little before arriving in front of the officials and went to throw the deposed emblem into a pit, which, almost full, was situated at the end of the procession. And a further ceremony had been planned.

A steward made the crowd draw back. The pit was sprayed with petrol and Fawell moved forward on his own to throw onto it a torch which had just been handed to him. Then he moved back briskly as the flames began to shoot up. He then
took his place on the platform again and stayed still. The carriers of the world banners formed a large circle around the bonfire, raising the naked women very high above the crowd. The world anthem sounded out again and in a low voice the President hummed the words of which he was still uncertain.

When the inferno went out there was a moment of indecision until Fawell gave the signal for applause, which the
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took up, as did the surrounding crowd, after a brief hesitation.

Before leaving the stage the President gave a short address, which was broadcast throughout the whole world. Full of emotion, he sketched the history of the scientific revolution and reminded people of the government’s great plans. He conjured up the glorious future which one could already foresee for humanity, and in the service of which he considered himself to be, as were all his ministers. He described the ceremony which they had just attended as marking the definitive abolition of the shameful national barriers. His speech was greeted by cheering which was polite and respectful but lacking in passion.

He then became more informal and apologised for speaking to the world about a private matter, but he could not stop himself from announcing to them an event of that very day, as he saw it as a significant symbol. So he announced the engagement of his daughter Ruth to Nicolas Zarratoff, a former subject of the Soviet Union, but now they were both citizens of the same world and, having just invited the cosmonaut to join them on the platform, the President raised up high the hands of the two young people, who greeted the crowd. And it seemed that at this point the crowd applauded with more warmth.

But it was only at nightfall that the enthusiasm predicted by Mrs Betty Han became evident around the world. For the festival had not finished. The procession was only the prelude and the psychologist was very much looking forward to the ceremonies which were to follow. The fireworks display was the high point.
A series of fireworks were set off simultaneously in the dark regions of our planet, with an abundance and variety of rockets hitherto unknown, which gradually illuminated the atmosphere in an enchanting way.

The final flourish of the display surpassed in its magnificence and beauty everything that one could have imagined possible. It was on a scale that was truly global and scientific, which the whole of humanity, warned only to expect a surprise, awaited with bated breath.

It started in New York with a roar which surpassed that which had marked the start of the procession. It involved the setting off of rockets again, but these rockets were much more powerful and carried their loads well beyond the atmosphere, out of Earth’s gravity. And the loads which shot off in this way into the night were the most formidable nuclear bombs manufactured so far. The Americans and the Russians had provided the biggest quota, but every nation which had acquired atomic power had wanted to make their own small contribution, thereby getting rid of a part of their deadly stocks. Almost to the second all of them had reached the same altitude, making thus a great dotted outline of a spherical area which covered the dark part of the Earth, visible in its entirety only to the angels. When it was confirmed that none of them could fall back down again in a harmful way, Fawell pressed the button which set off the ‘flourish’ in his area.

A violent burst of light, caused by the simultaneous explosion of hundreds of blazing suns, irradiated the sky, creating a marvellous aurora borealis, while a new deafening noise announced a second wave, and then a third one of similar rockets soaring upwards to prolong this thrilling finale.

At that moment, Nicolas and Ruth, who were having dinner in a restaurant at the top of a skyscraper, where the lights were quickly extinguished as they were all over the city so as not to
disturb the majestic sight of a cosmos ablaze, embraced each other passionately and in tears which were a mixture of joy and deep emotion. Thus it was that popular feelings which had been restrained until that moment burst forth throughout the city and spread throughout the world as fast as the Earth itself turned. Everywhere similar final flourishes were gradually being set off as it became night-time in a new zone. Frenzied yells made the Earth’s atmosphere vibrate. Some groups of people started running through the streets singing, and rummaged in cellars and lofts to find the old national flags which were still there. Countless pyres arose in the towns and in the countryside, prolonging the triumphant firework display, heralding a new era. Thus men, women and children, aware of being joined together in one family as citizens of the Earth, governed by wisdom and reason, and with an incredible destiny ahead of them, danced till dawn in all the squares, to the sound of improvised bands, while the bonfires, fuelled endlessly by new flags, made the nude figures on the world banners come alive in gleaming waves.

Mrs Betty Han had not been mistaken, either in her calculations, based on her experience of the human mind, or in her predictions of the results. Due to her skilful organisation, using rather artificial methods which were actually condemned by a small opposing group, the festival on the first of August achieved its purpose, which was to touch the very nerves of humanity. The emotion thus aroused was effective and lasting. People were suddenly possessed by a strange fervour for the Earth’s development, now that it was their only country, and their enthusiastic efforts enabled Fawell’s programme to progress at a rapid pace. It is also true that the members of the government, chosen
according to their scientific merits, also revealed themselves to be as skilful in the art of organising things on the surface of the world as they had been expert in penetrating its deeper layers, as realistic in their decisions and in their actions as in their speculations, contrary to the predictions made at the beginning by the anxious opposition. Vice-president Yranne, in particular, revealed remarkable qualities in undertaking his new duties. This was for the most part thanks to his brilliant intelligence, which was able to isolate instinctively what was essential in a problem from the mass of weighty details which smothered it, so that getting the world into practical order was more or less accomplished within the period intended, that is to say three years.

In fact, after three years, when it presented its report before the assembly of the
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, the government could pride itself on the following accomplishments:

The idea of being a citizen of the world had been planted in everyone’s minds. The harmful fantasies of nationalism had been dispelled.

There was no question of there being any more war. The only armed force was the police which was under the control of the government. It was only used, and then with discernment, to maintain public order. Its use became increasingly rare.

The world population was stabilised at a density which allowed for the rational use of resources, without waste or shortage.

Concerning famine, it can be said that pure hunger had become a thing of the past. As Fawell had foreseen, the abundance of surplus goods in certain regions and the large number of usable forms of transport had provided solutions to emergency problems within a few weeks. His programme for cultivation had brought about a definitive solution to all problems of this kind. The Sahara was now partly irrigated and fertile, as were some deserts in Asia.

Everyone was reasonably well housed, in conditions of perfect hygiene and with all the comforts they could desire.

Economic crises had become impossible, as production, business and commerce were in the hands of a central organisation, which maintained a balanced state of affairs everywhere, taking into account everybody’s interests.

Finally, what was probably the most important result, and essential for the eventual success of the operation, the total amount of work required of humanity had been reduced by a considerable proportion, thanks to centralisation and the coherent organisation of industry and agriculture, and also thanks to increased scientific and technical aid, which revealed itself in the use of machines to carry out all menial chores. The average daily working period was two hours, which was sufficient to guarantee everyone an easy life. And the trend was for it to become even less.

Having thereby settled these material problems, and after having been congratulated by the
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, Fawell judged that it was time to devote himself to the second part of his programme, the spiritual realm, a task which had not yet been tackled seriously. A preliminary stage would have to be what Wells called the ‘sublimation of interest’, the first levels of ascension, while waiting for the glorious flight towards the noosphere of Father Teilhard.

Being a realist, not trying to conceal the difficulties on the path he had chosen for humanity, and having decided to conquer them at a reasonable pace, Fawell called this stage the scientific realisation of the world. For he thought more than ever that it was necessary for the whole world to collaborate to achieve the final goal, which was for science to fathom all the mysteries of the universe. More than ever he wanted to avoid the dangerous pitfall, pointed out sarcastically by the science-fiction writers of former times: the division of humanity into two classes, scholars and the others, the latter condemned to rough practical work, and the former enclosed in an ivory tower too cramped to allow a full development of the mind.

His first concern was to create a central organisation, designed to guarantee education for all, another enterprise that had never been attempted, except in a restricted and horribly imperfect way, and always favouring a very small elite to the detriment of the masses.

The government, which was unanimously behind its head on matters of general principle, was invited to discuss what to call this organisation. The majority of the ministers suggested calling it the World Ministry of Education. And this title was about to be adopted when Mrs Betty Han asked to speak.

‘It would be cleverer,’ she said, ‘to call it the World Ministry of Leisure Activities. We want to educate humanity, but we should do it tactfully. Admittedly we have liberated it from slavery, and it is aware of this progress and appreciates it. And admittedly it ought to devote part of its precious time snatched from practical work in this way to the study of science. But should we give it the impression that our sole aim, in winning for it some hours of freedom, was to direct it towards other forms of work? Education must be made to look attractive.’

‘But it is our goal,’ Zarratoff protested, ‘to devote these leisure hours to Science.’

Yranne was of the same opinion, but Fawell supported Betty, whose advice in the subtle field of psychology he always appreciated.

‘I think she is right,’ he said. The world must first become aware of its freedom. It must approach Science gradually with a sense of freedom. I vote for “World Ministry of Leisure Activities”.’

When the others finally approved of this title, the World Ministry of Leisure Activities was created, and it was decided to divide it simply into two departments: Education and Games. And it was Betty again who proposed the latter title and brought about its acceptance, in opposition to the wishes of Yranne and above all Zarratoff, who had felt physically tortured by
the term ‘games’ since he had unwisely watched some televised entertainments one evening. Both he and Yranne maintained that a scientific government which was worthy of the name should, on the contrary, set about progressively suppressing such infantile amusements for which humanity had only too many natural weaknesses.

‘Games,’ replied Betty, ‘are indispensable. The ludic instinct is still very much alive in the world, as you yourselves realise, so that we cannot neglect it and must provide it with some forms of satisfaction. Don’t you play chess?’

The astronomer shrugged his shoulders and grumbled that no comparison could be made between the arduous combinations in chess, which activated the highest intellectual faculties, and the trivial activities involved in ordinary entertainments. But here again Fawell supported Betty and the government went along with this opinion.

Thus the two departments of the Ministry of Leisure Activities were created. Huge resources were allocated at once to Education, in proportion to its mission, which was not very broad in scope. As for Games, which was in any case considered secondary by all the scholars, it was only granted limited personnel and few funds. Concerning this last point Mrs Betty Han had different ideas, which she wanted to outline to the assembly. But her warnings were not recognised on this occasion. She was not annoyed, but declared simply that one day they would probably regret not having listened to the advice of a psychologist.