Do you think world peace is an illusion?
Thomas Hartley sat at a scratched and dented oblong table with the remaining leaders of the world. The bunker conference room was silent except for the scratching of pen on parchment as each of them signed their name to the treaty. Not a one of them were qualified for their positions, but each represented the last remnant of their respective government and so they signed. Before the world had ended, he had been the assistant Secretary of Education.
Audrey Wainwright was 43rd in line for the throne of England. It had been a fun little piece of trivia to share at parties and make friends. It was never supposed to be her destiny to her to unite and lead a country into an empty new world. Tears blurred her vision as she signed her name.
Ilya Armanevich Ivanov did not feel like he belonged among the two dozen leaders. He had spent the Burning Days hiding on his grandfather’s dinghy only to be told he was the highest-ranking officer left in the Russian military when he drifted ashore. The worst had past, billions had died, and those who remained were picking up the pieces.
The chains of command had broken the world over as the bombs flew. If presidents didn’t die in the initial attacks, they were killed en route to their safehouses. If monarchs survived the blasts at their palaces, they did not survive the riots that followed in the streets. Entire countries were wiped off the map or devoured by their neighbors. In many cases, both.
A census would have to be taken, but unofficial reports claimed that only 2% of the world’s population remained. Less than 30% of the land was habitable. And so this ragtag group of diplomats and figureheads and soldiers assembled to make a plan for the people that were left.
Before they got started fixing things, they drafted a treaty. They represented the last of the world’s great countries, though there were no more borders. In the new world, everyone would have to work together to rebuild. Old enemies would become brothers in this new world. There would be no more fighting. There couldn’t be.
It had cost the world, but there would finally be peace.
Notes: Well that’s not depressing at all. Personally, I don’t think world peace is 100% achievable. As long as there are people, there will be conflicts and as long as there are conflicts there cannot be peace. Not completely anyway. So I killed off 98% of the planet for a prompt. Come to think of it, that’s about what I left for the domes in Lara’s story. For a math major, I do not like dealing with large numbers, lol. Obviously it’s not realistic, but it sure is a big “what if” to think about.
Today has been a long, weird day. I’m ready to just curl up under the covers and sleep for a week. Unfortunately, there are still 3 days left to work this week. But that means more prompts for you! So I’ll see you tomorrow. Have a great night!
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Closet Full of Notebooks 