1. Armageddon in Barcelona (9 pgs.) – Champions Renaissance

ACT II - CHAPTER 1

ARMAGEDDON IN BARCELONA

Thursday May 24, 2018

Barcelona Spain

“What’s wrong, Boris? Why did you want to see me so urgently?” Alexandre asked.

“There is good news and bad news,” Boris answered. “The good one is that we learned Franco Gambino planted the bomb on Mr. Walker’s plane.”

“How do you know?”

“The ‘Invisible Hand’ gave the clues, and my hackers confirmed it.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes.”

“Is that ‘The Hand’ that hacked your cell phone?”

“Yes.”

“And why do you now call it ‘The Invisible Hand’?”

“My hackers baptized it like that because there’s no way to track it.”

“Is it helping us?”

“Apparently so, but it could be a trap.”

“That was the good one. What’s the bad one?”

“My hackers discovered that four nuclear bombs will explode in the World Cup final in Russia.”

“What?”

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“They will explode in Moscow at eight p.m. on Sunday, July fifteenth,” Boris said.

“But what are you saying! Are you sure?”

“Confirmed.”
“With what probability of certainty?”

“Ninety-five percent.”

“But how can you calculate that?”

“It’s the result of all the simulations. That percentage is the average of all algorithms tested. Some give ninety-nine percent, the lowest ninety-two. I know it’s hard to believe. It wasn’t easy for me either. My contacts in military intelligence have confirmed it. I’ll tell you again. There’s a ninety-five percent chance the bombs will explode during the World Cup final. For me, it’s a fact,” Boris said.

“Then we have to notify the president of Russia to cancel the World Cup,” Alexandre said, frowning.

“Presidents have never ruled completely, and even less in important matters. This is beyond their power. I only trust my hackers and my network of friends in intelligence services. They call them white hats. If we go to the president, they’d arrest them all.”

“How can they be so sure the bombs will explode?”

“They’re professionals. They cross-check data with other hackers from intelligence services in different countries. They had a suspicion, and I already told you it was confirmed by several sources.”

“And do you know where the bombs are?”

“Close to Moscow, but not exactly where.”

“Do they have a clock to detonate during the World Cup final?”

“Yes.”

“Why not hack the clocks and stop them from exploding?”

“You can, but you need the code.”

“What code?” Alexandre asked and opened his eyes. “What? The pendrive code?”

“Yes. The last encrypted message Ronald sent you before he died. Do you remember what it said?”

“Code in pendrive,” Alexandre said, recalling the strange message.

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“Ronald knew that code would stop the bomb clocks. That’s why they killed him, and Bolt, who worked as a contractor for the CIA and MI6. Do you see the connection? They met through their work in intelligence,” Boris said.

“So, Ronald lied to me. He told me he was trained by the CIA. That was a joke. He really worked for MI6?” Alexandre asked.

“It’s almost conclusive,” Boris replied.

“Well, there’s no point knowing if he’s already dead,” Alexandre said. “The important thing now is to find the pendrive with the code and stop the bombs. We can’t allow a nuclear disaster in the World Cup final.”

“It’s worse,” Boris said.

“Worse? What are you talking about?”

“About the end of civilization.”

“What do you mean?” “To the Third World War,” Boris said, paused, and continued. “We ran simulations of attacks and counter-attacks between nuclear powers. All conclude the same: ashes. The sequence is like this,” he paused again.

“Four bombs, a thousand times more powerful than Hiroshima, explode in Moscow. It is wiped off the map, staged as a false flag so Russia believes it was China. Russia discovers the trap but falls into another: it thinks it was the United States. Russia fires several hypersonic warheads from its submarines and wipes out New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles and all the capitals of its states, plus all military bases and production centres. Casualties in the United States reach 100 million.”

“It is horrible,” Alexandre said.

“It is worse,” Boris replied. “The United States blames China and erases Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and 20 more cities, along with major military and industrial hubs. China loses around 150 million people. The United States also strikes what remains of Moscow and other 20 Russian cities, including Saint Petersburg and Novosibirsk, killing 80 million Russians.”

“It stops there?” Alexandre asked.

“No. Israel takes advantage of the chaos, erasing Palestine, Iraq, and Syria, causing 30 million deaths,” Boris continued. “Iran and Pakistan respond, wiping Israel off the map, killing 10 million. The United States retaliates against Iran and Pakistan, causing 65 million casualties. India loses 150 million people and strikes what remains of the United States, adding 60 million more deaths. Remaining powers finish off the last fragments of Israel.

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NATO, and the United Kingdom cannot avoid involvement and all capitals of Europe are wiped out, including London, Paris, and Berlin, causing 70 million deaths.

In hours, the entire northern hemisphere is devastated. Civilization as we know it ends in one day. Radiation and nuclear winter destroy crops and survivors. After one year, more than two billion humans are dead, and hundreds of millions are sick and near death from radiation, famine, and disease, including in the southern hemisphere.”

“This is the nuclear extermination that The Family wants! Is that what they meant in the recording?” Alexandre asked, overwhelmed.

“Yes,” Boris replied.

“Is that what they meant when they said they would be reborn from the ashes after seeing the fireworks from the south?” Alexandre asked, thinking, Victoria, you should go to your uncle’s house in Australia!

“Yes, that’s what they meant. When they said people would beg to be put in chains to build the world for their children, it makes sense. In chaos, everyone will beg for a strong government. Problem, reaction, solution. They always use the same formula. They create an artificial problem so people beg for a solution they wanted from the start but cannot achieve under normal conditions. The northern hemisphere in ashes will have nothing normal, and people will accept anything. The future The Family wants is a fascist world dictatorship, ruled with a strong hand and artificial intelligence,” Boris said.

“What are we going to do, Boris? We can’t sit idly by! Are the bomb clocks already activated?” Alexandre asked, frowning, eyes wide.
“Yes, they are activated,” Boris said. “The situation is really difficult, I won’t deny it.”

“Difficult? It’s catastrophic! Let’s go to the journalists! Hold a press conference! We have to do something!” Alexandre exclaimed.

“If the media gives you a platform, they’ll take you for crazy.”

“So, there’s no way out?” Alexandre asked.

“The only way out is to find the pendrive with the code,” Boris said.
“Boris, you have to find the pendrive!” Alexandre exclaimed desperately, with tears in his eyes.

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“I’ll try,” Boris responded. He paused, then added, “Why don’t you go, Alexandre? Take your loved ones to a safe place in the southern hemisphere.”

“And if you find the pendrive and stop the bomb clocks? No, Boris! I cannot leave! I can’t abandon my France teammates! They need me to win the World Cup!” Alexandre exclaimed.

“What does a football World Cup matter?” Boris asked. “Isn’t it better that you stay alive to rebuild what’s left of the world? Will you let your loved ones die when you can save them? Most likely I will not find the pendrive. Where to look? The haystack is huge, and the needle is tiny. Even if I find it, it doesn’t guarantee the bomb clocks will be deactivated. Alexandre, this is an impossible mission! Better save yourself and go to Australia or South America!”

“I’m not going to live like a rat, hiding from those psychopaths!” Alexandre shouted. “Don’t ask me more! If I have to die, I’ll die in Moscow with my people! I won’t abandon the France team! What if your hackers were wrong?”

“I’ve already told you, to the point of exhaustion. They are military intelligence professionals, the best hackers in the world, and they have confirmed it across several countries,” Boris said, losing patience.

“But do you have any evidence?” Alexandre asked.

“Again? I’ve already given it to you! I know it’s hard to believe. Do you remember the coup attempt in Turkey in 2016?”

“Yes. It was news everywhere,” Alexandre said.

“NATO moved forty B61 tactical nuclear bombs from the Incirlik base to Romania, and during the transfer someone replaced the enriched uranium in the warheads.”

“And was that theft confirmed?” Alexandre asked.

“Yes. With that uranium, you can make four nuclear bombs, each a thousand times more powerful than Hiroshima. Do you understand the seriousness? Civilization as we know it could end, and a completely different world could begin,” Boris said.

At that moment, Alexandre thought that under such circumstances, risking his life to write a book was ridiculous. What importance could a philosophical book have against imminent extermination?

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“Do you think a book can prevent it?” Alexandre asked, realizing he shouldn’t have asked that. Boris looked at him, intrigued, as if unsure what he’d heard. “What can we do to prevent Armageddon?” he changed the question, hiding the previous one, and thought, Under these circumstances, does it make sense to write our book in secret?

“Perhaps the extermination is inevitable. Anyway, I’ll try to find the pendrive,” Boris said, still surprised by Alexandre’s previous question, thinking, Why did he mention a book? Could my suspicions be true? Then he added, “Although my hackers and networks are trained intelligence agents, even they are scared. I’ve never seen anything like this. Nobody knows who to trust. Infiltrators and spies are everywhere.”

“What other evidence do you have of this probable extermination?” Alexandre asked.

“There’s something else. It happened last year. Even though it appeared in newspapers, no one gave it importance. Sometimes I think the rulers are asleep, and the ruled behave like sleepwalkers,” Boris said.

“What appeared in the newspapers?” Alexandre asked.
“Russia publicized a large-scale nuclear attack drill. They mobilized civilians and the military to hide hundreds of meters underground,” Boris said.

“Like the Moscow and Saint Petersburg subways, which are very deep?” Alexandre asked.

“Yes. The drill prepared for an attack with fifty-megaton warheads.”

“Fifty megatons? Like the Tsar bomb?” Alexandre asked.

“Yes. A Tsar bomb is three thousand times more powerful than Hiroshima. Imagine the damage one can cause.”

“No. Tell me.”

“The pressure from the explosion is more than two hundred thousand kilos per square meter. The temperature reaches nearly three hundred million degrees Celsius, fifteen times hotter than the sun. The light is visible from over a thousand kilometers away. The shock wave chars anyone within a hundred kilometers. The mushroom cloud is seven times taller than Everest. The shock wave breaks windows within nine hundred kilometers. Now I must go,” Boris said. He stood abruptly, thinking, This is torture!

“But aren’t we going to do anything?” Alexandre asked.

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“I’ve told you everything I know. You’ll have to make your own decision. I’ll look for the pendrive and contact you if necessary. Locate me with one of the SOS devices I provided if you need help,” Boris said, thinking, How sad. Maybe it’s the last time I see him!

“Okay, goodbye, Boris,” Alexandre said, realizing it might be the last time he’d see him.

Boris walked away. After three steps, he stopped and stood still, back to Alexandre, who watched him. A long pause passed, as if Boris weighed a critical decision. He turned, looked into Alexandre’s eyes, walked back, and stopped in front of him. He placed his giant right hand on Alexandre’s left shoulder.

“Alexandre, finding the pendrive is urgent. That is my mission. Finishing the book is necessary. That is yours. I would kill anyone who didn’t,” Boris said solemnly, eyes locked on Alexandre. After a pause, he removed his hand, turned on his heel, and walked away.

Alexandre couldn’t move as Boris disappeared behind the front door. Questions flooded his mind as he paid the bill and left the store, stepping into the streets of Barcelona.

How did Boris know he was writing Ronald’s book? Had he threatened to kill him if he didn’t finish it? Yes.

More questions swarmed his mind. If Ronald worked for MI6, had they killed him because he knew the code to stop the bombs? What urgency did the book have in the face of imminent nuclear holocaust? Was it worth the philosophical meetings now? How important was philosophy at a time like this? Would he flee south? Flee? That word was not in his DNA.

He walked through Barcelona and its octagonal corners. He did not want the city he loved to suffer Hiroshima’s fate. London and Paris? Thinking about them was a nightmare that made him sad. He had to try something, but what?

Lost in thought, he felt like he was in a tunnel with no exit until a faint light appeared and then grew. He imagined a society educated from below, able to elect rational rulers and a middle class that learned scientific premises. That was the book’s role. He agreed Boris would kill him if he didn’t finish it.

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He remembered the fury in Ronald’s eyes, a look that would make the devil himself flee. Ronald had promised to end secret societies and their mystical hypocrisy. They would not see him coming. The philosophy book was the tool for each family to educate itself. Now I understand what you wanted to do, he thought.

Only parents who grasped the value of reason could teach it to their children. Education had to begin at home. Rational parents raising rational children was more powerful than any army, bomb, or secret society.

But rational parents were almost non-existent. Few wanted to understand objective reality. Who would learn objective philosophy to pass it on? Nobody. How could parents teach what they never learned? They didn’t see the problem. They didn’t care. They had no time.

Social life mattered more, for appearances. Education? That was the Ministry’s job. Parenting meant paying for the best school, or going to church on Sunday to feel virtuous.

Did schools or universities teach objective philosophy? No. There was no market for teaching people how to think. Young couples were busy with mortgages, loans, and vacations.

He asked what would happen if rational parents raised rational children. Would humanity prove it could rise above corruption and irrationality?

Man had climbed down from the trees and advanced technologically, but morally he remained primitive. Rising demanded courage: melting old dogmas, beliefs, and cultural prejudices. Once unfrozen, reason must be refrozen into new habits — rational, critical, deliberate — even against the current.

He pictured citizens required to pass objective-philosophy tests to keep the right to vote. Presidents and senators examined like corporate leaders. Campaign budgets equal by law.

He felt pessimistic. Social pressure punished independent thought. Rulers, propaganda, financial powers, and secret societies would not allow reason to spread.

Then he remembered Ronald had seen the problem’s dimension. That was why he chose to write the book: to attack humanity’s root problem once and for all.

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Alexandre saw Ronald wanted more than a book. He wanted a self-taught educational system that put power into the hands of the ruled. People would rule themselves and become sovereigns of their own minds.

The book, perhaps with a board game and question cards — an idea Alexandre had been mulling — would be a self-educational system. It would give each person the philosophical keys to sculpt character with math ethics to become the best version of themselves.

Educated parents would teach children through the game. Rational education would become culture. He imagined a rational, heroic humanity. Ethical Rational Olympics, and in the future, even between planets.

He thought, the man of the new renaissance must be educated at home. Educated parents should raise the children that will conquer the cosmos. Otherwise, Earth would export philosophical garbage to other planets.

Urgency pressed on him. He had to finish the book and launch it at the World Cup opening, in many languages, so people could buy it before the bomb explosions. There were only three weeks to its inauguration, and the last philosophical meeting still was missing. Would it be enough time?

We will launch the book in the inauguration using the World Cup publicity to propel sales, he decided. If they publish the book at the inauguration on June 14, that would give them a month to sell the book before the day of Armageddon, on July 15. It needed to be done.

Survivors will have a better chance to rebuild a better world with our tool, he thought.

When he reached his apartment, he wrote the plan and work schedule. He would share it with Arturo and Ricardo at the next meeting in Athens, in two more days.

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