3rd January 2022 Writings

[fardell24]

Excerpt from: Reverse Map Game 2022
Venezuela
Hyperinflation continues. As does the Presidential crisis, with Nicolas Maduro claiming he was legitimately re-elected and Juan Guaidó claiming that Maduro’s re-election was a sham.


In Israel, long time Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resigns due to being investigated for corruption. Naftali Bennet becomes Prime Minister.


Afghanistan
The Taliban retake the country by storm in the middle of the year, as the National Army literally gives up. With the United States withdrawing its peacekeeping force in mid-August, Kabul falls in early August. Without the American forces there Australia and the various European nations involved in the peacekeeping effort also withdraw their forces. The Taliban again represses minorities and women, denying them access to education and employment…


Indian Subcontinent


China
Many build up over the year. More evidence of genocide against the Uyghurs comes out. The autonomy of Hong Kong continues to stripped away. Then there is Taiwan. The People’s Republic’s posturing over the ‘breakaway’ province intensifies through the year. There are fears that war would come soon, one which would draw in the United States and its allies…

Another development is that a trade war had started with Australia, more on that below.


Koreas
Status quo between North and South Korea. (Although there are questions about Kim Jung Un’s health.)


Japan
The Olympics had been delayed the previous year due to the Pandemic. The Despite the Delta strain spreading in Tokyo, the Olympics and Paralympics go ahead without spectators.

Long time Prime Minister Shinzo Abe retires due to poor health. Yoshihide Suga becomes Prime Minister. This happens later in the year. Earlier in the year. Emperor Akihito had abdicated due to his own poor health. Naruhito is the latest to sit on the Chrysanthemum Throne. Thus, the Heisei era ends and the Reiwa era begins.


Oceania
Australia is largely free from COVID at the beginning of the year. Apart from Victoria, that is, where Melbourne emerges from lockdown towards the end of January. However, Melbourne would go back into lockdown again when the Delta Variant arrived in June, this time with Sydney. New South Wales had weathered the pandemic rather well, but Delta overwhelms the state’s contact tracing capability before the Government reluctantly instituted a lockdown for the Sydney Metropolitan Area.

The Vaccine rollout is slow at first, but the Delta Wave was a great incentive for people to get their shots, especially in the two states affected, as well as in Canberra.

The AUKUS Pact is signed in September. The Australian Defence Force was far from pleased with how the French naval contractor was delivering their new diesel powered submarines. Given rising tensions with China, Australia partners with the United States and the United Kingdom for nuclear powered submarines, the first of which would be delivered in the ‘30s. The already long in the tooth Collins class needs to somehow last far longer than expected.

Relations with China had been getting tense for a while. There are many reasons why this was so. The Australian Government supporting an international investigation into the situation in Xinjiang certainly was a contributing factor.

Words: 511


Excerpt from: A New Generation
“Using the same kind of strength you showed with Captain DeSoto, I would appreciate it if you can keep me from making an ass of myself with children.”

“Sir?”

“I’m not a family man, Riker,” Picard explained. “Riker, and yet, Starfleet has given me a ship with children aboard.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And I don't feel comfortable with children. But, since a captain needs an image of geniality, you're to see that's what I project.”

“Aye, sir.”

“Welcome to the Enterprise, Commander Riker.”


Doctor Crusher saw Lieutenant La Forge enter Sickbay. “Come over,” she said,

After the pleasantries were said, she added. “Naturally I've heard of your case. The visor implants you wear.”

“Are remarkable pieces of bio-electronic engineering by which I quote ‘see much of the EM spectrum ranging from simple heat and infrared through radio waves’ et cetera, et cetera, and forgive me if I've said and listened to this a thousand times before,” he answered in a tone of boredom. He took off the visor containing the actual visual receptors, revealing that his eyes were non-functional.

“You’ve been blind all your life?”

“Since birth,” La Forge answered.

“And you've felt pain all the years that you've used this?”

“They say it's because I use my natural sensors in different ways.”

‘Of course,’ Crusher thought. “Well, I see two choices. The first is painkillers.”

“Which would affect how this works. No. Choice number two?”

“Exploratory surgery. Desensitise the brain areas troubling you.”

“Same difference. No, thank you, Doctor.”

“I understand.”

“See you.”

As La Forge left, Crusher picked up a PADD and saw that Admiral McCoy had finished checking over the medical layout. It had passed with flying colors, not that she had expected any different. The main concern was that the ship had left Utopia Planetia without all the medical supplies she needed for her long mission.


Data lead the old Admiral towards a shuttle bay, rather than a transporter room at his insistence. “Have you got some reason you want my atoms scattered all over space, boy? “ the Admiral asked once they started walking.
“No sir. But at your age, sir, I thought you shouldn't have to put up with the time and trouble of a shuttlecraft,” Data said.

“Hold it right there, boy.”

“Sir?”

“What about my age?” Admiral McCoy asked.

“Sorry, sir, if that subject troubles you.”

“Troubles me? What's so damned troubling about not having died? How old do you think I am?”

Data recalled the information immediately. “One hundred thirty seven years, Admiral, according to Starfleet records.”

Words: 425


Excerpt from: Tales of the Twelth 2.0
While this was happening, the Doctor was deep within the British Library... He had been scanning through the books for hints of strange activity that he wouldn’t have been involved in. However, something had come up to distract him.

“What’s that?” he asked the librarian.

“You are the Doctor, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“We have been doing some reorganisation as the collection grows...”

“And you’ve found strange twists in the layout of the shelves?” The Doctor knew where this was going. Sufficiently large collections of knowledge arranged in certain ways were liable to bend space and time.

“Yes, Doctor.”

“Take me to the place,” the Doctor directed.

“This way....”


The librarian led the Doctor to the area where the layout of the Library had become warped. The Doctor looked. It was certainly one of the things that the Dewey Decimal System had been devised to defeat. “This will take a while to fix,” he said.

“I know that,” the librarian said.

“How many know about this?” The Doctor asked.

“Myself and a few others.”

“Get the few others.”

“Sure, Doctor.”


The Librarian had soon found few others who knew about the warp in the library’s structure. She introduced them to the Doctor.
“Now, you know about the space time warping within the library,” the Doctor said.

“So, you have dealt with this kind of thing before?” One of the younger librarians asked.

“Of course I have,” the Doctor answered.


“That’s good,” the young librarian stated.

Words: 244


Excerpt from: Inviting Trouble
Did she like them as they clearly liked her? She wasn’t sure.

Words: 12


Excerpt from: Mega Mall Mega Problems
Daria and the others found Books by the Ton. ‘Cool.’

Words: 10


Excerpt from: Party at 111 Howard
“Quinn?” Jane asked.

“Yes,” Daria admitted.

“Hopefully she won't cause too much trouble,” Jane said. “I'd keep an eye on Sandi though.”

“Oh, I will be!”


“Let's see, mostly sophomores so far,” Quinn said. “Including my foster cousin,” she added with a giggle.

“More freshman may arrive later,” Sandi said.

“Maybeee.”


Joey saw Quinn and the others talking near the Gazebo as he brought out more snacks. However, he knew Brittany was right behind him so he waited until he put the snacks on the table before turning towards them. “Hi, Quinn!”

“Hi, Joey!” Quinn responded.

Words: 104


Total: 1306