Chapter 12  Mr. Buster becomes Chairman of Universal Council

     Narrator: The next morning the rescue team departs Uranus. Later that day, Mr. Buster, Leah, Captain D, are welcomed into the Universal Council’s chambers of Chairman E-Tom. The room is quieter than Mr. Buster expected. Not ceremonial and there is a mournful look in everyone’s eyes.  At the center of the room, E-Tom lies in bed, weakened, but still alert. His body is failing, yet his mind remains clear. Mr. Buster steps closer, trying to hold himself together. E-Tom lifts his hand slightly, motioning for him.

     E-Tom: Come here, boy. Listen closely. My time is drawing near.

     Narrator: Mr. Buster steps closer, but he does not sit right away. For a moment, he only looks at his father, as if moving too quickly might hasten the inevitable death which still elicits primal fear in most humans. E-Tom reaches for him. Mr. Buster lowers himself beside the bed.

     E-Tom: “If you make healthy people, you make a healthier societies that have better chances at peace, fulfilling purpose, and a greater quality of life for everyone.

     One of the most important parts of creating motivated, self-actualized people is helping them develop a true sense of self-worth and a clear purpose. Not the kind handed out by rank, wealth, or pride. A kind regard like wanting to leave the earth better than you found it for example or celebrating a legacy of having helped more than you caused pain in this world. To be remembered as someone that empowered and united others and erased barriers by providing people with knowledge and access for them to realize their full potential.

     Narrator: E-Tom takes a slow breath, gathering the strength to continue.

     E-Tom: That kind of worth is built in families and reinforced by communities. It comes from; unconditional positive regard, patience and tolerance- a form of acceptance that does not have to be earned before it is given unconditionally.

     Narrator: E-Tom looks at Mr. Buster with a grief that has been waiting years to be spoken.

     E-Tom: When people are raised with that kind of care, they grow with greater opportunities. When they are not… society pays for the price. Healthy social development comes from adopting sustainable behaviors. Behaviors that allow people to grow without restricting others, and without causing unnecessary harm.

     Narrator: E-Tom pauses, his breathing shallow, but manageable. He continues…

     E-Tom: Wasteful behavior drains society. Violence drains it even faster. Waste and force may create the illusion of power for a time, but they do not sustain life and ultimately are depletive. Nonviolence, on the other hand, preserves what a society needs in order to keep building and are held as sustainable in the long run. The diplomacy of peace is regarded as a greater skill than warfare alone. 

     Narrator: E-Tom’s eyes shift toward the chamber ceiling, as if seeing something summoning him.

     E-Tom: Earth Day founder, John McConnell, once said that world peace required a long-term commitment to changing attitudes and conduct, and to building structures that foster peaceful progress — both in the care of Earth and in our relationships with each other.

     Narrator: He looks back to Mr. Buster with urgency in his voice.

     E-Tom: That was always the part humanity struggled with- an honest appraisal of the administration of justice, fairness, and above all kindness to keep the peace honest. That is why every society, has faced the same challenge: how do we define a practical set of standards that, at the very least, protects the safety and welfare of life? How can we detect and respond to the corruption before it causes our downfall?

     Narrator: Mr. Buster watches E-Tom closely, hearing his father’s now fading voice.

     E-Tom: Some civil rights and social conditions have improved over the last twenty-five centuries. Yet, human behavior has challenged those improvements. We advance, then we endanger what we have built.

     Narrator: ETom’s gaze drifts toward the Chronology download chip resting nearby.

     E-Tom: Human intervention in nature caused or accelerated mutations, just as Rachel Carson and others warned long ago. Technology gave us tools, but it also gave us wasteful toxic byproducts; war, contamination, and weapons that outgrew the wisdom of those who made them.

     Narrator: He takes another slow breath.

     E-Tom That is why the traditions of science and defense had to be radically changed. War and ecological devastation created suffering on a scale humanity could not keep surviving on earth. Over the last five hundred years, we minimized and controlled much of that suffering because orbital-age living demanded it.

     Narrator: His eyes return to Mr. Buster, but he struggles to speak now. Mr. Buster moves closer to hear.

     E-Tom: Survival in space forced us to become more disciplined than Earth ever did. The attempt to preserve the integrity and dignity of humankind may seem pointless at times. Maybe saving humanity is even an arrogant task, but without hope, there is despair. Without faith, there is only uncertainty and fear. Without trust, there is isolation and without love… there is madness.

     Narrator: Mr. Buster lowers his eyes. He can feel what is coming before E-Tom says it. E-Tom reaches for the sacred Chronology download of the book of Amos with a trembling hand. He gestures for Mr. Buster to take the chip.

          E-Tom: I failed you, my son.

          Narrator: Mr. Buster looks up sharply.

          Mr. Buster: No— E-Tom: Yes. I did.

          Narrator: The room goes silent.

          E-Tom: The secrets of our desperately misguided past are here now. Use them. Help steer the fate of New Earth better than we steered the old one.

         Narrator: E-Tom places the Chronology Book of Truth into Mr. Buster’s hand. Mr. Buster takes it carefully. For a moment, E-Tom only looks deep into Mr. Busters eyes. Then, at the ripe old age of two hundred and seventy, E-Tom exhales his final breath.

        Mr. Buster does not move right away. The chamber remains silent around him. Finally, with unsteady hands, he places the download onto his psych screen. E-Tom appears on the psych screen. The recording flickers before settling.

        E-Tom Recording Plays: “If you are seeing this, then the Truth Chronology has passed to you. There are three things I need you to pay close attention to: unhealthy competition, controlled communication, and failing education. Those three problems helped bring Earth to collapse. Sustainable choices cannot survive in a public that has been misinformed. People cannot choose wisely if the truth is hidden, twisted, or sold to the highest bidder. A series of old Earth images move across the screen: advertisements, factories, courtrooms, classrooms, and corporate towers. Competition is not always the enemy. At its best, competition can improve quality and push people to create better solutions, but it becomes dangerous when winning or money matters more than life. There were times when companies knew their products were harming people and still chose profit over correction. Scientists were even paid to make smoking appear safe when the evidence showed it caused them to get sick with deadly diseases”.

     Narrator: Mr. Buster’s face tightens.

     E-Tom Recording continues: “That was the sickness in the system. If it was cheaper to settle injury claims than to recall a harmful product, some companies chose the cheaper option rather than prevent the injuries. The question was no longer, “What is right?” It became, “What costs less?” Before AI monitoring, too many serious risks were allowed to remain because the financial risk was the only risk being measured. The legal structure of the modern corporation made this worse. A company could be treated like a person, but the actual people making the decisions were often protected from the full weight of responsibility. Once executives paid themselves, and once the company’s remaining assets were all that could truly be touched, accountability became limited. The harm could be widespread, but the consequences stayed contained. That kind of shelter corrupted what free markets were supposed to be. Supply, demand, competition, quality, pricing — those ideas were not the problem by themselves. The problem was allowing profit to outrank care, and allowing legal protections to hide the people truly responsible for reckless disregard of people and the earth.

     After 2050, that error was reversed. The old idea that a corporation could carry personhood while real people escaped accountability was finally challenged. The great orators of the twenty-first and twenty-second centuries argued that no system had the right to pass destruction onto future generations. This Nomadian Code directly reversed the U.S. Supreme Courts decision in the lawsuit filed by a nonprofit titles My Children’s Trust in 2025 that was rejected by the earlier more flawed human run courts.

     Narrator: The screen changes to crowds gathered beneath early Orbital Age banners.

     E-Tom Recording continues: Debt, contamination, false information, dangerous products, environmental damage — if the burden was being pushed onto those not yet born, it could no longer be defended as lawful progress. Remember this: a society does not only collapse when people break the law. Sometimes it collapses because the law protected the wrong thing for too long and not enough rebelled against unjust laws. Choices have consequences. That is why power has to have real checks and balances with fair and reasonable standards.

     The goal is to protect empowering processes that lead to choices wherein the greatest good may result, even when those choices require sacrifice. The history of Earth is natural evolution, full of folly, tragedy, resilience, love, and betrayal all tangled together.

Directors Notes: The screen shows the early space settlements. Families. Workers. Students. Machines. Gardens growing under artificial light.

     E-Tom Recording continues: The orbital age proved we could share. We could use technology to prolong life. We could equalize and better share power. We could let talent and ability determine a person’s place more fairly than birth, wealth, or old class systems ever did.

     We learned to live within limits because we had no choice. We learned to deliver justice with less bias because survival demanded it. Now, as we return to Earth, we must learn from what was lost. Cherish this second chance. It is precious. It is not guaranteed and it has been gifted to us by the Great Spirit. The recording fades out.

     Narrator: Mr. Buster puts down the Truth Chronology and looks at Edison. 

     Mr. Buster: How do we proceed from here?

     Edison steps forward, calm but formal.

     Edison: I’ll begin by walking you through the schedule. After that, I’ll train you on the processes that come with your new post.

     Narrator: Mr. Buster nods, still trying to take in the weight of it.

     Edison: The transition of power ceremony will commence in the morning.

     Narrator: For Mr. Buster the future no longer feels distant and predictable. It feels like something urgently knocking on his door. Mr. Buster turns from Edison and looks at Leah. For a moment, he seems unsure how to ask. Then he gives Leah the most endearing smile he can manage.

     Mr. Buster looking at Leah: Is there any chance I can convince you to join me on this journey?

     Narrator: Leah studies him. She can tell he is trying to make the question sound lighter than it feels. Then she smiles back at him.

     Leah: Does it come with a raise?

     Narrator:  Mr. Buster laughs, and the sound breaks some of the heaviness in the room.

     Mr. Buster: “I’m willing to bet you won’t be a bean counter anymore.”

     Narrator: Leah glances around the chamber, then back to him. 

     Leah: “Thanks boss. You do realize one of my responsibilities is the make sure we have enough fresh food on earth right? By my calculation saving you life is like a second job”…

     Narrator: The Next Day The transition of power ceremony begins inside the Galactic Guardian Council chamber. Council members, representatives, and witnesses from across the galaxy stand gathered beneath the high lights of the room. Mr. Buster steps forward, dressed for the role, though not fully comfortable in it yet. Before the ceremony can continue, he raises a hand.

     Mr. Buster: Before we begin, I have one request. The chamber quiets.

     Edison: Your first order, Chairman Buster?

     Narrator: Mr. Buster hesitates just long enough for everyone to expect something serious.

     Mr. Buster: Yes, please can someone bring me my cat.

     Narrator: A light murmur moves through the room. A moment later, Sir Licks-a-Lot is carried in and placed near him. Mr. Buster looks down at the cat, then back at the council.

     Mr. Buster steps up to address the Galactic Guardian Council. He takes a breath and begins.

     Mr. Buster: Peace is not some distant ideal we talk about when things are calm. Peace is a discipline (pause) it is something we practice to improve upon ourselves, to support our families and strengthen our systems. Peace is reflected in the way we treat one another. Peace requires us to be fair and just in every circumstance, not only when it is convenient.

     Likewise, mental and physical wellness are keys to survival. They are the bedrock foundations of thriving. A society that wants to grow in a positive way understands that nutrition, positive self-esteem, and strong empathy are essential for developing strong minds and healthy bodies. When people are healthy, supported, and taught to understand one another, they are better able to recognize how connected all life really is. That is where true optimal development begins.

     Narrator: A few council members exchange looks, listening more closely now.

     Mr. Buster: Exercise, healthy coping, good food, sleep, caring relationships, and sustainable behavior may sound simple, but simple things are often the first things civilizations neglect before they fall apart.

     New Earth has a responsibility to learn from the true past of humanity, not the polished up version. We have to face the parts of history that prove how error-prone and fallible we can be.

     Narrator: Buster glances across the room, knowing some of them will not like what he is saying.

      Mr. Buster continues: That responsibility to learn includes facing our worst fears about what people are capable of. Not so we can live afraid of each other, but so we can build reasonable limits before old destructive social patterns even have a chance to return.  We can prepare to manage ourselves, to self-regulate, using every once of critical thinking, reason, patience, monitoring, restraint, and social support systems possible before relinquishing the keys to our freedom to someone else. 

    Narrator: The room goes very quiet.

     Mr. Buster: If New Earth is going to succeed, it cannot be built on distortion or delusions of greatness. Our success has to be built on evidence. On options that actually protect resources, share knowledge, and support productive, sustainable lives. We have a chance to move forward together in healthier, safer spaces, but that means our global systems cannot only sound good in theory, they have to be fair. They have to successfully resist corruption even when no one thinks corruption is possible. It sounds simple. Maybe too simple, but after everything Earth One survived, and everything it failed to survive, the question still remains what we will make of our future on Earth. The Naturals, Empirical Guard and the Universal Council as founders of New Earth now have an opportunity to do something that should have happened long ago. We have a chance to put true equality on a real path, not just speak of it as an idea.

     The real myth was that there was ever an “us” against “them.” Earth was our collective boat and we sank it more than once. Civilizations rose and fell. Groups blamed other groups. Power changed hands, but the truth remained the same….. If the boat sinks, everyone goes down with it.

     Narrator: Mr. Buster takes a breath, then allows a small trace of humor back into his voice.

      Mr. Buster: Now we have another chance! So let’s commit to not shooting ourselves in the foot again shall we. That’s not helping us on the dance floor, am I right? 

     Narrator: This time, the room responds with a quiet ripple of laughter. Then his tone becomes serious again.

     Mr. Buster:  “Poverty in mind or in stomach limits liberty. It weakens the possibility of justice for all. No society can honestly call itself free or civil while large portions of its people are trapped in preventable suffering. If we are serious about democracy, then we also have to be serious about peace. Not peace as obedience, not peace as control, but peace as real investment in human development. Security matters, but quality of life matters just as much. A society that only invests in protection, but not in the people being protected, will eventually have nothing healthy left to defend”.

     Narrator: He turns toward the representatives of the Naturals and the Empirical Guard and then continues…

     Mr. Buster: “That is why I propose to add Amendments to the Nomadian treaty between the Naturals and the Empirical Guard”.

Director Notes: Sounds of joy pass through the chamber.

     Mr. Buster: “In closure, I wish to share with you that in the coming days, we will work together to develop this treaty we all want for New Earth. Not as separate sides being forced into compromises, but as a united force responsible for a shared future on the planet we love”

. 

Director Notes: The chamber bursts into applause and cheers and the lights come down and the music begins.

     Narrator: For the next several weeks, Mr. Buster and Leah met with the Naturals and composed the Nomadian Amendments that will be proposed to the Universal Council for ratification in an upcoming meeting.

Director’s note:  The amendment dradfts will be posted on the website as an addendum to the book  later this summer. Thanks for reviewing book 1!

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