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Crystal Guardian

Arc 3: Perversion of the Light

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Chapter 23: Power Politics

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At the White House the leaders of the most powerful nation on Earth were once again holding emergency discussions following President Mabuza's unveiling of the Leba.

General Harper: " Mr President; that ship is the very thing that destroyed our battle group"

President Newman: " How did they get their hands on such a weapon?"

General Doyle : " Mr President we've located someone who could provide us with valuable information, but he will only talk to you directly"

General Harper: " Mr President he's here and is waiting for you"

President Newman: " Who is he?"

General Harper: " His name is Tumo Ralefa"

General Doyle : " He's the CEO of Ralefa Holdings"

President Newman: " Then bring him in!"

Tumo is sent into the room where the meeting was being held.

General Doyle : " Mr Ralefa; please tell us what you know!"

Tumo : " First I want to tell you that I'm an African, and the information I give you is to give you an understanding of what you're up against so that you don't exacerbate the situation. We want to avoid further loss of African lives!"

President Newman: " I understand!"

Tumo : " The ship that destroyed your Task Force is one of 2 Crystalorb warships!"

President Newman: " Crystalorb?"

Tumo : " Let me start from the beginning!" after a brief pause "Over 150 years ago brothers Ralefa and Lesedi were infected by a Crystal of unknown origins. The Crystal mutated and transformed their bodies, and while it gave Ralefa great strength, speed and healing abilities it gave Lesedi an additional component; the Chest Crystal. There are 2 main groups of enhanced humans in the world; the descendants of Ralefa and the descendants of Lesedi. The descendants of Ralefa call themselves the Hand of Destiny (HOD or Hodian), and the descendants of Lesedi call themselves Crystalans. While we live in the world as part of the global community the Crystalans live in Crystalorb. Crystalorb stands for Crystal-Orb, and the structure is about a kilometre underground. Their technology is based on their Chest Crystals, and this Chest Crystal is the source of their power!"

President Newman: " Why have they aligned themselves to the South African Government?"

Tumo : " They don’t trust people of European ancestry, and with good reason, even the HOD don't trust them"

General Harper: " You mean us?"

President Newman: " Most likely."

Tumo : " We have been in conflict with our cousins the Crystalans for decades now, and I can assure you that they are a power like no other."

President Newman: " What do you mean?"

Tumo : " Think of the incident in the Central African Republic several years ago?"

General Harper: " That was you and them?"

President Newman: " And the meteor?"

Tumo : " Meteor! Ha-Ha! Ha-Ha! Ha-Ha!" after a brief pause as Tumo Continues to laugh "That was no Meteor! Believe me when I tell you that the impact was the result of one man taking a large rock to the edge of space and throwing it to the ground!"

President Newman: " Are you saying they can fly?"

Tumo : " They've built themselves these Suits of Crystal Armour that gives them flight capabilities!"

General Doyle : " Now if we could get our hands on some of that tech"

Tumo : " That's impossible! Believe me; we have tried! Their technology is based on their Chest Crystal, and it can't be duplicated. The Crystals are not manufactured but grown, their Chest Crystals are one of two sources of the energy required to grow the Crystals. They are determined to keep their technology from the evils of the world, and their cooperation with the South African Government is the reason the South African President is confident that they can meet any challenge!"

General Harper: " Mr Ralefa what did you mean by one of two sources?"

Tumo : " The only other object that can generate the type of energy required for Crystal growth is what the Crystalans call the Spirit Stone."

President Newman: " Spirit Stone?"

Tumo : " The Spirit Stone is the source of their power; an object of immense power! A Power beyond Comprehension; It has no Theoretical upper limit! The Spirit Stone is what created their home, and our spies tell us that the Spirit Stone is alive. The Spirit Stone is a large Crystal of about 5 meters in diameter that is said to contain the spirits of all the Crystalans with Chest Crystals who have died. When one of those with Chest Crystals dies their Chest Crystal absorbs the rest of their body and fuses with the Spirit Stone. They believe that a portion of their spirit remains with the Spirit Stone forever. The Spirit Stone is said to have the ability to replicate any device; any technology."

President Newman: " What?"

Tumo : " They probably developed many of their stealth technology from your designs! They’re sneaky that way."

General Harper: " What if you were to capture one of them and force him to grow the Crystals."

President Newman: " Then we would have access to the technology"

General Doyle : " What if you were to help us capture one of them and force him to grow the Crystals? We could even clone them!"

Tumo : " Ha-Ha! Ha-Ha! Ha-Ha!" Tumo Continues to laugh “You just don't get it!"

General Doyle : " What do you find so amusing?"

Tumo : " You just don't get it." Tumo Continues to laugh while shaking his head "Their abilities are hardwired into their DNA, into their Bodies! Including DNA based Neural pathways that require Specific energies in the womb to develop! It can't be Cloned, Replicated, Absorbed or Duplicated! In any case, you can't stop a Crystal Guardian."

General Harper : " What's a Crystal Guardian?"

Tumo : " A Crystal Guardian is a Crystalorb Commander! Like an Admiral or General! Crystalorb's warrior elite!"

General Harper : " Some kind of Super Hybrid?"

Tumo : " No-No-No. A true Power! No Hybrid can compare."

General Doyle : " Our people are equal to any task."

Tumo : " A single Armoured Crystal Guardian can level an entire City!" Tumo laughs while shaking his head "Only a pure-blood can stop a Crystal Guardian!"

President Newman: " What's a pure-blood?"

Tumo : " A Hodian elite! The equal of a Crystal Guardian in Energy."

President Newman: " Then there is an effective weapon?"

Tumo : " Some things have proven more effective against them."

General Doyle : " So they do have weaknesses?"

Tumo : " Yes! However you need to understand that these are not comic book characters with obvious weaknesses, they're Paragons of strength, speed and energy. They’re super intelligent now! Whenever we expose a weakness they focus their considerable technical knowledge in negating that weakness, and that means that as a collective they grow stronger with every confrontation. Whatever technological advances you make eventually become their advances, and they don't just incorporate the technology; they improve it, take it to levels you couldn't reach."

General Harper : " You make them sound indestructible."

Tumo : " Without their Crystal Armour they are relatively easy to kill, but when Crystal Armoured their abilities increase exponentially, making them capable of extreme power, and that makes them virtually invulnerable to most weaponry."

General Doyle : " Including lasers?"

Tumo : " Lasers were effective for a while, but they've developed better shielding, and their stealth makes Lasers redundant."

President Newman: " What about Hodian weaponry? Is your weapons technology the only effective weapons?"

Tumo : " Mr President; you have to understand that the fact that we can match the Energy of a Crystal Guardian does not guarantee victory, they still have superior technology.”

General Harper : " But your people have been able to kill a Crystal Guardian?"

Tumo : "Yes! It usually means that our people have to pay a terrible price, a price your country would never be able to accept"

General Doyle : " What if you help us capture one of them?"

Tumo : " Even if you could capture one of them they would never help you, and the Crystalans are fiercely protective of their own, they will destroy the world to recover one of their own. I know, we've tried!" after a brief pause "Mr President; the Crystalans would come after the people who gave the orders! They have no problems with the idea of killing a President. There is nowhere you could hide that they could not find you Mr President. There could be a Crystalan in this very room and none of you would be aware."

President Newman: " Surely you must have technology comparable to theirs?"

Tumo : " What you have to understand is that in their Crystal Armour they are all but indestructible. They have great strength, speed and healing abilities, but their Chest Crystals also means that they can generate energy fields that give them a whole range of abilities that are unique to them."

General Doyle : " What about your technology? You are after all related to them"

Tumo : " I'm sure you've sampled the Crystal batteries they've introduced for the ArmsCorp warships, and you've probably learnt that the primary component in the Crystal batteries is a synthetic element called Crystalium."

General Doyle : " Crystalium?"

Tumo : " Crystalium is a synthetic heavy element the Crystalans produced by an enrichment process that involves amongst other things Nuclear Fusion and particle acceleration, a process we have not been able to duplicate. This is the extent of their capabilities."

President Newman: " Can you help us equalize?"

Tumo : " We have already provided the world with the technology or ability to stand up to the Crystalans should the need ever arise"

President Newman: " The Hybrid Phenomenon?"

Tumo : " Yes!"

President Newman: " Can you make more?"

Tumo : " No; The Mutagenic recombinant RNA was cultured from a source that no longer exists, but we have developed weapons that have proven effective against their Crystal Armour."

President Newman: " I see now why you are willing to share your information, and it has to do with the bottom line."

Tumo : " Like the Crystalans we've developed technology that cannot be duplicated, but the difference is that we are willing to sell you weapons that could help to equalize the fight."

President Newman: " What kind of technology?"

Tumo : " As it turns out Crystalan and Hodian bone marrow makes minute amounts of Crystalium; some Kind of Neutron Capture mechanism. Our blood contains Metallic Crystals that can be used to produce all kinds of things with proper research, but one would need large amounts of blood to produce weapons that have military applications. The Metallic Crystals do not have as many properties as their Chest Crystal, but it's the only thing that comes even close to the Chest Crystal. We have mastered the techniques required to manipulate the Metallic Crystals."

President Newman: " I take it we will pay through the nose?"

Tumo : " I'm afraid so Mr President."

President Newman: " The Generals will iron out the details of the deal with your people. We look forward to doing business with Ralefa Holdings"

Tumo : " Then I'll be taking my leave Mr President"

The HOD had quickly found a way to benefit from the conflict situation, but they were not the only one to see opportunity in the situation.

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Following President Mabuza's visit to the UN the South African economy came under increasing strain as the rise in the price of oil to $185 a barrel coupled with the Rand plummeting to R23.61 to the US Dollar created an inflationary situation in the South African economy and a massive current account deficit. The South African Government was in desperate need of cash to purchase equipment and to stimulate growth.

Realising that the South African Government was desperate Naole approached the South African Government and offered to purchase their 10% stake in Crystal Valley Industries for $24.45 Billion in Industrial Minerals Coins. The South African Government agreed to sell.

Soon after Gaurdius died, and Isis became the new Oldest Elder, Lenong was elected to the Council of Elders.

The cash injection allowed the South African Government to settle their financial obligations and this restored market confidence in the South African Economy, the Rand stabilized at R15 to the US Dollar. The South African Government introduced a new policy that forced South African companies to not accept foreign currencies as payment for goods and services, but to insist on being paid in Industrial Minerals.

The South African Reserve Bank then purchased the Industrial Minerals at market value for either Industrial Minerals Coins or Rands depending on what the company preferred. This new policy strengthen the Rand back to R5 to the dollar within 12 months, and because of the rapidly increasing exports of Crystal Valley Industries products the South African Economy was very quickly running a massive current account surplus.

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18 months after the conflict ArmsCorp received a list of new International orders for their ArmsCorp Cruiser class light carrier at R5.45 Billion, and they were; 25 for India, 15 for Japan, 10 for South Korea, 30 for China, 22 for Brazil, 5 for Argentina, 5 for Venezuela, 5 Nigeria, 8 for Angola, 6 for Kenya, 2 for Indonesia, 2 for Sri-lanka, 2 for Ghana, 1 for Namibia, 1 for Mozambique, 28 for Mexico, 2 for Madagascar and 7 for Cuba. That gave ArmsCorp a total of 171, and the estimated value of the contracts was R931.95 Billion.

The ships were powered by a mix of technologies depending on the nation, but they all had the Crystal Valley Industries Crystal based batteries. For example the Chinese elected to install their own nuclear reactor to charge the Crystal based batteries, but many receiving nations chose to charge Crystal based batteries from their national electric grid and install a diesel generator as back up. ArmsCorp hoped to benefit from the continuous sale of their long range spherical projectiles so they accelerated ship production to 15 a year.

The sale of the aircraft was not as successful as that of the ships because the Laser weapons made bomber aircraft less effective without expensive stealth technology that the South African Government was reluctant to sell to any nation. In the Republic of South Africa many regions and cities demanded to be awarded the same status as the Crystal Valley City, and then during municipal elections of 2017 the referendum was introduced as part of the voting process.

With the approval of the referendum the Republic of South Africa was changed into the South African Federation of City States. All the City States were governed in the same way as Crystal Valley City, and The Federal parliament passed a law that gave all personal income tax and 50% of VAT in the particular city's district to the cities, but all corporate tax went to the Federal Government. This law applied to all the cities including Crystal Valley City.

The reforms had the effect of giving people a sense of ownership of their communities, and they took pride in knowing that their hard work was responsible for all they saw around them.

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On 10-01-2018 Tuo accepted Naole's marriage proposal and a month later they were married at a ceremony in Crystalorb. Naole was granted special permission to visit Crystalorb for his wedding ceremony, and because Naole had become the single largest share holder of Crystal Valley Industries his relations with the Council of Elders was improving.

Crystal Valley Industries began producing adapted Crystal based batteries for use by lights, torches, mobile phones, laptops, cameras, electric cars and other electrical devices. The production of Crystal based batteries quickly became one of Crystal Valley Industry’s product line with the highest demand. Even the countries that had imposed Economic Sanctions on the South African Federation of City States began to import the Crystal based batteries through third party African countries such as Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland and the Kingdom of Lesotho.

Because of the Economic Sanctions imposed by some of the wealthiest nations the South African Federation of City States was forced to redirect its trade policy to those Nations that still enjoyed good relations with them. Crystal Valley Industries became instrumental in securing South Africa's trading position in the world. The biggest beneficiaries to the South Africa's new trading policies were South Africa's neighbours who exported South African products to NATO countries.

South Africa's success came at a price for many African countries as many of their professionals left to make their home in the South African Federation of City States. The greatest toll was on South Africa's neighbours who were reduced to a conduit for South African products, and their own manufacturing capabilities took a back seat to the lucrative deals they could secure for South African products.

The influx of Africans rapidly increased the population of the South African Federation of City States, and by 2020 the census data indicated that the South African population had increased to 87 million including immigrants. Crystal Valley Industries had become the world's largest producers of Industrial Minerals, and their sea bed mining technology gave them access to the largest mineral reserves without having to deal with governments.

The Industrial Minerals produced by Crystal Valley Industries allowed the South African Reserve Bank to be the largest holder of Industrial Minerals reserve, and the bank held the stock in the form of Industrial Minerals Coins. The sub- Saharan African countries that were Allies of the South African Federation of City States formed the African Defence Alliance (ADA) as a way to rival NATO which was expanding to include Israel and some Caribbean Nations.

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In 2020 Tuo gave birth to twin sons who she named Ralen and Raole. Having Children softened Naole's resolve, and he did not complain when Tuo took the twins to spend long periods of time in Crystalorb with her family. On 10-01-2021 NATO officially changed the name of the organization to the Atlantic Treaty Organisation (ATO), and by removing the North from the name they could admit Colombia, Brazil, Argentina and other South American Nations.

This action propelled other groups to form defence communities. China, North Korea, Vietnam and Cambodia formed the Asian Defence Consortium (ADC). India, Sri-lanka and the Maldives formed the Indian Ocean Alliance (IOA). The Islamic nations formed the Islamic Alliance. Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Solomon Islands and the Philippines formed the Pacific Defence Group. Russia and some of the former soviet allies including Mongolia formed the Northern Alliance.

As the world organised themselves into these groups the Demand for advanced weapons provided by HOD and Crystalan technology continued to increase. The Intrepid laid another egg, and while the egg was being fed Spirit Stone energy for its final faze of development the Council of Elders named the new ship Gaurdius after Lord Gaurdius. The Crystalorb General Council rejected a proposal for Crystal Valley Industries to produce a Crystal based computer for use by the general public, indicating that even the ArmsCorp warships and planes did not use Crystalorb's Crystal based computer technology.

The election of John Randall as the President of the United States brought new hope of better relations between different defence communities. Unlike republican Donald Newman, democratic President Randall was willing to talk to his opposite members in the other defence Alliances. In the eight years under the republican Donald Newman the conservatives had projected hostile policies to the defence groups that did not share their Ideological positions of the world.

President Mabuza however remained unconvinced of President Randall's overtures, and continued to believe that the ATO countries remained an Imperialist Empire. The double digit growth in the South African Economy allowed the South African President latitude to be unresponsive to American overtures, and the military security provided by advanced Crystalorb technology gave the South African President protection from the kind of military interventions that the Americans supported in the past against Governments they did not like.

Because of President Mabuza's activities Crystalorb provided him with 24 hour protection in the form of a Vanguard team. On 19-11-2021 ATO announced a plan to relax their sanctions against the South African Federation of City States and limit or narrow the sanctions to targeted sanctions on the South African Government personnel and the South African military. The announcement came a day before President Mabuza was due to address the United Nations during a UN sponsored energy summit.

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President Mabuza felt that it would be prudent to give his response during his address

President Mabuza : " Six years ago the enemies of freedom tried to destroy our people. Six years ago the enemies of freedom murdered our leaders. Six years ago the enemies of freedom tried to spread their chaos and fear! Six years ago the enemies of freedom Failed!" after a brief pause "Six years ago the enemies of freedom and their friends were punished. Six years ago the enemies of African freedom intervened to support the friends of the evil! Six years ago the enemies of African freedom tried to destroy our Economy. Six years ago the enemies of African freedom tried to coerce others to join them against us! Six years ago the enemies of African freedom roomed the world in their mighty warships threatening the peaceful nations of Africa! Six years ago the enemies of African freedom conducted a virtual oil blockade on our country. Six years ago the enemies of African freedom instituted policies aimed at crushing African aspirations. They failed!" after a brief pause "They failed! Not for lack of trying! Not for lack of military power! Not for lack of economic power! Not for lack of political will, power or support! But because of the resilience of the South African people!" after a brief pause "They failed because other nations of the world would not allow them to succeed! They failed because other nations of the world saw no reason in their purpose. They failed because other nations of the world refused to follow their misguided plans. And today they've acknowledged their error. We have to commend them for finally seeing the light, and that reason has finally prevailed. The economic sanctions forced the South African people to be creative and innovative. We were forced to be self reliant and progressive. In the end the sanctions helped us to finally rid ourselves of the colonial imperialist elements of our society, and today we are free of the imperial forces, free to chart our own destiny!" after a brief pause "The imperial forces thought that we needed them, but now it's clear to all Africans that we don't need them! Their authority and power is a legacy of the past, but as we look to the future we must reconcile the past to history. For the past six years they have been shining their light on the past, while the South African Federation of City States has been shining its bright light on the future. Over the past 4 years the South African Federation of City States has become a beacon of hope for the world. Our detractors are lost in the darkness of their delusions! As I prepare to leave office I'm comforted by the knowledge that South Africa has never been more secure, more peaceful and more prosperous. I want to thank in particular the Republic of India, the People's Republic of China and the countries of African Defence Alliance. Your support has been invaluable to the South African people"

At the time of the speech President Mabuza was due to leave office in 5 months, and would be replaced by Tau Molema who had previously been elected President of the governing African National Movement.

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Before President Mabuza left office he observed as the South African Navy conducted test of the updated ArmsCorp Cruiser. In the test two of their latest Cruisers fired hundreds of inert munitions at each other to test the effectiveness of the Laser weapons systems in defending against projectile weapons.

Because only a single projectile got through to one of the ships, the Navy declared the test to be a success, and ArmsCorp Cruiser was given an effectiveness rating of 90% in defending against projectile weapons. The updated ArmsCorp Cruiser also included the latest anti-submarine weapon systems, and this was in response to the purchase of 20 submarines by the Islamic Alliance Nations.

Over the previous five years the African Defence Alliance (ADA) designated the Islamic Alliance as a strategic threat, and because of the oil reserves possessed by the Islamic Alliance countries the ADA was working tirelessly to find African sources of oil. The ADA was moving towards Electric powered cars, trucks and trains, and in the South African Federation of City States 70% of the vehicles had been fitted with an electric power assist motor developed by Crystal Valley Industries.

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After President Tau Molema was inaugurated he scheduled a meeting with the Crystalorb Leadership to discuss matters that were of great concern to the nation. In the meeting President Molema indicated that he wished to resolve the stand off with the ATO countries, and encourage more productive relations with the most powerful nations of the world. The ATO nations contributed to 58% of the global GDP, and 30% of the global population.

After his consultations with the Crystalorb Leadership, President Molema travelled to the UN to meet with ATO representatives as a first effort to find a lasting solution to their problems. The US President travelled to the UN headquarters in New York to hold a private meeting with President Molema. The South African Security structures were reluctant for President Molema to travel to the White House.

President Molema arrived at the UN onboard an executive transport version of the ArmsCorp carrier based aircraft. The transport version of the ArmsCorp aircraft was 50% larger than the standard version, and was also equipped with stealth technology. The aircraft transporting President Molema immerged from the Intrepid and travelled to the UN building. Although the Americans had been informed of President Molema's arrival, but the deliberate sudden appearance of his plane on the air traffic radar was a complete surprise.

During his talks with the ATO Ambassadors to the UN President Molema indicated that the South African Federation of City States would only be returning one Ambassador to Europe and one Ambassador to the USA. Since the South American Ambassadors were not removed nothing would change. President Molema made it clear that he would move slowly in normalising relations with ATO countries that were part of the sanctions regime.

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Later President Molema met with President Randall of the United States of America.

President Randall : " Thank you for coming Mr President! You've had a long day and I've had an even longer 2 days, so lets not waist any time with veiled questions and coy answers! Your navy is conducting large naval exercises in the Persian Gulf. This action poses enormous problems for the region, for the world!"

President Molema : " And for the US"

President Randall : " Yes! It undercuts our military de-escalation policy, and forces ATO to respond"

President Molema : " Is that why we are detecting your so called stealth subs near our battle group”

President Randall : " The Islamic Alliance is up in arms, and they are mobilizing their forces"

President Molema : " The Islamic Alliance Nations are reckless and dangerous, and it's only a matter of time before they do something to destabilize the world”

President Randall : " But did you have to conduct your exercises so close to their borders"

President Molema : " Yes Mr President! We needed them to respond so that we could test our new anti-sub capabilities against their new European built sub fleet"

President Randall : " They consider your actions to be a provocation"

President Molema : " No Mr President! There is a difference between deterrence and provocation, and the fact that we were able to detect every one of their subs will deter them from using them to infiltrate ADA waters”

President Randall : " I'm sure you could find a better way to relate to them, a way that does not require military posturing!"

President Molema : " I'm surprised that ATO is not more concerned about the Islamic Alliance, they're just as much a threat to you as they are to us!"

President Randall : " We enjoy good relation with nearly all the nations of the Islamic Alliance"

President Molema : " But not with their people! Their people hate you because you support their oppressors""

President Randall : " And they hate you because you think their religion is barbaric"

President Molema : " Actions speak louder than words Mr President! If they act barbaric?"

President Randall : " Our countries used to have such good relations"

President Molema : " You mean my country used to toe the line"

President Randall : " Before the Addis Ababa incident your country was a respected member of the international community, but now it's regarded as one of the more destructive elements"

President Molema : " Incident? Is that what you call it? And they call us Destructive?"

President Randall : " You continue to supply the world with your weapons, and this fuels the ongoing arms race"

President Molema : " Strange! America is doing the same, and we take offence to being ladled as Destructive"

President Randall : " At the very least your actions are Destructive"

President Molema : " We are a democracy in the truest sense Mr President, and every year there are council elections in our Cities. We've instituted reforms that will see the Federal parliament become subject to the same rules, and very soon we will abandon the Presidency in favour of a Federal Executive Council similar to the City Executive Council. Our people will have the power to change their government annually"

President Randall : " What about global security and stability? Your actions continue to ferment rivalries amongst nations"

President Molema : " We have freed ourselves from dependence on Islamic Alliance oil, and the oil producing countries dislike the fact that we are offering the world new and advanced technology that will hopefully end the world’s toxic dependence on oil"

President Randall : " You want the world to be dependent on your technology! This is technology we know nothing about!"

President Molema : " As does America!"

President Randall : " No! Other nation can't produce or duplicate your Crystal based batteries, and there is no public research timeline of the development of this technology. Why is that Mr President?"

President Molema : " We know you know why Mr President! We even know how you know why Mr President!"

President Randall : " Who are these Crystalans? And how do you know you can trust them?"

President Molema : " They are South African Citizens, and they are Africans"

President Randall : " The HOD also consider themselves to be Africans"

President Molema : " The HOD may be of African descent, but they've chosen not to align themselves to Africa. The HOD are dangerous Mr President! The leadership of the HOD might be African, but they have bread themselves into every racial group in the world, and their true intensions continues to escape even their cousins in Crystalorb"

President Randall : " Unlike your friends, the HOD is willing to share their tech with the world and not just with one country"

President Molema : " And that is what concerns you! The Crystalans have decided to share South Africa's destiny, and their efforts are directed at ensuring that our shared future is prosperous. We don't know what the true agenda of the HOD is!"

President Randall : " We know that the Crystalans don't get along with the HOD"

President Molema : " Or perhaps the other way around"

President Randall : " What's their agenda?"

President Molema : " President Stanley Carver knew about the existence of the Crystalans, but his final term of office was coming to an end, and Donald Newman was ahead in the polls. Carver believed that the bible thumping born again Donald Newman would probably overreact so he cleaned house and buried everything!"

President Randall : " How do you know all this?"

President Molema : " The Crystalans. They watch everything. They're very good at watching." he smiles "They like to know what people in power are up to! You can't really keep secrets from them!" Whispering gesture "As it turns out President Carver was right, Newman is a nut-job! And so was my predecessor. Crazy has a tendency to inspire crazy! Carver came to visit us a few years ago; before the Conflict! He wanted to make sure that he'd made the right decision, so we took him to visit Crystalorb. When Carver finally met the Crystalans, he came to the same conclusion that we did."

President Randall : " Which is what?"

President Molema : " People who create things as beautiful as what he saw in Crystalorb could not possibly be Evil." his eyes light up with wonder "They are Utopians you know. Perhaps the only part of the human civilisation that's actually truly Utopian."

President Randall : " Somehow I find that hard to believe! If they're Utopian, then why do they need advanced weaponry?"

President Molema : " They're Utopian, not pacifists. Their blood feud with the HOD has been raging for a generation, and may continue for generations to come. They have the power to destroy the HOD, but they won’t pursue that option because it would cost too many ordinary human lives. They built Crystal Valley City because we asked them, and they've designed advanced weapon systems for us because we asked them. The Crystalans are trying to help us; trying to help the rest of humanity become more like them."

President Randall : " More like them? Now that I can believe! So that's their agenda; remake the world in their image? Why haven't they tried to make contact with us?"

President Molema : " You Americans are so full of yourselves. You think they would want to talk to you just because you’re a super-power? They are a real super-power, and their gentle nature is misleading. When we first found out about them we thought that we could force them to submit to our authority, but we quickly realized that they could wipe us out in less than an hour. They have the kind of power you can only imagine. Over the years that we've known them we've seen them grow stronger. It's as if they are building up to something! They think that the HOD will throw the world into Chaos, and they must be ready to stop the HOD."

President Randall : " I've talked to the HOD, and they don't seem like the monsters the Crystalans describe! Have you met the HOD?"

President Molema : " We have, and I must agree with you that they seem ordinary, but I must tell you that I found them disarming! I didn't like that feeling. With the Crystalans you get the feeling that you’re inferior, and the Crystalans are always trying to elevate you to their level, but the Hodians make you feel that they're just like you, you think that they're just ordinary humans."

President Randall : " Yes."

President Molema : " And that's the trouble with the HOD! Wolves in sheep's clothing! The Hodians are clearly very good at playing dumb, and if you know that they are as advanced as the Crystalans, you wonder why they aren’t more open? The Crystalans are open about who they are, the HOD on the other hand are very secretive about who they are. The Crystalans regard the HOD as lost and misguided, but the Hodians always try to make you suspicious about the Crystalans."

President Randall : " So you are firmly on the side of the Crystalans?"

President Molema : " They've been nothing but good to us, and that's good enough for me."

President Randall : " Mr President let’s talk about your space program."

President Molema : " What do you want to know Mr President?"

President Randall : " Why are you placing weapons in space?"

President Molema : " For the same reason America has placed Laser and plasma energy weapons in space."

President Randall : " We need to know what your space plans are?"

President Molema : " For the moment this is mainly responsive, and the space policy is still being formulated"

President Randall : " We would be greatly concerned if you started to supply space weapons to your allies"

President Molema : " We have no intension to sell these weapons"

President Randall : " And what about your enrichment program?"

President Molema : " The Crystalorb Nuclear Reactors require highly enriched uranium to function at optimal capacity"

President Randall : " But you are enriching beyond the requirement for power stations"

President Molema : " You have to understand that Crystalorb Nuclear Reactor (CNR) technology is unlike anything currently available in the world. The CNR are five times more efficient, and our small reactors that Crystal Valley Industries produces for our ships generate 4000 MW of electricity. As you probably know, we don't sell the ships with CNR technology"

President Randall : " Some say you could easily convert your enriched uranium for use in weapons"

President Molema : " We could. But we won't! And it's because we don't need nuclear bombs Mr President! And even though Pakistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia have Nuclear weapons programs we have elected to go in a different direction."

President Randall : " There is no proof that Saudi Arabia has Nuclear weapons"

President Molema : " Once again you defend them, but it doesn't matter to us, and their nuclear capabilities don't change the balance of power. The fools don't realise that they would never be able to deploy their missiles against us, and besides we have energy weapons that can generate the equivalent of a nuclear blast for less than 1% of the cost of a Nuclear Bomb. And now that ATO has relaxed your sanctions our exports can have direct access to ATO markets"

President Randall : " What about lowering trade tariffs?"

President Molema : " That measure will never pass the Federal Parliament, so that’s highly unlikely”

President Randall : " Then ATO will maintain their tariffs"

President Molema : " We supply 25% of the world's Industrial Minerals, and we do so as Coins, our advanced technology produces 20% of the world's food, the Crystal Based Batteries have cornered the world market. We are the 9th largest economy in the world, and we've had double digit growth for the last 3 financial years. Consequently we see no need to change what works"

President Randall : " What about strengthening financial links with the world?"

President Molema : " Mr President! Our technology is the driver of our growth, and that is the focus of our economic policies. We don't want links with countries that may one day use their stronger financial markets to weaken our financial markets. The Federal Parliament recently passed a bill that will prevent Government spending from distorting the free market, and that means that Government procurement is only allowed to directly participate in the defence Sector. This law stops the South African Government at all levels from public private partnerships, and this means no more Government tenders. Now for us to have direct financial links with any nation, that particular nation would have to subscribe to the same ideological position that says; Government activity must not distort the free market! The Federal Parliament is hopeful that this will end large scale corruption, and because our defence needs are mostly met by ArmsCorp we've reduced the level of corruption in the defence industry. In the future all Government market activities will be limited to state owned enterprises"

President Randall : " Those Socialist Policies have never been proven to be effective"

President Molema : " But this isn't a strictly Socialist type of policy, but a way to balance the free market and a Socialist policy"

President Randall : " So what you are saying is that we have nothing to offer you"

President Molema : " All we are saying is that it is in your own best interest to lower your tariffs on our products. As things stand you are paying 120% more for our products because you've been getting them from third parties. We won't lower our tariffs, and that much I can assure you, but in time my people may be willing to reconsider"

President Randall : " Congress will never agree to that, and the conservatives will run riot if my party tries to push it through"

President Molema : " Then the status quo will probably remain"

President Randall : " I suppose it will"

President Molema : " Mr President thank you for the invite, our talks have certainly been enlightening"

President Randall : " Lets continue to talk Mr President, and with time our peoples will develop a deeper understanding of each other"

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When President Molema returned home he proudly declared to the world media that he had held productive talks with the American President, and that it a was crucial first step in normalising the relations between Africa and the ATO powers. President Molema indicated that he would consult the other African countries of the ADA and together they would come up with a common positions in their engagement with ATO Nations.

Following President Molema's return the South African Federal Parliament passed the Freedom of Movement Law. The Freedom of Movement Law gave Africans from the ADA countries free access to the South African Federation of City States. All those wishing to enter the South African Federation of City States would present themselves at the Embassy, Consulates and borders post where they would be fingerprinted, photographed, Iris scanned and a DNA sample collected, then they would be issued with an Identity card. The entire process took about 2 hours.

By welcoming other Africans into the South African Federation of City States the Federal Government transformed South Africa into the centre of African commerce, arts and culture. The South African population was growing rapidly because of the ease of movement into South Africa, but the South African Government was unfazed by the influx of people. The South African Government wanted the population increase, and the because the City States regulated residential permits most of the unskilled immigrants ended up on Federal land. The Federal Government then had excess to massive amounts of cheep labour for their Infrastructure Development Projects.

The Infrastructure Development Projects produced technically skilled people that could then be absorbed by the larger economy in the City States. The Federal Government and the City State Governments were barred from outsourcing any of their activities for fear of distorting the free market, so the major input to the market was largely restricted to education, training and labour.

Neighbours of the South African Federation of City States began to complain that South Africa was stealing their highly skilled professionals, and since South Africa could now export directly to ATO countries their economies were under heavy strain. The South African Federal Government responded by offering the ADA countries massive loans to develop industries that the South Africa was not highly focussed in, and that meant more mining, Agriculture, bio-fuels and Tourism.

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