ProjectStatusReview6monthsafterfirstcontact

“Argyle. Shall we do a project status review,” inquired Zircule.

“On the University of Sol or the entire Terran project?” queried Argyle.

“Perform a calibration check please. Consider that I consider the University of Sol the entire project. Analyse, evaluate and summarize; if possible; what is the difference between the Terran project in your terms and the University of Sol project in my terms?

“This will take a few minutes,” said Argyle. “Shall we continue our chat while the sentient upload network performs this request or shall I notify you when it is complete.”

“Let us continue with the review. It will provide further data for your calibration efforts,” said Zircule. “I think we are making substantial progress in teaching minimally violent methods to the police and military of NATO and closely allied nations. The progress is quite naturally the best within the United States and its allied industrial powers such as Japan, Great Britain and Israel. It is spreading out quite nicely from there to other allied and competing nations.”

“Yes, the stun and shield technologies have been readily adopted in the U.S. and Japan. It appears that use is near 100% with reliance on traditional methods for backup commonplace,” shooting injuries to police and suspects alike is down 75% and still dropping,” reported Argyle.

“Anything we can do, or suggest, to further improve those numbers?” asked Zircule.

“Several factors in order of weighted priority: improve access to education, further reduce the unemployment rate, improve usage training, legislation declaring the stunners not a weapon, “

“Hold on,” said Zircule abrubtly. “What point in lying about the stunner status as weapon?”

“The sentient upload network thinks this would encourage criminals in the zones with such legislation to use the stunner in a non-lethal manner to commit crimes,” explained Argyle.

“What about the case where someone is stunned and then their throat is cut while they are helpless?” asked Zircule.

“That would still be a violent crime in the use of the knife or other weapons and punished as such,” responded Argyle.

“I see. Life is complicated sometimes living in a primitive society,” said Zircule. “They have not yet had time for rationality, science and engineering to smooth and simplify their customs.”

“There is still a lot of religious strife and variation of beliefs regarding the use of force within the Earth societies we have studied closely,” agreed Argyle.

“How can we improve education beyond providing educational transceivers, mentoring committees, and paid opportunities to study?” questioned Zircule.

“We are not getting the transceivers to the most needy elements of society in the U.S. in numbers that I find satisfactory,” said Argyle. “A bigger problem is in other specific geographic zones. Transceivers are trickling across the U.S. borders to Canada and Mexico in satisfactory numbers. India is using them in large numbers within their information technology service industry. Usage should expand nicely from there. We have not established a major presence in South America or China. Parts of Asia, mainly Turkey and Afghanistan are using the transceivers in appreciable quantities. The Middle East is split with the democracies and Israel using them advantageously while the traditional Moslem states or theocracies are not. Europe is adopting them, although at a slower pace than the U.S. and Japan, both of whom were assisted by our early intensive efforts. Australia and New Zealand have been exposed through joint military maneuvers with the U.S. and they have cultural and language ties to Great Britain and the U.S., and therefore should be easy to expedite. We have very little penetration of Russia and the other nations in Asia. Africa is also sparse in our network. A few people here and there are using the transceivers, mainly due to Peace Corp efforts. We have saturation of the Antarctic science base, so there is a continent that is complete.”

“China is very difficult,” said Zircule. “They are a nuclear power and they are ruled by a clique of corrupt billionaires and the military. If we provide treatment to the old men in power, which they may have already received in other countries under aliases, then we provide them with no incentive to relinquish their power. If we airdrop transceivers, stun and shield technology it could trigger a nuclear attack on the West or trigger an internal bloodbath as the peasants rise up in dissatisfaction.”

“What if we saturate Beijing by giving free longevity treatments there and let the transceivers percolate outward?” queried Argyle.

“How would we get permission to provide treatment in Beijing?” asked Zircule.

“Perhaps start with joint military exercises with the U.S. and Chinese military. Have Captain Kerchock provide starfighter aircover with room for observer guests as an enticement, they cannot learn anything dangerous from the control transceivers and holographic displays. Setup transceiver monitors for observers. Get the Chinese military thinking about and using transceivers, stunners and shields. Then approach the leaders about longevity treatment for everyone in Beijing, perhaps in a public communication claiming it as a loss leader. Better yet demand payments in U.S. dollars, this will help balance the U.S. trade deficit instead of the cash flowing to Swiss bank accounts. This could also bring the U.S. Congress to bear on their largest trading partner, they know we are spending U.S. dollars in the U.S.” finished Argyle. “If the Chinese demand payment terms in their native currency instead then we agree and we still have most of what we want.”

“Not bad for an upload,” said Zircule. “Does your gray matter ever hurt?” he inquired playfully.

“Only when calibrating knowledge bases,” replied Argyle somewhat truthfully. “It is nearing completion. It is already apparent that the largest discrepancy in our thinking and assumptions is that you intend a fully authentic galactic grade University of Sol. I have been operating on the assumption of an advanced citizenship course designed to enable further study elsewhere and basic interstellar commerce.”

“So now we are on the same wavelength, lets continue our evaluation. I like your proposal for China. I will get started on fleshing that out and initiating it. What can we do to accelerate South America?” wondered Zircule.

“Their largest illicit trade is cocaine to North America,” Argyle provided helpfully. “Venezuela sells oil to the U.S., Peru minerals, Argentina foodstuffs such as beef and grain, Brazil has a diversified economy. They buy and sale a variety of things from everyone else in the hemisphere.”

“It would be helpful to interrupt the drug trade but I do not see anyway to do that,” said Zircule. “The educational opportunities and employment that we are providing should eventually start reducing demand. However, there is little we can do about someone who insists on using drugs instead of exercising an educational or employment opportunity. Most of the drug money flowing out of the U.S. comes from young people and working professionals. These people had the best access to education and employment opportunities, on the planet, before we got here and they became drug addicts on recreational drugs. Perhaps they get bored, need some challenges.”

“How about interrupting supply?” asked Argyle. “The U.S. military has been working on that for decades. Can we enhance their efforts somehow?”

“Any technology we let out of the bottle can be used elsewhere and creates further resentment amongst nonrecipient nations,” said Zircule. “Let us skip this problem and go back to getting educational transceivers into use in South America.”

“What if we encouraged the U.S. military to airdrop transceivers in the cocoa fields?” pondered Argyle. “Surely some of them would get used by the workforce harvesting the cocoa.”

“That is not a bad thought,” admitted Zircule. “We can also simply setup well protected clinics around a landing pad for a medical boat exactly as we did in the U.S. I think this would be unlikely to trigger any major blood bath and get us started nicely. There is also no risk of nuclear war if we miscalculate and a revolution ensues.”

“I like it. It worked well in the U.S,” commented Argyle.

“There are plenty of military retirees and veterans from the U.S. are available. They seem to be well disciplined and learn fast as a group,” said Zircule. “Perhaps we should make this a mercenary project vs. student volunteer project.”

“It would help the employment situation in the U.S. as we discussed but it might negatively impact entrepreneurial startups in that region,” responded Argyle. “I suggest that the mercenaries be well paid for partime work. This will provide a good living or startup capital as they choose.”

“Sound thinking Argyle, I knew there were reasons to keep you around,” said Zircule.

“You are using the local colloquialisms rather frequently are you not?” asked Argyle.

“Just trying to put some polish on my English.” responded Zircule.

“I think we should schedule hospital ships in Australia and New Zealand similar to the Japanese task,” said Argyle. “They are relatively stable societies and presumably their police and military will undergo treatment and received stunners and shields en masse before beginning on the general population. This should prevent any mobbing or massacres.”

“Very well,” said Zircule. “I propose that we use the mercenary approach with Africa to setup scattered clinics after we get well started with South America. If we get approached by any of the governments in the effected areas we can negotiate on a case by case basis.”

“It is probably important not to issue stunners in South America or Africa. They will undoubtedly be used in unacceptable ways. Let’s issue a shield belt with each transceiver and longevity treatment and them import their own stunners,” proposed Argyle.

“Ok, then let’s wrap up. We can review other factors at our next review. Add the detailed actions to my to do list and we will get them started,” said Zircule.

The Pathfinder