Ambere Chronicles Volume One: Kaurine Dawn [UNABRIDGED EDITION]

Chapter Seven: Terrafall

[United Nations Meeting, 3432 A.D]

[Alexander Johnsson]

I sighed as the prime minister of Australia, Kathleen Smith, stepped up to the podium to speak. It was going to be another one of those meetings.
"Esteemed leaders of the world," She began, eliciting more than a few quiet groans from around the chamber. Every time she stepped to the podium the message was the same. But this time would be different.
"We have lazed about for too long, and we are reaching the ultimate crisis point." She paused, looking around the room for effect, and then stated simply,
"Over the past century and a half we have carelessly polluted our environment, and then, when we began to see the consequences of our actions, instead of accepting them and working to mitigate them for our descendants, we have simply plunged our heads into the sand." She paused again, and her next words actually caused a few snapping sounds along with gasps:
"Our actions are now set to cause a literal climate apocalypse: The Climate Change Authority has now predicted that we will see... Total Ecospherical Collapse... Within 200 years."

This statement sent ripples through the entire chamber, and one of the delegates from the African region asked,
"Is there anything we can do to stop it?" Smith shook her head.
"I'm afraid not... Even if we were to put every developed nation into debt for the next millennium, if we were to even live that long, it would not prevent the collapse. Every single model they've presented shows it taking place... Even ones where we not only perform carbon locking and send the captured carbon up to space... And even the most optimistic, where we completely shut down all polluting industries as much as possible, and cease the operation of all polluting cars." She sighed, sitting down and pulling her microphone closer.
"Longest projection is 300 years. With 270 before human extinction on this planet." At the last few words, the entire Assembly burst into shouting, various countries blaming each other for what they'd done, and the representatives of the two biggest polluters of the 21st Century, America and China, both looking more sheepish than anyone else.

[100 Years Later...]

[President of Terra, Nina Hawke]

I stepped into the Earth Conservation Council, where a meeting was soon to get underway with representatives of the Olympiads on Mars. I nodded to their representatives, and recieved a polite nod in return. When everyone was seated, the meeting began. Clearing my throat, I stood up, and addressed the Olympiads.
"Welcome to Earth, or as we recently renamed it, Terra." I said, and then felt my shoulders slump. There was no way to delay it further, and any delays cost us our most precious resource anyway.
"There's no easy way to say this... Humanity needs your help. I know, Terra and Mars-" One of the representatives shot me a subtle look and I cleared my throat, before continuing,
"Apologies, Olympus, have had their issues in the past, but we are now reaching a point where the very ancestors who led to the existence of both civilisations today are also the primary cause of what we face now, in the 36th Century. Put simply... We've fucked up. Hard." I picked up the glass of water at my seat, and took a drink before continuing.
"And thus, it is with a heavy heart that, as the President of Terra, I must request with the utmost respect, and admittedly, shame... Can the Olympiads aid us in avoiding our extinction from the effects of the choices our culture made in the past?" The Olympiads were silent for a few moments, before one of them stood up and stated,
"We... Did not expect this development. We request that you permit a short recess for us to communicate with the Council of Mons in regards to this request." I dipped my head, and replied,
"Of course. How long would you like?" The representative looked thoughtful for a moment, before saying,
"Ten minutes." I nodded, and they left. I almost fell back into my seat, the relief at the possibility of being given a second chance by our celestial neighbours almost making me break decorum.