My iLenses focused on the holotron and I couldn't help but say it. "Carl Sagan would be frickin' amazed." Honestly, I was just totally awestruck. After runnin' a hand over my tied hair, I'd looked at Chon and dipped my head. "Dude, I was so wrong about Xen."

    "Mikey, we all were," Sarah admitted. "I've never witnessed something so utterly astonishing."

    "Neither have I," Chon said while his eyes sparkled.

    Actually, I think everyone's eyes did, as we learned more about Xen's unorthodox beacon of light. Widow Lai, the Mother of Dragons, was right about everythin' she'd ever said to Chon. Xen was one of the great thinkers of our time! But despite The Solution's impressive developments, Tom and Robin didn't think so and seethed in front of us. Nonetheless, I tuned them out.

    The center's A.I.D.A had stopped talkin' too and the legendary secretary looked ready to galvanize once more! "Everyone, thank you for taking the time to watch the presentation proposal," Xen said. "Now, I appreciate there will be many questions people will ask. At this time, my team and I will try our best to answer them via some additional information on each process. I will start with Phase One...

    "Regarding The Vote, everyone will be eligible, and able to do so via votethesolution.weebly.com. For those around the globe without internet access, they will be able to visit their closest public government building to cast. Additionally, Solution Representatives will visit indigenous and nomadic peoples. They will brief them and facilitate the opportunity to cast votes via hand-held counting devices.

    "Regarding The Result, everyone will receive it via a Designated Assistant Alert. Again, for those without web access or biotec, the result will be publicized via televised media. Or, shared in person by a Solution Representative.

    "Concerning The Recall, only immigrant and migrant persons would be eligible - essentially those persons who would like to be in their native countries when The Lottery Draft would start. Please note, someone of dual citizenship would only be considered for the draft in the country they currently reside.

    "Concerning The Lottery Draft, this would be a demanding and sacrificial element of The Solution... With global population a key factor, the voluntary and convicted persons of the Base Teams would represent 0.9 of the 8.9 billion, figure. Therefore, Earthian Star would not be able to accommodate everyone. We would plan on implementing a new One Child Policy of sorts to account for new-born infants. This would leave approximately 1 billion people without a role. So, in the interest of liberty and fairness, this is why the draft would be somewhat, random... Additionally, those over the age of sixty would be ineligible. Such persons would be automatically assigned to their national Base Team One, unless professionally required. These exempt persons would be heavily-skilled in their fields, such as those able to contribute towards clean carbon capture, storage, and zero-emission processes - as well as those able to assist in efficient energy and decentralized technologies.

    "Finally," Xen stated, "The Medical would also require sacrifice and understanding... We would advise that the frail and the sick not go, either. We could not risk major loss of life during the journey, or any kind of viral or bacterial pandemics like COVID-19 or 20. Therefore, those who might become Eligible Patrons would need to report to SMC's - Solution Medical Centers - where they would have a basic astronaut physical examination. Ultimately, it would deem them fit, or unfit, for the demanding journey."

    Takin' a pause from his oration, Xen turned back and motioned for Ling to join him at the podium. But before she reached it, I'd looked around. Processing the info was child's play for me. But I knew the crowd was gettin' zonked - Sarah and Chon, too. So, I decided to nudge 'em both, and break their concentrations. "Frak," I breathed with a fixed expression. "Guess the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, eh?"

    "That might be the case," Sarah hissed unforgivingly. "But will The Rising Clans agree? I don't think so."

    Frak. I'd actually forgotten about The Pink Lady and her cronies.

    "Will the people of this world agree...?" Chon also pondered.

    I was just as oblivious as everyone else. Thankfully, the geek within overrode such woes, and I focused back on Xen, Ling, and nothin' else!

* Valued Reader, for your chance to cast a 'Real-World-Vote' pull up Google Chrome and head to votethesolution.weebly.com *