Exodus - 13. Genesis: The Consequences Part 1 of 9

Genesis: The Consequences Part 1 of 9

By WL

For everyone following the miniseries, you are in for another wild ride. This time I am moving the story to several years into the future from 2015-2020. At this point, Benjamin Cross with the help of Jeff Alan has released several new discoveries and technologies that have changed the world as we know it. We now have the beginnings of a nanotechnology revolution, acting as direct raw material, manufacturing, and engineering component in most fields. Cold fusion energy has been introduced with some trepidation from the world community due to the “untested” nature of such technology. Astronomers have had their first glimpse of Gl. 777 A, which they have now renamed Cygnus 4. AIDS is now curable with intensive advanced treatments headed by Adam Clay of Harvard Medical, a feat Ben and Jeff were proud to help their friend achieve. However, Gregory Faust had not taken his lover’s, now married partner, advice to heart. He revealed his discoveries on genetic expression for homosexual behavior, which won him the Nobel Prize in 2013. Gregory Faust has become a celebrity in the eyes of gay rights, while remaining silent on Ben and Adam’s secret research activities. All in all, the last five years have had their joys and disappointments, but things were brighter than ever.

(Cross Enterprise Inc., Corporate Headquarters, Newport, Delaware, February 12th 2015, 0700 hours)

A camera crew prepares for a long series of media interviews. Their tools have changed in the last few years, new approaches to optics has allowed a small hand cam to record 3D clarity from a wide angle without a large cumbersome lens. Along with the change to the size of cameras, the audio input is now fined tuned with nanotechnology improvements. The audio input can now isolate the voice frequency of one particular reporter with or without selected background noise for affect.

While many things have changed, the idea of reporting has not changed with the times. Sensational stories still are common and growing as the day progresses. Every news story and special could make or break a young reporter’s career as the populace demands more innovation and more scandal. Beatrice Visconti knew all this as she began her special interview with Benjamin Cross.

Beatrice: “It is a chilly winter day in Delaware, the world’s headquarters for tax free corporate holding companies. Just a few years ago, Cross Enterprise Inc. was merely one of many rising multi-billion dollar corporations being led by a charismatic CEO, Benjamin Cross. Today, Cross Holdings Inc. has become the first and last name in every major field of business. To say that they are a monopoly would be kind as their nanotechnology alone gives them the ubiquitous title of monopoly, let alone their technological advances in optics and military hardware. Some economist estimate that the corporation is worth $42 trillion dollars in assets with over $5 trillion dollars’ worth of revenue annually. To put this in perspective, in 2010, the world GDP was $74 trillion. The World Bank estimates the world GDP for 2015 to be $220 trillion dollars, a threefold increase in 5 years due in no small part to the innovations from this very company.”

Ben and Jeff were walking out the door of the building, almost on cue with Beatrice opening lines. Public relation was one thing Jeff taught Ben in excruciating detail, especially the idea of timing. Ben was no novice either to the ways human nature or interaction, but Jeff was an intuitive master of the Machiavellian art.

It was a learning experience for both of them during these last 5 years. They shared their joys and ills without regret or resentment; Ben might not show up at Jeff’s home for holidays, but he did meet Jeff’s parents candidly. Jeff’s father and mother were understanding people, who recognized everyone’s need to privacy. Jeff’s father had been a legal counsel for Proctor & Gamble before he took early retirement and his mother was a chapter president of the National Organization for Women.

Ben: “Great to see you Beatrice, hope everything is well. Why don’t you and your cameraman come into my office?”

Beatrice nodded and noted to herself to redo the shot after the interview to inspire more ambiguity and amazement.

Cross Enterprise was as innovative as the founder, CEO, and 75% majority shareholder, Benjamin Cross. Most major corporate leaders own less than a third of what Ben owns in their corporate entities as it was considered a weak approach to equity and stock market capitalization. Ben believe that a leader must be involved in his business as more than merely an investor, which paid off as his personal wealth places him right behind the United States and his own company.

Reflecting this larger than life reality, the headquarters of Cross Enterprise was a sight to behold. The exterior looked like a standard skyscraper made of glass and steel, but the reflective surfaces were illusions. The outer layer of the building was refractive, basically masking the interior with a false sense of normalcy. The interior was made of a metallic looking material, but there were no marks, nor scratches as human presence would usually create. There was no front desk, but a small monolith with an electronic eye that dispensed information like the computer H.A.L from 2001. Behind the monolith, the lift system was a rotating vehicle that allowed a maximum of 4 users to travel at slight angles or even horizontally across the structure due to centrifugal force. Andrew Carlson, special projects division President, was credited with the creation of the lift system, which he colorfully tried to name the “turbo-lift”, but it was turned down immediately by his design team.

Beatrice had heard about the impressive headquarters, but she was still awed by Benjamin Cross unique grandeur. She may not have expressed it, but she enjoyed the elevator ride, which reminded her of amusement parks from years gone by. She made hand signals to her cameraman to record the entire trip on the lift without fail. When they disembarked from the lift, there was no nausea, nor dizziness. Beatrice eyed the large metal doors in front of her, expecting something miraculous, wondrous, and profound at the heart of Cross Enterprise.

Benjamin Cross’ office was a simple ornate room compared to the rest of his headquarters. The walls were paneled with wood and simple wallpaper. There was an old mahogany desk with classic 19th century wooden rails along with an attached table lamp. There was a Victorian styled couch towards the side along with a simple tea set with a light steam rising. Along the walls, photographs of inventors and illustrations of old inventions were placed in a linear patter from the early screws of Archimedes to the imaginations of Galileo. Finally, a simple silver Latin inscription lined the wall space behind Benjamin Cross’ desk, “ex nihilo nihil fit”.

Beatrice jokingly: “Let me guess, you just couldn’t top the other stuff outside, so you went classic, Mr. Cross.”

Ben looking around his office and the inscription: “I think it’s a nice simple place for me to get stuff done and humble myself at the great work of others.”

With a hand motion, Beatrice cameraman began filming with that opening line.

Beatrice: “Well Mr. Cross, most people probably would call you the 21st century’s Edison. You have applied nanotechnology in so many diverse concepts that comparisons have been drawn between you and Edison’s extension of electric power. Your understanding of computer programming, chemical engineering, and molecular integration has changed the world.”

Ben glancing at the portrait of Edison: “I think he knows that invention is only the first step; you got to sell the product as well. Edison’s greatest talent beyond invention was the ability to see what people needed and what technology can give them“.

Beatrice like fisherman began to reel her catch in: “Yes, you two share many similarities. Not to mention, recently, you bought out General Electric in a tender bid of $150 billion. You basically own his legacy as well.”

Ben smiled politely: “Beatrice, the GE purchase was to help increase the production of fusion reactors and Nano-assembly factories for both our biochemical compounds and Nano-robotics. They were very well valued after the international lawsuits and settlement for faulty products a year ago.”

Beatrice probed further: “Are you not afraid of the liability that you will carry onto Cross Enterprise? I mean the litigation costs of future product failures from the GE line and warranties. There’s also the fact that over 150,000 factory employees do not have the proper training or knowledge to work in your new factory lines. Yet, I hear that you are allowing most of them to stay as employees.”

Ben: “Not at all, the product liability claims are against the old GE, Cross Enterprise has always prided our brand and merchandise on high quality. The litigation costs are negligible as Cross Enterprise’s chief counsel, Jeff Alan, can tell you. Finally, the factory workers are being offered free training or short term compensation insurance if they desire to leave us.”

Jeff on the defensive: “Cross Enterprise in our tender bid for General Electric had clearly stipulated with federal regulators that all GE warranties and products before the finalization of the takeover were not liable to Cross Enterprise or its subsidiary companies. We have no legal obligation to any prior GE product, service, or employee. Mr. Benjamin Cross is acting on terms of good faith to help the transition by offering these add-ons.”

Beatrice hated lawyers. While freedom of the press remains paramount; lawyers have more than once held up her interviews in due process. It was censorship in everything other than name.

Ben seeing the expression on Beatrice face and Jeff’s tension: “Ms. Visconti, I genuinely want to help the employees and want to make sure all my products and services are of the highest quality. Legally, I am not liable to do any of these things, but every company that I have taken over in the last few years have been treated with the same respect towards employees, consumers, and every possible outlet.”

Beatrice trying a different tact: “Well that covers the products and service lines, but it does not cover the entertainment line of GE. NBC Universal has been producing very favorable stories about their parent corporation and instilling a positive, some would say propaganda type news on Cross Enterprise’s foreign ventures. On paper, Cross Enterprise only owns 49% of NBC, but if we add in your diluted voting shares of Comcast, you basically own 60%.”

Jeff growing frustrated at the reporter’s unexpected bias: “Ms. Visconti, Benjamin Cross is no Randolph Hearst. If I am not mistaken, your news channel has also been cited as overly zealous and propagandist by your peers. Rupert Murdoch’s empire in the news business would be just as questionable.”

Ben: “I would concur with my chief counsel. However, I would also like to note that opinions are not against the law. News reporting is as much a medium of opinions as it is the Truth. Every news channel reports a different variation of a story to reflect a certain perspective and opinion in such a case.”

Beatrice saw the classic good cop and bad cop routine between Ben and Jeff. She knew that there was no story in corporate management, but she still had a card up her sleeves.

Beatrice: “Well, the last few years also saw some other important foreign developments for Cross Enterprise. The purchase of Iceland was perhaps one of the world’s first nation buying operations by a major corporation. It raised an interesting specter of NGO influence on the world stage. In addition, you’re corporation has been cited as a big influence for the end of the European Union, which has reformed into the new European Federation.”

Ben: “Cross Enterprise did not “purchase” Iceland as some would put it. We purchased all the outstanding debt that the nation had at a substantial discount and they in return for debt reduction allowed significant infrastructure construction for Cross Enterprise’s Trans-Atlantic operations. As for Europe, Federation President Alexander Salais is a dear friend; I offered a multi-trillion dollar package of debt purchases and investment in new facilities across industrialized Western Europe. The formation of the European Federation was merely a coincidence of legal and civil reforms within European nations. I did suggest certain ideas like phasing in military standard protocol in order to reduce the costs of common defense and the possibility of a declaration of protections for individuals, corporpations, and nations within the new European Federation.”

Beatrice seeing an opening: “Well sir, some would characterize the forced reform of a nation’s legal and bureaucratic framework to be exercising control. Additionally, Mr. Cross, you were able to gain near complete executive powers over the island nation of Iceland due to the influx of your employees outnumbering or supplanting the local populace. Would you not consider your power and rule over Iceland non-democratic?”

Jeff was about to speak, but Ben gave him a quick glance to hold his thoughts. To Jeff, Beatrice had stepped across a line; she basically accused the person he loves to be a dictator in the same league as Adolf Hitler or Joseph Stalin with the final goal of world domination.

Ben with a smile: “Historically, the old roman republic would have extreme periods, where certain emergency powers would be needed to combat serious threats. In the US, we share the same tradition as Abraham Lincoln proved during the Civil War by enacting emergency powers. With an economy in shambles, a bankrupt currency, and an inoperable legislature; many European nations and Iceland had few options at the start of the decade. Today, Cross Enterprise has rebuilt and even improved their nations. Population has skyrocketed without destabilizing either the cultural or ecological balance. Perhaps, the voters are skewed by our generosity, but the UN has not put any sanctions against me or my company for what we have done.”

Beatrice: “You might have good intentions, but what about the next Benjamin Cross? Have you thought about the precedent that you have started?”

Jeff was very incensed at this moment, but Ben kept his smile and offered some tea to Beatrice.

Ben giving a quick look over to Jeff to cool down: “A good man who does nothing with his fortune is a lousy human being despite his attitude. In the 20th century, we had plenty of “good” people with money trying to save the world without actually doing anything; we still had world wars, poverty, and near nuclear annihilation. When the financial crisis hit in 2007, “good” people in the world’s governments tried to save the world without doing anything of substance due to fear of their populace outcries. I don’t think you can name one person or group that is actively trying to improve the quality of life throughout the world as I or my company had done, successfully. Cross Enterprise has eliminated hunger in the US, created a limitless supply of goods, opened whole new job markets, and improve the quality of living for all mankind by three folds.”

Beatrice now had the right combination of material for her story. She could taste the Journalism Prize in her grasp. There are so many good elements to this story: the ambiguity from major corporations, the eternal issue of “the ends justify the means”, and baggage from the last few years of rapid progress.

In truth, she respected what Benjamin Cross stood for and his ideals that proactive innovation rather than passive support were catalyst for the greater good of mankind. Too many people, on both sides of the political spectrum, do not respect the need to rethink their ideals or challenge the underlying issues with more than a few pleasantries. However, the reality is her common viewers did not care about the human condition or the needs to rethink how people dealt with world events. The armchair politician and commentators have grown to fill her audience; she needed to give them meat to feed their opinions and anger in one direction or another. In the world of modern journalism, there was no room for virtuous heroes, only ambiguous men.

The remainder of the interview was filler, but she had her meat.

After Beatrice had departed the premises, Jeff and Ben sat silently in the office. Ben stared at all the great innovators before him and wondered. Jeff began frantically texting his law firm and NBC Universal to do counter stories.

Jeff feeling incredibly embarrassed: “Ben, I wish you would have just said no to the stupid idea of an interview from Fox News.”

Ben: “Couldn’t be helped, we knew that the media would bite us in the ass. The labor issues and the job displacement had been fixed only partially by what we were able to do. We’re lucky that we practiced our responses. Unemployment has been driven down to near 3% in the US, but workplace happiness and individual worker’s enjoyment of work has gone down dramatically. Fox, ABC, CBS, and even some anchors on NBC have questioned these issues. We do have influence over the news media, but CBS and Fox are generally much larger than us in terms of demographics.”

Jeff: “It’s not the media or labor stuff that bothered me so much. We prepared for it for days after the CBS’ 60 Minute documentary. It’s what we didn’t practice that troubled me.”

Ben: “You had issues with the Iceland deal, too.”

Jeff frowned at Ben’s question: “Ben, I will stand by your decision until the day I die. I don’t like what was done; Iceland might have been bankrupt and economically non-viable for decades, but we set a bad precedent to buy up their financial debt and systematically increasing immigration of Cross Holdings researchers and employees to the island. You basically pushed a legal coup d’états. Yeah, the primary research base needed to expand and we could only do so much underwater, but the price might have been too high.”

Ben shaking his head: “From a population of less than half million to a population of over two million, we basically turned Iceland around dramatically. We didn’t force the researchers to go, they started coming into the company in droves. They came from every nation, culture, and civilization in hope of creating a better world for the future. Today, no one in Iceland would want for more and it is the shining example of a technologically advanced culture. I know what we did was not right, but the results cannot be denied. I didn’t ask to be voted in as Prime Minister and President, nor did I want to have the sweeping powers I do, but that is how things developed.”

Jeff shook his head: “I don’t think the reporter will debate your results, but the way that we went about it is questionable. There’s no legal precedence against our action, but we basically undermined five centuries worth of nation-state sovereignty.”

Ben: “Hopefully, history will vindicate our actions.”

Jeff: “I hope your right, Ben. I will try to get CNBC to run that special we had done earlier to coincide with the Fox special. At the very least, we’ll split the conservative business viewers in half; heck most of them probably support you in the first place. We probably can do containment control with several online newspapers and ghost bloggers. Heck, I might just call up the United Brotherhood after the broadcast; they might help put up posters for your glorious new regime.”

Ben smirked: “Is that an insinuation?”

Jeff nodding his head slightly: “Well, you’re already a fascist according to reliable reports.”

Ben: “Ha….you are the one that suggested using Fox to counter balance the negative reports from CBS. ”

Jeff sensually ran his hands over Ben’s crotch: “Well, I guess I need to make it up to you for that bad suggestion.”

Ben kissed his lover intimately: “Using a conservative network to fight off their liberal competitor was a good idea. In any case, we still have the future, if nothing else.”

TBC…..