Page 30 - An Evening with Maxwell's Daemons

The Planetary Steward

“I want to present that tension in a situation in which the actions
of The Planetary Steward, as I will call it, are sometimes as
ambiguous in their purpose as those of the population who
question those actions. Therefore my sympathies, such as they are,
would remain in the background but ultimately be for our planet
and its preservation as the foundation of life. I know: the system—
let me refer to it as the P.S.—might perceive its own survival or that
of the ecosystem as requiring liquidation of humanity. But that is
looking at the conclusion, so I cannot posit it as an assumption
without destroying dramatic tension or the point I think I want to
make. I will set this tale about three generations after the P.S. has
taken over management of Earth. That eliminates any of the people
alive when the handover occurred, and gives me my characters, two
childhood friends imbued with opposing views by their parents.
They will stand in for antithetical attitudes toward the P.S. Is a
synthesis possible, making our future a bit more certain? If you
think not, then you might be a long-term pessimist with a sour
opinion of human nature. I won’t reject out of hand any
suggestions from any such persons who might be here this
evening.”
She looked pointedly at Cyril Kornfleck. He responded with a
silly smile and half an eye-roll.
“Okay. Now these two kids are about to arrive at maturity. Boy
and girl, so that angle is squared. Flip the script and make her the
one chafing under the P.S.’s watchful eyes, and the boy the
upholder of now-conservative faith in the system’s decisions and
belief in unquestioning obedience to those dictates as the only
means to maintain order and recover from past generations’
destructive freedoms. But I don’t want this simply to be a Platonic
dialogue, with the author’s persona coming out on top. I guess my
goal is exposition of the problem within a dramatic framework.
Apart from the interpersonal tension of these protagonists, should
they seriously be crucial factors in the perpetuation or dismantling
of the P.S.? Have you any suggestions for these star-crossed lovers?
My inclination is somehow for humanity to put on the brakes

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