Richard V. Rupp

August 23, 2021

Good Monday morning. I'm author Richard V. Rupp, writing from Burbank, California. Welcome to Rupp's Notes/FBI Special Agent Hartman Series posts.

 

I write because I enjoy doing it, and it keeps me out of trouble. I'm not prolific in producing novels, but slowly they get done. Finishing SKYWARD, the one I'm currently working on, will take some time. I would like to think it tells an important story about the future that may or may not come true as I have perceived and written it. It is designed to make readers think about what is ahead and what part they want to play in forming the future for humanity.

 

Hopefully, you will enjoy the ride with me as SKYWARD evolves. In talking with other novel writers, it seems our minds work in strange ways as respects the development of a plot. Here's my way.

 

My story recognizes there are a lot of things going wrong on Earth, including the possibility of it evolving into a planet that no longer can support humans. Or at least support humans in the way they have been supported historically. It also recognizes that there has been a big difference between how some Earthly soles have been treated compared to others, giving rise to tribalism and conflict. My white, wealthy millennial Bowman Twins and their white, wealthy clique of friends decide they are out of favor, and neither their money nor voices are going to change that. They arrive at a solution that had previously worked on Earth but no longer existed. Instead of going West to find a new frontier, they decided to look SKYWARD. They visioned using the Moon as the first stepping stone to establishing settlements on planets and moons further out in the Universe. They are going to escape from the perils of Earth.

 

I'm sure you noted that I have specifically defined the Bowmans and their friends as "white." But, no worries, they are STEM-educated professionals and practice the following from a presentation titled The Radical Transformation of Diversity and Inclusion: The Millennial Influence for inclusion. Written by Christie Smith, Managing Principal, Deloitte University Leadership Center for Inclusion, Deloitte LLP, and Stephanie Turner, PhD., Deloitte Consulting LLP -

 

"As the millennial generation (also known as Generation Y, born 1980-95) floods leadership ranks, stories like this are not uncommon. Millennials strive to be inclusive, but not in the way we are accustomed to thinking about inclusion. Decades of research and programming have focused on assimilating individuals of different genders, races, ethnicities, religions, and sexual orientations in our organizations, and the baby boomers and Generation X-ers should be given credit from getting us from Point A to Point B in the inclusion discussion. Millennials, however, are ready for Point C. These young professionals are the most traditionally diverse generation in history. Only 59 percent of millennials are Caucasian, and 27 percent have immigrant backgrounds. For them, walking into an office lobby and seeing all types of people is a given. They are much more concerned with cognitive diversity, or diversity of thoughts, ideas, and philosophies, and in solving business problems through a culture of collaboration. For millennials, inclusion isn't just about getting people of different creeds in a room. It's about connecting these individuals, forming teams on which everyone has a say, and capitalizing on a variety of perspectives in order to make a stronger business impact."

 

A conscious effort is made by the Bowman's to make their Colony diverse as respects genders, races, and ethnicities. Those with strong religious beliefs are screened out, and sexual orientation is initially screened out but evolves in the Colony as its residents mature.

 

Now it seems the Bowman Twins are not the only ones with the idea of colonizing space. The Chinese are determined to tear down the figurative "Western Wall" established by the United States to contain them. To accomplish this, they have added to their "Belt and Road" and "Community of Common Destiny" initiatives the "Forth Great Territory Initiative." This later initiative is to expand their control of land, sea, and air to space. To begin their space initiative, they decide to first establish a military base on the Moon. They believe this will significantly expand their prestige and create economic problems for the United States, which has grown its debt to the breaking point by funding domestic welfare programs. Not something that works well in a capitalist-oriented society. Their leader is quietly but firmly paraphrasing what American President Ronald Reagan said in 1987. Mr. American President, "tear down your military wall." Get your warships out of the South China Sea. Taiwan belongs to us. It is also believed the initiative will provide good talking points to their population about a new frontier for the expanding Chinese population. They select a young, newly appointed General who is the son of a senior member of the Communist Party to lead their Moon Base. Their base is established four months before the Bowman's head SKYWARD to establish their Colony, which is to be located just 350 miles away.

 

In this and previous posts, I have established the characteristics of an American millennial. An April 13, 2018 article from the JING DAILY indicates eight characteristics of Chinese Millennials.

 

1. More than their parents, Chinese millennials are individualistic. They are less conforming than those who came before them.

2. They tend to be more open to the west than prior generations. They came of age in the time after China's opening to the world; they expect the world to be open to them.

3. Like kids in the west, technology is just part of their lives. It is not a new thing. It is.

4. They are smart, diligent, and well educated. Like their counterparts in the west, school and extra-curricular activities are central to their lives.

5. They are filled with national pride, concerned about China's sovereignty and position in the world, which syncs well with the government's goals.

6. To make the huge Chinese masses seem less foreboding, Chinese millennials are quick to use technology to gather communities around their personal passions.

7. In a radical departure from past generations, Chinese millennials tend to live for the moment, spend more freely, and use credit – a much more western profile.

8. Segmentation of the newest consumer generation can be broken into post-80s, post-90s, and post-millennials. As the generations get younger, the behaviors above become more pronounced.

What will the interaction be between the American millennial Twins and the Chinese millennial General? Threatening? Competitive? Violent? Understanding? Cooperative? Stay tuned.

 

Continuing from my last post, here is more on what life is like in the Bowman Colony. If you are into PETA or strongly support a humane society, you will not like this. In fact, you are screened out from joining the Bowman Colony. They conclude that if you have an extreme pet-friendly attitude, it indicates a disposition toward depression. Something you differently don't want in a confined colony. Especially one that does not allow pets.

 

A space colony on most celestial bodies will be unique, and its developers can act like gods. They decide the configuration, atmosphere, temperature, and who or what gets included or excluded. Dogs, cats, and other pets are excluded because of the need for cleanliness, avoidance of accidents, and oxygen conservation. Husbandry animals (animals raised for meat, milk, eggs, etc.) are allowed but are kept in specially designed separated areas. The good news is that you don't have to worry about cockroaches, rats, flies, or mosquitoes.

 

I didn't find any reference to cats or dogs in Robert A. Heinlein's science fiction novels. But he has a famous quote concerning them – "Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea."

 

That's it for this post. Hopefully, you will join me again in a couple of days.

 

Stay safe on our increasingly contaminated Earth. Get your shots and stay masked up. Isn't living fun these days.

 

Cheers,

 

Richard V. Rupp, Author

Website – www.richardvrupp.com

Email – rupprisk@gmail.com

Copyright©2021 by Richard V. Rupp