The Milestone Protocol by Ernest Dempsey (best books to read in your 20s txt) 📕

ones. And yes, while there is always a third, less major but still large entity, it is overshadowed by the largest. In regard to the political parties, the rest of those nations fall in line according to two major superpowers and how they dictate the flow of economics, commerce, health, science, and war. Do you really believe that a small European nation has the same power as the superpowers?”

“No,” Kevin said. “I guess not.”

“We have long experimented with various forms of government to see which ones the people will take to better.”

“Take to?”

“Yes,” Magnus clarified. “The more people accept their way of life, the less chance there is of revolt, not that they could push back against us. We run the two most powerful armies in the world. All the others follow suit.”

“The false dichotomy,” Kevin realized. “You give them the choices you want them to have so that, either way, you win and continue to maintain control.”

“Yes.”

Kevin looked out the window again, thinking about all the times he went to the polls to vote for a candidate. All the while, he wasn’t really making a decision. He was being herded into a corral where there were only two exits.

“And all of this is for what?” Kevin wondered. “Power? Control? I know it’s not for money because the order controls all the money.”

“Yes. Currency is merely another tool we utilize. We can crush or elevate currency with the push of a button. But our purpose is not for power or control. We already have those. And maintaining it, while an impossibly big task, has been done for centuries. Our purpose, as I’ve explained before, comes back to one simple thing.” He paused for effect and stared at Kevin, holding his gaze. “We must ensure that the human race continues on. We are not the bad guys, Dr. Clark, we alone have the power to make certain our species survives the worst enemy it could ever face. Ourselves.”

“And so humanity can survive, and thrive, we have to trim some of the dead leaves. Just like with a healthy plant.”

“Precisely.” The Swede turned toward the window again. “As I’ve said before, I do not like the killing. I’m not some sadistic sociopath who wants to murder billions. But it is for the good of humanity that sacrifices must be made, and the burden of deciding of who lives and who dies falls on me. So it has always been. So it will always be. Someday, a new leader will take the reins of this organization. The council will choose another when I am gone to my rest. I have no illusions of immortality, though we have searched for that holy grail for centuries without success.”

Magnus took a deep breath and exhaled. “All of this,” he said, motioning to the city around them. “The wonders of humanity. We have accomplished so much in such a short time. And have also wreaked so much destruction on our only home. After the machine is activated, we will not lose the progress we’ve made. And we will be given a much-needed head start for a better future. Colonization of other planets in conjunction with better technology here on Earth will allow us to expand indefinitely. We will save billions upon billions of people from suffering death by starvation or disease or anarchy.”

Kevin mulled over the statement with resignation in his chest, but he couldn’t argue with the logic. It made sense to him, as much as he didn’t like it or want it to.

“I’m honored you chose me,” he said finally.

“And we are honored to have you, Dr. Clark. You are about to see wonders you couldn’t have ever imagined. All that time you spent in your life studying history, and now you’re about to help make it.”

43

The Arctic, En Route to Svalbard

Sean stared out the plane’s window at the dark ocean below. There wasn’t much to see except for whitecaps foaming at the crests of swells, illuminated by the moonlight. Above, though, the spectacular aurora borealis shimmered and glowed with streaks of green towering into the stratosphere. He couldn’t recall a time in his life when he had been this far north. Alaska was the farthest toward the North Pole he’d been. Now, he and his team were well beyond that line, flying toward the frigid island of Svalbard.

Emily’s friend Matt Prichard had been flying over the waters between Estonia and Finland for more than a decade. He’d helped her on a mission once and had promised that if she ever needed assistance again, he’d be there for her.

The De Havilland DHC-8 plane was built like a crossover between a cargo transport and a passenger plane, with enough cargo room in the back and plenty of seats in the front to accommodate the entire group and then some.

What the aircraft lacked in amenities, it made up for in muscle and reliability. The De Havilland line was famous for use in colder climates, particularly in Canada and Alaska, but had also gained notoriety in other parts of the world as a true workhorse.

Sean’s mind wandered through the events of the last few days, the last decade, and then back to the present. Magnus Sorenson was still out there. The man who’d done so much for him in his life, opened so many doors, and had been a good friend through the years, had actually turned out to be the most insidious villain on the planet.

He controlled most of the secret societies in the world, including the Syndicate that had roped Adriana and Allyson Webster into a sick game years before in what they called the War of Thieves. Sean hadn’t heard anything from Allyson in years. The last thing he did learn about her was that she’d been bouncing around the globe, keeping a home base in London.

There was no telling where she was now, and he didn’t mind the ignorance of that fact. She was trouble on many levels, and while they had