—- Kradashian City, Kradashian IV —-

Lieutenant Jacob Siegel put on his tie, a device invented centuries ago that had fallen out of favor with humans back on Earth. The Starfleet staff of Kradashian City had replicated it for him, as the world was attempting to hold onto what to him even as a lover of history was out of date traditions. Satisfied that he had tied it correctly he headed to the Embassy’s small briefing room where Lieutenant Acharya the USS Luna’s Chief Diplomatic Officer and Captain Adriana Cruz were both in dresses of Earth late 1800s. 

The head of the Embassy the overworked and undermanned Lieutenant Haus nodded in welcome and then began the briefing.

”After World War III and our meeting with the Vulcans, a religious sect on Earth briefly became popular. They disliked the Vulcans, distrusted other races that humans met in the galaxy and were not in favor of the progress that we were making coming out of the War,” Haus said, “Women’s rights, racial equality. The end of the class system of the 21st century, the end of economic inequality. So they invested what they had in war capable ships, about six craft which we’d call generational ships.”

Siegel nodded, “They were a bit slower than the original Enterprise NX01. Warp three in a pinch.”

”They settled on Kradashian IV, far away from where we were setting up the Federation, Starfleet, and everything that followed. We came to them, expanding, and then there was the Cardassians,” Haus said, “They need our protection from the Cardassians, but other than that they don’t like the Federation or Starfleet. The problem being about five years ago we detected the fact that sun is in the stages of supernova. It has maybe two centuries before it explodes.”

They had been briefed on this, so Siegel who was not the science guy, let his mind wander. Essentially they needed to begin relocation of the population of Kradashian IV in the next few years as there were millions of people and even without being constrained for resources or having to worry about Cardassians or The True Way it would not be easy. The trouble was the rocky relationship with Starfleet and the Federation meant that the leadership was not willing to listen. Perhaps rightfully any leader felt that admitting what was needed to be admitted would be unpopular, so better to not admit it and then let someone else worry about it down the road.

Cruz looked at Haus, ”So two brown women and a white guy are going to sell a bunch of sexist racists on this?”

Haus shrugged, “It’s not ideal, but rank hopefully has pull. The only other ship I was offered was a Vulcan only ship, and that wouldn’t have gone well. I know it’s a tricky, terrible situation you’re in but I’ve been pushing them for years to no avail. Starfleet bends over backwards for them, staffing the embassy with people they’ll accept but they don’t get to dictate who are captains and who aren’t.”

Siegel knew that Haus seemed to be trying everything he could. It was not by his design that this world was how it was, no more than you could blame the people at the original Khittomer Accords for the current tensions between the Klingons and the Federation.

Beaming over to the Presidential Palace, as it was called, the group of three split up. Cruz went to meet with the President and some other national leaders while Acharya attempted to talk with the Justice Minister about the two Luna officers who had been arrested. Siegel made polite conversation and then was pulled into a conversation with Captain Cruz and the President. 

“Lieutenant Siegel,” Cruz said smiling a smile he could tell was taking her some effort to keep on her face, “You were telling me about late 20th century environmental denialism.”

Siegel nodded, “I wrote a paper on it, it’s quite interesting. The temperatures of late 20th century and early 21st century Earth kept rising due to carbon usage. But because of economic models of the scarcity period, the money was in arguing that this was only a cyclical change and not a fundamental reshaping of the planet’s ecology. Big oil companies paid to lobby governments to essentially poison their citizens.”

The President, a tall large man in a ill fitting suit nodded, his eyes never really leaving the Captain to acknowledge the Historian. The height difference between him and Captain Cruz was clearly making this an awkward and unpleasant meeting for her in her current dress.

Siegel tried to press on, “You’re seeing a few of the same things here. Crops are changing, your growing season is earlier and certain kinds of crops don’t survive the heat. Given that you have shielding for cities you don’t have it for crops.”

”We don’t use carbon,” the President said waving him off.

”No but the sun is getting hotter, you’ll see some of the same effects as your ozone no longer works as effectively,” Siegel said. He pressed the point, “I was reading your former arctic cities are now dealing with flooding and becoming summer getaways. Cities on the equator are becoming too hot for fourteen months of the year. This is not cyclical change, this is the result of your sun heating up and expanding. Yes there are deviations in temperature year over year, but nothing like what you’re seeing.“

The President made a ‘humph‘ sound and looked at Siegel for a moment then smiled at Cruz. It was clear that he felt he was turning on the charm, “You remind me of my fourth wife.”

Cruz smiled, “Well she must be an interesting woman. Is she here tonight?”

”No, I currently only have the three, but I’m always happy to add to my collection someone as lovely as you,” Cruz‘s smile faltered and then reappeared, “Well I’d best circulate, but I’m sure we’ll have more to discuss at dinner.”

She grabbed Siegel’s arm and pulled him away, “This isn’t working. These people are partying while Rome burns.”

Siegel frowned, “While that’s not quite a perfect analogy, but I understand the point. The problem is environmentalism isn’t a vote getter, and these leaders are voted for. So even if we get someone to support us, they’ll be turfed out.”

”So we take this to the people, not the leaders,” Cruz said, “create the desire for change, and then the population pushes on the leadership not the leadership pulling along the population.”

Siegel nodded, “That could work, but Starfleet we’re dealing with generations, centuries of distrust. This isn’t going to be one stirring speech and the work is done.”

Cruz sighed, “That’s really all we can do Lieutenant. Already the Luna is off on another mission. They get back and we’re gone, so we need to sort this out. Starfleet is stretched thin saving the people who want to be saved, those that are dancing while the world burns. We don’t have time for that.”

Lieutenant Jacob Siegel nodded, things were looking bleak for the world. There was no saving it, but the people could be saved if only they reached out for the life preserver the Luna was offering.