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From: John Darts <johndarts@gmail.com>
Subject: {ASSM} The Shangri-La Islands Ch 12 (By: The Search4)
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Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:10:06 -0400
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This is a work of fiction and is to be read that way. It is somewhat science
based and also religion based. So you should learn some of both areas when
reading it. Is there sex? Yes some but if your looking for hard core look
else where. This as all novels is meant for entertainment. There will be
just one chapter each week as much research is going into this as I write.

Chapter 12

The ships returned to the bay and Dink, Joji and David went to see John. The
slick landed on the pad at John's home. Then they went up quickly to his
office.

"Well boss we have problems and not good ones." David explained them to John
and he saw at once what they did.

"You people did the exact right thing and that will help me make a few
decisions."

Joji handed John a file folder and started his presentation. It took just
over two hours and had estimated costs for doing this right.

"I am impressed Joji this is a work of art. It covers everything I could
possibly think of. If you missed anything then I a sure no one will ever see
it. We can get this group from Japan with no problems. They will be told
where they are going and why they are going there. Everyone going will be
promised a farm, business, mine or trading company to provide their income.
It could be two to three years or more before the last get their way of
making money. But they will get it."

"Do we have enough people still in Japan available to fill the needed slots?
I know just a few will go back from our current force. Most of those have no
family here now. You will need just under 21,000 men and then their
families. You don't want them coming here as it will not be their homes.
They need to go in three groups. The first to set up the town and the farms
for starting the new country. The second to defend what you have and build
the harbor. The third to extend the holdings and get needed production
facilities going."

"I am sure Hideki will jump at this chance to become the Emperor in the
other universe. But how do we keep in from coming back one day to bite us?"

"First he will not have the engineering, scientist or skilled workers to
advance his technology like we can. We will supply no large ships for him.
He will have smaller ships, boats for fishing and small freighters for
trade. He does not need aircraft, rockets or any of the high tech goodies we
have. No nuclear weapons should be sent and no nuclear power supplied. Let
them use wind, as there is a lot there. They will need one drilling boat for
oil and gas. They will also need a small cracking plant for fuels. For that
place a little global warming would be of great value."

John had to laugh at the honest way things were said. Joji was nothing like
his brother. He was smarter in many ways that Hideki would never see. The
fact he understood perception and how it worked was pleasing to John. "Will
they need much in refrigeration?"

"It is the one place they will need help. Sending compressors, coils,
electrical switches, limit switches and gas for them will be critical in the
early days for food storage. But a small plant will be needed to build more
units later. They can expand it as time goes forward. A good electric motor
shop should be able to also build compressors. So doing more than one thing
in any production facility is the key to keeping needed people down. But
everything fails if metal ores are not found and quickly. They need iron,
copper, nickel, chromium, aluminum, tin, zinc, lead and a few others. We
will buy the excess from them to sell it here and that way help cover the
costs to build there. So we pay for what we bring in with goods at a lower
cost and that will pay the Islands back for its investment." Joji knew his
brother would need to be bound by contracts here.

It was simple in that free did not exist. They would have to pay for the
investment with ores to be able to keep needed goods flowing. It was not up
to the Islands to support their living on the chosen land. Technology costs
money and goods do as well. So there would be a price to be paid.

"I will work out the agreements with Hideki and then go from there. But we
also will work with two others so we have leverage. In my opinion Joji you
need to be one of the two others I am dealing with." It was said with a
smile and Joji saw how John was pushing Hideki's buttons.

"That could be interesting as I have been there and he has not. It might
work if I were the reluctant one and being pushed to do this? That might get
Hideki to come to me asking about what he needs to learn and for help? My
not wanting to do this might allow him to feel safe asking for help?"

"Who do we get as the third?" John now wanted to see how Joji would handle
this?

"The prison camp commander would be my choice. He was a hard man and knew
how to keep those people in line. He would be a good adviser for Hideki once
things are settled."

"You see Hideki working a trade with him to accept another position?"

"Of course as he needs him and the man is wise in many ways, but not smart
enough to rule. Hideki will see this and start turning the man to his
benefit. This becomes a contest and Hideki will get into the winning of it."

Now John saw just how well Joji knew his brother. "How is it you know his
way of thinking so well?"

"We had the same mother, but he was far more like her than I was. If I ask
myself what would mother have done then I know what Hideki will do. He can't
change what she built into him. So it can only be used to direct him to
accomplish things that are beneficial."

That was pretty much what John had done with him and it had worked well. Now
he would try to redirect some of that strength and see if he could get a win
once more? "Your brother is a hard man to light a fire in and even worse to
put one out in."

Joji laughed at this, as he knew it well. "Yes that is true, but he will not
want me becoming Emperor someplace and that will start the fire on high to
stop it. I can be sure he would never accept I did not want that position.
He will never see the headaches or heartaches that will come with the
position. My brother is far to driven to see any of that. So if you keep him
believing I am the front runner he will work twice as hard to stop it."

"But you are brothers." John wanted to see just how Joji saw this?

"Yes in body, but not in mind. I fortunately was taught compassion by the
woman who raised me. That consideration was more important than action if
done properly together. It is easy to act and find out you were wrong than
to think and move properly. Her belief was we could never repair the damage
we did acting wrongly."

"That was one very wise woman Joji. It is a shame she did not get a hold of
your brother also. The two of you would have made a good pair with the right
training."

There just was no way to argue that, as he believed it himself. "It always
hurts some when I look at how far apart we are.  Life could have been much
different for us both."

The conference was over and Dink walked out with Joji. "What are you going
to do now?"

"I must see the men are released and the ones who wish to go back are signed
up for that. Then there are things to unload and new stocks to reload for
the next mission. I have a good two weeks work in front of me. You can bet
John will have several meetings on this project change. So for now I have no
plans as the time will not allow it."

Mr. Precise had done it to her once more. "I was speaking long term Joji.
Not this week or next."

"I knew that, but I just don't know what I want to do? So to be honest I was
avoiding your question. It is a question of if I wish to stay as a sergeant
in the military or go farm some land. My heart says take the land and my
mind says it will kill me inside. So I have to resolve that issue before I
make any decision."

"What if you could stay a colonel and run Intelligence for the Islands
Defense Forces? David offered me the job of running the defense force."

"I will think about it over the resupply period of time and the many
meetings with John. It is interesting to me and I think it would be
challenging. There are many people who would love to see harm come to us. We
are not loved by many men of great wealth in Japan. It would suit them to
cause us harm. They would never risk being caught, so they would use a
proxy."

That was why she needed him. He saw things with a keen eye and one expecting
someone to respond as he predicted it. "That is why I need you Joji. Besides
work would be no fun without you being there. I like having you cover my
back." It was as close to saying what she meant as she could get.

"Lets discuss it over dinner. But I will not answer you with a firm
agreement until I am done with the current project. I must be free to accept
John's offer, as I will not lie to anyone involved. I know I don't want it
and my brother would never accept it if I told him. He believes the world is
just like he is."

They headed down to the harbor for dinner and to enjoy talking about things
they read. Dink was a reader and enjoyed reading a wide range of books. She
never read the kind of books written for women like romances and the likes.
She did like histories, drama, fictions of many types and some science
fictions. But she was careful to be sure it had some value in it before
spending the time.

The dinner was nice and they drank a light white wine they both enjoyed.
These two had spent so much time together they were like a married couple.
That was obvious to everyone but them. But both were young and had no idea
want a couple was to be like? They were very close friends and that one day
would make for a good base for them to build from.

After dinner they went out to the ship by a launch waiting for them. It had
been a long day with the early morning return to port and then the meeting
with John. It was time for sleep and then tomorrow working out how to
release the troops. Each man would need to be processed and his equipment
checked in before being released. Any joining the Island Guard would be
re-equipped at the base on their island. Equipment here would mostly need to
go back with the new troops.

Dink got the best nights sleep she had felt since leaving here. Joji slept
without a single nightmare.

That next morning Dink had all of them eating breakfast together. Debbie,
William, Joji and she discussed John's meeting of the day before.

"What is he going to do?" Debbie had no idea how to solve this?

"I believe he will supply Hideki with an army and let him build a more
advance civilization there." Dink was sure of this.

"My brother would love to be the Emperor of some country. He has the brains
and ego for that. But he is also ruthless and would not allow people to
destroy his world once built. He will expand it and assume as much power as
he can. God help the people who stand in his way as he will destroy them."

"Are you sure he is your brother Joji? That sure sounds nothing like you. I
can't see a brother being that different?"

"We are and very seldom saw each other. He was raised by our mother and I
was sent out to be raised by someone who worked for my mother. So we are
very different and come from different social worlds. I was raised in a more
traditional Japanese home and with those rules."

That did surprise Dink. "I don't see you being a traditional Japanese male
in any way."

"That was more due to college and military time. I did a lot of reading and
found much of what I had been taught was not true. Where I was born and
raised was not Japan and that countries culture did not fit into my country.
If I wanted to fit into my countries people I needed to change to their
beliefs. It was not a fast process and was a lot of hard work. But the
person I have become I am pleased with. How others feel means little as long
as they respect who I am. We all evolve over time and change the person we
are. For me it should be more depth in my being and expansion of my
knowledge base."

Debbie and William were now also amazed, at how Joji had changed his entire
life based on his perceptions. "Joji as John says, truth is less important
than perception in life. What we think is our truth." William just had to
get this in Joji's mind.

That hit a nerve Joji did not expect. "I see that very well. It will cause
me to look at what I think and see if it is real or just my perception? That
is most likely the best chopping block to cut away the diseased tissue from
what is healthy."

William smiled at him. "I use it that way all the time. So to be honest I
worried about what we were doing all the time we were there. Some way it
just did not feel right to me. But my respect for you went way up when you
opened David's eyes and got him to admit we heading for trouble. Frankly I
could never have done that."

"You did not question the amount of people I did. The mounted rider that was
brought to me was a real fighting man and one I respected. He opened my eyes
more than anyone else had to that point. I knew we would never win there and
I am not sure my brother can either?"

"I think the changed dynamic of fighting for their homes will make a big
difference."

"I am sure it will. But you have around 200 feudal Japan's there and you are
talking years of wars. They will never be able to rest as someone will be
coming after them."

"But they will have far better technology." Debbie was sure this would win
it.

"True and if anyone goes back to their leader and reports that they will be
killed as a traitor. It simply will not be believed. No top leader will be
at the place where the fighting is going on. So it is easy to consider
people who fail as cowards. Of course the leaders could not fight if they
had to. There are no Khan's here as they are court oriented rulers. None are
like the old Mongols, where men who ruled also had to be great fighters and
warriors. It will be Hideki's people who will become this group in that
world."

"Does he know yet of John's plans?" William had to know.

"John said he was going to call him and ask if he might be interested? But
he was considering two others also right now and would like to expand that
field." Dink answered this for William.

"Boy would I have loved to hear Hideki's questions to John?"

Joji was enjoying this discussion. "He said he was going to send my
formation plan to him to look over. I am sure he will start to campaign for
the job once he sees who designed that plan. For me to get that would be a
major blow to his ego."

This Debbie did not get at all. "Why would that be a blow to his ego?"

"He sees himself as superior to me in every way. Mother fed him that all his
life. So he firmly believes it. Now it really does not bother me, as he is
just what mother made him. I cannot change that, but it can be used against
him. That is what John is doing now. Now we need to get the men who are
leaving and settling down off the ship."

Dink set up assignments for each of them and they headed off to get them
done. It was going to be a long day and they needed to process as many
people as they could. It would shorten the week for them if they could
complete this before Friday. They knew the next week was going to be the
resupply of the ship.

The troops were brought on hanger decks and briefed on the decisions. They
were told to make a decision and to fill out a form at the back on the
table. Those would be turned into the clerks and entered into the computer
system. A list was handed out of each step that had to happen before they
could leave the ship.

They started loading bags and returning the weapons cleaned and any
electronics gear they had. If they had checked it out it got returned.

The morning was spent getting all requests for either release or
reassignment to the next mission in the computer. When they were done Joji
ran a report and was completely taken back. There were just at 41% who
wanted to go back. His was way above the projections he had. But most did
not want to go fight they wanted farms and other jobs for which they were
skilled. The group to fight was just under 5,000 men and mostly single ones
here of the 6,150 volunteering to go back.

The job of filling this group in would not nearly be so hard. On the first
voyage they would have the fighting men they needed for phase one. They
would need to build a palace, a small town and start farms for feeding a
larger population. The second phase would build the port and sea defenses.
They would add farmers and set up food processing facilities. On the third
Phase the small manufacturing plants and added farms to fill in the food
supply would be handled. Of course each phase would add fighting men to the
mix and allow for expanding the territory controlled.

With the knowledge Joji had of the rock he made the choices of building with
stone, as wood was not going to be an option close to the coast. The area
picked for the main site was a good bay and you had twenty foot elevation to
the level area for the town. So flooding would never be a problem there.

The choices had been well made and now was the time to fill in the blanks.
Some things just could not be decided until others were in place.

That day they processed three thousand and sent them on their way. They went
to farms or houses their families had been living in. Those living in houses
in towns would report to jobs in two weeks time.

Those who were going back were sent out to the training camp. They would be
processed there to cut done the work here. This time the Island Defense
Force was guarding the base. The troops would stay on the base until they
left to return and start building. Classes started the next day to train
them to build and provide them the skills needed. They had limestone to
build buildings, houses and walls for the town. So the town would get a
solid set of early buildings.

On the second day Joji was called to John's office. Hideki, the prison
commander and John were all sitting at a table. Joji was motioned to a seat
at the other end of the table.

"I know you said you would go if I had no other option. But your brother is
willing and would like to go. What do you think about that?"

"There are several problems in that he knows nothing yet of the people, the
lack of knowledge there or the way these people would fight him. He would
not be dealing with today's Japanese businessman."

"That has been made clear to me brother. The prison camp commander has
agreed to work as an advisor for me."

Joji looked at the man and knew he was over his head. "No offense to the
camp commander but he is not qualified to advise you. His background in
intelligence is doing an IQ test. He did not question one prisoner and knows
nothing of interrogation methods. In looking at his background I saw he has
never fired a shot on the lines or in any kind of fighting. So all he could
advise you on is what others tell him."

"Just who do you think you are?"

Joji just smiled at the man. "First I am his brother, second I am your
superior officer and third I am the man who is going to kick your ass."

The mans face fell. "I apologize sir. I was wrong and spoke when I should
not have."

"John please send this ass kisser away."

John saw just what Joji had done. "He will be back in Japan in short order.
There is no room on the Islands for his type." Two security force troops
came in and escorted he man out.

"Now brother if your going to be an Emperor, you need to get a lot smarter
in choosing people to be around you. He would have cost you troops and
blamed others for the losses. You are not a military man and will need good
advise when it comes to that. But for it to work well you need several to do
that and to learn to listen to what is not said."

Hideki now saw just how damn smart Joji was. "OK teach me how to not just
survive this but to make it work as well as possible? We both know this is
what mother raised me to do. Your better suited for it, but don't want it
according to John."

"I am far too conscious of others feelings and would bend when it might not
be advisable. So for me to risk others lives based on who I am is not wise
for me. The person here must act no matter the cost. There must be a
ruthlessness in them and a desire for power. That I just don't have in me
brother."

It showed Hideki the differences between him and his brother. "Well you know
where that comes from in me. But you need to help e develop the advisors I
need and teach me how to over see this land. You know the people and have
fought one of their best fighters. It was you're understanding, that what
you were doing would never reach John's wants, which brought this mission
back. David showed me and John your memos and I was impressed."

That was the first kind word from his brother ever spoken to him. "I simply
questioned if we were going to reach what John said he wanted? You have to
keep the goal in front of you and see if you're reaching it? From my point
of view it seemed we would never reach it. That came from the many people I
questioned over time. You simply can't make gold out of copper no matter how
hard you beat on it."

"Are you sure brother you would not like to come with me and advise me?"

"No I lost nothing there. I became an American completely a few years ago.
Since I have become an Islander and like what I see here. In honesty I never
had a good nights sleep there. That was not the case for the majority of men
with us. So it was just my over developed mind. But I will see you get good
advisors and people you can trust. The most critical will be your
intelligence officer. That position is one where they could kill you fast.
So having someone you trust is critical. Dink has asked me to assume that
job for the Islands and I am considering it?"

John smiled at this, as he trusted Joji completely. "I hope you accept her
offer Joji as I also am very comfortable with it. We today need very good
intelligence and someone with a great mind to evaluate it. Hideki your worry
is the intelligence officer is like the CIA. They always have things going
no one knows about. It would be very easy for someone with that power to
kill the leader. So that person must not want your job."

Hideki understood that his life would be in Joji's hands now. "I do hope I
have done nothing to anger you brother?"

"I have been protecting you for a long time brother. You pissed off a lot of
the royal family when you took over the school. If you think back you lost a
couple of teachers and I was the reason. They had been paid to kill you. So
I just made life hard for families in Japan who paid them until they called
them home. A good intelligence officer will help you walk between rain
drops."

That John had not known. "Why did his assuming the school anger anyone?"

"Their family had always run the school here. It was something of pride that
the family knew and resented losing it. Some of the power they had lost was
not returned to them."

"If I sent them the school could they afford to operate it?"

"No way as they are poor and would have to tax people who can't afford it to
be able to do it. They are no longer the scholars their family once was. It
was simply about power and not ability. It was brought to me because the
group knew Hideki and I were brothers. The people that told me knew trouble
would come from someone killing Hideki. That they wanted no part of it and
helped me."

"So it seems I owe my life to you brother. Both females were really scared
when they told me they had to return on the next ship to Japan. That family
problems had come up and they were needed."

"They did not lie to you. Their mother was being held until both girls got
home. If they did not make it fast then she would have died. Both were told
if you so much as got a cold their mother would die. I hoped that would not
be necessary, but was ready to make it happen. At that time I did not know
John or of his islands."

Both men were really impressed. "I am very glad you did act Joji. It would
have placed a real strain on the Emperor to have to kill that part of his
family. But it would have been required to keep his power. There are costs
to having power and we all must be willing to pay them." John was sure Joji
understood this.

"Hideki you need to figure out what questions you have. Read my outline and
let me know where you don't agree. But my feeling is you must be able to
operate on just your own resources and with your own people. We never know
when the door to here will close for good. If that happens you must be able
to live with what you have and expect not to get more help."

That had never crossed Hideki's mind, but he saw it should have. "I see your
point and never considered it. So I do need to really think this out and be
sure I have the resources to live there no matter what comes. Once I have my
list of questions we need to sit and talk once more."

"I think before we do that you need to talk with William, David and Dink.
Each will give you things you need to consider from different points of
view. My opinion is just that, so build your own picture and change it as
things fit into it. If your going to rule then you must be willing to shape
things to fit your vision. Never shape your vision to fit where it does not.
Far to often in history a mans vision was changed to fit what was wanted and
not what was possible. Fear is a tool to be used by you and to do that it
must be created. Just think of how mother used it with us and follow her
example. She was a black widow spider and to me that was how I saw her."

Now Hideki was completely enthralled with Joji's presentation. It was as
good a learning experience as he had ever had. "Brother you have opened many
doors I now must inspect to see what is behind them. Your ideas and thoughts
were not lost on me. I am truly sorry you can't come with me and guide me."

"If I did there would come a day when distrust would come into the
relationship and destroy it. It would be far better for you to think what
would Joji do here? If I am not there that is a safe question to ask."

"Yes mother did change you into a much better man by her negative actions
than I am. Much of what you have openly said here I would never have done
that."

Joji stood and bowed to his brother. "Good luck and may fortune ride with
you brother." He walked out of the office and left Hideki sitting in wonder.

"Do you really see the difference between you and him?"

"Yes and it is striking to me. He is smarter than I am in many ways, but not
nearly as driven. Joji could be happy with a book and a warm day. That would
never fit into my thoughts let alone actions. I see nothing he wants bad
enough to fight for it?"

"There you are wrong." John ran the fight with the dispatch rider.

"My God he just beat the hell out of that man and never broke a sweat."

"He wanted information that would keep people safe. To him he owes his best
to the job he does as an intelligence officer. To fail there would be
something he just could not handle well. It was a sure bet disaster was
coming to them and he saw it and acted on that with David. He was smart
enough to get them back here quickly and allow us to regroup." John now was
sure Joji was the really smarter brother, as Hideki would have never backed
down.

Hideki was slow considering this and you could see the brain turning it
over. "I see his brain here and it is impressive. I would have pushed on and
just said that was my job. He knew that a change was needed and brought them
back to make that change. We are two different people and fit this drama
differently. He was for the time of discovery and I am for the time of
building. I know I will never be coming back here. For Joji that would never
be acceptable."




-- 
John
Old age is the most unexpected of things that can happen to a man.
 - Leon Trotsky
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