“Family, councilmen, today has been a day to focus on the future of our great country,” Zain started as he looked at each person at the large table. “As members of the royal family, we have sworn to serve the greater interest of our small but prodigious country. My father has done so, knowing he can best serve Rahmi from America. He has worked to strengthen our ties with America, Great Britain, Canada, and Germany, to name a few of our newest allies.
“But there is only so much that diplomacy can do for us. There are fears for the future economy with the progress of alternate energies. Our oil is still plentiful; however, we all know a time will come when demand will be practically nonexistent.” Zain saw the looks of disapproval from some on the council who believed oil was all Rahmi would ever need.
Oil was the number one source of income for Rahmi. Long ago, it had been fishing, but oil had become the primary source of income over the previous sixty years. And power came with that money. Suddenly other countries were forced to ally themselves with Rahmi solely because of the power of the barrel.
“I am not saying we stop the oil exports,” Zain continued. “I’m simply saying we diversify. Other countries have flooded the alternate-energy field, but I have asked Dr. Piper Davies to speak to us today about how Rahmi can become the new face in global advancement. Dr. Davies earned her undergraduate degree in an astounding two and a half years where she double-majored in engineering and biology, specializing in viruses. Dr. Davies was immediately accepted to the postgraduate program where she has since earned a Ph.D. in nanotechnology. Her thesis on biomedical nanotechnology has been published worldwide. She currently works in Lexington, Kentucky, in her own lab with a grant provided by the largest pharmaceutical company in the world. I give you, Dr. Piper Davies.” Zain stepped back and shook Piper’s hand.
“You got this,” he whispered as he gave her hand an encouraging squeeze.
“I hope so,” she winked back before turning to her audience. “Ladies and gentleman, thank you for having me here. Nanotechnology is the future for all of us. The question is: do you want to be in the forefront of innovation or a late adopter dependent at an even greater expense?”
*
“I can’t believe it!” Piper squealed as she danced in a little circle on the private jet back to Keeneston. Her blond hair was back in her signature ponytail, and she had changed into jeans and a Keeneston High School football T-shirt. “We did it!”
Zain laughed as Piper grabbed him and made him celebrate with her. “You did it. I have you to thank for this.”
“No, you were the one to realize we could globalize nanotechnology. The United States already has a lab up and running, and there’s one in Portugal. But the rest of the world has failed to act on the growing use of nanotech. Places with depressed economies can’t fund them or aren’t interested in them. The talented scientists are left with limited lab space and most are forced to give it up. But now we will have Rahmi International Nanotechnology Laboratories—the first state-funded laboratory that will draw the best and brightest from many nations.”
Zain agreed. “Now I just have to gain the cooperation of our allies. You envisioned it and Rahmi agreed to provide the land and the initial startup funding. But we still need more. I’ll talk to the countries at the Keeneston Summit next week and see if we can’t get some more financial partners.” Zain's confidence in the program was evident, but he knew other leaders would need convincing.
Piper took a seat on the couch and grew more serious. “I meant to ask sooner, but have you heard from Nash? I looked for him while I was in Rahmi and never saw him.”
Zain thought about his best friend and former second-in-command of the Keeneston security force for Zain’s family. Dirar had ordered Nash Dagher back to Rahmi months before and no one had heard from him since. He hadn’t even shown up at Sydney’s wedding to Deacon, and Sydney was one of his closest friends.
“No. I asked my uncle and all he would say was that Nash was on an assignment. Dad found out there has been some tension building between Rahmi and Surman. It appears Surman thinks they deserve more of the international spotlight that Rahmi has. Nash’s assignment may have something to do with that.”
Piper wrinkled her brow and Zain could tell she was trying to think of something. “Is that the country ruled by some sort of cousin of yours?”
Zain nodded. “It was my grandfather’s cousin who thought he should be king of Rahmi. Back before our time, Ahmed and my father helped stop a war between the two countries. My grandfather ended up killing his cousin, Sharif, during the invasion of Rahmi. Since then, the two countries have worked together, but neither trusts the other. Especially since Sharif’s daughter took the throne ten years ago. The relationship has become rocky, to say the least.”
“I hope Nash is safe. Sophie has refused to even utter his name.” Sophie Davies was Piper’s cousin and the entire town had thought she and Nash had a thing going on. Sophie declared there never was—and never would be—anything between them.
“She’s been traveling so much for work that I’ve hardly seen her. Even if she doesn’t miss Nash, which I think she does, I sure do. Kareem, the ambassador’s son who replaced Nash, is okay, but I think he’s better suited for diplomacy than security. I guess he’ll be a help during the summit, though,” Zain said with a shrug as he pulled up his email.
Zain looked at his laptop and cursed under his breath. Veronica, his advisor on foreign affairs, had emailed him. The chancellor of Germany had just decided to come to the summit in place of the vice-chancellor. The vice-chancellor was fluent in English, but the chancellor was not. Zain wrote Veronica back asking her to work with the security team to find a German interpreter and to see if there was any room at the local bed and breakfast for one more interpreter. He was quickly running out of room for all the staff and interpreters needed for this summit.
This was Zain’s first time hosting an international event. He wanted everything to run smoothly. It was his time to make his mark on the global community. His topics of choice had been inviting allies and rivals alike to sit down together to discuss geopolitical tensions that could be eased if countries worked together to stop disease outbreaks and cyber threats that harmed their citizens. That’s why he was hosting it in Keeneston. He had wanted something out of the ordinary and more relaxed so the leaders could freely discuss ideas without worrying about open microphones recording them or being waylaid by the media.
Keeneston wasn’t exactly set up to host something this size, but the residents were pitching in to help. Main Street in Keeneston had been scrubbed, literally. The windows sparkled, the paint of the historic buildings lining the street had been touched up, and flowers overflowed from the bourbon barrels outside the shops and in the baskets hanging on every lamppost. Every storefront was also meticulously decorated with local items.
The Keeneston Belles, a charitable organization of unmarried women, who just happened to all be former cheerleaders and prom queens and who all shared the similar interest of marrying the best and brightest bachelors, had volunteered to give tours of Keeneston to the media, staff, and diplomats. The Keeneston Ladies, which consisted of former Belles who had landed advantageous marriages, had made welcome baskets for everyone. High school students and college students back in town for the summer were all on hand to serve as waitstaff at the Blossom Café, the only place to eat in town, and at Desert Farm, where Zain grew up and still lived. They would also provide taxi services when needed.