DAY 33, RUMOURS, book 4, building

The next day, the frequent-speakers group, consisting of Alice, Navarro, Robin and Heather, had just finished their voice training practice with Jack when rumours reached the team that some companies were fidgeting over the question whether or not to side with the project in order to get a foot in the door and hopefully some business deals. Meanwhile voices against the project got louder which seemed to inspire some conspiracy theorists to declare their support for the project, claiming that the project confirmed their views. To counter that assumption, Alice and Heather recorded a brief statement for the Hub’s Campaign Square. ‘What do you say about the claims of various conspiracy theorists?’ Heather asked Alice. ‘I have no intention of confirming anyone’s views. Personally, I don’t care who lies or what is kept secret. I care about what we can create, find out, build, test and shape.’ In response to this statement, all conspiracy people seemed to lose interest in the project, and Alice later remarked: ‘Not a win.’ ‘You think our reasoning should be good enough to get everyone on board with rethinking?’ Alice shrugged. ‘Something like that. As humanity, at this point in time, we can’t afford to be divided. We’ll have a much better chance to get out of our messes if we find a way to come together.’ In the early afternoon, Isabel (head of campaigns) opened the team’s meeting with the heads of all campaigns. ‘Tomorrow, we’ll begin a fireworks of campaigns for our town, for our societies, for our planet. You’ve all done a tremendous job with your teams, and I couldn’t be prouder to work with you. In the first week, we’ll open each campaign with a spectacle, always starting just before noon, each day focusing on the opening campaign while all opened campaigns also run. From the second week on, each day will get a special focus, like the No Plastics Day, Connections Day or the Challenge Day. While some campaigns are likely to cooperate with each other earlier, all campaigns will interweave their actions with the other campaigns from week three onwards. Week three also sees the Spring Specials for which we’ll use every available public space in London and hopefully in other cities, too, to celebrate the beginning of spring, the magic of nature and the promises of beginnings. In any case, we’ll have a great party as soon as the government agrees to support our town, and we won’t have any regrets if that happens after only a few days of campaigning.’ The teams chuckled, and Geraldine, head of the Your Powers Campaign, said: ‘I believe in our powers, but people usually need a moment to let new ideas catch on.’ Jack smiled. ‘I might have a crazy idea on that account.’ ‘Let’s hear it!’ Dennie (security) said. Jack straightened in his chair, a playful smile on his face. ‘What if,’ he said slowly, still sorting his thoughts, ‘what if we did a series of short videos? Each video has the same message, but uses completed different styles: dramatic, cool, sophisticated, simple, playful, serious and so on. The viewer is then invited to ‘Pick your style’ or ‘Find the style that speaks to you.’ Yahir, head of the Benefits of Empowerment Campaign, frowned. ‘You want to make jokes about how different people are?’ Jack shook his head. ‘No, I want to acknowledge that we react differently to different styles of presentation. We could add: “You didn’t find your style? Let us know what it would take to gain your interest?” Plus “Vote for your favourite style.”’ Several people smiled, others frowned, and Isabel (head of campaigns) said: ‘I can see it happening if we do it playfully.’ Jack nodded. ‘That’s what I mean. We’d be saying: This message is serious. We need you to hear it, to give it a thought. So we’re doing everything to make it accessible to you.’ ‘Which messages do you have in mind?’ Penelope, head of Narratives, and Navarro (society) asked. Jack shrugged. ‘I’d suggest we keep it simple. Something like: This is our world. Let’s rethink and shape it.’ Dana stirred. ‘We could add videos for scientists because we need scientists and scientists need to get out of their bubbles and, I’m sorry to say, rethink a lot of their attitudes, including their language.’ Some nodded, others looked thoughtful, and Alice said a little grimly: ‘Let’s do that. We need everyone on board, and that means to tear down the barriers generations before us erected. And I like what you said, Jack: This is our world. We can shape it.’ Alice paused for a moment, then she added with a spark in her eyes: ‘Yes, we want to build our town — and on the Jellybridge Estate. But for the campaigns we can leave our bubbles, too, and take that look at the whole planet, make the planet our concern, and use this time to raise our voices not just for our project but for all of humanity and for all of the natural world.’ Not much later, and in Marble Town, Devery, co-head of the Hub coordination team, talked with the mayor. ‘What if you don’t get the site for the town?’ the mayor asked. ‘It wouldn’t matter. Marble Town still qualifies for a Hub Station.’ ‘Why here?’ ‘Because your town seems like it could do with the economical and societal advantages a Hub Stations brings, and because it’s at a pretty perfect distance to the prospective town. Not too close (we won’t get into each other’s hair), not too far away (we can still conveniently meet for an afternoon tea and get back with the night bus).’ Just past six, in the evening, Alice and Raiden (town simulation) left London for Jellybridge.

© Charlie Alice Raya, book 4, building, 2025