Light House

"Sir, we're ready."

I nodded at my assistant. "Thanks."

I looked out the window of the tower overlooking the desert oasis of Dubai and calculated the number of people I would have to convince before a single one would buy. It wasn't what they told me in college - no formula or ratio fit this sales pitch.

I followed my entourage out of the room and down the corridor to the lift. I stepped out and walked in contemplative silence while we headed toward the conference center.

We stopped in front of the auditorium door.

"Sir, they're expecting you to say great things today."

"I always say great things. You folks have blessed me with your ingenuity."

"Thank you, sir."

I walked up the steps and over to the podium as the music grew louder and the clapping a rainstorm.

"Thank you, thank you. You're too kind. That's the most generous applause I've ever received." I waited for the applause to die down. "Tonight, I appear before you to talk about a revelation!"

"First, I thank you for asking me to come here. Many of you have watched my progress through the rank and file and given me encouragement. Every one of you is responsible for my success. We have succeeded together!"

"Now, I have important news for you. You are the chosen few. You are not here by accident of fate but because you have what each of you needs to make our world a better place!"

"Do you know why we published the 100 requirements for your passage into space? Because we knew that you would be looking for it. We knew that you knew you were special. We knew that by sending you out into the world population, you would far exceed any mandates our country could impose on its people. By growing up under the guidance of other cultures, eating other foods, learning other languages, you have absorbed the greatness of our species!"

I walked away from the podium to get the people up on their feet.

"Today is the day! Today is your day! Today is yours!"

The electronic orchestra played an ancient tune in unison with a video projection of a group playing authentic period instruments.

"But we must not forget the past. We...you...all of us...our ancestors are here today, in all of our faces. We owe a great deal of gratitude to the ones who came before us. They sacrificed their lives in order to get us ready for the migration across Earth that made you great!"

"Now it is time for our sacrifice. We prepare ourselves to be ancestors. We must give ourselves for our children!"

"I know what's in your thoughts. You ask yourselves what I am saying." I pointed at the ceiling and the tiled covering pulled away to reveal an image of the night sky. "The people of Dubai have offered us their spaceport. We, in turn, are building a ship we call the Light House which will transport you to the stars. Some of you will stop off on local satellites, including the Moon, Mars and other bodies circling Jupiter and Saturn. Some of you will stay on the ship as it reaches its destiny, peopling many generations to come!"

Curtains fell away to give the audience the impression they were inside a giant spaceship. The frenzy was enormous, more than I planned for but still under control.

"Tonight, I make a demand of you. You are to put aside your cultural training and forget about teachings that tell you about monogamous relationships. I want you to put your destiny in front of you and see the great achievements you will accomplish. I want you to copulate with one another. I know this is a difficult demand but it is a sacrifice you must make in order to save our people from being stuck on one planet."

"You see, by choosing random partners for your offspring, you enjoin yourselves with your space companions from now on. Thus, we are bound together for eternity! One ancestor, One destiny!"

I looked at the young faces dancing and cheering along with the pop music tune chosen for this moment. Having spent decades preparing this speech, and having seen many qualified individuals decide not to make the trip to this location, I knew that the destiny the team had sought was not as stupendous as we had hoped for. Yet, here we were, with thousands of volunteers ready to risk their lives for the Next Great Leap.

I raised my hands and shook my fists a few times to coincide with projected images of rockets blasting off Earth, Moon bases, Martian landings, babies being born in space habitats and children reading by the light of a distant Sun.

I had planned to speak more about our people's history but decided the general excitement, combined with the caffeine-laden, aprodisiac-filled water we had issued to the crowd, was going to carry these people - my people - into an overnight delirium.

I walked back to the podium, held up my hands for a brief lull in the yelling and screaming. "I will see you in three days! To your destiny!"

The doors opened and people rushed out, seeing rows of fresh food, exotic clothing, DVDs of popular movies, videogaming machines and other items to encourage the reticent members of the crowd to intermingle.

I walked off the stage and let my assistant wipe sweat from my face and neck.

"Sir, that was magnificent!"

"Yes, it was. How soon before we leave for the next gig?"

"Just as soon as the special effects team finishes your foam and latex prosthetic pieces."

"They're not done? I don't have time to wait. Bring them along."

"Yes, sir."

"And call the Brazilians. I'm not confident their spaceport deal is solid."

"Yes, sir. What about the other ports?"

"I have special team members working on their government officials. We'll get those deals closed soon enough."

"Sir, you've never lost a deal."

"I know. And I don't intend to start now."