Chapter 13 – The Process continued
The physical adjustments were only the first part. The next phase was the psychology and then the deportment. If I was to be a plausible President I had to act and think like one, I had to project that aura of authority and wisdom. I had to have stage and media presence. I had to be a real President. That did not come easy when you are an ordinary little man from a small village in the north of England. I was not bred or brought up to be a President. I lacked the education and training that made one automatically feel superior. I didn’t feel superior to anyone and I had no desire to be.
Fortunately I did not need to feel superior. I just needed to believe I could do the job and had what it took to make it work. It turned out that the psychological adjustments necessary to raise my self-esteem were not as intricate a process as the physical improvements had been. I was merely plugged into a machine and programmed. I suppose it was a type of rapid hypnosis.
All I know is that when it was complete I was brim full of confidence and felt every inch a man worthy of respect. I knew what I’d always wanted to do. All those hours spent gabbing in the pub had not been a waste of time after all. They had honed my sensibilities. I knew what was wrong with the world and what needed to be done to put it right. The difference was now I had the confidence and skills to believe I could do it.
Believing you could do something and being able to do it were two different things. I just did not know how we were going to set about doing it. It was one thing to feel like a President and quite another to get the whole world to accept you as one. I was still sure that the ‘rulers’ weren’t simply going to roll over and allow me to step in and pull their corrupt world apart even if I was going to make it a lot better. They would resist with all their might. They would deploy force if necessary and at very least bring the media to bear. If that didn’t work they would simply pay huge money to have me disposed of. But I also had an inkling that the aliens were fully prepared for this, had thought it through and had a strategy to suit. They did not seem at all daunted by the prospects of what was to come and I didn’t doubt them anymore. My confidence in them had shot through the roof.
‘This afternoon there is a top-level meeting of the UN Security council,’ Mr Chief alien explained to me. ‘We will insinuate you into it and you will address them. You will outline what you are proposing to do and tell them precisely how you will do it.’
Now previous to my processing this would have seemed ridiculous. I could never have imagined myself addressing the world’s most illustrious group. Besides, even though I knew what was wrong I would have appeared an incoherent stuttering fool. I could not have found the words and I would not have carried myself well. But I now I looked in my mind and found the problems and answers all neatly stacked up. I knew there would be no difficulty on that account. I had all the answers. Not only that but I had the confidence to go with it.
‘Surely they will simply have me arrested and thrown out?’ I suggested, imagining the furore as I suddenly appeared in their midst. There would certainly be a security crisis. ‘They might even shoot me.’
‘That is where we come in,’ the aliens replied confidently. ‘You will have our protection and we will ensure they listen. You do not need to worry on that score.’
That was good enough for me. I did not doubt their abilities. I had experienced first-hand what they could do.
‘Following that there is a full meeting of the whole United Nations. You will address them and again outline your plans.’
That sounded OK to me as well. I presumed the same protocol applied.
‘Talking to them is one thing but getting them to perform is quite something else,’ I reminded them. I could picture the fury and indignation. I could also see that even if I won them over nothing was likely to come of it. ‘The United Nations is a bit of a joke. They have lofty ideals but they do not have any teeth.’
‘That is again where we come in again,’ the aliens assured me. ‘We will provide the teeth. We will enable the necessary changes. You propose what needs doing and we will ensure they are implemented.’
I cannot say I did not feel trepidation because I did but I also could not wait. I knew as soon as I got this out of the way I would clear the path to getting back to my family. I was missing them like crazy and I was heartbroken to think what they were going through.
I was taking this so coolly. I was amazed at myself.
Science Fiction books:
Ebola in the Garden of Eden – paperback £6.95 Kindle £2.56 (or free on unlimited)
Green – paperback £9.98 Kindle £2.56 (or free on unlimited)
Rock Music books
In Search of Captain Beefheart – paperback £6.91 Kindle £1.99 (or free on unlimited)
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Other selected books and novels:
Anecdotes-Weird-Science-Writing-Ramblings – a book of anecdotes mainly from the sixties and other writing.
More Anecdotes – following the immense popularity of the first volume I produced a second
Goofin’ with the cosmic freaks – a kind of On the Road for the sixties
The book of Ginny – a novel
In Britain :
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Opher-Goodwin/e/B00MSHUX6Y/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1461306850&sr=1-2-ent
In America:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=opher+goodwin
In all other countries around the world check out your regional Amazon site and Opher Goodwin books.