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Phase 17:Unintended consequences
=SI=
Part 7
=SI=
News from the second meeting between Tony Stark and General Tyr from Asgard spread through Earth's halls of power like wildfire. This meant even more changes were coming.
Like across most of the world, the changes were a double-edged sword in the United States. They brought incredible, often unexpected, prosperity to some while serving as the death knell to whole industries. Some were in a position to change in time, and while not precisely facing prosperity, they were expected to endure. Others faced ruin, and its face was that of Tony Stark.
Then there was power and influence, ideology too. Stark Industries was growing by leaps and bounds, firmly entrenching itself at the top of the Fortune 500 list. As an industrial concern and weapons manufacturer, the corporation had always been influential. Under Tony Stark's revitalized leadership, SI grew and diversified, entering new markets by storm while preparing to break even more new ground.
That sped up the ongoing realignment. Those betting on Tony Stark and SI doubled down on it, while everyone else found themselves hard-pressed to choose a side. SI was already too powerful to ignore. The only question for many in power as if they should back or oppose it while they still had the chance.
In Europe, the fires of change were burning bright and not necessary for the better.
In the United Kingdom, energy independence was within grasp. This opened many new opportunities yet, combined with the ongoing wars, strained the fabric of society even further. New and old ideologies were about to clash for the future of the whole nation. Some wanted the Empire of old back or never truly comprehended it died in the flames of two world wars. Others saw a priceless opportunity to achieve their vision, which meant Britain had to stand alone and unburdened by external constraints like the EU.
And even those who saw the future of the United Kingdom as forever linked with Europe felt more than little unease at what was happening on the continent.
From Paris to Warsaw, from Brussels to Rome, from the shores of Spain to the cold forest of Finland, Europe was at war the continent hadn't seen since the Nazis took it by storm decades ago. If anything, the conflict revitalized NATO's existence and boosted the European Union. It was becoming painfully clear that smaller European countries would never have the economy or militaries to protect themselves or thrive in this new world of fusion, aliens, and impossible threats like Wakanda.
The EU's long, halting, plodding advance toward more unification and centralization was suddenly a vital theme discussed by all governments of its member states. In this new world, standing alone would be a lonely and deadly place to be. And even the organization's greatest adversaries had to admit that with its aid, many member states would find it easier to adopt fusion in a reasonable timeframe. That was critical because the energy independence that Tony Stark offered the world was a priceless gift that a country had to have unless it wanted to be left behind.
Fusion reactors were expensive. The overhaul of power grids required to make the best of them was often even more so. The economic and political rewards far exceeded the price… if a country could pay it in the first place.
Yet, this, not quite a new direction the EU was slowly moving towards, was something only some accepted. Politicians and industrialists across the UK were by no means unique in being wary of the new direction shaped by decision-makers across Europe. A stronger, more united EU, one with more teeth beyond denying money, was something that only some member states, their governments, or the opposition agreed with. For some, it was a matter of sovereignty. For others, such a stronger EU meant less power or simply less opportunity for graft.
In Moscow, the people within the Kremlin looked warily across the border. Their primary issues remained survival and maintaining their position in the cut-throat politics of the Russian Federation. Any attempt to look outwards would be punished by rivals looking for weakness to exploit. One day, Russia might be united enough to rekindle its dreams of an Empire. Until then, survival and, if the opportunity arose, reining in a few of the autonomous regions within the country was all that might be possible.
Africa was on fire, literally and figuratively. Wakanda's weapon shipments ensured criminals, rebels, and terrorists had teeth, the kind they had rarely enjoyed since the fall of the Soviet Union. Not everyone was fortunate, like Morocco. Government forces across the continent bled at the hands of insurgents and organized crime, while often unstable governments teetered on the edge of the abyss. The potential food crisis, again, because of Wakanda's madness, didn't help manners.
It was a dark irony that mutual hatred of Wakanda was the one thing that united Africa as a whole these days.
The alien threat? Future development? They would only matter once Wakanda was dealt with. There would be no future until Wkanada was de-fanged or gone for good. For an increasing portion of Africa, either outcome was acceptable.
The Middle East was on fire, though Wakanda was merely a distraction and an opportunity this time. Long-simmering issues, advanced weapons, and the distraction of three ongoing wars gave terrorists and insurgents priceless possibilities too good to let slide. Governments had to scramble to find a path forward while their house was literally on fire.
In India, Wakanda's outrage sparkled focused fury, harnessed by nationalists nationwide. Soon, there was little doubt about who would win the next elections with promises of security and a bright future in cooperation with Stark Industries.
China found itself with a priceless opportunity to diplomatically reset the board and avoid what might have been a direct course toward a cold war with the United States. It still had to struggle with nationalist and expansionist elements within its government, making it harder to take full advantage of the new paradigm politically.
Yet, on the economic front, cooperation with SI for fusion technology and the development of exoskeletons meant that economic growth was more than ensured despite the ongoing wars and strife. That fact, by itself, suggested that the compact between the Chinese people and its government remained intact.
In South-East Asia, the changes brought opportunities, yet in some regards, changed little. China was still the behemoth everyone was wary of yet kept trading with.
Japan eagerly embraced exoskeletons to ensure its people could work effectively longer before retiring, yet still struggled to find a culturally and politically acceptable solution to declining birth rates and thus population.
South Korea had to remain focused on the North, where the Kim regime appeared increasingly unhinged with every significant change that hit the world.
In Taipei, the new paradigm sounded like a potential death knell. The possible warming of relationships between China and the US, or at least the necessity of cooperation, could prove to be fatal in the long run… Just like China acting sensibly and winning economically over Taiwan might eventually end up with a new status quo unacceptable to too many people, especially among those currently in power.
The winds of change were blowing, and no place on Earth would remain untouched for long.
