Challenges offers you a leap into an imaginary future this summer. As part of our Contingency Scenarios series, we are publishing revised summary projections prepared by the Red Team, a team of science fiction writers put together by the Defense Innovation Agency. Its mission: to publish two scenarios per year to confront armies with extreme scenarios. But also scenarios created by us. Like this one. good reading
As he has done every day for the last two years, Thomas Pesquet watches the sunrise from his huge office in Paris City Hall. Those who have often been able to admire the earth from the sky – they got a taste for it on the International Space Station – also enjoy simple earth views. At the beginning of July 2028, the mayor is enjoying an outrageous popularity rating: 75 percent of Parisians say they are very happy with their city council, which was quick to flesh out its campaign slogan of “room for all” by pushing the boundaries of the Ile-de-France ring road. The leader of the Tous Parisiens movement doesn’t have time to digest his breakfast of grilled locusts. “Thomas, we’ve lost control of the water.” The SMS from his first deputy, Jean-Marc Jancovici, made his blood run cold. The Paris sewage treatment plant, which is located in the former Orly airport, stopped around 2.30 a.m. Shortly thereafter, the standstill of the emergency units followed. First indications point to a huge computer failure.
The Mayor of Paris immediately assesses the extent of the disaster. Contaminated water and lack of sanitary facilities lead to the transmission of diseases such as cholera, dysentery, typhoid… A great risk. At the first symptoms, hundreds of lawyers are triggered class lawsuits on the new International Criminal Court for Health. The situation is all the more critical as the sale of plastic water bottles is banned to reduce ocean litter. Apart from a few pallets from Chateldon and a meager emergency supply of Cristaline in recycled waterproof cardboard, no substitutions are planned in the short term. Even though the Seine was cleaned for the 2024 Olympic Games, nobody dared to drink it. It’s urgent. If the situation is not restored quickly, the entire city will have to be evacuated.
Parisians informed thanks to Neymar
Using a very powerful voice assistant, it only takes a few seconds for the Mayor of Paris to tweet an alarming press release decorated with red emojis. “Message of vital importance: Paris water treatment is a victim of a major collapse. I ask Parisians to stop drinking the capital’s water until further notice. Your survival depends on it… I beg you not to panic. I’ll quickly update you on the situation.” If the warning was quickly picked up by the news channels, the majority of Parisians are already informed thanks to Neymar. The brand-new PSG boss has opted for TikTok, where he is under contract. In a short video message, Neymar tries to pour himself a glass of water after a night of drinking on the roof of his Paris penthouse. Brownish water comes out of his tap after coughing. The ex-footballer has fun and asks his followers who would be ready to take him drink in exchange for a signed jersey The robot that manages Thomas Pesquet’s accounts “liked” the post, but honestly, this is no time for fun.
The name of the President of the Republic, Cyril Hanouna, then appears on his mobile phone. “Thomas, the situation is serious. I was told in the middle of a padel match that you could not come out. I think we need to seriously consider going on the blue alert. I’m taking things in hand.” Even if they are political opponents, the ex-astronaut retains a certain respect for whoever welcomed him to the set of TPMP. The National Baba’s lightning campaign stunned political strategists in 2027. The “Ma France, ma petite beauté” movement successfully responded to the concerns of the lower working-class classes while flattering flag-lovers. The idea of saving the lives of Parisians and burying his rival’s political life pleases Hanouna and his advisers.
Will the Dalai Lama leave Paris?
“Give me until 3 p.m. before you trigger the contingency plan, Cyril,” Pesquet tries. “Deal. By the way, the services know where it came from. The Chinese didn’t appreciate your recent positions.” How could it be any different? The Dalai Lama was expelled from Dharamsala earlier this year after Beijing secured the Tibetan spiritual leader’s exfiltration from the Indian government. That the Mayor of Paris recovered during a spectacular operation, sending a transport drone belonging to his friend Elon Musk. Much to the Chinese President’s chagrin, His Holiness is now housed at the Château de Vincennes. “The traces that we discovered in the computer network confirm that the Chinese services are behind the cyber attack in Paris.” The serious tone of Mathieu Kassovitz, director of the DGSE, resonates in the mayor’s office.
also readThe confidentialities of Éric Rochant, director of the “Legends Office” of the DGSE and the secret services
The mayor of Paris finds himself in a hopeless situation. His voters would not forgive him for emergency evacuation time to restore an efficient water network. Nor can he give in properly to Beijing’s blackmail. Since he speaks fluent Chinese, he had the idea of contacting the Chinese authorities directly, via a former fellow astronaut, Wang Yaping. If he couldn’t let go of the Dalai Lama, he might offer to mediate between Europe and China on the still unresolved issue of the Uyghur camps. What was he risking? Worst case scenario, ending up in an Orelsan song. The situation was perhaps not lost in advance.