On May 4th, 1493, Pope Alexander VI issued the Doctrine of Discovery, establishing a religious, political, and legal justification for the colonization of land not inhabited by Christians. The Doctrine of Discovery is a principle in public international law under which, when a nation “discovered” land, it acquires rights to that land, such as property and sovereignty, on those lands allowing the exploitation of human and natural resources by explorers in the name of their sovereigns, heirs, and future generations.

This principle disregards that the land is often already inhabited by another nation, and was widely used to legitimize the colonization of lands outside of Europe. In 1792, Thomas Jefferson asserted that the Doctrine of Discovery was international, thereby providing the basis on which the existing financial and political ecosystem evolved, reflecting inequity in all aspects of human existence.

With the Doctrine of Discovery, a self-appointed group established a system solely for their benefit. In The Doctrine of Recovery, a mostly anonymous group of individuals and organizations set about recharting humanity’s course, which it has tread with trepidation for hundreds of years.

In the early part of the 21st century, in a time of dire need, Mighty Blue, as the planet Earth was to be referred to in the future- was under enormous stress, and its inhabitants equally so. Governance in the face of immorality and the dissolution of the boundary separating right and wrong was becoming impossible.

Helplessness, fear, and despair spread like a fever, forcing retreat into tribal existence for most. It was me against you.

Us against them. Survival.

From the darkness, a figure of light emerged. The Pope, when asked of the mysterious and charismatic Herstel Fidia, reflected on him: "He walks the Earth like lilies on a pond.

He breathes air, but he’s never there. He silences the voices of despair.

The time has come for quiet meditation. The time has come for quiet voices.

All must unite. He’s here to move the pieces into place.

When he’s done, he'll leave without a trace. This is the place for his heart.

Everyone will know of his presence. Everyone will feel his love.

Everyone will know their part. Some will question, and some will fear.

Herstel Fidia has the answers to questions that have yet to be asked. ”A tsunami of followers and fixers quickly emerged after his appearance: the Backpackers, the Hackers, the Networkers, the Balancers, the Johnnies, and, fundamental to the initial distribution and transformation of the global financial ecosystem, an anonymous group of the powerful and resourceful known as the Shadow.

Herstel beckoned, and they embraced the call to action. They understood instinctively what was required of them.

They replaced ego with service and made rapid progress in engineering a global transformation. The birth of the Doctrine of Recovery begins.

Fuelled by a swell of optimism and hope, underpinned by human endeavor, compassion, and ingenuity, humanity changes course. The Doctrine of Recovery begins in the near Utopia of the future and recalls the transformation from the past when the world like a train that has jumped its track was heading dangerously towards existential disaster.

It reveals the series of selfless actions that the human race - collectively engaging all of its available resources - set in motion to save itself and plot a more sustainable future. This work of speculative fiction, a completed novel of 33,000 words, draws the reader deep into a world of endless surprises that, once presented, appear self-evident.

It is an optimistic roller coaster that frees the thought process and engages the intellect. It is a shining star of what may be possible.

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