In the mid-twenty-first century, the small island nations of Tuvalu, Kiribati, and the Marshall Islands faced an existential crisis. Rising sea levels had claimed 90 percent of their habitable land, threatening not only their homes but also their cultures and ways of life. Determined not to surrender to the encroaching ocean, they took a bold and unprecedented step. The groundbreaking “Calm Zone Initiative” planned the construction of underwater dome cities as sanctuaries for these islands’ populations and cultural heritage.

This ambitious project involved submerging standardized domes—each two kilometers in diameter and engineered with advanced flat-truss designs—into the shallow, sandy seabeds surrounding their disappearing homelands. These domes formed an interconnected network linked by semisubmerged tunnels. The design included a public transportation system powered by the region’s abundant solar energy, enabling effortless movement throughout this new underwater world. The goal was to create a self-sustaining, interconnected community beneath the waves.

Japan, needing a third pole between China and the United States, played a significant role. It appealed to advanced nations that had emitted greenhouse gases, stressing the necessity to compensate these three land-losing countries. The countries called out were the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan itself. Japan estimated the total damage at 135 trillion dollars.

Except for the specific amount of damage, the logic itself wasn’t new. However, the next move by the Japanese government changed the situation: it decided to use its foreign exchange reserves, accumulated in the latter half of the twentieth century, to establish a $135 trillion fund, and it invited various countries to participate.

Furthermore, Japan began to invest in the calm equatorial zone as a setting for expanding pop culture. The underwater dome cities, repeatedly featured in games, supported the futuristic vision for this zone.

Set in the serene, windless Pacific waters, the first phase of this monumental project was completed in just ten years. American developers, eager to catch up with China’s prowess in underwater foundations and artificial island tech, joined in large numbers. The project’s political stability attracted EU AI firms utilizing seawater-cooled data centers. Environmental engineers ensured sustainable, minimally invasive construction while safeguarding ecosystems. The $135 trillion fund supported solar energy, ocean simulators, and fish tracking with satellites and drones. Initially, companies were drawn to the equator’s storm-free haven. As more gathered, the term “Calm Zone” evolved, signifying a politically and culturally stable sanctuary.

The cryptocurrency designed as a common currency was ingeniously hedged against major global currencies. This operation proved extremely challenging, but the relentless efforts of assembled trading operators, backed by continuous investment from an ever-present fund, gradually pushed the Calm Zone into a central position in the cryptocurrency arena.

The three nations turned their attention to space development. Massive capital, accumulated through prior investments and burgeoning crypto-assets, was redirected into a new ambitious project: the Space Elevator Fund. Infrastructure anchored to the continental shelf as part of the underwater domes was repurposed to serve as anchor stations for the space elevator’s cables—immense structures extending 36,000 kilometers into space, reaching geostationary orbit. The Calm Zone’s unique position—free from severe weather disturbances and politically neutral—proved ideal for anchoring such transformative technology. These once-endangered nations stood poised not merely to survive but to hold the keys to humanity’s future, serving as gateways into the universe, launching civilization into the infinite expanse of space.

Leveraging their equatorial location, which offers the greatest initial velocity on Earth, the three nations established rocket launch pads. Launches from ocean-cooled facilities, built using artificial island technology in the open sea, marked a significant step toward space development independent from the US, Russia, and China. Additionally, the complex infrastructure for rocket development, with rights intricately held by participating countries, served as a protective barrier for the Calm Zone itself.

While economic development flourished, the leaders of the three nations remained committed to a greater purpose. They dedicated themselves to conflict mediation on the international stage. The Calm Zone Initiative evolved into a sanctuary for preserving humanity’s cultural and artistic heritage. It provided a safe haven for valuable artworks and artifacts rescued from war-torn regions, hosted concerts for artists who had lost platforms due to conflict or censorship, and offered educational opportunities to those deprived due to upheaval in their homelands. By providing a neutral and secure venue for dialogue, the Calm Zone became the preferred location for delicate negotiations between government officials and corporate leaders. Over time, this unique environment earned the moniker “Haven the Future,” symbolizing a place where humanity’s future could be entrusted and nurtured.