“Today is the day,” Dr. Zoungrana said. Decades of mind-expanding research, painstaking calculations and meticulous execution of findings led to the peace-making chemical she has dispersed in the air. It spread quickly, annihilating fear and aggression in every one.

She waited until the gas lost potency before removing her mask.

Emmily Magtalas Rhodes is a freelance writer and mother of two boys. She lives in a spa town in England.