2084 The End of Days (21 page)

“But ah’m carrying his baby!”

Doctor McKendrick bowed his head.

“I am very sorry, Miss Geeson. Do you want me to get someone that you can speak with?”

Jill shook her head again forcing back the tears.

“No, Doctor McKendrick, ah have work to do – ah have Khan al Ahmed’s epitaph to write on tomorrow’s headline story!”

BOOK 2 - EXODUS

Chapter 15

Earthdate: 19:15 Monday February 24, 2081 GMT

T
he weekend had passed in a blur. After they had been picked up by the police in Chuck’s iCafè, Ewan and Gary had been whisked in an army helijet down to the Metropolitan Police HQ at Scotland Yard. They had been subjected to intense questioning over their ability to hack into NASA’s E2MSN system and what they knew about the Schenkler HMM2 comet. However, the National Security Services officers from MI5 who were in charge of the interrogation made it clear to the two Scotsmen that they were not under arrest at that point in time. This was on the basis that Ewan and Gary had actually conducted
‘
important research
’
, which under normal circumstances would have been deemed illegal. However, it was recognised that their discovery at this early stage was vital knowledge to the survival of the human race. Although they were not under arrest, the MI5 officers told Ewan and Gary that they had to remain, at least until Monday, in confinement at Scotland Yard for their own protection. Everyone else in the UK that they had contacted about the comet had been agreeable to withhold all information on Schenkler HMM2. In effect this meant Jill, William Buckley and all the online Leak sites. They were all effectively being monitored and kept under surveillance. On Monday evening Ewan and Gary were led into the small office at the rear of Scotland Yard. The two of them could not believe they were to actually meet the Prime Minister. They were introduced to John Ralston and then, apart from an MI5 case officer sitting near the door, the two young men and the PM sat alone around the small conference table with a monitor hibernating on top of it. Ralston playfully chided the two young Scots.

“Under different circumstances lads, I would have had the two of you hung, drawn and quartered for what you did –“

Gary, ever the joker, quipped back with a broad cheeky grin.

“Aye, typical Englishman, you guys did the same thing tae William Wallace!”

Ralston smiled and then grew more solemn.

“Indeed, Gary, but now we must get down to this evening’s serious business. In a few minutes we will be connecting to a conference call with US President Trueman, UN Sec-Gen Gupta-Chaudry, Israeli PM Shalomon and I believe you will also be meeting for the first time Mr Ari Schenkler of INSACC in Tel Aviv.”

The two scientists were agog at what they had just heard and were almost speechless. Ewan mustered the courage to speak.

“P-Prime Minister, you have just mentioned some of the most powerful men on the planet, including yourself. Why are we here tonight in such exalted company?”

“Well young men, we may be what you call the most powerful men on the planet. However, what the human race is facing in three years time requires some of the greatest brains on the planet. By your own sterling actions – and that of Ari and the guys at NASA too – you have both elevated yourselves into the exalted company that you speak of.”

Gary was flabbergasted.

“Jeez, Prime Minister, ah think you want tae have a wee word with ma father!”

Just then the monitor in front of them came alive and they were connected through the secure lines to the White House in Washington, UN HQ in New York and Beit Aghion in Jerusalem. President Trueman introduced himself to the conference call and asked all those taking part to do likewise. Beside him in the Oval Office were Aaron Eckler and Beth O’Donnell. Ravinder Gupta-Chaudry was alone in his UN HQ office in New York. In the house of the Prime Minister in Jerusalem sat Moshi Shalomon, Yosep Goldenheim and Ari Schenkler and in 10 Downing Street John Ralston, Ewan Sinclair and Gary Mackintosh. Trueman began the meeting.

“Guys, and Beth, of course - we are part of a very select elite band of human beings who are aware of the existence of the comet we now call Schenkler HMM2 and of the terrible wrath it is about to unleash on planet Earth. Ari ah hope that you don’t mind yore name being associated with this comet?”

Ari bent towards his mic and spoke nervously.

“W-well, Mr President, it is a bit of a burden to carry – and really the credit should go to Mr Sinclair for its discovery –“

Ewan spoke surprising himself with his confidence.

“If it had not been for your infamous footage, Ari, it might not have been discovered for another good few months. Anyhow, Gary and I had been jokingly calling it Schenkler from the outset.”

Trueman continued.

“Okay, we are all agreed on Schenkler HMM2 – the HMM2 bit should not be overtly explained to the press, media or other outside agencies in any detail. In fact, at this stage I am proposing that today we agree a tri-partite approach to announcing this to our peoples basically in three stages. Stage one is a simultaneous broadcast of the text previously discussed and agreed between myself, the UN Sec-Gen and the two Prime Ministers present. The tenor of that announcement is basically to let the world know of the arrival of Schenkler HMM2 into the solar system. That it is heading towards our part of the solar system and that our projections are that it will be a near miss from the comet - but that Earth will suffer serious collateral damage from meteor showers from the tail. Is everyone agreed on Stage one?”

Gupta-Chaudry, Ralston and Shalomon all indicated their agreement. Ewan was baffled and he had to ask a question.

“Mr President, at first I thought the comet was going to be a near miss, but I have been over my calculations a hundred times hoping that I was wrong. Mr President, this thing is going to smash right into Earth. I’m sure Ari will back me up here?”

Ari came over on the monitor.

“Mr President, I have to completely concur with Ewan’s research. Unfortunately, the gravitational pull of Jupiter will draw the trajectory of, um, Schenkler directly on a terrible collision course with our planet.”

Trueman guided Aaron Eckler to speak.

“Look, guys, we ain’t really disputing your research. But the way we are lookin’ at it is that, until Schenkler makes that pass on Jupiter, we reckon that there is still a chance of a near miss –“

Ewan was getting irritated, forgetting the company he was keeping.

“Now just wait a minute! I know my own research and the probability of a near miss is as low as 1 in 10,000. We will be deceiving the human race by giving them false hope –“

Josh Trueman came back on using mediatory tones.

“Look, Ewan, we know exactly what your research says. But here is the problem. If we announce right away that the Earth is going to be destroyed and everyone and everything is going to be blown into oblivion – then what’s going to happen? Ah’ll tell you what – there will be chaos, anarchy and disorder. All human systems, such as industry, production and economies, will just totally disintegrate. Guys, what we need right now is to buy some time in order to put a plan in motion that’ll give the human race a fighting chance of survival. As a result, ah propose that the next part of that plan is Stage two. That is how we get as many people off Earth before 2084 and colonise Mars. It is our only hope of survival and, in hindsight - we should have pushed it harder and faster in the late 20
th
century. So for now we need those industries and economies to carry on as normal. So again ah ask – are we all agreed on Stage one?”

This time everyone realising the enormity of the situation agreed with Trueman.

“Okay, so just to confirm - ah will speak to the American people at 5pm Washington time, that’ll be 10pm with you John and midnight for you Moshi? Ravinder – you’ll need to be ready to have a press briefing in NY following our televised statements?”

Ralston, Shalomon and Gupta-Chaudry all agreed. Trueman carried on.

“Ah will also call key heads of state personally before the announcement to let them know what is going on. For instance, Presidents Lechnikov in Russia, Jeng-Li Pan in China and ah’ll also speak with Mullah Suleiman of the LOIN. Right, guys, Stage two – there is a helluva lot of planning going to be required. It is going to need a lot of international co-operation, but ah’m suggesting the key planning decisions are centered with NASA at Houston and Cape Canaveral. Is everyone agreed on that?”

No-one disputed what Trueman was saying and he carried on speaking.

“Good – now look here, we are going to have to bring all the top guys from around the world in on this. Mr Sinclair and Mr Schenkler – ah want you to come over and join a new astrophysics team to be headed up by Aaron Eckler. Mr Mackintosh – ah hear that you are the joker in the pack – but ah’m asking you to join the E2MSN computing redevelopment team to be headed up by Beth O’Donnell. What say you guys?”

Gary was first to reply in his usual comedic style.

“You’re a guy who knows how to lay his cards on the table, Mr President – ye can deal me in!”

Ewan and Ari could hardly believe they had been elevated to the ranks of astrophysics superstardom but they had both only slightly hesitated before agreeing and Trueman carried on talking.

“Okay, ah have also agreed in advance with Prime Ministers Ralston and Shalomon that the – what d’ya call them, Aaron.....oh yeah, the CORSAIR
observatory in Scotland and the Nimrod SH2 telescope under the auspices of the INSACC in Tel Aviv will be put at the disposal of Mr Sinclair and Mr Schenkler. Mr Goldenheim will continue to be INSACC Project Director for the newly revised Nimrod program. Again – is everyone still in accord?”

Once again the conference concurred with President Trueman.

“Right, guys, we need to start wrapping this up as we have all got a lotta work to do. Stage three then – once we have agreed plans and put into motion the attempt to mass-colonise Mars and basically at the point when Schenkler makes its pass by Jupiter – when is that again guys?”

Ewan jumped in.

“Mr President, my calculations show that Schenkler passes Jupiter at the end of September next year in 2082.”

Trueman looked at Eckler who nodded.

“Yeah, that’s correct, Ewan – okay, at that point we are gonna to have to announce to the world that the Day of Judgment is on its way. Jeez, guys, ah tell ya all ah ain’t looking forward to that day – and ah mean the day we gotta announce it! We will also be setting up an international UN team headed up by Ravinder to plan for the likelihood that there could be a complete breakdown of law and order. In fact, ah’m actually hoping for a joint UN / LOIN task force but ah gotta speak with Suleiman about that. Okay, that’s Stage three – is everyone on board?”

There was agreement by all at the meeting and Trueman began winding the conference up.

“Right, all you guys, that’s the three stages that we need to put in motion at present. So before ah tell ya all ta knuckle down and get ta work on this thing – are there any last questions?”

There was a moment’s hesitation between Washington, London and Tel Aviv, which was broken by Gary with uncharacteristic solemnity.

“Mr President, Gary Mackintosh here – ye talked about the attempt to mass-colonise Mars, yeah? Well there are seven and a half billion human beings on this planet. Realistically, how many humans are we going to be able to transport to Mars by 2084?”

Trueman gulped and realised that the elephant in the room had just revealed itself.

“Gary, that is one helluva question, son. Ah’m gonna put Aaron Eckler on to answer that one – Aaron?”

Eckler came over the monitors with some hesitation in his voice.

“A-a-ah, w-well we are still at the very early stages on this one. But given the timescales and the logistics – ah mean to say this is the most complex
undertaking that mankind has ever taken on – ah –eh –“

Trueman barked an order.

“Jesus Christ, Aaron, give them the damn figure!”

Aaron Eckler swallowed hard.

“Realistically, we have estimated a maximum of forty five to fifty thousand humans –“

There was complete silence.

*

Earthdate: 16:50 Monday February 24, 2081 EST

Josh Trueman sat at his desk in the Oval Office running over his speech for the final time as the TV crew also made their final preparations for his broadcast. The TV director bent over towards Trueman.

“Ten minutes, Mr President!”

Trueman nodded and he thought back on the last few hours since the conference call and he felt that they had probably been some of the fastest in his lifetime. Following the agenda item on Schenkler and after all the astrophysics / computer guys had departed the meeting, Trueman had another issue to discuss. The US President had turned to a separate agenda item with only himself, Ralston, Gupta-Chaudry and Shalomon present. Trueman again took the lead.

“John that was fuckin’ good work your guys did on bringing in the terrorists that assassinated poor Prince Eddie and the others. Not only that but also identifying that Suleiman and the LOIN were the paymasters.”

“Thank you, Josh, based on the info that Al Ahmed gave us before he died we have all but smashed the UK ring which called itself the Group. Unfortunately, two of them still elude our police and security forces for the moment. The ringleader named Mahmoud El Kharroubi and the one who killed Al Ahmed, who the Group only knew as the Palestinian. It means, Josh, that the operation to attack the planned centres for the super-storage of DNA may still be live.”

Shalomon growled angrily over the monitors.

“Gentlemen, let me send a crack Mossad team into Tehran and I promise you I will take that bastard Suleiman down!”

Gupta-Chaudry intervened in more conciliatory tones.

“Moshi, what Suleiman has put in motion are certainly terrible acts of aggression. But given what is going to happen to this planet in 2084 what we
can ill afford at this time is to reply with more aggression.”