The Illuminati (6 page)
“You see, Jeff, everyone we have contacted so far says that it would take a computer that doesn't exist yet to do what I want. But let's not worry about that now. I want you to design a program that will make the Data-Net work now.”
“The âData-Net'?” Jeff queried.
“Yes, that's what we're going to call the system. I want every transaction to go through one central location here in America. We will become the clearinghouse for every transaction in the world. Can you do it?”
“I don't know, Senator Hunt,” Jeff replied, reverting to the formality he felt most comfortable with. “But I would like to see some data to evaluate. Maybe some from the Federal Reserve.”
“We'll do better than that, Jeff,” the senator said excitedly as he got to his feet and started around the desk. He leaned against the edge of the desk near Jeff. “We already have you cleared to review the existing World Bank System in Brussels that was started by the Kennedy administration back in the '60s. You'll have full access to all records.”
“You can do that?” Jeff was clearly impressed.
“You'll discover that we can do a lot, Jeff. There are many people in the world who think it's time to link it all together. The Internet was the first step. Now we want the banking in order. You just get that brain of yours to perking on the problem.”
“One thing, though,”Cal Rutland interjected suddenly from his spectator position across the room. “Don't mention to anyone that you're working with the senator. If the press finds out, they will make an issue out of it.”
Hunt straightened to his feet, walked back around to his chair, and, looking at Cal with some disdain, he said, “If you had let me finish, I was going to talk to Jeff about that.”
Jeff thought he saw a glimmer of hatred in the aide's dark eyes. He involuntarily rubbed his hands together. He recalled what he had heard his father say often when he was a child. “In the real world the big fish eat the little fish . . .” and then he would add, “unless the little fish is a piranha.” Jeff suspected that Cal Rutland was one of the piranhas.
Just then, Jeff thought of something else. “I've got a problem, Senator. I've still got classes to finish at Cal Tech. To say nothing of this earthquake researchâ”
“Jeff, when your predicted earthquake hits, I think I can guarantee you a Ph.D., based on your work. That is, if there is anything left of Cal Tech.”
Even as he spoke, Mark Hunt knew he had said too much. A glance at his aide's face told him that the Society would not take his revealing, offhand remarks well. Stiffening a little at Rutland's frown he thought,
So what!
I'm the only viable candidate they have
.
“Then you actually believe the wave will hit California?” Jeff asked cautiously.
“I told you I believe in you, Jeff. So if you say it will, I believe it.” Even as he spoke, he remembered an earlier meeting with Kilborne in which he had assured the president that Jeff's prediction was not credible. At the press meeting tonight with the Japanese he would dump the whole load on Kilborne.
“Why don't you tell President Kilborne then?” Jeff blurted out with an unexpected surge of courage and emotion.
“Whoa! Just a minute, Jeff,”Hunt quickly replied as he looked over at Rutland, who by now was looking away. “I did tell the president, but no one wants to believe it.”
“But a million or more people may die,” insisted Jeff. “And what about the Japanese?”
“We'll warn them again, Jeff, but right now everyone wants to believe the San Francisco quake was the âbig one.'”
“That's ridiculous,” Jeff said defensively. “My program clearly predicted a smaller quake approximately twelve days before the shift in the plates below Japan.”
“Twelve days!” Hunt snapped. “Did you tell anyone else about this?”
“Yes, of course I did. I told Dr. Eison at Livermore.”
“Well, then, I'm sure the president knows too,” the senator said, trying to appear calm. “Maybe they just don't want to believe you, Jeff.” Inside, the senator's heart had done a flip. If that quake had hit before the press meeting with the Japanese, he would have lost the edge. Then he realized that the meeting had been scheduled exactly ten days after the California quake. Somewhere inside he felt a tinge of uncertainty. He thought,
They knew, but they didn't tell me. They must have set the time for this evening's meeting. They control Kilborne's schedule too!
Cal Rutland was perceptive enough to know what was going through the senator's mind, so he stood quickly and said to Jeff, “Well, we should get you back to your work.”
Let Hunt wonder why he wasn't told about the timing of the second earthquake
, Rutland decided wordlessly.
The Society has a few more surprises for this pompous idiot
. After a hurried good-bye, Jeff was ushered out of the senator's office, while the senator was slipping on his dinner jacket for Kilborne's reception.
In the next morning's newspaper, the press conference reported how the president's science adviser, Dr. Robert Lowe, had publicly resigned after stating that he had warned President Kilborne that the west coast of California should be evacuated. The article also noted that Senator Mark Hunt had personally urged the president to act while there was still time to warn the people of California and also the Japanese.
The president denied that either his science adviser or Hunt had suggested that the program, created by Cal Tech student Jeff Wells, was believable. However, the reporters present were given documents bearing the president's own initials, proving that Dr. Lowe had notified the president at least twice of the impending danger.
The report in one newspaper read: “President Kilborne was seen storming out of the meeting and has been unavailable for comment. Some members of Congress have suggested that if the predicted wave does strike the California coast the president should resign. The largest polls show that approximately 70 percent of American voters now believe the potential disaster is imminent. Both President Kilborne and Governor Crow now trail Senator Hunt by at least 20 percentage points.”
It always amused Haru Ashimo, lead engineer at Nippon Industries in Tokyo, to observe foreigners visiting Japan for the first timeâespecially when earthquakes hit. Tremors that nearly gave Americans heart failure scarcely fazed the Japanese in multistory buildings. Western visitors would turn white with fear as the buildings swayed and would often gasp, “What's happening?” Usually the Japanese would simply sit rigidly in their seats, waiting for the tremor to subside. A few of the more Westernized might joke by stating the obvious, “I don't know. It might be an earthquake.” Then they would pretend to duck under their desks for protection, only to reappear immediately while their Western counterparts cowered beneath desks and tables. Far too polite to laugh, the smiles of the Japanese nonetheless betrayed their amusement. When the tremors subsided, the Western businessmen would crawl out from under tables red-faced, as they observed the Japanese going quietly about their work.
When the earthquake began on May 25th, most of Haru's office mates sat placidly still, while others gathered loose items on their desks to keep them from crashing to the floor. They had ridden out tremors before and accepted them as a common occurrence. Usually the disturbance would last only a few seconds at most. The “earthquake-proof” buildings would sway on their huge roller foundations and then settle back into their normal positions.
On this particular Thursday morning, however, the building at the Nippon Industrial Complex seemed to sway more than usual. Instead of a normal five-second tremor that quickly subsided, this one began to build. The Nippon building, one of the safest in Tokyo, had been constructed to the highest earthquake standards only two years earlier, so the workers inside still felt reasonably safe.
Within ten seconds, the building was rocking and lurching like a wild bronco, and for the first time an expression of fear was evident on every Japanese worker's face.
“My God, the building is going over!”Kimo Sarusso, one of the engineers, shouted over the rumble of the quake.
“Be quiet!” snapped Ashimo from his position at the lead engineer's desk. “This building is designed to withstand earthquakes. It will not fail.”
The tremors were now coming with such intensity that the whole building felt as if it was being launched into space. Suddenly a crack appeared in the outer wall where the windows and support structures came together.
Ten seconds later the twenty-story building became a massive heap of rubble and broken bodies.
Outside in the streets, people were trying desperately to escape the falling debris from the collapsing structure. Unfortunately, there was no place to hide. Huge chunks of concrete came rocketing down among thousands of people running through the streets.
Upper story windows shattered, showering those below with shards of glass. Entire streets were lifted stories high and dashed to the ground, flinging cars and trucks as if they were children's toys. At Tokyo International Airport, jumbo jets on the runway were tossed high into the air, as if thrown by some invisible hand. The giant 797s crashed back onto the tarmac like birds crumpled by a hunter's shotgun blast.