2084 The End of Days (22 page)

Trueman came back on.

“Moshi, what Ravinder says is very true. Ah have already said that ah would be speaking to Suleiman later today about 2084. Ah am going to be up front with him on Schenkler. Ah am also going to tell him that on the basis of what we know about the comet that ah will be cutting through all the crap. That we know exactly what he had planned and what he
is
planning – an’ that he had better get it called off immediately. Ah think even Suleiman will realise that the collection and storage of human DNA to be transported to Mars before 2084 may be a major building block in the reconstruction - and ultimately - the continued survival of the human race!”

Gupta-Chaudry agreed.

“I completely concur with you, Josh. This is now the time for the peoples of the world to pull together in unity. Perhaps it has taken Judgment Day to finally bring about the hope of world peace.”

One hour later Trueman managed to get Suleiman on his monitor. The Iranian President was his usual congenial viper-like self.

“Mr President, it is so good of you to call me again so soon. What can I do for you this evening, my brother?”

Trueman was in no mood for pleasantries.

“Abdullah, ah’m gonna cut straight to the chase here. In a minute ah’m gonna talk to you about the Group that you have been fundin’ in the UK –“

Suleiman barked back angrily.

“Trueman, I hope by Allah that you are not going to start accusing the LOIN of acts of terrorism –“

The American President raised his voice in controlled anger.

“Abdullah shut the fuck up! We’ll get to the Group later - but first ah
have to tell you that ah’m announcing some terrible news tonight to the American people. News about an event so grave that will affect the whole fuckin’ world!”

Suleiman listened, at first sceptically, at Trueman’s account of the devastating comet heading towards Earth. But as Trueman detailed the data that had been researched and the three stage plan that he had already agreed with the UN, Britain and Israel, Suleiman had that growing feeling of dread in his stomach that told him that the US President was telling the truth. Trueman agreed to provide all the data to the LOIN to back up his statements about Schenkler HMM2 and Suleiman agreed to follow the three stage plan in principle. Suleiman agreed that he would make his own announcement to the LOIN states.

“Abdullah – what the world is gonna need in the next three years is full co-operation of all the nations. An’ that means that the UN and the LOIN need to truly co-operate – truly have peace. What do ya say, President Suleiman?”

Suleiman was punch drunk with all the information from Trueman and he sat like a beaten fighter boxed in the corner of the ring. He was almost in tears as he spoke.

“Josh, my friend and my brother, I-I can hardly take in all that you have said – but it is indeed written in Allah’s own words in the Qu’ran. The
Yawm ad-Din
– the Day of Judgment – which brings about the annihilation of all creatures on Earth followed by the Resurrection and the last judgment of God. It h-has finally come. We are all subject to that same judgment. Of course, Josh, I agree to a peace accord of all the nations. I will come to Washington and stand by your side on the steps of your White House and sign a treaty between the UN and the LOIN.”

Trueman breathed a sigh of relief.

“That’s great, Abdullah, that’s just great. Now look, Mr President, ah don’t have time for all the whys and wherefores regarding the Prince of Wales assassination and the current plot to blow up targeted Western hospitals –“

Suleiman interrupted.

“President Trueman, I have made a grave error in my own judgment and I have been ill-advised by certain partners within the LOIN. I now see that Allah has chosen a different path of martyrdom for all Muslims and I am sure that you will have similar beliefs within your own Christian faith. Please accept that I will do everything in my power to ensure that the attempt to bomb any Western hospitals is immediately called off.”

Josh glanced down again at his speech as the TV director brought him back from his reflective thoughts.

“Ten seconds, Mr President.”

Trueman looked up at the camera facing him and as he watched the countdown his last thoughts before speaking were – my Fellow Americans, it’s only a little white lie. The
‘
On Air
’
red light flicked alive and the auto-cue began to roll before him.

“My fellow Americans – I have come before you tonight to advise you all that a new astral body has been recently discovered on the outer edges of our own solar system. It is a large comet, probably a fragment of an exploded planet, hurled towards the Sun from another nearby star system. It has been named Schenkler HMM2 after the Israeli astrophysicist who first photographed it as it passed through the
Kuiper Belt in the same quadrant as Pluto. The reason I am talking
to you tonight is to tell you all that the expectation is the Schenkler comet is on a trajectory which will bring it on a near by-pass of planet Earth – current estimates are that it will pass within half a million miles of our planet in May 2084. The comet has a very large tail of rock, ice and debris. International scientists estimate that Earth will suffer multiple meteor showers in late 2083 and possibly right through to May 2084. Our planet will sustain severe collateral damage. We are still working to determine those locations on Earth which will be most affected - and we will be working with the governments of all nations to minimise that damage. However, my key message to you all is not to panic. Government and production and economies and public order should carry on in a stable and responsible manner. You should all carry on with your own lives in the sure knowledge that I and my Government will be working night and day to plan for all eventualities as the comet nears planet Earth. I can assure you I will personally keep you informed of any and all developments as they are reported to me by the teams that I have today set up under the auspices of NASA. The world is facing a great challenge – possibly its greatest challenge - and it requires all nations and all peoples to pull together in the same direction. To this end I have invited President Mullah Abdullah Suleiman to come to Washington in April to discuss a peace accord between the UN and the LOIN. I can advise you all that President Suleiman has agreed to this historic meeting and I believe this to be a major step forward in world peace. It is not the first time in human history that an astral body has heralded peace for all mankind. It is my greatest hope that this comet may also bring that same promise. I thank you all for listening and I wish you all a peaceful good evening.”

“Cut!”

Trueman heard the young TV broadcast director Tony Coccio call the broadcast to an end.

“That’s a wrap, Mr President. Can I congratulate you on a superb speech?”

Trueman picked up the typed sheets of his speech, looked at them momentarily, and then scattered them all over the Seal of the President of the United States of America on the floor in front of his desk.

“Son - that was one steamin’ pile of bullshit!”

*

Earthdate: 22:22 Monday February 24, 2081 GMT

Jill sat at her workstation in the Times office. Buckley was in his own office awaiting her copy. They had both just finished listening to Prime Minister Ralston giving the pre-arranged announcement on the Schenkler comet. In fact, Jill had also tried to listen simultaneously to President Trueman’s speech from the White House and she had concurred that the two speeches were remarkably similar. The London Times and the Leak sites that Ewan and Gary had contacted had all been given the go-ahead to release the information they had been given. They could all publish material on Schenkler at 23:30 GMT as long as it did not go beyond Stage one of the Trueman plan. Buckley impressed upon Jill not to cross the Stage one boundary as Ralston had threatened to make life difficult for the Times if they went too far. Jill looked at her monitor and asked herself if she had the will to carry on with the job at the Times. She had gone home to Glasgow on the Saturday night after Khan’s death and just cried for hours in her mother’s arms.

“Oh God mum – ah don’t know if ah can do all this any more?”

Her mother Jean hugged her tight and wiped away her tears. Her father Jock kept bringing in steaming hot mugs of strong tea. Jean looked into her daughter’s weeping eyes.

“Of course ye can, Jill. Ah know you have been through a heck of an ordeal lately – what with the baby coming. Then with Khan and you separating and now with Khan getting killed in this terrible stooshie that he got himself involved in –“

Jean wiped Jill’s running nose with a tissue then she continued to console her daughter.

“But you’re one hell of a journalist, Jill. There are goin’ to be some really big stories ahead and you’ve still got the guts to tell them. So you get a good night’s sleep in you’re old comfy bed and tomorrow you’ll be ready to take on the world again.”

Jill kissed her mother hard on the cheek.

“Thanks mum.”

With her new steely resolve Jill started to rattle together her article as she sat at her workstation, keeping one eye on the post-announcement media furore on the news.

TIMES EXCLUSIVE:

SCOTS SCIENTISTS DISCOVER NEW COMET:

METEOR SHOWERS AND MASS DEVASTATION PREDICTED

By Jill Geeson, Senior Investigative Reporter, London Times, Feb 24

Tonight the world has been dramatically informed by many of the nations’ leaders that a startling new comet has been discovered entering the solar system. Prime Minister John Ralston, US President Josh Trueman and Israeli Premier Moshi Shalomon have led the way in releasing details of the new astral discovery, which is predicted to cause devastation across the globe. Russian President Lechnikov and Chinese President Jeng-Li Pan are also expected to make similar announcements tomorrow morning. It is believed that the President of the LOIN states, Mullah Abdullah Suleiman, will quickly follow suit. The world’s leaders have revealed the comet will come startlingly close to Earth in May 2084, possibly as close as to within half a million miles. The leaders are reassuring the peoples of our tiny vulnerable planet that concerted plans will be put in place to deal with every eventuality concerning the bypass of the comet. It is fully expected that rock and debris being carried along in the tail of the comet will cause severe collateral damage to the planet some time between January and May of 2084 and contingency plans will be put in place by the various world agencies to deal with the outcome of this.

Prime Minister John Ralston sought to reassure the British people that he “would personally give them a full and frank update on any developments regarding the comet and its effects on planet Earth”.

The comet, which is currently passing through the Kuiper Belt on the outer edge of our solar system, has been named Schenkler HMM2 after Israeli astrophysicist Ari Schenkler of the Israeli National Space and Cosmology Centre in Tel Aviv. However, the Times can exclusively reveal that the comet was initially discovered by two young Scots who had conducted in-depth research on the photographs taken by Mr Schenkler. They also followed this up with back-up research conducted at the CORSAIR observatory on the Mull of Oa on the island of Islay in western Scotland. They can be named for the first time as Islay-born Ewan Sinclair, 27, a PhD graduate in astrophysics and cosmic sciences from Oxford University, and Glasgow-born Gary Mackintosh, also 27, a PhD graduate in computer sciences from Glasgow University. At present neither Dr Sinclair nor Dr Mackintosh have been able to give any comment nor able to be contacted by the Times as they have been assisting the British and American governments with the dramatic details of their stupendous discovery. It is also believed by the Times that Dr Sinclair and Dr Mackintosh have been recruited to work on two major planning teams to be based at NASA HQ in Houston, Texas. They are both expected to fly out to the US within the next few days to begin their important planning work to deal with the effects of the Schenkler comet on planet Earth.

A spokesman for 10 Downing Street was able to give an exclusive comment to the Times about Sinclair and Mackintosh stating that “the Prime Minister has met today with Drs Sinclair and Mackintosh to express his gratitude from the British people at the very important scientific research carried out by the two Scottish scientists leading to the discovery of the comet Schenkler HMM2. PM Ralston also wished them both God speed to take up the vitally important roles ahead of them and thanked them both personally in 10 Downing Street for agreeing to join the planning teams at NASA HQ.”

Jill quickly reread her article before sending it in to Buckley to do final editing. It tickled her pink to think she was writing about the monumental deeds of her old schoolmates. She thought, God, Ewan and Gary will both die laughing when they read this – Doctors, they’ll say – who is it that you are actually talking about? She laughed aloud uproariously for the first time in a long time. Tears of laughter ran down her aching cheeks. Buckley stuck his head out of his office and shouted down the empty office.

“Are you okay, Jill?”

Jill laughed back.

“Ah’m fine, Buck, just fine.”

Chapter 16

Earthdate: 15:30 Monday March 3, 2081 EST

A
ir Force One, the President’s supersonic Boeing 797, had departed from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland heading for the mid-West States. Trueman, who had been elected in November 2080, was on a two-day whistle-stop tour of Democratic Party offices to thank all his electioneering staffs for their hard work in helping him win the Presidential election. As he sat discussing his orations for the day with his speech advisor, he thought to himself, the planet may be heading for total destruction but the business of politics has to go on as normal. The thought also struck him that he was now effectively the very last President of the United States of America and it made him feel a little queasy. At that moment Secretary of State Arlene Kingstone popped her head into the President’s suite.

“Mr President, Suleiman’s on the red line looking for you? He says it’s important – are you available –?”

Trueman smiled at her and nodded. Kingstone and the speech advisor left the 797’s Presidential suite and Trueman opened the red line on his monitor and Suleiman’s face appeared looking pretty glum.

“Abdullah, my friend, ah hope that it’s a good evening over there in Tehran? How’re ya doin’ this evening?”

The Iranian did not smile back.

“Josh, my brother, I have extremely bad news for you about Mahmoud El Kharroubi and Mosab Ali Youssef – the one you knew only as the Palestinian -”

Trueman’s face turned grim.

“What about them, Abdullah?”

“They have both gone deep underground – what you would call AWOL. I have been unable through all my various agencies to contact them. Josh, my friend, I fear that they are now acting out of their own volition – I think you call it a lone wolf - and I fear they will still try to hit their original targets – probably very soon.”

Trueman felt that he could do without this latest crisis.

“Okay, Abdullah - thanks for the heads up. We already have terrorist threat levels in London, Boston and Toronto set at critical. Ah will pass on your information to all concerned and we must all keep close tabs on the situation.”

President Suleiman responded.

“I will also keep trying to contact the two men on their secure cell phones – but they have had them off for weeks now. I have given your Secretary of State Miss Kingstone the numbers in order that your Western secret services can try and track them if they come back online. Please accept my sincere apologies and a very good night to you, Mr President.”

“Sure, Abdullah, no problem – we will do everything in our power to stop them. Ah wish you a good night also, President Suleiman.”

*

Earthdate: 20:45 Monday March 3, 2081 GMT

The MI5 CCTV controller operating the BB2 system picked the target up on the concourse at Kings Cross Station. She radioed out to get ground operatives on him as quickly as possible.

“Target MEK spotted leaving front exit of Kings Cross onto Euston Road at 20:45. Agents please advise when on him - over?”

Mahmoud El Kharroubi had been holed up in a safe house in Leeds for the last two weeks. Today he had travelled down on various slow inconspicuous trains via York and Peterborough to try and avoid detection. He knew that the UK police and national security services would be carrying out surveillance operations looking for him, particularly in central London and around the St Bart’s area. He also knew that President Suleiman had been trying repeatedly to call him and to email him but he had not responded for fear of being tracked on his mobile or on his eTab. Based on the various current media reports Mahmoud guessed Suleiman was trying to call off the attacks on the Western hospitals. But he and the Palestinian were not going to allow a little thing like world peace to come between them and their plans. Mahmoud now saw Suleiman as a traitor to Allah’s holy jihad. After Mahmoud exited Kings Cross he was lucky enough to immediately catch a London Red electribus heading down the Farringdon Road. At that point in time the MI5 controller had not had any ground agents confirm contact and in the darkness she momentarily lost sight of El Kharroubi.

“All agents please note target gone AWOL. Possibly aboard a No.27 London Red heading for Holborn - agents in West Smithfield area to hold
position pending further advice - over.”

Chief Superintendent Mike Hollingsworth stood nervously beside the Director of MI5 as they watched the events on the controller’s monitors. Hollingsworth inwardly thought with dread that the terrorist bastard is likely to be on a crowded bus with a chest strapped full of crude explosives and we badly need him back on the ground. Suddenly, a call came in from one of the ground agents.

“Agent Four-Five responding - target MEK spotted on stated No.27 bus at junction of Roseberry Avenue and travelling on down Farringdon Road. He is likely to get off before Holborn Viaduct. Have agents and police in position and I will continue on foot towards St Bart’s - over.”

The controller responded with urgency as she zoomed all available BB2 CCTVs in on the No.27.

“Roger Four-Five. All units are advised that target is continuing by bus towards attack zone - over!”

El Kharroubi looked out of the bus into the cold dark night as it ambled slowly in heavy traffic down the busy Farringdon Road and he noticed it had started to rain quite heavily, streaking down the windows. It was a far cry from the dusty heat of the Maskobiyeh Detention Center in West Jerusalem. As a young student in journalism over 35 years ago at Al-Quds University in Jerusalem, Mahmoud spent months trying to make contact with his father Ibrahim El Kharroubi who was being detained in that Israeli prison known as the
Slaughterhouse
.
His father was a political leader in the old Hamas organisation and he had been in and out of Israeli prisons throughout Mahmoud’s formative years. When Ibrahim was eventually released from Maskobiyeh for that last time he came out an old and broken man. Hamas was also dissolved as a now defunct political and militia organisation shortly after. It was at that point that Mahmoud developed his deep hatred for the Jews and the West. He offered his services to the newly emerging LOIN organisation and he was secretly trained as a
sleeper,
becoming a respected journalist with Al Jazirah and eventually being posted to work in the UK. Mahmoud’s hatred of the infidels was now so ingrained and deep-seated within his psyche. Nothing, not even Suleiman, was going to stop him from striking at the Jew doctor’s hospital and, in particular, her developing DNA unit at St Bart’s. If Venters was to also to die in the attack then it would be an even greater victory for the cause of the great God Allah. The No.27 jolted to a halt at a bus-stop and El Kharroubi realised that this was his stop and he jumped up abruptly and jostled himself very carefully through some standing passengers.

“Excuse me please – but I must get off here.”

He jumped off the electribus into the pouring rain and as it quietly pulled away the MI5 controller quickly picked him up on a monitor in front of her.

“All agents are advised target MEK is now on foot. He is walking east on Snow Hill. It is likely that he will take Cock Lane – repeat Cock Lane. Target is to be intercepted at Cock Lane. Agents respond immediately - over!”

As El Kharroubi walked briskly down Snow Hill he noticed that the evening pedestrians had thinned out with only one or two couples huddled under umbrellas strolling in either direction. He turned into the narrow street of Cock Lane, which was empty, and he saw the well-lit buildings of St Batholomew’s Hospital at the other end of the lane. He became nervous at the thought that he was now so near yet so far to his target. He was emboldened by the belief that he would soon be sitting by the side of his beloved Allah. Suddenly strong bright arc lights lit on him from both ends of the lane.

“MAHMOUD EL KHARROUBI – THIS IS THE POLICE! LIE FACE DOWN ON THE GROUND IMMEDIATELY –“

El Kharroubi froze for a second and looked through the pouring rain at the hospital which was now impossibly out of reach. Lines of armoured police had cut him off at either end of the lane. He thought about lying down as he had been instructed but then he was overcome by a great rage welling up inside him. He raised the cheap untraceable mobile high into the sodden air and screamed from the bottom of his lungs.

“Allahu akbar!”

At the same split second a hail of police marksmen’s bullets ripped into his body. Mahmoud fell flat on his face on the soaking ground. With his last breath he pressed on the mobile and his body exploded with a terrible muffled crump. Hollingsworth who had watched the whole scene on BB2 yelled into the mic.

“This is Hollingsworth here! Are there any casualties – respond!”

There was a momentary silence. Hollingsworth watched on the monitors as armoured police officers move in slowly and gingerly towards El Kharroubi’s smouldering and destroyed remains. Then an officer called back on the radio.

“Inspector Carrington here, sir – there is some slight collateral damage to surrounding buildings. The only casualty is target MEK. No other casualties, sir – over and out.”

Chief Superintendent Mike Hollingsworth smiled to himself. He slowly
exhaled a small sigh of relief and satisfaction. He allowed himself the pleasing vision of receiving his Knighthood from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth III for his recent services to the security of his country and to the world.

*

Earthdate: 16:19 Monday March 3, 2081 EST

It had turned out to be a lovely warm bright early spring afternoon and Ruthie had decided to sit out in the manicured gardens. She had taken a few days off from the London Times, for which she was long overdue. She and her father Rolf had flown in this morning to Boston from New York’s La Guardia airport. Rolf had earlier attended an international gynaecological conference in midtown Manhattan. Ruthie had shopped excitedly on 5
th
Avenue while her father had attended his conference. When they had later arrived by electri-cab from Boston Airport at the Harvard Medical Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Ruthie had been happy to let her father go in to pick up her mother Marcie. Ruthie had bought an ice cold Coke and a spicy hot dog and she now sat in the gardens in front of the impressive Harvard hospital. Marcie had been working in Boston for the last three days, stuck in planning meetings for the new human DNA super-storage facility to be sited at Harvard. The three of them were booked on an overnight supersonic flight from Boston to London. Ruthie subconsciously checked her wristwatch, she expected her parents to come out into the sunny gardens any minute now. She crumpled up the hot dog wrapper and went to stroll over to a nearby trashcan. However, she had to step back hastily as a dark-skinned and heavily perspiring Middle Eastern man rushed past her, almost crashing into her. They each made direct eye contact momentarily and Ruthie felt that she had never seen as much venomous evil in such as this man’s eyes. A cold shiver ran down her spine but she was not quite sure of the reason. She gave a half-hearted shout after the impolite rushing man.

“Excuse
me!
”

The Palestinian Mosab Ali Youssef was over half an hour late arriving at the Harvard Medical Center, which he knew could compromise his mission. He and Mahmoud had synchronised their attacks for the same moment, even though they were continents apart. Mosab’s element of surprise would be diminished in its effect. In fact, he suspected the infidels would already be on to him. He had arrived in Boston that morning from O’Hare after a circuitous route over the past five days via Quebec, Vancouver, Seattle and Chicago. Everything had been going to plan up until two hours ago when he discovered that the old untraceable cell phone that was to be used as his
detonator had developed a fault. He could not get any power into it and he could not tell if it was the lithium battery or a faulty circuit board. The Palestinian thought about standing down from his mission, but he knew within his dark hate-filled heart that now was to be the moment of his martyrdom. He had decided to take a chance and he rigged the nail-bomb strapped around his torso to his own Group cell phone. He had to hope Mahmoud or Suleiman or anyone else for that matter did not try to contact him. Now here he was sweating profusely and rushing in the warm spring day through the gardens at Harvard. There was hardly a soul to be seen in the gardens. Just a hot dog vendor and a young woman he had almost crashed blindly into. Mosab knew with growing suspicion that it was way too quiet. He looked up at the second floor of the hospital and he began to visualise his route to the DNA Center up there. He prayed to Allah. Just give me five more minutes. Mosab then hurried towards the automated doors into the atrium of the hospital’s main entrance. He was about to go through the doors when a middle-aged couple, who were trying to exit, barred his way. Rolf looked at the heavily perspiring man with a puzzled expression. Rolf thought fleetingly that he must be ill or something. He stepped back behind Marcie to allow the dark-skinned man to pass. Rolf put his hands lightly on Marcie’s shoulders and gently began to guide her out of the automated doors.

“Look, Marcie, there’s Ruthie over there by the hot dog stand –“

The Palestinian had just stepped inside a few yards past Rolf and Marcie when a black security guard pointing a gun at Mosab screamed at the top of his voice.

“FREEZE – don’t ya fuckin’ move a muscle or ah’ll blow yore brains out!”

Mosab instinctively shot his hands up into the air. Rolf froze in shock with his hands still on Marcie’s shoulders. No-one moved momentarily. No-one quite knew what to do. Ruthie, about a hundred yards away, was puzzled at why her parents were just standing looking at her. She began to wave and walk towards them. The hot dog vendor, a CIA agent, had pulled a gun and was radioing urgently for backup. Mosab thought about moving. The security guard was now perspiring just as much as the Palestinian. He yelled again.