The Prometheus Effect (14 page)

Back out on to the highway, Roger mused over his next destination. He dearly wanted to collect his Bulldog Buzz, but in his own mind he knew that his faithful pet was in much safer hands in the kennel's at the present. Being a solitary individual, Roger did not have close friends or family who lived nearby, however in the current situation, this was possibly a blessing. What Roger needed more than anything now was somewhere safe to stay, somewhere where he could use as a base to freely gather information and plot his vindication. Thankfully, he had just the place in mind.

On the shores of Lake Kissimmee, south of Orlando, an old acquaintance from his time in the Air Force took residence in a small dwelling of his own design. Vincent McGarrity was an ex intelligence officer and a technically gifted analyst. He worked alongside Roger for a couple of years more than a decade ago, but they had kept in touch loosely over the years over a social networking site. Roger could not even be sure that Vincent still lived in the bespoke smallholding but even if he did not, it was still a remote place well off the beaten track where he could hold out for a while. Despite being a wild and wet place with dense forest areas, Vincent was loathe to leave behind his technology fuelled lifestyle even if he did yearn the cool nip of nature. He ensured that his small cabin had plenty of mod-cons and a satellite internet system. If ever the telecommunication networks came back on line, an experienced engineer like Vincent could be an exceptional ally in the circumstances. Roger knew that if he could just get out of the Orlando city limits without hindrance, he would be harder to find than a needle in a proverbial haystack. If they did somehow manage to find him, he would ensure that this particular needle would leave more than just a nasty prick.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

The Messenger, Fleet Street

November 19
^th
2020

When the regional television broadcasts finally came to Britain on the morning of November the 19
^th
, it was a relief to all. Gone was the dark haired olive skinned American gentleman who has so carefully picked his way through his paragraphs with a nervous but unwavering demonstration of presentation skill. His replacement however was equally as neutral in all respects, a thin, older nameless man with gaunt face and greying hair, his accent was pure Eton or Harrow quality and in many ways he would have prospered at the BBC in the nineteen sixties. It was a surprise and an annoyance that 'regional' broadcasting not only meant 'national' broadcasting, but the expected resumption of the regular channels with their usual programs never transpired. It seemed that the way forward was still with a single, state run news station which did nothing except offer status updates and public safety announcements.

Despite the desperation of many trapped in their homes, public order was apparently, as reported by the television, in fairly good order. This was tempered by the promise of a relaxing of the strict instructions previously given. It was explained that at first, a number of safe zones would be designated that were strictly regulated. Furthermore, strict curfews would be put into place which only the most foolhardy dared to break. The former conditions however would only be brought into place after a period of 'census'. This curious notion baffled many, the concept was poorly explained and left people wondering what it all meant. In the meantime, citizens were told to expect emergency aid stations to be set up and rations and medical aid to be dispersed by army units. The promise of food deliveries kept the lid on the frustration but for some it was too little, too late and they risked all to venture into the darkness of the streets at night and raid shops and businesses for their much needed supplies. Shots were heard reverberating through the high rise tower blocks of the major cities as a stark warning to those whose bellies rumbled with malnourishment.

The news bulletins were consistently vague. Details regarding the ongoing alien threat and possible negotiations were kept at the bare minimum. The number of casualties was also not relayed. The frustration created by the broadcasts ambiguous tones was immense but after many days of silence, even the smallest of details were analysed and debated.

Despite patriotic tones parped out in periods of black screened hiatus, morale in the Messenger's office was at an all time low. Talk was of taking the risk of leaving the building to forage for food. It had been noted that the regular army presence, a fleeting drive by once every hour or so could be easily circumvented. The debate raged as several volunteered to go, including Joshua who had tired of waiting for aid as he saw the effect of starvation on his colleagues. Some thought the whole idea suicidal, despite their emptiness. Realistically, they knew that if required, they could wait just a few more days. The water supply had remained intact and the building powered although there were periodic outages. To take the gamble of foraging was perhaps a little premature at this point in time. Furthermore, Sarah Palmer pointed out that in order to find supplies of food, a confrontation might be expected. No one was about to relinquish their food no matter how generously stocked they were. Contrary to the desperation felt amongst the office workers, they were all still fairly moral human beings, not thieves. Few were willing to lower themselves to that level just yet. The hope that these promise aid parcels were forthcoming was a powerful incentive to wait further and suffer the listlessness and depression of malnutrition.

Mercifully, the following morning, workers trapped in their Fleet Street offices were kept waiting no more as an army truck drove steadily up the street. Joshua looked out of the window with hope and expectation. The truck was slowing unlike the usual scream of a Jeep as it did its rounds.

“
They're here!” Joshua called out to his friends who lay about the office like beached whales, unable to bring themselves to move. Before the office staff could get up, Joshua raced out of the room and barrelled down the staircase. He knew competition for aid would be fierce, he had been in Somalia as truckloads of grain were handed out to starving people and had seen the indignity of their urgency. Joshua fumbled at the door which had been secured from inside with all manner of office furniture. He scrambled to clear the blockade, his muscles complaining after the most meagre of efforts. Finally, swinging open the door he was stopped in his tracks by the aggressive stance of a soldier who aimed down the sights of his rifle, directly at Joshua's face.

“
Easy boy.” The soldier said as Joshua swallowed hard and raised his hands. Looking around, he saw at least another dozen soldiers mobilising and slowing the onslaught of hungry people as they realised that salvation had arrived. Another two soldiers were unloading small packages from the truck and another distributing the much sought after supplies. A meagre package was thrust in the direction of Joshua who sought permission to pick up the parcel by the ever watchful soldier who nodded, not one blinking or taking his sights off the dishevelled young man.

“
Thank you, we really do appreciate your effort.” Joshua said as he inched away back to the building entrance.

“
Have you seen them?” Joshua dared to inquire as he backed away. The soldier stood expressionless as his question remained unanswered. Joshua accepted the fact that he was obviously under orders not to enter into discussion and quickly moved back inside where he was greeted by his colleagues who urgently resealed the doorway.

Sixteen eager people sat huddled in a small circle as the contents of the pack was examined carefully. Military rations were the mainstay of the contents, tinned beans, powdered soups and egg, semolina. No one complained, there were no moans of 'don't like that'. It did not matter what the contents were, there came a point where nullifying the ache of starvation surpassed the need for palatability.

At six o'clock that evening, the news broadcast was watched with renewed interest as they promised to talk about the new measures required for bringing back some kind of normality to the country. The white haired, thin faced man once again began in his inimitable style, his voice now becoming a ubiquitous part of daily life.

“
And now a news broadcast. A grand day for the united people of the world as an alien threat was repelled... for the moment at least. A joint operation today by U.S. and N.A.T.O air forces brought about the destruction of a suspected alien vessel over the Atlantic ocean. The process of recovering the alien craft has begun and aerospace scientists are examining the wreckage. President Kirk of the United States and the Prime Minister hailed the mission as 'a profound victory in the ongoing battle for the freedom of Mankind'. More information regarding this story later.

To other international news now; the restoration of global communications are proceeding well despite more apparent cyber attacks by the alien forces. Vital telecommunication satellites have been restored in part and orbital defences which have previously not been disclosed to the public are now also becoming operational. Chinese Première Lee today announced to the newly formed International Global Defence Council or IGDC, that 'a new era in cooperation between nations' had arrived as he revealed that the Chinese military have numerous previously secret weapons platforms orbiting the Earth at this time. He said 'Now is the time when we turn the direction of our missiles from our fellow Man and into the dark, fearful vacuum of space. Only together can we repel these most cruel and merciless of enemies, only together can we save humanity.'

To domestic news now, the roll-out of emergency aid is under way and initial reports suggest that the operation is going to plan. The Prime Minister thanked the people of the Britain for their 'patience, fortitude and bravery' at this difficult time. He said that all possible efforts were being made to restore rail, road and air networks for distribution of food and medical supplies. The Prime Minister stressed that despite best efforts made to bring a sense of normality back to the country, it was 'vital to firstly restore the integrity of the communication network that we so heavily rely upon and deal with security issues which could lead to further disruption if not addressed'. The Prime Minister could not elaborate further concerning the ongoing threat following more high profile public figures being detained for suspected collusion with the enemy. A full list of alien infiltrators is expected to be released in the next few days after the impact of their actions has been fully assessed. The public are once again advised to remain extremely cautious in divulging information which may benefit the enemy cause. Emergency measures laid out today at the IGDC summit have been passed and their effects will be felt over the coming months. These measures will be put into practice during the proposed 'census' period due to begin before the end of next week. The Prime Minister has asked for 'a calm and orderly response' to these extraordinary measures which will have a 'great positive impact in the fight against the alien threat.' Details to follow.

And finally, tomorrow sees the restoration of radio broadcasts across most parts of Britain. Due to security concerns, the service will be limited at first but listeners can expect regular news bulletins and musical entertainment from eight o'clock tomorrow morning.

That is all for now, more news at eight. Remember, be vigilant and stay safe.”

“
What about the phones, for fuck sake?” Richard Pinder growled, a young sports correspondent who like others yearned to contact his family and be reassured of their safety. Joshua agreed, the news was full of revelations but still their situation remained very much the same, cut off and confused.

The debate was rife after the news that things were on their way back to normality. More acclaimed was the news that the human race had obviously, finally pulled itself together and started to put aside their collective differences in order to fight the 'enemy threat' as it had become known. None were surprised that the Americans and Chinese had missile platforms in space, the only question was why had they not acted sooner before the whole crisis had escalated?

Edward Elgar's musical prowess piped out of the television set much to the disdain of several office workers as the boredom of the next few hours set in until the next bulletin. Joshua was one of the few that enjoyed the music and thought it a pleasant change from the usual MTV style drivel. In his opinion, the country had become too caught up in the lives of talentless and banal celebrities and had been on a slippery slope for some time. If the crisis had had any impact on the way people had behaved, maybe it had restored a little of the community spirit that had long since dissipated as people had become more insular and engaged in a love affair with the 'computer age'.

A topic of heated discussion in the office was often regarding the presentation of the news and it's irregularities. Not since the beginning of the crisis had the population been gifted one glimpse of their leader let alone a member of the Government. They had been subjected to the usual quotes but no video or pictorial evidence to reinforce the presenters claims. To the journalistic savvy of the Messenger's employees, it was a feature of the whole affair, yet the populace hung on every word spoken by the consistently bland announcer. The whole presentation reminded Joshua of Second World War newsreels. It seemed that the reports were perhaps too vague and generalised; never were specific geographical locations discussed. It was a melting pot of secrecy and propaganda. The whole style of the reports were so out of kilter with modern day news television that it almost discredited them but it was amazing how soon the viewers adapted to the distinctly old fashioned broadcasts and they in themselves seemed to nurture a 'war-time' spirit not seen since the 'Blitz'.