The television was on in Israel’s room. But he was not awake to watch it.
“Tonight I present to you my very own clean energy source, more powerful than anything you have ever seen before! My men are hard at work and we have invited the top scientists and environmentalist from all over the world to be here tonight. Each of them is tapped into our power source and will be able to tell you that I, Vincent Kennedy, have created a power source to end all power sources. Boys!” Kennedy gestured to two of his men at the main control hub. “Light her up!” He yelled.
Stepping back Abigail kept one eye on the structure and one on the camera.
“Well there you have it. Vincent Kennedy is claiming to have created a new, clean energy source that is unrivalled in power by anything we have ever seen before.”
The scientists at the control hub gave Kennedy the thumbs up. Kennedy looked straight down the camera into the eyes of the world.
“Welcome to tomorrow!” he shouted as he gave the signal back to the hub.
A low humming sound could be heard coming from what seemed to be the very core of the building. From the ground floor up a constant low note could be heard throughout the sky scraper. The pyramid began buzzing and flashing. Lights were flashing on and off all over the roof. Kennedy’s employees and the invited guests took steps right back to the barriers and the side of the roof, afraid of what was coming.
The light could be seen from everywhere in New Belfast. Bursting fourth from the top of the structure a thick beam of white, purple and blue light erupted into the sky, brighter and more beautiful than anything any of them had ever seen before. Abigail had a tear in her eye at the sight of this spectacle.
“I…” she began. “I don’t know how to describe this folks, although I imagine I don’t have to. You can probably see this from where you are. The light doesn’t seem to ever end, transcending out of our sky and into space. It’s breathtaking.”
“What a dick!” Manning spat. “That’s why he needed Jessen! You know how he is doing that, right?!” He slammed his fist on the table.
Greyfall nodded.
“Look my love.” Nightfall pointed out the window.
Israel lay in his coma, unaware of the spectacle going on.
Jessen writhed.
Trading Square was a disgusting part of town that the city tended to over look. What was supposed to be a market for all kinds of fresh produce only ever seemed to deal in and stink of one thing; fish. Any that were unsold were generally tossed aside and left to rot or inadvertently feed the rats. Squashed in on three sides of the square were some of the lowliest apartments New Belfast had to offer. In his second floor, single room apartment Mastadon lay on his bed watching TV. Barely any other topic or world event had been mentioned in the last 12 hours other than Vincent Kennedy and his seemingly perfect energy source. The unbiased tests results were in. He had seemingly achieved the impossible. Clean energy that was more powerful than anything scientists had ever seen before. The news channels had not left the story once overnight as they awaited the results. The world’s eyes were on New Belfast. The world’s eyes were watching the top of the Skyborn building. If anyone on Earth didn’t know who Vincent Kennedy was before, they did now. Nothing had held the attention of the entire world like this since the attack on the Twin Towers. Mastadon flicked through the channels. The world was divided.
“…America is built on oil! This will ruin our whole damn country!…”
“…Just so happy…”
“…Kennedy think’s he’s God…”
“…Kennedy is God…”
“…The environment! Can you imagine?!…”
“…I’ve never liked the guy but this is pretty damn impressive. Where’s it coming from though?…”
“…Will the government be stepping in to take it from him? I mean, he can hardly just hog it all up in the Skyborn, whatever it is, without anyone else getting a piece of it. If he cares about the world he’ll share how he did it with everyone…”
“…It was hard to actually believe what I was looking at up there. It was impressive from the rooftop but I had people from several states over texting me saying they could see it from their homes! My parents were worried that it was going to mutate me, being so close to it, like standing next to it was going to turn me into a super powered being!” Abigail Adams laughed as she was being interviewed in the news studio.
“And what was Vince Kennedy’s reaction to it all working?” Her fellow anchor asked Abigail.
“The strange thing was… he didn’t seem all that excited. If anything he was quite… cold? He wouldn’t take any questions once the beam went up. He simply sat and stared at it in silence…”
“…What a great man! He has single handedly saved the environment and saved the planet!…”
“…Where the hell is it coming from?! Am I the only person not taking crazy pills?! Where is it coming from?! Surely we can’t just say ‘Oh gee thanks Vinnie. We’ll just blindly accept your crazy energy that’s more powerful than nuke energy and not ask any questions…’”
“…The government needs to seize hold of the Skyborn building. This power isn’t safe in the hands of one business man…”
“…End times! God is coming! Repent from your sins!…”
“…Kennedy for president!…”
Blip. The power in the apartment suddenly turned off.
“Awk not again,” Mastadon grunted as he slowly pulled himself off the sofa. Bottles clinked as he made his way to his feet and made for the door. There was no knock or ring, but he knew who was there. Mastadon stopped at the door and spoke loudly.
“Word has it you were dead Ezra?” he asked.
“That’s not my name fat ass,” a voice responded on the other side.
“That’s not my name either Ezra.” Mastadon countered.
The two men stood in silence for several moments, neither wanting to budge.
“You gonna let me in or what?” the voice asked. Mastadon sighed and unlocked the door. Opening it, he didn’t even look at his guest but simply walked back to his sofa.
“Only ‘cause I know you wont turn the TV back on if I don’t.”
The power in the apartment came back on. The TV flickered back to life. Deadvolt slowly made his way inside the dirty apartment and looked around.
“It’s… literally exactly the same disgusting mess as the last time I was here.”
“What do you want from me?” Mastadon impatiently asked.
“I mean use some air freshener at least. It takes like 5 seconds. Or crack a window open. Although with that shit outside I can see why you don’t.” Deadvolt ignored Mastadon.
“What-do-you-want-from-me-Deadvolt?” Mastadon said in one monotone and fed up voice.
“Isn’t it obvious?!” Deadvolt pointed to the TV. “Kennedy. The son of a bitch is set to become the most powerful and richest man in the world, if he wasn’t already.”
“And?” Mastadon asked.
“And?!” Deadvolt repeated. “Doesn’t that piss you off?! I thought a fellow disgruntled ex-employee would be a little more…yunno… murdery?!”
“Who cares?!” Mastadon countered.
“I do! The asshole tortured me for some kind of ‘bulwark masterpiece’ or some shit. When He discovered I was no use to him he left me to die in a rotting pile of garbage.”
Mastadon simply looked at Deadvolt.
“The funny thing is… I have no idea how I even got there,” Deadvolt continued as Mastadon turned his attention back to the TV to avoid Deadvolt’s accusing eyes.
“One moment I’m about to destroy the Fordway hotel and all of the world leaders inside it, single handedly starting World War Three, then the next thing I know I’m knocked out and wake up in the Skyborn building. Now how do you suppose that happened?”
Mastadon muted the TV and stood up quickly, standing tall and mighty in front of his accuser.
“I knocked you out and hauled your electric ass over there is
what happened. It was easy. Want me to show you?” Mastadon said confidently. Deadvolt laughed and waved him off.
“Well done Masty.” Deadvolt walked past Mastadon and sat down on the sofa, turning the sound back on on the TV. “If you denied it I would have fried you right here and now. I’d do the same to you for about ten bucks, never mind what ever Vinnie paid you.”
Mastadon kept standing.
“I’ll ask again. What do you want?” Deadvolt looked up at him.
“I wanna destroy him.” The two men locked eyes for several moments. “I want to bust into that place and run rampant. I want to tear down every door until I stand toe to toe with him. Then I’m gonna put a bolt of lightning through his face.”
Mastadon kept quite for a moment then looked to the TV. It was showing the end of a statement made by Vincent Kennedy earlier that day.
“Yes, I have indeed provided the world much to be joyful about. I would like to thank every one who was involved in creating this although, if I’m honest, it was really my own genius that brought the whole thing together.”
“Ugh,” Mastadon cringed. “Alright. But if you’re putting a lightning bolt through his face I at least get to rip his limbs off.”
Deadvolt smiled broadly.
Police had cordoned off the sidewalk outside the Skyborn building for the last couple of days. The throng of people outside were either press desperately trying to find out the source of Kennedy’s new power or supporters showing their love for him. Multiple signs of ‘Kennedy For President’ were being waved. In the few days since the beam of light pierced the New Belfast sky Kennedy had not left his tower and had made no further statements to the media. Even in the light of day the beam was still vibrantly visible.
“…Abigail Adams outside the Skyborn building in New Belfast. Still no sightings of Vincent Kennedy and still no word on if and when he might be making any kind of statement about his plans for this power source. Most people that I have spoken to here on the streets believe he will give it to the country for free while others are a lot more skeptical. Some believe he will horde it for himself to power his own buildings…”
In the basement of the building Kennedy, Frank and Frederick sat around a table in a dank room lit only by the lights of the mass machinery outside in the main laboratory making it’s way through the glass panel wall and door. The hum and buzz of technology was almost deafening. Dozens of men and women were hard at work tweaking valves, scouring data on screens, running blood samples, welding, cutting, hammering, galvanising.
Despite all of this happening only yards away, inside their room they felt quite alone.
“Once again, all talk and no results,” Kennedy sighed.
“Sir! What we have achieved is unprecedented. We are progressing at an extremely impressive rate,” Frederick protested.
“Then why aren’t I impressed?” Kennedy leaned in. “We have gone public with the biggest scientific news the world has ever seen. We’re blasting a beam of light into to heavens themselves, announcing our presence to the gods. All of it a ruse. A distraction for what we are really achieving down here. You said The Masterpiece moulding needed an exhaust so I gave you one, a very public one. We can’t very well turn it off now can we?! Do you have any idea how humiliating that would be for me?! I’m the most talked about person on Earth right now. The government is knocking on our door wanting to tap into the power and I am running out of time Frederick! I can only hold them off for so long. The Masterpiece was supposed to be ready by now and none of this would matter! But instead I’ve exposed myself to the world without sufficient means of defence! Now the Bullwark might have to go up while all we do is sit in our building with no Masterpiece to show for it. I have plans to conquer, Frederick, not defend!”
“I couldn’t have run any of the tests without the excess power going somewhere. Mr Hade is simply too powerful to contain or store up. It was that or nothing and I am getting closer-“
“Not fast enough Frederick!” Kennedy interrupted as he pulled out a small handgun from his inside pocket and slammed it on the glass table. Frederick stared at the gun in horror.
“You… you wouldn’t sir! I’m so close!”
“Are… are you serious?! I absolutely would and without blinking an eye.”
He picked up the gun and aimed it at Frederick.
“Please don’t do this! I will have the answer in no time!” Frederick begged.
“I have already wasted enough time on your insufficient efforts. Good bye Frederick.”
The gun shot was deafening in such a small room. Frederick’s chair fell backwards and hit the floor, his body limp on top of it. The top of his head was missing. The workers outside didn’t even notice. Kennedy wriggled his little finger in his ears.
“Silencer next time,” he said cooly.
“Yes sir. Or just a knife. Or a bag. Or a wire. Or poison,” Frank suggested.
“Yes, yes you psychopath. Next time you choose the method. Bring in Simon.”
Frank stood up and stepped over Frederick’s corpse to get to the door. Opening it he looked around the corner and beckoned someone in. Simon, the next in line after Frederick slowly made his way into the room. He looked down and the body and did well to keep his composure.
“Simon, please sit.” Kennedy gestured to the other free seat at the table. Simon slowly made his way around the table and sat down. Kennedy looked at him for several moments.
“Nothing to say?” he asked.
“It’s none of my business,” Simon coldly answered.
Kennedy smiled broadly then looked at Frank, giving an approving nod.
“Hired. Tell me this. Frederick couldn’t master the moulding for the Masterpiece quite quickly enough resulting in me prematurely ejaculating all over the sky for the whole world to see. What will you do to make sure you don’t end up like him?”
Simon didn’t take his eyes off of Kennedy and stood up from his chair confidently.
“I’ll have it contained and stabilised within two weeks. Frederick never worked fast enough. I would like to get right to work on in now sir,” Simon announced.
Kennedy looked to Frank again, impressed with their new head of research.
“By all means.” Kennedy gestured to the door. Simon walked out of the room without even glancing down at Frederick’s body on the floor.
“I like him,” Kennedy said. “Hope I don’t have to kill him. Perhaps some kind of announcement is necessary Frank. Let the people know that we are still working on a few things but we can answer everyones questions in a week or two.”
“And if we can’t?” Frank asked.
“Then you can choose the manner of Simon’s death.”
Chapter 19
Marcus arrived at the Resistance meeting early this time. There was something about the community feeling, those fifteen minutes of coffee and conversation before the service began that he loved. He had conversations with two different people before the evening formally kicked off. Josiah came in a few minutes late and made sure to sit beside Marcus. Pastor Mike wasn’t excitedly rambling as much as he normally would be. This time Marcus found it easier to follow and understood where he was coming from.
“Get one thing straight people. We are not the norm,” Pastor Mike started to round off his talk. “In this world we are not the norm. We are the weirdos. We are the ones going against the grain. Society will try to tell you that we are the conformists but in reality, in this world, standing up and declaring faith in Jesus is just about the single most rebellious statement you can make. The world would love to see you just fit in to the box marked ‘normal’. It would love to see you join the bland crowd, chasing money, chasing sex, chasing success, loving yourself and basically complying to every social convention there is out there. The funny thing is they think we’re the social convention. Granted yes there as churches and faiths out there that are more concerned with their appearance than relationship with God, but we’ll not go into that right now. I’ve
made myself very clear on how I feel about that dead religion. True Christians… true followers of Christ who struggle every day of their lives to rebel against the conforming world and stand up for what they believe in… these are the biggest rebels of all. This world does not belong to us, it belongs to the enemy. We are the ones who are trespassing. We are the aliens. We are the invading force. I urge you to stay strong. Rise, resist, revolt. Be weird for Jesus. Thank you.”
An applause went up from the congregation. Much to Marcus’ surprise he found he was clapping with them.
What happened next made Marcus cringe.
“Tonight we are going to pray for healing. Anyone with any ailments they need prayer for please come up to the front and myself and some of the other guys will lay hands on you and pray for you.”
“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Marcus skeptically thought to himself. In this church alone he could feel dozens of ailments, pains and illnesses. He leaned in to Josiah.
“Is this for real?” he whispered.
“You tell me, Sufferer.” Josiah cooly responded with a shrug.
The first person up was a middle aged man.
“Back.” Marcus whispered to Josiah.
“I’ve had this pain in my back for several weeks now,” the man told pastor Mike. “It’s affecting my ability to work. I had to take a few days off last week because of it.”
“All right, lets pray for that,” Mike told him as he laid his hand on the man’s back. Several other leaders from the church circled around and placed hands on his shoulders and back.
“Lord,” Mike began. “In the name of Jesus Christ we command that Rob’s back be healed. We command in Jesus name that every disc and muscle, every bone and vein would be sitting exactly as it should be so as not to cause Rob any discomfort. I speak to whatever it is that is causing the ailment; in the name of Jesus Christ… get out! Get out of Rob’s body and go wherever Jesus Christ tells you to go. You are not welcome here! You are outnumbered here! You are outmatched here! Your master has already lost and in the name of King Jesus Christ we command full healing in Rob’s body!”
The Hade War Page 18
