Dark Matter

by John Rollason

  Jack picked up his house phone and speed dialled his broker. 'Sell everything except government deposits; put thirty per cent of the proceeds into cash, fifty into gold, and twenty into gold futures.' It struck him that this was the first time in ten years that he had traded in gold for himself, and only then prompted by the arrival of aliens. He hung up. There's going to be many nervous people out there looking for a calm port in the storm, he thought to himself, and I'm one of them. He turned his attention back to the screen and listened to the speeches by the Secretary-General and Shiwanevar. When they had both finished and the news started to repeat he muted the sound and asked Sally and Anita for their thoughts. Anita piped up first.

  'I think it's great. They are going to cure disease, famine and all our man-made problems. How can that not be great?'

  'What do you think Sally?’ Jack asked.

  'I'm not so sure. Most of the instances of disease, famine and other issues we could resolve ourselves. Nevertheless, we choose not to. Our world economic system is based upon valuing some people more than others, some countries more than others.'

  'Go on.’ Jack prompted.

  'Well. We know that our health systems have enabled some people to live longer, but that has come with other age related issues. Now it is not just simply the age you can reach but the amount of economic value you have created and preserved that matters; living longer is much more expensive, both to the individual and to the economy. The problem is just as bad at the other end of the spectrum, more children survive infancy now, and the population is burgeoning. The strain on resources is already causing friction between countries. One country solves its energy needs with a hydroelectric dam, causing drought in its neighbour. Unless the “cures” offered by the aliens are carefully managed, chaos could and probably would ensue.'

  'OK,' Jack agreed, ‘but what about Anita's view?'

  'I can't fault it, not really. If I were an individual or country who needs help then I would want it now. Consequences are something for later. Cure disease now. Cure famine now. We'll sort the negative effects later, or maybe we won't.'

  'So what you are saying is,' Jack continued, making sure he had Sally's analysis understood, 'that every country offered the alien's help will accept it, adopt it, and exploit it to the maximum possible. However this will be to the detriment of the world as a whole.'

  'That's it exactly.' Sally replied, not realising the full consequences herself until she heard Jack say them.

  'So every nation will become fitter and stronger up to the point at which we run out of natural resources. Then they will fight each other.'

  Anita chipped in. 'Doesn't that mean it’s now a race? The first countries to maximise the use of the alien technology beat their neighbours?'

  00:40 11 November [00:40 10 November GMT]

  Three Way Conference Call.

  Charlie Beaconsfield dialled into the conference call, Sam Colt already on the line. They had allowed themselves a couple of minutes before their Russian counterpart, General Gregori Stephonovich Ivanskiy, would be joining them. They asked after each other’s families before turning to the current situation.

  'So what do you think then Charlie?'

  'Officially nothing yet. The government hasn't decided on a policy. Unofficially, I'm more than a little concerned. We have no idea what we are facing, or could be facing. Certainly, it would be prudent to surmise that technologically they are vastly superior to us. It is hard to imagine that an advanced race like that would be lacking advanced weaponry. We didn't even get the chance to contain them. They have spread out to two hundred and seventeen nations. We have no idea what they are offering or being offered in return, except the delegations to the UN and the UK. Also it's a bit eerie as they are awfully polite.'

  'Agreed. We have this stranger turn up on our doorstep and then because they have said things we wanted to hear we have invited them in and given them dinner. I think that if they didn't look like us then everyone would be treating them differently. A whole lot differently.' Sam said.

  'What's your government’s position?'

  'Well congress is still debating. I take it you heard the President's speech welcoming them in peace and cooperation, the standard stuff. I guess we will open talks, there will be too much pressure internally and externally not to, but it will have to be bi-partisan. We've lowered our alert status by one level since we first tracked them entering our solar-system as we perceive no immediate threat, but the President is being kept up to date on developments.'

  The conference line announced the joining of another caller, General Ivanskiy was now online.

  'Good day gentlemen. You can now stop talking about me and talk to me instead.' The line was quiet for a second before the General's bellowing laugh broke the silence.

  'Forgive me gentlemen. We all discuss each other, da? I just like to make joke at your expense. I am sure you do same. Now what do we think of our friends from the stars. Have not all our prayers been answered. Dah?'

  'Nyet' they both responded.

  'No indeed.’ Gregori Stephonovich concluded. 'They are meeting with our President as we speak and I am not happy about it. He has only allowed one military advisor in with him and that is that fasheest eedeeot sveenya Bondarenko.'

  So it's true what we have heard about General Bondarenko, Charlie noted to himself.

  'What do you plan to do?' Sam asked.

  'What can we do? We will listen to what they have to say and respond accordingly. If they are offering what they said then unfortunately there will be little that we won't offer in return.’ Gregori Stephonovich continued. 'Also I think it important more than ever that we go ahead with Operation Allies. Don't you?'

  Yes, they both agreed, before continuing their negotiations regarding the battle formations for Operation Allies and the date and location of their next meeting.

  18:00 10 November [18:00 10 November GMT]

  Orchard Road, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England.

  John had crashed the night at his brother Eddie's place in Hitchin. They had been out late and had slept in until eleven. After a lunchtime session in a local pub they were now back at Eddie's place. John had arrived the night before with the ingredients of a cooked breakfast and was busying himself preparing it whilst listening to the radio. He had just finished dishing up when his brother Eddie came into the kitchen.

  'You've heard the news then.' Eddie said, noting that John was listening to the radio.

  'No, what's that?'

  'Err. Aliens have landed. They look like us. Everything has changed.'

  'Oh.' John responded, 'you've been listening to the radio play too then?'

  'John.' Eddie said, reaching out and squeezing his brother’s forearm. 'It's not a play. It's on the news. Every channel.'

  John turned round waiting for the punch-line. It didn't arrive. Eddie looked different. John couldn’t put his finger on it, but he didn’t like it. They sat down in the lounge with their breakfast plates on their laps eating absentmindedly, totally engrossed in the news.

  'What do you think it all means?' Eddie asked John.

  'Your guess is as good as mine. Things are going to be different though, that's for sure.'

  They sat through the speeches in the UN, hardly uttering a word to each other, transfixed by the events unfolding before their eyes. At the end of it, Eddie spoke first.

  'Well that seems fair.'

  'What seems fair?’ John asked.

  'That each nation is going to have direct access to the alien’s technology. That's got to be fair, hasn't it?'

  'And what if one nation can make more use of it than another? Instead of levelling the playing field, it's just become a whole lot more lopsided. Advanced nations will spring forward fifty, a hundred, two hundred, or more years, probably in less than a decade. Others will see their populations explode, but their overall relative standard of living plunge, as finite resources are spread thinner and thinner.'

  'So it's only fair i
f everyone can make equal use of it?'

  'Exactly. If you gave Stone Age man a rifle, he would just hit you with it. It's potential for hunting and defence would be lost on him.'

  'So the rich nations just get richer?'

  20:00 10 November [18:00 10 November GMT]

  Ankara, Turkey.

  Solomon and Natasha looked at the screen. It was an American news channel, with subtitles in Turkish.

  'Mummy,' Natasha looked up at her mother, 'what's an alien?'

  'That's someone who is not from here.' Solomon replied somewhat distractedly.

  Natasha looked around at their surroundings in this small, foreign village. 'You mean like us?'

  Solomon stole herself away from the news and looked down at her daughter. 'Well sort of. We are aliens here, as we don't come from here. But the aliens they are referring to don't even come from Earth, they are not human.'

  'They look human.' Natasha replied brightly.

  'Yes they do look like us don't they? I guess we can't be that different after all.'

  The news of the arrival of aliens was a blessing to Solomon. She knew that it had knocked all other news off people's radar. The other top stories would all be alien related too; the impact on us, how different nations have reacted, the world stock markets, and other financial news, the list would go on and on. A mother and daughter on the run is old news. She decided that they should both rest up for a couple of days before moving on. The next part of their journey would appear more visible as they would be travelling on main routes and through major towns and cities. The news had also had an unsettling effect upon Solomon, but she had no idea why. This troubled her even more.

  20:00 10 November [19:00 10 November GMT]

  Home of Mme Margaret-Julia Pascal, Felletin, Central France.

  A phone call from a friend had prompted Margaret-Julia to put on the news. When she had digested it, she called her granddaughter Severine and her friend Anne-Marie into the house.

  Margaret-Julia had studied people for years, her granddaughter's reactions were obviously genuine, but she doubted Anne-Marie's. Perhaps, she thought to herself, she just reacts differently; some people do, like a defence mechanism.

  'What do you think Anne-Marie?'

  Anne-Marie became guarded, she would have expected Margaret-Julia to inquire first of her granddaughter's thoughts rather than hers. She decided to tread carefully.

  'Oh I don't know. I guess the powers that be will make the right decisions. I don't think we should worry too much.'

  'And you Severine?'

  'Well I hardly know where to start! I mean this is the biggest thing ever. There is no more doubt anymore; we are not alone in the universe. But where exactly have they come from? Why have we not heard from them before? Why now? If they are so much more advanced than us, what can we possibly offer them that is worth their journey here? What are we going to learn and what are we going to do with it? What if we decide we don't want them here? Will they just up and leave at our request?'

  That, Margaret-Julia confirmed to herself, was a genuine reaction. I don't know how or why but Anne-Marie knew this news was going to break. Who is she and what does she want with Severine?

  'How about I put this on outside and we eat out there? The weather is lovely.'

  Outside the conversation continued, Severine contributing the most and Anne-Marie the least, not moving much from her “the powers know best”, line. Anne-Marie, Margaret-Julia noticed, was absorbing everything that Severine said, and she questioned her gently but expertly as well. I must, Margaret-Julia decided, find out more about Anne-Marie, discreetly but quickly. She could tell her granddaughter was already very taken by her and she had no intention of letting her granddaughter get hurt more than absolutely necessary. Margaret-Julia thought about an old police friend in La Courtine, he would be sure to make some inquiries on my behalf.

  17:00 10 November [23:00 10 November GMT]

  Reclusorio Norte Prison, Mexico City, Mexico.

  Those prisoners not in the exercise yard were inside, most watching the TV. A news bulletin flashed up before them, most of them moaned at the loss of the film they had been watching. This was a Hispanic news network, but with subtitles in English. The room fell silent. The silence caused the guards to turn their attention to the screen, intrigued as to what could have such an effect on a room full of hardened criminals. The Spanish speakers in the room gasped first, followed shortly after by the English readers. Several more gasps followed as the news was revealed to them. Their existence, their arrival, their physical similarities, the speech to the UN and their travelling out to all four corners of the world. Then the coverage changed to a local report. They had arrived in Mexico and had already met with the President. They showed the President's speech to the people, an alien representative next to the President in full view. They both smiled, the President telling the people about the “historic accord” they had reached. How through the help of the Sunarr, Mexico would be transformed in all respects to take its rightful place amongst the first of nations. Health, Education, Medicine, Science, Energy and Technology would all take a massive leap forward. The perfect future for the country the President had always dreamed of was finally here.

  The guards turned the TV off. The noise in the room elevated as the inmates discussed what they had seen amongst themselves. Chuck Holford muttered to himself about how terrific it was to have more foreigners. Leroy, who would normally have been very animated about such an event, became unusually quiet. He had thought about his business and could not see it being affected much one way or another. People will always seek high quality jewellery and I will be there to supply it. He could not see his life behind bars being affected either. As far as the world was concerned I am a criminal, and I should stay in prison serving out my sentence. He was not required to do much, but neither was he able to do much. Just time on his hands and little to do.

  Saeb Tibi and Benjamin Yogev were both shaken by the news. Not their faith, for both of them their beliefs were founded as much in the cause of their fellow people as they were from sacred texts. Their creator, who had made this world, could make other worlds as well, other beings; he was not required to tell them.

  The big issue for Saeb and Benjamin was how this would affect their people. Whether both of their people would receive a diplomatic mission from the Sunarr. What if one did and not the other? What if they declared for one religion over the other? So many issues insisted themselves upon them both that it took a while before either could speak. Finally, Benjamin broke the silence.

  'So how do we factor these Sunarr into our talks?'

  Saeb thought for a moment before replying. 'Honestly I do not know. What if we get left behind? If the rest of the world moves on? Then what are we doing? Who are we?'

  At first, when he heard Saeb say "We", he thought he was referring to his fellow Palestinian people or maybe the Muslim world at large. Then Benjamin realised that Saeb was referring to both their peoples, Palestinian and Israeli alike. He absorbed this and reflected on what Saeb had said. He didn't like the conclusion. In this Brave New World, no one would care about Palestinians or Israelis. They would be totally invested in their own lives; No sickness, No hunger, No lack of energy, No disease, and No fear as superior technology renders any attack a pointless exercise. Either the Palestinians and the Israelis would be left isolated or they would be swept aside by a nation with access to the Sunarr technology. Benjamin looked at Saeb. He had never felt closer to another human being than he did to him, right now.

  'We have both been fighting to win for so long, it never occurred to either of us that we might both lose.'

  Saeb looked across at Benjamin, his heart sinking, and nodded silently.

  21:05 10 November [02:05 11 November GMT]

  Northeast Corner and East 57th Street, New York

  Jayanti arrived home later than usual that night. Sameena already home for a change. The smell of cooking greeted Jay as she headed for the
kitchen to find her daughter hard at work over various pans on the stove, there were two glasses of wine on the table, Jay picked up the full one and sipped at it.

  'I can't imagine the day you have had.' Sam said, not taking her eyes from the pan she was concentrating on.

  'You don't know the half of it.' Jay realised her mistake as soon as she had uttered the words. The aliens’ arrival had been very public. The secret organisation on the other hand was obviously anything but public knowledge.

  'Oh? What's the half I don't know?' Sam asked, still maintaining her concentration on her cooking.

  Jay thought quickly. 'Well everything I was expected to do has just gotten that much harder. The world hasn't stopped turning you know.'

  Her response was sharper than intended; fortunately, Sam didn't rise to it. Instead, she finished the sauce she was working on and slid it to an unlit hob. Sam turned to face her mother and saw in her a weariness that she didn't like the look of. Sam topped off both their glasses and sat down on one of the stools, her mother following suit.