And at this the five people on the stage rose to their feet and began to applaud – for a full thirty seconds! They were joined enthusiastically by the Dutch servicemen and women standing at the rear of the gym.
As they resumed their positions, the Ambassador continued:
‘Before I explain my new title and present a comprehensive overview of the past three weeks and the current situation, I will give you all a few minutes to complete your proforma and pass them to the end of your row, where they will be collected and collated in due course. Thank you all for your continuing patience and co-operation.’
Ms. Fletcher retook her seat whilst the survivors finalised their paperwork and passed them to the ushers who took the forms away for assessment. Brady studied her closely, a bell ringing wildly in his head.
Ten minutes passed before Ann Fletcher stood up again.
‘Ladies and gentlemen, may I first introduce my colleagues on the rostrum. From right to left, firstly, Dr Stephen Collins, British Defence Minister, who was in NATO Headquarters when the snow began to fall. Next to him is General Sir Peter Powell – Deputy Chief of the General Staff. To my right, Baroness Gault, the Chief Scientific Officer at the Met Office, Bracknell. Finally, Dr Charles Brown, who was the Senior General Practitioner in a large medical practice in Manchester. All of us were on mainland Europe when this crisis developed. All of us also have family connections back home.’
The audience listened in rapt silence as the Ambassador continued.
‘This afternoon, as Chair of the team in Brussels trying to make sense of this emergency, I'm going to ask you all to be very patient and listen carefully to everything we have to say. There will be an opportunity for questions at the end of our presentation, but please wait until then. We keenly appreciate that you are all desperate to comprehend all of this, but please give us a chance to give you all a sense of perspective. We all have relatives and friends in the UK, so we really do know how you are feeling.’
Brady’s first impression of this woman was good. She was eloquent, confident and seemed genuinely empathetic - and something about her general manner was nagging at his memory. He decided to take her advice and keep quiet – for the time being anyway.
‘This is going to take some time, so I’ll try to keep to the facts that we have ascertained. Of course, we do know that it started snowing on Sunday the fifteenth of December and did not stop until the fifth of January, when the combination of low-pressure weather systems and volcanic ash were swept away to the East by a very strong high-pressure system approaching from the Atlantic. The weather was unprecedented and to be frank, caught the country with its trousers down. Everybody, without exception, except perhaps some of you in the audience, were taken by surprise – and I'm afraid to say that many millions – yes, millions – of the population may have perished!’
The survivors gasped as one, as Ms. Fletcher continued.
‘More than thirty feet of snow has fallen across the country, from John O’Groats to Land’s End, from Anglesey to Lowestoft, up to the Scottish Isles and over the entire eastern region of Ireland – both North and South.’
As she spoke, photographs validating her comments appeared on the screen above her head. These had been taken in the South of England during the past twenty-four hours.
‘Drifting caused by high winds has complicated matters enormously. Most single storey buildings are entirely covered, and collapsed roofs due to the weight of snow have made them just about uninhabitable. Anything above two-storey height is still protruding from the snow, but the roofing situation is a similar tale of woe. Churches have fared well, but access and egress is very difficult due to the depth of snow. Skyscrapers and blocks of flats are also clear above the snow level, and we have great hopes that survivors have congregated in these areas. A few flags and banners were spotted by the helicopter taking these photos.’
A small cheer of relief came from the audience at this point, when a cold but smiling face looked up from a twenty-storey building in the photograph on the screen above the Ambassador’s head.
Ann Fletcher continued in a more morose tone:
‘However, I need to impress on you all once again the extent of the potential casualties throughout the UK and Ireland. Many millions will have succumbed to the cold and now lie buried beneath the snow.’
Shocked silence – one could hear a pin drop!
‘Although the sun is now shining, it will take many months for the snow to melt – which will bring a completely new set of problems for survival and rescue. Remember, today’s date is the sixth of January and we have at least twelve more weeks of winter before temperatures begin to rise significantly. Of course, any snow on north facing slopes will take longer to melt away. Therefore, access to bodies under the snow is going to be a long and arduous task. I appreciate that this is a disturbing issue – but there is no point in hiding from the truth. There are survivors – hopefully many of them – so our priority is to rescue as many as possible before the real thaw sets in. As you will appreciate – flooding is going to be a serious problem. But as I have just indicated – we have hard evidence of survivors – and our main efforts in the short term are going to be concentrated on getting them out!’
Day 22
Sunday 5th January
Tesco Superstore – Brighton
Patric and Joanie Silver were coming to the end of their tether. They had virtually been held prisoner in the ‘co-operative’ established in this supermarket for over a week. The Draconian rule established by the ‘committee’ was beginning to cause serious discontent amongst the rank and file, and mutinous murmurings were beginning to circulate.
Order was maintained by a squad of eight heavies armed with baseball bats and other similar-type weapons, but the ‘committee’ was losing credibility at a rapid rate. Conditions in the supermarket were fast becoming desperate as toilet facilities were now in serious disarray and disease was a real threat to health. Food was beginning to run out – one hundred and fifty people eating three meals a day soon chips away at stocks. Hot food was just a distant memory as gas canisters had run out long ago.
The ‘‘inmates’’ had made the best of the conditions and had huddled together for warmth and support, but there was a general feeling that they couldn’t last much longer in these conditions.
The final straw came only yesterday, when a frail old couple had been summarily cast back out into the snow by the ruling Junta. The old man, a doctor, had been caught ‘stealing’ a tin of baked beans to feed his ailing wife, who was faint with hunger and exposure. There was a rapid ‘kangaroo court’ followed by immediate sentencing, and out they went! Most other ‘inmates’ were too weak to even protest, and even attempting to question the decision may have resulted in expulsion for the ‘inmate’ concerned.
Patric had noticed how strong and fit the guards, and the ‘committee’ they protected, appeared to be. It was clear to him that they were on ‘extra’ rations – it was the only explanation for their particularly good health.
Consequently, the ‘‘inmates’’ who were still resilient enough to react began to formulate a plan of attack and eventual change of management. When the sun came out on fifth of January – they were almost ready to strike!
Day 23
Monday 6th January
RNeth AF Volkel – Gymnasium
The Ambassador continued with her briefing to the shell-shocked hall of survivors:
‘I think I’ll break there for a few minutes, whilst packed lunches are distributed. Perhaps you could eat these as I continue, thank you.’
It took fifteen minutes to pass out the lunch boxes and most people were now chattering worriedly to their neighbours.
‘Looks pretty bad, mun,’ said young Ross to Brady, as he munched into his sandwiches. He had a pretty broad Geordie accent which Brady struggled to translate!
‘It's going to get worse, my friend,’ Brady retorted. ‘She hasn’t finished yet, not by a long chalk!’
/> At that point, Ms. Fletcher re-took the stage and continued.
‘There are also some other facts you should be aware of and which I suspect many of you have not realised as yet. There is NO electricity in the United Kingdom, save that miniscule amount generated by private means. Consequently, there is no power for lighting, heating, telephones, TV, radio, the Internet, water supply, or most importantly – banking.
Banking, you ask? Why is banking so important? I’ll tell you why!
There are over five million British ex-pats stranded in Western Europe and throughout the world with no access to electronic funds!
Because the British banking computer system has crashed, no-one is able to obtain any cash. No UK based credit card, debit card or any other card is currently recognised by ATM’s or banks anywhere in the world. So, unless you have an account with money in it in a non-British banking institution – you are BROKE! We all are.’
She paused again.
‘Penniless!’
The audience sat in stunned silence, trying to understand what this woman was saying. Fletcher continued.
‘To give you just one small example: there are around twenty thousand motorhomes and caravans parked in Spain alone, with around fifty thousand people who are over-wintering in the sun. They have been without access to cash since the twentieth of December! How do you think they are coping? Unless they have been clever enough to take good old fashioned Travellers Cheques on their journey, they must rely on the little cash they carry for immediate needs – and that will have run out very quickly indeed – if not already.
This is just one of the innumerable serious, life threatening issues that we, no; the world, is being forced to address. Our Embassies across the globe are negotiating with individual nations to establish a line of limited credit for our citizens abroad.
Of course, the real problem is that without computers, we cannot access our own national deposits and therefore other states have to take us on trust. However, some other countries have their own dire internal financial problems and cannot ‘sub’ us for an unlimited period.
Perhaps now you are getting a feel for the reality of the situation we find ourselves embroiled in?’
Even Brady hadn’t thought of this issue and his mind started spinning. No internet! That meant no communications with the rest of the world – didn’t it?
Her Excellency pre-empted his pending question.
‘I mentioned the internet. Be clear; no UK.co.uk or .com address will function. Access to files on computers via the internet to UK servers or addresses is not possible. That means I-Phones, tablets, Skype, e-mail and everything else we do via computer is gone!
In addition, you will not be able to phone anybody to or from a UK number - anywhere in the world!’
She let this startling piece of information sink in, whilst she took a sip of water.
‘Basically, we have been thrust cruelly back into the 1950s!’
Day 22
Sunday 5th January
Tesco Superstore – Brighton
Patric had visited several of the men in the group who had shown distinct and open discontent with the living conditions in the superstore. Although they had used everything available from the clothing, furnishings and camping sections to provide a reasonable shelter between two aisles, conditions were Spartan at best. The ruthless regime had become intolerable and the rising underswell of opinion from the ‘‘inmates’’ was one of imminent change. Revolution was in the air!
So, Patric outlined his plan of attack. It had finally stopped snowing – they knew this because the henchmen had kept the entrance to the store clear of snow to allow access and egress. The committee had ventured forth into the bright sunshine but soon discovered that progress beyond the car park was probably inadvisable at this stage. They had spotted a couple of skiers passing by but had not given away their position. They had their little empire to protect!
Patric had suggested an attack at 4am the next morning, which was when the guards were at their least alert. The ‘committee’ would be hidden away in their private quarters and vulnerable to attack. The idea was that the two guards on duty would be ambushed simultaneously by several ‘inmates’ and incapacitated. At the same time at least twenty of the ‘inmates’ would surround the remaining six guards, confiscate their weapons and tie them up. A separate group would approach the first floor offices where the five committee members slept and lock them in. It was critical that this all happened swiftly and as one. If any of the committee or their guards escaped it would mean disaster for the ‘inmates’ and probable expulsion back out into the snow.
They knew where the two night guards relaxed, and most nights they were fast asleep on their armchairs by about 1am. Individuals were assigned to teams and by 10pm on the fifth of January, everybody knew their jobs and responsibilities. Most were armed with full cans of food which made useful bludgeoning instruments and as they settled down for the wait until 4am, Patric was satisfied that they could give a good account of themselves.
They had no choice but to go for broke because the consequences of failure were too terrible to contemplate!
Day 23
Monday 6th January
RNeth AF Volkel – Gymnasium
The vast majority of the survivors in the gymnasium were in a state of complete astonishment. The revelations that the Ambassador had presented were devastating beyond belief. Many were in tears and the hubbub of discontent grew into an angry uproar as several people stood and shouted that the Ambassador was exaggerating the situation.
It took several minutes for order to be restored.
Ms. Fletcher stood on the dais and waited for silence – which she eventually achieved. Brady was very impressed with her presence. He supposed that one didn’t become an Ambassador by being intimidated! Then a very large penny suddenly dropped in his sub-conscious!
She continued with the briefing:
‘Ladies and gentlemen, I do not exaggerate the situation in the slightest. There are over one million Britons currently being housed in tented and barracks accommodation across Germany. These are the residue of holidaymakers who had travelled abroad for Christmas and have returned to Armageddon. They are no better off than you! There are a further four million ex-pats spread out across the world who are beginning to feel the real effects of this catastrophe. I know it's of little comfort, but you are the relatively lucky ones!’
Brady sat back and considered the woman’s point. Yes, they were relatively lucky – but some might say it may have been better to have perished back home in the snow rather than have to endure the weeks, months and years of hell ahead.
Ms. Fletcher continued.
‘We have prepared a printed hand-out outlining all I have spoken about today, and I recommend that you read it carefully. Please try to accept that the position in which we find ourselves is of gargantuan, life-changing proportions.
This is potentially our apocalypse! It is going to be up to some of us, and others like us, to make immense sacrifices to enable the country to recover. However, whichever way you look at it, it's going to be a long, hard road and you can be assured that some of us are not going to make it through.’
She paused for effect yet again. She was nothing if not a tad theatrical.
‘Now we’ll take questions.’
An eerie silence pervaded the room and it appeared that nobody wanted to ask a question.
Brady stood up.
‘My name is Andrew Brady, ex-RAF Officer if what you say is true.’
Ann Fletcher interrupted him.
‘Mr Brady, Andrew? - before you continue, perhaps I should outline some of the positives of the situation.
Firstly, concerning your remark. I can confirm that the Royal Air Force does indeed still exist, as does the Royal Navy and a substantial part of the Army. As you are no doubt all aware, the Armed Forces are heavily involved in Afghanistan and Iraq – so as it stands there is a significant proportion of military personn
el available to help. Talks are currently in progress to arrange for the withdrawal of all British Forces from all areas of conflict worldwide and make them available for rescue operations. This is our battle now!
The entire Royal Navy has been recalled from around the world and now sits off the coast of Spain and France awaiting orders.
All Royal Air Force helicopters have been recalled to bases in Germany and the Low Countries from where they will mount joint rescue ops with the Navy.
Offers of military support have come flooding in over the past week and my committee is responsible for co-ordinating rescue work.
Food, supplies and cash has poured in from every part of the globe, so immediate relief is not an issue. However, longer term assistance will be required and some deep thinking ‘outside of the box’ will be required. This is an unprecedented scenario and unprecedented action will be necessary.
Now, Andrew, please pose your question.’
‘Thank you, Madame Chairman, for clearing up that point. I merely assumed, incorrectly, that all UK Armed Forces were gone – clearly many are deployed abroad. That said, I have only two questions.
How long will it take for the snow to melt and what the hell will we find underneath?’
Snow! The Series [Books 1-4] Page 46
