2040 Revelations

by Robert Storey

  ‘Houston, are you getting this?’

  ‘Copy, Orbiter One, we have one hundred per cent data conversion down here, not a packet lost, good job.’

  ‘Tyler?’ Ivan said.

  Tyler looked over at his colleague, who still looked intently at the planet.

  Ivan pointed far off to the horizon, thousands of miles away from the impact zone. ‘What are they?’

  Tyler looked back down following the path of Ivan’s finger. He squinted, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. About a dozen small trails were arcing up from the surface in unison. At the tip of each trail a small bright light pulsated, a pinpoint from their distant vantage point.

  ‘They look like rocket trails, don’t they?’

  Ivan was right; that’s exactly what they were. Another wave had launched behind the first, perhaps twenty more. Tyler brought the reserve camera online and positioned it on the area. ‘Houston, this is Orbiter One. I’m sending you an additional feed. There appears to be some ballistic activity over China.’

  A silent pause hung in the air as he waited for a response.

  ‘Copy, Orbiter One, we’re receiving your new signal. Decrypting.’

  Tyler watched the trails drop back to the surface, where small domed lights sprang up as each one struck, and it dawned on him what he was seeing. A nuclear attack!

  ‘Houston, we have confirmed multiple detonations, over.’

  ‘Copy, Orbiter One, we see them too. Utilising one of our satellites it seems the Chinese have launched a full blown nuclear strike on Japan and South Korea.’

  ‘Dear God,’ Ivan said.

  ‘Copy that, Houston,’ Tyler said, watching in horror as rockets lifted off in a return volley from Japan. ‘And may God protect us.’

  ♦

  Rebecca sat in her room, resting, while checking the BBC news show on her TV display. She had witnessed the image of the meteorite hitting the Indian Ocean and multi-image videos informed viewers about the progress of each wave, fire, earthquake and dust cloud from the main site. She brought up another channel; the same images played out. She tried another and another, and another three after that. All showed the same pictures.

  At last the inexorable wait was over and it felt liberating. The veil had been lifted and life could now push ahead and brace for the future instead of concentrating on one single point in time. She checked the data feeds again. The National Guard had been bolstered by the army, but tensions ran high as people were herded like cattle to prevent disorder. This is going too far, she thought, the images she’d witnessed earlier still strong in her mind’s eye. She switched back to the BBC. Jessica Klein was still on air.

  ‘—according to reports,’ the newsreader was saying, ‘the dust cloud is travelling across the upper reaches of the sky much quicker than had been predicted. The whole of Africa is already in darkness and it is only a few hours since AG5 hit. You can see from these military satellites, which are still operational, the coverage is spreading at an alarming rate.’

  Rebecca watched as a dark smear gradually swallowed up the continent of Africa.

  ‘What had been estimated to take six to twelve months seems like it is only going to take a few days. The resolve of governments will be tested to the limit as already nervous populations may be overwhelmed by this new turn of events. As I mentioned earlier, we will now be going live to New York for an address from the United Nations Secretary General, Enitan Owusu.’

  A tall African man stood in front of a rostrum, with a slim black microphone in front of him and the United Nations’ logo emblazoned on a hoarding behind. ‘People of the world,’ said the Secretary General in a deep and measured voice, ‘the asteroid has impacted and the predicted after-effects are playing out as we envisaged. Yet there is one small factor that seems to have been miscalculated, and that is the dust cloud. The unexpected speed of the cloud’s expansion is an anomaly; however, preparing for and dealing with unforeseen repercussions has been an element of GMRC protocol responses for many years. Every one of us has long been aware that such scenarios were possible, thanks to the teachings of the GMRC’s global education programme.

  ‘Every nation’s government is fully prepared for every eventuality, including this one, and there is absolutely no need for panic. Please stay in your homes and remain calm. Governments have bolstered National Guards with regular military personnel all around the world to ensure you are protected and kept safe during this period of transition. Please remember looting and rioting will not be tolerated on any level and people who do so will be dealt with swiftly and effectively. There is no need for alarm as these measures have been in place for many years and are for your protection.

  ‘Once the dust cloud has completed its coverage of the atmosphere, normality will resume as quickly as possible. It will take time to get used to living beneath the cloud, but the restricted daytime curfew tests which have been undertaken by each nation’s government in the last six months will stand us all in good stead for what is to come. GMRC reports and updates will be issued on the hour, every hour, for the next month and bi-hourly thereafter. This message will be repeated every hour on all media platforms and translated into all languages for seven days. You will now receive messages from your respective leaders. Thank you for your time.’

  The studio view came back on screen and Jessica Klein was once more centre stage, her red outfit complementing the blue and white of the studio set. ‘We are now going straight to an address by your country’s leader, depending on your location.’

  An animated BBC graphic displayed briefly and then the President of the United States of America was at his desk in the Oval Office. ‘My fellow Americans, and to all our military personnel stationed around the world, the difficulties we will face in the days ahead will be challenging but not insurmountable. Due to unforeseen fallout resulting from the meteorite’s impact, the dust cloud predicted to reach the east coast of the United States in a few months’ time is now likely to arrive in three days. I have deployed U.S. Army troops onto our streets to bolster the National Guard, already positioned throughout the country—’

  Rebecca listened intently as the president outlined the people’s responsibility to remain calm and optimistic during what was a minor setback to planned proceedings. Rebecca wasn’t convinced by his rhetoric, most of which just reiterated what the Secretary General of the UN had already said. The dust cloud was spreading quicker than expected and after listening to the speeches she felt an increased anxiety rather than the calm they were supposed to induce. She’d prepared herself for a specific timeframe and now that had gone out of the window everything was up in the air, literally. With a wry smile slipping from her face as quickly as it had appeared, she left her small apartment to rejoin the others.

  In the lounge, the TV was back on.

  Rebecca sighed and went to turn it off, but Maria caught her hand in an iron grip.

  ‘What are you doing?’ Rebecca said, twisting herself free and looking at the others, who avoided her gaze. ‘We agreed to keep this off.’

  ‘While you were gone we decided that things had calmed down a bit and we could put it back on without upsetting them,’ Maria told her smugly.

  Yourselves, without upsetting yourselves, is what Rebecca wanted to retort, but unfortunately Maria was right, all the carers seemed much more composed and they sat quietly showing little sign of agitation, although most still looked pale and worried.

  ‘Fine, just make sure it stays that way,’ Rebecca said, sitting down next to Julie and a very old woman whom Julie looked after on a regular basis.

  ‘Hello, Edna, how are you keeping?’ Rebecca asked the woman loudly.

  ‘I’m fine, dear. I don’t like this film, though,’ – Edna indicated the news channel on the screen – ‘it seems to keep repeating itself.’

  ‘I didn’t correct her,’ Julie whispered to Rebecca. ‘No point scaring her.’

  ‘Good idea,’ Rebecca said, as she started watching.

/>   ‘—we now have some breaking news, so we’re going directly to our Chinese correspondent, Simon MacDonald, in Beijing,’ Jessica Klein was saying.

  The studio shot slipped to one side of the screen and in a digital frame a reporter with a graphic of the Beijing city skyline behind him appeared. ‘Thank you, Jessica. Only moments ago rockets heading out towards the east coast passed overhead in what can only be a military attack by China on its closest neighbour, Japan. Other reports are also coming in from the north of missiles being launched in the direction of South Korea, although this is currently unverified.’

  ‘Was there any warning this was going to happen?’ Jessica asked him.

  ‘None, although there have been steadily disintegrating tensions in the area for the last decade. China has been growing ever stronger while South Korea and Japan have waned, both economically and militarily.’

  ‘Surely they know the rest of the world won’t let this action go unpunished?’ Jessica said.

  ‘They obviously don’t care,’ Simon replied. ‘With their economy the major force in the world and their military might unrivalled, who can stand against them? There is only the United States and their resources are massively overstretched due to AG5 and its fallout; likewise with the EU and other powerful nations.’

  ‘What about the UN?’

  ‘The UN is in China’s pocket these days,’ he said. ‘Sadly, this is something we should have seen coming.’

  ‘Shouldn’t you be getting to some kind of shelter?’

  ‘We’re already in a basement office. We’ll be going down to a lower level car park after this broadcast.’

  ‘Are there any reports of retaliation from the Japanese or South Koreans?’

  ‘The South Koreans no longer have nuclear weapons due to a decommissioning pact with North Korea five years ago. Japan has some, but China has been investing heavily in its missile shield defence system for some time and it’s unlikely anything the Japanese fire at them will get through.’

  ‘Is this something the Chinese have been planning for a long time, then?’

  ‘That may well be the case. What better time to launch an attack than when the rest of the world is looking elsewhere?’

  ‘I can’t see the U.S. standing by and letting this happen to two of their allies,’ Jessica said. ‘Surely they will react?’

  ‘I don’t know about that, but I do know that many people will have just died and many more will continue to die in the most terrible of ways imaginable.’

  The window showing the BBC’s Chinese correspondent faded from view and Jessica Klein once more filled the whole screen, with multiple news tickers flagging up the latest reports from around the world. ‘We have just received a statement issued by the White House of the United States,’ Jessica continued, ‘which reads as follows:

  ‘“Such a blatant attack on our allies will not be tolerated, now or ever. We will be sending in negotiators to both sides to try to resolve the issue before any further blood is shed. U.S. and NATO forces are on high alert and UN diplomats are also on their way to speak to the governments concerned. Rest assured that this incident will not bring about a world war during a time when upheaval is already upon us. Further updates will be made via the White House when and where necessary. End of statement.”

  ‘Going back to our panel of guests; Michael, if I may speak to you first, it seems your government is not willing to back up its allies with force. This is an extremely surprising statement, isn’t it?’

  The image zoomed out slightly and then focused in on Michael Bailey from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. ‘I don’t think so, Jessica, as the White House administration has stated quite clearly our position is clear. The United States will ensure that peace is quickly brought about and by any means available to us.’

  ‘And does that include the use of force?’ she said, pressing him for an answer.

  Michael Bailey sat up straighter, his body language defensive. ‘Until I have been properly briefed I am not in a position to comment further.’

  Jessica Klein looked a little incredulous at his response. ‘Dr. Mowberry, you have had experience with international affairs; how do you see this military non-intervention policy by the United States?’

  ‘I think it’s too early to speculate, but considering the arrival of AG5 the U.S. is obviously more concerned with ensuring stability at home than wading into a war with arguably the most powerful nation on the planet. We also don’t know the reason for the aggression and which side is accountable for instigating initial hostilities. Perhaps we should get some clear facts before calling for further action by a third party.’

  The newsreader nodded her head as she took in the Archbishop’s answer. ‘I think they are very valid points; however, such an apparently weak statement from the White House is almost unheard of. Am I missing something here? The use of nuclear weapons is a declaration of war, and since it is a declaration of war on America’s allies then it is a declaration of war on America itself, and yet the statement released by the White House is virtually as toothless as those issued by the UN on a regular basis when military action is called for—’ Jessica put her finger to her ear as she took instructions from her producer and nodded. ‘My apologies, we’re going to have to suspend this discussion as we’re shifting to a live report coming out of South Korea where we have footage of the aftermath of one of the bombs. The images you are about to see are from a remote camera and may be disturbing.’

  The studio scene once again shrank to one side of the screen and another frame enlarged. Smoke billowed ominously in the initial image and then it cleared to reveal a decimated landscape that had once been a great city.

  A reporter, Andrew Stapleton according to the graphic, described what was being shown. ‘This complete annihilation of an urban area laid out below us is the remnants of South Korea’s capital city, Seoul. Untold numbers of people are dead and that figure will only rise, considering many other bombs have ravaged the nation, bringing it to its knees. The bodies you can clearly see lying sprawled out on the street are—’

  Rebecca got up and walked to the window, not wanting to see or hear any more of the report. She looked over to where Joseph sat sleeping in a chair after his day’s exertions. She went over to him and gently moved his hair out of his eyes. He looked so peaceful, and as she had before on occasion she envied his innocence. To have such a free mind, albeit one mentally challenged, was perhaps a gift in some respects. Not fearing or worrying about your own mortality or having to concern yourself with the rights and wrongs and evil deeds of others; soon forgetting any stress that you did experience, allowing happiness to once more exert its powerful spell of safety and contentment; life could be so cruel and yet so kind at the same time.

  Rebecca sat down next to him to watch him breathe while attempting to forget what she’d just witnessed by thinking of happier times; for a while it helped to ease her mind and soul, when both were weary.

  Chapter Fifteen

  London, England.

  Mark swayed at the bar. Stumbling backwards, he bumped into a couple as they tried to pass behind him without spilling their drinks; he promptly gave them the finger for their efforts. The tall young man, who now found half his pint on the floor, stopped and turned back to give Mark a hard stare. Becoming aggressive, Mark picked up his bottle threateningly. ‘And what?’ he said, speech slurred.

  The man, pulled back by his girlfriend, walked away, still angered but relinquishing to common sense.

  Mark watched them go before turning back to the bar and calling for another drink.

  He’d hit the booze on a nightly basis ever since Sarah had left him to go treasure hunting in Turkey. Tonight he’d had more than usual and in a state of lairiness he’d already insulted a group of women sitting at a nearby table, a barmaid, and a colleague, who’d left in disgust. Some of his other remaining work mates were equally as drunk, but seemed slightly more restrained.

  Impact Day was upon them
and many in central London got in a drink before the curfew saw them scurrying back to their homes. Some office workers, of which Mark was one, had decided that Impact Day should be celebrated much like any other notable day, such as the New Year, or Friday.

  ‘Mark, where’s your lovely girlfriend tonight?’ one of his friends asked him.

  ‘Who? Oh, her. I dumped her; she was getting too clingy and needy. To be honest, she was a pretty weak person; I’m better off without her.’

  ‘She was a looker, though, and no mistake. Sarah, wasn’t it?’

  ‘Yeah. She wasn’t that good-looking though; you should have seen her in the morning, well rough!’

  ‘Whatever you say, buddy. Have you got her phone number? I might give her a call since you’re done with her.’

  Mark laughed loudly. ‘I wouldn’t touch her, mate. I think she gave me crabs or something. Pretty rotten. I’d stay clear, if I were you.’

  ‘Really? That’s nasty that a girl like that could be diseased. Hey, Charlie, did you know Sarah gave Mark VD?!’ the man shouted to his mate further up the bar.

  Charlie made a face and then went back to talking to someone next to him. Mark noticed something going on outside. He pushed past a young couple who gave him dirty looks which he ignored as he lurched to the open door.

  Police walked down the road on either side, shadowing a mass of people as they marched along the street with placards and banners chanting as they went.

  ‘GMRC OUT!’

  ‘Unelected government!’

  ‘GM—RC unelected mon—keys! GM—RC unelected Na—zis!’

  He took another swig from his bottle and belched while considering the scene before him. He had been saying for years the GMRC had too much power. What had he told people for years? The GMRC had too much power. They weren’t even elected!