Amongst the desert camo-clad soldiers, who now seemed to be everywhere, a tall, imperious man strode around issuing orders. He wore a pinstripe suit and looked extremely out of place, almost comically so, and yet the men obeyed him without question as he directed them this way and that. Then, appearing from behind one of the trucks, Carl came into view.
‘You fucking bastard piece of shit!’ Jason shouted, rushing at him.
Carl sidestepped the attack and stuck out a leg, and Jason hit the ground hard. They grappled for a moment in the dust, but Jason was soon overcome. Now on top, with Jason face down, Carl knelt on Jason’s back and twisted his arms behind him until he cried out in pain.
‘Stop it!’ Trish pleaded, in tears. ‘You’re hurting him!’
At that moment the suited man approached. He surveyed the scene with a critical eye, looking at Jason, Trish and then finally Sarah. ‘Get rid of them,’ he said to Carl in a strong and unmistakable Italian accent.
Carl hauled Jason up, dragged him over to a nearby vehicle and thrust him into the back seat. Trish and Sarah were forced forwards and Carl unceremoniously pushed them in to join their friend. As Carl walked, off one of his colleagues noticed Sarah’s pendant.
‘Sir, what about that?’ he said pointing at the dangling pentagon.
Carl paused to glance at the metal disc hanging around Sarah’s neck. He looked her in the eye. ‘It’s nothing,’ he said, moving away, ‘just some cheap trinket.’
Satisfied with his superior’s judgement the man slammed the door shut on the three archaeologists with an ominous finality.
♦
‘Sarah, what’s going on?’ Trish said. ‘Who are these people?’
‘I don’t know.’ Sarah looked out of the window at the men as they went through their gear, throwing boxes of precious bones to the ground as if they were worthless pieces of junk. ‘Although I’m beginning to get an idea.’ She turned to look at her friends. ‘Did they take everything you had?’
Trish nodded.
‘I tried to stop Carl taking the skull,’ Jason said, ‘but got this for my troubles.’ He pointed at his battered face.
The front doors of the SUV opened and they fell silent; Carl got into the driver’s seat and another man climbed into the passenger side. The suit and his mercenaries stayed behind while Carl drove them back towards base camp. As they bumped along the uneven road, no one spoke, each immersed in their own thoughts. Reaching the site Carl jumped out and ducked into the main tent. After a minute he was back and they were driving again, this time on the road towards the nearest town. Miles before they got there he slammed on the brakes and the vehicle skidded to a stop. Turning round he chucked each of their passports at them and some cash at Sarah.
‘Do yourselves a favour and don’t speak of this to anyone,’ he said, his eyes steely cold. ‘Now get out.’
The three did as they were told and as the SUV turned round and headed back towards the camp, Trish yelled some obscenities after them.
Dejected, Jason looked around at the barren wilderness that surrounded them. ‘Now what?’
‘Now,’ Sarah said, her face grim, ‘we walk.’
Chapter Five
Richard Goodwin waited in his office. He looked out at the lush, green, Brazilian rainforest, which stretched to the distant horizon and beyond. It was a wondrous sight; it was also an illusion, albeit a real-time one. Cameras around the world were trained on various landscapes that you could select, much like the allocation of a backdrop on a user interface. Once a vista was chosen, you couldn’t change it again for at least six months as, according to scientific research, for the brain to train the subconscious into believing it was real it had to remain constant for that minimum duration; altering the scene every day to different locations negated the effect. He still knew it was fake, but it was soothingly familiar nonetheless.
Goodwin watched as a group of howler monkeys he’d grown to know worked their way through nearby treetops, adults foraging for leaves and berries and juveniles playing and learning to survive. Exotic birds preened and sang as the sun rose high in the crystal clear sky above.
The three hundred and sixty degree views plus domed ceiling display all seamlessly knitted together, producing a 64K visual marvel; it was truly an immersive 3D experience and yet for all its wonder it brought an ache to his heart as he knew the darkness was coming. Soon the meteor would hit and the planet would become encased in a thick, pervasive dust cloud, choking the life out of the plants, trees, birds and animals indiscriminately. Only a tiny minority would survive and they would be entrusted to start their species anew; along with human help, of course. Zoo funding had gone through the roof and conservation, or Genesisity as it had become known, was very big business, much like the Green movement at the turn of the century, forty years earlier.
A bell chimed on his desk. ‘He’s here, Director,’ said the familiar voice of his secretary.
Goodwin pressed a button. ‘Thank you, Leah, send him in, please.’
A few seconds later a soft yet purposeful knock came on the door.
‘Come in,’ Goodwin said.
The door opened, shifting the image to one side and revealing the reception office beyond and a short man with silver hair and a bushy brown-grey beard.
‘Professor Steiner,’ Goodwin said, walking forward and shaking his hand. The door closed behind him and the illusion resumed once more.
The professor looked around the room at the beautiful setting.
‘Did you have a good journey, Professor?’
‘I did, Richard, thank you,’ the professor said, his strong voice belaying his age and appearance. He wasn’t the most powerful person on the planet, but he was right up there. Able to call upon massive resources from around the world, governments bent to his will. He was perhaps the most important man on the planet in terms of ensuring the continued functioning of civilisation as they knew it. He was also Goodwin’s direct superior, in principle, anyway; he rarely got to see the man due to his never-ending workload.
Goodwin was the operational director of the Dulce underground facility, officially called the United States Subterranean Base Steadfast, or U.S.S.B. Steadfast for short. Located on the border of Colorado and New Mexico, it was the second largest of the U.S. bases which had been constructed deep underground to preserve not only human life, but all other life on the planet. Of course, the United States wasn’t the only country with such bases. They also weren’t just there to protect against acts of God, such as meteors, solar flares and the like, as they also protected against nuclear war, plague, biological war and other catastrophes devised and unleashed by nature or man.
Goodwin had worked on the base for ten years and had led it for four. More than a kilometre below the surface at its uppermost point to over three kilometres at its deepest, the complex housed nuclear reactors; weapons depots, five hundred thousand residents and staff, offices, laboratories, engineering and computer suites and a huge multifaceted living ecosystem. Alongside the Chinese Shanxi base, U.S.S.B. Steadfast contained the largest manmade partial self-sustaining biological organism (P.S.S.B.O.) in the world. The P.S.S.B.O. utilised fully integrated technology, including water recycling, air regeneration, horticultural and microbiological continuity manipulation and sunlight wave systems, representing human ingenuity at its finest.
‘How goes Steadfast, Richard?’ the professor asked him as he walked around the room taking in the view.
‘I sent you a report last week, Professor,’ Goodwin said with concern. ‘Didn’t you get it?’
‘Yes, of course; however, you can never really gauge a situation until you have seen it first-hand.’
‘It also means you don’t get stuck in an office all the time, either,’ Goodwin said in jest, and then regretted it instantly; crap, he thought, have I angered him? That sounded like I think he’s lazy or something.
Luckily Professor Steiner just chuckled. ‘There is that advantage, although,’ – he looked about the
room – ‘this projection makes real life seem bland, office or no.’
Goodwin coughed in discomfort. He’d requisitioned the room’s screen tech to combat the depression he suffered from being underground on such a long term basis. He occasionally took time out to walk through some of Steadfast’s gardens and forests, but even that wasn’t really enough for him.
‘It is very soothing, it helps me work better,’ Goodwin said, his reasoning sounding lame even to his ears.
‘Then it’s worth every dime, you have done some excellent work here, Richard. A few perks merit the investment, I think,’ – Steiner flashed him a wink and smiled – ‘we have the budget, after all.’
Goodwin grinned back at him, relaxing a little. The professor was right, though, their budget was enormous. Virtually anything they needed, they got. Goodwin wasn’t sure how this near infinite supply of money had been cleared through congress, although it was a black project and as such mechanisms had been in place for nearly a century to ensure they passed through regardless. Some things were just too important to disclose to the public and even to politicians. It was concerning, though, even on this side of the curtain.
‘How is morale,’ the professor asked him, ‘as a whole?’
‘Very good,’ Goodwin said with confidence. ‘We’re on schedule with every major programme and final preparations are being made for when Impact Day protocols are activated.’
‘That’s not what I asked, Richard. What I mean is, how are people coping generally with the fact that all overground leave has been cancelled for perhaps five years or more? Some loved ones and friends will not be seen in person for the same duration. The sun and our fine,’ – he looked up – ‘fine blue sky will also be disappearing, too. What is their mood, Richard? These are stressful times for all.’
‘There is an air of excitement,’ Goodwin said. ‘This is what we have all trained for, some for many years or much longer in certain instances. There is also anxiety and agitation in some quarters, especially amongst the families of base personnel. Some of the military are also getting a little agitated; we had an incident the other day where a large fight broke out between air force and army officers, not an example they should be setting to their men.’
‘That sounds a little serious, but we have been experiencing such instances in other bases around the world; although not usually with officers, mind you. Testosterone, fear and close quarters are not the best of bedfellows.’
‘I agree. One of the Special Forces colonels took control of matters, although he was a little heavy handed for my liking.’
‘Oh?’ Steiner said, raising an eyebrow. ‘How so?’
‘He had some of the men locked down in solitary confinement,’ Goodwin said, his tone disapproving. ‘He also broke an air force major’s jaw in the melee, which is when I had to step in to prevent further conflict. Colonel Samson was not too happy with my intervention, however.’
‘It takes a tougher man to control tough men, Richard. The military and civilian directorship is always a flash point in any situation; however, it must be known that we are in charge. They are our tool to guide, not the other way round.’
Goodwin grimaced. ‘That is a difficult message to get across sometimes.’
‘And yet it is what we are paid to do,’ Steiner said. ‘The Chinese have another method, of course. Communism and strict governance allow little leeway for rule breakers. Their method has its advantages, although I believe those are outweighed by the negatives; but then, no one is perfect, are they?’ He smiled again, lightening the mood a little.
‘Apart from us, Professor,’ Goodwin said, grinning.
Steiner laughed. ‘Well, that goes without saying, of course,’ he said, before continuing his stroll around the room as he immersed himself in the sights and sounds of the Amazon rainforest in all its glory.
Goodwin remained silent as he didn’t like to interrupt the special moment people enjoyed when they were mentally transported to the idyllic location. It took people in various ways. Some liked to chat about every detail; others questioned less and soaked up the ambience. A few people didn’t want to leave, so much so a business a few chambers over had installed a similar system, but much larger, for people to enjoy on lunch breaks and the like. He’d heard it had been a resounding success.
‘Can you take me on a tour of the facility, Richard?’ Steiner said at last.
‘Of course, Professor.’ Goodwin led the way to the door, and they emerged into a well-lit but mundane office. Out of the window the actual view was an odd one. Thousands of feet below the surface one would expect to see just rock; however, a major jump forward in excavation techniques enabled enormous chambers to be cut out of the Earth’s crust. The principal and unusual process behind this success was called Thermal Density Reduction (T.D.R.), pioneered by renowned British scientists William and Thomas Wedgwood.
It was evening, so the chamber they were currently in – Alpha Chamber One, or AC1 for short – was under street lighting, much like any surface town or city. U.S.S.B. Steadfast was classified as a subterranean base, but since it housed five hundred thousand people it was really an underground city and as such would have qualified, if it wasn’t clandestine, as the forty-fifth largest city out of two hundred and eighty-five in the United States.
A central road ran through the chamber and from the Command Centre, in which they were located, it could be seen disappearing off into the distance. Many roads branched out from this thoroughfare in a familiar grid system configuration, while emission-free cars, bikes and trucks criss-crossed smoothly throughout the transport network’s intersections like data packets moving between computers. Of course the advantage of electric vehicles underground was obvious; a lack of pollutants prevented chambers from filling up with noxious gases. Induction track lines integrated on the main roads charged and powered vehicles while also preventing high speed crashes, which would likely have dire consequences in such an underground facility. Safety was paramount for all Steadfastians, as they liked to call themselves.
Once the two men had made their way outside, Goodwin hailed a cab and climbed inside after Steiner had boarded.
‘Where to, Mr. Goodwin, sir?’ the cabby said.
A certain loss of anonymity came with heading a project like Steadfast, and he was known throughout the base. He’d even appeared on the various media platforms run by the civilian sector, much to his dismay; he enjoyed his privacy and didn’t like to be the centre of attention.
‘Can you take us to the Bio Chamber System, please, BC5 would be good.’
‘Will do, sir, should take about thirty-five minutes.’
Goodwin thanked him as the car effortlessly gained speed and linked onto the main trunk road. A loud clunk reverberated through the sub frame as the taxi locked onto one of the central track ways.
‘How is Cathy?’ the professor asked him as the scenery flashed by.
‘We went our separate ways,’ Goodwin said.
‘I’m sorry to hear that, she was …’
‘Manic, is the word you’re looking for.’
‘I was going to say energetic,’ Steiner said, with a small smile.
‘That would be one way of putting it.’
‘You’ve found no one else?’
‘No, it’s been a while now and I’ve gotten used to being on my own.’
‘Richard, don’t end up like me, wealthy, driven and successful and yet I am alone. It’s not the sort of life you should be getting used to.’
‘Did you never want to remarry?’ Goodwin said, steering the conversation away from a topic he’d rather not discuss.
‘Not for a long time.’ Steiner sighed. ‘I replaced companionship with my studies and work and when I did eventually consider it, I felt it too late in my life, I was stuck in my ways. Sad but true.’
Goodwin didn’t reply. The professor was right, he didn’t want to get used to being alone and yet he’d tired of the merry-go-round of the dating scene a while back. No,
he was happy enough; he had good friends, excellent friends, and many interests. Besides, his work took up most of his time so he wouldn’t be able to give a woman the attention she deserved anyway.
As they neared the bio chamber a while later, travelling along a seemingly endless low-lit tunnel, they passed a large digital road sign indicating entry into section BC5. The taxi swept around a tight bend and up a steep incline before bright, simulated natural light engulfed them as they exited into a truly cavernous area of the base. Trees pressed in all around the car and flocks of birds flew up as they glided by. After a few minutes the underground forest opened up on either side. Pushing a couple of buttons, the cabbie detached the vehicle from the main trunk road’s induction track and drove into a gravel car park. Having arrived at their destination, Goodwin asked the driver to wait for their return before joining Steiner out in the fresh air. The two men then walked over to an oval shaped building which overlooked a large expanse of water. A plaque outside read:
M.E.C.A.
MANAGED ECOSYSTEM
CONTROL ARRAY
U.S.S.B. STEADFAST
BIO-CHAMBER FIVE
Protocols 6;12;56;57;58;81
Goodwin had his bio signatures confirmed and then unlocked the doors with a quick swipe of his phone. The two men entered the building and an elevator transported them up to the sixth, and top, floor. They exited at the centre of a large room that was encased in a single transparent dome, showing off the full glory of the forest and lake below, all the way to the distant edge of the chamber a couple of miles away.
A young looking woman greeted them. ‘Richard,’ she said in a rich South African accent, ‘the system told me you were en route; it’s good to see you, it’s been a while.’
Goodwin kissed her on both cheeks and then introduced her to Professor Steiner.
‘Professor, this is Dr. Kara Vandervoort, the head of our wonderful ecosystem.’
‘It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, my dear; you have quite the reputation amongst your international peers.’
Revelations Page 6
