John waited for the man to continue, his mind racing. How can I escape? Does the Secret Service know where I am? Is Ashley safe? Did Dante survive? ‘Unless …?’
‘Unless we can convince you to help us.’
‘Is my wife safe?’
‘We don’t have your wife, Mr President.’
‘That doesn’t answer my question.’
‘As far as we’re aware, she’s fine.’
‘Do you work for the GMRC?’
The man didn’t reply for a moment, then he said, ‘I used to.’
‘And that’s how you hijacked the GMRC’s drones?’
‘Don’t you want to know how our country is to be destroyed, Mr President?’
John pondered his options, but he had no choice but to keep playing their game. ‘Tell me.’
‘Perhaps the president will find a demonstration more appropriate,’ said a new voice, another man. American, too, John thought, although he noted the inflection was unusual, at least to his ear.
‘Remain calm, Mr President,’ said the new speaker, ‘you’re about to go on a little journey.’
A spark of electricity close by made John start. The dilapidated fairground car he was strapped to jerked, and then inched backwards with a screech of metal on metal. The awful noise faded and he found himself moving away from the glass panel, before the car swivelled round, giving him a view of more empty enclosures, which looked like they’d once housed reptiles. The ride picked up a little speed, carrying John through a pair of grubby black curtains.
Thrust into the dark, his eyes adjusted as the car slowed to a stop in front of a large, dimly lit curved screen streaked with dirt.
A faint light at the bottom of the cinema-sized display grew brighter and the sun rose behind the curved horizon of the Earth. Blue oceans and verdant forests cloaked the planet in life-giving colour, which filled John’s vision.
‘In the distant past,’ a woman’s voice said, through an unseen speaker system, ‘the world was untouched by the visions of man. Only the evolution of nature ruled the lands and great beasts roamed the plains, deserts, oceans and forests.’
The perspective of the image dropped lower so that John felt like he was skimming over the landscape, past mountains, lakes, rivers and trees.
‘As life progressed,’ the recorded voice of the narrator continued, ‘dinosaurs came to roam the land and the complexities of life multiplied until a cataclysmic event disrupted the fragile order, bringing chaos and death.’
A fireball in the sky grew ever brighter and the aspect of the picture changed again, rising higher as a meteor arrowed through the atmosphere to impact the Earth in a great explosion of light that reflected in John’s eyes like a supernova. A great cloud of dust enveloped the Earth, suffocating the sky and turning day to night. Thunderstorms raged across the heavens, lightning flashed and the rain fell.
‘Darkness reigned in the ensuing years. A great impact winter shocked the land and life withered along with it. The great lumbering reptiles died out, and smaller animals flourished in their wake. Mammals, birds and fish thrived as life continued, diminished but not gone. Altered, but not beaten.’
The scenes of evolving life faded from the screen, the car John sat in swivelled ninety degrees to his right, and he was moving again along the track. This time, however, instead of darkness before him, a holographic image projected from the front of his slow-moving vehicle onto a fine mist sprayed into the air by hidden jets. The crystal-clear image lingered long enough for John to pass through it, the feeling of water vapour cool against his skin. Incredible images of animals running, living and evolving through the ages filled his vision, immersing him in a virtual reality from the past. He’d heard of such technology, and knew it had progressed further than what he now witnessed, but he’d never experienced it before and he marvelled at its depth, despite the dire nature of his situation.
‘With the age of dinosaurs long ended and megafauna fading into the annals of history, the rise of man and its many species emerged from the forests to gaze on the world with new eyes, the wonder of the land, sea and sky loaded with endless possibilities.’
The moving images flowed faster and John felt the car picking up speed as it angled down a slope.
‘Ancient man evolved into modern humans, hunter-gatherers harnessing the wilds of nature, forging wood into houses, stone into cities, and metal and concrete into urban sprawls. And as Homo sapiens conquered the fundamental sciences of existence and the building blocks of life itself, many thought we were masters of our time, rulers of our destiny. And yet messages from the past told us otherwise, from traumas of the mind manifested as physical diseases, to forces of nature beyond our power to control. Echoes of the past warned us of what was to come …’
The holographic display faded to black, and the car slowed and entered into an upward spiral. John felt the mist all around him now, filling a larger void. Pinpricks of stars blossomed forth, glinting in the air, and the vista of the local galaxy, the Milky Way, spun across a simulated night sky in slow motion in the air above.
The glittering cascade continued its mesmerising display, before shrinking into the distance. John now found himself inside the holographic projection of an observatory, the spherical dome half open to the panorama of space.
‘On the 8th January 2011,’ the narrator said, ‘an asteroid with the potential to impact Earth in 2040 was discovered by the Mount Lemmon Survey from an observatory in Tucson, Arizona. This near-Earth object was given the designation, 2011 AG5. In the year 2022, the full ramifications of this extraterrestrial threat were disclosed to the public and the world’s nations created an international organisation, set up for the protection and preservation of humanity, civilisation and all life on Earth. This organisation was called the Global Meteor Response Council, the GMRC.’
The image that floated before John’s eyes flickered and a line of code tracked across the invisible mist which read:
System Override > Playback interrupt
Video source select > New
‘Watch closely, Mr President,’ said the voice of his second unseen abductor. ‘This footage has been collated for your eyes only.’
John shifted in his seat, his bonds biting into his flesh. The holographic mist fuzzed and the frozen image of the observatory altered to the image of a woman in a news studio, dressed in a bright red outfit.
‘Good evening, I’m Jessica Klein and this is the BBC’s Worldwide News Service transmitting to you live from our dedicated Impact Day studio in Broadcasting House, London, England.
‘It has been twenty-nine years since the asteroid 2011 AG5 was first discovered by the Mount Lemmon Survey on the 8th January, 2011. This formidable interstellar traveller is now due to arrive off the South African east coast in less than six hours’ time. Joining me tonight for this historic moment are a special panel of experts from various fields, who will help guide us through these final hours and give us an idea of what we can expect in the days ahead …’
The image changed again and John thought he was watching the same recording as he’d initially been shown as a meteorite ploughed through Earth’s atmosphere; however, he soon realised this was not a simulation of the sixty-five million year old event, but of the impact of AG5, two years before, off the South African coastline.
Huge tsunamis rushed out from the epicentre, speeding across oceans to devastate coastlines thousands of miles away.
A huge dust cloud erupted into the sky, spreading out to encompass the entire planet.
The images changed more quickly.
Ballistic missiles launched from China as it attacked Japan and South Korea. The Taj Mahal exploded into a million pieces and scenes of rioting civilians flashed in from all angles, dizzying John with their ferocity.
‘Curfew is in effect tonight as governments around the globe react to head off mass hysteria after the dust cloud has spread faster than predicted …’
More holographic news footage played, of
National Guard soldiers deploying. Armed troops jumped down from personnel transporters and water ration queues formed within the world’s major cities. The scenes sped up again; the dust cloud that had only just appeared was now in retreat two years later, and then John was watching himself giving his now famous speech:
‘While ordinary citizens, like you, like us, suffer at the hands of these unelected GMRC officials who bask in comfort and plenty, people die in the streets, in their homes, on their knees, put there by the GMRC Directorate and the mighty divisions of power they wield.
‘But change is coming, the people have voted! The old system of bought presidencies by corporate donors has crashed and burned.’
John’s projected hologram raised his fist in the air and cheers rang out. ‘Where there was oppression, I will deliver freedom. Where there was deceit, I will deliver truth! And where there was corruption, I will deliver JUSTICE!’
Tingles ran down John’s spine at the memory and his expression hardened, the visual a reminder his promise to the people had yet to be fulfilled.
The holograph switched to John’s presidential inauguration.
‘Governor, are you ready to take the oath?
‘I am, sir.’
‘Please raise your right hand and repeat after me.’
‘I, John Harrison Henry, do solemnly swear.’
‘I, John Harrison Henry, do solemnly swear.’
‘That I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States.’
‘That I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States.’
‘And will to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States …’
A different newsreader appeared.
‘Rioting in Brooklyn spread through the streets of New York like wildfire tonight as water rationing reached an all-time high. With the rest of the country similarly strained, will John Henry, currently locked in a bitter power struggle with the GMRC, be able to live up to his election pledge and release the crippling grip the Global Meteor Response Council has on this country’s infrastructure?’
And then the hologram transported John back to his destruction of the GMRC’s supertankers, the explosions sinking the vessels beneath the waves.
The scene faded, the spray of water vapour ceased and John was plunged into silent darkness.
He wrestled with his restraints again, his biceps bunching and sinews straining. He tensed his stomach and pushed up with his legs. Something gave and his hopes rose.
‘Don’t you think it’s strange, Mr President,’ said the kidnapper with the strange accent, ‘that mankind didn’t prepare better for the arrival of AG5?’
John fought for a few more seconds, before realising his efforts were futile. He slumped down onto his seat in resignation. ‘The GMRC could have done a lot better,’ he said, slightly out of breath from his exertions, ‘but we survived despite their best efforts to extend the suffering of those under their care.’
‘Do you ever wonder why there were no fail-safes when the Space Programme failed to divert the asteroid prior to impact?’
‘Measures were taken,’ John said. ‘Conservation, modified crops, trillions of dollars poured into water purification systems, stockpiling of food and other resources, ground-based alternatives to satellite infrastructure, population education, economic strengthening, the list goes on.’
‘If that’s all true, Mr President, then how do you explain the water shortages that are crippling this nation, which you, yourself, blame on the GMRC’s incompetence? How could such a large global organisation, supported by all the nations it serves in almost every way conceivable, run short on water, the most precious of resources, within two years of the meteorite’s impact?’
Confused, John tried to grasp what the speaker was getting at. ‘The dust cloud spread much faster than predicted,’ he said, cursing himself for copying the same rhetoric as the GMRC, ‘we were caught off guard.’
‘And yet that is the exact excuse the GMRC uses, an excuse you use to vilify and undermine their flagging support, citing it as their greatest lie, or inexcusable incompetence, both of which verge on the criminal, considering their power, funding and decades of preparation time.’
John said nothing, his mind in turmoil. What could he say? The speaker was right. He’d said those things about the GMRC, and worse, much worse. They were the scourge of humanity, providing for the privileged few without regard for the many.
‘And as you have pointed out time and again during your presidency, how can the excuse hold when the dust cloud cleared much faster than predicted? The resources should have stretched on comfortably for a decade, maybe more. Don’t you see, Mr President, the incompetence you perceive is not what it seems. The lies you attribute to the GMRC are not hiding what you think. It’s not administrative criminality, but preparation for a greater threat.’
‘So you keep saying,’ John said. ‘Why don’t you put me out my misery and fill me in?’
He waited for the response, while at the same time regretting his choice of words. If they wanted to kill me, he thought, they’d have already done it by now. Wouldn’t they?
A sense of fear built within and John fought for calm as his mind tormented him with all manner of gruesome wounds his kidnappers could inflict on him.
The commanding voice of the man who’d first spoken came back over the speaker system. ‘Have you ever heard of a black project run by NASA called the Deep Space Detection Array, Mr President?’
‘Should I have?’
‘A year after the asteroid AG5 was found, the DSDA, as it’s known, produced an image which told us the first asteroid was not the only threat to this planet. Another asteroid followed in its wake, and even as we speak, this rock is heading straight for the continental United States.’
John laughed. He couldn’t help himself. The claim was absurd, beyond absurd. ‘And when is this next asteroid supposed to arrive?’ he said in derisive amusement.
‘As we have already told you, Mr President, within four weeks you and half a billion Americans will be dead.’
John stared into the dark, trying to figure out what these people were trying to achieve. Why go to all the trouble of kidnapping me to convince me of such a lie? Are they stalling for time? If so, why?
‘And you want me to make a public statement to the nation?’ John said, suddenly realising what they wanted. His humour faded. ‘You want to create mass panic.’ But for what purpose? he wondered. A diversion, perhaps?
‘That is the last thing we want, Mr President.’
‘Then what do you want from me?’ John said, growing angry.
‘We want you to coordinate a nuclear strike which will create a percussive force that will vibrate and shatter the asteroid to pieces. Unlike AG5, this asteroid has an elongated profile and staggered explosions will create shockwaves that will shake the rock apart.’
‘Say I believe you,’ John said, ‘if that’s so, why doesn’t the GMRC use its own weapons to destroy it, or order Russia or China to do it? And why not use the same method to destroy AG5?’
‘The reasons are many, one being that for the assault to be successful the world’s entire nuclear arsenal would need to be launched, which would prove difficult for the GMRC to coordinate considering the growing distrust amongst its member states. Secondly, the GMRC has fail-safes in place in the event of a secondary impact. As to why not use the same method to destroy AG5, it’s because the asteroid that’s set to arrive in a few weeks is about half the size of AG5 itself.’
With little choice but to play along with their game of make believe, John instantly saw a flaw in their plan. ‘If that’s true, why didn’t the GMRC reveal the existence of this second asteroid when they revealed the first, twenty years ago in 2022? Why hide a lesser threat? It makes no sense.’
The man hesitated before replying. ‘Because while a potential strike would cause mass hysteria, disclosing two strikes may have ca
used the disintegration of civilisation itself. It was too a big a risk to take. It was also thought the surface should be able to survive one impact, to a degree, but not two. Furthermore, now the Chinese have upped the stakes by attacking their neighbours, without the United States to offer a counterbalance to their military might, the rest of the world is doomed.’
‘And from what you tell me,’ John said, ‘without the rest of the world’s nuclear weapons, the United States is doomed.’
‘Quite so, Mr President.’
‘It’s a fanciful tale. You’re quite convincing, and yet there’s a fundamental flaw to your story. If this asteroid can’t be stopped, then nothing can save us. Civilisation only just survived AG5’s impact winter; what possible fail-safe could the GMRC have that could protect us from another?’
‘Subterranean bases,’ the man said. ‘Massive underground cities with their own ecosystems, buried deep in the Earth’s crust, located all around the world.’
‘Underground bases?’
‘Yes. The only problem is, Mr President,’ – the man’s voice turned grave – ‘these bases haven’t been built to protect us. In the eyes of the GMRC we are all expendable, those that are left on the surface, anyway. But you are not wrong to distrust the GMRC, there are those within it that have sabotaged humanity’s best efforts to avert the upcoming apocalypse, as that is what it will be, a disaster on a scale beyond the ken of man.’
John considered the compelling words of his captor. What are you doing, he thought to himself, you’re not actually believing this garbage, are you?
‘Do you not think it strange, Mr President, that you’re the first independent candidate to win office since George Washington? This political miracle occurred as it was allowed to occur by those that control the media, the same media that controls everyone’s minds. You’re classed as a transitional politician by the establishment, one who knows nothing of what’s to come. And yet you alone have the power to change the course of history. You can save those that call the United States their home if you decide to join with us and act to save this great nation. The future of this country, maybe the entire planet, is in your hands, John Henry, and the threat has never been greater.’
Ancient Origins: Books 4 - 6 (Ancient Origins Boxset Book 2) Page 49
