End of the Beginning: Chapters 32 & 33
Chapter 32: November 20th
The Algarve, Portugal noon (7am in Washington)
June and Jack relaxed in the sunshine as they enjoyed a lunch of seafood at a waterfront restaurant in the small town of Tavira. The whole of the Algarve was overflowing in tourists who would normally be somewhere else; somewhere else that required a plane flight. What was bad for Bali and Greece was certainly good for Portugal. This was the less fashionable eastern end of the Algarve, but they were both happy to have found such comfortable accommodation and be away from the crowds and ridiculous prices. This felt more like a real Portuguese fishing village as well, rather than some of the other over-developed locations. The breeze off the Atlantic Ocean provided a perfect combination with the temperatures in the mid twenties.
“Maybe we should buy a place here, should certainly be taking off with all the restrictions on flying that won’t be going away time soon. With Greece and a good chunk of Italy and Spain looking more and more like North Africa, this could end up as one of the few reasonable places to get away from the northern winter weather.” Jack said as he perused the tablet he held in one hand while stabbing a piece of turbot with the other.
“Yeah, then we can get burnt to death in a forest fire during the summer, or killed by some African migrants. How about you just try to enjoy your food and the surroundings rather than have your head stuck in your tablet?” she responded flatly.
“The fires are more up north, and we wouldn’t be here for the crazy summer months. Also, no migrants would make it trying to cross the Atlantic between North Africa and here. That’s a Mediterranean problem” Jack replied.
She sighed and relaxed into her chair “I am on vacation” she said in a way that signified the end of the conversation topic. Jack focused on his tablet, and the chewing of the turbot.
San Francisco, California, United States 8:30am (11:30am in Washington)
Jim sat in the back of the SUV reading through his notes as it sped from the airport toward the American Geophysical Union special conference on geo-engineering. The agreement worked out in New Zealand had made him both friends and enemies in the scientific community. Thankfully, as the reality of the situation had sunk in across the scientific community many of them had come round to accepting the inevitability of the planned geo-engineering. There was still a vocal minority though that was still against it. His presentation and panel discussion would not be given an easy ride by them.
“Five minutes sir” Danny said from the front seat. He and Aiden had become as much friends as protectors to Jim as he had come to know them better. Danny with the ex-wife, current wife, girlfriend and rebellious daughter; Aiden with the childhood sweetheart and a seemingly quite compliant brood. They also provided a ready-made bro-team for watching sports and certainly impressed his friends and colleagues. He went back to his notes.
The SUV came to a halt and Danny jumped out and opened the door for Jim. He stepped out and smelt the cool San Francisco air, and then he was launched backwards against the car door before falling crumpled to the ground. Before he could comprehend what was happening Danny had towered above him while Aiden reached from within the SUV and pulled him inside. The door slammed and Jim heard the sound of bullets bouncing off the windows before the SUV launched itself forwards as Aiden slammed his foot on the accelerator.
“Shots fired, men down” Aiden stated calmly as he accelerated away from the scene, “in route to San Francisco General”. Jim felt his head start to spin as Aiden threw the vehicle hard through some turns before he started to drift in and out of consciousness. The vehicle came to a halt and he felt himself being hauled out and placed on top of something, and then watched the hallway fly before coming to halt in a room and being transferred to a table.
A face appeared in from of him “Jim, I am Doctor Williams. You have been shot in the shoulder and have lost a lot of blood. We are going to stabilize you here before we send you up to the operating theatre. Do you understand what I am saying?” Jim nodded slowly. Then he started to feel something in his shoulder, pain. “Morphine” he heard the face say before he passed out.
The White House, Washington D.C., USA 9.15am
The President sat in the Operations Room, once again dealing with a new threat. Jose’s face appeared on the large screen at the end of the table.
“Mr. President, everyone” he said “Our understanding is that Jim Anderson and a member of his security detail have been wounded but neither is in a life-threatening condition. They have been secured at San Francisco General Hospital. Anderson’s security detail most definitely saved his life. Two of the three gunmen have been killed, while the third is surrounded. It does appear that they are part of the Gaian Defence League, a group that we have been following. They are a radicalized group that is opposed to any geo-engineering, although this is the first time they have carried out a terrorist attack. We are mobilizing our forces to round up the group’s leadership and notifying our allies. No other attacks have been reported.”
“So, we now have threats from both the fossil-fuel related interests and the radical environmentalists” noted Ashbridge. “We need to make sure that we frame this as an attack upon the scientific community and our ability to act in the best interests of the American people. These people would rather have humanity perish than act to save itself! We must crush them as fast as we possibly can. Jose, you have my full support to take whatever actions are necessary. You understand?”
Jose nodded, “Of course Mr. President.”
Mumbai, India 6:20pm (9:20am in Washington)
Venkata looked out across the ranks of scientists and policy makers sat in front of him and waited for the applause to die down. He was getting better at giving such speeches, and this had been one of his best. He held his hands in thanks to his audience and made his way off the stage as the applause continued. His assistant guided him towards the door and his thoughts drifted to his next engagement. Then his attention returned to the room as the face of one of the people in the audience stood out. It was different; both nervous and focused. It was the last thing that he saw.
Patna, Eastern India 10pm (9:30am in Washington)
Mahavir was enjoying a relaxed cup of tea with Jaya Rao, basking in the success of his trip to Bangladesh.
“The situation in Pakistan seems to be under control with the local officials overseen by the United Nations forces who are slowly taking over from our own forces. With the agreement now in place with Bangladesh, we are now relatively secure on our most troublesome borders. Perhaps we are finally out of the crisis period and can start focusing on the future?” Jaya stated with satisfaction.
“I very much hope so,” replied Mahavir “it’s certainly been a long year so far.” He felt the buzzing in his ear and heard the name of his assistant. “Excuse me for one moment Prime Minister” he requested and then stated “answer” followed by “yes, this is Mahavir”. Jaya could quickly see the wave of sadness that swept across his face. It would continue to be a very long year.
The White House, Washington D.C., USA 9.45am
The President had returned to the Operations Room.
“This now looks like the Gaian Defence League have the capability to coordinate attacks on a global basis. Together with the murder of the Indian Minister, there have also been a number of attacks on companies associated with geo-engineering” stated Jose from the screen.
“Are we fully engaged with other country’s security services” asked Ashbridge.
The face on the screen to the left of Jose nodded, “Yes Mr. President. We have already opened up channels with the other security services to plan an integrated and rapid response to this new threat” stated the head of the CIA.
“Excellent” responded the President.
Chapter 33: November 22nd
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India 10am (12:30am in Washington)
The funeral pyre sat in the middle of Manikarnika Ghat, created by the Lord Vishnu himself, with the rising sun presiding over the ceremony as the temperature rose into the twenties. Crowds gathered around the pyre, hemmed in between the shrines above and the great Ganges below. A priest and a young boy knelt at the base of the pyre reciting Vedic prayers. The boy was Venkata’s eldest son, just 8 years old and sending his father on the journey to the afterlife. Behind them stood Mahavir and his wife, comforting Venkata’s widow as she held on to her two other children. Atop the pyre sat the body of Venkata, covered in bright flowers with only his face visible. It was a body that had striven so hard to stay in the land of the living, and with his family, but in the end had succumbed to the devastation wrought by the bullets.
Images of their time together at university and the vacations that their families took together, the happiest of times, played endlessly within Mahavir’s head. There were no words, just images and sadness.
Jaya Rao stood next to them. Mahavir himself had warned her of the risks in attending, but she would not be dissuaded. She would pay her respects to this quiet man who had helped shape history how many more have to die? she asked herself as the prayers echoed around her.
It was time; the son lit the edges of the pyre and stood back as the flames quickly engulfed the body above. They grew in intensity, sending a trail of smoke billowing across the river.
The understanding that Venkata was truly gone manifested itself physically within Mahavir, a dull aching pain that resonated through every part of his being. A life without his best friend would be so much less than one with him. No more reminiscences about their university days, no more midnight discussions of affairs of state and affairs of the heart, no other man that he could trust so absolutely.
San Francisco, California, USA 9:40pm (12:40am in Washington)
Jim sat up in his bed, watching the flames burn on the tablet held by Kelly. It could have so easily been two funerals; the doctors had told him that only an inch or so had spared his life.
“Those days in New Zealand now seem so far away” he heard himself say.
“Yes, so much has changed in so little time” Kelly sadly agreed. The true scale of what they were part of, and the dangers that they faced, were now becoming fully apparent. They were no longer in the safe tranquility that they had enjoyed in New Zealand; there would always be people who wanted to see them dead.