In the time he had remaining, Rick tried to make some sense out of the documents Gordon had delivered to him. He skipped lunch, concentrating instead on absorbing as much information as he could so he would be prepared for the meeting. He hadn’t noticed that the guard had left a tray on the floor. Unaware of how much time had passed, Rick had to stop reading the file when two soldiers came to get him. For the first time since his arrest, they let him out of his cell without handcuffs.
During the short car ride to city hall where the meeting was to take place, Rick turned over in his head the information from the documents he had just reviewed. He found almost nothing in them that was useful for getting a grasp on what he would be facing. Just about everything he’d read was scientific mumbo jumbo about very general concepts, and he wasn’t even sure he was interpreting it correctly. It was possible that he’d missed a few details, but he doubted that. He decided not to worry about it until he determined whether or not Gordon would keep his word. In just a little while he’d have some answers.
After he got out of the car and took the elevator up to the twentieth floor, Rick finally arrived at the doors of the room where they were waiting for him. An assistant politely asked him and the two escorts hovering by his side to wait a moment. After a brief phone call, the assistant apologized and opened the door. The escorts stayed outside the room and Rick went in alone.
The first thing that grabbed his attention was the thick, oppressive air that accosted his lungs as he entered the room. A cloud of smoke was hanging in the air, and it was hotter in the room that he liked it. He resisted the temptation to ask them to open the window since outside it was twenty degrees—a normal summer temperature for London following the Wave.
Major Gordon was talking with two other people. The three of them were seated around a large table covered with papers. There was also an enormous ashtray full of cigar butts and several half-empty bottles of liquor. Rick immediately recognized one of the men; his name was Nathan Brook. He was the leading figure in the civil government of London’s Secure Zone—or he had been until martial law was established, at which point the politician had begun to share the power with Major Gordon. Nathan was of an average height and was a bit portly. His calm and friendly face made an excellent first impression—a useful attribute for a politician in the era preceding the Wave.
The third man present was someone Rick didn’t know. He had one distinguishing physical feature: his intensely penetrating eyes. He was dressed in a suit that Rick found too formal for the occasion, and was wearing a gold watch that glimmered on his wrist.
When he saw Rick, Gordon stood up and made introductions. It was then that Rick realized he did know the man in the suit, he just hadn’t recalled his name. It was Jack Kolby, a very powerful businessman whose fame was as far reaching as his questionable reputation. Rick had heard of him on several occasions, as had every other citizen of London. His economic empire provoked remarks that ranged from noting his brilliance in business matters to his being corrupt.
“We’re all here,” Gordon commented. “Let’s sit down and get to work.” The four men moved around the table and each one claimed an armchair. Rick deliberately waited until they’d all taken a seat and then sat down at the far end of the table so he could see all their faces. “If it’s all right with everyone, I’ll start by explaining to Captain Northon the general characteristics of the mission, and then we’ll discuss any details that aren’t sufficiently clear.” No one objected. “Captain, you will be in charge of a reconnaissance expedition that will cross the portal. You will travel to an unknown location. As I already pointed out, our scientists firmly believe we are dealing with another world. Your orders are to oversee the safety of the team, made up of ninety-four soldiers and two tanks. Also accompanying you will be six of our best scientists. You will all stay in that location for two days, after which you will return to inform us of your findings. You’ll stay not a minute more. After that, we’ll evaluate the information and will consider sending a second team.”
“I found nothing about that ‘world’ in the papers that you gave me,’” noted Rick. “I need you to tell me everything you know or I’m afraid I won’t be able to do much.”
“I thought you were the best when it came to military matters, Captain Northon,” interjected Nathan, speaking softly. “That’s why we chose you.”
Jack patiently leaned back in his chair and lit a cigar that was obviously contraband.
“That may be,” said Rick, trying not to sound pretentious. “But you obviously know I have no experience with missions outside of Earth. If you’re claiming that we have to go to another world, the least you can do is tell me everything you know about it. I think it’s reasonable to want to be prepared to face whatever awaits us there.”
“Of course that’s reasonable,” agreed Jack. “However, you are the first ones to travel there, and you’re the ones who’ll bring us the information we need to be able to answer the next people who ask that same question.”
“You must know something,” replied Rick, unconvinced. “I don’t believe that in the ten years that have passed since the Wave you haven’t discovered a single thing. Besides, you wouldn’t be sending such a large military contingent for a simple recon.”
Rick knew perfectly well the state of the army and knew that sending out tanks was a luxury that could not be wasted. The Wave had been followed by a terrible era of chaos, vandalism, and destruction. The first seven years were marked with a never- ending barrage of war-like conflicts. The Wave had knocked out all the satellites and destroyed the communications infrastructure on a global scale—including the Internet—leaving entire countries totally isolated. The initial brutality gave way to wars that broke out everywhere on the planet, forming new and makeshift borders that completely reorganized the political map. Former nations disappeared from the face of the Earth. When the survivors managed to overcome the worst of the wars and marked off adequate territories in which to live, Secure Zones were created—which were only pitiful substitutes for the former countries. Each Secure Zone was governed by its own laws and, in spite of maintaining some commerce among them, they were essentially autonomous.
The Wave set off a chain of devastating changes which people were powerless to control. The planet’s climate conditions were inexorably disrupted. The weather went to wild extremes, sending the mercury falling to unbelievable temperatures that were now accepted as normal. The poles thawed for the most part and the deserts experienced intense snowfalls. The seasons no longer happened in order throughout the year and their durations were altered haphazardly, with some seasons completely disappearing in certain places. London hadn’t enjoyed a spring or summer season since before the Wave. The entire planet seemed to have been shaken vigorously, as if it had been placed in a cocktail shaker.
One of the most peculiar and catastrophic consequences was the appearance of a previously unknown meteorological phenomenon—the Fog—whose incredible effects lead to the deaths of millions of people. Whoever went into it never came back out. Its physical appearance was no different than the fog that could be seen before the Wave, but that’s where the similarity ended. The Fog appeared suddenly and without warning and since that time it never cleared. No one knew how it had spread; the only thing that was known for sure was that it occupied certain areas and would apparently be there forevermore. Neither rain nor wind affected it in the least. The Fog never dissipated, and anyone who entered into the grayish mist was lost and gone forever. The only consolation was that it did not move and it did not extend its reach. Its location remained the same. It completely engulfed some cities, and it was believed that in other parts of the word it even covered entire countries. Such was the case in Asia.
Consequently, areas of security were established and people learned to avoid these static fog banks, as well as to clearly indicate the places where they were located and every possible way to avoid them. The Fog came in different sizes—from small clouds that covered an area in which no more than two people would fit to immense masses that spanned expanses that went on as far as the eye could see . . . and beyond.
In this unstable setting, resources were scarce and military presence was a necessity of utmost priority thanks to the latent threat of a new war with another Secure Zone. So Rick knew that using two tanks in a reconnaissance mission was a clear sign of the mission’s importance.
“It has not been confirmed the portal or the other world have anything to do with the Wave,” Gordon insisted. “The tanks are for your protection.”
“They may have something to do with the Wave, or they may not,” said Rick somewhat obstinately, “but the likelihood is too great to dismiss it. After the Wave, the planet was altered and the Fog appeared, and now, suddenly, we find a portal to another world. I think it would be advisable to know whatever has been discovered about the Wave, and I can’t think of any good reason why you wouldn’t fill me in. Your keeping silent about it just feeds my suspicions.”
The truth was that Rick didn’t have any concrete suspicions, but he hadn’t exactly lied, either. If they were hiding information from him, it was not a good sign.
Gordon and Nathan exchanged a look of complicity. Jack seemed much more relaxed. Seemingly overflowing with patience, he was simply letting cigar smoke escape through his lips and into the room. Rick still hadn’t figured out what the businessman was doing there. Gordon and Nathan were the leaders of London’s Secure Zone; Jack shouldn’t be at their level no matter how much money he had.
“What we’re about to tell you now is strictly confidential,” began Gordon in a very serious tone. “You are never to speak of it outside this room.”
Rick nodded, both intrigued and somewhat worried. He was all too familiar with Gordon’s methods of insuring that secrets were never revealed, and he didn’t much care for them.
“I’m guessing the government’s official version that it was a wave of energy that came from the sun isn’t true,” Rick declared, “which really doesn’t surprise me much.” He had never paid any attention to the thousands of theories that sought to explain the Wave. There were all kinds of them, ranging anywhere from aliens to the Apocalypse. At any rate, he had always known that the government had been lying when it had spread their particular explanation around. The reasoning behind it had been well disguised beneath scientific jargon that very few people could decipher, since that was the best way to dodge any more questions on the subject.
“We had to release some kind of statement,” said Nathan confidently, albeit with a trace of embarrassment in his voice. “The Wave killed one fourth of the world’s population, according to the best estimates. It couldn’t look like we had no idea what caused it. People needed to believe that we were in control of the situation, that we were working to resolve it. We created an illusion of control that helped us avoid more difficulties than we were already facing.”
“I’m not questioning your motives,” Rick clarified, although that’s exactly what he’d been doing. Though he didn’t appreciate knowing he was being handed a pack of lies and that someone else was deciding what was best for him, he tried to repress those feelings. “That’s all in the past. It’s your business how you manage those issues. But I insist on knowing the whole truth; it could make a difference to the expedition.”
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“The truth is the worst possible news we could give you,” confessed Gordon, “because we don’t have even the remotest idea of how the Wave originated. There’s been not one scientist who’s been able to explain it. So, as you can see, the truth unfortunately isn’t of much help to you after all. But if people found out about our uncertainty, it would be a disaster. That’s why it has to be kept quiet.”
Gordon’s confession caught Rick completely by surprise. He wasn’t expecting them to know everything about the Wave, but the fact that they had absolutely no clue was disheartening. Now he wished he hadn’t pressed them about it.
“So . . . for an entire decade, you’ve learned nothing about the Wave,” reflected Rick, still not wanting to believe it. “That can’t be. It’s not like I had a lot of confidence in the government, but they’re trying to convince everyone that things are getting better. I don’t believe this.”
“Look, Rick,” Jack weighed in, putting his cigar out in an ashtray that was so full the ashes were spilling over the edges. “I really do understand your astonishment, and that’s all the more reason why the truth can’t get out. We’re up against something that until now has gotten the better of all of us. To tell the truth would be to induce panic. Besides, in a way, we really are working on a solution. Your mission is surely going to shed some light on this catastrophe. Who knows what you will be able to discover there.”
Trying to build Rick up by making him feel like some hero who was out to save all of humanity didn’t work on him. He was not that impressionable. He knew there had to be some hidden agenda, and he knew full well they had no intention of revealing it. Gordon wouldn’t put himself at risk just to be altruistic. And Jack had the reputation of never lifting a finger to help anyone if there wasn’t something in it for him. Nathan was the only one he might be able to trust, if Rick were to decide he cared about what they were really looking for on the other side of the portal. No, he’d be happy just to resolve his own problems.
“If I’ve understood you correctly, I’m going to travel to a place that no one knows a single thing about. Is that right?” asked Rick curtly.
“Well, there actually is a theory,” answered Gordon, slightly annoyed. “We’ve done what we could to look into it. The most reliable information comes from the studies done with telio and the Fog. Telio is a mineral that, according to our experts, should not exist in our world. Without going into too much scientific detail, which I honestly don’t understand, telio is ‘too perfect;’ its molecular structure cannot be compared to anything that exists on our planet. We’ve figured out ways to use it, but that’s it. The same with the Fog. Simply put, these things just don’t belong to this world. That’s the only conclusion the researchers seem to agree on.”
“So they think the portal leads to another world,” deduced Rick. “Any other theories? Like, to another planet or something?”
“We don’t know,” Gordon admitted. “Take this.” The major passed a folder to Rick. “This is everything related to the portal. As you will see, the material it is made of is somewhat similar to telio. They must come from the same place.”
Rick felt the weight of the new report and guessed it had to be at least as long as the one Gordon had delivered to his cell. He was not the least bit inclined to read it.
“What should we do once we get to the other side?” asked Rick, changing the subject. “I can think of quite a few things we could accomplish in two days.”
“Aside from watching over everyone’s safety,” explained Gordon, “you’ll support the work of the scientists whenever it doesn’t entail any kind of risk for the expedition. All the details regarding this are also in the folder. Nothing exciting, I’m afraid. You’ll collect samples and carry out various experiments. You have the authority to abort the mission at the least sign of danger. You’ll see we aren’t asking anything unreasonable of you—under these circumstances, naturally.”
Rick ignored that last comment without a second thought. The term “unreasonable” was rather subjective and he didn’t care to get into an argument that would surely get them nowhere.
“I’ll need time to review all the information,” stated Rick, flipping distractedly through the folder. “And it’s possible I’ll want to make some changes of a military nature. Not that I’m trying to second-guess whoever organized all this, but the fact that I’ve survived the most dangerous missions wasn’t because of luck. They always let me select my own men and decide my own strategy.”
“There’s no time for that!” exclaimed Nathan. “The mission is set for two days from now.”
“Maybe we could get a couple days more,” suggested Gordon tactfully.
“Two days?” asked Rick, astonished. “I was thinking a minimum of two weeks.”
“No way,” objected Nathan. “Everything’s already prepared. It happens in two days,” he repeated stubbornly.
“If the hurry is because of the refugees coming in from the Secure Zone of the North, that can be resolved,” said Gordon. “We should close the borders right now.”
“That’s not a solution,” replied Nathan, clearly nervous. “And yes, that is part of the reason. They’re coming to our zone looking for help. If we close the border, they’ll die.”
The turn the conversation had taken surprised Rick. It sounded to him like Nathan and Gordon had had the same argument before. It surprised him to see Nathan a bit angry, since he’d seemed like someone who stayed calm at all times. Rick had been informed of the problem with the refugees. Over the course of the last few months, a sea of humanity from the North Zone—with whom there had been a war three years before—was pouring into their territory, bringing about a considerable number of problems. Among other things, it was difficult for them to integrate with their former enemies given that thousands of families had lost loved ones thanks to the wars between the two Secure Zones.
“We can’t let everyone in,” continued Gordon. Neither he nor Nathan seemed to be aware that there was anyone else in the room. “We’ve spent seven years trying to get back our social, political, and economic stability. And you know our situation is still very fragile. We can’t accept more people than what we can handle. The northerners will have to manage somehow, just like we’ve had to. What are you so worried about? That another war will break out? Or maybe you’re afraid.”
“Afraid? Of a war?” snapped Nathan, clenching his jaw. “Of course I am! Though I have to say it worries me even more that you don’t seem at all concerned by that possibility. That’s your solution for everything. If a problem arises, we declare war— period. Has it ever occurred to you to think about why the people from the North seek refuge in our Secure Zone?”
Rick, who was following the argument with an intense interest, saw this as a very wise question and he eagerly awaited the answer. He was quite curious to know what was compelling their former enemies to abandon their own territory and come to this one.
“I have no way of knowing their motives,” conceded Gordon. “No one has told me anything about that. I’m only concerned about our well being and security.”
“No one has told you anything because we don’t know anything,” said Nathan. “And that’s what truly frightens me. We cannot declare war for some unknown cause.”
“I don’t understand why you’re so afraid of something you yourself admit you know nothing about,” replied the major. “Their problems are theirs, not ours, and we should not allow them to bring them to us. We’re not exactly swimming in abundance here. And I don’t agree with what you say. Regardless of the cause, we will declare war on anyone that threatens our security.”
“Damn it! Think!” Nathan shot back. “They’re coming to us looking for help, not a fight. Something is compelling them to abandon their homes and flee here. How much time will pass before this problem, whatever it is, befalls us here as well? It’s not the northerners that scare me; it’s whatever is scaring them.”
“Fine,” said Gordon. “Explain to me what this dreadful problem could be that is terrifying our neighbors and I’ll reconsider my stance.”
“Truthfully, I’m not sure,” admitted Nathan, his anger deflating with surprising speed. “We only spread rumors to make ourselves feel like we have some idea. What most people seem to think is that their Secure Zone is becoming uninhabitable. All kinds of stories are going around, so it’s hard to figure out which ones are true and which ones aren’t. Some people say the Fog is advancing; others say that strange illnesses have broken out that cause insanity. There are also stories going around about supernatural spirits that destroy everything in their path.”
Gordon frowned, thinking for a few moments.
“Nonsense,” the major finally declared. “I am not going to waste my time on ghost stories.”
“Maybe you should,” insisted Nathan. “Something is ruining their territory. Suppose it’s the Fog; sooner or later it will make it to us too, and we’ll find ourselves in the same situation as them.”
“That’s supposing that it’s true,” said Gordon, unconvinced. Rick continued to follow the conversation attentively, his presence seemingly unnoticed by them. “Before taking drastic measures that compromise our position, the least we should do is confirm the rumors and not let ourselves be influenced by the deranged notions of a bunch of refugees from the North.”
“Time is of the essence,” warned Nathan. “We should prepare a general evacuation plan. If we make full use of our resources, we can do it. If we waste them, and our time, it will be too late.”
“Don’t even think about that!” growled Gordon, visibly angered. “We will fight against whatever we need to fight against. All the ghosts who want to can come after me. I will not run away. It has taken us seven long years to establish peace. This is our chance to prosper again. I will not support a policy that means to give all that up. Besides, our scientists are surely going to clear up the mystery of the Fog.”
“You seriously believe that?” asked Nathan, not even trying to hide his concern. “Just like they did with the Wave? Maybe it’s time we accept we’re facing something that’s bigger than we are. Our resources should be used to ensure our survival, and for that we need an evacuation plan—even if it’s only as a preventative measure.”
“Let me remind you that we have no resources to spare,” countered Gordon. “And don’t even think about cutting the army’s funding. If we want to survive, we have to protect ourselves.” Rick knew why this was a sticking point for the major. If funds intended for military spending were reduced, he would be directly and adversely affected since that very funding was keeping him in power.
“Furthermore,” Gordon continued, “you know we couldn’t save everyone; that would be impossible. Are you prepared to leave people behind to die? Who decides who goes and who stays? You, Nathan? Will you stay here if the number of evacuees has to be limited? I bet not. I say we stay and fight whoever or whatever comes, assuming that scenario actually comes to pass.”
“I would opt for another strategy,” Jack intervened. Nathan’s face had turned red with rage after Gordon’s last accusation, but he and the others all turned toward Jack now. Rick watched him expectantly, still trying make sense of his presence in a meeting that would decide the future of London. At the very least, it was a clear indication that his influence must be incredibly far-reaching. “I think we should stop thinking about fighting some unknown enemy, at least for the time being. The refugees have not mentioned the presence of an enemy, so the problem has to be something else. But at the same time, I don’t believe that using up all our resources to take everyone someplace else would be advisable, either. Let’s suppose we do that. What would we do if the same thing happened there? Take off again? We would only be putting off what we should be doing right now: facing the problem. We should figure out what the Fog is, why the Wave happened, and what is on the other side of the portal. That should be our priority.”
“How is it that that has never occurred to anyone before now?” said Gordon sarcastically. “So the Wave destroys Earth, kills a quarter of the world population in one day, and now it turns out that finding out what it was and what caused it is somehow important. Why did no one realize the significance of the Wave?”
“Because no one has had the chance to travel to another world in search of answers, that’s why,” Jack retorted. “And we could do without your sarcasm. We’ve discussed this hundreds of times, and we both know that this is the best chance we have. Wars and massive evacuations can wait.”
“Well, at least I’m clear on one thing after all this,” interrupted Rick. The other three men turned toward him as if he’d just entered the room. “You’re not going to give me more time to organize the mission. If it’s all right with all of you, I’m off to start studying this report,” he said, holding up the folder Gordon had given him. “I’d like to be as prepared as possible. And let’s remember our agreement: I take care of security and getting us back here after two days, but regardless of what we discover, my record will be wiped clean.”
“We’ve already agreed to that,” said Gordon. “You just worry about getting everything ready. In the meantime, you’ll have an escort just in case you need something else while you’re reviewing all the information.”
That was nothing more than an excuse. What Gordon wanted was to keep an eye on him in case he tried to take off. Rick knew this perfectly well and figured everyone else did, too. But that really didn’t matter to him since he had every intention of fulfilling his part of the bargain. Living as a fugitive was something that he preferred to avoid as long as he had another option available to him.
And Rick now finally thought he understood Jack’s role in all this. The major had mentioned that the portal was at a foundry; surely the wily tycoon was the owner of that foundry, and had used that to his advantage to ensure his own participation in the project.
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