The Visitor

by Brent Ayscough

  “General, get the fire brigade!” he yelled to General Hisa.

  General Hisa stopped watching the fire, came to his senses, and gave a command to contact the fire brigade. The subordinate hurried toward a jeep to go to the nearest communication hut to make the call.

  The fire was now out of control. “Tak,” Baron yelled at her in the midst of the commotion, “you run off with that man going for the fire brigade! It may be unsafe for you here soon!”

  She complied, jumping into the jeep with the soldier, leaving to go to the communications hut some distance away.

  They arrived at the communications hut, got out, and went inside where a soldier sat behind a communications desk. The soldier who had been driving said excitedly, “Hurry, call the fire brigade!” He then explained where the fire was.

  In Taiwan, however, the fire brigade was set up under the jurisdiction of the air force, for no particular reason, or at least for no reason that made any sense. In ten minutes, but what seemed like an eternity, an air force colonel drove up in a military vehicle.

  “I’m the colonel in charge of the fire brigade,” he proudly announced in Mandarin.

  The two enlisted soldiers saluted and then began excited telling of the emergency. Tak stood just behind them.

  “The air force had no notification of this operation or a contingent would have been deployed,” the colonel said. “And it is a Sunday, so mobilizing men will be difficult. I do not think that the air force can be of any help.”

  The driver pled for assistance, describing how the fire was spreading. But, the colonel did not seem to care.

  After the conversation seemed to come to a stalemate, Tak stepped forward and said, in English, “What would it take to get you to send the fire brigade to extinguish the fire?”

  The officer spoke English. “The fire brigade is really not interested in this army fire that resulted from an operation of which the air force had no prior notice.”

  Tak motioned the colonel to the side, turning her back to the others so they could not see or hear what she was saying. “How about some fragrant oil?”

  The colonel’s frown changed to a smile.

  “I’ll give you ten thousand United States dollars if you’ll call out the fire brigade and put out the fire,” Tak said. “I’ll give you half now and half upon completion.” She took the money from her bag, counted out five thousand, and gave it to him.

  The colonel took the money then turned to the other soldiers. “Given the fact that this is an emergency, the air force will be most willing to come to the assistance of the Army.”

  He went to the communications console, picked up the mic and headset, and called in orders for all available men to come and put out the fire.

  Soon all of the available men of the fire brigade, and all other available enlisted men on duty, headed for the fire. Tak and the driver returned to the original burning field, which, by that time, was toast. The surrounding fields were now catching fire.

  Two fire trucks arrived, speeding dangerously. The driver of the first did not see a ninety degree turn ahead in the dirt road, until it was too late, and slammed on his brakes. The fire truck following too closely behind drove right into the rear of the truck, pushing it off the road into pineapple field.

  Men began to arrive and in, what was clearly a completely unorganized, chaotic effort, tried to put out the fire. More fire trucks came, and more men. They scrambled about and, with some luck, by working all afternoon and into the evening, the fire was contained, but not until several hundred acres of field were toasted into ash.

  Tak and Baron looked on, soot falling all around them, as the fire subsided, stopped mostly by the surrounding roads that created fire breaks, rather than from the unorganized fire brigade. Baron’s new camouflage fatigues were covered in soot, and he was shaking his head at the debacle.

  He saw Tak looking at him and smiled. “To enhance your English vocabulary, there is an expression in English for what you just witnessed, a chaotic event, which is said to be a ‘Chinese Fire Drill.’”

  ***

  The following Saturday evening, in order to celebrate his soon to come wealth, under the guise of an award ceremony to award the winner of the trials, which, oddly enough, was the same company for which the baron was the sole representative, General Hisa had already planned a magnificent, twelve-course Chinese banquet.

  The engineers, programmers, and other staff from the French company making the gun and the subcontractors who were at the trial were invited. Also invited were the officers that attended the trials, a few of the general’s high-level friends in the military, and a few government people involved with budget approvals. And everyone brought their wives. No one from the air force and their corrupt fire brigade were invited. Eighty were in attendance. Naturally, Hisa had the army pay for it.

  Tak sat next to Baron, who in turn sat next to General Hisa, in the most honored seat next to the podium.

  General Hisa was nearing retirement, which would now be expedited with his new wealth, diminishing his respect for regulations. To show his appreciation for what the baron was providing, he had decided earlier that day to reciprocate. After the dinner was completed, he stood and asked for the attention of those present.

  In Mandarin he announced, “As an award for the bravery of all that courageously participated in the emergency yesterday, I’m decorating everyone involved.” Loud applause rang throughout the hall.

  “However for Baron Von Limbach, as well as his distinguished wife, the baroness, for taking the initiative to get the fire brigade to the scene, and instrumental in extinguishing the fire, they are to receive what they deserve. I present them with the First In Combat medal.”

  The presentation of the First-In-Combat came as a surprise to the audience, who were in awe of the majesty of the award. All broke into deafening applause. In recent times, no Taiwanese soldier had ever gotten the First-In-Combat medal, as Taiwan soldiers had no battles. But the Taiwanese soldiers were very much into recognizing titles, degrees, and the like, and so everyone in the Taiwan Army knew of it, and would thereafter snap to attention for the baron whenever he came, giving him even more face, as a true hero.

  He was now the equivalent of a prestigious officer as the medal included all of the privileges of officers to enter officer clubs and the like. Once awarded, this medal became the most distinguished part of the Taiwan uniform and, in the Taiwanese Army tradition, anyone in the Taiwan Army would thereafter consider the baron to be a true hero. And, after all, anyone that paid as much bribe money as the baron did was a true hero to the general. The baron had suggested earlier that the general include Tak in the award and he complied.

  The general motioned for the baron and the baroness to stand and come next to him at the podium. They were presented with a plaque, a medal, and sew-on cloth badges. These were intended for a military shirt or jacket, but could be worn on any jacket.

  Baron and Tak graciously accepted the award, and the audience broke into deafening applause. When they returned to their seats, and the audience stopped staring, Tak turned to Baron, still in shock.

  When the applause subsided, she said quietly to Baron, “What have I done to receive such an honor, or any honor?

  Baron was smiling widely, almost in laughter, enjoying the situation immensely. It occurred to her that she was beginning to get to know him well and to appreciate, not only what he could do but also his unforgettable sense of humor.

  She was now decorated with the most prestigious award available from the Taiwan Army, and all she had done to earn it was to observe a bungled weapons trial, resulting in the burning of pineapple fields caused by the incompetence of the general’s dolt of a nephew. And she provided the assistance of offering a bribe of fragrant oil to someone in the fire brigade that was supposed to help anyway, all to orchestrate an actual, as opposed to a metaphorical, “Chinese Fire Drill.”

  ***

  Baron and Tak sat in a small boat, its driver m
aneuvering through the exotic Bangkok floating market. Flowers, fruits, and artifacts were sold from boats as they passed. Lachhiman sat behind them, just ahead of the boatman. Their boat was one of the typical Thai boats, with the long, extension propeller shaft running nearly horizontally out the back, as far as the boat was long.

  “The Thai people are quite different from the Chinese,” Tak observed. “Do you speak their language as well?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “You speak many languages, don’t you, Baron?”

  “Yes. Do you?”

  “Yes, but none that you would recognize. Oh, except English, of course.”

  It was a hot Bangkok day, but that was not unusual. Baron wore a wide-brimmed panama hat, light shirt, and slacks. Tak wore her usual outfit as she did not have anything else appropriate, but her usual outfit kept her air-conditioned comfortably.

  “You really must let me buy you a sort of local outfit,” he said at one point. “It won’t be air conditioned, however. I think a batik top and perhaps some shorts? What do you say to that?”

  “I’ll give it a try,” she joked. “But I will have to go back home with more than one satchel.”

  Tak looked on, fascinated at the various things for sale in the boats, and also in the shops at the water’s edge. Children bathed in the dirty water, and women washed their clothes in it as well as their pots and pans.

  That evening, with Tak dressed in a very colorful batik top and white, loose pants, they went to a famous Thai seafood restaurant/market where the fish was selected open style, like a market. Some, quite large, fresh from the day’s catch, were laid out on ice. They took a grocery shopping cart from the entrance of the restaurant and entered a line along a long, ice-packed counter filled with fresh seafood, some still alive. Baron selected a very colorful fish, caught that day; crabs, still alive and moving; squid; prawns; sea snails; cockles; and oysters. He then picked from a section that was not seafood--kangkong, or Chinese watercress, and vegetable greens.

  After purchasing the food much like at a supermarket, it was then taken to their table by an attendant. The chef came out from the back to greet them and to discuss how they wanted everything prepared. To the surprise of the chef, Baron spoke to him in Thai, and they entered into detailed discussions on just exactly how everything was to be prepared, and with exactly what sauces. Baron was in no mood to leave it up to the chef and spent a great deal of time making sure that they agreed on each dish. Then a certain kind of rice, noodles for the oysters, and various other additives were agreed upon.

  As he and Tak enjoyed the spicy Thai seafood, Baron thought he might push for more information. “Have you decided on your recommendation to the Federation about this planet?”

  Switching to professionalism, she said, “Before I make any decision, I’ll return, evaluate all I’ve witnessed, and study what my computer has taken in. After careful consideration, I’ll then make a recommendation to the Federation, and it’ll make its own choice. Baron, I have to be honest with you. For some planets, it is not entirely a question of just joining or not joining. In some cases, a planet may be considered a threat and the Federation might do something about that.”

  “I expect they will follow your recommendation. Are they all human like?”

  “Oh no! Not at all! But no more questions.”

  ***

  At the hotel in Bangkok, Baron turned on the television to a world news program in English. As Tak and he watched, a female reporter gave the news story.

  “...in the Tibetan region of what is now part of China, there is a widespread outbreak of Ebola, the deadly disease that was formerly confined to the African continent. The Chinese government reports that Ebola has been confirmed as an outbreak in the cities of Lhasa, the capital and most populated city, and in Xigatze, the second largest city, located two-hundred-and-twenty-five miles west of Lhasa. The number of cases is presently unknown, but it is believed to be in the thousands and spreading as an uncontrolled epidemic. Ebola is said to be the most deadly virus known and nearly always fatal. The Chinese government has suspended all travel to and from the region.

  “Anyone who has plans to visit Tibet should be made aware that the Chinese government is not allowing any travel to Tibet, and any travelers already in Tibet cannot leave and are being held in quarantine. The Chinese military has been mobilized to cover the borders, and roads leading in and out of Lhasa and Xigatze, and are setting up camps to quarantine anyone leaving those cities. Unconfirmed reports state that there are also outbreaks in Tibetan cities of Chamdo and Gyantse.

  “The World Health Organization, made up of one hundred-ninety-one member nations, said in Geneva today that this may be a medical catastrophe of the largest magnitude ever known since the plague in Europe. The origin of the outbreak is unknown, but a government official in Beijing said that the source may have been a traveler from Africa who was infected and visited Tibet. A spokesperson for the World Health Organization stated that Ebola has no known cure, and medical personnel must wear special suits with special equipment to treat patients. But there is no such equipment available on the scale needed. We’ll bring you updates as we learn them...”

  “The race-specific Ebola of Dr. Dorogomilov’s is working very well,” Tak said. “How do you plan to get the Dalai Lama back into Tibet to fulfill your deal?”

  “With the epidemic spreading into a major catastrophe, it should be possible to get Him invited back with well-placed fragrant oil,” he answered. “But it is not yet time.”

  ***

  The US President conducted an emergency meeting of select staff and a few others, including the head of the CIA and of the FBI. It also included Raymond Hauser, the vice president, the secretary of state, the national security advisor, and a dozen others. Ralls was not high enough up the ladder to be invited.

  The president asked the national security advisor to open the meeting as the president thought maybe he had more to offer. The subject was the epidemic in Tibet.

  He began. “There is clearly a huge epidemic of Ebola in Tibet, Mr. President. Due to the incubation period, we do not have an accurate count of infected people yet, but the World Health Organization has told me that it may be over a hundred thousand. But there is no doubt that it is spreading rapidly and exponentially. It has been identified as similar to Ebola Zaire, the most deadly kind. But what is most interesting is that, so far, only Han Chinese have become infected. There is no record yet of any Tibetan or other race becoming infected.”

  “Isn’t it just a matter of time before others get it?” the president asked him. “Possibly the Chinese are more susceptible?”

  “Could very well be,” the NSA director said. But it’s hard to imagine that a hundred thousand of one race can get a virus without a single case of any other race. In any case, we should take steps to locate and quarantine any travelers that have arrived from Tibet in the past several weeks. There is a case reported of a Chinese couple who are students in Canada who visited Tibet and returned, bringing the Ebola back with them. Anyone that they came in contact with is being quarantined, and they are chasing down the passengers on the jet at this time. We have put our best doctors on it, and we’ll see what they can find out.”

  “Does anyone have any notion as to where it came from?” the president asked.

  Stella Buchanan, the secretary of state, said, “I think it came from a traveler from Africa. I think we should quarantine African visitors as well.”

  “But there has been no outbreak in Africa reported yet,” the NSA director pointed out.

  After everyone who wanted to talk had their chance, the president turned to Hauser. “Raymond, you have not said anything yet. What have you to say?”

  “Since only Chinese people are getting this virus, we should be asking, why only in Tibet?” Hauser said. “Why not mainland China with a billion? Why not Taiwan? Why not the many countries where there are large populations of Chinese such as Singapore, Malaysia, and other countries of A
sia? The Tibetans are desperate to get the Chinese out of Tibet, and someone, somehow, might be using Ebola as a biological weapon to free Tibet of Communist Chinese.”

  Stella Buchanan rudely repeated her message. “I don’t believe that the Tibetans could do that. I still think we should pursue a visitor from Africa.”

  Hauser was obviously displeased with her lack of foresight. “What if it is a biological weapon? It could be directed one day toward black people, Jews, Arabs, or another race, even Caucasians. I would like to put some effort into finding out how, where, and when this virus could have been made, in case it is a biological weapon.”

  No one disagreed with him as he was not asking them to preclude any other areas of inquiry. The president began to delegate duties to the staff members as to what they might do to find out more about the epidemic.

  CHAPTER 24

  The tea plantation manager brought Baron’s big Mercedes sedan to the Chiang Rai airport in Northern Thailand to greet them. Lachhiman, who was along on the flight, took over the driving and drove them outside of town up in the hills to Baron’s house on his plantation.

  The house was not a mansion, but still very grand with its ten-thousand square feet. The road in was done in fine gravel, very densely packed, rather than concrete, much like an old European estate’s driveway. There was an additional home, just down from the crest of the hill for servants. The two-story house with rounded sections was on the highest point of the plantation. The roof had blue tiles, much like some of the older castles in France, but there were occasional small points that stood up slightly from spots of the roof, in the Thai tradition. The house was clearly a mixture of design. There was a round observation tower with a panoramic view of the entire plantation, as well as the surrounding area. Off to the right was a building for drying and storing teas, as well as for the keeping the harvesting equipment. Around back of that was a long garage for holding several vehicles. The help for planting and harvesting in season came in daily from nearby villages to work. The planation consisted of many acres, with tea plants of the most exotic and unique Oolong teas in the world.