The police officer looked at Cornwall for guidance.
‘Is this true?’ the officer asked Cornwall. ‘Is he Commander Conrad’s charge?’
‘Yes,’ replied Cornwall ‘But don’t worry! We’ll have his head cleared in no time; he won’t remember a thing.’
The officer smiled cruelly and was about to speak to Kayleb when he noticed that the plate reader on which David’s hand rested was starting to smoke. The officer looked around for assistance. Everyone just stared at thick smoke. The officer then pulled the power cable from the plate reader. Smoke continued to pour from the plate; it was becoming thicker and darker in colour. The other plate readers in the room all began to burn too. Max barked frantically to be let out of the building.
David continued to keep his hand on the plate reader. All the plate readers were now white with heat. The officer look at David dumbfounded and appeared startled when the fire alarm started to ring.
‘Everyone out of the building! Please leave the building in an orderly fashion,’ shouted the officer.
Police officers and detainees ran towards the exit, and jostled and pushed as they waited for the doors to be opened. As the doors opened, Max bolted out of the gap between the two doors, narrowly avoiding being trampled on as everyone escaped from the suffocating smoke.
Kayleb’s lungs hurt. It was good to be outside. He watched as the people that had been arrested made a run for it. Their captors were too preoccupied with their own safety to care. Max was waiting for Kayleb across the street out of harm’s way. He barked at Kayleb to join him. Kayleb looked around for Cornwall; she was nowhere to be seen. He went over to Max and they hid behind some bean plants and waited for David to come out of the police headquarters.
Kayleb waited for what seemed like ages for everyone to leave the building. He was surprised to see how many people actually worked at police headquarters. The street was beginning to look like a turbulent sea, as everyone was wearing blue. Kayleb hoped that no one would spot him and Max hiding among the vegetable plants.
Neither David nor Conrad came out of the building. Kayleb decided that he would find another place to hide as everyone’s attention was now on the fire service spraying foam in through the doorway and into reception. Kayleb and Max slunk through the crowds and slipped into a side street. Kayleb wondered where Conrad could be. Conrad always worked long hours. It was almost dark and he usually worked later than most. He had his own hover scooter and did not rely on the work tram to take him home in the evening. Kayleb thought that it was strange that he had not seen Conrad leave the building and he wondered what might have happened to David.
A horrible thought rushed through Kayleb’s mind. Perhaps Conrad was with Helen at home. Perhaps Helen was about to die. Kayleb’s heart was pounding. He felt that he had to get back to his apartment to see her, before it was too late. He looked up and down the street, not knowing where to run. At the far end of the street, Kayleb could see someone waving. It was dusk now and it was quite hard to see who it was. Kayleb looked behind him to make sure this person wasn’t waving at anyone else. There was no one behind Kayleb. The figure continued to wave at Kayleb. Kayleb walked towards the figure. It was a man. He was wearing a white tunic, sandals and had brown shoulder-length hair. Kayleb was curious and wondered who it could be. Kayleb did not get too close to the man in case he was walking into a trap. The man stopped waving and just smiled.
‘What do you want?’ Kayleb called to the man.
‘David says that you are to go to the east side of the police headquarters and he will let you in. You don’t have much time. Be quick!’
Kayleb looked towards the police building to try and work out which was the east side. He thought it was the nearest side to him. When he looked back to ask, the man had gone. Kayleb stared at the spot where the man had been standing; there wasn’t a trace of anyone having been there at all.
Kayleb looked down at Max and breathed in deeply, trying to get some oxygen into his brain. ‘You saw him, didn’t you?’ Max wagged his tail, pleased to get some attention at last. ‘I don’t know what Conrad and Helen are going to say about you, Max. It’s a good job nobody likes eating genetically modified meat in our household. There’ll be plenty of our meat rations left for you. Let’s go and find David,’ Kayleb said to Max as he began to walk towards the police headquarters again. Kayleb looked for the man in the white tunic as he went but it was almost as if the man had disappeared into thin air.
33
Kayleb went back to the police headquarters and ran along what he hoped was the east side of the building. Max followed, enjoying the exercise. It was dark now and Kayleb felt at risk. Teenagers were not allowed to be in the streets after the curfew. Any that were, were arrested, charged with loitering with intent and then cast out. Kayleb was wondering if David would make a hole in the wall for him to get through when he saw David step out of the building through a fire exit. David pulled Kayleb back into the building.
‘Where is the broadcasting centre? I know I’m near but I can’t find it. You’ve been here before, I know.’
Kayleb looked down the corridor they were standing in. He vaguely remembered it. ‘We need to go down this corridor and turn right. I think the studio is at the end of that second corridor.’
Kayleb had been fascinated by the broadcasting room. Conrad had made many broadcasts to the people of London, advising them of the consequences if they failed to obey society’s rules. Kayleb smiled. As a child, he had always felt immensely proud of his mentor for being such a powerful public figure but now Conrad’s broadcasts seemed absurd. Kayleb led David towards the broadcasting room.
David looked at Kayleb with concern. ‘You mustn’t worry about your mother, Kayleb. You will see her again.’
Kayleb was taken aback. He had not expected David to say that.
‘I hope so. It’s been a long time. So you’re going ahead with the broadcast?’
‘Yes,’ said David. ‘I need to reassure everyone and explain to them what is about to happen. I need you to stand by me and back me up. If everyone thinks that Commander Conrad’s charge is fine about our arrival then they will understand and will not be distressed when we land. We must be quick! The police will be coming back into the building soon,’ said David as they reached the broadcasting room.
David pushed opened the door. The power was down and the door wasn’t locked. Max refused to go into the room and waited outside in the corridor.
Kayleb looked at the control panel and looked for the screen. It was tucked away within the desktop.
‘There’s no power to the broadcaster. They must have cut the power while the fire was being extinguished.’
‘That’s OK, Kayleb. How do you start this machine, voice or thought?
‘By voice, I guess, but it won’t work without power.’
David went to the control panel and looked for the power cord. He pulled it out of the back of the console and looked at the socket.
‘It’s really not going to work now,’ said Kayleb.
‘It will,’ said David, rummaging in his rucksack. David took out of his bag a piece of crystal. Kayleb had seen the crystal before. It was the same gemstone that had lit Zordar’s hideaway when they had been in France. The crystal began to glow. David broke a piece off and fitted it into the socket of the broadcasting machine. The crystal turned white.
‘START!’ David said to the broadcaster. The screen lit up.
Kayleb was lost for words. ‘What is that stuff? Where did you get it from?’
‘It’s called gilth,’ said David. ‘It is abundant on Veenah. Gilth has amazing properties and will make a big difference to your planet. Let’s make our broadcast, Kayleb, and then escape.’
Kayleb and David stood in front of the screen and the camera eye blinked at them. Kayleb looked at the screen and could only see David’s body and not his head.
‘We will have to stand back a bit if you want me in it as well,’ continued Kayleb. He was startin
g to feel nervous as the broadcast they were about to make would be seen by everyone in London on their digiscreens. Kayleb knew there would be no turning back: he was now fully committed to helping David.
Kayleb and David stepped back.
‘RECORD!’ David called to the broadcaster.
The camera eye started to blink red. David smiled and began to speak. Kayleb held his breath. He felt very self-conscious and awkward.
‘People of London,’ said David. ‘I have an announcement to make. For millennia your sister planet, Veenah, has accepted your spent spirits and has maintained and looked after them with love and care. We have welcomed your spirits without question since humankind began. We now find that we have a dilemma. Our star that keeps our planet alive is dying and we have no alternative but to join you here on Earth.
‘My people and your people are similar but our civilisation is more advanced than yours and we will be able to help you all in many ways. We have a resource called gilth. It is able to mimic any substance and can be used as a building material. You may have all wondered how the crystal-like towers appeared on the Isle of Wight. The building material was brought over by Staan and he used gilth to construct these mega-structures. Gilth can be used as an energy source as it absorbs sunlight and can power your appliances and light up your apartments.’
David held up the piece of gilth so that everyone could see the crystal glowing in the dark broadcasting room.
‘This is a renewable resource. It will grow at an amazing rate if it is kept in darkness and at the right temperature. Earth’s resources, fuel and building materials are at an all-time low. You are suffering and gilth and Veenah’s advanced technologies can only make things better for you all.
‘Tomorrow morning, in Green Park, our gilth-constructed people carriers will land here in the centre of London and the people of Veenah will join you. The same thing will happen in every city of the world. Please keep the carriers to assist your own space research. As you all know, your sun will not last for ever and eventually we all have to evacuate. We will have to travel a lot further than this solar system to find a new home.
‘I know this may all sound a bit hard to believe. I have Commander Conrad Heinz’s charge here to speak to you, so that you can see that all I have told you is true and there is nothing to fear.’
Kayleb could feel himself turning bright red. He hadn’t expected to have to speak and he wasn’t sure what to say. Kayleb didn’t realise that the whole of the world would be accommodating David’s people.
‘David ... David is right,’ stammered Kayleb at last. ‘He will be able to help us all. He can heal people. I’ve seen him cure a police agent. He will be able to stop the AIDS II virus from killing any more people. This is a golden opportunity, a once in a lifetime chance. David needs our help and we need David’s help.’
The lights in the broadcasting room turned on and Max began to bark. The signal had been scrambled and the record button blinked green again. Kayleb was relieved to finish his speech. He had run out of things to say.
‘You did well, Kayleb,’ said David. ‘Thank you.’
‘Thanks,’ replied Kayleb. ‘What are we going to do now? How are you going to land here tomorrow? There is an anti-terrorist shield over London. You won’t be able to break through.’
‘Our ships are made of gilth. They will be able to simulate the shield’s properties and fuse with it, and then break through,’ David explained, looking anxiously over his shoulder. Max was now barking at them to leave the room.
‘You and your people are not made of gilth. Your ships may be able to get through but your people will not.’
Kayleb imagined David’s people sliding down the sides of the shield and falling to their deaths and the spaceships hurtling to Earth unmanned and out of control.
‘Do not worry yourself, Kayleb. All will be well as long as the people of London accept us.’
‘They won’t have to. Nobody will be invading Earth!’
Kayleb spun round. His mentor Conrad stood in the doorway with two other officers.
‘Did you see the broadcast, Conrad?’ Kayleb asked.
‘Yes,’ said Conrad. ‘I am disgusted that you have been sucked into this man’s cruel game he is playing. Can’t you see he is a madman, a fake and a warmonger? The sooner we get you to the brain-cleansing centre, the better it will be for you, Kayleb. Now, thanks to your public broadcast, I’ll have to protect you from society so that you’re not attacked. I will be ridiculed for having a simpleton for my charge!’
‘No, Conrad!’ shouted Kayleb. ‘David is a good man. I’ll prove it to you. Take him to Helen. He will be able to heal her and prove that he and his people will be valuable members of our society.’
Conrad looked uncomfortable for a moment and Kayleb sensed his unease. ‘Helen died two weeks ago. I’m sorry to tell you that. She tried to hang on until you got home but she wasn’t strong enough.’
Kayleb quickly turned to David. He was enraged. ‘You said I would see Helen again. You said that to me today. How could you lie to me after all I’ve done to help you?’
‘Trust me, Kayleb, you will!’ called David urgently.
‘I’ve had enough of this nonsense!’ shouted Conrad. ‘Take that madman to the cells. He is a danger to us all.’
Kayleb watched as two officers grabbed David. David did not protect himself and allowed them to take him out of the broadcasting room. Kayleb didn’t care; David had lied to him. He had waited weeks to see Helen and he had felt elated when David said he would see her again. Now he felt that he had been kicked in the teeth. He agreed with Conrad: David had fooled them all; he really was a madman.
‘Come on, Kayleb,’ said Conrad gently. He could see the pain in Kayleb’s eyes. ‘Let’s go home ... I miss Helen too.’
Kayleb nodded and followed Conrad out of the broadcasting room. Max followed them as they walked down the corridor towards the car park. Conrad did not seem to notice Max being there.
34
Kayleb sat quietly in the back of the police car and stroked Max’s head. He had managed to get him into the car and onto the back seat without any fuss. Kayleb looked out of the window at the apartments outside. It was hard to see where they were going.
There were no street lights at this time of night. There was only the dim light from the buildings to show their way. Kayleb tried not to think about David or Helen. Eventually, the police car drew up in front of their apartment. Kayleb looked up towards his bedroom, which was on the top floor. Kayleb half expected to see someone looking out of the window but there was no one. All the buildings in his street were in darkness; everyone was asleep. Kayleb felt weary climbing the stairs to their apartment. He felt shaky. Nothing seemed quite real. His heart was heavy and he did not want to face life again. Bed was the only place he wanted to be.
Kayleb slept fitfully and he had many terrifying dreams. He dreamt that he couldn’t escape from the wilderness and finally, when he did get back to London, he found himself in the brain cleansing centre. Men in white coats held him down and he shouted at them to let him go but they just grinned ominously and held him all the more firmly. They then put a black hood over his head with wires sticking out of the top and strapped him to a table.
‘No, please ... no ... let me go! I want to remember.
Nooooooo!’
‘What on earth is the matter, Kayleb?’ Conrad asked.
Kayleb awoke. He found himself sitting up in bed with sweat pouring down his face. He looked towards his bedroom door. Conrad stood there silhouetted in the dull hall light.
‘Are you all right, Kayleb? Do you want a drink or something?’ Conrad asked.
Kayleb sighed. ‘No, I’m fine. I was just dreaming. I really don’t want my brain cleared. It’s not as if there is anything to tell about the wilderness. Some people in the police know what’s it’s like out there – Cornwall, for example; she knows everything. What’s the point of having to have your brains fried? Surely if you
have made it back to London in one piece, you would appreciate having good living conditions and enough food to eat,’ continued Kayleb. ‘Please don’t send me to the centre. I could work for the police authorities and be an agent or something like that.’
Conrad entered Kayleb’s room. He walked over to Kayleb’s desk and picked up the piece of gilth. It had caught his eye and he wondered what was glowing in the corner of Kayleb’s dark room. The gilth glowed brighter in the warmth of Conrad’s hand.
‘Look, Kayleb, I know this is hard for you but it really will be only a small part of your memory that will be wiped. You will feel perfectly normal when you return home. Our rules are there for a reason. In any society, there is a fine line between anarchy and peace and too much knowledge can be a dangerous thing.
The taskers who return home have their minds cleared and are compliant; that way, they’re unlikely to cause any disruption within the cities as they mature. While you are at the Decam Centre, you will have a sample taken from you for the Labour Centre and you will then be neutered. Just think, you will be responsible for our future generations! Doesn’t that make you feel proud? Man is on the brink of extinction. The y chromosome in man is fighting for survival. This is the only way we can ensure our species can be preserved and flourish. Only the strongest of us get to donate.’
Kayleb was confused and felt exhausted. He finally knew that he had just been through a cruel selection process, just as he had suspected.
Conrad was now gazing down at the piece of gilth with curiosity. It had doubled in size since he had picked it up. Kayleb did not remember David giving him the crystal in the broadcasting room and he did not remember leaving it on his desk, but then he had been in a bit of a state that evening.
‘What is this stuff, Kayleb? Where did you get it from?’
‘David had some. He told you about this on his broadcast. Gilth is not from Earth; it’s from Veenah.’
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