by David Gill
Then the noise in the crowd died down as Milo strode purposefully onto the stage. He held his hand up until there was silence and went straight into his speech.
'Listeners. Today you expect to hear a full account of a case involving an alleged encounter with an alien which took place two years ago. Well, you will not be hearing anything about that case today – there are more important matters to address. You also expect to hear news of an impending invasion of Vennica, and I can now confirm that at this very moment Vennica is under attack by a colonial alliance whose intention is to subjugate the population and place the planet under martial law.'
A groundswell of murmur rose to become a barrage of sound. People in the crowd shouted for Milo to step down and some attempted to climb onto the platform before being restrained by security guards. Above it all Milo stood, impassively watching the restless crowd. 'Everyone in this room – check your messagers, now.'
The room fell silent as thousands of messagers were read, then the noise rose to a crescendo as people realised what was happening.'
'Read that message,' said Milo over the rising hubbub. 'You will see full details of the invasion plan plus the names of members attending this meeting who are acting in collusion with the invasion force.'
Fighting broke out at the back of the hall and the media at the front did not know which way to turn. The whole crowd threatened to become violent, but security guards and members of the armed forces had already gathered around the exits and started detaining implicated persons who were attempting to flee the building. A gun was discharged during the scuffle and a bullet pinged off the ceiling.
'Silence!' shouted Milo above the din. The noise level fell again. 'In ten seconds time a bomb will explode outside the building. Stay calm, you have nothing to fear.' Milo counted down - four, three, two, one. Nothing happened. People in the crowd turned and looked at each other. Someone laughed with relief and then, suddenly, the building shook from the blast of a nearby explosion and a cloud of black smoke drifted past the windows, darkening the room.
'That explosion was caused by a blast bomb,' said Milo, 'and there will be another one in a minute's time. The explosions are intended to drive the residents of Kalmis onto the streets of the city where they will be bombarded with radiation transmitted by four neutron generators which have been secretly installed in high-rise buildings inside the city centre. If that were to occur, within an hour ninety per cent of the population of Kalmis would be dead or dying.' Another blast sounded outside, this time further away. 'That was the intention of the invasion plan, but I can categorically assure you that the neutron generators have all been deactivated and will not function. You are safe. The Vennican military forces will now take control until the threat of invasion is lifted.'
Milo nodded to Glen who, although she could hardly stand with nerves, managed to walk across the stage to where a senior ranking officer was sitting. She bent forward and touched his arm. 'Please.' The General acknowledged Glen and allowed her to escort him to the microphone where Milo introduced him to the assembled crowd as General Harris, Commander in Chief of the Vennican military forces. The General took the microphone and began to explain how the Vennican constitution would be transferred to military control.
Milo and Glen walked back from the stage and joined Moran who was standing, staring at them in slack-jawed amazement. Milo squeezed Glen's hand. 'Thank you for that,' he whispered. 'Now you've met the waking giant.'
'You're the only giant for me,' Glen whispered back.
Milo gave her his craggy grin. 'And you're the only woman for me.'
Moran stood next to Milo and Glen in a state of complete bewilderment. As he watched the scene unfold, the General waved Milo back to the microphone and the media went berserk trying to get footage as Milo led Glen onto the stage. The big-shouldered, ex ball-player with the huge hands, standing a head above everyone else, strode onto the platform like a conquering hero, and faced the crowd with his head tilted back slightly and a slight smile on his face and Moran just knew that in days of old he would have been holding a sword in one hand and a severed head in the other. Moran felt sick. He heard Milo address the crowd and thought every moment has its man, and saw Milo standing imposingly on the stage, grasping that moment and taking the crowd with him, and all the time holding his arm around Glen, who gazed adoringly at him with a smile the size of a spotlight. Moran turned and walked outside, only to be sent flying by a crowd of cameramen racing into the building. The noise inside and outside was deafening. Above the roar of the arguing media scrum, the imposing military presence and the agitated crowd, he could hear Milo talking about negotiations with the Colonies, democratic elections and the restitution of a functioning government. Fire services raced by, sirens blaring, and clouds of acrid black smoke from the blast bombs swirled over the roof-tops and down into the crowded streets outside. His headache increased and a pain throbbed mercilessly behind his eyes. It felt like he had momentarily side-stepped, and in that moment the whole planet had moved forward in time and he could no longer get back on again. He was the head of the Security Service and had not heard a thing about an impending Colonial invasion, yet in the past few minutes Milo had somehow deflected an attack on Kalmis, shredded the Vennican Constitution, brought down the Judiciary, placed the planet under military rule and arranged the election of a democratic government. Moran had been a bystander watching history in the making, and yet knew nothing about it, and Milo had still not explained the alien affair. More and more people poured onto the streets of Kalmis as news spread quickly through the city offices and stores. Moran sat on a low wall at the side of the building entrance and held his aching head in his hands. In the last few minutes his world had turned upside down. What was happening? If Gil had been there, what would he have to say about it? In fact Moran knew exactly what Gil would have said – "Unbelievable. Totally unfuckingbelievable."
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine