“You are right. You know, you have taught me something about love… Not like most other boys. Love for you isn’t that romantic.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Your kind of love is deeper, beyond words. You’re the only person outside of my family who has a clue of what it was like to lose my mother when I was thirteen…”
“Right,” grunted Dr Jaffan, as he and Neeka staggered down their stairs with five large suitcases. “All packed and ready to go… I see you have made some new friends, children.”
They all bundled into the doctor’s car. Shaun sat in the back with Wennai on his lap next to the children in their car seats. It was a bit of a squash but they only had a few hundred metres to go. Several minutes later they had pulled into the car park of the truck depot. A few other cars were there but not that many. This particular departure point was for only seventy of the 1,000, and they still had half an hour to go before the scheduled departure. There were two men in uniform checking identities against a list.
“Dr Jaffan?” He placed a tick against his name on his list. “But there is no mention of anyone else in your party.”
“No,” said the doctor, “but my wife and children are on the reserve list.”
“Reserve list? I haven’t heard anything about a reserve list.”
“Haven’t you? You are not allowed to leave light,” he said in an authoritative tone. “If you have spaces at the scheduled time of departure, you are to include reserves.”
The officer looked at him suspiciously. “And these others…?”
“… are here to take the children away if there is no room for them.”
“Makes sense,” said the second officer.
“How come my family is not on the reserve list?” answered the first.
“How come anyone isn’t? They can only take 1,000. You and I are the lucky ones. Look, we have the president, his wife and the vice president on our list. As soon as they arrive we are to leave. If we do not have a full complement by then, then the president himself can say whether or not these people come.”
“Yeah. That would work. OK, ma’am, you can stay here pending the arrival of the president. You need to sit in your car.”
“Thank you, officer,” said Dr Jaffan with a satisfied expression.
“The president,” said Shaun, as they walked back to the car. “You’re honoured.”
“Are we?” questioned Jaffan with a rueful smile. “I notice he is bringing his wife… who is past child-bearing age.”
31
Earlier that afternoon in the president’s residence, the president and his wife were preparing to leave. Together with the vice president they were to be taken to the truck depot behind the industrial estate. An hour before, the president had recorded a series of addresses due to be released at regular intervals over the next three days. It would give the impression that he was still alongside his people – even if he was holed up inside his opulent residence. In the morning he had emerged in public to be interviewed at a press conference. That would be the last time his people would see him in the flesh.
As they waited for the allotted time of departure, he sat in his office and looked around him.
“It is not a good thought to think that all of this will end,” he said to his vice president. “It seems a shame to leave all that top-quality liquor in the cabinet. Let’s see. What can we find? Ah, yes. This rare tipple—”
“You have called on your people not to drink. It is a recipe for a collapse of order,” said his wife stridently.
The president turned to her, accusingly. “There is drinking and drinking. Do you think we should ignore this opportunity? I think not.” He took out a glass and filled it to the brim and gave it to the vice president. His wife declined and walked from the room. She knew what was going to happen. The two of them would be nigh-on drunk before they set off for the transport. Inside the truck, however, there would be no privacy. The president and vice president would show themselves up for the self-seeking mediocre men they really were – in the presence of the nation’s finest and most intelligent young men and women! However, the first lady had other plans.
Sometimes she had wondered why she ever fell for the man who was to become president. She had to admit that she had fallen for his charm and his wit, the same as millions of the electorate in the years that followed. They had had no children but the man had fathered a number with other women. She didn’t know about them all but she knew of some that her husband didn’t. It was amazing how he got away with it. At least three former lovers were being kept sweet by the luxury bestowed on them. But, despite all this, his wife had stayed by his side – there were many perks in being the first lady. And any rift was bound to affect her reputation more than her husband’s. But now, she concluded, the game was up. There was no way her husband should be inflicted on the selected survivors. The vice president was equally corrupt.
She strode purposefully towards the little house in the grounds that belonged to the gardener and his family. She had befriended him years before. The magnificent garden was his work. Over many years he had turned it from a wilderness into an amazing collection of the most beautiful plants to behold and the most delicious products to eat. The president never bothered with him – he was too busy to think about who lay behind the garden he used to impress with. But his wife took a great interest. The garden was her escape, her solace, and she knew that the gardener and his son, who, as a boy, had been learning the trade from his father, would be a huge asset among the 1,000 – far, far more than her husband and the vice president.
Two hours earlier, when the president was signing his final decrees – decrees in readiness for a new administration after the impact – she had secreted a paper which declared that, although he and his deputy were honoured to be chosen among the 1,000 to refound the civilisation, they were not going to take up the opportunity. Those recolonising the planet should choose an appropriate governmental structure as they found fit. Furthermore, she ordered that the gardener and his wife and their son be part of the survival contingent.
The first lady made her way to the cottage to check on the gardener’s readiness. The family were nervous but ready to go. She then returned to the kitchen and ordered strong black coffee for herself and her husband and the vice president. She waited for it to be prepared so she could take it into the office in person.
Placing the tray down on a hall table before entering, she laced two cups with strong sleeping powders.
The president was saying far too loudly, “You know, with a bit of luck this building will survive.” He was already quite drunk.
“Return to power,” drawled his deputy.
“Absolutely. Why not?”
“Your term of office is due to end in eighteen months.”
“Ah. I see. So you think it is your turn,” shouted the president, aggressively.
“Yeah.”
“If you think I’m taking you with me so you can take over from me, you have another think coming!”
“If you want my opinion,” slurred the vice president, “I don’t think you should be going at all. You should stay here and stand with your people – a captain goes down with his ship,” he slurred.
“And leave the future in your hands! I shall have you shot.”
“Boys! Boys!” the president’s wife interrupted. “You’ve had far too much to drink… Get this coffee down you. They’ll be coming for you in less than fifteen minutes.”
“Better do as she says,” mocked the president. “Pity I have to take you…”
The vice president laughed, “Whereas I am forced to leave my old crone behind… Take my pick of the lovely young—”
“Get this coffee down you,” ordered the first lady.
The two men laughed as they heaped spoonfuls of sugar into their cups and stirred.
Minutes later they had both passed out. The benzodiazepine combined with the alcohol had worked rapidly. The first lady won
dered if she’d overdone it but her husband grunted, indicating he was still breathing. She found the order, stepped out into the hallway and entered the garden, where she summoned the gardener and asked him and his family to follow her back into the residence.
The main door was opened by a security guard and a driver admitted. The first lady handed him the order. He read it. He raised his eyebrows, then nodded. He smiled. “Tell the president his people are proud of him… and of you, too,” he added.
“I am to accompany them to the truck depot to ensure there are no hitches,” she said, authoritatively.
“Come,” he said, “let us go.”
***
Shaun and the others in the car didn’t have to wait long. People kept arriving, being checked in and taking their places in the back of two articulated trucks. Ten minutes before the deadline, a rather grand-looking car swept in and drove straight up to the impromptu desk the officers had set up. They watched as the four occupants stepped out of it.
“That’s the first lady,” said Neeka. “But I don’t recognise the others… A man and a woman around forty and a young man in his late teens.”
“I don’t know them either,” said her husband. “But the first lady seems to be negotiating their passage.” They continued to watch as one of the officers read a paper given them by the first lady, looked up at her and then passed it to his colleague. The two officers exchanged a quick word and the man, woman and young man were directed to get into one of the trucks. The first lady took each of them by the hand in turn as if to wish them goodbye. The officer then spoke again to her, who nodded. She made every sign that she wasn’t going to board. The two officers began to confer. Something seemed to be wrong – or at least something that required an earnest tête-à-tête. One of the officers looked up and beckoned Dr Jaffan to come over. The doctor and his family, together with Shaun and Wennai, got out of the car and walked to the desk.
The officer who had beckoned them spoke.
“Doctor, you know our first lady?”
“Yes, of course. I’ve seen you on the television but we have not met. Pleased to meet you. I’m Dr Jaffan and this is my wife, Neeka, and my child, Kijo, and baby daughter, Jade, and our new friends Wennai and Shaun.” They all greeted one another with handshakes and hugs for the women.
The officer spoke up. “The president and the first lady and the vice president were allocated places on the shuttles. They were to be in our contingent. However, they have declined the invitation and the president has nominated an experienced horticulturist and his apprentice son. He is of the opinion families should be together and so the lad’s mother is also included. Except for one no-show whom we believe is sick in hospital, this completes the complement… However…” He paused, his face of authority crumpled.
“My friend and I,” put in the second officer, “have decided we are going to follow the example of our president and his wife. We are in the number but we are sure that security officers are not necessary… not as necessary as a wife and two babies to support this doctor.”
“We want to return to be alongside our own families… and die with them. That is where our hearts are; that is where we belong. We all have to die sometime and we do not want to spend years without them.” The other officer nodded his agreement.
“This way, we travel to the next world together,” he said. “I do not believe this world is all there is – there is life in a new dimension. We have learned that God answers prayer. This is His answer to mine right now.”
“So, Doctor,” said the first, “you can take your wife and children in our place.” Then he looked up at Wennai and Shaun with genuine sadness. “I’m sorry but we cannot take you. You are still young but—”
“Oh, no!” said Shaun quickly. “We cannot go with you. We must stay here. We… I… have family here. The Creator will see we are where we need to be.”
Wennai was appalled at the idea. The thought of being stuck with just 1,000 people with all her family on a completely different planet was horrific. Even if there had been room, she would not have boarded that truck.
“Come,” said the first lady, “let us go and leave these people to depart.”
Dr Jaffan and his family got into the truck but not before they gave Wennai and Shaun huge hugs. “You are indeed angels from God; there is no way we can thank you enough.”
“Whatever. No problem.” Wennai shrugged and lowered her eyes.
“All aboard!” said Shaun forcefully to cover her embarrassment. An angel… from God! He wondered if Wennai would ever want to talk about that.
The officers spoke to the drivers, who began to secure their trailers.
Shaun and Wennai waved. “Good luck,” called Shaun as the doors closed.
The trucks pulled out and the first lady smiled.
“Well, I think that went off beautifully. Thank you both,” she said to the officers. “We are proud to have such caring people on this planet. Allow me to take you to your families on my way back to the presidential residence.”
“In the limo?”
“Of course, I have no other vehicle. And you two, also. Where are you going?”
“The Paradise Centre,” replied Shaun.
Within minutes they were driving up to the Paradise Centre. The children were wild with excitement to see them get out of the president’s limousine. Soon they were telling their story.
“The first lady?” said the housemother. “Not the president himself?”
“No,” answered Shaun.
“You can be sure who runs this country. I bet she’s got him tied up somewhere.” They all laughed.
Back in the president’s residence, the president and the vice president were coming round just as the first lady walked back into the office.
“What the hell is happening?” demanded the president, holding his head; it felt more painful than he could ever remember.
“You passed out,” his wife replied. “I told you not to drink.”
“We have to go. They will be waiting for us.”
“You missed the boat, or rather the transport to the shuttles, some time ago.”
“What?”
She turned on the TV. Pictures of the shuttles about to take off were on the screen.
“A thousand people carefully selected from a cross-section of training and ability are leaving for orbit. They will be safe but for the rest of us there is a glimmer of hope. Experts at the asteroid-tracking centres are still reporting that there is a chance – a small one – that Trum Penta may just miss us.”
An interview with an elderly scientist was screened. He was asked, “Can we believe this or are we being told this just to keep us all calm?”
He answered that no-one could say for certain that the planet was doomed but he felt that everyone should prepare for the worst. “If it strikes the planet a glancing blow, that could be worse than a direct hit because it could disrupt the planet’s rotation and even its course in space. But we simply do not know anything for certain. That is the honest answer.”
The presenter then said the president had issued an update.
“Many thought that he would be numbered among the 1,000 but he has made a statement that he is still with them.” They played his recorded interview.
Afterwards, a commentator remarked that he had made no comment on the latest news, including a riot that had erupted in the south. “Do we indeed still have our president with us? There is a strong rumour that this interview was prerecorded.”
“Get some water down you and get out there,” ordered the first lady to both men, who were now coming to terms with what was happening. “They need to see you in person. If you get this right, and if the asteroid misses the planet, you will become the heroes of the nation. If you get it wrong, you’ll be forever the wimps. You might as well be as powerful and charming as you can while it lasts.”
The president went to argue but his head hurt so badly he thought better of it. The thing was, she was right, s
he always had been. He drank his water without saying a word as his wife wrote his speech.
Distinguished citizens of our planet. I beg to address you at this critical point in our history. I thank you for sparing me a few moments of your very precious time.
Some have suggested that I and my wife would desert our planet in this its greatest hour of need. But while there is life here, I and my dear wife will remain. We have sent 1,000 people to safety – not just for their sakes but for all of us. They are the future. We have bequeathed to them our great culture and we trust them. Maybe they can begin a new civilisation in which our notorious history of conflict is a thing of the past. We have ensured that, not only ability but the ultimate values of love and commitment are represented among them. That is why some are travelling as families.
For the millions of us who remain on the surface, our challenge is different but the values are the same. Love is the first and last thing about being human. It is the indestructible spark that can never be extinguished by the dark – even the threat of death. The more the darkness squeezes, the brighter the spark shines.
Brothers and sisters, I believe – I know – there is a future for all of us. It may not be on this planet but in the Creator’s eternal spheres. Let us keep calm and put love first.
I will be present at the service of prayer and celebration in the City Cathedral tomorrow morning. I hope that as many of you as can make it will be there and in the square in front of it. I charge the city authorities to organise the televising and relaying of this service throughout the nation. Be there, with me, at noon tomorrow when we will affirm the greatest thing that our race has ever achieved. The willingness to give our lives in the service of love.
32
The children squealed with delight when they were told that they were all going to Lone Island again. Kakko and Shaun had returned. Those who remembered the first time they were there began to infect the others with their enthusiasm.
All this excitement filled the hearts of the Smith family with deep sadness. The children had no idea that the odds were they would never return from the island – indeed, that after just three sleeps, there would not even be a recognisable planet, let alone an island.
The Spark (White Gates Adventures Book 4) Page 33