Collision

  “I’m glad you came,” said Natasha. “How long has it been; a year or two perhaps — Hamburg if I remember rightly.”

  “But why have you called me now?”

  “To warn you. You are in bed with the American.”

  “You’ve been following me,” he said, raising an eyebrow. Although it didn’t surprise him that she had been following him.

  “What do you expect?”

  “So why are we here today?”

  “You don’t realise the danger you are in. This Daniels woman; she is a loose cannon. You need to be careful with her; she has no morals; no patriotism, she is not like the old school.”

  “My orders are to work with her. Come on, Natasha, you know there’s always been a special relationship between UK and the US. They’re one of our oldest allies.”

  “And they will screw you at the first opportunity they have. Special relationship? What happens when your North Sea oil runs out, and you want Russian gas? You will find out who your true friends are then.”

  “Natasha, Natasha you know the rules of the game. It’s no longer the cold war, but we are not exactly bed partners.”

  “Perhaps we should be. I’ll be more honest with you than that bitch. Do you remember Dmitri?”

  “Yes, I liked him a lot. You knew where you stood with him.”

  “She killed him twelve months ago. She caught him in a sting operation in Naples. Tortured him with her silly Taser toy. But he had a weak heart, and his heart gave way. He left a widow and two teenage daughters. I had a number of close moments with Dmitri. He was a good man. If I had my way, we would have retaliated tit for tat, the old rules; but my boss said we have to seduce the capitalists not kill them.”

  “Where is this leading? What do you have for me; or are you just wasting my time?”

  “The Americans are not being totally honest with you. They told you the craft originated from the US. However, there is evidence that the craft is extra-terrestrial in origin.”

  “How do you mean?”

  Natasha handed him the Hubble photographs.

  “Hubble picked up the craft near Mars minutes before the collision. It took these pictures that were only seconds apart, but which represent millions of miles across space between Mars and Saturn; it must have been travelling at incredible speed. Join the points together and it gives a path headed straight towards the Earth. But to reach Earth from there in a matter of minutes, it must have been travelling even faster — light speed. Not even the Americans have that kind of technology. We think if we could trace the points further back it would have its origins outside the solar system.”

  The Major looked at the photographs. At something like 400 million kilometres, the UFO was hardly recognisable even with the magnification from Hubble. But there was definitely something there, and it must have been travelling at an amazing speed.

  “You might be right. I’ll have to check this out. It won’t be the first time the Americans have not been entirely honest with us.”

  “Take your time to check it out. The information is on the Internet you only need to know where to look. Next time we will meet in a hotel, right; and we have some fun.”

  “I thought you stopped using that tactic after the cold war?”

  “There is no reason why our liaison shouldn’t be more enjoyable.”

  “You’re a beautiful woman, but I don’t think the head of MI6 would approve. I am also sorry about Dmitri, but this is not the time or the place to exact revenge. You need to keep away from Daniels.”

  “Don’t worry I won’t start anything with her …unless she starts it first.”

  The Major pondered: now he had to find the mysterious craft and keep Natasha and Daniels apart or the whole assignment could blow up in his face.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Elle hurried to the lecture theatre. She had been working all morning in the university library on the physics paper and wanted to surprise Ben by taking him for a coffee after his eleven o’clock lecture. She wanted to thank him for being so helpful the previous day and for promising to take her to Scotland. It was nearly 11.45. She crept into the back of the lecture theatre. The theatre was half-full, and she managed to find a seat at the back without disturbing anyone.

  Ben was finishing his presentation on special relativity, and most of the students were diligently taking notes. She could see that his eyes seemed fixed on a red-headed female student in the front row. From what Elle could make out, she was not taking notes, but was listening intently to every word he said.

  The lecture came to an end, and the students started to exit the theatre past her. Elle got up and tried to find her way through the flow of the crowd; but stopped when she saw the red-headed female get up and move towards Ben. She saw them embrace and kiss. Elle froze open-mouthed; she didn’t know what to do. Neither of them had noticed her, so she decided to melt away with the rest of the flow of students.

  Outside the theatre, she blinked in the bright glare of the sunshine. She thought, or perhaps had assumed, that Ben didn’t have a girlfriend, but from what she had seen, he clearly did. She wondered why she felt just a tinge of jealously: they were only flatmates after all, and she had only known him a few days.

  “Hi Elle,” said a voice behind her, which she immediately recognised.

  Elle turned around. “Hi Jane,” she said, beaming back a smile.

  “What are you doing here?” said Jane.

  “I was working in the university library and thought Ben might want to have a coffee. But he’s kind of tied up.”

  “Oh, well I could do with a coffee; so will I do?” said Jane.

  “Sure,” said Elle, as they headed towards the Union building together.

  “Two cappuccinos, please,” said Elle to the waitress in the Union bar, as she stood waiting with Jane. The bar was usually the social magnet for the university: the place where students would go when they were not in lectures, classes or in the library. Today, however, there were less than a dozen students.

  Elle watched as the waitress prepared the coffee: cleaning out the coffee containers, refilling them, steaming the low-fat milk and finally adding the concentrated coffee. Elle paid the waitress and carried the coffee over to a booth where Jane joined her.

  “So, how are you settling in?” said Jane.

  “The flat’s perfect for me,” said Elle. “Couldn’t be better.”

  “And did Ben help with that Physics Paper thing?” said Jane.

  “He’s been brilliant; I couldn’t ask for more. He’s even promised to take me to see Professor Campbell in Scotland this weekend.”

  “You mean Stuart. I see,” she said with a smirk on her face.

  “Oh, it’s nothing like that. I need to speak to Professor Campbell about the physics problem. Anyway, I’m not sure I’ll be going now.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “He seems preoccupied with his new girlfriend.”

  Jane looked puzzled until she realised who Elle was referring to.

  “You mean Cindy: a young, slim, attractive redhead with the body of a centrefold model?”

  “I didn’t think she looked that good — a bit anorexic don’t you think,” said Elle.

  “That’s his ex-girlfriend. They broke up three months ago after she went to South America on an archaeological dig. She met someone over there and dumped him.”

  “From what I could see, he didn’t look dumped.”

  “I remember him saying she was due back from South America soon. But I wasn’t aware they were back together.”

  “Well, she was all over him.”

  “Do I detect a hint of jealousy there?”

  “No, he’s just a flatmate,” said Elle. “But I can’t see trip to Scotland going ahead now. I had to twist his arm as it was.”

  “Do you want me to talk to him about it?”

  “There’s no need; I’ll just have to figure out the physics problem myself.”

  There was a pause as they both sipped
their coffee.

  “Well, if Cindy’s back, maybe he’ll get her out of his system,” said Jane.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Since they broke up he’s been a bit of a mess: over-drinking, arguing with everyone, and screwing around. It’s like he’s pressed a self-destruct button.”

  “I just thought that was the way he was,” said Elle.

  “My brother can be really nice too,” said Jane.

  “He has a sensitive side?”

  Jane nodded. “He’s a big softie when you get to know him. I think Cindy really hurt him.”

  “You don’t like her, do you?”

  “Not at all. She’s a self-centred, manipulative bitch with a weird sense of humour. And she can wrap him around her little finger.”

  “Well, she’s back. And she was all over him.”

  “Dam.”

  Elle noticed Professor Rider come into the Union bar. It was definitely the 60-year-old Professor she had met in 2046.

  “Oh my God, he’s here,” she said. “He must have followed me.” For a second she was paralysed with fear.

  Jane’s eyes followed to where Elle had been looking. “What, Professor Rider, he’s been here for years. You must have mistaken him for someone else.”

  She put her hand across her face as if to hide from him. “No mistake. It’s him; he mustn’t see me.”

  Professor Rider got a coffee in a Styrofoam cup from the bar and left. He didn’t seem to notice her.

  “What’s the matter?” said Jane.

  “It’s complicated,” said Elle, trying not to be noticed. “But that man mustn’t know that I am here, or he would kill me.”

  “Okay, maybe he doesn’t like you, but there’s no need for melodrama. He doesn’t look like the murdering kind,” said Jane.

  “You don’t understand, Jane. He’s evil.”

  “But he’s Ben’s boss, the Head of the Department.”

  “What! So that’s why he’s here. He’s after Ben’s research.”

  “You’re not making much sense, Elle.”

  “Do you think he saw me?”

  “No, I think you’re okay.”

  Elle started to relax again.

  “You really need to chill out more,” said Jane. “When was the last time you went on a night out and let your hair down?”

  “I can’t remember — probably in my last year as an undergraduate.”

  “You mean you haven’t been out for what — three years?”

  “It didn’t seem that long.”

  “And when was the last time you were with a man?”

  Elle blushed.

  “You have had sex with a man?” said Jane.

  “Yes of course. The last time was three years ago.”

  It was an experience she would never forget. She met him at a party. On the surface he seemed such a nice guy. They had both had quite a lot to drink and went back to his room for coffee. He wanted sex and she was too drunk to stop him. And it hurt like hell. She realised she had been stupid and naive and vowed to never make the same mistake again.

  “Then you definitely need to get back in the saddle. When you get back from Scotland, you and I are going to have a crazy night out. Get a couple of guys and have some fun.”

  Elle didn’t know how to answer: Jane was a friend and she didn’t want to upset her. And she reminded her of her friend Jenny.

  “What about, Greg, your boyfriend?” said Elle.

  “Greg? I’m sure he has the occasional bit of fun in Afghanistan. I don’t ask him what he gets up to and he doesn’t ask me. Are you shocked?”

  Elle smiled at her, “No… You really think you can persuade Ben to take me to Scotland?”

  “I have my ways.”

  “Okay. If you can convince Ben to take me to Scotland, I’ll go for that crazy night out with you.”

  “Deal.”

  After coffee with Jane, Elle’s spirit felt lifted. It was either the caffeine or the contagious nature of Jane’s positive attitude, but she felt much better. She went to the university library, as she wanted somewhere quiet where she could think. She headed for the fifth floor and found a booth that gave her partial privacy. Inside the booth, she sat down and pulled out her tablet computer. At a distance it might be mistaken for an iPad, but it was vastly more powerful.

  “I need your help,” Elle whispered to the computer.

  “You’ll have to update me first,” the computer answered.

  “Well, I’ve made contact with Doctor Ben Turner as you suggested, and he’s helping me, but I still don’t have the answer yet for the chaotic temporal displacement.”

  “What is it you want to know?” replied the computer.

  “I want to know how much time I’ve got here, before the security services find me. There’s some information on the flash drive. Scan it and tell me what you think.”

  “The file contains a lot of evidence relating to your landing here. I have monitored over one billion phone calls. The security services are searching for the craft. They have your photo and security badge. Even with their primitive technology it shouldn’t take them long to locate you.”

  “I know that. Is there anything more we can do to slow them down?”

  “I have hacked the satellite tracking systems and Hubble telescope, and provided false images and reports and uploaded false data onto the Internet. They should think, by now that the craft is extra-terrestrial. But sooner or later they’re going to give up on finding the craft and turn to the only other lead they have to the craft — you.”

  “I just want to get home,” said Elle.

  “I know,” said the computer. “All I can do is assess the probability of successfully achieving that.”

  “Can you look at the files of the equations that I was working on with Doctor Turner? They’re on the drive. What do you think?”

  “I’m not specifically programmed for advanced particle physics. I can assimilate and cross-check, but I cannot manipulate the formulae for you.”

  “What should I do?” said Elle.

  “Doctor Turner is still your best possible lead for a solution. You must do what you can to persuade him to continue helping you. Human psychology would suggest that he would be more likely to find a solution for you if he was motivated emotionally.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Human males are motivated by primal drive to procreate.”

  “You mean sex?”

  “If there is a strong emotional bond between you, he is more likely to help. The ‘damsel in distress syndrome’ is a strong motivator. It may improve your chances of success to 85%.”

  “Forget it — Ben already has someone else.”

  “Then seduce him.”

  “I couldn’t. He’s just got back with the love of his life.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Elle thought about it for a second. Ben was not unattractive.

  “No I couldn’t hurt him.”

  “Then I don’t know what to suggest. Is there anything else you need?”

  “I need a proper ID. Richard was searching for my details on the Internet and thinks I am some kind of abductee, because he couldn’t find anything. I need sufficient ID to fool any of the security services: birth certificate, driving license, university details, social networks, etc. Can you do that for me?”

  “No problem: consider it done.”

  Elle switched off the computer and put it in her bag. She started to make her way out of the library and noticed a woman was following her: a woman dressed in black. As Elle got into the lift, the woman joined her. Elle felt a sense of panic grip her. She thought of speaking to the woman, but then decided to ignore her. Perhaps it was just a coincidence that they were leaving the library together.

  Her mind was focused on the woman, who seemed to be following her, as she pushed her way through the revolving door entrance to the library. Suddenly, the door stuck and she looked up. On the other side of the glass was Professor Rider, and h
e was staring at her. She pushed against the door, and it still didn’t move; he had his foot hard against the door.

  “Nice to see you, Ms Masters. It’s been such a long time. We need to talk.”

  “I don’t talk to murderers,” said Elle, trying to convince herself that she could stand up to him.

  “No one has been murdered; Jason Brannan is alive and well and living in Cambridge. You can’t blame me for something that might, or might not, happen in thirty-five years’ time.”

  “I don’t trust you.”

  “I can help you, Ms Masters. At least give me a chance to tell you my side of the story.”

  Elle pushed again against the door. It didn’t move. A queue was building up outside the door.

  “Okay, Students’ Union bar in twenty minutes’ time,” said Elle. She just wanted to get away from him.

  “Hey man, move it will you,” shouted an angry student.

  The Professor let the door go and entered the library, letting Elle exit the library building. She moved quickly along the central pathway towards the Students’ Union building. As she glanced behind her, she caught sight of the woman in black that she thought was following her. She entered the Students’ Union and ducked into the ladies’ toilets. As she watched through a crack in the doorway, she saw the woman in black walk past. She had given her the slip, at least for the time being.

  Twenty minutes later, Elle was sitting in the Union bar at one of the tables nearest the entrance. Elle didn’t want to meet Rider; but if she did, it was going to be on her terms. She chose the Union bar because it was always busy, and she chose the table because anyone entering or leaving the bar had to go past the table. She had a sharp nail file in her handbag and a cup of piping hot black coffee, both which could be used as improvised weapons, should she need them. She had also asked Jane to meet her there in ten minutes time, giving her an easy means of escape. She had done everything she could have thought of to protect her safety.

  Rider turned up on time.

  “Can I sit down?” he said.