Gravity Versus Gravity, page 16
“Things are getting hotter,” Dr. Wardle said.
For the next fifteen minutes, Sandra briefed Thomson and Dr. Wardle about the progress of her team’s work. Then, the two of them left on foot for 10 Downing Street.
At the meeting, Prime Minister Bert Johnson was accompanied by his Advisor, Eva White, his Communications Director, Edward Young and Foreign Secretary, David Bright.
“Good afternoon, Adam and Peter,” the Prime Minister said, extending his hand.
Dr. Wardle and Thomson shook hands with the Prime Minister and then with the others.
“I don’t think I’m giving you a treat for guessing why I’ve called both of you,” the Prime Minister said with a smile.
“You are promoting us, Mr. Johnson,” Thomson said with a wink. Everyone laughed.
“That can wait,” the Prime Minister said. “We have saved at least an hour because Peter is in London. Let us start with him.”
Dr. Wardle told everyone what he had told Thomson about Al’s progress.
“What about your team’s work, Adam?” the Prime Minister said, turning towards Thomson.
“I don’t want to boast. But I think we are ready. Unless things go seriously haywire, we are equipped to handle.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” the Prime Minister said. “I’ll now ask Edward to tell about what is happening in the media.”
Edward began, “The news was broken in the UK by YTV, but two other television channels have already picked it up. At least one radio station mentioned the subject. I’ve had queries, including from the print media. I’m sure that when I go back to my office, journalists will flood me. And I’m quite sure that by end of today, all major media would be interested in the subject.”
The Prime Minister said, “I want all of you to give your views on how to handle the media.”
Thomson was the first to speak, “Dr. Wardle and I were discussing exactly this when we were called for the meeting. We would suggest that we should not manipulate details or try to cover up. The only precaution we should take is to stop rumors spreading. That would create a panic situation, which may be impossible to handle.”
Edward, Eva, and Dr. Wardle nodded.
“Okay,” the Prime Minister said. “I would then request Edward to take briefings from Peter and Adam before talking to media.” He turned towards Thomson and Dr. Wardle, “Peter and Adam, I would want that there be only one spokesperson each in your organizations for this purpose.”
“We have identified them,” Dr. Wardle said. “Sandra is the person from DIMA and yours truly from Swindon Space Center.”
“Have they spoken to media?”
“Not yet. But after this meeting, I think we should let them talk to media,” Dr. Wardle said.
“And should we issue a press release?” Edward asked.
“No,” Eva said. “That would look like we are up against something we cannot handle.”
“Right,” the Prime Minister said. “Let’s get going. Looks like this would be one of our biggest time consumers in days to come.”
“We are forgetting something,” Bright said.
“Oh, yes,” the Prime Minister said. “Our great friend.”
“So far, we have not heard anything official from the White House, but our Ambassador in the US feels that it’ll not be long before we have some news,” Bright said.
“We better be prepared so that we are not caught off-guard,” Eva said.
“What is your suggestion, David?” the Prime Minister asked.
“I suggest that we reach out to them before they come to us.”
“And what do we tell about Al? They may want him back.”
“We’ll have to convince them that he is needed in the UK till the comets have passed.”
“And if they are not convinced?”
“Then we’ll have to tackle them till the event is over.”
“Will they not try him for treason after we give him back to them?”
“I doubt that. But let’s handle that after we are through with what we have brought him here for.”
“Yes,” the Prime Minister said. “First things first. I can only assure that we’ll leave no stone unturned to see that Al remains unharmed.”
“I hope we don’t have such an eventuality,” Thomson said.
“I hope so,” the Prime Minister said. “Thank you all for coming to the meeting at short notice. If everything goes well, our next meeting will be after the event.”
Everyone dispersed. Dr. Wardle left straight for Swindon.
When Thomson reached the office, he called Sandra. She did not pick up her phone. He called her on her mobile. Again, there was no response. He called his Secretary. “Mel,” he said. “Sandra seems to have done the disappearing act at the right time. Can you find her for me?”
“Her whole team has been looking for her for half an hour,” Mel said.
“Go to the Committee Room. She’ll be there. That is the place she takes refuge in when the situation gets too difficult for her to handle.”
Mel went to the Committee Room. It was closed, and the lights were not on. She knocked at the door and said, “Sandra. This is Mel. Mr. Thomson wants to meet you urgently.”
The door immediately opened. Sandra popped out her head and asked, “Is Mr. Thomson back?”
The instant Mel said, “Yes,” Sandra ran towards Thomson’s office. When we reached there, she was panting. “What was decided at the meeting?” she asked.
“We can talk to the media.”
“What a relief! In the last one hour, I’ve been flooded with calls. The entire team has been getting calls, and everyone has been contacting me to get instructions.”
“Let me tell you fast about the meeting, and then you can take on the media head on.” Thomson took less than five minutes to brief Sandra.
Back in her room, Sandra rang the media persons one by one in the order in which they had called.
Bubba Hunter from TBC TV was the first caller. “Hi, Sandra, good to hear from you. I had given up hope,” he said when Sandra called him.
“I was busy with something,” Sandra said, trying to sound convincing.
“Understand that. I had called the Space Center. They said that Dr. Wardle was the only person authorized to talk to media on the topic. I’ve still not been able to get him.”
“He was in London. He must be on his way back to Swindon.”
“Okay, I’ll try him later. But, maybe, you would be able to clarify my doubts. We want to have a special coverage on the topic today.”
“Go ahead,” Sandra said. She had mentally prepared answers to the possible questions.
“How true is this binary comets phenomenon?”
“The binary comets exist, and they are on their way towards the earth for a second time.”
“Yes, I heard about the first time in Thar Desert.”
“The second apogee is closer.”
“Is the zero-gravity event covering the whole of London?”
“Fortunately, no. We have a much smaller task ahead of us.”
“And what would be the location?”
“The area of Westminster. But the precise location is still being worked upon.”
“And what exactly would the zero-gravity event mean?”
“Everything less than around a hundred kilograms could experience zero-gravity. Earth’s gravity would be nullified. Things would go up in the air.”
“Even if people stay indoors?”
“Roofs may stay intact but doors and windows may not. We might have cases that buildings are shaken out of their foundation. They may collapse.”
“Are you planning an evacuation?”
“Yes, a complete evacuation from the area. And that is only half our job.”
“And what is the other half?”
“Devon.”
“Devon?”
“Yes, Devon. This is the area where all objects that go up in the air would fall.”
“Holy hell!” Bubba exclaimed.
“And how are you going to handle that?”
“A complete evacuation in the area in Devon, too.”
“I see.”
“Well, I’ve a lot of questions. But this will suffice for the moment. Most importantly, I’ve heard from the horse’s mouth. I wanted to confirm that this was not another hoax. I’ve also got the footage from Channel Four from the US. Sufficient material for the special program.”
“How did you manage the footage? It has been banned by the US government.”
“Banned in the US. Not in the UK.”
“I haven’t heard you tell me all this.”
“Ok. Got it. Just one more question?”
“Go ahead.”
“Who is this Al? How has he appeared in the UK? I heard that the US administration is miffed over the matter.”
“You’ll have to direct that question to the Foreign Office. Anything related to the event or the evacuation, I’m ready to talk.”
“Okay, thanks for your time, Sandra,” Bubba said, putting down the phone.
The other media people had similar questions to ask. Except one. The question came from Herman Connell, an investigative journalist of the Daily Mail.
After he had asked the usual questions, he said, “What would happen if the impact area extends to the River Thames or St. James’s Lake?”
Sandra did not have an answer. Only Al knew.
10
During the ten days when the comets hid behind the Sun, Al and Samantha spent some time exploring the areas around Swindon. After they were visible again, Al started to spend considerable time at the Center. He spent ten hours at a stretch on the first day of visibility. This slowly increased to about sixteen hours at the end of the second week.
Dr. Wardle followed Al’s work closely. He would call Al several times in a day to update himself. Dr. Wardle had his share of questions from the media. Questioning Al everyday ensured that he gave the most accurate information to the media. He would also visit Al in his office sometimes to see Al’s work first hand.
When Al called him on the fifteenth day of visibility, Dr. Wardle knew that Al had something interesting to tell.
‘You don’t have to come over. I’ll be with you within seconds,” Dr. Wardle told Al. He went running to Al’s office.
Samantha was in her room watching television and looking out of the window as the world went by. She saw Dr. Wardle walking in brisk steps towards Al’s room. It was a rare event, if not as rare as the zero-gravity event. Samantha followed Dr. Wardle into Al’s room.
“What news do you have, Al?” Dr. Wardle said.
“I think I’ve come to the end of my calculations.”
“Great!” Dr. Wardle and Samantha said together and gave a high five first to each other and then to Al.
“Thanks,” Al said with a smile.
“You couldn’t have given this news on a better day,” Dr. Wardle said.
“Is today a special day?” Samantha asked Dr. Wardle.
“Every day with Al is special. But today he has completed one hundred days at the Center.”
“Feels like yesterday when I received him at the airport,” Samantha said.
Al did not react. He had more serious stuff to deal with than celebrating his hundred days at the Center. “The area is much smaller than what I had expected,” he said.
“As small as in Thar Desert?” Samantha asked.
“Unfortunately, no,” Al replied. “It’s much bigger.”
Dr. Wardle and Samantha were silent for some time. “How big?” they asked together.
“It stretches from Chelsea to the whole of Mayfair, covers Soho, Covent Garden and stretches up to Aldwych.”
“Does it run north of the Thames only?” Dr. Wardle said.
“At least that is what it looks like. The southern edge is very close to the Thames near the Parliament Square. My calculations can have a margin of error of about five percent.”
“Is there a possibility that the area could stretch up to the Thames?” Samantha said.
“There is a possibility, but it’s very small.”
“And what about the time?” Dr. Wardle said.
“Well, the calculation of time is more accurate. The event will start at about fifteen minutes past eleven in the morning on the thirteenth of September and will end about ten minutes to twelve.”
“We have fifty-two days, one hour and twenty minutes to the countdown,” Dr. Wardle said.
“And what about the fall event in Devon?” Samantha said.
“Fall event?” Dr. Wardle said with a smile. “That is a good term. So, when will the fall event take place, Al?”
“It will start around three thirty in the afternoon, and everything would be on the ground in the next ten to fifteen minutes,” Al said.
“That is quite fast,” Dr. Wardle said. “If a lot of things go up in the air, the fall could trigger a big tremor.”
“Not everything would fall at the same time. But if many things go up, the whole of eastern Devon may be riddled with holes. Some pieces of debris could be like projectiles coming straight down although most would not have a free fall due to the gravitational pull of the comets.”
“I’ve also heard that when something comes rushing down the earth, the friction of air burns it,” Samantha said.
“Good observation, Samantha,” Al said. “But this is not going to happen in our case. Things burn if they enter from space at very high speeds. In this event, the objects go up only about two kilometers. And as I said, most objects would not have a free fall.”
“Media would be happy to know the exact details,” Dr. Wardle said.
“Now, I can take some time off,” Al said.
“I, too,” Samantha said.
“You deserve a night-out,” Dr. Wardle said. “I’ll make arrangements for you in The Box.”
“I’ve only read about celebrities celebrating in The Box,” Samantha said.
“Both of you have a good time in The Box and don’t return before five in the morning,” Dr. Wardle said with a smile.
“Thanks, Dr. Wardle,” Al said. “It’s been a long time since I had a glass of cold beer outside.”
“It’s also time that you appeared before the media. They are dying to meet you. No one wants to talk to me anymore. They want to see you. They want to hear you talk and answer their questions. They want to see for themselves that you are real.”
“I could meet them whenever you tell me to,” Al said.
“I’ll arrange a press conference tomorrow afternoon. Is it okay if we do it in London? DIMA people could also join in.”
“No problems,” Al said.
“Okay,” Dr. Wardle said. “Now both of you can have some rest. The chauffeur will come to pick you up at six to take you to The Box.”
Al went home and dozed off to sleep soon after. He got up when it was nearly six. He quickly took a bath and just as when he was ready, the chauffeur knocked at the door.
Samantha was in the car. She had put on her best evening dress and was excited.
“You don’t realize how exclusive this place is?” she said.
“It will be interesting,” Al said.
“Not interesting. Scintillating. Dazzling. Exciting,” Samantha said. “I know a friend, whose cousin visits this club sometimes. He has met Hollywood stars, international models, famous sportspersons, and lots of great people in the club. Once, he even ran into Clinton. He said he could barely recognize him. Even at his age, he looked amazing. He has this charisma about him. He is so cool. People, I mean girls, get attracted to him like flies. When Clinton left the place, two of the most beautiful women in the club left with him.”
Al was not listening to what Samantha was saying. He was looking at her - her beautiful blue eyes, long tresses, and red lips.
“Do you have a girlfriend?” Samantha said. Before Al had replied, Samantha continued, “No, you don’t. Otherwise, you would have telephoned her, or she would have called. I only see you talking to Dr. Wardle.”
“And to you,” Al said.
“Yes,” Samantha said.
“Do you have a boyfriend?” Al said.
“Of course, not,” Samantha said with her voice slightly raised. “If I had one, I would not have taken up this lousy job in the Space Center.”
“Good,” Al said.
When they reached The Box, it was almost eight. The guard let them in without any questions.
“Looks like he has received instructions from Buckingham Palace,” Samantha said.
Inside, a young band was playing jazz. A waitress brought two glasses of cold beer as soon as Al and Samantha had settled on their sofa.
“Now, that is perfection,” Samantha said. “Dr. Wardle has left nothing to chance.”
Al picked up his glass and said, “Cheers.”
“To your hard work and dedication,” Samantha said.
Al had a big gulp, and in three more gulps, he emptied the glass. Samantha was looking at him in surprise. Al was already in a different world. He was thinking of his life in Ohio. What was happening at his work? How was Sam? Would he be able to get back to Ohio in good time?
Al had spoken to his parents only once after reaching the UK. They were worried for him. Al’s daydreaming broke when someone bent down to be face to face with Al. It was a glamorous-looking girl in high heels and mini-skirt. Samantha’s face became tense.
“Are you the one who predicted the doomsday?” the girl said.
“Not the doomsday,” Al said. “The zero-gravity event.”
“Yes, that is what I mean. I’ve seen you so often on television, I would have recognized you in Oxford Street on Boxing Day.”
The girl sat down next to Al. Samantha’s discomfort increased.
“It’s such a wonderful feeling to meet you in a club. I always thought that intelligent people like you consider disgusting what we ordinary people consider normal,” the girl continued.
“A good beer gives me more pleasure than the discovery of a supernova,” Al said, lifting the second glass of beer that the waitress had put on the table.
