Gravity Versus Gravity, page 24
“I just cannot get it how people are resistant to taking help even if they are getting it for free.”
“Work with Dr. Wiggins. Or maybe even with the First Deputy Director. I forgot his name.”
“Dr. Schultz,” Al said.
“Yes, Dr. Schultz. Both will understand. They are not your rivals on this.”
“Yes, you are right. How lucky of me that I met you and decided to get you here. It’s good to have professional advice. But nothing beats personal advice from a person you can trust.”
“I bet,” Samantha said. “It also feels good to give advice to a person who is ready to take advice.”
“Time for dinner,” Al said, getting up from the chair.
“Yes, time for our very late dinner,” Samantha replied.
The next day, Al related about the conversation with Ellie to Dr. Wardle.
Dr. Wardle joked, “For luck to be on your side, you need both Samantha and me to be with you.”
“That’s right,” Al said.
“I agree that you should work with Dr. Wiggins. You can directly contact him. If you need me for anything, let me know. We’ll let Dr. Schultz have some peace for the moment. But if you cannot sort it out with Dr. Wiggins now, we’ll surely get in touch with Dr. Schultz immediately.”
Al called Dr. Wiggins and said, “I don’t want to come in the way of the Center’s work. All I want is that someone has a look at the information I have. And after that, if the Center feels that my information is incorrect, I’ll not bother the Center.”
Dr. Wiggins said, “Fair enough. Send the information to me. I’ll get back to you within minutes.”
Al sent the information by email. Dr. Wiggins called after fifteen minutes. He said, “Al, I ran the data in my lab. Then I got it cross-checked with Chris Bailey. You know, Chris, don’t you?”
“How can I forget him?” Al replied with irony in his voice.
“I asked him to check your data without telling it was from you. He came running to me within three minutes. He says that the information and the forecast could not have been more accurate. You are right. We are going to have several large meteors hit the USA as far as Kentucky. Maybe even farther.”
“Good to hear that. But did you crosscheck with the information from Ellie and Simon?”
“Yes, I did. I’m sorry to say that their calculations are totally incorrect. Their data is rudimentary. God knows why they call themselves the most experienced meteor experts in the world.”
“Chris and I verified the forecast using our latest geographical extrapolation software Geox-3, and the results are the same as what you have sent in your report. Do you have an advanced software? I thought that Geox-3 was the latest and it’s only with us.”
“I worked with Geox-1. Swindon Center doesn’t even have Geox-2.”
“You are a genius, man. How I wish that you had not left our Center. Ellie and Simon use Geox-2C and yet they are off-mark.”
“I know the binary comets like the back of my hand.”
“As soon as Chris left, I called Dr. Schultz. He has called me in thirty minutes. I’ve requested him not to call Ellie and Simon for the meeting.”
“Did he believe?”
“When I told him that Chris had verified using Geox-3, he was totally convinced. Even Dr. Schultz underwent some training under Chris when he joined the Center. He says that few can beat Chris as far as technical aspects are concerned.”
Al did not want to hear about Chris. He changed the topic and said, “Let me know about your meeting with Dr. Schultz as expeditiously as possible.”
“Okay. I’ll do that for sure. I’m myself curious to hear what he has to say although I think I’ve a fair idea.”
Al’s suspense continued for two more hours. When Dr. Wiggins called, he said, “Al, we discussed in detail. If Dr. Schultz had even an iota of doubt before the meeting, he is cent per cent convinced now. I had not told him about the source of the information. But he insisted.”
“You told him?”
“I had to tell him. If we did not have Dr. Schultz completely by our side, it would have been difficult to take the next urgent steps.”
“And Chris?”
“He was with us. He, too, knows.”
Not good, Al thought. If Chris knows about it, the whole world knows about it.
“What did Dr. Schultz say?” Al asked Dr. Wiggins.
“Ask what he did. He straightaway picked up the phone and told Dr. Blackstone about it. He did not wait for Dr. Blackstone’s consent before he got in line with the Assistant Homeland Secretary and then with the Assistant Defense Secretary.”
“And then?”
“Then what. Your information is already with both the Departments. They’ll get back to us in about two hours.”
“What about Ellie and Simon?”
“Al, you have too many questions, and you are worried about too many people. Ellie and Simon have a thousand other missions to prove their worth. The Center is not in the job of pleasing all its employees,” Dr. Schultz replied.
“Thanks, Dr. Wiggins,” Al said. “You have been very helpful. If the Center had not been convinced, we would have had to try directly with the US authorities. However, I really doubt if they would have even cared to act on my information.”
Barely an hour later, Al found out that US television channels had broken the news. East Coast TV was running a special module. The television host said, “We have the spokesperson of the Homeland Department live with us to tell about the meteoric storm.”
Meteoric storm? The Homeland bureaucrats would have thought of that term, Al thought.
Soon, the spokesperson came on camera.
“What more information do you have?” the television host asked.
“The impact area is from Virginia in the north to South Carolina and extends up to Kentucky and Tennessee.”
“Four States?”
“Five States including North Carolina.”
“What is the plan?”
“An advisory for evacuation in all these five States.”
“An advisory or an evacuation?”
“We have already issued an advisory. For one, we don’t have enough time to do a complete evacuation. Secondly, it’s not required. Once we have most of the population out, the probability that there would be casualties would drastically come down.”
“What would the maximum damage be like?”
“If a meteor falls on a multistoried building, say one with a dozen stories, the whole building may be destroyed. The best-case scenario is that these meteors fall in open fields.”
“Has the information been confirmed by the Ohio Center?”
“They are the ones who provided us the information in the first place.”
“Has the information come from Mr. Albert Hennessey?”
“The Ohio Space Center did not reveal which scientist or department is the original source of information. We have verified the information and found it authentic. The Center ran its usual checks before passing on the information to us.”
“Thank you, Mr. Stone,” the television host said and continued with her reporting. “The Homeland Department is not aware of the source of information but we are. Sources close to our Channel have confirmed that the information came from Mr. Albert Hennessey. It seems like only one real scientist is left in the Center. Well, not any more, in fact. Mr. Hennessey is with the Swindon Space Center for almost six months. We’ll try to contact him.”
Chris, that was Al’s first reaction. Al switched off the television and called Chris. “I’ve been watching the television,” he told him.
“It’s great to hear from you. Everything under control, Al.” Chris replied. If Al had any doubts about the culpability of Chris, it was confirmed from Chris’s answer.
“Who told the television channels that I’m the source of information?” Al asked.
“Channels?”
“East Coast TV.”
“Not me,” Chris replied. “What would I get from it? I would have earned some short-lived fame if I had planted my name, instead.”
“What do you get out of doing such things? You were my first guide at the Center. You are a walking encyclopedia. Why don’t you use your strengths in the right direction? I just can’t get over the fact that you collected information behind my back at the Center to get me suspended. And now this,” Al said in agony.
“You are talking nonsense. Worry about the zero-gravity event tomorrow rather than calling all the way from across the Atlantic,” Chris said and put down the phone.
Samantha entered the room.
“Did you watch the US news channels?” Al asked her.
“No, I hardly ever watch them. Is there something interesting going on?” Samantha asked in surprise.
Al told her about what had transpired.
“Don’t waste your time thinking about Chris. I’ve seen the likes of Chris by hundreds. They can be very smooth, but their motives are very ulterior. Such people are both intelligent and street smart. They can see a large distance ahead.”
“But why would he reveal the source of information?”
“Money. What else? He would have sold the information exclusively to East Coast TV. For one, the story looks more authentic if the information has originated from you. Secondly, it’s all about sensationalism. Who would be interested if East Coast TV said that the source of information was Dr. Wiggins or Ellie or Simon? It would be like just another astronomer forecasting an event. People would hear and watch and then forget them. But they would want to see you on television talking about the event. That brings more viewership to East Coast TV.”
“Makes sense. Do you think that the television channel would not start hunting me?”
“Of course, they will. The same fellow who leaked the information about you to the television would have also given your mobile and office numbers by now.”
“Wow!” Al said, impressed at Samantha’s ability to judge the situation.
“If it were a normal time, I understand that you would have been more than happy to devote your time to media in the US. But we need you here. Everything might be under control, but without your full attention, something will surely go wrong somewhere.”
“That is right. I had thought that my work would get over after handing over the information to the Ohio Center. If the US media starts pestering me, I don’t think I would be able to concentrate on my work here.”
“So, before we go to the office, let us go to the telephone kiosk near the canteen. We should get you a new SIM card.”
“What about the office telephone?”
“I know how to handle that.”
“How?”
“I’ll tell any media-person trying to contact you that you are not authorized to talk to the media and that Dr. Wardle is the only person who can be contacted.”
Al and Samantha went to the electronic kiosk in the Center, bought a new SIM card and came to the office. Samantha had two recorded messages from East Coast TV.
“Forget about East Coast TV, the meteoric storm in the USA and concentrate on the zero-gravity event tomorrow,” Samantha said, pushing Al out of her office and into his room.
A very short time after Al had left the room, the telephone rang. Samantha saw that it was a call from New York.
“Hello,” she said.
“Is that the office of Mr. Albert Hennessey?” the person at the other end enquired.
“Sorry, wrong number. This used to be Mr. Hennessey’s number earlier. He has since changed office, and I’m afraid I cannot help you.”
20
It was a bright sunny morning. Half of the UK believed that the zero-gravity event would occur. The other half did not believe so. And most people had seen the binary comets as large as a large ship in the last two days. Central London was a ghost town. The Borough Councils and DIMA thought they had done a good job in getting all the people evacuated.
Rory Carr and Owen Pearce were best friends. They were also co-workers at the Westminster Fire Department. Rory had been in the Department for fifteen years. Owen had joined a year later.
Rory was the best sportsperson in the St. George’s School in Croydon, where he grew up. Owen was the best sportsperson in St. John’s School in Clapham, where he grew up. Rory had continued this feat at the Fire Service College in Gloucestershire and so had Owen while pursuing his Fire Rescue and Safety Degree at the University of Wolverhampton.
Rory was six feet three. Owen was six feet four. Both weighed nearly nineteen stones.
In the years together at the Department, they had developed a strong bonding. Their families got together often, and they celebrated festivities together at times.
When Rory had joined the Westminster Fire Department, he had felt he had his dream job. He was sure that he would be in this job till his retirement. Owen was not very sure about this when he had first joined. But after a few years, he had realized that he would never get a team like he had at Westminster. His house was not far away, his two children were enrolled in the St. Thomas School in the neighborhood, and his wife always said that there could not be a better neighborhood than South Kensington, which was beautiful, compact and equidistant from Owen’s and his wife’s workplace. All these factors had made Owen give up the thought of leaving his Department. Having spent fourteen years at his first and only place of work, he was always happy to think that he had taken the right decision.
Once in a fortnight, Rory and Owen’s shifts at the Department coincided. They had not strived to get into the same shift on the day of the zero-gravity. It just happened.
When Owen reported at seven in the morning, Rory was already there geared up for the day. He was preparing coffee.
“Good morning, Owen. Want some coffee?” Rory asked Owen when he saw him enter.
“Good morning, Rory. Make a strong one today. We might need extra caffeine to keep us alert,” Owen replied.
While Rory prepared coffee, Owen went to change into his uniform. When he returned, Rory was drinking coffee and flipping through the pages of The Daily Star. “I’ll make a revelation,” he said, looking at Owen. “The Daily Star doesn’t believe in the zero-gravity event.”
“It shouldn’t be then called The Daily Star,” Owen said, putting an emphasis on the word Star.
Both burst into laughter.
“How far is the boundary of the zero-gravity area from here?” Owen asked.
“Who put you in today’s shift?” Rory asked with a smile.
“I know that it’s about four hundred meters from here. But where exactly is that boundary?”
“You should read your manuals well.” Rory took out a small booklet from his pocket and pointing towards a diagram, said, “Look here, the intersection between the Sutherland Street and Chelsea Bridge Road is where the zero-gravity event has its outer tip?”
“How can someone be so accurate about such things?”
“Space scientists, man, space scientists,” Rory said. “Some of these people are geniuses. I had a college-mate whose girlfriend was studying to be an astrophysicist. She was just outstanding. You would say that there was nothing spectacular about her till you had a conversation with her on astrophysics. Her knowledge was mindboggling.”
“Even then. My common sense tells me that such accuracy is misplaced. When we deal with a phenomenon like this, there has to be some uncertainty.”
“Perhaps you are correct. But, the scientists could not have drawn up a map saying that this could be the boundary or maybe this could be the boundary. They had to make it easier for laymen like us to understand.”
“We have a job to do, and we’ll do it,” Owen said. He looked at Rory, who had finished a huge cup of coffee and was on his way for another.
Rory was usually very talkative. And he usually spoke in such a loud voice that his colleagues in the next room could not hear each other’s conversation. Owen felt Rory’s voice was much meeker on that day.
“I hope you are not scared of the zero-gravity event,” Owen said.
“For god’s sake, no. I’ve seen everything that a fireman sees and have handled situations beyond anyone’s imagination. Fearing anything is the last thing that can happen to me. You know this, Owen. I don’t know why you are asking such questions.”
“You don’t look your real self today,” Owen said. “Your face is sunken. Your eyes are drooping, and your voice is not what one is used to hearing.”
“Sorry for that, mate. But let me confide in you that I’m very tired,” Rory said. “I know that this is a wrong day to feel tired. But that is how it is. I can barely turn the pages of the newspaper.”
“Why?” Owen said. “We had only seven rescue operations yesterday.”
“After that, I had to take my wife to her parents’ place in the evening.”
“To Brighton?”
“Yes,” Rory said. “And then I drove back at night.”
“That must have been really tiring.”
“If it were only limited to that,” Rory said. “When I reached home I realized that I had lost my key. I must have dropped it when I was taking out my wife’s luggage from the car.”
“So, what did you do?”
“Waited outside the door till the locksmith came to my rescue after an hour.”
“Poor you!” Owen said. “Hope you get some rest today.”
Owen sat down on the table and looked at The River Thames flowing by. There was no one on the roads. The river did not have any movement either. But the water level seemed higher than usual. He stared at the water. He felt that it had risen by a few inches in the few minutes that he had been staring at it.
Maybe it’s an illusion, he thought. The last thing he wished was a flood in London. He looked at Rory, who was flipping the newspapers in the reverse direction. Hope he gets some rest, he thought. The thought could not have come at a worse time. The alarm rang.
“Tunnel under Trafalgar Square. The underground monitor has found two people on the camera. They are moving. They look like squatters,” the despatcher said.
