In
a heavily fortified compound just outside Nanyuki, Kenya. A small antiseptic apartment with the air conditioner humming and heavy drapes mostly shielding the bright white work lights outside not quite wide enough for the window creates two thin beams of light tracing across the carpet and up the far wall.
Outside of the beams but washed in the sickly soft glow a man sleeps heavily on the top of a still made queen size bed.
The hypnotic humming of the air conditioner is interrupted by a buzzing vibration and ring.
“Dr. Mehta?”
The phone hadn’t rung for half a second before it was pulled from under the pillow and pressed to the young doctor’s ear.
“Yes. Speaking?”
“We have connected. Your presence is required at the site. Level 2. His Excellency is waiting.”
“Very good. I’ll be right up.”
After many hours of delays the doctor retired here for a much needed rest. Besides, he wished to be alone when it happend. But now it was done and more work was to be done. Much more work. Getting out of bed turning once to look at the picture on the opposite pillow. The picture gave him hope and saddened him at the same time. The room a pasty blue from the illumination of the thin beams. The doctor stands.
Pressing number 2 on the auto dial he puts the phone back to his head.
A short ring. “Dr. Mehta please.”
“Speaking.”
“Yes my brother, we have a connection. Please make the arrangements.”
“Congratulations. Will do.”
A pause lasting only a few seconds that seem like hours tears begin to form in both brothers eyes. Much is not said. And does not have to be.
Breaking the silence and spell the doctor in Kenya speaks first. “Thank you.”
“And thank you. Good luck to you my brother.”
The brothers disconnect. The brother away in the Indian Ocean begins making calls, setting a plan in motion months in the making.
Now stepping to the window the doctor presses number 4. As he opens the blind the phone rings on the other end. Looking out the open window the flat African desert is lit a blue milky white. Ahead is the glowing light of a small city and from its center a single steel silver beam gleaming from the glowing bottom and rising into the sky disappearing from sight. Somewhere up that beam history had been made as the Earth tether connected to its sister counterpart in orbit. The world’s first Space Elevator had been connected. There would be no celebration. Not now and not when the first payloads where in space.
“Mans greatest achievement.” The docotor replayed the words in his head The Prince had said months earlier.
“Maybe his last.” The doctor said aloud to the quiet buzz of the room.
There is no answer at the other end after ten rings. The doctor hangs up and quickly dresses.
Stepping outside the air is a thick and sticky tropic syrup. An insect greets him by stinging his forehead. He swats at it instictively and looks up and the glowing orb in the sky. A second moon. Odd shaped and growing each day. It’s craters now clearly visable. Looking to his left where he can see beyound the compound a series of fences of shining metal and rolls of razor wire.
Bright white lights pointing away illuminate beyound the guard towers at the mass piling of humanity on the other side. Growing each day with more and more people. They have come from hundreds of miles or more. The mounted machine guns keep them back.
The doctor thinks to himself that when that thing in the sky gets bigger there will not be guns large enough to keep them back.
Silently getting in the jeep he nods at the driver and they take off towards the glowing beam and the awaiting Prince.
The jeep rapidly accelerates on the smooth road cut across the desert as a scream rips overhead then the pop of a sonic boom. Above high along the path of the beam a bright flash and an explosion. Then the sound of the explosion. A lower and much closer scream causes the driver to slam the brakes and swerve onto the sand coming to an abrupt dusty halt. Roaring trails in the thick air above disappear in a violent explosion at the base of the fortified beam rocking the jeep and lighting the sky and earth with its massive fireball. (to be continued)