Earth plc

By David L Atkinson

A man is found dead in the massive Kielder Forest in Northumberland and the initial reports suggest suicide. A member of Patrick A Steele’s team feels that is not the whole story and an investigation ensues that leads the team into conflict with some of the most powerful people in the UK. Steele can mete out his own brand of justice initially but when the power companies and the government become involved Steele has to tread carefully.

This time Patrick has been drawn into a national issue that affects us all - Global warming. Steele comes up against the might of corporate finance with the backing of national government who are keen to maintain the status quo on the subject when in fact there is evidence to support a different view.
The team struggle to maintain their anonymity under intense pressure and the chances of success seem to be increasingly slim.
Has Patrick bitten off more than he can chew?
Is there collateral damage to other aspects of his life?
What is next for Steele and his team?

• Language: English
• Publisher: David L Atkinson
• Release date: Dec 9, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311133380

David L Atkinson

Born in Sunderland in 1950, retired after 34 years teaching and then a further 6 years working in a bank.I began writing in 2009 and have published 10 Patrick A Steele stories, a dystopian novel and 2 collections of original poetry.

Book preview

Prologue

It is a commonplace belief among laymen that the past two centuries of warming results from anthropogenic CO2 emissions. In fact the early warming constitutes a recovery from the Little Ice Age - 1300 - 1870. World CO2 emissions went ballistic after WWII.

It is extremely likely that human activities have caused more than half of the observed increase in global average surface temperature since the 1950s.

Global warming? No, actually we're cooling, claim scientists!

A cold Arctic summer has led to a record increase in the ice cap, leading experts to predict a period of global cooling.

There has been a 29 per cent increase in the amount of ocean covered with ice compared to this time last year (2013), the equivalent of 533,000 square miles.

In a rebound from 2012's record low, at the time of writing, an unbroken ice sheet more than half the size of Europe already stretches from the Canadian islands to Russia's northern shores, days before the annual re-freeze is even set to begin.

The Northwest Passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific had remained blocked by pack-ice all year, forcing some ships to change their routes.

One ship has now managed to pass through, completing its journey on September 27 2013.

A leaked report to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) seen by the newspaper, The Mail on Sunday, led some scientists to claim that the world is heading for a period of cooling that will not end until the middle of this century.

The ice is not melting, yet still the scaremongers blunder on. The real global warming disaster: green taxes, a suicidal energy policy and wasting billions on useless and hideous windmills.

The news that hundreds of scientists and officials from all over the world are converging on Stockholm to discuss the next 2,000-page report from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) again highlights what is the most terrifying political conundrum facing our country today. Emerging in instalments over the next seven months, this report will try to convince the world, without a shred of hard evidence, that the prospect of catastrophic man-made global warming is extremely likely.

Boardroom

The warm, early morning, spring sun edged its way through the gaps in the vertical blinds and shone malevolently on the highly polished mahogany table in the executive boardroom of the energy company. A man has settled at the head of the table having removed his beautifully tailored Armani suit jacket and put it round the back of his executive styled, leather covered chair. It was not yet 08:00. The meeting had been called early in the day because of the possibility of there being high temperatures later that day. The man had arrived early because he felt that psychologically it gave him an edge.

Over the next fifteen minutes or so six more equally well-dressed men arrived, greeted each other and took their seats which were marked by gold edged name cards. The centre of the table had a variety of bottles of water and other drinks, mints and serviettes. Each place setting sported an electronic tablet. A table at the side of the room housed a keyboard and screen and an operative who arrived when all other seats were filled. This was the only lady in the room.

There was a soft buzz of conversation which eventually died away as the chairman obtained eye contact with each of the delegates. Those people may have been a little concerned if they’d been aware of the level of scrutiny under which they were being observed and even more so if they’d known that the guard standing outside of the room was armed.

Good morning gentlemen, began the chairman pleasantly. I have called this meeting today to discuss the state of the energy market in the UK. As I’ve no doubt you’re all aware we have not made the level of profit we were making since the financial disaster of 2008. In front of you there is a tablet which if you move the mouse pad will show a graph of your profits over the last few years. It should be fairly obvious that the trends are all in the same direction – downwards!

There was a degree of fiddling with the equipment and a pause while the chairman gave each of the men a chance to take in the graphics in front of them. One man spent less time than the others and was staring back at the chairman. He half expected that this man would be the one to speak first; after all he was chief executive of the second biggest energy company in the country. All of the people round the table barring one were CEOs of UK energy companies. The last man who showed little interest in the financial figures was from the home team research and development department, and so a scientist.

So why have you called us together to discuss something that we’re all too well aware of? the man addressed the chairman waspishly. There was no fun in being second largest and he wanted to be number 1.

The scientist yawned, which didn’t go unnoticed. He’d had a hard night. His young child had decided to throw up in the middle of the night so while his wife dealt with the ailing child he’d had a cot to change and bedding to wash. This sort of meeting held no fascination for him unless he could drive up the level of funding for his research and that was not the purpose today.

Keeping you up? the chairman ignored his fiscal competition and addressed the scientist.

Sorry sir, bad night!

This is one of our R & D team gentlemen, the chairman announced. "It is because of him that we are all together today.

The scientist had the good grace to look embarrassed and fiddled about with the tablet in front of him.

I’m aware that we are all in similar positions, the chairman went on, we have falling profits, political demands to keep prices down and shareholders demanding higher dividends. To a degree part of the problem is the government’s with their policy of subsidising energy saving measures and improving insulation for free. The average householder will have reduced their energy usage by at least 2 or 3 per cent and that is one of the factors hitting our profits. There is also the increase in surface temperature across the country over the last fifty years. It all means that our customers are better off but we aren’t.

The chairman paused to allow what he had said sink in and took a sip of still, bottled water.

You’d think as shareholders themselves MPs would be aware of the consequences of their actions! commented one of the others.

And that of course is part of the problem. They want to maintain their own positions, added another member of the group.

Quite so, nodded the chairman. I have brought our scientific expert to the meeting because he may have a solution that could suit our political masters, our shareholders and ourselves.

The chairman gave them a moment to take in his words and for the scientist to assume a position by the white screen on the wall which was now showing a graph.

Gentleman what you are looking at is the surface temperature trend since 1950 and you will see there is an undoubted significant rise, began the scientist. It is partly due to a natural reaction to a mini Ice Age that ended around 1870.

Surely not young man, commented one of the CEOs.

If you recall sir, commented the scientist brusquely, the Thames used to freeze over during Victorian times. There is no doubt that there was an Ice Age gentlemen but as in previous situations on Earth it is often followed by a period of warming. However, that rate of warming is probably doubled by factors such as CO2 emissions.

Okay, began an up to present silent delegate. What is this solution?

The scientist paused, looked down at his shoes and then up at his boss. He received a reassuring nod.

Global warming, he said.

There was a collective set of exclamations and mutterings.

We all know about global warming! snorted one of the others.

Yes sir but it needs to be managed, said the young scientist. There is already development going on into alternative forms of energy production and we are receiving subsidies to help towards that strategy but we need to increase the level of worry about global warming.

At that point the scientist’s phone rang much to the annoyance of his boss.

Excuse me sir, stammered the young man. I’ll need to take this, my child is unwell.

I think we’ve heard enough of your evidence so don’t worry you don’t need to return.

Relieved the young man left the room hurriedly. The conversation between the CEOs was around what the scientist had meant by ‘managing’ the global warming better. After all how could you manage a natural phenomenon?

So gentlemen, resumed the chair, I judge from this discussion that you are wondering about managing global warming. Well there are a number of strategies that need to be put in place but we need to come up with a plan that pleases our political masters

The chairman rose from his seat and approached the screen still showing the graph of surface temperatures. He nodded to the female who was minuting the proceedings and she hit a key on her laptop and the screen changed to a typed list of points and was as follows,

Publicise the term ‘Global Warming’ frequently.

Plan more natural forms of energy production.

Speculate on power cuts.

Keep price increases to inflation or less.

Have R & D departments agree a common stance.

Involve international companies.

Time was given for the people in the room to take in the items in front of them. The chairman was keeping quiet but was feeling quite optimistic in obtaining consensus for his plan. It was so simple, had enough basis in fact and would please the ‘greens’ and the majority of the paying population. In fact it was feasible enough to succeed. The government would be encouraged by an increase in work opportunities in the manufacturing plants needed to produce the technologies and equipment to create alternative forms of energy.

Can I ask you to enlarge on point 3? asked one of the men round the table.

Of course, began the chair. If we produce figures to indicate that the increased population, shortage of carbon based fuels and current lack of green solutions is threatening the supply of domestic electricity it will focus the attention on the need for alternative forms.

And the R&D departments agreeing a common position? queried another.

The more scientists we can get to agree that global warming is the result of human activity the more the public will buy into it. They don’t really trust politicians and positively detest big business so a third party with, seemingly, no axe to grind will be like manna from heaven.

It all seems too good to be true, commented one of the men.

It would seem so but in fact the outcomes aren’t negative, explained the chairman. In the end, as a country, we will be more energy self-sufficient, employment will be higher and the earth will recover from the pollutions that have had some effects on our climate.

I have a question about security, said the CEO of the second biggest energy company.

The chairman turned to the girl who’d been taking the notes and nodded. She rose from her work station and carried her laptop out of the room without a word. The chairman looked back at the man who’d raised the question.

Who apart from us here, the scientist and the secretary know about this plan?

We and the two who have left are the only people who know. You needn’t worry about them they have financial worries that will be settled for them along with good pensions and other perks.

I hope you are right was the retort.

The discussions continued for some time but the chairman smiled to himself because the underlying response was basically positive. There was very little more that the CEOs needed to do other than what they were doing within their businesses already. All that was required was a greater push towards green issues but even that was a fiscal ‘tongue in cheek’ move. For the most part co-ordinated publicity and backing each other to the hilt would be enough to control public opinion. Politicians would follow the line of least resistance and that which was most supportive of their position so easy meat. If there should be any difficulties it may well be with the scientists of the companies along with those two non-executives attending the meeting. These thoughts were coursing through the brain of one of the delegates as he returned to his limousine.

The CEOs all understood the need for solidarity and security but each of them had variations in the way they would ensure those two states of play. One of them was wasting no time,

Hi, he said into his mobile, can I speak to Mr Smithson please?

Chapter 1

You should take it easy! instructed Naomi Kobayashi.

The tall, willowy Japanese girl was standing looking on at her fella pounding away on the treadmill in his private gym, come dojo, come garage. He was Patrick A Steele, her fiancé and partner in crime in all senses of the word. Steele had recently been shot while working in France, had lost a considerable amount of blood and spent a while in hospital both in France and then back at home in England. To cut a long story short he was keeping his true identity hidden from the prying eyes of the CIA and things had gone slightly awry.

I need to rebuild some muscle, Steele said slowing to a walk. He dismounted from the rolling road and headed towards the weights area but found his way barred.

No way Patrick! the girl was standing in her t-shirt, track suit bottoms and with her raven black hair tied in a pony tail that did little to hide its length. The slightly girlish look totally belied the capability of violence that Naomi had, given the appropriate circumstances. She was rated a master sensei at the martial art of Aikido and was highly skilled in the more psychological aspect of Ki-Aikido. In those arts she was more accomplished than her man.

Patrick Steele stopped in front of her and swayed slightly. His skin had an unhealthy pallor and perspiration glistened on his forehead.

I think I need to sit down, he agreed and they walked to the suite of offices in the corner of this facility that Steele had adapted to his own specifications.

It was a former warehouse in a small industrial estate on the banks of the River Calder at the edge of the town of Mirfield in West Yorkshire. Steele had spent a small portion of his retainer from the Gurentai doing the place up. He’d wanted a dojo so that his sensei, now retired, could come to his place and train with him; he needed a garage for his vehicles; a keep fit facility and an office suite. It had been in existence for almost five years and although the basic idea was the same there were some up-to-date refinements.

Steele had been working in Leeds at a firm of accountants when he’d begun to take interest in problems that occurred in the form of crimes but that were then inadequately handled by the establishment. He had been orphaned twice as a result of a car accident and a criminal break in, neither of which had been handled to his teenage satisfaction. In fact he’d ended up in a detention facility for the underage criminal as a result of retribution that he’d taken on the head of the burglar with his dead Uncle’s golf driver. It hadn’t been in the heat of the moment but some time afterwards and with malice aforethought. As a qualified accountant who’d attended Officer and Bodyguard Training and still with the angry worm eating away at his insides every time he saw injustice, Steele began to exact justice of his own type. He knew it was illegal but at least injured innocent folk were getting some proper justice. Enter the Gurentai.

The Gurentai were a sub group of the Japanese crime lords, the Yakuza. They had been in existence for five hundred years and had developed into a group that used some of the wealth raised by the Yakuza to help the poor and needy in Japan. As with all criminal organisations the Yakuza and therefore their associated group were international. Eventually, one of the Gurentai, an elderly gentleman called Takuo Sumisu contacted Steele and the rest as they say is history. Although the activities Steele became involved with were mostly of his own instigation he did do ‘jobs’ for the Japanese group and received a retainer of considerable size for his troubles. The Gurentai also provided an alibi in that he was billed as an accountant with only them as his client and whenever he had a job to do they worked out a plausible arrangement that would satisfy any nosy policeman.

The retainer that Steele received was paid directly into a Swiss bank account with a company called Micheloud and Cie. In fact, even though he was an accountant, he had to speak to one of his former colleagues to make it clear that all he was doing and earning was open and above board. As a result he’d indulged himself in three powerful vehicles, a villa at La Forge in northern France and by buying neighbouring flats to his own to make a more considerable apartment which was situated about a quarter of a mile from the Annexe. That was the name he used for the facility he was now in with Naomi Kobayashi.

Although Steele felt himself outside the law he wasn’t a bad man per se, well not unless you were a proven criminal. As the last five years had passed he’d found himself developing a personal ‘staff’ but perhaps that wasn’t the correct word. They were more like the family that he’d never really known. In the office was a young man, he appeared to be a bit of a geek in a wheel chair, named Ethan Small, who had inadvertently taken a bullet that was intended for Steele. He’d ended up on the payroll and after subsidised training had become indispensable in the electronic side of the work that Patrick did. On top of that the girl who’d been his physio, Jessica Chase, had become his life partner and she too was a member of the team, recently co-opted.

Sit down Patrick before you fall down, instructed Naomi.

What’s up boss, Ethan asked.

Nothing, I’m okay!

No he’s not! stated Naomi. I’ll get you a drink.