The Arrival, part 2

By Terrence Aubrey

Neon the Aeonian ambassador tasked to helping the inhabitants of planet earth to put to rights their wrongs was worried, very worried. They had now travelled so far in the wrong direction that helping them to set to rights was going to be deifficult, very difficult. The distressing fact was the hunan race had become as the number one parasite upon the very planet they lived and depended upon. Neon would not give up, he had been assigned to planet earth to help them, show them the errors of their ways and that he would do. Despite his sense of  resolve he felt worried, very worried. Planet earth was sick. Only he could hope that he had not arrived to late to save them from them-selves.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Terrence Aubrey
• Release date: Sep 5, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393779919

Book preview

Chapter one

Bad news

It was eight o’clock, by the time their cavalcade of jeeps was pulling up outside of the restaurant that Liu had chosen. The area was both busy and up market, Viktor had been wrong, the Chinese, or at least the rich and powerful Chinese, knew how to enjoy themselves se well as the Russians. Liz, still savouring the glow of her new found emancipation had dressed in the clothes that Liu had chosen earlier. They were both daring and complimentary and she felt as sexy as hell. Liu had discreetly stroked her leg, sharing the back seat of the Hummer with them. Liz both enjoyed and worried about his attention, she really needed to speak with John, but when?

Liu had chosen well, both the restaurant and the food were delicious and it was nearly ten when they left.

Perhaps we can visit a bar or club? Liu suggested.

Yes either, but can you call Chairman Zhang, perhaps they have come to a decision. John asked him. Liu placed the call immediately.

Nearly, Liu told them, they need another twenty four hours. Liu could not help but see the look of disappointment on John’s face. They are close to agreement, only some of the regional leaders need a little time to digest the implications of the changes involved," Liu added, he hoped reassuringly. John realized that it was not unreasonable, the changes would be huge.

The bar- disco that they entered ten minutes later was both crowded and opulent, though not on the scale of Moscow’s newly found wealth. The music was again a combination of the dance music that seemed to have swept the globe.

John, Liu and Liz choose bar stools, at Liz’s insistence, Liz sitting between them was feeling flirtatious and raised her feet to one of the higher rungs of the stool, allowing her flimsy skirt to slide down her thighs as she did so. Their minders were not too discreet, as they took up positions within the bar, standing out like sore thumbs. Liz was in a gay mood, she’d ironed what seemed to be her current favorite skirt, the one she had bought at huge expense in Moscow and the one that Liu had chosen for her earlier. After three drinks Liz was feeling frisky and was in the mood for dancing. Liu accompanied her, John not in the mood. They cut a dash on the sparsely populated dance floor, Liz really going for it.

John felt a vibration within his bracelet, Neon wanted to talk to him. As he made his way outside to make the call four of the minders followed him, he made instant contact.

John, I’m sorry to tell you that we have detected dangerous movement in your planets crust. It would be better if both you and Miss Saunders revisit our ship, our communication facilities are better.

Okay Neon, send me the coordinates again, we will do as you suggest, how serious are these movements?

Very serious John, I’m sorry, but very serious. Neon told him. Almost simultaneously the coordinates of the aeonian ship appeared upon his bracelet. John went in search of Liz, the four minders following him. In no time their convoy was speeding back to their apartment block, they would leave from there.

Liu, I don’t yet know the gravity of the problem facing earth, but warn your Chairman immediately. John told him. As soon as we know the nature of the problem I will broadcast from the aeonian ship, but it must be serious, for Neon to summon us. Liu’s forehead creased in concern and Liz’s frivolity left her, as fast as ice melting beneath the rising Sun. For Liu it was surreal. John and Liz retired to their bedroom and only when he smelt the faint traces of ozone did he enter, they were not there and only he was left with the memories of his enjoyable time with Miss Elizabeth Saunders.

John and Liz arrived in the cabin of the aeonian ship that they now knew well more or less instantly. Neon was waiting for them and wasted no time in informing them of the latest emergency. Worrying signs of volcanic activity had been detected and were building up with alarming speed. Neon suggested that John transmit a warning to Earth immediately.

Once again the danger areas were related to Tectonic Plate movement. The danger zones were slowly becoming clearer to the aeonian scientists monitoring the situation. Much of the activity would be mid Ocean, but many Islands and coastal regions could be affected or destroyed. The Information was fed to John even as he beamed his message to the Worlds leaders. John’s heart sank, as the news was fed to him, it was again going to be bad, very bad. Liz joined him at the communication consol her earlier feelings of frivolity having evaporated.

This is John Wright speaking to you from the aeonian space craft. I have to advise you of further expected and devastating natural events. Information is being fed to me, even as I speak to you. John informed his unseen listeners. The activity is going to be worldwide and I am told that you have at most twenty four hours to take evasive action.

John felt a sense of hopelessness, he knew that what he was asking was effectively mission impossible. All Islands in the eastern Atlantic ocean, including Iceland, must be evacuated. Equally, all Pacific Islands should be evacuated. The western coastal regions of both the Northern and Southern countries of the continent of the Americas should also be evacuated; the populations moved a minimum of one hundred and fifty miles inland. In the case of Yellowstone Park, the entire area should be evacuated and to a minimum of two hundred miles from the Park, that I must stress is a minimum safe distance. The north eastern coast of Africa should likewise be evacuated. Liz massaged John’s shoulders, sensing his tension. She could see the list of danger spots on the consol, there were many, far too many and growing, even as she looked on. John continued. Japan, Sri Lanka and southern India should be evacuated, also the entire eastern seaboard of China and Russia. Alaska and the western seaboard of Canada should equally be evacuated. John was handed another note, his heart sank. The estimated commencement of the volcanic activity has, I’m sorry to tell you, been halved; you have twelve hours at most to evacuate these areas. He announced to the World, tears now streaming down his face. Liz suffered her own personal anguish; her desperation to share with John her recent feelings of emancipation now seeming irrelevant and even self indulgent.

Neon and his fellow Officers also felt sorrow, as they looked down upon the planet they had come to save, sorrow coupled with self criticism. They had completely misjudged the rate of environmental breakdown upon Blue. Only now was it becoming clear that their excessive wait had been an error of enormous proportions.

Upon planet Earth the reaction was swift. Across the World the authorities mobilized their armed forces, emergency services and in many cases, state employees. The situation in China, Russia and America was complicated. Huge numbers of their armed forces had been drafted to assist with the massive reforestation projects. The situation on many of the Islands was chaotic. Where possible, boats of any size were dispatched from the mainland to evacuate the Islanders. For many of the Islands that was not an option, they were simply too far away from the mainland. In many cases Helicopters and aero-planes were running around the clock and using up their precious stocks of aviation fuel in the process.

The peoples of Bangladesh, were for once fortunate, they had not returned to their country following the previous emergency and were now dispersed in the relative safety of Bhutan, Nepal and India. Elsewhere ancient hostilities were set aside. The Northern and Southern Korean’s fled as one into Mongolia and the Chinese helped the people of Taiwan flee to the mainland.

Many escaped to relatively safety, but not all. John had not wanted to watch the situation, but as the clock approached the eleventh hour, felt compelled to view the screen. Beneath the Oceans, rivers of red hot larva were clearly visible from the spaceship and the process as they grew in size was horrendously fast.

The rivers of red hot molten lava began to connect with each other and within an hour the earth was streaked in continuous ribbons, rivers of red hot lava. That was when the volcanoes began to blow and with devastating ferocity. Mount Etna in Sicily was the first go and in a spectacular fashion. The top half of Mount Etna was simply blown off, completely destroying the recently completed suspension bridge across the Messina Straights. The bridge had proved its worth, enabling the bulk of the Islands remaining population to flee to the relative safety of mainland Italy. From space the scene unraveling below them was too awful to watch. Entire island chains simply blew themselves away, Iceland too. John found himself transfixed, not wanting to watch, but unable not to. A new Volcano was forming in Yellowstone Park, it seemed huge. More Volcanoes were erupting across America, even as he looked on and in Alaska, South west Canada, California Oregon and even as he watched spellbound, a new volcano erupted in Montana.

Neon, how much longer is our planet going be subjected to this level of devastation? John asked in anger and frustration, knowing that his question was emotionally rather than scientifically based. Noel looked at him, his eyes emanating compassion.

That is something I cannot tell you, once a planets balance has been as seriously damaged, as yours has, even we cannot calculate that exactly, I’m sorry John. All we can do is make the necessary changes and as speedily and efficiently as we can, and then hope. It was not the answer John had hoped to hear, though he was aware that the Aeonian’s were doing all they could. There was now the best part of thirty thousand aeonian technicians upon planet earth. Hopefully they would be safe; they were dispersed across the World in the various industrial centers, normally relatively stable areas.

I think that Elizabeth and I should return, perhaps we can in some way help. John told Neon.

I’m afraid you will have to wait a while longer, Neon told him, a look of sorrow upon his face. These levels of planetary disturbance render our form of travel difficult, dangerous and unpredictable. John rejoined Liz upon the sofa; the aeonian’s had installed for their use, they shared feelings of impotence.

It was another twenty hours before John and Liz returned to the White House. They arrived and materialized in the bedroom they had previously used. The special agents, now doubled, had been told to look out for them and led them to the President, almost as soon as they arrived. The president was in the canteen sharing coffee with many people they recognized, the Secretary of defense, his environmental advisor and a dozen of the Pentagon’s Chiefs of Staff.

The Aeonian’s continued to monitor subterranean activity upon Earth on a twenty four hour basis. They knew that it would be a long time before significant stability would be re-established, a very long time.

Sorry we have been away so long, Mr. President, we had to wait for the atmospheric conditions to stabilize. John offered as a form of greeting.

How did it look from up there?

Awful sir, terrible, John admitted.

Well first reports indicate that many less lives have been lost around the World than might have been expected. The areas most badly affected had been to a large extent evacuated after the previous storms. The President reassured him. Those zones have now effectively been deemed uninhabitable and I’m sure that you can appreciate that that is one heck of a lot of displaced people. A look of sorrow momentarily clouded his face. Only I wish we had some way of knowing how much longer we will be subjected to these events.

I’m afraid that not even the aeonian’s know the answer to that question Sir. I asked, but can we now assume that the worst affected areas are now danger zones Sir. Twice now, much the same areas of the World have suffered the full strength of the catastrophes. If I might suggest Sir, all coastal regions across the World should now be declared unsafe. Equally Sir, a total exclusion zone, again worldwide, should be declared within two hundred miles of all known Tectonic Plates.

That is exactly what we have been discussing with other World leaders and we are all trying to make that happen. The President told him, pausing; he seemed to have aged ten years. It’s a huge task, huge, many of these areas are, or were, until now, very sought after places to live. On a brighter note the ‘one World Government’ project is developing momentum. Russia’s agreement has given us a great boost, thank you for your help there The President told Liz and John jointly, Liz suffering brief feelings of guilt in having succumbed to her base instincts. China is now the key, how do you read them?

I think they will come on board Sir, in fact they should by now have made their decision perhaps you should call Chairman Zhang Sir?John suggested. President Reynolds would place the call from his private office; the White House Chinese translator would shortly join them.

Do you mind if I ask how your discussions here are proceeding? John asked, as they set off downstairs to what was now effectively America’s communications and evasive action center.

In truth, not so well, the President admitted, many of the Chiefs of Staff here have grave national security concerns."

Liz recognized many of the faces; once they arrived. It was the self same people that had been intent upon trying to blow the alien spacecraft away. She felt anger, no more, she felt enraged.

With all due respect Mr. President, I have had the dubious honor of meeting many of these Gentlemen soon after we escaped NASA. I say and not with pride, that if I had not diverted their attention, hijacked our initial meeting with the Aeonian’s that these self same guardians of America, may well have attempted to destroy the Aeonian Spacecraft.

Is this true gentleman? The President asked them, his sense of incredulity clear.

No Sir, the young lady exaggerates, a member of the Chiefs of Staff that Liz didn’t recognize responded. Only and as always we were discussing our defensive and offensive capabilities.

Just as we have been doing for the past two hours Gentlemen, yes?

Well, no not exactly Sir, your proposal involves and possibly endangers America’s intrinsic interests.

Excuse me for one moment Gentlemen, President Reynolds indicated to Tom Watts to join him as he left the recently created nerve center.

Tom, can you round up some of the secret agents that roam this place like hungry rats?

Of course Sir, no problem, but what should I tell them their task is?

We are going to temporarily take this bunch of Dinosaurs out of circulation. The President told him.

Yes Sir may I ask what their ultimate destination might be?

Of course, they are, by hook or by crook, going to contribute something to both America and the World; they will help coordinate our reforestation efforts.

And if they refuse, Sir?

Then they can plant the damn trees with their own bare hands. The President told him. Tom Watts was unable to contain his laughter and quickly apologized.

Yes Sir, leave it with me. He said, disappearing through the door to the outer corridor. President Jack Reynolds rejoined the meeting in the canteen, both John and Liz suspecting that something was up, but neither knew what. Within three minutes, the Secretary for Defense returned, he was accompanied by a dozen secret agents.

Gentlemen, I am consigning you to other duties, the President