Dark Matter (41 page)

As Jay heard the door close behind her, she let out a deep breath, thankful that the Sunarr had obeyed the women only rule.  She relaxed a little more and approached the reception desk.

'Good Morning Ms. Kapoor, we are honoured to have you here.'  The receptionist said.

'Have my guests arrived?'

'Most are here, we are waiting on a few, the car left about forty minutes ago to collect them from the airport.  The others are waiting in the Music Room for you.'

'Thank you.  Which way is the Music Room please?'

'Down the hall, on the left.'

'Thank you...err...'  Jay read the name plaque on the desk, ' Ms. Stirling.'  She finished.

Ms. Stirling positively beamed at the Secretary-General calling her by name.

'Please call me Kitty, its short for Katherine'

'Thank you Kitty.'  Jay smiled and left for the Music Room.

The Music Room was large, about the size of a small hall.  It was furnished with various settees, armchairs, and coffee tables.  To one side of the room a breakfast buffet had been laid out for the guests and some were milling around this, nibbling various pastries and fruits.  Most of the guests were in groups, either standing or sitting.  Some of the faces she recognised, some she did not.  There was one however, that she knew only too well, and she wasn't pleased to see her here.

'Sam!'  Jay exclaimed at her daughter, 'what on earth are you doing here?'

'It’s good to see you too mother.' 

Sam's sarcasm wasn't lost on her mother, but she was too annoyed to make anything of it.

'How did you know about this?' 

'I asked Will when I could get some time with you.  He seemed to think today would be a good opportunity.  He also mentioned something about his sister, but I didn't catch it really.'

'Well I guess you're here now....'  Jay was starting to think about the positive side of having her daughter involved.

'Have you introduced yourself around?'  Jay inquired.

'We both have.'  Sam replied.

'We.  Who is we?'

'Oh the invite said to bring a trusted friend or two so I bought Anne.  You remember Anne, don't you?'

Jay remembered Anne. 
That girl is a liability, too loud, too brash and far too much into gossip,
she thought to herself.

'Yes, of course.  She's delightful.  Now if you'll excuse me for a little while I really need to go and say hello to some people.'

'Sure, see you later.'

Jay left her daughter to greet her guests individually.  There were twenty-two in all, including her daughter and her friend.  There would be twenty-seven once the five from the airport arrived.  Some had been invited just for cover.  William had thoughtfully produced an activities agenda for the day.  They would split into three working groups, all apparently set the workshop task of “improving the lives and opportunities of women.”  However, the materials produced by Jay's group had already been done and were ready and waiting in Function Room 3.  The other two groups, consisting of the cover guests, would spend their time thinking about women.  Jay's group was going to think about the Sunarr and the future of mankind.

Jay decided to take the plunge, she added her daughter’s name to her own group, and her friend Anne was put in another group. 
This just has to work, so much depends on it,
the fear she felt was deeply unsettling.  Her demeanour did not show it however, as she moved from group to group, smiling and making conversation.

The group from the airport finally arrived, Jay moved to welcome them.

'I'm so glad that you could make it.'  Jay offered her hand to them in turn. 

'Elizabeth Beaconsfield'

'Mary Morgan-Colt'

'Anna Stephonova Ivanskiy'

'Severine Pascal'

'Anne-Marie Courtine'

Severine looked sideways at Anne-Marie.  Here was the person that she had let into her life, told her intimate secrets and this she realised was the first time she had heard Anne-Marie's surname. 
Courtine, that cannot be a coincidence, I need to speak to her, alone.
  The introductions made, Severine led Anne-Marie away to the buffet, ostensibly to get some breakfast.

'Courtine, Courtine!  Tell me that is a coincidence, go on tell me.'  Severine was careful not to raise her voice so much as to be overheard, but she emphasised her words leaving Anne-Marie in no doubt how angry she was.

'You're right of course.  It is not a coincidence.  I took the name of the town, as I didn't want mine anymore.  I didn't want people knowing who I was.  So I took the name of the only place I have ever felt happy in, safe in.  Sorry I should have told you, but it genuinely never crossed my mind.'

'Is there anything else failing to cross your mind?'

Anne-Marie cast her gaze towards the ground and murmured a pitifully quiet 'no'.

Severine could sense that there was more now her eyes had been opened.  What it was and how much she couldn't even guess at, but she decided to pursue that another time.

'I guess you two were hungry.'  Jay said to them by way introducing herself into the conversation.

'Yes, we were.  You know how it is with airline food.'

Jay didn't.  She hand only flown first class for years now and had obviously always found the food excellent. 

'I need to give you your packs.  You'll both be with me in Function Room three.  We will be heading through shortly, but don't worry you can bring your breakfasts with you, if you like.' 

10:30               27 December  [05:30  27 December GMT]

Function Room 3, Dayton Park Spa, New York, USA
.

The room had been specifically selected.  The other two rooms were adjoining; this was on its own, jutting out from the building, windows on all three sides so they could see anyone who might observe them from the garden.  The room was also single storey.  The only connection to the rest of the building was the hallway that led to the room.  This left them free to discuss things openly.

Jay stood in front of her guests, silent.  She didn't have a clue how to begin.  The knowledge that anyone of them could betray her hung in the air, a dark oppressive cloud.

Where are my speechwriters when I need them?
  She wondered idly to herself. 
This is going to have to be all me.

'When I became Secretary-General of the United Nations,' she began, 'I took a pledge to serve the whole of humanity.  I would like us all to make the same pledge.  If you would kindly stand and repeat after me.'

'I, Jayanti Kapoor, do solemnly swear and affirm by everything I hold dear and true, that I will serve the Earth, humanity and its future from now and until the day I die.  I further swear that I will only discuss what is discussed between and amongst this group with those others who genuinely make the same pledge.'

'Now please be seated.'

'It is written in our histories, all of our histories, that when people come with advanced technology they come to take what they want.  I believe.  I know.  That this is happening again.  This time it is on a massive scale, it affects all of our countries, our entire world.  The Sunarr are here to take what they want.  What they want is our Gold.  Why?  Because Gold is the single most important thing in the universe.  It is what is needed for space travel.  Without it, we will be stuck here forever at the mercy of the Sunarr and any others who come here.  As you know, the Sunarr have offered protection to world leaders.  What you may not know is that they threatened to cut off ties with any country that refused.  Our governments have been taken hostage.  Our military too.  We have been enslaved by the Sunarr and we didn't even notice.  I do not know, but I strongly believe that it was the Sunarr who were behind the assassinations.  It suited their purposes.  I am making a stand against this and I need your help.  I need every one of you and those you can get to help too.  I realise that this is a lot to take on board but before I go on I need each of you either to leave now or to re-state your pledge in front of the rest of us.  If you stay I would also like you to introduce yourself to this group.'

No one left.

Elizabeth Beaconsfield strode to the front of the room and re-stated the pledge.  She continued, 'As some of you know I am married to General Beaconsfield.  Before I left, he notified me that he has been assigned two Sunarr bodyguards.  I know my husband and I also know from the tone of his voice that this was thrust upon him against his wishes.  The fact that he had to speak in such a circumspect manner means that he could not speak freely.  My husband is one of those who have been compromised.  Let me be clear, British forces are now effectively under the control of the Sunarr.  This is a situation that cannot be allowed to continue.  I am honoured to be part of this group and I promise to you all that I will dedicate my life to the freedom of mankind.  Thank you.'

Mary Morgan-Colt followed her friend and gave a similar account.  Anna Stephonova stepped forward, she wanted to be counted amongst the first, and also she had something she wanted to share with her new American and English friends.  She started with the pledge.

'I am Anna Stephonova, my husband is Gregori Stephonovich Ivanskiy.  He is General in Russian Army.  He too, like my friends, has the Alien Bodyguards.  He took order to have the bodyguards and so, he decided that if General Staff feel his life in danger then he should have more protection.  Now he has his own troops guarding him and the aliens.  The General Staff do not like this, but what can they say?  He could not extend this to me though.  So I, like some of you, have the alien bodyguards outside now too.  I am prisoner in my own life.  My husband cannot act with my life in the hands of aliens.  He too is therefore prisoner.  I, we, pledge our lives to being free.'

Anna sat back down, a small tear of fear and frustration streaking her mascara down her left cheek.  Elizabeth held out a hand and gently squeezed Anna's, she passed her a tissue and whispered to her. 

'We will be free my friend, we will.'

The group were seated in an arc; Elizabeth, Mary, and Anna on the outside, William's sister Tiffany was seated next to Anna and felt that she had to go next.  She felt unprepared and out of her depth, however the actress in her rose to the occasion.  She took the pledge and then introduced herself.

'Hi, my name is Tiffany.  I'm not really sure why I am here, only my brother, William insisted I come.  William is Jayanti's aide.'

Jay stepped forward, interrupting Tiffany.

'I asked William to invite Tiffany.  She will be your contact with me through William.  If that's alright Tiffany?'

             
'Yes.  Yes of course.'  Tiffany brightened, 'I'm an actress you see.'  Her confidence ebbed away, conscious that there were women of import in the room.

'Well I will do my best by you all.  Thank you Jayanti for your confidence in me.  I won't let you down.'

As Tiffany sat down, Severine seated next to her took the floor.

'I'm Severine Pascal.  I was a soldier in the French Army.  I have served my country many times, undertaking special operations.  I....'  She faltered, she wanted to be honest with this group, felt that it was the right thing to do, but. 
They asked me to come here, they must know of this group and trust them.  Besides if it were an issue then they would have told me not to reveal their existence,
she reasoned to herself. 

'I have since been recruited by the soixant-dix neurf, the seventy nine, it was at their request that I attend.  I now see that I was right to accept their offer.  That I am in the service of a higher cause.  I willingly offer my life to the cause of freedom.'

'What are the seventy nine?'  Tiffany piped up, not wanting to be left out.

Again, it was Jayanti who interjected.

'I think it is best that I explain.  I was contacted, before the arrival of the Sunarr, by an organisation called Group Seventy Nine.  They told me of the impending arrival of the Sunarr and that they could not be trusted.  They have proved correct in everything they have told me, I believe that they, like us, are working for the good of mankind.  I have placed my trust in them.  I can only ask that you do the same.'

There was some murmuring at this, however as Anne-Marie approached the front of the group it died down, allowing her to speak.  She too gave the pledge.

'I am Anne-Marie Courtine.  I have not had the best of lives, but I have always valued my freedom.  Freedom to roam, freedom to think and say what I want, freedom to be happy.  I came here with my friend Severine.  I came because she wanted me to and because I was invited.  However, I see that the fates have given me the opportunity to do something meaningful with my life.  I will make a stand for humanity, for France and for Freedom.  This I swear.'

Sameena was up next.  She looked at her mother, Jay standing to the side.  Jay couldn't start to imagine what she was making of all this.  She held her breath, waiting for her daughter to speak.

Sameena, her eyes cast down, took a deep breath and recited the pledge.