The Zul Enigma (48 page)

She smiled. ‘So I
started to meditate… and I’ve been doing it ever since. That’s how I broke up
with Morrison. My unconscious mind became unlocked and I found a strength… a
truth deep within me… something I could trust… and I began to change. One day I
woke up and the veil had dropped from my eyes. I realised that although at
times he could be funny, and very romantic when he wanted, he actually was
nothing more than an angry, lying, insecure little man with an inferiority
complex and a filthy temper. I realised that was not the kind of person I
wanted to share my life with. Finally the spell was broken.

‘I was on tenterhooks
till I moved out, though. You see I didn’t want to run away in the middle of
the night… I wanted to talk to him about it… explain what had happened. Well,
that was a joke. He didn’t want to know. He just said “do whatever you want”.
He didn’t even look up from reading the paper. The last days were
nerve-racking. I was just waiting for him to explode and attack me. But I kept
it together… and so did he.

‘He couldn’t bring
himself to say goodbye though. The morning I moved out he’d already left. So I
wrote him a note and left my keys on the kitchen table.’

‘Have you seen him
since?’

‘No. But I called when I
got back from Budapest to tell him some things I wanted to say. Since then I
feel it’s properly ended.’ She covered her face with her hands. ‘Finally the
nightmare’s over.’

CHAPTER 10

‘So I’m in New York all day Monday?’ the President asked.

‘Yes sir,’ Anita settled
on the couch in the Oval Office and rested her clasped hands in her lap, ‘you
fly out Sunday afternoon for the pre-launch dinner hosted by the
Secretary-General for the heads of state and religious leaders that night, and
return on Tuesday.’

‘It’ll be quite some
affair, huh?’

‘Even one of the Princes
of England will be there. I must say Dr Maiz has pulled off an impressive
initiative in a very short space of time. The whole world’s been saturated with
doom and gloom for too long, it’s ripe for something positive. People are fed
up hearing about the never-ending recession, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Israel,
Al-Qaida, the oil crisis, climate change, swine flu, natural disasters, yet
another Russian threat… this new initiative is inspirational. Everyone thinks
they’re having a hand in creating a better future for themselves.’

Bob grunted and crossed
his long legs at the ankles.

‘And just look at the
backing it’s getting,’ she continued. ‘The media’s made a complete turn around.
After condemning the UN for being so,’ she made quotation marks with curled
fingers in the air, ‘“ridiculously naïve” at the outset, they now realise the
public
is
interested in hearing a positive message for a change. Now
they can’t praise the UN enough.’

‘Yeah… well we know how
unpredictable the general public can be,’ Bob said, still smarting from the
lambasting the press had given him over NASA.

‘So far the media’s
still full of it,’ Anita replied. ‘They’re lapping it up like fat cats lap up
cream. The main thing is, it helps us.’

‘You made the right call
at the end of March. Back then I’d never’ve believed how big this thing would
get. And we’d’ve looked like complete morons if we’d been dead set against it
from the start.’

‘It’ll die a death in a
few months,’ Anita said. ‘Initiatives like this always do.’

‘The main thing is with
the launch in New York taking the limelight, people won’t be looking at what
we’re doing back here in DC. Not next week. Slipping the legislation through
while the focus of the world is on the UN is the only way we’ll get those cuts
approved.’

‘I just hope it doesn’t
backfire on us.’

‘Don’t worry Anita. It’s
time we started shutting NASA’s activities down. That white elephant’s been
blowing money on useless research like it’s going out of fashion. And as for
the International Space Station? We’re tied in so tight with the Russians and the
rest of them, it’s unhealthy. We need to be strengthening our autonomy, not
reducing it. This’ll be our first step.’

‘We’re facing less
opposition from OOSA since Maiz left.’

‘Yeah. That worked in
our favour. So… what have you got?’

‘I’ve been working on
the Press Campaign with Tony,’ Tony Wilson was the White House Press Secretary.
‘He’s come up with a schedule to trickle feed press releases, editorials, ads
and infomercials out to the private and public domains, starting next week to
prepare the public. We want to reassure people so they won’t be alarmed,
mistakenly thinking we’re calling a halt to investment in space projects
altogether since this, unequivocally, is not the case.

‘The message we want to
get across is that rather than
reducing
our space technology budget, we
will
redirect
it through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
Also that there are still some crucial programmes we’ll continue to fund
through NASA.’

Bob nodded.

‘We describe DARPA’s
structure: how it only has a handful of technical professionals, allowing it to
function with minimum management levels facilitating rapid decision-making; how
it works on project-based assignments only; and how it neither owns nor
operates any bases or laboratories but out-sources all it’s support facilities
and personnel. We highlight that the agency’s lean structure allows it to get
things done quickly and as overheads are kept to a minimum, ensures every
project is completed in the most cost-effective manner possible.’

‘Unlike that blood-sucking
monolith NASA.’

She nodded. ‘Yes, sir.
That is the inference we mean to draw. We also explain that DARPA will
sub-contract NASA to collaborate on some aspects of future projects.’

‘I see,’ Bob shifted his
weight again and leaned forward, elbows on the arm rests of his chair. ‘I like
it Anita. That should placate the NASA supporters.’

‘We also highlight
DARPA’s key mission, which is to focus far into the future on radical
innovation and major change, rather than frittering away large sums of money on
near-term incremental needs that frequently become redundant before the
benefits they yield outweigh the number of dollars invested.’

‘Precisely what we need
to be doing.’

‘And finally,’ she
added, picking up her notebook from where she’d placed it beside her on the
couch, ‘we mention that DARPA is not restricted by the standard civil service
process, so it can directly hire eclectic, world-class performers with
expediency.’

‘But you’re not
completely sold on this, are you?’ Bob said, rubbing the bridge of his nose
with his thumb and forefinger.

She dropped her head,
‘No, sir.’

‘Why?’

‘DARPA has many critics.
Some believe they’re a bunch of maverick scientists who could unleash who knows
what chaos on the world, considering the way they’re able to operate pretty
much unchecked.’

‘That’s an extreme view,
Anita.’

‘And a common one, sir.
And a justifiable one, considering DARPA’s structure. The checks and balances
just aren’t in place.’

‘Which is precisely why
it can work the way it does.’

‘I know, but I believe
it would be wiser to hold back for a few months while we work on DARPA’s image
– have them present a friendlier, more trust-invoking face, while we
incorporate tighter control over the projects we’re approving.’

Bob shook his head. ‘We
can’t afford to wait. Just like you said, with the current atmosphere of love
and peace and tolerance, it’s the ideal time to make this move. In a coupla
months, when the consciousness initiative has become old news – because
the UN can’t keep this level of momentum going forever – that’s when the
backlash of suspicion and fear will take hold again and by then our policy to
protect Americans and keep them safe will be exactly what the voters are
looking for.’

‘I just hope you’re
right, sir,’ she said.

‘I know I am. If we’re
to keep our nation safe in the future, we have to redirect US focus from
control of space to ownership of space and DARPA’s how we get there. The only
way our nation can remain invincible is to integrate space into our combat
strategies all over the globe and now Dr Maiz is no longer heading OOSA
tracking the peaceful use of outer space like a pit bull, that job’s become a
helluva sight easier.’

***

At the UN office in New York, Carlos finished updating Greg on the status of
the campaign launch.

‘I must say Carlos,
you’ve performed miracles in such a short space of time,’ and Greg raised his
brows in admiration. ‘It’s impressive. Very impressive.’

‘Not just me Greg
– it’s the whole team. They've been working day and night.’

‘And you already
initiated your people in a meditation practice?’

Carlos nodded, grinning.
‘Of course. First thing I did. I had to prove to them it really worked,’ he
laughed.

‘And does it?’

‘
¡Mucho!
We all
felt the benefits of group meditation sessions twice a day after the first
week. It’s inspiring. It’s hard to say in words but it gives you big
confidence, big energy for everything you do.’

Greg looked down at his
hands. ‘I really must start. I feel terrible I haven’t got round to it yet.’

Carlos smiled. ‘You
must,’ he said. ‘You’ll be surprised.’

‘I like the idea of you
leading a group meditation session before dinner on Sunday, Carlos. We’ll make
that a ritual when we open our Sessions in future.’

‘It’ll be a fantastic
photo op. We can film different dignitaries meditating and include it in our
telecast on Monday. We need to get the whole world energised and in the right
head space.’

‘And still no more word
from Zul?’

‘Nothing. The tracking
equipment’s been set up for months, but there’s been no further contact. How
are you getting on with the clean-up issue?’

‘Very well. And if it
does pan out the way you think it will, although I still don’t believe it for a
moment, there would also be a huge issue regarding the assets of the dead.’

‘I’d never thought about
that.’

‘So I’m recommending that
each country encourages their citizens to make wills and devises special
legislation that can be put in place in case of such an emergency.’

***

‘Drew! This place is fantastic,’ Erika said over her shoulder. A bellhop was
showing them round a penthouse loft at the Soho Grand Hotel in New York. ‘Come
here. We’ve got a balcony. Just look at that view.’

Drew strolled over, put
his arm round her and pulled her close to his chest. ‘I’m glad you like it,
‘cos it’s costing me an absolute fortune.’

‘Flying first class
– and now this,’ she turned towards him. ‘You shouldn’t have, you really
shouldn’t.’

‘Thank NASA. What better
way to blow the redundancy package.’

She laughed. ‘Even so
– it’s very extravagant.’

‘You can’t take it with
you. That’s what my dad always used to say.’

‘There’s even a
fireplace…’

‘Like we’re going to
need
that
at the end of June.’

‘And this living room’s
massive.’

Drew tipped the bellhop
and closed the door. He walked into the bedroom behind Erika where she was
unlocking the suitcase. He put his hands on her hips. ‘Leave that for a
moment,’ he said. He ran his hand up her leg, inside her skirt. She moaned and
pushed back against him.

‘What about the
champagne toast?’ she murmured. ‘It’ll go soggy.’

He tugged at her ear
lobe with his teeth. ‘That’s not the only thing…’

***

After taking a nap, a shower and dressing for dinner, Drew and Erika went
downstairs. The Yard, the hotel’s outdoor bar, was crowded, not only with hotel
guests but with non-residents too, who were allowed in after four in the
afternoon. Located right in the centre of the Soho district of New York, known
for its diverse artistic community, it was a hotspot for celebrities and high
rollers and on that particular mild evening, the terrace was charged with a
high-spirited festive atmosphere.

Erika and Dew were
lucky. A couple at the end of the bar was just leaving as they walked up.

‘I’ve never seen this
place so busy,’ Drew said.

‘I overheard someone
saying there isn’t a single hotel room to be had in the whole of New York.’

‘Good job I booked when
I did.’

‘And doesn’t the city
look pretty? I didn’t expect it to be decorated with all the bunting and flags
and have all those billboards and the “Welcome to NY” messages on the
electronic signboards everywhere. There’s such a happy holiday feeling.’

‘Even the Immigration
Officer was polite. That’s a first!’

‘I can’t help wondering
how my boys are, though.’

‘You’re not regretting
leaving them, are you?’

‘No. Of course not. Just
feeling a bit guilty. I’ve never done it before.’ She dropped her head and her
choppy cut white blonde hair flopped over her face.