‘Thank you,’ said Keon. ‘We’re refugees from a party that started seven hours before portal lockdown and is now totally out of control. Two hundred and seventy University Earth medical students, all going wild trying out the things that were forbidden when they were living in a Next Step. I thought it best to quietly leave.’
Playdon looked at the way he was holding up a sagging Issette, and nodded. ‘Very sensible.’
A lookup chimed, and a wail from Krath attracted the attention of everyone in the area. ‘I don’t believe this!’
‘Something wrong, Krath?’ Playdon sounded amused.
‘It’s my nardle dad. He’s just mailed me with some stupid story about the Military sending us into Ark because Earth is being attacked by aliens. He really is …’
I missed what Krath said after that, because a chorus of other lookups chimed around the hall. The vid feed from Earth Rolling News appeared on the wall, showing a fancy dress party, but someone instantly changed channel. A scrolling banner told me we were now watching Gamma Sector News.
‘So far there is no comment from the Military about the truth of the allegations, or the authenticity of the vid sequences showing the alien craft. Given the academic record of …’
It was a man speaking, but you couldn’t see him. The whole screen was taken up with a familiar vid sequence of an alien sphere approaching Earth.
29
Everyone in the hall was staring at the picture of the alien sphere. I saw Issette’s face slowly change from confusion to terror, and imagined this scene being duplicated all through Ark. Drunk and powered people at parties, looking at these pictures, laughing at first and then starting to panic. Someone had talked. If it was one of my History team, I would personally murder them.
Fian whispered into my ear. ‘Will they deny it?’
I gave a gesture of ignorance and despair.
The vid sequence ended, and was replaced by an image of a face. I stared at it for a second, before turning to look at Fian.
‘Gaius nuking Devon,’ he muttered. ‘Well, of course …’
A news presenter was speaking. ‘Eminent portal physicist Gaius Devon stated he was forced to break his oath of secrecy due to the criminal negligence of the Military in not destroying the alien sphere. It was, he said, his duty to risk arrest to warn the public. The sphere has completely unknown capabilities, and poses a threat not just to Earth but to sector planets.’
He paused. ‘Professor Gaius Devon holds the Wallam-Crane Portal Physics Chair at University Alcestis, which is still declining to make any comment.’
‘I bet they are,’ said Playdon.
Someone changed the vid channel back to Earth Rolling News. They’d left the party and were back with a presenter at their Ark centre. Her shocked face was a dramatic contrast to her frivolous party dress.
‘… stay with Earth Rolling News for a statement from Colonel Riak Torrek, commanding officer of the Alien Contact programme. Stay with Earth Rolling News for …’
I ignored the repeat of her words, and pulled a face at Fian. The Military had admitted Alien Contact was active, which meant they were going public. Where did that leave us? Should we still hide our Military ranks or …?
Lookups were still chiming around me. I realized I’d left mine on mute after Keon’s call, and checked it. A dozen personal mails had just arrived, probably telling me to watch the newzies, and there was a mail forwarded from my Military lookup. I scanned it rapidly. This was a general bulletin to all Military personnel, warning them the Alien Contact programme was active and they should be prepared to reassure concerned civilians. Colonel Torrek’s statement would be going out not only on Earth Rolling News but as emergency override on every vid channel in every sector.
Krath was glaring at his lookup, cursing fluently. ‘I can’t believe my nuking dad was actually right about the nuking aliens.’
Amalie hit him. ‘Don’t be a nardle. Your dad just saw it on the Gamma sector newzies like everyone else.’
‘Krath,’ said Playdon. ‘You’ve got sixty seconds to stop swearing, or you get warnings under the Gamman moral code.’
‘But it’s nuking aliens!’
Amalie hit him again.
‘Krath, you’ve got fifty-five seconds,’ said Playdon.
The hugely magnified face of Colonel Torrek appeared on the wall, and everyone went abruptly quiet as he began to speak.
‘I’m Colonel Riak Torrek, commanding officer of the Alien Contact programme. I regret that Professor Gaius Devon chose to make a premature, ill-informed, and alarmist announcement on the presence of an automated alien probe in Sol system.’