Timecrunch

CHAPTER 1 Time Bubbled Gerry gazes lazily at the sea of faces around him. The delegates are literally from the four corners of the world, gathering in the Great Assembly Hall that houses five hundred thousand people comfortably. Every seat is occupied. The atmosphere is thick and palpable. He searches amongst the expanse of faces, what are they thinking? Every now and then he nods acknowledgement. The hall is exceptionally quiet for such a huge event with only a few people speaking in hushed tones. He reads excitement and anticipation in every frown, twitch and fidget, and hears it in every breath and sigh. It is a struggle to contain all the emotions welled up inside him, he focuses his restless eyes on the stage that is situated in the front of the majestic hall. Lenny is at the centre of the stage, sitting in a chair next to a lectern. He is the only person on the stage, with Jodi standing on the other side of the reading desk – which is a little to Lenny’s left, waiting for instructions. At the back of the stage is the gigantic media screen, built into the wall. It is as wide as the stage - except for the space taken up by the control room, which is at the edge of the stage to Lenny’s left - and reaches almost to the ceiling. In front of them, on a table – or rather, elevated about ten centimeters above it - is the object that has the power that brought this multitude of faces together. It is rather small and Gerry cannot see it clearly, he looks at the small media screen in the back of the seat in front of him and studies the object, looking for clues. Suddenly the hushed tones change into a pregnant silence that hovers overhead like a bloated bubble trying not to burst, as the elderly, but firm, grey man rises from his seat, moves to the front of the stage, seemingly not in any hurry. “The old codger is dragging out the suspense…,” Gerry thinks with a smile. A disappointing clamour bursts the nervous silence as Lenny pretends to go back to his seat. He laughs so heartily that he infects the entire assembly. Hidden microphones fill the massive space with his soft, sonorous, velvety voice. “Forgive me, friends, I could not help myself, I wish you could see your faces! The Great Assembly Hall has never been home to so much anxiety!” He waits for the laughter to end. “ My fellow assemblers, after that impromptu exordium, now to the business at hand. It is an absolute honour to be standing in front of you, on this day and on this special occasion. To all the viewers of this event, I greet you too in the name of the Council of the Wise, on whose behalf I am officiating. But let me first tell you about my friend. What do you think of Gerry? At the Council meeting where this Assembly was planned, he said to me in all seriousness, ‘Lenny, I think you should lead the Assembly because you are the oldest person alive in the whole world today, and, you know, you are the only person on your fourth set of teeth!’ Now, the age thing I can still understand, but what does my teeth have to do with the Assembly – am I supposed to bite the time capsule – or take a bite out of time itself? The bugger, but I have news for him, these old bones can still rumba the socks off a quinquagenarian like him!” He makes a quick duple step then suddenly grabs his back in a feign of agony. He has his audience in stitches. He waits for the laughter to die down. “This he said after the Science Academy informed the Council of the inscription on the metal box – which reads: Time Capsule: 2010-07-15. Needless to say he managed to persuade the Council that I should facilitate the Assembly, which, do not get my wrong, is a great honour indeed.” As he says this the inscription appears on the media screens behind the stage, at the back of each seat, around the world and wherever people are tuned in. A state of silent captivation suddenly descends on the Assembly. “Yes, I know some of you already worked it out – the box was buried 7 254 years ago! Our amazing science community struggled for an entire month to make out the rusted and eaten-away inscription that was no longer clear to the naked eye nor to any existing equipment. They had to invent a new instrument and a new chemical process for the purpose! Let us applaud their great efforts.” He continues after the clapping subsides, “Before we open the capsule, I have the privilege to introduce to you the man who found it during a construction operation – Gaston Margolis! Gaston, smile into your media screen please…” and the smiling face of a mature-looking young man, clean-shaven, with piercing, clear eyes, looms on all the screens, he grins, waves, and says, ‘Good afternoon all.’ “ Thank you, Gaston and thank you for your alertness. Now, at last, it is time to do what you have all been delegated to experience here today – let‘s open the box! Jodi will be so kind to do the honour for us? I introduce to you, Jodi, who, with Zedon - who is in the control room at the moment - represent Council Control.” Zedon comes out of the room, bows and goes back. Jodi – who looks like a stunningly beautiful woman, with long flowing black hair, slightly upward-slanted green eyes, high cheekbones and full, luscious cherry lips - walks over to the elevated box with a cheer and a clap from the audience. She bows her lithe and slender body and says, “It is my privilege,” and she flashes a broad smile with her perfect teeth.