Endless Voyage
Rise and fall of humanity
by
pradipkumar raol
&
prakash vaidya
Part - 13
USGS’s Director John Douglas was present in the emergency meeting held by the US President. And as per the instruction he had already commenced his work. They had gathered scores of data and relevant information.
Even then, he had just received a phone call from the Secretary of State who wanted more information. And looking to the type of information he needed, his work would never come to an end. Almost, half an hour of talks with him implied that he had to gather the data with its analysis within two days. Normally this exercise would take a year. The data to be collected was not of America only but of the entire world. This was an impossible task and involved hundreds of other agencies around the world, which under present circumstance may or may not able to cooperate. He had worked here for about eleven years and knew his job well, even then he felt at loss.
USGS was established in 1879. It was a scientific agency of the United States government. It did research in the science disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. Moreover, it studied natural resources and natural hazards. The head quarter was at Reston in Virginia. However, its other main offices were at Lakewood, Colorado and Menlo Park, California.
USGS had started online mapping service under ‘The National Map’ program so that the public can have quicker, easier access to information. In similar fashion USGS under various programs like ‘National Geomagnetic Program’, Astrology Research Program, ‘National Volcano Early warning System,’ gathered lot of information and carried out much useful research. Also information which could be useful to the public was made available in the form of pamphlets, post cards, video and CD/DVD under general interest publication (GIP).
At this critical juncture, USGS was about to play a major role in this crisis. Director John Douglas was busy and worried also. He was of short stature but possessed immense stamina and will power. He had initiated the task given to him at main office and at other branches. But as the reports started coming he felt hyper and nervous. According to instruction of the Secretary of State he had to prepare reports about what would happen if days and nights gradually increased their lengths and what effect will it have on respective regions. His computers had to be reprogrammed for such assumptions. The reports depicted glaring subjugation of mankind. The nature was going to ruin the world from all possible direction and by all possible means. Suddenly the call of Secretary of State startled him, ‘John, are the reports ready?’
‘Yes, I mean it will take little longer,’ he replied hesitantly. ‘Please, John, President is waiting.’ The phone went dead.
On the other side, NASA was busy with activities. President was conducting meeting after meeting to assess the situation and all possible consequences which could emerge if Rotational Speed of the earth further slowed down. His entire attention and emphasis was on rescue and disaster management in order to save maximum number of lives. In such chaotic and tensed conditions the security of nation and particularly that of NASA slackened to considerable extent. Knowing this, Nubi thought it wise to take maximum advantage of such situation of almost negligible surveillance and security. The venomous and hunter snake’s tongue started flickering in his eyes.
Nubi Ansari was bent upon destroying ‘NASA’ and ‘Pentagon.’ He thought that while both the agencies and for that matter the entire country (US) is busy dealing with this celestial event it would be easier to attack and succeed.
At the round table Nubi, Shakila, Mirza and other team member are seated. On the table there were different maps of NASA establishment. They were studying and discussing finer points: What kind of electronic surveillance is installed? Where the securities personal are located? What kind of arms, rifles, and guns they have?
They selected eleven officers on key posts in NASA who would be impersonated by his men. According to the plan they would be stealthily kidnapped in advance and replaced by his team members. These members would then carry out the final mission of damaging NASA headquarters. The entire plan was named ‘AL FATAH’.
Mirza, Shakila and Thomas were the main pawns in this game. Thomas was given the extra task of finding out location of nuclear missiles. Two teams were ready for operation ‘AL FATAH’ one team consisted of doctors who were going to fix the biological mask on Nubi’s men and the other team consisted of hardcore terrorists who would be doing the real dirty work.
All team members boarded their plane. Nubi said good bye to them and wished them best of luck. Nubi was to remain in contact with them till the last blasts. He went to his private room. He talked to his agent for some time. He felt elevated; he now smelt the smell of pray.
As expected the team found security slack at the Airport, in fact it was minimal. The members sneaked out easily. Surprisingly no one even looked at their fake passports. From there they went by car and reached to their hideout which was not far away from NASA building. At this place Nubi’s cousin Mustafa Haider was handling dubious activities in America.
‘Communication’ department was very important for “NASA” Mr. Mayo was one of the controllers in that department. Actually there were five controllers. During present times they were almost there for 24 hrs. Between them they had an understanding that at any given time at least one of them should remain present. So by turn they used to take their time off for resting and eating but that too for few hours.
By the presence of Sun it was day time but the clock said 8:30 pm. It was time for Mr. Mayo to go home and relax a bit. He was waiting for Grace to come and then he would leave, he thought. And Mr. Grace arrived; he took his charge with customary greetings. Mayo marched past a big lobby and came out of the building and straightway went to the parking lot. At the gate the guards knew him and he easily cleared the security. When he reached his house and stopped his car at the compound. He was surprised that nobody was at the door, otherwise usually his dogs, daughter and son would always be there ready to great him. First the dog would come running to him for pampering. Then they both would reach to the house door walking side by side. He would kiss his children and they all would enter the house together. This was usual practice. But today no one was seen at the door. It seemed strange nevertheless, he locked his car and went up to the door and annoyingly pressed the doorbell.
The door opened but he could not see anyone there. He stood there for two minutes and called out to his wife thinking that the dog and children might have gone somewhere. As he entered the doorway it closed behind him with a bang. He was terrified and shocked to see the scene inside the living room. Two dangerous looking men were pointing guns to his children and wife. The dog was dead, lying in a pool of blood. He was utterly horrified; he lost his power of speech
‘Do not make any move,’ the bearded man said.
‘What do you want?’
‘Nothing, just walk with us, if you do anything foolish you will have to pay a heavy price for it.’
‘What I have to do? Please, do not do anything to my family,’ Mayo, pleaded.
‘Nothing, just keep quiet and come along with us. Just move ahead.’
They all went to the car; Mayo was pushed into the front seat. At back side two of the terrorists took their seats. One more was driving the car. Mayo’s family was taken into another vehicle to some other place. They were gagged and bound. Mayo was brought to the secret hideout of Mustafa Haidar. There in a laboratory like room one fellow was seated in a slanted chair.
Before Mayo could realize the purpose of his abducting two three guys came in clinical garb (Apron) and started their work on the person seated in the chair. He was given anesthesia so he became unconscious. On his face they applied some creamy yellowish chemical, and the light was adjusted to focus directly on his face. After a while a nurse came, carrying one tray. The tray contained live biological mask in some kind of a solution.
The mask was identical with the face of Mr. Mayo whose photographs they had somehow obtained beforehand. They fitted this mask on the person in the chair, who was of course Nubi’s aide with the help of laser gun. They took fingerprints of Mayo and duplicated it on a fibrous thin film which was also fitted perfectly on the fingers of Nubi’s man. Mayo’s pupils were also duplicated similarly.
‘Well done, Dr. Well done, send this message to Nubi,’ Mirza told Shakila. Shakila just did that, ‘we have succeeded in the first step’.
‘Very good, you just go ahead with the plan.’
Mayo now understood that he is going to be used for their purpose, he asked, ‘and where is my family?’
‘Your family is safe till you cooperate, only your dog misbehaved so…we killed it, sorry but could not help; nevertheless it was a lovely dog.’
At that time Mayo’s imposter entered wearing clothes, hairstyle exactly similar to him, even his shoes were matching. He was taken aback and pointed his finger, ‘who is this man?’
‘Yes, Mr. Mayo, I mean that is new Mr. Mayo, he would replace you in NASA till our job is over,’ Mirza laughed saying this.
Mayo was very angry and understood its implication but was in a precarious situation. His family’s life was in grave danger. He stood there, his mouth gapping and saw the imposter driving his car away.
Mr. Mayo’s car entered the huge compound of NASA. He knew where to park the car. He easily passed the security gate without much delay; the imposter reached his desk.
‘Sorry, I got delayed; you know my wife is unwell.’
Someone asked, ‘what happened to your voice?’ he also turned to others and asked for their opinion for his assumption. But no one was in a mood for such talks in these hard times.
But to put the matter at rest, the imposter replied, ‘No, No I had this infection in my throat.’
‘Okay, okay,’ everybody got to their business.
Now Mayo’s imposter got relieved and waited for the phone. He was supposed to reach the gate before NASA’s commanding officer Mr. Robert’s shift is over. But first, the phone must come, so he got busy pretending to work.
And the much awaited call came.
‘Hello, yeah, it is Mayo,’ the imposter said.
‘Yeah, she is hospitalized? Oh! No! In which hospital?’
‘Okay, okay, I am coming, don’t worry’
The imposter brought on his face the expressions of great worry and concern and told his seniors, ‘Sir, if you do not mind, I have to leave just now; my wife’s condition has worsened’
‘Okay okay, and just ring me up when everything is taken care of.’
‘Thank you, sir!’ He went out, Mr. Robert should also come, and it is time for his shift to get over. However, he did not have to wait long; soon Mr. Robert appeared at the gates. Stopped his car and rolled down the window shield, and asked him, ‘why are you standing here? Where is your car Mr. Mayo?
‘My car needs repair, it does not start, and I have to reach to the hospital urgently, to see my wife.’
Robert showed his courtesy telling him that he would drop him there.
‘No, No, I have called up department’s vehicle, but I do not know when it will come, under this circumstance.’
‘Mayo, leave the formality, you have to reach in time, come on, get into the car and do not waste time.’
The imposter only wanted this and he got into the car. As they moved on Mayo pointed a revolver to Roberts’s temple and said, ‘keep quiet and turn to left. Robert got startled, but kept quiet. The terrorist took Robert to predefined venue without much trouble.
They were all there: Mirza, Shakila and Thomas to welcome them. After a while Mirza messaged Nubi about the latest facts of their mission, that controller and commanding officers of NASA have been replaced by their men.
Nubi, congratulated them and asked them to move ahead with the plan without much delay.
Now, imposter of commanding officer Robert called four officers in his chamber and said, ‘this is urgent, take my car if you want, and go to this address and call me when you reach there. I will talk to the officer there.’
The four in-charge officer reached to the given address never to come back. They were impersonated and killed.
Mirza again talked with the imposter of Robert. After that Robert called charge-officers and told them ‘see, the government wants our fuel and explosive materials to be transferred to safe places, for that the General wants our help for indicating safe locations and safety measures, so you all go there and before you leave give your charge to in-charge officers. They were also hijacked in between and in their place Nubi’s men were replaced.
Mirza again informed Nubi about the progress Nubi replied, ‘Take extreme care and shabba khair! And remind Thomas about Cuckoo.’
‘Okay.’
