Chapter 3
Bob Bukewitz had left the meeting confident that Lanegan was becoming increasingly desperate. The secret meeting defied convention and political etiquette and Bukewitz took it personally. His non-inclusion only fuelled his confidence that he was the only person capable of leading the nation out of its present situation; capable of making the important decisions that Lanegan could not.
Bukewitz had spent a considerable amount of time planning the evacuation sites and was meticulous in the details. Food, water and shelter were priorities. For Bukewitz it was a simple matter of survival. But his plans had grown and evolved. The military were at his disposal and didn’t often question his orders – they were professional and they respected rank. Bukewitz could sense an opportunity after talking with Lanegan and decided to act whilst attentions were elsewhere. A call to the evacuation sites put a new phase of his plans in to action. All he needed was a change in policy or for the Prime Minister to lose the confidence of the party.
The morning drifted into afternoon without anyone noticing. Jacob's theory was thought-provoking and certainly confounded those present. It was difficult to accept and it was accused of being ludicrous, unscientific and incomprehensible. Jacob was certain the theory would not be accepted by the Cabinet if this was the reaction from non-politicians. He imagined the smirk on Bukewitz’s face as the idea was being presented. He could also imagine the look of disgust that would surely follow, aimed at himself.
Lanegan's next words, however, reassured Jacob.
"I understand the response to Jacob's theory,” said Lanegan. “I personally would never have considered something like this. I tend to see things more black and white. But, I think we should accept it as a possibility – that is my gut instinct, which I hope is not a sign of desperation. This, of course, doesn't mean it to be true. I will need strong evidence to be fully convinced that we should act on it. We are limited in what we can do in terms of testing theories, but this one can probably be crudely tested with little fuss or cost so I see no harm in giving it a shot. We need to act on as many ideas as possible, and more importantly be seen to be doing all we can."
"Prime Minister," interrupted Tony Hendrix. "The human race has survived very well without the elements Jacob speaks of for a very long time. I cannot believe you have taken any of this seriously, it is utterly preposterous."
"Your objection is noted Tony, however, neither you nor anyone else has given me alternatives, so …"
"It can be demonstrated that as a species we do evolve Prime Minister," said Isabelle Franklin. "What I mean by evolve is not the physical evolution from one species to another, of course. I mean that we evolve as a society, culturally and morally. We have constantly attempted to make our world better by introducing new ideas; some have worked, others haven’t. But as a species we adapt to change very quickly and can condition ourselves to live in various ways. But there is much about us that we cannot fully explain, such as how great cultural shifts or a prolonged period of no change affects us. Sometimes we make a conscious decision to act and sometimes we act without thinking. What Jacob said seemed at once both mind-blazingly impossible, and perhaps revolutionary in the way we understand how we might evolve. It might be possible for a cultural shift such as this to affect our behaviour which is beyond our control – in a most extreme way. I don’t think many people believe we live in an oppressive society, but it’s possible we do."
This last comment made Lanegan uncomfortable. This type of language was not common, especially in the presence of the Prime Minister. It was noticeable to everyone that Isabelle had over-stepped the usual boundaries of accepted behaviour, but Lanegan had made it clear that all ideas would be tolerated.
"Do we have any examples of this type of event happening before?" asked Lanegan hopefully.
"I don’t know of anything specifically. But, if we look at our historical records, maybe we can gain a good knowledge of many of the major events of the 20th and 21st centuries that led to the crash. We may be able to see things that could support this theory. With access to the government’s records, we could trace our modern history with great accuracy and possibly find some trends and signs that things were going wrong without anyone noticing.”
Isabelle’s support was most welcome to Jacob.
“Okay,” said Lanegan.
“Prime Minister, may I say something?” asked Jacob.
“Yes,” he replied.
“In the texts I have seen, it explains how as a species we have often claimed that certain things have metaphysical properties; they can seem to be transcendental and mystical. I’m not sure about the specific things that are mentioned but I know they are referring to what was called the arts and religion. Apparently they can take us to places that are otherworldly and this is why it is considered dangerous. It may be possible that it has become, or always was, beyond human comprehension, in terms of the power it has over us. Whether it is the direct cause or not, I can’t possibly know. But it certainly sounds powerful if nothing else. After reading this material I felt something that I have never felt before. It was an awakening of my senses that I cannot possibly explain and it made me feel good. It was as though these feelings were trapped within me, waiting to be freed. And if they exist in me then surely they exist in everyone."
“It does Jacob and is the reason it was stopped. It is also why I would be extremely reluctant just to release it back into the world.”
Lanegan was still unsure what Jacob’s theory was leading to. He was confused about what exactly the theory was asking him to do and what the desired results would be. The rational part of him said that to argue in favour of the theory was a non-starter. But he could also see through the madness of it. In some form, he understood why Isabelle was defending the idea. Those who had access to the literature of the past knew exactly what she and Jacob was referring to. Lanegan was familiar with the power that these things had over people. He had seen footage and read books that explained the obsessive behaviour and devotion that could be caused by these activities. It was difficult to imagine feeling this way about something he had never experienced, but Lanegan was aware that these suppressed feelings were still present, even if they had no reason to be released.
Before he realised he was doing it, Lanegan found himself beginning to form an argument in his mind for the Cabinet meeting in the morning. He had stumbled upon an unlikely pairing in Jacob and Isabelle and knew only they could put the case forward with the sincerity required. All he needed to know now was whether his right-hand man and oldest ally would support an idea that could be political suicide for both of them.
"This seems like a good time to conclude for now," said Lanegan.
He jumped to his feet.
"I would appreciate it if all of you would stay in the locations you have been shown, for your own safety. I would like Jacob, Isabelle and Stephanie to remain here. I'll be back shortly; you three take some time to get to know each other. Ken, my office please. "
As the two old friends walked into his temporary office, Lanegan closed the door. He immediately wished he was back at Downing Street in familiar surroundings. The comfort of knowing Jenny would be able to locate anything he needed was a luxury they no longer had. The office was full of the necessary: a computer and a telephone; paper and pens. Lanegan, was now after a not so necessary item.
"Jenny," Lanegan shouted. "Did any of the …"
"In the bottom cupboard by the window," Jenny replied before he had a chance to finish.
"How does she do that?" Lanegan said, finding the whiskey in the cupboard where Jenny had said.
"Are we celebrating, Tom?" asked Ken.
"Not at all old friend. I'm not a big drinker as you know, especially not at this time of the day. But some occasions call for it. You know very well that there are three occasions that convince me to reach for the whiskey decanter. When I have reached the end of a very long and eventful day, when I h
ave had to make a difficult decision that has tested my ethical and moral principles, or when I know it is the end of the road and have had to accept defeat. I personally believe we are still at the beginning of all of this and as of this moment I believe the decisions we have made have been correct. The future might produce harder tests and maybe those moments are approaching. As far as reaching the end of the road, I believe mankind has the resolve to conquer almost any obstacle that is presented to us. So this drink is the exception. Maybe it represents taking a chance. You have seen the same things that I have, the things Jacob is talking about. In the footage they caused a reaction that has no parallel in the present. It is shocking to see that sort of reaction and I believe the decision to prevent it was correct. But if we are somehow hard-wired to need some sort of release of energy through being a part of something, or creating something then who knows what the consequences of taking them away are. There is a strong chance that Jacob is wrong and there is a strong chance that another nation has different and better answers. If Jacob is wrong I hope they have. I can't explain why, but I see something in that young man and his idea; his sight isn’t blinded by a lifetime of politics and he speaks from his heart. Worryingly, he seems to have that passion and energy inside him that we are all so concerned about. It is as though he has only just found the courage to release a small amount of it. Maybe that's why I have considered his theory. You must tell me Ken, if you think I'm not seeing clearly on this one. Am I putting my own hopes on that young man and an improbable idea? Or can we really roll with this in front of the world and risk everything? I suppose what I am asking is: are you with me on this? Because if we can produce something tangible, I'm going to push it forward."
Ken looked Lanegan in the eye.
"Tom, I have believed in you from the beginning of our political journey and pledged to stand by you because you use your heart as well as your head. We are men of conviction and I believe we have always stood up for what we considered right, despite having to make difficult decisions that the general public could not understand. I just don’t see this as an option, but I understand why you have decided to act on it. I suspect it is because of a lack of options. But I will be with you and back up the theory if we find some evidence."
“That is good to hear.”
“Did you have something in mind that might provide some evidence?” asked Ken.
“I have one idea, yes. We need to demonstrate that the things Jacob has talked about might be causing the actions of the rioters. We have detainees who can be tested. And we have the archives and their contents. I think we should use some of the contents on a selection of detainees and see if there is a reaction.”
“The archives are not public knowledge, Tom. Are you prepared to reveal them?”
“If we are right, then that won’t matter. It will of course involve a lot of explaining, but that is a small problem. If we are wrong, then I believe we can keep it quiet, if we choose to. We only need a few people to be involved in this and I hope they will respect the need for secrecy.”
“Who do you have in mind?”
“Stephanie Jones and a security unit. That’s it. She has experience with the detainees and I believe she is trustworthy.”
“I agree.”
Ken stood and walked across the room, clearly in thought. Lanegan knew Ken as well as himself. He had seen this look before many times and knew it was best to leave him to think. After a moment, Ken spoke.
“If we are to do this, we have to tell Wilfred.”
“I was hoping to keep this information between a minimum number of people, for the time being. He has been retired some time now and the archives are no longer his responsibility,” replied Lanegan.
“The archives were his to manage for most of his life, Tom. He has a direct interest in its contents and what happens to their contents. Also, we will almost certainly need his help if we need to use its contents in the future. Something he might be reluctant to offer if he finds out we used some of the items without informing him. I don’t see how we can possibly keep him out of this.”
“You’re right. I will contact him today and let him know of our intentions.”
“I’ll start organising the transport and access to the detainees.”
"Okay then, let the real work begin. Cheers old friend. You do know there is a distinct possibility tomorrow may be our last Cabinet meeting; we could be laughed out of Westminster for this one,” said Lanegan.
“If all fails, we may not have a nation to run anyway,” replied Ken.
Ken began to manage the mission while Lanegan joined Isabelle, Jacob and Stephanie back in the conference room, energised by what he considered a small amount of progress.
“Are you prepared for this meeting?” he asked. “You know how the party works, new ideas are generally met with great concern, especially when they come from people outside of government, it is just not how things are done.”
They all nodded nervously.
“Okay then. Let’s go through a few details.”
The rest of the day they were instructed on what their roles would be in the meeting the following day. This intense briefing involved a detailed account of the characteristics of each member of the party and their likely allegiances. It was agreed that the Prime Minister would be the person to directly interact to protect Jacob from the inevitable rejection he would face from the likes of Bukewitz.
Stephanie Jones was given the unenviable task of looking for evidence to prove the theory had some merit. She would first need to obtain rare equipment for this to be possible, which meant travelling through the city. Risks were now being considered that Lanegan felt uncomfortable with. He put safety above all else and was still very unsure about Jacob’s theory. On balance however, he believed it was worth trying.
The next morning Jacob, Stephanie and Isabelle met Ken and made their way to Lanegan’s office.
"I have organised a security detail to accompany Miss Jones to Broadcasting House,” said Ken. “Although it appears unlikely that an attack on her person will occur, we cannot rule it out."
“Thanks, Ken. I spoke to Wilfred who was very supportive,” said Lanegan. “Also, I would like to gauge the response of Toby as quickly as possible and get him onside if he’s willing to hear us out. Culture is his area and he will be important if we are to achieve anything in relation to Jacob’s theory.”
“I’ll assess his response,” replied Ken.
Lanegan turned to Stephanie.
“Miss Jones, I am about to tell you something that not very many people are aware of. The British government is still in the possession of many artefacts that are thought to be lost to history forever. There are powerful people who have made sure this happened and that they are kept safe. You will have to go to where they are kept if you are to achieve what I ask of you. This must not become public knowledge for now - maybe in time, but not now.”
“I understand,” Stephanie replied. “What sort of things will I find?” she asked.
“I won’t go into detail here, but Ken will brief you on what you need before you leave.”
Stephanie was confused and curious. She had expected to attend the meeting and then to be evacuated with everyone else. In the blink of an eye, she was now involved in secret tasks to find hidden artefacts. Lanegan noticed a slight worry appear in her face.
"Are you clear on what I have said to you, Stephanie?" he asked carefully. "Ken has informed the security agencies that are holding the prisoners you are on your way. There is no word from Broadcasting House security, so we suspect it has been a target. I have to ask if you are comfortable with this. Where you are going is technically a no-go zone for the public. Everyone who is not rioting should have been evacuated by now so it will be you and your security detail alone."
"I'm fine, really. I want to help and even if ultimately we achieve nothing, at least we tried."
"Thank you, Stephanie. Don't risk yourself unnecessarily and if you f
ind nothing suitable, just return safely."
"Yes, absolutely. How long do you think I have?" she asked.
"We have the whole day as far as I'm concerned - so don't worry. If it doesn't work then maybe we’re barking up the wrong tree anyway. You'll be fine, stick to the plan and good luck.”
Lanegan turned to Jacob and Isabelle.
“Are you two ready?" he asked.
They nodded back. Jacob and Isabelle both looked nervous, but kept eye contact and smiled reassuringly.
Lanegan knew he needn't say anymore and with a nod to Jacob, he turned and walked towards his hardest sell yet in politics.