As the Light Dies Read Free Page A

and second guessing, trying to find out what it is there all here for . ”
    “ Le t’ s just hope our Prime Minister has n’ t given too much away ,” said Sven.
    “ He wo n’ t ,” said Lars .“ He does n’ t really know much more than the rest of them, other than how much our government have funded us . ”
    God knows what h e’ s going to make of it all! Or any of them for that matter !” surmised Sven.
    “ The y’ ll be blown away ,” said Lars.
    “ I hope so ,” said Sven .“ I really do ! ”
    The lift reached the bottom and the men stepped out on to the main dock.
    Directly across from the men stood two security guards in dark navy thermals holding semi-automatic rifles either side of the entrance to the conference room. Both guards acknowledged the men with a nod which was returned.
    The conference room was an unremarkable white rectangle block on the outside but it was very much the opposite on the inside having been fitted out to the same high standards that its current occupants had come to expect from the most prestige of hotels. To the right it was a dead end. On the left was a short corridor with a tall steel mesh gate guarded by another two members of security, one on either side. Beyond the gate everything opened up to form the enormous main entry hangar where all the goods came in from the surface.
    All that was visible through the gate were the enormous roller shutter doors built directly into the mountains bedrock. Across the enormous floor, opposite the gate the front part of an observation office could be seen with low walls and tall windows for viewing the intake or dispatch of materials from or to the surface, that came and went by way of a well secluded permanently manned entrance on the north side of Gian t’ s Throne where supposedly there were no roads.
    The only other feature that could be seen, and it was a feature, was the large domed ceiling that loomed high and cavernous overhead carved right in to the core of the mountains bedrock.
    Lars could hear friendly chatter coming from inside the conference room; at least he hoped it was friendly!
    “ Has anyone been out bugging you guys, fishing for info ?” Lars asked the security guards.
    “ No sir ,” answered one of the guar d’ s shaking his head.
    Sven said ,“ Ther e’ s another three guards inside the conference room, the y’ re probably taking all the flack ! ”
    “Another three inside! ” Lars queried.
    “ It helps make them feel safe Lars, helps keep their anxiety levels down, keep em calm you know, especially after coming down in here for the first time without a clue as to wha t’ s going on ! ”
    “ Well whatever you say Sven but it sounds like overkill to me ,” said Lars .“ The y’ ll think the y’ re being kidnapped ! ”
    Sven let out a sigh and shook his head without saying a word, as Lars took a deep breath and cleared his throat. He winked at Sven with a nod and then he entered the conference room.
    The chatter died instantly!
    “ Hello everyone ,” Lars called in to the packed room as the group turned to face him.
    They all wore dark formal dress reminding Lars too much of his fathe r’ s funeral still not even a month ago.
    Dad should be her e , he thought . Mum and Dad .
    He struggled to push the thought away and almost thought he was going to lose this fight with his emotions until he spotted the Norwegian Prime Minister stood beside the defence Minister for Norway and the Deputy Prime Ministers for Sweden and Finland. This anchored Lars reminding him all too well how important today was. He could cry later if he wanted. He knew he would.
    Searching the sea of faces Lars recognised world-renowned atomic engineer Andrew Lincoln from the USA who stood beside leading British particle physicist David Smith who had flown in from Cern and a little further along were husband and wife ecologists tag team Philippe and Sarah Sanchez who had flown in from Brazil where they were both helping to