As the Light Dies Read Free Page B

sustainably grow, produce and refine crops for bio fuel alongside food crops. Beside them stood Iain Gilmore one of the best oceanologists in the world.
    Many other faces loomed in the crowd and slowly Lars put names to them as his nerves calmed down. He was extremely pleased that these people had come , amaze d even!
    These were people with great minds that understood the planet and fought for it!
    With everyon e’ s attention now on him he took a second to compose himself, he was n’ t used to speaking to large groups, and right now he felt vastly inexperienced. He cleared his throat and started .“I’ m Lars Aronstein the co- designer and engineer of this place ,” he made a gesture with both hands waving them in a semi circle over his head .“ I believe my co- partner Sven has already made himself known to you all in my brief absence which I apologise for. I hope i t’ s allowed you all time to become acquainted with each other .” There were some murmuring among the group and Lars could n’ t tell if they were good or bad.
    “ Now ,” he said ignoring his negative feelings stepping backwards through the door .“ If yo u’ ll please follow me and Sven, w e’ ll make our way down to where all the hard work goes on, where we make the magic !” Lars smiled letting out a nervous chuckle as everyone poured out of the conference room following him. He continued ,“I’ ll explain as best I can what it is we have accomplished here at Project Tree Cycle as we make our descent . ”
    Lars spun around joining Sven, and the two men led the group along the short corridor, through the previously locked gate and out in to the cavernous main docking hangar.
    More murmurs arose from the group as they entered the hangar. The ceiling over a hundred feet up was well lit showing off millions upon millions of angles and grooves of the bare rock, under the ceiling was a lattice work of steel beams that supported multiple interior cranes and hoists that hung freely in the empty hangar. Opposite the group on the far side the observation office stretched deep in to the hangar made up mostly of glass from its tall windows, where it ended it butted up against a forklift truck parking and charging bay. Beyond that for another two hundred feet or so the hangar floor was a mass of black and yellow stripes crisscrossing the floor before the hangar floor ended where it met the back wall that swung down from the curved ceiling high above.
    “ This is the main docking area ,” Lars called back to everyone. He was walking fast eager to move things along with excitement coursing through his veins.
    “ Everything that comes in or goes out, comes through here . ”
    “ What the hel l d o you bring in and out ?” came a voice through the group.
    “I’ ll show you in a few minutes ,” said Lars without turning around.
    More murmurs rose up!
    As they reached the black and yellow lattice work of stripes some of the more observant members noticed that they had left the smooth concrete floor and were now on chequered plating and there was a barrier all the way around its outer edge running along the back wall.
    The Norwegian Defence Minister was the first to wander over to the brightly painted barrier.
    Air whistled through his teeth as he took in a sharp breath .“ What the hell !” he said alerting everyone, and they all hurried over towards him, curious to see what was up.
    Gasps followed as the curious observers were treated to a narrow view that dropped six hundred metres below their feet! The shocked gasps and murmurs sped up the stragglers at the back.
    “ How far down is it ?” someone asked without looking up from the view.
    “ I t’ s not far off two thousand feet ,” replied Sven.
    “ Holy shit !” said someone, and someone else whistled and said ,“ Shit tha t’ s deep ! ”
    “Too deep!” came another reply.
    “ As you can see ,” said Lars .“ The walls do n’ t meet the edges. W e’ re on the main loading