Day of the Predator - Alex Scarrow [30]
‘Now that, kids … that’s what this is all about. That metal sphere contains tens of billions of dollars’ worth of investment, and quite possibly represents mankind’s energy future.’
‘That’s the reactor?’ asked Mr Whitmore.
‘Yup. That’s it, the zero-point energy test reactor.’ Kelly smiled and shook his head. ‘You know, it still amazes me that something so small, something the size of a … of a small car could, in theory, provide more than enough energy for every last person on this planet.’
Liam found his jaw sagging open, just like everyone else’s.
‘The tests we’ve run in there have so far produced really quite staggering amounts of energy out of the space-time vacuum pinholes that we’ve opened. The trick is sustaining and controlling the pinhole … and, of course, containing such huge amounts of energy.’
‘That sounds a little, like … a little dangerous,’ said the blonde girl who’d glanced back at Liam.
Mr Kelly looked at her. ‘What’s your name?’
‘Laura Whitely.’
‘Well, Laura … I guess it does sound a little dangerous. Dr Brohm, one of our leading scientists working on this, likened it to opening a very small peephole and looking on to the face of God himself.’ Mr Kelly forced a laugh at that comment. ‘A little fanciful, I think, but it gives you an idea of how much energy we’re talking about …’
Howard Goodall felt the first bead of sweat trickle down the small of his back as he discreetly eased his rucksack off his shoulder on to the floor. He slowly opened the zip just a little and sneaked his hand inside. His fingers quickly found the screw cap of his thermos flask and he gently began twisting it off.
He could see Edward Chan at the front of the small knot of students gazing in silent awe at the glistening metal container.
Howard wondered how they could all be so incredibly stupid, how mankind was happy to play dice with technology it had no way of understanding. He remembered a lecture at university. His tutor had talked about the Americans’ Manhattan project during the Second World War – their attempt to build the world’s first atom bomb. How, when they first did a test detonation in the deserts of New Mexico, the scientists hadn’t been certain whether the bomb would destroy several square miles of desert or, indeed, the entire planet. But still the reckless, silly fools went ahead and tested it anyway, played dice with mankind’s future.
Just like time travel – a technology mankind was woefully unprepared to be in possession of. He stepped forward, a little closer to Chan, his eyes darting to the heavy doorway of the chamber slowly being swung back into place.
His hand felt the tube-shaped carbon-fibre weapon. It was small, tiny, with a magazine containing six toxin-tipped projectiles. He only had to wound Chan, just get one shot on target and wound the boy – the neurotoxin would finish him in minutes.
This is it, Howard, he told himself. This is the end of time travel.
CHAPTER 18
2001, New York
‘What? Jealous?’ Maddy shook her head emphatically. ‘Jealous of Bob Version Two?’
Sal had a mischievous look on her face. ‘Just asking.’
‘Oh, come on, of course not! It’s not even human … it’s just … it’s just a clone. It’s not even a genuine copy of a human – it doesn’t have a proper human brain!’
‘But she looks very human.’
‘And so does a storefront mannequin, or a GI Joe action figure or a Barbie doll.’
Sal shrugged and grinned mischievously. ‘Liam seemed impressed.’
Maddy had noticed. His eyes had been out on stalks. ‘No different to any other boy, I guess … one thing on their minds all the time.’
Sal giggled. ‘True.’ She spun in the office chair beside the computer desk. ‘So, you don’t … so you’re not jealous?’
Maddy took off her glasses and wiped them on her T-shirt. It was decidedly odd having Bob looking like that, like some athletic-fit catwalk model,