Magestic 2, p.120
Magestic 2, page 120
He extended a number of greetings in local dialects, in Chinese and Russian, then switched to English as they drifted across the crowds, little more than thirty metres above the upturned faces. ‘Thank you all for coming out to see me, it’s good to be back here in my beloved Africa. I have been in the year 1938, in Canada, where I found many good people. They are a little backwards, but at heart they are good people. I spent twenty years preparing that world for its Second World War, which was being won before The Brotherhood invaded. And that invasion taught me a valuable lesson, in that we can never take all of this for granted; there are people out there who wish to destroy our way of life.
‘I used to say that it’s a small round planet. Now, I think, we must say that it’s a small universe, and that we are all interconnected. The Brotherhood were dealt with by the Rifles of your twin world, the sons of Africa. They chased the fighters back across time and space, and are destroying them. But the world that they are on is a dangerous place, and a primitive place.’
Baldy shot Kennedy a quick look from under his eyebrows.
Jimmy continued, ‘On that world, the countries face each other with bombs and threats, and on that world Africa is a waste ground under the tyranny of The Brotherhood. But we shall change that, and we shall change that together. President Kennedy, from America on that world, is here with me to view this world ... and to see what we’ve made of it, to see what is possible with a little cooperation. But President Kennedy is from a world like ours used to be, a world where it is easy to see enemies, and not so easy to see the people.
‘The people of that world simply want jobs, families, and safety. That’s what all people ever want, no matter what their skin colour, or their political allegiances. On that world, people are born in communist China, and have few choices in their lives. If they had choices, if their eyes were opened and the boot came off their necks, then they may choose something other than communism. All they need is to be shown the way, a different way.
‘That world, of 1984, is on the brink of a nuclear war, many nations set against each other, and many politicians set in their ways, keen to appease their voters with wartime rhetoric because that would be easier than sticking to their principles – and breaking down a few old barriers. But we shall change that world by showing a better way, by leadership and example, and the people of that world will have a chance to live, whether the current generation of political leaders like it or not.’
Baldy hid a grin, a look exchanged with Shelly from under eyebrows.
‘I shall work tirelessly, but not for the current generation of people on that world - they’re set in their beliefs and prejudice, but for the next generation, the first generation born into freedom. People of Africa, I had requested twenty-five thousand volunteers to help rebuild Africa from your twin world, but we will accept more people from here if suitable people apply. If you have talent, a strong pairs of arms and a big heart, then there are those less fortunate than yourselves who need a little help. And if you’re killed over there, you’ll be buried in the earth of mother Africa, you’re blood fertilising the next generation. Thank you all, my people.’ He waved.
Turning inwards, he took a few steps towards Kennedy. ‘Did you want to ... say a few words, Mister President?’
Kennedy simply stared back. ‘No,’ he said after a moment.
The blimp headed back to the airport, Kennedy quietly peering down at the city. The gang moved to the best hotel, Kennedy’s party afforded an entire floor, a great panoramic view of the city laid on from the thirtieth floor. Kennedy and his aides were informed of a meal upstairs, at 6pm, his Generals offered a tour of Forward Base’s military academy and barracks. That left Kennedy with plenty of time to stare down across the bustling city.
Shelly knocked on his door at 4pm. ‘Busy?’ she asked.
‘No, come in.’
Shelly stepped into Kennedy’s suite, a quick glance out of the window at a view she had seen many times before. Sitting, Kennedy poured fresh coffee.
‘You’re the daughter of Paul Holton, the man with the bald head and beard, yes?’ Shelly smiled and nodded. ‘And Helen, your mother, was his wife. And Paul was right hand man to Jimmy.’
Shelly lifted her coffee cup. ‘Yes, all in the family. My father was President of Africa for quite a while, and I moved to Britain to take-up politics there, going on to serve several terms as Prime Minister.’
‘And then you retired from the corridors of power?’
‘They’re like a bunch of kids, all squabbling. So I treated them like kids.’
Kennedy smiled. ‘Congressmen in the States do have their own ... particular charm.’
‘At least the British smile nicely when they stab you in the back, and they’re very polite about it.’
‘My Congressmen call me an asshole, often to my face.’
‘Must be tough, being in a Cold War political system. When I took office it was mostly after the troubles.’
‘Troubles?’
‘We had a few viruses that killed millions, then a massive earthquake in the Middle East that destroyed the oil. On most worlds, that event was the trigger for the rise of The Brotherhood.’
‘On my world, the Germans enslaving and torturing the Arabs ... was the key.’
Shelly nodded as she sipped her coffee. ‘I hope you don’t take Jimmy’s comments today to heart, you’re from ... a different time.’
Kennedy took in the view. ‘It was a kick in the pants.’ He faced her. ‘You know, coming here we figured we’d check up on Jimmy and talk to the US administration, get things done our way. Jimmy upset the military by installing the missile defence shield -’
‘Because those old war dogs felt threatened, threatened about losing their importance, and their jobs! Old war dogs are very hard to change.’
Kennedy nodded. ‘But if I defied them...’
‘Then I guess you have a few decisions to make, on staff as well as policy – Mister President. And, you have a speech to prepare.’
‘Speech?’
‘The moment you left your old world, the news was leaked about Jimmy, about time machines, and about the missile defence shield.’ Kennedy eased up. ‘Right now it’s probably chaos over there, and your own Vice President is having to try and explain just where you are. News was also leaked in Germany, Japan, China, and Russia; cat is out of the bag a few weeks ahead of time. Still, as Jimmy might say, the easiest of the hard decisions in life to take ... are the one’s taken for you.’
‘I should get back.’
‘Tomorrow, you’re not a prisoner. Besides, you need to work on that speech.’ She handed over a sheet of paper. ‘Some ... ideas to save you time.’
Kennedy scanned the speech. ‘Seems ... well prepared.’
‘I’ve had a little practise,’ Shelly teased. She stood. ‘Dinner, six o’clock, and don’t worry about your world. There’s no point in worrying about what you can’t fix, and if you try and cover it up it’ll probably work against you. You need to think a little more about what you’ll be gaining for the voters, and less on what you may be losing.
‘If you release the drug and start curing cancer, the voters will be ecstatic, because they all have parents they love, they’ll all grow old themselves someday, and they all worry about their health.’ She headed towards the door. ‘Oh, and in Canada, we’re sending through ten tonnes of drugs for you. So play your trump card, and after ... after the benefits hit, the old war dogs will have less power.’
Kennedy took out a pen, clicked the end, and began studying the speech.
At the formal evening meal, Kennedy sat with his aides, the Generals together on another table, several American Generals from this era joining them. Jimmy sat at a large table with many old friends, tales of Canada in the 1920s, and of me - and Susan the spy.
After the meal, everyone gravitated to the rooftop bar, the rain holding off, a fine evening presented by Mother Nature. Groups stood around with drinks in hand, the press kept away.
Jimmy eventually joined Kennedy at the wall. ‘So, how do you like the view from the top?’
Kennedy wasn’t quite sure what that meant. ‘Is a President controlling the horse and cart, or being pulled along?’
‘Some are pulled along, yes, especially when the horses are whipped and the passengers are frightened of bandits along the road. Then it takes someone skilled to set direction and speed.’
‘Biggest problem I would have had ... would have been with my own people,’ Kennedy mentioned as he took in the view. ‘But you circumvented that when you leaked the news. Hell, the Generals have been pushing for a time machine all along; they can’t grumble because they got their wish. And what would they have done if they had got it to work? Gone back and given us nukes in 1937 probably, ending the wars and leaving us on top?’
Jimmy nodded. ‘But what if ... another war loomed fifty years later. Would they then go back and fix both, or just the latest one? And if the US economy was flagging, would they go back and alter things, removing the right to govern of your predecessors. Where would it end?’
‘Any sensible government would ban its use,’ Kennedy suggested. ‘But our desire for one was born out of desperation, to alter the war.’
‘Looks like you got your wish.’
Kennedy glanced at Jimmy, before sipping his drink and returning to the view. ‘Our wish ... would have been to nuke the Japs and Germans.’
‘And that may have turned out OK. On most worlds you did nuke the Japanese, in 1945, and then rebuilt their country into the prosperous nation that it is today. You also rebuilt Germany. But if you had your own time machine working, you may have been tempted to use it again, and you could have upset your own timeline. Someone may have gone through and destroyed you all.
‘The people here, they suffered a quake that killed many people a year ago, but they dealt with it without going back in time,’ Jimmy illustrated. ‘They want their right to govern as well.’
‘And if we make mistakes, in the decades ahead, will the people here alter things?’ Kennedy asked.
‘Would you want them to? If a plague broke out and killed half the people on your world, would you wish it dealt with?’
‘For something like that, yes.’
‘Then there are circumstances in which your right to govern is less important, such as saving mankind,’ Jimmy emphasised. ‘And if I hadn’t arrived when I did you would have all been dead within a few years. That includes your wife and daughters.’
Kennedy glanced around, deep in thought. ‘It’ll be a hell of a period of adjustment when I get back. And I don’t dare tell people about how successful the blacks are on this world.’
‘Don’t knock yourselves, the Americans on all worlds treated blacks badly till the 1990s, you’re not unique. And I won’t be pushing hard for that to alter, or beating anyone up about it. I may apply some gentle pressure, but that’s all. The rest will take time, we’re not about to upset your system. Too much. Anyway, 7am flight, so don’t get drunk.’
In the morning, Jimmy said goodbye to many old friends, an interview given to the Press, Africa One soon heading across the jungles. As soon as the seatbelt sign was off, Kennedy held a meeting of all of his people, to discuss how to handle the publicity when they returned, as well as the future development of America.
Over New York, the plane descended and circled slowly, their passengers peering down at the sprawling metropolis. An hour later they descended to have a peek at Chicago, and landed near Manson as the sun set. At the portal, Jimmy said goodbye to technicians and Army officers, Kennedy thanking his hosts, Helen and Shelly along for the ride.
In 1984, two days had passed, the worlds in synch, the helicopters waiting for a reversal of the journey.
‘Jesus,’ Kennedy said as he boarded Air Force One. ‘This seems so damn primitive.’
‘We’ll supply you with aircraft technology,’ Jimmy offered. ‘They’ll advance quickly.’
One of Kennedy’s aides, who had remained with the aircraft, brought the President up to speed on what had been happening as the noisy aircraft climbed away. Touching down in Washington, the sun up, Kennedy was ready, speech in hand. The Press were waiting on the apron - all fifty of them behind a rope, a dozen TV cameras rolling.
Kennedy stepped across alone to the podium and microphones. ‘Members of the Press, my fellow Americans. I can confirm that I have just been to another world, and in another time. I have been ... to the year 2047.’
The Press hacks were stunned.
‘For many decades, our scientists have been experimenting with time travel, trying to build a machine, the hope being that my predecessors might send people back to 1937, the outcome of the war somehow different. That, in itself, was a noble aim. We did not finish our time machine, or get it working, but we attracted the attention of other Americans who did complete their own time machine. They then came looking for us.
‘In order to understand what has happened, you must appreciate that there are many dimensions in the universe, and many worlds just like this one, all very similar. I have just taken a trip to another world, not to this world in the future. There I saw wondrous cities, and great technology and innovations, New York and Chicago thriving – the traffic looked terrible!
‘I have, as a result of that trip, brought back with me medicines from the future, medicines that will cure all diseases, including cancer. We can now even cure people with late stage cancer. Within a few days, hospitals will start to receive the new drugs, and they’ll be used on a priority basis. But take hope everyone who has a loved-one dying from cancer, or who has been diagnosed themselves.
‘In addition to the wondrous drugs from the future, we have received offers of help to build advanced aircraft – safe aircraft, as well as help with our military. I can now confirm that we have in place an advanced missile shield in the skies above America, and that no enemy missile should reach us. We are also receiving advice on advanced weapons, defensive weapons, and have been promised information on where to drill for oil and ore, significantly boosting our economy.
‘My fellow Americans, this may all come as a shock, but there are good times ahead, and we are not alone in our struggles; we now have a few new friends. Those friends will tell us when earthquakes may strike, but they will not interfere directly in our politics - they will respect our right to govern; they are there to help, not to tell us what to do. I will be making further statements soon, but for now I have a few meetings to attend to. Thank you all.’
In the limo, Jimmy said, ‘Short and sweet, but not a bad approach. You blame your predecessors, and the military, and played-up the benefits.’
‘Shelly Holton gave me some advice.’
‘Ah.’
At the White House, Jimmy reclaimed his room, but now had his own security detail, his own small office, and an assigned assistant, plus a military liaison. Big Paul also had a security officer assigned to him, a minder to mind Jimmy’s minder.
After a meal with his new team, Jimmy sat down with Kennedy, the President now sat opposite with his own team.
‘OK,’ Kennedy began. ‘Let’s try and work through this. First, the drug. What do we need to know?’
‘The vials you’ve been given,’ Jimmy began, ‘can be used for ten or twenty dosages. Large dose or smaller doses don’t make much of a difference because the drug works like a virus.’
‘A virus?’ Kennedy queried.
‘It causes a change to the way the body repairs itself. For a baby, that’s fast, for an adult that’s slower, for a pensioner that’s very slow. It speeds up the repair process, but you need to eat extra protein and to drink more water. And, after injection, the person typically runs a fever and feels a little odd as the process starts. Then, once the process is running, more waste products are produced for a few days as the body replaces damaged cells. For a normal person being injected, they can start to exercise after five days. Within two weeks they could run a marathon.’
‘They get fitter?’ Kennedy puzzled.
‘No, they go back to how they should have been at twenty years old, at their peak of fitness,’ Jimmy explained. ‘So a fifty year old man gains a great deal of extra energy. People also live longer. I’m not sure what strength of dosage they supplied you, but they’ll probably double a life span.’
‘Double it?’ Kennedy repeated. ‘One injection?
Jimmy nodded. ‘There’s a great opportunity for you to sell it, and to take money off those who have money, putting it back into the Treasury.’
‘Your people ... wouldn’t mind that?’
‘No,’ Jimmy said with a smile. ‘And you’ll make a great deal of money from ageing women. A great deal.’
‘And for soldiers?’ Kennedy asked.
‘If they’re injected they’ll be better soldiers, yes, and immune to disease. But you may wish to concentrate on the civilian population first, on the sick and the dying.’
‘We would have,’ Kennedy insisted. ‘OK, Africa. We should be looking to move into Africa in a big way?’
‘Move in – no. Cooperate with my people there – yes. You should invest in Africa and trade with Africa, but my people will run it, and be very protective towards it. Any dollars you spend this year in Africa will come back twenty fold in the years ahead. Start with Angola - I’ll mark a spot on the map, and you can create a port there. You should also create a base in Liberia once the area has been cleared, and in Guinea. Offshore oil-drilling can then start, and should start as soon as possible.
‘But remember that the oil is not yours, it belongs to the countries of Africa, whether they have a functioning government at the moment or not. So part of the profit goes back to them, to a company that I’ll create there to coordinate development.’
Kennedy made notes. ‘Germany and Japan. Do you still want that meeting tomorrow?’
‘Yes, very much so, because they all now have a new reality to deal with. My people made broadcasts on the national airwaves in China, direct to the people, and they all now know about time travellers, but not my specific role yet. The Germans were not too happy with the news leaks, but that’s their problem. Trying to deny it has made their population suspicious of them.’
