Emergency Protocols
Foster had never travelled in the lift before, although he knew of its existence. It was bleak, empty, grungy, with oil stains and dust in the corners. There was no Voice Print Identification system, but as the lift descended far more rapidly than he was used to, he noticed that the silent guards were readying their weapons.
The lift stopped. The wide doors slid open soundlessly and smoothly, and suddenly he was surrounded by guards, weapons pointing at him.
'Sir?' the leader pointed.
There on the wall was a retinal scan system. Foster stepped closer and carefully positioned himself so that his right eye was directly in front of the glass lens.
For one terrible moment he had the thought that he might fail the scan. He waited for the bullets to strike him, to tear through his flesh, to rip apart his body, but; no.
'Retinal Scan Positive. Paul Foster.'
There was an audible sigh of relief from the surrounding guards, and he heard the sound of guns being secured.
'Colonel Foster, this way.'
He followed, still totally confused, as they headed for SHADO Control room.
'My God.' He stopped, appalled and horrified. Spatters of dark crimson and bright scarlet decorated the once pristine white walls of the control room and the corridor from the executive lift. Computer consoles flickered with random electric sparks, and on the floor, motionless in a spreading pool of blood, was Lt Southey, one of SHADO's newest recruits.
Paul, his face ashen with shock, hands suddenly, uncontrollably, trembling, turned to see Lt. Ford, who was watching helplessly as the medics worked frantically on the young lieutenant.
'Ford, what the hell happened?' Foster could hardly speak, he was so shaken.
Keith Ford turned unfocussed, shocked eyes to Foster.
'Colonel, thank God you're alright. It's dreadful. There was a bomb in Commander Straker's studio office. He was in there with Freeman and Lake. They were all hit by the blast, and when we finally managed to get the door open, another bomb went off, ripping through all the power and communications conduits into Control. The short circuits caused massive damage to all the computer systems.' He paused, reluctant to continue the litany of devastation. 'Lt Southey caught the full force of the second blast.' His voice trailed away as he watched the medics step back from the young woman's body and silently, reverently, cover her lifeless corpse with a white sheet that slowly became stained with her blood.
Foster turned away, sickened, then realised.
'Keith. For God's sake, what happened to Commander Straker and the others? Are they alright?'
Ford looked at him with eyes full of anguish. 'Commander Straker was sitting behind his desk. He was the least seriously hurt.'
Foster heaved a sigh of relief. 'So he'll be back at work soon?'
'Colonel,' Keith Ford whispered. 'The Commander has a serious skull fracture and probable brain damage. There were reports that he has suffered shrapnel injuries to his face and eyes, and he was unconscious when we found him. Colonel Freeman and Colonel Lake were even more seriously injured. Colonel Freeman has severe internal and spinal injuries, and Colonel Lake has compound fractures to both legs and abdominal injuries. She also lost her right arm. She had stopped breathing when the medics arrived, but they resuscitated her eventually.'
He stopped, almost in tears as he recounted the catalogue of disasters suffered by the senior staff. 'They were all alive when the medics took them to Mayland, but we haven't heard anything since then, and now Lt Southey…..'
Foster felt his legs give way under him. He collapsed onto the steps in the empty, blood-splashed Control room, his head down in his shaking hands. How could this have happened? He looked up at the surrounding banks of computers and interactive displays, all now blank and non-operational. Fat sparks of short-circuited electricity spat across cables and consoles. Lights flickered, and dimmed, static noises crackled from speakers, and he could taste the stench of spilled blood in the back of his mouth.