Initial Activity
He was still there, hours later, despite protests from staff. Keith Ford had left some time before, after Paul had ordered him off the premises for some rest. All the crucial systems were now operational, and Paul was beginning to feel more confident about SHADO's capability to defend Earth against attacks that might come in the next hours or days, but he was still working to repair the backup systems and secondary lines.
Desperately tired, his eyes gritty with sleep and tiredness, he struggled to stay awake. It was no use; he simply had to get a few hours rest if he was to function with any reasonable level of competence.
He finally gave up the fight and headed down to the base accommodation section where he had been assigned a room. He didn't bother to undress, simply lay down, sweaty, grimy, and exhausted, on the bed, in the dark. He had arranged a wakeup call for four hours time. That would give him some rest, enough to face what the new day would bring. He thought of that glass of gin and tonic abandoned on the coffee table in his flat. It seemed as if it was years ago that he had stood there, waiting for his pizza.
His last thought before he fell deeply asleep was of his friends in Mayland, fighting for their lives. When he woke up, he decided, he would head over there and demand to see them.
The best laid plans of mice and men…..Paul Foster thought to himself as he stood, just two hours later, watching the radar as it tracked an incoming UFO . He had been wakened, after only ninety minutes sleep, by the Red Alert signal and had immediately gone to the small control room to take charge of operations.
He rubbed a hand over his dirty, unshaven face, desperate for a wash and change of clothes, but there was no let up.
'Sky 4 to Control, UFO sighted and targeted. Firing missiles now.' There was a percussive noise over the radio, almost like a blast of static, as the air to air missile hit its intended target. 'Direct hit. UFO breaking up; will follow it down and see if I can retrieve any components.'
'Thank you, Sky 4. Report to Control if you find anything.' Foster was about to close the connection then added, 'Good shooting, by the way.'
'Thank you, Colonel, sorry, Commander. Have you heard anything from Mayland yet?' Lew Waterman, like all the staff, wanted regular updates.
'Not yet, Lew. I'm going over there shortly. I'll put out a general broadcast as soon as I get any news. I'm hoping that it's true about no news being good news. With any luck Commander Straker will be awake shortly, and I can talk to him. I don't think that Alec Freeman or Ginny will be fit for visitors any time soon though.'
Foster cut the connection and, having determined that there was nothing else that he needed to do in the small confined control room, headed along the corridors to Mayland. He had to pass the access corridors to the main control room on his way and was shocked to see that the whole area had been sealed off, with guards ensuring that no one entered.
'Who ordered this?' he demanded.
'Sorry, sir, this is standard protocol in the case of damage to this specific area. No personnel are allowed in the vicinity until it has been thoroughly checked by the forensics experts. We are still trying to establish how the bombs were put into place and if there are any other explosive devices remaining in the zone. We anticipate that it will be at least another six days before all the damage is repaired and the area can be put back into operation.' The guard in protective armour was polite, but firm.
'Hell and damnation.' Foster swore, shocked at the length of time it was going to take before he could get back into the nerve centre of SHADO. He couldn't even get to Ed's office. He had been relying on using Straker's personal computer system to access some of the data that had been lost in the explosions.
Head down in frustration and tiredness, he set off along the underground corridors to Mayland and its Trauma Unit. Thank God for Mayland, he thought as he trudged with weary feet down the echoing empty passageways. How many people would SHADO have lost over the years without the services of the hospital? It was more than likely that Ginny would not have survived had it not been for Mayland.
And then the thought struck him. If she was as badly injured as Ford had said, she might never return to SHADO, might never walk along these corridors again. He stopped, appalled at the idea, and leaned against the wall, trying not to break down.
He took a deep breath and straightened up. No, he would not fail them, he would do his best and hope that they would, all three, recover and return to lead the men and women who had dedicated their lives to SHADO.
Mayland Hospital. The sign ahead appeared and he prepared himself for whatever he would see when he finally got to visit them. But it was not to be. Through the glass pane in the door, he could see Colonel Philips, her uniform blood-spattered and besmirched by dirt and smoke, sitting at the side of the bed, holding the hand of the patient who could only be Ed Straker. Blonde hair, tall and slender, he was still, motionless, hooked to monitors and alarms, covers pulled up to his chest, thick dressings covering his head and eyes, arms splinted and bandaged.
'Definitely not. Commander Straker is not able to have any visitors under any circumstances. Even if he were willing, we would not let you into his room. He is still undergoing tests to establish how much damage he has sustained to the frontal lobe of his brain, and to what extent his vision has been compromised, and until the tests are complete, he has to be kept completely calm and quiet. The only non-medical person allowed in his room is Colonel Philips.' The doctor called to the security guard who was outside Straker's room. 'Colonel Foster is not allowed access to the Commander's room under any circumstances, is that understood?'
'Perfectly, Doctor.' The guard, heavily armed, put one hand on his weapon as if to emphasise that Foster would be in serious trouble should he attempt to gain access to Ed's room.
Defeated, Foster left, sick at heart. Brain damage? Please God, no. Not Ed, not that brilliant, calculating mind that could see patterns and explanations that other men never noticed. How would SHADO function without him?
He had no further success with Alec or Ginny. Alec was still in Recovery waiting to regain consciousness after over twelve hours of intensive surgery, and Ginny Lake was in an induced coma to give her body some chance of dealing with the trauma it had experienced. He was told the same thing each time. No, no visitors, no access, come back in forty-eight hours when the doctors might be able to give some better indication of their long-term prospects. The only positive aspect was that they were, all three, still alive — just.
On the way back through the deserted corridors, he could no longer hold back the tears. He told himself that it was the overwhelming tiredness and stress, but he knew differently. He managed to wipe his eyes and compose himself before anyone saw him.
In the small bleak office next to Auxiliary, he sat behind the utility desk, devoid of any ornamental glass spheres and obelisks, and tried to read the updates with eyes that refused to focus. He rested his head in his hands, only for his eyes to close involuntarily.