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  Nobody said anything, but the atmosphere in the gym had changed. Where before there had been anxiety, there was now a mix of relief and confusion. Clearly, being told that one was in a secure refuge might calm one’s fears to a degree, but it still left other questions unresolved. Like how long would the refuge be necessary, and what would happen once it no longer was – if that time ever came? But nobody asked these questions, and before anybody chose to, the officer made a further announcement. Having explained to his audience that the base had been turned into some sort of hermetically sealed sanctuary, he then informed them that not all flights into the base would be suspended, as it was possible that certain ‘important people’ might be flown in from Brize Norton. He avoided using the term ‘Very Important Persons’, but Stuart immediately thought that what he was talking about was either the Royal Family turning up or maybe even a Government in forced exile. And he found either of those eventualities really very scary indeed. What the hell did that say about what they were expecting to happen in Britain?

  Others in the audience clearly had similar thoughts, and they now began to bombard the officer with questions about the expected fate of their home country, and a few more concerning such things as the transmission methods of the flu. But this was where his lack of seniority proved its worth. He essentially had one response, which was that he had not been briefed to answer such questions, principally because, as far as he knew, nobody had answers to these questions, and certainly nobody on this base.

  Well, that was it. The bad news was that the world was just overflowing with bad news. The good news – of sorts – was that Stuart and all those ‘fortunate’ enough to find themselves on this base were now going to be protected from all that bad news – as much as this was possible. And who wouldn’t want to stay somewhere that might soon host Her Majesty the Queen or the ruddy Prime Minister?

  Stuart left the meeting feeling a little reassured but still very concerned and very suspicious. Had they been told everything? Was there any more to be learnt – either from Gill or from the continuing torrent of intercepts?

  An hour later, he had given up on the Gill route. He had established that Gill was on some sort of special duties for the rest of the day, and wouldn’t be available until tomorrow. That just left the intercepts route. And armed with a takeaway lunch and a takeaway dinner, Stuart retired to his snooping post to spend what would be a solid fourteen hours looking at more of the world’s ‘official’ chatter.

  It just got worse and worse. People were dying in Ukraine, in Nigeria, in Sri Lanka and even in the Maldives. And as the day wore on, they were now reported to be dying in Alaska and in California. And in northern Brazil!

  When he finally went to bed, exhausted and more frightened than ever, he wondered whether he should put on a tie in the morning in case he ran into the Queen or the PM. And should he get a haircut…?

  sixteen

  As Alex was waking up, he began to think about China, and the fact that it wasn’t there any more. In place of what had been the world’s most populous nation there was now just the largest stretch of human-free land on the planet, and that was almost impossible to take in. He hadn’t been a fan of China, and had regarded it in much the same way that Derek had; as a giant vacuum cleaner sucking up the treasures of the world, and especially its natural treasures. China, in his mind, had been the principal culprit in diminishing the planet’s store of diversity and enchantment – as often as not, simply to satisfy its ravenous appetite for ‘exotic’ food and worthless cures. It had been a monster, a voracious beast gobbling up the world’s irreplaceable fauna. And now it was gone.

  How could that be? How could a giant nation with a long and sometimes impressive history have been extinguished in such a short time? And did it deserve such a fate? Even from Alex’s jaundiced perspective, he had to accept that there must have been countless numbers of decent, honourable people in that country, and probably many who were as much revolted by some of its egregious habits as he was. And surely they deserved better than a premature and sudden end to their lives. And what of what was left behind? As far as was known, this flu thing infected only humans, and not other animals. That meant there would be countless millions of domestic and captive creatures in China that would now be facing an extended period of suffering before they starved to death or in some other way met their end. It didn’t bear thinking about, and Alex tried desperately not to think about their plight by instead wondering whether there might just be some humans still alive in that vast and maybe-not-completely-empty country.

  After all, as well as possibly thousands of soldiers and officials waiting out the pandemic in hundreds of bunkers, there might be legions of people who were simply immune to the disease, and who were now coming to terms with an almost empty country as well as the likely deaths of their nearest and dearest. In fact, the more Alex thought about it, the more he could not believe that China was now a cadaver. Even though there had been repeated reports of there being no signs whatsoever of human life in any part of that vast country. And certainly no communication from within it.

  He sighed. Maybe it was a cadaver. And if so, what did that mean for the rest of the world? And for him and for Debbie? How would they avoid a similar fate? And would it involve them staying on this ship for rather longer than they’d planned? And would the answer to any of these questions become clearer today? Maybe Jane would have some better news. In any event, she sounded pretty chipper when her voice came through the tannoy and shook Alex out of his early-morning reveries and Debbie out of her sleep.

  ‘Good morning, everybody,’ she sang, this time more enthusiastically than ever. ‘As you may already have observed, we have another fine day in terms of both the weather and the sea, and our captain has now delivered us to Gold Harbour. And I can assure you that, if you enjoyed St Andrews Bay, you will not want to miss out on a visit here. Gold Harbour is a wonderful site, and we’ve already checked that we will be able to make safe landings and get you all ashore. Just as soon as you’ve all had your breakfast and are ready to go. Oh, and this morning we’ll start with starboard cabins first, and we aim to get the first zodiacs away at nine o’clock.

  ‘Anyway, I hope I haven’t roused too many of you with this call, but I just wanted you to know that as far as I and my team are concerned, this is still very much a live expedition, and if there are any updates to give you on any necessary changes to our planned itinerary, these will be delivered a little later in the day. As and when our captain has further information. So, for now, I would just ask you to make sure you’re ready for the zodiacs starting at nine, and also, of course, that your kit is ready as well. I mean, please make sure that you’ve checked your outerwear for any seeds or any other debris, and that you’ve paid particular attention to the soles of your boots. I’m sure you don’t need reminding, but this morning will see us landing once again on South Georgia, and South Georgia is a very special place. Please treat it accordingly.’

  Alex stared into space. He needed a second to satisfy himself that Jane’s monologue had actually finished, and just a couple more to decide that at this early hour, the task of reconciling the morning’s planned activity with the demise of China and the likely annihilation of much of mankind was simply beyond him. Instead, he decided, he would acknowledge the presence of his wife with a softly spoken ‘Good morning’ and a softly delivered kiss. That done, he then asked her a question.

  ‘Are you up for more penguins? Or do you want to stay by the telly and probably worry yourself sick?’

  Debbie laughed.

  ‘Well, I’ve no idea what there is to worry about, but I’m certainly up for more penguins. How about you?’

  ‘Oh, I reckon you can see an approaching apocalypse any time you like. But how often do you get a chance to see a whole bunch of penguins? There’s no contest. Gold Harbour it is, and the telly can look after itself.’

  Alex then gave his wife
another kiss, and when he’d done this he went to the cabin window and took in his first view of their intended destination: a small bay with a large glacier to its rear and, on its curved beach, another huge host of penguins and seals. Debbie joined him to have a look herself, and then she immediately retired to the bathroom to begin her morning ablutions. As soon as she was gone, Alex switched on the television, which was already tuned to CNN and which was already pumping out more bad news on China’s legacy to the world. The flu, it appeared, was now spreading quickly through the States, and deeper and deeper into Europe. Indeed, Germany had declared a state of emergency. But when the newsreader then began to announce that a pandemic of conspiracy theories had now joined the real pandemic and was spreading like wildfire throughout social media, Alex switched off the TV. He knew he could well do without the suggestion that this deadly flu was either the work of the CIA or of a secretive bunch of reptilians who were running the USA – and who, of course, were themselves entirely immune to the killer bug.

  He could also have well done without the company of a singleton traveller who installed herself on his and Debbie’s table at breakfast and who started to assault them with her very own conspiracy theory. This involved the intricate choreography of a whole sequence of fake news stories, including the crucial role of the attendees at the last Davos gathering, and what could only be described as an extended programme of mental gymnastics that neither Debbie nor Alex could possibly follow. They both just nodded at what they thought were appropriate junctures in her presentation, and left the table convinced that the Sea Sprite’s doctor might soon have to deal with the ship’s first case of pandemic-induced derangement. They hoped it might also be its last.

  Fortunately, this unwanted breakfast-time experience was soon overtaken by a further encounter with South Georgia’s remarkable wildlife. It had taken only a few minutes to be transported from the Sea Sprite to Gold Harbour’s beach, and Debbie and Alex were now walking along its grey-gravel surface in the direction of another colony of king penguins. It was a similar experience to that they had enjoyed yesterday. But different. This was because there were barely any fur seals here, but instead just a host of lethargic-looking elephant seals and a sprinkling of gentoo penguins amidst the thousands of their king counterparts. This made for a much more relaxed perambulation, as there was no need whatsoever to guard against the unwanted attentions of the furry fiends, and one could stand and stare at whatever caught one’s eye without fear of ambush from behind. The elephant seals were not just lethargic-looking but also pretty-well motionless.

  Alex and Debbie relished their time in this place, and found particular delight in one woolly king penguin chick who was constantly harassing its attendant parent in an attempt to get fed. It did succeed on a number of occasions – in securing some foul regurgitated stuff – but not without driving the adult bird to despair, as evidenced by this bird’s constant attempts to move itself further along the beach. And what it must have thought – of being bothered by a child who looked to be twice its weight – was something Alex would never know and could barely imagine. What a life these creatures led, he thought, and did it involve joy, contentment, worry or fear? Probably all, he decided, but not, of course, the fear of a distant, invisible killer that might one day arrive to wipe them all out. That sort of fear was the sole preserve of ‘perceptive’ humans. Although it could, of course, be set aside for a while if these ‘perceptive’ beings were suitably distracted by yet more charming king penguins, or by the biggest elephant seals Alex had ever seen…

  There were three of them. Three beached, blubbery submarines, each with an elephant nose and apparently no intention of shifting their massive forms much further than an inch. And why would they want to? They were immense, and any measurable movement would surely have cost them an unimaginable expenditure of energy. So, they just lay there, each looking like a huge, recumbent Jabba the Hutt, the Star Wars creature for whom they must definitely have been the original inspiration. Even if male elephant seals don’t normally turn into greedy and corrupt crime lords.

  Alex shared these thoughts on the inspiration for Jabba the Hutt with his table companions for lunch. These were Debbie and Roy and a couple from Kent who appeared not to have eaten for a week. Their appetites were amazing, and they ate more food during lunch than Alex would over the course of the day’s three meals. Not for the first time, he was bemused by people’s… gluttony, and their ability to stay slim. These two were no Hutts. They were both as lean as all the other oldies on this ship. And just as concerned about their potential impending fate…

  ‘I’m beginning to think we’re in real trouble,’ said the man from Kent – between chews.

  ‘I think so too,’ added the woman from Kent, her mouth now empty for the first time in minutes. ‘And I mean real trouble.’

  Alex wasn’t sure that these statements warranted a response, but Roy decided otherwise. Having now abandoned his earlier theory that what had been happening in China was due to the death struggles of the Communist Party, he now sought to reassure his two Kentish table companions by setting out his new theory. This admitted the existence of a deadly plague – which had probably been passed on to humans by pangolins, which themselves had caught the virus from bats – but stressed the fact that it was not in the interest of this virus to wipe us all out. If it did that, this new human form of the disease would wipe itself out as well. It would suit it much better, Roy explained, if it let a large number of us survive, so that we could then rebuild our numbers and provide the virus-in-waiting with a new pool of victims in, say, ten or twenty years’ time. How it would go about sparing a large slice of the human population, Roy was not entirely sure, but he knew that viruses mutated all the time, and he thought the likely route would be simply to make itself less virulent. It would turn itself into something that provided only mild symptoms or no symptoms at all, and in that way it could conceal itself until it mutated back into its deadly form at some point in the future and again wreaked havoc on a replenished mankind. What this all meant, he explained to his captive Kent audience, was that by being so out of the way on this ship off South Georgia, they and everybody else aboard the Sea Sprite were destined to be survivors. They might ultimately end up with ‘the plague’, but they would either experience it as merely a mild cold or not be aware that they had it at all.

  Alex thought this all sounded like a quite convincing theory, but only quite convincing and not nearly convincing enough to convince him. The couple from Kent seemed similarly dubious as to their promised good fortune, and it was left to Debbie to show some enthusiasm for Roy’s amateur hypothesis with a few well-chosen encouraging words. However, Alex suspected that her words were more to do with bringing the lunch to a timely conclusion and so enabling her to leave the scene of gluttonous behaviour as soon as acceptably possible. After all, the Kent couple had finished their desserts but were now eyeing up the buffet for, no doubt, further helpings…

  Back in their cabin, Alex wondered aloud whether the Kent gobblers might now have finally finished their meal and thereby discovered, as he had, that neither of the TV news channels was currently working, and whether the absence of these news outlets would further undermine their belief in Roy’s promised route to salvation. It certainly wasn’t helping Alex to look at the future with too much optimism, and he doubted that many would turn up to the next scheduled meeting in the lounge looking other than deeply pessimistic, if not downright distraught. Jane had announced this mid-afternoon gathering over the tannoy and even she had sounded rather more downbeat than sunny. And why not? Both those news channels disappearing could not be good… news.

  Jane now had a packed chamber in front of her and, by her side, a sombre-looking captain. Alex was already sure that whatever was about to be imparted would not bring cheer to anybody in the room – or, indeed, a great deal in the way of much-needed comforting reassurance. He was about to be proved right.

 
‘Thank you all for coming,’ Jane started, ‘and may I begin by saying that I really hope you enjoyed your morning. I thought it was fantastic, and I suspect you did as well.’

  This reference to the passengers’ earlier activity did generate a subdued murmur of assent within the throng, but it seemed that most of her audience had other matters on their mind; and in particular whether they might still be alive in a few days’ time. Jane clearly sensed this immediately, and quickly moved on.

  ‘Right,’ she continued, ‘I’m sure you’re all keen to know what the captain’s learnt and what this might mean for the rest of our trip…’

  ‘And why the news channels have disappeared from the telly,’ interrupted a voice from the crowd.

  Jane cleared her throat, and attempted to carry on in a calm and deliberate manner.

  ‘Well, to start with – and to address the loss of the news channels – I am told that this is very likely to be a problem with the satellites. That is to say, we have no reason to believe that either the BBC or CNN have gone off the air, and…’

  ‘…and no reason to believe that they haven’t,’ re-interrupted the original heckler.

  Jane composed herself.

  ‘As I say, I think we can be pretty confident that there has probably been some disruption to the satellite system, and if it was anything other than that, Stanley would have let us know…’

  And without drawing breath, she then went on, using this reference to Stanley as her springboard.