Excerpt
Chapter 1

Ruth stood looking out of the window of Robert’s apartment at Hawksbury. It was December, one week before Christmas; the snow was falling quite heavily now. She looked over at Robert who was sitting at his bureau sorting out paperwork. His hair was much whiter now than it was before the virus.

He looked up. His blue eyes were still able to pierce through her. The crinkles around the eyes were deeper than before.

“What are you looking at me like that for?” He said, laughing.

“Come over here Robert, just for a minute or two. You must see this wonderful sight.”

He came over and stood behind her, his arms around her stomach. He was slightly stooped, being quite tall. He rested his head on her shoulder and his nose tucked into her ear.

“Rather magic, isn’t it Ruth?”

The telephone rang. It seemed very loud.

“Excuse me. Let’s see what’s up. It may be the tumour patient.”

He picked up the telephone. “Robert Johnson. Oh, hello Kate. How?” He stopped talking. “My God! Are you sure? When did this happen? Right, give me ten minutes. Do you mind if I bring Dr Selby? Thank you.”

He put the phone down and turned to face Ruth.

“What on earth has happened Robert? What has gone wrong?” She asked.

“Nothing has gone wrong my dear girl. The research team have made a major breakthrough, or so it seems. That was Kate Hope.”

“Yes, I gathered that.”

“We will go down to the research facility in about ten minutes or so, if it’s OK with you. This is all very tightly controlled, as you might expect from the security point of view. Kate does not mind you getting involved, but the lid must be kept on just about everything for now.”

He walked over to the window again and burst out laughing.

“What is it?” She came over and snuggled up in front of him. She started to laugh until the tears ran down her cheeks.

The lake was frozen over. A flock of geese were attempting to take off. They needed a little run to get airborne, but their feet were going in all directions or running on the spot and they were getting absolutely nowhere. To liven the show up, about twenty plus ducks had landed and went in every direction when they could not get any traction, much to the annoyance of the geese.

“It happens every so often,” he said. “The wonderful, light-hearted side of life. By the way, if it is alright with you, I have booked a table at Racey’s this evening – seven thirty.”

“That will be lovely Robert. Any special reason?” She actually thought she saw him blush.

“Should there be?” He said, adopting his man’s man stance. “I just thought you would enjoy the food.”

“It is a lovely thought,” she said, and left it at that. “Tell me about the people on the research side.”

“I will give you a run down on them in a moment. Firstly, do you remember the huge cellars beneath the hospital? The hospital Board spoke about utilising them some day when we had enough money, into operating theatres maybe or research facilities. This work was started, then along came the virus and the completion was postponed."

“Well, the British and Egyptian governments, respectively, paid for the conversion of the cellars into the research facility to investigate the virus. I think you will get quite a shock when you see the facility. The ulterior motive on my part was to have the facility in a usable condition, for whatever reason, once all the research into the virus and on Nemaktat and Tha had finished."

“The cost of the conversion was £3,000,000, so you have an idea of what you are going to see – state of the art technology."

“The large room to the rear, left side of the facility has been turned into a very up-to-date cryogenic chamber and the bodies of a Nemaktat and Queen Tha are in there. We are keeping the temperature at a constant low, although it is not really necessary as the ceramic coffins are still functioning very well temperature wise, but it does not pay to take any chances."

“The objects we found in the coffins (you know about – you saw them), the ferrite rod, the discs and the boxes. It’s strange, if anyone saw them lying on a table, they probably wouldn’t give them a second look. This is why we need the most advanced equipment that may be required to hand. We know we are dealing with technology far in front of anything we have at present."

“So, we have the space in the research facility units, the equipment and now the people to staff the project – well not quite. I think one more person is needed – an expert in the field of cryogenics. I have suggested Marion Kirby, but her first consideration is, of course, to Neurosurgery and Neurology in general. Maybe she could manage it on a part time basis. Kate can sort it out; she knows Marion is a Consultant at the top of her profession and well sought after. Maybe if she can’t do it, she can suggest someone who may be able to."

“Now, let me have a look at my papers to remind myself about who’s who in the team. I shouldn’t keep a written list, but I will get rid of it when I can remember everyone’s name."

“Well, I suppose we had better start with the person at the top, the one who has been briefed from the hierarchy to get on with the job – Kate Hope."

“Kate is an Astrophysicist. Until recently she was a lecturer at Corton University. She also has the Chair of Astronomy. It was her intention to take on three teams of experts, each consisting of three people, so there would be three people for each of the objects found in the coffins. This has now been achieved."

“The first team (Team 1) will be headed by Hazel Dutten who obtained her degree at Corton. She specialises in astrophysics and electronic engineering and is a very keen amateur Egyptologist – an absolutely ideal candidate."

“In Hazel’s team is Janice Hargreeve – another Corton graduate Mathematician, twenty-seven, thin and pretty."

“Last in the team is René Duquet – a Frenchman, a very well respected Metallurgist. There was little he did not know about his subject when he qualified. He is now living in England with his wife Simone and one child – a little girl called Essie. René has a small pointed beard. He does not quite wear a beret, but he is so French, a lovely, likeable character."

“Team 1 (Hazel’s team) will work on the ferrite rod, or on what appeared to be a ferrite rod to begin with."

“The second team (Team 2) is headed by a young woman – Andrea Sparkes, a Cosmologist, well into the ‘big bang’ theory – the study of constituent dynamics. She is twenty-eight, a plump, jovial girl with a brain like a razor. She is supported by Rory Bingham – thirty-five, single, slightly balding, quite a serious disposition. He is an Astronomer; his speciality is radio astronomy, which he does for a hobby. He plays with terrestrial radio and microwave technology."

“The third member of the team is Sophia Tellman – thirty-one, quite tall, blue eyed, with blond hair. Although she has the looks of a film star, she is a Chemist and a sound expert. Her father spent most of his life in the experimental field of sound. He taught her all that it is possible to know at this time about sound of every sort and a lot in the experimental field."

“Team 2 (Andrea’s team) will assess the discs to see exactly what they are."

“The third team (Team 3) will be working on the boxes. This team is headed by Tessa Sykes. She has a first class degree in physics, specialising in the field of optics and optoelectronomy. She is thirty-three years of age, a redhead, very bright, not interested in the male gender and well built in all the right places."

“The other members of Team 3 are: Jill Larden – a Computer Scientist, twenty-seven, flaxen hair, startling green eyes, a very easygoing girl."

“Last in Team 3 is Mandy Becket. She is a Magnetoptomist. She has made a deep study of magnetism, the effects of light on magnetism and deep field magnetism, including magnetometeorology. She is thirty-six years old. She has a Romany complexion, dark skin, black hair and flashing eyes. At first glance, one would never realise what her profession is, but she is a pleasure to look at, sometimes distracting.”

He looked at Ruth to see if there was any reaction to his last remark, but she knew him too well to bite on that remark. He looked at her, kissed her on the nose and took her hand. “Come on then. Let’s go and see what the fuss is all about.”

He stopped for one more glance out of the window to see if the pantomime on ice was still taking place. It was.

“Have we got our special table tonight Robert?” Ruth asked.

“Of course,” he replied. “I always try for the window one. Look at the snow, it’s getting bad, but the Bentley will go through anything. How about you getting back to your apartment?”