The Prometheus Effect by Jonathan Davison

on the reception door in order to gain entry. Some thoughtful workers had begun to lock and border up the entrances, perhaps having witnessed events or maybe just showing foresight. Flashing his pass furiously as the occupants dilly dallied regarding his entry, finally he was admitted. At last he felt safe.
     
    “ Jesus!”
     
    Sarah Palmer exclaimed as Joshua hobbled into the main office. He was suddenly overwhelmed with well meaning but medically inept people who were offering their wisdom.
     
    “ I'm OK. Maybe a bust rib, a few cuts and bruises.” Joshua said modestly.
     
    “ What happened?”
     
    Sarah was business like as always.
     
    “ The radio station's output is being jammed or the signal is being lost somehow. All appears normal at the station, if you can call any of this normal?”
     
    “ No, that's not what I meant. What happened to you?”
     
    Joshua was surprised at his colleagues unusual warmth. In the short space of time he had come to know her, she always came across very focused and a little cold.
     
    “ I've written off the car. Someone hit me, someone's been killed.”
     
    The office fell into a hush as workers who had previously been chatting strained their ears to listen.
     
    “ Look, it's a nightmare out there. There's live ammunition being fired, the authorities seemed to have lost control already. Don't go out. Get our guys back in.”
     
    Joshua sat shaking, his hands clammy and cold.
     
    “ Well that's impossible, we can't contact them obviously. We won't send anyone else out though.”
     
    “ Where's Bill?” Joshua asked, inquiring the whereabouts of the Duty Editor, Bill McManus.
     
    “ Don't know. I'm guessing those that live further away couldn’t make the commute or didn't want to. After all who would want to leave their house after that message?”
     
    Joshua nodded, he understood too well why it was important to stay indoors. For the time being and until further notice, the office was Joshua's home. He did not know for how long their lives would be suspended at a tense standstill, if he had, he would surely have made provision for the coming days, for this was just the beginning.
     

CHAPTER TWELVE
     
     
     
    The Messenger, Fleet Street
     
    November 15 th 2020
     
     
     
    Tempers frayed and frustration often grew into intolerance as the world as Joshua knew it was put on indefinite hold. Hours of waiting soon grew into days and outside the offices, Joshua and his team witnessed the true extent of unrest under the darkened ruby skies. Many of the Messenger staff made the brave effort to go home to their families. Thick swathes of smoke appeared above the high buildings of the capital and periodically, gun shots could be heard from the near distance. The ground trembled with small explosions and the windows rattled to reinforce the notion that London was witnessing a new, distressing and unprecedented period of widespread civil unrest.
     
    The broadcast of the warning never changed, it looped inexorably, not deviating from its original statement and with every passing hour, speculation regarding what the 'incident' was grew more fanciful and terrifying by the minute. The feeling that even the authorities were completely in the dark was not intangible, several reporters had braved the streets to make their way to Parliament Square. Their mission was to obtain some vestige of comfort from somebody in the know but the intrepid journalists were never allowed to make it that far. There were blockades and the armed forces were present in great force using lethal force to protect whatever secrets lie beyond the barrier. Those that even entertained the thought of breaching the hastily constructed barbed wire fences were apparently cut down by machine gun fire without so much of a warning. The returning reporters white, pallid complexions appeared to reinforce their horrific accounts and the tension within the offices grew as each word passed their lips.
     
    On the