Blackout

Monday 19th July 2013, 17:00pm

“So, Mr. Gallingham, can you tell us exactly how yesterday night’s blackouts affected you in particular?” the reporter beamed flashing his microphone in the face of yet another victim.

Jennifer Williams, Sara’s mother couldn’t help rolling her eyes at the T.V. She couldn’t remember the last time she sat down and watched the news and now that she was, it wouldn’t stop blabbering on about the same repetitive reports of the black outs. It seemed everybody had a story to tell, but no one had any answers or actual news about why and who were causing them.

“Yes I do have a story.” Mr. Gallingham, sniffed as he took the mike. “Yesterday I was out taking my motorbike for a spin, as I usually do on the weekends, when suddenly out of nowhere all the streetlights blinked out. Then, all around me the traffic lights started going crazy before they too died. By then, I’m really freaking out, thinking its best just to try and pull over. But the thing is I’m going pretty fast and there’s all these other cars screeching and accelerating around me. I didn’t even see the car that hit me until I was on the ground. I’m all right, but my baby’s a wreck. It’s going to take hundreds to fix it, so much money gone too waste…”

Jennifer absently switched the channel, not able to watch anymore. She idly thought back to the first power cut she had experienced only last week. It had passed and she had been completely unaware, along with the two hundred other people sharing her flight from America to Media City. It was only when they had landed, that she had learned about the other flights which had not been so lucky. Air traffic was a mess and collisions had been inevitable. It was so terrible what was happening Jennifer could hardly believe that actual people were causing their troubles. She should be preparing for a flight to Sydney this evening, but with the threat of the increasing black outs she didn’t dare get on a plane again. It was always better to be safe than sorry as far she was concerned. However, now she was left at home, lazing on the sofa in front of the T.V. Jennifer wanted nothing more in the world to be airborne again on her way to some conference.

She switched back to the news, and was surprised to see the news had finally found another topic to report. Ten seconds later, she turned the T.V off, annoyed to see that besides the black outs the news only had SIM’s new supercomputer prototype to discuss. As far as she knew the first computer way back in the sixties had been named a ‘super’ computer. Unlike the rest of the world, Jennifer did not care much for SIM and the so called upcoming technological singularity. She had started to detest any mention of the company since it had stole her husband from her. Slowly, day by day, it had won him over, up to the point where he was spending nights at the company to secure his work, and all for what? A little cuboid of expensive looking metal?

Sometimes she couldn’t resist wondering if it was someone else who was keeping him away from his house and family. Either way she was determined to win him back. Starting today, with the dinner party he had told her they would be having at their house, to celebrate SIM’s new creation. Half of the company had been invited and Jennifer was only half prepared. Sighing she got to her feet, but before she could even reach the stairs her mobile vibrated.

“Hello, you’re speaking with Jennifer W…”

“Jenny! I need to talk to you now!” It was Nicole, Luther’s mother and the wife to her husband’s brother. Nicole had always been the idyllic wife, standing by her husband, Gavin, throughout all his work with his company; Gadgets r’ Us’. Jennifer wondered how she did it. That was why it had come as a shock to hear about their money problems. It was so rare to see such a strong and prosperous family such as theirs, break down. Now it was becoming quite a regular affair for Nicole to call her, crying in hysterics. Jennifer could already feel a headache coming on and she hastily massaged her temples while trying to console the woman.

“I’m fine. It’s not me, it’s Gavin. I don’t know what to do with him anymore. He’s worked so hard, put everything into his work and now he just can’t let it go. He should have left the professionals to handle the finances, but you know what Gavin’s like, stubborn as an ox. We were doing okay and then he had to go and make all those dangerous and adventurous investments. I warned him, but all he saw was the money. With the added strain of preparing to mass manufacture SIM’s new product everything just sort of collapsed. No matter how much I tell him we need to step back and let it all go, he just digs the pit deeper. It’s not enough that he’s wasted away our future on that company but now it’s seems that he, himself wants to go down with the sinking ship!” the woman was bawling, clearly in need of some support.

“Look Nicole, just calm down. Get into your car… actually wait! Don’t drive, just walk. You’re only five minutes away. Just walk to my house and then together, we can calmly talk about your situation, okay?” After five more minutes of reassuring Nicole that she shouldn’t sell every item they owned or make any rash decisions, Jennifer was able to hang up.

She then quickly paced up the stars to knock on Johnny’s room to check everything was okay. He was, as usual zoned out with his eyes locked onto his Suntendo DS, while his fingers sped over the keys.

“I hope you’re done with your homework,” she warned, ruffling his hair. Still something wasn’t right. It hit her like a ton of bricks.

“Of course, how could I’ve forgotten? Where on earth is your sister? She’s going to be late.”

* * *

“You are not going to make any calls,” Sara’s father warned her, folding his arms across his chest and giving her one of his I-mean-business stares.

“And why shouldn’t I?” she retaliated, feeling less and less sure.

“Because I’m your father and I tell you not to,” he shot back. “You weren’t even supposed to know about any of this, and you wouldn’t have if it hadn’t been for that teacher. I didn’t even know where your little school trip was taking place until the very day. No one knows about this island, or remembers I should say. It was just another one of Media Cities failed projects that were carelessly abandoned.”
Sara glared at the tiny mobile in her hands. It was hard to believe this man standing before her, who had taught her to read and to ride a bike, was her dad. He may have suddenly changed all his principles and fallen for this organization that Sara couldn’t understand, but he was still her dad. It was a power struggle he would always win.

“Okay,” she sighed, reluctantly slipping the mobile back in her pocket. “I won’t tell, but I want to go home now.”

“Sure,” he replied searching her eyes for any hints of mischief. Once satisfied he turned back into the building. “I was just leaving anyway. We’ve both got to get home in time for the dinner party.”

Dinner party? Sara put her head in her hands, how could she have forgotten that? Frowning she stepped back outside to wait for her dad. She was feeling more and more like a criminal with every second she spent on the island. She had learnt a valuable lesson today; that sometimes knowledge was not better than ignorance.

“So, I’m guessing everything is finally clear?” Jude smiled, making Sara jump when he came up behind her.

“Yep, and I have to say, your home is pretty amazing,” she replied.

“It is. Want to come inside? I could show you the…” he began, but Sara was quick to cut him off.

“No thank you, I’d rather just stay outside.”

“Right?” he said looking dejected making Sara almost go back on her words. “You’re angry with me for bringing you here, aren’t you? But to be fair I never lied.”

“I know. It’s not you. It’s my dad who I’m angry with. He’s the one who lied to me and my family. And it’s the world, for being so complicated!”

Jude smiled. “You know, it’s pretty amazing in there. Before last week, before my parents and I moved here, we were staying in Japan. We were part of a volunteer team to help refugees after the recent and extreme tsunami they experienced. I will never forget the looks on the faces of those orphaned children. While we were able to bring them food and provide them with shelter, there was nothing we could do, no form of technology that could bring back their parents. Global warming will be one of the many effects of our actions that is simply irreversible. Some things we just can’t fix.” As he spoke, Sara noticed his eyes literally darkened, the muscle in his jaw tightened. Sara could see that he was angry too and that he had reason to be. “I just wish that the rest of the world could see what we saw.”

“That’s what I don’t understand,” Sara interrupted. “How does ‘Dove’ expect to achieve anything with the power cuts? If your organization has something to say or demands to make, why don’t they just say them? Why does it all have to be so undercover?”

“It isn’t,” Jude exclaimed. “The Blackouts were only a way to grab people’s attention, because writing letters to presidents or politicians doesn’t work. After tonight, with the leverage and power that we have gained, people won’t be able to ignore us so easily. Tonight they…”

“Tonight! What do you mean about tonight?” Sara gasped all former worries and anxieties flooding back.

Before Jude could answer her, Sara found herself being swept away as her dad hastily guided her off the island. The dinner party was staring in less an hour and they needed to be home. Sara hardly knew how she could enjoy herself with the knowledge that something was happening this very night, preying on her conscious. The question was did she do nothing or try and stop them?