Winston's face was ashen.
D instantly knew there were problems. "Update me." Her whole body emptied of feeling.
"It's collapsing, rapidly, the ozone is falling; we've lost two point seven percent in hours. I've confirmed these figures globally, it all checks out."
"Do we know the cause?"
He shook his head. He was baffled. He tried to speak but couldn't add more data, nothing made sense; all his instruments coldly calculated for him, the layer was disintegrating.
"It could be a glitch, a dip in the graph, not everything's linear, it could turn and climb," demanded D desperately.
"Not a two point seven percent dip, look, if I increase to three decimal places I can see the figure falling, normally at that scale figures are very erratic, this is not, this is very much non erratic and negative, at this rate the layer will be nothing in 48 hours."
"And the weather?" she demanded, not really wanting the answer.
"Unlimited, relentless, there will be no meteorological mercy, you might think this is bad now but it will be nothing compared to the nightmare that's imminent."
She fell back in a seat that she didn't even know was there. The dream had ended. She had failed. All their hard, frantic work was displayed on the face of a machine that couldn't give a damn, without feeling it beeped away all hope of humanity's existence as the numbers counted down to zero hour. Empty, exhausted, she knew she had one last duty to perform, like gravestone she dragged herself to her feet.
"People, if my heart was heavy a few days ago then now I can only describe it as gone. I must with regret as heavy as sin, inform the House of Blue Project's failure, the ozone layer is collapsing, within a matter of days, two, possibly five at extreme optimism, though optimism is difficult to conjure with these hard facts, we will be thrust into meteorological chaos of a scale as yet unimaginable, mass humanity, flora and fauna, will be totally annihilated, our only hope, our prayers, must solely be for Genesis.
"With this in mind, I would like to add some hurried amendments; now more than ever, I feel the addition of some minority races that have not yet been represented on the island, through the problem of logistics and location, should receive our full attention, and with all that is left of a failing transport structure, be prioritised in one last island delivery. And I state the great importance of this island as a multi culture future world, even if original IQ level and criteria requirements are not satisfactory, it must I believe go ahead; perhaps if everyone on the island is not as smart as we thought we were, they will not grow up to make the same mistakes we did.
"Also, a small boy who recently opened my eyes, a boy called Zak, he asked if he could one day see a rainbow, and I promised I'd do everything I could to make this come true; I would like to keep that promise; and if there are no House objections, I would like him to be sent to the island too; he's bright; he has vision; he has dreams; perhaps someday he will be a leader, and succeed were I have failed.
"Now if the House will excuse me, I am very, very tired. I thank, respect, admire, and love you all."
There was a desperate hush as D left the podium; politicians of all nations were dumbfounded. One woman at the back stood up and started applauding, three men stood up too, and finally the whole House were on their feet praising her for her endless unfaltering leadership of past months, her global crusade.
D didn't even hear them.
"I don't want to go," cried Zak as he sobbed in his Grandfathers arms.
"You must Zak, you must. It's such a wonderful opportunity; if you stay hear you know you will die."
"But I won't leave you, only if you and mum and dad can come too; who will teach me?"
"There will be teachers on the island much smarter than me, you know that. I have lived a full life and my years are numbered, it wouldn't be right me taking some young child's place. Now sit up and dry those eyes, be a brave boy, you're going on a great adventure."
Zak sat up and did as bid. Deep inside he knew Grandfather was right; it was just hard for one so young to understand this cruel world. But understand he did, and with a hollow feeling inside he knew his duties. They had come to say thank you to the leader and were waiting in the observation lounge till she was rested. Mother and Father were packing for him and soon he would return for some tragic goodbyes, and the crying would start again in earnest. But he must be brave, he had a job to do now, a purpose in life; he was now a pioneer, and pioneers don't cry.
"I can't even write to you in heaven. I'll be all alone."
"No, but you can pray, it's the same thing, we will hear your prayers. And we will be happy in heaven knowing you are alive and happy here, you know that's how we would want things if we had the choice, and now the choice has been made for us so we must embrace it. I feel you're a very special boy Zak, I think you're going to grow up into a very special man soon."
"But we never seen the rainbow together."
"We never saw the rainbow together," smiled Grandfather.
"We didn't even find out the seventh colour," he sighed.
"It's indigo," answered Gramps.
"How did you find out?"
"I don't know, it just popped into my head, sometimes it happens that way."
"What colour's indigo?" asked Zak.
"Oh it's kind of all the dark blues and dark purples and navies rolled into one; it's so dark it's almost black, but not quite. I think if magic had a colour it would be indigo."
"Like the colour of the sky," said Zak.
"No," sighed Gramps, "unfortunately that's just black."
"No it isn't, look, it's an indigo."
Grandfather looked up at the night sky, only to realise it was the dawn sky. But not the usual dawn of the sun cutting into the black, this was different, this was like a sky that hadn't been seen before; this was a new sky, a new dawn.
"Why does it look different Gramps?"
"Ozone," answered Grandfather, in his quiet unassuming way. "It has to be ozone, nothing else could cause it. Ozone makes the sky blue so what does it mean if the sky's indigo?"
"Quarter ozone," answered Zak with a squeal.
"I think we'd better tell someone in case we're the only two who can see it, although to be honest Zak, I'm finding it hard to take my eyes off it, I just don't want to look back and find it gone. I'm afraid to blink."
"Can I tell D?"
"I have a feeling that she might like to wake up to a sight like this. We'd better hurry; if it clouds over they'll think we're mad."
A single guard stood outside her private quarters. "We have an important message for the leader," said Grandfather.
"I'm sorry sir; I have my orders."
"This boy wants to tell D the sky's fixed. Do you really want to be the one to deprive her of that information?"
"With all due respect sir, the sky isn't fixed, quite the opposite."
"I think you should come with me young man, I have something to show you."
For the second time in a week D and Zak embraced unashamedly. Then hand in hand they went to the observation lounge where a guard was standing looking skyward with tears running down his face. It was a site for the whole world to wake up to and rejoice.
A rumpus was heard from a corridor nearby and difficult as it was for D to pull herself away from this spectacle duty brought her to investigate. One would have thought the guard would accompany her but he was quite simply lost in amazement.
"Get off me you bastards I need to see Winston," screamed Holly as she outran them in her wheelchair crashing through doors.
"Winston! Winston! We need to recalibrate the instruments from synthetic to natural ozone; the readings will all be up the left!"
"Up the left? Is that a technical term?" he queried. "It's ok," he said turning to the two exhausted guards, "she's a friend of mine." He threw a few switches and changed a plug on the back. "Hmmm," he declared, "twenty three percent, it hasn't been that high for a few months. You do know what this means?" he asked of Holly.
"Yeah," she answered, "it means we're both assholes."
She started laughing loudly and Winston smiled, in fact after a few seconds he felt some awkward sounds in his breathing, they were clumsy spasmodic burst from his throat, almost so difficult he had to concentrate to make it work; Winston was laughing; it had been so long he had forgotten how to do it, and all things considered, he quite enjoyed it.
"Nice to see everything is under control," said D watching from the doorway, "I guess you'll do anything for some free cheese and coffee," she directed at Holly, "even save the planet."
"It is with great pride and pleasure that I must inform the House of a small turn in events last night. The sky is fixed."
A great roar of celebration filled the hall, everyone, who of course already knew as the news had spread through the city like butter on hot toast, rejoiced, hugged and patted each others' backs, shook hands, and beamed.
"Let us not make the same mistakes twice.
"I propose sweeping new reforms, money and greed almost killed us, if it wasn't for drastic actions implemented over the last eight months, the world would surely have perished. Let us learn from this, let us take a step backwards from so called progress. Let us continue with this non profit making structure, there is so much work ahead of us, so much rebuilding, growing and breeding, let us use this need to build a world where we work together, as much for our neighbour as ourselves. I want you all to put your fine heads together and create a workable barter system at a local and international level. It won't be easy and it will feel very alien to many but I do believe it is viable. I want your ideas by tomorrow, and if you don't have any, I want a damned good reason why not."
The House simultaneously rose to their feet to applaud and cheer her, and this time she heard them.
All over the planet the military continued to release oxygen before dawn, even toasters joined their ranks to help, and within a month ozone had recovered to seventy two percent and rising. Pesticides were banned; an organic policy was implemented to great success.
"It's gorgeous," Zak told Gramps.
"Yes," said Grandfather, "even to an old man like me. You know Zak, I think that rainbow is smiling at you."
"Don't be silly Gramps; it looks more like a frown."
"It's a metaphor Zak, maybe you should've gone to that island; I seem to have been no use to you at all."
"Don't be silly Gramps, without you I wouldn't be alive.
And the two stood hand in hand and watched till the last colour faded and Zak hesitantly worked up the courage to ask for a pet platypus.
Back in the House politicians of all parties worked together to implement all the new reforms, there was an air of well being, happiness and direction, some thought of a return to the old political structure, but no one mentioned it; if it's not broke don't fix it.
"Did you get it?" asked John.
Dog showed him the contents of the package, "Yip, I got it."
"Wonderful, wait in her office, I'll go and get her." He went off to look for D.
"There's someone waiting for you in your office, I feel something important has come up," said John.
"Who is it? What's happening?" queried D.
"Someone called Jack, I thought you wanted to see him," answered John shamming confusion.
She looked at him suspiciously, he was never good at lying to her, but curiosity drew her to her office, albeit a little apprehensively.
"Dog, what a surprise to see you again, is Jack really your name?"
Dog smiled one of his long, irreverent, mischievous grins. "I think that's a reference to this," he admitted pulling a bottle from his coat pocket.
"Oh my good Lord, Jack Daniels, where on this earth did you get a bottle of whiskey?"
"I have some Gods I answer to, and sometimes they answer me."
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