Terry Neale - Jo-el

“Burn the weapons, Sally.”

No sooner said than done. The automatic pistols became too hot to hold and both men dropped them on the carpet.

“Whack them in the leg, I’m done with their antics.”

It was Charlie Chaplin all over again. Both men leaped sideways for no apparent reason and fell to the floor. They didn’t bother to get up.

“You assholes are here so you can tell your boss, who’s too drunk to remember, what I have to say, okay?”

They nodded. I told Yerchenkov what I’d told Espinosa about shutting down the business or I’d be back, then Sally amputated his left hand. It didn’t seem to bother him at first, he kept looking at it, holding it up in the light, the blood trickling down his arm and laughing. Gotta love that single malt. Then he started crying and scrunched himself up on the sofa into a fetal position. I told his bodyguards to take him to a hospital and then left.

I had an hour before the appearance on CNN. I’d told Cathy Vogel that this was not going to be an interview, more of a statement by me. I agreed that I’d listen to a couple of questions but I’d reserve my decision about answering. I struggled with how I was going to inform the world why I had suddenly appeared. I still felt the need to demonstrate my intentions. I could show people what I could do and the incredible technology but when it came to Cirion, I had no way to prove it was real. I couldn’t take anybody to Cirion. The video of that planet could be made in Hollywood. It was impossible for me to understand what the reaction would be. So much had been written about the possibility of life on other planets but we hadn’t seen it and much of our expectation was that the life would be very simple, like plants or simple organisms. The idea that there were many ‘human’ planets and one in particular was hundreds of millions of years more advanced than our own was going to stretch most people’s belief system. Only Pippa knew of Cirion and anyone she’d told and I didn’t know if she had told anyone, she had been out of Sally’s range, underground. I toyed with visiting her so I could hear the reaction, but the bad feeling between us was too new.

My plan was simple enough. Get the world on board with me, believing everything I said and then hit them with the bad news coming in seventy or so years. Eradicate all the evil on our planet so that we didn’t need our military and police forces, which would free up enormous funds to finance the building of spacecraft. It seemed totally logical to me and I hadn’t thought of anything else so far that solved the problem. I was aware that many people wouldn’t trust me, but I had to get the big players on board, the US, Europe, China, even Russia. If they all started building spacecraft, I truly believed we had a chance.

We had seventy years. We would start slow, small craft to test the technology. Sally reckoned we could send a first mission to the new planet within a year, maybe with a craft capable of carrying twenty or so. The leap forward in technology would be so exciting, I couldn’t believe that any of the Superpowers would not want to be part of it. We were going to enter the space age for real this time, a new era, a new beginning, if I didn’t blow it.

At a quarter to six in the evening, eastern time I bounced to the CNN studio in New York. Vogel had designated an empty conference room, where she and Stewart Nolan were waiting nervously. I arrived in full Jo-el outfit but without wings. I’d follow their advice about dress.

“Hope you guys are okay?” I said as they rose to shake my hand. The instant relief that I’d appeared was apparent in their manner.

Nolan spoke, “yes, we’re fine, but it was a hell of a ride.”

“I can imagine.” Or maybe I can’t but what the hell.

“What happened?” Vogel asked. “Why did they change their minds?”

“They didn’t tell you?” She shook her head.

I explained what I knew and tried to keep it short. I could see Nolan wanted to ask about the interview.

“What are you going to say?” he asked, eventually.

“Before we discuss that, are you okay with how I’m dressed, or how about the wings, or I could wear a suit?”

Vogel looked at Nolan and said. “I think it’s up to you.”

“Okay, I’m going to add the wings, then explain they’re false and then maybe change to a business suit. That should amuse the viewers.” I smiled.

“What do you want to say?” asked Nolan.

“I need to win people’s confidence, I have so much to tell but it’s so incredible I believe I need to let it out slowly. Then if I prove what I say it will allow people to accept something that I can’t prove later.”

“Like what?” asked Nolan.

“Not now, I’m sorry, but I plan to tell everything in the next couple of weeks.”

“Right, you better come with us.” Vogel was examining her watch, she indicated the door.

I followed them to a typical studio set. Four cameras were facing the main stage, spread out around a red desk, screens covered the back walls. People with head phones milled around, everyone turned when we entered the studio. At the desk was Leyland Price, a well-known reporter, immaculate in a black suit. He smiled and reached out his hand. His hand shake was solid. A woman with a cloth dabbed his head, then came over to me and began wiping the sheen on my forehead. My nerves elevated twenty times.

“Do you want to stand?” Vogel asked.

“Yes, I think that would be better,” I said. My stomach decided to do a back-flip. I wondered if Superman ever got nervous.

“Two minutes,” someone shouted.

I took a deep breath. “Might be better if I’m offstage and you introduce me, then I walk on.”

“Perfect,” Leyland replied, putting me at ease.

“Red light on a camera means it’s live,” said Vogel.

I stood off stage a little.

“Ten seconds,” came the voice, Vogel disappeared. I added the wings and heard a collective gasp.

“Action.” I saw the red light on a central camera come on.

“Ladies and Gentleman this is Leland Price at CNN. We are truly honored to have on set with us right now the man who is at the center of the biggest news story, maybe of the century. The man some of us have called the ‘Birdman’ but as we shall find out, that is just one of his abilities. May I introduce, Jo-el.” He emphasized the -el for some reason, and put his arm out towards me.

My stomach did a triple somersault and I thanked God for the smart-suit. Don’t ask why?

The back monitors were showing a video of the rescue on the Beach in Turks and Caicos, just about a week ago, my first public appearance. I had no idea then what I was getting into, now I was the number one news story. Maybe I should have stuck to being a lifeguard. I quickly reminded myself that I was there just to make a statement that would change the lives of many women and children.

I reached out and shook Leyland’s hand, he was sitting at the red desk. Then I stood back from the desk and lost my wings. The man with the boom-mike nearly fell over.

“Leyland, thank you so much for allowing me this air-time, I’m sure there are many people who want to know who I am. Firstly I want to let the viewers know that I’m here this evening just to make a statement and not to answer specific questions.” As my diatribe began I felt more comfortable, even in the lights I could see the faces of some of the studio team, they wanted to hear what I had to say. “But I will tell you a little about myself.” I paused and took a quiet breath, you could hear a pin drop.

“I am a simple man who has been given technology far advanced than we have currently on earth. My wings are a hologram; they are not real. Leyland, please come here,” I indicated for him to join me standing on the stage. He came over and as he did I brought back the wings in all their glory, stretching them out as far as they would reach. “Touch the wings, Leyland.” He seemed a little pensive, but reached his hand out, which passed right through the wings.