2041 Sanctuary (Dark Descent) by Robert Storey Read Free Book Online Page B

it is your duty to inform me about important developments within the GMRC, those that may have escaped my attention.’
    ‘Yes, sir,’ Debden said, an edge of uncertainty creeping into his voice.
    ‘Then why is it,’ Joiner continued as he swung his chair round twenty degrees so he could fix Debden with his steely gaze, ‘that the R&D Division is presenting to the Directorate a project I know nothing about?’
    ‘Specific schedule details were only released and disseminated upon commencement of the summit, sir. We would—’
    ‘We work in the damn Intelligence Division!’ Joiner’s eyes flashed fierce. ‘We should’ve had a copy of the schedule a day before it was written and a dossier on the project should have been on my desk the day it was conceived!’
    Debden looked shaken by his director’s anger at this apparent oversight and stood locked in Joiner’s unrelenting stare, unable to formulate an appropriate response – most likely because there wasn’t one.
    Joiner watched and waited, maintaining silence in order to intensify Debden’s discomfort and to instil in him the knowledge that failing in his duties was not an option. More agonising seconds ticked by … then he swivelled his chair back round.
    ‘Project Ares,’ Joiner said, as he once more perused the schedule, his glasses perched at the end of his pointed nose. ‘Get a team on it, full work up. I want to know everything there is to know.’
    ‘Very good, sir.’ Debden departed, leaving Joiner to ponder on what Project Ares might be. As his irritation mounted due to his lack of information on the subject his phone, which rested on a glass table to his left, emitted a small beep which progressed into a drawn out repeating singular note.
    Joiner drew the phone to his ear. ‘Yes?’
    ‘Director Joiner, my apologies for this intrusion at such a late hour. My name is Duncan Sanderfield. I’m a senior on-site Population Control manager. Earlier today a major public relations situation transpired and my superiors suggested you may want some input into how we go about clearing up the mess.’
    ‘How major?’
    ‘A Code Two media breach, national and international exposure by a prominent and credible source.’
    ‘Duration?’
    ‘A few minutes.’
    ‘Has it got legs?’
    ‘We’ve prevented further broadcasting of the coverage and hunted down and destroyed any copies stored on public and private mobile and static devices. There will be some files we were unable to access straight away, but our computer coders ensure us it will only be a matter of time before we have them all.’
    Joiner considered the implications of such a Code Two event. ‘How prominent is prominent?’
    ‘Does the name Jessica Klein ring any bells?’
    Joiner swore.
    ‘Quite,’ Sanderfield said. ‘They don’t come much bigger, do they?’
    ‘Where is she being held?’
    ‘Here, in this very building.’
    Joiner sat up straighter. ‘Convenient. Where are you located?’
    ‘Sub-basement Green Sector twelve. Use the east side elevator shafts. Interrogation Suite One.’
    ‘I’ll be with you shortly.’ Joiner hung up the phone. Clearly Population Control was finding this potato too hot to handle. As was often the case the Intelligence Division was at hand to mop up the messes others could not. Any issue of a smaller scale and Joiner would not have even been considered as a point of contact, but in this instance his experience was invaluable and it was well known he relished dealing with such cases. Who wouldn’t, he mused; a chance to throw one’s weight around was always something to savour.
    Ten minutes later, after taking a couple of travelators and a lift, Joiner walked into a sizable conference room to be greeted by Sanderfield and various other personnel from the Population Control Division of the GMRC. As ever Joiner’s aide, Debden, and a few other intelligence agents had accompanied him.
    Sanderfield led Joiner through the events that had taken place