Protocol 7

Protocol 7 - By Armen Gharabegian




PROLOGUE:

THE ESCAPE

STATION 3-27

Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica

“That’s insane.”

The violent blizzard was menacing—the most powerful storm Robert Donnelley had experienced in two years stationed in Antarctica. He could hear it screaming outside Station 3-27 as the murderous wind scraped a swarm of ice particles from the surface of the Ross Ice Shelf; less than twenty-two seconds later, the same ice particles pounded the walls of the modular scientific outpost, half-buried in the desolate terrain. According to Donnelley’s readouts, the wind speed exceeded 122 miles per hour.

Inside the tiny domed facility, Donnelley’s hand shook as his fingers tightened on the syringe he was about to plunge into his thigh. Ignore the shaking, he ordered himself as he took a breath and let the needle penetrate his flesh. He tried instead to focus on the label that read “INSULIN…EXP 11/2038.” He knew that this was the last of the med packs, and he knew it didn’t matter anymore. He would have all the insulin he needed soon enough. A two-year supply, he thought. All gone now.

Donnelley pressed the release mechanism on the syringe, and the chemical entered his bloodstream. He sighed as he pulled the syringe free and leaned back in his chair; he looked at the nearly transparent holographic screen perched precariously on a shipping cubicle and watched a dark-skinned man with a wide nose and a grim expression address a huge, colorfully dressed assembly.

“…and for these reasons, the United Nations Special Committee on Antarctica has voted in the majority to extend the terms of the Madrid Protocol for an additional twelve years, through December 31, 2051.”

“That’s what I mean,” his partner said. “Insane.”

The man on the holo-display continued. Donnelley knew it was Mohad Anan, the Secretary General of the UN. Everyone knew that, even in the remote outskirts of Antarctica. “During this extended interdiction,” Anan said, “as in the past, no nation, corporation, or non-governmental entity of any kind shall establish any installation or habitation of any kind; no exploratory or military action will be tolerated, and no development or exploitation of natural resources will be undertaken within the disputed territory as defined in Section I of the Protocol, understood to include the entire continent of Antarctica and the whole of its coastal waters.”

“Jesus.”

The roar of the Assembly broke over Anan, and the world leader pounded his gavel for quiet. Donnelley’s research partner, Brad Parkinson, sandy-haired and sharp-chinned, shook his head in disgust. “Jesus,” he said again. “What are they thinking?”

“They’re thinking if they end the Protocol and let every country on Earth come swarming in here to fight over the natural resources, it’ll cause World War Three,” Donnelley said, sounding weary. “And Four, and possibly Five.”

“That’s bullshit,” Brad said. “I think they’re just choking it off to try and keep the Chinese from taking it all. What do you think?”

“I think…” he glanced at the screen again. Anan was plowing ahead, despite the roar of the crowd and the howl of the wind outside. “Further,” he said, “as stated in Protocol 7 of the Antarctic Treaty, all established facilities now in operation in the disputed territory are to be immediately decommissioned, and all personnel are to be withdrawn to their home countries or declared neutral territory no later than March 31 of this year, 2039. The United Nations Enforcement Division will assist in the relocations and will remain in absolute and unilateral control of the disputed territory. During the extended interdiction, UNED will serve as the Territory’s only governmental authority, nationally and internationally. There will be no exceptions, no extensions, and no appeals.”

“I think it doesn’t matter what I think,” Donnelley said.

This had been coming for quite a while. Antarctica had been disputed territory since before he was born, twenty-eight years ago. The Protocols had stopped all that, and driven everyone except scientists and explorers from the continent a full fifteen years ago. But now even the scientists and explorers were being banned. Due to a war over territorial rights between Japan and China, the United Nations had been forced to enact a new protocol to the Antarctic Treaty in 2032. This new protocol, Protocol 7—which had finally been approved in 2035, had given the United Nations ultimate control over the Antarctic continent. Through Protocol 7, UNED would become the governing body and the policing force in the event that future tensions would break out over the continent. The protocol would allow UNED to enforce an immediate and absolute quarantine without question. Any nation that would not abide by the articles of Protocol 7 would face immediate military intervention from NATO.

All that work. All that knowledge…

“The world is getting too hungry,” he said, as much to himself as to his partner. “And too desperate.”

“Ladies and gentlemen,” the Secretary General said, almost shouting to be heard. “This is not done lightly, not without serious and continuing appraisal and debate. However, given the current level of international tension, the continuing and worsening political and economic instability in both hemispheres, and the undeniable willingness—even the overt threat—of so many regimes ready to bring devastating military and economic might to bear should this new continent be made accessible, there is only one option available to the Committee and the world: initiate Protocol 7—continued isolation…or Armageddon!”

Donnelley wondered what the old man had been thinking when he gave this speech. Was he worried? Elated? Afraid? He couldn’t tell by looking. He could barely recognize him and his fellow “world leaders” as human. They seemed that distant, that alien.

“Thank you,” Anan said and turned away from the podium.

“Turn the goddamn thing off,” Brad said. “They just keep playing the same clip over and over. I’m sick of it,” he continued after tossing the small servo that was in his hand on the table immediately in front of him. “First it was the Patriot Act that gave the US unfair control over our citizens, and now this Protocol 7 bullshit.”

Donnelley passed a hand over the remote control and deactivated the live streaming image. It was replaced by an updated version of the same message they’d been receiving for more than a day—white letters trundling across the invisible screen, floating in thin icy air:

You are required to evacuate your station. Please gather your personal belongings and prepare to leave immediately. This is an official mandate by the United Nations; noncompliance is punishable by law.

“What do they expect us to do with the equipment, just let it freeze here?” Brad made a fist. “It took me four months to get approval to set up the damn station, and now they want to shut it down?”

Donnelley shrugged. His eyes traveled across the interior of the stuffy, low-ceilinged, dank little dome, called Station 3-27, which had been his home for so long. Every inch of it was crammed with carrying cases, data blocks, trunks, and suitcases of every size. It smelled even worse than usual. He hated it, and he was going to miss it like hell. He wondered what would become of the scientific explorations throughout the continent and all the personnel that had to evacuate immediately.

All he knew was that by dawn tomorrow there wouldn’t be a living soul on the entire icy landmass—just unmanned drones patrolling the perimeter, and specialized satellites peering down from above to keep—

There was a knock at the door.

It was brisk, distinct, edged with a metallic click, as if someone was beating a chain-mail fist against the hatch.

The two scientists froze, speechless. Finally, Brad Parkinson blinked.

“Evac team early?” he said sarcastically.

“Did you hear the chopper?” Donnelley said. It should have been clearly audible, even over the howling of the storm.

“No. Did you—”

There was another violent knock.

Donnelley turned and put his cheek against the small round circle of the observation port. He could feel the impossible cold, even through the two plates of half-inch lexan and the insulating layer of inert gas between them.

There was a hunched, hooded figure in the entrance alcove—a single human shape. Pellets of rock-hard ice peppered the figure like a hail of white ball bearings. Each one of them, Donnelley knew, was sharp enough to cut, traveling fast enough to leave a bruise.

“Son of a bitch,” he said. “He’s not even in a suit.”

“Then he’s a dead man,” Brad said.

“Well at least he can die inside.” He shifted to the left, put his eye to the retinal scanner, and thumbed the broad latch-panel.

Parkinson jumped up. “Wait a minute, Donnelley! We don’t even know who he is!”

The panel beeped just as it was supposed to. “Who cares?” he said over his shoulder. He put his hands on the huge, old-fashioned wheel and spun it, cursing the design. Damn engineers, he thought as he dragged at it. “There aren’t two hundred people left on the whole damn continent, Brad. It’s not exactly a home invasion robbery!”

It took all the strength he had to pull the door open six inches. The man outside pushed as well, using his shoulder with tremendous strength. A moment later, the opening was just wide enough to let the visitor spill in and tumble to the floor. Donnelley reversed his effort and struggled to get the hatch shut and locked. He barely managed.

After the latch chunked home and the panel gave its happy beep, he leaned against the cold door to recover his strength. “Son of a bitch,” he said again, panting from the exertion. “What the hell were you—”

Something jerked at the collar of his suit, right at the nape of his neck, and pulled him back hard. A fist slammed into his face as he fell, hitting him just below his nose and driving him even more painfully to the ground. An instant later, the man who had knocked on the door was on top of him, knee on his chest, holding him down.

His attacker’s entire head was covered in a twisted mass of silver, heat-insulating Mylar, duct tape showing at odd corners and sealing a pair of goggles over his eyes. There was a tiny slit where his mouth should have been. His hands—the ones pinning Donnelley’s arms to the floor—were covered in two pairs of gloves, one inside the other.

“Shut up,” the man said. His voice was rough with cold and desperation.

He freed one hand long enough to reach inside the massive black peacoat he was wearing. Donnelley barely had time to think, that shouldn’t have worked; he shouldn’t have gotten ten feet in that get-up, before the glove came out again, holding a huge, slab-sided Glock 17 hand gun.

He pointed the pistol at Robert Donnelley and shot him in the forehead—one 9-millimeter bullet, dead center. After a long moment, a bubble of blood welled up in the hole and dribbled thickly down one temple.

The taped head came up and pointed its black lens at Brad Parkinson. The gun came up with it and pointed steadily at a single, small spot on the researcher’s chest. “You don’t have to die,” the visitor grated, his voice muffled by the wrapping. “Listen carefully.”

Parkinson stared at him. He could barely comprehend what had just happened.

“I’ll take this man’s suit and ID. You will stand in the corner and watch me. When the chopper gets here, we will fly out together. If you tell them I am not who they think I am, I will kill everyone.”

“You’ll just kill yourself if you do. We’ll all die.”

The man didn’t answer. He just stared at him. After a long moment, Brad nodded. “Okay,” he said. “Okay.”

He backed into a corner and stretched his hands high over his head. Then he watched in mute horror as the man stripped his friend’s body, peeled off his own makeshift thermal suit, and switched clothes. The corpse of Robert Donnelley fit into one of the empty storage containers—one of the many that were going to be left behind.

Brad didn’t see the man’s face. It didn’t matter. He was too much in a state of disarray to even care.

When the man was fully clothed and Donnelley’s body was safely hidden away, he said, “You can put your hands down.” Parkinson lowered them with a silent sigh of relief and sat on a data cube, as far from the other man as he could. They did not speak again until the chopper arrived.

After carefully scanning the small outpost, the man quickly recognized what he had come for and opened a small box that contained a tiny book and a digital microchip. He quickly grabbed the contents and shoved them it into the pocket of his jacket. He knew that it would change everything. He needed to do this for his friend, even if it meant his life. The helicopter barely made it through the storm. It wallowed like an airborne rowboat piloted by a drunk, shoved and battered by the freezing wind. But it managed to touch down thirteen minutes after the stranger knocked on the outpost’s door—exactly on time.

The pilot didn’t check IDs—why bother? Donnelley and Parkinson were the only two humans in a five hundred-mile radius. With just two new passengers and so little to carry, the pilot was able to lift off at 12:56—two minutes early, despite the storm.

The trip to the evac station passed without incident. They did not speak to each other or the pilot. Shortly after they debarked, they went into separate rooms for processing and left on separate transports three hours later, returning to different parts of the United States. Brad did not see the other man leave; he heard much later that Robert Donnelley “disappeared” at some point along the daisy-chain of multiple connecting flights that were supposed to take him back to Roanoke, Virginia.

He didn’t care. All that mattered to Brad Parkinson was that he made it home to his wife and daughter.

And he never spoke of the incident to anyone. Ever.