The Oracle Code

34



Safe House

Kandahar

Kandahar Province

Afghanistan

February 16, 2013

Lourds stood in front of the television in the downstairs room of the safe house and watched as updates on the Ukraine Invasion—as the news services were calling it—unfolded. Video footage of several actions streamed across the screen.

In Kiev, a right-wing Blue Party leader had taken control of parliament with the help of a rebellious Ukrainian army led by Russian officers. They carried cameras of their own and filmed their progress through the building and against the security guards. They left several guards dead behind them and added to the body count a few naysayers who tried to engage the invading party in an argument.

Other contingents of the rebel army took over the radio and television stations, assuming command of the airwaves. All of them were on standby, awaiting an announcement from President Nevsky.

Tiredly, Lourds rubbed his goatee. “This doesn’t make sense. Why would Nevsky do this? Why now?”

“We knew he wanted to do something like this even before he took office.” Anna’s voice was flat, monotone, and she watched the television as if dazed. “For years, Nevsky has lobbied about bringing the deserter countries back where they belong.”

The anchor broke in the middle of his recap. “It appears President Nevsky is prepared to deliver a statement to accept responsibility for the invasion and to outline his plans for what happens next.”

The television view broke away and opened again on Nevsky standing alone at a podium that sported two Russian flags. He seemed grim and gray and precise, totally unflustered and in command.

“Greetings. I know that many of you want to know what is happening right now. More than that, you want to know why. I have come here today to tell you both of those things.”

Lourds cocked his head to one side as he focused on Nevsky. “Listen to that voiceover. That’s Nevsky providing a translation for himself.”

“The presentation is supposed to be live.” Layla pointed at the slug line along the bottom that indicated that the broadcast was live and was coming from inside the Kremlin.

“It probably is, but he made the English translation himself. Maybe he figured no one else could do it right, or he likes the sound of his own voice.”

Nevsky continued speaking. “Since the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, Russia has been lost. Our country has floundered and struggled to get by. Many thought that, by embracing capitalism and the Western ways, we would become a new nation.

“In this country, though, we’ve already had our exposure to the many working hard to support the needs of a few. The Russian people got rid of the Tsars. We worked on building together, on helping each other. In the past twenty-four years, we have forgotten that sense of togetherness.” Nevsky paused. “I am here to bring that back, comrades. I am here to save you from the confusion you have been suffering for so long.”

“Wow, he’s impressed with himself.” Lourds grinned sarcastically. “I don’t think he’s ever going to have a self-confidence issue.”

“If he were not so low-key, I would say he is arrogant.” Layla brought Lourds a cup of hot tea. He thanked her and was glad to see that she stood at his side.

“Taking back the Ukraine, bringing back those Russians who were taken from us without a chance to appeal their situations, is just the first step of my plans for reunifying Mother Russia. The Ukraine has suffered at the hands of greedy political leaders who stripped away their wealth and crippled their ability to take care of themselves only to line their own pockets.”

“Can you believe this?” Anna looked incredulous. “He is talking about the energy contracts that were signed with Russia to charge the Ukrainian people an exorbitant price. He was on the committee that forced that price on the Ukrainian people, and they bribed Ukrainian officials to accept the contract in the first place.”

Lourds was only vaguely familiar with the price gouging. The political professors at Harvard had talked about it at some length one time or another, but when Lourds thought of the Ukraine, he only thought of Neolithic cultures that lived in the Crimean Mountains and the reports he’d translated and read that had once belonged to Sargon the Great regarding the cultures in that area. The Ukraine was old and well documented by most standards. Today’s history was just a drop in a very large bucket by comparison.

Nevsky stared directly into the camera, showing no emotion. He was flat and matter-of-fact about his delivery.

“Some of my detractors say I have taken a heavy-handed approach to dealing with the Ukrainian situation.” Nevsky looked blandly into the camera. “I say this is not so. I, along with General Anton Cherkshan, took the most merciful course of action we could in dealing with this.

“Instead of sending in General Cherkshan, a noted war hero who has participated in one form or another in many battles and has not shirked at executing Russia’s enemies and terrorists who would cripple her, I could have turned off the oil and gas to that country and brought the Ukraine to her knees in winter.” Nevsky gripped the podium. “I did not want to do this.”

“So now he is doing them a favor?” Anna’s tone was one of scathing disbelief.

“Well, he’s not bashful, is he?” Lourds sipped his tea.

“I did not know such violence would break out in the Ukraine, but it goes to show you how dire the situation is there and how much the people wish to return to a government that is stable and has a clear vision for the future. Here in Russia, we have those things. We know what it takes to be great. We will build on that.

“We remain a space-based superpower, comrades. We have managed to hang on to our space program in spite of everything the Americans and NASA have done. We will follow through on those dreams of continued exploration in near space.

“We have untapped resources that we are now able to get to. We are gifted in emerging technologies and sciences. Even now, we are building housing units where scientists—your sons and daughters—may live together and work together to make Russia even greater.

“For the first time in many years, Mother Russia has vision, and her children have hope.”

The television camera in the Kremlin cut to a crowd standing outside on the street. Most of those people were cheering and waving. Then the camera cut back to Nevsky.

He placed his hand over his chest. “It does my heart good to see things like this, comrades. I knew we could overcome whatever obstacles lay in our path. I knew we would be successful, but I did not know I would be bringing you news of such great successes already.

“General Cherkshan is on his way to Kiev, where he will help empower leaders sympathetic to the Russian Federation to bring our people back to us. We will stand together.” Nevsky grew a little more impassioned. “We will return to greatness and be able to take care of ourselves and our families.”

The television broadcast went dark, then was picked up again immediately in the CNN newsroom.

Lourds turned to Anna. “I can see why you need to get home. There are going to be a lot of stories there to tell.”

“Yes.” Anna hesitated. “I feel guilty leaving you like this, after we have come this far.”

“You shouldn’t.”

“When you figure out the code that holds Callisthenes’s secrets, will you call me? I would still like to be part of that story.”

“Of course. I promised you an exclusive.” Lourds smiled at her.

Anna stepped up to hug him, planting a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you for everything you’ve done.”

“You’re welcome, but I believe it was more of a team effort.”

She stepped away. “Layla is going to give me a ride to the airport. She thinks she can get me a flight out of Kabul to Moscow today.”

“Be safe, Anna.”

“You too, Professor Lourds.” She ducked back in to whisper. “And you must let me know when you find the right time to deliver that ring.”

Lourds grinned ruefully. “It’s kind of hard to do, what with running from assassins and watching countries getting taken over.”

“I trust you to find the perfect moment.”

“At least one of us trusts me for that.”