Time Agent | ONC2024

5. London 2020 | TL GPX.54

This chapter is dedicated to MarCafeWrites and her charming story for the ONC, Miss Otis Regrets. A delightful read!

Jack awoke to a brand-new day, full of hope and determination. Today, he had an interview scheduled with the Minister of Industry and Environment, to discuss this new theory doing the rounds about the Earth getting warmer. What was the Government, and more particularly the Minister, going to do about it? What were their plans?

And after that, over dinner, he would sit down with Jean and have a serious discussion about yesterday's events. Point out to him the dangers of getting involved with the extremists on either side. He would be careful to speak objectively, not as if he were trying to order Jean about. He had to remember that, at twenty, Jean was legally an adult, even if he didn't always act like one.

Despite Jack's wishful thinking, he was no longer a teenager, to be bound by the rules and decisions of his older brother.

Gulping down a mug of coffee—he had acquiesced to Jean's request in that regard, they drank coffee in the flat, not tea—Jack pulled on his jacket and headed out the door.

The weather had changed, clouds covered the sky and a cold wind blew around his neck, making him wish he'd brought a scarf. Happily, the Metro was only a couple of blocks from home and he clattered down the steps to the Napoleon Line to catch the train to Whitehall. From there it was a short walk to the Government Offices.

The old-fashioned elevator creaked its way up to the fourth floor and Jack couldn't help feeling relieved when it eventually shuddered to a stop and he was able to pull the door open. If he came here again, he'd take the stairs.

The Minister was sitting back, puffing on a cigar when Jack entered his office. A large man with a florid face, he waved Jack to a chair placed in front of the desk. His brow creased and he pointed the cigar at Jack.
"So what can I do for you, young man?"

Jack's heart sank. This interview had been arranged a week ago, but far from being prepared, the Minister appeared to have forgotten all about it.
"Jack Brown, from the Daily Express," he offered, not quite truthfully. Though after all, that was the paper he hoped to sell the story to. "We all know the world is warming. My readers are interested to know what the Government's plans are to address this phenomenon?"

The Minister chuckled and raised the hand holding the cigar. "Let me stop you right there." He gestured to the window where rain was now spattering against the glass. "Does that look like the Earth is warming to you? Sure, we went through a hot spell last summer, but that's weather for you. Always changing. Why I remember back in 1990, we had a whole week of over 95°... and, of course we mustn't forget about that record in 1919 when London reached 104°. No, this talk about the planet warming is all cowshit. A media beat up, anything to make sales, right?" He grinned knowingly at Jack.

"But sir, the science-"

The Minister waved an airy hand. "Oh science! You can make anything you like with science!"

"But sir, the report from Dr Dubois is quite-"

"Dubois? He's a Norman, isn't he?" interrupted the Minister with a sudden scowl. "You don't want to believe anything the Normies say! They don't care about the truth, they just want to disrupt the Government. They'll twist anything to suit their agenda. No, you'd be far better off reading the latest piece by Dr Johnson, he debunks the whole 'planet is warming' myth. The English have always had a better grasp on the Sciences than the Normies. They spend too much time farting around with the Arts," he added, crudely.

He stood up and went across to open the door. "Well, if that's all, I have a busy day ahead."

Defeated, Jack got to his feet. It was obvious the Minister wasn't going to listen to anything he had to say. His mind was set. Wrongly, in Jack's opinion.

"Thank you for your time, sir." Jack hoped he sounded as sarcastic as he felt.

The Minister patted him on the shoulder as he went past. "Read that article by Dr Johnson. It will put your mind at rest." He smiled in a patronising way, his lips moving but not his eyes.

Well, that was a colossal waste of time, thought Jack as he took the stairs down to the ground floor, two at a time.

He didn't like to admit it, but maybe Jean had a point. There had always been political rivalry between the two parties in the parliament, the English Conservatives and the Norman Republicans, but when had it changed to this abusive disrespect? Not to mention the automatic discounting of the facts because they were advanced by someone from the other side? Things were definitely getting worse.

When he got back to the flat, he had decided to listen to what Jean had to say first, and have a more meaningful discussion than what he had originally intended, but he was foiled by the fact that Jean wasn't home. A message stuck to the fridge told him that Jean would be out for dinner. He was catching up with the Millennials, a small group of friends he had known from birth, and added that he would be home late.

Jack sighed and made himself a mug of coffee. Then he sat down in front of his typewriter and tried to salvage something from the debacle of an interview.

~

Jean let himself into the flat several hours later, tip-toeing so as not to wake Jack. He felt the excitement strumming through his veins like the best kind of high. He was thankful Jack was asleep. If Jack had been awake, he knew he could not have contained himself. The news would have burst out of him like fireworks on Guy Fawkes night. And it was too soon. He couldn't tell anyone, yet. The biggest adventure of his life and it had to be a secret.