After the Truth (Book One)

Fifteen

Between that last meeting with Sir Robert and sitting here across from the UN building, if I were to maintain my notes, I would only be documenting what has become public knowledge.

All I predicted over lunch that day in London is now coming true. The spread of the Word has not been stopped. More and more governments have tried turning the tap tighter and tighter to try to stop the flow, but they were always fighting a losing battle.

A programmer at an internet service provider in Montreal opened the tap he was meant to help shut off. He had heard stories in social media groups about the deaths of several other programmers working for internet companies. People just like him. He began to piece the conspiracy together.

Under the guise of a software update, the programmer disabled the blocking of the Word on his company's systems and Internet servers. He also published the pages and pages of his research. He had linked everything: the deaths of the children in California with the death of Evelyn at LAX, and even the death of Hiro, right in the heart of the WHO. He had been so thorough in his research he had even connected the deaths of Father Cardoso in Rio and Martin Bradmore in his own city. My name, and my resignation from the WHO, were in there as well. I suspect he even spoke with at least one of the children held in quarantine with me at Edwards AFB. The take down of Malcolm Privet's website was also recorded.

He had exposed the whole conspiracy. Everything governments and intelligence agencies had been so desperately trying to hide. Had he told the truth?

The actual text of the Word also appeared across his pages of notes.

His act of 'betrayal' was detected within three hours. He was quickly arrested and removed from society, but it was too late. His research had been replicated across the Internet and as fast as servers were shut down the documents spread to others. Then, once critical mass had been reached, his research exploded, going viral across the world of wires linking us all.

The tap has now fully opened.

The Word is known but people have not heeded the danger. The death count is growing exponentially. In a few short weeks, it has surpassed the death toll from months of Covid-19. I have seen estimates so big the term pandemic seems dwarfed. Generated by fear, there have been riots in Paris, London, Cape Town, Washington, New York, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Tokyo, Rio, and an ever-growing list of others.

The hour is late, but this evening has served its purpose. I have succeeded in putting my memories and thoughts in some form of order. I can see a structure to my speech tomorrow.

I should treat tomorrow as if I were speaking at a large medical conference, which I have done so many times. However, there is far more at stake than my normal presentations on data analysis or pandemic response procedures.

The response to this pandemic is simple: tell the truth. But the truth is too difficult. Lying is easier.

Globalisation and the Internet. We are all connected, but only by wires and money, not by honesty.

I have repeatedly referred to these notes as a journal. It is not meant to be, it is meant only to be jottings to aid my speech. A journal signifies this is an ongoing task I have given myself, but I do not plan to come back beyond tomorrow's event. Sitting here in this hotel room, tired and alone (Isabel refused to come with me) tomorrow is a void I cannot see beyond.

I have spoken with many political leaders whilst preparing for tomorrow and they are as fearful as their own populations.

In public these same leaders make speeches of the "unprecedented co-operative actions" being taken to address the deaths, and tell their agitated populations they are on top of the danger and soon the numbers of deaths will start to decrease. Always, tomorrow will be the day: "they will turn the corner", "the recovery will start", "the cure is found". At the same time as these speeches and co-operation, they blame other countries for the spread of the disease and ridicule the very similar proclamations and responses.

In private no one really knows what to do.

The truth confuses them all.

Will I ask too much of my audience tomorrow? They are not prepared, and they are not capable of accepting the change that is washing over humanity. Just this morning I was speaking with a German foreign minister who told me the EU, the US, Britain, China and Russia felt there was a new way to block the spread of the Word any further. They hoped that once the spread was stopped, knowledge of the Word will die out with time.

Only a politician could believe the truth will die out.