Pivotal Moment



  Pivotal Moment

  Simon Stanton

  Copyright © Simon Stanton 2016

  The right of Simon Stanton to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  All characters and events in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Thank you for downloading this ebook. You are welcome to share it with your friends.

  This book may be reproduced, copied and distributed for non-commercial purposes, provided the book remains in its complete original form. If you enjoyed this book, please return to your favourite ebook retailer to discover other works by this author. Thank you for your support.

  Cover art: flickr.com/photos/torley/1045397529/

  Creative Commons license - commercial use with modifications

  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode

  The rat poked its nose out of the grass, just enough to sniff the air. It could tell by the smell that they were all around, walking past, walking quickly. The stench of them was in the air, a smell that didn’t belong. The rat kept as still as it could, apart from a twitching nose. It could smell them better than it could see them, but it could make out that the scaly creatures walking on two legs were everywhere. The rat sniffed again. The air smelled bad, it was dark when it should be bright, it smelled rank when it should be sweet, this was not right. In a very primitive rat-like way it knew that this wasn’t right. The rat was about to retreat back into the cover of the grass, and then…

  ***

  A thousand years of heavy industry had darkened the Earth’s skies and now the air wrapped the planet like a soiled blanket, but this had never troubled the dominant species. Reptiles had risen from humble beginnings as lumbering dinosaurs to being technological leviathans. Their cities spread across the globe, their factories belched more and more filth into the atmosphere, and their skyscrapers reached upwards connecting cities to clouds.

  In the capital city, the Government quarter was the biggest and most impressive. The tallest and most imposing buildings were here, it had the biggest and grandest piazzas surrounding the biggest buildings, and it had the most token attempts at finesse and bringing some suggestion of culture to the spaces. The Ministry of Science building was the biggest of all, its black and imposing façade rose out of sight into the dirty clouds. It was imposing by design, looking like a body builder towering over weaker mortals.

  Of all the reptiles walking around the piazzas of the Government quarter, Creeg was a reptile on a mission. He strode purposefully across the expanse of the piazza towards of the Ministry of Science building. As he got closer, he looked up at the Ministry of Science building. It wasn't by accident the Ministry of Science was the most powerful Ministry of Government, and it wasn't by accident that Creeg was a rising Ministerial Aide. He was cunning and ruthless, even by reptile standards. Dressed in his smartest suit, clutching his most professional document case, his ID badge slung around his neck, he marched on towards the Ministry building. The piazza was decorated by a scattering of water features and miniature gardens, a token attempt at refinement. It was all very pretty, but Creeg had time for none of it. He was on an important mission, perhaps the most important of his career so far.

  Creeg had been summoned by none other than the Minister of Science himself. The short message on his personal communicator had been concise and clear. There weren’t many Aides of his age or rank who received messages from the Minister, but Creeg was no ordinary Aide. In a reptile-eat-reptile world he was hungry to be top-reptile. He had set about being more ambitious than most, learning how to be more ruthless than most, and when he had entered the inner circle of Minister Vraag he had met the master of ambition and ruthlessness. Vraag had slithered up the ranks of Government, playing the game of politics with a rare blend of meanness and cunning. Vraag was not a Minister to be crossed or underestimated. Vraag was the reason the Ministry of Science was the most powerful Ministry in Government.

  One small thing irritated Creeg this dark and ambitious morning, and that was the lack of breakfast. He always ate a small mammal before going to work, but this morning he had been jerked out of his normal routine by this very other-than-normal message, and now his stomach growled. This wouldn’t do. If he was to meet the Minister, he couldn’t turn up with a noisy digestive system. A small bite to eat was required. As he walked and pondered his need for food, he passed one of the small ornamental flower beds, a presentation of shrubs and grasses, and a movement caught his eye. And then… in a deft swipe Creeg snatched the rat from the grass. The rat squealed in Creeg’s grip, wriggling for all it was worth. But Creeg was in no mind to let it go. Nor was he in a mind to enter the Ministry building munching on half a rodent. He stuffed the squirming animal into his pocket. He’d find a moment to eat it before he went up to the Minister’s office suite. A real dilemma, eat or move up the ladder to the next rung of success.

  Almost before he knew it, he was walking up the steps to the grand sweep of the entrance of the Ministry building. Armed guard reptiles stood on duty, heavy weaponry in their claws and slung by their sides, their job was to look as menacing as they could, and they were very good at it. With his Ministry staff ID badge clearly on display Creeg walked past the guards and passed the long row of reception desks which occupied one entire side of the atrium. Creeg was not signing in as a visitor, Creeg was not asking permission to access a restricted area, Creeg was on a mission for the Minister himself.

  He marched purposefully to the far end of the atrium where scores of smartly dressed and official looking reptiles waited for the lifts to take them up to the various floors of the Ministry. On the far left wall was a single lift, guarded by two armed officials. This was the lift that went directly to the Ministerial Suite. The guards were large and threatening, even for reptiles. Creeg approached them and his walk slowed slightly. He wasn’t nervous, he told himself, he was sure the rumours about these guards were completely untrue. He didn't believe they actually ate those who failed the security checks, he told himself. Creeg clutched his document case tightly to him as he held out his security pass, and he could feel heads turning to look at him. Those waiting for the ordinary lifts would be wondering; who’s he to use that lift? What’s so special about him? How has he managed to use the Minister’s personal lift?

  One of the guards held out a portable security scanner. A single flash of light read the codes from his ID badge. The scanner beeped once. The guards looked almost disappointed as they stepped aside and let Creeg approach the lift. He unclipped his ID badge and slipped it into the slot of the security scanner beside the lift call button. Without a pause the lift doors slid aside. Creeg walked in and after a moment the doors shut. He looked up and down the panel of buttons, wondering which floor he needed. He realised then that Minister Vraag hadn’t actually told him where to go, just to come here and to use his personal lift. He wasn’t sure if he needed to go up to the Administration Department, up to the Ministerial Support floor, or all the way to the Minister’s own offices.

  Before he could make a decision, it was decided for him, and Creeg nearly yelped in surprise as the lift dropped away into the sub-levels of the building. The rat squeaked too, also taken by surprise. The rat. Creeg had forgotten about the rat. He could hardly turn up wherever he was going with a rat in his pocket. First impressions were important and arriving with a squirming rodent wouldn’t make for a good impression at all. Creeg hurriedly pulled the rodent from his jacket pocket and stuffed the wriggling animal into his document case. He zipped it shut, and tried to compose himself. He needed to be professional, he needed to be focused.

  The lift was
still descending. Just how far down was he going? His question was soon answered. The lift halted, and the door slid open.