Kingdom of the Blind by David Bishop

Author:David Bishop [Bishop, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Science Fiction
Publisher: Rebellion Publishing Limited
Published: 2009-10-05T13:00:00+00:00

The Public Surveillance Unit's headquarters were located inside the Statue of Judgement, a massive monument constructed in the shape of a Judge that dwarfed the nearby Statue of Liberty. Inside the PSU's central monitoring chamber were dozens of terminals where analysts pored over data from thousands of sources. As well as keeping tabs on a city of four hundred million people, the PSU staff were also tasked with watching out for any external threats to the Big Meg. Judge Kerri Levene had just come on station with the night shift when a red warning light began flashing beside her terminal.

"PSU to Control, Levene here. Have we been notified about anything unusual happening in the sky overhead tonight?"

"Just a fireworks display. Why?"

The PSU analyst was juxtaposing data from multiple sources. "I'm reading a massive build-up of energy several miles above the city. I think it's centred on an old satellite in orbit."

"Those things are always falling out of the sky, Levene. They burn up on re-entry, ninety-nine times out of a hundred."

"I know, but this one isn't falling out of orbit. It's perfectly stable. The-"

Suddenly all screens in PSU were overloaded simultaneously. Around the room analysts were tearing off their headsets to escape an ear-piercing squeal of static. The lighting system dimmed and then cut out completely before being replaced by emergency illumination. A babble of sound filled the air as everyone shouted to be heard, trying to discover what had happened.

A deep, booming voice cut through the noise, silencing the cacophony. "Quiet! There will be quiet!" Niles emerged from his office, scowling with fury. "I want to hear one voice and one voice only." He glared round the room, searching for answers. "Can anyone tell me what just happened?"

Wincing inwardly, Levene cleared her throat. "Excuse me, sir..."

"Yes?"

"Before the overload I was monitoring a massive build-up of energy on board an old satellite over the city. I could be wrong, but..." The analyst's words trailed off, not wanting to give voice to her suspicions.

"What is it, Levene? Spit it out!"

"I think someone fired an energy pulse weapon at us from orbit. If the beam was powerful enough to disable all our systems as a side effect, then it could destroy a city block in seconds."

"Sweet Jovus," Niles muttered. "Can you recall the precise location above which the satellite was orbiting?"

Levene closed her eyes and recited the longitude and latitude. Niles turned to the analyst standing closest to him, Judge Sharp. "Where is that?"

"Southside Sector 41," she replied instantly. "Joe Chill Block."

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