Vatican Ambassador by Mike Luoma

Author:Mike Luoma [Luoma, Mike]
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Science fiction, General, Fiction, Fiction - Science Fiction, Science Fiction - General, Action & Adventure
ISBN: 9781430314981
Publisher: lulu.com
Published: 2007-03-30T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

When mass numbers of people get sick, things break down. Even as humanity advances, it still takes raw people power to keep the machines running.

BC has a hell of a time booking passage down to Earth. When he finally secures a ride, the flight itself is nearly empty.

The Rio Di Janeiro spaceport on Earth is another shock. Many of the shops and stores are shuttered. Other travelers are scarce.

BC hunts around for a connecting flight to Vatican City. It takes a few hours. He books his flight and calls the Vatican to let them know he’s on the way.

BC lands in Rome to a very different greeting. The media have somehow been alerted. Reporters surround the gate at the airport as BC disembarks. They spot BC and begin hurling questions at him.

“Ambassador! Where have you been?”

“Father Campion! What do you know about the plague?”

“Why haven’t you been infected, Father Campion?”

“How did it happen?”

“Do you think this is the work of the UIN?”

“What’s your reaction to the Pope’s death?”

BC ignores them all best he can as he walks past. He breathes a sigh of relief when he spots a waiting Vatican transport with his name on it. He hops in and rolls away from the pursuing, clamoring crowd. Aside from the media dogs, there weren’t many other people there at the port. How bad is it?

BC is sent to the College of Cardinals immediately upon his arrival at the Vatican, his luggage whisked away to some rooms he’s told he’ll be shown to later. Cardinals Hardwick and Terpa are waiting for BC when he arrives outside the Sistine Chapel.

“Cardinal Campion, you’re just in time!” Terpa says, greeting BC.

“What? I’m not a Cardinal…” BC demurs.

Terpa and Hardwick nod.

“You are,” Terpa says to him.

“But I was never even a Bishop… That’s a done deal?” BC asks.

“A done deal,” Hardwick says. “There aren’t many of us left,” he tells BC. “You were elevated in absentia by the late Pope Peter the Third, under special circumstances. We’ll make it official while you’re here in Rome. You’ll be elevated to bishop at the same time.”

“Okay,” BC says, surprised, trying to think.

Made a Cardinal against my will! These people are desperate.

“How bad has this sickness gotten?” BC asks them.

“It’s bad,” Terpa says. “It is a plague such as the world has never seen. Billions are dying, Cardinal Campion. Not all who are exposed are infected… it seems to affect people at random. It’s very strange.”

“The UTZ Scientists have announced cures twice,” Hardwick says, “only to find their announcements have been premature, that their measures don’t measure up.”

“I’m afraid many people are sure it’s the work of the Muslims,” Terpa tells him.

“Really?” BC asks.

“We’ve seen the polls,” Hardwick says. “We hear it from our own people.”

“It’s not the Muslims,” BC tells them. They both stare at him. Terpa finally breaks the silence.

“What…” she says, and then she pauses. “How do you know?” she asks him. “Mars has been silent, closed off.”

Hardwick shakes his head.

“There’s been no traffic from Mars,” he tells BC, “and no communications, either.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.