The floor manager watched the opening credits and counted down from twelve seconds, at two seconds his hand rose into the air, and two seconds later he pointed at Cheryl de Verne, the newscaster for the day.
"Hello and welcome to the lunch time news from the centre of Europe. Here are the headlines. More volcanic eruptions affect air traffic across the planet. More riots in Jerusalem as the Israeli government's third attempt to demolish the Al Aqsa Mosque fails. Christians in the UK plan to defy the British government's ban on public meetings. In the US the death toll from the destruction of the Bible Walk attraction grows. Spokesman for Iraqi workers in Europe say Iraqi police officers are being passed over for promotion, and Greece looses out to Ireland in the third round of the European cup.”
“As the numbers of erupting volcanoes and fissures around the world climbs above two hundred, more air traffic restrictions are put in place by the International Air Traffic Control Authority." Pictures of Athens airport occupied the screen with low visibility and 'ash-drifts' against walls. [Voice-over] "Athens Airport has been closed until further notice as the southerly winds drive the ash northwards from the seven eruptions around the Aegean Sea. The Icelandic government have also closed Reykjavik Airport, and have started to evacuate the population to the North-east of the island, away from the main eruptions. The Atlantic chain, as it has become known, has added eleven new island volcanoes, and the chain is headed for the coast of South America. Authorities in Brazil are making emergency preparations as the chain extends toward their country. Trans-Atlantic flights have been restricted to stratosphere flights that fly over the particulate pollution. Although close to a hundred volcanoes of the Pacific Ring of Fire chain have erupted most of the eruptions have been small, experts explain that the eruptions are mostly connected and have reduced the overall pressure."
In Jerusalem this morning, contractors again moved in to start demolition on the Temple Mount, only to be faced again by a solid wall of Moslems protecting the sacred site. The Israeli police, backed by the army moved in to clear the site [voice-over] and the situation quickly deteriorated into a full scale riot. Unconfirmed sources say that over seventy Palestinians and others were killed before the military withdrew. The site is being cleared in order to commence the building of the third temple, following the discovery, last year of the fabled, Ark of the Covenant, by the Jo Markson Research team. Palestinian government sources have made it clear that the demolition of the Mosque is unacceptable and all efforts will be made to change the decision of the Israeli government."
"Fears grow as Christian leaders in the United Kingdom continue to organise a public prayer vigil in defiance of the government ban on public religious meetings. The ban was introduced after the ill-fated impromptu celebration on Christmas Day last year when many people were killed or injured in the Trafalgar Square area of London. The president of the British Christian Alliance, the reverend Kenneth Woods, made this statement earlier today."
Kenneth Woods was a man in his late sixties with thinning grey hair and presented as slightly over-weight in his grey business suit that was a little strained around the buttons. Woods, born in New Zealand in the late nineteen-sixties, settled in Liverpool with his parents in the nineteen-seventies, became an ordained minister in the Church of England at the age of twenty-nine, but resigned from the church in two-thousand and nine due to the church departing from strict biblical principles. Married with two sons, he is a strong advocate for traditional marriage and was active in the Coalition for marriage campaign in the run-up to marriage redefinition being passed by the British government. The video showed Woods and a reporter, with Liverpool Cathedral in the background.
"Reverend Woods, the UK government has banned public religious meetings in order to protect the lives of Christians, toward which there is presently a great deal of ill-feeling, how can you justify defying this ban." asked the reporter.
"I think, to say that the ban is to protect Christians is just a smoke-screen, the fact of the matter is that the Home Secretary is and has always been anti-Christian. The ban is purely discrimination against Christians."
"That may be or may not be true Sir, but you are planning and inciting others to break the law of the land, isn't that against you Christian principles?"
"Let me bring this into perspective, as Christians we are told to obey the laws of rulers and governments as the Bible says that all government is ordained by God, that is true. However, there is a very definite caveat on that, we are told to obey the laws unless they are contrary to the law of God, then we must resist. God's law or command is that we share the Gospel, the laws of this land tell us that we cannot do that, that we cannot share the good news with anyone, and it is that we are resisting."
"Are you prepared to take the responsibility for any injuries or deaths that result from your so called resistance," the reporter asked.
"I am not inciting people to break the law, I am saying that I will be at a certain place at a certain time to pray for this nation, if other Christians wish to join me, they will be welcome, and I do make this clear, if anyone does turn up, they will be breaking the law. As Christians we are told to resist evil where ever it may be found, I believe this is an evil misguided government that places man above the law of God. In the end, all it takes for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing, I will be doing something."
"How do you feel about the Christians who have agreed with the God-tapes and believe that the end is coming very soon," asked the reporter, rather hesitantly.
"I believe that the Crete Revelation, as I prefer to call it, is genuine and that we only have a matter of a few years left before all this [Woods indicated the cathedral behind him] melts away. All the prophesies in the bible are coming to fulfilment, you have reported on two on this news broadcast. The third temple in Jerusalem is being planned and Isaiah twenty-nine, verse six warns us, "You will be punished by the Lord of hosts with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with storm and tempest and the flame of devouring fire" There has never been so many volcanoes erupting in human history, a sure sign of the end times. believe me there is more to come."
"Thank you Reverend Woods, this is Joyce Lenton, in Liverpool UK, returning you to the studio in Brussels."
The picture reverted to the studio and Cheryl de Verne, "Thank you Joyce. A Press Officer at the British Home Office told us earlier that the police will prevent any mass assembly from taking place, and that any attempt to assemble will be met with appropriate force. He stated, 'We are prepared to arrest and imprison anyone who attempts to flaunt the law of the land and the police have been given full authority to use whatever means to keep order.'
In the United States the death toll from the recent terrorist attack on the tourist attraction, Bible Walks, continues to rise and the current figure is assumed at over twenty-seven thousand souls. The President's press secretary gave this statement late last night."
The video cut in with a shot of the White House press room, the press secretary immediately started speaking, "Thank you for attending, I will be reading a statement, and the text will be available as you leave. Today the president was informed by the Governor of Ohio that the list of fatalities from the terrorist bomb has now risen to twenty-seven thousand, eight-hundred and forty three, this includes the entire occupants of Ohio State Correctional Facility. The number is expected to rise as more people, who were affected by the light flash, heat wave and radiation, come to the end of their resistance. Estimates from local state hospitals indicate that the final figure will be in excess of thirty-thousand.
The President has expressed his sadness at the closure of exhibits like the Creation Museum and other sites across the country that are dedicated to the Christian faith. These sites will remain closed until those responsible are caught and incarcerated, he prays that all American Christians will understand the reason for this and that it is for safety reasons. The Federal Government will not rest until all perpetrators and members of this organisation, calling themselves the USA, United States Atheists, which has been declared internationally as an illegal organisation, are identified and taken out of general circulation. The FBI have some very encouraging leads and arrests are expected in the next few days. Thank you ladies and gentlemen."
The picture returned to the studio, "An undisclosed police officer in the Paris, France police service has made a complaint about being passed over for a due promotion, despite being informed that the promotion would be given and having passed the inspector's exam with one of the highest scores ever. The Association de Police en Frances has disclosed that several officers of Middle-eastern extraction have similarly suffered the loss of promotions. The APF are demanding an explanation from the Ministry de Justice. There has been no statement from the ministry in this case. We will keep you informed as this story develops."
"Now soccer and in the third round of the European Cup last night . . ."
"Looks like we are going to be stuck here for some time Carol," said Sir James Markson after the news has finished.
"Well with the way things are going, I think we'll be better off here, at least until these eruptions die down, not to mention everything else that is going on." said Carol.
"If that Ken Woods is right, we may have a long wait," said Jim
"Darling, if that Ken bloke is right and our discovery is right we may not have that long a wait," chuckled Carol.
"You're right, the volcanic eruptions were on one of those frescoes from Crete, so I don't know why I'm surprised, I suppose it all depends on how long it takes to build the temple in Jerusalem."
"Why does it depend on that Jim?"
"I'm no expert, and there are different versions, many believe that the Bible says we have about seven years from when, either they start to build the temple or from when it's finished. I think we have been in these end times for several decades, and no one has twigged to it until we found the recordings."
"Did Jo say when she was coming over from Crete," asked Carol.
"Maybe in a couple of days, the wind direction is supposed to swing around from the south-west, so we will get some clean air and she can get across."
"It was scary last night, the whole sky to the west was a flickering red and orange glow, I could well believe that it was the end of the world."
"Yes, I saw it Carol, I came down for some ice at just before three, there must have been a huge explosion somewhere, there was a huge flash, amazing how the light gets through all this dust in the air."
"When I was in Larnaca earlier, I parked on the coast road, and the sea has a layer of dust, or ash floating on the surface, and there were some lumps, that looked like rocks floating as well, that was strange." Carol said as she gave a little shudder.
"It's lava."
"What is?"
"Those rocks, they were lava, lava is like rock foam, and they float on the seawater," explained Jim.
"Quite the scientist, aren't we," said Carol in jest, "which reminds me, have you heard from Owen lately?"
"Not for a few weeks, I believe he's commuting between Manchester and Preston, working at the Pickles research establishments on the energy inhibitor, maybe I should give him a call."
It was almost five when the COM-UNIT chimed, almost finishing time and Owen had promised himself an early finish. It had been a wearing day with some crucial equipment burning out and damaging one of the prototypes, a full week's work down the tubes. Consequently Owen was not in a particularly good mood, which explained the curt, "Yes!'' when he answered the unit.
"Owen?", said Jim's voice, "is that you?"
"Jim? Sorry for snapping, had a bit of a bad day."
"No problem, it happens," said Jim, "We were just wondering if you were OK"
"I'm just fine, but I'll be glad when this dam gizmo's complete, this Pickles bloke is getting on my wick, he wants an update at least once every day, sometimes even when I'm lecturing at uni."
"Well he is funding the development, so I guess. . ."
"I know, but there is something not right here Jim, but I can't talk about it now."
"OK, look give me a call when you get a chance," said Jim.
The connection was broken, leaving Owen shaking his head.