After my morning meeting with Lev the rest of the day went well and I was beginning to see signs things were beginning to get back to normal.
I was reminded of the aftermath of the pandemic and the way that people's behaviour had been skewed by fear but as the threat subsided, their social lives and even spending habits slowly began to resemble the normal lifestyle they led before the crisis.
People appeared to be more open and less fearful about voicing their opinions and the far right extremists seemed more subdued.
It crossed my mind to discuss this new openness during one of my lectures as an illustration of history in the making―and that seemed plausible until an unexpected encounter with Clement Blaise in the staff dining hall.
Blaise was a fellow History Prof and had competed with me for the Department Chair, but after Dean Atkinson awarded it to me, my relationship with Clement Blaise cooled to the point of being frigid.
In fact, the man avoided any contact with me and we had not spoken in over two years―that is, until today.
I was sitting at my usual table in the dining hall when Blaise came by and actually stopped and addressed me.
"I'm hearing talk among the students that your lectures are stirring up controversy, Alex―I thought I should let you know."
"Honestly, I haven't heard any negative feedback from my students, Clement―are you sure your source is correct?"
"Oh, I'm very sure. Apparently, they're circulating a petition asking the Dean to dismiss you."
"Oh, the petition that only managed to get 50 signatures? I hear that was dismissed out of hand as being the work of rabble rousers who weren't even enrolled in my lectures."
"If I were you, Alex, and thank God I'm not, I would watch my back―it's not just students who perceive you as a threat."
Before I could answer, he stormed away.
If his intention truly was to threaten me, it failed, but if it were intended as a threat, the message was received.
Clement Blais wasn't just a disgruntled colleague, but a Professor Emeritus who was well-respected in academic circles. Having him as a vocal critic could certainly tarnish my reputation among my colleagues.
I had to tread carefully so as not to alienate faculty members who were already supportive of me. Blaise's remarks would have me constantly looking over my shoulder, but given the circumstances, it couldn't be helped.
I picked up Creed later that afternoon to drive her home and she noticed my subdued mood.
"Did anything happen today to upset you?" she asked.
I told her about my encounter with Blaise and she sympathized with my felings but was encouraging at the same time, convinced that hope lay ahead.
"How can you be so optimistic?" I asked.
She took a deep breath and then whispered, " Have you heard about The Five Eyes?"
I shook my head. "I have no idea what that is."
"It's an anglosphere intelligence alliance started between Britain and the USA during WWII but now includes, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. They share information and know who planned the EMP attacks and the names of the members of this coup attempt, because, that's exactly what it was."
"So, you're saying that this small group of power brokers intended to sow chaos by collapsing the global web and then taking over western governments?"
She nodded, "and I learned from a trusted source that these men are about to be arrested and tried before the World Court with all their crimes exposed. And when that happens, the threat from right-wing extremists will die and democracy will prevail."
I couldn't believe my ears. "How will this impact the universities?"
She chuckled. "To be blunt, profs like you who support democratic norms will be vindicated and profs like Clement Blaise will find themselves pariahs, coming out on the wrong side of history."
"So, assuming your source is accurate, how long will it be until we get back to normal?"
"The good news is the threat to democracy would be immediately crushed but to restore the world-wide web would, depending on the damage, take months if not years. And in the meantime, disabled satellites could pose a hazard, particularly larger ones, because if they lack electronic guidance their orbits could decay and they could rain down debris upon the earth."
It seemed even in a best-case scenario, the possible outcomes were still serious and the restoration of safety and order could take years.
It was a sobering prospect.
