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CHAPTER ONE

“We have developed a superior technology to counteract these strange beings. Our organization, true to its principle of working for humanity, has done a lot of research into the technology used by… aaarrrrm… what you people would call ‘The Outsiders.” Yasuki Grail, the CEO of the Grail Technology Inc. addressed the host of pressmen who looked about as if the mere mention of the name ‘Outsiders’ was a taboo in this part of the world.                                  

“We believe that the military organizations around the globe are pleased with the results and we will continue to advance the platforms we have established as a baseline. Who or what these beings are, it’s not for us to determine but I can assure you that, man-made or extraterrestrial, they’ve met a worthy adversary in the people of the planet Earth.” He looked out at the large group present. He knew they were looking for someone to slip and admit that the people of Earth have finally made contact with the extraterrestrials and it does not appear that they have come in peace. He wanted to convince himself that he was doing the right thing selling the developed technology to global military forces.

A loud silence fell upon the large conference room of the Grail Technologies Inc. (GT Inc.) The seventy-year-old man paused, looked about the room and perceived the mounting list of questions written on the faces of the journalists.  His face looked tired, he was never a person to be amused by people who instead of speak what’s on their mind choose to lay dormant and refuse to say the thing they want to say. His droves of employees have been working feverishly to bring update the defense technology that is the center of all the international attention. He was prepared to answer any question from the world’s top press to clear any rumors that he had swindled the American government of huge sums of money with a promise: to bring an end to the “Outsiders” as they have been labeled who landed on the American soil some years ago.

A joint force of the American Homeland Security, CIA, and the American military with all its might could not calculate or anticipate the operations of the Outsiders talk less of fighting them. The rumor mill started compounding conspiracy theories to explain the advent of the Outsiders.  The church believed they were the biblical arch angels sent by the lord to punish humanity for accepting same-sex marriage just as he destroyed the people of Sodom and Gomorrah in the ancient stories of the Bible. The academe and most scientists concluded that the Outsiders were the cryptic beings whom it is rumored the first American astronauts aboard the spaceship Apollo 11, who traveled to the moon had seen. For others, mostly the UFO theorists, the Outsiders were from the cold planet of Jupiter where an advanced technology was in place. A reason why the speed at which Outsiders’ airships traveled was incomparable to modern day airplanes and far more advanced than any aircraft in the world.   

“Sir, would you say that the Outsiders, who just destroyed the homes of the American citizens, what seems like strategic American locations, referring to the industrial era buildings that were in the process of being revitalized through initiatives of the first black woman president and these same Outsiders who, in spite of the highly advanced technology of the State Department of Science and Technology of the United States, turned sections of our cities to debris, can be handled by your little company?” A stiff-necked journalist asked the speaker. He, like his colleagues in the room, felt this was just another publicity stunt by some fame-seeking scientists.

“Our company is not little… but little or big doesn’t matter, what matters is the results. Should a larger company develop a product that is superior to ours we will gladly get out of their way. We’re just servants of the people. 

We would prove to you that our weapons have been tested by scientists from the State Department on an unofficial….”

“But why is the state delaying in endorsing you? Why unofficial?” One of journalists who had rested his back against a pillar in a reclining posture cut into his presentation. Yasuki did not like the angle this was going. That was why he had earlier made it clear to his people that this won’t go public until the government had done its checks and endorsed this deal. Now here he was facing questions from people who aren’t even trained to understand the answers they are given especially when those answers have been simplified for them. He looked to the far right of the table, his son who had cajoled him into giving this press conference to clear the rumors, was so relaxed without realizing the unnecessary attention that he has brought to this issue.

“Well I can tell you in part that we are not here for any fame or attention, should our technology at any point not live up to its projected performance objectives then we will be more than happy to sit in the hot seat in Washington, D.C. but until then it has always been my understanding that knowledge is free as long as you seek it and as I said earlier if a better technology was to present itself we will gladly step aside.” He countered.

The American press was full of skeptics of the Grail Technologies and their credentials. How could a company that had its roots in Africa, the Dark Continent, practically still a third world country, save America and the world at large?

“Our credentials and our technologies performance so far speak for itself and in a matter of time the governments around the world will confirm what we present today. The Launch of multiple X34 Scope shields will stand up as a barrier across many landscapes once our deal is closed with the multiple governments across the globe...          and if you were wondering, yes, we have also deployed a few in Africa. After all they still have many natural resources that are important. When this dust is settled, maybe you will have a new round of questions or remarks saying that we could have performed better but until then, I leave you with a quote from my favorite song “It’s not unusual, to be loved by anyone””. He managed to get a few laughs even though they tried to hold it back. 

1. Grail was feeling the heat in the room but heat was nothing new. After all his ancestors were from Africa. Was it fever or the room was just too hot? Or maybe the new pepper sauce he received as a gift from Trinidad was his match.

“Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. That would be all for now but please I’ve had a very nice lunch prepared for you all”. He concluded. He wanted to get to his penthouse to take the anti-nausea drug his doctor had prescribed for him. He could tell that his body was hotter than usual and making use of any water he had in his body.

As he got up, he motioned his secretary, who was critically studying him, to be by his side just in case he needed emergency support. The journalists in the room were jostling towards him like a swarm of bees. They were not satisfied with his answers. He knew practically all the reporters in the room even down to the ones that he knew would oppose some of his answers. To that end, he knew they would respect his personal space. And his two bodyguards also did a good job preventing anyone from getting close to him.

As he got closer to the elevator, the high body temperature had another element added to it. He could feel a prickly sensation through his body. A feeling he had only felt decades ago when he tried a product called Jekyll and Hyde. Leaning towards his secretary he said to her in a low voice to have his doctor come for a visit. Always one to try and match his thoughts, she let him know that she is already on her way.  His forehead was hammering with pain. He started feeling light headed. . He leaned on the shoulders of the guard on his left for support. His head was hammering with pain.  The secretary being who she was pulled out her handkerchief, opened a bottle of water she had grabbed from one of the luncheon tables, soaked the handkerchief and put it on his forehead  to try and cool him off. She pulled out her cell phone and started texting. “At a time like this you are sending texts?” He queried. “Yes, Sir actually I am. One, I am checking to see how far away your doctor is and two I am switching my fit bit from my default to a guest setting so when I put it on you, we can at least provide some vitals for your doctor.” She took off her fit bit and put it on his wrist next to his vintage custom vintage Rolex watch. “You are good at what you do, Hatsue” he said feeling better “When the world catches up intellectually things feel so much better.”                                                                                                                                                               

About a few steps to the elevator leading to the upper part of the building which contained the offices of the Grail Technologies, Yasuki felt a sharp trickle of pain crawl up his spine. Suddenly, the room became blurry and the journalists, his guards and his secretary seemed to have become dancing candle lights in the dark. His legs gave way to his heavy set torso and he crushed to the floor.

His body started twitching and his mouth began to foam.

“Somebody call the ambulance! NOW!” The secretary cried out.  The other guards whose concentration was on the intruding journalist turned just in time to see their boss wriggling in pain on the floor.

“Emergency! Emergency!” The first guard spoke through his walkie-talkie to his colleagues.

There was commotion in the room. The guards tried to prevent the curious journalists from taking pictures as their boss was being put on the stretcher.

“Jesus Christ! What the hell happened? Akira asked the secretary with suspicion.

“Sir, I…I… I don’t know” the secretary in her frustration replied. She was shocked.

“Abdul, get my car ready. We’re following the ambulance right away”. He barked at his driver as he forced his way through the crowd like a fish in a pond.

At the far end of the conference room, a man in dark glasses who had been sitting at the back brought out a small device. He stood seven feet tall but didn’t have a countenance like the other journalists. His red hair and fake mustache hid the scar on his forehead. He entered an unlocking code and a link on his cell phone triggered a recording device that encrypted his audio message and sent it to the receiver. “IT’S DONE” was his message. The man smiled to himself. He then walked out through the large door of the company building still glancing at his device.

“YOU’VE DONE WELL” read a text response. After waiting for few minutes, he joined the bus that was heading to the hinterland of New York.

“CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF GRAIL TECHNOLOGIES DIES MYSTERIOUSLY”, the news headline read.

“Scores of journalists, who thronged the offices of the Grail Technologies Inc. in New York for a press briefing, were left in a state of shock after the collapse of Yasuki Grail in the conference room of the Grail Tower.” The news anchor of VOA NEWS read the Six O’clock news.

“Reports reaching us indicate that the seventy-nine-year-old Mr. Grail, after addressing the press on his latest technology to fight the Outsiders, suffered a nervous breakdown leading to his death...”

Phoenix Grail was once again fixated on the large screen in the large hall of his father, Enron Grail, as if the Six O’clock news was going to report anything different: an announcement that the bad news that had been reported earlier, was a disinformation.  As the news anchor corroborated the news of his grandfather’s sudden passing, he looked in the direction of his father. He felt a wave of guilt inside him.

Earlier in the week, Yasuki had requested his presence at the Grail Tower in America but  his father, who was always at variance with the old man had told him not to go with the reason that, he had to be home to take care of the family business.  Liberia is and will always be home: the place where the Grail family derived their infant nurture.

Enron was at the other end of the hall receiving a call. For the past four hours since the announcement of the death of his father, he had been receiving numerous calls from extended family members. There were those who wanted to verify the unfortunate news and those who wanted to know what exactly happened.  The one thing they could be assured of was that Enron reported to no one, he has a quote that says “If you want the best and most accurate news, then you need to be an eye witness.” He was aware of the status of the family, more importantly he knew the ratio of the men to women. A mysterious illness was killing off the male members of the family and not even the best experts in the world could identify the cause but he had no control over things that couldn’t be controlled. Enron never noticed it before but as the men started dying, he realized how much the men in the family were from the women. Turning his attention back to the consistent phone calls and his refusal to let his assistant take the calls on his behalf he noted some family members offering to travel all the way up to the city of Monrovia from their ancestral village to mourn with him. He reminded a few of them of the family name and the story of a family of strong leaders, “My father is already resting in peace.” he reminded some of the callers. What they didn’t know was that the body was already being convoyed to the airport to be transported back to Africa. This body transport was only retained for Jewish people being transported back to Israel.

A lot of state institutional heads, CEOs of businesses in Liberia and the Clergy were all trying to reach him to share a word of condolence with him.

Mr. Enron Grail was what many people in Monrovia would describe as the man of the people. His affinity to underserved communities across the globe has endeared him to the people. This empathy stemmed from his belief in God and commitment to the church and God’s work which was what had set him at variance with his now deceased father, Yasuki Grail and also his brothers especially, Akira Grail. They never for once believed in the holy words of the Bible. Enron was of the firm belief that the scientific and technological researches the family was engaged in was the reason for their woes. Deep down in his heart, he felt they had been forsaken by God for trying to challenge Him in His art of creation. His perception that their ungodly acts had brought misfortune upon the family was strengthened when Yasuki and Akira continuously kept publishing papers that proved that science was the basis of creation.  Akira earned a wave of admiration from scientific organizations and also propelled him to world fame after he published his academic paper In Science we trust, America. The whole purpose of the paper was to present compelling evidence to religious establishments regarding the number of times science had rescued her citizens through evolution of knowledge, how science had brought about the industrial revolution and revealed that right now it is that same science working to fight these Outsiders. Akira was nominated for the Nobel Prize for his In Science we trust, America.

It is for this very reason of disputing the existence of God that Enron had never been ready to allow his only son, the 22-year-old Phoenix to follow the ways of science. It was therefore all joy when Phoenix, after his attaining his first degree had willingly chosen to enter military school instead of the world of science. The fifty-one-year-old Enron having found the Lord, had never had doubts about the Lord being the Light. However, he was not one to force his religious views on any family member and was resolute to let his son follow his own light that would illuminate his path.            

“Are we not going to New York? We need to be there before the body is interred”. Phoenix quizzed as Enron put his phone down just in time to listen to him ask him the question.

“New York? “NO! We are not going.” he replied calmly to his son albeit the distress in his body coming out as large drops of perspiration.

 “There’s nothing we need from New York right now, we have everything in order as we always do”. Phoenix knew his father made sound decisions. “All family members are buried on African soil. Your grandfather’s wish was that he be buried on African soil, therefore, his body would be brought here. Akira knows that”. Enron dropped a cube of brown sugar into his tea.

Another male family member’s death was not news, they have been dying for a few years now.  He had consulted the bishop of his church about a recurrent dream he had been having. In the dream was his father in an open field, with dark clouds above him. From the clouds fell balls of lightning. The old man turned and looked at Enron with a smile on his face and said “We build empires from this” he pointed to his head and his eyes glowed like lighting, “We heal and serve people from here” pointing to his heart and Enron could see a lush landscape resembling parts of Africa.

Enron had sought the interpretation of this dream from the priest but the priest could not help him. He knew that all things come to light after a while and even weird dreams have meanings. He knew that something was happening to the men of the Grail family and it had to be for a reason.

As he looked about the living room of his eight bedroom mansion, his father’s portrait struck a feeling of pity in him. Such a handsome and lovely old man! It had troubled him the man never accepted Christ even in his old age.

Yasuki’s dislike for religion was inadvertently inherited by his children with the exception of Enron, who turned into a strong believer at the age of forty.

Phoenix was still staring at his father, wondering what could be going through his mind. He didn’t want the kind of relationship that existed between his grandfather and father to repeat itself but deep within his heart, he wanted to put to use the physics he had studied at the Harvard University, and there was no better place to test it than at the Grail Technologies Inc.

A soft ringing of the phone drew both Phoenix and Enron’s attention. Phoenix as witty as he was asked, “You thinking what I’m thinking?”, Enron already knowing what his son was up to decided to play along “Yeah, pizza’s here”, they both laughed. Phoenix answered the phone and putting it on speaker.

“En, weren’t you supposed to pick me up? “Where the hell are you?” Frederick swore at the other end of the line.

“I have been trying your lines for the past one hour.” “I can tell you that I only have one phone and though it’s never on ringer, it’s seldom that I don’t answer it.” “You good brother, tell Phoenix to come pick me up at the airport. Where is he?  I’m here and I can tell you one thing, I’m not a chauffeur, 23 or less.”

Phoenix opened one of the secret compartments on his father’s table that held multiple car keys. He picked up the key fob to the McLaren. “Come on, please come and pick me up, 25 or more”  

Frederick Grail, the eldest of the Grails never mentioned his brother’s name in full. His love for codes was what intrigued Phoenix. Enron on the other hand hated that attitude.

“Frederick, how did you get to Liberia so soon?” Enron said, avoiding his brother’s request.

“Come on, bro. I am like the harmattan rain. I come when I am most needed”, Frederick teased.

He never ceased to amaze Enron. Even in the face of a tragedy like their father’s death, he still had the nerve to tease him.

“Okay. Phoenix would be on his way with the driver to fetch you”, Enron replied.

“...Anyways you are welcome to your country of birth”, He added.

“Welcome, no welcome, Fred is always here for you, En. See you soon.” Frederick laughed softly.

Their elder brother was one tough man. He never panicked in the face of adversity and would not do so now in the face of their father’s death.

“Your uncle is at the airport. Go with the chauffeur and two guards to welcome him and bring him home. You know how he likes your face to be the first he sees anytime he sets foot on this land”, Enron said.

Phoenix observed the bustling streets of Monrovia as he reclined into the couch at the back of the McLaren. His thick silky hair rebelled against the lights in the car. He wore a Lacoste V-neck T shirt and a blue Gucci jeans.

With the type of wealth the family had, especially his uncle Fred, Phoenix knew the only person he needed to pick him was one of his assistants and if that was the case they would be at the airport before he arrived. In addition, he flew on a private jet that went straight to a private hangar. Considering all the elements Phoenix knew that what his uncle was doing was proposing a math equation. During the phone conversation, he knew his uncle was playing a game that he taught him a while ago when he gifted his young nephew his first car, the Turbo Interceptor #2. He would put his nephew in a given location with the car and a cell phone. Phoenix always knew where he was but he wouldn’t know where his uncle was until he received a call. Once the call was received, he would be told what highway route Uncle Fred was traveling on and what exits he was passing letting Phoenix know what direction he was traveling in. His uncle would give him an exit number which was the exit that he believed he can get to before Phoenix could intercept him. In this case he was only given one number because Phoenix already knew he was at the airport and was coming to the house. Phoenix knew that the most powerful car that his uncle had in his collection which was a highly modified Rolls Royce Ghost was pretty old school at this point but he liked the brand because they were hand built and made of steel and that’s where Rolls Royce’s job ended and Grail Technologies began. The engine was highly modified generating a high amount of horsepower and higher top speed. What Uncle Frederick didn’t know was that there was a new addition to the family’s car collection, the McLaren P1. One of the few hybrid cars not banned in Africa. Their company contributed a lot to the local infrastructure including the highway. The family contributed enough to have a few extra highway roads based on the European system of high-speed lanes.

He looked down at his wristwatch.

“5:52pm”. He murmured. He needed to be in his Judo class by 7:00pm. As the car moved steadily through the neighborhood, he tapped his feet impatiently on the floor of the car. Time really was man’s enemy and friend.

 The road linking the Sinkor Airfield residential area to the Tubman Avenue was heavy with traffic. This was the rush hour with daily commuters being joined by those heading for a weekend getaway. Friday it was! On the sidewalks of the street, hawkers of different merchandises were pushing their wares to the faces of most irritated pedestrians.

Nightlife was about to begin in Monrovia, the capital of Liberia where every Liberian was given an equal opportunity to survive or perish. The outlying areas of Chugbor and Bogur to the east of Sinkor just after the 18^th and 19^th Johnson Street were considered a low-income residence.  Inhabitants of this area were mostly fisher folks and a number of them also served as house helps and gardeners for the Airfield government officials and businessmen. Phoenix’s father was popular among these folks for his humanitarian works: scholarships for science students, church donations, taking care of the orphanage among a host of benevolent deeds.

Despite the overwhelming charisma of Enron Grail, Phoenix never for once admired or wanted to be like him. He never desired to live life in seclusion, in a West African city that had no major scientific breakthroughs save recurrent seasons of war and destruction. But his father would have none of it; Monrovia was their home and would forever be. Had it not been for the empathy he had for Enron, he would have stayed in New York to work with the Grail Technologies where he belonged or moved with Uncle Frederick to his science research center in Moscow.

The thought of Uncle Frederick, the eldest son of Yasuki Grail, brought a smile to his face. Of all the Grails, Uncle Frederick was his favorite. The 56 years old Frederick was always behaving like an 18year old boy. He would give out scientific codes to Phoenix and allow him time to decode them. If he succeeded, Frederick would jump up high and whistle loudly in the large hall of Enron’s estate house, so much to the chagrin of Enron who always preferred his house to be as quiet as a cemetery.

As the car neared the Payne Airport’s large entry, Phoenix saw his uncle, calmly seated on a culvert stone just outside the terminal. He was stretching his heavy neck and turning his head sideways. It was like Uncle Frederick was engaged in some sort of yoga or mental exercise. The man never allowed a minute of his life to go unused. His neatly ironed black-colored suit was hanging on tight to his robust physique. Uncle Fred was athletic, just like his nephew, Phoenix.

“Hey, Phon”, Frederick shouted immediately he saw Phoenix get out of the car.

“You’ve got to be kidding me… what’s with the security guys and the… whoa! Where from this beast?” he jumped in excitement at the sight of the McLaren P1 without even waiting for Phoenix to greet him first. “The newest addition to the collection. You beat me to it this time. You won Phon”

Phoenix bent his torso, a sign of greeting the elderly in African tradition.   

“Good evening Unc”, he greeted in the local Kreyol language of the Liberian people.

Frederick looked at Phoenix from head to toe as he stood firmly with his hands behind his back and his head bowed. The two guards who accompanied him were also in the same position.

 “haaahaaaa! Christi…Phon, where did you learn that? That formality?” He laughed out loud.

“Yeaahhh it’s in the system. Now if I add X1 to the system, what happens?” Frederick asked his nephew.

“Errrrm... that is computer science algorithms. You may need the whole formula, a constant to get results”, Phoenix replied proudly.

His uncle gave him a warm handshake and hugged him.

“You are really the one, Phon. Just as the old man said and I believe you would do just fine”. Frederick Grail patted Phoenix on the back. “I can’t wait to have a smack of this beast”.  They sat in the car.