Keeping haliday quite Grantec Plus Part 5

Halliday's Legacy

Roy Mercer stood, on the bonnet of a four-wheel drive, surveying his
surroundings. He had come to Halliday Ranch, in California, at the
request of the owner. Tony Halliday had farmed this land since
childhood. It had been in the Halliday family for the past four
generations. At little more the four thousand acres, it was, compared
to others in the area, a modest size.
"We've kept it quiet so far, but this is bound to get out".
Tony Halliday said to his friend. Mercer was, quite literally, lost for
words. Almost the whole crop, of maze, had withered. What had been a
healthy crop, six days previously, was now a tangled mass of decaying
vegetation.
"And you say this started six days ago".
Mercer asked. Tony Halliday gestured towards one of the farm hands that
stood nearby and said.
"Mitchell there, found the first signs right about here, last
Saturday".
He continued.
"That smell".
He was referring to a pungent odour that was reminiscent of strong
vinegar.
"Was around for a few days before the rot set in".
Tony Halliday climbed down, from the bonnet, closely followed by
Mercer.
"Look at this".
Stooping he took hold of a clump of the decaying crop, and pulled it
clear of the soil. The roots were oozing a grey-green, slime.
"This".
Halliday said.
"Is where the smell comes from"
The ooze dripped steadily from the roots, and created small clouds of
dust, where it hit the parched earth.
Tony Halliday gave his friend any information that was relevant.
Mercer's worst fears were confirmed. Nothing had been used on the
crops, with the exception of Grantec Plus.
"I'm sure this is going to prove to be a one off. Like I told you on
the phone, nothing like this has been reported from anywhere
else".
Mercer informed Halliday.
Within twenty-four hours the Halliday Ranch resembled a scene that
could have come from a science fiction movie. Grantec field research
units had converged, en mass, on to the Halliday land. Samples were
taken and analysed, more samples, more tests. Sealed containers were
flown to the laboratories in Australia, and England. Men and women
wearing space age suits, worked tirelessly collecting and testing, the
withered crop.
Mark Latham worked around the clock, in the laboratories at New South
Wales. The news that the Halliday Ranch had a problem, and that it may
involve Grantec Plus, soon reached the surrounding area. Many of the
ranchers in the area were, quite rightly, beginning to worry. There
were calls for the immediate burning of the affected crops. Before they
had a chance to infect others in the area.
Grantecs publicity machine leapt into action. Releasing statements
saying that there was no known connection, between the damage to the
crops, and the Grantec Plus product. The executive committee met, in
emergency session, to discus their strategy. That is of course if
Grantec Plus, was proved to be responsible.
There were calls for the immediate banning of Grantec Plus. From
concerned people, around the world. The world's press had descended on
the Halliday Ranch in force. Some of the more eager journalists had
managed to obtain their own samples, of the infected crop. Hoping to
find the cause before anyone else, and thereby guaranteeing, the scoop
of the century.

Geoff Daniel's had been busy, preparing samples for testing, when he
received a long distance telephone call. It had been three weeks since
he had stood, on the bonnet of the four-wheel drive, with Tony
Halliday. On the other end of the line was the voice of Mark
Latham.
"We've found the cause".
Latham informed him. Then continued.
"We've isolated, some kind of virus. That's the good news, the bad news
is, were not sure what kind of virus it is".
Latham gave Geoff Daniel's the details. The virus was unlike any he had
seen before. It is even possible it could be man made. He was sure
though, that a solution to the problems, at Halliday's farm, were
within their reach. Latham finished the call with a request. He asked
Daniel's to return with Roy Mercer to the New South Wales Plant. Now
that the cause of the outbreak had been isolated, he would need his
best brains to find a cure.
"One last thing"
Latham continued.
"Before you return, oversee the burning of all the infected area, with
luck we can contain this. If you have any problems with Halliday, buy
him, everybody's got a price, just keep him quite". "Halliday is on our
side, and has been from the start".
Daniel's told Latham.
"He might not be so friendly once his farm starts to burn".
Latham replied.
"You can leave Tony Halliday to me, I guarantee he won't make waves,
he's a man of principle, we've stood by him, he'll stand by us".
Daniel's informed his friend.
"I'm pleased to hear it".
Latham replied then continued.
"One last thing, we've informed the necessary state departments, of the
our intention to burn the infected crop, and they are in agreement.
But, as you know only to well, the people at the scene are always the
last to hear about these things. So my advice would be to go ahead with
it, then let them worry about their internal message system later. That
way you can start back without much delay".
"I understand".
Said Daniel's. With that the phone line went dead.
Grantec issued a statement that absolved Grantec Plus. It said the
virus that had been found, by the dedicated scientists at Grantec.
Could in no way be connected with their product. Grantec Plus was as
safe to use now, as it had been the day it was launched. They would
continue however, to make available resources, for continued research
into this problem.
Geoff Daniel's and Roy Mercer were waiting for their plane to touch
down, at a private airstrip, near the Halliday Ranch. When Daniel's
received a call, on his video-phone, from Hans Steiner. They had in the
last hour, heard unconfirmed reports, that crops in Namibia and China,
were showing the same effects as the Halliday farm crop. Both men were
to divert to Namibia, and report back, as soon as possible.

Over the next five months, the same virus began to decimate crops. On
a scale that nobody could have believed possible. Everywhere Grantec
Plus had been used, crops failed. Emergency measures were introduced,
in countries world wide, to stem the rising tide of panic. People began
to hoard food. Riots broke out in towns and cities, in New York,
London, Tokyo, marshal law was introduced. Mob rule became the order of
the day, as prices began to rise, panic buying emptied shelves, law and
order were replaced, by no-law and total disorder.
All over the globe, in cities, towns and villages, the dead became a
common sight. The stench of thousands of corpses mingled with the
stench of rotting vegetation became familiar to anyone, or anything
still alive. Cannibalism became common in many cities, as the meagre
supplies began to get used up. In Europe, America, the Far East food
reserves soon ran out, or were moved to a place that was considered
safe, and placed under armed guard. In their infinite wisdom, the
politicians and officials, who had been holed up in the emergency
bunkers, decided that, such a move would be in the public's
interest.
Shops, stores and warehouses that stocked Grantec Plus, were attacked
by angry, frightened mobs. The Grantec Institute was turned into an
inferno, by a crowd of three hundred people. Anyone trying to escape
ran straight into the arms of the mob outside.
The virus not only affected food crops. It began to mutate, and infect
all plant life. It held nothing sacred. In affected all areas every
blade of grass, every leaf on every tree, withered and died. Cattle and
other livestock, died through lack of grazing. Or were slaughtered by
the hoard of people fleeing cities.
Electricity and gas supplies ceased. The gangs, that had initially
formed to protect meagre resources. Soon began to turn against each
other.
In underground shelters, that had been built to house governments, in
the event of nuclear war. The people who had been entrusted, by their
fellow men, to run the world, had been powerless to stop, what had
become known as, the Grantec plague. They knew that what was happening
outside, would, one day, happen to them.
Their food could not last, forever, most would continue to monitor, as
best they were able, the chaos outside. Some would succumb to stress,
and have to be dealt with others would simply leave the confines of the
bunker's, to take their chances outside. A few would continue as best
they could, in the hope that one day, one day soon, they would wake up,
realising that it had all been, just a bad dream. A few even prayed for
a miracle.

In the attic of a house, somewhere in England, lay a woman close to
death. She had, not long ago, been somebody. In a short while she would
be just another lifeless shell. Her final thoughts revolved, not around
the family and friends that had been lost in the events of the previous
weeks. But in a letter she had written to a man, she had once
interviewed, named Mark Latham. The letter had been an apology, for
remarks she had made. How wrong she had been to apologise to the man,
who had done this to her. The man had endeared himself to the World, a
World that he had left in ruin, how wrong she had been.

In New South Wales Australia. in an underground research facility,
below the burned out ruins of a Grantec complex. A group of people many
from different backgrounds, were listening. They were listening to a
man who went by the name of Mark Latham.
"Today".
He told them.
"I am pleased to inform all assembled here, that we now know what
caused the plague, that so cruelly cut down our fellow man".
He paused.
"The process we used originally, when we created Grantec Plus. Caused
the mutation of a cancerous bacteria, found naturally in the type of
Nematode we used. This somehow found its way into the production
process. We now know what we will be up against, when the time comes
for us to return to the surface. Alas this may not be for some
considerable time".
Mark Latham stopped, looked at the faces of his audience, and thought
he saw a glimmer of hope.
"We have the facilities to stay here, in safety, for as long as it is
necessary. With luck when that day arrives we will find others, who
like ourselves, have found shelter from the storm. I pray for all our
sakes, that, that day, will not be long in coming".
When he had finished Mark Latham left the room. Roy Mercer turned to
look at Cheryl Stone. Who had been stood, beside him, at the rear of
the room.
"What's all this we business, he created the damn stuff".
He said.
"Well".
She replied, in a sarcastic manner.
"Who would believe, in a court of law that one man could kill the
world".
She paused more for dramatic effect than any other reason.
"Nobody could manage that alone".
Outside the world was silent. Not a bird to be heard singing, no dog
to be heard barking. The world had, literally, gone to sleep.