The Seeds page 1

McKenna Brothers were not new to the neighborhood.  They were considered strange by those who knew them.  It wasn’t until they announced that they were going to go on a quest that people began to really talk.    It was a quest for telepathy, time travel and discovery of ancient texts ….hexigrams…and patterns that correlate with world events. These were the works of two brothers, known mainly for their psychedelic drugs.   Little bothered them as they pursued the truth of man’s destiny through predictions of things to come.  These  predictions led to significant  dates of  1945 and the future date of  Dec. 2012.   Time wave theory..  microchips…internet….2012 or 2060  had a connections.  Paradigms…trends…analaysis …interpretations that they believed were leading all people into the last days.  

“Katrina…911…and Earthquakes…bank failures…mass unemployment….collapse of the housing market.”  Charlie said aloud.

 These defining words rang in Charlie McKenna’s  head frequently now.  He was moving from Israel  to Norway because he wanted to be a part of  the seed vault, better known as the Doomsday Seed Vault.   It was his job to catalog the seeds arriving from all over the world.  These seeds would give the survivors of the great world devastation to come  a chance to rebuild the human existence.

  Often Charlie  poured over the writings of great men  such a Isaac Newton, renowned scientist and mathematician who had studied the Holy Scriptures for texts that would give him clues to God’s prophecies.  He felt that humanity should know what these mean.   Being obsessed with this and fearful of  retribution by the Church for heresy,  he kept all his calculations secret.  Recently, Charlie had heard that a box had surfaced at Sotheby’s Auction House in London with Newton’s writings. Part of these writings were sold to a Palestinian Jew who kept them hidden until his death.  They were given to the new state of Israel and are there today. 

Before leaving Israel, Charlie went to the Dome of the Rock at the Temple Mount. Kneeling there, he prayed that God would give him a new change in life and  the world a chance to overcome the great battle of Armageddon and the terrors of the Anti-Christ.  Picking up his books, suitcase and passport, he headed to Norway.  

The plane flew low and circled the area to land.  It was cloudy…extremely cloudy and the snow lay packed against the walls of the cliffs looming high against the sky.  Charlie could see the rows of brightly colored houses from the air.  This was Svalbard Global Seed Vault situated near the North Pole, yet still part of Norway.  It would be extremely interesting to see this vault deep inside the mountain.   The plane found the small runway on which  to land and Charlie could see a tall figure walking toward the plane.

“You are Charlie McKenna?”  the man asked.

 ”Yes, I am and happy to finally be here.”                                                                                                                                                                                                       

“Well, you are going to need something warmer than you have on up here!   Oh, by the way, I am Ashton Fox. I was sent out here to bring you down into the tomb.”

“The tomb?”

“Yeh, you’ll find out later about that.  Follow me. “

The Seeds page 2

Charlie jumped out of the plane and hurried through the snow to keep up with this tall man who had a kind of permanent frown on his face.  He certainly wasn’t waiting for him as Charlie struggled to handle all of his luggage.   

“Emmett will get you signed in and go over your job with you.”  Ashton said without looking at Charlie.

“Where will I find Emmett?”

“Down in the tomb…and you’ll need to stop by security and get a badge.  Everything is secure down here.  No one is allowed in or out without a complete check of pockets etc.  Nothing can leave the tomb…not even a tiny seed. ”  Ashton seemed to be always on a rush.  The reason for this  was hard to imagine since this isolated…and so far, deserted place did not seem to have anywhere or anything to make a person in such a hurry.  

After walking a long tunnel, they finally reached a cart to take them and their baggage into the final end of the vault.   It was obvious from the jagged rocks on all sides  that it took a great deal of work to dig through to the end where the seeds will be stored.  

“We are about 425 feet  inside this mountain.   You know Norway built this place and some help with funds comes  from the  UN.  Bill and Melinda Gates are paying for the seeds to be transported here. ”

“How long have you been here?” Charlie asked.

“Only a year.  I came from the Millenium Seed facility in England.”

They rolled slowly to a stop.    Charlie followed Ashton to an office.   There he met Emmett Harper who was a small man with a big smile.

“Hello, I’m Emmett Harper.   Glad you made it, Lad….nice journey? ”    flashing a smile.  

“Yes, beautiful…what I could see of it.”  

“Well, sign all this paperwork, get your badge….and you’ll put your finger under this each time you come or go. ”    Emmett pointed to a modern looking box on the wall.

“You’ll work in the tomb.”

Charlie noticed that Ashton had walked away with not a word.   He seemed to have done his duty and that was that. 

“Don’t worry about Ashton”, Emmett said.  “He is not too friendly with anyone here. “

Emmett was not short on words.  As he pushed this paper and that in front of Charlie to sign…and rolled his finger prints off the pad…he began to tell Charlie more about  Svalbard.

“This place was built to give researchers time to bring in raw genetic materials and store them.  You know, if we have a world-wide crisis or we blow ourselves to kingdom come!”

He continued,  ” If we get low on water or energy shortages or have to survive climate change…or a nuclear attack…or something, there will be 100 million seeds here to start everything all over again.”

Charlie said he knew about this because he had thoroughly researched the organization before deciding to come work here.   

“Oh, of course, you know about it….but there is a lot you don’t know…but you’ll learn.”                      .

The Seeds page 3

Charlie wanted to ask about the tomb, but hesitated.  Maybe that would be a subject to bring up later when he had made some acquaintances.   The door to his workroom slammed shut.    It was a dismal place with no windows, grey walls and most things made of steel.  The lighting was glaring and artificial.   This is where the seeds would be brought when they initially arrived.  He would catalog them and send them on down the hall to another person to package properly, label and place them safely in a vault container.   He had been given the grand tour before finding his place to call “home” for at least the next year. 

“Home”   That was an odd sounding word when one is so far from anything that gave any sense of  home.   His home had been one of meager finances, but rich in the pursuit of knowledge.   He knew his father, who had died last year, would have approved of his finding  work so out of the ordinary.  Charlie and his father had not gotten along most of the time.  He knew that his hanging with the crowd who delved into drugs was not what would bring his father’s approval.   Somewhere along the way, the drugs had been a part of the search for knowledge.  He felt that maybe it would open up a new dimension of understanding.   He still was not sure how much of it was truth and what was only the brain reacting to a substance and  wild imaginations. 

The door opened and in walked Ashton Fox.  Just as quickly had he walked away, he was now back.

“Hello, Ashton.  Good to see you.  Won’t you sit down and stay a while?

“I’m not here to stay McKenna…but to tell you some important things if you are going to last here.”

Charlie looked at him in silence as he continued a string of do’s and don’ts, but the most worrying was that he was not to go to the room at the end of the hall for anything.  If he had questions, he was to come to him and no one else.   Charlie knew it probably was not the time to ask why this room was off-limits.

“Sure, Ashton.  I get it.”   

When the door closed again, Charlie had a strange feeling that something was amiss.   He was hardly in a position to start being a trouble maker in this frozen wilderness.  He would keep quiet, listen and watch.  Maybe the answers would come at some future date.  

“Charlie, the seeds from England have arrived.   You’re wanted on the truck ramp!”

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Going through several air tight doors and taking a long walk through the tunnel, Charlie saw the large trucks backed into the warehouse.  It was hard to get used to having every inch of his body covered.  He felt like one of those snowmen, round and big with the carrot for a nose.  His nose would probably freeze if he stayed here too much longer.

  The containers were metal and tightly sealed.   He was shown a large electric cart where the containers would be placed; gently moving  them toward their final resting place, not to die, but to live and wait.    Keeping the storage rooms at least   -4 degrees Fahrenheit  was critical and the cooling system brought the temperatures even lower.

“It probably wasn’t much fun getting here with these talking seeds.”  He joked  with the driver.

“Yeh, well they say they are alive, but I won’t swear by it!”  the driver responded.  

Charlie wanted to make this day count on his learning curve of the place.    As he rode back toward the tunnel with his tightly sealed  cargo, he thought of living things.   These are really living and it’s up to us to care for them.  The responsibility seemed to hit him for the first time.

A white masked person he  had not seen before met him at the door and swiftly took the seeds toward the room he was told not to enter.

“Hey, when do I get to work on these if you’re putting them in there?”  pointing  to the forbidden door.

“They’ll be brought to you one box at a time each morning.”

“I didn’t catch your name.  I’m Charlie and I’m new around here.”

“Yes, I know.   Just don’t ask a lot of questions and you’ll be ok.”   

Not being able to contain himself, Charlie blurted out, “What am I not supposed to know?  Everybody seems very secretive around here.”

The man simply walked away and vanished down the hall.    It was time to go back to Emmett and see if he could get a better understanding of what this place was about.  As he arrived in Emmett’s office,  a delivery man was standing at the desk  filling out paperwork on his cargo.    To make up excuses as to why he was there was the last thing he wanted to do. He mumbled something about having  supplies he needed to pick up.    Timing was not right.  The questions needed  to be delayed until a  later day. 

Arriving back in his work-room, he found a seed drawer with a note.

  “You can work on these.  Be sure they are labeled correctly and let me know when you are finished.”   It was signed Ashton.   Charlie carefully opened the container.  He pulled on his white gloves.  Opening the small silver envelope, he carefully poured them out on a  plate.  Taking  the tweezers, he  moved a few  seeds under  the microscope.    What he saw was amazing.  Colors of the rainbow and such unusual shapes filled the lense.   He seemed to drift into a different world, away from all the unanswered questions and into the beauty that only God could make.  

“Yes, this is life.   Life that  people do not see.  It represents a whole field of flowers or grains….or trees.”   he thought to himself with a lightly breathed whisper of    “Yes!   Look at that!”

Seed page 5

It had been six weeks since Charlie first flew into this snow-covered wilderness.   He finally had learned his way around and was finding the job quite fascinating.    The long shelves lined the storage area that he was free to go in and he knew that should the electricity fail, the permafrost would secure the seeds from thawing.  

   How this place had been built was amazing.  Emmett  said that even a direct hit on it would not bring it down.    The architects and  engineers seemed to have thought of everything.   High reflective steel mirrors and prisms caught the sun’s rays in the summer.  In Winter fiber optics worked their magic.  

  He and  Emmett had become friends.   Emmett would come by his room some evenings for a beer and play a hand of cards.  It was during these times that they shared much about the founder’s vision for this place.   It was amazing to think  that the few apples that we can buy in our supermarkets today is only a drop in the bucket to what was available in America in years past.  About 86% of the named varieties were now extinct.    Famines and wars have destroyed many of the seeds or seed banks in modern days. 

“Did your Grandma bake apple pies, Charlie?” 

“No, I did not know either of  my Grandmas very well.  Of course, I was doing my thing back then…not much time for Grandmas.” 

” I can smell it now…those  green Granny Smith apples shimmering on the stove.  Then she’d make a crust…pour those apples into the pan and bake it.  I could hardly stand it until she would offer me a piece!” 

“Yeh, sounds good.  Not to change the subject or anything…but do you know anything about the room at the end of the hall?” 

There was a short silence.   Emmett looked up and said that Ashton was the only one of the crew allowed in there and he sometimes took a visitor or two with him.  They would stay about an hour and then the visitor would leave.  Nobody ever said anything . 

” Why would it be so secretive?   Why is Ashton the only one to go there?” 

“You’re asking the wrong guy, but my advise is just don’t worry about it.  You’ve heard that curiosity killed the cat!” 

Charlie nodded and replied,  “  Well, this cat may have to go take a look in there one of these days.”     

Emmitt frowned.     

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

Seeds page 6

The word curiosity had been brought up in his conversation with Emmett.  It was curiosity that had led Charlie to explore areas of his life…during his drug days that had almost killed him.   He remembered one night being high and thinking a curve was in the road…and it wasn’t.  His car  landed in a field where he spent the night.  Over and over he had wondered where he would be if there  had been a big tree and not a field.   

  It was also his curiosity that had made him look into the writings of men long ago who predicted that the world system would collapse . A world leader would  make great promises.  He would bring world peace.   He would bring all nations together in a type of one world organization.   This was fascinating to Charlie, but he was not certain anyone could do this.   The Holy Scriptures talked about him as an evil person who lied about himself and what he hoped for the world.    Now, Charlie had to wrestle with whether he believed the Scriptures were talking about his generation or something a thousand years in the future.

Quite unexpectedly, Ashton entered the lab and laid a book on Charlie’s desk. 

” Ever read anything about the Nazi Bell Project during World War II?”

“No, I’ve heard something about it…why?”

“I’ve noticed that you read and research  things.  You may find it fascinating.   I happen to have personal knowledge about that project.”

“Well, Ashton, frankly our conversations have at best been almost nothing since I’ve come here.  Why are you telling me this now?”

“Because you are different from the rest here…and I thought maybe you would  …well, may be interested in the room down the hall.”

“Of course I am, but I’ve just tried to  not ask about anything…you know, getting to know the job and walking the line..so to speak.”

Ashton left the book; telling Charlie he would pick it up later and maybe they could talk more.   It appeared to Charlie that all this time he was being observed by Ashton.  He picked up the book and leafed through the contents.    He read a quote which spoke of The Bell project as one that had to do with zero gravity.  Why would Ashton think he was interested in this subject?  Why would he be inviting him to the room at the end of the hall?

 

 

 

Seeds page 7

It was hard to keep his mind on his work after his connection with Ashton.  Late into the evenings,  Charlie researched all he could find out about The Bell Project as well as read the book Ashton had brought him.  He found out that there is still a great deal of mystery surrounding what actually happened to the Bell after World War II. 

  There have been those who have researched the project  and actual physical evidence of the circle known as The Fly Trap , or supposed launch area.   The Fly Trap is of concrete construction and  is massive and secluded.  With today’s computer graphic technology, it is easy to visualize a type of space craft object, such as the Bell,   ready to propel itself into the air while hovering in the Fly Trap.   Hitler’s man, General Dr.  Han Kammler was in charge of the project that he believed  would be the invention to win the war.   When victory was in doubt, several scientists were put to death to keep the project secret.    It was still a mystery to Charlie why  Ashton said that he knew of this personally?

The book Aston gave him to read was written  about a man named Kemp.  The author,Hector Bolivar,  was from Argentina and  said Kemp was his neighbor    Bolivar  found it strange that a man who said he only worked in his garden had such scientific knowledge.   He would be gone for weeks at a time to the United States. When  intoxicated, he would tell stories  of being a consultant for NASA.  Everyone thought he was crazy and didn’t take him too seriously.   He had a son who went with him on the trips.  Neither of them talked much about what they did while away, but  Bolivar  found Kemp  an interesting character.

   It wasn’t until Kemp  was making his plans to permanently leave Argentina,  that he told Bolivar he was going to live in Kecksburg, Pennsylvania in the U.S.A.   His house was sold and the people who bought the house found a scrapbook with a picture of  Kemp  decked out in his Nazi uniform, looking very official.  This was especially exciting to Bolivar.  He lied to the neighbor saying he had been promised the scrapbook by Kemp and imagined he had left it for him.  Night after night Bolivar looked at the pictures, finding a name of Hans Kammler.   It was then that he decided to write a book about all that he knew of this strange man known as Kemp.  The picture was of a younger man, but there was no doubt about it.  Kemp was actually  Hans Kammler.  Kammler was the  high-ranking officer of the SS and head of  The Bell Project.

The Seeds page 8

It was amazing to see all the seeds that were arriving from all over the world.  They had almost become like friends to Charlie as he viewed them under the microscope.  Each had its own design and color, giving  a uniqueness and personality to every one.   Placing them in the silver envelope; labeling and then carefully laying each in a metal container with a strong seal, he put them to bed on a rack in the below zero weather.   He could not help but wonder where they would end up if the world would actually be in such devastation, that a new crop for humans would be necessary.   The storage room was stacked to the ceilings.  They were little containers of live specimens.   It was  exciting to Charlie.  His role in all this was important and he seemed to be accepted and trusted with the job. 

Ashton had come around  several times without saying anything about the book.  He was all business most of the time.  Rarely did theyhave any friendly conversations.  Today was different, however, as the door opened and an actual smile crossed Ashton’s  face. 

“Charlie, I’ve seen you pouring over the computer and that stack of books you have there.  Did you like  the book I gave you?”

“Sure, Ashton, it was quite interesting.    When you brought it to me, you said you knew about this personally.  What did you mean?”

“You’ll find out if you want to come with me to the Tomb.  What do you say?”

There was that word again…”The Tomb”.

“I’m not certain what the tomb is, Ashton, or where it is.”   Charlie replied.

“At the end of the hall…where you see me go.  Want to come?

Laying his notes aside, Charlie rose from his chair.  Gave a little “lead the way” jester and followed Ashton down the hall.

The door was heavy and it appeared dark inside.   Ashton led the way, flipping a light switch on the inside wall.   The door closed behind them.  Ashton reached back and bolted the door.   The light was dim and the walls were rough and narrow.  It seemed to be a tunnel.   Even though it was not as cold as the storage areas, the breath from their mouths floated in the air.   

“Just keep coming, Charlie, we have a way to go.”

They  entered another door. The walls were filled with electronics and  a small, dim lamp hung over  a table.   A man had his back to them and slowly turned as they walked into the room.  He was the same man Charlie had seen enter the room with Ashton before.   The surprising thing was that he was quite a bit older than  either of them.  Charlie wondered why a man of his age would want to live in the ungodly climate!

The Seeds page 9

“Hello  Ashton .  You bring someone?”   the man said with an accent. 

“Yes, this is Charlie.  He will be okay.   I have confidence in him.”

Charlie spoke and shook hands, as best as one can shake  hands in gloves.   The word “confidence” stood out to Charlie, for he was not certain why Ashton would have confidence in him.

“Sit down, Charlie.  You now need to know what this is all about.   As the old saying goes, ” …now that you know, I will have to kill you…”    He chuckled. 

“Seriously,” Ashton continued.   “ As of today, you know the seed storage is not the only thing that is happening here on the island.   We have a complete communication with others outside who know nothing about seeds…or care about seeds.”

Charlie sat motionless.   He did not know what he should say anything to ask.   In some ways, he wished that he had declined the invitation to the Tomb.   ” I may get more information than I want to know.”   he thought to himself.  

” This is our control room.  We speak from here to the Middle East,  Russia, and even the United Nations.”   Ashton continued.  

“About what?”   Charlie finally was able to speak. 

“Oh,  many things.  Mainly we plan for the future.   You know destruction is on its way in many parts of the world.  It is only a matter of time.”

There was something senister looking on Ashton’s face as he said these words.  His eyes rolled back; his head was cocked to one side, and he looked to the ceiling as if he were talking to someone far away.   

“Want more explanation?”   he asked.

“Of course. Go ahead.” 

” This man is my father.  He has come here to work with me from the U.S. after leaving Argentina.”  Ashton said tapping his hand on the table. 

Surging through Charlie’s brain was all that he had read in the book Ashton had given him.   However, the picture in the book stood out to him most of all.   Glancing back at this elderly man, he saw in his eyes the same expression as the Nazi in the book.  This man was Kammler.     A gasp almost slipped from Charlie’s lips.

“Your father is the famous scientist from World War II who disappeared along with the Bell?”

Ashton nodded.   

“My name is Hans Kammler….not Kemp.”   The man replied looking at Charlie.   ” I came to the United States some years ago to work  at Area 51.    You are familiar?”

“Oh yes, of course…I am certain that I do not know much about it though since it was top secret.”  Charlie stammered. 

” It may take a while, but I will tell you about it and why I am here. “  Hans continued.

The Seeds page 10

Hans leaned back in his chair, rolling a paper in his hand.   “It was the day that I heard the Russians were coming and the war had basically been lost.   Picking up the phone to the Ferrer, I dialed and dialed but no one answered.   This had never happened before.  I was always able to get through to him.  About that time, the door opened and my aid informed me that the Ferrer was dead.  There was only time to gather as much information as I could and make my way toward Switzerland.   The Swiss had been helpful in the past and I knew of a farm-house high in the hills.  This is where I stayed until I could get word to the American forces. ”

Ashton paced  up and down.  His frowns often were interpreted as wanting to dispense with so much talk.   Charlie glanced at him , but kept a strong look toward  Hans.  After all, how often is it that  one gets the opportunity to hear the story of a man who helped forge American history after the war?

Continuing Hans breathed a long breath and began again.   “I knew that America was going to find out about the Bell.  They were in the throes of a space development on their own.  The war had been a problem.   At this point, there was no way to survive a war crimes trial, so I used the only weapon I had….knowledge.

Charlie felt he must say something.   “This is an amazing story, Hans.  Please continue.”

“Many of the scientists who had left Germany previously had gone to Argentina.   The government had no problem in allowing this, so it seemed only a sensible step to try to get there.    The Americans flew me there, which is another long story.   I tried to blend into my community, making a garden and saying as little as I could.    It wasn’t until I received word from Gen. Wernher Von Braun that I knew I had to investigate what I could do to continue my work as a scientist.”

Aston had now seated himself in a far corner.  He seemed bored by the story, but allowed his father to continue.   Charlie could sense that the story had something to do with  the present.   “This whole story is becoming to me an albatross  around my neck.” Charlie thought to himself. A shot something that felt like panic, stabbed at his stomach.

“Hans, I am truly fascinated, but maybe it is best that you write your own memoirs soon.  I really don’t think this is anything that I fit into as far as my job here  and my knowledge of what you’re doing here in the Tomb….”  he stammered on.

“Oh but you are wrong. Ashton has told me about you.   We need you for there is not much time now.”   Hans said rising abruptly from his chair.

The Seeds page 11

Back in his room, Charlie could hardly sleep.   All that he had learned in The Tomb had left him bewildered, surprised, and even more intrigued.   He knew that he had been taken into a confidence which  left him quit uneasy.  He left  Ashton and Hans by telling  them that he had a project that had to be finished before he left for a week off the island.   It was his good fortune that after one year of work, he would have some rest in a place of his choice.   He had chosen to go to Switzerland.  This had been a destination that he  always wanted, but had no opportunity. He became even more eager to leave when he found out that  his friend, Emmett was also going on a vacation.

Walking into Emmett’s office, Charlie gave him a playful back slap.  “So you’re getting out of here  too!”

“Sure am…but not sure whether I want to go back to the States or somewhere else”  he replied.

“Why don’t you go with me to Switzerland?”

“You mean it?  You’d like me to tag along?”

“Sure.  I am really eager to visit there and I may not have another chance.”

Agreeing it was a good plan, Charlie rushed to make arrangements.  Emmett notified Ashton that they would be going and replacements were needed within ten days.   Time seemed to drag, but  each evening Charlie and Emmett met to plan their two weeks that they had looked forward to for so long.  

Finally the day arrived.  The runway was cleared for the flight off the island.   As they climbed into the brilliant blue sky, Charlie felt a sense of relief that he did not have to think about Ashton or Hans and their discussions about The Tomb.  It wasn’t long until the small plane  landed in Norway and they hurried to catch another flight to Switzerland.  Charlie noticed a number of limousines lining the front of the airport.

“Must be someone really important .” he said to Emmett.

“I think it’s more than just someone….lots of someones…like the Gates and Princess whats-her-name from the Middle East.  At least that is what the man in the restroom told me.   He was a chauffeur.”

“Where are they going?”   Charlie asked.

“It’s the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.   The rich and famous meet there yearly to talk over the problems of the world.”

“In fact, the chauffeur said that they needed some more drivers or security people once they get there.”

“Well, Emmitt, did you tell them that we are available?”  Charlie retorted, giving a flashing  smile.

“We are?”

“Why not?  We’d see Switzerland and maybe find out what all these big guys are up to.   It could prove to be extremely interesting.”

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Arriving in Davos, Charlie and Emmett tried to blend in with those strolling through the streets.  This was a little hard in such a small place.  The tiny, quaint shops lined the streets that looked like something out of a story book.  There were Rolex watches in the windows, cheese shops and of course the Swiss chocolates.   Dressed in the finest of clothes, mostly long, dark coats with colorful neck scarves, the people who strolled the town seemed in no hurry.   Once in a while, an old lady with a scarf tightly drawn around her head would venture from a small doorway.   One wondered if she lived there; was the servant, or simply a worker in the village. 

“Charlie, did the man you talk to tell us where to go for this security job?”  Emmett inquired.

“Yes,  we are to meet him at the Minotel Madrisajoch.   This is a good place…around 77 euros or $105…not so expensive as the Berghotel Schatzalp, which runs about $385 per night.   You know for those who can afford Switzerland.”

“Yeh, I knew a couple when buying food shared everything…salads, entrees, and desserts.   It was the only way with prices the way they are.”

“Sure, why not?  I’ll split something with you when we need to.” Charlie replied.

Walking up the snow-covered lane, they were welcomed at  the Minotel Madrisajoch with overhanging balconies  and hand- painted doors. The mountains loomed in the background with their majestic peeks.  Benches covered with snow beckoned the weary hiker to sit if they dare.   It was cold….but not so cold as Norway.

“This is the place.  So lets see if we can get our orders for the day.”  Emmett winked at Charlie.

A tall man walked toward them with an outstretched hand.    “Welcome to Switzerland.   My name is Axel.”

The men shook hands and set to getting all information for the security of guests to Davos.   To the men’s surprise, their assignment was the  hotel that they had just discussed, the Berghotel Schatzalp.   They were to stand in the rooms where discussions were happening, watching for everything from petty theft to terrorist plots.  Their equipment was extremely sophisticated.   They were to be at the hotel in the evening at eight p.m. sharp as the guests would be arriving for cocktails.  Axel would give all the training on location.

“Well, I am impressed!”  Charlie said to Emmett over lunch.   “He said that people from all over the world will be here to discuss economics, politics, and much more.  My ears will certainly be in tune.”

“Maybe we can catch the sky lift sometime this afternoon.”  Emmett mumbled.   His enthusiasm was clearly not as adventurous as Charlie’s.

The Seeds page 13

The Tomb in Norway was quiet with only a buzz on sophisticated electronic equipment.   Ashton sat in front of the computer keyboard, typing messages that were  encrypted.  His father leaned forward, asking questions in German.   This went on for hours and finally…sat up quickly and looked at Hans, speaking quietly. 

“Our man is in place.”

“At the United Nations?” Hans inquired.

“Yes.   When all hell breaks out in the Middle East, he will step forward and bring the world a message of peace. People…all nations will be looking for a real leader.”

Hans scribbled rapidly on a piece of paper and asked, “How do you know he is the one?”   

“I have been told by those who are working closely with me.   They are looking now for a person to be at his right side; to take the information and secretly distribute it.   What do you think about Charlie?”

“Charlie…the guy you brought in here?”

“Exactly!   He is like a new baby….ready to learn…eager to be a part of things.   He could be convinced of the importance of this plan, I am certain.”

“Ashton, I have never quarrelled with you about this.   I am just a scientist…an old scientist.   Frankly, I am not certain I have the courage anymore….”  Han’s voice trailed off into a whisper.  

“I will talk to him when he returns from his vacation.   It must be strictly between us…no one else.”    

As Hans moved into a more comfortable chair, Ashton rambled on about the plan.   ” The United States has a weak government that will probably delicate any action to the United Nations.  The U.N.  will find itself in a tight squeeze with Iran, Russia and China.   They do not know that the plants are already in place in their own assembly hall .     The United States will see power taken more into control by the U.N and the European countries. Unfortunately, the U.S.  think that they still run the world.  They even think their military can be at all places !”  

“Ashton, I ask you one more time.  Who is this man that you say will lead the world into peace? ”

“It is a closely guarded secret, but he has been preparing for this all of his life.   He is most persuasive; a great orator, and knows just the right words to say.”

“Ashton,  I served a man like that in WWII.   Look  what happened to Germany.  I found a better loyalty when I went to Argentina.  Much of what I knew went into the minds of the Allies and to the space program as well as military.    I do not think they will let the Middle East fall apart.    They will step in.  You do not know the American people!” 

“They can’t.  They are spread too thin.  Regardless, this is a plan that will bring the world together with new leadership.  You will see.”

The buzzing continued in the computers.   Ashton hovered over the incoming information.  Hans leaned back and closed his eyes.