THE EXETA

CHAPTER THREE

The brightness of the day did not fit the ordeal of the seven male recruits. They were blind folded, and the hands tied to their back. They were on the run in a forest as two large home dogs were after them. It was a run for survival, a run for your life situation. The leader of the recruits was already at the finish line holding his stop watch and counting. He blew his whistle intermittently just so the recruits could navigate their trajectory to the finish line from the sound of the whistle. The dogs were also after them barking and teetering.  The recruits continued to run for their life hoping to get to the finish line first. They had to be meticulous as they had to swerve trees, stumps, animals, thorns and small shrubs, these were all repressions that were on their way. Sentinel Edgar Okoh the leader of the operation was still blowing up his whistle as he kept on checking his time intermittently.

            Surprisingly, 4 of the recruit made it to the finish line successfully while 3 lacked behind. He then gave the warning shot that echoed the whole forest. Flying birds sputtered form the trees upon hearing that sound. The two comrades of sentinel Okoh then chained the dogs giving them the needed sedative to be calm having served their purpose. The rest of the 3 then joined them. Still with their blind folds, the 7 recruits lined up as Colonel Okoh moved across them.

            “Great work recruits 34, 56, 89 and 45. You have proven you are really ready to break the mold for the task ahead.” Sentinel Okoh complemented. He then moved to the rest of the three and looked at them condescendingly. “The battle for supremacy in the jungle is not the same as the butter fly going to a fight with an elephant. Recruits 25, 18 and 40, I am sorry to say you have failed the test and this is the point we part ways. You did well though excelling in all the other expeditions, but as our canon for the past years, you do not get to join your colleagues for the matriculation. So, we shall meet again if fate see it fit.”

With that, the two-other comrades of Sentinel Okoh led the 3 recruits out of the forest premises still blind folded. They were not longer needed. They had failed the final test and the reason for their training will not be compromised. The two comrades lead them far away after they return to the 4 who were getting ready to make history or we can say had made history already. Sentinel Okoh then turned to face the young ones who were going to be the future sentinels of the brotherhood.

            “You have enlisted yourself for one of the dangerous tasks in the world. What we protect and what we stand for, and we must die for is something that transcends us all. It’s the very core of our very existence. Africa have suffered a lot from the past, with all evil, greed and malevolence, but you will be the purging that had lurked in the shadows for long.” Colonel expounded.

            “You were so parotitic to accept this feat. And just for you to remember we are greater than ourselves. What we protect and what we stand for, and we have to die for is something that transcends us all. It’s the very core of or very existence. By the end of this week you will finally have the chance to be conferred upon and be matriculated to be members of the only hope Africa has left – ‘The Black Guild.’ So, as you see, just keep in mind that the task is not going to be an easy one as you think it will be. Brace yourself for the worst.” With that the recruits were dispatched, as Sentinel Okoh took his cell phone and made a call.

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Outside the suburb of Accra, a vehicle pulled up at a secluded area. The area was a forest that resembled a place a lot of activities had taken place. But now, the place was desolate and marooned. A man got down from his vehicle and surveyed the area of for some time. After he was certain that that was the place he ought to be, he walked majestically through the forest. He knew where he was going.

He got to a depression where the area resembled a facet of the land that had been wrecked by mining. It had a lot of gorges and an amorphous geography, still moving the man got to his place of interest and then entered a lair. As he moved through the depression arcade he got to a door and opened it. As he entered he continued to move through the tunnel now underground of us. The place was not like the normal tunnel we knew. The place seemed like a lot of work was really going on. The place was an area that was furnished akin to a warehouse that starched so large – an empty space that provided so much freedom for the people who walked around. In the middle of the empty space sat a very complex device that was in its manufacturing stage.

Mattias Morrison a man in his early forties stood to survey the place that he believed will be the next phase of human salvation in terms of energy. He was in suit and he walked like he owed the earth. He then moved on to the control room to see the supervisor of the whole project. The control room unlike the ground space, was highly furnished. A state - of - the art laboratory that had all the computers and the machine coordination activities in the place. Mattias entered and the man in charge rose from his chair excited to see his boss.

“Mr. Morrison…” the chief engineer bellowed. “Good to see you again, I was not expecting you here today.” Matthias moved and shook the hands of the Chief Engineer. He was Mr. Raymond Anobaah, a Mechanical engineer from the KNUST. He had a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering had heed being working on the project for the past two years. Initially he worked with Matthias at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission at Kwabenya. Matthias was in the Research and Development Department and he was part of the field engineering team. Matthias was so passionate about solving the energy crises that have plagued Ghana and Africa for long. He believed he had a great idea that when realized, would be the panacea to the incessant energy woes of Ghana and Africa. But all the time Matthias pitched his idea to his superiors, they scathed about it saying that they could never afford such a project and that Matthias should stop building castles in the air and stick to what they had. But Matthias did not give up. He believed in what he wanted to do.

One-day, Mr. Anobaah had come across the file that elaborated the idea of Matthias and after taking a perusal of the proposal, Raymond loved it. He then moved to Matthias and gave him the message that, if by change he gets the chance to work on the project, he Raymond will like to be a part of the project because he also ardently believed in it. Matthias was so excited about that at least he had one person who was with him. As time went on, Matthias had been able to secure a colossal financial funds to work on the project and Raymond was he first person that came in mind to be the supervising engineer he could trust for the invention that will be the future of Africa and Ghana. Raymond had been the supervising engineer for the project in the building a thermonuclear reactor fusion reactor.

“I just arrived in Ghana yesterday. I had to see my family there in South Africa and l had to get some resources for the project. They will be arriving soon. How have the project been anyway?” Matthias explained as he continued to move about the control room.

“So far so good. We have done a lot of work with the core we now want to move to the exterior enclosure. We are moving steadily.” Engineer Anobaah replied.

“I guess you have enough hands-on desk, or if possible, we can hire more people to help.” Mathias proposed.

“That will be very gracious of you, but our current engineers are doing a magnificent work. They have been briefed about the basics and what we are trying to achieve here. We are hopeful that by early next year we will be fully functional to start supplying electricity to Ghana.” Mr. Anobaah explained. Mathias was glad to hear that. He nodded his head. He was excited to know that soon all his superiors who looked down on him will now look up to him. He continued to move about as he stretched his hand,

“Just like what I have always been saying, nuclear fusion is the combining of two nuclei of low masses to form one nucleus of lager mass. Nuclear fusion reaction is mostly called thermonuclear fusion reactions. Fusion reactions exist in stars. Our sun is a good example of a natural thermonuclear fusion reaction. The heat we obtain from the sun is a result of nuclear fusion, thus the fusion of Hydrogen atoms into Helium atom gives us the heat from the sun, giving us the solar energy, we are all so blessed with. It is almost impossible to create fusion reactions on earth since they need temperatures above one million degrees celsius to take place. But the amazing thing is that, thermonuclear fission reactions creates infinite energy. I mean so much energy is generated from a thermonuclear fusion reaction that can supply the whole of Ghana and Africa. With this kind of energy, we do not have to put our trust in an hydroelectric dam. We will have some much energy that we can even export some if that is possible.

Mr. Anobaah was now quiet and listening to his boss elaborate on his original idea. Mathias seemed to be in higher energy state at the moment talking about his passion – energy.

“And this is where the thermonuclear fusion reactor comes in.” Mr. Anobaah backed Matthias up.

“Excellent, the thermonuclear reactor creates the desire temperature and condition for the fusion of the smaller nuclei for the generation of the energy we require. And that is why we needed to construct the thermonuclear fusion reactor. The reactor will do all the magic as long as we feed it with the necessary raw materials.” Matthias ended his explanation now satiated. Mr. Anobaah kept nodding his head.

“And nuclear fusion produces less nuclear waste, and the raw material for its energy production are not so difficult to obtain.” Mr. Anobaah complemented again. The statement augmented the bliss in the face of Matthias.

“Exactly, and that is what we wish to present to Ghana and Africa. I am impressed Ray, I can see you have done a lot of background work on this project.” Matthias inquired. Mr. Anobaah shrugged and replied, “I had to teach the current engineers on that, so I studied all that.” With that, the cell phone of Matthias rang. He took his phone out and looked at the message. He sighed. He placed the phone back.

“Time to go…it’s my daughter I came with her to spend the long vacation in Ghana. She has been in South Africa all her life though she was born here. She does not even remember the last time she came to Ghana.” Mattais remarked.

“Wow! … I hope we will be meeting her very soon, the engineers will be coming in very soon, so we start work.” Mr. Anobaah stated. “Yes, she will be visiting this place soon. It’s actually one of the reason I brought her to spend the vacation here in Ghana. So, until I see you again, keep up the good work.” Matthias bid his good friend bye and as he was about to exit, Mr. Anobaah bellowed, “One more thing Sir…”

Matthias then turned his head on hearing that. “We will be needing a Nuclear Engineer soon.” Mr. Anobaah said. Matthias smiled upon hearing that and replied,

“We have already got one.”

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It was late afternoon and Simon and her sister were watching television. They had closed from school and Aunty Margaret was in the kitchen preparing a late lunch for them. As they continued to watch, Aunty Margaret entered,

“Simon …Lily your foods are ready…” Margaret bellowed. Lily quickly took the remote-control form Simon and turned off the TV show they were both watching. Simon was so into the TV that he was hit by that. “Oh Lily!... why would you off the TV it, it was at the last show…it would have ended very soon.” Simon lamented.

Lily stood up to her feet and stood akimbo, “it’s time to go and eat…no TV when you are eating remember.”

“But Mom is not here.” Simon shot back livid.

“But I am Simon,” Margaret replied. “Go and finish your food after that you can come back and watch.” Margaret added. Simon was still not happy with that. Lily had spoilt her day with her selfish inaction.

“If you will not eat am going to eat my own.” Lily said and quickly dashed out of the living room. Simon as now left with Margaret. Simon then inquired, “Will she ever change?” Margaret moved on to console Simon.

“Don’t worry Simon, she will I promise. Let’s go on and eat.” Margaret replied and led Simon to the dining table.

Lily was already half way into her food. It was beans with red oil and laterally fried plantain, their favorite. Simon begun to eat still not so happy. He gave Lily a wild gaze beckoning he is not happy with her deed at all. But Lily was so much into the food that, she did not notice the stare of her brother. Simon then ignored her and begun to eat. Margaret also joined them at the table. She uncorked a bottle of water and poured into a glass for them. After, she smiled at how they were eating, both have really been famished. She wondered the kind of food they gave them in the school they attended, such that any time they came home in the afternoon they were as hungrier than they left the house. She smiled again in her head and broke the silence.

“Lily!... I think you should apologies to your brother after you are done eating…okay!” Margaret insisted. Lily’s face altered to reluctance as she swallowed hard some plantain. “Auntie Margaret…. what have I done wrong?” Lily inquired. Simon stopped eating and looked at her sister disdainfully.

“You made your brother feel bad. He could not finish a TV show he was watching.” Margaret stated. Lily still did not see any offence in that. She stopped eating and looked on bewildered.

“But Aunty Margaret, it was time to eat. Mom has always told us that we should eat while the food was hot, and that cold food was not good for our health.” Lily explained. Simon was till quiet hoping Auntie Margaret would fix the situation.

“Yet still you could have asked if he was done before you turned the TV off, but you didn’t” Auntie Margaret corrected. Simon was getting mollified with that, he kept on being quiet.

“So, will you apologies or not?” Margaret inquired.  Lily looked on mute. Her facial expression did not depict someone who was going to apologies. After about five minutes of no action. Margaret rose to her feet and went into the kitchen. She returned with succulently sliced pawpaws in a bowl of water. She then placed them in front of Simon. Simon was surprised to see all that. Margaret moved most of them onto a plate for Simon, “Simon this is your dessert after you are done eating.” Margaret then carried the bowl of the pawpaw back. Lily looked on in surprise as her favourite fruit had passed right in front of her eyes without her getting any. Lily’s eyes begun to build remorse as Simon begun to munch his pawpaw’s.

            “Auntie Margaret what about me?” Lily bellowed in a nagging manner. Margaret then returned. “No apologizing no pawpaw.” Margaret replied. Simon was now excited as the odds was no in his favour. Margaret sat mumbling a song with her mouth as Lily burned with remorse. She could not hold that any more. Lily then broke the silence.

            “Okay…Simon am sorry for turning the TV off while you were still watching.” Lily apologized. Simon looked on and gave a non-comital sneer and said,

            “Apologies accepted.” Lily was still not okay with that.

            Margaret’s then turned to her,

            “Good girl Lily, so now you can have some pawpaw.” Margaret then moved to bring Lily more pawpaw. She gripped it and did not have mercy on them at all. Margaret looked on at her and smiled with Simon.

“So, tell me …how is the exam going?” Margaret’s asked them. Lily spoke first, “So good this time, I think this time I will come first. There is this girl in our class called Sandra she thinks she so intelligent but this term, her grades makes are very bad. And we keep laughing at her when the exam papers are shared.” Lily replied now elated.

“Mine is also good, at least this time I have seen most of the question that come to the exams. The past questions are smart way of learning for exams. My friends and I have adapted that strategy this term and it’s really working for us.” Simon also narrated. Margaret was glad to her that from them. “Wow…that is nice to hear that from you I think you should tell mummy and daddy when they come back from work.” Margaret proposed.

“Yes…yes…I will be the first person to tell Daddy and then Mummy.” Lily bellowed. Simon was done with his food. “Auntie Margaret can we go back to Watching TV?” Simon inquired. “Yes, you can but you off it when Dad or Mom arrives …okay?” Margaret stated.

“Okay…?” Simon responded. Lily who has also finished eating quickly moved out of the dining table to the living room bellowing, “I want TV3.”

Simon knew the meaning of that, and followed her sister, “Lily…do not misbehave again.” Margaret then moved on and cleared the dining table. In the Kitchen, Margaret then received a message from Zade about the location for their meeting. Margaret shook upon seeing that and mustard the last bit of courage in her to resolve this mystery once and for all.