Despite Dexter Phillips’ calm demeanour, in spite
of the casualness with which he delivered the news, the room fell silent at
that point. We had come here to help after all, to put ourselves in a position
where we could alert the rest of the world what is about to happen. The reason
we came here was to be the warning beacon, the recue guard. Instead Dexter
Phillips was making it clear to us that his vision saw this commune as the life-raft,
we are the few chosen ones who will escape and set up a new world beyond the
one we have now. Everything we have ever known will be gone, everyone we have
ever loved will be dead (or now a slavering maniac, unrecognisable from the
people they were before) and we would be asked to stride forward into this
brave new world – as what? A group of Adams and Eves? Colonists from the past
trying to carve out the future?
I think Dexter Phillips was surprised that when
he delivered his talk with an almost breezy demeanour, some people began to
cry.
No comments:
Post a Comment