The Morgan

Prologue

The year 2049

Jack Morgan was a billionaire from England, who lived in a remote part of America's Nevada desert, in an underground bunker of his own design.

He paced around the spacious living room of his bunker dressed in a white sports t-shirt, grey jogging bottoms and a pair of black and yellow running shoes. The wall on one side of the room was lined with floor to ceiling bookshelves, and those shelves were filled to the brim with books of fiction and non-fiction. On the other side of the room were two large paintings either side of a sixty-five-inch TV screen. One of the paintings was of space. It looked cold and dangerous. The other was one of our orbiting planets with a spaceship on the edge of our galaxy.

In the centre of the room was an L-shaped, leather sofa, and in front of that was a large glass coffee table. Rested on the coffee table were six, ultrathin tablets with digital, building plans for a spaceship. At either end of the sofa were two leather recliners.

Jack stared at the tablets with each pass by because he had felt something was still missing. Yet, he was sure he had thought of everything. There were Medical bays, Science labs and security stations, all with state-of-the-art equipment. It also housed greenhouses, beehives, insects and vegetable gardens, edible and non-edible plants, grass, food storage bays, material storage bays, engineers' workshops, crew quarters, hyper-sleep chambers, freezers. There were kitchens, bathrooms, and a hundred and one things needed. He was almost willing to bet his life on everything being there. Almost willing. Yet there was something, only a small thing, but it was something he had felt important that was still missing, then he paused at a set of double glassed doors and stared through the glass at the home gym beyond them. Of course! He thought and moved quickly towards the coffee table. He picked up a digital-pen and added a gym to the plans. It may only be a small thing Jack, but it is an important thing. Exercise is important. Now there is only one more thing to think of.

"That's easy. The Morgan. What else would we call it?"

The year 2047

Jack slammed down the phone, "those damn government hacks. They have no idea."

"What are we going to do now, sir?" A tall man, dressed in a long, black coat, dark glasses, and a black fedora hat, asked as he walked towards him. His voice was deep and abrasive.

Jack stared at the man for several seconds.

"What is it sir?"

"I'm deciding whether or not I like the new look."

"Oh... I see."

"You look like a cliché bad guy spy from an era long gone."

"Sorry."

"Don't be. I like it."

"Thank you, sir. It reflects my mood."

"I always did instruct you to be honest with me, no matter what."

"You did sir. Also, to be loyal no matter the cost. That I have always done."

Jack smiled, "You sure have."

"What do you want me to do?"

"They got cold feet with the project, but we must continue. Sure, we have had some setbacks, but we have also had some successes. To give up now would be criminal."

"So, we keep going."

Jack takes a moment to think, then says, "Yes, Paul. Yes. We must continue the treatment."

"For your father sir."

"And your mother."

"Thank you, sir."

The year 2053

"The ship is finally ready sir," Paul said as he entered the bunkers living room.

"I can only hope that it's not too late."

He walked up to the sofa and stood over Jack, who was lying down. He was a deathly shade of grey, "We must prepare you, sir."

There was a moment of silence before he spoke, then he said, "I've decided not to go."

Paul was confused and had to take a moment to process the information.

"Please don't be sad for us." Jack said, then he tried to smile. It was a weak smile, but it was all he could muster.

Paul slumped into the chair, then said, "But I can't help it sir. You will die."

"I should have died years ago. I was not meant to live. The man upstairs had decided that-

"Oh no, you must be feeling sorry for yourself sir, if you're going to start with that rubbish."

Jack smiled and stared at the man in the dark glasses.

"What is it, sir."

He lost his smile, "That."

"Me calling you sir?"

"Yes. We are friends are we not?"

"Friends, sir?"

Jack nodded.

"Yes of course, but that doesn't mean I should stop calling you, sir."

"There are times, of course, but now... here, when I am to die soon."

"I suppose."

"Also, I don't even recall hiring you. You just turned up six years ago when I was in hospital."

Paul, sat up, "That is when you asked me to join you sir."

"Did I?"

"Yes."

"But I don't remember. Why was I even there?"

"You were sick sir, like you are now."

"Sick? But I feel..." Jack tried to sit up, but he couldn't. "Okay. I feel weak."

Paul stood and looked down on him again, "let me help you. After all that was my purpose, and you allowed me to help you for a while."

Jack closed his eyes, "but you caused trouble... didn't you?" he opened his eyes, "isn't that why I had to change the purpose of building my ship?"

Paul turned and walked towards the door, "I suppose that is partly true, sir."

"Partly?"

"Yes, sir. But it wasn't me so much as it was the others."

"Of course. The others." He turned his head and stared at the back of Paul's head for a moment. "Paul?"

"Yes sir."

"Turn around and take off your glasses. Show me your face."

"We've been through this already, sir. I didn't believe it was a good idea then, and I still don't believe it to be a good idea now."

"I'm confused, I don't rememb- Jack closed his eyes and squirmed with the pain that writhed through him.

Paul turned, "I do wish you would let me back in, my friend." He turned away again, and then walked out of the room.

Jack's pain eased and he opened his eyes again.

"The ship is finally ready sir," Paul said as he entered the bunkers living room.

"I can only hope that it's not too late."

He walked up to the sofa and stood over Jack, who was lying down. He was a deathly shade of grey, "We must prepare you, sir."

There was a moment of silence before he spoke, then he said, "I've decided not to go."

Paul lowered his head and took a moment to compose himself. He then raised his head and allowed the look of confusion to invade him again.

"Please don't be sad for us." Jack said, then he tried to smile. It was a weak smile, but it was all he could muster.