A Scale of Power- Chapter One

No warning, none, it hit them like a tsunami with no plans to arrive quietly, it just crashes in, ruining everything. No one knew what the outcome of the trials would be, but when they did, they knew they had dared the wrath of nature this time. 

It was like an oven inside the taxi, of course, this was Rome. Once the dominating city of a great power, it now just cooked in the merciless and relentless sun. He looked out of the taxi window deep in thought, as the Colosseum barely acknowledged their existence. The city reminded him of a scenario like the one he had seen in his exam. Just pages in a book, half-hearted images staring back at him with what was once pride, now shame. This was Tom Middleton, he and his three other friends were taking a well deserved holiday in the cultural paradise of Italy. 

"Blimey, Ian, do you think you could ask the driver to open a window or something? We might be a piece of Italian cuisine by the time we get there," gasped Tom, almost breathless from the lifeless heat. His forehead showed only the same colour as the surface of Mars, with sweat creeping steadily down his face. Tom had the personality of a leader amongst the others, he was intelligent, a quick decision maker with enough intellect to fill a book from page to page. His brown hair seemed to be soaked with sweat as his green eyes endured the harsh light of this dominant sun. 

"Well Tom you do realize I only speak basic Italian, I've only just started learning it," reasoned Ian. It was incredible that he was barely showing a single drop of sweat, but he was a very active person, so he was used to this kind of intolerable heat. His black hair was as dry as the street on which they travelled, with his deep blue eyes protected by the Ultraviolet defending spectacles he wore on his face. Ian had a muscular build, but he was strong with languages, as if he had been speaking them his whole life, some of the qualities he had were unbelievable. With just his brute strength he could stop a fist coming towards him at the speed of sound, and do more than order a dish in Spanish. 

"Italian is similar to Spanish isn't it? I'm sure you can at least ask him to spare us the burden of jumping out onto the street right now!" jested Catherine. As usual, her sarcasm went unchallenged, as her olive skin was not attacked by the heat. She was of Spanish descent, so Catherine had some degree of resistance to the heat. Like Tom, she was intelligent, but unlike him she had sarcasm taking her side every time any type of conversation arose. Her sarcasm put even the worst of bullies at school in their place, no one dared to challenge this level of determined quick-wit. 

"I reckon you couldn't even go one day without using sarcasm, ten euros says you can't even do just that," Maria was quite a risk taker, she was very bold and prepared to do almost anything. Nothing seemed a challenge to her, she too, like the others, was rather intelligent, and one of the only other people on Earth who could challenge Catherine's sarcasm and get away with it. She had a vivid imagination and was always deep in thought about something. She had red hair and brown eyes, but at times was so blinded by her attitude, that she over analysed and missed simple details of some things. 

"You're on Maria, ten euros says I can," retorted Catherine, proud of her remark as usual. 

"Alright stop your whining, I'll ask the driver" replied Ian, with a smug look on his face. "Potremmo avere l'aria condizionata?" asked Ian. The driver glanced up in his mirror and replied, "Si, certo". Icy cold air currents drifted through the vehicle, releasing the group from this heated prison.  

"That's much better, I hope the hotel is as okay as they say it will be," sighed Tom. 

The taxi sped on through the sun painted streets, crumbled buildings and worn paths sojourned either side of them, a fellowship of concrete, brick and stone, all forcefully thrown together in the mass of ancient buildings that painted the work of art that was Rome. 

 * * * 

Three days later, the four gathered around the TV in the lobby. The hotel was modern, with white painted walls everywhere you looked. A red fabric pathway guided other tourists to their desired places in the hotel. A buffet table sat to the far left of the huge, newly refurbished lobby. A collection of sofas and comfortable chairs clustered together on the right of the room, beside them, a double door that led to the patio, where a pool lay in wait for any who fell victim to the sun's harsh rays. At the head of the room, was the flat screened TV, raised up on the wall for all to see. The enticing aromas of Pizza and Risotto drifted from the kitchens, as outside, the sun waved gently on the western horizon, as the city of Rome prepared for another night. 

"Well it's a good thing this place has British channels, otherwise I would've been useless  watching this thing!" joked Ian. 

"Aren't you already useless?" sniggered Catherine, her sapphire eyes catching the last grasp of sunlight as she used more sarcasm to her will. 

"Ha ha very funny Cath, besides, didn't you and Maria have a bet to play?" jested Ian. 

"That's right, Catherine, ten euros please." said Maria proudly. 

"No, dammit!" hissed Catherine under her breath. She reached into her pocket and reluctantly handed over an orange ten euro note. 

"Hey guys, would you mind being a bit quieter? I'm trying to listen to this," muttered Tom. 

"Good Evening, and welcome to the round the clock news. Two days ago, a promising vaccine to the renowned super-bug MRSA was tested on lizards. It was tested in various places across the UK, including London, Oxford, Bristol, Manchester, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Glasgow. However, earlier today we received some disturbing footage from the lab in London, we now go to the sourced footage from our London Biological Science correspondent". stated the reporter calmly, however it was clear by her expression, she was overcome with fear and doubt. 

For a moment, everything in the room went silent, the only noises were from the open doors as a silent but gentle breeze drifted in from the city. As the room became like a ghost's lair, the footage began to play on the omniscient TV screen. A triumphant looking man in a long jacket and a suit began to speak loudly with pride. 

"Today, is the beginning of our next step in modern medicine, and a breakthrough before this present yet ignored threat becomes just another page in our book of conquered diseases. The journey began with Jenner and Smallpox, and now, we are about to make the next step in our future as the conquerors of disease." The reporter had barely finished his sentence, when suddenly a loud boom was heard from the biological institute, and smoke began to rise from the building. "It seems we have a surprising yet unnerving turn of event here in the heart of London, something clearly has gone wrong. Let's have a closer..." he never finished his sentence, immediately before the last word was going to fall out of the reporter's mouth, more than a dozen large, green, scaly, reptile-like creatures jumped from the windows, and crashed onto the pavement below; they didn't seem to have even a scratch from the fall. They were tall, around six, maybe seven feet off the ground. They were supported by strong, hook-clawed agile feet. A snout extended from their faces, presenting double rows of razor sharp teeth. Fire-like eyes with a black, central slitted iris scanned the crowd intently, as at the end of their huge, muscular arms, deadly sharp claws began to extend from the fingers. Down the spine ran a single row of rough spines, and at the end was a perfectly balanced tail, with what looked like a stinger on the end. 

The most haunting fact of all, one that would haunt humanity for decades to come, was that the tallest one, who was a bronze colour, with wings on its back. Opened its jaws. It spoke.  

"Humankind!" It boomed with a deep, snarling voice, "You will return our world to us! Or perish on the pyre you have built for yourselves!" With that, a great clamour of screams leapt from the screen. The camera fell to the floor. A pool of blood spilled in front of it, and the screen went black. 

The head reporter continued, still half frozen in fear, "In other news.." but just like the other reporter, she never finished her sentence. She began panting, her skin going paler by the second as a tear fell from her cheek. Something flew in front of the camera and flopped lifelessly at her feet; it was clothed in a long jacket and a suit. Covered in blood. It was the previous reporter. The presenter screamed in terror, and the footage went dead. 

It was now clear as the world watched in horror, that after one thousand years of resilience, London had fallen.