LETHAL - E.UNWIN

7

Nathalia walks into the room Merlin had been occupying, just as a burst of water gushes from the two-way mirror followed by the coughing recruits.

"Looks like I missed something," Nathalia says, clutching the manila folder close to her chest.

"The recruits have just been faced with their first task," Merlin says. "And I offer you all congratulations on completing your first task. Charlie, Roxy, well done"

Eggsy stares at Merlin, clearly confused about something.

"For those of you who are still confused, if you can get a breathing tube around a U-bend of a toilet you have an unlimited air supply," Merlin says. "Simple physics, worth remembering.
Eggsy, well done for spotting that was a two-way mirror"

"He's probably seen enough of them," Charlie says and Nathalia rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, you can all wipe those smirks off your faces," Merlin says as Charlie's cronies laugh. "Because as far as I'm concerned, every single one of you has failed. You all forgot the most important thing. Teamwork"

Merlin points to the now empty room and the recruits all move to stare at the body of Amelia, half-submerged in water and unmoving.

"So much for classic army technique," Eggsy says to Roxy.

Nathalia stands in her living room with Merlin and Harry as she begins to explain what she had discovered.

"The Gaia Theory, hypothesis, principal, paradigm, or whatever you want to call it," Nathalia presses on the tablet in her hand, showing some slides as she talks. "Is a theory that living entities interact with inorganic surroundings to form a self-regulating system that maintains life on our planet. Named after the Greek goddess"

Nathalia swipes to the next slide.

"It was proposed by James Lovelock, renowned chemist and developed by Lynn Margulis," Nathalia says. "James Arnold's life's work has been revolved around this theory. It basically leads to the belief that the mass amount of humans on this planet is killing the earth. Due to our production of carbon dioxide which only naturally occurs-"

"From volcanic eruptions," Harry says.

"Exactly," Nathalia says. "In the eyes of Gaia Theorists, humans are the plague and are going to cause the end of the world. The flow of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to the soil is regulated with the help of living beings, plants, and such"

A graph appears on the wall which had two lines, one rising considerably higher than the other.

"When the levels rise in the atmosphere the temperature increases and plants grow. This growth brings higher consumption of carbon dioxide by the plants, who process it into the soil, removing it from the atmosphere. But the rates of carbon dioxide and plant growth are not exponential as the graph shows"

"So, their issue is we're producing more carbon dioxide with not enough plants to consume it?" Merlin asks.

"How much credibility is there scientifically?"

"From my research, next to none," Nathalia says. "The theory is championed by many non-scientists-"

"What have real scientists said?"

"That it's more a metaphor than a mechanism," Nathalia says. "There's no observational support and has been labelled a dead-end theory"

"You say he's put his life's work into this theory?" Harry asks.

"Yeah, that's probably what he's most notable for," Nathalia says. "He's like the campus jester"

"So, if he met someone with the same beliefs about humans and the end of the earth-"

"He'd definitely make an alliance with them," Nathalia nods. "Merlin and I thought that was the most logical answer"

"Seems like I will have to speak to Professor Arnold tomorrow," Harry says. "But first Arthur wants to speak to us"

"Fuck's sake," Nathalia huffs before groaning when Merlin hits her head with a clipboard. "What the fuck was that for?"

Nathalia ducks to avoid another whack from the clipboard before darting out of her room.

"So," Arthur says. "Another charity case proposal Galahad? Feeling sorry for the lower class?"

"No," Harry says.

"Well you should, he's going to be humiliated," Arthur says. "Still at least your proposal wasn't a woman"

"How progressive of you Arthur," Nathalia rolls her eyes, kicking her feet up onto the table.

Arthur's nostrils flare at Nathalia's lack of respect for him as the woman smirks.

"Besides," Nathalia says. "Your candidate isn't much to brag about"

"He has all of the credentials," Arthur says.

"But no real-world experience," Nathalia says. "I'm sure he'll be a perfect replacement for you one day. I mean he checks all of the boxes. White, male, upper-class, completely oblivious and unsympathetic to those who aren't as fortunate. The world is changing Arthur, either you change too or get left behind as a lonely, sad old man"