Heroes of the Undead | Book 1 | The Culling

by Meredith, Peter

  “Just like Magnus,” he whispered under his breath. But was that true? Magnus was known for spotting talent. He knew the goods when he saw it, which suggested he also knew crap when it wore a fake smile and put out a damp, frightened hand to shake.

  Bryce was just wiping his hand on his coat when he saw that they were already landing. “Shit,” he whispered as the helicopter set down, feather light, atop a skyscraper on the upper West Side of Manhattan. The engines cut out and the moment the blades slowed, a long-legged woman with masses of black hair, stepped from an elevator. She wore a white silken pantsuit and a calm smile. Maybe it was the smile but she seemed ageless and her light grey eyes were utterly beguiling. Bryce had to wipe his hand a second time before he stuck it out.

  Unlike Bryce’s, the woman’s hand was soft, cool and dry. “I’m Katherine 6, one of Daniel’s personal assistants. Your bags will be brought down.”

  She gestured Bryce and Maddy into a glass-walled elevator; the door whispered shut behind them.

  Maddy, an odd look on her face, tilted her head way to take in the taller woman. “Did you say your name is Katherine 6. Like the number six?”

  “No. Not like the number. It is the number. There are a lot of Katherine’s running around here.” Maddy and Bryce shared a look. Katherine nodded in agreement. “Yes, it’s strange, but freeing. Hopefully, you’ll see.”

  Before either Maddy or Bryce could say a word, a male voice came through a speaker. “What floor would you like?”

  “Fifty please.”

  It was only then that Bryce noticed there were no numbered buttons or a control panel like on a normal elevator. The implication of this crept over him as the car dropped—the elevators could only be used with permission. Would access to the stairs be the same? Almost certainly. He was already trapped.

  The FBI was right. A shiver struck Bryce. He glanced to see if either woman had noticed. Neither had, but what about the cameras? There had to be cameras. He swallowed loudly and then smiled broadly—both actions felt incorrect.

  The doors chimed as they slid open onto a spacious hallway with plush, purple carpet. Paintings in gilded frames hung from the walls at regular intervals. Each was softly lit from above. As expected, everything was perfectly clean, perfectly beautiful, perfectly perfect.

  Almost.

  Right in front of the doors were a man and a woman, both in white. They were young with wide smiles and odd, open faces, which gave them a strange alluring quality. They were happy. Happy to be in the hall. Happy to see Maddy and Bryce. Happy to be alive. It was weird.

  “Good morning,” the woman said, cheerfully.

  “Good morning,” Katherine 6 answered.

  Bryce stared, not knowing what the “real” Bryce would say. Maddy was equally weirded out and could only mutter, “Hi.”

  The awkward moment ended as the couple entered the elevator. “This way,” Katherine 6 said and walked down the hall, passing more and more of the same sort of people. Everyone was pleasant and young, and everyone said good morning until it almost felt like there was a joke being played on the two.

  Finally, they came to a conference room where a large, thickset man held the door open. His black suit was stretched tight around his muscled shoulders, and although he too had a friendly smile, there was something that spoke of danger in his eyes.

  “Good morning,” the guard said. Friendly and deadly; that was the guard.

  “Good morning,” Katherine 6 answered as she strolled past. Once inside she paused by the door. “If you’ll wait here, Magnus will be in shortly. There are drinks in the fridge. Help yourself.” She closed the door and the click as the lock engaged was loud and unsettling.

  “Was that weird, or is it just me?” Maddy asked.

  Bryce hesitated before realizing that he would’ve thought that was weird, FBI or no FBI. “It was weird, alright. Is Magnus a Mormon?”

  Maddy went to the window, saying over her shoulder, “No. He’s agnostic. But there is something cultish about this place, that’s for certain. How long has he owned this building?”

  Three years. Bryce knew that for a fact. For the last couple of days, he had studied everything he could about the man. For the sake of the cameras, he shrugged. “Who knows? I thought he was still on his island.” He went to the refrigerator and looked inside at an assortment of soft drinks and fruit juices. Picking out a Coke, he turned. “And if there’s a cult feel, it’s no wonder. The guy is a rock star. He’s like Midas. Everything he touches turns to gold.”

  “That’s the problem. All he cares about is…”

  Maddy swallowed her words as the door suddenly swung open. Daniel Magnus marched in, filling the room with his tremendous presence. His tan was perfect. His teeth were white and ruler-straight. He was far taller than either of them had expected, making Bryce feel runty in comparison.

  His ice-blue eyes were a force that had Bryce shaking inside and held Maddy in place. She couldn’t move as he walked right up to her. “Doctor Whitmore. It’s a pleasure.” He took her limp hand and shook it.

  “Yes,” she said, breathlessly. He indeed had a rock-star’s vibe and she was suddenly shy. She was never shy.

  Bryce wiped his hand on his carefully pleated pants, and advanced with it out in front of him. He felt like he was somewhere between a dream and a nightmare as Magnus’ big hand engulfed his. Through numb lips, he blurted out, “Dag Manulous…I mean Daniel…Mister Magnus. I really am your biggest fan. I’ve been following you since I was a kid.”

  Magnus smiled warmly, putting Bryce at ease. “And I’ve been following you since you submitted your doctoral thesis on chromosomal variation codes. It was very impressive. So impressive that I lifted entire sections of it as a primer for some of the work we’re doing in the human genome.”

  This brought Bryce up short. “Lifted? Do you mean stole?”

  “Or plagiarized, word for word. Either way works.” Magnus smiled broadly at Bryce’s stunned look. “Yours was a very important contribution toward our work. And yours as well, Maddy. May I call you Maddy? And you can call me Magnus. I think we might have thirty Daniels, but only one Magnus.”

  “Do you not use last names here?” Maddy asked.

  “And perpetuate the patriarchy? No.”

  At this Bryce’s frown deepened. “The patriarchy. Really?” Was this a joke? Did he know about the FBI and is making some sort of example out of me? “And you just stole my work without asking? Without compensation?”

  “If I had asked, it wouldn’t have been stealing then, would it?” Magnus laughed and clapped Bryce on the shoulder. He sat down at the table and waved for them to do the same. “You’ll see we do things differently within these walls. We have a different vision for the future of humanity here. And I would like the two of you to be a part of it.”

  “I’m under contract at MIT for the rest of the year,” Maddy said.

  He waved this away with a flick of his hand. “Outside contracts are meaningless to us. I guarantee that nothing will come of you breaking it. And since we’re on the subject, we don’t use contracts ourselves. At all. You will stay with us for as long as you wish. You may leave any time.”

  Bryce drummed his fingers on the gleaming wood. The real Bryce wouldn’t have been happy. Was this how Magnus did things? He stole a man’s hard work? It was criminal. The thought reminded him that he had a duty to perform. “And what would you have us do here?”

  “Specifically, I want you to continue your work on isolating weak chromosomal protein pairings. I firmly believe it may be one of the biggest game changers the human race has ever seen, and I’m not just talking about reversing Downs Syndrome or Patau’s, or any replication disorder for that matter.” Filled with energy, he jumped up and leaned over Bryce. His excitement was sudden and somewhat alarming. “With a full understanding of protein pairings, there isn’t a genetic disorder we can’t treat.”

  Magnus understood, Bryce realized. He got it. He had just articulated why Bryce
had gotten into the field in the first place. “Exactly.”

  “And there’s more!” Magnus said, grabbing Bryce’s shoulders from behind. “The blueprint to build a more perfect person is all there in the DNA.”

  Bryce was just envisioning this when Maddy said, “Is that what your end goal is? You want to create the perfect race?”

  “Yes. We have taken great strides towards that goal, great strides, but there are still improvements to be made.”

  Silence. The simple answer had stunned the two scientists.

  “Would this perfect race be the master race?” Maddy asked, eventually. Bryce’s eyes shot to Maddy as she went on, “Sorry to be so blunt, but there is a distinct vibe about this place. We passed thirteen people on the way from the elevator. None wore rings, wedding or otherwise. The women were completely unadorned. Not a one of them wore make-up. Not even lipstick.”

  “And no one had a cellphone,” Bryce added. “Or a purse or a wallet.”

  “And yet they were all happy,” Magnus remarked. “I understand that you’re afraid that you’ve stepped into the headquarters of some sort of cult. And you have. You really have. But it’s not what you think. Welcome to Utopia.”

  Chapter 3

  Maddy and Bryce shared a look.

  “Utopia,” Maddy deadpanned. “That’s somewhat disappointing. I expected more from you.”

  Instead of being upset, Magnus gave her a shrewd look. “And I, you. I thought I would get more of an uproar from Bryce.”

  “Oh, you will,” Maddy assured him. “Bryce’s personality is as derivative as his theories. Give him five minutes and he’ll be riding whatever wave is strongest.”

  Forgetting the FBI for a moment, Bryce glared at her. Before he could think of a scathing reply, Magnus sighed. It was an unfeigned, sad sound. “I have gotten off on the wrong foot and yet, I won’t lie to you. This is the beginning of a utopia.” Standing, he went to the window. “Somewhere along the line, God’s creation has gone awry.”

  “And there it is,” Maddy declared. “You started off your career by unleashing the power of technology, which led to you discovering the ungodly power of money. And now you wish to unlock the Holy Grail of control: religion.”

  “All true,” Magnus replied. “To create a utopia…a heaven on earth, if you will, it will take a leap of faith unlike anything you can imagine. You will have to embrace the idea of no more wars, no more hunger, no more murder, no more of the petty bickering that fills our lives.”

  Bryce’s smile dipped and reformed as he struggled with the concept. Like Maddy, he was disappointed with Magnus. “The idea of a utopia is nice, but it’s unfeasible. No murder? Come on.”

  Magnus turned and unfurled his beautifully warm smile. “In all of Iceland, there was only one murder last year and none so far this year. Yes, you will have outliers but a standard of no murder is perfectly feasible.”

  Once more Bryce was thrown for a loss. “But…but that’s Iceland. The demographics are far different than in America.”

  “Who said I was going to create my utopia in America? One of the first things we’re going to have to learn is that to end war, we’re going to have to end the concept of nations and borders.”

  Bryce sighed inwardly. He had heard the adage: Never meet your heroes, and now he knew why. “I think the Chinese might have a problem with that. How do you plan on convincing them? Two at a time, like with us?”

  “The first step to convincing anyone of anything is to believe it whole heartedly, yourself.”

  “You didn’t answer his question,” Maddy blurted. “Which is sad because you had me going for just a moment there. Without a plan, ‘no borders’ is just something to stick on a bumper sticker to make college kids think they’re deep. Maybe we should cut to the chase. You want us to join your little group, and for this great honor do you expect us to sell our cars or give you the deeds to our houses? Sign over our 401Ks?”

  “Quite the opposite. I don’t want or need your money. Money will very soon be a thing of the past.”

  Bryce felt a cold spike in his stomach—something bad was coming. Eleven families had come forward with the same warning. “How soon?” The question just jumped out. He had hoped to be more subtle. Then again, the “real” Bryce wouldn’t have been. He would want to know the score right off the bat.

  Magnus looked at him openly, without the least bit of suspicion. “Sooner than you’d think.” He glanced out the window and took a sighing breath before turning back. “Suffice to say your needs will be met and your wants addressed. I won’t give you a Corvette but you’ll have your own lab and your own team of researchers. You’ll be safe, well fed and happy. In return, all I ask is that you help me stamp out the diseases that plague mankind. You’ll get full credit, of course. This goes for you as well, Maddy. Your work in mylar synthesizing is the stuff of genius.”

  Other than the Corvette and a yacht brimming with bikini-clad babes, Magnus had nailed Bryce’s desires. Maddy’s as well, judging by her slow blinking, stunned look.

  “But…” was all she could say. In the simplest term, her mind was boggled.

  For Bryce, the list of “buts” was long. He could handle no last names, maybe. Though it begged the question: how was he going to be recognized for his work? Would he just be called: Bryce…like Prince or Madonna?

  And no money? Is this his way of legally stealing my work? My intellectual property? It sure seemed that way. And no borders and no war? Under almost any circumstances, these were a pipe dream. The only exception Bryce could think of was if Daniel Magnus was involved. Even then it sounded too good to be true, especially with the FBI investigating him.

  He was trying to figure out his next move when Maddy smirked and shook her head. “How soon will money be a thing of the past?” she demanded, forcing the issue. “Really? You dodged that question just like you dodged the question on borders.”

  “I’m sorry,” Magnus answered. “I truly am. I have so many things going on today that I’m rushing this. Normally, I like to ease people in. The idea of flipping the world on its head takes some time to get used to. And time is just something we don’t have a lot of right now.”

  “Why?” Bryce asked. “What’s going to happen?”

  Magnus’s blue eyes narrowed as he looked Bryce up and down. “Like I said, I’m very busy. I’m going ask Katherine-6 to give you a tour of the facilities, including your labs. Trust me, you’ll love them. They are state of the art in every way. I’d do it myself, but I have another twenty people just like you to talk to. Maybe we can get together for dinner tomorrow…”

  “How soon will money be a thing of the past?” Maddy asked again. “You said you wouldn’t lie to us.” She paused, her bushy unplucked eyebrows halfway up her forehead. “Well? How soon do you think money will be a thing of the past?”

  Magnus stood slowly. He towered over them and suddenly the aura around him changed. He was no longer the benevolent demi-god who allowed mortals to bask in his glory. There was now a dangerous edge to him. “Sometimes it’s a mistake to reveal too much, too soon,” he said. “Even when it’s in their favor, people rebel against change.”

  Maddy was undeterred. Fearlessly, she demanded, “How soon? Your best guess.” The two locked eyes. Three seconds passed before she grinned. “That’s what I thought. You’re peddling utopia with nothing but sound bites. You know what you remind me of? One of those TV evangelists. You know, a mega-church preacher. Sure, it may not be money you’re after, but you want something from us.”

  The anger in Magnus dissipated. “In truth, I want you to be happy. And you will be. I’m sure of it. Now, let me get Katherine-6.”

  “No,” she said. “I think I’ll be leaving and I’ll be taking my research with me. I bet your hackers weren’t too happy that I used a double code to conceal my work.”

  “They were impressed by your thoroughness,” Magnus admitted. “Yours as well, Bryce.”

  Maddy grunted in amazement. “You
admit it. Just like that.”

  “Proudly,” he answered. “Like I said, I don’t lie. I am trying to create something great here. If it means stealing, then I’ll do it. If it means…detaining you for a few days, I’ll do that, too.”

  “Detaining?” Bryce asked. “Is that your way of saying kidnapping? What happened to being able to leave whenever we wanted?”

  Magnus grimaced as if in pain. “Please stay. Just for the night. Just to give us a chance. I know it seems like we’re after you for your work, but we don’t want to lose you as individuals. I like to think that everyone who walks through our doors becomes one of us.”

  “You mean part of the collective?” Maddy asked. “Or part of the hive? I don’t believe giving up one’s personality is the kind of utopia I’m looking for. Thank you, though.” She headed for the door; it was locked. Maddy turned back, her grey eyes flinty. “Open the door. Open the fucking door, or else!”

  “I’m sorry, Maddy, but there’s really nothing you can threaten me with. I insist that you stay the night for your own safety. I believe that tomorrow will bring new light to the situation. Until then, I can see you to your rooms or you csn go on the tour, or you can…”

  Maddy shook the knob and screeched, “Let us out, now!”

  This only made Magnus sigh again. Bryce tapped on the table. Then knocked on it. It was solid. It was real. Everything else felt like a terrible dream. At least he had been warned. If he hadn’t, he might’ve been worse off than Maddy.

  “I can do more than threaten,” he said.

  This made Magnus smile. The two could not have been more different in size and shape. Magnus looked capable of bending Bryce over his knee and spanking him.

  “Do you think you can call the police?” Magnus asked. “If you take a look at your phone, you’ll see that you don’t have service.” Bryce slid his phone out of his pocket and checked. Maddy did as well. Magnus went on. “Yours are the only two phones in the building. The elevators are under my control as are the stairwell doors. You are stuck here until I say otherwise, so let’s try to settle down.”