The Expanding Universe
Page 44
Law enforcement and EMS vehicles covered the area in bright crimson and deep cobalt. Aaron watched as officials zipped the black bag closed that held Elaina's body.
The official story from the public relations representative was an accidental event, an airborne chemical imbalance, had caused a mass paranoia.
His fist clenched as he watched the EMS officials take Elaina away to be kept until her family could collect her.
The February wind bit deep, a fact he hardly noticed.
Slowly he glanced over at the newscaster relaying the official story.
It wasn’t some accident that had murdered those people. And it wasn’t Aylin… Not directly at least.
It was the secrets behind the Gemini Project.
His gaze shifted again. Carl stood off to the side watching the EMS work.
A crazy thought had formed for a few seconds before he realized he didn’t have much left to lose.
"Carl."
"Aaron…." Carl said. “Look, I’m… I’m sorry about…”
"I need you to do something for me."
Aaron hated the cold change of subject, but he knew he wasn’t ready to discuss anything just yet.
"Yeah, of course," Carl answered.
"I need you to hack the security systems."
Carl glanced around quickly.
"Did that blow to the head knock you senseless?" He hissed.
"Maybe a little…" Aaron muttered. “But that’s not the most senseless thing around here.”
Carl still didn't look convinced.
Aaron watched him, silently, waiting for an answer.
Finally, he sighed.
With a tilt of his head he motioned for Aaron to follow him.
"Thanks, Carl. I owe you." Aaron answered quietly.
"Just remember that." Carl looked around suspiciously. "I may need to collect."
In the aftermath of the disaster, no one seemed to be particularly concerned about paying them any attention.
It took him time to figure out where they were going.
Carl refused to answer any questions, cautioning him to keep his trap shut if he wanted to get by without an issue. After a short tour through unfamiliar wings, Carl double checked their surroundings before swiping a pass in a key reader.
Aaron was surprised to see his personal living quarters.
Inside was a cutting edge computer setup. All the gadgets and systems one would expect to find in the Com Tech labs.
"I don't believe this is within regulation." Aaron teased.
"I have access to the entire system." Carl admitted, "Dedicated server, easier to cover tracks that way."
"You’re a sly devil." Aaron laughed.
Carl slid into a comfortable computer chair in front of the setup.
"Time to ask the wizard," He said.
"I want to know the history of the Gemini Project. The client, donor, anything you can get me on what the project is."
Carl looked like he was about to swallow his own tongue from shock.
"Why is that even relevant?" He hissed.
"If it's true that Aylin is the source, then it has to have some connection to the anomaly in the strand." Aaron answered calmly, “And I what to know what they are hiding.”
Carl's brow furrowed.
He took a deep breath, let it out slow and began rapidly typing.
"You might want to get a cup of coffee," Carl said. "This could take a while.”
"How long are we talking?" Aaron asked.
"A million or so secure servers make up the whole of GenisCorp. Each has their own systems, binary codes and cracks. To find what you want the system is going to have to search all of the signalized information portals one by one till we locate the information."
"So, how many?"
"Roughly 2.5 trillion,"
Aaron dropped his head.
"Do you like creamer or black?"
"We’ve got something."
Aaron almost jumped out of his chair, tossing aside the digital notebook in his hand. Hours had passed since they had begun the search for the origins of the Gemini Project. So much so, the horizon had actually started to lighten. Through it all Carl sat like a sentinel staring at the screen, shifting through stockpiles of information while dodging the implanted security approaches.
"What did you find?" He asked, “A name?”
"No name…. yet," Carl said tapping the keys at the speed of light. "But there is something here in the original research file."
Two taps later images appeared on the screen. Carl finally stood with a large stretch before walking away, leaving Arron with the chair.
It only took a few moments for him to scan the article for an informational fit.
"You have got to be kidding me." He muttered.
"Care to share with the rest of the class?" Carl asked from the kitchen.
For a moment Aaron didn’t respond.
"According to Anton Halides, a noted geneticist professor from overseas, the genetics industry had a unified breakthrough on genetic manipulation. Star seeders. A human with full capability of brain waves, intelligent thought that would rival normal capability, they could manipulate things like energetic types as well telekinetic abilities..."
Carl laughed.
"Sounds like a pipe dream if you ask me."
"Apparently the project stemmed from old world mythologies. They were thought to be a race of astral beings. They were supposed to have exceptional ability, masters of mind and universal concepts. It was suggested that when the original blueprint of humanity needed to be reset they would come to protect, enlighten and lead humanity."
"Definitely a pipe dream," Carl returned setting a fresh cup of coffee down for them both.
"Maybe.... But these people believed it. Just before the fall of the old world order, they felt they had waited long enough for these beings to show up, they aspired to create star seeders."
"And what happened?" Carl asked.
"The project ended in disaster," Aaron answered.
The more he spoke, the more the rock grew in his stomach.
"They didn't create the perfect beings. The men they had taken into the project turned cold and emotionless, powerhouses with an affinity for violent behavior. Eventually, they started an eradication of the star seeder gene."
"Ok… and....?" Carl asked talking around a sandwich in his mouth.
Aaron remained silent for a moment.
"The star seeder gene, unlike normal DNA, is a triple helix…”
He faltered for a moment.
"They have three strands."
The natural reaction to shock almost lost him his sandwich. Carl ripped the food from his clenched teeth and turned towards him.
"You have got to be shitting me!" He snapped. "GenisCorp decided to create a genetic prototype of an experiment that was so violent they had to be hunted down? Why?"
"Because they are trying to mirror image," He muttered lightly. "They are trying to completely reverse the original outcome."
"Um.... Care to dumb it down a bit?" Carl's brow furrowed as he glanced at Aaron. "I'm a cyber genius, not a genetics wiz."
Aaron finally looked up from the computer.
"In short.... They're playing god." He muttered.
The silence hung for a few moments.
"But who’s responsible?" Carl asked casually. "There might be a way to pull the traces from Com Codes that have access to that information."
"I'm pretty sure I have a good clue..." Arron muttered. "Newman."
Chapter 11
The hum and beep of the vital monitors droned on. Aaron walked slowly into the empty lab, his eyes fixed on Aylin. He was surprised that it wasn’t crawling with security. Then again it after the events of the night, it was entirely possible that no one had been able to recover enough.
Just as likely an explanation was such an action would raise suspicion. After all, the official explanation wasn't just released to the public; it had been released internally as well.
He felt at a loss for what to do.
He knew what he should do.
For the first time since he had stood in Mr. Allen's office, he understood. Some things were simply not meant to be changed. Now he knew why the NSTA had banned the use of high percentage modification.
He would like to have said that if he understood why the regulation had been placed, he would have made better choices... but deep down he had to admit to himself that it might not have changed his thinking. It took the deaths to show him how wrong he had been.
But none of that told him what he would need to do about it now.
If he shut down the systems before Aylin could completely pull from hyper syntheses, it would just allow her to drift away. No pain. Any threat she posed would be gone.
And so would her life.
Aaron watched her as his thoughts pressed in. There was no other way.
"Ava..."
The chime beeped.
"Initiate a complete shutdown of Lab systems."
"One moment please."
The silence seemed to stretch into eternity. The stabbing pain in his chest felt like it was about to crumble him.
Gently he reached out placing his hand on the glass. This loss wouldn’t be pretty. From the beginning, she had been the only thing to keep him going.
Constant.
Guiding.
The Northern Star,
"Ava..."
The only thing that mattered was Aylin’s purpose. Aaron had been convinced once before that Aylin would be capable of great things. The circumstance of biologics would have no bearing on the identity. His throat closed a little. This wasn't what Elaina would have wanted.
"Cancel that protocol."
"Protocol already initiated. Cancellation failed- you do not have the authorization to override. Systems will shut down in t-minus fifteen minutes and counting."
Aaron stood silent; blood froze in his veins.
"Who initiated shut down protocol?"
"I'm sorry, the information you requested is restricted."
Aaron cursed lightly as his mind started whirling on the possibilities. Maybe Newman felt with the new events the project was too dangerous to continue. No sooner had he started a beeline for the lab entrance his Com Call rang.
A brief glance showed Carl's face and Aaron quickly stuffed the bud into his ear, never slowing down.
"Carl!"
"Aaron, we have a problem!"
"Yeah we do, shut down protocol has been initiated for the lab. Can you get access to cancel the protocol?"
"I thought..." Carl began, "Nevermind. Look, I might be able to get access but it will take time, how long before shutdown?"
"Less than fifteen minutes,"
"No way," Carl stated matter-of-factly.
"Just try!" Aaron snapped as he drew up close to the doors.
"I need to try to find Newman. Maybe I can talk him down."
"Ok Aaron, but listen a minute. I pulled up the trace codes on the files. Newman's information is there, yes, but it’s not the only one."
Aaron stopped dead in his tracks.
"What?"
"Newman is the only one with security access to that information but there are some footprints from about four months ago and I will say someone didn't wipe their feet."
"What is the name on the info?" Aaron asked quickly turning his eyes back towards Aylin. More to be sure she was still alive than anything else.
"Now see that’s the thing, I had to route through three different servers. Cross reference the comp numbers with the list of registered lab...."
"Today, Carl." Aaron shifted, placed all of his focus on not giving into his frustration. So much so he missed the hiss of the door hydraulics behind him.
"After finding out someone on the outside had helped our boy hack the system, I traced it back to one name… Davin Andell."
Aaron felt the shock of cold air hit his lungs.
At roughly the same time he heard the whisper,
A woman's whisper,
He felt the sharp tingle of knowing roll across the skin on his back and lurched forward enough to keep the titanium pipe from landing where the attacker had meant it to land, his head. Instead it fell solidly between his shoulders just below the base of his neck.
Pain rippled in waves across the back of his neck and down his spine. Aaron felt the impact so intensely he dropped to his hands and knees, his teeth grinding from the pain.
"Aaron! Aaron!" Carl yelled.
A black shoe and tail ends of a lab coat appeared in his vision crushing the screen on his Call Com.
"Good dodge," Davin said. His lips pressed firmly together in displeasure that he was foiled.
He tossed the metal tube up on his shoulder before moving around in front of Aaron.
Aaron glanced up; his features contorted into a scowl.
"Why?" It was the only word he could grind out, but he needed to catch his attention. He needed answers.
"Why? Look at her!" Davin demanded. "How many people did she kill with just her nightmares?"
Aaron struggled to stand.
"We can't know for sure if it was malicious." He snapped. "It could have been an accident."
"Accident or not, do you really think that it matters? Do you really want that kind of power in the hands of the government…. any government?"
Aaron managed to crawl to his feet, eyes burrowing into Davin every step of the way.
"She can be protected." Even as he said the words, he had to admit a certain truth to what Davin was saying. Aylin had such a great source of power. If that ever got into the wrong hands, it would be a disaster.
"How? Are you going to do it?" Davin jeered, "I spent four months of this project working underneath to be sure that this never saw the light of day."
Aaron gritted his teeth.
"Then you came along." Davin toned coldly. "And you couldn't leave well enough alone. I even set a time frame so I could have an alibi when the lab went down and you still fucked-up the program."
"Aylin deserves a shot at life. You can’t make her pay for the mistakes of others. She is a living being now for god's sakes!"
"Not for long..." Davin smirked.
Chapter 12
"You didn't hate me because you thought I was going to take the credit for the project...." Aaron shifted.
Just an inch…
"No, you were just like Newman, too caught up in your own fantasies of grandeur to care about the lives you affected," Davin growled.
"And Elaina, was she just like Newman?” Aaron knew he was trespassing on sensitive ground, but he was starting to reach a point of not caring.
"She wouldn't have understood. Elaina was a kind soul. She was so wrapped up in this project she wouldn't have believed me if I told her about the dangers."
His eyes began to redden, showing signs of tears.
"I... I should have been there." Davin whispered.
"If we can't see eye to eye on anything else, we can agree on that," Aaron muttered. "She died... trying to keep me from getting hurt."
The statement that he had hoped would place some common ground between them snapped Davin's attention back towards him with a cold hate.
Without warning, Davin ripped the metal bar up preparing for another swing.
The blast of sound from the lab alarms ripped through the air. A flutter of hope rushed through Aaron's chest.
Carl.
While Davin was distracted, Aaron rushed forward. With a yank and twist the makeshift weapon broke free and Aaron swung it with all of his might upwards. The blow landed against Davin's chest. The force was enough to back him into the glass panes of the lab windows.
"Let it go Davin," Aaron muttered as he closed the distance between them. "It hurts... I know it does. But more death isn't the answer. Elaina wouldn't have wanted this.
"
Davin watched him for a moment before speaking.
"If it wasn't for you.... She would still be alive."
When Aaron didn't respond, he continued.
"It doesn't matter... One way, or another, this project is not going to survive."
With that he rushed forward, anger and pain driving every movement; Aaron watched him come remembering how Elaina had dodged the charge from the influenced intern. She had taught him how to beat that. With a sidestep, Aaron swung the metal bar as if it were a golf club.
The bar connected solidly.
Davin careened backward. His back smashed solidly into the glass. This time the weight and momentum of his body shattered it. Gravity took its toll and Davin disappeared behind the window seal. The hard, unforgiving concrete rose up sharply to meet him.
Aaron moved forward taking in the sight below. He didn't really know what to feel. He knew that if he had given Davin half a chance, it would be him laying down there. But the concept of more blood on his hands wasn't something he wanted to think about either.
The doors hissed open. Carl, Professor Newman, and several others rushed into the lab.
"What happened, Mr. Walters?"
"We don't have time for a full discussion Professor. Davin tried to sabotage the project. He has a shutdown protocol initiated."
"And you know this how?" Newman asked.
Aaron glanced at Carl.
"He told me." He fibbed.
Newman glanced passed the shattered window before turning to one of the techs behind him.
"Report to the paramedics; tell them that we have had an unfortunate suicide on the grounds."
Aaron watched in restrained disgust at the ease of the lie as the tech hurried away.
"Ava..." Newman called.
Ava chimed.
"Cancel shutdown protocol."
"Cancellation failed- you do not have the authorization to override. Shutdown protocol will commence in t-minus 30 seconds."
The entire lab sat in stunned silence for a moment.
"The default authorizations seem to be gone." Carl said quickly.
"Can you repair it, Mr. Dalton?" Newman asked.
".... Not in time." Carl admitted.
"Shutdown protocol initiated." Ava toned.
The power down of the systems left the lab eerily quiet,