Seed

by Michael Edelson

  “You could say that, yeah.” Barbara smiled, then turned to Alex. “I want to see him! After I thought you killed him…”

  “Sure,” Alex said. “But not today. Let’s wait a little while, until Max forgets about this. He may suspect I stashed him somewhere, so he’ll probably have his dogs on the lookout. And you won’t have to swim to him either. I found a small folding rowboat on the trawler and dumped it on the beach. I only found one oar, but it’s better than nothing.”

  “But he’ll be scared, alone!”

  “But alive. Remember Max’s people have guns too, and if they figure out where he is…”

  She nodded. “Okay, we’ll wait.”

  “Chief,” Tom said, shaking his head and smiling. “I gotta hand it to you. You had me going. That was a great idea, putting him on the trawler.”

  “I’m so glad you didn’t actually kill him,” Sandi said. “I don’t know if I would have been able to trust you again if you had.”

  “That’s fair,” Alex agreed. “It would have been a bastardly thing to do.”

  “I’m glad too,” Patrick said. “Back at the beach, I thought for sure you were going to kill him, but I just couldn’t believe it.”

  “Yeah,” Ryan agreed. He was standing by the operating bed, messing with the sheets with his good arm.

  “Thank you for your trust,” Alex said.

  “I almost forgot!” Barbara cut in excitedly. “I found something big. Very big. But with all this Wawa business I completely forgot.”

  “What is it?” Alex asked.

  “Remember I told you I had to figure out a way to get these things on a slide without crushing them so I could get a better look?” When she saw his confusion, she added, “The tardigrades? Water bears?”

  “Oh. Yeah. What about it?”

  “Well I got one positioned just right without a slide cover and got a much closer look. There’s no way these things are tardigrades, no way at all.”

  “So they’re some other species?” Tom asked. “How is that big? I mean I’m sure it’s scientifically fascinating and all that, but…”

  “Just hang in there,” Barbara assured him. “It gets very interesting. First, these things aren’t natural.” She stared at them, as though building suspense.

  “What do you mean?” Alex said.

  Barbara motioned to the microscope. “I have one under there now. I’m going to put it on the monitor.” Alex looked around and noticed a flat panel monitor integrated into the wall. It came to life as Barbara fiddled with the microscope. There was a water bear taking up most of the screen. It appeared to be intact, unlike the ones she had shown them previously, but inert. Either dead or dormant.

  On its side was a pattern of discoloration. It looked pixelated, like a video game from the 80s, but Alex could tell it was the letter F, surrounded by a circle. It took him a moment longer to realize what it was.

  “Holy shit!” he said.

  “What is that?” Tom said, squinting at the screen, as though the blurry image was a product of his vision.

  “Fonseca!” Yael said. “That’s their logo.”

  “Are you sure?” Barbara said. “I knew it was a logo of some sort, but I didn’t recognize it.”

  “Yes,” Alex said. “The nutrient powder canisters, they have this same logo. And the laundry detergent, or whatever the fuck it is. Do all of the waterbears have it?”

  Barbara nodded. “I checked a couple of dozen. Random samples. They all have it.”

  “But…” Yael said, hesitating, unsure of how to phrase her question. “How is that possible? How can they mark these tiny things? How can they mark all of them?”

  “It’s genetic,” Tom said. “Epigenetic to be exact.”

  “But how?” Yael said. The question was really important to her. Alex wondered if she was curious or if it had something to do with her religion. He instantly felt guilty. She was smart, smarter than he was, and he needed to stop second guessing her.

  “Well,” Tom said. “The easiest way is to change the color of its skin. You do that by getting the cells of a specific area to express certain proteins that contain the color you want. Then you adjust the epigenetic markers such that each gene is expressed at the right time and place to make the logo. This is cutting edge tech, but it’s real.”

  “You are the best fake scientist of all time,” Alex said, smiling.

  “Thank you, Chief. But don’t think I understand any of the words that just came out of my mouth.”

  “So then,” Alex said. “We know three things. One, these things were genetically engineered. Two, Fonseca is responsible. And, three, there is also a chance that Fonseca is behind this installation, since their logo keeps popping up. But what does that tell us? What are they for?”

  “We know one more thing,” Barbara said. “And this one is big.”

  “Spill it!” Alex said. “No more dramatic pauses!”

  Barbara smiled. “Okay, okay. When I decided to try to get an even better look and put a slide cover on it, I crushed one of them.” She paused again.

  Alex pointed a finger at her, and she raised her hands in a gesture of surrender.

  “Fine! You are taking all the fun out of this. So…I crushed it, and something oozed out of it that dissolved the slide. Ate away at it. Then it ate through part of my microscope. A very, very small part, I had to use a magnifying glass to see it, but it dissolved solid aluminum. Can you believe that? A micro organism secreting something that dissolves glass and aluminum!”

  “Calcium oxide,” Tom muttered.

  “What?” Alex said.

  “Calcium oxide,” he explained. “It’s made from limestone, and is an ingredient in glass. In commercial form it also contains small traces of aluminum oxide. Portland cement, the most common form of concrete, also contains calcium oxide, as well as aluminum.”

  “The dog’s collar,” Barbara said. “Same pattern as the damaged microscope, and the concrete.”

  “Oh my god!” Yael said, catching on first. “That means…”

  “These things,” Alex finished. “They weren’t left behind by whatever destroyed the city. They are what destroyed the city!”

  “The collapsed houses…” Yael said, looking distant.

  “Wood and stone!” Alex said, realizing what in hindsight should have been obvious. “All that was left were the wooden foundation and the roof shingles! Both naturally occurring substances! And the buildings, the ones still standing in Honolulu…they were made of stone. Tom, you brilliant bastard, I thought you said you tried not to learn anything as a biochemistry professor.”

  Tom grinned sheepishly. “I tried my best, but this is from one of the last lectures I did, it talked about how common certain substances were in modern industry. Substances like oxides of calcium, silicon, aluminum and iron. These things, if they can somehow destroy those substances…”

  “Nanomachine disassemblers,” Alex said, remembering something he’d read.

  “What?” Yael asked.

  “It’s from a sci-fi book,” he explained. “It was about a war in the asteroid belt in the near future, between mega corporations. Some of them designed nanomachines that were supposed to make mining cost effective by stripping down asteroids, but they went haywire and destroyed the ship carrying them and everyone on it. They were self replicating and all that jazz.”

  “I know what nanomachines are,” Yael said. “I just…I mean…it’s crazy! You said it yourself. Science fiction.”

  “These are way too big to be nanomachines,” Barbara said. “Nanomachines would be measured in nanometers, while these things average about a tenth of a millimeter.”

  “That’s one hundred thousand nanometers,” Yael said.

  “Besides,” Barbara said. “Nanomachines don’t exist. And these are not machines, they are organic. If Fonseca made these things, then they used genetic engineering, not nanorobotics. The Chinese weapon theory…maybe it was a weapon, just not Chinese.”

  �
�Chinese weapon theory?” Yael said. “You guys want to fill me in?”

  “Right,” Alex said. “Sorry.” He told her about their conversation, and as she listened and nodded, her expression darkened.

  “You okay?” Alex asked.

  “I don’t like being lied to.”

  “So,” Barbara said. “We now know three things.”

  “They are genetically engineered,” Alex said, piecing it together. “They were made by an American biogen firm, and they can destroy industrial compounds by secreting some kind of acid…but, can acid do that? Dissolve such very specific things?”

  “No,” Tom said, shaking his head. “Not that I know of.”

  “I don’t think so either,” Barbara said.

  “So what are we left with?” Alex said.

  “Nanites,” Yael said. “Or some kind of bacteria that may as well be nanites.”

  “But you said—”

  “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

  “Quoting Sherlock Holmes?” Tom said.

  “Why not?” she said. “We’re trying to solve a mystery.”

  “Speaking of,” Alex said. “Fonseca. They made this weapon, and they also make our nutrient powder and our laundry enzyme—hey!” He suddenly realized that there was a possible connection. “The thing that does the laundry for us, the powder, is it….is it like these things?”

  Barbara shook her head. “That was the first thing I looked at. It’s just an advanced enzyme mix. No nanotech.”

  “Okay,” Alex said. “Good. But going back to my point, Fonseca is involved, not only in what destroyed the world, but with us. It’s too much to be a coincidence.”

  “Agreed,” Yael said, her brows wrinkling as she stared off into space. “I don’t like where this is going,” she said. “An American biotech company makes a weapon and destroys the world? Why? That doesn’t make any sense.”

  “I know,” Alex agreed. “That can’t be what happened. It just…it can’t.”

  “We need answers, Chief,” Tom said. “We can’t go on guessing like this or who knows what kind of crazy shit we’ll come up with? We have to get to Max’s terminal. I’m sure I can get some answers there.”

  Alex nodded. “Yes, we do. Give me some time, I’ll come up with a plan to get you in there. I can override his door lock, but we need to make sure no one sees us.”

  “Sounds good,” Tom said. “We can’t just let this go.”

  “No,” Alex agreed. “We can’t.”

  Chapter 26

  The next four days were agonizingly slow. The tedium of routine guard duty ate away at Alex as he constantly looked up at the sun and wished it would move faster across the sky. He never paired himself up with Yael as it would have been too distracting, and he couldn’t wait to see her when their work day ended. Tom had convinced her that the alcohol in the vats was potato based, which was apparently okay for her to drink on special occasions, and the group had taken to gathering on the beach by a small fire every night after the work crews went home. Tom drank until he could barely walk and Barbara and the others consumed almost as much, but Yael never overindulged and rarely drank more than a single cup, sometimes less. Alcohol was apparently acceptable in Judaism, but over indulgence was not, which made sense to Alex, even if he did not agree with the source of the limitation. The little she drank was enough to loosen her up quite a bit, and their nights together became even more intense.

  Sometimes, after making love, they would talk about what happened, about their families, and she would cry as he held her. Most of the time it was her crying, but not always.

  Alex had someone watching Max throughout the day, as inconspicuously as possible, looking for opportunities to get into Burger King unobserved, but nothing presented itself. The governor was pretty good about locking the door behind him.

  On the morning of the fifth day after the Wawa incident, after the team did a brisk run around the interior barrier perimeter and some quick shooting practice, Alex looked at his laptop calendar and noticed that it was Saturday. He decided to annoy Max by declaring it a weekend. He showed up by the barrier gate before the work parties gathered and dismissed Rich, who was acting as gatekeeper that morning. As the workers began to assemble, he made his proclamation known, and despite protests from Bob and Reynard, the colonists dispersed and went about their business, delighted by the prospect of two days of rest.

  “Max wants to see you,” Bob said angrily after getting off the radio.

  “Ask him how it feels to want,” Alex said as he and Yael walked away. “But tell him I’ll see him first thing Monday morning.” The smile on his face was hard to contain. Knowing the limits of the governor’s power made it easier than ever to toy with him. Perhaps Max had not been the one to do the outmaneuvering this time around.

  “This is our first weekend together,” Yael said. “What do you want to do? Anything but work, that is. I’ve been far too lax in my observances.”

  “Besides the usual?” he asked, grinning. She smacked him lightly on the arm.

  “Yeah, besides that.”

  “Let’s get the dog and go swimming!” he suggested.

  “That sounds great!”

  They spent the day enjoying the beach and the water, then got together with the others for their nightly bonfire ritual. As usual, there was more than one fire with distinct groups gathering at each. They were forming cliques, Alex realized, which was dangerous and divisive for the community. If Max had been a real leader, he would have taken steps to unite the colonists. Maybe hold celebrations, dances or other festivities. Of course Max probably preferred them divided, it made them easier to govern by intimidation.

  Enjoying the prospect of sleeping in, Alex and Yael stayed out later than usual, then retired to his cabin, where they made love before drifting off to the first night of peaceful sleep he’d had in a long time.

  In the morning he was woken by a frantic voice shouting through his radio.

  “Awesome One, this is Beach Bunny!” Sandi shouted. “Alex! Come in! Oh god please come in!”

  He was out of bed in an instant.

  “Beach Bunny, Awesome One, go ahead.”

  “They have Tom! They’re taking him away!”

  “Say again?” Alex demanded, not quite able to grasp what she was saying. He had never been a morning person.

  “Tom!” she repeated. “They caught him sneaking into Burger King! They took his guns and they’re going to punish him!”

  “Beach Bunny, what is his location?”

  “They’re leaving Burger King and headed to the beach!”

  “Fuck!” Alex swore, then into the radio, “On my way!” He switched the channel on his radio and said, “Awesome One to all call signs, get up, get dressed! The holiday is over!”

  “What is it?” Yael asked, just waking up. “What’s wrong?”

  “They’ve got Tom!” he said as he slid into his pants and reached for his shirt. “Gear up! We’re going to get him.”

  They were dressed in less than a minute, and a minute after that they had their gear and weapons and were out the door, running towards the beach. They saw Tom, hands zip tied behind his back. Kristoff and Bob were shoving him along, pistols drawn, and Max and Reynard walked behind them. A small crowd of onlookers trailed them, though they held back quite a bit, as though afraid to get too close.

  “What the fuck is going on?” Alex demanded as he ran up to Max. “Release my man at once!”

  Max’s face darkened, and Alex realized that this was not the usual cat and mouse game. The governor was angry.

  “Stand down, Captain,” he commanded. “Your ‘soldier’ was caught in my office, attempting to gain access to my terminal.”

  “Sorry Chief,” Tom said with an apologetic shrug. “I saw a chance, and I took it.”

  “I’ll deal with him,” Alex said. “You can rest assured he will be punished.”

  “I’m afraid that
just won’t do,” Max said. “As governor, carrying out justice is my responsibility, not yours.”

  “You’re not going to flog him,” Alex said sternly.

  “No,” Max agreed. “I’m not. His crime was much more serious than David’s.” He looked over at the long haired loudmouth, who was among the onlookers, and the man took a step back, clearly cowed. Alex hadn’t heard much from David since the flogging. The man had mostly kept to himself.

  “What are you going to do with him?” Alex demanded.

  “The barrier,” Max said. “I am going to put him in the barrier, a quarter of the way in, for thirty minutes. If he survives, we shall consider the matter settled.”

  “What?” Tom shouted. “No fucking way! You’re not putting me in there! Chief, do something!”

  Alex’s mind raced as he struggled to remember what it felt like being a quarter of the way into the nausea field. That was a little more than half the distance he had managed to penetrate, and he remembered it being very severe, but just how severe he couldn’t be sure. However bad it was, he was only in there for a few seconds, a minute tops. Max was talking about half an hour!

  “Max,” he said, the desperation clear in his voice. “I’m begging you. I know this is about you and me, and if you let him go, things will be different, I promise. We can work together, I’ll stop doing things to piss you off.”

  “It’s nice that you acknowledge that the totality of your existence here is as a thorn in my side, Alex,” Max said icily, then turned to Bob. “Get on the radio, get the others here, and tell them to announce what’s happening on the way. I want people to see this.”

  “Max, please,” Alex begged.

  “No, Alex, I will not let him go. He has committed a serious crime, and for the welfare of the colony, he must be punished.” For the welfare of the colony. He still knew how to push all the right buttons.

  The governor turned and continued towards the beach, angling to the right, in the direction of the patch of jungle behind which the rapist had been executed. “We’re going to need to move the stake a little closer,” he said to Bob, who was talking on the radio. “Make it happen.”