Genesis Code (Genesis Book 1)

by Eliza Green

  The stranger blinked once, moving what looked like a set of brown lenses in his eyes. His skin was a strange shade, varying in colour from face to neck. What had happened for him to disguise himself so heavily?

  ‘Nothing that humans care about,’ he snapped.

  Humans. An odd choice of words. Her experience of transporting criminals had trained her to be cautious around dangerous types. But this man did not seem dangerous.

  ‘Try me.’

  The man looked at her. ‘Your government. My planet. They want us gone.’

  She didn’t understand. ‘What are you, nomads?’ That might explain the strange outfit. She’d heard of native communities living off grid on Exilon 5 and that the government were forcing them to be part of the system.

  ‘Something like that.’

  ‘Why do you need to speak with this William Taggart?’

  ‘I just do.’ His words came out sharp.

  Her training also taught her when not to push.

  The on-board computer beeped once signalling their approach to the landing plate. She prepared herself for the last few miles.

  ‘This part gets a little rough.’

  The man settled into the seat beside her and closed his eyes. He’d abandoned his weapon, much to her relief.

  Their speed increased as the craft plummeted to the ground. Reverse magnetic polarisation slowed it down. The craft jerked hard, then settled above the plate. Jenny flicked the controls back to her and steered the craft to the disembarkation site. ITF military buzzed around like they had in HJA, but not as intense. In fact, the military appeared to be winding down efforts.

  ‘They don’t appear too interested in us. Seems like your friend was their main target.’

  The fire in the man’s eyes dulled. Softly, he said, ‘It would seem so.’

  Jenny unhooked herself from her chair. The man did the same and followed her over to the doors. ‘Will you be okay from here?’

  He nodded. ‘I’m sorry for forcing you to take me here. I had no choice.’

  ‘I can see that.’ She smiled at him but got a deep frown in return. Something was off about him. She had never been to Exilon 5 before or read much on the pockets of society that didn’t follow rules.

  ‘Is my government after you because you refuse to join society?’

  The man smiled sadly. ‘No. They’re after my kind because we tried to.’

  His reply confused her. With a shake of her head she opened the door, accepting it might be the only reply she’d get. ‘If they ask you why you’re here, tell them you have a friend at a termination clinic who’s about to end their life. They let the rules slide for compassionate travel.’

  The man touched the rim of his Stetson. ‘Goodbye, Captain.’

  ‘Wait, what’s your name?’

  The man turned, gave her a short nod and walked on. Within seconds, an attendant jumped on him and thrust a DPad in his face. She watched, heart in mouth, while her illegal passenger pressed his thumb to the screen. A short conversation ensued that looked friendly enough. Jenny huffed out a breath when the attendant gestured for the man to pass. The attendant switched his narrowed gaze to her stood by her open craft door.

  Jenny straightened up and prepared for his arrival. She would confirm her passenger’s fake story, because sometimes people needed strangers to stick up for them.

  The attendant stopped before her, DPad in hand.

  ‘What is the nature of your visit?’

  Jenny pulled in new air and prepared to lie for a man she didn’t know. A lie that would be the final strike against her.

  46

  Daphne dismissed Shaw and Brett the second Bill Taggart stepped through the turbo lift door. Her use of the investigator wasn’t personal. She needed a way to distract Deighton from whatever plans he was attempting to put into motion—plans he still hadn’t trusted her with. Deighton had an unhealthy fixation with Taggart’s wife, Isla. Sending Taggart to Washington would hopefully keep the CEO occupied, while Daphne figured out her next move in all of this.

  She relocated from the boardroom to her private office and closed the door behind her. Taking a seat, she flicked the monitor over to the face of a sergeant.

  ‘Well?’

  ‘Yes, we have him in custody. We’ve transferred him to your secured facility in Washington.’

  ‘Good work, Sergeant. Your superiors will hear about your team’s efforts today.’

  The sergeant smiled. ‘Thank you, Ms Gilchrist.’

  ‘Tell Deighton I’m on my way. Out.’ Daphne severed the connection on her end and sat back in her leather chair.

  Taggart hadn’t been to blame for the breakdown of the operation on Exilon 5. It had been Deighton’s idea to send Caldwell in to stir things up. Bill was getting closer to the truth about the Indigenes and his wife. Military better used to guerrilla tactics than tact had been the logical choice to distract their rogue investigator from the real mission: to drive the Indigenes out of their hiding places. And that’s what Taggart and his team had done.

  But neither she nor Deighton had prepared for one of them to find his way to Earth.

  ☼

  Within the hour, Daphne arrived in Washington on a specially chartered craft. She crossed the foyer of the World Government headquarters on her way to the restricted-use turbo lift located behind the reception desk.

  The lift took seconds to reach the secret levels containing several bunkers. The door opened to reveal three weapon-carrying officers patrolling the bunker security area. While the added firepower wasn’t necessary with such top line security, a paranoid Charles Deighton had insisted upon it. His access to the World Government board members made him more powerful than most realised.

  And that’s what worried her.

  The system scanned both of Daphne’s chips and sampled and cross-referenced her DNA against the database copy. The dual referencing protected the facility against facial manipulation—a popular procedure in the black market.

  Daphne continued to the door at the end of the corridor. She entered the room to find Charles Deighton waiting inside, along with Tom Billings, the overseer for security matters in the World Government. Ahead of her was a flexible membrane containment unit holding a male adult Indigene.

  ‘Ah, Daphne. I see you made it.’ Deighton greeted her as if they were old friends, kissing her on both cheeks. ‘So good to see you.’ The words dripped off the old man’s tongue like honey.

  Daphne performed for her boss. ‘Charles! I hope you haven’t started without me. What’s with all the extra security measures outside?’

  ‘I thought you might comment on that.’ He laughed a throaty cackle and nodded towards the unit where the captured Indigene watched the trio in silence. ‘Can’t be too careful. You never know who’s trying to discover our secrets. Daphne, you remember Tom Billings? He’s here to witness proceedings.’

  ‘Ms Gilchrist.’ Daphne gave him a quick nod, then turned her attention to the Indigene.

  ‘I’ve just had a meeting with Bill Taggart.’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘The investigator. He’s back on Earth. I’ve ordered him to this neck of the woods. I thought you’d like to keep an eye on him.’

  But Deighton wasn’t listening. ‘Looks like we’ve captured a second generation, given his young age. I’m not sure we can lay claim to a product of two Indigenes.’ His brows lifted and his mouth down-turned. ‘But we’ve certainly set evolution in motion.’

  Daphne moved closer to Deighton, hoping to learn more about his plans. ‘What’s to be done with this one?’

  ‘This is the perfect time to begin the experiments again. We learned nothing new from the child Indigene before it died. And clearly their race has evolved since we placed them on Exilon 5. This is a rare opportunity to perfect evolution.’

  ‘Evolution?’ She kept her tone light. ‘What are you suggesting?’

  Deighton waved his hand at her—a sign he was done with the topic. ‘Billings, you got
here before me. Has he said anything?’

  ‘Just grunts,’ said the security overseer. ‘He’s refusing to cooperate.’

  ‘I’m in no hurry,’ said Deighton.

  ‘For what?’

  Deighton ignored her. Daphne turned her attention to the Indigene. Maybe he could tell her the story her boss was unwilling to share.

  47

  Laura almost dropped her handbag when she saw Bill Taggart walking towards her in the public section of the ESC. Gilchrist must have called him in. Was the investigation on Exilon 5 over?

  Gilchrist had told her to be a team player. Her thoughts shot to the letters and their secret words, hidden in her apartment. She could be one.

  Pushing down her nerves, Laura flashed the investigator a warning look. But all Bill Taggart did was respond with a tight nod before walking to the turbo lift. She searched for the roving cameras she knew operated in this part of the ESC. But the place was too packed with people for her to find them. Quickening her pace, she exited the building.

  Laura didn’t know how long her fists had been clenched by her sides. She unfurled them and shook out her fear at what was to come. Haymarket wasn’t far from the ESC, but her shock at seeing the investigator had slowed her walk. It wasn’t until she’d reached the outer door to her block that she heard movement behind her.

  The grey skies and dark streets added to her fear. She drew on her limited strength to not turn around. Instead, she fumbled around in her bag for an object that could double up as a weapon.

  Groping for anything weapon-like, she calculated the time she’d need to activate the lock on the outer door. It would take her thumbprint to open it, but the delay would give the advantage back to her pursuer. Her skin tingled, as though the person was to near.

  Damn, nothing in my bag. Her racing mind scrambled for a plan B; her body braced for an attack from her pursuer.

  She turned partially, stopping when a cold hand touched her shoulder.

  Her voice shook. ‘Don’t try anything. I’m armed and dangerous.’

  Gathering up her remaining courage, she turned around. A gasp caught in her throat when she saw who stood inches from her face.

  ‘Wh... What do you want from me?’ The Indigene, named as Stephen in her files, stood before her,

  His face was covered by the rim of a Stetson, but it was definitely him.

  The Indigene, taller than she’d expected, loomed over her. ‘I wouldn’t be here if I had another choice. I saw you acknowledge Bill Taggart just now. Please, I need to speak with him urgently. Can you help me?’

  48

  Bill stepped outside, into the dull Sydney afternoon, and fixed his gel mask in place. His feelings about Earth hit him like a punch to the gut, coating every thought with black despair and regret. He tried to shake off the painful reasons he hadn’t wanted to return. One in particular. With every step, his thoughts blackened and made him second-guess his decisions—even the good ones.

  The congested streets filled with despondent people added to his pessimism. A better life existed beyond this one, with sunshine and the promise of a fresh start. But none of that would happen while the Indigenes existed. His anger lashed out at his wounded heart, reopening old scars he thought he’d sealed for good. Bill tugged at the edge of his mask.

  Just pull it off. End it now.

  The dead gazes of the crowd watched him, as though they were willing him to end his miserable life. But their lack of emotion stopped the tugging. He was angry. He had passion—even hope. With fight still in him he would not give up.

  Bill quickened his pace on his way to the docking station at Sydney’s harbour front. The sound of footfall behind him—faster than his—put him on high alert. His hands shook from the shot of new adrenaline coursing through him. He kept his eyes forward.

  It could only be one of Larry Hunt’s henchmen—the powerful businessman Bill had helped to put away. Maybe Hunt’s business with Bill wasn’t over. He sped up, keen to put distance between him and his pursuer. He didn’t want to shake them, just make them follow.

  Bill crossed the street, toying between making a run for it or confronting his pursers. But his thoughts, aggravated by fear, had lost their usual clarity. So he kept going, weaving in and out of the crowds on the busy thoroughfare.

  His weak plan amounted to luring his pursuers away to somewhere private. After that, he had no idea what to do. He stayed on the street that would lead him to the area known as the Rocks. His mind raced like his pulse as he tried to figure a way out of this mess.

  An opportunity presented itself at a road junction. Bill took the road heading west and slowed down for his follower. Confident they’d taken the same route he ducked into a nearby alleyway and hid behind crates stacked outside an unused replication terminal. He watched for the feet of his potential assailants. When only one set passed by, he made his move.

  He froze when he saw who it was, but forced his shock to one side. Grabbing the woman from behind, he spun her around and closed one hand around her throat. Her head made a dull thudding sound when he slammed her against the wall.

  ‘Who are you?’ The young woman’s eyes were squeezed shut. He’d seen her earlier in the foyer of the ESC. She opened her eyes. The terror in them loosened his grip on her throat, but he didn’t let go. ‘I said who are you? Why are you following me?’

  She curled her fingers around his arm. ‘Please, you’re hurting me!’

  ‘Tell me who you are. I saw you at the Security Centre earlier. I want to know why you’re following me. Do you work for Hunt?’

  ‘I don’t know anyone called Hunt.’ The woman coughed. ‘My name is Laura O’Halloran. Please, let me go.’

  Seeing only fear, Bill dropped his hand. Laura rubbed her neck and coughed again.

  He stepped away from her, embarrassed by his heavy-handedness; her slender frame made her no match for his strength. But he remained on alert. ‘Who do you work for?’

  Laura coughed a third time. ‘I work for the Earth Security Centre. I just needed to talk to you for a moment.’

  He tipped his chin at her. ‘Prove it.’

  ‘I don’t have any way of proving it to you. Unless you have a chip-scanner handy?’

  Bill shook his head.

  Laura showed him the uniform she wore under her coat. ‘They don’t give these out to just anyone.’ She pointed to the security tags sewn onto the shoulders of her jacket.

  Bill tilted one tag to reveal a special code hidden inside the hologram. The code changed hourly, making the security tags near impossible to replicate. It looked real enough. ‘You should really think twice about sneaking up on people. I could have killed you.’

  ‘I’ll try to remember that for the future.’

  ‘What do you want to talk to me about?’

  ‘Your most recent investigation on Exilon 5.’

  Bill’s gaze narrowed. ‘Why?’

  ‘I’ve seen information that directly relates to your current case. I also promised someone I would find you and ask for your help.’

  ‘Who? For what exactly?’

  Laura looked around. ‘I can’t say here. Please come with me. I’m taking a risk just by being here. You need to trust me.’

  In all his years working for the World Government, not once had anyone asked for his help. He’d been asked to help: head up missions, profile criminals, track wanted felons. If this turned out to be a trick, Bill would pay for his trust. But he sensed no malice in the woman’s tone, only warmth and compassion. It had been a long time since he’d cared about another’s cause.

  ‘I don’t know why, but you have my attention, lady. Where are we going?’

  ‘Back to my apartment.’

  49

  It took less than fifteen minutes to reach a block of apartments in the Haymarket area. Bill kept up his guard as he followed Laura, but he also kept his mind open. He had no reason to trust this woman. So why was he here?

  Simple. Curiosity.

  He fol
lowed her up the stairs to her apartment door. Laura opened it and he stepped inside. She closed the door quickly—to stop him from changing his mind, probably.

  The size of her apartment caught his attention that was generous for Earth accommodation. ‘How big is this place?’

  ‘Big enough to have a separate bedroom, if that’s what you mean,’ she said.

  He let out a low whistle. ‘I’ve only read about apartments this size on Earth. You can get hold of these easy on Exilon 5, you know. You must be doing well to get this, considering you live alone.’

  ‘I do okay. Job perk, I guess.’

  Time for extra security. Bill pulled a sound interrupter out of his pocket, shaped like a rolling dice. He attached it magnetically to the front of her Light Box’s hardware unit.

  ‘What’s that?’ she asked.

  ‘A sound interrupter. So we can talk in private.’

  The idea seemed to put her at ease.

  ‘I brought you here to meet someone. Before I bring him out, though, I need you to keep an open mind.’

  ‘An open mind, for what?’

  She called out to the empty space. ‘It’s just me, and I’ve brought Bill Taggart.’

  Bill tensed as the bedroom door creaked open.

  A tall figure dressed in a blue suit emerged from the darkened room and took a single step towards them. Bill’s body went stiff. His mind flew into overdrive.

  ‘Hello,’ said the figure. He was someone Bill would never forget. ‘We’ve met already but I would like to formally introduce myself. My name is Stephen.’

  Bill stumbled away from the Indigene standing a foot away from him. His back hit the door with a thud. Laura was close by and he reached for her.

  ‘Laura, I need you to come to me. Now. You have no idea how dangerous this Indigene is.’

  She took a tentative step towards him, but not in fear. It was as if she were trying to reassure Bill of something.

  ‘He’s not dangerous, Bill.’