Genesis

by Filip Forsberg

  "What does it look like?"

  Jennifer pointed to one of the values on the holo-screen.

  "Not good. He’s at four meters and his pulse is approaching two hundred."

  Marie tried to imagine what pain Jonathan went through, alone, far out at sea.

  "His heart has stopped!"

  A wave of emptiness rolled through Marie and she looked over against James who nodded against her. She put her hand on Jennifer's shoulder.

  "Do it."

  Jennifer’s fingers flew over the keyboard.

  "Confirm signal to holo-band X232, carrier Jonathan Jarl, acute electroshock. The signal is now sent. "

  Jennifer pressed the enter button and Marie held her breath. The screen that showed all the vital bodily functions of Jonathan became instantly black. All communication was interrupted. She stared at the screen.

  "Did it work?"

  Jennifer looked over at James.

  "We don't know that. When the holo-band sends out all their energy, it is destroyed. Perhaps it worked, perhaps not. "

  Marie was close to exploding.

  "What do you mean by that? Maybe, maybe not? "

  "Just what I said, it's a great chance that it succeeded but it's not safe. We can simply hope for the best that it has succeeded and that Jonathan manages to get up from there. "

  A wave of powerlessness stormed through Marie and she could barely hold back the tears. She turned around and stormed out of the room.

  Atacama deep, the coast of Chile.

  March 16, 2049

  Her gaze swept the surface of the water continually. But she saw nothing. She walked over the deck to the opposite railing and peered down towards the clear, blue water. Small air bubbles rose up to the surface and disappeared. Umbra was not sure if she hit the man who was called Jonathan, she thought so but was not sure. She shook her head in disappointment.

  She could not fail, would not fail. She had never failed, she was flexible and adaptable and had an outstanding ability that made her have an advantage in every confrontation and she used to use it to the utmost. But now, for the first time, she was not sure, and she did not like it.

  Melissa was in all cases dead. Umbra had shot her in the chest and she was dead. David had thrown himself in after Melissa and had not reappeared. Small waves rolled past and the swells from when Melissa, David, and Jonathan tumbled into the water, slowly faded. A growing sense of uncertainty tingled within her. Normally, she could always confirm that the victim was dead, but now there was no time.

  She glanced up towards the white line that grew and took the form of a small, advanced aircraft. It approached quickly, and she heard the high-pitched sound of turbines when it approached. Umbra seized the railing, leaned over and looked down. Still nothing. Just blue sea water that slipped past. How would she explain this to her father? He would not be satisfied if she failed.

  She fought a feeling of uncertainty when she thought of the inevitable conversation. She barely noticed when that aircraft quickly approached. It slowed, and Umbra followed it with her gaze when it came so close that it stopped and hovered twenty meters from the boat. The boat swayed by the power of the wind caused by it and Umbra knew she did not have more time. She had to go from here. Arik waited for a status report and fortunately, she had the metal box and its contents in custody. She looked down at it. The box sparkled in the sunlight and small drops of water glittered. Her holo-band vibrated. She peered down and saw a message glide across the screen.

  "Ready for transport?"

  She turned towards the airplane and nodded against the pilot. The pilot's vizier nodded at her and he made thumbs up and began to gently steer the plane even closer to the boat.

  Umbra went over to the metal box, picked it up and walked over to the railing where the aircraft approached. The aircraft was not more than five meters away and approached quickly. She looked up and saw the pilot skillfully maneuvered one wing closer to the boat.

  The boat careened when the wind increased. The wing slid closer to it was only just over a meter from her. She braced herself, held the metal box hard and jumped up on the wing. She was close to slipping but managed to stay on her legs. Squatting, she quickly took to the cockpit and as she approached slipped a section of it to the side. She placed the metal box inside the cockpit, jumped down onto the seat and placed box between her legs. She seized a helmet and put it on.

  "Ready."

  The pilot's voice sounded stressed.

  "What took you so long? I only have fuel reserves left for five minutes. If you had not been ready now, you would have had to steer the boat back. "

  Umbra sighed. These assistants did not realize the importance or value of her special talent. That's how it was. She was a special star in a sea of mediocrity.

  "If we’re in such a hurry, I suggest that we set speed and not waste more time discussing how much reserves you have."

  The pilot snorted but did not respond. Umbra tightened the safety harness when the aircraft slowly accelerated upwards and set the course towards the mainland. She looked down towards the boat that quickly became smaller under them. It was best if it also disappeared.

  "Sink it."

  The pilot did not respond but immediately yawed the airplane. Umbra suspected that the pilot saw the chance of destroying something as pleasing. She noticed how the plane slowed in the air and how the muzzle moved towards the boat. The pilot activated the homing system. On the underside of the plane, an elongated hatch opened, and an advanced missile immediately began searching for the target. An advanced eye scanner in the pilot's helmet followed the pilot's gaze when he directed his gaze at Shooting Star.

  An advanced laser meter in the muzzle measured the distance, air pressure and several variables that were immediately in transferred into the missile. Umbra instinctively held her breath.

  "Firing."

  The aircraft careened when the narrow missile left the aircraft and quickly accelerated up to eight hundred kilometers per hour. It looked down at the target and from this height it was impossible for it to miss. The two kilos of high explosives hit the Shooting Star amidships and the boat disappeared in a ball of fire.

  The pressure wave reached the plane and they experienced a few seconds of vigorous turbulence before it was again calm. The pilot put the plane back on a straight course. The aircraft was an experimental design. It was powered by a jet engine and the four exhaust nozzles could be angled so that the aircraft could quickly and smoothly occupy a suspended position. In many ways, the airplane resembled the historic Harrier but was three generations more advanced.

  Umbra let her mind wander when they reached the cruising altitude and set a straight course towards the coast. She swallowed hard when she thought about the upcoming conversation with Arik.

  * * *

  Darkness approached inexorably. Jonathan's lungs burned and screamed for air and his heart pounded. Pain cut through his arms and into his chest. His heart banged so hard that he thought it would blow up. A searing pain radiated through him and the darkness was close to enclosing him.

  This was the end, fragmentary images of Chantelle and Marie flickered past while he allowed himself to be enclosed in the abyss. He sank. But just before darkness, he seized something in him and began to bring him up.

  A blinding flash tore through him in the same moment and drove away from the darkness as by magic. He was in a sea of light and a burning fire raged through his muscles. He took a couple of powerful strokes and approached the surface.

  He tried to open his eyes, but the salt water burned his eyes. He continued to swim while the fire in his muscles continued to burn. Up, all the time upwards. That's what he hoped in any case. When he had thrown himself in the water to escape Umbra, he had lost his orientation. He squinted and ignored the pain from the salt water. He saw a shadow move to the left of him. It was nearer, and she froze in a moment's panic when the shadow grew, it was too big to be a human. His body was taken over by the most primal i
nstinct of all; to survive.

  He kicked and finally, he broke the surface. He coughed and gasped when he took a couple of deep breaths and felt life return to him. He blinked against the sharp sunlight. The shadow beneath him continued to grow and he took a couple of powerful strokes to get some distance between himself and the shadow. Finally, a man’s face broke the surface and Jonathan was relieved when he saw that it was David. David coughed and sprayed water from his mouth and nose.

  "Jonathan!"

  Jonathan tried to speak but no words left his mouth. He stared at David's face that was twisted by effort.

  "I can't see Melissa! I can't see her! "

  Jonathan remained at the surface when he saw David disappear down and he was again left alone at the surface. He felt the warmth on his cheek. He turned around and saw Shooting Star engulfed in flames.

  A dozen seconds passed while he was trying to orient himself. The pain in his chest was still sharp but not as jarring as a couple of minutes ago. His thoughts were interrupted by a splash to the right of him and he saw David breaking the surface once again.

  “Melissa! I have her! "

  A second later he understood what David meant when Melissa's long hair floated up next to David. Jonathan swam quickly over to him and got an arm under Melissa before David lost his grip. David gasped and coughed water.

  "She's so heavy. I’ll lose her. "

  Jonathan realized that even if they were two they would not be able to keep her long. Within a couple of minutes, she would slip from their grip and down into the depth. He tried to lift her head, but it hung loosely to the side. His brain raced. David was near panic now.

  "Do something. She’s slipping!"

  Jonathan saw something moving to the right of David's head and he saw that it was a lifebuoy that had to be thrown away by Shooting Star when it started to burn. He nodded against it.

  “A lifebuoy, wait here. I'll be right back. "

  Before David had time to protest, Jonathan had taken a couple of powerful strokes and grabbed hold of the life buoy. He swam back to David. He instinctively knew that in a few seconds, David would lose Melissa and then she would be gone forever.

  When he almost reached David, a wave engulfed him, and he coughed more salt water. David shouted something he did not hear. Jonathan shook his head and managed to make his way to David. He gripped Melissa's arm.

  "We must try to get her up on the buoy. It’s the only chance. "

  Jonathan saw that David was close to exhaustion. Despair burned in his eyes, but he nodded, and they managed to hoist Melissa's upper body on the ring. She lay lax over it and her long hair bobbed with the waves.

  Jonathan saw that his hands were red. He stared in amazement at them and wondered if he had cut himself on something before he realized that the blood was not his. It was Melissa's. He looked over Melissa and David which held on to the string that was attached to the life buoy.

  David saw on his own hands that slowly stained the red of Melissa's blood. He said nothing but just looked lovingly at his wife. There was nothing he could do. He could only cling to life and witness how life left her. Jonathan saw a couple of birds circulating above them and he thought of sharks. He knew they could smell blood in the water from several kilometers away. He saw that Melissa was laying in an unnatural position and her head rolling with the waves. He knew she was dying if not already dead. No one could survive such a shot straight to the chest. Maybe you had a chance if you got immediate medical help but out on the endless environment, there was no chance.

  He knew he and David had to make a difficult decision. And as to underline the importance of the decision struck another wave in over them. David's head disappeared a second and then popped up again, coughing and sizzling.

  "We have to let her go."

  David's eyes spit fire at him and Jonathan was able to hear how he hissed.

  "Never!"

  Jonathan looked around for some more lifebuoys or something else they could use as buoyancy aid but the water about them was only filled with small pieces of wreckage. He knew that soon they would all go under if they did not manage to do something drastic. Jonathan swam around the life buoy and grabbed a hold of David.

  "We must. She’s is dead, and we will also be soon if we do not release her and use the buoy ourselves. "

  David’s eyes blazed up but a few seconds later the embers in them faded and he nodded exhaustedly. It would be difficult, but it was the only chance. Jonathan swam back to the other side of the buoy and was about to pushed one side when David cried out.

  "Wait!"

  Jonathan lowered the edge of the buoy and saw how David took down on Melissa's shoulders and with his last powers heaved himself up against her. His face touched hers and he spoke slowly to her. Jonathan quietly looked on as David bid farewell. He sank back down into the water. He looked over at Jonathan and nodded. Jonathan tensed his body. He pushed and managed to lift one edge, so Melissa softly slid off the buoy.

  Her body rolled over on her back and one arm floated up. David grabbed it and held it firmly a short moment before Melissa again rolled over. Jonathan saw the open wound in her chest and while he looked at her, her eyes opened, empty and without life. He saw David’s desperation. Before any of them managed to say something more, Melissa slipped down into the deep. Another wave rolled over them and Jonathan came coughing up to the surface.

  He did not see David anywhere. He was gone. Jonathan grabbed the buoy and managed to drag himself up on it. He felt his ribs throb with pain. It cut up through his body, but he managed to ignore it and to raise himself to a half-seated position. He looked feverishly around after David. There! The current had pushed David three meters away and Jonathan began to paddle frantically to come to him.

  He saw how David's strength was fading fast and how he quietly fought to stay above the surface. It all happened as in slow-motion. There was no sound from David, no shouts or screams. It was just his flailing arms that showed how close to death he was. A pair of heavily strokes and Jonathan made his way over to David and got hold of his out-stretched arm. Jonathan pulled for king and country, but David was too heavy.

  "Come on, David, you have to help! On three! "

  He counted high and then pulled with every muscle in his body.

  "One, two, three!"

  Finally, he managed to pull David up into his arms. The extra weight meant that almost the entire buoy was under water, but they managed to stay afloat. A couple of more waves rolled over them and they were close to capsizing, but they managed to stay upright.

  Jonathan looked around and the joy he had felt when he had gotten up into the buoy, faded fast when he saw how little was left of Shooting Star. There were only small pieces of wreckage as far as he could see. Resignation grabbed him, and he glanced down at the water to see if something was moving. Fortunately, he saw nothing. He saw his holo-band on his arm. He had completely forgotten it, he pulled it up to open a communication channel to the Amber group’s headquarters.

  "Contact the headquarters. Priority red. "

  He looked down at the holo-band and was expecting to hear someone reply right away but it did not react. He tried again but nothing happened. Frustrated, he shook his head. Exhaustion rolled over him. This would be the end if they did not come to a drastic conclusion. Jonathan felt how David’s sank down onto his chest.

  Flor Fria, Macau

  March 16, 2049

  The wait was mind-numbing, almost intolerable. Noshimi looked over at the large clock on the wall at the entrance to the central station on Flor Fria. It was early morning. She took a couple of deep breaths to clear the mind. It was pleasantly warm in the air and she heard birds twitter and tried to relax but failed.

  She crossed the street towards the entrance and her irritation grew. She had enough problems. She did not have time for this. The last few days had been harder than usual for her; the panic attack the day before had emptied her on energy and she was still shaky. She suspected
it was something in the water. Would they add poison to the water to get to her?

  She jolted when something honked next to her. She looked startled to her side and saw how an angry taxi driver leaned out the side window and raise his fist towards her. She showed him his finger and grimaced. Idiot.

  She hurried on towards the entrance and she tensed as she approached, there were people everywhere and she hated people. She hated people so much that if only she approached someone, she experienced physical discomfort. But she had to. Her brother had contacted her a little more than a week ago and asked for help. At first, she had refused. She and her brother had never been particularly close. She was two years younger than him but had never emerged from the community of some siblings.

  Family life when she had been young had been strained, living with her family had been strenuous when their dad was a violent alcoholic and their mother had been a submissive woman who did not dare to protect her children against their father's violent outbursts. But even though their parents had been as they were, it had not brought up a special community between the siblings. Noshimi had on several occasions seen how her brother had stood by the bedroom door without saying anything when her father had beaten her.

  For that, she had slowly begun to despise her brother who was as weak as their mother. But still, he had contacted her now. They had not spoken to each other for several years. She had no idea what he was doing now for the time. For what seemed about a lifetime since she had heard that he studied medicine but what happened to her she did not know. And it was natural, she had enough of her own problems. Her enemies were everywhere. She knew she was probably supervised at all times of the day and that you could not be too careful. Even on Flor Fria, or perhaps especially on Flor Fria, which had experienced such a turbulent time as in recent months.