by M. V. Kallai
Ganesh looked at his wristwatch.
“Camden, I am sorry, but I have to get back to the unit now. Let’s meet again next week and discuss this further, after you have had some time to think about this old project of yours.”
“You haven’t even told me what you need from me yet,” said Camden.
“I know, I know. But I promise you; this technology can be a life changer for you and your colleague Lee Tripple. The scientists back at the unit lab don’t have the ingenuity to take the technology to the level that you and Lee could. They do what they are told and their superiors, and well, they only see potential weapons.” He laughed a little and said, “Humph, maybe they knew what they were getting when they promoted me, and maybe they didn’t, but Camden, please understand that I am here out of concern for our species, and our planet.”
Camden sat up straight again and set his drink down. He felt reassured of their friendship and a little guilty about doubting Ganesh’s good intentions. He pushed a button and spoke coolly to the driver.
“Ari, please take us back to the restaurant now. Ganesh and I are finished with our city tour.”
“Right away, Camden,” Ari replied through a small speaker. “Less than ten minutes.”
Ganesh reached into his camouflage satchel and pulled out a small, temperature controlled, metal container. He took a deep breath and handed it to Camden.
“This is only a small sample, I know, but it has the right catalyst. I want to know what you think at our next meeting. Oh, and be discreet.”
Camden’s eyes widened and his heart sped up a little as he accepted the package. A new excitement was beginning to overtake him.
“I have a busy week cut out for me then,” he said, trying to remember where he had stashed his biomer notes from eleven years ago.
Chapter Three
The Technology
Two days had passed since Camden’s meeting with Colonel Ganesh and his brain had yet to take a break. Even now, when he sat, relaxed, in a wooden chair at a small round table on his balcony. As the sun rose outside of his loft, he sipped coffee out of a delicate white porcelain cup, black, with just a little sugar. The aroma of the fine brew and the fresh morning air filled his nose and he deeply breathed it in, contemplating the questions before him. If Lee knew a possibility existed where he could test his life evolution project, he would surely take it without a second thought. ‘Progress for progress’s sake’, he would say. Camden, on the other hand, saw a larger picture that included the other moral repercussions of such an experiment. What if it worked? What if clones were the answer to widespread infertility on the planet? What if humans could live in space? What if human clones could be altered to be stronger? More elemental? and less…human? Would it be fair to give these people such an existence? But would it also be wrong not to try? Would they adapt or would they perish in a generation’s time?
These questions plagued his mind even more this morning because he still had no answers to them. He was planning to meet Lee in his lab early this afternoon to share the biomer with him. There was no question that the material could significantly benefit Lee’s experiments; it was so versatile. Camden had been working with it almost non-stop for the past two days in his small personal lab; the entrance hidden behind a bookcase in his grand oak shelved library. It was not much larger than a walk in closet, but it was warm, inviting, and equipped with some the most sophisticated tools known to science.
Camden took a long last sip of his coffee and wrinkled his brow, set the cup down noisily and suddenly considered not sharing the biomer with Lee. Then, reminded himself that it was not up to him to stop scientific progress, no matter what position he held on the extent of the research. He could not live with knowing he had withheld a possible advancement in Lee’s work because he had concerns for the future people involved. People that he didn’t even know, or care about. He would have to devote more time convincing his conscience of this for he knew deep down that his mind was clearly made up. Camden raised his arms over his head in a long stretch and walked inside to dress for the day.
Life can’t stand still, he thought, it must evolve, with or without my feelings.
In Tripple Laboratories, time and experimentation were already bustling along. Lee had been there since last night, monitoring cell divisions from unknowing donors. He had determined that when the DNA enhancements were given at an earlier stage of development, the possible fetuses would have a much stronger chance of survival. They could even thrive. Lee was very pleased with himself, as he often was when his tests were successful. He was on the verge of a breakthrough; he felt it in his bones. So much so, that earlier that morning, he had taken time out from his self-congratulatory mind set to have the lady at the front desk contact a recruiter. He knew he needed an assistant to help him with his work from here on out. It was too tedious for just one person now. The experiment was beginning to require nearly constant maintenance and supervision. It was out of character for Lee to make this type of call, but it was the most efficient way to make progress. He wanted a young person with a moldable mind. Not necessarily the top science mind, but someone who could see the gray areas of his work. Someone who would do what they were told without much questioning, but who was also healthy enough to be a cell donor to the project. In a sense, he was looking for more than a great lab assistant. He was looking for a willing lab rat with a good scientific brain. Of course, he described the assistantship as “a chance of a lifetime” and he would be personally interviewing for the position.
“Very prestigious work.” He had directed “and very important. I need to start interviewing this afternoon.” The lady at the front desk was used to Lee’s urgent and impolite phone manner, but nonetheless, always felt slightly offended after they hung up. She immediately contacted a recruiter, who knew Lee’s reputation, to began lining up the best of the best from the science fields, governmental as well as non-governmental.
Lee had no idea that Camden was planning to share mind blowing technology with him in just a few hours. In fact, Lee only remembered they had a lunch meeting because Camden had called this morning to remind him and had also agreed to stay and help with the interviewing process. Lee relied on Camden for phone calls and reminders because as was typical, he hadn’t slept in two days and it was not unusual for him to track of real time. In fact, he was so preoccupied with his work that time had become only an interval with which he used to measure the progress of his experiments. And now with Camden on board with the interview process too, he did not have to sit and ask questions to strangers, a task that, performing alone, would likely put him in a near state of panic. This was turning out to be a perfectly unobjectionable morning for Lee.
Chapter Four
“Bear”
Colonel Ganesh walked down a long stone corridor lit with artificial overhead lights. On both his left and right there were uniformly sized, empty square offices that belonged to the unit administrators. He walked by them aiming for the elevator straight ahead. It was early and most of the offices on this main floor were empty, as their occupants would not arrive for at least another hour. Ganesh was dressed in full military garb with his rank proudly displayed on his right arm. His large boots were heavy against the stone floor and with the quietness of the building, the few early arrivals were alerted to his presence. He pulled out a maximum-security clearance card and shoved it into the slot over the elevator button with a scowl. He had always worn his feelings transparently on his face, but since he had started working alongside Major Mace Magner, he tried to erase them before he entered the elevator. Ganesh had made up his mind that if Mace did not know how much he disliked him, he might have some influence over his pretentious new colleague.
Even though Ganesh outranked Mace Magner, there were two other Colonels working closely with the project who looked at Mace as their golden boy. His solid drive and ruthless dedication were seen as the key ingredients necessary to advance the military to the next level of robotic weapons
technology. It was clear why he was chosen for this assignment, but Ganesh’s views on this new technology were not in line with those of the others involved. He could only assume he was there because someone at the top of the government wanted him to balance the direction of the new technology. He had not been on the project long enough to single out the team members he could truly trust, so thus far his thoughts about the work going on here had been shared with Camden Riles alone; and even that meeting had not gone as well as he would have liked. He felt alone.
There was a harsh “ding” announcing the arrival of the elevator that would take Ganesh down to basement levels four through nine. These Maximum Security access levels housed the Robotics, Scientific Research, and Weaponry Units of the military along with comfortable offices for the higher-ranking officials. Ganesh stepped into the elevator and said “Level Four”. The voice activation system quickly processed his request and the doors began to shut. Ganesh faced the closing doors, standing with his feet shoulder width apart and his right arm crossed over his left wrist in front of his large body. When he reached his floor, he held his chin high and stepped out and looked left and right.
Good, he thought. No Mace. Maybe I can make it to the coffee lounge and back to my office before I see him…that little, puffed up, son of a ...
“Good morning, sir,” said a young scientist who was almost as tall as Ganesh and a little flushed in the face.
He must have jogged down the stairs to catch up to him. Ganesh’s mind shifted away from Mace and looked at this young man. He wore a wide smile and seemed to be a little star struck. Ganesh had seen this blatant admiration from young people before. A few times during his time as a new recruit’s trainer and often when he was in public with Camden. He was always fascinated with the way fresh young minds flocked to Camden like he was a superstar. He felt this fascination again as this eager young man now looked at him with those same wide hopeful eyes.
“Good morning, er…”
“Bearden, sir. Um, I mean, Sergeant Bearden Leitner, Botany specialist for the science team.”
“Well, good morning Sergeant Leitner,” Ganesh crisply replied. “What is so urgent that can’t wait until a man has had his first cup of coffee?”
“Huh? Oh, sorry, sir. I um, was on my way for coffee, too,” Bearden lied.
“I see,” Ganesh said, smiling unwittingly. “Well, on to the lounge then.” He motioned with his hand down the hall toward the officer’s lounge.
“Thank you, sir, I mean, yes, coffee.”
Bearden stood as straight as he could when he walked beside Ganesh nervously glancing over now and then.
“You know, Colonel, you were the reason I joined the military.”
Ganesh stopped and looked at him.
“Is that so?” he asked.
“Yes, sir. I was on my way to being a non-governmental scientist, but I read a book in school about the War for Peace, and you were in it. The lives that you saved, how nothing scared you or distracted you from your mission; it was inspiring. Of course as soon as I finished recruitment training, I was pulled out for the special ops science unit, but I only signed up for four years. I’m not even supposed to be on this project, but,” he laughed confidently, “when you got it, you got it.”
Ganesh glanced at him sideways and raised his eyebrows. Bearden kept talking.
“When I found out you were joining this team, wow, I just had to meet you face-to-face.”
Ganesh chuckled under his breath. It amused him the way Bearden spoke so matter-of-factly of the way he was recruited to special ops, science unit. He was certainly confident of his brainpower, if nothing else.
“Well it is very nice to meet you Sergeant Leitner,” Ganesh said as he opened the door to the senior officer’s coffee lounge.
“I will be right out,” Ganesh said as the door closed in Bearden’s face.
“Oh, right, sir. I will just wait here.”
“Really?” Ganesh asked.
“Actually, Colonel, I was hoping to discuss something rather important with you about my future with this project.”
Humph, thought Ganesh. Something about this kid intrigued him. Maybe it was the over the top flattery, but maybe there was something more to him. Anyway, he was looking to make sense of why he was here, so he decided to give this young scientist a little of his time.
“Meet me in my office in half an hour,” Ganesh said. “Number 459. This floor.”
“Yes, sir, thank you, sir,” Bearden said as he turned to walk back down the hall with a slight skip in his step.
Twenty-five minutes later, Sergeant Bearden Leitner stood anxiously outside of Ganesh’s office. Ganesh was sipping his coffee and leaning back in his chair staring at a small fish tank in the corner of the room. Two colorful Purpoin fish with bulging yellow eyes swam circles around each other nipping at the food that Ganesh had dropped in moments earlier. His office was neat, but not as militant as some of his colleagues. The walls were painted in muted red and mahogany tones. A dark red and cream-colored area rug covered most of the wooden floor. A large, well lit painting of an ocean hung behind his desk in an attempt to compensate for the lack of windows in this basement facility. He was thinking about Camden, wondering what he had done so far with the sample he had given him two days ago.
There was an anxious knock at the door.
“Yes, yes, come in Sergeant Leitner.” He set his coffee on his desk and sat up straighter in his chair. “Please sit down and tell me what it is you would like to talk about.”
“Okay,” replied Bearden. “Did you know it was me who discovered the catalyst?”
Ganesh leaned forward crossing his arms on his desk. His attention was immediately captured.
“Really….” he said.
“Yes. It was my idea to explore the fungal species before the bacteria.”
Humph, thought Ganesh. This kid has to show me up right away with his science talk. Ganesh was a specialist in working with computers and flight technologies. Not biology and botany.
“I see,” he said aloud, as if he knew just as much about science as this smarty-pants sitting across from him.
Bearden continued.
“It could have been another two or three years if we had gone through the bacterium first.”
“Well then, congratulations on your insight,” Ganesh said.
“Thank you, sir.”
“Now, what is the question you have for me?”
“Right,” he said. “I was hoping for some guidance.”
“Okay.” Ganesh wasn’t sure what was going to come out of this kid’s mouth or if he could help at all, but it was in his very nature to try.
“I received a phone call early this morning from a private sector science recruiter. Apparently, I have been selected to interview with the renowned Lee Tripple for an assistantship in his genetics program. And, since my term with the military is up next month, I was considering going.”
Whatever Ganesh was expecting this young man to say, it wasn’t this. Thoughts began to race through his head. If Lee hired him, he was likely to find out about the stolen sample. The one that ‘mysteriously’ found its way into Lee’s hands, by way of Camden, by way of Ganesh himself. Could this kid be trusted? If not, Ganesh would surely have to discourage him from accepting the interview. If Bearden’s loyalties remained with the military after his departure, he would most likely share information.
I would be accused of conspiracy. And Bearden, leaving a top-secret project like this…he is surely going to be pushed to extend his contract. His choice in the end, though.
Bearden fidgeted nervously in his chair as Ganesh was having this inner dialogue and sitting silently. Finally, Ganesh spoke.
“When is the interview?”
“Two o’clock this afternoon.”
Ganesh’s eyes widened a little in panic.
“Not much time to think about it, eh?” He tried to appear relaxed and speak coolly in an attempt to hide his anxious feelings
from the young soldier.
“No, sir. And no time needed. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime.” he replied. He then offered a little softer as he leaned forward, “Sir, I understand you have a friendship with Professor Camden Riles.”
Ganesh raised his eyebrows at him again.
“Yes, that is no secret. We have worked together time and again over the years. What about it?”
“Well, I also know that Professor Riles is a close associate of Lee Tripple’s. I was hoping you might put in a good word for me…if I decide to take the interview…if you think it is a good idea at all. You know, the military wants me to renew my contract here.”
“Yes, I figured this much,” Ganesh replied. “You know son,” he said a little condescendingly, “It’s awfully presumptuous to ask such a favor of me, seeing as I have known you for less than an hour.”
“Yes, sir, I know sir. I should have come by a week ago.”
Ganesh chuckled in his head at his naiveté. Young people.
“I just thought,” Bearden continued, “that if you met me and saw my work first hand that you might…” he paused and humbly dropped his head a little.
Ganesh could see that this kid was digging himself in a little hole with every word out of his mouth. He decided to let him off the hook.
