“I am curious about your resources,” said Sonia.
Feel free to use any monitor to display the inquiry of your choice.
She walked to the screen like in a dream and scrolled through an endless list of possible treatments available on the premises. It was beyond anything she could have hoped for, anything she could have imagined. When she finally turned around, Mathew was stretched on the single medical bed and Sal was leaning on the doorframe. He had obviously brought him there while she was captivated by the information.
“You’ll have all the time you want after I’m gone,” he said. “I have something else to show you.”
He led the way to a big storage room at the center of which was a strange type of seat. After some initial confusion Sonia recognized it as a transportation vehicle used to fly from one place to the other on the surface of the moon, being able to cover great distances in very short periods of time.
“You’ll be back at Base four in less than thirty minutes with this thing,” confirmed Sal. “If I were you, though, I’d reserve its use to locate and exploit the other military caches of the dark side.”
“You mean you’ll give us the military code?”
“It’s useless to me since I have what I need. I left it in Rover three.”
“So you were a soldier in the war?”
“Of course. Salvatore Ramon was a friend of mine and my immediate identity if I ever ended up in a pod. He didn’t make it.” The earth man’s eyes took on a strange glow, probably reliving an intense moment.
Sonia waited a few seconds. “So what’s your real name?”
“Huh? Tommy Martinez… not that it matters much.”
“Be honest now, if we had not gone after you, not reached this place, you would have kept the military code to yourself?”
“No, I would have left it in Rover three, like I did.”
“Why?”
“I think that the modifications done to you by your ancestors were very detrimental to your ambition and drive. They probably didn’t anticipate that kind of loss, or would never have done such a thing. On earth, the males of many species were castrated to insure their docility and I feel that the same thing happened to all of you. You’re not a good representation of what the human race should be. That’s why I left the codes there, so that you would only get them if one of you showed enough character to reach them.”
“I still don’t understand, it sounds so childish.”
Sal smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You probably never will. Even if I don’t like what’s happened here, I’m glad there were survivors to bring me back. But you did take your time to find me.”
“Better late than never.”
“You bet. Thank you, Sonia, people like you and Simon are the kind I like to call friends.”
She put her hand forward and he shook it gently.
* * *
For the first time in over three centuries a man made vehicle left the moon surface.
“Do you think we’ll ever hear from him again?” asked Victor from the Rover.
“I don’t know. I hope he finds what he’s looking for.”
Sonia meant it. Whatever Sal had done during his brief period on the moon, she felt that he had more than repaid the community for his time with them. But even more than that, he had given them a glimpse of where they were coming from, of the limitless potential of their true origins.
With these new facilities at her disposal, Sonia smiled as she thought about the future habitants she would produce on the moon. Maybe, just maybe, a part of Sal would wind its way into the genes of the next generation.
She yawned and decided to sleep on it.
###
Discover other titles by Steve S. Grant:
THE DREAMER GENOME
In 2020, a passionate scientist conducts secret genetic manipulations to give human fetuses the ability to survive long periods of hibernation. He is supported by a pharmaceutical tycoon who believes in his genius and realizes the implications of his work: Cryogenics... to prolong life… a one-way time machine to the future… unlimited financial potential to the company who develops and markets such a long coveted dream.
When the clandestine lab is voluntarily destroyed to avoid discovery, test subjects are scattered and raised in extremely different conditions. Unfortunately for them, their corporate parent is expecting a high return on its initial investment. Greed and personal ambition eventually overthrow the last remaining shred of common decency and the experiment spirals down a dark path.
The Dreamer Genome is a realistic Sci-Fi thriller exploiting untested scientific theories in the tradition of Michael Crichton. Readers are taken on a wild ride to the near future and confronted with a definite possibility of the new century.
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About the author
Steve Grant lives near Montreal, Canada, where he raises a family and reads whatever he gets his hands on. His hobbies include video games, hockey, camping and playing with the kids.
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