by Bill Denise
Renard sat down across from Jeffrey and leaned forward. “I watched his face as Avelina revealed the details of her weapon. I saw the look of excitement, avarice, and ambition. He was not concerned about how the Consensus would benefit from this new development. He was trying to figure out how it would benefit him directly.”
“Alexander is ambitious, greedy, and violent, yes, but he knows he can’t defeat all of us combined.” Jeffrey paused, thoughtful, while Renard watched him come to the realization. “You think he plans to divide us, possibly get us to fight each other, and then pick up the pieces?”
Renard smiled and leaned back, thinking how working with Jeffrey was almost as good as working with his great-uncle.
Jeffrey wasn’t done pursuing the thought. He continued, “But how . . . and how does the Human . . .” he stopped at a glare from Renard, “how does the new weapon come into play?”
Renard shook his head as he replied, “I’m not sure exactly. However, I see it as a wild card, an unpredictable element, and I don’t like unpredictable elements!”
Both men were silent as they contemplated the possibilities, before Jeffrey asked, “But the weapon will be under the control of the Council, we will be able to control its actions.”
“Ah, you’re wrong!” Renard stood and began pacing, “We’re talking about a living, breathing, thinking human being.” Renard stood by the window again and reached his hand out to touch the glass, as if reaching for the vista beyond. “Since it is human, it is susceptible to influence and corruption. This is the heart of my worry. We must do everything we can to control the weapon, or at the very least make sure Alexander does not control it.”
Jeffrey tapped absently on his ever-present screen, “But the Council will support this completely. No one will want this power to fall into a single person’s hands. Surely the unified Council will be a match for any Pryke machinations.”
Renard held up a single finger and said, “That is the one thing we must guard against at all costs. We must remain unified against the Prykes. At least until we can gain control of this weapon, or somehow replace it with something better.”
Jeffrey rarely needed to be told what to do next, and this case was no exception. He replied without being asked, “We can reassign the best and brightest from our R&D Labs to learn everything they can about D-SAP and Human Implanted Enhancement—yes it needs a new name—and start work on making it obsolete.”
Renard smiled, feeling more comfortable after discussing the situation with Jeffrey, and added, “Perfect. And I will go work on Avelina. She really is the key.”
**** ****
Damon sat in his cell turning the possibilities over and over in his mind. If I do not agree and rot away the rest of my life in this cell, I certainly can’t help the Family. If I agree to the program, they have promised protection, and I stand the chance of escaping and finding my way back.
“How many times am I going to rescue you?”
Damon was used to hearing Andrea’s voice in his head, and it took him a second to realize it wasn’t in his head this time. He looked up and saw Andrea standing at the door to his cell, along with a female guard he hadn’t seen before.
“How did you get in here, and why?” he asked her through his confusion.
“I’ve got friends everywhere,” she said as she glanced toward her escort.
The woman showed no expression. “You’ve only got a few minutes, then I have to come get you.”
“I understand, thanks, sweetie,” Andrea said to the departing guard.
“I’m so glad to see you, Andrea, I have to warn you about the other gang and the danger to the Family.”
“I know, we saw the bodies.”
“No, you don’t know how many they’ve got, we can’t defend against that many!”
“Oh come on, we’ve handled worse, stop panicking and pull yourself together, we need to figure out how to get you out of here.”
“Andrea, wait, you really don’t understand. I can make a deal with them to ensure the Family’s safety. I’m so glad you’re here so I can let you know what they are going to do.” He saw that she was going to interrupt, so he continued quickly, “No, please, let me finish.”
She nodded, and Damon began to recount all that they had told him about the opportunity. His excitement grew as he described it to Andrea; he was coming to terms with the idea that he could become a super-soldier.
After he finished she quickly replied, “I don’t like it. It stinks of lies.” She paused, unsure exactly how to proceed, “If it was me, I would rather rot in a cell forever than do their dirty work for them.”
“But the Family, I can get them to protect the Family.”
“Damon, you never listen, do you? You can’t trust them. It’s a lie, or a trap.” She looked up at him sharply as a thought came to mind, “You didn’t tell them how to find 4C, did you?”
“No, of course not,” he replied defensively. “But if they are going to protect the Family, they will need to know.”
They were interrupted by a knock on the cell door before it opened to reveal Andrea’s friend. “Time to go,” she said.
Andrea said, “Look, we can probably get you out of here through the courts, but it may take some time. Stay strong and don’t take their deal. I’ll come back when I can.”
“But Andrea,” Damon said, “I can make it work.”
She had started out the door, but now turned back and pointed a finger at his chest. “Don’t,” was all she said and the door closed.
“But, I can protect the Family. And you. Kyndra’s tears, Andrea, I love you,” but she was gone and could not hear him.
Less than a minute later, with Damon’s thoughts still in turmoil, Captain Remmen and Colonel Tashus entered the cell, all smiles.
“Time to decide, Demon, we’ve got other volunteers waiting in line behind you,” the colonel said.
**** ****
Renard Trueblood entered Dr. Baksa’s office at the Council Research and Development Lab and stopped short when he saw Alexander Pryke sitting in a visitor’s chair across from her desk.
Avelina looked tense and Alexander was leaning forward in his chair rather aggressively. Renard hoped his face did not betray the surprise and flash of fear he felt from the situation.
“Good afternoon, Dr. Baksa, Mr. Pryke. Avelina, thank you for seeing me on short notice. Am I interrupting?”
“No.” Avelina said quickly.
“Yes.” Alexander answered simultaneously.
“Surely I can come back a little later,” Renard conceded, backing out of the room. He glanced first to Avelina and then to Alexander, where his gaze lingered, soliciting an answer from him.
“Fine, fine, we’re done here anyway,” Alexander said while standing up and straightening his tie. He turned back to Avelina and said, “Thank you for your time, Dr. Baksa. We’ll talk again soon.” With that, and a nod to Renard, he left the room.
Avelina slouched back in her chair and sighed, “Thank you for saving me, Reverend! He was driving me crazy with his interrogation.”
“Was he threatening you?” Renard asked, genuinely concerned.
“No, no, boring me to death is more like it. How does this work, how do you do that, how can we make more D-SAP, how—”
Renard interrupted, “What did you tell him about D-SAP?”
“Nothing, really. First of all, I can’t describe how it’s made, it’s just too complicated. Second of all, it took us almost ten years to make enough material for one patient, and it will take at least six more for the second. We are improving our techniques, but it is still so slow—”
“Dr. Baksa,” Renard interrupted again, “I must apologize, but I do not have much time and I need to discuss specific things with you.”
“Certainly,” she said without annoyance.
“Most important of all, we need you to protect the secrets of D-SAP; how it’s manufactured, how it’s handled, how it’s machined, or anything else that w
ould help someone reproduce your work. Even so far as to not give any information to the Council itself. Or even to me.”
He paused to make sure she was absorbing what he said before continuing, “The material and the knowledge of the Implantation project cannot even be trusted to Council members, it is far too dangerous.” He could tell by the look on her face that she was uncomfortable.
“I’m not sure I can comply with that, Reverend, my responsibility is to the Council; how can I purposefully withhold information from them?” She looked at him with wide, innocent eyes.
So smart, a singularly great mind, and yet she cannot understand basic politics. The ideas of betrayal and ambition are nearly foreign to her. Oh, I wish I could preserve her innocence.
Taking a seat, he sighed. He knew it was futile to try and explain the political ramifications; she just didn’t care about these things. I need to put this in terms she will relate to, he thought.
“Avelina, you know that our Great Mother Kyndra created the Consensus for the good of humankind, and left behind five trustworthy and responsible people to manage it after she left us.” They were both practiced enough to make the ritual motion without interrupting the speech. “However, as the Consensus grew, it moved beyond the ability of five normal human beings to handle. We have tried, generation after generation, to hold to the original ideals of the Consensus, but inevitably things have declined. The Trueblood line, descending directly from Kyndra Dickson herself, has always held the Council together despite corrupting external forces.
“Now, however, things are changing. Whether it is the beginning of the end times as described in The Chronicle, or whether I am just not as strong as my predecessors, I do not know,” he waved off her attempt to rebut his implication of weakness, “but either way, the external forces are making inroads and threatening the welfare of the Council and the Consensus.”
“But Reverend, I do not believe things are so bad . . .” she trailed off, apparently at a loss for more words.
He nodded in recognition of her compliment, “Thank you, but you are not the most astute student of political subterfuge, are you?”
She smiled and said, “No, that I definitely am not.”
“Well, then, will you take my word that this is true?”
“Of course, I would never question you.”
“Hmm, Kyndra teaches that you should never trust completely in another human being, but that is a lesson for another time.” He made the ritual motion slowly, deep in thought, before continuing. “This may be the most important thing I have ever requested from you, but I know you will be able to meet the request. Are you willing?”
“Of course,” she said without hesitation.
He breathed in and out once slowly before continuing. “Avelina, you must do everything in your power to make sure of four things. One, that we have a way to control this Enhanced Human; two, that you do not make any more of them until we have proof that he can be controlled; three, you must somehow prevent the production of large quantities of D-SAP; and finally, you must ensure that ALL of the knowledge and know-how never leaves this lab.”
She shook her head slowly and opened her mouth to speak, only to close it again pressing her lips together. Finally, she said “I just don’t know how to do this type of thing. Limiting production should be easy, especially with your help from the Council. But control is a tricky thing. Whether considering control of the Enhanced Human or control of the information, neither one can be guaranteed.
“Specifically in the case of our Enhanced Human, control routines will significantly reduce his ability to react instinctively, thereby eliminating the advantage of using a human in the first place. If we plan to control it, we would be better off with a machine. But we’ve seen time and time again that machines just aren’t suited to this kind of work.”
Renard’s thoughts drifted as she spoke, and he realized the gravity of the situation. They would never be able to control this weapon; after all it was a person. A person soon to have unimaginable power. Throughout history, people and power have never mixed well.
And, he thought, not even a believer that I might be able to influence. He realized right then that he would have to take care of these details himself. He knew he could not rely on Avelina’s help because she would never understand the true implications.
Avelina finished her speech, but further discussion was prevented by an urgent message on her screen. She picked it up and her eyes grew wide, followed by her smile. “Oh, Reverend, it’s really true, it’s really going to happen; we’ve got a volunteer!”
Renard smiled at her child-like excitement, but couldn’t help the knot of fear that grew in his gut.
Chapter Four
Damon was actually excited about his decision, and he felt that Andrea would agree if she truly understood what was happening. We just didn’t have enough time to discuss it properly. She’d back me up on this if she knew all the details. He didn’t feel the conviction of his own thoughts however.
Colonel Tashus was nearly bubbling with excitement, and Captain Remmen was clearly pleased as well. Damon had come to like these two during the few days they spent together, but trust did not come easily. The memory of Melanie’s betrayal was still a raw and festering wound that made him unwilling to trust anyone.
The air in the room was charged with tension as they discussed the protection agreement.
“I’m trusting you with this information; we’re talking about my Family and the only home I’ve ever known,” he looked directly into the eyes of Captain Remmen as he spoke, “and don’t forget, they’re making me into a super-soldier. If I find out that you lied to me, I will come back.” Damon felt satisfaction at the slight widening of the captain’s eyes as he made his point clear.
“Demon, you don’t need to threaten me, I understand you perfectly. I personally do not kill innocents or non-combatants. I’m a man of my word.”
Damon was satisfied with the answer, but couldn’t help the nauseous feeling he got when he described the location of 4C. It took him more than ten minutes to properly describe the perimeter and its defenses, and the captain took notes throughout the conversation. Damon felt sick and slightly dizzy when he was done, but he masked it as best he could and turned to face the colonel.
“I’m ready to go,” he stated simply. If she noticed his paleness, she did not comment on it.
“I’m glad,” she said softly, placing a hand on his arm and leading him to the waiting spacecraft.
After they left, Jeffrey Allen entered from another room. “Nice work, captain,” he said. “You will take care of the rest, correct?”
“Yes sir, Mr. Allen, I’ll take care of it.”
“Good,” Jeffrey smiled as he finished, never taking his eyes off the captain, “because if I hear that things are left unfinished, I will be the one coming back for you!” With the threat hanging in the air, he turned and exited to his ship.
“Kyndra’s tears, Captain, what are you going to do?” the captain’s aide had been present for both exchanges, although she remained silent until they were alone. “You can’t kill those innocent people . . .”
He stopped her with a glare, and said “I am a man of my duty, but also a man of my word.”
**** ****
Standing at the window on the observation deck, Damon looked down on the planet that was his home. With the vast panorama spread out below him, he could do nothing but gape in awe at the size and scope of the planet, and his own ignorance. Living in the Ruins with the Family, he had very little contact with the outside world. His rare trips into the City were carefully sheltered, and he knew very little about the world where he lived. He’d heard stories about other cities and the empty lands in between, but he never really believed them.
Now, however, the truth was right in front of his face. He was alone in the room, and he guiltily thought that the crew was avoiding him due to his incessant questioning. But he couldn’t help it. There was so much he did not kno
w that it boggled his mind.
Not only did he have to come to grips with finding out the stories of other cities were in fact true; he also had to try to grasp the idea that there were thousands of planets just like his! He looked past the planet to the stars beyond, and could not believe that each was another sun, and many held planets with more and more people on them.
His thoughts drifted back to the Family and Andrea. He missed them terribly already, and the feeling of loss settled in his chest as a physical ache. He continued to struggle with his decision, even though it was now too late to change anything. Was it right? Did I do the right thing? He asked himself again and again, but there was no one to answer.
Colonel Tashus came up beside him. She stood silently, gazing out at the planet and stars.
After another moment of silence, Damon said in close to a whisper, “I really can’t believe how stupid I’ve been.”
“Not stupid,” she replied, “just uninformed. You had no way of knowing the truth.”
Damon noticed that they were moving away from the planet, and the view changed all around him.
“Let’s take a walk, Demon, everything outside will just be black once we hit the tunnel.”
“Can I ask you some more questions?”
She laughed and put her hand on his back, directing him out of the room. “I don’t think I can take any more questions, but I will introduce you to the ship’s library.”
Colonel Tashus led him to a large common room filled with chairs, tables, and various types of game tables. Currently, the room was nearly empty, but Damon had seen it nearly filled with crew members previously.
“Where is everyone?” he wondered out loud.
“Well, right now, by ship’s time, it’s the middle of a shift, so people are either at their stations on duty, or they’re sleeping. It will get busier in a couple more hours when we get closer to shift-change.”
She sat him down in a comfortable chair and handed him a clear plastic screen. “Have you seen one of these?” she asked.
