Joe thought about it and the smile dropped suddenly from his face.
^^^^
Washington, DC
George made a cringing face as he walked down the corridor of the main zoological studies building in the former Washington, DC zoo. He blew outward, loudly and annoyingly, casting the smell of urine and animal from his nostrils.
Jeremy was more prepared. It had been a place he had been to many times, once or twice a week since everything really got underway seven months earlier. He carried a handkerchief under his nose.
George griped. Both verbally, facially, and in body noise. “Listen to this. Smell this. Uh.” His hand covered his mouth. “This is why I only come here once a month. Awful animals.”
The loud grunting, hooting, and bellowing noises carried to them.
“Sir.” Jeremy held his handkerchief to George.
“I think I will . . .” Just as George grabbed the handkerchief, he was nearly pummeled by a running man in his twenties, spinning George counter clockwise.
“Sorry sir.” The young man, thin and tall, yelled out as he barreled into the last door in the hallway.
“What the hell was that about?” George held out his hand, pointing to the young man. “What he just did is probably why he’s working in the zoo.”
“Probably,” Jeremy said.
The main lab was large with a wall of glass windows that extended twenty feet at the far end. The young man, who ran passed George, slammed the door as he raced in. “Dr. Stevenson.”
Dr. Stevenson was older, perhaps about seventy. He was stout and wore a long white lab coat that buttoned too tightly over his large stomach. “Harold, what’s the rush.”
Harold wheezed as he caught his breath. “Pres . . . Pres . . . President Hadley is walking down the hall. I jumped ahead of him to warn you.”
Dr. Stevenson’s white eyebrow raised in irritation. “What’s he doing here? Can’t he just stay where he belongs without coming in here wanting to know about our research? The man acts as if he knows what the hell I’m talking about, but I can . . .” During his gripe, Dr. Stevenson smiled. “President Hadley, sir.” He walked with a grin and an extended hand to George. “What brings you to our little world?”
“How can you take this smell?” George bitched. “Can’t you bathe them or something?”
“We do,” Dr. Stevenson explained, “but they have bodily functions they can’t control.”
“Oh bull shit.” George walked to the window. “There’s one of them in Beginnings and I hear he uses the toilet.” He peered down to the area below. It set about fifteen feet under the window. On a concrete floor, half eaten toys were spewed about everywhere. Dried blood and rabbit fur joined them. Running about on their hands and knees were at least fifteen genetically altered children, nicknamed the Ogres. They are the laborers and the army of the future, built to withstand the elements. The pudgy, square like, naked boys and girls, whose external sex organs could barely be distinguished, ran amuck in the large room. They made animal noises, snorting as they played violently, biting the leather like skin of each other causing loud squeals. They appeared to be around one year old, but, at the accelerated growth rate of six times the norm, they were merely two months in age.
Dr. Stevenson joined George at the window. “As you can see, we haven’t the care takers to help them. Most of the caretakers we have are with the second batch of fifty.”
“What if I get you more caretakers?” George asked. “I have the people.”
“Maybe for the next batch, but these are too far gone. These are gonna have to be released into the wild or killed. We have to place the food in the room and, well, run.”
George did not look pleased. “What the hell happened to them? They have brains. Couldn’t they be trained? They’re supposed to be trainable.”
“Yes I know,” Dr. Stevenson said, “but we discussed this. The accelerated formula used in the enhancement of their embryos was old. It could have had some effect. That’s why we only did fifteen. We’ve recreated it with what we had now. The gene splicing and such was the easy part with them.”
“But not for the mentally superior, I mean the Gems?”
“No sir.” Dr. Stevenson shook his head. “In those splicings, the accelerator causes the fetus to abort or become an abomination.”
“Where are those?” George asked.
“Floor ‘C’,” Dr. Stevenson answered. “We only have ten now, same age and same size as these ones but worse in appearance and behavior.” Dr. Stevenson looked out the window. He watched one ogre toss another across the room. That ogre got up and dove at his attacker. A battle erupted. “This is what we can achieve down here. The Norms, we haven’t tried to even accelerate those embryos. We’ve just let nature take its course on those.”
“Any idea when they will be born?”
“All twenty should be born within two months. Mothers are doing well. We’ve impregnated thirty-five more two weeks ago. It looks like all have taken but two.”
“Do you have enough caretakers for the Norms?”
George inquired.
“Yes, cyborg-genetics have enhanced the elderly women we have to serve as those caretakers.”
“But as far as the Gems, no such luck yet?” George watched Dr. Stevenson shake his head. “Damn it. Do you realize how many of the mentally superior embryos are in Beginnings? Of course they’ll say they destroyed them, but I know better. I have to get my hands on those. Those beings are the minds of the futures. These things . . .” George hit his hand against the glass. “These things right now are a waste of our resources.”
Dr. Stevenson nodded in agreement. “Shall I have them destroyed?”
“Yes.” George began to walk away but stopped. “How long do you suppose they need until they can be sent into ‘the wild’ as you put it?”
“They can be put into the wild now. But another month would be best if you wanted them to survive.”
George smiled. “Then hold on to them another month. We’re gonna ship them out.”
“Far, I hope,” Dr. Stevenson said. “They can be dangerous.”
“Pretty far. I think we’ll leave them out by Beginnings.” George chuckled and started to the door again. “Let’s go Jeremy. I want to check on the hibernators.”
Jeremy stayed calm, the way he always did. He walked with George.
“Sir,” Dr. Stevenson called out. “They run close to fifty miles per hour. We haven’t tried to catch them before. It could pose a problem.”
George shrugged. “I guess you should use this month to work that out.” He walked out.
When the door closed Dr. Stevenson look to Harold who just sat in the corner. “And people wonder why I hate him. One of these days I’m going to Beginnings and help them create an army to kick his ass.”
George and Jeremy went in a totally different building on the zoo property. They rode the elevator down to the sub-basement floor. It took them down and opened into a silent hall way. Long and clinical, it was lit by blue lights. A calming effect was the explanation for the lights. The long corridor was lined with glass windows as far as the hall extended. It was eerily quiet with the only noises being the click of computer keyboards and shuffling of papers by the four observer workers who were in the hall.
George and Jeremy walked down, stopping at the first window and looking in.
Jeremy leaned to George whispering, “They are rotating them more now. They found it helps the circulation.”
George nodded. “It’s good to see one phase of the work is going smoothly.”
“Very much so, sir.”
George smiled and placed his hands behind his back and watched through the window into a whole other room.
At the same time, shifted by the metal rods that suspended them, they all tilted forward. Inside the room were twenty five women. They were naked and their stomachs were round from the growing embryos implanted in them. Wires monitoring their vitals sign were attached not only to the
ir chests, but their shaved heads. Some had their eyes open, some did not, but they all held the same emotionless expression, lifeless, and blank. The only movements that they made were the occasional twitching of their fingers and toes and whatever shifting of their bodies that the society scientists deemed necessary.
Pleased at the hibernators, or what those who worked closely with them called farmers, George and Jeremy moved down the hall to the next window to observe the next group of women.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Beginnings, Montana
The carpet that spread from throughout the living room, dining room, hallway, and bedrooms was a sliver-gray, new and perfect. The walls were a shade off white with a blue print wallpaper border that trailed around the living room-dining room combo. It looked smaller on the outside than it did when Dean stepped inside his new home with Danny. They walked into the living room, complete with the model home furnishings that were there when the home was on display.
“Dean?” Danny snapped his finger in front of Dean’s face.
Dean jolted. “Sorry, this is . . . this is beautiful.”
“We beat the furniture, but still . . .” Danny hit the sofa a puff of dust came up. “You’ll have to vacuum it.”
“Not a problem.” Dean walked across the large living room. A long dining room table with six chairs was to the left. A small three foot wall separated the rooms and a breakfast counter was the separation to the kitchen.
“Check out this kitchen.” Danny walked by him. “Look at all these cabinets and accessories. Man, when they were selling these things, they decked them out.”
Dean walked in the kitchen.
“Laundry room.” Danny pointed to the set of double white wooden doors at the one end. “And…“ Danny pointed to the small other door. “Office maybe since it’s a tiny room.” Danny opened the door. “There’s a desk in here. The furniture might be a little scratched. It got shuffled around in the move.”
“So what?” Dean spoke in awe. “This is great. Are the bedrooms just as nice?”
“Yeah, but they need furnishings. We had to leave some things behind. But . . . you have that stuff.” Danny moved from the kitchen. “Nothing is hooked up. We’ve been busy today bringing in the other two homes. I know I said tomorrow, but Saturday at the latest for electric and plumbing, I promise, Dean, We had to dig under the foundation to run the pipes that were pre laid out. It took some adjusting for the new house.”
“I understand. I can bring some boxes over though?”
“Absolutely.” Danny nodded.
“Ellen’s going to love this. She is absolutely going to love this.” Dean kept looking around. “She has this box with knickknacks in it that she never put up because there wasn’t any room. I’ll open it and put them in that cabinet.” Dean indicated to the cabinet in the corner of the dining area.
Danny snickered. “That used to have a door with glass. We broke it so I took off the door.”
“I can’t figure out what part of this Ellen is going to love the most.”
“The bathroom,” Danny stated.
“Why the bathroom?”
“I’m sorry, the powder room. There’s a half bathroom in the master bedroom with sink, toilet, and shower. I think because she’s a woman, she’ll love that closeness. From what I’ve seen at containment, she’s a last minute Nelly”
Dean laughed. “O.K. So, what’s the favor? What do you want?”
“Um . . . I don’t know yet. I’ll get back to you because I know you’re good for it.”
“You do that.” Dean looked at his watch. “I’d better be going. I have a checkup with Marcus.”
“Since when did he become the doctor?”
“What?” Dean was confused.
“Humor Dean. Ha-ha-ha. Get it?”
“Yes.” Dean shook his head with a smile. “I have to go.” He walked to the door and stopped as he opened it. “Danny, thank you. Thank you very much.”
“Don’t thank me yet, Dean. I haven’t stated my favor.”
The smile fell from Dean. “Uh-oh.”
“Kidding.” Danny waved his hand at Dean.
“Good.” Dean walked out.
“Maybe.” Danny placed his hands in his pockets and looked around the house. “Man, I have to figure out how I can persuade Joe into letting me get one of these for myself.”
^^^^
Joe and Reverend Bob walked across center town heading toward the chapel.
“Joe, I figured it would be perfect timing,” Rev. Bob said, “fixing the air conditioner when it’s not needed, easy job. The warm weather’s breaking. So after I check to see what’s taking Henry so long, I go back into my office and my old radio is in a million pieces, scattered around and Henry’s on the floor.”
“I’ll talk to him.”
“He needs it. He looks down. Perhaps it’s Ellen.”
“It might be.” Joe neared the chapel.
“While I have you, on a very serious note, I need to speak to you about something.”
“Sure,” Joe said as they walked.
“I want to have a memorial service for Frank.”
“For Frank?” Joe asked. It was something he didn’t want to hear or plan.
“Yes. I was very sorry to hear The Society had shot and killed him so I thought . . .”
Joe stopped walking.
“Something wrong?”
“No.” Joe spoke slowly. “Go on. You were saying?”
“I was just saying that we as a community should offer a service to him. Seeing how you’re a church going man, I figured it’s something you’d want.”
Joe hesitated in his answering. “I . . . I’m not ready for that.”
Rev. Bob laid his hand on Joe’s shoulder. “I understand. I know it may be too soon, but no matter what, he needs our prayers.”
Joe reached for the door of the chapel. “You’re right, Reverend. He does need our prayers. When Ellen feels better, we’ll have it, but not until then.”
Reverend Bob nodded. “I understand.”
“I better go see Henry.” Joe walked into the silent chapel, up the small aisle, and to the back where a door led to Reverend Bob’s office. As described to him, there was Henry sitting on the floor with every piece of the radio surrounding him. “Henry.”
“Hey Joe.” Henry kept his eyes on the shell of the radio.
“What are you doing?”
“Fixing this.”
“Was it broke?”
“I don’t think.”
“So why are you fixing it?”
“I needed to do something intricate. It helps ease my mind.”
“There are other things in Beginnings that need fixed.”
“Yeah I know.” Henry placed a piece of the radio back. “But this was just here and well . . . I started.”
Joe grunted as he sat with Henry on the floor. “What’s on your mind?”
“I think you know.”
“Is it about our little suspect meting.”
For the first time, Henry raised his eyes to Joe.
“All right,” Joe stayed firm. “Get over it.”
“I can’t. It’s not fair Joe. I love Beginnings. I’d die for Beginnings. I would never betray my home. This means more to me than a place to live. I helped start this place. I was here from day one.”
“I know this.”
Henry dropped his screwdriver. “So how can you even entertain the thought that I am working with George?”
“I don’t.”
“But I’m a suspect.”
“No you aren’t Henry. We aren’t keeping you on the list, all right?”
“Really?” Henry asked as if he were nine.
“Really.”
“Oh!” Henry gasped outward. “Oh.” He grabbed his chest. “Thanks Joe.” He leaned over and kissed Joe on the cheek. “Thanks.”
Joe laughed at him. “Can I tell you something?”
“Sure Joe.”
“We love you, Henry,
and we trust you. We know you well and that’s why you aren’t a suspect. But son, had this been the old world and I was working with the CIA on this, you’d probably be the number one suspect.”
“Yeah I know. That’s what bothering me, Joe. If I didn’t trust myself or know myself, after what Robbie said, I’d be my number one suspect too.”
Joe snickered and rubbed Henry’s hair. “Why don’t you walk over and see my daughter. Maybe bitch to her so she can get out of this thing and yell at you.”
“O.K.,” Henry said excitedly and stood up. “See ya.”
“Henry,” Joe grunted as he stood, “what about the radio?”
“Oh.” Henry hurried over, scooped up all the parts quickly, shoved them inside of the shelled out object, placed on the back, and secured it with a screw. “Done.” He put the radio on Reverend Bob’s desk again.
“I guess that will work.” Joe waited for Henry and together they walked out.
^^^^
As if it wasn’t her normal look, Bev appeared like she were up to something as she walked slowly down the corridor of the clinic. She waved and smiled flirtatiously at Patrick as he sat at the nurse’s desk. Then Bev peeked into Ellen’s room, saw no one was there, and entered. She pulled up a chair close to Ellen’s head and sat down. “So Ellen” Bev spoke chipper “need a visitor?”
Jenny swished and swayed as she neared the front doors of the clinic, carrying flowers in one hand, and a huge book in the other. She smiled at everyone she passed on her way in and those who were in the hall. She stopped at the lab and saw Johnny. “Hey Johnny, where’s Dean?”
“In exam room three with Marcus. Why?”
“I want to ask him something. Can I bother him?”
“I don’t know.” Johnny turned around. “What do you want to ask him?”
The Big Ten: The First Ten Books of the Beginnings Series Page 367
