Tales of the Vuduri_Year Five

by Michael Brachman

  “What did I say?” Rome asked, confused.

  “You told me that Project Darwin was a success. You said that while it was survival of the fittest, it just wasn’t the group I imagined.”

  He looked up and held out his hand. Virga came over and took it and sat down on the arm of the chair. “It wasn’t until I got here and met these beautiful, beautiful people…”

  Virga blushed slightly.

  “…that I realized you were right. The Vuduri really are our children. They are the descendents of the survivors of the Great Dying. Our people really do live on in their souls. Once I understood that, I gave up the fight and decided to live. Virga, here, took me in. And I couldn’t be happier. I have a beautiful little boy now and another one on the way.” He patted Virga’s tummy.

  He leaned forward. “I let go.”

  Every one of my stories is about redemption, Rome’s Evolution is no exception. Captain Keller was able to get over his grief and his anger and come to grips with reality. He finally became a normal person and even found a measure of happiness in that normalcy.

  Entry 5-146: May 26, 2017

  Darwinian Redemption

  Yesterday, Captain Keller finally came clean about his motivation for joining the Darwin Project in the beginning. And he explained his reasoning for abandoning that loyalty. He was completely sincere and his Vuduri family and partner, Virga, was living proof of this. So Captain Keller's new life truly represented the end of the Darwin Project. The would-be assassins on Deucado could not have known this. Their motivation was the principles of an organization that was not dead.

  But what of the other members of Darwin, those on Helome? Rome wanted to know:

  Keller leaned forward. “I let go.”

  Rei was speechless. He reached over and took Rome’s hand. Finally, he found his voice. “Do all of you feel this way?” he asked.

  “Most,” Keller said. “But just in case…” He held up his wrist. There was a Vuduri tracking bracelet attached. “I told them not to trust us completely. This is just in case one of our group decides to try something stupid.”

  Virga stroked his cheek with her hand. “It is not too oppressive, is it, Maury?”

  “Hell no,” Maury laughed. “I kind of like the idea of being a kept man. It’s for all our protection.” He looked around for his little boy but did not see him. “The next generation, they’ll be free to come and go. It’ll be fine.”

  “So what it is you do around here?” Rei asked.

  “I have my woodworking shop. Most of us have found gainful employment. We’re building a new world. This one. It’s enough.”

  Rome scooted forward a bit. “You said most of your people are this way. But not all?”

  “No,” Keller said. “There are some left who still harbor a deep resentment. But they are very few. We keep them off to themselves. Not exactly a prison. Call it a compound. The Vuduri have to make sure they don’t get loose.” He became silent and stared at Rei and Rome for a bit. “So what brings you folks here, anyway?”

  Rome leaned forward. “Somebody tried to kill Rei with a bomb. We believe it is one of your remaining people who are still back on Deucado.”

  Keller sat back in his chair and frowned. He covered his eyes with his hand and drew it downward then he sighed. “I suppose it’s possible,” he said. “There’s no way they could know what’s going on here. I suppose they’re still keeping up the fight.”

  Rei stood up and reached into his pocket. He drew out two sheets of paper and held them out for Keller.

  “What’s this?” Keller asked, taking the papers.

  “It’s the crew roster for the Darwin Project. I need to know which of these people never made it to Helome. They are the ones we’re looking for.”

  Keller nodded and looked over the list. He flipped from one page to the other than back again.

  It certainly seems like Captain Keller will provide them with the information they need. Could it be that simple?

  Entry 5-147: May 27, 2017

  Bonnie and Steele

  Yesterday, Captain Keller agreed to look over the roster for Darwin Project members and help Rome and Rei identify which cult participants escaped the dragnet. Identifying the two missing people was critical in our heroes nailing down the identity of the would-be assassins still running around loose back on Deucado. Rei had just handed Captain Keller hard-copy, a two-page list of people they identified as members of the Darwin Project. This was Captain Keller's response:

  “I know one of them,” he said, finally. “Dan Steele. He’s got to be back on Deucado. He never got caught. He’d definitely be up to the job. I mean, he’s a natural born killer. He wouldn’t know how to do much else.”

  “And the other?” Rome asked desperately. “Do you know?”

  Keller flipped through the sheets again. “No,” he said finally. “There are over a hundred of us here. I don’t know every one of them.”

  “Is there anyone who does?” Rome posed forcefully. “Is there someone who could tell us who is the other missing person?”

  “Let me think,” Keller replied. He nodded his head. “Yeah, there’s one,” he said. “Bonnie Mullen. She knows every one of us here. She compiled the original list for Virga when we first arrived. She can tell you.”

  “Bonnie,” Rei whispered. He looked up at Virga. “Can you take us to her?”

  “Of course,” Virga replied, rising up. She looked down at Keller. “You’ll wait here?”

  “Sure,” said Keller. “My varnish is dry by now. I’m ready to do the next coat.”

  Virga nodded. “Very well. Rei, Rome, I will take you to see her but we should probably take your starship.”

  “Why?” Rome asked.

  “She is one of the very few Essessoni we have allowed to roam outside of the territory. She is currently situated rather far inland.” Virga put her hand up to her temple and after a moment, nodded. “Gemen, her companion, says she will receive you.”

  “Gemen, not Edgar?” Rei asked.

  “No. Her former husband is one of the detainees who will not renounce their violent ways. He and Bonnie are no longer together.”

  “Huh,” Rei observed. He stood up as did Rome. Keller joined them. He held out his hand.

  “Bierak, you’ve always been a mystery to me but I’ve come to truly respect you and your wife. I hope you find out who it is and stop them. I mean that. You and your little lady deserve nothing less. You’re both heroes to all mankind. Vuduri and mandasurte alike.”

  Rei shook his hand. “Thank you, sir,” Rei said. “That means a lot to me.”

  “Virga will take care of you. She’s really good at what she does.”

  Virga smiled. She kissed Keller on the cheek and then led the way out.

  So Bonnie is back. You didn't think I'd leave her banished to Helome and not take the opportunity to see what became of her? Not a chance. We'll see what Bonnie is up to. And know that because this book is all about redemption, she will get her opportunity as well. And yes, don't ignore the subtlety. Bonnie and her "companion" Gemen are lovers even though the Vuduri would deny such a term even exists.

  Entry 5-148: May 28, 2017

  Solving a genetic mystery 1

  Yesterday, Virga agreed to accompany Rome and Rei to the interior of the continent to seek counsel with Bonnie Mullen. You will remember Bonnie from The Ark Lords. She tried, very poorly, to seduce Rei because she was tired of her assigned husband, Edgar.

  Virga, the leader of the Vuduri on Helome led Rome and Rei to a waiting flying cart and they headed back the way they came toward the north, passing through the fence and on to the open road.

  Along the way, Rei, who was sitting in the front seat with Virga, asked, “Where is this place we’re going?”

  Virga answered but kept her eyes straight-forward. “I suppose you could call it a farm or perhaps ranch,” she said. “It was the place where we took the children who were born Onsira to be raised.”

  �
��You segregated them?” Rome asked from the back seat.

  “Yes,” Virga said. “We could not bring ourselves to eradicate them but we feared having them grow up alongside us. This was the compromise the Overmind decided upon. It was our hope that our new breeding program would eliminate the need for such measures in the future.”

  “From what I can tell, the Onsiras are just worm-brains,” Rei said. “Without MASAL, they’re lost. Or at least irrelevant. Still, it’s your plan. From what you’ve seen so far, would you call the breeding program a success to this point?” Rei asked. “I did as you requested. I sent you the most primitive Essessoni I could find.”

  “Yes, you did,” Virga said with a strange tone. They arrived at the small landing field where MINIMCOM was still parked on the taxiway. Virga pulled the cart out around back, past the low lying buildings next to the runway and down a narrow road to the tallest building in the cluster. She pulled up in front of the main door then she turned to Rei. “To the degree we originally imagined, it was a success. More than you realize. The very salvation of all Vuduri, even pure-bred, may lie there.”

  “What do you mean?” Rei asked. “I thought the plan was to produce mosdureces.”

  “It was but now we think there may be something better,” Virga said mysteriously. “That is a science hall,” Virga announced, pointing to the building on their right. “Would you find it a burden if we stopped in here for just a moment? I will present to you a rather perplexing mystery and it is possible that you may be able to help us clear it up.”

  Rei looked at Rome who shrugged. “OK,” Rei said. “As long as it doesn’t take too much time.”

  “It will not,” Virga replied.

  A mystery, huh? Rome and Rei's genetic adventures are about to be revealed. But this is OK. You'll see.

  Entry 5-149: May 29, 2017

  Solving a genetic mystery 2

  Yesterday, Virga, the leader of the Vuduri on Helome was on her way to take Rome and Rei to see Bonnie Mullen when she stopped at a science lab. She asked Rome and Rei if they might be able to help her clear up a mystery. Our heroes agreed as long as it did not take too much time:

  Virga led them through the front entrance and up one flight of stairs until they came to a large room, set up somewhat like a classroom but with a variety of scientific equipment along the far wall. There was a long table in the front. Virga indicated the seats on the near side. Rei and Rome sat down. Virga closed her eyes and a projector, hidden in the ceiling, lit up the front wall and displayed a map of the human genome. Rei quickly counted 22 pairs of chromosomes plus one X and one Y chromosome; 23 chromosome pairs in all.

  “This is the chromosomal layout of a normal 23-chromosome male mandasurte,” Virga said. She blinked and all but the X and Y chromosomes disappeared. They nestled themselves in the upper left hand corner of the screen. Below them, a second partial map appeared. This one had two X chromosomes plus two additional pairs of chromosomes to the right of the double Xs.

  “This is a normal, full-blooded, Vuduri female with 24 pairs of chromosomes. In fact, this is me.” She turned to face Rome. “As you are aware, the 24th chromosome does not split during meiosis. Propagation of the 24th chromosome is mitotic so a normal Vuduri couple would each require a diploid complement to produce full-blooded children.”

  Virga turned back to the screen. This time, the additional chromosomes slid to the upper right hand corner of the screen and another map appeared. This one had extra pair of chromosomes, even shorter and stubbier than the Y chromosome lined up to the right.

  “20% of the Essessoni that you sent us have the exact genetic complement we expected. They are identical in every way to a 23-chromosome mandasurte. But the other 80% have this extra chromosome pair, a portion of which is reminiscent of our 24th, but they are not DNA in the truest sense. They are a form of peptide nucleic acid and they do not have telomeres on one end. They are quite odd. We call them the 25th chromosome for lack of a better name.”

  “Uh,” Rei started to speak. Rome interrupted him.

  “What is the significance of this?” Rome asked.

  “The significance is this: this genetic material, this extra pair, would prevent the expression of the Onsira phenotype, even in a full-blooded diploid Vuduri. If we could figure out a way to introduce it to the Vuduri population in general, no Onsira would ever be born again. Mosdurece or not.”

  “If this is the case, why have you not done so already?” Rome asked.

  “We have tried,” Virga said, sighing. The projector shut off. “However, we cannot keep the genetic material from disintegrating outside of the cell wall. In other words, we cannot figure out a delivery system.”

  So how did it get there in the first place? Rei certainly knows the answer. I guess it is time to come clean.

  Entry 5-150: May 30, 2017

  StoreDot's Insta-charge Battery 1

  Electric vehicles (EVs) have been around for a long time. Conspiracy theorists have long postulated that Big Oil had a hand in suppressing their acceptance. That is all changing. The market is demanding EVs. The Sun can potentially deliver all the fuel we'll ever need, for free, without generating one cubic centimeter of greenhouse gas. So not only would they be economical but also environmentally friendly. Right now, driving a Tesla is quite the status symbol. However, there are two major issues that still need to be solved before EVs become the norm rather than the cool exception.

  Range Anxiety

  One of the biggest hurdles (other than cost) preventing EVs from gaining wide acceptance is so-called Range Anxiety, i.e. fear of running out of power. Charging stations are not ubiquitous yet and if you are somewhere out in the desert and run out of juice, you have no recourse but to call a tow truck. When Chevrolet introduce the Chevy Volt, I was really excited because here was a pure EV but with a small, efficient battery charger in the trunk, powered by gasoline. So you could travel 50 miles or so on pure electric but if the battery is getting low, the charger kicks in and you have another 400 miles or so to find a gas station or charge up. Chevy was so encouraged by this that they came out with a pure electric vehicle, the Chevy Bolt, which can go 238 miles on a single charge. That should be enough to set your mind at ease for day-to-day driving. Tesla's Model S is about the same, it can go 265 miles on a single charge. The Nissan Leaf is only rated about 107 miles. But as long as you are aware and only drive locally, it shouldn't be a problem. Even if you are driving long distance, you need to plan for charging stops but it can be done. However, this leads to the second problem.

  Charging Time

  The other flaw with EVs is the time to recharge the batteries. If you go home and plug your EV into a regular 120 volt charger, it could take 12 hours or more to recharge fully. This is significantly reduced if you install a 240 volt charger in your home. It cuts charging time down to about 6 - 8 hours. Tesla has built (and is building more) supercharger stations that can boost your car back to 80% full charge in about 20 minutes. Great for range anxiety but not good for impatient people. Right now these stations are limited to recharging Teslas but that may change in the future. Also, some communities are putting in parking for EVs and you can purchase a recharge there. But wouldn't it be nice if you just cruise in somewhere, top off your "tank" and be on your way in a jiffy? If only...

  StoreDot's New Battery

  Both the range anxiety and charging time problems may have a solution coming very soon. An Israeli company called StoreDot has come up with a new type of battery that can go from zero to full charge in about 5 minutes. This just happens to be exactly how long it takes to fill up your car with gasoline. So pulling into a supercharger station in a vehicle equipped with StoreDot batteries would be very similar to pulling into a gas station.

  How does StoreDot do it? How did they achieve this breakthrough? I'll give you the nitty-gritty tomorrow. And by the way, if you have an iPhone, this should be of interest to you, too!

  Entry 5-151: May 31, 2017

  StoreDot's
Insta-charge Battery 2

  Yesterday, I introduced you to a company called StoreDot which has invented a new type of battery that can be fully charged in 5 minutes. You can actually order one of these batteries now by going to the StoreDot web site and select their iPhone case which takes only 5 minutes to fully charge and gives your phone up to 8 hours more run time. It looks like this:

  But I want to get back to electric vehicles (EVs) and the implications of StoreDot's new technology. As I mentioned yesterday, even though Tesla makes awesome vehicles (the Model 3 is expected this year), they still take too long to fully charge, even with supercharger stations. I don't know if StoreDot's nanotechnology-based organic batteries would work inside a Tesla but it certainly proves that it can be done. Since the battery is not lithium-based, it should be much safer, i.e. not flammable with a much higher combustion temp. The company believes they may be able to place these new batteries in EVs within three years. Definitely something to look for.

  If you want to read an in-depth article, you can go here. Here is a synopsis: StoreDot is an Israeli startup whose core technology is fast-charging batteries. In 2015, they announced that they were developing a model for EVs. They claim that even without significant new technological breakthroughs, their new EV battery can reach a full charge within only five minutes and can keep a car running for 300 miles. They staged a technology demo at the CUBE Tech Fair in Berlin. The presenters didn't exactly have the chance to show the battery get to 100 percent but it was close enough. You can see the video by Gruendermetropole on YouTube along with promotional videos made by StoreDot themselves.