The Genetic Lottery: (A Futuristic Thriller) (EGALIA Book 1)

by Allison Goh

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  In Orion Wan’s home office, two men huddled together in deep discussion.

  “This business is really getting out of hand Bill,” Orion said. “I’m worried, no, really worried, about my company,”

  “Who do you think is behind this?”

  Billion shook his head, “I don’t know Ori, it can’t possibly be one of us can it? No one stands to gain anything!”

  “I agree… Who would stand to gain from all this?” Orion said.

  After a moment’s pause, Orion continued, “You know what, I bet it’s that Etak guy, don’t you think his Infinity Chip came by at just the right moment? It’s uncanny! And the public is just lapping it up!” Orion’s voice rose in indignation.

  Billion took a moment to consider this and said, “That is a definite possibility. And you know what, I’ve had people looking into him and he has been targeting Alpha5’s shares, your shares in particular, though he has been very discrete about this. I’m not sure how far he is going with this…”

  Orion’s eyes widened as he looked at his friend in surprise, “Why, that must be it! That must be his plan all along, to take over my company. Especially after the merger with Nutrienas… everyone is eyeing us, trying to get a piece. It’s no wonder he is trying to sink his claws into the company. I won’t let him get away with this. I won’t. OrionWan is MY sweat blood and tears. I won’t go out without a fight.”

  Billion said, “Don’t worry Ori, we will stop him, there are plenty of resources we haven’t tapped into yet and the company is a long way from failing.”

  Orion nodded. Orion hardly saw Etak Inc. as a legitimate threat. He had far too much confidence in his years as CEO/owner of the largest and most powerful conglomerate in Egalia. Moreover, with the CEOs of Alpha5 tight-knit bond as not only friends but also conspirators in the secret of their genetically selected children, no company had come even close to threatening their positions in the city in the past two decades.

  Thinking for awhile, Billion spoke up again, “But we must be careful Ori, the public is out for blood right now, a lot of our activities are being investigated and they are digging deep.”

  He paused, lowering his voice to a whisper, “She’s safe right? We must keep that under wraps… Nobody can find out…”

  Orion looked sharply at Billion, “Of course Bill. That is always our first priority. Don’t worry, the shell company is well funded and very much hidden, no one will discover it.”

  With an awkward pause, Orion continued, “Especially after your son … we changed the entire structure, it’s very secure now, triple layer protection, I guarantee it.”

  Billion’s eyes turned stormy at the mention of his son, he swallowed and said, “I trust you Ori, I trust you…”

  After Billion Molten left to return home, Orion called his son into the meeting room. He begun immediately, “Ren, Bill and I have been discussing matters and it seems most likely to us that Alex Etak is behind this entire fiasco. Bill has discovered that he has been buying up our shares and that seems to be his end game. He wants our company. For now, he doesn’t know we are on to him so we can use that element of surprise. We need to find out how he got the information about the gene selection,”

  “I’m thinking there may be a mole within us or the company. We need to know who is giving him information. Not only that, we need to think long-term. We need to get some leverage. We need to regain the upper hand before he makes his move. This is important son. We need to keep OrionWan at all costs.” Orion squeezed his son’s shoulder, trusting in his son to get things done.

  Ren nodded and said, “Yes dad. Leave it to me.” Ren was not surprised. Alex Etak had been one of the primary suspects on his list. He just couldn’t figure out the link between him and Alpha5’s inner circle. With the new information from Billion, he now knew that Alex’s motive seemed to be largely commercial. This was probably an act of commercial espionage, to ruin the company’s image and take advantage of that particular low point to build his own brand up. He had to admit, it was an ingenious plan.

  But everything else was a mystery. From what he had gathered so far, which was not much, Alex Etak seemed to be a bit of a ghost. He emerged on the business scene a mere 3 years ago with his company, starting with investments in the biotech field.

  But his father was right, if Alex Etak was behind the leak, how did he get this information or perhaps who gave it to him? It seemed much more than mere coincidence that the Infinity Chip would be released at such an opportune moment, although he could have just been bidding his time and struck a lucky break.

  But what of the investment into rival products of Nutrienas? That was made very public while the investments into biotechnology were suppressed until right before the Infinity Chip was released. Before that, the public only knew of Etak Inc. as a foodstuff and real estate company. Then overnight, they were in possession of a brand new, cutting-edge technology and their real estate in the city were rapidly turned into Infinity Clinics. It all seemed too coincidental and strategic. Ren just had to find the missing link to Alpha5, and he knew he had to do it fast.

  Chapter 8: Burying Your Head in the Sand

  The scheduled appointment with Lyxa to install the Infinity Chip had finally arrived. Wringing his hands, Brian paced about the patient room nervously. He didn’t know what to do. With additional information he had gained from his parents’ office at Etak Inc., Brian felt with increasing certainty that the Infinity Chip was harmful to humans. Putting all the research and data he had gathered so far together, they strongly suggested that Clyxint while being able to severely reduce pain and boost energy levels, suppressed human emotions and perhaps even independent thought. However, he had little information on the 1st generation microchip that formed the basis of the Infinity Chip’s abilities to enhance brain power.

  Brian was torn about his findings. Were his parents really guilty of putting something out there that had known side effects? Was Etak Inc. aware? Could he be wrong? Was he ok with letting this slide given the hundreds of people who had already had their Infinity Chips installed and the thousands more waiting in line to get theirs?

  Now that he possessed all these new information about the Infinity Chip, he knew he couldn’t possibly install the Infinity Chip for Lyxa in good conscience, but how would he convince Lyxa? How would he explain all that he knew? Was he ready to share this information? Information that would potentially peg his parents as criminals?

  Brian ran through the options in his mind. The easiest would be to tell a white lie, something wrong with the tests, something he had to redo. But he could only stall for so long. He even considered installing a placebo but decided against it. He would be found out pretty quickly, especially with the sleep effect that the Chip guaranteed.

  Did he trust Lyxa enough with the truth? After all, the strongest proponent of the Chip was her father. With that thought, Brian stopped his pacing with a start. Oh no! Mayor Wayne already had the Chip installed! Should I warn him? Should I tell Lyxa? What am I going to do? Brian’s pacing around the room got even faster as unforeseen problems piled up in his head.

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  Lyxa entered the clinic with a dampened mood. She wasn’t particularly excited about getting the Infinity Chip. Her father hasn’t spoken to her all week except this morning when she mentioned her appointment. He showed some enthusiasm before getting interrupted with a business call and immediately turning back to work.

  Although she wasn’t feeling her best, Lyxa cheered up when she saw Brian as she walked into the room. She greeted him with a warm smile and said, “Hi! How are you?”

  Brian looked up, his troubled mind momentarily cleared by Lyxa’s bright voice. Despite his anxiety, he couldn’t help but to smile. He noticed Lyxa’s hair today was a deep burgundy instead. “Your hair, it’s changed…” he said.

  Lyxa smiled, surprised he noticed, “Yeah. I change it pretty often. It’s the only childish vanity I allow myself these days.”
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  “So how were my tests? Everything ok?”

  Brian said, “Yes, yes they were great… uhm actually no…”

  Brian paused, thinking how he should delay this operation, “uhm, you might need a few more checks…”

  Lyxa frowned, “What? My father told me his was done within a week, is there something wrong with me?”

  Brian panicked, thinking about how he would resolve this. Maybe he should just come clean? Not quite meeting her eye, Brian said, “Look Lyxa, there is nothing wrong with you. I… I…”

  Lyxa noticed Brian’s pale face and trembling hands. Wow, this must be something serious. What on earth got Brian so serious?

  Without breaking eye contact, hoping to reassure him, Lyxa said, “Brian, you can trust me. Please tell me what’s wrong. I can handle it.”

  Brian felt torn. He didn’t know if he should or could share what he knew. The information he had while real and deeply troubling was still lacking especially as the Infinity Chip was definitely much more than just the use of Clyxint. But with the fact that if he didn’t come clean he would have to install it for Lyxa today putting immense pressure of Brian, Brian felt like he had been backed into a corner with no options. After mulling over his decision for a little while longer, Brian decided he couldn’t keep this to himself any longer.

  Lyxa listened in silence, her fingers intertwined as Brian explained his misgivings about the Infinity Chip. He told her about what he discovered from his parents’ research and what that could suggest about the feasibility of the Infinity Chip. At the same time, Brian made it clear that his findings were far from definite, and that much more research needed to be done about the long-term viability of the Infinity Chip. He couldn’t shake off the guilt of doubting his parents’ own invention and he didn’t want to make any claims he wasn’t able to fully substantiate.

  Before Lyxa could react, Brian said, “I know this is all very shocking and I know you may not believe me. I don’t even know if all this means anything for sure…I just wanted to be fair to you… I couldn’t install the Infinity Chip while I had all these reservations…” his voice trailed off.

  Lyxa thought about her father’s distant behaviour this past week and what Brian told her about Clyxint. As she put two and two together, a chill ran down her spine. This was horrifying! They must warn her father! They must tell everybody!

  Realizing that Clyxint may already be starting to have a negative effect on her father, she said, “I believe you Brian, there is no reason for you to lie! We have to do something about this, tell my father! Oh no, what’s going to happen to him?” She put her head in her hands as she thought about the plight of her father. This was no laughing matter, they had to tell her father as soon as possible.

  “Gather all your research Brian, we need to tell my father, immediately.” Lyxa said.

  Brian looked at Lyxa, the resolve in her eyes was pretty clear. As for him, that was a totally different matter. Now I’ve done it! I’m going to get my parents arrested! I’m going to get into so much trouble! Brian panicked as the seriousness of what he had just disclosed to Lyxa, the Mayor’s daughter, dawned upon him.

  Brian said, “Lyxa, are you sure we should tell the Mayor? Shouldn’t we find more information? I think we need to look into this further…”

  Lyxa’s emerald eyes narrowed and she gave Brian a sharp look. She said, “No, this is too important and it concerns the health of my father, Brian. I love him.”

  Lyxa’s tone softened as she saw the panic-stricken look on Brian’s face. She knew how hard it must have been for him to come to her with the truth, with everything he had at stake as the son of the lead developers of the Infinity Chip as well as being a key employee at Etak Inc.

  She said, “Brian, you are doing the right thing. Thank you for coming to me with this. We need to do this, let’s go.”

  After locking eyes with Lyxa for an intense moment, Brian looked away and sighed. Channelling all the courage he could muster, Brian turned his gaze back to Lyxa and said, “Ok, Let’s go.” With that, Brian packed up his laptop and saved all the information in an external chip which automatically created a backup online. After locking the external chip in his office safe, Brian grabbed his things and followed Lyxa out of the office.

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  Lyxa paced outside her father’s office. Now that she was here, she seemed to have lost her nerve. Brian was of no help, he was sweating profusely and his face was an ashen green. Looking at Brian, Lyxa knew she had to be the strong one.

  Shaking off her nerves, Lyxa placed a comforting hand on Brian’s shoulder and said, “We have to do this. We need to tell people about this.”

  Brian didn’t speak but he nodded. Before Brian got a chance to change his mind again, Lyxa took his hand and together, they strode into Mayor Wayne’s office.

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  Mayor Wayne looked at Lyxa and Brian impassively, his face unreadable and his arms crossed, “So you are saying the Infinity Chip has what? Unknown side effects? Based on your evidence?”

  Brian took a tiny step forward, “Yes… yes sir… I’m not sure to what extent, the chemical that the chip is fused with can repress human emotions and possibly affect other parts of the brain as well.”

  Mayor Wayne looked at Brian with a slight smirk on his face, “So you are not saying the Chip doesn’t work, just that it may have potential effects of my … feelings …”

  Lyxa cut in, “But Dad, it’s more than that, the Chip may be dangerous! We don’t know if it will affect your health!”

  Mayor Wayne looked grim, “Lyxa, I understand what you are saying. But the Infinity Chip has revitalized me! I feel younger, better and more awake than ever. And, I trust Alex, all these years I’ve known him... he has been a big help… Anyway, he uses it himself!”

  Turning to Brian, Mayor Wayne said sternly, “I don’t know what you are trying to pull here young man, this chemical you are so wary about is a product from your own parents. You realize what you are saying can have huge consequences for them. I don’t know what kind of agenda or stunt you are trying to pull, but I don’t take kindly to people wasting my time. Get out of here, both of you.”

  Lyxa was shocked at her father’s response. Tears gathered in her eyes and she looked at her father imploringly. Mayor Wayne’s face glossed over. He looked at his daughter coldly, “Get out,” he said with finality.

  Brian was equally stunned at Mayor Wayne’s response. He thought that the Mayor would have had more of a reaction learning that something in his brain had potentially devastating effects. As he watched Mayor Wayne press his lips into a cold hard line, he knew there was no use pushing this any further.

  At the same time, he was also relieved. He had been terrified out of his mind at the thought of sharing what he had discovered with the Mayor. If the research on Clyxint got out, it had the potential of ruining his parents’ career forever. Brian wanted to give his parents the benefit of the doubt. He knew he had to be a hundred percent sure before he made his findings public. Looking at Mayor Wayne’s hardened expression once more and the silence around the room, Brian decided to take advantage of the impasse and reached out timidly to take Lyxa’s arm, pulling her out of the room.

  Outside the room, Lyxa hastily wiped away her tears. She was surprised, angry and confused that her father wouldn’t believe her. He looked like he could hardly care even if the Infinity Chip was killing him. He was so enthralled by its benefits. It was almost like a drug!

  After a moment’s pause, Lyxa collected herself and turning to Brian, she said, “Look, we need to tell people about this before it’s too late. Once they get the Infinity Chip, they won’t want to stop. And, we need more evidence. Credible evidence… We need help…”

  Brian nodded. Looking at Lyxa’s reddened eyes, he felt more determined than ever to find out the truth. I can’t be selfish anymore… This is bigger than my parents or me. This will affect people’s lives. I must find out the truth!

  Chapter 9: The
Infinity Chipped

  After honing in on Alex Etak as having the most to gain from the news leak about the Alpha5 children, Ren had been looking up everything he could find about Alex Etak and his company. To his surprise, he found out that Etak Inc. had purchased several biotech companies that Alpha5 themselves had invested in a decade earlier.

  Upon further research, Ren further found that amongst these companies, there was a company of particular relevance. The company was called NuTech. NuTech was involved in the development of a brain microchip that looked to be the pre-cursor of the Infinity Chip today. It was easy to gather data about NuTech as OrionWan itself had invested in it, together with several other Alpha5 members.

  In his home office, Ren poured over the data he pulled over the past few weeks. Ren was positive that NuTech’s microchip was the archetype for the Infinity Chip. The microchip looked to enhance memory, concentration and overall efficacy of the brain, mirroring the key features of the Infinity Chip today, apart from the ability to forgo sleep. However, the striking fact was that this microchip project was eventually abandoned. It was bizarre that such a profitable technology would be abandoned, Ren thought. Ren scanned through the data on his computer, looking for more detail. He came across several protected folders.

  Although the documents were old, the encryption was still tough to crack. Ren was glad in times like this that Paris was a bit of a computer whiz. He quickly called Paris over for help. With special software that Paris designed herself when she was in her teens, they were able to unlock the folders after fifteen minutes. Browsing through several folders, Ren stumbled upon one that looked to be a patient log of sorts. He began reading with interest.

  ‘Day 1: Patients are more alert, report that vivid memories of the past are surfacing.’