Lionel flipped the menu closed. “Sure. Why not?”
After Mrs. Yu had left, Lionel pulled a sheet of paper from his shirt pocket. “Speaking of new and exotic, I had a report come across my desk yesterday that I thought you’d find of interest.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s about the Kindred. You don’t mind if I refer to the children as that, do you?”
“No. I sometime think of them that way, and so do they. What did you find?”
“The statistical team has been crunching some of the data we collected over their first two years. They’ve determined that the Kindred’s rapid growth rate that started while they were still in their mothers’ wombs has slowly been decreasing. They project that by the time the children are four chronologically, they will have the physical development of sixteen, and at that point their growth rate will be virtually the same as any other sixteen-year-old.”
“That’s interesting,” Flip said. He leaned over in his wheelchair and just managed to pour the two of them some more tea. “So, it’s possible that they could then live a full and normal life.”
“Well, at least the full ‘four score and seven years’ that the rest of us have, but as for normal, we have to remember they all have IQs that are off the chart, not to mention some extra abilities that we’ve only begun to discover.”
“That’s true,” Flip agreed. “Still, it’s nice to think that they won’t be like some bright light that burns itself out so quickly.”
“There’s one other piece we don’t know at this point,” Lionel added. “We don’t know if the slowing process will also continue beyond sixteen. It’s conceivable that, if it does, the Kindred could have a much longer life than normal.”
The two men paused as Mrs. Yu pushed a cart filled with delectable food through the kitchen door and towards them. Even from several yards away, Lionel could smell the fragrance of Mr. Yu’s culinary artistry. Not only did it smell delicious with a fine mixture of herbs and spices, but its presentation was also artful with carefully carved radishes and carrots as decorations.
Several minutes passed before either of them did anything other than enjoy their meal. Finally, Flip pushed his plate away and wiped his mouth with his napkin.
“Ahh, it truly is a joy to be alive,” he said. “I think eating is the one thing I missed more than anything else.” He thought a moment then added, “Well, the second thing I missed the most.”
“Your appetite for fine food certainly hasn’t gotten you into nearly as much trouble as your other habits,” Lionel said as he also pushed his plate away.
“True,” Flip replied. “A bit hurtful but true.”
“In that case, let me ask you something else. Have you had any luck reconnecting with any of the Kindred?”
Flip shook his head and frowned. “No, unfortunately not a thing…not since that short connection I had with Alp a few days ago.”
“And as far as we know that was before the helicopter was reported to have crashed.”
“I can’t be sure of that but I think so.” Flip played with his empty tea cup. “But that doesn’t mean anything. I mean, maybe we’re out of distance. It seems like distance may play some part in this. I know when Alp and Mel were still in West Virginia the connection was much weaker. Then again, that might have been because we were still learning how to communicate with each other.”
Lionel nodded. He wasn’t sure how to approach the next question he had. Finally, he decided to try to ease into it. “Have you considered augmenting your attempts in some way?”
Flip stared at his friend for several seconds before replying. “Augmentation? What did you have in mind?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Lionel replied. “This certainly isn’t my field of expertise. Just off the top of my head, maybe some way to repeat the conditions that you were in when you were able to connect.”
“You mean, an induced coma?” Lionel heard an edge in Flip’s voice. “I was in a coma for the past two years, and now you’re suggesting I go back there?”
Lionel shrugged. The conversation was going as poorly as he feared it might. “Okay, maybe it’s a stupid idea. You know me, Mr. Scientist. We often have to have a lot of stupid ideas until we stumble upon one that actually makes sense.”
The two men sat in silence for several minutes. Finally, Flip poured the last of the tea in their two cups. “There is one thing I’ve been doing a bit of research on that I think might have actually helped me connect with Alp this last time. It’s pretty far out there so I’ve been reluctant to say anything about it.”
“But since I was stupid enough to suggest putting you back in a coma, your idea might not sound so lame?”
“Yes, something like that,” Flip chuckled. “Ever heard of lucid dreaming?”
“Sure. That’s where you know you’re in the midst of a dream and therefore can be more proactive within them, right?”
“Yeah, something like that. Some of the things I’ve been reading suggest that our dream state is simply a different form of reality, a little like ice and steam being different forms of water. I’ve been wondering if I couldn’t reach the Kindred while in this other dream state.”
“Well, it sounds like it’s worth a try,” Lionel said as he waved at Mrs. Yu for the check.
“Let me put it this way. I’d rather sleep my way back to my children than have to be knocked back into a coma. At least let me give this way a try first.”
“Nothing like the threat of a coma to encourage you to apply yourself with the lucid dreaming,” Lionel said.
“That’s for damn sure,” Flip replied as he snapped the check out of Lionel’s hand. “This one is on me.”
Growing Season
A little over a week had passed since the Kindred’s arrival on Geluk, and they were finally falling into a routine. Heather had created a schedule assigning who would prepare each meal and who would clean up afterward. When Alp noticed Heather had left her name off the list, she made her redo it with Alp in the rotation.
“No special treatment for me, Heather. We all have to carry our weight here if this is going to work.”
Heather responded, “You have enough problems just getting us all to cooperate and get along."
“It doesn't matter. We all work the same,” Alp reminded her.
Connie awoke the next morning and noticed blood stains on her pant legs that seemed to come from between her legs. Not knowing what was happening, she ran to Alp.
Tabitha overheard their worried talking and said,“Oh, that’s nothing to worry about. That happened to me some weeks ago. It just means you’re having your first period. I went on the internet and learned all about it.
“You mean it’s normal?” Connie asked as the other girls gathered around to listen.
“Perfectly normal,” Tabitha replied. “It just means we’re growing in adulthood.” She then proceeded to give everyone a crash course in female sexuality, obviously enjoying being the center of attention for a change. That seemed to settle everyone down. Alp helped more by getting the fashion show going after a breakfast of canned fruit and cooked rice.
The fashion show had been a grand success as well with each girl going through the bags and finding clothes that both fit their size and their personal preferences. It was one of the first times any of them had the opportunity to select what they wanted to wear. Even though the clothes were old hand-me-downs, everyone enjoyed trying on different shirts and pants until they found items that fit their personality. Everyone seemed very pleased and for once happy.
The garden was perhaps their greatest success thus far. Even though the seeds had been in the ground less than a week, many of them had already sprouted. Each row had a clearly marked sign indicating what grew in that area which included green beans, okra, leaf lettuce, spinach, and carrots.
When Damba dropped by to check on their progress, his eyes bugged out to see the garden’s progress. “When did you plant these?” He asked as he counted up the
days on his fingers. “Most of those vegetables should take at least two weeks to sprout especially in this cool spring weather.”
He stared at Alp as the two of them walked between a couple of the rows. “What’s going on here?” He asked.
“What do you mean?” Alp replied with a look of innocence on her face. “We’re growing vegetables so we can have some fresh food for a change. I think we’ll also have enough to share with your village; maybe make some brownie points along the way.”
“Brownie points?” Damba asked, then added, “Never mind about that now. What I want to know is whether you’re practicing juju here?”
“I’m not sure how to answer that question,” Alp replied. She didn’t want to lie to Damba, and the truth was they weren’t practicing magic, not really. She decided telling the truth was the best option.
“Some of us have special abilities that are as natural to us as your ability to sail or someone else’s ability to play the guitar. The only difference is that we were born with these abilities. Connie grows things really well. I have the ability to heal.”
She decided now was not the time to talk about Tabitha’s ability or that Connie could also levitate. A little truth can go a long way. Too much at one time might create more problems than it would solve.
Damba stooped down and picked up a rock and tossed it out of the garden. “Alp, it’s important that you not share this with anyone else, do you understand? Don’t talk about it, and please be very careful not to be caught using these powers. My people only know such powers as juju, and view such powers exercised by a non-shaman to be bad juju.”
“But our powers aren’t magical,” Alp protested. “It’s a little complicated to explain but our powers are a product of our minds. We’ve simply been able to tap into our mental potential more than most people.”
Damba cocked his head in the direction of the Circle of Shaman’s hut. “And who is to say that those people in there have not done the same?”
Alp thought about that for a moment then replied, “Exactly my point.”
“But to superstitious people that have only known magic and witchcraft, that is what it is. It may not be an accurate perspective, but it’s one that’s been on this island for hundreds of years. If my people believe you are using juju improperly then, it could lead to your expulsion from the island or worse.”
Standing, Damba turned to Alp, reached out and took her hand in his. Once again, Alp felt the flutter in her chest, and a light electric shock shoot up her arm. “I am not ready to leave here,” Damba said as he gazed into her eyes. “Not yet.”
It took a moment for Alp to realize what he said. “Why would you have to leave if I were forced out?”
“Simple,” Damba replied. “While Geluk is my physical home, you are my spiritual home. Where you go my heart must follow.” And with that he bent down and kissed her lightly on the lips, and for the first time Alp experienced a whole new form of vertigo.
Chunk’s concern about his wife being stalked by the mystery boy was pushed into the background when Lucinda returned with troubling news from the doctor’s appointment with their youngest daughter. For the next couple weeks, Chunk’s and Lucinda’s world became a whirlwind of doctor’s appointments and sleepless nights. Something was wrong with their baby girl, Misha. The headaches had not only continued but worsened. For almost two weeks, none of the doctor’s had any answers about what caused the headaches or how to stop them. All other projects and plans had taken a backseat to Misha’s medical crisis. Then late one afternoon more bad news stormed into their lives like a runaway freight train or an angry bull tossing its horns, tearing their world apart.
“This is the cause of your daughter’s headaches,” the doctored said pointing to the images of Misha’s skull on the computer screen. “We believe it’s a Medulloblastoma.”
After further testing, the doctors confirmed the diagnosis. The specialist then went on to explain that Misha’s Medulloblastoma was both fast growing and highly malignant. It had, in fact, already invaded other parts of her nervous system. In other words, the tumor was inoperable. Misha was dying.
It took several days before the news sunk in, including days of denial and days of asking, “What about this or what about that?”
“What about chemotherapy?”
“Unfortunately, not an option,” the specialists said. Chunk heard the doctor say something about the blood-brain barrier preventing the chemicals from getting to the tumor, but it didn't make much sense to him.
“Than, what about surgery?”
“The location of the tumor makes it inoperable not to mention that the tumor has already spread.”
Chunk sat in his study reviewing the conversations of the past several days, a bottle of Jack Daniel on the table beside him and a half empty glass in his hand. He’d slept little over the past few days. The few times he had slept, he’d awakened in a cold sweat at the knowledge that his youngest daughter was dying, and he could do nothing about it. The feeling of powerlessness was overwhelming. He wasn’t an especially religious man even though he’d been raised by a father who had insisted he attend church at least until he was thirteen. After his father died, his mom, who hadn’t been religious herself, had released him from that obligation.
“You’re old enough to make your own choices,” his mom had said; so he had. He hadn’t stepped into a church since, even though Lucinda and the girls went quite regularly. Still, as the old saying goes, there are no atheist in a foxhole, and Chunk found himself in the proverbial foxhole now. But how do you pray, he wondered, especially when you’ve not been in touch for over thirty years?
He thought about getting down on his knees like his father had taught him, but since he was working on his fourth Jack Daniel he feared he’d not be able to get back up. Instead, he closed his eyes and pictured his two daughters running and playing, just as they had been doing just a few weeks ago. As he sat in his chair and imagined their playful antics, another picture started to form, superimposing itself over the first scene. It was of a young girl, blonde, almost white hair, blue eyes, smiling as she gazed down at the figure before her.
The scene looked familiar like he’d seen it recently, but he didn’t recognize the girl or the man lying in bed…and then he did. The man was Flip MacDougal, and the young girl was the one they called Alp. The image was from a video he’d viewed as he was going over some of the old files on the BVT case, prior to putting them away in storage.
He hadn’t thought much about it at the time. After all, the case was closed, but now it suddenly took on a much different urgency. What had she been doing in his room that day? And with that question came the only answer that made sense…the only answer that gave him a shred of hope. Somehow, Alp had cured her father's head injury that had kept him in a coma for over two years. Chunk’s eyes shot open. He leaped out of his chair and started to pace, weaving a bit from the effects of the alcohol.
“Oh my God,” he said aloud. If she’d been able to do that, maybe, just maybe she could cure his little girl. Then another thought leaped to the forefront of his mind. What had he done? Had he killed the only person in the world that could possibly save Misha? Had she drowned in the Atlantic Ocean because of his attempts to apprehend her and her sisters?
Chunk felt his knees weaken. The earth pulled him down until his knees touched the plush carpet of his study. While he was there, he decided the time had come to reacquaint himself with God. He bowed his head in prayer.
Alp waited several days after her rendezvous with Damba to bring up his warning with the rest of the Kindred. During that time, she tried to figure out a way to bring up the topic without creating more animosity with Tabitha and Kirstin. She finally decided there simply wasn’t a way to keep them from disagreeing with her, not just about this but virtually every decision she made. They all sat on the floor around a circle of burlap bags sewn together that served as their table cloth. The preparers had supplemented the meal of brown rice and bread
with canned string beans.
“Soon we’ll have fresh lettuce and beans from the garden,” Tina said in an effort to raise everyone’s spirit. They’d all grown tired of the same bland meals.
“Yes,” Connie agreed. “The more I practice, the better I’m getting at transferring the sun’s energy into the plants, and, of course, that’s happening naturally on its own. I’m just helping it along, so we can enjoy fresh food sooner.”
Alp figured this was as good a time to bring up the subject as any. “Speaking of that, I need to discuss something with you.” She described her meeting with Damba, leaving out the details about his feelings for her or the kiss.
“We have to be very careful that our powers aren’t discovered. It could result in our being thrown off the island. So, I’m asking everyone to check with me first before you use your powers. I know some of you are still waiting to discover your special gifts. If you feel any changes coming on, please let me know.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Tabitha blurted out loudly. “You can’t regulate our powers or restrict our use. Are you going to tell Connie not to continue to aid the growing process so it’ll be that much longer before we can finally have something decent to eat?”
“Well, no not entirely,” Alp replied as calmly as possible even though she could feel her hackles rising. “I’m just going to ask Connie to not accelerate the growing process too much so it won’t attract attention.”
“Well, as far as I’m concerned you’re stepping over the line as to what you can and can’t tell us to do,” Tabitha continued, her anger mounting. “We had more freedom at Bio Vita Tech than we do here, and we all agreed that was a prison that we wanted to escape from.” As she looked around the room, she saw at least one or two heads slowly nodding which fueled her anger.
“I think we need to reconsider the leadership of our Kindred.” She stood up and started walking around the group. “I say Alp has done her job. She got us here. Now I think it’s time to pass the position on to another.”
Kindle Series 3-Book Bundle: A Genetic Engineering Science Fiction Thriller Series Page 41
