There would be just one trusted driver and an escort, who would receive the coordinates to insert into the GPS navigator via text message, just after leaving Abu Dhabi on the way to Al Ain.
Tarek requested armed escorts because the tour guides were used to serving important guests who provided their own form of security – usually an AK-47 rifle. Asking for armed escort made them think they were not dangerous enough to afford their own weapons.
The Land Cruisers all drove their guests to the middle of the desert region of Al Quo’a, close to the Omani border, making sure no one was following them.
As soon as the caravan arrived at the meeting point, the eight escorts mounted one large desert tent for their guests. There were six people in total, two of which were women. The guest tent had been woven with thin metallic wires to deflect remote electronic surveillance. They would be the perfect drone target and they would show up on surveillance satellites, but as long as the purpose was to have a quiet conversation away from any undue curiosity that was the perfect solution.
The attendants set up their own tent one hundred yards away and then they stationed themselves at the top of the dunes surrounding the camp. Their infrared goggles and binoculars made sure there was no one within at least ten miles. Tarek had made sure they could understand only Arabic, Urdu, and English so Louis could hold the meeting in French.
Despite the urgency, they stuck to the typical meeting agenda, with updates on the disclosure preparation plan given by Valerio and news about Telomerax from Louis. George’s situation was saved for last.
Louis had two major news, possibly the biggest since the invention of Telomerax. He started with a long introduction,
“George, before we get to your situation, have you noticed anything in particular while you have been learning French, these last couple of years?”
Surprised and relieved not to have received a question about his mishaps, George was quick to respond.
“It certainly was a great surprise. Somehow I felt like I was learning twice as fast as normal. No need to go back to the dictionary to check a word, no pronunciation exercises. It was significantly easier than my Spanish class in high school, and I do not need to mention how my Spanish has improved afterwards!”
He finished the sentence and reached out to Helena who sat next to him on the carpet, to pull her closer.
“And how about your everyday skills?” Louis continued, “Does that apply only to George and languages? What is everyone else feeling?”
“Now that you mention it”, added Valerio, “I also saw something similar with my English, and not just because I live in London most of the time now. It also goes beyond that. For the past few months I have dropped the Outlook agenda. I can mentally keep track of my schedule for the next two weeks.”
“Maybe this is thanks to our Arabic habit of long introductions before getting to the point,” jumped in Tarek, “but I also feel as if our meetings happen in slow motion and I am always three steps ahead of the group.”
Helena noticed Dora was smiling, with her eyes fixed on Louis, and she already knew what he was about to announce. So as soon as Tarek finished the sentence, she cut in.
“Louis, let’s stop with the suspense. To answer your question, I will tell you that I do my math faster than Excel, but I do not think we need to waste any more time. This has to do with Telomerax, so please tell us. The good news and the bad news.”
“There is no bad news..at least not yet,” Louis said slowly. “As you know, Telomerax is blocking the aging of all cells, including neurons, which in a normal body tend to decrease with age. Typically the average human does not suddenly lose all brain capability, because the neurons compensate their reduction by developing more connections between the remaining ones.
Telomerax not only blocks aging, but also prevents neurons from decreasing, therefore increasing the number of connections that eventually form. Basically, as time goes on, the performance of our minds improve.”
“Do you think this could lead to other side effects? Maybe negative ones?”, asked Tarek.
“I do not know”, Louis replied, “I realized this a couple of years ago, then went on studying all I could in neurophysiology. Everything I have just disclosed is pretty much certain, but it is too early to say if and what additional effects Telomerax might have on our brain beyond this….this superintelligence.”
“And how about the second piece of information?” Helena interrupted. She was anxious to get on to the case of George.
Louis took a deep breath,
“Alright, so during the analysis of the effects of Telomerax on the neural system I also created a new variant of Telomerax that interferes with the dopamine cycle, amplifying the effects of cocaine while greatly reducing the collateral damage.
Basically, thanks to the extra connections built over time by the neurons, much smaller amounts of cocaine are needed to get the rush and Telomerax also cleans up the metabolites of cocaine that create addiction and long term damage.”
Silence followed, forcing Louis to continue.
“If used with pure cocaine, addiction will develop but Telomerax removes all the nasty effects, and leaves sniffers with immortality as a byproduct of exhilaration. I guess the old friends of Helena would be fairly interested in this feature.”
“The bad news about this is pretty obvious,” Valerio noted plainly. “Now Telomerax is not only creating a huge gap between those who age and those who do not, now it is also creating an evolution in mankind. It could be that in a very short timeframe, say fifty years, the difference in intellectual ability between Telomerax users and others could be like the one we see today between man and apes.
On top of that, you have created a way to legalize drug consumption. If I worked for the government, I would classify all of this as extremely dangerous to world order. Better wiping us out quietly than facing the risks of spreading this invention. And even our safety network might be of little assistance…our enemies can be delayed, but they would not give up. And we would give them plenty of time to come up with a good strategy, by the way, since we are immortal.”
“Maybe this is why George had the brilliant idea to get caught up in between two of the most paranoid governments on the planet…what do we do about that?”, Helena asked the audience.
Tarek was the first to answer.
“I think we need to look at the worst case scenario, that is the US and Israeli governments finding out the full story and over-reacting. All the other countries will eventually find out too. Maybe there will be some miscommunication that gives us an advantage, but we cannot bank on it.
We have to assume that we are or soon will be on the bad guys list and will be chased by every government on the planet. Basically, we have to find a way to save our asses. And as much as I do not like it, the only way out is to expedite the diffusion of Telomerax.”
The conclusion was drawn by George,
“So from now on we can trust only non-government organizations, powerful enough to help shield us from any threat and interested enough to understand why we must be kept alive. Louis, you know what that means.”
“Yes, George, I know. To start, I have to think how to increase Telomerax production on an industrial scale.”
Silence fell as everybody contemplated the consequences. After a few minutes, Dora - who had stayed silent next to Louis throughout the entire meeting - stood up.
“It’s chilly outside, but I need to see the stars now.”
She then walked outside, followed by all the others.
Once outside the tent, they automatically split into three pairs of two, and started descending down the dune in different directions. The moon was flooding the desert with a cold, white light, making only the brightest stars visible.
Dora pressed herself close to Louis.
“Louis, do you realize the implications? We are going to side with criminals; we are going to give immortality to rich addicts and all sort of crooks. This is not what
we wanted. They are the last to deserve it.”
“We have no choice, darling. If we want to keep our chance of improving mankind, we have to find some temporary corrupted allies. Do you really believe any normal government would let us live? True, Telomerax may become public anyway but I do not want this to happen without me or you.”
Dora stopped. She knew Louis was right, given the circumstances. As right as her mother had been when she chose to marry her father and as right as both of them had been when they decided not to tell her about her ancestry. Now it was up to her to be reasonable and right, and to make a decision that was best for her future.
She pulled Louis to her and started kissing him furiously.
From the dune in front of them, Helena noticed them. She was, once again, listening to the monologue of George who was re-analyzing all he had done in the past several months to try to figure out where he had been detected and how much they exactly knew about them. She suddenly got fed up with George, and envied Dora.
Unlike George, Louis had understood the situation and took responsibility without any hesitations. She waited for his next pause, then took control.
“Stop it, now! We have to assume the worst case scenario, like you said. All the rest of what you say is a waste of time. Now, you come to Singapore with me and I will introduce you to a few clients of mine. You have to change sectors, from biotechnology to logistics and transport. I know it is less glamorous, but that’s life.”
George tried to reach for her but was pushed away with force.
“We have no time for fun, listen to me very carefully. You have to memorize the story of your new life. We can’t afford any more mistakes.”
Tarek and Valerio had stayed in silence on the entrance of the tent. After a while, Tarek sat on the sand, followed by Valerio. Tarek’s eyes moved across the horizon, making sure the patrols were still at their places on the dunes near their tent.
“What can we do?”, asked Valerio in the darkness.
“They did not listen to us three years ago. Now it is starting to snowball and this new strategy is flawed, too..there is an Arabic quote that describes our situation. It says ‘do not climb up the palm tree from which you are no longer able to descend’. I fear we are heading towards situations that we will not be able to get ourselves out of...and we have no choice.”
“And we are starting to invite more and more people up the tree. It’s going to get pretty crowded and soon people will start to fall out,” added Valerio.
“Valerio, I do not know how nor with whom, but I think we have to start preparing for this fall.”
They re-entered the tent and tried to savor the rich Arabic coffee. As soon as the others arrived, Louis asked if there were any objections to the new strategy. After ten seconds of silence, he moved on to the third point on the agenda and they started to discuss the details of the new lives they would have to lead, starting the next day.
Chapter 9
“Marhaba, habibi. How come you no longer want to have lunch with me?”
Tarek had been waiting for the call from Rasim Al-Manna for a few days.
“Marhaba, Rasim. You know I am always at your service. What if we meet at the Intercontinental Dubai tomorrow? That way we can use your private suite for protection.”
Rasim Al-Manna was a Palestinian with a Jordanian passport, in his mid-forties. He had survived the Lebanese war of 1982 while most of his family had been killed in the Sabra refugee camp, during the massacres carried out by the Lebanese Christian militias. To take care of his only remaining older sister, he had volunteered for the Fatah security service, which served as the bodyguards of Yasser Arafat, the late Palestinian leader.
He owed to Fatah his education, his career, and the well-being of what little family he had left. For this, he stayed loyal to Yasser Arafat up until his death in 2004. He was one of the few allowed to stay with the controversial leader during his last days in the military hospital of Clamart, France.
After, he spent some time in Paris and was approached by the emissaries of the Al-Nahyan family, the rulers of Abu Dhabi, who needed a professional from outside the country to join their counterintelligence team.
The Emiratis were looking for a secular Arab, who was impassive to the radical Islam beliefs, able to move internationally, and had a proven track record of loyalty to his employer. Rasim was their guy, and like many other fellow Palestinian nationals who were rebuilding their lives after moving to the Gulf monarchies, he accepted the proposal.
Beyond the generous salary and the security of the Arab Emirates, he felt the Al-Nahyans were creating a new image for the Arab world - crafting a new model of society beyond those of failed dictatorships or rogue theocracies.
After almost eight years of service, Rasim had moved up the ranks and now was the head counterintelligence, with direct access to the ruling family members. He respected Tarek, because they both had similar backgrounds and, most importantly, because Tarek had never failed him in many years of business. At least up until now. As soon as Tarek entered the privy suite, they greeted each other, as close friends.
“Happy new year 2012, by the way, even if it may be January 9th,” said Tarek.
They sat in the living room. The waiter served appetizers of Falafel balls, labneh salad, and hommous, and then swiftly walked away.
“I guess you want to hear something about a certain gentleman named Sean Ewals, who entered the country last November 8th, and has seemingly disappeared into thin air after not returning to his hotel in Abu Dhabi…but before getting to that, just tell me…did you receive a request from the Americans or was it your initiative, maybe with local French persuasion?”
Rasim appreciated people who never got caught off guard because they were so rare, even in their world of spies, and Tarek was always expecting the unexpected.
“Let’s put it this way, you know that since we got the Mossad raid in February of 2010 where they killed Mahmoud Al-Mahbeh, the Hamas officer, right in the center of Dubai, I am more and more nervous about having unknown foreigners in the country. At the time, the ruling family of Dubai assumed I let the Israeli do their job because the target belonged to the Islamists of Hamas while I used to belong to the opposite party, the secular Fatah.
I risked my place, and maybe a bit more, and I was put through a few miserable weeks before it was clear I was not involved at all and the plan could only be the work of that devil, Meir Dagan, at that time the big boss of Mossad - may he burn in hell for eternity.
Anyway, from that moment on I urge foreign residents to tell me everything. Our friend Jean-Pierre, in particular, is very cooperative and told me about the American probe in our December meeting, as well as the chat he had with you. You can imagine my reaction when I saw the name of Sean Ewals in the passenger list of the Etihad flight from Heathrow, and then finding out he missed the outbound flight to Istanbul. Where and why are you hiding him, Tarek? Was he part of the brigade you took on the desert tourist trip two months ago? I was told they all spoke French fluently, so this makes me think it was not a place for the average American, but in our business you never know.”
Tarek felt relieved. He and the team of Louis Picard still had an edge on the CIA, so he had more time to get Rasim and the rulers on his side.
“He is out of the country now. He took a flight to Singapore from Dubai the day after Christmas, with a different name and nationality. It is far more interesting to know who he really is and what he can offer to you. Both the Americans and the Mossad are after him because he has found the recipe of a new drug that can block aging and they want to control it. I do not know if it is his invention or he has stolen it somewhere - the point is it works. I have been using it on myself for several years. Now the man has two of the nastiest secret services on his back and is looking for protection.
Maybe out of desperation, he asked me to take care of him a few years ago, but I can no longer do it alone against both the CIA and the Mossad. I need your help, Rasim. I ne
ed to talk to the rulers. This country can become far more than an airline hub or a bunch of oilfields. It can become the beacon of a new era. However we need the support of the ruling families, at least the most important ones. And in case you have doubts, ask one of your experts to try to analyze one of these.”
Tarek placed four white pills next to the plate of shrimp cocktails. They were about the same size as an aspirin, with a small T carved on the top. He took a fifth one from his pocket, swallowed it, and drank a glass of water.
“Now I beg your pardon, but I have to go. It has been more than two months since I have had a decent fishing day.”
Two days later Tarek received an anonymous text message with just an address and time, 11:30 PM. The address was one of the gates of Zayed, a military base in Abu Dhabi. There was no need to specify the day, these messages always referred to the same day. The time suggested that he would most likely be the last person to be received. He took this as a good sign, considering the ruler would have had more time to make immediate decisions without having the distraction of future appointments.
Which ruler, by the way? Like all Arabic ruling dynasties, the Al-Nahyans were a large family, with hundreds of members. For sure, it would not be Khalifa, the President. There was a high chance it would be one of his sons, born between the late sixties and seventies, who were helping to manage the country.
Tarek parked his Audi right in front of the gate at eleven and twenty-seven, and after the security check, he was shortly admitted into the rulers room in Building A of the military base.
The room was furnished in luxurious Arabian style, covered by carpets and tapestries, with a rectangular mahogany table at the center of the room, surrounded by cushions. The table was about one yard wide and two yards long, a sign that few guests were expected to attend meetings there. There were no windows on the walls, but with the room size, the bright lighting, and the rich arabesques engraved on the walls it was warm and inviting. Tea, coffee, and dates had already been served - removing the need for the server.
The Last Enemy - A history of the present future - 1934-2084 Page 10
