Within thirty seconds, the entire hologram filled with Nanites. Dr. looked at her Knofer.
“They are synchronizing now. Angie, please go to the refrigerator, over there? Yes, there; open the small door, and bring me the wine glass inside.”
“I remember this. In the morgue, Dr. Richard had Mr. Sheldon drink, from one, just like this?”
“Yes? It stimulates the part of the brain that processes memories. Without getting too long winded; and, considering our different definitions of structures; let me just say, the drink enables the patient to remember ‘certain’ life necessities and experiences.”
“Excuse me?”
“Your heart is not the only thing that beats in rhythm. Besides, as you know, it has its own electrical system. My point is that, very system, in the body, has a rhythm. Every atom in a cell has a tone or vibration. Duplicate a particular tone, or vibration; and you duplicate the mass or energy. In this case, that means kick starting the function. The body has to remember how to live. Each cell has to remember its ‘involuntary’ behaviors-to breathe, to sense, to function. The Nanites jumpstart everything, duplicating the energy; and, then, they hand it off to the original player-the particular cell. But, it is short term. The patient must drink this elixir. The chemistry, in this, feeds the body and triggers function memories, which each cell stores, within its nucleus. We consider a cell’s functional memories, a shadow of a thought. Obviously the brain also remembers all functions. You’ve heard it said, ‘how big is a thought,’ right?”
“So, where is this, shadow of thought?”
“It is within every, individual cell, at the point of origin. However, in cases of ‘duplication’, this may or may not be the case. The Elixir helps overall cellular recall, but we are not sure how much. How big is a thought, really?”
“And you are not sure how long the drink’s effects last?”
“True, that is a big question. We must continue timely drinks, until we can replant the entire adult memory, permanently. We do that via our headset process. That is why Mr. Sheldon’s C.P.T. is so revolutionary to us. It allows for total cellular recall and ‘complete’ personality trait transfer.”
“Wow, good thing you know so much, about Mr. Sheldon’s discovery. And there is an alternative to using his C.P.T.?”
Dr. LuAnne took a headset out of the cabinet, and showed it to Angie.
“This is what we use in addition to the drink. It enables transplant of thought, but it does not insure all personality traits, like C.P.T. does. The truth is, the math and physics say C.P.T. is full proof. I’ve done the calculations and I have the instructions to perform it. But I don’t have the catalyst bath needed to hold the serum extraction. That is critical for success. So for now, it is the drink and headset.”
“Dr. B says I am the bath. I would be glad to help any way I can.”
“I don’t understand. He told you, you are the catalyst bath?”
“Yes; he said my DNA, genetic code, is the serum donor bath.”
Then, LuAnn’s Knofer ticked; and they both turned to Richard.
“Look,” Angie said, “he is moving.”
“Yes, lift his head; give him a sip.”
The glow in the hologram stopped. Dr. LuAnne touched the wall; and, the 3D image disappeared.
Angie gently lifted his head up and touched the rim of the glass to his lips. Dr. Richard blinked and sucked in a quick deep breath. Then, he took a sip of the drink and opened his eyes.
“Thank God,” Angie whispered. “Dr. Richard…Grandpa?”
The first thing he saw was Angie’s face.
“Hello, my dear…”
Then he turned and saw Dr. LuAnne.
“Well; Dr. Lu., hello; I did not expect you. Angie, may I have a little more of that?”
“Yes; of course.”
Richard drank again. Slowly, he moved his arms and legs. When he looked at his chest, he said, “Did a freight train hit me?”
“You will feel better with time,” LuAnne said. “You know the drill, Doctor. Keep drinking…Angie, watch him. I will be back, in a minute.”
Luanne went to her private office, through the doors on the other side of the room. She put a headset on, took out her Knofer, and made a call.
“Sir, we have revived Dr. Richard. Angie says her DNA has the correct genetic code to duplicate the catalyst bath.”
“Do you have both manuscripts there?”
“Yes, Dave Marshall recovered the other one, and gave it to me.”
“Can you use her?”
“I don’t know. I’ll see.”
“Can Richard help?”
“I will talk to him, when he is up to it.”
“Time is running out, Doctor.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Contact me as soon as you know anything.”
Chapter 24
The Police Station
Ralph Walker sat alone, tired and hungry in the Arden Police station, waiting for a copy of his statement about the kidnapping of Angie Esposito.
“Mr. Walker, thank you for your time,” Sgnt Wells said. “Please sign this; and you can be on your way.”
Ralph scribbled his name; and, at the same time, noticed a woman walk by the office door.
“Oh my, that’s my supervisor, Barb Sawyer. Woe, it’s 8a.m.; I’ll bet she is not a happy camper. She was on night shift with me.”
He shook hands with Wells, walked out, over to Barb, and tapped her on her shoulder.
“Barb good morning. I don’t believe you are here?”
“Morning, Ralph; no I’m not, really. They had a car come and get me…You?”
“Me, hah; I was on my way to see you, when they stopped me and brought me here. Angie was kidnapped.”
“What?”
“Yeah, I just signed the police statement. Have you met this guy Burns, yet?”
“No; what about Angie?”
“I wish I knew.”
“Well, you wouldn’t believe what happened at the hospital, while you were gone, either.”
Just then, Jake Burns walked into the station, sipping his coffee. He noticed the couple right away and snickered, “Good morning you two…Long night? You must be, Barb Sawyer.”
“Yes; I am.”
“Ms. Sawyer, please follow me. Mr. Walker, right? You can go. Don’t get lost, again. We will need you.”
“What about Angie, for God’s sake?”
“Believe it or not, Sonny, we don’t just interrogate people. We put a team on it, five minutes after you told me. They went to the site you described; and, right now, they are following, what they think are van tracks. If we get anything, from the phone you found, we will let you know.”
Burns left Ralph, standing there, escorted Barb Sawyer into his office and shut the door.
“Please sit down, Ms. Sawyer. I understand you were the first, to see the bodies in the morgue last night, right?”
“Yes.”
“Tell me; how many were there?”
“I didn’t go in the room, all the way. I just saw the one, bloody, naked man. I ran out and called 911.”
“Hmm, you heard the gunfire?”
“Yes”
“How many shots?”
“They sounded like pops-machine guns, I guess. I really don’t know.”
“Ms. Sawyer, who do you work for?”
“Dr. Bellos, Chief of the Hospital.”
“And; when was the last time you saw him?”
“I saw him, just before he left to go out of town, before the shooting.”
“Ms. Sawyer; Barb, may I call you Barb? Barb, we found several bloody footprints, in the morgue room. Most had the same tread, or so the blood tells us. We believe they were professional killers.”
“Oh, my…”
“But, there were also two sets of foot prints, which didn’t match the others; and one was, obviously, a woman’s. The prints seem to indicate, they were carrying something, together. Do you have any idea what they could have
been carrying?”
“No.”
“Barb, what size shoes do you wear?”
“Why, size eight, why?”
“I want you to know that, as we speak, there is a team of forensic specialists at your house, checking your clothes, the garbage, your shoes, your toothbrush; everything. Ms. Sawyer; I think you saw everything and helped move something-maybe a body, with the help of someone else. I think you are lying. I think you ran into Dr. Bellos, as one of the orderly’s suggested; and the two of you moved one or more of the bodies. What do you say to that?”
Barb broke down and cried. “My God; my God; all I did was hear shots and run to the room. Before I walked in, I saw a naked man, and there was so much blood; so, I ran back to my station and called 911.”
“Where is Dr. Bellos’s office?”
“On the tenth floor,”
Barb couldn’t stop sobbing.
“I want you to take me there, right now. Do you have a problem with that?”
“No; but, he is not there. He is out of town.”
“Where did he go?”
“I’m not privy to his itinerary.”
“Who is? Does he have a secretary?”
“Not that I know of; I think he books his own trips.”
“All right; let’s go.”
The two left Burns’s office and walked toward the front door.
“Sgt. Wells; call Dave Marshall, at Andrews. Tell him to meet us at Dr. Bellos’s office on the tenth floor, in twenty minutes…”
“Yes, Sir.”
“…And get any info to me that was on that phone from the Walker kid. Call me, with an update, on our team in the desert, as soon as you can. Come on, everyone; let’s go; chop, chop…The day is moving…We have a girl to find.”
Chapter 25
Set Up#1
Half way around the world from Andrews Hospital, GGM-Gordon Swanson watched five computer monitors, in his private Ever-Life office, below Jerusalem, Israel. He had his Knofer on, in case Bellos needed him. He was monitoring Brock’s team, and worldwide theological communications. A call came in from New Mexico. He put it on hologram.
“Dave; Dave Marshall; is that you? How are you?”
“Yes, fine Sir, good to see you.”
“Dave, what is the status there?”
“Sir, we have disposed of the Brock people, who shot the Carrier-Unit, and we are processing the three doctors; but, the police have a particularly inquisitive detective.”
Swanson giggled.
“Yes, that’s Jake Burns. He was very good in New York, years ago. He even found a serial killer, who dismembered one of our people. He doesn’t know about us; but, he is trustworthy. I met him twice; both times in D.C., at a convention for new weaponry. Have you talked to him?”
“Not really; but, he knows I am hiding something. I am supposed to meet with him in Dr. Bellos’s office, shortly.”
“Have you secured the floor?”
“Yes.”
“Well; I do like him. I tell you what. Set it up to bring him down to red level six. We will all meet there, when we get back. He loves a good mystery. We will give him one, he won’t forget.”
“Yes, Sir; how goes it, there?”
“Mathew’s Carrier is due, shortly. We are set up to trade. We don’t know who he has; but we will. The currier is scared of the Brock team, here. He wanted a strategic advantage; so he took a hostage. Dave, handle things, there; will you? I expect we will be back, this afternoon, your time.”
“Yes, Sir, of course; be safe.”
“You too…”
The Knofer cut the image, and Swanson took one last look at the monitors in front of him, reading the tapes from Iran, Russia, and Istanbul. Then, a lone, single message spelled out, across his Knofer, “I am ready…But, you must come quickly. They are watching. I can feel the guns.”
Swanson wrote back, “Our people are there. Fear not.”
Chapter 26
Set Up #2
Pappas Kristos Alieri sat in the waiting room, outside Rash InVoy’s second floor office, in East Jerusalem. He made the hurried appointment to see the chief of staff, because of the serious phone call received from the Muslim consulate, in Istanbul, Turkey. After ten minutes, the door finally opened; and InVoy walked out.
“Kristos, it’s good to see you; come in.”
“Thank you…I’m most disturbed, my son. I received calls from our Russian Church, and now, the Muslim council, in Turkey. On my way here, I just got off the phone from our local consulate. Apparently, there has been a kidnapping, by a currier? Is he the same one, who has our vial?”
“Please; sit my friend. All will be fine. The currier is below our Church of the Holy Sepulcher, here in town. He is just trying to insure his own safety. It is a bit of a surprise; but we have arranged the meeting, and the trade. The money is safe and ready, I assume; correct?”
“The money is in place…But we cannot afford to let one man destroy this effort.”
“Father; be assured, this is too big for one man to ruin anything. The currier will make the trade.”
“Who is the poor soul, he has captured?”
“That is his secret; but we will know soon. We have agreed to guarantee him and his family’s safety; and, we have increased his price. We will deliver his share within three hours. He will give us the vial. I will give it to you. You give us the $16 billion.”
Kristos took a deep breath.
“These methods; they are not God’s will.”
“Father, stop it. This is what you wanted, and planned, for months. You can’t expect everything to go smoothly. Nothing ever does; especially, when this kind of deal; or so much money is involved. Our people have him in sight. It’s all going to be over within hours. Talk to your people and tell them to be calm. You can either wait here; or, if you like; I will call you at your parish, when I get word.”
…In the center of Jerusalem, fifty-feet below the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, a dark five-foot five-inch Muslim man, Ahmed, sat in shallow cave, facing his bruised and battered prisoner…
“I am sorry you have to be here…I am not a bad man, and I will not harm you. But, I have a family; and these people are very bad. They will kill me and my family, if I do not do this.”
The black hooded prisoner squirmed and moaned; but, the duct tape and ropes were too tight; no one heard.
…Meanwhile, within Bellos’s Carrier-Unit, rushing toward Jerusalem…
“How much longer,” asked Brian.
Bellos looked at his Knofer.
“Twenty minutes, or so.”
“Frankly, Matt, it really doesn’t feel like we have been moving at all,” said Jack.
“If I told you how fast we were traveling, you wouldn’t believe me.”
“I could figure it out, if you give me some statistics,” said Brian smartly.
“No thanks, Son…What I’m curious about, Matt, is, are we in a tunnel or under water, or what?”
“You want the truth?”
“No, lie to me.”
“All right…We are traveling up to five times the speed of sound inside a 6000-year-old, organic life form that is synergistic, with our subterranean culture…And it has the capability of burrowing through solid rock as well as molten lava. It glides, like a spacecraft going to the moon.”
Jack and Brian nodded their heads at one another.
“Yes, well that’s great,” Brian said rolling his eyes. “How are you feeling, Dad?”
“I’m fine, Sonny; a little weak and confused; but, pretty good, physically, really.”
“Yes, well I need to get this over, and you back to the hospital, Jack,” Bellos said. “Brian, I have to talk to your boss. He is in the next cabin. Do me a favor; keep an eye on your Dad, there, for me. If he turns green or any other color, yell out, okay?”
Bellos walked to the far wall of the Carrier.
“Open, please.”
A door appeared and slid to the side. Bellos walked through.
Marion Brock was sitting with handcuffs on and he calmly, nonchalantly looked up.
“Hello, Marion.”
“Mathew, I didn’t expect to see you. Will you tell me, what is going on?”
“Yes; I will.”
Bellos slowly paced in front of Brock.
“It seems you have been very busy…You blackmailed Jack Sheldon into trusting you and giving you his secrets of C.P.T. Your people cloned him, knowing the procedure wouldn’t take. Then, you stole the formula, to sell it to religious groups, for $16 billion dollars. You had the clones killed, and you arranged for Jack to have a fatal car accident. You had mercenaries break into Andrews Hospital, kill two doctors, steal Jack’s original manuscript, and take a vial of the original C.P.T. serum, so you could duplicate it and sell it for power. Have I left anything out?”
Brock chuckled.
“Yes, you kidnapped me. That’s illegal in this Country. You can’t prove anything. I’ve been here, tied up…You have no idea what you are getting into. You are going to let me go. I guarantee it. Whatever you think you know; you don’t have a clue. Whatever you think you have, you are wrong. Now, go back to where you came from, and come to me, when you’re ready to let me go…Mr. GGM-010.”
Bellos raised an eyebrow cynically. Shaking his head, he turned and walked back into the other cabin.
Chapter 27
Team Burns
It only took fifteen minutes for Jake Burns to drive Barb Sawyer back to Andrews Hospital. He pulled into a handicapped spot, just twenty feet from the front door.
“Well, I completely understand why we parked here,” said Barb, irritated.
“Yeah, well I have a bad elbow.”
“You can’t be serious. You would break the law, just for convenience. You cops are all alike.”
“Really; just look around; no one parks in any of these handicapped spots. Count them. There are at least fifty spaces, and not one car, besides mine. And, I’ll tell you why; because you ticket violators, $400.00/each…Let’s see; that’s $20,000 revenue for your great hospital administration, for absolutely no reason, but greed. Get off my back, lady! We will park right here. Let’s go.”
The two walked through the main entrance and into one of the primary elevators. Burns pushed ten, on the bezel; and, within a minute, the doors opened. They stepped out to greet three forensic doctors, two uniformed police and Dave Marshall.
Ever-Life the Two Book Set: The C.P.T Incident and Time Trust Page 16
