“Yes, Gabriel. He just left,” Terzini replied addressing a boy who appeared to be seventeen seated in front of a computer monitor.
The boy looked up from his workstation and Terzini was taken aback as he looked at the superb specimen sitting before him.
Gabriel James was the embodiment of excellence. Everything about him was perfect. From his face to his physique, he looked as if he’d been created by the gods themselves.
But the gods had not created Gabriel James. Dr. Franklin Terzini had.
“We are going to have to leave sooner than expected,” Terzini announced. “I was just told that if I fail to deliver by the date I was just given, I will be executed.”
“You knew this day would come, sir. You have been deceiving them for months.”
“I have not been merely deceiving them, Gabriel. I have been helping them, allowing them to use their money for something that will actually benefit society.”
He paused to allow the significance of his words to settle in before he continued.
“For the first time in their putrid lives, they will be financing a project that will improve humanity instead of furthering its destruction. I’m doing them a service, don’t you think?”
He waited for a response, but received none. Instead, he noticed a look of perplexity cross Gabriel’s features. Gabriel’s confusion agitated him slightly
“Surely you see my point, don’t you, Gabriel?”
“Not exactly, sir.”
He felt his anger begin to rise considerably, but was immediately calmed by the realization that, despite Gabriel’s unsurpassed intelligence and superior education, there were still subtle nuances in life that he would have to learn on his own. After all, he was a human being, a perfected version of a human being, but a human being, nevertheless.
Every organ in Gabriel’s body had been grown from human DNA and functioned better than humans born traditionally. Each of his cells had been modified, but still maintained organic properties. All had been genetically altered to function more effectively and more efficiently so the aging process by which cells begin to die in the human body would be slowed. By selective processes and meticulous engineering, Dr. Franklin Terzini had created perfection.
“Gabriel, regardless of whether you are able to understand what I’ve done for the Russians, I had no choice. Without their money, I could not have continued my work. Their funding allowed me to create the perfect human specimen.”
“Thank you, sir. I hope that I meet your expectations,” Gabriel said flatly.
“Why are you thanking me, Gabriel? My statement was not meant as a compliment to you. You had no hand in your creation. You are a result of my work, mine alone.”
“I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t mean,” Gabriel began but Terzini was not interested in hearing an explanation.
“Didn’t mean to what Gabriel, accept praise when you are not deserving of it?” Terzini snapped, cutting Gabriel off mid-sentence.
“Again, I’m sorry, sir.”
Dr. Terzini studied Gabriel’s face. It remained placid. Gabriel showed no signs of agitation or offense at his tirade. His calm was appropriate as he could not produce such a response. He had been created without the ability to experience human emotions.
Terzini believed that without emotional connections, Gabriel would not only live far longer but also be free to recognize his fullest potential.
He thought that by unlocking and engaging parts of his brain that had been used for controlling and regulating emotions, Gabriel, and his offspring, would be able to build a world free of all wrongdoings, that every problem in the world would be resolved when logic trumped sentiment, when rational choices were made and romanticism was removed.
Dr. Franklin Terzini was confident that, through his unique genetic adjustments, he would be able to achieve what neither man nor God ever had.
He had a vision of an improved world; a world where common sense and education prevailed, a world where people did not need to be shepherded by corrupt politicians or disillusioned religions.
Gabriel was the key to his vision.
“Are the preparations for our departure completed, Gabriel?” Terzini questioned. “We will need to leave as soon as possible.”
“Everything is in place. We can leave as early as tomorrow morning, sir.”
“Excellent. Excellent,” Terzini approved. “This trip is important. Our move to America, to Harbingers Falls, New York, is my opportunity to send my perfect creation, you, out into the world.”
He began pacing about his lab, excitement teeming inside him.
“You do understand that once we’re there, everyone will believe us to be father and son. You will call me dad, go to high school,” he reminded Gabriel. “This relocation will be the culmination of all my hard work and dedication. All that you’ve been taught, all that you’ve been given, will be tested and will showcase my capabilities.”
“Yes, sir,” Gabriel nodded. “I am well aware of what is expected of me, and I am prepared.”
Terzini believed that Gabriel was prepared, too. He did not doubt the time and effort he’d invested in his master creation. He had unwavering faith in his skills, in his genius. His resume supported his steadfast confidence. He had prospered at every task he’d ever attempted. He’d excelled as a physicist and had worked for the United States Defense Department soon after his early graduation from his doctoral program. Shortly thereafter though, the stifling stranglehold of operating under the constant scrutiny of the government prompted him to move on. Moving on had been necessary. He needed to challenge himself, to continue to excel. Remaining would have wasted his most precious resource: his genius.
After leaving the Defense Department and the field of physics, Dr. Terzini worked with the Human Cloning Organization, but he’d grown restless there, as well. Too many governmental restrictions had been in place in the United States and had held him back from his true interest, his obsession: reproductive cloning.
Reproductive cloning had enabled Gabriel’s existence. Had he stayed, he would never have created Gabriel and his plan would still be a distant dream. The thought made him shudder.
Now, Dr. Franklin Terzini was returning to the United States, but not to work for any government-sponsored agency. He would work off the global grid.
His would integrate Gabriel into society and record his findings. He was certain that academics would not present a problem. After all, Gabriel had received an impressive education at Terzini’s research facility on the Kamchatka Peninsula. Through a rigorous series of streaming educational downloads, Gabriel collected and processed information at an almost direct computer-to-brain pace. His advanced brain function supported an accelerated learning rate. School would not pose a challenge or risk exposure. Interacting with others did. He needed to behave identically to his peers.
“You understand that everything, all that I’ve worked for, depends on you blending unnoticed with everyone else. Once I have recorded documentation, I will be able to present that evidence, along with all scientific processes that I used to perfect your DNA, to the global research and development community to petition for support.”
“Yes sir. I understand. I will perform as you expect me to, as I’ve been created to.”
“Incomplete or insufficient evidence, your failure, would be catastrophic on many levels. It would alert governmental branches of authority to the irregularities of your construct. They would seize my work and ruin everything. If you merely underperform, well then, that presents quite another problem.”
Dr. Terzini waved his hand in the air as if swatting an insect. “I hate to even consider what would happen then, Gabriel.”
He had not intended his statement to be a threat. It was not a threat. It was reality. If Gabriel were unsuccessful at any point of his assignment, the entire project would be wasted. Gabriel would have been a waste of time. And like any other rubbish, he would have to be disposed of.
He flinched at the thought o
f such an outcome.
“There is nothing to worry about, sir. Everything will go as planned,” Gabriel assured him.
“I am confident that it will,” he replied, but worry still plagued him, always plagued him.
“I will finish my studies and go to bed early. We have a long day ahead of us,” Gabriel said.
Terzini watched as Gabriel returned his focus to the computer monitor he was seated before. Though thrilled by the triumph of his creation, he felt a surge of anger at having to abandon his current project as he was on the verge of an advance as significant as Gabriel himself. He had so many projects in the making, technology and processes that would take the global research and development community by storm. But all of that would have to wait.
He supposed he should be pleased with the advancements he’d made thus far. After all, they had been cutting-edge. He had pioneered an enormous, tubular stainless-steel tank that served as a surrogate womb for his first two creations. No one else could boast an accomplishment like that. And while he craved recognition for triumphs such as his tank, complete with his own enhanced version of amniotic fluid, he had to remind himself that Gabriel was the end result of his technology. He would be proof enough. Gabriel would take the medical community by storm more so than anything else, especially since both the tank and the fluid had been used for his formation.
Terzini was on the brink of applying the same success that could be achieved by the tank and fluid, only making it more accessible to the general population. He was closing in on a way to accomplish the same results on a pregnant human host.
He believed that no expectant parent would refuse the opportunity to birth the perfect child, a child invulnerable to genetic defect or abnormality, to disease, a child who would be physically appealing. They would jump at the chance to have children born with exceptional health, as well as exceptional beauty. They would need virtually no convincing.
His peers, however, posed an entirely different challenge. Their persuasion depended on Gabriel’s successful integration into society.
Everything depended on Gabriel.
By having his perfect subject blend seamlessly, he could prove how, over the course of a generation, the human species could begin a dramatic process of improvement. The face of humanity would be restructured, revolutionized, reborn.
Terzini inhaled deeply as a swell of nervous energy surged inside of him. Within hours, he and Gabriel would be headed to America and what had begun as a vision would be set into motion. He knew it would take time, but felt certain that ultimately his handiwork, combined with the basic rules of natural selection, would prevail. His dream of an improved world would be realized.
Chapter 3
A song that cautioned of a bad romance blared from the tiny speakers of Melissa’s alarm clock radio. She fumbled clumsily with her covers, exhaustion trumping coordination, and attempted to silence it. After several tries, she found the correct switch and quieted the music only to find that it was twenty minutes later than she normally woke. She muttered a swearword under her breath and sprung out of bed on shaky legs. She hurried into the bathroom prepared for a revised, and shortened, version of her morning routine.
She did not have time for a shower so she quickly brushed her teeth, washed her face and freshened up. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail and looked in the mirror. A pair of puffy eyes stared back at her. The swelling was courtesy of too few hours of sleep and too much time spent crying. Her shoulders slumped dejectedly. She did not want to go to school at all, much less looking as she did. She would see Kevin shortly, and possibly be the next recipient of his brand of payback. The face looking back at her did not offer her the slightest bit of confidence. She immediately began filling the sink with cold water. While she waited, she pinned back any errant hairs that remained around her face. As soon as the sink had filled, she submerged her face in it. The cold felt like thousands of needles pricking her at once and would have taken her breath away had she not been holding it. She remained, with her head in the sink, for several seconds. When she could no longer take the cold, she lifted her face, patted it dry with a towel and drained the water. She did not bother to look at herself again before she went to her room to dress.
Jeans and a long-sleeved T shirt was her outfit of choice. After slipping into a pair of boots, she returned to the bathroom and discovered the swelling in her face had gone down considerably. She applied a touch of makeup and started downstairs. As she did so, the night before rushed at her, the realization of what was to come crashed into her like a freight train. In a short while, she would see Kevin. Whether it was in the parking lot, the hallway, or her third period English class, she could not avoid a run-in. How could I be so stupid? she thought. Kevin’s reputation was well-known. She had been aware of it well before he had shown interest in her. He loved girls, all girls, especially the good-looking ones who were open to the idea of sleeping with him. He was, and had always been, promiscuous. She was not promiscuous. She was a virgin, and not interested in offering herself up as a conquest to anyone. She had simply been flattered by the attention he’d paid her. And while she hadn’t deceived herself completely about his interest in her, she had believed it was at least partially genuine. But she had been wrong.
Each of her mistakes would culminate in a matter of moments. The smell of coffee coming from the kitchen meant that her dad had not left for work, and was likely waiting to serve her a complete course of guilt with a side of righteous lecturing. She could not argue with anything he could possibly say. She was wrong, after all. What would be the point of arguing?
As she rounded the corner into the kitchen, she saw her father hovering over the stove making pancakes. She nearly groaned aloud. He did not cook. She assumed responsibility for preparing their meals. His attempt at breakfast almost certainly meant that a lengthy conversation would accompany it. She did not want to be reprimanded before school. Her day promised to be bad enough. She decided to try to keep things light and behave as normally as possible.
“Hey Dad,” she said as cheerfully as she could. “What’re you doing?”
“Just making a little breakfast,” he replied casually.
Typically, her father would have responded sarcastically when she asked him what he was doing. He would have answered, “Knitting, what does it look like I’m doing?” then would have smiled and winked. He would have kept his usual sense of humor, if things were okay between them. Clearly, they were not.
“Sit down,” he said and placed a plate piled high with misshapen pancakes on the table. “We need to talk a bit.”
“Okay,” she said nervously and sat down. “I’m sitting.”
“I didn’t get much sleep last night,” he began. “I’m guessing you didn’t either.”
“No, not really.”
“What you did was awful. Let’s be clear about that. But I don’t think punishing you is really necessary. I think you beat yourself up about it pretty badly already. Am I right about that?”
“Yes,” she answered.
“So I feel that you know what you did, you know it was wrong, and you won’t do it again. Am I right about that, too?”
“Yes, of course!”
She couldn’t believe it. Her father was treating her like an adult, and letting her off the hook. No lecture. No punishment. Optimism filled her and she thought perhaps her day wouldn’t be as bad as she’d originally thought.
“I am not going to punish you then, per se,” he added
“Per se? What do you mean?”
“Well, there is the issue of your road test.”
“My road test?”
“Yes. Before last night, I thought you were responsible enough to take your road test and get your senior license. Now I feel like maybe you’re not ready.”
Her theory of being treated like an adult ended abruptly.
“Dad, Come on! Getting my senior license and driving a car without you has nothing to do with what happened last night,” she
protested.
“Oh really? So respecting rules and behaving responsibly has nothing to do with driving a car without me?”
She could not dispute his argument. He was right. “Seriously, Dad?” was all she could manage before her throat constricted and tears filled her eyes.
“I’m not trying to be a jerk, Missy. I want to keep you safe. You’re all I’ve got.”
She did not respond verbally, but nodded in compliance.
“How about we put off the DMV, just for a few weeks, and see how things go. We can talk about things then, okay?”
She nodded again.
“All right, hurry up and finish up your pancakes. The girls should be here any minute,” he said.
The girls he referred to were Alexandra Georgopoulos and Daniella Colucci, her best friends. They were they closest thing to sisters Melissa had ever had. Together, they existed on the outskirts of the “in” crowd, happily and safely. She worried, however, that their happy safety would be threatened by Kevin. She knew that whether it was a physical altercation or in the form of vicious and unending rumors, he always retaliated. And she had rejected him. Surely, her actions would not go unpunished; she was no different from anyone else who had ever opposed him. If anything, her offense was far worse than any other she could remember. She had hurt his ego. Thinking about what he was capable of doing to her socially, how he could cast her into social purgatory, made her pancake breakfast sour in her stomach.
Her worry-filled thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a horn honking from her driveway.
“You’d better go, Missy. Daniella is waiting,” her father nodded toward the door before adding, “Don’t worry, everything will be fine. You’ll see.”
She wondered how, at times, her father seemed capable of reading her thoughts. She shook her head at him and smiled then left the kitchen. She quickly grabbed her coat from the hall closet and her backpack from the kitchen table just as Daniella honked the horn a second time.
“I’m coming!” Melissa said to no one. “Jeez!”
Planet Urth Boxed Set Page 70
