by S V Hurn
Dorathy agreed but didn’t have any more insight to offer. “I don’t know honey, but they have been a complete mystery from the get-go and they definitely have their own agenda. There is something very wrong going on with this discovery as well as the hierarchy at CERN. But I assure you Hugo and I are going to get to the bottom of this one way or another.” Dorathy ended the call saying, “Be careful out there and I’ll keep you posted.”
Putting the phone down she swung her seat around to look out her office window, trying to make sense of what they knew so far. She was startled by the ringing of her phone. Looking over at it she was pleased to see it was the representative from Virgin Galactic Launcher One. “Hello Gary, how are you today?”
“Not too bad. How are things going in your neck of the woods?”
“On track and on schedule. We have a willing volunteer for our maiden voyage. He passed last week at the ripe old age of a hundred and nine. His family, although saddened by his loss, are excited about him being the first in the family to go into space. Apparently, he wanted to do it his whole life but was never healthy enough for the trip, so his dying wish was that he be preserved and blasted into outer space. Funny how we can cure so many illnesses but there’s always something lurking around ready to claim its next victim and destroy so many dreams.”
Gary considered his own health and said, “Yep, you just never know. So, what’s the tentative date?”
“Well, I’m thinking end of March. I’m planning a short vacation around the sixteenth to celebrate my birthday, then we get’er done, and I guess on to the next thing.”
“Yeah, I hear you guys are going to do some great things for Deep Space Industries.”
“They’ve been doing all right without us so far, but they have a mining operation planned on a much larger scale. We have one of their guys here already working on it.”
“Okay then, I’ll pencil you in for the end of March, so just keep me updated on an exact date.”
“Will do.”
“Talk soon.”
“All right Gary, have a great day.”
“Yep, you too. ‘Bye for now.”
Dorathy pushed away from her desk and rubbed her neck and shoulders. “God, I miss my little island and need a change of scenery.” With a heavy sigh she said, “The sooner the better.”
After depositing Dimitri in his room to give him the opportunity to reflect on his current situation, Edgar proceeded down the hall to Stuart’s room. Unlatching the door, he startled Stuart who nearly jumped out of his seated position on the cot. Stuart sat, trying to stay calm, hands clasped on his lap to present a non-aggressive attitude.
Edgar spoke in a soothing voice to appear reassuring. “I hope your accommodations are satisfactory.”
Stuart was desperate for answers but all he could mutter was, “The room is fine. But please tell me, why did you bring me here,” Stuart glanced past Edgar’s shoulder into the hall behind him, “to this place?”
“Dr. Kern, please follow me and we will explain as much as we can.”
Stuart rose slowly, not trusting this individual who had ripped him away from his family and his life. Edgar sensed the fear Stuart was unable to hide—it was clearly written in the lines of his brow. “I assure you we do not mean you any harm and you will understand the full scope of what we are doing here and why your presence is essential for our success.”
As they walked down the dimly lit hall, Stuart was feeling a bit more at ease. “You know you could have just asked.”
Edgar smiled. “But would you have dropped everything and departed with us willingly? Time is of the essence here.”
“No, I suppose I wouldn’t have.”
“So, there you have it.”
Stuart thought that whatever this was all about, he hoped the information they were about to share with him didn’t make him a risk. “All right. I will offer you my full cooperation and I hope, in return, you may release me back to my family.”
“My dear Dr. Kern, our business is not of a murderous nature. We are all scientists here, just like yourself.”
When they entered the meeting room, Hans stepped forward and seated himself at the round table. He gestured to the two men. “Please have a seat. Dr. Kern, we apologize for taking you away from your life, but I promise, you will soon have a greater understanding of what we are doing here, what YOU are doing here.”
“My name is Hans Grobler and I am the director of CERN. I am also a leading member of a society of scientists known as the Illuminati.”
Stuart’s head was spinning. He had heard about this secret society, but thought it was all a myth—a collection of fictional intrigues and embellishments. Stuart shook his head and said with a bit of a chuckle, under his breath, “You can’t be serious.”
“We are very serious. Serious enough to have taken you against your will.”
Stuart placed both hands on the table. “Great. Can you just tell me why?”
“We want you to ‘prepare’ a few patients for cryogenic freezing and assist in the assembly of a fully automated apparatus that will ‘revive’ these patients once they reach their destination.”
“Okay. I’m on a need to know basis and I don’t need to know any more than what you just shared with me. I fear the more I know, the less chance I have of getting out of here.”
“Very wise, Stuart. May I call you Stuart?”
“Sure, Hans.”
Hans laughed out loud. “I’m happy to see you have maintained a sense of humor.”
“Well, shit, it’s not every day you get to enjoy a huge dose of some concoction, are flown to God knows where, and hook up with the grand poohbah of the Illuminati. Maybe I should feel honored?”
“You don’t seem to be taking what we are doing very seriously, but you will my friend . . . you will.”
Brenda entered through a side door leading from the prep room. “Hello Hans, Edgar.”
Hans stood as Stuart turned in his seat to look over his shoulder. Brenda was obviously American, lacking the foreign accent that was apparent in everyone else’s speech. “Let me introduce you to our newest team member. This is Dr. Stuart Kern, our cryogenic expert.”
“Hello Stuart. I’m Dr. Brenda Hyden, the resident bio fabrication expert and geneticist. Nice of you to join us on such short notice.”
“I didn’t see I had much of a choice in the matter.”
“Well honey, you better get used to it.”
Stuart was a bit overwhelmed by her matter-of-fact demeanor and wondered how long she had been here and under what circumstances she had been appointed to her position. Brenda knew all too well how Stuart must be feeling, but she was beyond empathy and directed her next comments to Hans. “We really need to get started with Henry; I don’t think he can hold on much longer. His SELF is almost completed, and the brain is close to functioning capacity, so whatever it is you need to do, I suggest you do it soon.”
Stuart blinked a few times, because what she had just said made absolutely no sense to him. “Excuse me, but what the hell are you talking about?”
Hans stepped in. “We need to get Stuart up to speed on his purpose here, so may I suggest you take a seat, Brenda, so that we might enlighten him on his current situation?”
“Sure, this should be a fun conversation,” Brenda said, as she pulled up a chair. Smiling, she knew the information being shared would send his mind into a tailspin. “I think our new friend Stuart will be impressed with what we’ve accomplished so far.”
Hans said to Brenda with some hesitation, “Maybe you should explain. There is a bit I’m sure that gets lost in translation if I were to attempt an explanation.”
“I’ll give it my best shot,” Brenda said with enthusiasm. She considered what she was going to say for a moment. “Let’s see where to start. A few years ago, a Russian geneticist, whom you will meet shortly, discovered ancient alien DNA on Earth. This DNA was actually discovered within a human specimen but predates us by approximately 1.5 bil
lion years.”
Stuart’s eyes grew wide and he leaned back in his chair. He put one hand over his mouth in disbelief and, muffled through his fingers said, “How can that be?”
Brenda huffed a quiet laugh as she recalled her own reaction to the news. “Yes, well you better believe it. Seems this planet was seeded, and we can extrapolate that others were as well. The thing is that the ancient DNA structure vibrates at a different frequency than ours.”
“Okay, yes, I get that our atoms vibrate, but what exactly do you mean?”
“They, whoever they are, are from another dimension.”
Stuart was trying desperately to grasp what she was saying. “I take it you have been able to prove that.”
“Yes, without a doubt. That’s only half of it though. As you may already know, about 99% of human DNA is non-coding; only 1% carries our genetic code. For decades we have been trying to accurately read the non-coded material. Decades ago, some wrote it off as ‘junk DNA with no real purpose, then of course others found it in fact served many purposes, and some thought it resembled language, a precursor to Sumerian. They weren’t too far off with that hypothesis. There is actually quite a bit of information in that so-called ‘junk DNA.”’
Stuart was all ears and Brenda could see he was like a kid finally having proof of the existence of Santa Claus. “Jesus Christ!” Stuart exclaimed.
Brenda loved possessing this information and loved even more imparting it to someone for the first time. “Wait for it,” she said with a playful smile.
“There are two things in the so-called un-coded portion. The first is a type of timed gene sequence. In the process of evolution, we have come to a point where hidden deep in our DNA, is a sequence that “clicks” on, for lack of a better term. We can excel and grasp technologies, our minds expand as we evolve . . . simply put, we are evolving to a higher state. Our brains are beginning to rewire. Some of us have been able to retain that part of our DNA where others have not. Point in fact: The Degraded Section. They, for the most part, are unable to evolve as their DNA simply won’t allow it. It lacks the ‘sequence’ and they are gradually de-evolving.”
Hans had always known there must be an explanation for the way our civilization had been so divided. He leaned back in his chair and thought about the future of mankind. He said, “You see Stuart, science has finally been able to prove the existence of a higher power, the creator of life on this planet, and what we hope to find is the existence of our cousins on other planets. What we are trying to do is to find them. Find the beings that created us in what we believe to be their image.”
Brenda smiled in agreement. “The second discovery came to us a bit more recently. Stuart my friend, also written in the un-coded DNA are coordinates.”
“To where?” Stuart almost shouted, not believing his ears.
“We assume to the other side of this reality . . . to the Prime Reality.”
“What the hell do you mean the other side? Are you talking another dimension? A higher level? What?”
“Heaven.”
“Come on, you can’t be that broad. Heaven?” Stuart crossed his arms over his chest.
Hans tried to reason. “Stuart, you at Lifecor have been able to revive people that lay dead and frozen for years and, tell me, what has been the outcome? What effects have they suffered from, besides the obvious?”
Stuart slumped and hesitantly said, “The ability to transcend to another reality. Look, I’m not what you would call a religious man, but I can’t deny what I have heard from our revived patients. They, regardless of their faith, report the same thing. Not a state of being, but an actual place, a planet or moon with a binary star and a ringed planet on the horizon.”
“Exactly. A planet or moon in a binary system.” Brenda looked at him now with one eyebrow raised.
“Okay, okay, I get it. So, you figured out a way of getting there.”
“We believe we have, by creating a large enough wormhole through which to slip, bent the fabric of space-time to reach our destination, transcending to a higher dimension.”
Stuart scratched his head and said, “So why do you need me?”
“Well Stu,” Brenda replied, “we need our consciousness uploaded into our SELFs then frozen for the trip to the other side of this reality.”
“You’ve lost me. Why cryogenics? What is a SELF?”
Brenda said proudly, “Putting it in simple terms, I’ve been able to reproduce the alien DNA with a 3D Bioprinter. We have recently discovered that the DNA found within the ancient relic vibrates at a frequency different from our existence, different from this reality. SELF is short for ‘Synthetic Extraterrestrial Life Form.’ We will have our essence, everything that makes us—us, uploaded into a SELF then frozen to make the trip to the other side where we will then be revived. You see we can’t survive very long in this dimension we currently inhabit.”
Stuart rubbed his neck and wondered if he was ever going to be able to go home. He felt as if he had just fallen through the rabbit hole, transported up through a crazy vortex and into the middle of a psychotic nightmare. He determined that if he worked quickly on the project for these people, maybe just maybe, there would be a chance to come out alive on the other end. “So, when do we get started?”
Dorathy took her usual route to the other side of the complex, bumping and speeding along in her customized golf cart. She pulled up to the entrance where Karen and Jack were outside enjoying the weather and discussing the project.
“Speak of the devil,” Jack said with a good helping of excitement in his voice.
“Hi Dora,” Karen said, matching his enthusiasm. “I’m going to be your new best friend. My team hit it hard this weekend and aside from a few odds and ends to tie up, we are done!”
“Oh my God, I could kiss you both! Let’s go inside, I want to take a look.”
After donning white clean-room attire, Dorathy inspected the inner workings of the SBD and the outer casing, and proclaimed, “Lunch and drinks are on me boys and girls!” The team applauded the successful culmination of their joint efforts.
They all sat in the back courtyard of a local tavern enjoying their well-deserved time away from work. Dorathy got up and made a quick speech as she held up her margarita in a toast. “To Karen and her amazing team of talented engineers. We all must die someday, now we can enter through the gates of heaven, skidding in sideways yelling, ‘It was a hell of a ride!’ Thank you all for your dedication to this project. I for one am happy it’s done.”
When Dorathy got home that night she was exhausted, but excited to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. She called Alex in Phoenix. “Darling you are not going to believe this. The job is done—aside from a few minor adjustments, it’s done! So, when are you coming home baby, because we need a vacation?”
Alex was surprised and excited to hear it. “All right smart lady, let me tie up a few loose ends and I’ll be home in a couple of days. Is that island music I hear in the background?”
“Yes, it is, Dorathy exclaimed. “I’m already starting to get packed and in the mood. I called to make sure the beach house is ready and stocked for our arrival, and I’ve called Hendrik and booked the jet. So, get that gorgeous Aussie ass home!”
Alex laughed. “Can’t wait, baby! I miss you so bad I can taste you.”
“Oh, don’t you get me going with that sexy talk, you best save it for when you’re home. I am drinking and hula dancing while I pack, so I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“Okay my love, you do that. I miss you bad and have one for me. I love you, woman.”
“Love you too, darling.”
For the first time in her life she felt this happy, this excited. I’m going to my little island with the man of my dreams! I think it’s time to semi-retire and enjoy my life and all that I have worked so hard for; just for once it’s finally my time in the sun.
After Alex got off the phone, he started to make his plans, their plans, for a beach-side wedding. At
hena was the first person to call, then Jack, Lucy, and Hugo. A sudden sadness hit Alex that Stuart, his best friend, not his oldest friend but certainly his closest, remained missing. God where are you buddy? I hope you are okay; I promise, we will find you. He sat in his chair and ran his hands through his hair trying to continue with the task at hand. That old familiar feeling of guilt was creeping back in.
He sat quietly berating himself, Shit if I had been around instead of going to California, he would still be here . . . I just can’t go there, and I can’t blame myself. I have spent nearly my whole life buried in guilt; I just can’t and won’t do it anymore. Besides, I would be the one missing now.
After speaking with everyone, with Athena’s help the plans were set and the arrangements made. Alex pulled open his desk drawer and took out a small velvet box and opened it. Inside was the ring he had found for Dorathy. He thought a stunning ring for a stunning woman. His wife. He turned the stone as it reflected the light and said out loud, “My wife, Mrs. Dorathy Mason . . . has a nice ring to it.”
Dimitri was asleep in his room snoring when he was startled awake by the door opening with a jerk. Brenda stood in the doorjamb, arms crossed, waiting for this lump of a man to stand and gather his thoughts. “Nice of you to join us down here, I’ve heard quite a lot about you.”
“Where am I, and who the hell are you speaking to me?”
“Where you are is not as important as who is speaking to you at this moment. I am either going to be your best friend or your worst nightmare and that, my friend, is something you’d better get used to. Now get up and follow me, so we can get started on the first day of forever.”
“You listen to me you stupid bitch. You bring to me the leader of this conspiracy because I am not the type of man that is accustomed to being treated this way.”
