Restoration

by Daniel C McWhorter

  Bruce inserted the cartridge into the injector and pressed it against his neck directly above his carotid artery. He pushed the activator with his thumb and a faint hissing sound signified the beginning of the end of the illegal unregistered clone that had served as the vessel for Bruce Thomas Wagner for the past one year three months nineteen hours and thirty-two minutes. Bruce placed the injector on his desk and relaxed back into his chair. He closed his eyes and concentrated on taking slow, deep breaths.

  A minute passed before he experienced the spectacle of light, color and sound that some nano-wipe subjects reported in their final minutes and seconds of existence. As more time passed, the sounds became a cacophony and the flashing lights and colors became ever more intense. He tried to open his eyes but couldn’t. His heart slowed, and he panicked as he realized he was no longer breathing. For a brief instant he wished that he hadn’t injected himself but then he remembered that it was all part of the plan and he would soon be in a better place. A moment later the lights and sounds stopped and Bruce “Geoff” Wagner was no more.

  CHAPTER 34

  APRIL 6, 2075 9:30 AM GST

  GSSA Headquarters

  Zurich, Switzerland

  Dianne Merkel had spent the last hour and a half reviewing the list of potential colonists that Christian had compiled for her. The AI that provided the data had been unwilling to reveal the name of the source, or the details of how it was acquired; except to say the BGSI acquired the data two days ago and confidence in its accuracy was high.

  The list contained the names, professions and last known locations of some 4,500 people. Roughly one-third of who were current or former Telogene employees and another third that were current or former employees of the Galileo Group. The remaining third contained well-known visionaries and entrepreneurs, specialists from other fields and disciplines outside of those found at Telogene and Galileo, military and law enforcement personnel and a smattering of well-respected regional politicians and judges. Most notably, there was not one person from the GFN, GSSA, BGSI or any other global agency on the list.

  While Dianne visually scanned the list to see if any names jumped out at her, Christian cross-referenced it with the GSSA’s database of known and suspected violators of the HDDA.

  Known violators were people who had transferred their consciousness into a clone within twelve months after the HDDA was signed into law. Those people were allowed to remain in their current body so long as they agreed to destroy any other clones and to forego life extension therapies of any kind—except procedures on the pre-approved “medical necessity” list.

  Suspected violators were those who the GSSA believed to be clones but lacked sufficient evidence to prove that cloning had occurred. Although most clones could be detected with genetic testing, certain legal gene therapies rendered those tests useless.

  Dianne created a secondary list of 274 names that combined the people Christian identified with the people she had tagged. She focused on those names, trying to find a name, or pattern of names, that would help her to gain an advantage over her adversaries. As she scrolled through the list for the tenth time, one name near the top of the list caught her attention: Alexei Dumanov.

  Alexei Dumanov was a suspected HDDA violator but the GSSA could never build a case against him. Born in 1970, Alexei had grown up during the fall of the Soviet Union. In his mid-twenties he gained a 25% ownership interest in an old ammunition factory outside of Murmansk. By the early 2000s he had parlayed his ammunition factory into steel and ship-building, which earned him a considerable fortune during the war, and by 2030 he was one of the ten wealthiest men in the Russian Federation.

  In 2045, at age 75, Alexei underwent a full body restoration, transplanting his engrams into a clone created using his own DNA. The clone had been in development for approximately five years but due to accelerated growth techniques available at the time, the body appeared to be that of a twenty-year-old male in exceptional health. But it wasn’t that clone that got Dumanov on the suspect list.

  Dianne remembered the case. She was a prosecutor in the newly formed Global Standards and Safety Administration when the Dumanov case crossed her desk. Dianne gestured at the holodisplay to retrieve the Dumanov case file, then tapped the glowing green icon that would connect her with Christian.

  “Yes, ma’am?” he answered.

  “I just pulled up an old case file on Alexei Demyanovich Dumanov. Please review it, check all available sources and see if you can find any connection between him and anyone at Telogene…or Galileo but more likely Telogene.”

  “Am I looking for anything in particular?”

  “It’s just a hunch but of all the names on our suspect list, this is the guy who has the financial and organizational resources to do things that neither Telogene nor Galileo could do themselves…at least not out in the open.”

  “Very well. I was just about to remind you of your meeting with Captain Bachmann, he is waiting in your conference room.”

  “Tell him I will be right there.”

  “Will there be anything else?”

  “No, that’s it,” she said.

  Christian’s face disappeared from the corner of the holodisplay.

  Dianne expanded Dumanov’s file so she could read it easier. She scanned the details to refresh her recollection, and she found that she remembered the case quite well. Dumanov’s original clone developed cancer in 2056, roughly a year after the HDDA was passed. He underwent the normal procedures to treat it but the cancer was hyper-aggressive and nothing seemed to work.

  Alexei disappeared for about a year, supposedly to focus on treatment and recovery. Everyone assumed that he had died but then he suddenly reappeared in April 2058, looking like a young, healthy man in his early twenties. The assumption was that he must have had another clone hidden away somewhere.

  The GSSA charged him with violating the HDDA but Alexei hired an army of doctors and lawyers to assert that he had, in fact, been cured of his cancer. He said that his youthful appearance was due to having received telomere extension therapy, which was legal. Lacking any hard evidence, the government had no choice but to drop the case against Dumanov.

  It would take Christian some time to complete the background check on Dumanov, so Dianne decided she might as well meet with Bachmann. She stood up and crossed the short distance to the conference room where he was waiting.

  “Sorry to keep you waiting,” she said as she entered the room.

  “No problem,” Bachmann replied. “I’ve just received a mission update from Lieutenant Commander Wilkes. They will arrive in approximately three hours and are awaiting our orders.”

  Dianne smiled at the captain’s use of “our orders.” Whether he was sincere or not, at least he was making a good show of cooperation and teamwork.

  “Excellent. Have you decided on the best approach?” Dianne figured she might as well reciprocate his collegial demeanor.

  “Yes, but your agent is still on Endeavor and does not believe that he will have an opportunity to transfer to the Kutanga.”

  “He’s still working on that.”

  “Understood. But with time running short, I believe that we are going to have to rely on another resource.”

  “Oh and who might that be?”

  “I just met with Director Horvat and she informed me that they have an agent embedded in Gbadamosi’s crew. The agent is posing as a member of the engineering team and was the one who provided us with the design plans for Kutanga.”

  “Well, don’t keep me in suspense, who is it?”

  “Her name is Linda Sewell, and she serves as the Main Propulsion Assistant on Endeavor. She has detailed knowledge of their gravity drive systems and has been on board the Kutanga multiple times—she says she has firsthand knowledge of its layout and engineering systems.”

  “Where is she now?”

  “She is on board the Kutanga, they asked her to help get the ship ready to launch.”

  “So, they are pushing
up their timetable then?”

  “It looks like it, and get this…she had lunch with Feldman, Hao and Li. She happened to be in the mess when Gbadamosi brought them down for a snack after Endeavor picked them up.”

  “It looks like we might have just caught a break.”

  “Yes, ma’am. We have confirmation of the fugitives’ location and we have someone who can help get Wilkes’ team on board Kutanga.”

  “Excellent, so what’s the plan?”

  Bachmann pulled a holocube from his pocket and inserted it into the slot on the table in front of him. Ceres appeared in the air above them.

  “Well, we still have one problem to solve. Right now, Gbadamosi can’t track the team’s transport ship, it’s too far out and moving too fast.”

  The image zoomed out to show a large section of space between Ceres and Mars.

  “But once they begin their deceleration, there is a chance that they will be detected. We just don’t know what kind of capabilities Gbadamosi has.”

  “So, what do we do?”

  “We have two options. One, we order the team to burn straight for the Kutanga and do a hard assault. Of course, doing that risks a full-on firefight and, although the team is well armed, they will be badly outnumbered. And it’s a direct violation of the Earth-Mars treaty since Ceres is a Martian territory.”

  “And option two?”

  “We knock on the door and ask to come in.”

  Dianne looked confused as Bachmann pointed at the floating map of space and drew several lines with his fingers.

  “We order the transport to enter orbit around Ceres here and then have them request permission to land.”

  “For what purpose?”

  “We’ll make something up. I was thinking it could be as easy as just asking to speak with Gbadamosi…to try to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the situation.”

  “What if he says no?”

  Bachmann shifted the view to a closeup of Ceres.

  “Once the transport is in orbit, Wilkes will send a four-man team to board the Kutanga. They will exit the transport here and use their suit thrusters to rendezvous with the ship here. According to Sewell, there is an airlock the team can use to board the ship located here. She says she can bypass the monitors and security protocols. Nobody other than her will know they are coming.”

  “Won’t the team be detected before they get anywhere close to the Kutanga?”

  “Unlikely. Their suits are invisible to all forms of energy, so they won’t be seen on any scanners and they project holographic camouflage that makes them invisible to the naked eye and optical sensors.”

  “Okay, so the team gets on board while Wilkes tries to distract Gbadamosi…then what?”

  Bachmann zooms in further until an interior diagram of the ship fills the space above the conference table.

  “Sewell will lead the team from the airlock to these maintenance tunnels, which connect with the engineering compartment. From there, they cross through this area to reach the engine core. Once there, they will disable both the primary and secondary drive systems to ensure that the Kutanga stays in orbit until we can get a larger contingent on board.”

  “A larger contingent? Where are they coming from and who authorized that?”

  “I dispatched two interceptors two hours ago. I figured we could recall them if you disagreed with the plan for some reason.”

  “Standard crew size and composition?

  “Yep. Thirty per ship, forty-eight combat personnel total.”

  “What about Pak?” Dianne asked, referring to the Martian President.

  “President Hilliard has decided that he is willing to take action now and ask for forgiveness later. Command fears that any attempt to go through normal channels on this will either take too long or tip off the opposition, and we can’t afford to take that chance.”

  “Interesting. So, does that mean I am not the scapegoat anymore?”

  “On the contrary. If this goes wrong, President Hilliard will deny all knowledge of our actions and you and I will be charged with misappropriating military resources and violating the treaty with Mars.”

  Dianne thought about that for a minute before responding.

  “So, is it worth it?” she finally asked.

  “Ma’am?”

  “Are our careers and possibly our lives, worth all this?”

  “I don’t know, I haven’t thought about that. I’m a soldier and I do whatever I have to do to complete my mission. I only worry about personal consequences afterwards...if at all.”

  “Must be nice.”

  “It’s just part of the job I signed up for.”

  “Well, since I am not a soldier, let’s think this through for a minute, shall we?” Dianne asked rhetorically. “What do we get by stopping them?”

  “They’re criminals, they broke the law. Isn’t that enough?” Bachmann replied.

  “What if things are really as bad here as the analysts project?” Dianne continued. “What difference does arresting a few criminals make if 90% of us will be dead within a decade anyway?”

  “The way I look at it, Madame Secretary, is that none of us knows how long we have on this Earth, and just because some scientist tells me that I am going to be dead in ten years doesn’t mean that I stop abiding by our laws. If I did that, and you did that and millions of others did that, then this world would descend into chaos so fast that I doubt very seriously that any of us would want to hang around for even a year—never mind ten!”

  “That’s a fair point, Captain.”

  “And besides,” he added. “I happen to think these criminals know more about this situation than we think. Hell, they helped create this problem, didn’t they? I bet that once we get them back here they are going offer up a cure in exchange for their freedom.”

  “But if they have a cure, why go to all this trouble? Why not just be heroes?”

  “What if it’s not about that? What if it’s about creating a new world in their own image? What if they purposely killed us so that they would be able to start their new utopia in peace? Did you ever think of that?”

  Dianne considered that for a moment. “No, I can’t say that I have.”

  “Well, I have. Gbadamosi is clearly an empire builder and Feldman and his daughter probably think they are gods…manipulating DNA, creating life, destroying life, cheating death. Hell, I’d consider myself a god if I invented all that stuff—who wouldn't?”

  “Do you really believe that we are dealing with a group of megalomaniacs here?”

  “I don’t know but what I do know is that we are never going to find out if we let them go.”

  “You have a point there,” Dianne said.

  “So yes, I say our careers and lives are worth it. If we fail to stop them and we pay a price for that then at least I can meet my maker knowing that I tried my best to save humanity. On the other hand, if we succeed…well then maybe, just maybe we’ll be the heroes.”

  “It is more likely that no one will ever know any of this happened, regardless of whether we succeed or fail.”

  “That’s a chance I’m willing to take because that also comes with my job, Madame Secretary.”

  Dianne leaned back in her chair and studied the Kutanga for several minutes. Neither of them said a word and Bachmann just stared at Dianne, waiting to see what she’d do next.

  “Okay,” she finally said, “let’s try the stealth approach. Disable the Kutanga. Take the fugitives prisoner, if possible, kill them if not.”

  “We can’t interrogate them if they are dead Madame Secretary.”

  “We won’t need to. Once we have control of Kutanga, we will transmit their engramic archives back to Earth and we’ll learn everything we need to know from there.”

  “What if the ship is destroyed?”

  “Is that going to happen?”

  “Unlikely but gravity pulse drives are finicky things and anything is possible when you start messing with them.”

  “Well, w
e had better hope that Agent Sewell knows her shit then, hadn’t we?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Christian’s image flashed on the holodisplay in front of Dianne.

  “I am sorry to interrupt but I have important news.”

  “Go ahead.”

  “Alexei Dumanov and Bruce Wagner knew each other. They met at a conference in Moscow after the war and had intermittent contact over the years.”

  “Why are we just now learning this?”

  “I’m sorry, ma’am. The BGSI just provided information about several calls Geoff Wagner made to Alexei Dumanov while he was in Switzerland. They have not yet decrypted the contents of the calls but they have confirmed that they occurred.”

  “So, either Geoff Wagner is really Bruce Wagner, or Geoff is calling his dad’s old friend for a favor. Either way, we’ve got a connection.”

  “Yes, ma’am. You should also know that Geoff Wagner transferred a significant amount of money to accounts believed to belong to Alexei Dumanov just hours after we took Aubrey Harris into custody.”

  “Mother fucker!” Dianne shouted. “Arrest Geoff Wagner now. Where is he?”

  “He is still in his office at Telogene’s North American headquarters.”

  “Good, get a team in there and take his ass down. I want him on a plane back to Zurich within the hour. Understood?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Sending the instructions now.”

  Christian’s face disappeared from the display.

  “Oh, what a tangled web they weave,” Dianne said. “I knew that shit-bag attorney was involved in this somehow. I just knew it but I didn’t listen to my instincts. Well, no more! We are going to put an end to this right now, Captain, do you understand me?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’m with you.”

  “Good, get it done. Now if you’ll excuse me I need to get to the bottom of this Geoff and Alexei thing.”

  Dianne stood and returned to her office, leaving the conference room to Bachman. The Captain opened an encrypted communication channel on his holodisplay.