SOPHIA - Age of Intelligence
Page 51
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The helicopter pilot turned to Zara and spoke over the chopper’s percussive background. “This ship of yours, does it have a stabilized landing platform? These seas are still looking pretty choppy.”
“Just get us as close as you can,” Zara replied.
Decker heard the same concern over his headphones. “We’ll repel down if we have to.”
“That’s good,” the pilot said. “Because if I have to circle for very long I won’t have enough fuel to get back.”
Jennifer took a break from reading and looked out her window for a moment. “I’m so done with the Prav Gills of the world,” she stated. A dramatic rock-cut swept by her side of the vehicle, passing unseen. The article’s preceding passages triggered a memory of Sophia; it competed with a sweeping rural tranquility. Her passenger side view was in turn interspersed by roadside trees and vast open farmland. The theft and subsequent destruction of her father’s XNA research lingered more poignantly, however.
“I tell ya,” Marcus interjected. “If that asshole ever sets foot in New York again ...”
“Hey, language, Mr.,” Tanya chided.
“Sorry, Jen,” Marcus stated. “I’ll promise to keep my comments to myself if you’re willing to read on.”
Simon extended his right hand and held onto Jennifer’s for a few moments. “Don’t lose hope, Jen. Faith often provides its own rewards.”
Jennifer drew a sigh before focusing in on her cellphone again. “After giving into the realization that my concert review would succumb to the dramatic events that took place after last night’s show, Simon Taylor finally acquiesced to my persistent question: Where did the famous Four-Forty gene sequence actually come from? If the reader will remember, the Four-Forty was the largest single donor of flawless genes, which many are now interpreting as forming the baseline of one’s moral compass.”
“As Simon explained in a solemn tone, he confirmed the donor was indeed tagged and recorded in the same way most samples were processed, only this person’s bar-code was permanently inked onto the arm from which the sample was drawn. If by this time you have ruled out the genome reportedly pulled from the famous James Ossuary, the one that some claimed to provide a genetic link to Christ himself, you will be heartened to know the Four-Forty’s true origins are at least as humble.”
“Known only as ‘Rajkumari,’ or ‘Princess’ in Hindi, this young orphan was left to die on the desperate streets of Mumbai during the 2021 SARS Variant Pandemic. With few cities being immune to the worldwide crisis, you may recall putting your own personal tragedy within the context of what unfolded within the narrow lanes of Dharavi, Mumbai’s largest slum. Sadly, Rajkumari was one of hundreds of otherwise healthy children who were intentionally infected with the live virus”
“Aww,” Jennifer swooned, her voice shaking. “How come you didn’t tell me about this?”
Tanya was equally aghast. “My Lord,” she added.
“I’m sorry, Honey,” Simon stated, turning momentarily toward his daughter.
Jennifer, however, felt compelled to read on. “Children who were intentionally infected with the live virus during a series of illegal test trials orchestrated by none other than Praveen Gill. It is no small irony that Rajkumari’s posthumous gift emerged from this indulgence of immorality and was itself discovered not by a human but a computer. Sophia called Rajkumari ‘a diamond in the rough’ when her genome was secretly uploaded, and the Four-Forty was subsequently discovered within. Now that we know her name, I like to think of our Princess as an Angel whose legacy will live on forever.”