The Progenitor Project

by Bob Cooper

  "How can you tell?"

  Aidan looked at the shuttle driver, who waited as anxiously as Annie for the answer. He took the bear and studied it for a while before turning it over.

  "Boy Pandas have black tails. Girls have white," he said, holding his breath and hoping she would not question him further.

  The shuttle driver smiled and gave him a thumbs-up.

  "Then I think I'll name him Sam," she said, fluffing up his tail.

  "That's a good name," Aidan replied.

  Grabbing her suitcase, he paid the shuttle driver while Annie looked around. No green grass, no trees, just a lot of cars, noise, and people walking around.

  "Let's go in and get settled, and then we'll get something to eat."

  Entering through his office, Aidan led her to the room in the back. The storage area behind his room worked nicely for Annie’s room—after he cleaned it out and put in a bed and chest of drawers. Annie looked around and then jumped on the bed.

  "Can I paint it blue?"

  "You sure can. We can buy the paint tomorrow and start. Now let's get something to eat."

  They walked down the side street to Aidan's favorite cafe. Walking in, the hostess, Andrea gave him a smile.

  "Anywhere you like," she said.

  They sat outside at a small table with two chairs.

  "Where's Sam going to sit?" she asked.

  Andrea brought over a booster seat.

  "There you go. And who is this?" Andrea asked Aidan.

  “This is Annie, my... Uh, I have legal custody," he said, not knowing how to explain their relationship."

  "Well, hi there, Annie. I'm Andrea."

  She smiled at her. "Can I have some fried potatoes and some ice cream?" she asked Andrea.

  "How about a healthy tofu burger to go with the potatoes and then you can have the ice cream later? I'll have my usual,” Aidan said.

  "Okay, that’s one T-burger, spuds and two sides of nachos with all the fixins," Andrea yelled to the cook.

  "That doesn't sound very healthy," Annie said.

  Aidan politely smiled but didn't answer her. Seems like they both had a lot of adjustments to make.

  15

  C olonel Jack Stryker made several notes in his journal as he reviewed the surveillance videos from Bressa’s meeting. He had a team whose only assignment was to document the key players and their activities. He knew they were digging deeper into the artifacts, and they had to be shut down as soon as possible. But, his primary mission remained—to capture Hillary and deliver her to Tim and Myra. Then he could deal with the others.

  Continuing to review the video, he noted Billy and Hillary’s routine activities. Every afternoon at two o’clock, Billy left the Gallery to help his father at the catering service. Stryker noted, he was usually gone for three hours and then returned to their apartment where he cooked dinner and waited for Hillary. Hillary would leave the Gallery around five, eat dinner with Billy and return to the Gallery by six-thirty. During this time, her security guard would accompany her home and then back to the Gallery. This seemed to be the best time for him to strike. Picking up the com link, he contacted his top agent.

  “Meet me tonight at my place. We’re going to make our move.”

  “Understood.”

  When the agent arrived later that night, Stryker pulled up a holo-map of the vicinity by the Gallery. He highlighted the route Hillary took back to her apartment in green.

  “There, where she turns down the side street, is where we make our move,” Stryker said, referencing the map. “She enters the apartment building through the main entrance and goes around the back to the elevators. That’s where you will stun the security guard and Hillary, if you have to, and head out the back door to the alley where I’ll have the cruiser parked.”

  “How do I get into the secured building?” she asked.

  “I had retinal imprints put on these contacts lenses from one of the current residents. Put them in before you approach the scanner, and you should have no problem getting in. I’ve tried them, and they work fine.”

  “Won’t there be a lot of people at the elevators at that time of the day?”

  “The most I’ve seen there are two others besides Hillary. Neutralize anyone that gets in your way. This is our best and only shot.”

  “I don’t know; it looks very risky to me. Why can’t we wait until they pull the security detail? They can’t be with her forever,” she said.

  “They want her now. We can’t wait.”

  She looked at him, not sure what else to say. Trusting his judgment, she nodded her approval.

  “Okay, when does this go down?”

  “Tomorrow afternoon. Meet me here at four o’clock,” he said, holding the door open as she left. He took a deep breath and contacted Tim.

  “We’re set for tomorrow. Where do I bring her?”

  ***

  Captain Ryan walked through the dimly lit confines of the tunnel. He’d been down here only once; when he was a cadet. Every new recruit experienced the terror of maximum security at least once. The smell of urine and disinfectant made his eyes tear. He took short breaths to help minimize the assault on his senses until they adjusted. In the last security station, four armed guards stood in front of the interrogation room. Squinting through the narrow slit in the door, he could see the shadow of a small man sitting at a table. As the door opened, he noticed the shackles around his arms and legs. The guards on duty stopped and searched him before he entered. The middle-aged, balding man in a red jumpsuit sat quietly, staring at the far wall.

  “Hello, Frank. It’s been a while since I had the pleasure,” Captain Ryan said.

  “Well, hi, Peter. The pleasure is all mine. I’d shake your hand but as you can see, I, uh, am not able,” Frank said, returning the sarcasm.

  “I understand you have something to tell me,” Captain Ryan said, sitting down across from him at the table.

  “Well, that depends. Did you get my note?”

  “I have it right here,” he said, pulling it out of his briefcase. “You want a commuted sentence and a new identity. What do I get in return?”

  “I have information about the leadership of the “Righteous Way”.

  “We already know who…”

  “You don’t know anything about how infiltrated this sect is within the Citizen Guard,” Frank said.

  “And how do you know this information?”

  “Come on, Peter. I led the information sector of the Earthers for years. I know everything about that organization.”

  “Then why didn’t you cut a deal when you were first incarcerated?”

  “I tried, but let’s say your colleagues weren’t interested. They were too busy gloating over the arrest of a high-ranking official from the movement and wanted to milk every drop of media attention as possible.”

  “I need more details to convince my superiors.”

  Frank studied Captain Ryan’s face while thinking about exactly what he would be willing to disclose. Not too much information, but it had to be enough to get their attention, he thought.

  “The leader, who masterminded the attack on the lab is none other than one of your Citizen Guard’s finest—Major James Robbles. That’s all I’m going to say until I get a confirmation in writing that I’m going to get out of here,” he blurted out.

  Captain Ryan couldn’t believe his ears. James Robbles was a highly respected member of the Guard’s upper echelon. They would think he was crazy for even suggesting this. On the other hand, time was running out, and he had to act fast. Signaling the guard, he motioned for him to open the door.

  “If you’re lying to me, I’ll make sure you never see the light of day for the rest of your miserable life,” he threatened Frank. “I need a private room with a secured line,” Captain Ryan told the guard.

  The guards waited outside of the vacant room as Captain Ryan accessed the secured transmission link and connected to Citizen Guard Command HQ.

  “I need to
speak to General Willis, please.”

  “I’m sorry, but the General is not available,” the voice on the other end replied.

  “Listen, this is Captain Ryan, and it is the utmost urgency that I speak to the General now.

  “I’m sorry, Sir, but…”

  “People are going to die if I don’t talk to him right now. Do you understand!” he shouted.

  “Uh, yes, Sir. Hold on.”

  Catching his breath, he contemplated the words needed to make his argument to the General.

  “Captain Ryan, what is this all about?” the General asked in a perturbed manner.

  “Sorry for the interruption, Sir, but I have valuable information regarding who masterminded the assault on the lab.”

  “And how is that possible,” the General asked.

  “Frank Simpson is willing to cut a deal. He wants out and a new identity in exchange for ordered the lab assault.”

  “Frank Simpson, from the Earthers that we captured last year? How can we trust him?”

  “Well, he gave me some information to pass on to you to prove his sincerity. He said the mastermind behind the hostage situation was one of ours, Sir. Major James Robbles.”

  He heard heavy breathing, almost panting, but no response. He expected the General to dismiss his statement with a strong tongue-lashing, but he held his breath.

  “Hold on Captain,” the General said. He heard parts of a loud discussion before it was muffled.

  “Hello Captain, I want you to get the details of Major’s involvement in the lab assault from Mr. Simpson. After we vet all the information, we will grant his request. Is that clear?”

  “Yes sir,” he said, breathing a sigh of relief. “Can you put that in a signed document?”

  “You will have it within the hour. Keep me posted and keep the information about the Major to yourself.”

  “Yes Sir,”

  Captain Ryan hung up. His mind was reeling about the information regarding Major Robbles. Who else is involved in this damn organization, he thought. Wasting no time, he contacted his team, Sergeant.

  “Get the team together and meet me in the ready room at 1400 hours,” he commanded.

  ***

  Raina met Acey at the Academy where Hillary waited for them. Bressa provided the facilities needed, and they were eager to continue their work. The security detail was a distraction, but they understood the importance of their presence. Acey provided additional information to the scientists on the connection between artifacts, the predictions by Edgar Cayce, and Hillary’s connection to the Guardians on Antares.

  “Before we can disseminate this to the public, we need to get more information on what’s contained at the sites. We believe we have the commands to open the containers,” Acey said, looking for suggestions.

  “Then we need to go back to Eris and Dysnomia and do a full analysis,” one scientist added.

  “I agree. But keep in mind our main goal now is to get this information out as quickly as possible in order to expose the “Righteous Way” and shut them down. We need to start this process now,” Acey said.

  “Then we can’t wait any longer. I have contacted the media to help us determine the best way to begin the disclosure process,” Bressa said.

  “My Grandfather, Dirk Saunders, can help us there. He has high-level contacts in business and political circles. He can work with the media team to ensure this is done correctly,” Acey said. “That leaves one more question—why are they interested in Hillary’s baby?

  No one responded as Hillary stood up and moved to the front. She felt self-conscious thinking that her stomach might be showing and she felt the uncomfortableness of carrying the object of controversy. “I know why they’re interested. Have you ever heard of Star Children?” Hillary asked.

  The puzzled look on their faces confirmed they knew nothing of what she was talking about.

  “Star Children are children with human parents, but who carry genetic and/or physiological conditioning, following an encounter their parents had before conception with extraterrestrials. In my case, this extraterrestrial contribution most likely came from my telepathic, consciousness-linking with the Guardians. The genetic makeup of Star Children has additional codes stored in their DNA.

  This theory evolved over two hundred years ago, but since first contact, we are now finding evidence and are able to decode some of the additional material stored in their DNA. While I was captive, they drew blood and embryonic fluid, and I'm convinced that's what they were looking for. That’s why they want my baby."

  "What are these additional codes that are in the DNA?" another scientist asked.

  “From what I can deduce, these additional codes are found in our Junk DNA. I’m no expert, but Junk DNA serve as placeholders for future “programming”. Star Children have these codes and carry extraordinary powers, such as telepathy, precognition, and many other advanced abilities.”

  “I have heard of the research being done on this. They actually identified a whole series of codes in Junk DNA—some of which they understand and some of which they don’t. But the jury is out as to whether these alterations to our DNA are from alien beings,” yet another scientist shared.

  "Well, in my case, I believe it was my interaction with the Guardians on Antares that allowed me to pass these abilities to my child. I’m not sure how my DNA was modified if that even was the case, but I’m sure that’s what the “Righteous Way” wanted to know.”

  "We should be able to verify this if you allow us to do a complete DNA profiling to see if you and your child possess these codes," said the scientist.

  Acey watched Hillary's breathing become shallow.

  "I don't have a problem with that. But it has to be soon. I want to get our plan in motion as fast as possible. I cannot continue like this. They will take my baby, kill me and probably the rest of us if we don't act fast," Hillary said.

  Acey moved to comfort her. No one said a word. Bressa stepped to center stage.

  "I will meet with Dirk tonight and get him working on his contacts. Meanwhile, you will break down the science behind what we currently know, so the public can understand what's happening here, and what it means to society. We'll let the world leaders put the appropriate spin on it. And, one more thing, be vigilant of your surroundings. Now that we're all involved, we're all in danger."

  ***

  Aidan contacted Acey and left several messages but received no response. Dropping in on her without advanced warning didn't seem right, but he had to talk to her. After enlisting Raina's help, they agreed to meet at the cafe by his apartment. Andrea would watch Annie while he was away.

  Arriving early, Raina gave Acey an update on the Brother’s lawsuit and the mining company’s finances. Acey’s security guard sat a few tables away to keep a watchful eye on her.

  “Everyone at the company misses you and is worried about you. You should contact them,” Raina said.

  “Yes, you’re right,” Acey said, trying to re-focus on their conversation. As hard as she tried to focus, Acey’s eyes were drawn out the window at Aidan’s apartment. No sign of him yet, Acey thought. Raina watched as Acey continued to stare out the window.

  “He’s late. How about I give him a call.”

  “Uh, who? Oh, Aidan? Yeah sure, go ahead,” she said, continuing to look out the window.

  Raina was about to call when Andrea’s vehicle pulled up outside of his apartment. Aidan and Annie walked out the door to greet her. She gave Aidan a hug, took Annie to her car, and drove away. The fidgeting stopped as Acey got her first glimpse of Annie. How could he take care of this little girl when he can’t take care of himself, she thought.

  “Sorry I’m late,” he said, looking at Raina. Sitting down opposite of them, he looked at Acey.

  “How are you doing? How’s Hillary holding up?”

  “Oh, I’m fine, and Hillary is doing okay given the circumstances.”

  Raina and Acey filled him in with the details from the meeting at th
e Academy.

  “I know you have other things on your mind right now, but Dirk can really use your help,” Raina said to Aidan.

  “I’ll do what I can. I’ll call him today.”

  After tying up some loose ends, there were several minutes of dead air, and Raina watched Acey shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

  “Well, I’ve got to go. I’ll call you later,” she said, hugging Acey goodbye.

  Aidan stirred his coffee, watching the cream dissolve.

  “So is Annie settled?” she asked him.

  “Well, I’m doing my best. I don’t have any experience in these matters,” he said, letting out a nervous laugh.

  “I know. It must be a big adjustment for both of you.”

  “If it wasn’t for Andrea, I don’t know what I would do.”

  “Who’s Andrea?” Acey asked.

  “She a friend of mine, who I pay to watch Annie sometimes.”

  “Oh, I see,” Acey said, looking out the window again.

  “Uh, she’s a waitress here at the café,” he quickly added to diffuse the tension. “Look, how would you like to meet her?”

  “Who? Andrea?”

  “No, you know who I mean,” Aidan said, laughing.

  Acey started to laugh, too, which helped to lighten the mood.

  “Oh, I don’t know. I don’t think that’s a good idea right now,” Acey said.

  “Come on. She can use more female influence in her life. There’s really no one in the neighborhood her age, and she’s picking up my bad habits, he said laughing again.

  “Yes, you have a few of those,” Acey concurred, laughing as well. “Alright, but I won’t be able to stay long.”

  “Great. How about tomorrow afternoon, in the park where we used to meet. I’ll bring a picnic lunch.” He reached over and touched her hand.

  “Thanks. I know we’ll have fun.”

  16

  C aptain Ryan called an emergency meeting that night. His team patiently waited for him to arrive. A sense of nervous anticipation filled the room. They all knew something big was about to happen and speculated among themselves until the Captain walked in.