Father Yunov desired eternal life. But in the end, he had come to despise that kind of existence. And he’d put an end to the matter himself. What had life been, in his eyes? What had death been? These questions weighed heavily on Max’s heart.
Katya broke the smothering silence. “What were his last words?”
“Liberate te ex inferis,” Max said, as he put his glass on the table. “‘Save yourself from hell,’ in Latin.”
“Just as there are those who fear death, there are those who fear life,” Feldman said.
“What was he after?” Katya asked.
“If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there my servant will be also; if anyone serves me, the Father will honor him,” Max said quietly. “John 12:26.”
“Don’t be so cryptic.”
“He wanted salvation for his soul,” Max said. “Yunov’s dying words recited verse 25—the verse following the wheat verse Feldman recited. It refers to salvation. He wanted to be with God. Christ, who serves God, doesn’t reside in this world.” The image of Yunov standing on the veranda was once again before his eyes.
“Was he able to find salvation, through that act?” Katya asked.
“He made a leap of faith straight into God’s bosom. He wasn’t concerned with whether he would be accepted. To him, continuing to live was already hellish. He’s obtained peace of mind now. Death wasn’t suffering to him. It was salvation.”
“He jumped on a sudden impulse. I think he just wanted to run from his sins,” Feldman said coldly, before draining another glass of whiskey. He grimaced and poured himself another. “Catholicism condemns suicide. His conception of God wouldn’t forgive him for choosing death. They even forbid abortions and contraception. He was just a coward. He simply fled his own skin. His guilty conscience was crushing him, and so he took his own life.”
“Yeah, that’s what suicide is,” Katya said.
“Just as we suffered, he should have had to suffer even more.”
“He suffered enough. That’s why he chose death.”
Rome’s landscape came into view through the window. Max’s thoughts turned to his father. Had death been salvation for him, too? “I hate to have to tell you this, but he simply ceased to be. All of his cells became inert, and so his mind and consciousness became no more. He can no longer feel sadness or anguish or joy; any and all emotion has been extinguished. That may be what can be called ‘peace of mind.’”
“According to your conception of science, maybe. But we believe you can’t sum it all up with just science. That’s why I continue to hunt them down, even in my old age.” For a moment, hatred passed over Feldman’s face. He took a glass of whiskey and gulped some down in order to dull his mind. “I want to send them to the desolation they deserve.” Feldman brought the glass to his lips again, only to change his mind and set it on the table. “If they and I end up in the same place, that’s fine by me. So long as I get to bury the Nazis,” he said.
Pale in the face, Katya looked at Max. A frigid silence covered the three like a shroud.
“Aska, where are you?” Katya asked suddenly.
“Her role in this is over. I’m sure she’s no longer here,” said Feldman.
“So, she was taken back to America, is what you’re saying,” Katya said.
“What is it Father Yunov wanted to say?” Max recalled his last words: “God is eternity. Those are the words that will open every door.” His head began to hurt. He just wanted to forget it all and go to sleep. But he knew this wasn’t the time for that.
“Who guided us to the Vatican?” Max looked at Feldman, but Feldman didn’t reply. “It couldn’t have been the pope, could it?”
“It was God’s hand at work,” Feldman said.
“God, the Vatican, the Nazis . . . are you saying they’re all working together?” Katya whispered.
“Gaining control over the Vatican means getting that much closer to standing at the top of the world and ruling everything. Given how graciously the man guided us, he must not have wanted them to ascend to those heights.”
“What do you mean?” Katya asked.
“They’re trying to rule the world. They’ve amassed wealth and power. What could be next on their list?” Feldman said. “Hearts and minds. They want to conquer people’s hearts and minds. They aim to get hold of the soul of the world.” Feldman took his glass and downed its contents.
“Tomorrow I’m going back to the US.” Max stood up. “I’ve got no time left.”
Katya followed him out of the room.
● ● ●
VII
* * *
TELOMERES
CHAPTER 26
The next day, Max and Katya took a morning flight back to the US. Feldman would head to Israel after finishing his work in Rome. He said he didn’t know where he was going from there. Max was silent on the plane. Katya didn’t strike up any conversations.
Benchell, Gehlen, Dona, Yunov, and Aska—more than half of them were already dead. Max went over the events of the past few weeks in his mind.
He closed his eyes and tried to sleep, but the familiar swirling darkness invaded the backs of his eyelids. The shadow was clad in death’s mantle, and it crept in close and tried to wrap him in its cloak.
“You’re sweating, Professor. Are you feeling okay?”
He came to, and found Katya looking at him.
“It’s just exhaustion and lack of sleep. Plus an empty stomach. No big deal.”
“Don’t lie, Professor. You have a fever. I have a doctor’s license, too, you know.” Katya tried to put a hand on his forehead, but Max brushed it off.
“Sorry. Just leave me to my thoughts.”
He thought about the decade before Alex got sick. He started keeping a diary after he turned 30. Body temperature, pulse rate, blood pressure—it was now in Max’s desk.
They arrived at San Francisco International Airport after four in the afternoon. The sun was still high in the sky, but it was fading. Max grabbed his luggage, walked with Katya to the exit in silence, rented a car and headed home. As he drove, the reality sank in—this was a battle against time. And I am determined to defeat the enemy. I will find the parasite lurking within me, and I’ll find a way to survive. Max made this promise to himself as he clutched the wheel.
He ignored Katya’s suggestions to stop for dinner somewhere or to buy something to eat, and went straight home. Sandwiches were on the kitchen table. Nancy’s doing.
“Nancy knew you were coming home tonight?”
“I called from the airport in Rome.”
They ate the sandwiches in silence, then Max went to his study. He had a lot to talk about with Katya, but he couldn’t organize his thoughts. What had taken place in the Vatican was too intense.
A pile of envelopes were on his desk.
“It’ll take all day to look through those.” Katya entered with a coffee cup.
Max could sense Katya’s concern, but he didn’t know how to respond—and he was frustrated about it.
“Clearing it up in ten minutes is how I survive modern times.” Max sorted the mail by the senders’ names, and divided the letters into two piles—one on his desk, and the other in the trash. Most were tossed out unopened. He picked up one of the envelopes in the pile on his desk, and stared at it. It was thick, and sealed tight.
“Time for bed,” he told Katya, putting it down. “Get some rest. The institute is closed anyway.” He stood up and walked Katya to the stairs. She turned to him as if to say something, but climbed the stairs without a word. Max went back to his study. A cool breeze was blowing through the open windows, and silence filled the room. Max looked at the envelope. It was the same envelope that arrived every other month. He took a deep breath and opened it. It contained a DVD. After closing his eyes and clasping his hands in prayer, he inserted it into his computer.
The DNA analysis results, the electron micrograph of the cells, and the test results of the blood sample popped up on screen. Th
ere were no abnormalities detected in his white or red blood cell counts, GOT, GPT, gamma GTP. Urinalysis, no protein abnormalities, blood sugar levels—he stopped at the DNA test section. The blood drained from his face.
“It’s already started, hasn’t it?” came a voice from behind him.
He turned around; Katya was peering at the screen over his shoulder. “Your DNA analysis results and a photomicrograph of your chromosomes. Your telomeres are pretty short. Have your cells begun to age?”
Max turned off the computer. “You didn’t say peeping was a hobby of yours in your résumé.”
“You don’t have any time left.”
“My accelerated aging may start earlier than I expected.”
Katya reached out to turn it on again and began typing.
“You have three years left.”
“I’ve got one or two years left at best.”
“Then we’ll have to hurry.”
“Hurry and do what? Pray to God?”
“Benchell kept Father Yunov young even over the age of a hundred.”
“But now he’s dead.”
“Sure, but we saw the reality of it with our own eyes. People have successfully kept themselves from aging past their forties. It’s undeniable now. And that fact is what’s going to save your life.”
“By what method?”
Katya sighed. The two gazed at the screen without exchanging another word. The quiet room grew quieter still. An oppressive weight threatened to squash him.
He watched as Katya absorbed the contents of the screen.
A package arrived the following morning, delivered by an employee of the Israeli Embassy. He told Max this was a stop on his way back to Washington, DC, from Italy—which was quite the detour.
“Who’s it from?” Max asked, looking at the label. The sender section was blank.
“I just got orders from above, sir.”
“What’s inside?”
“I didn’t go through customs, but I can tell you it’s not a bomb.” The embassy worker tilted his head and shrugged.
“It passed through without inspection as ‘diplomatic luggage,’”the courier said as he turned to walk away.
“This must be from Feldman.”
The heavy package contained a cold storage container.
“It’s got the blood and bone marrow fluid of Father Yunov.” Max read the label.
Katya snatched it from him. “Let’s run them through a sequencer right away.”
“Only two sequencers in the laboratory are running. And we’ll only get our turn a week from now. We’ll have to ask the university for a favor.”
“Either way, we won’t be able to get it done by today.”
“Just the paperwork and procedure take a whole day. We could barge in, but I don’t want to do that.”
“We don’t have time to be choosy, Professor.” Katya was getting impatient.
She pushed Max away and sat in front of the computer. “First, let’s search for genetic laboratories within a three-hour drive. Look, there are twenty-four locations. Now let’s narrow our search down to places with high-performance DNA sequencers and supercomputers. Now we’re left with four locations. One of them being your lab, then there’s the Eoghan Research Institute. Their computers are also connected to Caltech. It’s in Cheerton. That’s just an hour away.”
“Do you know the laboratory?”
“Sort of. Grab your things and let’s go. I’ll get ready.” Katya turned off her computer and ran upstairs.
Katya drove them down to Cheerton, an emerging town between San Francisco and Allon. Though smaller than Allon, it was home to bio-laboratories and bio-startups—it was Bio Valley. It had wide open spaces and roads, landscaped lawns, and row after row of beautiful buildings. It was a scenic, if flat, town, reminiscent of the old Silicon Valley—not unlike Allon.
“You can tell me now,” Max said. “What’s your stupendous plan?”
“I’m still with Cosmo Pharmaceuticals, and they should still be sending money to my bank account in Germany on the condition I report on your research progress. Eoghan is owned by Cosmo.”
“So, it’s the branch office of the prince of thieves.”
“They told me that it’s not illegal if it’s just information.”
“Sure, if all you did was relay my daily schedule.”
Katya didn’t answer.
“You know the term ‘industrial espionage,’ right? That’s what you were doing.”
“That’s how much attention people are paying to you. You’re a superstar.”
“And you’re the one standing guard by the star.”
“I already told you what I’m after, Professor.” The car sped up.
“I wanted to work alongside you. I wanted to watch your brain work from up close.” Katya stared forward, biting her lip.
“Forget about that. You must know by now that my brain is nothing special.”
“There it is,” Katya said.
Grassy green hills stretched on both sides of the road, and a white building sat in the center. On the lawn stood a sign that read EOGHAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE.
“You’re with Cosmo, not with Eoghan,” Max said.
Katya took a card out of her pocket. “Cosmo Pharmaceuticals is a multinational company. It has laboratories, factories, and branch offices all over the world. And its employees fly all over the world. Eoghan Research Institute is one of the branches of Cosmo Pharmaceutical’s main genetic research institute.”
“Does that card work at all of their branches, then?”
“As expected of a Nobel Prize candidate, you’re quick on the uptake. This card lets me in and out of Cosmo-related companies, no matter where. Cards range from levels E to A, with level A cards going to top executives. The only place they can’t access is the president’s office. Level E cardholders can go in and out of the parking lots and restrooms of their designated department. At the head offices, you need both your key card and to pass a fingerprint ID system. In some places, they replaced the key cards with biometric eye scanners.”
“What level’s your card?”
“It’s level B. It was actually level C, but I upgraded it to level B. Unilaterally.”
“What’s that mean?”
Ignoring Max, Katya parked in the lot. She went to the reception desk, showed her ID, and signed in. Then she brought Max his visitor’s name tag and put it on his chest.
“Don’t look so furtive,” she said. “We’re not here to steal anything. We’re just borrowing some equipment, that’s all,” she whispered as they walked down the corridor.
“Compared to what Cosmo’s doing, we might as well be Girl Scouts.”
Katya motioned for Max to quiet down and asked an employee where the laboratory was. “First, we extract the DNA from the blood and put it on the sequencer. Then, we head to the supercomputer. That, plus we need to check the cells. Busy busy.”
They entered a restroom, where Katya took lab coats from her backpack and handed one to Max. As they exited, they passed some staff. Katya gave them a little nod. Another group walking toward them stopped when they saw Max.
“Forgive me if I’m wrong, but are you Max Knight?” asked a nervous-looking young man in glasses.
Max nodded. The man smiled, but soon his face turned serious.
“When did you arrive here, Professor?”
“Only ten minutes ago.”
“I read On Life and Genes. I’ve read all of your papers.” He’d relaxed his expression, but his voice was hoarse.
“Thank you. This is a good laboratory. I bet you guys are happy to work here.”
“What brings you here?”
“You saw what happened to my lab, didn’t you?”
“That’s a terrible shame, but it’s an honor to meet you.”
They each wanted to shake hands with Max. Katya urged him to hurry and started walking. Even as they turned the corner, the group was still looking their way.
“In ten minute
s the whole building will know.”
“You’re the one who said being famous was a good thing.”
They walked faster. Katya stopped by a door that said EXAMINATION ROOM. She inserted her card into the slit. The door opened, and they stepped inside.
“I want this DNA extracted and run through the sequencer.”
“Fill out these forms and go to reception. The results will come in the day after tomorrow at the earliest. We’re full of requests.” The young researcher didn’t look up from his microscope.
“You heard the man, Professor Knight,” Katya said.
The researcher looked up and stared wide-eyed at Max. “You’re—”
Max turned to the electron microscope next to him.
“You’re Professor Knight, from Caltech!” Immediately the whole room’s eyes were on him.
“This is his request. I’m sure you heard what happened to his lab . . .” Katya looked at the researcher’s ID. “Dr. Thompson.”
“I’ll have the results back to you in half an hour. Please, have some coffee while you wait.” Thompson received the samples from Katya, but his eyes were on Max.
“Load the results onto a disc, if you could,” she told him.
Thompson went into the lab, while continually glancing back at Max. A long-haired man brought them cups of coffee. Someone had already brought two chairs over to them.
“See? Being famous has its perks,” Katya said with a sly smile.
While they sat waiting and sipping their coffee, fifteen researchers come over to shake hands with Max, and seven brought Max’s book and asked him to sign it.
“I hoped to get this over with before becoming the talk of the building. Looks like that ship has sailed,” Katya said, looking out the window. Outside, several researchers had gathered to look at them.
“I think our results are back—and not a second too soon.”
Thompson rushed back in, disc in hand.
“Why our laboratory, specifically?”
“Keep this between us, all right? I’d like it if you didn’t go telling the world. Management arranged this for us in secret,” Max said under his breath.
The Gene of Life Page 28