Genesis

by Filip Forsberg

  The damn bastards had so clearly documented everything he and the physiotherapist had done and forced him to work for them unless they would not send all the material to his wife. After all, he still loved his wife and if she would see what he was doing with the other woman, she would immediately request a divorce.

  And she would take their son. Robert adored his son and the mere thought that he risked losing him caused his heart to burst. The well-dressed man had repeated the same sentence again.

  "We know what you are doing every Tuesday when you get your so-called physical therapy."

  Robert had felt his world sink to and time had begun to go slower. His dry lips had felt like they were sanded with sandpaper.

  "What do you want?"

  The well-dressed man had smilingly placed his glasses on the back of the nose.

  "I am so happy about your reaction, Robert. You should know that you make me truly proud. It will be a pleasure to work together with you and I. "

  Robert had known that his life had been taken hostage. The man had explained a whole list of actions and instructions he would be forced to follow.

  "You must document everything you do in your daily working life at ESA. Everything. You will write a documented report every evening and send it in an encrypted way using this electronic scrambler. When you run a message through it, it takes care of the rest. It takes care of all the encryption and knows exactly where to send your information. "

  The well-dressed man had given Robert a narrow electronic capsule. Robert had kept the hard capsule in his hand while the man had continued.

  "The next couple of months will pose major challenges on the ESA. You have several missions that will focus on the spheres and the moon and we want to know all about these. Is that clear?"

  Robert had nearly vomited. The well-dressed man glared at him.

  "I can’t hear you, Robert?"

  Robert nodded.

  "But I don't understand. All discoveries that ESA generates are public, ESA hides nothing. "

  The well-dressed man had laughed.

  “Seriously? Do you not think that there is a selection of what information will be published in your reports? My clients do not want to risk something not coming to his knowledge and that is where you come in. "

  Robert knew he was caught between a rock and hard place. He would do what the man was asking for, he would do it and he would hate himself for it.

  Flor Fria, Macau

  March 17, 2049

  She already regretted what she had agreed to. What had she done? Why did she take them home? Noshimi sat in the soft armchair and studied the two men who slept on the floor in her living room. Admittedly, one of the men was her brother and that was why she had helped them, but now she regretted it. Her brother seemed to dream. He mumbled something she did not hear what. Noshimi placed her long legs underneath her and tried to figure out what she should do.

  Her brother had not said what he really wanted, just that he needed help. She had understood that he worked as a doctor but had no real idea of what specialty he had. Over the years she had withdrawn more and more.

  She studied the man who was called Ln'Geem. He seemed to be a slippery type, she did not really like how he looked or how he acted. Maybe it was because he seemed to be injured, but he seemed to be nervous in some undefined way. She pulled off the blanket and went out to the kitchen.

  From the Ministry of Energy, mandatory regulations had been sent out that all lighting and lamps must be of an energy-efficient type, all others were forbidden. The single light bulb in the roof gave a cold light but she liked it. It was her silent protest the ruling in Flor Fria. She had learned to hate them all. All rules that had been set to control them.

  She filled the coffee maker and put it on. Soon the familiar sound of it filled the kitchen. Noshimi took out a couple of biscuits and placed them on a tray that she put three cups of coffee on along with biscuits. When the coffee was done, she poured it over into a thermos and put it on the tray. Gently, she balanced out everything in the living room and put it down on the coffee table. She sat down in the armchair again and pulled the blanket over the long legs while she took a cup of steaming, black coffee.

  ***

  Less than an hour passed before her brother began to move. He pulled off the blanket and sat up drowsily. He rubbed his eyes and looked around.

  “Did you sleep well?”

  He turned to the direction where the voice came and saw his sister watching him.

  “Yes. Thank you. " His mouth was dry. Noshimi held up a coffee mug.

  "Coffee?"

  "No, thank you."

  Noshimi shrugged and took a sip from her own mug. She held the cup in her hands while she looked at Weng-Li. She did not speak, and after a while, Weng-Li began to be uncomfortable. He pulled off the blanket completely and sat up. Ln'Geem continued to sleep on the floor. Noshimi nodded towards him.

  "He seems to be exhausted."

  Weng-Li nodded.

  "Yes, you can say that again. It’s been a hard journey. And he is injured, he needs to see a doctor as soon as possible. "

  Noshimi stared at him.

  "A doctor? It will probably be quite impossible. "

  Weng-Li met her gaze.

  "Why is it impossible? He needs a doctor. "

  Noshimi leaned forward and took a biscuit and stuffed in her mouth. Little crumbs of it flew from her mouth when she replied.

  "I don't know what you're used to, but this is Flor Fria and the whole complex has been under attack from the Chinese in recent months. There are no doctors to find if you, if you don’t by chance, have a connection on the black market."

  He was puzzled by her statement.

  "What do you mean, under attack? The Chinese assault was over several months ago. They've taken control of the entire Flor Fria? "

  Noshimi snorted.

  "Not at all. We are continuing the fight. We will never give up. "

  Weng-Li clenched his hands. He had not expected this, he had heard that the Chinese had repossessed control and that the order was established. That's why he had come and that is why he brought his friend.

  "Is there no chance of finding a doctor?"

  Noshimi pondered.

  "There may be a possibility. But it is certainly not safe. "

  Weng-Li felt a sliver of hope.

  "How?"

  Noshimi thought about it and finally said.

  "I might know one that can help us."

  Flor Fria, Macau

  March 18, 2049

  Darkness was her friend, her ally. Annie Chen looked out over the area and saw how the Chinese armored vehicles rolled past them. The procession of death was moving at a steady pace and Annie counted eight armored cars and eleven troop transports. The powerful guns on the armored cars moved continuously in a circle all the way around. The heavy barrels looked like they could spit fire and devastation at any time.

  The group of armored vehicles was heading down to the port to be shipped out. The Zou brothers had received information about the transport via a contact inside the Chinese military the day before. They, Annie and Edward had discussed half the night how they would do. The Zou brothers had thought that they should let them be and not attack, they argued that the best move was to allow a large part of the Chinese military force to leave Flor Fria and thus reduce the number of troops available.

  But Annie had been of a different opinion. She argued that it was vital to show the outside world that there was still a strong resistance movement active within Flor Fria and strong enough to stand up against the Chinese forces.

  They would not hide in the shadows and only attack when the soldiers had left. If they did, the Chinese would just turn on the ships and re-load their deadly cargo. No, it was better to hit hard and brutally where the enemy existed to show strength and determination. Edward had initially been on the Zou-brothers side, but Annie had succeeded in persuading him. In the end, they had scraped together all the
remaining men and women they had and prepared the attack plan. The plan was relatively simple. The route that the Chinese forces would take had been plotted out in detail in advance. They would leave their temporary headquarters and follow the main street down to the harbor. A few hundred meters before they would arrive at the port, they would have to drive through a tight turn and that was where they would strike.

  Annie had divided their strength into three strike teams. Two of the teams were placed around the tight turn and the last one just before. The idea was that when the Chinese military had passed the tight turn, the last group would send out two burning trucks and thus cut the possibility of reinforcements from the main base. Annie had never liked complicated plans. The easiest was always the best and she hoped that the plan was simple enough.

  They were on a balcony overlooking the narrow turn. She glanced over at Edward. His red hair looked like fire and he used a binocular to follow the column below them.

  "What does it look like?"

  He continued to study the column for a while before he replied.

  "It looks like the lion share of their force is down there. I would estimate that there is probably about eighty percent of their available materials and personnel there. "

  Annie took the binoculars from Edward when he gave it to her. The light green image it showed confirmed what he just said.

  "It looks like the last generation of armored cars, those who had active camouflage?"

  Edward pondered the statement.

  "Yes, I do not remember the specs on those, but they are deadly."

  Annie continued to study them as they rolled past. After another minute, she raised her walkie-talkie.

  "Get ready."

  * * *

  She hurried along the long, winding corridor. There was a slight smell of smoke, but it quickly disappeared as she moved forward. Noshimi turned around and saw her brother and Ln’Geem trying to keep up with her. Ln'Geem stumbled and almost fell but Weng-Li managed to keep him upright. She motioned for them to hurry. She hissed.

  "Move faster!"

  Weng-Li glared at her.

  "We cannot move that fast. He’s is hurt. ' He breathed heavily, ' Is this really the right way? '

  Noshimi nodded.

  "Yes, Annie is the only I know that has medical knowledge. She is not a doctor and can probably not do any major surgery, but she can certainly help your friend. "

  Weng-Lis frustration knew no boundaries. He had hoped for a sanctuary where he and Ln'Geem could hide until all this had blown over. He had never in his wildest imagination thought that he would run along with his injured friend right into god knowing what situation. He had been told that the situation had calmed down on Flor Fria and that normal order had been established. He had never imagined that his own sister would be involved in the rebel group and that it was still active. He groaned when he bumped his knee on a large crate and stumbled on.

  "How far is it left?"

  Noshimi stopped and let them catch up.

  "Not far now." She had taken them to the rebels ' headquarters, but it had almost been empty. She had only met Sammy that told them about the ongoing attack on the Chinese forces. Sammy had been furious when Noshimi said she needed Annie's help at once and that she would bring them to her. But Noshimi did not bother with what Sammy cried out for her when left. She pointed.

  “There. Barely a hundred meters. "

  They scurried along the edge of an apartment complex. This time there were hardly any people out there normally and with the curfew that now was in effect, it was completely empty on the streets. Given Sammy's description of where the attack would take place, Noshimi knew where it would be, and she also realized that Annie would choose one of the myriads of balconies that were in this section of the Flor Fria.

  She came to the corner of the complex and peeked around the corner. After a few minutes, she heard a muffled, rumbling sound that slowly intensified. A puddle next to her began to vibrate with fast, small waves that rippled its surface. Weng-Li and Ln'Geem stopped. Their faces were white with fear.

  "What's the noise? What's going on? "

  Noshimi shrugged.

  "It must be the Chinese forces that are moving down towards the port. They are probably conducting a mission to carry out a retraction of some of their garrison. "

  Before Weng-Li managed to respond, he saw a red dot on Noshimis neck. He gasped and pointed to it.

  "Somebody is aiming at you."

  Noshimi stopped and stood still. The red dot moved slowly down from her neck down towards her chest. She gently twisted her head to follow the thin laser beam. It led sharply up in a steep angle to the outermost balcony of an anonymous concrete house. She nodded towards it.

  "It's Annie, I'm sure."

  The red dot slipped down from her and disappeared. She grabbed her brother's arm and started running.

  Copenhagen, Denmark

  March 17, 2049

  It was something of the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Maja stared bewitched on the two Fabergé-eggs in front of her. They gleamed, and a kind of light seemed to radiate from within them, and she touched one.

  "Necessarie. You've found it. "

  She Looked at Dagmar sitting next door. Dagmar shook her head.

  "It was not me who found it, it was your father. Or rather, your grandfather. "

  Maja could barely tear her eyes from the Necessaire-egg when she heard her mother's word.

  "What?"

  Dagmar cleared her throat and continued.

  "Arne's father, your grandfather, James, was a soldier during World War II. He was stationed in Germany at the end of the war. "

  Maja nodded.

  "Yes, I have heard the story."

  Dagmar smiled.

  "But you haven't heard what really happened there. During a mission in a small village, James and two of his comrades found them in an abandoned house. They crawled the house after Germans but found none. But instead, they found a treasure. this. " She pointed to the metal box.

  Maja slowly repeated her mother’s words.

  "They found this box in an abandoned house in Germany during World War II?"

  Dagmar nodded.

  "I know it sounds farfetched, but I can guarantee that it is true. The found the box but when they found it, it was full. There were three Fabergé-eggs, not two. "

  Maja glanced at the second egg. It was if possible, even more, beautiful than the first.

  "Royal Danish. The egg that praised the Danish royal family. "

  Dagmar nodded and smiled.

  “Impressive. You know your Fabergé-eggs. "

  Maja chuckled.

  "They have always fascinated me. I have a faint memory of Arne sitting in the library and reading a book about Fabergé. I never dared to ask about it, but I still remember it. "

  "Yes, he was obsessed when he got them, or rather after he got them, it was on New Year's Eve at the turn of the millennium. There came a courier to Arne and the box was delivered the same evening. I was there the night when he opened it. It was the last gift from James who had arranged that he would get it just that day. But even at that point in time, one of the eggs was gone. When Arne opened the box, there were only Necessarie and Royal Danish, the third place was empty. "

  "Which is the third egg?"

  Dagmar smiled.

  "I'm pretty sure it's cherub."

  Maja gasped when she heard her mother.

  "Cherub with wagon? Impossible. "

  "No, not impossible. And soon I might have it. Arne left some clues that he worked on following up. Both he and his comrades from the war used great resources to try to find the missing third egg. It disappeared during the journey home when James and his comrades went home after the war. They used the other two eggs to build up their fortunes. I have hired a firm to help find it. "

  Maja stared at the eggs in front of her.

  “Wonderful. I can't believe it. "

  Dagmar put her hand
on her daughter's knee.

  “But look inside them, there’s more than meets the eye. "

  Maja looked curiously at the shimmering eggs in front of her. She lifted Necessaire and kept it cautiously her hands. Ever so careful, she grabbed it and opened it, she held her breath when the lid slid up. The shimmering light grew in intensity when she saw the diamond-studded miniature that were the surprise of the egg. But there was also something else. A small, arc of some kind was lodged inside the surprise. The arc radiated light and Maja froze.

  "What's that?”

  Dagmar could not tear her gaze from the unusual object.

  "That's the real treasure. It is part of a key. "

  Maja barely heard what her mother said.

  “What? A key? "

  Dagmar nodded.

  "Yes, I found Arne's diary and there he describes that the three Fabergé-eggs contain each part of a key."

  "Key to what?"

  "I have a good idea, but you won't believe it when I tell you it."

  Maja tore her gaze from the shining arc and stared at her mother.

  "Tell me."

  Copenhagen, Denmark

  March 17, 2049

  The smell of death was weak but clear. Umbra Venandi looked over at Ib Knudsen’s dead body. His unseeing eyes stared but saw nothing. A thin trickle of blood flowed out of the mouth, down to the neck. It would have been inevitable. Not only because he tried to have sex with her but because she had to eliminate all traces of her visit to Denmark. The Rete Group lived and thrived because no one knew of its existence. Their activities were based on their being able to operate undisturbed.

  * * *

  Umbra walked along the sidewalk and approached Dagmar Buch's address. She looked up and saw that it was a beautiful building. The turgid forms of the older architecture were in stark contrast to the surrounding modern buildings. She went up to the holo-plate next to the large gate and was almost in front of it when a faint honking approached from behind.