Genesis

by Filip Forsberg

  "Ln'Geem! No! "

  An abysmal powerless opened within him and tears rolled down his cheeks. Smoke swept over them and his eyes seared and made them sting even more. He sobbed when he understood that his friend was dead. He did not know how long he remained next to his friend's body while he was surrounded by smoke and death.

  It was over, they had come so far, and they had accomplished so much. They had been each other's support and inspiration and together they had performed miracles. Slowly, he sat himself up and looked down at his friend. Weng-Li wiped away his tears. He would claim vengeance on his sister, in this life or the next. He stumbled away from his dead friend and disappeared into the multitude of panicked humans.

  ESA, Paris, France

  March 18, 2049

  His pulse pounded in his ears like a dull, rhythmic clock and he took a couple of deep breaths to calm down. Robert H Spiff sat at his desk and did not note how his fingers drummed against his legs. A cold bead of sweat scampered down his temple, down to his chin. He did not notice that it was hanging a few seconds before it dripped down on his collar.

  The small scrambler lay in front of him on the desk. He stared at it. The man with the light costume had given it to him. It would take care of everything he had said. Robert would only run the message through it, so it would both encrypt and automatically send the message to an anonymous address on the Internet.

  Robert peeked out through the great panoramic window in his office. A helicopter glided past on the blue sky and Robert followed its journey. Nausea grew within him when he was going through his options what he would do. He read the report that the Analysis Department had compiled based on the Louis virtual examination of the hole on the moon and what is found beneath the surface and read on.

  It is confirmed that it is a machine. Its exact purpose is unknown but, probably, its purpose is to begin or accelerate terraforming of the moon. Based on the analysis of the gases that the robot detected on the moon, we can certainly determine that it is a mixture of a few highly potent greenhouse gases. Methane, ozone, and several different CFCs have been identified. The task of continuing the survey is underway and more resources are being allocated to it. The cooperation between ESA, NASA, and Roscosmos is currently satisfactory.

  He paused and dried sweat from his forehead when he took a couple of deep breaths and closed his eyes. He had never been this stressed in his life. His hands trembled when he lifted the thin holo-plate once more.

  The machine under the lunar surface appears to be at a depth of one hundred meters and its maximum size is currently unknown. Probes are sent to find the edges of it. The machine looks to be in some sort of standby mode. The exact condition that this implies is too early to say. Furthermore, it is too early to ensure exactly how the machine works or how it is supposed to work. The mechanical and chemical composition of it is at this point unknown. Investigations are continuing. However, on several occasions, different flying vessels have been observed on or around the machine surface. According to the video recordings taken by them, a clear resemblance to the flying vessel reported by eyewitness witnesses in the water between Copenhagen and Malmoe can be demonstrated. Its exact function currently is unknown.

  He finished the report and watched several of the recorded videos from the probe overflying the machine. The last one was the most spectacular. It showed how Louis slowly slid further across the surface when the camera fixed at a point on the machine obliquely down to the left of him. Robert gasped when he saw how a large piece of the machine looked to detach from the surface. The large paragraph was triangular, and Robert estimated that the sides of the triangle were about more than eighty meters long. Several lines of light were lit and extinguished rhythmically when the large, triangular object began to glide over the surface. He stared at it when it accelerated away from the camera and disappeared. It was incredible.

  They had found some sort of terraforming machine under the surface of the moon and now he would be forced to send all the information that the man with the bright suit demanded if his life were not to be ruined. The room was spinning, and his stomach churned. With trembling hands, he took up the scrambler and held it in his hand. It was cold, hard and light. Hesitantly he brought it over the holo-plate. The scrambler quickly scanned the report and a diode at the top of the blinked yellow while it scanned. When it was finished, the flashing yellow light changed to a steady green. Robert laid down the scrambler on the desk, turned around and bent quickly down towards the trash can and vomited.

  * * *

  She could not believe her eyes. Magdalena leaned forward to the screen. The jerky picture in front of her was not quite sharp but there was still no doubt about the matter. She watched when she saw Robert H Spiff put the scrambler onto the holo-plate. He pressed the screen, put it down and then leaned down to the trash. She could not see exactly what Robert did but it looked like he vomited. A cold shiver went through her when her suspicions was confirmed. She had hoped that it would not be so, she had hoped that it would all be a mistake.

  That somehow it would be a misunderstanding what happened, and Robert would prove to be innocent. But now she saw the undisputed evidence that her worst fears had become true. It had not been more than a few days ago that the Security Department of the ESA discreetly contacted her. It had been late evening when a woman called and presented herself and gave Magdalena a message that she would soon meet up at the apartment. Before Magdalena had time to protest, the woman had hung up. It had not been more than seven minutes before it had rung on the door. Magdalena had peeked through the door camera and seen a slight woman standing outside her door.

  Magdalena had let her in and she had presented herself as an employee of ESA's internal security department. The woman had not really waited to be invited, but she had just walked right in. Magdalena had initially been too surprised to protest but she had been jolted out of her paralysis when the woman passed her in the hall.

  "Who are you?"

  The woman did not turn, she replied while she continued into the living room.

  "I have already said it.”

  "Say it again."

  "My name is Denise Twix, security consultant at SecuriServ, responsible for internal security at ESA."

  "I know who SecuriServ is. "

  "Excellent, then I do not have to go through a long and time-consuming explanation."

  Magdalena had at first thought that she did not understand anything whatsoever, but as Denise talked to her, the more she said gave meaning. Magdalena had known that something was wrong with Robert the last time, but she had not been able to explain what it was. He had appeared to be distracted, with his mind on something else. There were small, imperceptible things that Magdalena instinctively had registered.

  Roberts ' usual, light-hearted smile had been stiffer and more strained than she could have ever remembered. She had explained it as stress, as he was overworked and had a need for a vacation. Her mind raced.

  "No, I really think you need to explain a little more actually."

  Denise had crossed her legs and leaned back in the sofa. She had smiled.

  "After the discovery of the spheres that contacted the earth around the turn of the year, information has become even more valuable than it was previously. Not only information but also how quickly the information is available is now of the utmost importance. What previously could take days to complete can now be done in a couple of hours. And in connection with the spheres, it has become even more clear. All security services work for high pressure to protect their data and ESA is no exception. The other space agencies do the same thing, NASA, CNSA and Roscosmos improve their defenses. And at the same time, they all try to conduct hacker attacks against each other to gain access to more information. "

  “What? I thought we cooperated across the borders with this? "

  "It's the official version of course. And in many ways, it is also true, where real cooperation is underway within these organizations, but there
is also a lot happening in the dark. "

  "So, space organizations both cooperate and work against each other?"

  "Yes."

  Magdalena shook her head when she thought back at the meeting. So right Denise had been. Magdalena sat for a few minutes and tried to digest what she just witnessed. She laid down the screen and pulled out a holo-phone. A female voice replied after a couple of signals.

  "Denise."

  Magdalena cleared her throat nervously.

  "This is Magdalena, at ESA."

  Before Magdalena had time to say something more, Denise spoke.

  "Thank you for calling, Magdalena. What can I help you with? "

  Magdalena hesitated.

  "I think I have evidence, or I mean, I think I know who the traitor is."

  Silence. Magdalena pressed the handset harder against the ear.

  "Hello?"

  Denise's voice seemed distant.

  "Yes, I'm here, I'm listening."

  "I think it's Robert, I actually think so. I've just seen him use a type of scrambler that is forbidden. And I know that Robert knows that it is forbidden. This type of equipment is not allowed here. And I just saw how he connected it to a holo-plate from ESA "she hesitated before she continued," I mean, it must be him. There can be no one else. " She fell silent.

  The silence grew for painful seconds before Denise replied.

  "You've done absolutely right, Magdalena. Absolutely right. As you know, Robert is one of the three that we have been under surveillance recently. You did right to tell us. You have confirmed our suspicions. "

  Magdalena hesitated.

  "What should I do now?"

  “Nothing. Just nothing. Just appear as usual, he may not notice anything. We will take care of everything. Just make sure that Robert doesn't suspect you know anything. "

  Magdalena barely heard what Denise said for her heart pounded so loudly.

  Copenhagen, Denmark

  March 18, 2049

  The world outside moved past. Umbra looked out the side window as the car approached Kastrup. The rain had ceased and left everything with a wet blanket over it. Huge construction cranes reached for the sky and were placed at regular intervals when the car slid up on an exit and reduced the speed.

  The slightly salty aroma of the sea was in the air, Umbra adjusted the rearview mirror and saw Maja in the backseat. She was unconscious and was leaning against the car door. The seat belt prevented her from falling. Umbra smiled, it all had gone surprisingly smoothly. Dagmar was dead, and she had both Maja and the remaining Fabergé-eggs that both contained a part of the key. Her new father would be satisfied. She could barely contain herself until she could show how effective she was.

  The car drove over a sleeping policeman and drove past a roundabout and swung down to the underground garage. It stopped at the boom and she pressed a button and the side window rolled down. She held out her holo-phone against the parking machine. It blinked, and the boom rose. A holographic map of the parking garage glided above the center console and she pointed at a distant place farthest away. The map disappeared, and the car drove away to the spot she marked and braked softly in and stopped. Umbra peered around, her contact was not there. Maja moaned softly behind her and Umbra turned around. Maja moved slowly and raised an arm before it was softly fell into her lap.

  Umbra stepped out of the car and walked around to the other side when an elevator door opened. She was excited but relaxed when she saw that it was her contact person. A small, set woman approached cautiously. The woman looked like a mature schoolteacher with the mouth in a grim smile and the tiny glasses far down the nose. Umbra nodded against her.

  "You’re late."

  The woman seemed nervous.

  "I apologize, it was not long warning time I got. I was at lunch with a couple of colleagues, I couldn't just go. " The woman paused and was about to continue explaining when Umbra held up her hand.

  "Save your excuses. I will include your collaboration in my report after the end of the assignment. "

  The woman averted her gaze.

  "I understand."

  Umbra let the other woman squirm for a few moments before she continued.

  "But I hope you are ready to help now?"

  The woman nodded eagerly.

  "Yes, everything is prepared. The transport is ready at the far end of the terminal and there was no problem arranging an extra passage card. " She pulled up a white card and gave it to Umbra. Umbra nodded and pointed towards the unconscious Maja.

  "And how will we get her there?"

  The woman pulled up her phone and opened an app. She measured Maja with her eyes.

  "How much does she weigh?"

  Umbra replied without hesitation.

  "Fifty-seven kilo."

  The woman nodded.

  "Ok, no problem."

  The woman quickly clicked on the phone and then put it down.

  "There will come a transport to help."

  That's how it should be. Effective. Quick. It was this that the Rete Group was masters of. Arranging logistics and arranging improvised mission like this.

  After less than two minutes, the elevator doors slid again up, and a robotized loader glided out of the elevator. It was barely a meter high and moved forward on six heavy tires. On the side of it, a strong metal arm extended. The loader slid forward and stopped behind the car. Umbra opened the rear passenger door and lifted out Maja. The flabby body was like a soft piece of dough in her arms and she swore to when Maja started sliding out of her hands.

  The woman rushed over to help and together they lifted Maja into a large, empty metal box that was marked Live Transport. Umbra opened the trunk lid and pulled out the metal box with Fabergé-eggs. She laid it down box together with Maja. The woman walked up to it and put her hand on a black square on the side of the box. It slid to the side and bared a smaller control panel. The woman quickly pushed in a few commands and the loader’s arm woke up to life.

  The arm moved downwards and pulled out a metal disc that it laid as a lid over the box. Umbra heard a faint sound when it used ultrasound to seal the box. When the high-frequency sound fell silent, the arm moved up above the box and activated the miniaturized ventilation system that was mounted on the top. The woman pulled up her phone again and adjusted a few parameters before she again nodded.

  "It looks good."

  Umbra closed the passenger door and gave the keys to the woman.

  "Show the way."

  The woman motioned for Umbra to follow her as she walked into the elevator. They stepped in and the doors closed in front of them.

  "And the cargo? Shouldn't we have it? "

  The woman shook her head.

  "No, it would only look suspicious if we accompany it. They are all in a cordoned-off area, so it is best to let it run itself. It knows where to drop it off and is coming there now, it will be there before us. " The woman looked at Umbra that nodded shortly.

  "Ok, it's under your responsibility."

  The woman swallowed hard but said nothing. The elevator doors slid up and they stepped out into a swarm of people who were all going somewhere. The woman motioned to Umbra to follow her. They moved toward a larger tourist group and continued up to security control. The woman leaned towards Umbra but was careful not to touch her.

  "Stand in line and get through the security check. I have arranged a boarding pass for you and have sent it to your holo-phone. When you come through the control, I will be inside waiting for you. "

  Umbra nodded, and she saw how the set woman went up to a couple of colleagues and started talking to them. Umbra arrived at the long, low metal bench to put her personal stuff, she saw how the woman finished talking to her colleagues. Umbra's personal stuff slipped off the band and the male security guard nodded her to go through the scanner. I the same moment she went through it she heard a faint, beeping and she froze. The male guard smiled at her.

  "Oh, gotcha."

  Umbra blinked.

>   "Excuse me?"

  The guard pointed up against the machine and smiled. His smile exposed a series of discolored teeth.

  "You're caught."

  Umbra instantly knew the type. A small, dictatorial man who enjoyed having the power within his domain. The guard came up to her and pointed toward a screened part next to the scanner.

  "May I ask you to stand up there and lift your arms?"

  Umbra clenched her teeth and raised her arms. The guard pulled up a handheld scanner and scanned her body. She knew she had nothing to hide and that she would get through the control. The guard smiled mischievously at her.

  "May I ask you to turn around?"

  Umbra did as she was told, and the guard brought the scanner down behind her back, down towards the lower back. She sighed when the scanner made a beeping noise when it slipped down to her legs.

  "Oh, then." the man whispered hoarsely, "there seems to be something hidden here? I think we can take and feel, right? "

  An icy rage welled forward within her when the guard put his greedy hands on her buttocks and squeezed. A fraction of a second later she spun around and grabbed the man's arms and twisted them up. The guard gasped in horror and pain when his arms were locked and pushed upwards. Umbra looked past the guard. No one reacted, and no one seemed to discover what was going on. Umbra leaned forward until her face almost touched the guard.

  "Get your dirty hands off me before I pull them from the sockets. You hear me? "

  The guard's face was pale by surprise and pain and Umbra pulled harder on his arms.

  "Answer me."

  The face of the guard was distorted with pain.

  "I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. " He moaned with pain, "sorry."

  Umbra hissed.

  "If you ever do so against a woman, I will come after you. And you don't want me to come after you. Do you understand? "