2036 The Proof: A Thrilling Science Fiction Novel

by Speiser, Zvi

  Lise nodded in agreement, but remained in her seat. Her voice so quiet it was nearly inaudible, she asked, “And if the finding is real, and we manage to replicate it? What does that mean? What are we doing? Have others discovered this before us? And if so, why haven’t we heard about it? Maybe discoveries like this are silenced? I’m scared.”

  “Before we get all fearful for no good reason, let’s maintain utter secrecy, run the experiment again, and most of all, calm down.” Apparently, Tom’s confidence had an effect upon her. She looked up, briefly resembling the strong Lise he knew.

  The ringing of his personal assistant brought both of them back to reality. “Dr. Lester?” asked a woman’s voice.

  “Speaking,” he replied.

  “This is Karen, Professor Andrew Goldon’s secretary. Are you free to talk to him now?”

  Tom was briefly unable to breathe. He couldn’t believe his ears. Professor Andrew Goldon was the CEO of the BL Corporation, currently the major developer worldwide of products based on the human genome. The most well-known of these were CardioBoost, for rejuvenating the tissues of the human heart; LungBoost, for rejuvenating human lungs; and PlaqueDissolve, for clearing plaque from human blood vessels. The company was also known to be developing products to maintain human skin at the level of a person in his or her thirties, as well as systemic treatments for the human immune system.

  “Yes, of course,” he replied, stammering a bit.

  He heard a short beep, followed by a deep, pleasant baritone voice. “Hi, Tom.”

  He really sounds like an opera singer, Tom thought.

  “I hope I’m not interrupting you in the middle of anything important. If you prefer to talk in the evening rather than during work hours, that’s not a problem.”

  “No, now is fine. I’ll just step out for a moment,” Tom replied. “Okay, I’m with you,” he said, once he was out of Lise’s hearing range.

  “I’ll get right to it,” the opera singer continued. “We’re in urgent need of a lead researcher for a prominent project in the field of genetics. Your name came up when we were looking into potential candidates. How do you feel about coming to see me so I can describe the project to you?”

  “I’d love to,” Tom answered, without a moment’s hesitation.

  “My secretary will coordinate with you. It’s been nice talking to you, and I’d be even happier to see you on our leading team.”

  Immediately, he heard the voice of Karen the secretary, as if she had been listening in on the conversation and interrupted it at precisely the right second. “Professor Goldon would be happy to see you as soon as possible. Could you come right now?”

  “Can I get back to you in the next hour?” he asked.

  “We prefer not to wait that long. I’ll call you back in five minutes.”

  Lise apparently understood immediately that he had drifted away to another world, and that the call he’d received wasn’t a routine one; it seemed as if something important had happened. However, despite this realization, probably due to the extreme strangeness of the experiment results, she did not give up, saying, “Okay, in the next few days I’ll try to recreate the combination that led to the result we just saw. In the meantime, I don’t intend to discuss the experiment with anyone until I can precisely replicate it, and then we’ll sit down and think it over.” With that, she turned back to her lab table.

  ***

  BL Labs was located in Bedford Park, more than an hour’s drive from the university. Judging by the rate at which events were developing, Goldon might pressure him into giving him an answer on the spot. Working at BL Labs was the wet dream of every biologist: unlimited budgets, the most fascinating research, and of course, a handsome salary. Work like that would definitely justify the long, exhausting years of study. On the other hand, Gaya, with her offer that couldn’t be refused, still hadn’t called, and he had no way to get in touch with her; moreover, the implicit threat in her proposition couldn’t be ignored. Should he give up an offer from Goldon in favor of an offer from Gaya that still hadn’t materialized?

  A glance at the clock in the car told him it was noon, reminding him that Mike still hadn’t called about his girlfriend, Kyra. It seemed safe to assume she hadn’t gotten in touch. That was it—he had to notify Rick.

  The detective answered immediately. Working with police officers is so convenient, Tom thought. They’re accessible twenty-four hours a day, you can wake them up at night without feeling guilty or getting reprimanded, and they ‘re immediately alert when they answer.

  He briefly explained about Kyra’s disappearance as well as his suspicions, asking Rick to locate her.

  “I’ll ask Mike for all the information he has on her. I’ll get on it immediately,” came the reply, followed by the clear sound of the call being disconnected. Policemen were indeed efficient.

  As Tom continued deliberating, with no resolution in sight, the distant view of the giant BL Corporation sign shot a wave of adrenaline through him. He would listen to any offer made, ask for some time to make up his mind, and in the meantime, would wait for a call from Gaya. If he was making the transition to the business world, at least he would have the added perspective of another offer.

  ***

  Karen, wearing a casual outfit, was waiting for him in the luxurious lobby of the management building. She had already taken care of the entry authorizations he required. They turned to an elevator located some distance away from the public bank of elevators, by which some people were waiting. It was smaller, with room for no more than six passengers and a door that opened automatically as they approached. There were no control buttons. Once they had entered, the door closed, only to open again several seconds later. Tom was certain some mishap had occurred, as he had not felt any acceleration or motion. To his surprise, the door opened directly into a large lab packed with equipment.

  “This is a very informal company. Mr. Goldon likes to do some research himself.” With a smile, she added, “Don’t be surprised.”

  The office of BL Corporation’s CEO was in fact a sprawling biology lab, with wide work tables and shelves laden with equipment that Tom could only dream about. For a moment, he thought the lab was empty, but then he noticed Professor Goldon tending to the newest and most expensive model of quantum microscope currently available.

  Tom had never met Professor Goldon, but recognized him instantly from online photos and from the few interviews in which he had taken part. The professor was a short, slim man who looked to be about forty-five, dressed in a lab coat and a cleanroom hood, as was appropriate in a clean lab. He definitely did not look like one of the most influential CEOs of his era. Despite his youthful appearance, it was a known fact that his seventieth birthday had come and gone. In one of his interviews, the professor had attributed this youthful appearance to his lifestyle, including a strict vegan diet and BL’s nutritional supplements. Apparently, even physical exercise would no longer be necessary in the future with Aerobion, a product that had still not been approved for general use, and which affected the body similarly to engaging in intensive aerobic activity for an hour a day. There were also rumors of another additive currently under development that would serve as a substitute for anaerobic activity, preserving muscle tone as well as bone density and strength, at the level of a person engaging in regular exercise.

  Goldon’s appearance made him a walking advertisement for BL. The company could have saved a lot of money had he agreed to be the spokesmodel for its products.

  “How are you?” he called out, briefly disengaging from the screen at which he had been gazing intently. “I’ll be right with you.”

  Signaling Tom to approach, he pointed at the eyepiece of the 3D microscope, bringing his finger to his lips in order to instruct him to keep quiet.

  For the second time that day, Tom’s mouth gaped open in amazement. In the three-dimensional space in front of his
eyes, he saw the structures that Lise had showed him about an hour ago. However, through the microscope, they truly appeared three-dimensional. It was a wondrous sight. Goldon activated controls that rotated the structure in space, enlarging and contracting it so that it could be examined from every angle. When he zoomed out, the image revealed about ten identical structures, far fewer than the quantity revealed in Lise’s image.

  “Wow, time flies,” Professor Goldon said. “I didn’t notice it was already lunchtime. You’ve been on the road for more than an hour. I bet you’re hungry.”

  Tom began to reply that he wasn’t hungry, but Goldon shushed him immediately. “We don’t discuss business here with a growling stomach. Come on—my treat.” He extracted the sample from the microscope’s plate, locked it in a small safe embedded in the lab’s wall, grabbed his coat and signaled Tom to follow him.

  Once the elevator door closed, Tom said, “I’ve already seen—”

  “Of course you have,” Goldon interjected rudely. “If we didn’t know what you were working on, we wouldn’t have approached you. But, as I’ve already said, we don’t talk on an empty stomach. Let’s eat, and then we can talk comfortably.”

  It was obvious to Tom that the professor was intentionally avoiding discussing what they had just seen through the microscope. What exactly had he meant when he silenced him? Was he referring to the identical patterns he had seen for the first time in his life only mere hours ago, and up to this moment, had believed were known only to Lise and him? If this was true, it implied that Professor Goldon had access to everything that took place in his lab, which was impossible. It was a shocking thought, but perhaps…? No, no, impossible. Goldon couldn’t know about the structures that Lise had just shown him. Or perhaps the photographic material generated by his lab was under surveillance? He decided not to initiate any questions on the matter, and to allow Goldon to reveal his cards.

  Tom was surprised when Goldon led him to a popular health-food restaurant, which was teeming with office workers who had come down to grab a quick, nutritious meal. He had been sure he would be invited to some fine-dining establishment where they would be assigned to a quiet table isolated from other diners. A place that would allow them to talk without any attentive ears around them.

  The computer at the host station displayed a map of the restaurant with available tables clearly designated. The moment Goldon selected a table, they were approached by a pear-shaped robot, which invited them to follow it. Tom actually liked the new generation of robots designed in various shapes, which had begun to show up in restaurants and other locations where people needed to be directed or ask frequently repeated questions. The pear robot was quite popular and amusing, suitable for casual-dining restaurants.

  When it stopped opposite the corner table he had selected, the professor sat so that he faced the entrance. From his own seat, Tom could only see Goldon, or watch the entrance in the mirror covering its northern wall. The electronic menu on their table depicted Tuesday’s specials in words and mostly in tantalizing images. The professor was either familiar with the place or in a big hurry. He immediately touched the image of a sandwich and a beverage rich with digestive enhancers. Tom interpreted this as a hint, and rather than reading through the entire menu, as was his custom, chose one of the first three sandwiches. The table thanked them for their order and promised them it would arrive within four minutes. A large timer appeared on the screen and began the countdown.

  Goldon didn’t say a word as he ate his entrée. His gaze roamed alertly and constantly over the entire restaurant, returning persistently to the front door, as if he was waiting for someone. Tom cooperated by maintaining the silence.

  Once they were finished eating, Goldon took care of the payment and appeared calmer, even allowing himself to briefly stop scanning the restaurant and focus his gaze on Tom.

  “Shall we go?” he asked, rising from his seat.

  The avenue bustled with pedestrians, employees of the many companies in the prestigious industrial park. The sunshine, the pleasant temperature, and the blue sky drove many people to the various restaurants.

  “What is it that you think you saw through the microscope?” Goldon asked.

  Tom didn’t know whether to try one more time to tell Goldon that he had already seen a similar molecular organization. He didn’t want to be silenced again. “It’s still hard for me to process that image,” he replied. “I’ve never seen such a symmetrical structure in biological matter. We’re all familiar with carbon cage molecules, the fullerenes, and their famous representative Carbon 60 or Buckminster fullerene, and similar molecules, but they all possess only spherical symmetry. We’ve never seen pyramidal molecules, cubic ones, or any others. Do you know what those structures are?”

  Goldon looked at him strangely, as if deliberating and trying to decide what to say. “No, we don’t know what these structures are,” he said, his intonation slow and drawn out, as if considering each word before pronouncing it. “No, neither we—nor, of course, you—know what these structures are,” he repeated, emphasizing every syllable.

  This seemed like a clear confirmation of Tom’s fears that Professor Goldon was aware of Lise’s bizarre results. But Lise had said she hadn’t told anyone about her findings. How, then, did Professor Goldon know about it? Or did he keep track of everything that took place in the lab by bugging it? All Tom had to do was locate the bug and prevent any possibility of information leaks. He would have to think of a way to do so when he returned to the lab.

  “I doubt that is a natural form of organization,” Tom continued. “Nature tends to favor structures that bestow some advantage— spheres, for example, or teardrops. But I can’t conceive of any biological advantages for these patterns. I still don’t know how these structures would affect living matter. Considering all that, how they were formed and…”

  At that moment, he noticed that the professor’s gaze had focused upon a tall, dark-skinned man wearing a suit who was walking across from them. Although they did not exchange greetings, Tom had no doubt that they were acquainted. This seemingly random encounter amused Goldon. For a moment, he looked as if he was attempting to conceal a mischievous smile, but snapped out of it immediately.

  “How and for what purpose were these structures formed?” Tom continued. “We might look into the option that this is a natural occurrence, despite the low probability. We could raise the question with the biologist community—maybe someone’s come across something similar.”

  “Believe me,” Goldon replied, “that’s the last thing you want to do. What would you say about the patterns you’ve seen?”

  “Nothing other than that we should keep investigating them,” Tom replied.

  “Back to business matters,” the professor continued. “As I’ve already told you, we’re interested in having you lead a new project in a field I’m not even allowed to tell you about. The study is based on a scientific breakthrough we’ve achieved in the last two years, and which has just now ripened to the point where it can be used for product development. You’ll build the team as you see fit, subject to information security considerations. You won’t be limited in regard to purchasing equipment or any other expenses you believe will expedite or enhance product development.

  “Since the projected market is estimated at many billions of dollars, it should be clear to you that we will invest whatever it takes in order to ensure rapid production of reliable products. I can’t even describe the degree of urgency to you. We’re not sure that we’re the only ones working in this direction. Being the first on the market has enormous financial significance, not to mention the publicity achieved once the story breaks.”

  “I’ve got a potential problem,” Tom began. “I’m waiting to hear about another excellent offer that, at least from a certain perspective, I’ve already committed to.”

  “You must be referring to the offer you got from Erie,” Goldon s
aid.

  “Who’s Erie?” Tom asked.

  “Erie is the woman you met at Bob’s Pub on Sunday.”

  “I met a woman named Gaya there.” Tom looked at Goldon incredulously. “How do you know about the meeting?”

  “Yes, she likes Greek names, and uses them freely. I don’t know her real name. I know her as Erie.”

  The blood drained from Tom’s face. Goldon hadn’t even bothered to answer his question. The pleasant and charming Professor Goldon was an accessory to the threat Gaya had made during their meeting. Gaya and Goldon were partners in crime. That’s it—the cat is out of the bag. BL was connected to the threat he had received, the one that had caused him to send his entire family into hiding in order to protect their well-being. Suddenly, he found the professor’s pleasant demeanor artificial and repellent.

  At least he no longer had to debate between two different offers. What was the project he would have to work on, which the professor couldn’t even tell him about? On the other hand, for an annual salary of two million dollars, he would also be willing to work on a less interesting project for a certain time.

  The lab was under constant surveillance. Professor Goldon knew exactly what Lise had discovered. Apparently, the conference room was bugged as well. What did they know about the strange structures that they weren’t revealing? Were the structures related to the project he would be assigned to work on? This seemed logical; otherwise, why was Professor Goldon in such a rush to show them to him while attempting to lure him into the company? Tom found himself flooded by a sea of questions that continued to pile on, without any hint of an answer.

  He took a deep breath and decided to stick to practicalities. “Will my salary be what Gaya proposed it would be?”

  “Definitely. Gaya, as you know her—or Erie, as I know her—coordinated everything with me.”

  Chapter 17