2036 The Proof: A Thrilling Science Fiction Novel

by Speiser, Zvi

  “We’ve also acted extensively on the scientific front. We’ve diverted studies, distorted the results of research, and spread rumors that contradicted and sometimes mocked specific findings. Well, no more. As of this moment, we’re allowing science to progress with no intervention on our part. Humanity—or, more precisely, its sane component—has grown up and consequently no longer blindly accepts conventions and historical ‘truths.’ On the contrary, science questions and constantly re-examines every such ‘truth.’

  “Over the past few days, we’ve had to act several times, and on one such occasion, an innocent man was even hurt and killed.”

  Aaron squirmed in his seat in discomfort, and although no one turned to look at him accusingly, he still keenly felt the stabbing of guilt. Oleg’s family would be compensated, he’d been promised, but there was no way to compensate a little boy who had lost his father. He wished he could surrender to the authorities, but the sect’s bylaws did not allow it.

  Activists in a similar situation had relocated to another country or, even worse, committed suicide, all in order to avoid exposing the sect.

  “Quite a few of our people have taken their own lives over many generations,” the professor continued, and once again, Aaron felt an intense stab in his stomach.

  Was the Leading Gentleman hinting at what he should do? Was this how he would end his life? And what would happen if he didn’t kill himself? Would someone else take care of it? Would he be ordered to commit suicide? He would no longer be able to work openly here in Chicago, and probably anywhere in the United States, because sooner or later, he would be identified by one of the sophisticated monitoring systems and captured.

  Perhaps he should request to be transferred to another country. He could assume a new identity; perhaps even undergo plastic surgery to change his appearance. Did he want this? To keep on living at any price, although he had taken the life of an innocent man? It was true that he had been acting on behalf of the organization and under its banner. In the fraction of a second in which he debated pulling the trigger, did the option of committing suicide cross his mind? No, he hadn’t considered this possibility. The security guard had surprised him, leaving him no option of slipping away. If he hadn’t shot him, he would have been arrested. The cops would have searched his home, and who knows what their investigation would have ended up uncovering.

  He would give his life with no hesitation in return for the life of the security guard. What should he do now? Take the fast-acting poison pill out of the drawer and swallow it in front of everyone, or wait for the Leading Gentleman to finish speaking? And then what? Officially present the question to everyone? Let them decide his fate? Ask to speak with the Leading Gentleman? Perhaps he could propose something to him that was better than suicide?

  Apparently, he had gotten too absorbed in his own thoughts and hadn’t noticed the change in the room. The Leading Gentleman had stopped speaking, and when Aaron looked up, he saw that everyone else was looking at him. For a moment, he panicked. How could he have gotten wrapped up in his own affairs and stopped listening to the Leading Gentleman? What had happened in the room?

  “I’m sorry, I wasn’t listening,” he said. “The mention of the security guard brought me back to that terrible night, and the unforgiveable thing I’ve done.”

  “You really weren’t listening to what Professor Goldon was saying,” said Professor Longstrom. “The Leading Gentleman said you were a very dedicated member, that you acted on behalf of the Guardians as well as you possibly could have, and that your encounter with Oleg, the security guard, was actually an encounter between the Guardians as a whole and the rest of humanity. You had no way out, and any other course of action might have been disastrous to the entire organization. Your act saved the organization.”

  “As of this moment, all your ties to the organization have been entirely blurred and obliterated,” said the Leading Gentleman. “We’ve made sure you can live honorably as an independent person. Starting today, you can continue on any path you choose. We’ll make sure the security guard’s family is handsomely compensated, and will never lack anything.

  “As for where we go from here, I’m not convinced that humanity is mature enough for this major turning point; however, all that notwithstanding, as of this moment, we’re allowing scientists to act with no monitoring or interference from us. The recent discoveries are already surfacing in the media, and soon all hell will break loose. Up to this point, we’ve done everything possible to put off and undermine the troubling discoveries by dismissing them and even mocking the new information we disapproved of. For now, we’ll cease all active intervention, and dedicate ourselves solely to tracking what’s going on via public sources and using the means and abilities we’ve developed over the years.

  “We’ll maintain the connections between us, and it’s possible that every once in a while, we’ll carry out a focused intervention, which I’m hoping won’t require too much investment on your part. At this point, I want to thank you for your dedicated and loyal service. Your salaries, of course, will continue to be paid as usual, and you may live a normal life among other people.”

  No one got up. Perhaps, like Aaron, they were expecting more, an additional stressful assignment like the ones they had become used to for many years now, even if it was the last one. So long as they didn’t have to stop, and could maintain the addictive tension. The abrupt transition to zero pressure, to no action, to a life out in the open with nothing to hide, didn’t seem possible. The pressure and the secret lives were an essential part of their existence. How could they live without that?

  The minutes went by with no words or gestures. For a moment, cynically, Aaron thought they looked like mourners at a cemetery, grieving the death of a beloved. After all, they had just received the ultimate gift—absolute freedom to do anything they wanted, with no need to work and no other obligations, but instead of cheering and celebrating, they were all glum and bleak. The ways of people were strange indeed.

  Chapter 33

  Tom Meets Aaron

  Chicago, Thursday, July 24, 2036

  Will and Melissa were the last to leave. Will was utterly exhausted. His physical state, in combination with the implications of the findings to which he had just been exposed, proved to be a burden with which he couldn’t deal. When Melissa gently suggested that he lean on her as they slowly walked out of the astronomer’s house, he took her up on her offer with no hesitation, first waiting, of course, for the last of the people walking before them to disappear beyond the fence.

  The guests left quietly, with no parting words. Brief nods of acknowledgment were the only gestures exchanged. All of them appeared to be wrapped up in their own thoughts. Ramona, too, looked pensive. Apparently, the astronomer had concealed his findings from her as well.

  Melissa tried to support him as they were entering the car, but he eluded her grasp and managed to twist himself into a seated position. They remained silent the entire way.

  He knew a little about astronomy, had read quite a few articles on the subject, and was aware of the many asteroids that had struck and continued to strike every planet. However, he had never been exposed to such loaded, immediate information regarding a potential current strike that might have disastrous consequences for the human race. The Earth had been spared on this occasion, but for the first time, he found himself dealing with the inconceivable fragility of life on the planet.

  Melissa observed from the sidelines, allowing him to try and exit the vehicle on his own. Only after two failed attempts did she grasp him firmly until he managed to straighten. The scent of her hair and its caressing touch brought back forgotten memories. For a moment, he felt like his old self, his fatigue and exhaustion evaporating, making him feel as if he was in peak form. He would have been so happy to maintain this position, to feel her arms around him with his face buried in her neck and his lips, as if they had a will of their own
, yearning to kiss her. It was so hard to refrain from doing so, to allow her to disengage from him and return to reality. Had she noticed what he was going through? Did she feel something similar? He truly hoped so.

  He managed to traverse the way from the parking garage to the elevator on his own, and then collapsed into the armchair in his apartment. Had she avoided supporting him once more? Perhaps she was experiencing similar sensations as well. Why had she stayed away from him? Would she now depart, leaving him alone in his apartment?

  Apparently, she still felt at home. She disappeared in the kitchen, from which the clatter of dishes emerged. Several minutes later, she appeared holding a tray bearing a coffeepot and sandwiches for both of them, then sat down across from him.

  Wow, she’s staying, he thought. Who knows, perhaps she’s feeling something for me after all.

  “Way to go! I was very skeptical about the odds of finding a link between the two accidents. What made you think they were connected? And what’s your opinion on the whole story?” she asked, abruptly interrupting his train of thought, which had headed to a mythical land full of fairy godmothers in which every wish and dream came true.

  In fact, since the accident and until she had asked the question, he had not thought about the subject as a whole. He was preoccupied with his condition, with thoughts of Melissa, and of the connection between the two accidents. He had not anticipated, even for a moment, being exposed to such unusual research findings with no scientific explanation.

  Her question returned him to the hunt. What did he actually think of the entire story? And what had made him think that the two accidents were related? He was good at finding connections between seemingly unrelated events. That was how he made his living. His success had given him nearly absolute freedom in his work at the paper, always accompanied by his sense of responsibility and desire to succeed. However, he often acted based on gut feelings rather than intellectual analysis. Was that the case here? No matter how much he delved into the facts known to him, he could not find a reason for his desire to meet the astronomer; apparently, his perceptive gut had done its job again.

  Melissa continued. “I can’t find any rational explanation for the connection between the two accidents. Maybe the very fact that I was involved in one of them made me feel empathy toward other people who’d been through accidents. And as for the entire story, I’m still having a hard time processing what we heard and saw. It all seems strange, and to tell you the truth, even frightening. What’s happening in the space above our heads? For millions of years now, we’ve been living here on Earth, evolving, fighting and killing each other. Most of us are immersed in our day-to-day lives and don’t even bother to look up, into the depths of the vast universe. If it weren’t for a handful of curious scientists and enlightened governments willing to fund them, we’d be convinced that the sky above us is as far as we could go, and that the stars shining at night are little flashlights hanging from the dome of the sky. And as critical as it might sound, plenty of people are still certain that’s how things are, while the majority of others are quite satisfied with such an explanation.

  “In general, I can understand an ancient sect that has taken upon itself to prevent people from investigating and playing with God’s building blocks, the DNA of the pinnacle of creation—humanity. But why were they interested in an astronomer researching asteroids, or more precisely, an astronomer researching asteroids that have been diverted from potentially striking Earth?”

  “Hold on a minute,” Will exclaimed. “You told me you analyzed some research by Dr. Thomas Lester for Jack. Can you tell me exactly what it was about?”

  Melissa squirmed in her chair. His question had clearly made her uncomfortable. On the one hand, she had surely signed a strict confidentiality agreement, with violations triggering significant fines. But on the other hand, they used to be a couple, and were now working on the same side.

  To some extent, he enjoyed watching her deliberate. He wondered what would end up gaining the upper hand, her business obligations or their shared romantic history. Perhaps her reply would provide him with an answer regarding the chances of resuming their relationship.

  Melissa wasn’t the type to debate at length; she was decisive and clear-minded, even in awkward situations. Even when she had decided to end their relationship, she had stated this fact bluntly and with painful clarity that left no room for ambiguity.

  Just as he’d hoped, she straightened in her chair and said, “Dr. Lester is working on two studies. One deals with human longevity extension and involves multiple research institutes all over the world. The other is an investigation of resilience to change and mutations in the human genome—quite an esoteric topic, if you ask me.”

  “Does extending longevity involve genetic alteration in humans? Are they really playing with God’s building blocks here?” he asked.

  “I don’t think so,” she replied. “The longevity-enhancement study has been subcontracted to them by a private company that divided the research among several labs. Tom’s lab is responsible for one portion out of several. I’m sure they don’t know what the other labs are doing, or how their research fits into the big picture. The research focuses on the existing genome, rather than examining other alternatives.”

  “Then what the hell is the sect’s problem?” he interjected. “Why did they break into the lab, taking on a significant risk, and ultimately proceeding to murder an innocent person? Does something in the lab’s research involve genetic experimentation?”

  “I have no idea,” she replied. “In the material I’ve seen about the lab’s work, there’s no reference to anything like that.”

  Will leaned back in the armchair, closing his eyes. His thoughts grew hazy. As if in a dream, he saw asteroids floating in space, a giant telescope observing the stars, and scientists staring at giant screens showing the asteroid belt, in which various objects were moving strangely. Slowly, these motions subsided, and he drifted off.

  ***

  He was awakened by the assistant. Dr. Apexton was on the line. Apparently, Will had been sleeping quite deeply. For a moment, he didn’t know where he was or who Dr. Apexton was, but his thoughts cleared quickly.

  “Melissa and I want to truly thank you again for the amazing lecture, and especially for the weighty questions it evoked. Of course, we’d be happy to be updated on any progress you make in answering them.”

  “Naturally, I’ll be happy to keep you posted when we know more. But I’m actually calling for a different reason. After you left, I surfed a few astronomy websites, and discovered a strange anomaly that was posted yesterday. I discussed it with Dr. Almog, who suggested updating everyone else who was present at the lecture as well. I’m sending you the link now. I suggest you peruse it, and later, I can explain what it involves, as it’s quite technical. I’m sure you’ll be calling me soon.”

  To his delight, Will discovered that Melissa hadn’t left while he was asleep. She was staring at him now, a clear question mark reflected on her pretty face. She didn’t need to ask her question; he knew exactly what she wanted.

  “Dr. Apexton sent us a link to an astronomy article posted yesterday, regarding another astronomic anomaly. He suggested we read it and then call him.”

  Neither of them understood much of the article’s technical details, but they did comprehend that the authors had discovered stars that should have exploded but had not done so in this instance. The authors couldn’t explain the phenomenon, but expressed great confidence in the observations and calculations that had led to a conclusion violating a scientific theory that had been proven through numerous documented explosions.

  Both of them perceived the article as a debate between the acolytes of a reigning theory and those seeking an alternate one.

  “I don’t know how the Chandrasekhar limit was determined,” Melissa said. “Apparently, the current technology, which is significantly mor
e accurate, has revealed that there are some exceptions. It seems to me like one more theory that worked well at the time when it was developed, such as Newton’s motion equations, which didn’t take the theory of relativity into account and were later revised by Einstein. Or quantum theory, which explained odd phenomena in the behavior of nuclear particles. Or string theory, which attempts to integrate the theory of relativity with quantum mechanics, to create order in the quantum zoo, and, who knows, might even end up providing an explanation for dark matter and dark energy. Anyway, I don’t see a connection between Dr. Apexton’s discovery and this article.”

  Will observed her without reacting. Melissa is pragmatic, he thought. She operates well within parameters that are familiar to her, but she doesn’t think outside the box. This required a different sort of thinking, one in which he had often proved himself capable of excelling. It would have been great if Melissa were also capable of this kind of thinking. However, she was still an excellent partner for a brainstorming session, thanks to her knowledge, her quick perception, and her agility of thought.

  He suggested, “Why don’t we talk to Dr. Apexton? I’m sure we can learn something new from him.”

  The image of Dr. Apexton, seated in his recliner, floated into the room. All the coordination and the fine-tuning were carried out in an instant by the assistants and their support network. There was no longer a need for awkward, muddled conference calls. The astronomer simply joined them at the touch of a button, with his voice emanating from his virtual mouth.

  “Hi, Dr. Colette and Will. You’re not astronomers or physicists and you still won’t be when I’m done talking, either. Let me start with a brief clarification about the article authored by Professor Lia Rosen from the University in California, Berkeley, and Professor Benjamin Sheffy from Tel Aviv University in Israel, whom I know well. The fact that Professor Sheffy signed off on this article confirms its veracity for me, one hundred percent. The discovery this article documents will shake up the astrophysics world, where scientists are certainly scrambling for an explanation now.”