2036 The Proof: A Thrilling Science Fiction Novel

by Speiser, Zvi

  Melissa said, “This isn’t the first time in the annals of physics that tested and proven theories that endured for many years begin to show small cracks and discrepancies from reality, later explained by a new, more comprehensive theory. Could that be the case here, too?”

  “That might very well turn out to be true. Or perhaps we’ll find a new limit, with a new explanation. Anything could happen. If you don’t have any further questions, I’ll end here. And please, don’t hesitate to call if any questions come up.”

  Will and Melissa looked at one another. Talking to the astronomer had not contributed to their understanding in any way.

  “I suggest we take inventory of all the information we have,” Will suggested.

  “I see you’ve come back to life. It reminds me of Will from two years ago, with the sharp mind and the amazing deductive ability,” she said, producing a giant white page from the top drawer of the desk housing the computer.

  Wow, Will thought. She still remembers the giant sheets of paper I keep in that drawer. Melissa’s teasing smile confirmed she was thinking the exact same thing.

  “I’ll take notes,” she said, producing a dark blue pen from the box.

  “Clean break-ins into biology research labs. Nothing stolen or damaged,” he said while she wrote down his words. “A break-in at the University of Chicago’s biology lab goes wrong. The intruder would rather kill a security guard than get caught. The investigation is assigned to Rick. The burglar–murderer badly injures an astronomer who is about to publish an unusual discovery that poses questions about what’s going on in our solar system. Another astronomic discovery published around the same time contradicts a theory that’s been established for decades. We don’t know if there was an attempt to hurt the scientists in this case.

  “The killer injures me, perhaps because he knows what I do and is afraid I’ll publish the things you’ll tell me about him. The killer belongs to an ancient sect trying to suppress studies dealing with genetic engineering in general, and human DNA in particular, as much as possible, guided by the divine commandment that humanity should not alter the human race. Do we know anything else?” he asked, focusing his gaze on her.

  Melissa considered the question briefly and shook her head. “I think you’ve covered all the main points.”

  “You know what? I’d like to know more, precisely about the activity in the lab in which the murder took place, as well as in the other labs where the break-ins occurred. That might give us a direction to go in.”

  Melissa’s breathing seemed to pause abruptly. She looked down, disengaging from him, and her face grew suddenly flushed.

  What the hell is going on here? he thought. Why did she react so strongly to my question? Well, obviously, she’s hiding pertinent information from me. She knows a lot more about the intruder, and maybe about the whole story, than what she’s told me. What should I do? How do I get her to tell me what she knows?

  She was obviously aware of the fact that she’d blushed, and that he had noticed. She would talk to him. All he had to do was give her time, and not allow the conversation to veer in a different direction. She would also not try to avoid the topic. She knew he was keeping quiet because he was waiting for her to speak. She might not tell him everything she knew; she might elaborate on a specific aspect, inflating it in order to try and satisfy his curiosity. He would have to be on guard and try to obtain as much information as possible from her. Her reaction definitely indicated that she had been caught red-handed. She knew a lot more than she was saying, and had avoided telling him about it intentionally, rather than by chance.

  He felt sad. He had trusted her and shared information with her, even hoping to return her to his arms. At least now he knew her attitude toward him.

  The minutes ticked by. Silence was on his side. All he had to do was wait and say nothing. Not lose his momentum. The passing of time and the silence were exerting more pressure on her than anything he could have done. He simply had to wait.

  “I have to make a personal confession,” she began, now looking directly into his eyes.

  That’s it. She’s back to her usual self, he thought. Back to utter self-control. She would say what she wanted to say, and not an iota more. She had gotten over her embarrassment and would now tell him the minimum required in order to justify what had happened.

  “Dr. Lester and I are having a secret affair.”

  It was the second punch he had absorbed in the space of a few minutes. He had already realized she was hiding something from him, but this was not what he had expected. He was stunned. For a moment, he forgot about the accident and the entire investigation, totally focused on her shattering announcement.

  “I’m sorry,” she said softly. The situation had been overturned in an instant. Only a few minutes ago, he had been in control while she was pinned down on the floor. Now he was humiliated, and she was the one consoling him. He felt as if he were trying to pick up the countless fragments of a shattered glass vase, a vase that had grown much larger during the three days since they had met again.

  He had weaved so many dreams. He had already been hoping that this time, she would not slip away from him. That this time, they could make their relationship official. He had ignored the subtle signs that she did not see things the way he did. But there had also been moments that reinforced his hopes. Moments in which he had won her over. Perhaps, if he didn’t give up, he might manage to conquer her heart. There was no doubt she hadn’t forgotten him, that she felt something for him, at least. Perhaps if he did the right thing, refused to give up, and courted her, he might still get her back. Yes, this time he wouldn’t give up. He would do everything he could, going above and beyond.

  The adrenaline was pumping in his veins again. His mood shifted abruptly. In a pragmatic tone, he asked, “What exactly is the connection between genetic engineering and astronomy? Why is Jack interested in astronomy, anyway? Why would a sect that opposes genetic engineering for fear that it might change the human race also persecute an astronomer? Could it be a mistake?”

  “I don’t think so,” she began, in a matter-of-fact voice.

  Great, he thought. We’re back to business as usual. Maybe from here we can make gradual progress on the personal front, as well. Just don’t rock the boat, and let time do its thing.

  She continued, “The man is sophisticated, focused, and motivated. He doesn’t waste resources on anything unnecessary. As far as he’s concerned, there must be an essential connection between these things.”

  “Interesting,” he mumbled quietly, delving into his own thoughts.

  ***

  She must have fallen asleep briefly, and was awakened by her assistant. “That’s a work call I have to take. I’m stepping out for a bit,” she said casually, and walked out to the cool, quiet street.

  It took several rings of the doorbell to extract him from the cobwebs of his mind, from which he was attempting to weave a web linking an ancient, mysterious sect with plenty of resources that was attempting to prevent the genetic alteration of plants, animals, and especially humans, to an odd astronomic discovery that probably interested merely a handful of scientists.

  Still wrapped up in his thoughts, he walked slowly toward the door. It was only when he saw Melissa in the doorway that he came to his senses, staring at her in confusion.

  “Where have you been? I didn’t even notice that you’d left the apartment.”

  “Yes, I still remember how deeply you can submerge into your thoughts and disengage from your environment. I’ve often envied you for that ability. I got a business call and preferred to take it outside. Anyway, I have to get going. I’ll talk to you later. Another odd mystery might be developing, and it might complicate things even more. I’ll call if I have anything new. If you come up with any ideas, don’t hesitate to call.”

  She picked up her purse, gave him a light kiss on the ch
eek, and left.

  The slamming of the door woke him up completely. Where exactly did she take off for so hastily? he wondered. And what was the business call she couldn’t take in my presence? Also, what’s the complicated mystery she mentioned? What the hell is going on here?

  There were too many fragments of information that didn’t fit together. Too many missing puzzle pieces. But in fact, this was his specialty, the one that provided him the greatest pleasure as well as a respectable living. He loved those moments in which there was no big picture at all, not even a direction, and knew how to toil and use his creative mind to supplement the missing information and form a cohesive whole. But this time, the missing pieces seemed too numerous to create any kind of structure. More pieces must still be found.

  He was exhausted. The early discharge from the hospital, the long, tiring day, the mystery veering off in unclear directions, the lack of a resolution, and finally, the possibility that he had lost Melissa made him want to retreat into a deep sleep. But then hunger started gnawing at his stomach. Great, I’m getting back to normal, he thought happily.

  ***

  Once she drew closer, Melissa peered up at the windows of her apartment on the eighth floor, as was her habit. The light shining there made her smile. True, they had agreed to meet in her apartment, but she hadn’t imagined Tom would arrive so quickly. In their brief conversation, he had told her in an emotional voice that Eddie the linguist had given him a possible explanation for the strange structures, and that he had to see her soon, asking that she drop everything and come home as quickly as possible. He hadn’t even been willing to hint at what Eddie had said. He had definitely sounded upset and frightened. She had never encountered this side of him before. He was always reasoned, in full control, pragmatic. It was odd how stressful he’d found Eddie’s explanation regarding the structures.

  Her expectant smile was instantly replaced by an expression of horror. Jack or Aaron, or whatever his name was, was waiting for her in her apartment.

  Aaron didn’t know to what extent the detective had involved her in his investigation. Her reaction when she found him in her apartment would reveal how much information he had shared with her, and to what extent she feared him. True, his very presence in the apartment might cause her apprehension, but he trusted his ability to distinguish between such apprehension and true fear.

  He had already thought out the calming words he would direct at her once she came in. He had left the apartment lights on in order to let her know someone was waiting for her. And indeed, finding the lights turned on had not surprised her. Apparently, she had seen them even before she went up to the apartment. The smile on her face as she opened the door indicated that she was expecting to see someone else, someone dear to her, someone she knew would be waiting for her and whom she was anticipating seeing.

  Her face darkened the moment she saw him, and for a moment, she lingered in the doorway.

  She might run off, he thought. He had to act immediately.

  “Melissa,” he began. “You have no reason to be afraid of me. I’m not a bad person. I need your help. I’ve decided to turn myself in to the police, but I prefer to do it through you, so you can turn me over to the detective you’ve been in touch with.” The words tumbled rapidly from his lips. He had to finish speaking before she ran away. Now everything depended on how persuasive she had found his statement, and even more importantly, on how frightened she was of him.

  He had wanted to turn himself in from the first moment, but the Guardians’ bylaws prevented him from doing so. Only now, after the Leading Gentleman’s speech, once his connections with the Guardians had been severed so that they could no longer be found through him, did he feel free to obey his conscience.

  The seconds went by. She didn’t budge from her position in the doorway. He knew he should not move either; he mustn’t frighten her. With an inviting gesture, he indicated the armchair across from him, using both hands. Every passing second calmed her down, increasing the chances that she would be appeased and listen to what he had to say. He didn’t know her well. He knew she was hardworking and strong, but it was hard for him to anticipate her reaction.

  He had reached the decision to turn himself in at the sect’s meeting, just a few hours earlier. There was almost no hesitation on his part. He knew he would pay dearly, that he would serve years in prison. He could still run away, change his identity, and live a life of leisure until his last day.

  But his conscience tormented him. He could not live with the stain of murder. He felt that he must bear the punishment, even if he had acted on behalf of a goal in which he believed with every fiber of his being. It was true, there were more direct ways of turning himself in, but for some reason, he felt that he preferred to have her mediate the proceedings. He also felt that he owed her a debt.

  When she finally entered, he noticed that she did not lock the door. She was still uncertain, still wary of him, and had left herself the option of a quick escape. She asked him to keep his chair as far from the door as possible, then pushed the armchair he had indicated until it was adjacent to the entrance. She leaned back in the chair, her hand on the door handle, ready and poised to run for her life, nodding to indicate that she was listening. His speech was well-organized in his mind. He knew exactly what he was about to say.

  “I’ll start at the end. I shot the security guard in Dr. Lester’s biology lab, and I’m willing and eager to bear the punishment. I could have run away and changed my identity, but my conscience wouldn’t let me. I want you to call the detective and ask him to come here. You can tell him about my intentions, so he can be properly equipped when he comes.”

  “Dr. Lester is supposed to be here at any minute. I have to stop him.”

  “Let him come. I think he deserves to be present when I turn myself in. After all, the security guard was killed while protecting his lab. And no, don’t worry; I have no intention of harming him. I have no intention of harming anyone else.”

  “Okay,” she replied. “Until the detective arrives, you have to stay right where you are. Don’t move.”

  Before he set out to see her, he had deleted his computer’s memory, and then physically destroyed it. As he did before every meeting, he made sure to disconnect all the cameras in the streets around his apartment. They would be unable to link the other sect members to him. He knew that this was it; he would be unable to return to his previous life. Not that he had found that life particularly pleasant, but at least he had been a free man.

  Rick answered her call immediately. Aaron assessed that he would be there within several minutes. Indeed, he showed up in the doorway with his gun drawn, demanding that Aaron stand up and turn around so that he was standing with his back to him. As he brought the barrel of the gun against the nape of Aaron’s neck, he restrained him so that both Aaron’s hands were cuffed behind his back in a strange pair of handcuffs. Then he walked several steps back, produced a small remote control from his pocket, and ordered Aaron to turn around and sit down, despite the uncomfortable pose in which he found himself.

  “These are electronic handcuffs. Any unexpected movement from you will immediately result in burning pain in your hands,” he explained.

  Rick summoned Dr. Lester, who had been waiting by the door, and closed the door after him. “More police officers will be here in a few minutes to take you away.”

  “I want to say a few things before they do,” Aaron said quietly.

  “Go ahead,” Rick said, and the three of them sat down across from Aaron.

  “I’m a descendant of Eli, the Jewish high priest in the land of Israel, who was killed by Nebuchadnezzar’s soldiers when they conquered and destroyed the temple built by King Solomon, hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, according to the Christian calendar. Eli was killed while protecting the Ark of the Covenant, which is holy to the people of Israel. My family was commanded to preserve the secr
ets of creation in general and man, in particular.

  “For over two thousand years, we were hardly required to intervene. However, during the last hundred years or so, as scientific discovery developed, we’ve dealt primarily with monitoring research trends in the pertinent topics, areas that might affect the essence of the human race, and thus meddle with creation itself. We tried to impede scientific developments that had the potential for influence of this kind. Lately, in light of the rate of progress of numerous studies, we’ve decided to terminate our activity. From this day on, we will not monitor scientists, and we will no longer interfere.”

  “Who are you people exactly? How many active members do you have? Who’s responsible for your funding?” Rick barked out a barrage of questions.

  “And what’s the connection between the Jews’ Ark of the Covenant and guarding the secrets of creation? What do you know about the secrets of creation? What’s the source of your information about creation?” Tom asked slowly.

  Everyone’s eyes were on Aaron. For a moment, he appeared to be considering how to organize his answer, but then surprised them by saying, “That’s it. I’m done. I’ve told you everything I know. Unlike you, I’ve never asked questions or interrogated anyone. I was just doing my duty, as it’s been passed down from generation to generation in our family.”

  Chapter 34

  Will’s Mental Leap

  Chicago, Friday, July 25, 2036

  Will was sleep-muddled and confused, and could not understand what had woken him. Slowly, his focus returned, and he realized it was Melissa’s voice emanating from the assistant that had roused him. He glanced at the clock at his bedside. It was after midnight. He wondered what had happened that was urgent enough to necessitate waking him. He recalled eating a sandwich and immediately dropping into bed after she’d left. He thought he’d been asleep for only a few minutes, when in fact, several hours had passed. He answered the assistant.