The Shox Gene Variant

by Bob Cooper

  “He’s right. You’re going no place but home,” Sue said.

  As they wheeled Raina out of the hospital, they saw the injured and dead lining the hallway. Seeing all of the people who had been affected had a profound impact on all of them, but especially Dirk. As he pushed the wheelchair through the chaos, he bent down and whispered in Raina’s ear, “You’ve seen many times in your life what intolerance can do. I have no doubt that when you become President, you will address this.”

  Raina turned toward him and smiled, reaching over to hold his arm.

  ***

  Aidan watched Sandra hold Gretchen in the corner of the cell. She was whispering to her, which appeared to have a soothing effect on Gretchen. She needed comfort, Aidan thought. He found it hard to believe how her father manipulated her for the glory of the Fourth Reich. Now that her mother was with her, he hoped things would change. If they got out alive.

  His thoughts strayed to Acey and Annie. He smiled, relishing the sweet remembrances of how he met Acey and how Annie came into their lives. His comfort was short-lived when several henchmen, who were armed to the teeth, approached them. Aidan stood up and watched as they lowered the force field.

  “Come with us,” one said, pointing his blaster directly at them.

  They moved slowly out of the cell.

  “Where are you taking us?” Foster asked.

  “This way,” he pointed to a waiting elevator.

  They crammed in as it sped downwards to the floor below. The door opened.

  “Out!”

  As they walked down the long corridor, Aidan saw a fleet of transport shuttles being readied for departure. Capitan Tom looked over his shoulder to Aidan with a worried look.

  “This can’t be good,” he whispered.

  They continued walking to the end of the corridor where there was a large room with the door open. Inside was Gretchen’s father. The henchman followed them in and closed the door.

  “What’s this all about?” Capitan Tom asked.

  He didn’t answer, but stared directly at Gretchen.

  “I’m giving you one more chance,” he said to her. “Soon the glorious army of the Fourth Reich will be sent to Earth. Thousands more of the Replicants will be spawning soon and the Earth will be under the control of the Fourth Reich and will become part of the Aryan Nation. Will you come back to the world you belong in or do you wish to suffer the fate of these inferiors?” he asked Gretchen.

  Aidan thought Gretchen looked genuinely conflicted.

  “Don’t do it. Your mother is here now and …”

  Aidan was struck in the face by one of the henchmen, sending him to the ground.

  Foster lent his hand to lift him. Aidan’s eye was cut and bleeding.

  “So, what will it be?” he asked again.

  Sandra put her arms around her, but Gretchen shoved her away.

  “I’m sorry for all the trouble I caused you, Father. I’ve had time to think, and this is and always will be my destiny,” she said, moving close to her father.

  “Gretchen! Don’t do this!” Sandra shouted.

  He smiled and hugged her. “There is one more matter before we accept you back. To prove your loyalty, you will need to eliminate these inferiors.”

  ***

  They were almost home when Raina’s com link buzzed.

  “Raina, it’s Dorthea. How are you doing?”

  “I’m fine. How are you and the Senator?”

  “We’re both okay. I heard they released you from the hospital.”

  “Yeah. It’s nothing. Just a bump on the head. I’m on my way home.” “When you get there, turn on the local news. Do you remember being filmed as they carried you away in the stretcher?”

  “Yes, what was that all about?”

  “A local news reporter saw you helping the injured and thought it would make a good story. She called me and we discussed how it should be done.”

  “How it should be done?”

  “Yes. Tonight, on the ten o’clock news, they want you to come to the studio to be interviewed for a half hour. Everybody will be tuned in, even the national broadcasting networks.”

  “Jesus, Dorthea. How can you think of doing something like this when there’s a national emergency occurring?” “Because during national emergencies someone needs to take the lead. That’s what the people want to see and hear. They want to see you and see how you handle this situation. This is an opportunity beyond belief.”

  “Okay. What time do I need to be there?”

  “Be here at nine. Don’t get all dressed up. Wear casual clothes. After all, you’ve been through a harrowing experience. Did they bandage you up at all?”

  “Yes, I have a bandage on the side of my head. I’ll take it off for the interview.

  “No. Leave it on. We want the citizens to see that you’ve been injured.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you there.”

  Everyone heard the conversation. “Raina, please. You need to rest,” Sue said.

  “It’s one o’clock. I have plenty of time to rest before the interview.”

  Nobody liked the fact that Raina wasn’t heeding the doctor’s orders, but everyone knew they couldn’t talk her out of it.

  ***

  The ride to the news station was treacherous. Located close to the government buildings, they had to avoid emergency vehicles and the debris from the attack. Federal troops were mobilizing for a new Armada, and military vehicles had the right-of-way on the roads. Raina chose to wear a pair of jeans and a red pullover sweater. She didn’t apply any makeup; she would leave that task to the specialists at the newsroom. Sue changed the bandage on her head before she left because it was blood-stained. They were met with a security detail that ushered Raina into the heavily-guarded broadcasting area. Dorthea met them and steered her into a small room before the news staff got to her. For a moment, she stood there looking at her before saying anything.

  “Is something wrong?” Raina asked.

  “Very much so. It’s not public knowledge yet, but half of the House and Senate members were killed in the attack.”

  Raina reeled back to the door looking for something to keep her steady.

  “I knew it was going to be bad, but I was hoping …”

  “You can’t say that in the interview, but you can allude to witnessing many casualties.”

  Raina, still in shock, shook her head.

  “I want you to talk about your brother-in-law, what’s his name, Andrew, Allen …”

  “Aidan. Aidan Carter.”

  “Yes. Talk about him being in New Moon City and how no one has heard from him.”

  At those words, Raina teared up. She remembered the incident on Antares when she had an explosive device bound to her leg with the mandate to turn Dirk over to the man responsible for framing him with the murder of Dirk’s best friend. It was Aidan who risked his life and disarmed the device before it blew up.

  Dorthea put her hands on Raina’s shoulders and held her at arm’s length. “Look at me. I know this is hard, but the public must know it’s not over for you. You have loved ones in harm’s way.”

  Raina wiped her sleeve across her eyes. “Okay. I can do that,” she said.

  “Excuse me, Senator. We need to take you to makeup,” came a voice from outside.

  “Coming,” Raina answered.

  Dorthea drew her into her arms and held her tightly. “You’ll do just great. Now go out there and show them what you can do for your country.”

  32

  Sandra stared up at the ceiling in the darkness listening to the soft purr that the forcefield made. She had come so close to getting Gretchen back only to lose her again. Clenching her teeth and cursing, she conjured up about a hundred different ways she would get even with her ex-husband. Aidan lifted his head and looked through the darkness at her.

  “Do you think she’ll do it?” Sandra asked, continuing to stare at the ceiling.

  “We have to think of a way out of here,” Aidan sa
id, avoiding answering her question.

  “What do you propose?” Foster asked, joining them.

  “I have no idea. But I’m not going to die without doing something,” Aidan answered.

  “Our only hope is to overpower them,” Captain Tom said.

  “Let’s save that as our last resort. I suggest we work on Gretchen,” Aidan said. “We have to sway her back to our way of thinking.”

  “But even if she does come back, they’ll only kill her, along with us,” Sandra said.

  Before anyone could say anything else, the lights came on, and they saw three shadows walking down the hallway. Gretchen was coming toward them with two fully-armed guards.

  “Bring down the forcefield,” she ordered.

  She aimed a blaster at them. “Down the hall to the elevator,” she said.

  They walked slowly down the hall. Sandra led the way, trying to stay close to Gretchen. “Gretchen. Please don’t do this,” she said.

  “Shut up! I don’t want to hear you talk again!”

  The elevator door opened, and they walked in. It took them down several floors before opening into an old storage area. Waiting for them was Gretchen’s father. He beamed with pride as his daughter took control of the situation.

  “Over against the wall,” Gretchen shouted.

  “Gretchen! Don’t do this!” Aidan shouted.

  “Father. I will carry out your orders. They will be eliminated,” Gretchen said, pointing her blaster at Captain Tom.

  She put the blaster in lethal mode and pointed at his head.

  The blaster fired, recharged, and fired again. Captain Tom let out a sharp gasp, but it was Gretchen’s father who flew back into the wall followed by one of the guards. The other guard was so stunned that he hesitated for a moment before firing at Gretchen. That gave Aidan enough time to leap towards the guard, knocking him to the ground. Foster followed, smashing his fists into the guard’s face and knocking him unconscious. Sandra ran to Gretchen who was bleeding from the shoulder.

  “Gretchen!”

  “I’m okay, Mother.”

  Sandra jumped back, startled. Not because of Gretchen’s injuries, but because she called her Mother.

  “Come on, let’s get the hell out of here,” Captain Tom said. “We have to get your com link and contact the kids.”

  Gretchen reached into her back pocket. “I have it right here.”

  ***

  Getting out the building and fleeing down the street was not going to be easy. The Replicants were now awake and shooting at everything that moved.

  “They must have re-programmed them,” Captain Tom said.

  They turned the corner only to be met by two Replicants. “Watch out! Aidan yelled as they ducked into a storefront. The Replicants fired, narrowly missing them. Captain Tom fired back killing them both.

  “In here,” Sandra said, pushing the door open to a pharmacy. She helped Gretchen in and sat her down behind a counter. “She’s losing blood. We have to get help.”

  Foster ran through the store collecting any medical supplies he thought would be useful. When he came back, Gretchen was weaving in and out of consciousness. She took out the com link and attempted to find a connection. “I think they locked down all the old links,” she said.

  “Let me try,” Foster said.

  While he scanned through the maze of links, Sandra cleaned and bandaged Gretchen’s wound.

  “I found one,” he said, handing the com link to Gretchen.

  “The signal is weak, but it’s open. Make contact now before they shut it down,” she said, handing it to Aidan.

  ***

  Everyone was at Sue and Raina’s house watching Raina address the nation. The President was hospitalized with severe wounds, and while there were other Congressmen around, it was Dorthea that convinced them that Raina would do the best job calming the public during this emergency. She was right. Acey watched as her sister began speaking. The bandage on Raina’s head showed a small trace of blood giving her credibility. Her account of the tragedy was chilling, but the public needed to hear the truth. As Raina calmly outlined what was being done to combat this threat, Acey’s com link buzzed.

  “Aidan! Are you okay?” Everyone turned their attention to her.

  “I’m fine. Look, I don’t have a lot of time. You need to contact Hillary and …”

  “She’s here with us.”

  “Great! Put her on.”

  Annie grabbed the com link away from Acey before Hillary got to it. “Dad! Please come home. Tell Foster I love him.”

  “I’m trying, honey. I love you. Now let me talk to Hillary.”

  “Hello, Aidan.”

  “You have to work with Carina and Jonathan to get through to the Replicants. See if they can alter their programming or turn them off completely. It’s important they do this right now. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to contact you again. Do you understand?”

  “I’ll call them now. Please stay safe.”

  Aidan was about to ask for Acey again, but the link went dead.

  “Shit!” He put the com link in his back pocket. Gretchen was unconscious in Sandra’s arms. Something shattered the front window and glass went flying. The grenade landed inches away.

  “Run for cover,” Captain Tom yelled.

  But Foster picked it up and threw it out the window a second before it exploded. He stood there as debris swirled all around him.

  “Son, that was the dumbest thing anyone could have done,” Captain Tom said. “You disregarded my order.”

  Foster slowly turned, the blank expression on his face hid the shock he was experiencing. Then Captain Tom embraced him.

  “We have to find someplace safe. Let’s go.”

  ***

  “We’re off the air. Good job, Senator,” the director said.

  Raina was pleased with the way the broadcast went. She looked at her watch - one hour and fifteen minutes. Before she could reflect on what she said to the nation, Chad and Dorthea came in. Dorthea was in tears.

  “That was the most awe-inspiring speech I’ve ever heard,” she said.

  “Come with us. There are new developments we need to address,” Chad said.

  “Now what’s happening?” Raina asked.

  “There are hundreds of shuttles heading for Earth.”

  “Has the Armada launched?”

  “No, not yet. The ships were pretty much destroyed in the attack. We’re waiting for other ships to be flown in.”

  “Let’s discuss this someplace private,” Dorthea said.

  As they walked down the hallway, the view from the windows showed the destruction several stories below. Casualty reports were coming in with deaths and injuries being reported in the thousands. Raina’s com link buzzed.

  “Hello, Dirk.”

  “Raina, you were great. I’m so proud of you.”

  “Thanks, how are you doing?”

  “I’m fine. Aidan got through a while ago. He’s trapped up there. He asked if Carina and Jonathan could communicate with those creatures and alter their behavior.”

  “I hope it works. Keep me posted on how they make out. I have to go now.”

  “One more thing. I know you’re busy, but I would like to see you.”

  There was a sound of urgency in his voice which concerned Raina. “Why? Is everything all right?”

  “Yes. Yes. I’m fine. I just want to see you.”

  “I’m not sure when I’ll be able to leave, but I’ll be there as soon as I can,” she said.

  “Thanks. Please be careful.”

  She stood there staring at the com link.

  “Is everything okay?” Dorthea asked.

  “Yeah. Everything’s fine.”

  As they headed out the entrance, they were greeted by a security detail which escorted them into an armor-proof transport for the trip back to Senator Carrington’s residence. Raina thought about telling them about Carina and Jonathan’s unique abilities, but decided against it. As they
drove through the streets, people lined the sidewalks. They had signs with her name on them and huge posters of her.

  “How did they know I would be coming through this way?” Raina asked.

  Dorthea turned around from the front seat. “Because I told them.”

  ***

  Billy made sandwiches while Dirk and Annie worked with the kids.

  “We think you can communicate with the Replicants,” Annie said.

  “Your mother was able to communicate telepathically,” Dirk said to Carina. She did it on Antares years ago.”

  Carina looked at Jonathan. “Go ahead and tell them what you did,” she said.

  He sat straight up remembering the circumstances. “Oh, I don’t know if I can do that again. They were going to kill you and …”

  That took everyone by surprise. Billy spilled the drinks and startled everyone. “What happened?” he asked.

  Carina squirmed as Jonathan told the story. “They had no use for us. They were going to kill us. They started with Carina. I, uh, I couldn’t let them do it. I got really mad, and something came into my head. It controlled my body. I did things I have never done before,” he said, reliving the horror.

  He stopped, hoping that was enough information.

  “Tell them what you did,” Carina said.

  “Please, Carina.”

  Billy came over and sat next to him. “It’s okay. It’s better to talk about these things and get them off your chest,” he said.

  Carina nodded at him. “Go ahead. It’s okay.”

  “I don’t know. As I said, something came into my head, and I went flying into one of our captors sending him across the room. I grabbed his blaster and shot the rest. Then we escaped,” he said, waiting for their reaction.

  “He was superhuman. I’ve never seen anyone move that fast. They didn’t know what hit them,” Carina added.

  Billy, who hadn’t heard the details of their ordeal, was shocked. He put his hand on Jonathan’s shoulder. “Thanks for saving her.”

  Billy’s com link buzzed. It was Hillary.