by Tigris Eden
The Genesis Project
New Earth
Tigris Eden
Copyright © 2013 Tigris Eden
Cover: Stephanie Scott
Photo Credit: ©subbotina
All Rights Reserved
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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the work of the author's imagination, or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.
ISBN-13: 978-1-625-17301-0
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Other Titles By The Author:
Shadow Unit Series
Enslaved In Shadows Book 1
Available Now
Burned In Shadows Book 2
Available Now
Bonded In Shadows Book 2.5
Coming April 2014
Romantic Tale: Bedtime Stories
Season 1
The Genesis Project
Available Now
Season 2
Red Hawk Mercenary Group
Available Now
Praise for The Shadow Unit Series
“The Shadow Unit Series is an edge of your seat thrill ride full of steamy romance, conspiracy and best of all, hot shifters. A great series for any lover of the genre.” -Author S. Cu’Anam Policar.
“This was one of the best 2nd in a series books I think I have ever read. I have been waiting to see what happened with Jes and Draven, the hotness that is Royce and Ronin. Great Follow up. Great writing, can’t wait till the others come out!” -Tka3nme.
“Just when you think happily ever after there is another twist in the story that keeps you turning the page.” -1safelady.
“The Shadow Unit Series is intense, gritty and HOT HOT HOT!!!” -Viki Sloboda.
“Intrigue, love and action make an irresistible read.” -Vondetta Carter “Once you start reading them you can’t put them down until you’re finished. Then you are anxiously waiting for the next.” –Barb A.
“Shadow Unit Series is an emotional, raw, sexy, action packed paranormal fabulousness that sucks you in from page one. You will cry, laugh, and blush throughout the series and burn for more.” – Indy Book Fairy
“Hunky men, steamy scenes, romance and a touch of the paranormal. What more can you ask for? It’s all here in the Shadow Unit.” – Jennifer Ballam.
“The Shadow Unit series is an edge of your seat mix of adventure and romance that will leave the readers wanting more!” – Ty Langston, Author of Decadent Dreams
Acknowledgements
To my editor Danielle, from Coffee and Characters, thank you for restoring my faith. I’m looking forward to many collaborations.
To Alicia, again for always pushing me harder, every day, all day. No matter what!
Stephanie, thank you for bringing Gen’s image to life and putting your stamp on. I love the cover, could not have asked for a better one!
A big thank you to all my girls over at the Shadow Unit Street Team. To my betas, Kat, Val, and S Cu’Anam, I appreciate you three for reading Gen’s story and loving it.
Dedication
I would like to dedicate The Genesis Project to a very special man in my life, LL. Thank you for allowing me to be me, and for encouraging me along the way. I love you.
Glossary of Terms
A.I: Artificial Intelligence
Albumin Serum: The most abundant protein in human blood.
Bloodletting Bracelets: Gold or Silver bracelets that when turned counter-clockwise would draw blood from the wearer. Only females where them. It’s used in the Tasting Ceremony. (A torque is the male equivalent but with one band around each bicep).
Celestrial’s: Neutral Faction only brought in by U.F.U to be the decision maker. Ethereal like creatures with ghost like qualities and voices that can lull you to your death.
Cosmic Dust: Dust from the Moon's surface
Gaia: Mother Earth
Genesis Gene: A strand of DNA taken from a human.
Immune boost: A boost in one's immunity allowing the receiver higher outcome of non-disease.
Menarche: Females first bleeding
Nuero-Technology: Neurological tech that allows the body to self-heal as well as assess the body’s damage. Faster Reflex, heightened senses. (Nuero Gas)
Phorem: A sexual stimulant drug that relaxes the body and heightens the senses of a Par.
Rotation: Equals New Earth rotating around the sun, equivalent to one standard Earth year.
Strigoi: (English : poltergeist) they are also from a blood planet in another solar system who populated Earth when it had been in its infancy. They were worshiped by the humans. They are what humans called Vampires. They are also believed to have mingled with humans of ancient Thrace.
Tasting: A ceremony where Pars go to choose their mates.
The Source: Drinking straight from a live host.
U.F.U: United Federations of the Universes
Uni-War (universal war): Wars that were fought among the different Universe’s.
Vrykolakas: (Greek âñõêüëáêáò, pronounced [vri’kolakas]), They are actual beings from a blood planet in another solar system who travelled to Earth, to get away from U.F.U. They have darker skin and live in the southern hemisphere of New Earth. They are said to be polygamous in nature. Having more than one mate. Their beliefs are from a practice called Illyrian.
Chapter 1
“Stage one complete, cellular regeneration has begun.”
A wide smile spread across the face of Dr. Vaggo Blackmore. He was sure that this time the process would work.
The sound of air being vacuumed from the heated chamber was loud, making a hissing noise as the vent continued to suck the air out of the chamber. In order for the regeneration process to continue, there could be no particle contamination. The chamber needed to be void of oxygen and hydrogen in order to create life from the cloned cells currently housed on top of a small petri dish.
“Stage two complete, molecular levels are stable, adding Nuero-Technology.”
Carefully, the Nuero-Technology was added to make the cells stronger, infusing them with the ability to enhance the processing of bodily functions. Allowing the body to perform in a self-healing capacity and to deduce any problems it encountered as a whole. The electrical highways that connected the brain to its host would also function in a higher level, allowing the subject to process information at an accelerated rate. Vaggo decided that these advances were necessary in order to further the survival of his species. If the body healed faster, it would in turn produce faster. Or at least that was the hypothesis.
&
nbsp; A.I. counted down the seconds until the Nuero Gas was dispersed inside the chamber, penetrating each cell’s membrane, and infusing the atoms with a dose of the Genesis Gene. This new strain has to work, Vaggo thought to himself. If everything went well there would be a cure. A cure, that some said would never happen.
“Stage three complete, Nuero-Technology infused. Placing embryo in stasis.”
Vaggo watched as the tiny cells were carefully moved by A.I.’s mechanical arm and gently placed into the incubator. He was literally balancing himself on the edge of his seat, praying everything would turn out alright. Their species survival depended on it.
“Shall I give the embryo the immune boost Dr. Vaggo?” A.I. asked in her crystal clear voice.
“Yes. Let’s induce the immune boost by seventy-five percent and add retinal and muscle enhancements.” Vaggo replied. The embryo needed to survive and endure any potential dangers.
“Dr. Vaggo, if retinal and muscle enhancements are given, the embryo may not be able to regenerate. There is a twenty percent chance during stasis that it may terminate.
A.I. was practical, always accurate. At times it made Vaggo want to shut her down for good, but electricity was sparse now and the council already rationed his use. He needed to get this done so he could move on to the next stage of the process. The thought ran rampant through his mind as he watched the cells regenerate in the petri dish inside the incubator. The arm stopped moving mid-way and seemed to stall. Vaggo stood and quietly approached A.I.’s work station.
“A.I. is there something wrong?”
“Awaiting your directive on retinal and muscle enhancements Dr. Blackmore.”
“Proceed.”
The arm moved over the incubator and Vaggo stepped back so he wouldn’t be near the delicate process. He watched with eyes that felt dry and scratchy, blinking a couple of times, he felt as if he’d just scrapped his eyes raw with sand paper. How long had he been at this?
Twelve long years and every attempt had failed. Tonight though, everything would be perfect. He had calculated every step, every procedure, and what he was unable to figure out had been supplied by A.I.
“Retinal and muscle enhancements have been injected Dr. Vaggo. The embryo has now been placed into deep-stasis.”
The mechanical arm moved to the station board to input the locking sequence, securing the embryo in its chamber during its incubation period. Over the course of a week the embryo would be surrounded first by amniotic fluid and then placed in a womb like environment awaiting its birth.
Vaggo dragged a tired hand down his face and headed towards his sleeping quarters. As he headed out of the room he stopped and looked over his shoulder at the incubator one more time. Their entire species depending on the rapidly generating cells in that small petri dish.
Six Weeks Later
Vaggo smiled down at the squirming infant in his arms. Genetics was a tricky thing, but he’d finally gotten it right. The infant was perfect in every way. It hadn’t mattered what the final outcome produced gender wise, as long as everything inside worked. What he’d gotten was a perfect little miracle, with ice-blue eyes surrounded by a golden circle, and a crown of silky black hair. Her skin a beautiful honey-almond, shimmered under the fluorescent lights. He’d yet to give the infant a name and didn’t know if he should.
A flawless face stared up at him in recognition. Beneath her skin he could see flecks of gold and blue veins, intertwined as they pulsed with life. An oddity he was sure, but out of her oddness was perfection.
He’d copied the genetic code from old text books that he’d gathered from the science section at the Hall of Records. The books pre-dated the first Uni-war. The pages had been unmarred by time and soiled fingers, still legible and clear. How she ended up looking unlike her kind was an anomaly. But she was growing at an accelerated rate and it concerned him. What if she died due to her rapidly aging body and he wasn’t able to harness her genetic material in time for proper research? What if she fell ill? Vaggo stared down at the restless baby and decided then and there that he wouldn’t allow for either of those possibilities to occur. She was his and he would keep her alive, always. The baby needed a name, and only one would do. Genesis.
# # #
23 Rotations (Years) Later
“Why do we do this?” Vaggo asked.
“To ensure the survival of our species father.”
“That’s correct Genesis.” Vaggo kissed the top of his daughter’s head. There was no one like her. All of his experiments had been successful, but none of them had produced the same results or likeness that she had. Genesis was the only one with her particular coloring and skill set. Her body healed rapidly at an amazing rate and her learning skills were without bounds. She had stopped showing signs of aging on her twenty third rotation and Vaggo had done numerous cell counts and found that her cells were reproducing at a rapid rate, while destroying the old cells she no longer needed. Resulting in the ability to keep her body in top form. Her stem cells reproduced at a staggering rate, almost unimaginable if he had not seen the results himself. Vaggo had stopped using her as a donor within the last three rotations, especially when he couldn’t replicate her rapid cell regeneration patterns. It was something that had pleased Genesis to no end. She hated being prodded with needles.
Vaggo educated her in all things and she had far exceeded anyone of her caliber, or his. He’d kept her home so that she wouldn’t be singled out and made fun of. The council had no idea that she was the product of one of his creations. Genesis hadn’t been exposed to many of the social customs that were considered normal, but what scientist was? She was most happy in the lab, coming up with new and inventive ideas to further the species. A.I. was her friend and confidant. Vaggo had held off for as long as he could, but now that there was positive proof the species would survive and thrive in this new environment the earth had created, it was time.
Vaggo handed Genesis her supplement injections and her clothing pack. The council saw her as a mutation, but Vaggo quickly squashed their concerns by telling them her blood was not sustainable by nutrient intake and that was her reason for taking the supplement injections. To the council she was seen as a weak link. They never paid too close attention to Genesis as long as Vaggo kept them happy with his latest and greatest developments in Project Harvest. Genesis injected her first set of supplements into her thigh and tossed the vial into the trash receptacle.
“Do not drink from any source of supplements, other than what I’ve provided you with. I will send you more on a weekly basis.”
Genesis nodded her head in agreement and checked her clothing pack.
“Don’t forget about your food allergen. Remember, only hydroponically grown sustenance for you.”
“Yes father, I won’t forget.”
Vaggo laughed as his daughter now kissed the top of his head and bounded down the hall to the stairs where she would meet with the Chancellor’s son Adam. She was an adult now, Genesis had bloomed into a beautiful and brilliant woman. She was perfect in every sense. Well except for her social skills. Those were still lacking but Vaggo knew she would quickly pick the social customs and adapt. It was part of her molecular make up and because of the Nuero-technology she could absorb new customs quickly. He pulled out the hallo-pic he’d taken of her just the other day. Long, silky, lustrous hair was bright against her honey-almond skin tone. She was a sculptor’s most prized subject with her ageless beauty and classic lines. She was his daughter, and his best creation all rolled into one. He couldn’t have asked the Moon Goddess herself for something more precious.
Vaggo sat in his chair and placed both hands on the table as he waited for his rapidly beating heart to slow down. No one would suspect she was anything less or more than what she really was. An anomaly, with southern hemisphere-like qualities. He’d told the council he’d had a joining with a southerner, and for his transgressions, he’d been told she must attend Academy. He was reluctant to let her go, but his choices had been limit
ed. Either she go and join the ranks of the other citizens or be put to death. Genesis was his daughter in every way that mattered, and even though the decision had already been made to enroll her into the Academy, he knew it was the best thing for her and for him. He was working later now and he couldn’t allow her to join in on this leg of the journey. She wouldn’t understand and he didn’t know how to explain it. The test subjects were getting harder and harder to resist. Taking what was needed from Gen seemed wrong, she too was perfect, too different. There was no one else like her.
Every other test subject had failed where she had excelled, but their outcomes had all produced the desired effect, survival of the species. Each subject could rejuvenate at a rapid capacity, and by doing so it was the perfect answer to keep the species way of life, their only way of life alive. Soon, he’d be able to introduce his work into the general population.
The supplements only went so far for his kind. Their strength had been dwindling for more years than he cared to count and as a result, his people had begun to suffer tremendous side effects. Making his kind more susceptible to germs and in the early time of colonization they hadn’t been able to overcome the simplest of human disease, especially after the second Uni-war. But now there was hope, after so many loses, after so many trials and errors, things were starting to improve.
There were others of his kind that didn’t agree with what Vaggo was trying to do for his kind. They called him cruel and insensitive. They’d argued that humans were more than able to live amicably with them. But had that been the case, there would have been no reason for any of the Universal Wars. Studying their human ancestors from afar had only showed him they would never be able to evolve and embrace their way of life. But still, he’d tried to make the humans see reason. Help them understand that they came in peace. They’d come, not to take over, but to save them from themselves. Their planet had been in poor condition, uninhabitable even. The travel to Earth alone had taken a toll on the first wave of settlers. Vaggo had even taken a human mate. Lora had been everything to him but in the end, because of their differences, he’d lost her. Right on the cusp of discovering a way for them to be together long term, he’d lost her to disease. Then the first Uni-war had broken out and there were major devastations on both sides. Earth had become ground zero. Sustaining so much damage, even humans couldn’t live in its environment. Some had escaped off planet while other’s remained behind, in an attempt to fix Earth’s problem. Vaggo stayed behind as well, desperately wanting to fix his ancestral home. All life started from Gaia, Mother Earth. She sent her seeds far and wide across the known and unknown universes, and for her blessings they’d destroyed her and her sister, The Moon Goddess. What was left of the moon now caused serious eye irritation and blindness if proper precautions weren’t taken. Cosmic dust from the moon’s surface was deadly.