Six months ago she wouldn’t have thought twice about heading out after dark, nor would she have been spooked by a cop knocking on her window, but the attack had changed all that. Leaving the paper late one night six months ago, she’d pulled up to a red light when two men got out of the car in front of her waving a gun. She didn’t remember much of anything after that, other than she’d woken up the next morning in a park. Her clothes were dirty, as though she’d been dragged through a dusty barn, but she didn’t appear to be hurt. To everyone who asked, Kay swore up and down that she was fine. Her car, a beat-up Honda Fit, was never seen again, but the insurance company had acted quickly and gotten her a rental while they worked out the details on a replacement. Carjackings happened more often in the nation’s capital than the cops were willing to admit. Which begged the question, if you couldn’t prevent violent crimes in D.C., what chance did the rest of the country have?
But it wasn’t the loss of her car Kay cared about most, it was the loss of her personal freedom. Since then, any time she pulled up to a red light, her palms started to sweat profusely. She even found herself keeping a few extra feet from the vehicle in front of her in case she needed to swing around for a quick escape.
Still, a life spent preparing for the worst wasn’t much of a life at all. Gradually, Kay had found herself inching closer at stop lights. Her parents had taught her from an early age that when you fall down, dust yourself off and keep going. Showing up to the statue had been one more way of proving to herself that she wasn’t going to let the criminals control when and how she lived her life. Hell, no. And yet, the second that cop had knocked on her window, all that progress had vaporized like a puff of smoke from the pipe her father used to smoke. She used to love watching him, the two of them seated on the back step of their humble home, her father letting tendrils waft up past his nostrils before they vanished.
Kay stared down at the slightly swollen knuckle on her right hand and realized that as much progress as she’d made over the last few weeks, there was still a ways to go.
Her nerves a little steadier, Kay fished out the picture she’d retrieved from the fountain and studied what looked like a black image with splotches of light. Soon she began to see this was a picture of outer space and those dots were planets and stars. Then she caught sight of a metallic-looking object near the center of the frame. It was blurry, but clearly triangular. If she didn’t know any better, she would swear it looked a lot like the images of that spaceship the Navy found at the bottom of the ocean.
One by one, the pieces began falling into place. The military had told the world the alien craft had fallen into a pocket of subterranean lava and been destroyed. If that was true, then this picture meant they had either lied, or there was another flying around out in space.
Kay pulled out her phone and opened the Facebook app. Laydeezman was online.
“Where did you get this?” she asked.
The picture was taken five days ago by Voyager One.
“Are you saying there’s another one of these things heading for earth?”
Yes.
Kay felt a tingle at the base of her spine. “And the government is keeping it a secret? But why?”
Panic.
“Are we in danger?”
Yes.
This wasn’t a joke anymore and Kay could feel beads of sweat now forming along her brow. Then another message arrived.
What I’ve shown you is but the tip of something much, much bigger.
Kay paused, allowing the magnitude of what he was saying to settle in. “How big?”
Pulitzer big. Something terrible is about to happen and only a handful of people on the planet know.
“What’s going to happen? Can you tell me anything?”
Keep the photos to yourself. Whatever happens, do not leak or try to publish them. If you do, then I will know you cannot be trusted. Soon enough, you will see that I am telling you the truth. Prove to me you are a woman of your word and I will lead you down the rabbit hole.
After that, the messages stopped.
The pain in Kay’s hand was all but gone and for the first time in her life, she was stunned into silence.
Chapter 9
Dag charged into the computer room at Joint Base Andrews wearing his biosuit, a rock-climbing harness fitted over his waist. In his hands were a pair of dangerous-looking ice cleats.
“Get a load of these babies,” he said in awe. He slid his hand inside one of them and straight-armed the air before him.
Jack switched the phone to his other ear and stepped away. “What do you mean you’re on a plane to Kolkata? We leave for Greenland in an hour.” The mix of confusion and stinging disappointment was obvious in Jack’s voice.
“There’s something I need you to tell Stark or whoever’s in charge over there. NASA needs to start beaming signals at the incoming ship. Radio signals, lasers, I have no idea how or what it’ll say, but there’s a chance the Ateans might not allow their ship to destroy us if they know the planet is populated by an intelligent race.”
“All right, I’ll tell him.”
“Anna knows part of their language. She might be able to help craft something.”
“I doubt it,” Jack said. “She’s coming with us. And I wish you were too.”
There was a long pause. “When Anna showed us a whole new Salzburg chromatid was about to appear, it left me sickened. Then seeing the changes in Grant and in my daughter, I knew it was already happening.”
“You thinking that Grant and Zoey have the new chromatid?”
“It’s too early to confirm anything at the moment,” she cautioned, “but increased bone and muscle density may very well be part of it. I spoke with Dr. Jansson. She’s in India doing her own research on Salzburg and several of her patients there are showing similar symptoms. When I heard that, I knew that was where I needed to be.”
Jack sighed. “And what about Greenland? I’d like to have your expertise on whatever we find there.”
There was a pause on the other end of the line. “How certain are you that anything’s really there?”
“You heard the president. They’ve already sent a team to set up a habitat and cut a hole through the ice.”
“Listen, Jack, I’m not being a naysayer, but shouldn’t we cover every available base?”
Jack rubbed the side of his head, an unconscious attempt perhaps to ward away the pain forming at his temples. “Please tell me you aren’t on some mission to save your daughter.”
“I can’t believe you would say that.”
“I’m sorry, that wasn’t how I meant it. I get you’re in a tough spot, just know that each of us has someone suffering from the effects of Salzburg. Consider the billions of other people who need you. I spoke to Gord earlier, the guy who’s looking after my rescue farm. Turns out he fell off a ladder and broke his right arm and two ribs. No clue yet if he had weakened bones like Grant, but he’s out of action and having to brave long lines at the hospital to get medical care. The whole world’s in a big mess that keeps getting worse.”
“Jack, in two weeks that ship will reach us. Every moment is precious. I could have thrown my hands up and opted to spend that time with my daughter instead, hugging her until the fiery end. But I’m not. I’m on a plane to a city I don’t know, following the best chance I see of getting us out of this.”
Now it was Jack’s turn to be quiet. “Maybe you’re right. We can’t be a hundred percent certain what’s waiting for us in Greenland. Maybe nothing’s there but shadows and distortions fooling the equipment.” He held up a printout from the latest scan the advanced team in Greenland had performed less than an hour ago. Within the mess of wavy lines and empty pockets was a single recognizable form nestled beneath the ice. Only the top half was visible, but it looked to Jack a hell of a lot like a triangle. “Every time a new one of these comes in, our confidence gets a little stronger that something is down there. Satellites have already triangulated the blast wave five days ago.
It came from that general area.”
“There’s something else you haven’t considered, Jack. If I can find a subject somewhere with the full Salzburg chromosome, and by that I mean all eight genes, then we can sequence them and get that genetic information to Anna. We found a hidden message inside that blast wave. You can be sure there’s one inside Salzburg as well. Haven’t you considered that maybe we could use that information to stop that ship from killing everyone on earth? You may think it’s a long shot, but it’s no longer a shot than where you’re heading. And in regards to choosing between saving my daughter versus the rest of the planet, my question to you is, can’t I do both?”
“I’m sure if anyone can, it’s you,” Jack told her, meaning every word of it. “Stay safe.”
Mia’s final words were still ringing in his ears when Admiral Stark appeared, this time sporting a white Navy uniform. Stark was a handsome man somewhere in his mid-fifties, with tightly cropped blond hair and dimples whenever he smiled. He came from a long line of Navy men, going all the way back to the Civil War. That kind of family tree had thick branches and a thicker trunk. The weight of expectation was tremendous and at times nearly crushing. But Stark bore the burden with pride, showing only the slightest signs of strain when he was called on to do anything that might tarnish his long and proud heritage.
Next to Admiral Stark was another Navy man wearing blue cammies. His uniform was impeccably neat, his cap angled perfectly on his head. He had a wide, pale face, his lips drawn into a thin line. He looked about as fun as Ebola.
“This is Captain Rick Mullins. He’ll be leading the expedition.”
Jack’s heart sank. “You’re bailing on us too?”
Stark shook his head. “I’ll be overseeing the operation from CENTCOM. But don’t worry, Jack, you’ll be in good hands. Mullins is a consummate professional.”
Jack forced a grin that looked far more like a grimace. “Yeah, that’s what I’m worried about.”
Nodding, Mullins said: “Do exactly as I say and we won’t have any problems.”
Pompous ass, Jack was thinking but didn’t say. Some guys were all about getting in your face on day one and backing off once they respected you. Stark was a case in point. It was only after Jack had basically blackmailed him into letting the science team stay on the rig that the admiral had lifted the heel of his proverbial boot from Jack’s sensitive parts.
As Admiral Stark led Captain Mullins away to meet the rest of the team, a young ensign approached.
“Dr. Greer?”
“That’s me. Are you joining us as well?”
“No, sir, I have a call for you on the hard line.”
“A call?” he asked, puzzled. Who the hell could be calling him here? Surely Mia hadn’t changed her mind and decided to fly back to join them. Or could it be the media, eager for an interview before they left? “Did they say who it was?
“They wouldn’t, only that it was very important.”
Jack followed the ensign down a long corridor to a room lined with computers on one side and phones on the other. A handful of Navy men and women were inside, speaking to loved ones.
The ensign motioned to a cubicle with a phone and a blinking red light. “They’re on line ten.”
Still uncertain, Jack took a seat, lifted the receiver and pressed the blinking light.
“This is Dr. Jack Greer.”
“Hello, son.”
A pause. “Who is this?”
“It’s your father, Jack. Ike Greer, your own flesh and blood. Saw you on the news yesterday and did some digging along with a little bribing in order to track you down. Don’t be upset. I know this is bad timing, but I couldn’t imagine letting the world end without at least saying hello.”
“Hello. There. Are we done?”
“Stop being such a hardass. This ain’t easy for me either.”
“My mother told me you were dead,” Jack said, feeling the vein on his forehead beginning to bulge. “I did some digging of my own and found out you weren’t dead at all, you were in prison in Texas.”
“That’s right,” Ike said, the tension in the old man’s voice easing a little. “Got out last week and been doing what I can to put my ducks in a line, as they say. Imagine my luck getting released and being told the whole kit and caboodle’s about to go tits up in less than two weeks.” Ike snorted laughter. “And then to find out my only son is as smart as a whip. You know what they say, the apple don’t fall far from the tree.”
“Well, this one did,” Jack said and hung up the phone with enough force to make the chatter in the room fall silent. All eyes turned in his direction as he stood up and stormed out, his right hand clenched into a white-knuckled fist.
Chapter 10
Kolkata, India
Even with the air-conditioning at full tilt, the temperature inside the Ola—India’s answer to Uber—was nearly a hundred degrees. In the front passenger seat sat a rather uncomfortable-looking Agent Ramirez. Sitting to Mia’s left was Agent Chalk, who was busy flipping the toothpick in his mouth end over end, craning his head every so often to see what was holding them up.
“You two shouldn’t have worn suits,” she chided them, not that much could be done about that now.
Ramirez stuck a finger under his collar and pulled his tie loose. Both men were sweating profusely.
They were heading down a major thoroughfare on their way to the Kolkata Research Hospital. But the sights and smells in India were even more intense than what she’d experienced in Kathmandu. The minute you got off the plane, you were assaulted by a humid wave of raw sewage. But the full Indian experience was only getting started. Upon leaving the airport, one was soon travelling along cluttered avenues lined with six- and seven-story tenement buildings. The sidewalks were crammed with masses of human traffic, pushing in every direction, all jostling to make it from shop to shop, each of those brightly-colored with similar-looking signs in shades of yellows, reds and greens.
The roads were even worse. Gridlock in every direction, people on foot or on scooters weaving by. The nonstop honking of horns. It was utter chaos in its purest form, a sight most Westerners had never been exposed to. The only way to fully picture it would be if everyone in America took their cars out on the same day at the same time. Then remove the working street lights and stop signs. Only then could Mia picture a similar scene back home.
The state department had tried to set up a motorcade to escort them, but Mia had refused. It would only have drawn unwanted attention and seeing what they were stuck in, it wouldn’t have made much of a difference.
Chalk stuck his bald, sweaty head between the two front seats. “The hell is going on up there? We haven’t moved an inch in ten minutes.”
Through the mass of vehicles ahead, Mia caught the sight of two men leading a herd of animals across the street. She rubbed her eyes, wondering if she was dreaming. She pointed. “I think I know why we’ve stopped.”
Ramirez frowned. “What are those things?”
“They are goats,” the driver said, grinning through a thick white beard at the agent’s ignorance. “This is life in Kolkata. Chaotic and yet at the same time beautiful.”
•••
Thirty minutes later, they arrived at the research hospital. One of Jansson’s assistants, a young, pleasant-looking Indian woman named Aditi, was there to greet them.
“I see you’ve become acquainted with Kolkata’s infamous congestion,” she said jovially, reaching out to shake each of their hands. “No need to worry, cooler temperatures as well as drinks await you inside.” She looked at Mia. “Dr. Jansson is eagerly awaiting your presence. I will take you to her right away.”
Aditi led Mia through the hospital’s reception area to a bank of elevators. Three floors up, the doors opened into a short corridor, at the end of which was a medical lab filled with technicians.
Dr. Jansson spun and smiled when she saw them enter. She removed the latex gloves she was wearing and set them aside as the two women
greeted one another.
“You’ve been hard at work, I see,” Mia said, glancing around at long tables filled with vials, Petri dishes and microscopes. “Your team has also grown.”
Jansson’s own grinning face revealed a woman in her fifties who could have passed for someone ten years younger. And yet in spite of her many fine intellectual and physical qualities, there wasn’t a whiff of arrogance about her. “What you see here is only the tip of the iceberg. I would normally give you a tour and tell you to go easy on your first day, but I’m afraid under the circumstances we need all hands on deck. But come, there are things I think you should see first.”
Jansson led Mia into a tiny windowless room. On the ceiling was a digital projector. She turned it on and flicked off the lights. The wall filled with the image of a full chromosome taken with an electron microscope.
“That’s exactly what we found encoded in the blast wave,” she told Jansson with excitement. “Where did you get this from?” Although that information had likely been passed up the governmental chain of command, Mia was doubtful anyone back home had disseminated the discovery just yet.
“It came from our patients with Salzburg.”
“What percentage of those patients are showing signs of the full chromosome?” she asked, surprised and frankly a little worried. The genetic changes seemed to be progressing even faster than she had anticipated.
“So far all of them. We’ve run the same tests on domesticated animals and found the exact same structures as well as frequency. ”
Mia sat down and scratched her chin. “And yet only thirty percent of the population at large seems to have any form of the new chromosome. Which suggests no new cases are appearing.”
“So far it looks that way,” Jansson replied as she clicked a button on the remote, producing another image. This one showed a transparent artist’s rendering of the full Salzburg chromosome. On the left was the 47th chromatid, replete with the four genes Mia helped to sequence in Amsterdam. First was the gene COL1, responsible for weakening bones; then TRPP2, which increased sensitivity to the sun; DAF4, a gene that accelerated aging; and finally, SER3, which affected the frontal lobes, greatly diminishing a subject’s ability to speak or reason.
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