“What enzyme is that?” Asks Dr. Wilkison.
“Methylase M-R type IV,” answers Forseter.
“A synthetic enzyme,” concludes Dr. Wilkison.
“Correct,” confirms Forseter, “unfortunately, its side effects produce highly aggressive conducts in the modified organism.”
“So, it hasn’t been Saint Mount but you who caused all those deaths and destruction,” inquires Chandra.
“Big problems require great solutions,” declares Forseter.
“And all those experiments you’ve shown me in your lab,” asks Chandra, “were all a lie?”
“Not quite,” smiles Forseter, “they were only part of our research. I only showed you what I wanted you to believe.”
Dr. Wilkison intervenes.
“If you have already created this crisis, why do they need me?”
“What has happened so far has been only a partial test of the power of Hypergenex,” explains Forseter.
Dr. Wilkison gets horrified.
“A test? Are you planning something even worse?”
Forseter answers triumphally.
“Our plans include expanding this crisis worldwide.”
“That’s why you need my mother’s nanobots,” concludes Chandra.
Forseter points out at her.
“Exactly. With her nanobots, we could genetically manipulate great amounts of organisms over vast territories in a very short period.”
Chandra explains to her mother.
“They are planning to spray your nanobots loaded with Hypergenex from fumigation aircraft over the primary sources of water in the world.”
Forseter pretends to give a lecture.
“Saint Mount’s monopoly over the global agricultural production will allow us to extend this crisis to the entire planet. Civilization will collapse in months, as you predicted, Professor.”
Molotov faces Dr. Wilkinson.
“Now, hag, if you don’t do what we want, I won’t hesitate in cutting your little bitch in pieces, make you hear her cries, drink her blood and eat her heart!”
Dr. Wilkinson looks at her daughter shuddering. Chandra returns her an intense look, nodding almost imperceptibly.
Dr. Wilkinson turns to Forrester and Molotov, looking down and nodding.
Dr. Forseter opens his arms triumphally.
“Perfect, I wouldn’t expect anything else from such a wise and sensitive woman. It's time to go! Come on, comrades!”
Forester beckons two attackers to take care of Chandra. These unleashed her and drag her out of the cellar.
Molotov takes Dr. Wilkinson's arm and carries her out roughly.
Chapter 29. Operation Animalypse
Chandra and Dr. Wilkison are taken on the back of one of the attackers’ SUVs between a couple of armed men each.
Molotov drives while Forster is in the passenger seat. Both dress suits in a professional fashion.
The SUV travels on the I-95 Highway from Torresdale southbound to downtown Philadelphia. Other two attackers’ SUVs follow them.
Chandra breaks the silence.
“You surely had all figured out when you went to my mom’s conference.”
Molotov laughs sounding like a dog barking.
“We had planned to kidnap the hag after the conference, but Heinrich convinced me to abort everything.”
Dr. Forseter turns to Chandra.
“When I saw you, I realized that you were the perfect instrument to get the professor’s cooperation.”
“And then, you drew me to your home,” deduces Chandra.
“Not exactly.” responds Forseter, “I wrote to the professor assuming you would come to me as soon as the first phase of the Animalypse begins.”
“Animalypse. That the name of your operation, right?” Guesses Chandra.
Dr. Forseter smiles jokily.
“Cool, isn’t it? Animalypse, the animal apocalypse. Everything was so easy. I couldn’t believe it when you showed up at the farm.”
Molotov talks to Forseter.
“I couldn’t believe it also when you called telling me that the little bitch was at your place. I had to run to get together a squad of fighters.
Chandra continues talking to Forseter.
“So, you staged the attack on your own home.”
“It was the only way you would take us voluntarily to the professor. Anyway, we needed to erase everything. Right now, the Ecoloverse lab has been blown up already.”
Dr. Wilkinson observes Molotov and Forseter, muttering to herself scornfully.
“What kind of monsters have you become?”
Forseter turns to Dr. Wilkison resentfully.
“I was a prominent scientist, and they took everything from me for only trying to make the right thing.”
Molotov gets exalted.
“I have fought all my life in defense of the environment and ended up in jail.”
Chandra looks surprised at Forseter staring at Molotov with lubricity and stroking his thigh.
“I met Aizik in prison. He saved me from hanging myself in my cell, convincing me of saving Nature by eliminating the human plague.”
Molotov talks proudly.
“We both entered the ranks of the Green World Order to fight against the New World Order, the globalization which destroys the environment.”
Dr. Wilkison snorts.
“There is always a slogan ready for weak minds.”
Molotov yells at her.
“Shut up, hag!”
“What is that Green World Order?” Asks Chandra.
Dr. Forseter explains it to her:
“It’s a worldwide organization created by a powerful benefactor who you will meet soon.”
Chapter 30. Philadelphia in Chaos
The attackers’ SUVs leave I-95 Expressway through a ramp toward downtown Philadelphia. They find the city streets in total chaos.
There are sirens, cars rushing, shooting, explosions, rumble, and people shouting.
Many streets are jammed with cars, some abandoned, others destroyed or on fire.
There are buildings on fire or demolished. Thick clouds of smoke and dust cover the city.
Groups of scared people flee.
On an intersection, the lights of the SUVs almost hit a couple of Rottweilers huge as mules chasing a motorcycle ridden by a couple.
One of the beasts catches the woman riding on the bike’s back seat. She screams in pain and terror.
The man stops trying to reach her, but the other dog takes him by his throat and shakes its head vigorously. Both dogs dismember the couple furiously.
Dr. Wilkison screams terrified. Molotov laughs at her.
“This is only the beginning, hag!”
The SUVs continue their way dodging obstacles.
The three SUVs arrive at an alley between the Krishna P. Singh Center for Nanotechnology and the nearby garage.
There are other two Attackers’ SUVs and a large 10-wheeler tanker truck waiting for them.
Molotov stops the SUV engine and wait.
After several minutes of waiting, Chandra gets annoyed.
“What are we waiting for?”
Molotov turns back slapping her face. Dr. Wilkison opens her mouth to protest but Molotov points on her with menacing eyes as a warning.
Sirens, gunshots, explosions and rumble are heard around. Police cars, firefighters’ trucks, and ambulances rush through Walnut Street with their sirens and flashing lights on. The world was crumbling down.
Minutes later, a long white limousine enters the alley and parks next to the SUVs. A couple of bodyguards in black suits, wearing earpieces and dark glasses in the middle of the night, get off the limousine and wait expectantly.
Four attackers step out of the SUVs and stand in attention position.
Forster and Molotov get out of the SUV and beckon the others to bring Dr. Wilkinson and Chandra with them.
Forseter carries a metallic briefcase.
One of the Bodyguards opens t
he back door of the limousine.
Chapter 31. António Da Fonseca De Moraes
António Da Fonseca De Moraes, a Brazilian tycoon in his fifties, tall, slim, wearing the most expensive suit, gets out of the limo with the arrogant and informal attitudes of a multi-billionaire.
Da Fonseca was the heir of one of the richest and more powerful Brazilian family from the 19th century “rubber boom.” He inherited a latex empire with properties scattered all over the world. But he remained mostly at his large properties next to Manaus city on the Amazonia.
His great-grandfather was one of the biggest rubber producers, enslaving natives, debtors, and anyone he could kidnap, also abducting women to comfort in some way his male slaves.
His father was an influential politician who uses the pretext of the defense of the Amazonia to expand his lands at the expense of farmers, natives, and the government. He initially brought bands of bandits called cangaceiros from Brazil Northeast to eliminate anyone that opposed him but son he substituted them with mercenaries with a military background, more disciplined and trained.
Antonio was sent to the best universities In the United States and Europe, but he spent a lot of his father’s fortune in ostentation, gaming, and parties. Soon, after several overdoses, he got bored of that life, and after a severe mushrooms’ intoxication that almost killed him, he has an epiphany, believing that he was a sort of messiah set in this world to save nature.
When his father died, he went back to Manaus continuing his family legacy. He took advantage of the desperate people that flee from the arid Brazilian Northeast or the farmers deprived of their lands by the big landowners to the Amazonia for farming, mining or drug production purposes, hunting them down to expand his already extensive properties on behalf of the Amazon River eco-system.
Antonio surrounded himself by a court of eco-artists, eco-philosophers, and eco-activists giving generous donations to all the ecological and environmental organizations.
One of the most influential mentors on Antonio was Ludwig Woznick, a Deep Green ideology “theorist” who stressed the need to save nature by any means. As humanity was the opposite to nature, the fight for the environment was the fight against the negative influence of human activity. So, humanity must be contained at its minimal population and economic and technological activity, so the biosphere could thrive.
Woznick’s philosophy was the best rationalization that Da Fonseca could find for taking action.
Molotov soon became the most prominent member of his private army and Antonio rose him as commander of Green World Order armed branch and was decided to follow Da Fonseca to the end of the world.
One day, Molotov was contacted by a former fellow student and prison mate. This came up with the broadest plan to destroy everything that goes against the whole biosphere. His name was Heinrich Forseter, and his plan was the Animalypse.
Molotov expose the plan to Da Fonseca, who was immediately interested and wanted to know Forseter.
In the end, Da Fonseca bought the plan, but he couldn’t bare Forseter’s sycophant attitude.
Chapter 32. I’ve lied
That night, at the alley between the Krishna P. Singh Center for Nanotechnology and the nearby garage, Forster and Molotov approach Da Fonseca.
Forseter reaches his hand out to him.
“My dearest Da Fonseca!”
Da Fonseca doesn’t shake the hand that Forseter extends at him. The tycoon simply makes a big-headed gesture. Molotov addresses him with military attitude.
“Comrade da Fonseca, these are our hostages, Dr. Wilkinson, and her daughter.”
Chandra mutters.
“Who is this guy, another eco-terrorist?”
Molotov slaps Chandra again. Dr. Wilkison complains.
“What are you doing, you brute?”
“Molotov rise a threatening hand to her.”
“Silence! More respect for Comrade da Fonseca, leader of the Green World Order!”
Da Fonseca nods presumptuously.
“Bem, camarada Molotov. On with the show!”
One of the attacker approaches Walnut Street, looks both ways and beckons.
Molotov, Forester, Da Fonseca and Dr. Wilkinson walk to the Nanotechnology Institute entrance.
The security guard, a teenage student, watches the street from the lobby.
Molotov points at the security guard to Dr. Wilkison.
“If you don’t want that boy’s family mourning him, smile and act naturally.”
Dr. Wilkinson beckons the Security Guard, who smiles at her opening the door.
“Good evening, Professor!”
She doesn’t have time to respond.
Molotov draws a silenced pistol and shoots the security guard in the head.
The young man collapses with a bloody bullet hole in the forehead.
Dr. Wilkinson cries.
“You promised not to hurt him!”
“I’ve lied,” says Molotov.
He hides his gun talking by the microphone in his wrist.
“Clear!”
Molotov grabs Dr. Wilkinson’s arm dragging her inward. Forseter and Da Fonseca follow him.
Half a dozen attackers enter, carrying Chandra bound and gagged.
A couple of attackers drag the Security Guard corpse out of sight while two more clean the blood pool.
Another attacker, dressed as the dead security guard, enters and hides his assault rifle where he can reach it quickly, staying at the lobby.
The rest follow Molotov, Forseter, and Da Fonseca inside.
Chapter 33. The Nanotechnology Lab
Forester, Molotov, and Dr. Wilkinson enter the advanced lab of the Nanotechnology Institute.
The group of attackers follows them dragging Chandra to the nearest chair, where they seat and tighten her.
One of the attackers addresses Molotov in a military fashion.
“The perimeter has been secured, comrade Molotov.”
Molotov makes a military salute dismissing him.
Forster opens his arms enthusiastically and turns around as trying to embrace the entire lab dancing.
“At last, after so many efforts, here we are!”
Meanwhile, Da Fonseca enters followed by his bodyguards. He observes everything around with disdain, approaching Dr. Wilkinson without much interest but staring at Chandra with lubricity.
Chandra looks at him with a scowl. Da Fonseca smiles at her cynically addressing Molotov.
“Let’s hurry up! We must take advantage of the chaos!”
Forseter addresses him, sycophantic.
“Don’t you worry, my dear comrade Da Fonseca, they will need a long time to control the situation.”
Da Fonseca stares at Forseter with contempt.
Forseter avoids Da Fonseca eyes and turns to Dr. Wilkison mocking a dance invitation gesture at her.
“Would you please, Professor?”
She stares at him sternly and takes a quick glance at Chandra who is watching her intensely.
The Professor stands up and takes a lab coat from a hanger putting it on while walking away to the other end of the lab.
Molotov turns at her angrily.
“Where the fuck do you think you’re going, hag?”
Forseter intercedes.
“Calm down, Aizik, she knows exactly what to do.”
Forster takes out some glass test tubes from the metal portfolio he has brought following Dr. Wilkinson.
Dr. Wilkinson approaches a large metal and glass biohazard compartment with several stainless-steel hoppers inside, connected to high-tech devices by transparent and metal tubes, and cables.
She types a code on the security lock and enters the lobby of the biohazard chambers followed by Forseter. Both put on biohazard suits passing inside the isolated chambers.
Dr. Wilkinson opens the caps of several hoppers while Forester pours the test tubes into each bin one by one.
Afterward, Dr. Wilkison seals each lid carefully.
Both
leave the inner compartments, taking off the insulated suits in the chambers’ lobby and stepping out to the lab.
Chandra realizes that her mother has turned inside out one of the surgical gloves used in the safety compartment, hiding it unnoticed in her lab coat pocket.
Foster comes back with triumphant enthusiasm.
“Oualá! Instant Animalypse!”
Da Fonseca addresses him with some annoyance. He looks at his watch speaking with a thick accent.
“How long we suppose to wait for those nano… whatever.”
“Just a few minutes,” assures him Forseter, “Wilkinson’s nanobots will soon become in our Hypergenex carriers.”
Da Fonseca walks around the lab with impatience and skepticism.
“How much of this crop will be needed?”
Forseter is sickly-sweet with him.
“We’ll pour the nanobots’ crop in the water of the tanker truck. During the trip to the airport, the crop will grow in such proportion that we’ll have more than enough to pollute the main sources of water in the whole planet.”
Da Fonseca gets still more skeptic and impatient, addressing Forseter roughly. Forseter answers smooth-tongued.
“But it will take a very long time until the water flows throughout rivers and waterways.”
Forseter answers him with the manners of a master of ceremonies.
“The beautiful thing about Wilkinson’s nanobots is their marvelous reproduction rate and mobility in a water current. A raindrop falling in the Mississippi river sources on North Minnesota would arrive at the Gulf of Mexico in about 90 days. Our nanobots can do it in less than 60 days.
Da Fonseca turns to Molotov.
“How long will it take to distribute the compound among our members throughout the world?”
Molotov strokes his chin.
“Using your feel of executive planes, our men could reach every rented private airfield scattered around the planet in a couple of weeks, maximum. The hired technicians and pilots on all those airfields could prepare the fleet of fumigation planes in another couple of weeks. All of them are convinced that this is an environmental project to protect the diverse eco-systems from pollution. These fumigation planes will spray our Hypergenex over the main water sources of the world. These include the Mississippi’s in North America; the Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers in India; the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers in South America; the Nile and Congo River’s in Africa; the Yellow River’s in China, the Mekong River’s in Indochina; the Danube, the Rhine and the Volga Rivers in Europe, and some others. I believe that in a month or so, we’ll contaminate the main water supplies of the entire world. The crops’ irrigation systems and the livestock water supply’s systems will do the rest.”
Animalypse Page 9