“We’re going to be okay,” Bishop whispered to Jennifer.
“You promise?”
“I promise.”
A deafening rumble filled the room as the first beams of fire emerged from below the rocket, and everything began to shake.
Mulder’s voice returned inside the room. “Eight... seven... six... five... four... three... two... one. Liftoff. We have liftoff. Lemuria One blasts off and is on its way to the stars.”
Epilogue
New Haven, CT, One Week Later
The last visitors of the Beinecke library left the unique gray-veined marble building to go back to their spouses or evening dates, after a day of taking in knowledge from ancient books.
Father De Cremonese stretched his neck, admiring the fifty-foot-tall glass tower in the center of the building that rose from underground and held an enormous number of books.
“Reflecting on your sins, Father?” Monroe’s voice sounded loud through the almost empty building.
De Cremonese chuckled. “I guess I got lost in my thoughts. As I’ve said before, I’ve never been here before and was admiring your beautiful and vast collection. I heard about the place and have seen pictures, but it’s so much more amazing to see with my own eyes.”
“Over one hundred eighty thousand volumes in the glass tower, and another million in the underground stacks.”
“Incredible.”
“Please join us.” Monroe pointed to the other side of the glass tower where a small group of people gathered at an old Louis XIV table with a marquetry top made of an assortment of woods, pewter, copper, horn, brass and tortoiseshell. The golden evening light coming through the marble walls reflected on the table and projected golden speckles on the people’s faces.
“So, Father,” Bishop asked. “Did you two have enough time to get acquainted?”
“Well, of course we already met on-screen. I flew in just a few hours ago from Italy and didn’t have time to look around myself. Walker was so good as to give me a tour of the place. It’s mind-boggling, all this knowledge in one place. So much more knowledge than any one man could ever possess. In his head, I mean. Makes you feel tiny and unworthy.”
“That’s why humans work in groups, Father,” Lindsey said.
“Please sit down, Father.” Monroe pointed to a chair next to Ignatowski.
“It so good to see you all together again.” Jennifer widened her arms over the table. “I’m so glad you accepted my invitation to have a drink together so I could thank you all for what you did for me. Who knows where I would be now if it weren’t for you?”
“Maybe on your way to Mars?” Bishop grinned.
“Sure.” Jennifer puckered her lips.
“Amazing. Why not?” Ignatowski said. “You could have been the first human on a distant planet. Like Armstrong on the moon, they still talk about him after more than fifty years.”
“And probably will be for a long time,” Lindsey added. “The first human on another planet could have been a woman.”
Monroe cleared his throat. “I guess now we’ll never know.”
“What do you mean?” De Cremonese asked.
“Well, you said three rockets went up. And we are currently tracking them from the Specola Vaticana, but should they land, there’s no way of knowing what happens next. It’s not that we have a telescope that can see objects on Mars.”
“Maybe,” Ignatowski interrupted. “I understand NASA is sending its rover Perseverance to the calculated landing site. With a little luck, he will be in the right place at the right time to send pictures.”
“Wouldn’t that be great,” De Cremonese replied. “I’m still wondering how Mulder expects the people from the tribes to know what to do when they get there. I mean, how do they even get out? How do they know how to grow crops or get water?”
Bishop replied, “Fawcett told me that the rockets were fully stocked with food, water, tools and seeds. I guess the rest is up to the ingenuity of the colonizers.”
“Wouldn’t it be something,” Monroe added. “Now, live on CNN, the first man on Mars, a native Peruvian wearing a loincloth, descending from a ladder onto the red planet, and for the first time setting foot in the dust. One small step for tribesman, one big step....” He stopped his impression.
“A crazy thought, isn’t it?” Bishop stated.
“It sure is,” Lindsey confirmed. “But what I still don’t understand completely is why Mulder abducted you.”
“Yes, indeed,” Ignatowski added. “And what was he planning on doing with you?”
“Good questions,” Jennifer answered. “Somehow, I believe he was sincere with his original intentions. In the beginning, he explained that his company sponsored the highly experimental treatment that activated the G2 quiescent stem cells to regrow part of my brain that was damaged by the Naegleria Fowleri amoeba.”
“Eaten, if I recall correctly?” Monroe wrinkled his nose.
Jennifer nodded. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that he saved my life, and after that, when he asked for my help in following him around the world visiting the tribes, at first I didn’t want to, but I was also intrigued and felt obliged. Of course, I didn’t know what he was actually doing to those poor people. And when I found out, I also figured that he purposefully had me injected with something he took from the tribes. Something that developed my Jacobson’s organ and heightened my sense of emotions.”
“Ah, yes,” Lindsey remarked. “How is it going with that now?”
“Actually, I’m kind of used to it now, and I must admit it has its advantages. I can now sort of feel how people truly think about me. Sometimes when a lie comes with strong emotions, I can even sense dishonesty. My new physician says he can’t be sure where this development will end, but for now, it seems doable. By the way, did any of you ever hear back from the treating physician at Mass General?”
“The one you met before in Israel a few years ago, you mean?” Ignatowski asked.
“Yes, that one,” Jennifer confirmed.
“Nothing,” Lindsey answered. “We looked into it at the Agency, but he completely disappeared.”
“Was he even a real doctor?” Jennifer asked.
“He was,” Lindsey replied. “There’s a complete record right up to the moment when you left the hospital. From there nothing, we suspect he was paid to remove your hospital records before disappearing.”
“By Mulder?” Monroe asked.
“Who knows,” Lindsey answered.
De Cremonese looked at Jennifer. “Did Mulder ever tell you what his plans for you were, with this whole rocket to Mars thing?”
“Not really,” Jennifer responded. “He was always saying that eventually, he would let me make my own choices, whether I wanted to stay with him or decide to go. But that was it.”
“We’ll probably never know for sure,” Bishop concluded.
“What happened to Fawcett? And where’s Amie?” Lindsey asked.
“Well,” Bishop replied. “Fawcett was supposed to call me once he landed in the UK, but when I didn’t hear from him, I phoned the number on the business card he gave us, but the number was disconnected. So, I called the UK Embassy, and guess what?”
“They never heard of him?” Ignatowski answered.
Bishop nodded, smiling. “According to the friendly lady at the embassy, she sends out a request to all known agencies, and no one has ever heard of a Nigel Small Fawcett.”
“Sounds like a made-up name anyway,” Jennifer added.
“You should look it up some time.” De Cremonese said, grinning. “And Amie? Did anyone speak to her?”
“I just spoke to her on the phone this morning,” Bishop answered. “She told me it took her some time to adjust after Mulder locked her up in that hotel, and she regretted not taking action against him sooner.”
“What could she have done?” De Cremonese asked. “Look what happened to her when she did.”
The group nodded in agreement.
“Anyway
,” Bishop continued. ”She’d been back to visit Oliver Lancaster. Lancaster received an unmarked letter with a copy of Mulder’s will in it. As it appears, he left all his stock in the Logynous enterprises to Lancaster. As I understand it now, Lancaster is considering a return to the company, but only if Amie accepts a position as CEO. And yes”—Bishop eyed Monroe—“I asked about the cabin at the lake, and we’re free to use it any time we want, so that means we can finish our fishing trip.”
“Oh goody,” the Brit replied in his throaty English voice. “And I was already so very impressed with our first trip.”
Bishop smiled. “You know what I think was impressive?” he asked. “Jennifer’s drawing in the cavern in Peru. That was impressive.”
“You think so? That’s very kind,” she smiled. “I’ve no idea how it came to me, but at the time, I was afraid that someone would find my message and realize I was trying to leave messages—”
“Breadcrumbs,” Monroe interrupted. “Like your father once did.”
Jennifer gave a broad smile and a tiny nod. “Yes, breadcrumbs. But the first crumb that came to me was Ernst Haeckel’s tree of life with the two species below the top in reverse.”
“Great one,” Bishop replied. “When I saw it, it immediately reminded me of our discussions on Haeckel’s work. You always said he had it backward, and I tried to convince you that it was just about the only thing that Haeckel was ever right about.”
“I did remember, and I still think you’re wrong.” Jennifer reached over the table and punched Bishop in the shoulder.
“Ouch.” Bishop made a sad face. “You know what I still don’t understand?” he said, addressing Lindsey. ”In Peru, how did you connect Haeckel’s ‘Stammbaum der Primaten’ to Jennifer?”
Lindsey smiled. “Well, I figured that was kind of a wild guess. We searched ‘Stammbaum der Primaten’ and the sixth result—”
“Seventh,” Ignatowski interrupted.
“Excuse me, seventh,” Lindsey corrected. “The seventh result was a link to an Instagram post by Miss Porter here picturing the Stammbaum. The picture was accompanied by a text from the fresh doctor saying she would ‘get back at her professor’ for doubting her. From there, it wasn’t too difficult to find out who that professor was.”
Jennifer giggled. “In my defense, I might have had a drink or two when I posted that.”
“So there you have it,” De Cremonese concluded. “A social media post can save your life.”
“A word of advice,” Lindsey offered. “Next time you decide to wander off into the jungle with a billionaire, please tell your mother.”
“The poor woman,” Jennifer replied. “She was so worried I would walk into something stupid with Mulder.” She fell silent for a second. “I guess she was right. But anyway, what do you all think about Mulder? I mean, the man was brilliant, full of life and always on the verge of discovery. Do you believe he’s dead? I mean, you all heard the voice.”
“The countdown, you mean?” Bishop asked.
“Yeah, the countdown.”
“That could just as easily have been recorded,” Lindsey explained.
“Sure, I know that, but somehow it didn’t sound recorded. I can’t explain it.”
“The man was crazy,” Ignatowski stated. “Brilliant but crazy. He abducted you and his assistant, came up with some bogus kidnappers, the um....” He thought for a moment. “The Young Earth Movement. And let’s not forget the worst of all. He kidnapped hundreds of people, ripped them from their homes, and sent them to another planet. Really, how crazy can you be?”
“But is he dead?” Monroe rubbed his chin. “That’s the question.”
Bishop gazed into nothingness for a short moment, doubting if he should tell them what he saw. After a moment, he snapped out of it. “Maybe we’ll never be sure.”
“Who knows,” Monroe replied. “Maybe he did get on board one of the rockets at the last moment. Or perhaps he had a secret hiding place in the area after all. He was a man of many mysteries. So, maybe we will see him again sometime, maybe on Mars or maybe at Costco’s.”
The group laughed out loud.
“You know what I’m still curious about?” De Cremonese asked. “What was Eldin Mulder so afraid of that he would go to any lengths to colonize another planet?”
“The extinction of humankind on Earth,” Ignatowski answered. “You heard him say it himself.”
“Sure,” De Cremonese said, “but, say what you will about Mulder, he was an extremely intelligent man. He would not have done this without careful deliberation. He must have had proof of some kind.”
“A man like Mulder doesn’t need proof,” Lindsey replied. “Sure, he was intelligent, but he was also impulsive, and he often started projects he couldn’t finish and named deadlines for his projects he seldom made.”
Bishop chuckled. “Maybe. But did you know that 99 percent of all species that ever lived on our planet are estimated to be extinct already? Extinction is part of the natural process. Happens all the time. Natural selection replaces species regularly with the survivors, newly evolved species. So, in this case, why not Artificial Intelligent species?”
“Humankind being replaced by computers?” De Cremonese asked. “Like in science fiction books?”
“Actually, it’s not as unlikely as you may think,” Jennifer stated.
“Earth has already witnessed five mass extinctions, and the current rate of extinction is higher than would be expected from fossil records. Scientists argue that we’re already in the midst of the next human-made, sixth extinction.”
Lindsey squinted. “I thought extinctions happen through volcanoes and meteorites.”
“Until now, they did,” Bishop replied. “But did you know that on June 14, 2016, the Bramble Cay mosaic-tailed rat officially became the first mammal species to be declared extinct as a consequence of human-caused climate change? So, even without AI, humans are contributing to the next mass extinction by poaching, overharvesting, habitat destruction and the introduction of non-native animals wherever we deem necessary. Plastic debris has already been found at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. That’s thirty-six thousand feet, the deepest point in any ocean of the world. Not to mention pollution, pathogens and the introduction of new viruses all the time. Look at what COVID-19 did to the world. It’s up to the upcoming generations to keep everything under control and to our generation to show them where we possibly went wrong.”
“All right, professor.” Monroe rose from his chair. “That’s enough lecturing for now. Enough with the doom and gloom for a second.” He took a bottle of champagne from the floor next to his chair and opened it. The loud pop of the bottle echoed widely throughout the library. He skillfully filled the glasses and handed them out. “I would like to propose a toast.” They all raised their glasses. “To Jennifer. Strange enough, without you, we wouldn’t be here with old and new friends.”
“To Jennifer,” everyone called out before drinking.
“So, what do you think, Father?” Bishop asked De Cremonese. “Did you change your mind along the way, or do science and religion still go hand in hand?”
De Cremonese grinned while the talk around the table silenced, everyone listening attentively for his answer. “I think that the debate about science versus religion will go on for a long time and that the opportunistic media will use it to their advantage wherever they can. But I also still believe that the answer to that question was already given over four hundred years ago by Galileo Galilei when he said, ‘the Bible teaches you how to go to heaven, not how the heavens go.’”
—-MORE TO COME SOON—-
But... don’t stop here. Please keep reading for more, including our Bonus Content—not just one, but two Special Sneak Previews:
ATACAMA by Burt Clinchandhill
and
BLOOD OR LOYALTY by Adam Miller
Interview with the Author
Feathered Quill reviewer Amy Lignor talked with Burt Clinchandhill, author of the
“Matthew Bishop” series.
~~~
FQ: Mr. Clinchandhill, per your biography, you are a Dutch-born author. Can you tell readers a bit about when you wrote your first story and how the passion for writing first came about in your life?
CLINCHANDHILL: As a kid in the seventies and eighties, in my teens, I was intrigued by a British TV show called ‘Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected’. Fantastic stories told in half an hour that always had a surprising ending. I felt those were the kind of stories I wanted to tell, so I started writing short fantastic stories, which I – of course – felt were pretty good. Unfortunately, none of those words survived, and we'll never know if, indeed, they were any good.
~~~
FQ: You have had a long career in photography. Has this creative pursuit helped your writing? In addition, because of that career path, do you create your own book covers?
CLINCHANDHILL: To start with your last question, no, I don't create my own covers. A very talented lady from Ukraine designed my indie-published book covers, and for my latest books, my publisher works with a talented designer named Kabir Shah from the UK. Don’t you love that the world has become the small place it is now? Regarding my photography career. When studying photography, you learn to visualize a picture before you take it. I like to think that's how I write. Before the words appear on paper, I visualize every image, every scene, like a movie. When I close my eyes, I see my characters speak every piece of dialogue, and the environment they're in.
~~~
FQ: Please tell readers a little about this fantastic title, Aldaraia, and when/how the idea came to you in regards to this work? In addition, will this be part of a series or a trilogy?
CLINCHANDHILL: To be honest, I wanted to write a 'Dan Brown-like' story. Not that I'm a big fan of his writing style, but I love the way he develops a story—especially the intertwining of past and present and making it (almost) believable. The same goes for the books by Michael Crichton and the way he combines adventure with current medical knowledge to create science fiction stories. Fantastic and, again, believable. I try to tell my stories, however wild sometimes, in a plausible way.
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