Final Challenge

by Al Cooper

  The plan consisted in voiding sentry without the Indians noticed it.

  Five minutes after the sentry took over, rifle in hand, he didn't lose any detail of their movements. He noticed that the three entered the hut of their Indian guides, he had never seen them to do it so he was suspicious about their intentions, to the point of getting up and loading his rifle. He was really restless. He calmed down slightly as he saw them to get out after a little while, and seeing how Hanson was heading towards his hut while Marvin and Souza were heading out for a walk through the village, as they did so often.

  Slowly, without haste, and chatting animatedly, they were approaching the checkpoint, once the sentry had decided to sit down again in the absence of a motive to arouse his suspicion. As they reached to him, they greeted him and Souza asked him for a cigarette, while Marvin moved away cautiously to avoid suspicion.

  The sentry, suspicious by nature and by obligation rejected the request of Souza as he didn't know where to fix his attention, afraid that Marvin could take the opportunity to flee. Souza was so close to the sentry that benefited from his little hesitation. Discreetly he got out a gun from his trousers and put it on man's stomach. Still smiling, trying not to draw the attention of the natives, although they were at some distance, he let him know clearly his intentions.

  - Lower the rifle or you'll be cold forever.

  The sentry, after the initial surprise, lowered his rifle slowly, while Marvin was approaching. Once close, Marvin also drew his gun so he would know there was no choice.

  - Feign you're chatting with us and unload the rifle, calmly, we have all the time in the world - Marvin whispered the guard -

  The guard was unloading his rifle. As soon as Souza ensured that there was not any bullets, he set back his gun in his pants and instead drew out one of his few belongings they they hadn't requisitioned, his beloved pack of cards. Without thinking twice he distributed cards for both, before the astonished gaze of the guard, who watched as Marvin, sitting beside him, still pointed discretly with the gun so that nobody except him noticed it.

  - Now you're going to play with me a while, later you'll have to do it with my peer.

  Some Indian warriors noticed something strange and approached, others watched curiously attentive. Hanson used the confusion to get lost in the forest, armed with a rifle that hung from his shoulder, some pistols in his belt properly arranged and plenty of ammunition.

  As Marvin observed the warriors were coming over, Marvin threatened the makeshift playfellow of Souza.

  - Tell them to stay away, everything is ok and that you are only playing with us. And remember, you can deceive me, I don't know their language - he pointed to Souza with his head - but not to him.

  - I don't know what you pretend, but whatever it is, you will never get out alive from here - the sentry replied angrily, then as he stared at the menacing look of Marvin chose for telling the indigenous what he exactly had indicated. The Indians went away more disappointed than surprised because they seemed to be excited about participating in that new game.

  XXXVII

  Clerigan enjoyed his improvised botany class with Kelly, as they walked through the garden slowly, stopping whenever arised the opportunity to show a new species. He knew exactly when a topic caught the attention of his audience, he had only to look in her eyes. If he appreciated a little shine in them, success was assured. And that was the feeling that Kelly transmitted him, after many years that he hadn't had opportunity to return to practice teaching. It had been difficult for him to explain why he felt such satisfaction when he saw his devoted audience, following every detail of his explanations, nodding as if it was a dogma of faith. What he could not suppose was that between the student who was always in the first row, who smiled his touches of humor, arranged strategically in order to keep the attention of the class in the toughest times, the same student that followed his eyes without losing detail, which always looked at him sweetly, even when he interspersed his controversial views about the scientific spirit, politics and religion, and the woman beside him there was an abyss.

  Kelly could not avoid shudder as she listened him, not only because it brought so many memories of the past, but because she had to admit that Clerigan charisma was as undeniable as his charm.

  Clerigan didn't know that behind the glitter in the eyes of Kelly, there was a confused feeling, a mix between nostalgia, sorrow and disappointment. She was surprised herself to discover that, despite the inaccuracies transmitted by that cocktail of emotions, she could say without equivocation that it was lacking the admiration that Clerigan had always aroused on her. As he spoke, she felt that years ago could have become a puppet in the hands of his teacher, a student seduced by his charms, vulnerable to the point of having followed him to the end of the world if he had asked her, even without that she would have realized. She also mused that behind every disappointment there's a sign of imperfection on our part, a demonstration of our inability to accept our mistakes. When a love fails us, perhaps we have been guilty in some way to not realize early enough that did not suit us. When a friend lets us down, maybe we had put too many expectations on someone who didn't reach the lath that we had previously assigned. In the case of Clerigan, Kelly thought she had found God's representative on earth, the prophet of just causes, the man of her dreams. And in its place was a man close to insanity, torn by a love that had gone too soon, without clear direction and that needed an injection of self-esteem by someone who came from his past in a desperate attempt to justify his lucidity.

  Absorbed in her thoughts, she didn't notice the huge bungalow which stood on the right. Even Clerigan was surprised that she hadn't asked him about its meaning.

  - Kelly, I didn't know that you liked so much botany.

  - Surprised? - Kelly reacted with the first word that came to mind -

  - I have to admit that yes.

  - It's just another side of life that we often forget, we might think that this is a life of second order, far away from the animal life, but we can't forget that simply is more primitive, different, and therefore its study is exciting - Kelly mused aloud under the watchful gaze of Clerigan -

  - It's true. Another way to help us to understand the evolution, a reference that we should not lose. Look at this garden - he whirled, pointing with his hand - Look at the tremendous variety to be found in so small space, with the same climatic conditions. There are even non-tropical species that could adapt to this environment with very little effort. It can’t be said the same about the animal world.

  Kelly stared at for a while a majestic tree of over ninety feet high. As a neophyte to the tropical flora, she didn't dare to guess the species.

  - Professor, that tree ...

  - Do you like?

  - Yeah, it's great ... just that ... - she approached to examine it more closely - it's strange, it looks like a Timbo. But ...

  - There is something that does not agree, right?

  - Yeah ... its fruits resemble that of a guarana, white with a black circle.

  - Yes, your assessment is correct.

  - A hybrid? ...

  - A transgenic to be more precise, I played a bit around with their genetic sequences. I haven't decided a name for it. I do not have much free time but you are discovering how I spend it. There are some few more in this garden, but this one is the most striking for its large dimensions.

  More than by its origin, had attracted her attention precisely by its size, but dared not ask any more for fear of making mistakes. She was still having the fear of ridicule that gripped her when she was young, when in doubt that a question could be a symptom of her ignorance about any topic, she chose to remain silent. She thought her attitude was absurd, because she thought that had enough maturity and self-confidence. There should be a syndrome of the past that resurfaced strongly in the presence of her former teacher.

  Absorbed in
her reflections, she didn't realize at first of the wooden structure that stood a few meters. When finally she noticed the bungalow, pointed to it with her finger and told Clerigan:

  - Professor, do not tell me that you have has also improvised a greenhouse!

  - Greenhouse? - Clerigan replied, surprised -

  - Yes, I would love to see it - she paused as she observed the look of surprise on her companion, then continued

  - if ... does not care, I mean.

  - Not at all! Although I'm afraid it might disappoint you - Clerigan said displaying a wide smile -

  - Disappoint? Why? The garden is beautiful, wonderful, I see no reason to believe that ... - Clerigan interrupted her -

  - It's that you look so interested in the world of botany ... well, it's not really a greenhouse, follow me.

  Clerigan beckoned to accompany him at top speed towards the building, by his way of acting he looked like a child who wanted to show his best kept secret to his best friend. Kelly, realizing his excitement, came out from her slumber. She wanted to be immersed in the real reason to feel encouraged and near her former professor. As they approached the bungalow, a shiver ran through her body so that, when entered, she felt a strange sensation close to distress. Before her eyes there was a huge experiment room, an empty laboratory in which the only sounds came from the cages full of mice, snakes and worms.

  - Welcome to my laboratory. I know it's disappointing to see it so sad, but I can assure you that usually it's not.

  Clerigan approached one of the cages and motioned for her to come.

  - Come, I have to teach you something that is the key to all my project - one could realize like the excitement that was upon him was reflected in his voice -

  Parsimoniously opened the cage and grabbed a baby mouse, that put on her hands.

  - It’s one week old, exactly a week - he said as Kelly played with the cute animal -

  - Yeah, that I had calculated. It's cute.

  Clerigan put his hand in the cage again to get another mouse, similar to the previous, apparently of the same species, but much larger. He put it on the other hand of Kelly as he asked:

  - And this ... how long has?...

  Kelly was weighing both mice, swinging their hands up and down, then frowned and replied hesitantly.

  - I don’t know ... according to its weight and size, I would say that perhaps several months...

  - You are wrong.

  - How? ...

  Kelly realized that Clerigan overflowed the emotion that precedes the big news, but she didn't understand its meaning.

  - It has exactly the same time of life than the other ... one week. They were born the same day, almost at the same time.

  Kelly received such an impression that instinctively released the mice letting them drop suddenly in the cage.

  - No way! It's impossible! Is it some specie ... enhanced by a genetic treatment? - Kelly asked noticeably nervous -

  - Not at all, they belong to the same specie, under normal conditions would have the same size and weight.

  - What then? ...I find it impossible, professor!

  - You also doubt my word?

  - No ... no ... at all ... excuse me ... is that I find so amazing ...

  - In part, you were right. The big mouse embryo was subjected to a small genetic alteration.

  There was silence for several long seconds. That break seemed to Kelly like the drum roll that precedes the somersault of a tightrope walker. Clerigan fixed his eyes on Kelly and gravely he revealed his great secret.

  - It's the aging gene.

  Kelly froze. There was much more than a big surprise behind that statement. It could mean that Clerigan had gone much further than the rest of the scientific community on a field that was still in its infancy. After a moment's hesitation, her voice breaking, she decided to pursue the subject.

  - Does the aging gene? ... I have read quite about it. It seems that the XPD gene is directly related with the process, so that a gene defect determines an imbalance in the body. It is also considered that the PASG gene is involved in premature aging. There are several theories about it now, but nothing definitive.

  Clerigan smiled and threw a knowing look.

  - In fact there are more than one gene responsible for aging, ie influencing the programming of the life cycle, altering the normal metabolism. I am able to tell, Kelly, we have made ​​significant progress in this area, so we can say that ...

  Kelly stopped and put her hands to her face.

  - No, not possible!

  - Yes, at first we investigated with beings more elementary as it's logical, with worms, but you know that's very relative, because our relatives are not as distant as it seems and their genetic code do not differ much from ours.

  - Well? - Kelly could not hide her enormous curiosity -

  - After months of hard work the results were encouraging. We entered a second phase, with the mice I have taught.

  Kelly stared at him in astonishment, but Clerigan realized that Kelly had drawn her question on her face and decided to continue.

  - We got so successful results that we decided to move to the next and final phase - although it was that she expected to hear, those words had a profound impact on Kelly -

  - No ... it is ... you're talking about ...

  - Yes, dear friend, yes. It's just what you're thinking.

  - But ... professor ... can not be!

  - Yes. Of course, we aren't looking for eternal youth, quite the opposite! Here, as elsewhere, let's say ... it's easier to destroy than to build ... don't get me wrong, I mean, delaying the aging process, achieve immortality, is much more difficult than accelerating it.

  - That means that you've achieved ... it's ... awesome! ... - They were the only words that came to her head -

  - It's more than that, something much bigger. The biggest thing that has happened since Creation. I have reached where no one had done before - he opened his eyes so much that seemed likely to get out of their orbits, with the same look of illuminated that Kelly had already seen before -. And there is a place to you for sharing this glory. Clerigan interrupted his soliloquy as he looked at a child who was watching them intently from the doorway.

  - Ah, Tommy! Come in, come - told Clerigan to notice him -

  - Uncle ... Can I see ... the mice? - Said the boy talking so bad that Kelly had the impression that probably he had any abnormality -

  - Of course! Get close.

  The child came to them, Clerigan reopened the cage and gave the child a mouse that he caught excited. As he was playing with the mouse in his hands, the professor put his hand on his shoulder and headed to Kelly.

  - Tell me, how old do you think is this child?

  - No ...I don't ... know ... ten ... maybe ... - said Kelly, who trembling like a leaf of gelatin, was afraid to meet with a response that never would have wished -

  - Just over a year.

  - My God! But ... by his way to express ... his degree of mental maturity ...

  The appreciation of Kelly seemed to affect to Clerigan, at least for the way he lowered his head before answering.

  - This is one of the problems. We do our best to educate them and we do it as quickly as possible, but intellectually still have just over twice its actual age. Kelly had gone from skepticism to surprise, and from this to the outrage. But she knew that the only way to understand the background of Clerigan's project and follow tying all the ends was trying to contain her rage.

  - And this child ... who is? ... I mean ... his DNA ...

  Clerigan caressed to Tommy in his hair.

  - You'd be surprised.

  - I think I'm losing that faculty with you, professor.

  - Based in the professional success that his predecessor has achieved, I would augur him a good future.


  Clerigan picked up the mouse from the hands of Tommy and gave him a pat on his back encouraging him to go away.

  Kelly was astonished. At that time different feelings gripped her until the point she wasn't able to gather her thoughts, but began to remember some details of the case that had brought them there.

  - I get the impression that immaturity is not the only problem ... - Kelly commented suffocated.

  Clerigan became very serious, it was clear he didn't expect her advantaged student put it on the ropes. It would have something that he was trying to avoid but that Kelly had laid bare -

  - I always have thought that you were the best. Knowledge aside, your nonconformity, your ability to search through the darkness could become you in an eminence in this field. It's a shame you're wasting your life working for the police. -

  Clerigan hesitated before continuing, but then thought that the reaction of Kelly was being very positive for his interests and that it was pointless to hide information that she seemed to have

  - Well you're right, yes. There are some alterations in growth, especially bones and brain tissues are most affected. That is what has led us to research on stem cells, looking for a solution.