Max leaned toward her as if he were going to say something but turned to Martha instead.
"You just stood there and let this happen?"
"I agree with Dr. Stevens, Mr. Emanuel. The women are showing persistent aberrant behaviors."
"Over the course of less than 48 hours. You can't deduce 'persistence' from that."
"I'll know more after we've analyzed the blood samples," said my mom.
"A rigorous analysis would take time," said Max. "Chances are we won't isolate the causal factor or factors easily, assuming there are any."
"I know. That's why I should start working on it right away."
Max shook his head. "Not so fast. I need to think this through, talk to some people."
"What's to think about? You want to learn what's going on, don't you?"
"As we discussed earlier, Alyssa, I wear more than one hat in this enterprise. My decisions need to be balanced between our financial interests and science." He was gritting out each word. "So yes, I do want to know, but I also want to protect my company from unnecessary damage. That means I'm going to hold off on the blood analysis until I've thought it over. I'm in no rush to commit seppuku."
"You're not authorizing me to perform the analysis?" My mom's mouth was practically hanging open.
"Correct. I am not authorizing it – at this moment. I'm also not authorizing you to take your medical kit from these premises."
"Are you serious? This is my personal kit!"
"True, but it is the property of CellEvolve. As are the labs that you would need to test it."
"Are you saying you will physically prevent me from leaving with my kit case?"
"I am saying that, yes."
That was the moment – seeing Max Emanuel's set jaw and wild eyes – I knew how shaken up he was.
"You realize how insane this is, Max?" Meredith stated. "I don't know if you've noticed, but there are witnesses standing here listening to all this."
"I know." He drew in a raspy breath. "But I don't see anything insane about wanting some time for thought or to practice some discretion and possible damage control. We'll refrigerate the blood. The analysis will happen, but there's no reason to rush off half-cocked about this. We have no evidence that anyone's lives are in immediate danger."
"You want to control the results of the analysis," said my mom, through clenched lips.
"I want to control the consequences of the analysis. It's called 'damage control.'" Max paced away from them a couple of steps, brushing more errant hairs from his forehead – focusing his inner "chi" or whatever, I guessed – before facing us again. "Look, Alyssa, Meredith, Aiden...Joshua. Alyssa, I'd be well within my rights to terminate you for your actions. You, too, Martha. Insubordination would be an understatement for what you did. But instead, I'm suggesting we all take a deep breath and a step back. Perhaps even a 'chill pill' might be in order." He worked up a smile. "Just take a minute. I know you did what you thought was right, and I admire that. I really do. All I'm asking for is a little time here."
He held out his hand. After a brief hesitation, my mom gave him her tool case. I didn't like her surrendering to him, but I was relieved. If she had refused I had no doubt that Max would've called his security goons. Big, buff guys who worked for him or the resort or both and kept a low profile in their business or jogging suits, depending on the area.
"Good. Thank you." Max Emanuel held the case at his side. "I have a suggestion. Why don't you hang out with us today, Alyssa. Otherwise, maybe try to relax and enjoy some of the beautiful scenery. Take a boat cruise with the other women. Keep an eye on them. If things start to go south, you can hustle the blood back to your lab."
My mom chewed on her lower lip. She didn't want to give in to the CellEvolve CEO, but what could she do? I couldn't see many reasonable options.
"If it will make you feel better," said Max, "I will have my medical staff check out some of the women."
"I'm not sure what a superficial examination would reveal, but I suppose it would make me marginally happier."
"Then we'll do that."
"I want to register a formal protest."
"Noted. Now, ladies – and gentlemen – I need to get to work. If the women seem worse, let me know. Otherwise, try to mellow out a little today and have some fun."
We stood watching him walk off, ponytail flapping, some of his usual exuberant bounce back in his stride.
"Maybe I should've called his bluff," my mom mumbled.
"It wasn't a bluff," said Meredith. "Don't fall for his New Age Zen act. Max is a piranha. He would've chomped off your hand holding your medical kit if he'd had to."
"I suppose I knew that." My mom shuddered out a breath. "I just keep hoping that as a fellow scientist he would follow a higher ethical law."
"No offense, but why would you say that scientists are particularly ethical? That certainly hasn't been my experience."
"But they should be," said my mom. "We're supposed to be about more than profit."
"Maybe they're not as bad as business people, but the bottom line of money still rules, in my opinion."
"Hey," Josh protested, "I happen to be a business person and I care about lots of stuff more than profit!"
"But when you were offered millions by the CIA and NSA for a backdoor into Sparrow, you took the offer, didn't you?"
Josh's face went stony. "You shouldn't believe everything you read in the rags, Mere."
"I don't."
"Besides, helping your country isn't exactly unethical."
"Not revealing to your customers that they're all being spied on isn't exactly ethical, is it?"
Josh's expression got even stonier. Meredith laughed and patted him on the shoulder.
"It's okay, Joshua. Not many of us are moral paragons in this world."
Chapter 31
WE GAVE UP MONITORING the women an hour into our first Lake Shasta tour. Being drowned in Andrydox didn't keep them off my "six," as Josh put it, and the low dose of Melatin didn't keep me from battling a constant state of semi-arousal. The women on our houseboat – more of a mansion boat – weren't just horny: they were also loudmouthed, crass, and just plain freaking annoying to be around. We caught a ride off the houseboat on one of the power boat ferries the Ellsworth Retreat provided to the shore where SUV limos waited to transport guests back to their cabins.
Back at the resort, Josh retired to his cabin for a "power nap" and my mom, Martha, and Meredith to our cabin for a power conference.
"What's your gut feeling, Alyssa?" Meredith asked. "Are they going to change back to normal or will their behavioral changes persist – maybe even be permanent?"
"I don't like what my gut's feeling right now." My mom touched her stomach, the mottled color in her face reminding me of the time she got car-sick on a windy road in Colorado years ago. "That's about all I'm sure of at this point."
"I fully expect their symptoms to resolve themselves," said Martha. "In which case, what's happened here will be a minor blip in the road that CE can easily pave over."
"You're not giving a speech to your major stockholders, Martha." The edge in Meredith's voice fell just short of contempt. "And if their personality changes are permanent? What happens then?"
"I have no idea." Dr. Eberhart's face had reverted to its usual glacial expression. "Only the men signed the non-suit agreements and injury waivers. The women would be free to sue. And if their aberrant behaviors were linked back to CE – which I see as not unlikely – that could badly damage its reputation. Things could get very messy."
"But would they sue?" I asked. "They don't seem to think anything's wrong with them."
"That's true," said my mom. "In fact, they seem to be in angry denial about that."
Meredith nodded. "They seem to have no awareness of changes in their behavior."
"To me, that's the strangest part of it," said Martha. "It was part of my previous position to know these women, and their average IQ is in the high 130s. They should be a
ble to see those changes."
"I don't see anything happening in the short term unless we go over CellEvolve's heads straight to the authorities," said my mom.
"And how do you think they'd respond?" Martha gave her a chilly smile. "Do you think the RSA would send in a special operations team in response to a report of oversexed women? What they would do is call Max Emanuel and he would talk them down."
"The same thing would happen if we called the FDA or CDC," said Meredith.
"So we're helpless?" My mom looked between them with a disbelieving half-smile. "We do nothing?"
Martha stared at her coolly. Merry offered a pained shrug.
"I'm not sure there is anything we can do, Dr. Stevens," she said.
"And what does Max Emanuel do?" My mom's smile strained beyond disbelief into a cartoon caricature grin. "He has a party!"
"And not just any party," Meredith said with a short laugh, "a full-on virtual experience party!"
"Does anyone have any idea what that means?" my mom asked.
"Not a clue," said Martha. "By design. Max Emanuel wanted it to be a complete surprise for all the participants."
My mom turned to me. "Aiden? Do you know anything about Siegren's virtual reality systems?"
"Not really...except they're pretty popular for gaming and, well, uh, sex applications..."
"Great," said my mom. "What could possibly go wrong with that?"
I HAD psyched myself up to feel like we were entering the lion's den later that evening, but that expectation was hard to maintain as we sat down in the Lodge auditorium among all the well-dressed and well-heeled guests. We dined on the usual five or six star meal and sipped expensive wine or water or fancy drinks, keeping to ourselves at a table near one corner of the auditorium.
Max Emanuel stopped by, nodding and trying – straining, I thought – to appear congenial.
"You guys will be sticking around for the VR party, right?" When no one responded he turned his gaze on my mom. "Alyssa? You don't want to miss this, I promise you."
"I think I'll call it an early night, Max," she said. "Not really feeling like partying. In fact, I think it might be a good idea to call it off, considering the state of mind of most of our female guests."
"Their state of mind doesn't seem so bad to me. You really don't know what you'll be missing, Alyssa." He attempted to revive his fading smile as he faced me and Josh. "Aiden? Josh? You guys will have a blast with Siegren's new tech, guaranteed."
"Definitely," said Josh. "Wouldn't miss it. I'm planning on incorporating VR elements into Sparrow 2.6, as it turns out."
"Good man," said Max.
"It's a no for Aiden," my mom stated when Max shifted his questioning gaze to me.
I'd expected that, but still couldn't stop a short jab of irritation.
"Thanks, Max, but I'll pass," said Merry.
Max Emanuel's smile was growing dimmer by the moment. "Martha?"
"I'll attend if you wish me to," she said.
"I do so wish."
"Could you give us some clue what kind of virtual reality experience to expect?" I asked, drawing a sharp look from my mom.
"You could expect a mind-altering experience, young Aiden. That's all I'm going to say. I hope you'll change your mind about joining us."
"He won't," my mom assured him.
Max withdrew with a quick wink in my direction. I tried not to bridle too much under my mother's authoritarianism. Of course, as usual, she was right. But I wished she'd at least given me the chance, and the trust, to answer on my own.
After dinner, Max Emanuel escorted the ancient global entrepreneur and international financier, Marion Ellsworth, onto the stage.
"Dear guests and friends," Max said into the waiting microphone, one arm draped over the famous banker's shoulder, "it is my honor to present the wisest and most accomplished man I know, Marion Ellsworth Jr."
I expected Marion Ellsworth, overseer of vast international enterprises and worth hundreds of billions, to be bigger than life, but he actually struck me as being smaller than life – or maybe just weirder – looking like a shrunken gnome with a bad haircut next to the six-two Max Emanuel on the stage. He stretched upward to speak into the microphone.
"I've seen the best of times and the worst of times," said the gnome. "We went through a rough patch for a while, but we're past that now. The future has never appeared so glorious to these old eyes. We now stand within reach of not only taming MES, but also disease and old age itself. I am proud to host this conference featuring the bold and far-seeing leader of the most innovative company on this planet – CellEvolve." He offered a scabrous smile in response to the smattering of applause and a side-stage bow from Max.
"With great change comes not only the potential for prosperity but also great resistance. With change comes fear. It is not easy to let go of the old ways. I speak from experience, trust me." His raspy chuckle found a dim echo in the room. "My friends, I urge you to embrace change, to welcome in the new with open arms. For those of you who do, the rewards may be beyond your imagining. Thank you for coming to my little corner of paradise and I hope you enjoy your taste of the future tonight."
Max Emanuel came up applauding and joined him at the mic.
"Some people never stop evolving," he laughed, draping an arm around his mentor's shriveled shoulders. He leaned closer to the mic. "Let the games begin!"
Which was my – our – cue to leave. We walked out of the Lodge. The moment the cool night air hit me I knew there was no way I could take being crammed in a cabin with these women. I needed a long, long run to clear my head.
"I'll see you all in a while," I announced. "I really need to get away for a while."
"Away to where?" My mom had her hands on her hips, but worry lived in the shadows on her face.
"Wherever the night takes me, I guess."
It seemed like a good answer, and I liked making at least a minor declaration of independence from these well-meaning adults who thought they knew best.
I whipped around before Mom or Meredith could protest and started back on the trail that skirted the Lodge on its way up to Secret Lake. Maybe a night-swim? Floating in the icy water under the stars sounded like a good way to chill out.
I almost ran into Joshua as he jogged along away from the Lodge on the same path.
"Hey, Aiden!" he huffed. "Where are running off to?"
"Nowhere special. Just out for a run."
"No fucking way, man." He snagged my arm. "You can't desert me again!"
"You heard my mom."
"Fuck your –" Josh caught himself with a chuckle. "Sorry, I mean, fuck that, dude. Do you know what Siegren's done for virtual reality? His best stuff is already mind-blowing, but what he's putting on tonight will be off the charts. This won't be for the general public, man. You cannot in the name of all that's holy walk away from this trip."
Each word hooked into my head. A hook I couldn't extract without spilling significant brain matter. In seconds Josh made my acceptance of my mom's dictum seem like the stupidest decision I'd ever made. Bypass the chance to experience cutting edge technology? What had I been thinking?
"Okay," I said. "I'm with you."
"Hell yes, you are. I was just gonna get some stuff from my cabin, but screw it. Let's do this thing before you change your –"
"Aiden." Meredith, imitating my sister's Jack-in-the-box routine, was running down the path fifty or sixty yards away. "You better not be –"
Josh grabbed my arm and pulled me in the opposite direction. "Come on. I know a place."
I glimpsed Meredith break into a sprint, but we were already sprinting with the classic desperation of children fleeing adult authority, and the night was not her friend. We built up a small lead and Josh jerked me with him into a dark space between two compact car-sized bushes. He held me by the shoulder as Meredith jogged past. He kept his hand there as she doubled back, looking around suspiciously but never sighting in on us. She returned from whence she came
grumbling under her breath. Josh didn't ease his grip until she was long gone.
"Man," he whispered. "Why don't girls who like her ever chase after me?"
"With all your money I'd think they would."
"Not girls like her. I mean, girls who actually care about me as a person."
"I know how you feel. Not a lot of girls care about me as a person, either, believe it or not."
We emerged from her our hidey-hole and circled back around to the front, but heavy machinery blocked the entrance. One of the guys unloading what appeared to be a mini-mountain of wire and cloth directed us to the doors on the Lodge's north side.
We found ourselves in a brightly lit series of rooms where men were being outfitted in full body suits composed of some soft, stretchy material laden with mini-electrodes and transceivers and sewn-in goggles. No sign of the women. I guessed they were changing somewhere else.
One of Bob Siegren's people – they were all dressed in blue dungarees bearing the Siergren Visions camera-exploding star logo – directed us to a rack of suits and helped us select the right size. I felt like I was climbing into a Spiderman suit. Or maybe Cockroachman, considering the suit's brown color. The suits came in three basic sizes. I chose medium, and it stretched to fit me pretty well. Your fingers poked out into a thin, rubbery, condom-like mesh that allowed your fingertips near-normal sensitivity. I'd read about Siegren Sex Suits that incorporated either an artificial vagina or penis (or both!), but these suits just had a flap that folded back to expose you at "both ends." Handy if you needed to relieve yourself or, well, make intimate contact with someone, I figured. The headpiece Velcroed snuggly in place, with an opening for the mouth.
We hung out in the changing area sipping bottled water and bidding our time – Bob Siegren and his crew recommended that we be fully hydrated for the experience – while machines and rumbled and scraped in the auditorium. The trucks and storage containers Josh and I had seen blocking the Lodge's entrance presumably contained whatever was being moved into the auditorium. Not even the well-connected dudes surrounding us, privy to corporate and state secrets, knew what was being prepared in the next room.
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