The GODD Chip (The Unity of Four Book 1)

by K Patrick Donoghue

  “I’m not sure I would have ever dreamed of it.”

  “It won’t be all fun and games, you know. We have lots of work to do and plenty of tough days ahead,” Lila said.

  He looked at Lila and smiled. “You speak the very thoughts in my mind. But, as I told you once before, I have never known a peaceful day in my life. I’ll take this one and savor it.”

  The boy looked nervous but he didn’t appear sad to Natti. He eyed her warily as if wavering about whether to approach her. She imagined he was somewhat scared by her purple-splotched skin, balding head and mangled leg. Unfazed by his discomfort, Natti smiled and limped toward him, the gap of her missing teeth on full display. With a lei held in her outstretched hands, she said, “Mahalo, Billy. Welcome to Limahuli.”

  “Are you Natti?”

  “I am. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.” She layered the lei over his head and then hugged him. “Would you like to meet some of my friends? They’re very nice.” She pointed toward the Makoas where Kaleo and RJ were goofing around with Bora. “The Hawaiian boy is Kaleo. The other is RJ. He’s your age. They both live with me. Now you will too.”

  “What kind of androids are those? They look like huge Hawaiians.”

  “They’re called Makoas. They protect our village. I fix them up when they break down. Like that one over there. His name is Akecheta. Most people call him Ake, for short. I put together a brand new Makoa body for him out of spare parts we have in our garage. He looks a little rough, but he says he likes it that way.”

  “You can build an android?”

  “Uh, huh. Maybe we can build one together sometime. We have a bunch of leftover parts of some Viper androids. Might be kinda fun. Come on, let’s go say hi.”

  With hands intertwined, they began to walk across the beach, smiles on both their faces.

  Sir Bryce Collins’ residence

  Malibu, California, Pacifica

  In the darkness, Sir Collins reclined in his armchair and swirled a glass of Scotch with ice. In front of him, the holonode on the coffee table displayed the glowing, hovering image of Hawkeye. Collins listened as his man inside Beacon finished his update.

  “…and so they’re all together now on Kauai. I thought it was best to keep them in one place. It will make it easier to monitor them and deal with any unexpected developments.”

  Collins nodded. “Logical, but I worry about Lila influencing them. She’s very good, you know. Very smart.”

  “I understand, Your Grace, but even if Lila learns of the flaw, she won’t decipher its origin, its purpose. To her, it will appear as shoddy craftsmanship.”

  “Hmm…I wish I had your confidence, Hawkeye. All the same, I think we should take precautionary measures.”

  “Yes, Your Grace. I will see to it.”

  “Good, but for heavens’ sake, man, don’t send in another android army. Someone discreet is preferable. Someone capable of moving in the shadows, a disrupting force for whom assassination is the least attractive option. All we need is time, Hawkeye, just enough for Antoinette’s proteins to turn virulent. There are thousands of jakalis wandering around the Northlands with her chip. All we need is for the chain reaction to begin. Once it does, there will be no way Lila Graves, Takoda Wells or anyone else can stop it.”

  The GODD Chip adventure continues in 2021 with book 2 of the Unity of Four series. To receive updates regarding book 2 as they emerge, follow K. Patrick Donoghue on Facebook by clicking here, or join the author's email subscriber list by clicking here.

  Interested in other books by K. Patrick Donoghue? Visit the author’s web site at kpatrickdonoghue.com.

  APPENDIX A: THE GENETIC REVOLUTION

  Many historians point to the early 2070s as the beginning of the Genetic Revolution, given this is the timeframe during which the genetic design of embryos vaulted onto the world stage. However, other historians trace the roots of the ruinous era back to the late 2050s, a period when gene replacement therapeutics moved beyond strictly controlled treatments for chronic conditions and became mainstream lifestyle enhancement products.

  Hailed as the next leap in human evolution, the Genetic Revolution began with great enthusiasm. Many viewed the ability to manipulate their genetic makeup as a golden ticket to a longer and healthier life. Others saw the genetic tools of the late 21st century as magic wands capable of wiping away inborn deficits as well as the ravages of excess behaviors. When it came to their children, the era began with broad excitement about the ability to design their physical and mental traits.

  The euphoria did not last long. By the early 2080s, as the first wave of genetically-designed children entered puberty, unusual mutations began to appear in their “designed” genes. Dubbed gutations (pronounced goo-tA-shuns), some of these replacement-gene mutations were benign, others were not. At first, however, the gutations did little to dampen the revolution, but then came the necro outbreak of 2082. A gutation in the regulation of skin immunity caused certain children to develop a pronounced susceptibility to an exotic flesh-eating bacteria. Worse still, the gutation allowed the bacteria to spread to others through saliva, blood and physical contact. As a result, over the following four years, tens of millions perished from necro. And with them went the hope and promise of the Genetic Revolution.

  It was the first of several gutation crises that reshaped human existence over the next two decades before genetic design and gene replacement were finally outlawed in 2110. By then, over a billion people worldwide had succumbed to various gutations, related diseases and social unrest.

  Today, in 2137, the vestiges of the Genetic Revolution continue to haunt humans, particularly with the rise of Jakali Syndrome in the 2120s. Despite aggressive measures to stamp out the condition, including internment, sterilization and euthanization, a quarter of children entering puberty turn into insane beasts by the time they complete adolescence.

  APPENDIX B: THE REALIGNMENT OF NORTH AMERICA

  By the early 22nd century, many countries around the globe had dissolved and reconstituted into new, smaller nations as a consequence of the catastrophes brought on by the Genetic Revolution.

  Big countries, population-wise and land-wise, proved too slow to respond to and plan for the onslaught of new gutation outbreaks that occurred between 2082 and the end of the century. The large countries also proved limited in their ability to equitably distribute medical care, food and other supplies to all regions within their countries as the outbreaks multiplied and worsened.

  This led to regional infighting and hoarding of resources, restrictions of movement between regions and other parochial actions. As a result, eventually, the citizens of large countries began to view their local regions as their primary allegiances rather than their overarching national affiliation. And with each successive gutation outbreak, their regional alliances hardened to the point where many nations fractured. In the end, citizens cared more about survival than they did national pride.

  For example, the United States dissolved its fifty-state union into six smaller nations in 2101. The dissolution occurred with a minimum of bloodshed but did involve a decade of preceding negotiations to establish cooperative treaties and equitably divide Old America’s federal resources.

  Canada also dissolved around the same time, however, only parts of the country reconstituted. The vast majority of the sparsely populated areas of Old Canada became an ungoverned territory known as the Northlands. The rest of the country merged into three of the six new Old America countries.

  Those six nations include:

  New Atlantia: comprised of the lands east of the Mississippi River and south of the Great Lakes, plus the eastern population centers of Old Canada stretching from Windsor to Quebec City. New Atlantia is the most populous of the Old America spinoffs. Governed by a republic-style system similar to that of Old America, New Atlantia is divided into nine provinces led by governors called prefects. Its population is dominated by the noble and gutant castes.

  Carapach: stretc
hing westward from the Mississippi River, Carapach is primarily made up of Old America’s Great Plains states, minus New Mexico and Texas to the south. It is home to the largest didgee-caste population in the world and is governed by a democratic council comprised of representatives from its twelve territories.

  The country’s name is an adaptation of the word Carapace, which in the English language, refers to the hard upper shell of a turtle. The name is a tribute to the original inhabitants of the lands, who referred to the North American continent as the Great Turtle, and a fitting description of the character of the lands making up the Great Plains — the backbone, or shell, of the continent.

  Texas: as one might presume, the nation of Texas is predominately composed of the Old America state of the same name, though the country of Texas also includes the Old American state, New Mexico to the west, and portions of Arkansas and Louisiana west of the Mississippi River. Divided into counties, the territory of the Texas nation is ruled by the legacy democratic system employed by the namesake Old America state. Its population is dominated by the noble and didgee castes.

  Pacifica: the lands west of Carapach and Texas form Pacifica, including the Old America states of Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah and Idaho. It also includes a sizeable portion of the Old Canada territory, British Columbia to the north, and the Old Mexico Baja peninsula. It is the second-most populous carve-out from Old America. Its government is based on a parliamentary model. Its population is dominated by the noble and gutant castes.

  Alaskon: a merger of the former Old America state of Alaska and the Old Canada Yukon territory. Comparatively sparsely populated versus the other new countries, Alaskon is primarily populated by the didgee and gutant castes and is governed under the legacy legislative assembly system of the former Yukon territory.

  Hawaiian Islands: the smallest of the new countries, the Hawaiian Island nation foundered under the weight of jakali and gutant dumping within ten years after the dissolution of Old America and collapsed into an ungoverned territory, which it remains in 2137.

  APPENDIX C: CASTES OF THE 22nd CENTURY

  Among the many consequences of the Genetic Revolution was a mass upheaval of the way societies grouped themselves. Before the revolution, various models existed. There were societies structured on tribal affiliations, religious affiliations, economic status, ethnic origin and birthright castes to name a few of the dominant systems of pre-22nd-century humanity.

  The Genetic Revolution changed all of that. With few exceptions, a caste system based on genetic purity became the dominant form of societal organization in the 22nd century. Why? Because human survival demanded it. And, as in any social group, there were winners and losers in this new ordering of status (described below).

  Evvies: super-humans whose genetically-designed DNA resulted in a broad range of exceptional physical and mental attributes with no unintended/unexpected mutations. While evvies are societally the highest caste, they are the smallest, population-wise, representing 5% of the world’s humans (and declining). The term evvie arose as a colloquial name for evolved ones.

  Nobles: a modest step down from evvies, societally, nobles’ DNA alterations resulted in a narrower range of exceptional attributes. As is the case with evvies, nobles have no unintended/unexpected mutations. This caste accounts for 15% of humans.

  Didgees: humans with no altered DNA. Whether for religious, ethical or other reasons, didgees and their ancestors declined to genetically design their children and also avoided gene replacement therapies as adults. They are the only “natural” humans left and they comprise 25% of the world’s population. The term didgee arose as a colloquial name for indigenous ones.

  Blendas: a big step down from nobles, blendas’ DNA modifications resulted in few exceptional attributes. Blendas are also remarkable because their engineered DNA contains at least one benign unexpected/unintended mutation, known as a gutation. Blendas make up 20% of humans.

  Gutants: people whose altered DNA resulted in multiple unexpected/unintended mutations. Many of these gutations are benign or are only detrimental to the host gutant. However, some mutations make gutants dangerous to others. Some of these conditions can be deadly, but most can be controlled or cured through medication. At 30% of humans, gutants are the dominant caste, population-wise, but they occupy the second-lowest status due to their genetic inferiority.

  In many countries, gutants live among the population of other castes, but they are subject to prejudice and treated as second-class citizens. As a result, many gutants prefer to live in “wild” territories where gutant-only villages are prevalent. In other countries, gutants are banished to internment colonies or cast out altogether, as the remaining castes have no tolerance for their genetic impurities. They fear gutants will mate outside their caste and further despoil the countries’ genetic makeup.

  In all countries, however, once gutants have been diagnosed as pre-jakalis, they are removed from society. They are either committed to refugee villages where they live until their symptoms become uncontrollable and are euthanized, or they are euthanized upon diagnosis.

  Jakalis: a separate caste of gutants whose altered DNA resulted in mutations that produce insanity, physical malformations, and animalistic, murderous behaviors during adolescence – 5% of the world’s population (and growing). Pronounced juh-call-Es, the caste was named after the scientist who codified the condition as Jakali Syndrome, Dr. Richard Jakali.

  APPENDIX D: THE GODD CHIP

  In 2112, Dr. Dyan Mugabe, a Kenyan geneticist, invented a nanochip called the Genetic Oddity Detection Device, or GODD chip, and a complementary set of synthetic smart proteins she named ANPs (adaptive nucleic polymers). In tandem, the two inventions had been developed as a cure for gutations spawned during the Genetic Revolution, but neither the chip nor the proteins ever saw the light of day.

  Shortly after Mugabe published her heretical research paper detailing the promising results of a secret, two-year human trial that featured her inventions, she and her research were burned at the stake. Mugabe had violated the International Gene Treaty of 2103, which prohibited gene replacement research, a transgression punishable by death. Over the twenty-five years since her death, her inventions have become nothing more than history trivia and cautionary reminders of what happens to those who defy the genetic research ban.

  In the introduction of her paper, Mugabe had passionately stated her case for disregarding the ban:

  The notion that we can weed out gutations over time by systematic culling of the afflicted through policies of sterilization and euthanization, supported by programs that discourage interbreeding between genetic castes, is inherently despicable. So, too, is the sickening suggestion by some that we consider mass extermination of gutants to speed up the culling process.

  Gutants represent nearly forty percent of the world’s population. They deserve access to treatments and cures, not persecution and genocide. Gene replacement therapies can help them if we would only reconsider their potential value.

  Yes, mistakes were made in the past. They are well documented by now. We should learn from them and apply the lessons we’ve learned to create new therapies, not for the purpose of designing children — we now know that is a recipe for disaster — but for the goal of healing those harmed by our past mistakes.

  We doctors are always quick to rally around our oath to do no harm, but we did do harm and now we sit on our hands and do nothing to undo the harm we caused. I, for one, will not stand by any longer and watch gutants suffer when I know I can help them.

  In layman’s terms, the GODD chip was the brain of the gutation repair operation, and the ANPs were the handymen who did the dirty work. ANPs were tasked with detecting gutations, communicating their discoveries to the chip, and then repairing the genes based on instructions relayed back by the chip.

  Mugabe’s theory behind her inventions was simple. The DNA repair mechanisms in human cells were not well suited to consistently recognizing an
d repairing mutations of synthetic replacement genes. They needed an intelligent partner who was specifically designed to recognize and resolve flaws in the synthetic proteins used to construct and bind replacement genes.

  After all, the cells of the average human replicate nearly two trillion times every day. Maintaining the integrity of every DNA base-pair in every gene in every chromosome in every cell during every replication is a seemingly unfathomable task.

  To quantify “seemingly unfathomable,” there are approximately three billion DNA base-pairs that make up the genes in a single cell’s twenty-three pairs of chromosomes. Every one of those three billion base-pair connections must be validated every single time the cell replicates. Now, multiply that by two trillion replications each day, three-hundred-sixty-five days a year, over a lifetime and seemingly unfathomable takes on a deeper meaning.

  Mugabe’s inventions were an attempt to provide a backstop, extra pairs of eyes and hands, to help innate cellular validators manage this gargantuan error-checking and repair process. But the world was not ready for the GODD chip and ANPs in 2112.

  One wonders if things might have been different had Mugabe introduced her inventions in 2120 when the first rash of jakali gutations swept the globe.

  APPENDIX E: ANDROIDS IN THE 22ND CENTURY

  A brief history of the rise of androids

  Humanoid androids, or andros, are ubiquitous in 2137, primarily as a downstream result of workforce shortages incurred during the disastrous Genetic Revolution of the 2070s. As successive rounds of deadly gutations devastated worldwide human population, androids were rapidly deployed to fill positions of critical need. And once people saw the benefits andros provided, they wanted more of them. In short measure thereafter, androids spread throughout society like computers and smart devices had proliferated in earlier times.