CodeY

by Lamar Rutherford

  But, unbeknownst to the super-powers, ISIS disbursed their loyalists around the world and formed small communities in remote, often poor and typically low educated areas. They selected areas that also had resources or the ability to be developed for food or energy. They stole where they could to get funds to invest in energy development and many types of farming. The farming helped feed their families, but they also sold crops for money to help outfit their forces. One thing they had learned from their past battles was that technology often trumped manpower, and technology takes money to develop or buy.

  Pele’s co-workers in the military knew there was an increasing number of encounters in remote places around the world. Intel was starting to link all these clashes to one organization, the new ISIS, now called ISEX. The US Military was still trying to understand the strategy behind the conflicts. They would flare up almost overnight for no apparent reason, continue for a short period of time, and then, before either side experienced any type of victory or defeat, the ISEX fighters would dissipate and vanish.

  The one thing the military knew was that more and more of these skirmishes were in difficult to reach places or amongst innocent crowds, where individual hand-to-hand combat was the most effective technique. As a result, the military saw Pele and Johann’s work as especially valuable. The more effective they could make ground troops, the more successfully they could ferret out and defeat the enemy with fewer innocent lives lost.

  Pele brought his mind back to the moment, as Radi answered. “How about Just-the-Ticket?” Just-the-Ticket was a favorite craft brewpub that had opened on the grounds of the Del Mar Racetrack while they were in Medical School. Many years later, it was still a favorite haunt for them. They’d had many a night powwowing over the latest craft concoction, debating both personal and world concerns.

  “Perfect!” exclaimed Pele, “I haven’t been there in ages. Do you think we’ll still be able to score our favorite table?”

  Radi laughed. “Ah, many a good memory around that table. Somehow, I doubt we’ll have the same pull we did when we were regulars. I’m sure our favorite waiters are long gone…at least I hope so,” he added with a chagrinned look. “But it’s worth a try.”

  Pele, eager to get to his family and watch Rane’s game, grinned and called over his shoulder as he started in their direction, “Great! Keep me posted, and I’ll meet you there.”

  He hurried off to Keece, stealing a kiss and hug from her, before grabbing each of the twins and giving them exaggerated hugs and kisses. Each squealed in delight as they tried to fend him off.

  Chapter 2

  Pele wove through the crowded craft brewery in search of his pals. The place was well appointed in authentic taproom style with dozens of specialty craft brews on tap; dark, light, IPA, ale, fruity, extra bubbly, you name it, they had a version of it. The place served as both a restaurant-bar and a museum for the local craft beer industry. It was hard to find the true microbrews anymore, so many had been snapped up by larger players in the industry. But San Diego’s top brewmasters were still winning accolades around the world for their curated concoctions.

  The crowd, for the most part, was predictably young and hip. Pele noted vaguely he could still turn a few heads as he slipped through the crowd. Although he appreciated the attention, his main thought these days was relief that he was no longer playing that game. He felt a pang of sorrow for Radi and Cole—especially Cole—who were both back in the mix, on the prowl once again. He suspected it would be a while before Cole really jumped in, but Radi actually seemed to be enjoying himself. At least this time around, he would not be worried about finding his ideal genetic match. Pele was sure that Radi at least felt like he had already sacrificed enough for the good of the world’s gene pool. Cole, on the other hand, barely cared before, and certainly did not care now, about genetic matches.

  Pele spotted his friends in the corner as a waitress dropped off their beers.

  “And what did you order for me?” he greeted them.

  Both Radi and Cole laughed, and Cole quipped back, “The usual…nothing!” He stood up and gave Pele a big hug. “Great to see you man. I wasn’t too sure you were gonna make an appearance.”

  Pele answered, looking guilty, but sincerely apologetic, “Sorry I didn’t get back to you. Things have been sort of out of control lately. But so great to see you.” As Pele settled in, he continued, “To what do we owe the honor of your overdue presence?”

  Cole, on a much more somber note, replied, “I’m supposed to be out for a conference, but the truth is I just needed a break.”

  Pele furrowed his brow in concern, and Cole continued, “Ava and I have finally decided to call it quits. We’re both totally miserable and just can’t keep goin’ like this. It’s not good for us or the kids.”

  Radi, who had heard some of the story earlier, kept quiet while Pele continued, “I’m so sorry Cole. I was hoping you could work things out. I know you were really trying.”

  Cole, clearly sad about the situation, continued, “Yah thanks man. I thought moving closer to my folks and letting Ava go back to work full-time might help. But it only seemed to make things worse. I know it’s no news to you two that my kids are rascals. They’re probably enough to drive any sane parent over the edge. Jayden and Jaya climb anything and love to play hide-n-seek. They were trouble the minute Jaya was born. You would not believe the places I find those two; on top of my clothes rack in the closet, scrunched up in my beer cooler, on any open and hidden shelf. It’s nuts! They do it simply for the fun of it, or to torture us, the little devils! They especially love to give any poor innocent person we ask to watch them a heart attack by disappearing. And they’re only five and four! I don't know what I’m gonna do when they get older and craftier.

  And then there’s Zander. That bugger can charm the pants off anyone. He’s totally figured out how to use his charm to manipulate people and play pranks on them. One time, he convinced his teacher I wouldn’t let him finish his history homework because it was against our religion! We never even go to church—despite my parent’s wishes—so I was a bit confused when the teacher asked me about it. But then he managed to charm her into thinking it was just a misunderstanding. Next day he was back in her good graces. The bugger! I don’t know how he got away with it.

  “Now the three of them have figured out that making the nanny upset sends Ava into a tailspin, so of course, that’s their new favorite sport. The other day the poor nanny called me in a panic because she was sure Jaya was lost or kidnapped. Guess where she was?” Cole asked. “The little scamps had figured out how to fold her into our fold-up couch in the den. She didn’t make a peep for hours. Quiet as a church mouse while we searched everywhere. Of course, Jayden and Zander didn’t fess up, and Calice is still too young to know what’s up. Thank God for sweet Calice. She’s the only saving grace. She’s such an angel Ava and I are both suspicious she’s not really ours.”

  Cole paused and took a deep breath before continuing, “Anyhow, I doubt I would’ve ever found Jaya if she hadn’t had to get out to go potty. That stunt was really the last straw that broke the camel’s back. Ava gets so upset about these things I thought it would be better not to tell her. But, unfortunately, she found out, and when she did, all hell broke loose. She was furious with me. Accused me of keeping things from her and lying to her. She stormed out, stayed with a friend and asked for a divorce the next day. I kept hoping she’d calm down and come to her senses, but no luck. She’s just been so unhappy and so frustrated for so long. And I think she feels totally out of control with the kids; even more so now that she’s working and relying on me and the nanny. Nothing I do helps. I’ve even considered putting the kids in boarding schools, but I can’t do that. As much as they’re a handful, I love havin’ them around.”

  Pele chimed in now, “No, that doesn’t sound like the right solution. It would probably make her feel even worse because she’d have even less control, and feel guilty on top of it.”

  Radi
added, always a little more scientific than empathetic, “Maybe splitting the time will help. You’ll each only have them half the time. It’s actually worked super well for Sophie and me.”

  Cole shrugged. He was obviously not hopeful that things would improve. “Yah, maybe.”

  Pele reached over, laying his hand on Cole’s shoulder. “I’m sorry man. You and Ava have always had a,” he paused, searching for the right word, then with a slight smile, “turbulent relationship, but I still thought you’d work it out. If there’s anything we can do, you know you can count on us.”

  Cole smiled sadly. “Thanks. Yah turbulent. That’s one way to put it. Volatile might be another. But I did really love her. She’s been so angry and miserable for so long, I’m not sure I still do. It’s hard.”

  He continued more optimistically, Cole was always good at looking on the bright side, “At least we’ve got some cool kids. They may be rascals, but they’re still a ton of fun, and life is never dull!” he added with a broad grin.

  “Well, there is one other good thing,” interjected Radi.

  Both Cole and Pele gave him a puzzled look.

  “Your kids will have experienced their hardship,” Radi continued. He was referring to the hardship in the CodeY experiment. The theory was that their kids were supposed to experience a hardship to make them stronger and better able to take advantage of their talents. They had seen this in the rabbits when they experienced hardship in their genetics experiment in medical school.

  Cole shook his head and a little angry, “I would do anything to keep my kids from going through this kind of hardship.”

  “Yes, but as much as I didn’t want to get divorced, I think ultimately it will benefit the kid’s development,” continued Radi, seeming to be rationalizing his divorce for the good of the experiment.

  Cole, clearly angry now, “Radi, I don’t give a damn about the stupid experiment. If I could keep my kids from going through the pain of a divorce, I would do it! Nobody wants their kids to go through that kind of pain if they can prevent it. Kids have plenty of challenges in everyday life to toughen them up. They don’t need some stupid extra hardship to help them develop.”

  Radi realizing his comment was not well received, backtracked quickly, “Yes, of course. Sorry.”

  Cole, struggling to recapture his composure, changed the subject. “Well enough about me and my tales of woe. What’s up with you two?”

  Pele still processing his good friend’s change of status, let Radi take the floor. Radi launched into an explanation of his latest genetics research and dating escapades, the second subject far more entertaining than the first.

  Pele was saddened to hear Cole and Ava were divorcing. He knew their relationship was always rocky, but he still thought they could weather the storms and balance each other out. Cole’s easygoing, almost overly calm demeanor seemed to be a healthy counterbalance to Ava’s stormy passion and zest for life. He and Keece had always enjoyed spending time with them, despite the frequent spats. They always appeared to be having fun and able to laugh at their differences. Clearly, that was not the case anymore.

  Pele was also stunned by Radi’s comment about the hardship factor in CodeY. The three of them had continued to have secret meetings once or twice a year on the experiment, by phone, if not in person, but Pele had assumed it was less about tracking the impact of the “genetic breeding” on their children and more to simply catch up with each other and hear about the latest with their families. He actually looked forward to it more as an opportunity to learn what was going on in each other’s lives. He’d stopped thinking of it as a scientific experiment long ago.

  Did Radi still really take the hardship aspect seriously? What would that mean for him and Keece? He certainly was never going to leave her. And what parent is going to willingly put their child through unnecessary hardship? Growing up seemed hard enough for kids these days, with all the drama on social media and with friends, family, teachers, and others. Wasn’t a good life hard enough without intentionally bringing on a hardship? The whole concept seemed preposterous to Pele. He also could not imagine his kids would excel more because of some intentional hardship. Pele decided to set Radi straight on this if he ever brought it up again.

  It was true that Radi’s kids had definitely been through a hardship. Radi and Sophie split up a few years back when Radi discovered Sophie was having an affair with one of her research partners— a woman in her lab. This at least explained why Radi had been complaining so much about a lack of affection and intimacy. Regardless, things might have ended fairly amicably, except Sophie’s parents got involved. Despite the fact that Sophie clearly wanted the divorce and was happier now that her lesbian relationship was no longer a secret, her parents still insisted she hire the toughest divorce attorney in town and a private detective.

  When it came out that Radi had also dabbled in an affair with one of his co-workers, things got ugly. In hindsight, it wasn’t much of a surprise Radi had sought affection elsewhere. He certainly was not getting what he needed from Sophie, and for that matter, she clearly was not getting what she needed either. Anyhow, the mess was over now, and both were much happier. Sophie still saw the other woman, but they were taking things slow, and the kids were still adjusting to the change in their mother’s status. Radi was back on the dating scene. Things had been short-lived with his affair, but he seemed relieved now. It was much easier to get along with Sophie now that he understood why she was distant in their relationship. The fact that things were smoother now, did not change the reality that their children had gone through a rough time during the divorce process. They were all pretty young when it happened, so they seemed to have bounced back, now that it was in the past. Despite the obvious hardship they had endured, Pele was not sure it had made any of Radi’s kids stronger or more exceptional. They were all talented and outstanding in their own way, but had it made them even more so? He doubted that.

  “Hey, are you still playing polo?” Cole asked, snapping Pele out of his distracted reverie and back into the conversation.

  “No, I leave that to Keece these days. She’s still way into it. She’s been on some fabulous trips; to India, where she was hosted and played with the Maharaja of Jodhpur, Patrick Hermes club in Morocco, and to the Argentine Open. We own five horses. It’s a good thing she sold her company so we can afford them! She’s even getting the twins into it. At six years old they’re naturals. Pace is a maniac and Kala’s all about the strategy and riding correctly. I, on the other hand, spend as much time as I can on the soccer field with Raney. She loves it, and of course, I love that!” replied Pele with a happy grin.

  Cole and Radi both smiled and nodded in appreciation. They knew how much Pele enjoyed sharing his soccer passion with his daughter. Radi was envious. He and his oldest son, Devan, seemed to always be at odds. Sophie claimed it was because they were too much alike, but Radi did not see this. His son was certainly bright, but he only seemed to care about computer games and programming, not the sciences that were so important to his father. Radi hoped it was simply age and stage and that his son would mature into someone he could relate to better. He and his father certainly had their differences growing up, but they got along much better now.

  Pele continued on about Keece and her polo, “Keece is really getting good. It’s so fun to watch her now.” You could hear the pride in his voice. “You know, she’s playing tomorrow. Want to come? I know Keece and the kids would love to see you. Radi, your kids, are welcome too. I’ll have Rane and the twins with me.”

  Pele and Keece had planned on going the next day as a family event, almost as a replacement for giving up their usual Saturday date night. Pele was taking the kids to watch her game, and then Keece would join them so they could all watch the next game, the main polo match, together. But Pele knew Keece would not mind if he invited the guys. She would be excited to catch up with Cole while he was in town, and they always enjoyed seeing Radi and his kids.

  Cole agreed en
thusiastically. Radi also consented, a little less eagerly; he had never been as much of a live polo enthusiast as the others. But this was par for the course with Radi, he was much more comfortable in the lab, or even the gym, than he was playing or watching outdoor sports. He liked things methodical and predictable, with clear, easily measured results, the fewer variables from uncontrolled elements, the better.

  Chapter 3

  Pele spread a large Mexican blanket on the grass, it’s bright purple and white stripes in sharp contrast to the smooth green carpet. He added several low folding chairs in a semi-circle under the bright purple Vesta.Fit canopy tent he had put up for shade next to the field. The sun blazed across the well-manicured field, sucking the last remnants of morning dew out of each blade. Pele treasured these afternoons; bright, warm, and friendly with the small crowd of polo supporters greeting each other with a jovial comradery. The grooms prepping the horses, the riders casually warming up, Rane playing with her ever-present soccer ball, and the twins racing around, both with hand mallets and polo balls, practicing their swings.