standing alone in the operating theater. He seemed dazed, and she guessed he had finally noticed the world around him.
A painful cry filled the air. Her father jerked towards the test bed. It seemed Bramford was in trouble. Blessed Earth, the extreme heat must have contaminated the experiment. Her fault, all of it.
Eden heard the soldiers’ footsteps echo down the hall. Desperate, she scanned the lab for a weapon. But she was just one little Pearl against armed FFP soldiers. What could she do?
She flashed on the day the lab had opened. Hadn’t Father given her a secret code?
—My work must never fall into the wrong hands. Use this, Daught, when no other alternative exists
.
That would be now, right? Still, why did she have to be the one to decide? But if she didn’t
they
would win.
She activated the memorable code.
Go bluebell
.
—Just remember your mother’s pretty eyes. They were the color of bluebells
.
The system responded with a standard question:
Are you sure you want to terminate Resources for Environmental Adaptation?
Eden groaned. Every backup of her father’s work would be destroyed. Just then the soldiers burst into the lab. She had no choice but to proceed.
Sorry, Father
.
A loud, insistent female voice announced the end.
“Warning! REA will self-destruct in five minutes. Please proceed to the nearest exit.”
Hand over fist, Eden grabbed hold of objects as she made her way towards the operating theater. She almost had reached the stairway when Jamal caught her, a blood-soaked bandage wrapped around his head.
“No more games, Eden,” he said.
He dragged her below the operating theater while the soldiers’ heavy boots pounded up the stairs. They fanned out along the rim of the stage and stood ready. Her father leanedover the operating bed, his back to the soldiers, once more oblivious. Beside him, Bramford’s chilling cries cut through the sounds of falling timbers and snapping flames.
Eden calculated their survival odds: one crazy, old scientist and his gullible daughter against, count ’em—seven armed soldiers, including Jamal. Bramford was useless. Their one hope was Shen who, to her amazement, remained by his employer’s side.
As her father might have said, the current trajectory would no doubt result in a re-organization in favor of the more dominant genes. In other words, Jamal, and therefore the FFP, would win and kill all the Pearls, starting with her.
“Dr. Newman, we represent the Federation of Free People,” Jamal called out. “We’re here to requisition your services and technology for the benefit of the People. Come with us peacefully and I guarantee you’ll be treated with the respect you deserve.”
“Four minutes until termination. Please exit the building at once.”
Still, her father ignored them, as if he was immune to the chaos.
“Father!” Eden yelled. “Help!”
At last he spun round to face the enemy. “What? It isn’t possible!”
If the situation hadn’t been so dire, Eden might have laughed. To her father, anything was possible if approached in a logical sequence.
“I insist you leave at once,” he continued. “You are interfering with a delicate operation.”
A curdling scream rose in the air. Poor Bramford. Eden wouldn’t wish such suffering on anyone, not even him.
Inquisitive detachment replaced the crazed look on her father’s face. He seemed to forget the immediate danger and turned back to the test bed.
“Proceed to the nearest exit. Three minutes remaining until termination.”
“Advance,” Jamal told the men.
Eden watched the soldiers step forward, her heart in her throat. Her father wheeled round again, waving a syringe in the air.
“Stay back!” he said. “Or I’ll kill myself and the subject.”
The men halted and looked to Jamal for instructions. He yanked Eden in front of him, shouting above the raging fire. “If you cooperate, Dr. Newman, nothing will happen to your daughter. However, if you continue to
A painful cry filled the air. Her father jerked towards the test bed. It seemed Bramford was in trouble. Blessed Earth, the extreme heat must have contaminated the experiment. Her fault, all of it.
Eden heard the soldiers’ footsteps echo down the hall. Desperate, she scanned the lab for a weapon. But she was just one little Pearl against armed FFP soldiers. What could she do?
She flashed on the day the lab had opened. Hadn’t Father given her a secret code?
—My work must never fall into the wrong hands. Use this, Daught, when no other alternative exists
.
That would be now, right? Still, why did she have to be the one to decide? But if she didn’t
they
would win.
She activated the memorable code.
Go bluebell
.
—Just remember your mother’s pretty eyes. They were the color of bluebells
.
The system responded with a standard question:
Are you sure you want to terminate Resources for Environmental Adaptation?
Eden groaned. Every backup of her father’s work would be destroyed. Just then the soldiers burst into the lab. She had no choice but to proceed.
Sorry, Father
.
A loud, insistent female voice announced the end.
“Warning! REA will self-destruct in five minutes. Please proceed to the nearest exit.”
Hand over fist, Eden grabbed hold of objects as she made her way towards the operating theater. She almost had reached the stairway when Jamal caught her, a blood-soaked bandage wrapped around his head.
“No more games, Eden,” he said.
He dragged her below the operating theater while the soldiers’ heavy boots pounded up the stairs. They fanned out along the rim of the stage and stood ready. Her father leanedover the operating bed, his back to the soldiers, once more oblivious. Beside him, Bramford’s chilling cries cut through the sounds of falling timbers and snapping flames.
Eden calculated their survival odds: one crazy, old scientist and his gullible daughter against, count ’em—seven armed soldiers, including Jamal. Bramford was useless. Their one hope was Shen who, to her amazement, remained by his employer’s side.
As her father might have said, the current trajectory would no doubt result in a re-organization in favor of the more dominant genes. In other words, Jamal, and therefore the FFP, would win and kill all the Pearls, starting with her.
“Dr. Newman, we represent the Federation of Free People,” Jamal called out. “We’re here to requisition your services and technology for the benefit of the People. Come with us peacefully and I guarantee you’ll be treated with the respect you deserve.”
“Four minutes until termination. Please exit the building at once.”
Still, her father ignored them, as if he was immune to the chaos.
“Father!” Eden yelled. “Help!”
At last he spun round to face the enemy. “What? It isn’t possible!”
If the situation hadn’t been so dire, Eden might have laughed. To her father, anything was possible if approached in a logical sequence.
“I insist you leave at once,” he continued. “You are interfering with a delicate operation.”
A curdling scream rose in the air. Poor Bramford. Eden wouldn’t wish such suffering on anyone, not even him.
Inquisitive detachment replaced the crazed look on her father’s face. He seemed to forget the immediate danger and turned back to the test bed.
“Proceed to the nearest exit. Three minutes remaining until termination.”
“Advance,” Jamal told the men.
Eden watched the soldiers step forward, her heart in her throat. Her father wheeled round again, waving a syringe in the air.
“Stay back!” he said. “Or I’ll kill myself and the subject.”
The men halted and looked to Jamal for instructions. He yanked Eden in front of him, shouting above the raging fire. “If you cooperate, Dr. Newman, nothing will happen to your daughter. However, if you continue to
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