The Shox Gene Variant Read online

  “Hillary, what’s going on there?”

  “Did you see Raina’s speech?”

  “Yes. She is something, isn’t she?”

  “The reason why I called was to talk to Carina and Jonathan.”

  “Annie and Dirk are here. I’ll put it in conference mode. Go ahead,” Billy said.

  “Carina, we’ve had our talks about our family legacy, and you know about the special abilities you share with my mother and me. I told you how I used them on Antares to communicate with the aliens there. It looks like Jonathan has them as well. I’m asking you two to try communicating with these Replicants and change their programming. See if you can turn them against the Fourth Reich.”

  “Mom, I don’t know how to do that.”

  “It will come to you. Concentrate hard until you feel the connection. You will know when it’s been established. Then change their programming.”

  Jonathan looked at Carina and took her hand. “We can do this,” he said.

  33

  Gretchen struggled to stay on her feet as Sandra and Aidan helped her through the sewer system. It was the only somewhat safe place since the Replicants and Fourth Reich goons roamed the streets with no one to stop them.

  “Where does this lead?” Sandra asked.

  They paused to catch their breath while Foster fiddled with the maps.

  “The best I can tell, it leads to the main sewage treatment facility.”

  “And where is that?” Captain Tom asked.

  “It’s on the outskirts of the city. About another half mile.”

  “We need food and rest. Is there anything around there?”

  “Can’t tell from these maps.”

  The drain system emptied into huge retaining pools where the sewage was treated, and the clean water recycled. But the facility was not operational, and a green stench hung over the stagnant pools.

  “We can’t stay here,” Aidan said, easing Gretchen down to rest. “I’m going to see what’s above us.”

  “Take this and be careful,” Captain Tom said, handing him his blaster.

  Aidan found a ladder leading up to a manhole cover. Carefully, he climbed up and listened for any sounds of life. He heard none. Nudging the cover with his shoulder, it slid open enough for him to pop his head into the intersection. There were no vehicles, Replicants, or any signs of people. Street lights were on but the buildings, mostly commercial and retail, were dark. He hopped up and ran into the closest building. It was a pastry shop. His stomach rumbled as he eyed the pastries in the window. The door was locked. He looked for signs of an alarm system, and when he didn’t find any, he broke the glass on the front door. It shattered causing loud reverberations through the area. Aidan pressed against the wall with his blaster in hand waiting for someone to investigate. After a few minutes, he looked down the streets and saw no one. He entered the bakery. Dough was still on the table with other ingredients. Something had spilled from a pot over the stove and was dripping down the side. It looks like they left in a hurry, he thought.

  Rushing back down the manhole, he explained what he found. Once in the bakery, they feasted on stale breads and pastries. After stuffing themselves, they needed sleep.

  “One of us should keep watch. I’ll take the first one,” Captain Tom said.

  “Okay, wake me in three hours,” Foster said.

  Gretchen was feeling better once she ate. Sandra lay next to her. “That was a courageous thing you did, saving us from what your father had planned,” she said.

  Gretchen nestled closer. “He used me. All my life, he lied to me and used me.”

  “It’s over now. You can live your life as you wish. I want to be a part of it.”

  Gretchen turned to her and smiled before falling into a deep sleep.

  Before Aidan went to rest, he contacted Acey. It was late on Earth, and he hated to wake her, but he was alone in the back of the bakery and wanted to talk.

  “Hello,” Acey said, wide awake.

  “I thought you might be sleeping.”

  “Aidan, hi. No. I’ve been up waiting for a call from Billy. We’re all awake here at Sue and Raina’s place. We’re leaving for Arizona tomorrow.”

  “How are the kids doing?”

  “Everyone’s fine. Hillary has been talking with them, trying to help them communicate with the Replicants. So far, no results. Are you safe?”

  “Yes, for the time being. We have to find a way up to the surface. It would be a lot easier if those zombies, as Annie calls them, were turned off.”

  “Please be careful.”

  Aidan sighed, longing to be holding her in his arms.

  “I will. I promise. I’d better get some sleep. Call me if anything happens.”

  “Good night. I love you.”

  “I love you too.”

  ***

  Captain Tom awakened Aidan. “Hey, get up. We have company.”

  Aidan stirred and sat up. Everyone was awake, looking out to the street. A caravan of vehicles, each holding four Replicants, was slowly driving down the street. “What’s going on?”

  “Looks like they’re heading down the road that leads up to the surface,” Foster said.

  Aidan crawled to the entrance and peeked out. “The vehicles are going down the road as far as the eye can see.”

  “This is it! They’re sending them to invade Earth,” Gretchen said.

  “We have to get up to the surface and stop them,” Captain Tom said. “We need a vehicle.”

  “Back here. I see one.”

  Everyone turned to Sandra. “Behind the bakery, on the side street,” she pointed.

  Aidan and Captain Tom spotted the vehicle from the rear entrance. It was a delivery vehicle that belonged to the bakery. “This will have to do. Hopefully, the keys are in the bakery somewhere,” Captain Tom said.

  “Here’s a set,” Gretchen said, throwing them to Aidan.

  Foster was busy checking the maps for the best route to the surface. “These maps are old. I only see three exits to the surface.”

  They huddled around him, studying the maps. “This is the one the Replicants are taking which looks like the most direct. Then there’s this one that’s on the other side of the city. We would be exposed for a long time if we were to take it. The third one goes through the center of the city before heading to the surface. The incline is steep, but it’s the shortest.”

  “Do you think that truck will make it up there?” Captain Tom asked.

  “We have no choice but to try,” Aidan said.

  “What about going through the center of the city? What do we do if we get noticed?” Gretchen asked.

  They all looked at each other before Captain Tom answered. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Right now, we have to get to the surface and stop them. Are we ready for this?”

  They all nodded and headed out to the truck. They piled in, and Foster started it up.

  “All right. Let’s do this!”

  ***

  Carina and Jonathan were trying desperately to communicate with the Replicants to no avail when Billy entered the room.

  “Mom wants to talk to you guys,” he said, turning on the com link speaker.

  “Mom. We can’t get through,” Carina said in a panic.

  “Okay. Relax. I found that I was able to communicate when I was relaxed. Clear your head and focus on breathing. That always worked for me.”

  “Okay, I’ll try.”

  “How are you doing, Jonathan?”

  “Fine, Mrs. Bayberry. But I’m not having any success either,” Jonathan answered.

  “Do your best. That’s all you can do. I’ll be home tonight. See you then and call me if you communicate. Love you.”

  “Love you, too. Bye.”

  Carina looked at Jonathan. “How did your dreams and visions come to you?”

  “Well, it was usually at night when I was trying to sleep,” Jonathan said.

  “So, you were relaxing when …”

  �
�No. I wasn’t relaxing. I was extremely upset thinking about how my parents died or how the kids teased me in school or something like that. I was always very upset when they came to me.”

  “Just like when they were going to kill me,” Carina said. “You were able to channel super-human strength.”

  “Yes. So instead of relaxing, maybe we should think of those things that make us upset,” Jonathan answered.

  “It’s worth a shot.”

  Carina turned off the lights in the room. She grabbed Jonathan’s hands and knelt in front of him. They closed their eyes. It didn’t take long before the horrifying events of being kidnapped and thrown into a cell came vividly back to Carina. When her brain tried to dismiss these thoughts, she focused harder on them. But it wasn’t until she saw herself lying on the table waiting for the Fourth Reich scientists to kill her did her fear kick into overdrive. She felt Jonathan’s hands twitching and was transported to that moment in time when she struggled against the restraints on the table. In her vision, she screamed out for Jonathan. He answered her. At that moment, their minds became one. More images came flooding in. Visions of mad scientists, of Replicants marching blindly and trampling everything in sight. Then her mind was yanked away into a hazy world of 1’s and 0’s flowing through a viscous gray substance. It made her sick to her stomach, and she tried to leave. But something was holding her there. Something was forcing her to follow the binary code through logic gates and decision trees. A blinding flash exploded, and she saw what was happening. She saw what she had to do. They began to rearrange the code as it continued to course through the gray matter. They waited to watch the new code propagating throughout all the Replicants. They made one final change. They locked the code so no one other than they could change it.

  When Carina and Jonathan came to, they were bathed in sweat. Billy and Annie were hovering over them.

  “We did it, didn’t we?” she asked.

  “I believe we did,” Jonathan answered.

  ***

  Everything went smoothly until they came to the checkpoint when they entered the central district. Foster slowed down. He watched the Replicants inspecting vehicles. His impression was they were looking for someone.

  “We can’t stay here. Pull out of this lane and head back,” Captain Tom told Foster.

  Foster turned into the other lane and started back. Looking in the rearview camera, he saw several Replicants get into an armored vehicle and begin following them.

  “They’re coming after us!” Foster yelled, as he hit the accelerator.

  “Head to the road on the other side of town,” Captain Tom said.

  Foster maneuvered down the street, keeping an eye on the Replicants behind him.

  “They’re gaining. Hold on,” he said, quickly turning down a side street.

  “Where are you going?” Aidan asked.

  “We have to get rid of them if we’re going to make it to the surface.”

  He pulled off to the side of the street yanking out his blaster. He opened the door and stepped out.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Captain Tom yelled.

  The armored vehicle stopped about ten yards away. Two Replicants got out and walked toward Foster with weapons drawn. “Everyone in the vehicle, come out with your hands over your head!”

  “Let’s go,” Aidan said to Captain Tom. “If there’s shooting, take the truck to this road up to the surface,” he said to Gretchen, handing her the map. As she reached to take it, she held Aidan’s hand.

  “Aidan, please be careful.”

  He smiled at her and stood with Foster and Captain Tom with hands on their heads. They waited for them to make the next move.

  As the Replicants approached, two more armored vehicles approached from the other direction blocking the delivery truck. “Shit! Now what?” Aidan said.

  Sandra screamed as more Replicants approached the truck. Aidan drew his blaster and fired at the two in front of him while Captain Tom and Foster aimed at the two approaching the truck.

  “Run for cover! Aidan yelled as they jumped behind the truck with Sandra and Gretchen. Aidan heard Sandra gasp as the crunch of the footsteps drew closer.

  34

  Aidan waited for the signal from Captain Tom. His blaster was fully charged and ready. The footsteps stopped. Captain Tom looked at Aidan and shrugged his shoulders. He looked out from behind the truck.

  “Stay here,” he said, walking slowly towards the Replicants.

  “What’s he doing?” Foster asked in a concerned voice.

  Aidan stood up and looked around the truck. The Replicants were immobile. “They’re not moving.”

  He continued to watch as Captain Tom slowly approached one of them and touched it with the tip of his blaster. It didn’t move. He slapped it as hard as he could, then quickly backed away, still pointing the blaster at its head.

  “Come out and take a look at this,” Captain Tom said.

  Slowly, they came out and saw the surreal situation.

  “What happened to them? Another power outage?” Gretchen asked.

  “I don’t think so. I bet the kids got through,” Aidan said, pulling out Gretchen’s com link and calling Billy.

  “Billy, did the kids communicate with the Replicants?”

  “They did. I’m so proud of them. What’s happening there?”

  “I’m standing in front of four of them. They’re completely shut down.”

  No sooner had the words left Aidan’s mouth when the Replicants started moving again.

  “Watch out!” Foster yelled.

  Aidan dropped the com link and took up a kneeling position. Captain Tom aimed his blaster at them. Instead of moving forward, the Replicants began moving away. They got into their vehicles and drove off. Aidan heard Billy calling out to him. He picked up the com link.

  “They’re awake and drove away,” Aidan said.

  Carina and Jonathan listened to the conversation. “Can I talk to him?” Carina asked.

  “We reprogrammed them to attack the leaders of the Fourth Reich. That’s where they’re going.”

  Aidan watched as they headed back down the road. “I hope you’re right. We saw a large convoy of Replicants getting ready to leave for Earth. I’ll call you when we get to the surface. Have you talked to your mother?”

  “Yes. Everyone left D.C. and should be home shortly.”

  “What about Raina?”

  “She stayed and was called into a security session with the Federated Earth Defense Committee at the Pentagon.”

  “Does she know what you kids did?”

  “Yes, Mom told her before she left.”

  “Great news. We’re leaving for the surface now. We’ll be home soon.”

  “Please be careful.”

  “We will. See you soon.”

  ***

  Citizens cautiously came out of their homes and safe places, puzzled about the circumstances. They huddled in groups trying to make sense of the eerie situation. It was difficult maneuvering through the streets, but Foster managed to get to the central district of the city. As they approached, an explosion rocked buildings in the area. The administration building was hardest hit, and members of the Fourth Reich came running out. The Replicants were there to greet them, shooting them down in the street. Foster inched his way through the chaos and then up the road leading to the surface.

  “I don’t see any Replicants,” Sandra said.

  “They probably turned back like the others,” Aidan said.

  “I hope you’re right,” Captain Tom said.

  The entrance to the surface was ahead. There was one Private operating the entire facility. He cautiously stuck his head out from the guard shack. Captain Tom went out to talk to him. The Private jumped to attention and saluted. His face was bloody, and his clothes torn.

  “At ease, Private. Is there anyone else here?”

  “No, sir. I’m it.”

  “What happened?”

  “They came in truckloads. Th
ere were only twelve of us here. We tried to hold them off, but they overwhelmed us. They executed everyone, and when it was my turn, they stopped dead in their tracks. It was weird. I didn’t wait around but took off and hid. Then they up and left.”

  “I’m glad you survived. Did any of them make it to the surface?”

  “No, sir. As I said, they just turned around and left.”

  “Good work. What’s your name?”

  “Private Samuel Jordan, sir,” he said, snapping to attention.

  “I’m Captain Tom Gardner. I will see that you’re commended for your valor when this is all over. But for now, we have to get to the surface.”

  “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. Park the truck around the corner and then head to airlock 2A. The tram will take you to the processing station on the surface. There are employees there who can arrange transportation back to Earth.”

  Captain Tom saluted and instructed Foster where to park the truck. He met them at the entrance to the airlock. “Let’s get out of here,” he said, boarding the tram. The airlock hissed as the tram moved upwards for about a mile. No one said much.

  ***

  The processing station was on lockdown – no incoming or outgoing. The security guards were alerted about the tram and were there to meet them. The transparent dome roof normally was fogged up from the artificial atmosphere inside, but today it was clear, and Aidan couldn’t help but stare at the Earth hovering overhead.

  “Sir, I have orders to put you on a shuttle back to Earth. It should be ready in fifteen minutes. Please help yourself to refreshments,” the guard told Captain Tom.

  “Thanks. I don’t know about you guys, but I need a cup of coffee.”

  While everyone headed to the refreshment stand, Aidan called Acey.

  “I’m leaving for Earth and should be home soon. I miss you so much. Give me a call when you get this. I love you.”

  Sandra came over to Aidan and handed him a cup of coffee. “I want to thank you for what you did for Gretchen and me.”