The Synthesis and the Animus (The Phantom of the Earth Book 3) (18 page)

“Twenty-seven million,” Isabelle screamed. And now more softly: “My children … all that effort … all that life, wasted.” She squeezed the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger.

“But you didn’t send nine million candidates to the Lower Level after the first Harpoon Auction this year.”

“I sent enough. The BP will surely take advantage. Atticus doesn’t understand the problem he’s created.”

“He is a fool.” Antosha shook his head. “His rule has been a necessary step toward ours, nothing more.”

Antosha had the panel render night in Beimeni City into view, a bazaar with golden tents and offerings of Phanean carpets embroidered with shape-shifting trees. A double helix floated between two Janzer divisions guarding the market.

“All I need do is make a few adjustments,” he brushed through the Janzers’ DNA as if it were the strings on his deodar violin, “and I could take out his entire army.”

Antosha shifted the view to the chancellor delivering a speech at Artemis Square. Masimovian lifted his arms toward the millions of Beimenians who looked on. Antosha caused a rendering of several transhuman double helixes. “He’s created a race so weak that if I chose, I could wipe them all out.” He turned to Isabelle.

“Can’t you eliminate these flaws?”

Antosha led her into his study and activated a workstation. Above it materialized a geometric molecular structure.

She caressed it with her forefingers. “It’s remarkable …”

“It is the maximal, master genome. It is hyperpower. This is what I’ll use to restore the man frozen near absolute zero to his prior self. It’s what I’ll use to defeat Captain Barão and lead the people, with you, back to the surface.”

Antosha wasn’t sure if she was listening any longer. She seemed enamored by the molecules. He’d spoken to her often of his work, but this was the first time he’d revealed his progress so vividly and so concretely. All those years in the Lower Level had served him well in this regard.

“Barão’s strategist—” Isabelle said.

“Learned the basics of hyperpower, same as the others will. And though its present form allows me to conduct operations with the CRISPR system unknown to transhumans, when it’s complete, we shall evolve thousands of times faster than during the Age of Masimovian, in ways directed to enhance diversity rather than limit it, ways that no transhuman, not even you or I, will fully understand until the process begins.”

She turned to him, smiling, but there was something in her eyes he couldn’t read. “You have the Lorum. What else do you require?”

He ran his thumb along the corner of her eye. “Reassortment in its raw, unaltered form … and volunteers.”

Research & Development Department (RDD)

Palaestra, Underground Northeast

2,500 meters deep

“Captain Barão’s
never
in the Reassortment research center,” Gwen complained. Standing on the terrace of her Champion’s Suite, she held out her glass and Juvelle, her keeper bot, filled it with Gallian wine. She sipped it, tasting tangy sweetness. “He wasn’t in again today.” She sighed. “It’s no wonder he hasn’t found a cure for Reassortment.”

Caterina loosened her silk scarf, ruffled it, then pulled it around her bare shoulders. “Gwenny,” she said softly, “we’re not supposed to talk about our research!” Hundreds of RDD neophytes partied inside and outside of Gwen’s suite, including on the wide rooftop deck above. Caterina turned her head toward the crowd and made a show of moving her glass in a circle. “Not everyone here’s trustworthy!”

Gwen scanned her terrace. A group of neophytes were taking shots of bright red liquor served by one of the migrant Jurinarians she’d hired for the party. Another group danced in sync with the electronica music near the grape vines dangling beneath a marble archway, and yet more neophytes had gathered beside and inside the hot tub. Many more danced on the roof and roamed in and out of the suite. Gwen didn’t think
any
of them were trustworthy, but she’d not admit that to Caterina. Her friend from development worked in the Leguna Facility where the primary focus of Supreme Scientist Vanya Canis concerned the creation of synisms with mechanical-and nuclear-engineering capabilities.

“You’re not one to judge.” Gwen touched her lips. “As I recall after your first day shadowing in Leguna, all you could talk about were the biostars … and Cael—”

“Shut up!” Caterina turned to Roger, her boyfriend since their early days of development, who chatted with his siblings-in-development. He looked like he had combed his hair this evening and parted it to the left, and he’d finally shaved his grotesque-looking beard.

Gwen giggled. She handed her wineglass to Juvelle, then cupped her face and swayed as if about to swoon, doing her best impression of Cat. “‘Oh Gwenny, you won’t believe how cute my master is—’”

“Shut up!” Caterina playfully swatted Gwen with the bottom of her scarf.

Gwen laughed. She grabbed her wineglass from Juvelle. “Don’t be so prudish,” she said, bobbing with the electronica music. She sipped what remained of her wine, then held out her glass for a refill. While Juvelle poured, Gwen slyly looked at Roger and his friends, men and women who she and Cat had developed with during the first trimester. It was still odd to see them outside the Harpoon VR. “It’s not like he’s your eternal partner.”

Another neophyte stole Gwen’s attention. Markus Venatici had stepped out onto the terrace. Shades of red and blue light drowned the glass walls on either side of him, emphasizing his dark features, the single curl of hair over his forehead, his long eyelashes, his mustache. Marble steps beside him led down to the hot tub where neophytes drank and danced. Their frolicking distracted Markus long enough for Gwen to position Juvelle ahead of her.

Caterina turned. “Now who’s the synism calling the bacterium stupid?” A joke spread by the neophytes after several had heard it from their masters. “Does Markus know about … Mr. Right Now?” Caterina asked, raising her brow.

“Don’t give me that look,” Gwen said, not unkindly. “What do you think? Cat, you
cannot
tell anyone about us. Not until—”

“After the Bicentennial, right,” Caterina rolled her eyes. She grinned. “He can’t be
that
good, can he?”

“It’s not about the sex. It’s about—”

“Reassortment. Right. Sure thing. But you’re already on the Reassortment research team, Gwenny. And Captain Barão—”

“Has been the supreme scientist of Reassortment since 288 and he’s not found a cure. He can’t.” Gwen shook her head, swaying with the music. “He’s too distracted, especially since his … disappearance.”

Caterina held out her glass for a refill from Juvelle. “You never mentioned what happened to him.”

“I don’t really know. It was the first day I shadowed him. He taught me about Reassortment, which is totally disgusting by the way. Then he dismissed me. He must’ve worked eighteen hours that day if he was there so late. He disappeared on his way home that night, and I didn’t see him for a few days. I worked with a few members of his team during his absence, then out of nowhere he returned … different.” Gwen pressed her lips together and huffed. “He shouldn’t be running the Ventureño Facility.”

“So who should be? Mr. Right Now? He was
exiled,
Gwenny. He killed—”

“I’ve heard enough about Antosha’s so-called crimes. None of you know him, not truly. He’s only ever treated me with kindness. If Captain Barão can change, so can—”

Gwen took a sharp breath. Antosha had stepped out onto her terrace! He descended the stairs, his elbow interlocked with Supreme Scientist Vanya Canis’s arm. His sister-in-development.

“Oh gods,” Gwen said, feeling her heart thunder inside her chest. She tugged Caterina by her arm and pulled her closer to the balustrade.

Caterina’s wine splashed over her gown. “What the hell, Gwenny?” she yelled.

“
Shut up!
” Gwen felt as if she were drowning. “Juvelle! Clean Cat’s dress!” Juvelle pushed on her left-side plate, beneath her arm, and out spun fifteen vials filled with synisms. The keeper bot plucked one and dabbed a metallic finger into it, drawing the liquid out. Juvelle pointed at Caterina and sprayed her. The wine coloring cleared from her dress. Gwen handed the bot her emptied wineglass. She wrung her hands together.

“What’s wrong?” Caterina asked.

Gwen looked out upon the Research Superstructure transport station and the surrounding facilities, drenched by Granville starlight. She wished she were in one of those facilities rather than on her terrace. “Mr. Right Now is here, right now.”

Caterina peered over her shoulder. “I see him. He’s with the supreme scientist who runs my facility. He looks rather splendid tonight.” She raised an eyebrow and pushed out her lips.

Gwen snuck a look. Antosha
did
look handsome. He wore a dark bodysuit with a phoenix sewed over his chest. Golden buttons lined his sides and forearms. His obsidian eye, flecked by snowflakes, caught her gaze. He whispered into Vanya’s ear. The supreme scientist of the Leguna Facility smiled and sauntered over to the hot tub. She artfully slipped out of her fur-lined cape, which had concealed her entirely. Beneath she wore a two-piece bathing suit and silk dress made of the finest Palaestran silks. The neophytes cleared a spot for her.

“He’s coming,” Gwen said. “How do I look?”

Now Caterina swayed the way Gwen had earlier. She placed the back of her hand on her forehead. “I don’t know. I’m just a stupid, silly girl who received a bid in the top five hundred.” More than thirteen million candidates had competed in the Harpoon Exams in the first trimester. “I wasn’t the champion.”

“Asshole.”

Caterina chuckled, looking again at Antosha. “He’s such a
wicked
man, Gwenny. That’s why you like him so much.” She kissed Gwen on each cheek, then whispered, “Have fun.” She floated to the other side of the terrace, where she joined Roger and their friends.

The music seemed louder, suddenly. Gwen remembered the spa, when Antosha had made love to her until sunset. She’d fallen asleep in his arms. When she’d awakened, she had slipped his grasp and moved her forefingers over his bronze skin, from his neck, down his chest and abs to his manhood and legs, then back up to his neck. She loved the way he held her, kissed her, touched her, and how he said “gorgeous Gwendolyn.” And she loved the way he looked upon her now, as if she was the only woman who mattered in the multiverse, a look that made her want to grab him, kiss him, and wrap her legs around him.

“I hope it’s all right that Vanya and I stopped by the Champion’s Suite,” Antosha said. “Your parties are well known in the RDD.” He peered toward Vanya, as did Gwen. The supreme scientist had sprawled on one of the chairs near the hot tub and now sipped a glass of champagne. She looked like she had arrived after a visit to the Fountain of Youth, her dark skin glimmering and taut around her cheeks and eyes. If Gwen didn’t know her, she might’ve mistaken her for an RDD neophyte.

“I didn’t think supreme scientists hung out with neophytes,” she said.

“How would we get to know our apprentice shadows,” he said, “if we didn’t mingle with them? The others are fools for ignoring theirs outside of work.”

Though the music drowned out most conversation, Gwen lowered her voice. “What I meant was: Why are
you
here? Is that wise? What will people say—”

“People are always going to talk, my violin.” Antosha touched her waist, and Gwen wanted nothing more than to ease into his grasp. “You may as well give them something good to say.” He stepped back.

She gasped, then grabbed his hand. “I don’t want you to leave—”

“A bit
old
to be hanging out with neophytes,” Markus said, “don’t you think?” He eased his arm around Gwen. She dropped Antosha’s hand and broke free from Markus. “You must be what, over a hundred?”

Gwen looked at Antosha. In truth, while the supreme scientist of Project Regenesis was just over fifty years old, he looked as youthful as any neophyte. If he had only fixed his mismatched silver eye, he would be perfect …

Gwen exhaled and placed her hand on Markus’s chest. “You’re drunk.”

Markus moved his head side to side. “You just need to drink more.” He snapped his fingers at Juvelle. The bot’s eye slit glowed, then dimmed. It looked to Gwen, who shook her head no.

“What, you’re too good for us …” Markus said to Gwen. Swaying away from her, he leaned against the balustrade, his elbows upon the crystalline ledge. “Now that you’re a Harpoon Champion?” A House Lissette candidate, Markus had received a bid from an RDD consortium in the top one percent of all candidates. But he blamed Gwen for sabotaging his performance in the second-half critical-reasoning session. They were both team captains, on separate teams, and though they’d crossed paths in the maze, she hadn’t helped him when she could have. They’d been on a dating “break” since the auction.

“You’re a clever fellow,” Antosha said. He stepped beside Markus, who lifted his arms from the balustrade and straightened. It was the first time Gwen had ever seen fear in Markus’s eyes. “I’m not going to hurt you.” Antosha brushed the back of his forefinger across Markus’s sweaty left temple. He whispered in his ear.

Markus staggered away from them.

“What’d you tell him?” Gwen asked.

“The truth.” Antosha paused. “You
are
too good for him.”

Markus made his way through the throng, then disappeared into the suite. Gwen didn’t know him to be a man to give up like that. Oddly, a part of her pitied him. “How’d you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Change him.”

“It’s up here.” Antosha tapped his temple with two forefingers. “One day you’ll learn, and when you do the people will drown in your consciousness.” He grinned. “Did you wonder why Captain Barão missed work today?” Gwen shrugged. “He’s being held in the DOP on suspicion of treason.”

Gwen opened her mouth wide. “Does this mean you—”

Antosha waved his hand. “A misunderstanding. The chancellor will release the captain tonight.”

“Oh,” Gwen said, lowering her head. “I’d hoped …”