Immortal (34 page)

“Why won’t they listen and just stay inside?”
He asked himself as the elevator door slid open. Counting Vanessa
and Amelia, this brought the death toll to eleven. Eleven citizens
killed in less than a day. More deaths than had ever occurred in
all of New Sebastian since its founding. This could not continue,
he thought, as he stepped out of the elevator and made his way back
towards Roger’s office.

“Oh, Jillian.” He said to himself. “How could
we have let this happen?” He shook his head, and then refocused on
the task at hand. He keyed the command to initiate the rejuvenation
program to retrieve the hand for Roger. Inventory had shown that
the needed product was ready and waiting at the warehouse. Another
alert popped up as he approached the door to the office. This one
read, sat image retrieval. He had never seen such an alert before.
The door slid open and he entered. Roger sat at his desk, as he
reviewed a read out.

“My hand?” Roger asked, as he raised the
bandaged hand.

“The Rejuvenation command has been initiated.
The product is in inventory so there will be no delays.”

“Good. Did you get the alert?” Roger
asked.

“Which alert, sir?”

“The sat image thing.”

“Yes, sir. I just received it, however I am
unfamiliar with such an alert.” Charles said, as Roger keyed a few
strokes on his unit.

“Come look.” He said. Charles stepped over
and stood beside the Premier as an image began to load onscreen.
Roger toggled a button, and the image began to appear on the wall
in front of them. Row by row of pixilated colors spread across the
image, as it slowly filled in.

“What is it, sir?”

“I’m not sure.” Roger said, as he rose from
his seat, and stepped over the wall. “This could be the ocean. Like
seen from above. See the sparkles from the sunlight. And this
bright square spot. It could be a roof.”

“Yes. I see. But what roof, sir. See the
shadow it casts on the water? If it is a building…it must be quite
tall.”

“Look!” He said, as he pointed at a bright
rectangle next to the square. “Is this what I think it is?” Roger
stepped closer, and his blood ran cold when he realized what he
saw. “It’s the cargo ship isn’t it?”

“Sir, there may be more than one. We don’t
know that-”

“It’s the ship! And its already there!” he
slammed his good hand against the wall. “The bastards! But how? I
saw him push the button.”

“And we heard the return sequence activated,
sir. There was no doubt about that.”

“They are there.” Roger said in disbelief.
“They are already there.”

“What now, sir?”

“Connect to Adam.”

“But, sir. That is against protocol.” Roger
looked at him with wonderment in his eyes, as he sat back down at
his desk.

“Protocol, Charles? Really? Don’t you think
we are quite outside of protocol by now. Just shut up, and connect
me.” He popped two more pills and chased them down with blue
liquid.

“You must be Gabrielle.” Adam said, as he
turned away from Jonah. She eyed him suspiciously.

“You don’t know me.”

“True enough. But I know of you.” He turned
to Jericho. “And you are Jericho.” He said as he approached him.
Jericho took a step back, as his hand tightened on his weapon.
“It’s okay.” Adam said softly, a slight smile on his face. He
turned back to Jonah. “You are injured.” He said as he approached
him. “Let me help.” He said, as he escorted him over to a chair and
eased him into it. He stepped to a panel on the wall, opened it,
and removed a metallic syringe. He walked back to Jonah. “This
might hurt a bit, but it will repair your injury.”

“What is it?” Jonah asked.

“Tiny little machines that work on a
nanoscopic level. They are already programmed to make the repair.”
He said as he injected him near the wound. Jonah flinched from the
injection, but instantly his face relaxed. “There is a mild
sedative in the injection as well to help with your pain.” He
looked over at Gabrielle and Jericho. “Quite remarkable aren’t
they.” As he visually inspected the two of them.

“Who are you?” Jericho asked.

“I am Adam.”

“No. I know what you are called. I mean, who
are you? What is this place?”

“Yes, of course. I am Adam. This is my home.”
He said as he swept his hand around and indicated the large room
they occupied. “And this place? This place is what we call
Speros.”

“What is Speros?” Gabrielle interjected. Adam
turned to her. His smile never wavered. The blondness of his hair,
contrasted demurely with his tan complexion.

“Something you may call a factory, of sorts.
Certainly we make things here.”

“What things?” Jonah asked, as he moved his
shoulder, testing to see if the pain had really began to
subside.

“My old friend. It is so good to see you
again. After these many years.”

“What things.” Jericho asked again.

“Oh many things, really.” He stepped across
the room and took a seat. “Please sit.” He indicated the other open
chairs and couches in the center of the room. No one moved. He
laughed easily. “Please sit. You are quite safe here. And all of
your questions will soon be answered.” He indicated again that they
should sit. Jonah moved first, and then reluctantly Jericho
followed. Gabrielle remained standing. “You must be hungry.” Adam
said, and waived his hand in a peculiar motion. “Jillian. Food and
drink please.”

“Yes, Adam.” Responded a female voice from
thin air.

“What things?” Jericho asked again, having
settled into an oversized chair. Adam continued to smile
easily.

“Food. And drink, for starters. We provide
all of the food for New Sebastian.”

“The meats?” Jonah asked.

“And the sparkle waters. Even the liquids and
foodstuffs provided in the…Village…I believe that is what you call
it?” He said to Jericho, who nodded.

“But this is just a tall building. How can
you provide the meats. Where do you keep the animals?” Jonah
asked.

“Animals?” Adam asked, as a puzzled
expression entered his face. “Oh, Jonah. There have not been any
animals for hundreds of years.”

“Then what is the meat that we eat?” Jonah
asked, a twinge of nervousness entered his voice.

“It is quite safe you know. And
nutritious.”

“What is it?” Jonah’s voice betrayed his
concern.

“It is meat.” Adam said simply.

“Meat from what?” Jonah’s voice carried a
hint of animosity that Adam instantly detected, and his expression
changed to one of concern. “Is it human?” Jonah asked, fearful of
the answer.

“Human?” Adam replied, the confusion evident
in his expression. “What ever would make you think that, Jonah.”
Adam said, as his expression softened back into the slight smile.
“It is of animal origin. We grow the sections of meat here on
Speros, from tissue cultures harvested long ago from animal
specimens before they became extinct. It truly is meat, Jonah.
Animal meat. There are simply no animals.” Jonah relaxed at this
answer. “We long ago introduced genetic enhancements to the tissue
cultures, allowing for most of the necessary nutrients needed by
humans to be absorbed or generated by the growth process. The only
differences between the two types that we make, are color and a
slight flavor variation. Purely for semantics, really. I little
diversity in the diet, so to speak. And the sweet bread, the
cakes…we had to add those as some of the needed complex sugars and
carbohydrates could not reliably be introduced into the meat
product. So they help round out a balanced uptake of the
appropriate vitamins and minerals.”

The door slid open and a young woman entered
carrying a tray. She crossed the room and set it on the low table
in the center of the grouping of seats.

“Thank you, Jillian. Won’t you please join
us?” Adam asked. She nodded, and took a seat next to him.

“Jonah.” She said, as she smiled at his dazed
expression.

“I thought you…” He began to stammer.

“Were dead?” She asked, as the smile lingered
on her face.

“Well, yes.” He replied. “Long ago.” He
looked from her to Adam. “Both of you. Long ago.”

“We have developed some remarkable
technologies over the years.” Adam said. “Jonah, how does your
shoulder feel?”

“Better.” Jonah said, and smiled slightly.
Adam gestured towards the food and drink on the tray.

“Please, help yourselves.” Jonah, reached
out, his hand hovered over a piece of meat. The same meat he had
eaten all of his life, yet he hesitated. Adam smiled, and nodded.
Jonah picked up the piece and took a bite. Jericho shoved a sweet
bun in his mouth, and snapped the top off of a bottle of sparkle
water.

“What kind of technologies?” Gabrielle asked,
as she did her best to ignore the food. “Do you have a village
here?” She asked sarcastically.

“A village?” Asked Jillian, not
understanding.

“Oh goodness, no. Nothing of the sort.” Adam
replied, as he mirrored the concern in Gabrielle’s face. “Mostly
biotechnologies. Some biomechanical integration. A few
nanomolecular solutions, like that I have used on Jonah. But
nothing like your village, I assure you.”

“What is this village you speak of?” Jillian
asked Gabrielle.

“It is the place referred to as farm.” Adam
said to her softly, and then spoke to the group. “I apologize for
the use of the terminology. Our citizenry is well aware of the
dynamics of your society in New Sebastian. It is that very reason
why we are here.”

“To perpetuate it?” Jonah asked, as anger
flashed in his face. “By providing the very foods we eat?”

“Oh dear, Jonah. Not in anyway have we sought
to perpetuate it. Much to the opposite actually. Please let me try
and explain. Individually we have come here through the years,
because this is the only place we can come. There is no where else
to go.”

“But why come here?” Gabrielle asked.

“Precisely.” Adam said. “We have each come
here for one of two reasons. Either we did not and would not
participate in the atrocities that have kept the human race alive
in New Sebastian, or…” Each of them watched him, and as he paused,
they waited with both fear and anticipation as to what he may say
next. “…or because we were dying.”

“Dying?” Jonah asked.

“You know of Jillian’s case, do you not? She
was unable to take the rejuvenation treatments, and was on the
verge of death.” Jonah nodded. “And you know of my case?”

“No.” Jonah replied. “I know what I was made
to believe. That you had died in the ocean. That it had been my
fault.” Jonah said, the sadness entered his voice, even though he
knew it was not true.

“The truth is much much simpler. I had
overheard Roger and his father speaking.” He began. “The Premier
was already grooming Roger, even at that early age, and was
explaining to him the rejuvenation process. In that short
conversation, I heard the horrors of how our society perpetuated
their youth. I learned about the farm. And of the specimens…” He
paused and took a moment to compose himself. “The humans that
populated the village, and of how they were indiscriminately
slaughtered.” He saw the expression in Gabrielle’s face change.
“Please forgive my choice of words. I do not mean to upset you.
Suffice it to say, I refused to be a part of it. Afterwards Roger
and I had a huge fight, and ultimately he told his farther what I
had heard. The Premier had me brought to his office, and I had two
options. Accept the society as it was, and pledge my undying
loyalty to uphold the secrets I had heard, or…” He sat up, and
looked into his lap. “Or, be ostracized from that society.” He got
up, and walked to the glass wall, and looked out across the vast
ocean. He could just see the ship at the edge of the horizon as it
sailed away. He nodded.

“I take it, you chose the later.” Jonah said
quietly. Adam nodded.

“I was the first citizen of Speros. All those
years ago. When I first came here, the building we stand in now did
not exist. It was just the manufacturing plants beneath us.
Everything was automated. I would snatch bits of food and drink
from the processing lines, just to survive. It was over a hundred
years before I ever saw another human being.”

“You poor, dear.” Jillian said.

“Does Charles know that you are here?” Jonah
asked Jillian. She shook her head.

“He knows I came. But I was on the verge of
death then. I can’t imagine after all this time that he still
thinks I might be alive.” The sadness showed clearly on her face,
but no tears escaped.

“How many of you are there here?” Jericho
asked.

“Not counting you of course.” Adam said,
indicating the three of them. “There are three of us.”

“Just three?” Jonah asked.

“Just three. All the manufacturing and
shipping processes are automated.” He crossed the room and sat back
down. “We focus on research and development mostly. Doing our best
to improve the chances of humanity surviving…and trying to find
solutions to eliminate the need for New Sebastian’s rejuvenation
philosophy.”

“And what about the Guardians?” Gabrielle
asked.

“The Guardians.” Adam began. “They are
manufactured and even repaired here. Again, a totally automatic
process. Their base programming was written by the original
programmers well before our lifetimes.”

“Why did the Guardians on the ship ignore
us?” Jericho asked.

“We’ve made some changes in some of the
units. Those on the ship are simply programmed to ensure the ship
makes its journey safely. They have no behavior programmed into
them regarding humans.”

“But the one listened to my commands.” Jonah
said, and Adam nodded.

“They are all programmed to hear human
speech, and the ones on the ship will respond to such, as
requested. Much like the one through which I communicated with
you.”