No Time to Die (19 page)

“This is the secret lab?” Zoe asked in disbelief.

“Come,” Galileo said, turning off the ignition. “Just follow me.”

They jumped out, grabbed their backpacks from the trunk, and walked past the fountain through two heavy doors. A blast of cigarette smoke and air conditioning greeted them. Natalie felt a rush of unease as the sights and sounds of the casino hit them—clattering coins, shrill beeping noises, rows of colorfully blinking machines. A few older men sat huddled around a roulette table in the center of the floor. No one paid them any attention, and before they could absorb the atmosphere, Galileo was leading them into an empty carpeted hallway. They wound around four corners, three lefts and a right, until coming to a stop in front of a black door that read
AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY
.

Natalie traded looks with Zoe and Theo. They stared at her, bewildered. Had Galileo lured them here after all? Had she been a fool to trust him? Who the hell was he, anyway? She would never forgive herself if anything happened to them.

But it was too late to second-guess anything now. Only jail awaited back home.

Galileo pressed his index finger against the door's metal lock. After three seconds it clicked and opened. He ushered them into a compact elevator and the door slid shut behind them with a metallic whir. Immediately the floor dropped. It seemed like minutes passed. Natalie was sure they were going to hit bottom, but their descent continued, slow and measured. Her heart knocked against her chest at an alarming rate.

They stopped with a thud. A door that she had thought was a wall opened onto a dank, pitch-black tunnel. There was no saying how long or deep it ran. She tightened her arms around Theo and Zoe. Neither resisted.

“Welcome,” Galileo's voice reverberated down the narrow passage. “On the other side, your new life awaits.”

All truths are easy to understand once they are
discovered; the point is to discover them.

—G
ALILEO
G
ALILEI
, 1564–1642

T
he walk through the tunnel was brisk. With a flashlight, Galileo led single file, trailed by Natalie, Zoe, and Theo. The comfortable mood of the car ride was gone, replaced by tension as thick as fog. Though they had been traveling together for almost three straight days, Zoe knew that the balance of power had shifted completely to him. It was too late to turn back. Not that she wanted to.

As they trekked deeper, their footsteps scuffing the concrete floor, she found herself thinking of the first man in space. He of all people would understand her electrifying mix of terror and anticipation, the two strange traveling companions that accompanied a journey into the unknown. She was grateful not to be alone.

The air smelled like cool packed dirt. Galileo's flashlight shone brightly, illuminating the sheer jagged rock walls that bordered their path. Her thighs burned as they trudged along, and soon she realized that they were climbing up a long, subterranean slope. After about twenty minutes, the path dead-ended at a door. He turned to face them, and she could just make out the outline of his sharp jaw moving in the dim light.

“It's after three a.m. but people don't keep normal hours here.”

He pressed his index finger against the lock and twisted the knob.

Zoe planted her feet, bracing herself. She didn't know she was squeezing her eyes shut until Theo gave her a little tap on the back. Stumbling across the threshold, she inhaled the freshest air she had ever breathed.

And opened her eyes.

She found herself in a circular concrete courtyard measuring about an acre, surrounded by a series of connected, short brown buildings. Beyond those, the mountains stretched to the sky, blocking out any sign of the casino and its flashy lights. The only light here was the silvery gleam of the moon and a few irregular yellow glows emanating from different rooms. In a window to her right, Zoe could see people bustling about, walking back and forth carrying some kind of equipment. In windows to her left, people were lying in white beds, reading or watching television. She recognized the blinking monitors and cluster of wires at their sides. They must be patients, she thought. In hospital beds.

Next to her, Natalie and Theo were looking around in awe. Galileo checked his cell phone, giving them a minute to get their bearings.

Natalie shook her head. “I don't understand. How is this possible? How could you get away with having this whole place carved out?”

Galileo gave her a mischievous smile. “Reservations are considered domestic dependent nations. The tribes have territorial sovereignty to rule their own land, so the government can't touch it.”

“How did you get it?”

“Through a special arrangement with the Laguna Pueblos. We share some of our funding with them and they don't ask questions. It's win-win.”

Zoe traded a glance with Theo, impressed. This was a man who knew how to pull things off.

He gestured to the courtyard, which was empty except for a few scattered benches and a rectangular spread of grass that resembled a small park. “We call this the quad. It's where we hold meetings of the entire compound. To our right are the labs. Natalie, yours is waiting and ready. I'll show you down there in the morning.”

She frowned. “Down where?”

He seemed pleased. “There's always more than meets the eye, isn't there? That building goes five stories underground.”

Her eyebrows lifted. “Oh. With how many labs?”

“Seventeen in use. Another ten waiting for new recruits.” He shifted his attention to the row in the next section of the circle, straight in front of them. The squat buildings were constructed of tan adobe bricks, an oval window carved in each facade. “Those are the living quarters. You'll each have your own private apartment with a bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom. They're tiny, I'm afraid. But you're all used to Manhattan.”

“I get my own place? Sweet.” Theo jogged a few yards ahead to scope out the apartments, and Zoe couldn't help admiring the cut muscles of his calves.

She tugged Galileo's shirt. “Will we be next to each other?” It was weird to think of living in her own apartment, but then, what about any of this
wasn't
weird?

“You and Theo will be,” Galileo said. “Natalie, we have a place for you closer to your lab and next to Helen. But don't worry, it's just a short hallway away.”

Natalie frowned. “When can I see her?”

“I'll tell her we're here, but she's probably asleep. Which reminds me. There are intercoms wired in every room, which you can use to reach each other. We don't have phones.”

Zoe hugged her elbows tight, thinking of Gramps. “So no call to the outside?”

He shook his head as the three of them watched Theo jog back toward them, grinning. “We have some pretty strict rules, as you can imagine. If any information slipped about our location, it could endanger all of us.”

She crossed her arms as Theo reached them. His smile vanished when he saw her frustrated expression. “But how can we contact people, then?” she demanded.

“We have the Internet on two computers up there.” He pointed to the tallest point on the compound—a slim, windowed tower set on the roof of the lab building. “That's the Brain, our center of command. You can write e-mails there as necessary, which our 24/7 IT security team will review and anonymize to send through proxy servers and obscure our IP address.”

Zoe watched Theo to see if he understood this. To her surprise, he was nodding.

“How many servers do they bounce it off?” he asked.

“About ten. By the time it reaches the recipient, the outbound server is completely masked.”

“Badass. Do you think I could talk to the IT guys sometime? I want to study computer science in college.”

“I'll arrange it. Maybe we can get you a head start here.”

Theo widened his eyes at Zoe as if to say,
Doesn't this place rock?

She scowled. Gramps didn't use e-mail, never had. How was she supposed to contact him? Later she would ask Galileo what to do. He seemed to have a solution for everything.

“Let's continue our orientation,” he said, gesturing to a barnlike structure next to the apartment section that reminded Zoe of her high school gym—a wide, low-ceilinged box. “That's the cafeteria. Three meals are served a day, between seven and nine, noon and two, and six and eight. It's nothing fancy, but it's better than your typical mess hall. There's also a small fitness center with some treadmills and weights, open all the time. But most people get their exercise here with a hike.” He waved toward the mountains. “Back there's a trail with some good hills. It's isolated and inaccessible except from here, so don't worry about being seen. Be alert for wildlife, though. We have had a few rattlesnake sightings.”

“Awesome!” Theo exclaimed, looking at Zoe. “We should check it out.”

“Yeah,” she said. “Sure.”

Ever since she had insisted on sneaking out in the trunk back in Ohio, the dynamic between them had changed. Theo seemed friendlier, less freaked out. She hoped it had something to do with gaining his respect, and nothing to do with pity.

“Just be careful, you guys,” Natalie said. “Don't go looking for trouble.”

“Mom,” he groaned.

“Sorry, but as your mother, I have a biological obligation to tell you that.” She exchanged a smile with Galileo, and Zoe thought she saw a strange look pass between them. She was sure Natalie held his gaze a second too long.

“Can we see the Brain center?” Theo asked. He was like the typical kid in a candy store, she thought. A total techie nerd, not at all the shallow jock she had assumed on first impression. A hot nerd, no less.

Galileo chuckled. “Another time. I think your mother and Zoe would probably rather get some sleep before tomorrow.”

Zoe knew she was too hyper to sleep, but Natalie agreed.

“Almost done here,” he said. “I want you to know your way around.” He motioned to the final section of buildings on their left side, where the patients were housed. “That's the hospital and rehab center. Right now we have six patients receiving experimental treatments. We try to keep up their quality of life as much as possible, so please, go introduce yourselves sometime. They love getting visitors. It boosts their morale.”

“Will do,” Zoe promised. And she meant it. Even if she wasn't sick in the traditional sense, she wasn't so different from them—struggling to break free of her physical limitations, with the future hazy and unpredictable. But then, she wondered, who
wasn't
in that boat? Everyone “normal” was stuck in the booby trap of their own bodies too—but rather than be frozen like her, they were fighting to stave off deterioration. Her mom had a whole cabinet of antiaging products that did nothing, while her wrinkles and her worries deepened.

But if—and it was a big if—Natalie could find her mutation, it would mean a whole new paradigm for life—and death. Her aging process could be switched on until she reached the perfect age, like twenty-five, and then switched off in Gramps and her parents. Then her whole family might all be at peace with their bodies at last.

A thrill rocketed through her as she surveyed the circle once more. After that harrowing journey, they were here, this place was real, and the work that might change their lives forever could finally begin.

 

 

The next morning, upon entering the cafeteria, the four of them were greeted with thunderous applause. Beneath the low ceilings, about thirty people stood up as though giving a standing ovation. Next to rows of plain wooden benches and tables straight out of a summer camp mess hall, they whooped and cheered. They looked evenly split between men and women, roughly thirty to seventy years old. Zoe traded a glance with Theo, aware for the first time that they were by far the youngest people here.

He seemed amused, flashing a thumbs-up at the small crowd. But she couldn't help feeling caught off guard, nervously tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. Overwhelmed by homesickness the previous night, she hadn't slept more than an hour in her strange new bed, resulting in a lingering feeling of unease.

“Sorry,” Galileo whispered in her ear. “It's the tradition to welcome new people.”

Zoe looked at Natalie to gauge her level of embarrassment, but she was cupping her hand over her mouth. “Helen?”

A petite, grinning older woman with a gray bun emerged from the crowd, rushed toward them, and threw her arms around Natalie.

“You made it!” she said, turning to Galileo. “You did it!”

“I told you we would.”

Natalie clutched her friend's hand. “It's really you.”

“Who did you expect?”

She shook her head with a smile.

“Wait till you see the labs. You're going to flip out.”

Helen turned to Theo, gazing up at his lanky six-foot frame. “Sweetie, did you grow
again
?”

He shrugged. “Nice to see you.”

They hugged, then she crouched to Zoe's height. “And you must be Zoe Kincaid.”

She stuck out her hand and Zoe shook it, aware of the other woman's inquisitive once-over. The whole room, she noticed, was watching her. Studying her. She wasn't sure whether to feel creeped out or delighted.

“I'm happy to be here,” she said loudly, as much to the room as to Helen. “So when do we get down to business?”

The crowd laughed, and another burst of applause broke out. She smiled, starting to enjoy the spotlight. Here, she didn't need to explain, shield, admit, or deny her condition. On her own terms, for the first time, she could belong.

“Without further ado then,” Galileo said, “let me introduce you to the aging team. Guys, do you want to come forward?”

Eight researchers stepped apart from the crowd—men and women, young and old, white, black, Asian, and Latino. All wore expressions of pride and gave a little bow or nod as Galileo called out their names and expertise.

“Dr. James Wong, genetics of aging with a focus on gene expression at specific developmental stages.

“Dr. Karen Rosenstein, genetics of aging with a focus on temporal order and physiological integrity.

“Dr. Susan Holmes, neuroendocrinology with a focus on the role of neurotransmitters in hippocampal function.

“Dr. Nina Hernandez, immunobiology with a focus on systems maintenance and function.

“Dr. Peter Daley, biochemistry with a focus on molecular measurements and metabolic status.

“Dr. Terrance Crouse, radiology, for MRI and CT scans.

“Dr. Richard Lee, biostatistics, for modeling and evaluating the data.

“Dr. Gina Patterson, medical anthropology, for anatomical measurements.”

Zoe watched in awe, trying to take it all in. Their individual specialties sounded like Chinese to her, but Natalie's jubilation grew with each one. At the end Galileo gestured to her.

“And as you all already know, Dr. Natalie Roy. Genetics with a special interest in antagonistic pleiotropy and aging. Together, with Zoe, our dream team is finally complete.”

More thunderous applause. They were certainly an enthusiastic group, Zoe thought. Not much like her image of scientists as antisocial and repressed. When the clapping died down, Galileo addressed Natalie. “What are your first steps going to be?”

She cleared her throat, looking down at Zoe. “To collect your blood sample. I suggest we start chromosome testing using karyotyping analysis.”

The two geneticists, Dr. Wong and Dr. Rosenstein, raised challenging hands.

“I know,” Natalie acknowledged, “it's unlikely we'll find anything that way.” She turned back to Zoe, translating the unspoken exchange. “Because karyotyping visualizes only large chromosomal abnormalities. Probably your mutation is very small and requires another way to be detected. So next I would do CGH microarray, yes?”