Days' End (13 page)

They climbed into bed that night and made love with a passion they had never experienced before. With the finality of her decision hitting home, they both were more tender, more focused on the other than they had ever been previously. Knowing that they would be apart for so long sweetened the experience beyond measure. Her orgasm seemed to reach every nerve ending in her body. Alastair followed soon after with his own release, crying out in an explosion of ecstasy. They held each other for a long while that night, basking in their mutual bliss.

Nysa smiled and moaned softly in her sleep, rolled onto her side, and drifted off further into the landscape of her subconscious.

May 9, Los Angeles, CA

Alastair sat looking at the phone after his conversation with his father. He couldn’t believe how the conversation had gone. The beginning had been pleasant enough, hearing about what was going on back in Grapeland, Texas, and telling his father of his recent successes at work. How the conversation had turned to the current events and how they might or might not relate to the Bible, Alastair couldn’t remember. His father had become so passionate Alastair had threatened to hang up on him if he didn’t change the topic. The remainder of the conversation had been feeble and dry, both of them realizing they wouldn’t be able to get back the lighthearted tone the conversation had once held. Although he didn’t believe a word of what his dad had said about the relationship between current events and events foretold in the Bible, Alastair slowly rose from the couch and walked back through the apartment to the bedroom to retrieve a Bible he kept in his nightstand. As he began reading the book of Revelations, a cold chill ran up his spine.

As it turns out, my plan is going to require a lot more time and resources than I originally anticipated. The technology simply isn’t there yet. However, with the rapid pace at which the biotechnology field is advancing, I believe I will be able to begin my project within the next decade. The money shouldn’t be a problem; I have more than enough. While waiting for science to advance to where I need it to be, I will begin slowly moving money into the States and making preparations. I want the facilities to be ready when the time comes.

May 12, Los Angeles, CA

“You’re pathetic.”

“What?” Alastair glanced up from his computer.

“It’s the weekend, for crying out loud. What are you doing sitting here in this stuffy office? It’s called a work week for a reason. You work during the week and in case you haven’t noticed, most people take Saturday and Sunday off. Go to the beach, or Disneyland, or Knott’s Berry Farm. Anything but sitting in an office plugging away on a computer. How much of a loser can you be?” Suzy smirked and sat down on the edge of his desk. She had been promoted when their previous manager had left to go to work for Intel, and she had been his direct boss for a little over six months now.

Although he had seniority over her at the time of the promotion and had been more than qualified for the position, he didn’t resent her success as she was highly capable and easy to work for. She had paid her dues with the company, put in longer hours (except for recently when Alastair had no desire to go home), and was well spoken.

“Interesting analysis of my character. However, your assessment leaves out one very important detail.”

“What’s that?”

“You’re here, too. I wonder what that says about you? With you being my boss and all, would that make you the senior loser?” Alastair leaned back in his chair and turned to face Suzy. “Nysa’s out of town. What’s your excuse?”

“Big presentation next week. Ironing out all the wrinkles—dotting my Ts and crossing my Is,” she said with a grin. “I need a break though; my eyes won’t focus any more. You want to grab a bite with me?” She stood. “We can stop on the way back and pick up some new pocket protectors and some tape for our glasses? C’mon, it’ll be fun. I’ll even buy you the white tape. I know it’s your favorite.”

Alastair did need a break and agreed to join her for lunch. Their conversation was random but interesting. While Alastair had known the contents of her resume—valedictorian in high school, summa cum laude in college, followed by a rapid rise up the corporate ladder—he was surprised by what he discovered of her personal life. She was single and spent most of her free time volunteering at Alateen meetings and conventions. She had grown up in an alcoholic home and while she had no children of her own, Suzy felt compelled to help having gone through the turmoil that surrounded alcoholism.

She was also an avid reader, and Alastair couldn’t help but smile when he learned her favorite author was J.K. Rowling. Who would have thought someone her age and who was a computer geek like him would be so enthralled with a boy wizard and his adventures?

They wrapped up their conversation and lunch. Alastair agreed to let Suzy foot the bill as long as he could cover the tip. They left the restaurant and headed back to the office to finish up and go home for the weekend.

May 24,

Outside Castle Rock, CO

The atmosphere at the facility had been festive for the last month. While technicians were breaking down and removing equipment, the doctors and assistants were left with little to do. Many spent their time touring the facility, going to the gym, running outside, and getting massages. While everyone missed their friends and family, most were content to wait and see the results of their efforts. With the end in sight, the complaints were few and far between.

Jacqueline was being treated like a princess throughout the compound. Those who had ignored her very existence for the last four months were now going out of their way to speak to and help her. Everyone knew that the new life created was growing inside her and that, with the birth of the child, a new chapter in the history of mankind would begin.

Nysa spent some of her time overseeing the final preservation and storage procedures for the remaining DNA. One day as she worked, a technician coming through the lab door with the remaining samples slipped on a small puddle of water. He stumbled into a nearby table and smashed his face into the edge of the counter. The blood was immediate and voluminous. He lay on the floor unconscious as the blood pooled around his head. Nysa tended to the man while Laura called the medical unit to respond, stabilize him, and transport him upstairs.

Next they had been concerned about contamination of the samples. Luckily, all of the packing was still intact as was the reconstructed DNA. The facilities team arrived shortly thereafter and cleaned up the mess. As it turned out, the drywall had been screwed into a pipe in error and over time, the screw slowly rusted away. It had just now finally begun to leak. The area was blocked off until a plumber could be called in to fix the pipe.

Nysa heard later that the young man was in stable condition, but he’d suffered a severe concussion and a nasty cut that had required close to 100 stitches to close.

Most of Nysa’s time was spent with Jacqueline. Over the last month they had become very close friends. She accompanied Jacqueline to all of her appointments. According to the doctor, the baby now had a regular heartbeat, the eyes and ears were developing, and the arms and legs were beginning to grow. Nysa was so caught up in the pregnancy, she sometimes felt as if she herself was the one who was carrying the developing child.

They chatted about nothing and everything: hopes, regrets, likes, and dislikes. They spoke of their plans for life after leaving the facility and promised to stay in touch with one another.

June 8, Los Angeles, CA

Alastair had managed to keep himself busier than usual over the last two weeks. Suzy’s presentation had gone well, and they had gotten the contract. That was great, but the brunt of the work had fallen into Alastair’s lap. He hadn’t complained about it though. It was a great distraction and would help him immensely down the road.

He was also glad that Suzy put so much faith in his skills. The work should have been divided up among two or three people, but she had said he was the best man for the job and, at this point, long hours were not necessarily a bad thing. So she dumped the workload in his lap, telling him to let her know if it became too overwhelming. His AA meetings were the only personal activity not cut out of his schedule.

He decided to call it an early evening on Friday and arrived home shortly after eight o’clock with McDonald’s in tow. Nothing like a couple of cheeseburgers, large fries, and a large Coke to get your Friday night off on the right foot, he thought as he threw in a movie and sat down on the couch to rot his brain as well as his gut. It was a personal favorite of his, The Bourne Identity, and he enjoyed every minute.

After the movie ended, he went to the bathroom to get ready for bed. As he brushed his teeth, the DVD player turned off automatically and the television switched over to the cable signal. He couldn’t quite tell what the story was, but caught bits and pieces. It had something to do with volcanoes. He had always been intrigued by volcanic eruptions, so he walked into the living room while continuing to brush his teeth.

According to the anchor, news was pouring in from all over the world reporting new volcanic activity. Not all were eruptions, but volcanoes which had been dormant for centuries were beginning to rumble and groan as well. From small Hawaiian eruptions to the much larger ultraplinian eruptions, volcanoes (some unknown until that day), were spewing lava, ash, lapilli, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide into the air. There had not been any reports of casualties, but the anchor promised to keep the viewing audience up to date as information continued to come in.

The next story was the latest update on the skin condition that seemed to be tied to the meteorite that had hit in Mississippi. The CDC announced that the meteorite appeared to have released a virus of some sort. They were currently working with hospitals worldwide to monitor the progression of the virus as well as studying the properties of the virus for possible vaccinations. Until such time as a vaccine could be developed, they were also looking for ways to treat the sometimes excruciating symptoms. Alastair shifted uneasily to his other foot, concerned about Nysa and her whereabouts. He didn’t want to overanalyze the situation, but would feel much better if he knew she was OK.

The news anchor then moved on to the latest school shooting, child molestation, and serial rapist. Alastair turned off the television, finished getting ready for bed, and climbed under the covers with his laptop. He figured images of Nysa doing interesting things to herself would make for exciting dreams. He was wrong. He woke up covered in sweat and feeling terrible. He couldn’t remember his dreams, but had a lingering feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach.

June 29,

Outside Castle Rock, CO

The last of the technicians rushed across the room toward the elevator. Nysa watched as he kicked a leg of one of the tables and tripped. It all happened as if in slow motion. He reached out to try and catch himself. He stumbled and landed squarely on the next table. Unfortunately, that table was covered in beakers and test tubes. The glass shattered at the impact. He lifted himself weakly from the table, shards of glass protruding from each of his wrists. The blood flowed slowly down his arms, dripping onto his white shoes as he gazed at them in amazement. Crimson circles spread on the floor around him as he turned toward Nysa and finally crumpled to the floor.

Nysa ran to one of the phones and called the extension for the medical facilities. Laura was already treating the technician when Nysa returned to where he had fallen. She was in the process of examining the wounds to see if she could remove the glass without causing further damage or opening up the wound and making the bleeding worse. The medical team arrived within seconds and transported the man up to the medical facilities.A short while later, a couple of young women arrived to clean up the broken glass and blood. Nysa, Laura, and Mary Alice watched in silence as the women completed their work. Bloody water dripped off the end of the mop every time the woman rinsed it in the bucket. Nysa stared, but Mary Alice turned away.

They spent a short time discussing what had just happened. Nysa called upstairs and was assured that the technician would be fine. Although the glass shards had punctured through both of his wrists, by some miracle they had missed all major arteries and ligaments.

Nysa, Mary Alice and Laura decided to get back to the task at hand. Later, they made a brief stop at the medical facilities to check on the injured technician and found him to be in decent spirits given what had happened to him. He thanked them for their help before the medical team arrived. Nysa assured him that they were glad they could help, but she shook her head in silent amazement that the young man was alive.

The team I have assembled is the finest in the world. Their work is coming along just as I expected it to, minus a few unfortunate occurrences. If they only knew the power in their hands. Is it wrong of me to take so much pleasure in having recruited my surrogate mother from one of the finest Catholic universities in the world? Who would have guessed that the mother that will deliver us into the new era of mankind would be a virgin girl from Notre Dame? I relish the thought that the Church still has no idea what I have done, nor what I am currently doing. I should like to request an audience with the Pope to fill him in on my current activities. The thought of the look on his face always makes me smile. I will hold off on this desire as he will know what I have done soon enough.

July 20,

Outside Castle Rock, CO

At her thirteen-week appointment, Jacqueline received some exciting news. The baby was a boy. She hadn’t been sure she wanted to find out before the birth, but in the end she had to know. A son. She was going to have a son. She would be able to teach him how to be a real man, and how to treat a woman right. She knew she would be a much better parent than her parents ever were. She would love and adore him every day of her life and was already willing to sacrifice that for him should the need arise. The doctor had removed a printout of the ultrasound from his pocket and pointed out in the lower left corner of the picture an image he was quite sure was a penis developing between the baby’s legs.