Panspermia Deorum (34 page)

Two further
hours of data reconciliation passed as if time itself had been
ruptured by the missiles. The door chime announced Bondarenko’s
arrival and he was ushered into the main living quarters. No words
were needed. The Russian strode across to Julien, knelt down and
hugged him unashamedly. The others couldn’t hold back outpouring of
relief, the gift of a new horizon. One with no ‘built-in’ end
point. Julien looked at each of them in turn and his chest began to
heave in concert with uncontrollable bursts of tears. Amongst these
reflex responses was the realisation that it was truly over, not
just the mission, or his calling in life, there was also the
rebuilding of his family. He was suddenly more aware of his fragile
health and the need to avoid falling back into the abyss of his
professional life. Sophie had managed to kick her addiction, he had
to follow her lead.

Four Months
Later

J
ulien Delacroix was dismayed. In such a short time
the jubilation of reprieve had been virtually forgotten. Everyday
conversation had moved on to new priorities, few of which were even
remotely connected to a resolve of nursing the planet back to
health. His own mental health was now a serious concern to his
family. He’d discussed the situation with Eugene many times and
advised his son to abandon the research programme, claiming that
the human race was not yet mature enough to handle relative
indestructability. Despite their resistance, he had transferred
ownership of VB Aerospace to his children, hinting that they could
sell up and lead a much more interesting life. Sophie, more acutely
than the others, sensed her father was descending into a really
dark place.

Even when
Eugene, as temporary chief executive and joint owner of the
company, gave him the latest updates on tracking the cometary
fragments, he merely shrugged his shoulders and asked for more
coffee.

“Dad, the
coffee can wait for a few minutes. There is now consensus that
these fragments will struggle to survive our atmosphere. One is
predicted to head for the Australian outback, and the later one to
somewhere in the Arctic ice cap region. Wouldn’t you like to take a
trip to Greenland to see it burn out in the northern sky? It should
be spectacular and it would be a fitting conclusion to all the
effort you’ve put into preventing unimaginable horror in our world.
I’d love to go there with you, should I make the arrangements?”

“It’s a nice
idea, son, but I don’t think I could face the journey. We can watch
it on television together. Have you considered what I said about
selling the company?”

“No, not yet. I
spoke to Sophie and she wants to press on with her aftercare
project. Even without considering VB Aerospace itself, she feels a
connection with this country, and wants to help lots of poor people
in Guiana. Regarding my own situation, I’m thinking over what you
said about shelving the research programme. My gut feeling is to
carry on with the branch in which we seek to eradicate
life-threatening conditions by genetic ‘snip and sow’ techniques.
The other stuff can wait, but I want to finesse the work on
mimicking viral infiltration of our immune system. Even before the
asteroid threat, we were vulnerable to bacterial and viral
pandemics, and we still are. Once that bears fruit, I’ll publish
the findings and park the project for future reference. If we were
to sell the company, I want to carry on in my field of
microbiology. You’re right, Sophie and I could fund our work from
selling VB Aerospace. I’ll have to give the decision more time,
Dad. What would you do if we sell up?”

“I think my
time might be short now, Eugene. And I know your mother would still
like to return to Lyon. I think I’m ready to consider that as
well.”

“That’s a
surprise. You spent a hell of a long time persuading her to settle
here. Has she mentioned it again?”

“No, she seems
happy enough, but I know deep down that she misses France. So does
Geraldine.”

“But they’re
both doing so well in helping Sophie to get this aftercare unit up
and running. You should ask mum about this, at the moment you’re
just making assumptions.”

“They could
easily do this kind of work in France.”

“I know, but
this is their project, you have to ask them what they want. This
might be a bit trickier than you think. In a way, we all came here
to support you. Don’t just trash that loyalty because you’re pissed
off with human frailties. That will never change unless it is
genetically engineered. Just joking, but you have to overcome this
disappointment. You were a leading figure in saving the planet, you
aren’t Jesus Christ.”

“As always,
good advice, Eugene. I’ll speak to your mother first, to find out
if her longing to go back to Lyon is still strong. Maybe I’m just
kidding myself because I feel like getting out of here. I’m just so
surprised that everything is back to ‘business as usual’ so
quickly. Like all those years of dedication had no point
whatsoever.”

“Unfortunately,
it’s the way of the world. One minute you received all those awards
for your service to humanity and the next we’re back on the road to
hell. It’s just a different hell! See you later, Dad. Don’t let
this get to you.”

Twenty-Two
Days Later

The two
fragments were only separated by a few hours in the approximate
entry times. In a curious expression of homage to their narrow
escape from oblivion, thousands of people gathered in each
location. Their explanations for making the trip to such hostile
locations were many and varied. Recovered faith in the omnipotent
one, interpretation of recent events through astrological eyes,
atonement for some barely remembered sin, discovery of some inner
awakening, science anoraks gathering souvenirs, and a large
contingent merely to witness the anticipated fireworks. The common
denominator was an ‘I was there’ need to feel good about
oneself.

In the searing
heat of the outback it was difficult to detect the object during
daylight. But there was a surprise in store for the perspiring
onlookers. The calculations were wrong. The fragment did make it to
the lower atmosphere, and less than a mile above the surface it
suddenly exploded, catching everyone’s breath. The scatter area was
immediately a target for establishment officials and tourists
alike, seeking a piece of history to place in museums or on a
mantelpiece. In addition, the northern hemisphere was given warning
that the second fragment may also reach the surface.

There was no
throng on the Arctic ice cap, but hurriedly-arranged science
delegates got there by helicopter to film first-hand accounts of
the spectacle. In the half-light the visual trail of the object was
a sight to behold. A flaming slingshot from the heavens, it
multiplied by a further split, almost immediately followed by a
double air-burst. The falling residue would cover many square
miles.

The shows were
over, but many of those returning from either performance held dual
interpretations of events. A celestial wonder of which they were in
awe, and a chilling reminder of what might have been but for the
missile strikes. There was also a feeling of uneasy excitement
amongst the scientists present, concern as to what the surviving
fragments may reveal. They shouldn’t really have made it to the
surface.

*

Julien heeded
his son’s advice when he and Elise were alone. His approach was to
probe and analyse before popping the question.

“How are you
and Geraldine holding up in Sophie’s vision for the new aftercare
unit?”

“It’s taken you
a long time to ask about it, are you worried about her?”

“Not at all, I
have every confidence she’ll get this to run the way she imagines
it. But, there are always problems down the line, mostly the kind
you don’t expect. My experience is that you are continually
challenged as to whether you’ve bitten off more than you can chew.
It’s you and your sister I’m asking about, primarily if it will
interfere with your own hobbies and enjoyment. You have both found
a passion for horticulture, and I’ve been a silent beneficiary of
this. I really love the way you’ve transformed a predominantly
austere landscape into a variegated meadow, punctuated with
functional areas for family enjoyment.”

“Yes, we do
enjoy this creative activity, but Sophie really is a different
person now, and we’re glad to give her our unstinting support until
she gets everything the way she wants it. Geraldine has also hinted
that we will find it increasingly difficult to divide our time. Are
you asking about this because you’re having second thoughts about
the project?”

“No, I suppose
it’s just a consequence of me moving into retirement. I’ve had a
wake-up call with this heart bypass and so have you with your
kidney transplant. We’re not getting any younger, Elise.”

“That’s true,
but we’ll give Sophie the help she needs for now. I’m already
seeing signs that she needs younger people to provide ideas and
even challenge hers. The other Sophie would have marched us out of
there within a week. It will dawn on her before too long that she
needs more expertise and less old wives tales. I wouldn’t worry too
much about it, Julien.”

This was enough
for him to consider for now.

*

The scavenging
for cometary pebbles had ramped up beyond all expectation. Finding
such elusive structures needed expertise at the best of times, but
the Arctic ice cap had its own way of burying or disguising such
treasure. The weather was extraordinarily bad, and posed a high
risk to life of even experienced cosmic hunters.

The situation
in Australia was precisely the opposite. Warm weather and a
plethora of fake local guides provided an effective lure for all
manner of speculators. Accommodation was seriously oversubscribed
and many resorted to movable modes of respite from the sun and
provision for sleep. Tents and recreational vehicles speckled the
outback. With so many thousands of enthusiasts involved, pieces of
rock exchanged hands for considerable amounts of electronic money
or bartered goods such as cars, gold, precious stones, and some of
the tents that were no longer required. Many of the pea-sized
purchases were nothing more than metal ores worked from derelict
mines, but convincing enough for opportunists to fall for the
deception. The throng seemed to have representation from a
multitude of countries, ensuring each corner of the world shared in
the spoils.

When it became
clear that the majority of the prized pebbles were of earthly
origin, fighting and killing broke out. It escalated so quickly
that the Australian authorities were forced to close off hundreds
of square miles of the outback, and place it under constant
military supervision.

*

Eugene was
having great difficulty in making his young researcher see his
point of view.

“As promising
as your work has been, you were not authorised to carry it out
beyond agreed limits. The situation has changed, and you must
accept that ethics enforcers haven’t gone up in smoke with the rest
of the planet, and now they will come back with a vengeance. We
have a short time to polish up the infiltration mechanism, but the
rest must end. When the time is right, we can consider an approach
to the reformed global watchdog, but it will have to be a watered
down version of what you’ve actually discovered. Anything else and
we would be closed down.”

“In that case,
I’ll give you my resignation, verbally effective immediately. I’ll
put it in writing tomorrow. The ethics police didn’t stop people
from creating clones, robots which are capable of being servants,
and babies with three parents. It is pure hypocrisy and you know
it. I’ll work my notice and then I’m out of here.”

This gave
Eugene a problem. Even if the rats had been incinerated, he knew
this young man would have kept copies of all the test results.
Normally it would be considered propriety technology of the
company, but would he want that to be known? His default position
would be worsened if he had to admit he didn’t fire this man
immediately after being apprised of the tests. He decided to
pre-empt the man’s written notice and get him off the premises
within the hour. Severance had to be seen to be contractual and no
more than that. It took two muscular security guards to frogmarch
the evacuee to a waiting vehicle and off the site. Eugene filmed
the episode for future reference if a challenge to his version of
events materialised.

Perhaps his
father’s suggestion to sell up and begin again wasn’t such a bad
idea after all.

One Year
Later

W
inds of change were gathering, seemingly waiting for
some catalytic event to trigger the storm. A perfect example was
the long-defunct world health organisation. Attempts to coalesce
regional remnants of a medical watchdog were reaping global support
once more.

Anarchical
power bases were steadily creaking under the failure to deliver on
the expectation they created. Concerted control of electronic
purchasing power was achieving what conflict had not. They were
heading back to being nothing more than insurgents.

Although most
of the recovered cometary pebbles were fakes, there were the odd
genuine pieces which had found their way into science labs rather
than collectors’ cabinets. As more reputable laboratories compared
results, they shared concerns that these extra-terrestrial
survivors contained a core of strange joined-up DNA chains.

*

The Delacroix
clan, by comparison had arrived at a crucial crossroads. Elise and
Geraldine had independently gravitated to a common desire for a
more temperate climate. Sophie had convinced herself that she had
become a sympathetic figurehead, a compassionate pied piper, but
unable to actually play the pipes. Her recruitment of experts had
accelerated her acceptance of her own shortcomings. Eugene was
ready to sell VB Aerospace on to one of a number of suitors. One of
the main difficulties had been his sister. Following almost weekly
pressure from Eugene, she’d sought the assurance that the planning
authority would only approve a buyer willing to maintain what was
now the established ‘Sophie Delacroix Foundation’. A sizeable chunk
of VB Aerospace sale proceeds would then be gifted to the
municipality, in exchange for a pledge to ring-fence the facility
for the benefit of the people of Guiana. Julien had his wish
without having to do anything other than nod his head. Returning to
France felt like a homeward-bound journey from an extended
pilgrimage. A rejuvenation of the soul. The only real dilemma which
held up the process was the suitability of each interested
acquisition company or entrepreneur. Eugene and Julien were in
agreement that a pure speculator such as futuristic ‘Lunar
Discovery Experience’ was not the kind of legacy they wanted.