The Golden Couple (The Samantha Project Series, # 2) (26 page)

Owens explained that GlobalLife used this type of mathematical cipher to secure top-secret files. Over the years, Owens had lost trust in GlobalLife and had been trying to access their files in order to learn more about what was really going on with the enhanced genetics project, also known as The Samantha Project. But Owens couldn’t get the files open because he couldn’t find anyone who could figure out the ciphers. So he created a temporary Internet game site to see if someone out in cyberspace could do it. The first one to crack the code would get $1,000. The game attracted lots of people but only one who could crack the sample code that was posted. And that person was Luke.
 

Erik went on to say that Owens contacted Luke and hired him to figure out the actual ciphers. But before Owens hired him, he did some background checks on Luke. And that’s how he learned of Luke’s connection to GlobalLife and Erik. Before Luke died, Owens was trying to help Luke find Erik and get him up to Iceland, where the missing base codes were.
 

“Well, that explains why your name was in his journal,”
I thought to Erik as we ate dessert.
“And it explains why he had the longitude and latitude for Reykjavik. But why didn’t Owens just go get you himself? Why involve Luke?”

“He said it was too risky, given his connections to GlobalLife,”
Erik thought back.

“So how did Owens know about the alien genes? Did he know Dan, the guy who made the file we got from Paul?”

“I don’t think so. Owens didn’t mention Dan or the file. It sounds like Owens has been involved with this project since the alien genes were discovered. He said he used to know a lot more about it until he started objecting to GlobalLife’s plan for the genes. The past few years, he’s been getting less and less information from them. That’s why he’s been breaking into their files.”

“Then I guess he’s always known about me. He said he was a Founder. That was the same group of people who were supposed to be at that meeting in Minnesota. But the meeting never happened, so I never met any of them.”

“What’s a Founder?”
Erik asked.

“I’m not sure. I think it’s one of those secret societies. Invitation only.”

The door opened again and the men who had brought us lunch were back to clean it up and take the table and chairs away.
 

“I wonder what’s next,” I said, out loud this time.

“We just hang out in these uncomfortable clothes and wait.”

I walked to the shelves of books. “We could read. They’ve got plenty of books here.”

“We need to start planning,”
Erik thought to me.
“And I need to work on that cipher. Not being able to write it down makes it harder to work on. It’ll take me days.”

“When you work on it, you need to look like you’re doing something else. Grab a book and pretend to be reading.”
I scanned the books on the shelves.
Hey, here’s a book on the golden ratio. Remember that necklace I got from Allie with the Greek letter, phi? That symbol is supposed to represent the golden ratio.”
I felt my neck, noticing that the necklace had been taken.

I picked out another book and we both sat down to read. The books provided a good cover because we could easily mind-talk without having a fake conversation.

“What kind of biometric would they use to protect the alien genes if they’re not using fingerprints or retinal scans?”
I thought to Erik.

“I have no idea. But before we even think about that, we have to find out where they put this stuff. Where do you hide a vial of alien DNA? One of the labs? Does it have to be stored some special way?”

“Human DNA is usually stored in a solution and frozen. But I remember my dad saying that newer methods allowed it to be stored dehydrated at room temperature. So I guess it could be either way.”

We continued mind-talking until early evening, when Walter showed up in our room. “Mr. Chamberlin has invited you to join him for dinner this evening in the dining room. Perhaps you’d like to freshen up first?”

Erik and I looked at each other, then looked at ourselves. “No, we’re ready to go.” Erik said, getting up.

Walter let out a dramatic sigh. Apparently we weren’t aware of the proper protocol for dinner preparation. “You should at least wash your hands,” he said in a disgusted tone.
 

He got up closer to me. “And perhaps you could brush your hair, miss.” My hair had so much product in it that it hadn’t moved all day. I was sure it was fine, but I went to the bathroom anyway to appease him.

“Young man, a tie is required at dinner. Do you need me to pick one out for you?” I heard Walter ask Erik.

“No,” Erik answered, sounding annoyed.
 

Once we met his approval, Walter took us down the hallway at the back of the building. We passed a series of conference rooms like I’d seen earlier. At the end was a door that opened to a formal dining room. A man in a tuxedo was waiting for us.
 

“Mr. Chamberlin.” Walter bowed to him like he was a king. “Your guests have arrived. Shall I show them to their seats?”

“No. That’s not necessary. I can show them.” Chamberlin waited for Walter to leave, then came up closer to greet us. “So you’re the Samantha I’ve heard so much about.” His smile seemed forced. “I was looking forward to meeting you in Minnesota, but, well, we all know how that turned out.”
 

He turned his focus to Erik. “And how fortunate we were to find you, Erik, alive and well after all these years. Come and sit down. Both of you.”

Chamberlin looked to be around 45. He had dark brown hair and eyes and was of average build, shorter and smaller than Erik. He led us to a table that had been set for the three of us. Plates of food were waiting, along with glasses of wine. “Please, go ahead and eat. I don’t like talking on an empty stomach.”

“So you manage this office?” I tried to sound relaxed, but being around the guy was making me edgy. Knowing Worthings and the horrible things he was capable of, I figured his replacement had to be just as evil. Maybe even worse. Who else would take the job? Nobody with any sense of right and wrong.

“I manage the whole GlobalLife Genetics division. I took over when Worthings was, shall we say, dismissed.” I was certain that Chamberlin knew I’d killed Worthings, but the topic was not pleasant dinner conversation so he moved on. “I’ve been working out of this office the past year, getting it up and running. The building is brand new. It has the latest technology, the latest equipment, and the most exquisite design. It’s very pleasing to the eye, don’t you think, Erik?”

Erik hadn’t been paying attention, which I could tell was irritating Chamberlin. He looked up when he heard his name. “The building? Yeah, I guess it’s okay.”

“Okay? Are you blind, young man? This is one of the most magnificent buildings ever built. It’s a work of art. It was designed using the golden ratio, a mathematical equation that represents perfection. It’s been proven that designing buildings, or artwork, or even people using this golden ratio results in—”

“People?” Erik finally became interested.

“Don’t EVER interrupt me!” Chamberlin glared at Erik, pausing to make sure he understood. “As I was saying, it results in objects that people find appealing. And alluring. Like they are looking at perfection. Just look at the room we’re in now. The columns, the ceiling, the artwork. Sheer perfection!”

Erik and I continued to eat, wondering how long we’d be stuck there listening to the guy.
 

“Did you know that the golden ratio even shows itself in our DNA?” It seemed like a rhetorical question but Chamberlin stared at me, waiting for an answer.

“Um, no. I didn’t know that,” I replied, growing more and more uncomfortable around this strange man.
 

Chamberlin talked about architecture and paintings throughout the rest of the meal. During dessert, I couldn’t take his rambling anymore and decided to get to the point. “Why is it that you asked us to dinner tonight, Mr. Chamberlin? Did you have something to tell us?”

He seemed annoyed. “Yes. But that’s business. This is dinner. And during dinner, one talks about topics such as art or music. Clearly, you both need some etiquette training.”

Erik and I quickly finished our desserts, then sat quietly and waited while Chamberlin ate his dessert slowly, bite by bite. When he was finally done, he put his silverware down and smiled at us.
 

“All right, then. Dinner is over so I will address your questions now.” He took a sip of wine. “As Eve might have told you, we were not pleased with the way Worthings dealt with you, Samantha. I hope you’ve noticed, and appreciated, the more civilized approach we’ve taken in regards to your care.”

I gave him a half smile to acknowledge the better conditions.

He turned to Erik. “We were also perturbed to find out that your caretaker, and our long-lost employee, Jack Reid, took it upon himself to insert that inferior DNA into your cells.”

I could feel Erik’s anger. “He’s my
father
, not my
caretaker
!” Erik got up from the table. “And he did it to save me from that timer! You know, the one that’s gonna kill me soon?!”

“Sit down, son,” Chamberlin ordered. “That timer will be fixed soon enough. As long as you’re here, safe in our care, you’ll be just fine. Now, please, sit, so we can continue our conversation.”

Erik sat down again.

“So you can fix the timer? You have the antidote here?” I knew it wasn’t an antidote but wanted to see what he’d say.

“Yes. And it’s safely locked away. So no need to worry about that.”

I tried reading his mind, attempting to get past his brain wave scrambler but couldn’t.
 

“How long are you keeping us here?” Erik asked.
 

“That’s not your concern. The timeline depends on many factors. For now just enjoy your surroundings.” Chamberlin paused to gaze at the elegant dining room. “Enjoy the fabulous cuisine. The designer clothing. Given where you came from, Erik, I don’t see why you’d ever want to leave this place.”
 

Erik ignored the comment. “What do you have planned for us?”

Chamberlin grinned. “We have many wonderful things planned. For both of you. But let’s talk in the short term. This week, we’ll be getting you groomed for your coming-out party, which is Saturday night. We’ll be presenting you both at our first-ever Black and White Gala. It’s an event put on for the Founders. One of the most influential members, Preston Owens, whom you have already met, is helping us plan the event. At the gala, you two will be introduced, then will spend time mingling and meeting with our prospective investors. We’re hoping to raise hundreds of millions of dollars to keep this project on track.”

“Who are the Founders again?” I asked.

“They’re a group of highly educated, well-bred, innovative members of society. High-level judges. Heads of state. Military leaders. Captains of industry. It’s a diverse group. We have members from all over the world.”

“And how do you join this group?”
 

Chamberlin laughed. “You don’t join, Samantha. You are born into it, although a select few have been offered an invitation. But that is very rare. Actually Eve and her husband were invited many years ago, which was a huge honor for them. But they’re both brilliant in fields of study that the Founders needed. And they fit the profile well.”

“So what do these Founders do? What’s their purpose?” Erik asked.

“They are futurists. They plan. They lead. They make the hard decisions that have to be made in order to achieve their goal.”

“What exactly is their goal?” I asked.

“To take the human race to a higher plane of being.”

I looked at Erik, who seemed just as confused as me. “I don’t understand. What does that mean?”
 

“To take humanity to a new level. A level that strives for perfection. You see, humanity is filled with imperfection. But it doesn’t have to be that way. These flaws hold us back. Make us weak and vulnerable. Just consider the human body. It’s constantly in disrepair. And eventually it’s so broken down that it dies.”

“That’s the way life works. You live. You die,” Erik said.

Chamberlin got excited. “But it doesn’t have to be that way! The Founders have known this for centuries. They just haven’t been able to find a way to evolve us from the point we’re currently at. We here at GlobalLife have. The time has finally arrived! It’s time to finally move forward!”

When he saw that we didn’t share his excitement, he stood up from the table. “Well, I guess that’s enough stories for one evening. You both seem to be losing interest.”

“No. Not at all,” I said, hoping to get more out of him. His explanation thus far had been more cryptic than helpful. “What do you mean when you say the time has arrived? Have they made some discovery?”

Chamberlin leaned over the table and smiled at us both. “Yes. You are the discovery. Both of you. You two are going to change the course of humanity from this point forward.”

I felt sick. GlobalLife and the Founders were using Erik and me for something I didn’t yet understand, but I knew that the plan was far bigger than I’d ever imagined. And I knew that it wasn’t good.

Chamberlin motioned us to get up. “I think it’s time to say goodnight. You both need your rest. It was a pleasure dining with you. And I do hope you enjoy your classes this week.” He walked to the door. “Come this way. Walter will take you back to your room.”

Erik and I went out in the hallway, where Walter was waiting. Before leaving, I had to ask him one more thing. “Mr. Chamberlin, when can I see my sister? I haven’t seen her since we arrived and I really need to talk to her. Could I see her tomorrow or—”

“Sister? You mean that girl from the trailer? No you can’t see her. We don’t allow her kind on this floor.”

“Her kind?” I scowled at him. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“We have a motto here, Samantha. It’s one you should become familiar with. And the motto is this: ‘We are only as strong as our weakest link.’” He paused. “Think about that, Samantha, in regards to the girl from the trailer.”