{"id":25,"date":"2019-01-30T23:12:47","date_gmt":"2019-01-30T23:12:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jamesvesping.com\/mainsite\/?page_id=25"},"modified":"2019-02-07T17:45:35","modified_gmt":"2019-02-07T23:45:35","slug":"the-martaci-papers","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/jamesvesping.com\/mainsite\/?page_id=25","title":{"rendered":"The Martaci Papers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Looking in the Wrong\r\nPlaces<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“I believe I made myself clear, Dr. Martaci,” Sera firmly said.\r\n“This matter is not up for discussion. That lab equipment was to be\r\ndestroyed; the mere fact that a part of it is in your possession\r\nmeans that someone has failed to complete their task.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka sighed and opened his hands. “I’m not concerned about the\r\nequipment, Dr. Williston. I’m concerned about the trace element that\r\nwas on it — a glowing yellow fluid that, on analysis, seems to have\r\nblood-like properties.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nSera folded her arms and shook her head. “I know nothing about\r\nthat, Doctor. The equipment was used in this lab and became\r\ncontaminated; per our protocols and procedures, it was to be\r\ndestroyed. Where did you acquire this equipment and who did you\r\nacquire it from?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Look, Doctor — Sera — can we just put this professional\r\ncourtesy nonsense to rest? You know something and you’re not telling\r\nme. Why?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nSera took her glasses off and set them aside, then sat down on a\r\nstool. She casually looked at the window outside, then back to Luka.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Luka, I’m going to state this very plainly,” Sera whispered.\r\n“Don’t dig any deeper on this. You won’t like what you might find.\r\nThat equipment was destroyed because it was contaminated; the orders\r\ncame from the Royal family itself.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka leaned back and rubbed his eyes. “You’re telling me now that\r\nit’s a matter of not just state security, but Royal family security?\r\nDid they have some illegitimate child in the family? Is Princess\r\nKaterina messing around?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nSera gave Luka a cold stare. “I know the Princess has a reputation\r\nas a wild young woman, but she’s not of mind to ‘mess around,’\r\ndespite what rumors the Families might be spreading about her. I am\r\nrather surprised that you would believe such rumors and lies.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Then tell me what this yellow substance is. If it’s a new\r\ncleansing agent, then we owe it to the world to research it more; I\r\nsaw amazing potential in the small bit I was able to put under a\r\nmicroscope.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nSera narrowed her eyes. “What did you see?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean? Haven’t you seen it?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“It’s a simple question, Luka. What did you see of this yellow\r\nsubstance that intrigued you?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka casually rubbed his chin. “Well, despite coagulation, the\r\ncells still seemed to be alive. They appeared to be repairing\r\nthemselves somehow.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Do you still have the sample?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka looked up and nodded. “Yes, I keep it locked in a\r\nrefrigerator. Why?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nSera pointed a finger at Luka. “Destroy it at your earliest\r\nconvenience, Luka. Do not dally — do it now.<\/em>“<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Sera, you’re not making any sense. I have<\/em>\r\nto know what this is. Is it a new drug? Something the Families are\r\ndoing? Is it from the Protectorate?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nSera sighed and shook her head. “I will tell you only one thing of\r\nthat yellow substance: it is not of this world. I do so in breach of\r\nnot only my professional obligations, but of a personal promise I\r\nmade to the Royal family. Please do not press me any further on the\r\nmatter, Luka.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka pursed his lips and looked away. “So that’s it then. You won’t\r\ntell me anything about this ground-breaking find. Are you so blinded\r\nby patriotism that you’ve forgotten your duty to humanity?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“My duty to humanity is to push the bounds of knowledge without\r\ndestroying ourselves in the process,” Sera answered. “There are\r\nthose who pushed too far without considering the consequences of\r\ntheir actions. Triumvarte-“<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Oh, mumbo-jumbo religious nonsense!” Luka growled, interrupting\r\nSera. “If we did things their way, we would all still be living in\r\nhuts and warring with one another!”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Triumvarte pushed those limits\r\nand almost drowned the world in darkness,” Sera growled back. “It\r\nis a lesson with an element of truth. It is not the whole<\/em>\r\ntruth; it remains a work of fiction in my mind, but the lesson\r\nbecomes clear: if you make a deal with shadows, eventually they will\r\ncome for their due.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“But we’re not speaking of shadows!” Luka exclaimed. “This is a\r\npotential breakthrough that could change the future of humanity!”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nSera nodded. “Exactly. And not for the better.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“And how could you know that? Hmm?” Luka remarked with a sneer.\r\n“What if we didn’t need hospitals anymore? If we didn’t have to die\r\ndue to tragic consequences? If we could extend our lives, perhaps\r\neven become immortal?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Listen to yourself,” Sera\r\nwhispered. “Immortality, Luka? At what price? What possible<\/em>\r\ngood could come from that?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka frowned. “I would think that you, of all people, would\r\nunderstand. We wouldn’t have to lose our Ormannis, our Kovacs, our\r\nBartholdys — they could remain, furthering our understanding of\r\nscience, art, and literature. Think of what they could have\r\naccomplished with more time!”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Yet without them, we endure. We look at other ways to broaden our\r\nhorizons. Would Ormanni have understood Altai’s Paradox? Would Kovacs\r\nappreciate a Milutin? Would Bartholdy surpass Kiernan?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“And we’ll never find out — unless we can understand what this\r\nyellow substance is. If you would tell me what it is.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nSera shook her head. “No, Luka. I\r\nknow<\/em> where that yellow\r\nsubstance leads us to. I’ve spoken to the people who know what it is.\r\nWhat you’re asking for amounts to the collective suicide of us all.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka nodded. “So you’re not the only one who knows. There are\r\nothers.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nSera lifted an eyebrow. “Did you really think you and I were the\r\nonly ones aware of it? The matter of state security was not a lie —\r\nnor was Royal security.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Who are they?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“That knowledge will go with me to my grave. No one and nothing\r\nwill get that knowledge out of me, Luka. Not even the torture I might\r\nendure from a Family interrogation would be enough.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka knitted his fingers together. “Then I will just have to ask\r\nsomeone else. Even the Royal Police can have loose lips on occasion.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nSera slipped her glasses back on and turned to her workbench. “That\r\nthey do, Luka. That they do. But at least then I wouldn’t be a party\r\nto your delusions.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“It’s related to those strange events not too long ago, isn’t it?”\r\nLuka asked.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nSera stopped and looked back to Luka. “Perhaps. It could be a\r\npossible conclusion, given your available evidence.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka nodded. “I go where the\r\nevidence points me, Doctor. I am<\/em>\r\na scientist; my mistake was assuming you were as well.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Science is a tool, Luka,” Sera mumbled, turning back to her\r\nbench to fiddle with a device. “To call yourself a scientist is the\r\nsame as calling yourself a mechanic. I am not so deluded as to\r\nbelieve the fact that I use science somehow makes me superior to a\r\nmechanic or a tailor.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Then we’re done here. Thank you for your time, Dr. Williston,”\r\nLuka remarked, turning to leave.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Destroy the samples, Luka,” Sera called out, causing Luka to\r\nstop. “Destroy them before it is too late for you. There are forces\r\nat play that will have no qualms about crushing you to find what they\r\nseek.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka looked over his shoulder for a moment, then continued out of the\r\nlab. He gently closed the door behind himself and let out a deep sigh\r\nas he walked toward the stairwell.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nI cannot believe that Sera of all people would refuse to see the\r\npotential,<\/em> Luka thought. She\r\nwas a genius in college. She still is! Has her work at the Royal\r\nPolice dulled her spirit? Did working in the halls of government\r\ninfect her mind with bureaucratic nonsense? Cells that repair\r\nthemselves and do so in a rapid fashion… It’s unprecedented! She\r\nmust know something! But she won’t speak to me, no matter what —\r\nthat much is clear. If I could force her to tell me, I would; but I\r\nknow from experience that when she sticks to her position, she will\r\nnot be swayed without significant reason and evidence to do so.\r\nMatters of loyalty especially so.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka rubbed his chin again as he casually walked to the stairwell,\r\ngradually descending it and ignoring the world around him. He\r\nsuddenly felt himself aware of someone near him, interrupting his\r\nthoughts and causing him to look over to see a Royal Police officer\r\nwalking alongside.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Yes? Can I help you, Officer?” Luka asked.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nThe officer gave Luka a positively beaming smile. “You’re Dr.\r\nMartaci, right? I’ve heard a lot about you; Dr. Williston speaks very\r\nhighly of you.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Ah. I’m grateful to know that she holds no hard feelings about our\r\ndebates in school,” Luka mumbled.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“I’m Officer Bertol; I work with Dr. Williston a lot. She’s been a\r\nreal asset to the Royal Police; you should be proud to be an\r\nacquaintance of hers.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Of course, Officer Bertol. Dr. Williston was known to be a calm\r\nand professional student. She is an exceptional scientist.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nBertol nodded. “Then whatever she just told you, I would suggest\r\ntaking her words at face value. She has wisdom beyond her years and\r\nnot only in scientific matters.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka stopped and frowned at Bertol. “Is there something you wish to\r\ntell me, Officer?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nBertol shook his head. “No, Doctor. Not at all. I’m simply trying\r\nto convey that Dr. Williston is a trusted figure here at the Royal\r\nPolice. Whatever you were discussing had to be important — two\r\ndoctors don’t get together just to discuss the weather, especially in\r\nthe workplace.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“What do you know of a yellow substance, Bertol?” Luka bluntly\r\nasked.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nBertol looked to the restrooms off to the side. “I’ve got to use\r\nthe latrine, Doctor. Pleasant day to you.” He casually slipped\r\naway, entering the restroom without a thought. Luka looked around and\r\nfollowed him in, seeing him standing next to a urinal. Luka casually\r\nstrolled up next to Bertol, looking around to see if anyone else was\r\nlistening.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Bertol, I’ve got to know what it\r\nis,” Luka whispered. “Humanity<\/em>\r\nhas to know what it is.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“We aren’t the only humans out\r\nhere, y’know,” Bertol whispered back. “And I don’t mean here.\r\n<\/em>I mean beyond this place.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka looked around, trying to see if anyone else was in the restroom\r\nas well; as near he could tell, he and Bertol were the only ones\r\npresent.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“It’s just us in here,” Luka casually remarked. “There’s no\r\nneed for cloak and dagger between two people who just met one\r\nanother, is there?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“You propositioning to me, doc?” Bertol chuckled. “For a\r\ndoctor, you’re kinda dense.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka let out a frustrated sigh. “So, you’ll not tell me anything\r\neither.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“No, actually, I’ve told you a whole lot,” Bertol replied. “Think\r\nabout what we know about this world, then set yourself beyond that.\r\nYou wanna know about that yellow shit? It ain’t from here. Neither\r\nwas the guy who had it.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nThat revelation hit Luka like cold water. “The substance belonged\r\nto a man?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nBertol shrugged. “Looked like a man. Might’ve been one at some\r\npoint. What we saw — he wasn’t no man. He was something beyond\r\nthat. Might still be.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“So there’s a possibility I could meet him? Perhaps ask him how he\r\nacquired the substance?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nBertol let out a light laugh. “No, you’re looking at it wrong, doc.\r\nWhat’s red, comes out of your stomach, and glows?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka frowned. “Iridescent ketchup?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nBertol squinted his eyes and let out a hard laugh, zipping up his\r\npants and flushing the urinal.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“You got a sense of humor, don’t you, doc?” Bertol remarked,\r\nchuckling as he moved to a sink and washed his hands.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Well, what then?” Luka impatiently asked.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nBertol glanced over and grinned. “I’ll give you a hint if you\r\npromise to let it go. Just to sate your curiosity.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka rested his hands on the sink next to Bertol. “Fine. I’ll let\r\nit go.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nBertol shrugged. “I may not be a genius or a biologist, but I read\r\nabout some sea creatures. I read about an article that said some of\r\nthose things don’t have iron in their blood. Oxygen is kind of\r\nimportant for a lot of creatures, at least the ones we know about,\r\nand iron is a pretty good element to bind it with. But these\r\ncreatures, you see, they don’t use iron. They use copper.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Yes, yes, yes; that’s well established,” Luka grumbled. “I\r\nfail to see how that enters into this discussion.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nBertol turned off the faucet and grabbed a paper towel, drying his\r\nhands. “Well, it does. Directly related to the ‘yellow’ bit, in\r\nfact. What color is your blood, doc? I’m assuming it’s red, because\r\nof the iron.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka thought for a moment. Yes,\r\nblood looks red. But how does that relate to copper? And- <\/em>His\r\neyes widened as he put it together. Some sea creatures have\r\ngreen or blue blood because the oxidization causes those elements to\r\nappear green or blue rather than red, as it does with iron. The\r\nsubstance is blood!<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nBertol turned back and smiled at Luka. “One look at your face just\r\ntells me you finally put it together. Congrats, doc; now, let it go.\r\nYou found what you wanted.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“But how did-” Luka began, then Bertol held a hand up.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“You promised, doc,” Bertol said. “Said you’d let it go. Now,\r\nI’m not one to make threats, so consider this a warning: if you keep\r\ndigging, you’re going to make your own grave. I’m not telling you\r\nthat because you’re uncovering some scandal or something; I’m telling\r\nyou that because some very nasty people in the Families are on the\r\nsame trail. If they find out that you know anything — however so\r\nslight — they’ll make you squeal like a hog.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka sighed and nodded. “I understand, Officer Bertol. Thank you\r\nfor the discussion.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Anytime, doc. Pleasant day to you,” Bertol remarked, leaving the\r\nrestroom.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka looked over to the mirror over\r\nthe sink, shaking his head at his own reflection. I suppose\r\nI shouldn’t be surprised to hear that the Families are involved in\r\nthis. Which explains why the Royal Police are involved as well. But\r\nthe Royal family? How are they involved? Why are they involved?<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka let out another sigh and exited the restroom, finding himself\r\nback in the hallway. It was on the main floor of the Royal Police\r\nbuilding, so there was a bit more activity. He walked to the front\r\ndoor, out the steps and began to make his way back to campus. As he\r\nwalked along the sidewalk, he noticed a rather tall woman with red\r\nhair, a fedora on her head, and a trench coat covering her frame. He\r\nnarrowed his eyes as he looked over her, then got a look at her chin.\r\nHe instantly recognized her based on the chin alone — there was no\r\nmistaking Princess Katerina.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nKaterina looked up and gave Luka a predatory grin. She casually\r\nstrolled up to him, meeting his gaze and sending chills up his spine.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Princess Katerina,” Luka said, lightly bowing his head. “I am\r\ndeeply honored by your presence. Though I assume you don’t want it to\r\nbe widely known on this busy afternoon day.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Yeah, you sound like a smug academia clown,” Katerina remarked.\r\n“Sera was right when she told me that I wouldn’t get along with you\r\nat all.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“A shame, Princess. I would hope that my future queen would\r\nconsider me a loyal subject.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nKaterina rolled her eyes. “Lose the titles, shut up, and listen to\r\nme closely you little shit: if you want to get killed, keep diggin’.\r\nIf you want to stay alive, forget you ever heard anything about that\r\nyellow crap.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“I beg your pardon, my majesty!”\r\nLuka exclaimed. “I am decades<\/em>\r\nyour superior at the very least and while you might be a princess,\r\nthat does not-“<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nKaterina reached out and grabbed\r\nLuka by his collar. “Shut up and listen!” she growled. “You\r\nwanna know what that yellow shit does? It makes you go nuts! It makes\r\nyou hear voices, see things that aren’t there, and makes you think\r\nyou can fly! Do not<\/em>\r\nfuck with it!”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Except I know<\/em>\r\nit’s blood,” Luka whispered. “I’ve seen it up close. It’s not a\r\ndrug.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nKaterina shook her head. “No, it’s not. Whatever you saw wasn’t\r\nblood. That’s probably just the effects of the drug.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Then we should<\/em>\r\nbe researching it! This drug stimulates cell replication and growth\r\nin ways I have never<\/em>\r\nseen before! We could change the-“<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“The world has already\r\n<\/em>been changed, you idiot!”\r\nKaterina growled. “The only question is whether or not we can save\r\nwhat’s left!”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka slowly blinked. “And how do you know this? What has led you to\r\nthis conclusion?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nKaterina narrowed her eyes. “I will state this very plainly, Dr.\r\nMartaci: stop looking in the wrong places. There are just some things\r\nwe aren’t meant to know.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nKaterina released Luka and casually\r\nwalked away, heading back to the Royal Police building. He sighed and\r\ncontinued walking back to campus, the gears in his mind still\r\nturning. If I’m looking in the wrong places, then I must\r\nfind the <\/em>right places.\r\nSera, Bertol, and Katerina — damn them and their narrow minds. I\r\ncan and <\/em>will bring\r\ngreatness to humanity, even if it costs me my own life.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n–<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The Rabbit Hole<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka pulled back away from the microscope and rubbed his eyes. He\r\nglanced to the clock on his desk, seeing the time as 7 in the\r\nevening. He pursed his lips and let out a sigh, knowing that his wife\r\nwould likely scold him for coming home so late. Majorie will ask\r\nme what is so necessary at my job to forego spending time with her,\r\n<\/em>Luka thought. Yet I am\r\nat a loss as to how to explain all this to her. I also find myself\r\nconcerned with what I found out from the Royal Police — especially\r\nPrincess Katerina’s warning. “The world has already been changed,”\r\nshe said. What does that even mean? Isn’t the world <\/em>always\r\nchanging?<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka again leaned forward and looked into the microscope, seeing the\r\ncells again. They were starting to lose some of their luster, no\r\nlonger glowing as brilliantly as they used to. Before long, they\r\nwould likely all die and leave him with nothing to go on.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Damn you, Sera,” Luka mumbled. “The things we could do with\r\nthis knowledge… We owe it to everyone to pursue this, no matter the\r\ncost.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka frowned as he noticed something\r\ndifferent in the cells. He adjusted the microscope to get a better\r\nlook at it, then gasped at what he saw: a jet-black cell, larger than\r\nthe others, appearing as a mechanical construct. How in\r\nthe… What is this?!<\/em> He tried\r\nto adjust the microscope for a closer look, but it was incapable of\r\nzooming in any further; while it was a scientific-grade scope, it was\r\nnot nearly the same as what Sera had access to. Which is\r\nthe whole reason I ended up with that discarded equipment to begin\r\nwith. Was it fate? Was I supposed to have come across that equipment\r\nand found this?<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka focused the microscope to get\r\nthe best look at the cell as he could, then started noting details\r\nabout it. It seemed that the core had an identical appearance to the\r\nother cells, but with a mechanical construct grafted to it. A series\r\nof arms appeared to emit from the construct, with which it had\r\ngrabbed several other cells. If only I could get a closer\r\nlook at this! This isn’t a natural construct, it’s engineered! But\r\nwho made it? And for what purpose? That officer, he said that it came\r\nfrom a man who wasn’t a man. His blood. Did he know? Who was he?<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka pulled back from the microscope\r\nand rested his chin on his hand. Cellular modification should not be\r\npossible; after all, if his microscope couldn’t even zoom in close\r\nenough to see the details of such a small construct, then it was\r\nhighly unlikely anyone else would. Even the most advanced microscopes\r\nin the world would only be able to get in slightly closer, which\r\nstill didn’t change the nature of actually constructing such a\r\ndevice. To make such a construct would be an incredible\r\nundertaking, notwithstanding how to make it function. The theory goes\r\nthat the world is made up of much smaller elements than cells, but\r\ntechnology has not advanced enough to prove such. However, if we\r\nassume such is true, then <\/em>someone\r\nhad to have made this. With technology not readily known or\r\navailable. The Protectorate, perhaps? Unlikely; they have persecuted\r\ntheir intellectual caste to the brink of destruction. Science and\r\nknowledge have no business in a worker’s paradise, as they’ve said\r\nbefore. But rhetoric is far reaching… Perhaps elements deeper\r\nwithin their government have been more forward thinking than the\r\npublic face they project.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Listen to yourself, Luka,” Luka\r\ngrumbled out loud. “It’s night time, Majorie is likely worried\r\nabout you, you’re tired, and there’s nothing more to be gained from\r\nhere. This rabbit burrow will still be present when you return in the\r\nmorning.” He stood and slid the slide out from the microscope,\r\nturning off the lamp within. He went to the refrigerator and\r\ncarefully hid the slide in the back, closing the door and clicking\r\nthe combination lock in place. He checked the door to make sure it\r\nwouldn’t easily open, then made his way to the coat rack and donned\r\nhis jacket. Glancing around the lab one last time, he turned off the\r\ndesk lamp and walked out to the hallway, the darkened appearance\r\nreminding him of all the time he had spent on campus. Classes weren’t\r\nscheduled to start for another couple months, so he could focus\r\nexclusively on research until then. And if this all pans\r\nout, I may never have to give lectures to young, ignorant, bored kids\r\nanymore. My lectures will be reserved for those truly interested —\r\nthose who desire to make the world a better place!<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nAs Luka descended the steps of his building, the calm late-spring air\r\nbegan to rise up in a light breeze, adding an element of tranquility\r\nto the evening. The various lights dotting campus kept it from\r\nfeeling dangerous, yet Luka still felt as if something was watching\r\nhim. He carefully glanced around, but saw no one. He shrugged and\r\ntightened his jacket, continuing down the sidewalk to make his way\r\nhome, a short distance away from campus. When he was younger, he rode\r\na bike to classes; as he got older, it became more painful and\r\ndifficult to ride bikes, so he had transitioned to walking instead.\r\nFor the distance he covered, walking suited him fine and when he\r\ngained tenure, helped to reinforce his new position as an elder.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nPassing the edge of campus, Luka\r\ncrossed the street and made the familiar journey past the various\r\nhomes belonging to his fellow professors as well as those belonging\r\nto well-off students. Many would later transition to professorship as\r\nthey gradually replaced others who retired from their positions.\r\nThere was always a constant ebb and flow of new blood and not all of\r\nit was good; many, like Sera, opted for careers outside of academia,\r\nwasting their potential — in Luka’s view. Sera should be\r\nworking with <\/em>me, not\r\nfor the Royal Police. What difference can she make as a crime scene\r\ntechnologist? Yet she has been doing it for so long now. At the same\r\ntime, this discovery falls in <\/em>her\r\nlap of all people! And what does she do? She wastes it! An\r\nopportunity of a lifetime! History would have always remembered the\r\nname “Sera Williston” as the scientist who changed everything we\r\nknew about biology. Instead, that falls to me: Luka Martaci, father\r\nof immortality.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka noticed he had finally arrived at his home, so turned his\r\nthoughts around and walked up the front steps, opening the door and\r\npreparing himself for his wife’s ire.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“I’m home!” Luka shouted, hanging his jacket up.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Luka? It’s 7:30! Where have you been?” Majorie shouted back from\r\nthe kitchen.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“A bit of puzzling research,” Luka answered, walking into the\r\nkitchen. Majorie was sitting on a stool, looking out the window as\r\nshe worked on a sketch.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“You look pleasant this evening, dear,” Luka mumbled.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“I didn’t bother making dinner because I determined you would\r\nlikely be late again, as you have been for the past two weeks,”\r\nMajorie said, still focused on her drawing.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Yes, of course. I’m sorry.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nMajorie passed a frown to Luka. “Are you, Luka? Are you really? If\r\nclasses weren’t out, I would accuse you of seeing some young\r\nundergraduate, but I know you better than that. Every night you’ve\r\ncome home and avoided discussing the subject with me; I think it’s\r\nfinally time you told me what you’re doing.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka sighed and leaned against the kitchen counter. “Do you\r\nremember all the chaos from a couple months back? The Station 31\r\nbuilding incident?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nMajorie nodded. “Yes, Quintus Lordenci was forced to broadcast on\r\nthe radio alleged crimes he had committed in his life. I don’t recall\r\nmuch beyond that; once you get involved with the Families, you never\r\nget out.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“I found something, Majorie. And I think it’s related to that.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nMajorie lifted an eyebrow. “What possible reasons would you have to\r\nbe involved in any of that business?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“You’re aware of how I was trying to get equipment for the lab,\r\ncorrect? Purchasing had cut my budget, so I had to find alternative\r\nways to get what I needed. Through a student, I was directed to a man\r\nwho had some lab equipment that had been in use by the Royal Police.\r\nThe claim was that it was surplus, but I later found out that it had\r\nbeen slated for incineration.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“It was contaminated?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka nodded. “According to Sera Williston, she had been told by the\r\nRoyal family that it was all to be destroyed. She would not tell me\r\nwhy; I believe now that she was on the cusp of an incredible\r\ndiscovery related to the Station 31 incident.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nMajorie put her drawing down and looked at Luka with curiosity. “If\r\nSera was willing to destroy it and not pursue it any further, she\r\nmust have found something that shook her to her core. Sera doesn’t\r\njust give up scientific discovery without good reason.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“I believe she has grown soft in her old age,” Luka grumbled. “I\r\nfound what she found, but she will not acknowledge it. I do not know\r\nwhy, because what it might be could change everything we know about\r\nourselves. It has the potential to be a ground-breaking discovery in\r\nthe realm of biology.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“If Sera dropped it, then she had good reason to,” Majorie said.\r\nShe sighed and shook her head. “Luka, you have a tendency to be\r\nquite stubborn, a trait that Sera shares with you, but unlike you,\r\nshe is well aware of it and takes steps to keep it in check. I’m\r\ngoing to assume that Sera warned you from pursuing the matter any\r\nfurther; if she did, then I would strongly implore you to heed her\r\nwarnings.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Majorie, what I’ve found are cells that repair themselves. They\r\nglow yellow and regenerate — do you understand what that means?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nMajorie shook her head. “No, Luka, I don’t. All I need to know is\r\nthat if Sera won’t pursue what you’ve found, then she is well aware\r\nof both the good and bad implications of it. Her judgment in such\r\nmatters is what gives her an edge over so many in her field; I’m\r\ncertain that’s why the Royal Police hired her.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka scoffed. “Don’t tell me that you refuse to understand as well.\r\nEven Princess Katerina-“<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“You saw Princess Katerina?!”\r\nMajorie exclaimed. “The<\/em>\r\nPrincess Katerina?!”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka frowned and nodded. “Yes, she seems to be working at the Royal\r\nPolice for some reason. Why is that-“<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Luka, can’t you see how deep you’re getting in all this? Your\r\nfuture queen is involved! Unless she explicitly asked for your\r\nassistance, that is all the evidence you need to drop this!”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“She’s a princess, not a god, and not a queen — not yet. She’s\r\nstill a young woman, for all intents and purposes.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“A young woman who could very well become the head of state, Luka!”\r\nMajorie exclaimed. “Don’t you remember what happened to King Racine\r\nII?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Yes, yes, I remember,” Luka grumbled. “Died in a plane crash,\r\nthrusting Cortaeus and Rita onto the throne.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Who were still young — maybe only a few years older than\r\nKaterina is now. I hope you didn’t antagonize her!”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Antagonize her?!” Luka\r\nexclaimed. “No, she antagonized me!<\/em>\r\nShe had the gall to tell me<\/em>\r\nto leave it all alone! And in a disgusting bottom-class tone and\r\ndialect!”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nMajorie narrowed her eyes. “Just like my parents, correct?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka closed his eyes as his cheeks burned with embarrassment. “No.\r\nI’m sorry, Majorie.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nMajorie nodded. “You had better damn well be, Luka. You know I went\r\nagainst my parent’s wishes when I married you.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“I apologize in full for my behavior and my comments, dear,” Luka\r\nsaid. “Perhaps you are right; perhaps I am too close to all this.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Your words and behavior make that\r\nall too clear. If it’s not just Sera telling you to back away, but\r\nKaterina as well, then you must<\/em>\r\nlet go, Luka. Please, for my sake: heed their warnings.<\/em>“<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka sighed. “Before I do so, can you listen for a little longer?\r\nAt least allow me to make my case?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nMajorie folded her arms, then carefully nodded. “Tread lightly,\r\nLuka. If you try to change things too much, you will make uncountable\r\nenemies not only here, but in the entire world.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“I understand, Majorie,” Luka said. “Consider this: if these\r\ncells can regenerate, the implications are that we would no longer\r\nneed all but the most dire medical care. There wouldn’t need to be\r\nany complicated clinics, paperwork, or bureaucracy to treat ailments.\r\nWe would heal from complex ailments almost instantly; someone losing\r\nan arm or a leg would not have to go on for the rest of their lives\r\nwith poor mechanical substitutes. We could conquer disease; we could\r\nconquer injury; we could potentially live forever — as long or as\r\nshort as we might want. Time would no longer factor into our lives;\r\nit would be infinite. We could do anything we wanted for as long as\r\nwe wanted.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Then we would no longer be human,” Majorie dejectedly remarked.\r\n“You cannot separate time from the human experience, Luka. I can\r\nunderstand wanting to remove disease and injury, but the price for\r\nsuch is far too high.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka lifted an eyebrow. “How did you come to that conclusion?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“If I am careless with a kitchen knife and I cut myself, I will\r\nalways have a scar to remind myself of my carelessness. If, on the\r\nother hand, I have infinite time and will never show the physical\r\ninjury, what reason do I have to use caution in the future?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“But you would remember it. The memories of pain would still be\r\nthere.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“My uncle was a Family enforcer. Did you know that?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka frowned and shook his head. “I wasn’t aware of that, no.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nMajorie sighed. “He tried to steal from the Zastev family, so they\r\nstabbed him to death. According to my mother, he deserved it, as\r\npainful as it was for her to admit it.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Majorie, I’m not speaking of shedding our law and order; I’m-“<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“If my uncle had instead survived that stabbing, he would have\r\nkilled my father.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka shook his head in surprise. “What?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“My mother was supposed to be married to a Zastev enforcer — a\r\npromise made by my uncle, the price he intended to ‘pay’ in order to\r\nget his position. Because she was already engaged to my father, my\r\nuncle had intended to kill my father in order to secure his position\r\nin the family.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“I fail to see how that relates to this discussion.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“My uncle made a mistake one night, gambling with other enforcers.\r\nHe insulted another enforcer’s mother, causing a fight to break out.\r\nThe other man stabbed my uncle and left him to bleed, then they threw\r\nhis body into a river. Now, if he had these cells, Luka… He would\r\nhave lived. It would have been deemed typical family business and\r\nleft alone. And he would have killed my father, thus ensuring my\r\nmother would forever be a slave to a Zastev thug.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka closed his eyes and nodded. “I see your point, Majorie.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nMajorie smiled. “All it takes is one little thing and the changes\r\nbecome far-reaching, Luka. Never forget that.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka opened his eyes and rested a hand on Majorie’s shoulder. “I\r\nlove you, dear. I’m going to bed.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nMajorie nodded and held Luka’s hand, then let go as he left for the\r\nbedroom. She sighed and looked out the window, knowing that he would\r\nnot be swayed — she had been married to him for almost two decades\r\nand she knew him better than that.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka sighed again as he entered the\r\nbedroom, his own thoughts once again turning in his mind. I\r\nam on my own with this. I’m sure eventually, Majorie will understand,\r\nas will everyone else. I just have to prove it. I <\/em>will\r\nfind out what these cells do — and how to reproduce them.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n–<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka woke to see the early morning\r\nlight shining in through the window. He yawned and folded the covers\r\noff, allowing him to slip his feet into his slippers and stand,\r\nstretching as he did so. He looked back to see Majorie still asleep,\r\nas was typical; she went to sleep at a much later hour than he did.\r\nHe casually went through the door and down the stairs, opening the\r\nfront door and intending to pick up the newspaper. He was surprised\r\nto see not only the newspaper, but a small unmarked box alongside it.\r\nHe frowned and picked up the box, seeing no writing on it whatsoever.\r\nHe shrugged and grabbed the newspaper as well, then went inside and\r\nput the box down on the table, he gently tugged at the edges and\r\npulled the lid off the box, being greeted by a note. It was\r\nhandwritten in a careful style, indicating that whomever wrote it was\r\neducated and of higher class than the box itself might indicate. Luka\r\nsquinted as he read the note:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nHow deep are you willing to go, Dr. Martaci? Once you go down this\r\nhole, there is no going back.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka set the note down and pursed\r\nhis lips. He looked in the box, seeing it filled mostly with packing\r\npaper. How deep am I willing to go? <\/em>Luka\r\nthought. Until my death. I will go as far as I can, no\r\nmatter what stands in my way.<\/em> He\r\nbegan to dig through the box, pulling out material until he found\r\nsomething hard. It seemed to be pocket knife sized, wrapped tightly\r\nin paper. He pulled the paper off to find the handle of a knife with\r\na broken off blade. He then gasped and dropped the knife back in the\r\nbox.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nThe handle was still covered in the same glowing yellow blood as the\r\nsample he had obtained.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n–<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

No Way Out<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka quickly stepped into the lab, almost giddy at the new sample he\r\nhad obtained. The note warning him of the possible consequences did\r\nnot cause him pause or concern; as far as he was concerned, it was\r\ncryptic with little absolute value. Someone who simply cannot\r\nfathom how science works, <\/em>he\r\nthought to himself. He set the box on the desk and turned on his\r\nmicroscope, then dug around for a slide to place new samples from the\r\nknife onto. Finding one, he carefully prepared it, then opened the\r\nbox and withdrew the knife handle. Using a small scraper tool, he\r\nrubbed some of the yellow blood from the handle onto the slide, then\r\nset it aside. He clamped the slide together and hastily jammed it\r\ninto the microscope, almost breaking the locking tabs. Looking into\r\nthe microscope, he zoomed in and focused, trying to get the best look\r\nat the new sample as he could.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka smiled as he could tell the new\r\nsample was identical to the old one; there was no mistaking that he\r\nwas looking at the same cells. As he shifted the view around,\r\nhowever, his smile began to fade as he noticed more of the mechanical\r\ncells in the new sample. More of these strange cells… It\r\nappears that almost a third of them are this strange mechanized type.\r\n<\/em>He backed away from the\r\nmicroscope and went to the refrigerator, entering the combination\r\ninto the lock and opening it. He reached to the back and pulled out\r\nthe old slide, then went back to the workbench and removed the new\r\none. Setting the two side by side, he could instantly tell the new\r\nsample was considerably darker than the old one. So the new\r\nsample is considerably duller due to a higher concentration of these\r\nmechanical cells. Does that mean anything beyond the fact that these\r\ncells lack the same luminescence as the others? A chemical reaction\r\nof some form must cause the luminescence to begin with; yet the\r\nmechanical cells appear to have the same structure as the others —\r\nperhaps that energy is used to power the mechanics? It could be\r\npossible. Powering a mechanical object with a chemical reaction on a\r\nsmall scale. But that explains nothing as to why the cells regenerate\r\nso rapidly — even for samples outside of the host.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka sat back and rubbed his chin.\r\nClearly, he was dealing with something so far in advance as to be\r\ndealing with an incredible leap in evolution; either a mutation from\r\nsomething so incredibly rare or an advanced new drug to spur such a\r\nmutation. I have to know more. I <\/em>need\r\nto know more. Why does this sample have more of the mechanical\r\nconstructs than the old sample? I wonder…<\/em>\r\nHe put the new sample back into the microscope and once again looked\r\ninto it, focusing on another one of the mechanical cells. He watched\r\nit for a moment, trying to see if anything stood out to him. As he\r\nwaited, he sighed and looked away for a moment, then movement caught\r\nhis attention. He looked back and saw an arm on the cell swing around\r\nand grab a nearby natural cell, pulling it closer and wrapping around\r\nit. Eventually, the cell began to change color and the mechanical\r\ncell released it. Drifting away, the cell began to change, causing\r\nLuka to gasp. After a few moments, a similar mechanical construct\r\nbegan to appear on the cell, turning it into one just like the\r\nmechanical cell.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Seven protect us,” Luka mumbled\r\nout loud. The mechanical construct… A virus? No; a virus\r\ndoesn’t work that way. A virus attacks a cell and commands it to make\r\nmore. Bacteria? No, not possible. Not looking like this. The cell is\r\nstill present in its original state; it simply has a new mechanical\r\nconstruct attached to it. This was engineered — this isn’t natural.\r\n<\/em>Someone made this. But\r\nfor what purpose? It spreads as if it were a virus, but unlike a\r\nvirus, does not multiply its numbers. It simply converts them.\r\nFurther, they seem to retain the base properties of the cell, thus\r\nallowing them to still work with the host. But I wonder…<\/em>\r\nHe pulled the slide out of the microscope and opened it, then pulled\r\na scalpel off the shelf. He carefully cut his right index finger,\r\nthen smeared a small bit of his blood into the yellow sample. Closing\r\nthe slide, he put it back into the microscope and once again looked\r\ninto it, wondering what he might see.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nAs Luka observed, the yellow cells\r\nand his own blood cells mixed, but nothing seemed to happen between\r\nthem — as expected. He carefully watched as his red cells began to\r\nmix more and more, getting closer to what he truly wanted to see: if\r\nthe mechanical construct would convert his cells as they did the\r\nyellow ones. He didn’t have to wait long before seeing his cells\r\nclose in on a mechanical one. He held his breath for a moment,\r\nexpecting something to happen, but the mechanical cell ignored his\r\nblood cells, causing him to sigh in disappointment. That’s\r\nnot going to work. The mechanical cells are not the source of this\r\nenergy; they- <\/em>Luka’s eyes\r\nwidened as his thoughts came together. These are more\r\nadvanced than I thought! The mechanical cell must be tailored\r\nspecifically to target the yellow cells! Yes, it could work! My cells\r\ndon’t have any latent energy in them, which must be exactly what the\r\nmechanical construct needs. There’s not enough energy in mine to\r\npower the construct, so it either cannot see it or it is unwilling to\r\nuse it. But to do such-<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nA knock on the door interrupted Luka’s thoughts. He leaned out from\r\nthe microscope and looked to the door.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Come in!” Luka shouted, the door shortly opening after he did\r\nso. It was Erik, his student lab assistant. Erik had been the one who\r\nled Luka to the man selling the surplus lab equipment.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Good morning professor,” Erik said. “You asked about trying to\r\nfind a more powerful microscope the other day; someone in the\r\nresearch department has something of interest.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka lifted an eyebrow. “They do? Last time I asked them, they said\r\nthis was as powerful as it got.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“It’s a new development, sir,” Erik answered. “A student was\r\nworking on some optical technologies and he heard about your request.\r\nIt’s not sanctioned by the department heads, but he and I got\r\ntogether and we think we have a way to make a new, far more powerful\r\nmicroscope.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“How much more powerful?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“We think we can do at least twice the maximum power and resolution\r\nas the one you’ve got there.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka’s jaw dropped open. “What?! How?!”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“He’s calling it an ‘electron scope,’ professor. It-“<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“How soon can you build one?” Luka interrupted.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nErik sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, we built one.\r\nAlready, I mean. We’ve looked at some incredible stuff already and I\r\nthought I’d let you know.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka turned off his microscope and pulled out the slide, shooting up\r\nand dragging Erik into the hallway.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Take me to it. Now!” Luka demanded.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Er, of course, professor. Follow me,” Erik whispered. He led\r\nLuka out of the building and through campus, ending up at a run-down\r\nbuilding nearby the research department. Erik hammered on the loose\r\nwood door, then went inside. Old wooden crates, government surplus\r\nstorage containers, tin cans, and other bits of scrap decorated the\r\ninside of the building, with a stiff, musky smell permeating the air.\r\nLuka looked around and spotted what appeared to be a large\r\nmicroscope, with several wires prominently coming out of it. Nearby,\r\nanother young man was writing in a notebook, his thick glasses\r\nmarring his otherwise youthful appearance.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Gene, I have Professor Martaci here,” Erik said. “He wants to\r\nuse the scope.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nGene continued to write in his notebook, seemingly ignoring Erik.\r\nAfter a moment, he nodded and began to speak.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“This is unproven technology, Professor,” Gene mumbled. “I\r\ncan’t be certain that what we’re looking at is really an accurate\r\nimage or not.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“It doesn’t matter, Mr…?” Luka’s voice trailed off.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Eugene, or just Gene, is fine, Professor,” Gene bluntly\r\nanswered.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Very well, Gene. If your device can accurately see my sample, then\r\nI will consider you — and Erik — co-discoverers of a revelation\r\nthat will shake our world,” Luka proudly remarked.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nGene looked up and narrowed his eyes. “I doubt that, Professor.\r\nNonetheless, you may give it a go. Erik, show him how it works.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“OK, Professor, just slide your sample down there-” Erik pointed\r\nto the slot for a slide. “-and I’ll handle the rest. The eyepiece\r\nis right there, just like a regular microscope.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka nodded and snapped the slide into place below the viewing area,\r\nthen looked down through the eyepiece. It was pitch black, showing\r\nnothing.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“I don’t see anything, Erik. What is-” Luka began, then the sound\r\nof electronics being turned on interrupted him.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Just turning it on, Professor,” Erik answered. “Give it a\r\nsecond to power up.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka pulled back and gently nodded,\r\nwaiting for Erik to tell him more. The sound of whirring<\/em>\r\nfilled the air and Erik nodded.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nErik let out an anxious sigh. “We only have limited magnification\r\nand focusing at this point — Gene scrapped a cheap scope for the\r\neyepiece and did some translations, so the minimum power is akin to\r\nthe maximum power of yours. It should be ready.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka looked down through the\r\neyepiece; it was somewhat grainy, but beyond that the sample looked\r\njust like it did through his microscope. Fascinating! I\r\nmust know more about this scope, but that will come later. I have\r\nmore pressing concerns about these cells. <\/em>Adjusting\r\nthe scope, he zoomed in closer, seeing more and more details of the\r\ncells. He shifted the view around and focused on a mechanical cell,\r\nzooming in on it. As he was able to make out more details, he gently\r\nshook his head. This should not be possible, but I cannot\r\ndeny what I am seeing. This <\/em>is\r\nan artificial construct. There is no doubt of that now.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Remember not to run it too long, Erik,” Gene mumbled, writing in\r\nhis notebook.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Right,” Erik answered back. “Professor, you’ve got about a\r\nminute left, then we have to shut it off. It gets hot too quickly; we\r\nbuilt it mostly with scrap parts.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Yes, I’ll be done shortly,” Luka whispered back. The construct\r\nwas starkly marked with angles, appearing almost as a crystalline\r\nstructure, with various joints on the arms. It was an incredible\r\npiece of engineering and it made him even more curious as to whom had\r\ndesigned and built it. Then something caught his eye on the\r\nstructure; it was out of focus, so he adjusted more until it was in\r\nfocus. He gasped over what he saw, then the power cut out and the\r\nimage went blank.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Whoops!” Erik exclaimed. “Sorry, Professor. Some of the\r\nelectronics are still fiddly.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka sighed and rubbed his eyes. “That’s quite all right, Erik. How\r\nsoon can you have it back up?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nGene walked up and looked at a component on the back of the scope and\r\nshook his head.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Power supply’s gone out,” Gene remarked. “I don’t have a spare\r\nand I can’t fix this one with what we’ve got on hand; we’ll have to\r\nwait until someone discards another or we find one for sale.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“I will talk to your department heads,” Luka said. “If they are\r\nunwilling to get you one, I will buy you one out of my own pocket.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nGene laughed. “Professor, this isn’t a cheap power supply. It came\r\noff of the telescope the astronomy people use. You’re looking at a\r\n600 Royal device.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Then I will pay it,” Luka\r\nreplied. He sighed and looked at a clock on the wall; it was\r\napproaching lunchtime and he had skipped over breakfast. It was\r\ngetting to him and causing consternation in his thoughts. I\r\nmust have energy if I am to continue on with this. Especially if I\r\nmust play bureaucratic games with the other departments to get what\r\nGene and Erik need.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“If you say so,” Gene mumbled. “If you’re done here, then Erik\r\nand I have some work to do. We need to modify the scope so it won’t\r\nburn out a power supply again; I would have done so beforehand, but\r\nErik was insistent that you wanted it as soon as possible.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka nodded. “Yes, to which I will be in your debt. I will pressure\r\neveryone to recognize what you have done with this device — it has\r\ngreat potential. Let me know if there’s anything else I can do for\r\nyou, gentlemen; I will speak with the rest of the faculty on this\r\nmatter this afternoon.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Good luck, Professor,” Erik said, turning back to the scope.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka quickly took the slide out of\r\nthe slot, then weaved around all the junk and left the building. A\r\nfascinating development, <\/em>he\r\nthought. It truly does work! With further development, we\r\ncould see even smaller! But for now, this construct… There is no\r\nmistaking it now: it <\/em>is\r\nartificial. A small plate with writing on it, at a scale\r\nimpossible for us to work on? And even more perplexing: “GMP 2083\r\nNXS-34” — what does it mean? If one has the technology to mark\r\nsuch a device, one must assume the technology to read it is out\r\nthere. And we do not possess it.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka returned to his building and scaled up the stairs, making his\r\nway to the lab. The sound of objects crashing caused him to frown and\r\nhe quickly ran to his lab, bursting in to see two men dressed in\r\nsuits, crashing through all the equipment.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“What are you doing?! Stop this at once!” Luka shouted, causing\r\nthe two men to stop and look to him.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“This lab yers?” one of the men asked in a lower-class dialect.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“This lab is the property of Merigold University!” Luka growled\r\nin answer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nThe two men chuckled and looked at one another, then the first man\r\nlooked back to Luka.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Ya must be Doc Martaci,” the first man said. “Ya know where da\r\nLordenci girl’s at?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka frowned and shook his head. “I have no idea what you’re\r\nspeaking of.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nThe other man pulled out a slide — it was clearly the first sample\r\nLuka had obtained, which he had forgotten to secure before leaving.\r\nThe surprise on his face caused the men to chuckle again.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Ya know somethin’, dontcha doc?” the first man asked. “Tell us\r\nn’ mebbie we forgets ya.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“It was a sample of some fluid that came off of discarded Royal\r\nPolice laboratory equipment,” Luka answered. “I was attempting to\r\nfind out what it is. Unfortunately, I have no answers.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nThe first man shook his head. “Nah. Ya know somethin’ more n’ dat.\r\nWhere’s da girl, Doc?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“My research has nothing to do with a girl,” Luka answered. “I\r\nwas informed that the sample came from a man, not a woman. I-“<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“We dun give a damn ’bout no man!” the first man interrupted.\r\n“Tenna Lordenci! Where is she?!”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka balled his hands into fists. “I know of no such person! In\r\ncase you didn’t notice, classes are out! They will not resume for\r\nanother two months, and when they do, I will know few students\r\npersonally!”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“I’s thinks he’s tellin’ tha truth, Nicco,” the other man said,\r\nbreaking his silence. “He ain’t knowin’ where tha stuff came from.\r\nSeems ta be his only problem.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“N’ I say we bring ‘im in,” the first man said. “Mr. Lordenci\r\nwas adamant ’bout that. Anyone got any info, we bring ’em to da\r\nboss.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Gentlemen,” Luka interrupted, “my only concern is that yellow\r\nsubstance. Unless it came from this Tenna Lordenci, I have no\r\ninterest in your affairs.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nThe two men looked at one another in confusion, then back to Luka.\r\nThe first man shrugged and walked up to Luka.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“‘Eres da way it goes down, doc,” the first man said. “We\r\nweren’t ‘ere n’ ya didn’t see us.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Your Mr. Lordenci will have to compensate the college for the lab\r\nequipment,” Luka replied. “If he does that, then you were never\r\nhere, I never heard his name, and Tenna Lordenci doesn’t exist.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nThe first man smiled. “Ah, ya shoulda been in a Family, doc. Ya got\r\nguts. I’s pass along yer words to ‘im. Kazy, let’s go.” He waved\r\nhis companion out and left the lab, leaving Luka alone in the refuse.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka quickly ducked back to the hallway and looked at the men.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

“Hey!” Luka shouted. “I want that sample back!”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nThe second man stopped and turned,\r\nthen grinned. He held the slide up and tossed it back, causing Luka\r\nto gasp and dive to catch it. He succeeded, though did so in an\r\nabsolutely ridiculous fashion, causing the men to laugh as they\r\ndescended the stairs. Ignorant, low-class, dumb muscle!\r\n<\/em>Luka thought. Families,\r\nof course. Still… Tenna Lordenci. Could she know anything? I must\r\nkeep my eyes and ears open for this person.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka stood and dusted himself off, then went back into the lab. He\r\ngrumbled at the mess the men had left behind, pushing some of it\r\naside on his way to the refrigerator. He opened it up and set the\r\nslides inside, then closed it and locked it. He left the lab and\r\nlocked the door this time, keeping all but the most desperate at bay,\r\nand exited the building, intending to find a place off-campus to eat.\r\nReaching the edge of campus, he stopped at the street running\r\nalongside and waited for an opportunity to cross. Suddenly, a car\r\ncame screeching up, stopping in front of him. A man hopped out of the\r\nfront passenger seat and opened the back door, exposing an elegant\r\nwoman about Luka’s age to his view.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“What is-” Luka began, then the woman waved a hand, cutting him\r\noff.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Please have a seat, Dr. Martaci,” the woman interrupted, her\r\ndialect seemingly in the same class as Luka’s.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“I have no business with-“<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Art,” the woman bluntly called out, causing the man to grab Luka\r\nand throw him in back, slamming the door and hopping back into the\r\nfront seat. The driver screeched the tires and the vehicle merged\r\nwith traffic, seemingly driving nowhere.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“What is the meaning of this?!” Luka exclaimed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Relax, Doctor,” the woman said. “Do you know who I am?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka narrowed his eyes at the woman and shook his head. “No. I am\r\nunfamiliar with you.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Edna Fercelli. I run the Fercelli family.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Ah. First Lordenci, now Fercelli. What is this about? And don’t\r\ntell me Tenna Lordenci — I don’t know who she is.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nEdna laughed. “Oh, Quintus really would like to have his daughter\r\nback. Unfortunately for him, the Royal Police have her under their\r\nprotection. I could tell him where, but I want to find a much more\r\npowerful person. Did you get my gift?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka frowned and thought for a\r\nmoment. Gift? What gift? I received no-<\/em>\r\nHe glanced over to Edna.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Yes. The knife handle?” Luka asked.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nEdna nodded. “Did you find anything on it?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Why should I tell you that?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nEdna smiled and shrugged. “Because if you don’t, I’ll chain you to\r\nan anvil and send you to the bottom of the river.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka sighed. “Very well. I found cells that-“<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Regenerate, correct? Along with an artificial cell of some form.\r\nAm I on the right track?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“You knew?!” Luka exclaimed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Of course. That knife was Art’s. Wasn’t it, Art?” Edna called\r\nout to the man in the front seat. He nodded in return.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Bent off the blade in his back,” Art remarked.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“So it was a man,” Luka mumbled. “Who was he?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“You mean what<\/em>\r\nwas he, Doctor,” Edna corrected Luka. “I was told his name was\r\nVictor. He believed it to be Ethan, but I suspect he was wrong. An\r\ninteresting subject, in any case.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Was he aware of what he had?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nEdna shrugged. “On some level, yes. Victor was not of this world,\r\nDoctor; he was from before.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka shook his head. “That’s not possible. He-“<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“He was something of a…\r\nContainer, I suppose,” Edna interrupted. “He wasn’t the only one,\r\nbut he was<\/em> the only\r\none to survive. Well, other than the woman, but she became something\r\ndifferent. I believe he burned her to ash, if what I saw was any\r\nindication.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka lifted an eyebrow. “How?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Regeneration was only one trick he had,” Edna remarked. “He\r\ncould move things with his mind. Emit lightning from his hands.\r\nGenerate fire with the flick of his wrist. Oh, he could also turn\r\ninvisible and leap from great heights and survive. And of course, he\r\ncould go somewhere without moving.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Preposterous!” Luka exclaimed. “Your brain must be addled to\r\nbelieve such things! You were hallucinating!”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Oh no, you see, I don’t use any of our products, Doctor,” Edna\r\nsmugly replied. “When we first started importing brain booster, I\r\nwas pregnant with my first child; I might be many things, but a poor\r\nmother is not one of them. Thus, I never generated any addiction like\r\nothers did.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“One need not take drugs to have delusions,” Luka grumbled.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Of course, but that was Victor’s\r\nproblem, not mine. He did, in fact, have more than one person in his\r\nmind — he was a composite image of many people. Hence, what<\/em>\r\nwas he? The knowledge of a surgeon with years of experience; the\r\nexperience of several war veterans; the ability of the most skilled\r\ntechnicians — in disciples not yet discovered here. What would that\r\nbe, Doctor?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Someone who has lived a very busy life,” Luka replied, shaking\r\nhis head. “Not impossible, but highly unlikely.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“A god, Doctor. A god,” Edna plainly answered. “What I met was\r\nthe creator of us all.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka shook his head in disbelief. “Impossible. There is no god, Ms.\r\nFercelli; that’s-“<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Mrs.<\/em> Fercelli, Doctor,”\r\nEdna corrected Luka. “But I didn’t come here to debate with you.\r\nNow, I will ask once more: what have you found?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka sighed and looked out the window, considering if he should\r\nanswer. He carefully nodded and looked back to Edna.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“The cells,” Luka finally answered. “And a number. ‘GMP 2083\r\nNXS-34’ was on one of the cells.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nEdna sighed and shook her head. “So, you haven’t found out anything\r\neither.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Oh?” Luka lifted an eyebrow. “I would say that I’ve found a\r\nlot. An artificial construct, labeled in a way that is currently\r\nimpossible, as well as cells that seem to regenerate.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“NXS-34 is the model number for the mechanical construct, Doctor,”\r\nEdna said. “It was code-named ‘Plague.’ It was built to co-opt\r\nBlight Leech cells.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“But how-“<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Because Victor was not of this\r\nworld. But, you see… I can control him. I know the control words.\r\nAnd since the woman who told me them is no longer with us, he will be\r\nmine.<\/em>“<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Well, I am sorry to say that I cannot help with such an endeavor,”\r\nLuka said. “Perhaps you can ask this Tenna Lordenci if she knows.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nEdna scoffed. “Tenna is a stubborn girl. And she has Tristan’s\r\nhelp; neither one will break. You do not break a Lordenci, especially\r\nnot two of them.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka held a hand up. “Not my concern, Mrs. Fercelli. I care not for\r\nFamily business.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“I asked you how deep you were willing to go, Doctor,” Edna\r\nwhispered. “I also told you there was no going back. You’re already\r\ninvolved in Family business — Fercelli family business.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Then there is nothing for me to tell you. I know about the cells\r\nand I know about the construct; that is the extent of my knowledge so\r\nfar. I am certain that with more time and money, I will know more,\r\nbut that is potentially years into the future.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“I misjudged you then. Art said I was wasting my time; I suppose I\r\nshould have listened to him.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Yes, well, sorry to disappoint,” Luka mumbled. “I am but a\r\nscientist; I go where the evidence leads me.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“A shame, Doc,” Art said from the front seat. “Was hopin’ we\r\nwouldn’t have to do this.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nLuka lifted an eyebrow at Art. “Do what?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Just tying up loose ends, Doctor,” Edna answered, an evil smile\r\nstretching her face.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n–<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“More Family business?” Katerina asked, walking past a police\r\ncar.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Yeah, ‘fraid so,” Franks answered. “Not exactly what we\r\nexpected, though. Something completely different and outside of the\r\nusual.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“How so?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Well, just look at the guy.” Franks pointed to the body covered\r\nby a sheet. Katerina frowned and walked over, then squatted down next\r\nto it. She briefly lifted the sheet, then quickly set it back and\r\nshook her head.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“What? You know him?” Franks asked.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nKaterina nodded and stood. “Yeah. Dr. Luka Martaci. Professor of\r\nbiology at Merigold University.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“How’d you know him? Went to class with him or somethin’?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nKaterina shook her head. “No. He,\r\nuh… Became familiar with our old… Friend. <\/em>You\r\nknow?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nFranks lifted an eyebrow. “Which\r\nfriend<\/em> would that be?\r\nWe got a lot<\/em> of ’em.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nKaterina looked around and then leaned in to whisper. “Ethan.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nFranks’ eyes widened as he put it together. “Lordenci, you think?”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nKaterina looked back to Luka’s body. “No. Lordenci doesn’t kill\r\npeople this way. Fercelli, I’m sure.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“How can you tell? Drownin’ is drownin’,” Franks remarked.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Chains and an anvil, Franks,” Katerina answered. “Lordenci\r\nuses cement and rope. I warned that damned idiot, but he thought he\r\nknew better.”<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Ouch. No way out with that combo,” Franks mumbled with a\r\ngrimace.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n“Yeah. No way out,” Katerina\r\nwhispered. “Get someone to his offices and lab at the university. I\r\nwant all of his stuff incinerated. All of it.<\/em>“<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n–<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Return to The Chaos of Life<\/a><\/p>\r\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"