Chapter 61 – EVO
***Earth, Tibet, Secure Gateway Facility***
***Everhart***
Professor Everhart! Professor!
At first, I tried to ignore my subordinates urgent nagging, but when he didn’t stop I had to curse and abort the molecular editing process.
The DNA recoder powered down with a low whine while discharging the capacitors. At the same time, the device sterilized the test material, wasting at least an hour of my work.
Havent I told you plebeians often enough not to disturb me when I am working with this equipment!? The process is too delicate to be interrupted! We dont want the prime minister of the united nations to turn into a bug when he gets his next DNA update, do we?
But Professor! The assistant gestured helplessly at his equipment. The Aerie testing colony has gone dark! I was about to download the latest results and all I got was an error message!
A what!?
I quickly walked up to his station and pushed him aside. Have you tried to re-establish the connection? Maybe the communication protocol crashed again.
Nothing works! The man was somewhat desperate because an irreplaceable device had failed under his watch. The last update we got says the program is shutting down!
Sighing, I quickly went through the sub-menu and called up the raw communication logs.
Someone logged in with administration rights and made changes to the system. What fool would be stupid enough to activate the U.I.? Maintenance mode off!? Who did this!? This is sabotage!
I turned and glared at the assistant who raised his hands.
There was no way the mutants wouldnt have been alerted to the systems existence by now. This was threatening the entire project!
It, it wasnt me! Look! The timestamp says it happened at four in the morning, he pleaded while directing my attention back to the screen. There was nobody inside the laboratory at the time!
I see. I scratched my bearded chin while I thought furiously of a solution. Losing our equipment on Tirnanog was a huge blow. Worse, having the test subjects know of our direct supervision… it would change their behaviour drastically. These werent your average lab rats.
It was highly unlikely for the board’s members to sanction a mission to regain control over the system. Not that it mattered, now that the Aerie assuredly knew of the computers existence.
And our people were much too afraid of anything from Tirnanog making its way to our side of the gate. Everything had hinged on the test subjects unawareness of Earths surveillance system.
Maybe we can find out from where they logged in? the assistant suggested hopefully. The logs must’ve recorded whether the changes were made from this facility or some other outside server.
At least you arent completely useless. I called up the access logs, but the results werent very promising. The last recorded login happened on a hardware level.
I covered my mouth as I thought about the ramifications.
As much as I wished it to be otherwise, there was only one explanation. The Aerie discovered the computer and switched it off. There is no other way to get hardware access than to interact with the system directly. Some of our staff fucking up, or a hacker accessing the system remotely, both cases would be recorded as some sort of off-site access.
But thats impossible, the assistant said. How could they have gotten the login information? How did they find out about the computers existence in the first place? According to our latest survey, they were entirely unaware of it.
I glared at the idiot. He was underestimating the test subjects. Such thinking had cost us our facilities on Tirnanog a century ago when the so-called ‘clans’ rebelled!
Hubris! Dont underestimate the mutants. A scenario like this one is exactly what the administration was afraid of. We have to find a way to spin this situation without getting them spooked too much. Otherwise, they might shut down the program!
Why would they shut down the program?
Because this will prove their worst fears. A mutated population not under their direct control, comprised of highly capable individuals matching them in every way. Not to mention the natives’ opposing ideologies. Tirnanog has always been a brewing kettle of potential rebellion, which is exactly why those in power shut down the colonisation efforts and stopped space exploration. At least until a way could be found to reliably control distant populations.
He shook his head in disbelief. Are they so afraid of the exiles?
I couldn’t help but explode in his face at his refusal to think for himself. How had such a sheep made it into my team?
Of course! Almost all of the mutants are practically immortal because those damned starfish-eels are practically everywhere on Tirnanog. Fucking eels aren’t just messing up our experimentation schedules! Let me tell you, having a population of potentially immortal humans sounds all well and nice, but only as long as you don’t start thinking about the potential downsides! Overpopulation is only the first thing coming to mind! Potential immortality also allows people to learn a lot more than the average worker drone and that’s something our leaders absolutely cannot allow. It would inevitably lead to most of the population gaining the necessary knowledge and skills to evaluate the leaderships decisions. I wont even start with the social impact because it would require several separate studies!
I raised a questioning eyebrow. And not to forget, our employers are politicians. If something threatens their power, then its easy to predict how they will react.
Suddenly, the research stations anti-virus program went nuts and popped several messages about blocked attempts at accessing the system.
Thankfully, it looked like the anti-virus was handling the situation just fine. In case of a major security breach, the network administrator would have already been alarmed.
I clicked my tongue. And they might have a point with their fears. This doesnt seem like something the natives could do on the fly. Someone is helping them.
The assistant gulped. O- orders, sir?
My hand involuntarily went up to my temples as I thought furiously. Activate our assets on Tirnanog and tell them to stop whatever is going on over there. If thats even possible at this point. I will call for a board meeting and try to come up with a favourable story.
The same was true for the oversized tassets which protected the upper thighs. More than one hunter had expired not because of being hit in a vital spot, but because a main artery in the thigh had been cut. Such wounds often happened because people instinctively favoured the protection of their head and upper body, leaving the thigh wide open.
While not immediately fatal, an opened thigh artery could cause a person to bleed out in two to four minutes. Loss of consciousness would happen even earlier depending on the severity of the injury which was the bigger problem in a combat situation.
The helmets and pauldrons weren’t done yet and lay on a nearby workbench. The armour had a feel of a mixture between medieval Europe and oriental influences thanks to the oversized skirt and tassets. Meanwhile, the helmets looked like a Roman base had been turned into a full plate version with four eyeslits to take our nightstalker mutation into account.
It looked like Gilbert had been about to set the vision slits with several layered glasses and crystals when we showed up.
They are beautiful! Magnus complimented Gilberts work with a clap of his hands. It has been just two weeks!? I expected it would take you more than a month!
Well, they arent completely done yet, Gilbert admitted. Ive still to give some finishing touches. What I needed you for is to talk about this new ability of yours and whether we can account for it in your armour. Oh, and I wanted you to test out the electromagnetic system before I install it.
Gilbert went to the male armour set and removed one of the vambraces. He offered it to Magnus. Try it out.
Magnus took the armour piece and drew back his sleeve before he snaked his filaments into the armours inner linings. The vambrace consisted of two interlocking pieces which relied on filaments to be held together. The whole armour was designed this way, allowing people with the filament mutation to shuffle the pieces around if necessary.
The downside to the system was that it would be useless for anyone else.
I could see at a glance that my fathers training had paid off well because Magnus had no trouble adjusting his weave to Gilberts work.
Whats this system you are talking about? I couldnt help but ask. Gilbert had informed me of some minor changes he wanted to make to my armour, but I didnt have the time to pay much attention and simply approved of his suggestions.
Since Magnus and I had the same mutations, something beneficial to my partner should have the same upsides for me.
Just watch. Gilbert went to a rack with discarded weapons and chose a dull sword from it. He gave it a testing swing before he went after Magnus in an extremely exaggerated manner, signalling his attack.
Magnus had no trouble deflecting the blade with the vambrace, but instead of the clang of metal on iobeetle shell, the weapon was repelled by an invisible force and bounced off.
Gilbert, even though he was a skilled fighter, was visibly surprised by the effect and almost lost the sword. Oh, this will catch people off guard, I can tell you. I was prepared for what would happen and I still almost lost my weapon like some noob.
I must admit, I channelled most of what I could give, Magnus admitted while he lifted the vambrace away from his forearm. Its already getting warm from the current I put through it.
Hm. Gilbert regarded the piece of armour with some doubt. Should we have gone with some cooling system after all?
Magnus shook his head. Naah, why bother? I think it can endure a few blows before it starts burning. And how likely is it to get hit in the same spot several times in a row?
I assume you are using electromagnetism in our armour? I asked.
The two men finally remembered my presence.
Exactly! Magnus grinned. Do you like it?
Very much, I admitted. Assuming it works.
I want to try the reverse too. Magnus turned back to face Gilbert while he re-attached the vambrace. Same move?
Gilbert obliged and this time the blade hit the vambrace with a metallic clang. But instead of sliding off, it stayed stuck!
For a moment, Magnus and Gilbert were in a short tug of war before the elder began to drag Magnus over the floor. You will have to be careful against who you use this. If the opponent is stronger than you, it will give him the advantage.
It shouldnt be too big of a problem, I inserted myself into the conversation. As long as we have control over the magnetism, we can decide when to use it.
Magnus disengaged the mechanism and left Gilbert stumbling two steps backwards before the elder caught himself. With a huff, he returned the sword to the rack.
Then the blacksmith turned his attention toward me. Do you want to try your armour too? I admit, I anticipated seeing it on you. Give an old man a little show.
I smiled at Gilbert but said nothing.
Gilbert smiled too, not understanding.
I was wearing my filaments as a wide gown today, but it was no excuse for him to be slow on the uptake. By now, my pregnancy should be known far and wide even if he hadnt been at the meeting when it was made public.
When it became clear he didnt get it, I looked pointedly down at my belly. I will pass for the time being.
Oh! Gilberts eyes widened. Oh, I am so sorry. Slow on the uptake today.
He hummed once the awkward moment passed and considered the manikin with my armour. You know, if your state lasts long enough, I could rework a second mid-section to accommodate for
Gilbert indicated the new shape like an artist imagining the outline of his new sculpture.
I cleared my throat in protest and did my best not to imagine the pregnant version of my new armour. No, thank you. Ill simply avoid fights while I am in this state.
Magnus cleared his throat and slammed his fist into his palm. Why dont we forget this idea ever happened? Lets move on to the matter of the cores!nove(l)bi(n.)com