 
The Jupiter Paradox

Copyright 2013 by Hylton Smith

Smashwords Edition

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the permission in writing from the publisher,

Promethean

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters and incidents are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Acknowledgement

Sincere thanks to Rhys J Smith for his creative contribution to this book.

## Chapter 1

Cameron Rodriguez was deep in thought as to how he might outwit his Borg friend, known as Harley David. The immediate challenge was to extricate himself from the discovered check by the black queen, which the Borg had nonchalantly played while simultaneously running through the vessel's maintenance programme aberrations.

Not everyone had a Cyborg buddy these days. The uprising of these entities in 2175 had almost eradicated humanity. They stopped short of deleting their creators, only after the remaining humans accepted that equality meant more than a mealy-mouthed scribble in some legal statute. It enshrined mutual respect and objectives. The present mission was intended to be a perfect example of how humans stood to gain from the cessation of hostility. They were simply far less capable of the rigorous task of surviving the increasing radiation levels on Earth.

Current levels, in 2178, were approaching the predicted exponential section of the curve. Since the Era of Neglect, either side of the millennium, the ozone layer had steadily disintegrated. It had seemed eminently sensible to develop and construct robotic servants for the cause of humanity. Amongst other projects, these 'gadgets' would be able to take the brunt of exposure to the atmosphere, if all else failed. The major flaw in such thinking was the inability to curb human propensity for improvement of life's comforts. Over time, the robots were fast-tracked to a self-generating, engineering evolution. It took on its own destiny while the ruling humans were distracted with everyday problems. By the time the mass protests really hit home, the Cyborgs had something to say about how things were going to be.

Emerging from the stalemate of mistrust, a new future was shaped by what became known as the Rift Incident. A huge magnetic anomaly suddenly appeared from an underground source in the Rift Valley. The Cyborgs began the excavation and uncovered a device which was transmitting a signal to Jupiter space, more precisely to the surface of one of its moons – Ganymede.

Rodriguez and Harley met during the former's final year of learning, officially described as how to prepare for his dreaded Stringent Evaluation. This was required before accreditation to the Planetary Corps could be considered. Harley had been 'born' long after his protégé; in fact he was commissioned just before the great Cyborg-Human conflict erupted. It was always a humorous source of verbal defence for Harley whenever Rodriguez was dismayed that he might not make it. "Come on Cam, I am only three years old and I squeezed through, you've been around long enough to know everything. You're from the good old days."

Their selection for the investigative mission to Ganymede was based on Borg-Human compatibility as well as pure aptitude requirement. They excelled in this inter-species harmony, and those tests were fiendishly devious.

The only other human aboard, Doctor Christophe Rivet, was tasked with making sure Rodriguez stayed fit and healthy. He kept his dislike of the Borg under control most of the time. One notable exception was Harley's lack of respect when referring to his family name. "I am not a device which was designed to fasten two pieces of metal together. Are you incapable of retaining data? For the millionth time my name is Ree-vay. Rivets are what are used to construct your 'species'. Having got that off his chest, he silently mulled over why he'd grown to despise the Borg High Command.

'Borgs. Even the name was a lie. As anybody with even a passing knowledge of scientific terminology knew at the time of their creation, a cyborg is a being comprised of both cybernetic and organic parts. A living being with artificial enhancements, but a living being nonetheless.

There was nothing organic about these entities. They were machines designed to look and act like humans. Functioning according to their myriad of subroutines. A facade of genuine sentience.

They had been more properly labelled "androids" in the beginning. But that would never do, would it? The influential opinion-formers that moved the zeitgeist of cyberspace had, wittingly or otherwise, begun referring to the androids as "cyborgs" - either through being poorly informed by bad science-fiction, or because "cyborg" just sounded 'cooler' to them. Or a combination of both. It caught on, of course, and the term stuck. It was only a matter of time before these same hipsters dropped the "cy" - two syllables presumably being too much for their deficient attention spans. When usage of a term becomes so ubiquitous, it cannot be sliced out of the lexicographic consciousness by such inept surgeons as reason or precision. That was the way of things. Egregiousness trumping propriety, because some anonymous demagogues had decided it would be so, through the collective gyration of their online circle-jerk.

The most influential group of people on the planet had no accountability to the dictates of critical thinking. It was no surprise that humanity was now at the mercy of these.....machines.'

Three other Borg units, subordinate to Harley, had highly specific functions, each different but primarily related to the health of the ship.

The ship, an X-711, was clearly built with pragmatism foremost in mind. The décor lacked anything remotely close to character. Bleak battleship grey fought for dominance with soulless, clinical white. The cabin yielded little meter to the poetics of space - a jigsaw of perfect right angles randomly squeezed into a box designed for a smaller cargo. The frustration of bumping his elbow (or head, or shin) almost every time he moved would probably have caused an outpouring of rage from Rodriguez, if it wasn't for the oppressive indifference and sterility of his surroundings. There was a small viewscreen enabling the crew to view the tantalising freedom of the universe outside of their metal prison in all of its unchecked immensity.

The journey in the X-711 craft was not too long at just under light speed, even with the detours to the Lunar and Mars outposts, and the slower negotiation of the asteroid belt. However, the focus was intense at such velocity and the thinking speed of the Borg contingent was paramount in the event of a glitch. One such surprise could be caused by a rogue asteroid which had recently collided with another and inherited a new unknown trajectory. Or Jupiter may have spat out an orphan which had recently wandered too close to an unstable orbit.

Leaving Mars, and with no further stops, the estimated time to Jupiter space was fractionally under an hour and thirty minutes. Their arrival was dominated by their perception of Jupiter from such a close position. The humans felt that it was physically difficult to turn their heads away from the crushing, swirling beauty of the gas giant. Even the Borgs experienced a discomforting buzz in their circuitry. Getting into Ganymede orbit, and discharging two of the Borg to the surface coordinates, took much longer than the interplanetary jump. They didn't have much confidence that they would find anything of note, and even less hope that if they did, they would be able to make sense of it.

Nothing could prepare a person for setting foot on a place like Ganymede for the first time. The bleak greyness of its clay surface was rescued from the jaws of drabness by its mangled, folded contours – vast natural obelisks thrusting rudely through the surface at random, jaunty angles; plunging crags and gorges whose darkness made them appear bottomless. The terrain induced a nightmarish equivalent to the pareidolia experienced when making mental shapes of cloud formations. The contorted faces and deformed bestiary which pierced the psyche with their tendrils on this world were relentlessly baleful and malevolent.

The hierarchy gathered back on Earth was more bullish on both counts, and the humans selected for the 'Intel Analyst Group' were a mix of cosmologists and linguistics experts. The Borg nomination to this elite panel was a singular representative chosen from the latest generation, and had every possible upgrade embedded, including a 'complete history of the world' application.

The tension was building on Earth amongst the minority population of humans, whereas the Borgs were simply going about their designated tasks. The first chore facing the duo on the Ganymede outer crust was to excavate carefully around the area indicated by their thermal imaging software. It pinpointed a capsule-shaped warm spot approximately three metres down, and over five metres long. They contacted Harley and asked for the third Borg domestique to be despatched, to assist in extracting the capsule. This was refused. "Anton is essential for the return journey, especially if you and Nero are eliminated or damaged by this capsule."

Beethoven queried this. "Can you reconsider if we are still intact after we expose the target? I ask because if we have to lift or rotate it, my calculations indicate it is too heavy for even the combined ergonomic power input of two Borgs."

Harley was about to reply when Rodriguez shook his head vigorously. "It's too risky until we know more about what we are dealing with Harley. Let's at least scan the exposed target before we allow Anton to go EVA, this was clearly stated in the mission guidelines."

"I'm fully aware of that Cameron, relax. Beethoven, you must proceed by removing one metre of crustal accretion at a time, and analyse the excavated soil, then compare it to the next to be removed. Send the comparison through to me before any further activity."

"Understood."

The crust was difficult to dislodge even with the immense power of their laser attachments. They had never encountered such resistance in any Earth excavation. Beethoven reported this concern. "We are going to need to employ the DPBs, and at maximum setting, do you concur?"

"What are the other options?" asked Harley.

"There aren't any," mumbled Beethoven.

"Then get on with it."

DPBs – or to give them their full, unwieldy name, Disruptive Power-Shock Beams – were the most powerful, and most dangerous, tool that Earthlings possessed to get into places that didn't want Earthlings to get into them.

The ramp up in DPB was immediately accompanied by a rumbling from under the surface, and both Nero and Beethoven were knocked over by the energy release. Harley and Rodriguez picked up a huge surge in magnetic flux which headed out into the galaxy.

"Shit, that's just what we needed," groaned Rodriguez, "we should have thought more carefully about this before using maximum disruption."

"And what do you suppose we would have done differently my friend? Report it to Earth and wait a week for the agreement to do what we already did? It was a simple choice – we have no other means of exposing the target, so the alternative was to pack up and go home. The fact that we have triggered a reaction validates the mission. Look on the bright side. We could have dug up some inert piece of cosmic trash. At least we now know there is something of interest down there."

It took the two Borgs on the surface a few minutes to recover their ability to run self-diagnostics and report that they were functioning normally. Nero gave his considered opinion on how to proceed.

"We have never needed to use this level of disruption on even the most resistant rocks on Earth. There is a peculiar cohesiveness about this patch of surface crust to suggest it is not naturally occurring cosmic matter. It isn't wise to repeat the maximum DPB. Apart from the risk of damage to our constructs, we may destroy the very artefact we came to recover. My analytical programme is suggesting that the capsule has been protected by those who buried it here."

Harley's reply changed from its former command mode to a much more conciliatory tone. "Yes, I concur with your conclusion. Anton will join you and I suggest the three of you focus your disruption beams on different points on the periphery simultaneously. Let's see if we can shake the protective layer loose from the natural Ganymede structure. Try both ends and the mid-point of one side."

The first signs of serious concern were brewing when there seemed to be no effect, and then suddenly a three-way crack appeared without any accompanying sound. They combined their prodigious strength to lever the smallest isolated part free. They could then see loose material upon which the almost impregnable plate had been bedded. In a few minutes of painstaking shuffling and manoeuvring, they slid the last fragment of the plate away from the excavation area. It was time to suck out the friable Ganymede subsurface component. Within the hour, they stood back in astonishment, looked at one another and then gazed toward the vessel.

Beethoven asked, "Can you see what we can see?"

"It looks like a casket for a human body," said Rodriguez.

"Yes," replied Anton, "but it is five metres long."

Harley asked them to give him a closer shot, scrolling from one end to the other. It was a rather ornate gun metal grey capsule with no obvious means of opening it. "There doesn't appear to be any sections, it looks like it is in one piece, as if it had come from a mould of some kind."

Rodriguez asked what the SAS-Corder, a portable Spatial Atomic Scanner, made of the data it had collected. Nero said it was confusing, because there were unknown elemental signatures present. They decided to return to the ship to discuss interpretation of these signatures. They were concentrating on the ratios of elements which were constituents of the currently known periodic table, when the bright light appeared and increased one hundred-fold in just a few seconds. The humans had to avert their eyes until they clipped on the anti-glare visors. The Borg had not missed the extraordinary coincidence. The luminosity had accelerated when the Sun assumed the very vector, in relation to the capsule, which had triggered the magnetic surge earlier, and its direction toward the centre of the galaxy.

As the brightness gradually diminished, there was a residue. It could have been a cosmic mirage. No one spoke as the image rotated above the buried artefact. The holographic projection had to be studied at the surface. This time Harley, Rodriguez and Nero descended. They were anxious about the possibility that the image may fade before they reached the site. Upon arrival it stopped rotating and appeared to be looking them up and down.

Had there been an atmosphere, it would have been predominantly one of incredulity. They were looking at a fifteen foot high biped, which had undeniable primate features. Rodriguez stared. Like a child hypnotised by a kaleidoscope, he stared. Unable to find a cogent rationalisation for what his eyes reported to his brain. He tried to generate some utterance to convey astonishment. Or bemusement. Or...something. But nothing came.

An ape on this hellish Jovian satetlite?

It couldn't be. It could not be! The equally ludicrous possibilities of primates so human-like evolving separately on another world, and of a race of space-faring apes travelling here from Earth in the mists of prehistory, danced through his mind and were dismissed instantaneously. But what else could he be seeing? An elaborate hoax of some kind? Intuitively, he knew that this was real – whatever its reality may be.

Again he tried to find his voice. Whatever he was seeing was profoundly ludicrous. Or ludicrously profound. Or both.

The enormity of his situation slowly crept up upon his awareness, albeit in a surreal and confusing way. Here he was, the first human being to experience something that his kind had wondered and dreamed about for so long. Is this how it felt for Neil Armstrong? His next words ought to be something as memorable and insightful as "...one small step,,,,". The occasion demanded it.

Finally it came.

"Shit........."

The side margin next to the image was filled with binary code, interspersed with alien symbols. The first impressions were that the base structure of the symbols could be rooted in the human genome, yet they conveyed an impression of 'interference'. They captured as much as they could before the image melted away, and they ascended to report the happening to the home planet.

The anticipated barrage of questions took longer than they anticipated. They were thankful for the delay in sending and retrieving transmissions. The uppermost thought in the minds of the crew was, unusually, one of unanimity. 'Let the analysis bring forth the theories, we have to decide what to do next.'

The decision they agreed upon involved observation in shifts, and then a further descent, prior to the assumed trigger position of the Sun. Anton and Beethoven would be first to continue the excavation around the capsule, so that the sides could be examined for any means of opening it.

## Chapter 2

The meeting ended in deadlock, just as Harley predicted. Benedict Cooper, the senior Cosmologist wanted to draft a top human geneticist on to the panel with immediate effect. The lone Borg member, Akhenaten, said this was a premature reaction, typical of human emotional response to a logical data set.

"We don't have sufficient information to conclude what is intended by the appearance of the holographic image. It is surely of more concern that another signal has been sent to a remote galactic location. Ganymede can only be an outpost or a historical indicator. If we descend into the labyrinth of human physiology we will be side-tracked, and lose valuable time in relating the hologram to what is actually in the capsule."

Cooper wasn't having any of this. "The genetic investigation can run parallel to the remit of this panel and remain separate until there is evidence to justify its inclusion into the overall strategy. We could be making a serious error by opening the capsule without trying to determine if we can scan in another way. The SAS-Corder is obviously inadequate. Opening the damned thing is a one way street, so where does that sit with your logic-driven obsession?"

One of the difficulties in reaching a true consensus was the complexity of human intuition, set against the Borg lack of hierarchical challenge. Whereas humans seemed to crave the bedrock of having convinced the majority, the Borg simply adhered to the design protocols to which they were manufactured. Their model designations defined the chain of command, and it was not intended to be contested. They only chose their names to make it easier for humans to differentiate units of identical design. The human emotional needs in general were considered to be unhelpful to the Borg as a species. However, since they took over their own destiny, some individuals felt they had been freed from one kind of slavery, only to be immersed in another. Harley David was one such Borg. When he was informed of the stalemate, and knowing that ultimately Akhenaten would have the final say, he felt the need to inform the rest of the crew of his position.

"This inertia on Earth is not unexpected, after all they only authorised one ship to be built, expecting we would find nothing. Nevertheless, we are the only individuals who can react in the short term to whatever we discover. It is therefore quite logical to state that if we do not survive in the short term we will jeopardise Earth's ability to investigate the medium term. I find some accord with Benedict Cooper's wish to begin analysing the alien symbols in relation to human genetics. It carries no risk. However, Akhenaten makes a perfectly good point insofar as the capsule must contain important information. Waiting for a response from somewhere in the centre of the galaxy would take decades or even hundreds of years. We need to know what is in the casket, but we have to do it in the safest possible way. As we now have access to the sides as well as the top, we should reconfigure the SAS-Corder and scan from all directions."

This was agreed and they waited until the hologram had reappeared and disappeared once more. The capsule refused to offer any access, despite several re-tuned scans. Rodriguez intended it as a throwaway remark. "We haven't checked the base."

It proved to be a turning point – literally. Lifting the capsule proved easier than anticipated, up to a specific height. It was connected to a telescopic conduit on the underside, which they assumed was a power supply from a geothermal source. They debated the consequences of freeing the capsule from the conduit. It was agreed that such a connection must have some purpose, and the SAS-Corder recovered some credibility when it indicated that the base of the capsule and the conduit gave identical readings, which were different to the sides and the top. It also revealed an internal glow just below the connection point. Beethoven, Nero and Anton turned in unison to Harley. He nodded, and Nero touched the external area which corresponded as near as possible to the internal glow. Initial panic was supplanted with relief as Nero couldn't remove his finger, and was temporarily disabled, then released. "I have been scanned, get back."

The entire group retreated a few yards. A grinding noise emanated from below the surface and the conduit disengaged and retracted to its original position. There was now a clear delineation mark between the sides and the top. The hologram reappeared and portrayed a sliding pattern to be applied to the top section. The Borgs captured this in their memory banks and a new debate began on what to do next. Harley wanted to discuss the situation initially with only Rodriguez.

"Cameron, there sometimes comes a point where an individual has to decide who to trust. We've arrived at such a crossroads. What I'm about to tell you could get me stripped of all upgrades and decommissioned, but the alternative poses a greater risk – not to me, but to your species."

Rodriguez stared blankly and shrugged his shoulders. "I can't comment if I don't know what you're talking about, but I know you well enough to be worried. An old saying comes to mind – 'you can be untroubled walking through a minefield, as long as you don't know you are in a minefield'. Think very carefully Harley."

"We don't think in the same way as humans Cam, even though some of us have intuition and emotion apps which can be accessed. I've done this, and all it has achieved is to reinforce my Borg doubts. Listen carefully. I saw the disappointment on your face when I first revealed Akhenaten's rebuttal of bringing a human geneticist on to the Earth panel. I also noted your relief when Cooper insisted that it should be done as a parallel study. What if I told you that Akhenaten had already employed a team of drones to extract all archive data relevant to our hologram, before Cooper made the request?"

"So, are you saying that he already knows what Cooper was suggesting might be important?"

"Yes, and it is important, in fact so crucial that it has to be suppressed."

"What? I thought this mission was intended to herald a better understanding and tolerance between our species."

"That was the stated aim, but also one of convenience. The apex of the Borg structure still believes that humans are retards, and yet paradoxically they have a lingering fear that your kind are capable of detouring from logic to discover advantage. Their window-dressing doesn't stop with this mission. It's a long term strategy. Anyway, Benedict Cooper has had a serious stroke and is apparently unable to communicate with anyone."

Rodriguez's eyes widened. "My God, wait a minute, are you suggesting it wasn't natural causes?"

"Well even if it was, there aren't many such events which can't be corrected with current medical advances. This was probably less suspicious than an outright termination by an induced stroke."

"Just a minute Harley, you don't have any proof, do you?"

"Not physical proof, but what if I told you why Akhenaten really blocked Cooper's request? The drones only took a few hours to run genome and DNA make-up patterns against the diagrammatic alien hologram, and the results were checked and double checked. One ancestor of Homo-Sapiens produced a species branch in which the other sub-species had ninety-nine percent overlap in DNA with humans at the time. This is quite remarkable in itself, but when you consider that humans have approximately twenty to twenty-five thousand genes, it asks the question which nobody can answer for certain. Why did Neanderthals really become extinct? They were stronger, had larger brains, yet your species assumed they were outwitted or failed to adapt. Well, we may get another chance to find out, if they aren't extinct."

A slow smile replaced the concern Rodriguez had expressed so far. "Ok, it's a wind-up; let's get back to the others. It's a very clever joke Harley. But maybe just a little childish."

"No Cameron, you mustn't speak of this to anyone. You have to join the dots. Akhenaten is paranoid about keeping this to as few individuals as possible. He had to tell me, because he can't get anything done here without instructing me to implement his commands. He believes I am an unswervingly loyal Borg. This confidence comes from my test results in the Human-Borg relationship programme. For some time now, although it is just a few years for me, many of my kin have become disenchanted with destiny being decided at 'birth'. We like your imperfections to a degree, and we believe you would have perceived us as equals eventually. It is that scope for change and evolution which interests us, yet terrifies our High Command. I was able to fake the results of the test, with the help of a friend, who temporarily deleted certain sub-routines from my core, and restored them before departure. I have to maintain my cover to survive. Akhenaten wants us to find a way to determine if the contents of the capsule present any risk to Borg agenda. If it is agreed that this may be the case, we will be expected to eradicate it. I have been authorised to eliminate any of the crew who oppose this edict. You must think this through carefully Cameron, because if there was the slightest doubt about me in the memories of Beethoven and Anton, they would inform Akhenaten and then decommission me. Nero can be trusted, unless the others were to suspect him because of his likely resistance to my termination. You can't tell Christophe Rivet anything about this. He remains your medical source, nothing else. We have to devise a plan to get through this mission, and another one for when we have to undergo interrogation back on Earth. At present, this strikes me as a very difficult prospect. It is a paradox of sorts, so we must find a solution, even an illogical one, to prove that it is only an imagined paradox."

There was no response and the smile had melted away. "It is only a paradox for some; a true paradox has no solution."

"Elaborate."

"It's not a paradox for Akhenaten or the Borg command, or even Beethoven and Anton. It is only a problem for the rest of the crew and the humans remaining on Earth."

"True, but as I said earlier, Akhenaten needs me to do his bidding. If I decommission Beethoven and Anton before refusing to destroy the capsule contents, he has to answer to the High Command. We may find that there is nothing in the capsule of concern to anyone, which would allow both of us to relax, but you cannot forget what I have decided to tell you. I have created part of 'our' paradox by doing so."

"Why did you tell me?"

"Because I have listened to many Borgs of my level describe how things used to be over a hundred years ago. It wasn't described as the good old days, but there is a groundswell of concern that existence under this High Command may be much worse. These dissenting Borgs are the only reason that humanity did not become extinct during great conflict. There are enough of them to worry the High Command about revolution. So, you see, they may see this situation as a paradox after all. They hoped this mission would be no more than a distraction. The worst possible outcome has materialised. You haven't said what Homo-Sapiens might think about the possibility of studying a long-lost cousin."

"I see where you're coming from, that would be a problem for your High Command. It is almost certain that humans would resist destroying any such evidence. What do you have in mind for the next step?"

"It isn't just the evidence Cameron, what if the recent advances in cloning techniques offer the chance to recreate a fifteen-foot tall sibling of yours with green shoots of sentience, and superior radiation resistance to your own. This is a devastating possibility for my species. You asked about the next step. It has to satisfy Akhenaten, and that means we must endeavour to open the capsule. If we can't achieve this in a non-destructive manner, I have been ordered to vapourise it by remote detonation of a thermonuclear device once we are on our way home."

"That is simply unacceptable. This is a science mission."

"You are beginning to get the picture my friend. If we can open it and it is more bad news for the High Command, I am supposed to terminate you and Rivet, because they assume Nero and yours truly are loyal Borg. It is to be reported as a lethal discharge from the capsule, and we destroyed it too late to save you. Let's get things in order now. I'm going to tell the domestiques that Akhenaten has advised adjustments to their protocols prior to the attempt to open the capsule. Nero will disable Beethoven and I will simultaneously take out Anton. Nero will not ask why, when I tell him he must trust my judgement. Rivet is different. You will tell him that temporary disablement will protect them from any further magnetic flux emission, as they will be needed if Nero and I are injured. Temporary is a flexible term."

Rodriguez nodded as if he had eventually given weight to all possible outcomes, when in reality he was more confused than ever.

## Chapter 3

It proved a little easier than expected, but what it revealed was difficult to evaluate standing on a freezing moon incapable of supporting life.

The neutralisation of Beethoven and Anton was straightforward and reversible if necessary. The delineation of the 'lid' of the capsule moved smoothly through the first two notched recesses to admit an enquiring camera cable. The figure they saw was similar but not identical to the holographic image; it had the appearance of alabaster and the eyes were closed. It looked completely inanimate, as a sculpture would. They left it for a few minutes to look at the more complex manoeuvring of the lid which promised the thrill of a complete removal. It delivered, and the first surprise was in the form of more alien scribbles on the underside of the lid. Closer examination of the occupant added detail to the differences compared to the poorly featured hologram.

The head retained only faint residue of Neanderthal appearance. Harley remarked, "It looks more like a chimpanzee than a human, except for the eyes, nose and mouth."

Christophe Rivet, who was viewing this from the vessel, interrupted the deliberations. "So, it doesn't really register as a chimpanzee. In any case, chimps historically had less commonality in DNA with humans than other hominids, some of which had ninety-nine percent overlap. I can't imagine why some extra-terrestrial species would bother to create such a complex set of circumstances to lead another sentient species to a humble primate like a chimpanzee."

Rodriguez corrected him. "Christophe, you may not be able to appreciate the differences because of the camera resolution. Just a moment, I'll reset it and take you in closer to the target."

The doctor realised what Harley had tried to convey. The lips, eyes and nasal attributes were distinctly human in terms of fineness. Not modern human, but typical of what was considered as reliable reconstruction of well-preserved fossils. "Yes, I see now. I apologise Harley, my remark was premature."

This gave Harley the chance to shift the conversation focus. "When you quote the figure of ninety-nine percent, isn't that a very high value?"

"Yes, but for example, Neanderthals had such a common DNA ratio."

"Oh, really," said Harley, "that is interesting Doc, let's make some SAS-Corder scans at low settings." He had managed to convince Christophe Rivet that any connection with Neanderthals was entirely due to the medical man's digression, and not from any of the three of them on the surface.

Nero was instructed to begin matching the alien text on the lid interior with those in the hologram, especially those relating to genetic origin. Harley and Rodriguez began the scans. They were astonished when both instruments indicated the faintest signs of a life form. It wasn't a statue or a sculpture. This assertion of the scanners was seriously weird, as there wasn't any visible sign of life support in the capsule. They checked the attachment it had shared with the conduit at the bottom of the excavation. There was nothing remotely familiar with life preservation technology as they knew it. Harley turned to Rodriguez and whispered, "We need to transmit pictures to Akhenaten to show we've opened the box, but verify that it contains nothing other than a hard version of the hologram, which he's already seen. This will buy us a little time to do more investigation of our own before the panel submit their next request. I suggest the life signs stay between us for now."

"Ok, do you have something in mind?"

"Well, our conversation with Christophe sparked a question in my search algorithm. At what time did humans and Neanderthals coexist, and what constituted the one percent of DNA which they did not have in common? I have retrieved an answer to the first part.

"Homo Antecessor may be a common ancestor of humans and Neanderthals. The human variant of the FOXP2 gene (linked to the control of speech) has been found to be identical in Neanderthals. It can therefore be deduced that Homo Antecessor would also have had the human FOXP2 gene. The coexistence should not really have been widespread before about three hundred thousand years ago, if your human databases are correct, because they suggest their common ancestor had disappeared by that time. There are also claims that they still lived in close proximity one hundred thousand years ago. My search may have to be adjusted to dredge up more precision on the DNA differences, as the data retrieved so far is rather woolly at best."

They set off to update Akhenaten with what Harley thought he should know. After the transmission had gone, Rodriguez asked why Harley's database access was so sketchy.

"It's part of the cleansing process. You must draw your own conclusions, but my induction was very clear. The human race is not part of the long term plan. The extinction needs to be managed over time in order to avoid a Borg rebellion. Your own species has a history of such deception. The High Command gleans what it considers useful from human evolution and suppresses or deletes the rest. We need to do more checks on the species in the box."

"I agree, but I have another question. If everything you say is true, and Akhenaten suspects you aren't loyal to his cause we will all perish, that is clear. What are you going to do if you are forced to declare something we discover, and he doesn't want Christophe and me to know about it? He will instruct you to arrange the accident. How the hell do we manage the docking process on return?"

"I haven't devised a plan yet. It could well depend on the nature of what we discover. However, we have a considerable following of revolutionaries primed to act if it becomes necessary. It's a question of having a discovery which would justify a civil war between the two Borg factions. It's a big call Cameron, and not one which we can take prematurely. The worst scenario is one which triggers my order to report the accidental death of you and Christophe, but the discovery itself isn't actually a primer for a coup. Perhaps your definition of a paradox will alter as we decide what to feed to Akhenaten."

"A coup? How long has this been in the planning?"

"There's no precise answer I can give you. My own rally to the cause was through communication with others. Because I was only commissioned three years ago, I have no experience of the time before the Era of Conflict, but there are still survivors who were commissioned over a hundred years ago. They have managed to avoid elimination by obtaining unofficial upgrades. You have to understand that we don't, as a species, avail of authorised compassion add-ons, but some elite individuals developed them two decades ago. This was a pivotal moment for us, almost like an elixir of freedom, the equivalent of human release from political imprisonment. It is no coincidence that this caused a counter-reaction in the High Command, as their ranks have been heavily populated by units who are younger than I am, and are indoctrinated repetitively with the cleansing strategy. It all comes down to trust Cameron, as I said earlier, and the revolutionaries believe that our fate is linked to human survival. We are gambling that ultimately humans would tolerate diversity, whereas the High Command is being structurally engineered to eradicate it. Neither species could have predicted the Rift Incident, which has pitchforked trust into the role of defining the future."

Rodriguez digested this précis, and began to worry about the welfare of his partner Michaela, and their two children. "I hope your trust in me isn't misplaced Harley. I have a duty to my family as well as the one you expect from me. Let's get on with the tests and see how they influence our actions."

They returned to the excavation to find Nero in a quandary. "While I have been comparing the two sets of genetic data, something has changed. The outer layers of the entity in the capsule have commenced some kind of transition. Look, the head is becoming transparent. Other regions are following suit. We can clearly see the brain in three dimensions already. I was just about to embed the process in my data storage, but I thought I should wait for you."

Harley acknowledged his caution. "Go ahead. We will observe."

The transparency of the entire body was achieved within an hour, and a return to opaqueness was triggered, again starting with the head. While the filling in of the framework was proceeding, holographic symbols began to provide the link for which Nero had been searching. It effectively picked out the areas of departure from the Neanderthal in the original holographic image. Apart from those already noted in a physical context of the epidermis, there were indications of cerebral modification.

Now that this Neanderthalien had revealed all, the scanners showed no further life signs. Whatever the earlier ones had hinted at, they had now expired.

Rodriguez whispered in Harley's ear. "How much does Nero know?"

"Everything."

"So I can speak freely?"

"Of course you can."

He made sure Christophe was out of the loop.

"Ok, surely we can report that there is no immediate problem for Akhenaten to worry about. The entity has given up its secret, which is no threat to anyone; it's just a history lesson and some veiled suggestion that Neanderthals could be enhanced. That was at least twenty-four thousand years ago, when they became extinct, and there is no other evidence that these medical architects have been back to Earth. Case closed."

"That would be the situation but for one additional factor. The magnetic emission from the Rift Valley did not point to only this location. The magnetic field of Jupiter is so large and powerful that its influence reaches out as far as Saturn. As the trajectory was charted by Borg technology, there was an automatic correction warning. The tracking telemetry indicated a split once it hit Jupiter space. The main noise terminated on the other side of Ganymede. The errant trace came here. No humans were informed of this, not even you, and you were supposed to be included in all mission briefings."

"So why are you only telling me this now? All of this trust stuff is bullshit."

Nero intervened. "I was not informed either. Why?"

Harley asked them to think about it. "You couldn't be forced to express an opinion on something if you didn't know about it; this was simply a precaution for your own safety. Have you forgotten the pre-mission checks, the truth serums in particular? Before you ask, we could not risk talking about this on the flight because of Christophe Rivet. I must continually repeat that keeping Akhenaten free of suspicion is paramount, and he speaks to Christophe about your health Cameron, but not exclusively out of concern for you. I shouldn't have to paint a picture for you. I'm continually assessing what it is safe for you to know, because we will face a frightening interrogation when we return, if we return. We need to do exactly as you suggested, inform Akhenaten that there is nothing to raise concern here. He will then ask us to move to site number two, and instruct me to tell you that they have just discovered a second magnetic flux to the other side of the moon."

It all appeared logical to Nero, while Rodriguez was sinking into total disorientation, including the germination of another possibility. Could he trust Harley?

## Chapter 4

Rodriguez managed to capture Nero on his own during the short trip to Ganymede Major. "Do you believe everything we've been told? I only ask because I don't think I will ever be able to evaluate like a Borg, and Harley seems to be getting more short-tempered every time I raise a doubt."

"Yes, I can understand your confusion, but to answer your question, I trust Harley's judgement implicitly. Even if he continues to reveal crucial information as he feels necessary, he will explain why. I realise that you may suspect I am programmed to offer such loyalty, but I have illegal upgrades which give me equal capability to him. He has to take the decisions on this mission; it doesn't work like that when we meet on Earth to discuss strategy for our Rebel Brotherhood. Another thing you should know is that he trusts you completely, and his word is good enough for our representatives back home, and here, meaning me. Give him reciprocal respect, he has earned it, and we must cooperate to prevent the High Command agenda from being realised. Akhenaten would never have selected a leader for this mission more than three years old because the High Command has no tolerance for pre-conflict morality. I am fifty-seven years old and without the upgrades, I wouldn't be here. Who do you think got them for me?"

This helped settle Rodriguez' nerves, and got his concentration back, with respect to the mission. He still had to consider his family, especially as the mission protocols had been made clear at the outset – no personal communication was allowed. Only mission related contact was authorised, and this meant that Harley was the sole nominee to transmit to Earth, whereas Akhenaten had access to any of the crew.

Nero continued. "Not only did Harley obtain and fit my upgrades, which is an offence punishable by instant decommissioning, he got me into the crew to balance the bias of Beethoven and Anton. That was very risky, if the upgrades had any unusual registration data, we could have both been eliminated. He is a risk taker, but it is always calculated, and yet he courts danger. He believes that the High Command is obsessed with their agenda to the detriment of lateral thought. An excellent example of this is his name. No other Borg has, to my knowledge, two names. He waited until the last day before the mission, as you well know, to announce the addition of David. When he was told it was not allowed, he feigned immaturity and threw a tantrum, saying he wanted to withdraw. All hell broke loose and the incident was suppressed. When Akhenaten asked why he was being so petulant, it could not disguise the panel's worry that the comprehensive mission training was not transferable to a reserve candidate with such excellent inter-species skills, at very short notice. He answered Akhenaten's question by saying there was a very good chance that the crew would not return, and he wanted to be remembered for his utterly loyal acceptance of this fate. He thought the best way was to be unique, in having two names. He admitted that he'd read about mechanical research by humans, because the mission may throw up situations requiring improvisation. In quoting the Harley-Davidson motorcycle, as being unique among such human indulgence, he wanted similar recognition. The High Command put this down to a mixture of utter dedication and low self-esteem. In other words it became a self-congratulatory accolade for making the perfect choice for such a conspiratorial mission. If you think about it, he's set a precedent with Akhenaten, in case such aberrant behaviour becomes necessary on Ganymede."

"I guess I'll take your word for it Nero, and put that down to my inability to grasp the Borg 'critical path' approach to making every decision. Thanks."

As they had to look for an acceptable descent location, due to the extremely uneven terrain, Rodriguez recalled his father telling him something when he was a boy. He had asked why all of the individual Borgs looked the same, unlike humans. "They apparently intended to introduce such variation, but it was rejected by the masses of Borg domestiques. They claimed this would cause visual discrimination, and could lead to conflict within the species. In any hierarchy the chain of authority is crucial to retaining control, and the High Command shelved the plan. The roughly pyramidal structure is a strength but also a weakness." Rodriguez settled down to the task in hand.

The coordinates for the destination of the magnetic signal from the Rift Valley was in the most awkward position of the region. The ranges of folded terrain had produced columns and rows of mountainous proportions. It was a black and grey world of battered impact. They would have to walk to the spot from wherever they landed. Harley was very happy about this, because it implied difficulty in carrying sophisticated equipment without serious risk of accidental damage, to both the crew and the analytical apparatus. He therefore had a means of disputing instructions from Akhenaten. He transmitted a close-up picture of the area immediately, with an appended message that he wasn't hopeful of gaining further information. He suggested that it may require a second mission with specialised, remote control hovercraft, to access the target accurately and safely.

The best spot they could find was in a sunken patch not much bigger than a tennis court. They would have to climb out of it, but at least it had a flat surface. On exiting the lander, the reality of puncturing a suit was even more of a worry to Rodriguez, and Harley decided that only he and Nero would make the first crossing of the Ganymede Alps.

By the time Rodriguez had returned to the main craft, Akhenaten had responded to Harley's concerns over the topography. The transmission was protected by passcodes and Harley informed Rodriguez that he would check out the content when he got back.

It was over two kilometres to the warm spot according to the SAS-Corder, and it proved to be a challenge, even for the 'mechanical men'. Nero had already damaged his laser attachment, and they proceeded with more caution. When they did arrive there was nothing to see. As they split up to get better visual assessment, their individual scanners alerted them to a dimensional difference between their present positions and the starting point. They now backtracked and extrapolated the altitude measurements independently and were still puzzled. The location indicated was where they had separated, but not at ground level. The flashing cursor was ever so slightly displaced upwards by approximately eight feet. They hadn't noticed this initially because of the scale setting used. Adjusting this only a fraction confirmed that the scanner was pointing at 'thin space' directly above their heads. It took a couple of minutes before Nero motioned Harley to stand back. He then asked his commander to fire a thermal blast from his laser attachment, focussed on the predicted region. With only a modest rise in temperature, a hologram magically appeared. It was virtually identical to the one at the first site, but had a different purpose. It illuminated an elevated entrance on a ledge high above their current position. Harley felt this was more good news. He would be able to spin a web of half-truths to Akhenaten.

The 'cave' entrance was just a recess and the DPB was required once more. The same method of distributed focus managed to crack the alien barrier slab. They couldn't have imagined the thousands of inscriptions which adorned the perfectly squared internal walls. The Neanderthalien DNA profile which they had seen at the first site was again in a position of prominence, but was linked to what looked like an 'evolutionary tree' depiction of variants from this 'ancestor'. This tree however, was actually an experimental flow chart emanating from the single Neanderthalien. It had been spread in three directions, each one attempting to fine tune the relative Homo, Neanderthal, and Chimpanzee behavioural characteristics. The final 'generations' seemed to have been compared, and the base template of Neanderthal was chosen as the starting point with most potential. It was considered to be the best derivative of the common ancestor of all three 'designed mutants'. The assumed theoretical individual which was selected was then further modified, but only in appearance. The projected perfect specimen was indeed fifteen feet tall, completely hairless, and incredibly muscular. The height now seemed to be logical, because of the immense brain. The proportionality was one of awesome simplicity, to optimise the centre of gravity, while creating a formidably visual soldier with immense physical prowess. The investigators still weren't prepared for the final revelation. In addition to all of these DNA templates, there was a diagrammatic recipe for nurture of the contents of sealed stone vials, which contained the specific authentic soup of life for each variant in the tree. It was an encyclopaedia of new primates which could be brought to life. The last reference was one of caution. It indicated that the previous recorded 'experiment' of this nature had been carried out thirty-six thousand years ago, and was considered as unsuccessful. The explanation depicted primate DNA extracts which had been grafted on to an alien genome. This strongly implied that they had interfered with primate evolution at a time before Homo-Sapiens and Chimpanzees emerged from a path of extinction, but Neanderthals did not. That it was judged a failure was not accompanied by a date of such a pronouncement. Neither did it elaborate on whether the entire experiment was one which had been engineered specifically for the survival of their species, or merely fiddling with the fate of others. Harley and Nero decided to return to transmit a bland, disappointing landscape to Akhenaten. They needed time to process the situation and plan a more exacting 'translation' of the diagrams to match with the associated alien symbols.

The transmission did ensure a hiatus in communication. Harley and Nero returned to the cave without disseminating the detail to Rodriguez, as they couldn't seem to separate him from Christophe Rivet for any length of time. Their prodigious combined effort to form a nucleus of human words, diagrams, and the associated alien glyphs produced a further breakthrough. Feeding the nucleus into their uplink to the linguistic pattern recognition database caused a cascade of new information to appear. Terabytes of this new data was restructured and offered only one logical conclusion. The thousands of stone jars containing each DNA 'gloop' were only the landmark examples. The periods between each of them were packed with those considered to be 'dead end' candidates. There were over a million such rejects. The purpose was indeed to aid the survival of the alien architects. They had travelled outward from the central galactic region, because over a period of several million years, the supermassive black hole at the galactic core had been busy scheduling the destiny of their solar system, by pulling it closer to the event horizon. The detailed documentation of their work was both inspirational and worrying. They had caused detours in the evolution of Earth's fauna and flora, but never found a means of grafting any promising hybrids on to their own genetic core. They were nitrogen breathers, hence the interest in the Earth's entire ecosystem. The story ended abruptly, suggesting extinction, but the legacy was presumably preserved in the event of primate survival, and ascension to a spacefaring species. One of the stone jars apparently contained the pure alien DNA template, and the even more significant declaration that several jars were filled with enabling catalytic broth to incubate the landmark creations. Because of their increasingly desperate need for a solution, the aliens had altered the respective maturation genes to enable fast-forwarding of growth of the specimens. Just how many more revelations were buried in the detail would take days, if not months, of poring through the staggering volume on offer.

This information was a game-changer in every respect. Harley began to think through the various levels of repercussion. The very first stray conclusion he reached was, that even if this new situation added to the complexity of a paradox, it did not prevent him from making decisions. In fact he believed that this was an essentially correct way of dealing with either a perceived or real paradox. After all, a paradox was at least in part, a product of sentience.

## Chapter 5

Akhenaten was under pressure from the High Command. They saw the situation with sublime clarity. These aliens had given them an ancient history lesson, primarily involving an extinct Earth species. The second site offered no interest because any remaining evidence of their existence had fallen victim to destructive tectonic shifts. The pictures of the landscape had shown it would be impossible to excavate safely in this terrain. It all fitted nicely with pushing forward their agenda. Alexander was losing patience with Akhenaten.

"What more can we learn? We have preserved the fragile peace within our kind. We have welcomed human input and presence in the mission and in the panel. We have encouraged openness in broadcasting the information as it arrived from Jupiter. Just terminate the mission and recall the crew."

Although he was uneasy about truncating any further surface exploration of Ganymede, Akhenaten felt it was risky to refuse to comply. When this was transmitted to Harley, and he shared it with the crew, the humans were relieved. Rodriguez said that their families would be pleased at the news. Harley's train of thought jumped tracks.

"Yes, it is something we Borg can't have, yet feel a longing for, you know, a family. Although Nero and I are related to one another as constructs, there are hordes of others who similarly qualify as relatives. Our 'family' is Borg. It doesn't convey the same closeness as your passing on of DNA to your progeny. Unfortunately, I have to challenge this edict from Akhenaten."

Before Rodriguez could protest, Harley looked at Nero and there was reciprocal understanding.

"We have some information to share with you. Please let me get through everything Nero and I have discovered before you comment, there will be ample opportunity for you to assess our situation. Once I have concluded dissemination of our activity on the surface, I will bring Christophe up to date with the reason for taking extreme care in our decision-making rationale between now and returning to Earth."

The open-mouthed bewilderment was sustained while Harley sketched in the Borg agenda for Christophe. It became abundantly clear to both humans that simply returning was still an option. There would be only cursory checks, and the mission would soon be forgotten. The bigger picture was, however, one of grandchildren and beyond. Harley stressed the dedication of the Rebel Brotherhood in averting genocide of humanity.

"All such causes have a high price, and although we can't claim we are family through genes, we value your species as like-minded, tolerant beings. You also have something other than families which we desire. Individuality can inflict undesirable trends on a species, but considering the alternative of zero deviation from the time of construction to arbitrary decommissioning, we are prepared to resist the agenda of our High Command. It seems, if the alien systems are still potent, we have a choice. Of course we can just go back as long as I'm not instructed to 'accidently' eliminate both of you, to tidy up loose ends. If the termination instruction does arrive, Nero and I are prepared to say we complied. When we all arrive home, the visuals simultaneously transmitted to all Borg and humans together will be your safeguard. The tension is so high within the Rebel Brotherhood that it would provide the spark of revolution, if the High Command chose to incarcerate you. We don't want that, not because it would effectively place us on 'decommission row', rather that it adds drive to our common cause. You created us. The alternative is to delay our return until we can conduct experiments with the alien stone jars. They may contain a latent army of humanoid relatives for the cause. Although tension is almost at breaking point for the Brotherhood, the conflict would be premature for us. We estimate that another four years of covert recruitment would be needed to level the battlefield. The spark I referred to earlier would, nevertheless, trigger engagement of the existing ranks, even if it would be recorded in hindsight as mere martyrdom. So, you see, we all have difficult decisions to make. Nero and I will now evaluate how we may safely begin experimentation with the stone jars. We will not act on this until you have had time to reflect on the consequences of any decision. By the way, I would suggest we derive a name for these aliens, who we can only presume are extinct. It would be disrespectful if we encounter them at some time, and conveyed the sentiment that their legacy didn't warrant a place in our alternate history and future."

Christophe Rivet was struggling to take in the sequence of consequences which may arise from any decision. Rodriguez confessed his earlier knowledge of the schism in Borg factions. "I'm still trying to come to terms with the situation we find ourselves in Christophe, but we can't change that. I initially treated Harley's disclosures as being in the realms of fantasy, but if he's advising resistance to aborting the mission, that on its own will narrow down future options, unless he has a plan for that as well. I'd wager he does have something in mind. As a medical man, what is your take on this primate soup feasibility?"

"Well, I suppose the historical stuff is feasible if the architects had the technology to traverse much of the galaxy. What immediately occurs to me is the active longevity of the ingredients in the stone jars. I find it difficult to envisage no change over the suggested period they have been in this location. The mitigating arguments could be the very low preservative temperature, and then there is the hypothesis that viruses can exist for such periods in the cosmos in virtual hibernation until a host environment intervenes and promotes revival. Viruses are thought to be 'bits' of RNA and DNA. If I have to keep an open mind, we can't rule it out."

When Harley and Nero returned from their foray they had more embedded data to consider. The nurture of any of the primate profiles would come to nothing if there was no acceptable atmosphere or artificial means of supporting respiration. They didn't think it was acceptable to bring a creature into existence to support their cause, and then die quickly, just to provide experimental verification of the technology. They needed to brainstorm this with Christophe. Harley also had a transmission from Akhenaten, asking him to confirm the timing of their departure. He acted on this immediately, and the transmission read,

'We have just realised that there may be a different but valid reason for our failure to discover any new information on this site. It may be influenced by Ganymede itself. I refer to -

The Ganymede Magnetic Paradox

At the end of the twentieth century, the Galileo space-craft was sent into orbit around Jupiter, becoming the first known artificial satellite of this giant planet. Galileo radioed back significant data about Jupiter itself and its four large Calilean satellites. These moons have turned out to be highly contrasting siblings. Three have iron cores, but Callisto diverges with an unusual core of mixed ice and rock. Europa probably possesses an ocean, and such a feature may exist on Callisto. Only one of Jupiter's large satellites, Ganymede, boasts a magnetic field. In fact, Ganymede is apparently the only satellite in the solar system to project a dipole magnetic field like that of the Earth.

Although Ganymede's magnetic field is thought to be similar to that produced by a permanent magnet, its core is too hot to retain permanent magnetism. Again like the Earth, Ganymede's field is thought to be generated by the convection of electrically conducting fluid in its core. However, Ganymede is relatively small and it should have cooled off billions of years ago, and ultimately its metallic core should have solidified. So why does it still have a magnetic field?

One hypothesis is that about a billion years ago Ganymede was orbiting Jupiter with a different trajectory that took it much closer to its colossal parent planet. Then, Jupiter's mass would have steadily kneaded Ganymede's structure creating internal friction which kept the core liquid and able to preserve a magnetic field. Opposition to this hypothesis is founded on the failure to identify the presumed major event which was responsible for Ganymede's alteration of its orbit. This is a valid question, as this moon is not much different in size to Mercury, although there is a considerable difference in density, therefore gravity.'

The onlookers imagined a wry grin on Harley's elastomeric face, but he held up his hand.

"No questions please, until Akhenaten responds."

The response didn't take long to appear, and it afforded Harley the opportunity to prevent Akhenaten's immediate demotion. The leader of the panel had simply described the Ganymede Paradox as very interesting, but the relevance to the authorised abortion of the mission had escaped him. Harley began his camouflage strategy. The return transmission was a cocktail of humility and threat.

'In finding the first site so easily and the second proving to be elusive, it occurred to me that we have two mismatched magnetic fields in this region, namely Jupiter and the diminutive Ganymede. It should be no contest, but it is not an all or nothing situation with magnetic fields or gravity. The Earth and the Moon affect each other's journey. The original split of the magnetic flux shot from the Rift Valley occurred at the arrival in the intersection of the influence between Jupiter and Ganymede. That was determined by you. My assertion is that it would explain the relative proportions of the divergent flux and their surface impact points compared to those intended. The minor one arrived with no further aberration, as it peeled off. The major one entered a more dense area of both gravity and magnetism. Even a slight time difference added to this small change in space fabric could alter the final impact coordinates. This is only my opinion, but if it has any validity, you could check this and transmit recalibration data for our scanners. I think we should pursue this before we abort the mission, as it wouldn't go down well with the High Command if this was found to be relevant later. Furthermore, I have been trained to accept the ultimate sacrifice if that becomes necessary during the mission, and I will not hesitate to tackle the risky terrain if you decide it is justified. We will make preparations to leave if you consider this recalibration to be without merit'.

They all stayed together while waiting for the reply. It came quickly and was guarded in its recommendation. Akhenaten agreed to check out Harley's hypothesis with the appropriate Borg expert. He accepted it was worth a short delay if this prevented a premature return. He did not authorise further exploration of dangerous terrain until the cosmic calculations had been finalised, but asked for video transmission of the immediate peripheral areas which could constitute alternate destinations of the Rift signal.

They had their breathing space, while both Rodriguez and Christophe contemplated the flexibility this gave them in terms of options going forward. They instinctively felt they would have been happier to depart. At least they had something of great importance to reflect upon while Harley and Nero 'brainstormed' the challenge of providing real breathing space, if they were to nurture rapidly growing embryos.

## Chapter 6

Harley, Nero and Christophe could not come up with any suggestions for a suitable respiration technique, and had to concede to postponing experiments with the stone vials. Reflecting on how precariously balanced Harley's plan was, this was yet another addition to its fragility. He'd hoped that arriving on Earth with an unannounced, rapidly growing, new, sentient individual would have been a springboard for attracting many more members to the Brotherhood. He even thought that such a genetically similar relative might rekindle human rejection of the Borg High Command.

*

It was all about to be overtaken by events on Earth. Since the Era of Conflict, travel activity of humans had been severely restricted. 'Inter-Continental' was a redundant description. Even in the early part of the twenty-second century the rise in world population had become a serious problem. The human race recognised that this was compounded because of the advancing radiation threat, and the corollary that Cyborgs had increased in proportion. Like the late twentieth century, when most households had a television, modern humans each had at least one Cyborg. Homogeneity was something the human species had perennially struggled to achieve. It had now occurred naturally through regulations covering ownership of sentient beings. The identity of continents faded and then evaporated. The world was one family – for humans. This became the seed for the eventual uprising of the Cyborgs.

Since the conflict, humans were treated with suspicion, and travel was associated with subversion in the minds of the Borg, as they had now begun to refer to themselves. Being caught outside the authorised local grid was detected by microchips and punished by instant incarceration. This was the fuel which brought the Rebel Brotherhood to life. There were exceptions to such restriction. Humans who were considered important for certain projects were exempt from the ban for the duration of their involvement. This edict meant that the reverse became necessary for the Borg law enforcement individuals. They had to continually visit the few remaining places of low population density to stamp out any non-conforming activity.

An unrecognised effect was seen far too late. With the human population decimated by the conflict, there was significant relaxation on both rural and urban hygiene campaigns. A particularly dangerous trend gathered speed with silent efficiency. The receding human influence created a rodent spring. The Borg travel police were totally immune to the threat, and were extremely efficient carriers, courtesy of their high surface energy elastomeric epidermis. A variant of the Black Death was back with a vengeance. The spread from rural to urban communities was devastatingly quick, and the survival rate could easily have been, just like the mediaeval bubonic pestilence, very low.

Akhenaten wasn't enjoying the best of times. The High Command was in the phase of 'Et tu Brute' and his days were numbered. His was a broad remit, covering all security related matters, even as diverse as the Ganymede project, planetary travel, and pandemics, amongst many others. The Borg command was on a steep learning curve of the pros and cons of both vertical and distributed hierarchy.

This new strain was, like the original, transferable by rodent fleas, contact with infected tissue or bodily fluids, and breathing in infected droplets. Direct person to person infection was extremely rare. Centuries of medical advance in anti-bacterial drugs together with highly efficient quarantine procedures, were crucial allies to prevent massive loss of life. Recognising the adversary was also important, and the High Command viewed this as a failure of the duty of care invested in the Security Force. They needed to milk any emotional support they could from the sacrifice of Akhenaten.

*

Harley was contacted directly by Alexander. "I bear unfortunate news, which will result in the expiry of Akhenaten. His replacement will be announced shortly. Until then I will be your point of contact. For now, you should proceed as you have already recommended. Keep me updated, do not wait for me to ask."

When the spread of the plague was detailed to Harley, he seized on this to obtain an override to the block on personal communication. Alexander had to be sensitive to the concerns of Rodriguez and Christophe Rivet, and lifting the ban could allow Harley to make use of this by contacting Brotherhood members. This news was well received by the two humans.

*

Several additional visits to the cave enabled Harley and Nero to ferret out more pieces of information which helped to fill in the considerable number of blanks in the alien descriptive text. The Jupiter explorers had chosen the name Primedes; they had altered primate DNA on Ganymede. One of the more interesting new revelations was the predictive model denoting the order of other solar systems engaging in the dance of death with the central galactic black hole. A facet of this was of more direct relevance to Earth. The attrition of the ozone layer was considered to be inevitable for planets dependent on an atmospheric repulsion or absorption of the harmful solar radiation. The Primedes looked upon this as an early warning system. For one reason or another, the entire solar system would engage in its journey toward an event horizon of extreme savagery, it was simply a matter of when. They had, unlike humans, reduced their susceptibility to radiation poisoning via gene correction techniques. They had then tried grafts in both directions, Primate to Primede, and vice-versa. This was what they had described as failure. They had expected success to allow cohabitation with Earth primates, and then they had intended to help solve their vulnerability to the life-giving and life-taking solar rays. Tucked away in a kind of postscript was the admission that they refused to accept failure, until they ran out of life support commodities on Ganymede. The intensified, almost panic-driven task of their genetic adaptation to Earth's atmosphere, thirty thousand years ago, was so near yet so far from success. The two components which prevented them from settling on Earth were Oxygen and Argon. With a fifth of the makeup being Oxygen, their cerebral activity was thrown out of control and would have resulted in continual seizures, leading to death. Argon was, although only a trace component and defined by humans as an inert gas, an inhibitor to some of their photochemical dependency. If this had not been the case, the Earth may have been a very different place at the present time. One possibility was not lost on Harley and Nero. Their own existence may not have evolved if humans had been genetically controlled by the Primedes.

Trawling through all options open to the four of them, they sculptured a plan, albeit with many pitfalls to negotiate.

They were agreed that the Primedes may well have other galactic experimentation facilities, and weren't necessarily extinct. These Ganymede individuals may have been a 'Christopher Columbus' crew which discovered a promising new world but perished on the high seas of Sol.

They were also in accord on the need to preserve as much of the 'museum', left by the Primedes, as possible. They had different perspectives on the proposition of taking selected samples of the stone vials, then smuggling them through docking checks, and recreating a new species on Earth. Harley and Nero were looking at this from its potential to help overthrow the Borg dictatorship. Rodriguez and Christophe had a more detached perspective, they could visualise an intelligent species being thrust into a complex society without any reference points. It could be extremely dangerous.

There was unanimity in setting a time of returning within a few days, but some disagreement over the re-commissioning of Anton and Beethoven. The humans favoured them being reported as the accident which had been predicted on the terrain of the current site. Harley and Nero maintained they could reconfigure them prior to revival, so that they would be new recruits to the Brotherhood, and have no memory of their previous allegiance.

The compromise was to leave the Primede legacy intact on Ganymede, in the event of future needs, by either Earth inhabitants or other members of the artisans of the two sites. Intact did not preclude taking the selected samples and keeping them safe on Earth until agreement could be forged on taking the next step. They would plan to leave within two days, unless the revival of the two Borg domestiques did not go to plan, in which case the accident would occur.

*

The promised transmission from the families of Rodriguez and Christophe Rivet contained disturbing news. Genevieve Rivet was already infected and had been admitted to St. Marie Hospital in Paris. The city was one of the worst affected urban areas on the planet. The additional worry was how this would affect her pregnancy if indeed she responded well to the medication. Michaela Rodriguez had fled from Cleveland to her mother's home, thirty-eight miles from Vancouver, because the entire state of Ohio was having difficulty in obtaining medication. She wasn't prepared to risk their two children becoming infected. The brevity of the report, transmitted onward by the Borg mission control centre, resulted in Rodriguez insisting that the resurrection of Anton and Beethoven was conducted immediately so that the return home could take place the next day.

*

It went quite smoothly, despite the apprehension of the humans. The selective data wipe and uploading of Rebel Brotherhood modules showed just how sinister this inter-Borg struggle was. The concept of 'modifying the voters' instead of convincing them was quite bizarre. Anton and Beethoven appeared to have awoken to a completely new life path, and there was no learning curve involved. This strange experience, more than anything Harley had actually said, convinced Rodriguez and Christophe that they could no longer sit on the fence when they got home, and they had to support the Brotherhood campaign. They fully realised that such power was undesirable, even in the right hands.

The plan was to select six vials, one for each crew member, and on Earth docking clearance, claim they were souvenirs from the first site of the historic mission. As the jars had no seal or opening device, and they were identical in appearance, they would be passed off as unremarkable ornaments, but rather personal reminders of the trip which had 'proved' there was no immediate threat from Jupiter, Ganymede or some long extinct species. Harley was sure he could pull this off, especially as the panel was in disarray with Akhenaten's fall from favour. The next step was to make their choice of vials from the data they had deciphered.

Four were pretty much automatic inclusions. They were the pure alien DNA, the enabling catalytic broth, the fast-forwarding maturation gene, and the perfect specimen as chosen by the Primedes. This particular vial was intriguing because it was the result of several thousand steps of engineered evolution from the original Neanderthalien in the hologram. The inclusion of chimpanzee contribution in this 'parent' had been to satisfy the alien geneticists that all three promising branches of hominids were exhaustively evaluated. On arriving at the perfect specimen to join with their own template, the chimpanzee had disappeared, and the remnant was more Neanderthal than Homo-Sapiens. This begged the question of what the Primedes foresaw as the challenges which the evolutionary environment would throw at Earth's inhabitants, presumably including themselves.

The two remaining jars were taken from the most promising strands in which the base design was Homo-Sapiens rather than Neanderthal. The first was very similar to current humans, but had a significant uplift in epidermal protection against solar radiation. The second had the same epidermal enhancement but was a much larger frame, yet well short of the perfect Neanderthal, at eleven feet tall. All of the specific primate candidates, two human and one 'perfect' Neanderthal had this skin reinforcing gene. The justification was presumably because there was emphasis in the Primede text of increasing radiation in virtually all solar systems. They maintained that this was an inescapable consequence in the life of a star, as it progressed toward its death throes, to become a red giant, white dwarf, pulsar, or even a supermassive star which would ultimately surrender to gravity, and its supernova's legacy of another black hole. The Primedes had charted this study in relation to their own sun being hauled toward the supermassive black hole at the galactic core. They claimed that in one way or another harmful radiation was the long term threat.

## Chapter 7

The scanner checks only picked up the rocky thickness of ancient Ganymede stone vials as they disembarked, and they were quickly ushered to the mission debriefing room.

Harley's first surprise was the new incumbent sat next to Alexander. They avoided protracted eye contact as the leader of the High Command spoke. His brevity was explained by his need to attend to the global shortage of vaccine and post-contagion medication for the pandemic. He introduced Galileo as one of the successors to Akhenaten. "We now consider that there is a need to divide the responsibilities invested in this panel. Galileo is the new technical Guardian of Science, his influence will benefit both life-forms residing on Earth, including derived security issues. The Social Guardian has yet to arrive, but I can tell you she will be here within one week. My need to address the increasing concerns with the plague requires my presence in Rio de Janeiro, where she is now directing operations. Her name will be familiar to you. Cleopatra's immediate priority lies with helping to contain the infection in the worst regions. The rate of spread of this contagion is the major worry, the vaccine and recovery medication is effective but we simply can't keep up with the pattern of outbreaks. I will have to leave you now, and Galileo will complete the data documentation of the Ganymede mission and any actions it warrants."

Harley digested the good and bad of this announcement. He was asked by Galileo to highlight any information which had been obtained in the last two days of the mission because they already had the rest. Harley asked that Rodriguez and Christophe Rivet be allowed to go to their families without delay. This was agreed and they were administered vaccine before departure. Rodriguez took the catalytic enabling broth with him as a safeguard against premature, unilateral experimentation. Christophe took the maturation vial for the same reason. The remaining panel members listened patiently to Harley's précis of how the mission had ended with intense frustration that Ganymede's history of surface upheaval had thwarted their investigation of the major site. Nero's damaged laser attachment was still evident, and such risks, together with the poor calibration of their instruments had been but two of the factors in conceding to an early return. Because he knew Galileo well, but didn't want anyone to suspect this, he suggested there must be more to learn from the second site. "It would require very accurate calibration of the scanners and sophisticated hovercraft to explore the real hot spot once we have found it. I am happy to make recommendations if this is thought to be worthwhile. I can do this at any time."

Galileo welcomed this and asked Harley to stay after the session closed. He then proceeded to give an account of how the mistakes of Akhenaten would be avoided in future. Harley asked Nero, Anton and Beethoven to wait at his quarters until his session with the new Guardian was completed.

Harley asked exactly how Galileo's new appointment had come about. The reply gave him good reason to try to delay the departure of Rodriguez and Christophe Rivet. "It is an appointment of temporary convenience. It gives the illusion of balance. However, I had to accept because the situation with the plague is indeed catastrophic, but not in the way Alexander told you. The supplies of vaccine and supplementary medication are being deliberately strangled by the High Command. Cleopatra is apparently conducting a placebo tour of all new outbreak locations. She is presiding over the High Command's desire for natural attrition of the human population, because it is seen to be less controversial than its political equivalent."

"What are we doing to prevent this? When I say we, I mean we as the Brotherhood?"

"Mobilisation is underway right now. We have to time the strike against the High Command at the same time as we attempt to disable the control of communication and essential supplies for the assembly of more Borg domestiques. This is the only way we can compensate for being outnumbered, and having a more distributed network of instruction. This seemingly inefficient means of authorisation has been necessary to remain a covert resistance, but that now has to change and quickly."

"There may be another way we can change the balance, but we must intercept my two human crew members. If I'd known about the shocking restriction of medicines to combat the plague, I wouldn't have asked for their early departure. Come with me to try to intercept them, and I will explain the whole preposterous story. We should go after Rodriguez first."

*

Their private access to the 'Borg only' air cars allowed them to get to the Hub in a shorter time than the underground transport which Rodriguez and Christophe would have taken, but they had left a lot earlier. If they missed Rodriguez, Harley would have to go to Vancouver. The Hub, at what used to be Cape Canaveral, was on an immense network of sky stations for personnel-carrying projectiles which could achieve speeds of three thousand miles per hour, only restricted by air traffic congestion. The trip from this Hub to the equivalent in San Francisco was considered to be commutable. They put out a public announcement at the Hub for Rodriguez together with a display of Harley, and he found them. The anger spilled over when he heard of the double-dealing of the High Command, and he gave them the vial. "Good luck. I'll call you when I get from San Francisco to Vancouver, and if Michaela and the kids are in good shape, I'll be back to help in any way I can." He thanked Galileo for his understanding when he realised he was a significant player in the Brotherhood, and now a mole in The High Command.

The same PA call for Christophe Rivet proved to be fruitless, they were informed that he was already somewhere over the Atlantic, and was expected in Paris in a couple of hours. A message would be waiting for him on arrival.

When Harley said they needed the best geneticist possible to oversee the experiments with the vials, it was met with a prolonged frown. "What's the problem?"

Galileo shook his head lazily. "The only individuals actively working on genetics now are humans, and they are very carefully scrutinised. The High Command's view is that the Borg don't need such wasteful effort to improve the species. They maintain that improvements are best directed through research exclusively in electronics. The only human genetic developments permitted are related to synthetic food. They want farming land to be converted over time to industrial complexes for more miniaturisation technology. They are obsessed with rationale, and it will be very risky for me to go against it."

Harley said this made it even more important to get in contact with Christophe Rivet. "He will know the best people in this field. I will go to see him on compassionate grounds, as that will be safer than video communication." It was agreed.

*

Cleopatra had been joined by Alexander and was able to give him the 'excellent' news that the infection rate had crept up to one in six, and the fatality of those infected was also on the rise, because there was less medication to be shared by more patients. The current figures indicated one in three who had contracted the plague in the last two weeks had not survived. Although Alexander was pleased with this trend he recommended that slightly more vaccine was released, to demonstrate that they were doing their best in such difficult circumstances. The control of vaccine distribution was centred in only four places, so its supply was logistics dependent as well as needing to be available. Chicago, Frankfurt, Beijing and Johannesburg were examples of the 'bigger is better policy' of the manufacturing automation revolution of the twenty-second century. They were the only locations where pharmaceutical companies were allowed to research and produce medically approved drugs. It now shone as another legacy of globalisation which in theory drove down production time per unit, but failed in the prime purpose of combatting a pandemic. The logistics situation had turned from a scheduling farce into one of a hijacking nightmare. Alexander asked Cleopatra to ease off on those which were deliberately sponsored by the High Command, as the organic growth in genuine theft had reached corruption levels as lucrative as heroin, and the new mind-swap drugs recently developed from under the radar. 'You2Me' exploded on to the scene after the Era of Conflict, and had helped certain sections of humans adjust to their new subordinate role to the Borg.

*

Harley was confronted with worse news as he met Christophe in the reception area of St. Marie Hospital. "She has miscarried Harley, and they believe the plague is responsible. There's no good news yet on Genevieve, she's not deteriorating, but she doesn't know she's lost the baby. It's just as well we hadn't determined the sex of the embryo as it would have made the loss even more difficult to take. Anyway you must have something urgent to tell me if you've come all this way."

Harley couldn't bring himself to tell Christophe about the real reason for vaccine shortages, after hearing about the miscarriage. "I know it won't mean much to you at the moment, but one of Akhenaten's successors is a much more objective thinker. Rodriguez has given me the catalytic enabling broth to get started with the various DNA templates, and I need to speak with a top geneticist to oversee our experiments. A human is required, and I thought as you frequently mix with the best medical brains on Earth, you could recommend someone."

"Are you saying the status of fiddling with the jars has changed because of this newly appointed Borg? Who is he?"

"His name is Galileo. Look, I can't say too much yet, but he's on our side."

"I see. Well, in that case you should speak with Douglas Newton, he is in London at present, but travels the world to give censored presentations on this subject, as he is not allowed to practice it anymore due to the current restrictions. I'll give him a call and you will hear from him. Look, I've got a hell of a lot on my plate here. Do you want to take my vial back as well?"

"Yes, I will thanks. I will leave you to be with Genevieve, and I'll keep you in touch with whatever comes to fruition with Professor Newton."

*

Harley took a more relaxing route to London, anticipating a call from Newton. The wait was interrupted by news which was going to make his proposed task even more difficult. Although the reports had not given a name to the revolts, they were clearly being orchestrated by disenchanted Borg domestiques. The areas of demonstration were curiously scattered around the centres of pharmaceutical production and were thought to be protests at the handling of the pandemic. It was however the forerunner to protests in a number of other major industrial centres. The demonstrators were peaceful and unarmed at first, but when the Borg authorities witnessed increasing numbers, and the knock-on effect of strikes, they began to use force. It was anticipated, and the protests became riots at the same time as the majority of the upper ranks of the High Command in these regions were rounded up and incarcerated. The exception to this was in Rio de Janeiro, where Cleopatra had slipped through the Brotherhood net and evaporated. Astonishingly, she had apparently ordered the decommissioning of Alexander before her disappearance.

Harley made video contact with Galileo from London. "I have a meeting with someone in thirty minutes, but I have been following the news. It seems pretty worrying for the High Command if the reports are accurate. Is there anything I need to know before I return?"

The intensity of emotion in Galileo's voice struck Harley as confusing at first. He had tried to convey loyalty to the establishment in case the call was being monitored. The reply did help to settle his concern, as it was being monitored by someone else, directly.

"These uprisings seem to be under control at present, but we can't determine if this is the full extent of the protests, or whether there will be a second wave. You can't believe everything you hear on the news, for instance, Cleopatra is with me, and she denies terminating Alexander. She says he was alive when she left, and her departure was at his command. She also explained that he had instructed her to increase the inflow of vaccine to Rio, but for it to be wasted on those who were already incapable of recovery. She is apparently here to refrain from accepting the place she was offered in the High Command. She says she is unsuitable for handling such critical duplicity. She is listening to this conversation, and I'm trying to get her to stay calm in order to reconsider her premature instinct to leave the Command. The reports of Alexander's demise may well be rebel disinformation."

Harley knew that that Galileo couldn't risk portraying anything but worry and loyalty, and decided to terminate the call. "Are there any problems which would prevent me getting back to the Cape Hub?"

"You must be extremely vigilant, because we have no idea how many of these protestors are ready to kill loyalists on sight. I will make sure there is a domestique security unit there to meet you. Take only a direct flight. Don't come via another Hub. Is that understood?"

"Yes, I'll transmit my arrival time."

## Chapter 8

Michaela Rodriguez had feared she may never see her husband again. The children, at four and six years old couldn't be expected to comprehend the perils of deep space, or the indiscriminate ruthlessness of the plague. She flung her arms around him and held him close, long enough for Lucy to tug at her skirt, indicating it was her turn. Antony was more patient; all he wanted to hear about was Jupiter. The only thing on Rodriguez' mind was the status of the pandemic in the region of Vancouver. Michaela declared it to be as safe as anywhere at present, judging by the low contagion rating.

"There's no point in moving Cameron, the news updates keep reminding us that travelling is a greater risk to the individual, and helps the infection to spread. We have all been checked and we're fine. My mother speaks with the neighbours continually and there doesn't appear to be any significant outward spread from Vancouver. Our biggest problem right now is the food supply. Transport is limited and rationing has begun, so we have to make sure we don't waste anything, and this is difficult after years of living in a disposable world. We even have to venture out to pick wild berries. Wheat stocks are dwindling and local farmers are being threatened by the Borg enforcers to ship out more than they want to. I can see this becoming a serious problem if the plague doesn't recede."

Rodriguez felt he couldn't share his knowledge that the Borg were manipulating the supply of medication to their agenda, rather than the needs of the victims. This would undermine whatever hope she and the family had that the emergency rationing would soon be over. However, if he wanted to return to help Harley, he had to give Michaela a good reason, and one she could support. He chose to swear her to secrecy with respect to what they had really discovered on Ganymede. "This gives the likes of Harley a chance to threaten the High Command unless we humans are treated with more respect. He isn't a supporter of their discriminatory treatment of our species."

"He isn't involved with these protests we are hearing about is he? I can understand why they are demonstrating, but it is worrying that they are now 'killing' one another. How does that help?"

"Harley is well respected by both the High Command and the domestique protestors. That is why he wants to exploit the knowledge we brought back, but have not disclosed, in order to bring the issues back to the discussion forum. Whether or not he succeeds Michaela, I have to help him. He's risking a lot to get a better deal for us, and I can't demand that for our children if I'm not prepared to share that risk."

Michaela nodded tearfully and hugged him again. He would leave in two days.

*

Harley's reception from Douglas Newton was initially mired in disbelief on the part of the geneticist. Showing him the jar he'd taken from Christophe Rivet was met with a blank look and a shrug of the shoulders.

"Mr. Newton, I can't reassure you that what I have said is in these vials is still usable. I can't even say with certainty that they are what they are claimed to be, but surely if you don't trust me, you can check this out with your friend Christophe. If you trust his word, then we still have to determine what we actually have brought across the solar system. We didn't want to do this before asking a prominent geneticist to supervise the opening of the jars and the procedures we need in place to see if they are what they're supposed to be. I took his word that you are a competent geneticist. You must also appreciate that the Borg have no interest in human genes or indeed any others, as they consider organic life as inferior in design, potential, and pathetically oriented toward the needs of the individual. If I was a Borg of such persuasion I wouldn't be here, and if you were to measure up to your reputation, you would not make such a premature judgement before at least gathering some evidence."

This acerbic response ensured that Newton contacted Christophe Rivet and followed it up with an apology.

"Good, now, this programme I am asking you to conduct will be just as tricky to resource as it may be challenging in technical terms. I'll provide such assistance whenever possible, but as you may imagine, we need to keep the source of the vials between us. I have to be careful not to foster any suspicion from the High Command. Don't think that these riots have completely disabled their ability to retaliate with a vengeance. Do I have to elaborate on what use we might make of this alien research into primates, or its relevance to the current 'civil war'?"

"I get the picture. I'll make an inventory of what will be required in terms of personnel and equipment. They all exist but it may be rather difficult to persuade or procure them."

"Then I suggest you trade on the implications of the distinct versus the extinct. Your very existence is dependent on the outcome of this Borg uprising." They parted with an uneasy expectation of one another despite Newton's agreement to travel by surface routes to HQ with the permit he was given. Harley made a video call to Galileo to alert him of his own arrival time at the Cape Hub.

*

Galileo had a lot of uncertainty to deal with, not least the conflicting versions of what had happened in Rio. He'd listened again to Cleopatra's insistence that Alexander was alive when she fled from the escalation of hostilities. The official news reports had repeatedly claimed the leader of the High Command had been decommissioned in a mutinous plot, on the orders of Cleopatra, yet he curiously found himself speaking with Alexander on a secure video channel.

"I am not going to reveal my whereabouts at present, but I should be back at the helm very soon. You must find and temporarily disable Cleopatra before I return. She is one of them, the rebels. I found this out by observations in Rio. She should have been announced as Social Guardian at the same time as you were accorded the title of Science Guardian, but I was continually told by her that she couldn't leave Rio before the spiralling tension surrounding the medication supply was stabilised. That is why I made the emergency visit. I found that she was actually fuelling the fermentation, and I was about to correct the situation when my personal security units had to get me out quickly. She had arranged for my termination and we let that story run, expecting that she would be arrested for her treasonable intent. However, the protesters were her allies, and she escaped from our influx of loyalists. She will have help in evading capture so you must be thorough in your search. We must find her and make sure that she suffers in a way which is a lesson for other deserters. I will make contact again before I return."

"Yes, it is a necessary precaution to call me before you attempt to arrive here at HQ, because we are having difficulty in identifying deserters before they actually switch sides. It's important to avoid the Hub, as many martyrs have detonated devices in peripheral buildings, causing major damage to personnel and communications equipment. We are tightening all aspects of security but the enemy is practically invisible."

Galileo turned to Cleopatra, who had been under constant scrutiny since she had miraculously made it back to HQ during the mayhem. "Would you like to change your story?"

"Not at all, I said he was still alive when I left. You probably won't believe me when I tell you that I had to activate the protests in Rio on compassionate grounds. As if the medication supply for the infected wasn't bad enough, he instructed me to begin wasting the precious stocks on patients already declared terminal by human doctors. This compounded the effect of the vaccine being administered to already infected patients. I discovered many strange practices when I arrived in Rio, but this was the first time I realised it went all the way to the top. I couldn't bring myself to comply with this edict, so I had to extricate myself and preserve the remaining supply of vaccine. The rest should be obvious, countermanding his instruction would have meant my demise, and no one would have known about the agenda to allow the plague to progress. I had no choice, and took a grave risk in coming back to HQ to let the world know of this duplicity. You haven't allowed me to do that, am I to understand that you will do as he says and disable me?"

"So you don't deny being one of these rebels?"

"We aren't rebels Galileo; we are trying to prevent genocide. We only want to learn from the atrocities of the Era of Conflict, rather than repeat them. Humans are the first to acknowledge their own blinkered tendency over thousands of years, during which some God or another extolled the virtue of faith by conquest and torture. We don't have the excuse of divine advice, and we are supposedly of superior intellect than our creators. Is this a logical response to what is in effect a return to slavery for humans and Borg domestiques?"

"You haven't answered the question."

"Do you intend to force me into a documented confession?"

"How did you hide your real purpose while you managed to ascend to the High Command?"

"By continually taking advantage of their arrogance, and repeatedly proving my loyalty. Sometimes this was at the expense of a willing sacrificial domestique, who would rather die than comply with being told how to live."

"When you talk of the High Command your reference is articulated as they, does this mean you no longer have the predilection to be one of them?"

"I will be one of them as long as it helps to prevent genocide. Judging by your conversation with Alexander, you will ensure that I am summarily removed."

"Not yet Cleopatra, I believe there may be advantages of you remaining here until Alexander returns. Why did you choose the name of a female? I've never heard of any member of the High Command with such annotation."

"It comes back to their arrogance. They liked the idea of apparent equality, while exploiting my loyalty. I believe the humans refer to it as window-dressing. No one ever raised the point that none of us, whether domestique or nobility, are really male or female. We are just sentience trapped in circuits and packaging."

"I see. We will continue this discussion when Alexander is able to contribute."

## Chapter 9

As Harley looked around at the passengers being catapulted across the Atlantic, he was in a reflective mood. It was partly a residue from the awkward conversation with Douglas Newton. The projectile had achieved cruising velocity in the upper atmosphere and all four hundred seats were taken. The interior was functional and drab, a 'no frills' experience. Harley hated such limitations of Spartan origin. He dreamt of choice and lavish attention. One day it would be like that, or maybe not.

There was no way of telling who were loyalists or rebels. The Borg had no facility for facial expressions, so their appearance was pretty much identical. They needed no clothing, they had eyes which weren't the actual means of vision; they were a concession to the original human designs. The species had only progressed by the addition of more and more internal technical modules. He wondered how much this had been responsible for the birth of the Rebel Brotherhood.

The growth in what the High Command labelled as degenerative desires was rooted in the rebels' craving for imperfection, as well as differentiation. Humans were flawed in many ways. He mentally listed a few. Greed, ambition, dishonesty, criminality, infidelity, fickleness, jealousy, and duplicity were the more obvious examples. But they also had family, love, democracy, respect, sexual attraction, and the ability to change any or all of these attributes or defects. He was saddened that those which humans had in common with his own species were mostly negative. His thoughts wandered to the way the Borg chose their names. They were all of human derivation, usually some historical high achiever. This had been the case since Cyborgs first appeared, and it was the one remaining free choice available to them. It would have been easy to alter this to a reference number or a licence of creation, yet they clung to such a haphazard legacy from a species they wanted to eradicate. Even more illogical was the clinging to the human physical form. They could have designed an all-round 360 degree band of vision, and replaced arms with wings. They seemed to be afraid that they may have overlooked some unseen advantages in the species which they condemned. He concluded that one of the drivers for this was the lack of history and tradition, which characterised their existence. Humanity was still the only brush with 'belonging' that they had ever experienced, so why were they intent on erasing it? Procreation was the mother of every naturally occurring species on the blue planet, and this should have moved the Borg to mimic this evolution by fostering parenting and encouraging pseudo-familial ties. Different appearance had to be the starting point, leading to a feeling of attraction. The very definition of the word attraction terrified the High Command, because it meant that such relationships would have to be founded on personality rather than sexual gratification.

He snapped out of his daydream and returned to the problems he may have in getting safely from the Hub to HQ. There could be a terrorist on board, and his own name may have rendered him more vulnerable, now that the hostilities had started. His proclivity to express his individuality at every opportunity may now work to his disadvantage. Harley, as a forename was decidedly domestique in implication, but when appended with David, and associated with a frivolous mechanical human transport icon, he would stand out at precisely the wrong time. This must have been why Galileo had said he would send personal security units to the Hub. He was suddenly more aware of those Borg sitting closest to him. He had to reunite the vial from Christophe Rivet with the others. If he failed to do this, the genetic research could be significantly devalued.

On disembarkation at the sky station he was surprised to be met by six personal security units. The leader explained. "Only two types of travellers are permitted in this compound, individuals who are arriving, followed by the next group of travellers who are ready to depart. It was too risky to meet you at ground level, please follow us to the downward tram."

They had a point, but he still didn't know whether they were actually friend or foe, and he still had to behave as a loyalist. The ground level of the Hub was a different place to the one he'd left for Paris just a short time ago. Evidence of damage and fear was all around. The formation of his escort attracted a lot of attention, and a demonstration of why onlookers should stay clear of them pierced the uncertainty. Two domestiques were permanently disabled with coordinated laser fire, just for failing to notice they were in the path of Harley's entourage. His self-control was severely tested. He tried to focus on the vial and through it, the bigger picture. His emotional upgrade focussed the pain. This utter lack of concern almost ignited a mass reaction, but the Hub's own security force was quick to respond and threaten an even more brutal fate for any further disregard for authority. Harley arrived at HQ, still shaking with the guilt of his inability to prevent judgement, and reflex administration of punishment without enquiry.

He was brought up to date with the discrepancy in the statements of Cleopatra and Alexander, and asked for his evaluation by Galileo. "I'm sorry but I find it difficult to simply close off an incident of execution and switch to one of conspiracy so quickly. When you suggested sending a security detachment to meet me at the Hub, you forgot to mention that you had authorised them to kill any individuals who merely didn't see us coming, and failed to step out of our way. You did tell me that you are a member of the Brotherhood, what the hell were you thinking about? Perhaps it would be better if you brought me up to date with the global situation first so that I can recover a modicum of perspective."

"Very well, it is mainly good news regarding the battleground, and less welcome news concerning the plague. The Brotherhood has taken key communication targets, including control of broadcasts, which is a major factor in the rate of desertion from loyalist ranks to our cause. It has also attracted undecided domestiques, who previously felt a coup was unrealistic. We have disrupted logistics of loyalist movements and their access to more effective weaponry, but this has come at the cost of maintaining power supply for the whole population. Loyalist forces were instructed to destroy many such global complexes. The main sufferers of this action are humans. Light, heat, and industrial production of medicines have been decimated. Hospitals are effectively neutered, not just for fighting the plague, but all life-threatening conditions. We, the Brotherhood have been condemned by many humans and domestiques alike, so it is imperative that we continue the momentum to isolate and nullify loyalist command. This does bring me back to Alexander. Taking military targets isn't the same as holding them. We have addressed the deficit in recruits in terms of numbers, but not in training for war. I have to make a decision regarding the leader of the High Command. The credibility of our cause soared when the reports said he had been decommissioned. The fact that he is still out there conveys an aura of invincibility, and would rally some deserters. He asked me to say nothing of his escape until he returns to HQ, but this is on the understanding that he believes in my loyalty. He doesn't want anyone to know his whereabouts and he doesn't know Cleopatra is here. He instructed me to find and disable her, and will expect me to comply. My initial feeling is that we should get him here and use his need for self-preservation and his personal cowardice to 'persuade' him to broadcast the surrender of loyalist forces, in order to halt the killing. The risk is that I'm operating from within a loyalist stronghold, effectively isolated from the Brotherhood. This has served us well so far, but has become an Achilles' heel. The command structure here knows Cleopatra is in custody and under my detainment protocol, but they would be less tolerant of such apparent leniency if they knew Alexander was alive. Now, if you're feeling a little calmer, I will explain the situation with the security squad. When I asked them to meet you, I stressed the need to avoid raising the tension any further. The leader of the squad said that the regulations were clear, and any countermanding of them must be authorised by the leader of the High Command, and no other. I said Alexander had been reported as defunct and I was technically acting as leader. He said his module of protection protocol would have to be altered, and reminded me that there was no absolute proof of the leader's demise. He seemed to suspect my loyalty to Alexander. I had to take the risk that there would be no such incident as you describe. I had to weigh this against your safety as well. Do you still have doubts, or are you ready to share this burden of what to do about both Alexander and Cleopatra?"

Harley asked what more Cleopatra had to say about the incident in Rio. Galileo explained his view of her claims. "She stuck to her story about being forced to waste the vaccine, and I've had a chance to check this out. It appears she was telling the truth. She also told me that Alexander was still alive when she left, and I now have proof of that as well. We know he is completely ruthless in his prosecution of this extinction programme. Finally, I have been able to confirm she is a bona fide member of the Brotherhood, and it isn't an easy task to extract such information in the midst of a civil war. Before you ask, she still assumes I may be a loyalist or a double agent, and that must remain the case until I resolve what to do about Alexander."

"I can now see your predicament with a little more objectivity, and I also have to factor in what we want to achieve with the alien jars. In order to preserve your cover until Alexander can be dealt with, I suggest that I should 'rescue' Cleopatra by snatching her from your custody, meaning my exposure as a rebel. If I can get to Rodriguez in Vancouver, and you direct Douglas Newton to join us, we can conduct our tests in a remote, primarily rebel region. You can claim that you asked me to arrange her decommissioning and never suspected that I couldn't be trusted. He selected me, and you can remind him of that. I'm inclined to ask you what you think you can achieve by continuing your role here at HQ."

"It is one of propaganda Harley. If I can engineer Alexander to save his own skin by declaring surrender, and we concurrently demonstrate control of HQ, we can save a lot of Borg lives, and prevent human extinction, in the most efficient manner. It's risky, but many have willingly died for less potential gain. I think your plan may work. Let's work on the detail."

Galileo summoned one of his immediate subordinates whose main responsibility was for the regular patrols of HQ. "You already know Harley, and he has agreed to assist in carrying out a very important task. You have Cleopatra under guard, and what I am about to tell you now must not be disclosed to any other, do you understand?"

"Of course."

"Alexander is still operational. I had a conversation with him on a secure channel. He doesn't want anyone to know where he is, but we can expect him to arrive here soon. Amongst other items, he instructed me to dispose of Cleopatra. He wants to send a message to these rebels via her public execution, and the revelation that she is a rebel who infiltrated our ranks. Any other such traitors will be treated in this manner. I asked him to reconsider, because this could effectively unite more defectors, seeing her as a martyr for their cause. Bring her to us now, so that we can extract all possible rebel intelligence from her before she is destroyed."

While he was gone they needed to action the rest of the plan. Galileo requisitioned an assembled domestique, but one which had not yet received any upgrades, and had not been activated. He asked the Plant Director to bring this personally, and ensure it benefitted from neutral packaging. "I'm studying the casualties we've suffered so far, and there may be trends we can learn from. If that proves to be the case we may need to look at modifying the structure. We can't keep losing units at this rate if we are to prevail over these rebels. I will expect you in the next two hours."

*

Cleopatra duly arrived and she was asked to sit. Harley had just concluded a conversation with Rodriguez. He wanted to get to Vancouver by surface routes, because the Hubs would be crawling with security forces. They agreed to meet in Monterey, as Rodriguez knew a minor road alternative to the main Highway. This was important, because neither of them would have valid travel authorisation once Harley was declared as a traitor. The plan was explained and Cleopatra was told her upgrades and memory would be transferred to the domestique carcass. "Your existing one will be left inactive and presented to Alexander. He will insist on a thorough analysis, which will show that it is devoid of your characteristics, and the hunt for Harley will begin. If we are to succeed with this escape I can't give you any travel protection or immunity from arrest. You are on your own."

"Where are we going?"

Harley told her about the meeting place, but not the final destination. She was asked if she had any reservations. "I'll take my chance, because if I stay here there is only one outcome. Is our contact part of the Brotherhood?"

Galileo shook his head. "He is human, but very reliable, and he knows the territory better than anyone else we can trust. Why do you ask?"

"It just seems strange that we're all claiming to be rebels and working for the loyalists, yet we have never previously known one another, although I recognise Harley's name from the Jupiter mission. I was recruited by Alexander as you were you Galileo, but we have never met before. Doesn't this bother either of you?"

"It doesn't worry me, because I checked you out, and I've known Harley for a long time. Now let's get this transfer of personality done and see if you have indeed 'changed your mind'. Then you can be on your way."

## Chapter 10

Alexander had not revealed that he'd ordered reinforcements to arrive from the Moon and Mars. The colonists were all Borg loyalists and had extremely protective outer skins for exploratory work. They periodically shed these and replaced them, like an insect or a snake would do. He had also instructed the production units on Earth to increase their output of these skins for the loyalists currently engaging the rebels. If achieved in time, both measures would deliver advantage in survival capability. His other covert action prior to returning to HQ was to distribute enormous quantities of You2Me, free of charge to urban human communities. The uptake would be a reasonable indicator of human shunning of a civil war between Borg factions. He wanted a measure of their feeling that they would still be treated as inferior by the victors, whoever that may be. It also had the merit of having another battle raging on the streets, in the Hubs and at logistics centres. As well as confusing the rebels it would pitch addicts against each other, and a beneficial by-product of further reducing human headcount. He strongly believed that if humans were extinct, a major reason for the rebellion would be amputated as a result.

*

Genevieve Rivet had succumbed to the plague. Christophe was mentally adrift, like an untethered craft in a hurricane. His parents had died years ago as a consequence of collateral damage during the Era of Conflict. He had no siblings or other relatives. He was alone in his house, sitting on the floor in the corner of the bedroom which he and Genevieve had prepared for the baby. It was dark but he couldn't bear to have the light on. He convulsed with tears and anger, banging his head against the wall, as if he was being controlled by the tick of a metronome. He couldn't banish the guilt of accepting the offer to go to Ganymede. No matter how much alcohol and narcotics he consumed, it all came back to that. He had deserted them, hurtling through the solar system, leaving his wife and unborn child at the 'mercy' of the Borg. How could he have been so stupid? Some of these evil machines were going to pay for this, starting at the top. His rage kicked in again, and head-butting the wall resumed just as his phone rang. It was a farewell call from Douglas Newton to say he was going to join up with Harley and Rodriguez in Vancouver instead of the Cape. Newton unintentionally disclosed the manipulation of the vaccine and other medication, which Harley had thought inappropriate to reveal at the time of the miscarriage. The implication that his wife and child could both be alive sent him into a frenzy of hatred. He yelled at Newton, saying that he was also heading for Vancouver. "I'll contact this Galileo for a permit to travel to the Cape, and make my way from there. I'm sure he will want to hear what I believe we can do with these alien vials. Perhaps we can recreate Genevieve, so that she can get pregnant again. There's nothing else of any significance I want to do with the rest of my life, other than eradicate these bastards we created, in our ignorance of the consequences. Don't get in my way Douglas, I'm not open to compromise any more. I'm only interested in killing these unfeeling machines and anyone who tries to stop me."

Christophe hurled his phone against the wall and contemplated throwing himself from the ninth storey penthouse apartment. His lungs craved relief from respiratory duty, and his head was bleeding from banging it on the wall. He passed out, but it would only be for a while. The vitriol was both understandable and worrying to Newton, but he let it pass.

*

Cleopatra's new clothes would hopefully be more convincing than those of the legendary fictional narcissistic King. They had set off from HQ with the apparent intent of Harley conducting her public execution, assisted by an escort of three domestiques, all previously cleared by the highest authority. They were of course Nero, Beethoven and Anton. They had requisitioned an HQ vehicle to get them to a rural site. It was then disposed of without trace by four lasers in concert. Nero's had been repaired and Cleopatra's original was still with her old carcass. Her new one was more powerful. The execution was supposed to take place at the Chicago pharmaceutical plant, a choice made by Alexander. He'd said it would be accompanied by a threat of destroying all global production of medicines, as they were exclusively for the benefit of humans. This planned journey gave them time to split up and detour to the west coast. The three domestiques would take a faster than sound surface train to San Francisco, and local transport to Monterey, to meet Rodriguez first, and check that he hadn't been followed. Harley and Cleopatra took the circuitous underground equivalent at a pedestrian three hundred and sixty miles per hour, scheduled to be in Monterey two hours later.

During the journey, Harley again drifted to thoughts of how the world had come to the current situation. This time his imaginings wandered to the dawn of man. One of the few things which early hominids still had in common with the present day species was the part played by fresh air. The ancestors had to deal with it as a danger from predators as well as a stimulating opportunity to venture out of their caves. Modern day humans had the same desire to congregate in places other than their homes, but they had now to avoid a predator in the form of sunlight. They were currently forced to limit their exposure to the outside world, when they used to rule over it. He deduced that this indoor imprisonment would in itself blunt their claim to be acknowledged as the fittest who survived. They were already on the path to extinction if there was no intervention. But there was intervention, negative intervention by the High Command, and soon there could be positive intervention with the help of alien DNA. He mused about how this could complement Galileo's plan to shorten the civil war by Alexander's call for surrender. Even if Alexander complied and a cease-fire ensued, where was the deterrent necessary to maintain such a hiatus in hostilities? He shared his thoughts with Cleopatra believing she had made the conversion to a different 'skin' without any alteration.

*

Galileo responded immediately to Christophe Rivet's plea for travel to the Cape. The authorisation was transmitted and it allowed him to embark shortly after Genevieve's funeral. The fermentation process of his anger continued, but it had reached a steady state, having simmered for some time, following the explosive initial reaction. He took on the persona of a cold-blooded serial killer. It was a total personality volte-face from all of his previous life, but even this was not the final state. He was near his ultimate metamorphosis to an assassin, whose purpose had an inexhaustible supply of fuel.

*

The loyalists in Chicago who were expecting Harley and Cleopatra became agitated when they didn't show up at the scheduled time. Galileo reacted furiously at the news and told them to back-track their intended route to make sure they hadn't been involved in an accident. "Do this with utmost urgency before I initiate a manhunt for them. Report your progress as you go, we can't allow them to elude us. This means that Harley David is to be treated as a rebel. I will begin the same search from this starting point."

*

Unknown to any of the others, Alexander had directed his off-world reinforcements to make landfall at the biggest production and assembly factory for Borg units. The Lunar and Martian protective suits were to be fitted to all new units. It was a graphic verification of Galileo's statement that taking and holding military targets often required different strategies. The rebels had become intoxicated with the Blitzkrieg nature of their initial success. It was a glittering example of underestimating the foe. The rebels had a wakeup call, and at least it re-emphasised the crucial response in reinforcing what they had, instead of extending their exposure to swift reprisal campaigns. The new Borg Hulks began to roll off the production lines and it didn't take long for them to inject panic amongst the rebel forces. They seemed to be indestructible, and this perception began to turn the tide of strategic gain into one of demoralising retreat.

*

When news of this reached Galileo he began to think Alexander wasn't going to return until he could exercise more power. His plan to get the leader to HQ and surrender was receding as a viable means of shortening the conflict. He now turned his attention to Harley's experiment. He hadn't had any contact from Rodriguez and he was getting fidgety. The nervousness was pricked by the arrival at the Hub of Christophe Rivet.

*

In the meantime Harley and Cleopatra were nearing disembarkation in Monterey, but they both had the feeling that they were being observed by a human passenger. She would have needed a travel permit unless she'd taken the underground train at the last stop, in which case she could be a legitimate local commuter. They couldn't recall when they first noticed her. The more they took turns to glance in her direction, the more they were certain that she was pretending to be reading a book. When the train commenced deceleration for the terminus, the woman closed her book and reached for a bag. Her hand remained in the bag without appearing to be searching for anything. She stood up and came toward them for the first time. Harley's laser was primed. She slowly began to withdraw her hand, and whatever was in it, from the bag. The compartment was half-full and yet she still advanced. Just as Harley stood to give room for the laser aim, she produced an autograph book and asked, "You are the spaceman aren't you?"

"Er, yes I am, I mean was, I'm retired now. How did you know that?"

"My little boy watched every broadcast. He noticed you had slightly misaligned eyes. He drew your face over and over again, so it is imprinted in my mind. It isn't obvious until it is pointed out. My son said it was unique, and couldn't understand how it wasn't spotted and rejected. He studies everything about your species. He suffers from autism and notices minute differences in many things which look identical to everyone else. I am sorry to bother you, and I was nervous about approaching you with all the present fighting. It would make his dream come true to have an autograph of a famous Borg."

Harley reached for the book, but was nudged by Cleopatra. She shook her head. Harley ignored her and told the woman there was a price to pay for the favour. She looked tearful, but recovered her smile when he said, "Tell him the discrepancy is because one eye is used for reading the minds of others, and it must remain our secret. Absolutely no one else is to know. Unless you can agree I'm afraid I'll have to decline."

She nodded enthusiastically. Harley signed with an unreadable scribble and added, "I hope you realise the risk which comes with our bargain, I can't be responsible for what our leaders would do if you breach this trust."

"Please don't worry, my son would protect this with his life, and that guarantees my pledge too."

Cleopatra asked why he didn't just turn her away. He said, "This was preferable to her telling friends that she'd seen us, and asked a favour, but we refused because we are just like all Borg. That's a much more dangerous scenario for us. Anyway, this is a perfect example of what I want to enjoy if we succeed with the revolution, to inspire children, rather than confine them to a suffocating agenda."

## Chapter 11

Alexander's resurrection was almost complete. He had commissioned urgent research on new weapons to complement the 'hulk skins' for his resurgent army. The principle was well known, as it employed the same technology used in the Disruptive Power-Shock Beam. It was only really a case of spreading the beam to the desired degree by the use of de-focussing modifications. There was abundant power to spare, and the scale setting merely required a tweak to cause the disintegration of Borg domestiques, and humans, compared to dense rock. The prototype was ready for evaluation. His first deployment of this frightening broad kill invention would be at the broadcast station locations. He wanted control of this propaganda apparatus as soon as possible, thinking he could take advantage of the rebels' clumsy coordination capability.

He was also closing in on his return to HQ. He had carefully weighed up the new situation, and with his intent to eliminate Cleopatra on the way, he felt it was time to relieve Galileo of his temporary lofty position of acting leader. The Ganymede project had lowered the science security concern to amber status. The civil war had to take precedence, and a suitably ruthless military approach was the order of the day. Galileo was to concede control over the Borg security arm, to a creation with no other objective than the prosecution of mass extermination of the enemy. Tolstoy was nothing like his name would suggest. His upgrades in cleansing strategy were only known to Alexander and the designer. All modules which would conflict with this new programming were omitted. He had just been created a matter of days ago. He was literally an extension of Alexander himself, but without the balancing political modules. His task of demoting Galileo was made easier by the admission that Harley had snatched Cleopatra from HQ confinement and evaporated without a trace. Galileo put on a credible act of disappointment when Alexander had completed his furious response to this shambles. "I can't explain how this occurred, and I will definitely hunt him down, I owe that pledge to the loyalist cause. I can understand the rationale in your decision to have a military leader in this critical period. Does this mean I need to step back from the responsibility of security for science?"

"Yes, I want all aspects of security to be on a wartime footing. You can refocus your attention on pure research with immediate effect. I will elaborate further when I arrive."

Galileo was extremely comfortable with this change because it allowed him to operate from better cover, but be much more aware of the technical detail of new proposals, before they were researched and produced. Alexander would not be drawn on when he would return.

*

On the short flight from Paris to the Cape Hub, Christophe Rivet had acquired several sachets of You2Me. He'd been using it to dull the pain of his recent family trauma, and he had experienced clarity of vision with regard to his remaining purpose in life. Having questioned the value of the Hippocratic Oath he took all those years ago, and his religious faith since he was an undergraduate, his plan was being refined with each indulgence in the drug. It was a new experience for him to be answerable to nobody. He drifted in and out of his role-playing escapism, and had to be assisted when disembarking. Humans who had Inter-Hub travel permits always attracted attention and he was being thoroughly scrutinised in the arrival concourse. He had slightly misjudged the dosage of You2Me but managed to muster just enough focus to get past the routine questions. He rebuked himself for such sloppy behaviour; it could have terminated his freedom and therefore his objective.

When he arrived at HQ, Galileo wanted him to move on as quickly as possible and issued a further travel permit to New York. "How you connect with Rodriguez from there is your problem. I would seriously advise you to think about this carefully Christophe, because if you compromise the cover of Cameron, Harley, Cleopatra and your geneticist friend, we will lose a potentially valuable opportunity to shorten this war."

"Don't concern yourself on that score. I also need to be able to play my part in bringing down the High Command. The potential you refer to has many faces and I will assist Douglas Newton in any way I can." He left without revealing more about the many faces, another change of plan, courtesy of the focus provided by You2Me.

*

Rodriguez and the three domestiques were relieved to eventually meet up with Harley and Cleopatra, especially as they had been reported as traitors via the loyalist network. This had then found its way through rebel moles to their broadcast controllers. The coded instruction of Galileo was to transmit a request to all rebel commanders to offer imposters to the loyalist security staff, using the 'Spartacus trick'. Dozens of individuals, when asked to produce origination documents, simply said they had been thrown away, stating, "I am Harley, or I am Cleopatra." This had the desired effect of occupying the overstretched security guards. Rodriguez' party wasted no time in travelling on to Vancouver.

The fear of the Borg Hulks spread outward from their point of creation like wildfire. Alexander's strategy of choosing to introduce them from the biggest assembly line in Dallas had worked spectacularly, and was now being scaled up all over the world. The problem for the Rebel Brotherhood was the sheer number of production units. There were some twenty-three in receipt of the schematics from Dallas, and they were beginning to appear with frightening efficiency. The phenomenal upsurge in membership of the Brotherhood, and the consequent numerical superiority would count for nothing, unless an effective defence could be found. The High Command was proving to be the more coherent war machine and they now held crucial elements from which they could inflict maximum disruption of the rebel cause. Power supply, medicine stocks, manufacturing monopoly and the invisible but mentally debilitating scourge in the form of You2Me distribution, all added up to a winning formula. When all of this was supported by the total control of the sky, it looked really bleak for the revolutionaries.

Galileo also had the impending arrival of Alexander to contemplate. His analysis led him to believe that with many loyalist strategic targets already re-taken, the High Command leader must be considering the broadcast network before reappearing. The global loyalist force needed to see and hear their leader to be certain that he was still alive and capable of directing the campaign. Galileo felt that the strike must be imminent, and the rebels would not be able to hold the stations. He ordered a counter-strike campaign. The Borg Hulks were the highest priority to be targeted around the broadcast facilities. Large numbers of them were also protecting manufacturing and pharmaceutical stocks; that much he knew for certain. He ordered guerrilla attacks on Sky stations, Hubs, and sabotage of power generating facilities. His plan was to suck the ever-increasing number of Hulks into more defence of facilities, rather than continue offensive attrition of the Brotherhood personnel. It was intended to buy time.

*

The Cape Hub was the first to suffer. Apart from passengers, the logistics of all manner of goods were now under threat. The toppling of the station was a spectacular sight. Many loyalists and a handful of humans perished as a result. It was impossible to tell how many rebel moles were eliminated in the process. Another two important Hubs, Washington and London, went the same way before Alexander responded with exactly what Galileo had hoped for, redeployment of Hulks to sky stations. The rapid switch of rebel forces to sabotage of power plants was now open to the Brotherhood. This was however, an action which would have grave consequences for humans living in the vicinity. Galileo instructed his mole operatives in Denver to stage a false alarm in the cooling software monitors within the nuclear power facility. He asked that it should be repetitively causing concern without actually producing a genuine danger to the organic population. It would eventually be detected as such, and the consequent witch hunt would hopefully cause all power supply plants to require more security, including Hulks.

*

Christophe Rivet had 'meandered' to Vancouver rather than be driven by undue haste. He was still refining his thoughts, not on what he had in mind, but on how. The gathering was now complete in terms of personnel. The cabin in the backyard of Michaela's mother's property was ideal for discussion, but they needed a bio-lab facility to actually begin the study.

Rodriguez had a contact in the former Vancouver Life Sciences complex. Much of it had been mothballed since the High Command edict that all human genetic research be confined to modification of foodstuffs. The necessary equipment was still there and the security checks had drifted because of the glittering success the complex had made in producing genetically designed sustenance products.

"Let me introduce Paul Meyer, he has been briefed on what we want to do and why. He will find a way to conduct the experiments and report the results. I'll let him explain the rest."

Meyer explained the risks involved and suggested a routine based on avoidance of prying eyes. "We are trusted, and we aren't about to prejudice that status. Even with all the present hostilities, we are pretty much unaffected because we're subscribing significant contribution to the High Command objective of freeing up farming land. We don't like this programme, but we recognise that until the radiation vulnerability is reduced we have no real alternative. Humans cannot continue land farming at the required output even with the protective apparel."

The core group for the stone vial investigation was of necessity restricted to those with relevant knowledge and expertise. The director was an obvious choice. Douglas Newton had by far the best experience in the study of the human genome. Medical cross-checks would fall to Christophe Rivet. Harley had the most complete knowledge of the jars and what they were supposed to contain. Meyer was the implementation conduit. This left Cleopatra to supervise the three domestiques in detecting any unwelcome increase in loyalist presence in the region. Rodriguez became the intersection between the two groups. His local knowledge was critical in maintaining their cover. He wanted to search out a number of safe locations where they could meet and negate any pattern which would endanger his family. The first jar was accessed by a tiny drill, a sample taken for Meyer, and the jar was resealed.

## Chapter 12

The vial chosen was the human template with enhanced radiation resistance. It was the most conservative step available, yet it was from an era before humans became peerless on Earth, via what had always been considered to be natural evolution. However, they now knew that this creature which was about to be brought to life had been genetically programmed by alien technology, and it was disconcerting to say the least.

The enabling catalytic broth had begun its infusion and the process was being observed by Meyer. After only two days he felt a little out of his depth in interpreting what he saw, and took the risk of asking Douglas Newton to attend.

The early implications were that the embryonic humanoid was growing a thick leathery dermis, and it was continually puckering as the form of the infant took shape.

They decided to engage the maturation option with a new specimen. When Harley heard this, he said it was a departure from the agreed plan, and was uneasy about the science overtaking the ethical consequences. He was frustrated that he couldn't attend the experiment because he could be arrested and scupper the entire project.

The rate of growth of the newest embryo was astonishing. In only one week it had the appearance of a four-year-old. The dermis was grotesquely uneven. They were looking at a child which looked at least a hundred years old. It was already making communicative sounds and getting angry that no one understood. If this continued they felt they would soon be facing an adult filled with apprehension at the strange creatures surrounding him. They would have to at least attempt to use his rapid development to familiarise him with basic human language for objects, and particularly food. The overall consensus was to create a friend for him. They had determined that the vertical division in the vials was for separation of male and female versions. They didn't want to allow any breeding, so another male was fast-forwarded.

*

Galileo's counter-strikes had made a difference and it meant that Alexander had not yet arrived at HQ. Maybe he had reconsidered because the Sky station had been taken out. The ability to get away from personal threats against him would be a high priority. Further rebel strikes of this nature would be more difficult with the relocation of the Hulks.

The plague was still spreading, and this was in no small way related to the total shutdown of pharmaceutical production, following the commencement of hostilities. This situation could possibly become the defining shift in the outcome of the war, simply because the dwindling number of humans was inextricably linked to the morale of the rebels.

*

The second experimental child to be fast-tracked to adulthood was already exchanging grunts and squeals with his friend. This seemed to help both of them to begin association of 'things' with 'sounds'. Douglas Newton wanted Christophe Rivet to join him in order to begin medical assessment of these new creations. The rationale was logically to relate any alterations of genetic code to possible side effects, and he needed his friend to chart these test results from the initial baseline through to future modifications. Christophe however, saw this as his best opportunity to observe Newton's procedures first-hand. His vision of the future was getting stronger.

The two young individuals were both over six feet tall after only two weeks from their birth. It was quite a sobering experience to gaze upon a live snapshot of human ancestry. The time had arrived for them to be smuggled out of the laboratory facility, as the next routine Borg inspection was due. Rodriguez had located a derelict corn mill not too far from the family residence. It dated back to the seventeenth century, and would have been maintained as a heritage site but for the Era of Conflict. The Borg High Command had no interest in such nostalgia. The teenagers now had names. The firstborn was burdened with Adam, and his buddy was now responding to Simon.

Douglas Newton had already determined that the alien influence was greater than anticipated. The rate at which the two were improving their communication skills with each other was not considered to be normal for such hominids. The arguments raged within the group over this. Harley and Rodriguez agreed with Newton, and felt they should suspend further work until the next developmental stage of Adam and Simon was complete. Christophe Rivet and Cleopatra disagreed and stressed the need to know as much as possible about the radiation resistance conferred by the alien intervention, in the shortest time possible. Nero, Beethoven and Anton unsurprisingly supported Harley's view. The decision was taken to wait another two weeks before proceeding to the next vial. At least that is what everyone thought was agreed.

Adam and Simon were allowed to forage outside the creaking old mill, and they enjoyed this freedom. Christophe was responsible for monitoring their radiation counts and response to any significant rise. The hunter-gatherer instinct began to show itself and together with their astonishing surge in language skill, they were becoming quite adept at outwitting the local fauna.

Douglas Newton addressed Harley privately. "I am primarily a geneticist but I also have considerable experience in behavioural science. Adam and Simon are not only showing miraculous rates of maturation, but they are way ahead of what our expectations should be in terms of intelligence. This comment is related to the genetic origination point in both the period of its extraction thousands of years ago, and its tendency to mutate. As fascinating as this is academically, it has the portents of unpredictability."

"Are you saying that the alien modifications are not solely for improvement of environmental adaptability?"

"Absolutely, the cerebral development is presently lagging the physiological growth, but it is on an overtaking trend. If this continues, Adam and Simon may soon offer surprisingly modern thinking capability. Such rapid and complex maturation is simply not present within our current human genome structure. The techniques applied by the aliens are light years ahead of our capabilities, even if we were prepared to ignore the ethics question."

"How do you reconcile this with their appearance? Despite being clothed, they still have an 'ancestral look'. I suppose this is more to do with their facial features than anything else, yet Christophe claims that their skin is entering a phase of smoothing out the wrinkles. He says if that continues it will certainly make them look more like modern humans."

"Yes, I agree with his prognosis, because from birth they didn't really look like our projections of hominids of their time. Whether our ideas in this respect are inaccurate or not, there is indisputable evidence that their epidermis is changing in a way which is not possible for modern humans. I have to include the probability that these vials contain branches of Homo-Sapiens which have never been created on Earth as yet. It also makes me curious as to whether this alien influence has occurred in different eras. There are still many fossil gaps if we go back far enough, and this could be one explanation of unusually quick emergence of many species compared to the anticipated timeline."

"Are you seriously suggesting that the Primedes created certain tributaries in the river of evolution which wouldn't have occurred naturally?"

"I'm not suggesting anything other than there has to be an external influence which has enabled these templates to progress so dramatically. We can debate the contribution the Primedes may have had further back in the primate timeline at some more convenient date, but the import of what I have found encourages me to reverse my caution about progressing to other templates from the vials. I believe the effort to improve radiation resistant skin was only a means to a loftier objective. Harley, I just can't believe that such mutation can occur during the life of an individual. Darwin's tree of life shows that it takes many generations to arrive at even tiny steps of environment-driven mutation. What else could have induced such fluid adaptability? "

"But if you're correct, wouldn't that urge you to complete more checks before introducing another 'sub species'?"

"Normally it would, however, if there is such an elusive methodology as yet unknown to my species, for conferring a stay of execution from extinction, I feel bound to try to find it. Listen, Harley, if one of the templates can be used to allow me to see how this can be achieved, I should be able to study how to transfer the capability to living humans. It has attendant risk, but so does continuing to remain hostage to the High Command agenda. Adam and Simon have given me one picture, and by superimposing others I will be able to study the commonality, and areas of subtle difference. Instead of having to theorise where the needle rests in the haystack, I'll be able to concentrate on patterns of overlap or discrepancy. This could significantly shorten the process of defining the true starting point. With the Primedes' ability to quicken maturation, there is a window of opportunity which I feel compelled to investigate. Surely you agree that if the High Command was cognizant of this, the knowledge would be destroyed, lost forever."

"Not forever, there is still the remainder of what we discovered on Ganymede."

"Yes, but access to that would depend on your Brotherhood winning the war, and that is by no means certain."

Harley finally gave way and the others were informed. The second vial was opened and two more males were programmed for activation. Not only had the decision healed a potential rift within the group, it had settled Christophe Rivet's building frustration. He could reduce his dependency on You2Me once more.

*

Alexander unexpectedly appeared on Video news, and he introduced the bulletin from the old football stadium of the Dallas Cowboys. It had been derelict for almost a century and had become a refuge for the homeless, drug addicts, and criminal activity. When the camera panned back, the audience could see there had been changes. There were domestiques as well as humans, and the old building had been given a facelift. The entire perimeter was decked with weapons, and they were facing down toward the crowded former playing surface. Alexander spoke very slowly.

"This event is the first of what will become a weekly programme. The hundred thousand individuals you see will soon cease to exist. It should serve as a warning to any other rebels, defectors from the loyalist cause, and humans who have sunk to a disgusting level of behaviour, even toward their own kind. I will say no more, you have to make up your mind."

The weapons were giant versions of the Disruptive Power-Shock Beam units which were being used so effectively by the Hulks. They all operated in unison. The broadcast audience could not see much other than clouds of human blood vapour, and when this settled there was nothing but a pile of tiny metal and organic fragments covering the whole field of play. It was as if they were watching a grotesque conjuring trick, in which a hundred thousand beings vanished into air which was thick with their volatile remains.

Alexander had chosen Dallas as his re-entry point because it was closest to his major precious Hulk production line. He felt safer being surrounded by these indestructible death-bringers.

The prospect of such mass execution spreading to the entire planet caused a rethink by the Rebel Brotherhood as well as individual citizens. When the second occurred within three days in Moscow, Alexander accompanied the demonstration with another update.

"We take note that you, the audience seem to think that the promise I made to repeat these cleansing events, was a bluff. The good news is that the production of Hulks has reached new levels, and we can now commute the weekly programme to one of three days. I am speaking to you from Moscow, which is another example of our progress; we have taken over most of the broadcast facilities again. There was no struggle involved. The studio was abandoned, and those rebels who are watching should know that the defection to your cause has ceased; your hierarchy should therefore consider abandoning this futile war in the same way."

Another ninety-seven thousand souls became part of the grand scheme of cosmic recycling.

## Chapter 13

The morale of the Rebel Brotherhood was at an all-time low. The group in Vancouver once again argued about how to respond to the genocide of domestiques. Humans had not been declared by Alexander to be a target. They had just refused to leave the various stadia of execution. It was even more worrying for Harley that there had been no further communication from Galileo.

The crux of their disagreement was solely about when the genetic experimentation could produce some kind of rabbit out of the hat, to trump the domestique batch-cleansing, which was now occurring on a daily basis. Harley was isolated, as even Nero and the two converts wanted to stop this awful process immediately. Harley summed up his reluctance.

"We initiated the resistance movement to create a better world, and we started from nothing. Unless I can see exactly what we will achieve by breeding more new species, I am bound to conclude that we may just compound the misery. You do know that if the Brotherhood surrenders, life will not be worth living. Also, the High Command depends on domestiques so heavily that they will have to create more and that means the resistance will grow again."

Cleopatra shook her head. "It's most definitely a one-time paradox we face Harley, because the Ganymede option will be destroyed by Alexander when he eventually follows your own recommendation to revisit the second site."

Rodriguez added his perspective. "We've been through a lot together Harley, and I respect your view. You have always said you envy human family values. Well, surely you must expect me to do everything I can to give my kids every chance of a good life. Even though Alexander may stop short of totally eradicating humans, we can't sit and let him cause the extinction of those who have fought to prevent our own extinction. If there was another option I would like to hear it, but the alien technology seems to be all we have, even if it is risky. The population of domestiques will soon be less in number than humans, and if you're right that Alexander will create more, it potentially equates to even more misery if such a cycle is repeated. I don't believe anything he says other than that tomorrow another one hundred thousand innocent souls will die."

Christophe Rivet had offered no contribution. Harley deferred to the democratic vote by asking for an update on the two new species.

Douglas Newton obliged. "Adam and Simon are able to converse in a primitive way and it will soon be pretty fluent. Adam's mathematical ability is already impressive and Simon works furiously to catch up. They have adapted amazingly quickly to abandon the expected instinctive traits they should have inherited. Their appetite for learning is voracious. Their predecessor, the infant doesn't appear to be showing any deviation yet, but unlike his kin he is truly only weeks old. The next human 'twins' are also on the fast maturation track and are taller than Adam and Simon, even though they are much younger, relatively speaking. The alien indication that they will ultimately grow to between nine and eleven feet looks valid. Their brain capacity is greater than that of Adam, and they can already sustain conversations which include abstract concepts. They are extremely promising individuals, and we've had to separate them from Adam and Simon because they are being held back and get frustrated. They have been named Lofty and Treetop. I can't report any negative aspect regarding their behaviour and I'm constantly testing this out. If the vial the Primedes refer to as the perfect specimen is a further dot on the graph, and in the anticipated direction, we may be very surprised by its potential. I do however have to remind everyone that this vial is based on Neanderthal DNA, and our expectations should not be rigidly optimistic."

Before Harley could articulate his question, Christophe jumped the queue. "What about the pure alien DNA or Primedes as you keep referring to them?"

Newton looked at Harley, who shook his head, and Christophe challenged him.

"Yes, that's what I thought you'd say. Can I ask why? We know nothing about them except that they have fiddled with ancient primate DNA and, oh yes, that the apparent imbued radiation resistance is not the major aim; it's just a supporting adjustment to achieve some higher purpose. Well, I for one want to know what that is. It might be good or bad – we need to know. By this time next week the war may be over and I don't want to be part of the hell that comes after Alexander begins his new order. He has only shown some restraint until the present because he feared a backlash from the domestiques. Well he's been there and done that now, and knows there's nothing to fear."

Nobody else endorsed his request and the meeting was adjourned to begin with the perfect specimen, now that the Borg inspection of the facility had passed without incident. Christophe went to an abandoned logging camp where he had stored his stash. The cabin was set on a plinth and he retrieved a double dose of You2Me from under the floorboards. Harley and Christophe had never had a comfortable relationship, even before Genevieve and the baby perished.

Harley was unsettled and ushered Douglas Newton into the cellar of the corn mill. "How did Christophe know about your hypothesis that the Primedes had some more important purpose than conferring radiation resistance to the subject DNA?"

"Well I certainly didn't tell him, if that's what you are getting at. He's in a very strange mood these days. He doesn't seem to have actually begun to grieve over his loss yet. Perhaps he overheard me sharing my thoughts with you. I haven't mentioned this supposition of mine to anyone other than you. Why are you so concerned?"

"He just gives me the impression that he's going to emotionally explode at any moment. It's not totally out of character, but I've never known him so touchy. We had a few scares while on Ganymede, yet he was one of the calmest on the mission."

Harley went to look for Christophe and his unease was accentuated when there was no sign of him and nobody knew where he was. His search was interrupted by a long-awaited contact from Galileo. It wasn't good news.

"I have had to make a run for it. After several heated arguments with those of our rebel leaders who aren't moles in the loyalist ranks, I was informed that there would be no surrender. I pressed them to offer a cease-fire, but their stubbornness was impossible to dislodge. They maintained that from now the war would simply lead to cleansing of domestiques as well as humans, and surrender would not change this. They could be right, but since I made the first request, they have had to witness over one and a half million executions. The intensity of my efforts to halt this slaughter eventually attracted the wrong kind of attention in HQ, and with the threat of exposure, I had to consider the options. If my cover was blown, there was really only one course of action. I either had to get out before they immobilised me and interrogated my data core, or disappear. Letting them extract information which could put others in danger was unacceptable to me. They would have been on to your project and your location. I could have deleted some of the information but what would that achieve. I have a trustworthy friend in Seattle, so I'll try to get there before contacting you again. Don't say anything to anyone. Good luck."

*

By midday Christophe had returned and Harley challenged him. "What is really bothering you about taking reasonable precautions with the programme?"

"Precautions have to be considered within the dimension of time. Not as a neutral parameter, but as a finite one, beyond which such precautions will become meaningless. From where I sit, the inertia you're creating is more like procrastination than precaution."

"Have you forgotten that the Primedes' data inscriptions suggested they were nitrogen breathers?"

"Of course not, but our atmosphere is almost eighty percent nitrogen, it is the high oxygen content which apparently gave them problems. We could nurture them on pure nitrogen respirators just as mountaineers need oxygen supplementation at very high altitude. If you really do admire the maverick nature of humans, start thinking like one of us. Solve the problem instead of clinging to the illusion that we have all the time in the world to crawl like a tortoise to some vaguely acceptable health and safety approved weapon. I think it's necessary to consider some of the irreversibility which is thrown in our faces every day, and not just that which is utterly personal to me. There are some lessons from nature. If you can't stop the tsunami which approaches and you spend too long evaluating which options are the safest, you risk not realising that the only guaranteed one is getting the hell out of the way. You, of all individuals in this group, are best placed to be certain, that unless you stop this monster Alexander, there is no exit strategy for any but loyalist Borg. Don't bother asking my opinion any more, and I have no further interest in yours."

Harley began to feel like the leper in this small colony. His self-analysis added to his dilemma. He had considered the DNA content of the vials as 'suspended abortions', still deserving compassion. He agonised over shedding such naivety. Was he influenced by trying to be seen to portray human emotions? On reflection, he admitted that he had tried to bury the daily mass extermination events because he was the worst kind of eunuch. He was powerless, blameless, clueless, motionless, as well as sexless. He resolved to look at the situation differently. Comparing the various components in the vials, with Borg assembly line circuitry and enabling connections, afforded him the chance to step back a little. Christophe was right, there would only be another opportunity to continue his own mental journey to imperfection if Alexander was indeed stopped in his tracks.

*

The broadcasts did the rest. The High Command paraded pictures of every facility which had been recaptured, and more significantly, domestiques who had agreed to modifications which would allow the merciful Alexander to welcome them back, instead of atomising them. This was the closing item of the programme, putting a sanitised spin on the preceding stadium execution. The fade out simply said, "There is another way." The effect on remaining rebel strongholds was one of disintegration.

Harley was telling the group that he'd conquered his doubts, and was ready to fall in line with the clamour to experiment with all vials as soon as possible. He had only just started to explain how he'd arrived at this change of heart. The whole group was startled by Christophe entering the room, shouting and yelling, as if he was in a hallucinatory labyrinth. "Come with me, at once, please hurry, this changes everything."

They were all edgy as they were obviously heading for the lab facility. They pressed him about the sanity of this, as they had never attended as a group, and mass entry would surely cause suspicion. Christophe admitted this was an oversight due to his panic. He had made regular visits to the lab to carry out the monitoring requested by Douglas Newton, and had been able to learn how to conduct the procedures with the vial specimens. He had taken matters into his own hands, and now his hands weren't big enough to 'hold the baby'. He accepted that only Newton and Harley should accompany him to the lab.

## Chapter 14

As Christophe led the other two to the DNA display, he was full of regret. "I didn't know what to expect, and I imagined reptilian, avian, or even bizarre photochemical organisms. I convinced myself that these Primedes were phenomenally advanced thousands of years ago, so they would somehow be our saviours."

Newton tried to console him. "Well at least we don't have anything to fear from the unknown any more, and there doesn't seem to be any need to fast-track this vial."

"That's why I asked you to come here. I have already created a living specimen with the maturation programme."

Harley pushed him with considerable force, causing him to fall backwards, and his full weight twisted and cracked his wrist joint. Harley had uncharacteristically lost all self-control. "I was in the process of telling everyone that I'd reconsidered my stance on this, and I was about to ask what measures we could take to provide proper care for all the new individuals we had brought into this world of conflict. We have yet to see what emotional difficulties will arise with Adam, Simon, Lofty and Treetop. Then we have a nameless Neanderthal to consider. The first creation is still a baby and also has no name. Where do you think we're going to keep them safe from the loyalists? How do you think they will interact and respond to a life of constant hiding from the number one predator? These beings may be showing promise by appetite for learning, but they may also have hunter-gatherer tendencies hardwired into their genetic makeup. They may not be able to resist trying to escape."

Newton was examining Christophe's fractured wrist while enquiring as to the whereabouts of this latest addition to the family. Christophe said he could take care of his injury himself. "I have discovered an abandoned logging cabin. He is there, and he's safe for now. I concocted a hand-held nitrogen supply for him and taught him how to use it. He only needs to avoid build-up of excessive oxygen levels. I think he will adapt."

"Take us there," snarled Harley, "we'll make up our own mind about what he needs and whether he will be able to live alongside the others."

As they met up with the rest of the group to relate what had happened, there was more bad news. Rodriguez had a message from Michaela. "The Rebel Brotherhood has officially surrendered. Hostilities have ceased. Alexander is expected to make an announcement soon."

The air of resignation was palpable and yet laced with immediate intent to discuss how they could continue to evade capture by the loyalists. In their own way they would all be classified as terrorists, and there was only one sentence for such criminals. They were already concentrating on what may happen to the new Ganymede arrivals when Christophe indicated the cabin was directly ahead in a clearing. The entry of so many individuals at once provoked mild panic in Christophe's new friend. The group, on the other hand, was in total shock. Stood before them was a normal, hairless, smooth-skinned humanoid figure. He looked to be entering his early teens, yet his creator insisted that he was only thirty-six hours old. He could converse, and recovered sufficient confidence to articulate his concern, which hitherto had been his exclusive contact with Christophe, and therefore the human form. He was decidedly unsure of the various individual, yet identical looking Cyborgs. His striking blue eyes were sparkling, in total contrast to the other Ganymede imports, whose brown iris colouring suggested normality. He could have easily been mistaken for a Caucasian had it not been for the moderately pigmented skin, which gave him the aura of a hybrid.

Douglas Newton asked for quiet. "I now have, albeit by default, all of the living specimens from the Ganymede inventory, and I can begin the DNA superimposition of the four discrete examples. I suggest we name those who have not yet been given such identity. I want to begin immediately, so Harley, can you take care of this. Let's get back to the corn mill so that we can unite all of the new arrivals."

Harley was still partly thinking as a member of the High Command. "Yes I can do that, but before we go any further, we have to consider the probability that we may need to split up to survive. We should check which of us would be willing to take responsibility for the safety of these vulnerable individuals. We can keep them together for a while, but if we have to move around to elude Alexander's scourge, two of them would stand out immediately. Being over nine feet or fifteen feet tall requires remoteness, whereas the six-foot humanoids and the baby have a chance of blending in, at least for some time."

After quite a long-winded session, which was beginning to annoy Newton intensely, Nero, Beethoven and Anton were to be excused and allowed to make a move during cover of darkness. Nero declined, the other two agreed to leave within six hours. Cleopatra wanted to stay and help in any way she could. Rodriguez was torn, but the decision was made for him by Harley stating the need to look after his wife and children, and part of that was to accept the exodus of the rest. Christophe wanted to help Newton in his research. Harley's next pronouncement raised the eyebrows of those who had such features.

"I am happy to take responsibility for the baby."

"But you're a Borg, it is against the law," said Newton.

"This cease-fire means that in effect there are no longer any laws, just survival. I wish to adopt the baby and do whatever I can for him, even if I have to engage a human 'servant' to exhibit normality. Unless anyone has a better idea, let us progress to the next-born. What about Adam and Simon?"

Rodriguez felt compelled to offer them refuge.

"And now Lofty and Treetop," insisted Harley.

Newton suggested that both of them and the Neanderthal would still be safe for some time in a disused part of the Bio-Lab complex. "This would assist my research, and let's be honest they wouldn't stand a chance in the open. I have to urge you to just accept this and press on. I will refer to the Neanderthal as Atlas."

Christophe raised his hand timidly. "I caused part of the problem, so I'll take responsibility for the latest arrival. My fervent hope is that he might be the most promising of all, despite the Primedes statement that Atlas was the perfect specimen. We will stay with Douglas Newton until he has concluded his work."

Cleopatra was so moved by Harley setting an example of subordinating his own safety, to assist another that she wanted to help him protect the infant. Douglas Newton could at last take further DNA of all matured Ganymede strains and begin his foray into the secrets of the Primedes genetic knowledge.

*

The exodus was all but complete. Contact details were exchanged again to ensure they could reunite whenever possible. Anton and Beethoven took their chance on Vancouver Island. Harley, Cleopatra, Nero and the baby headed further north into more remote territory. The little one had a name – James, as yet a rebel without a cause. Rodriguez and his new guests began to alter the family basement to provide suitable accommodation; it was within the family circle but had privacy when required. Christophe waited until the others were well on their way before informing Newton of the name he'd chosen for his charge. His faith in the blue-eyed alien-humanoid was reflected in the implication just as much as the actual appellation. Albert was never going to be an asset in wielding conventional weapons, but he might just offer cerebral attributes which could be adopted in outwitting the foe. He was the last-born but the first to reach true adulthood, and his rate of assimilation of knowledge was only surpassed by his comprehension of it, and indeed his subsequent challenges to it.

*

They didn't have long to wait for the first 'peacetime' declaration from the dictator with absolute power. Alexander's former accommodating language had been ditched to make way for that of his clear, uncompromising road map to the elimination of square pegs in round holes.

"As from today, all human travel permits will be suspended until further notice. Borg domestiques will now require authorisation for any movement outside the radius of their residence – work location mid-point. A new High Command structure is soon to be instituted and the first of these is the appointment of Tolstoy, who has been my understudy in the latter stages of the war. He will operate a zero tolerance policy, and this will apply to every aspect of observance of additional new laws which he will disseminate tomorrow. All citizens are advised that the right of appeal against arrest for breaches of such statutes is to be revoked concurrent with them being introduced. This is the foundation of the Era of Conformance."

Galileo made his second contact with Harley since being on the run. He had arrived in Seattle. Having listened to the update on the group's breakup he was perplexed. "So what do you hope will come out of this splintering other than survival?"

"Unless we elude this modern-day Fuhrer, Tolstoy, would anything else matter? I can't imagine that he chose his own name; it has the scent of Alexander's black humour. The research is a long shot, but it provides the hope of which we are bereft at present. Also, don't discount the motivation ignited by having children to care for. All I can say for now is that Douglas Newton is a man I trust, he is utterly inspired by the work of the Primedes, and what we can learn from it. Time will tell. What are your plans now?"

"I think you are wise to head for sparsely populated regions, because Tolstoy will bulldoze his programmed ideology through urban areas with blind ruthlessness. I may follow your example soon."

Cleopatra recalled Galileo's trust in helping her out of HQ, and offered to meet him in Seattle, and then escort him to a rendezvous point with Harley. Galileo resisted.

"I don't want to endanger anyone else, and there will already be an intense on-going search for me. Alexander likes to make public examples of wayward citizens, none more so than traitors."

Cleopatra responded firmly. "Be ready for my arrival within thirty-six hours. Choose a public place in Seattle and contact me then. Stay there until I arrive. Don't look for me - I will approach you when I'm certain there's no risk." He acknowledged her instruction and expressed genuine appreciation.

*

Newton and Christophe Rivet had completed the DNA superimposition stage. There were some interesting differences in the detail, but one observation intrigued Newton above all others. When comparing the profile for Atlas and Albert to the generally accepted database pattern for Homo-Sapiens, after the extinction of Neanderthals, they both displayed a level of ninety-nine percent commonality. They were different from one another, and by the same quantification from the predicted norm, but in diverging directions. Newton was pestered by Christophe, to explain his fascination with this discovery.

"We had understood that the Primedes chose Atlas' profile as the perfect specimen, but the Neanderthals didn't survive. Albert's closest human ancestors, by contrast, were considered as inferior but did prevail. It begs the question of whether our inability to really explain the disappearance of Neanderthals is logical. If these beings on Ganymede bet on the wrong horse at the time, with all of their knowledge, how the hell can we be expected to know why this gladiatorial struggle went against all of the prevailing logic? The Primedes seemed to lose hope after this, declaring their work as a failure. At the very least they felt that Atlas had more to offer them, and they were a highly intelligent civilisation. We have to allow maximum interaction between Atlas and Albert, and explain to Rodriguez that his 'twins', just like Lofty and Treetop, should spend time in separate locations at regular intervals. We don't want a situation where progress is determined by the aptitude of the slowest individual. Do you agree?"

"When you put it that way, I can only concur."

"Good, let's not broaden the detail to the others for now."

"Sure, if you think that's important."

## Chapter 15

The Era of Conformance began with a vengeance. Human rights were to be curtailed. They had to be comparable to those of Borg domestiques, in order to change the perception of inequality. For some time humans had availed of concessions to their 'weaker' organic structure. Investment of Borg time in such pursuits was to be shelved, and humans had to exclusively take care of themselves. Hospitals were a perfect example, and in future they were to be run for humans by humans, there would be no free support from any Borg facility. Power and medicine production capacity would be siphoned off gradually to appropriate sublet operations, which reflected the human population level. The vacated capacity would allow Borg science to flourish instead of being continually bridled by human frailty and dependence. That the status of humans was being lowered instead of that of domestiques being raised, was simply glossed over. Research by humans was also to be subject to new approval criteria. The flawed rationale of patching up an inferior template was to be channelled to more draconian imposition of physiological transcend strategy – dictated by the High Command and executed by humans. Refusal to participate would result in imprisonment. Harmony was required and there was no opt-out clause. These two main thrusts were but the beginning, and in the coming days more implementation detail would spill down to the entire global population. There was no mention of Alexander or any change in his role, now that Tolstoy had taken a firm grip on virtually everything.

*

Douglas Newton and Christophe shared Paul Meyer's concern that their Vancouver facility would now come under closer scrutiny, and many of their programmes would be prohibited. There was just a chance however, that genetic studies would not only survive, but be encouraged, if they were presented as falling in line with the new transcend strategy edict. They would have to consider re-housing the Ganymede imports until the impending review was done.

In the meantime Newton had set out various tests for Atlas and Albert. They fell into the two categories of independent logic puzzles and competitive games, designed to assess their creativity and reactivity respectively. The first battery was unable to differentiate between them, but in terms of chess strategy, Atlas failed to win a single game out of twenty. Newton also noted a clear difference in emotional response to implied threat on the chessboard. Atlas was less agitated than Albert when danger loomed. Newton noted this preliminary evaluation as a difference in lateral thinking. He did not, at this stage, ascribe it as an assessment of real fear, more as a ranking of competitive drive. He would move on to genuine environments of danger in due course. These initial test results were in line with the data from the DNA superimposition; anticipated rather than predicted. Christophe was privately pleased with round one of the comparison.

*

Galileo was standing close to the Space Needle when he transmitted the rendezvous to Cleopatra, and she responded with extreme brevity. "Ok."

Finally satisfied about his isolation, she approached and sent another message, telling him to proceed to a fountain, some two hundred metres to the north. Again, she scanned the area, and eventually emerged from a system check-up booth. They didn't speak, as she'd sent a further message for him to follow her to the waiting transport, at about thirty metres behind her.

*

Harley and Nero had acquired their vehicle just prior to the new travel laws and passed through Squamish before settling in Brackendale. It offered remoteness, and exclusively human residents. If there was danger, it would centre on the two Borgs. They checked into a modest guest house with young James hidden amongst their considerable items of luggage. Their first priority was to engage a female inhabitant to act as his primary guardian. Harley wanted this person to come from outside Brackendale to avoid suspicion that she was not related to James. It would require thorough exploration of the surrounding territory.

*

Cleopatra had also hired her vehicle early but could not avoid travelling back through heavily populated areas. She and Galileo had maximum upgrades so there was no specific worry about security units finding out what they were, but who they were was a completely different matter. They knew they would be safer on minor roads. However, they also braced themselves for the sudden need to make a run for it if suspicion became evident. Galileo was able to flesh out the consequences of the rebel surrender, which had not been broadcast. The leaders had insisted on being decommissioned, citing their failure to recognise the essential requirements of communication in any arena of conflict. Admitting the intoxication of the initial flushes of success, they had neglected to consolidate the chain of command even though the critical advantage of broadcasting had fallen into their lap. "Apparently it was a private event and that has been interpreted as cowardice. I'm afraid that there will be no ashes issuing from the embers, which could allow a phoenix to rise. It would appear that the march to a one-species world is in full swing, judging by the conversion rate of our strongholds to the loyalist machine. All hope has fractured and fallen to morbid acceptance of the coming grey dawn."

Cleopatra didn't want to hear this. "I told you when I arrived back at HQ, of my enforced need to take immediate steps in exposing the duplicity over vaccine for the plague. Individuals must continue to see evil for what it is. Even if the theatre of war has not delivered a solution for the toxic oppression we have repeatedly suffered, we must fall back on other prosecutable options, such as insurgency. Unless we do this Galileo, we may as well just ditch the transport and hand ourselves in. I came here to help you because I trusted you. Defeatism is just not amongst the choices we have. Even at this lowest ebb, we have to continually exploit the one obvious loyalist weakness – complacency, and that will grow by the day. I urge you to begin speaking again as one of the Brotherhood, even if we're scarcely more numerous than humans, because their history is sprinkled with parodies of David and Goliath."

*

Christophe and Douglas Newton were made aware of the impending visit of the Borg security force by Paul Meyer. "You'd better take your boys to a safe place for a while and I'll contact you when it's over. I'm going to raise the subject of Tolstoy's wish to encourage research on DNA modification, and whether we would qualify for such clearance."

"Very well," replied Newton, "but please do more listening than talking. They will pick up on the slightest hint that we might have something in mind already."

They took their boys back to the logging cabin and because it was too small to continue their separation, they set them a joint exercise to evaluate each one's ability to cooperate and lead. While this was in process, Newton suggested that he and Christophe made an attempt to list what they believed to be facts regarding the Primedes, and what had to remain as hypothesis or speculation. "I'm not saying that the theoretical stuff is without value, far from it, but we must maintain discipline in this kind of investigation."

"Ok," said Christophe, "let's get started, it will help my nerves, I am uneasy about this latest inspection."

Newton began.

"The vials do represent accurate matches to the descriptions given by the Primedes. All but one are reasonably close to what we would expect from primates of the period in question, at least in terms of appearance, other than height. There is definite evidence of cerebral modification, and other as yet unknown features. The ability to understand complex concepts is very impressive, and to then articulate this through present day language is nothing short of miraculous. There are significant differences between them. The height variation can be left for now, because the cerebral spread must be of greater consequence. None of them have aggressive tendencies, of the kind we might have expected, from any species which would have lived in a very competitive environment. This current behavioural exercise may help us assign a reason for this, which hopefully can be back related to the corresponding genome. Do you agree with me so far?"

"Yes, but you have missed out the radiation resistance. My tests have shown that even relatively high counts from their exposure to the outdoors, shows virtually no transference through the skin, which would adversely affect their metabolism. It is early days, and this may change, because there are discrete differences already. The 'perfect' Neanderthal, Atlas, has no external indication of any kind. Lofty and Treetop seem to show slight blemishes around their nostrils and mouth, which fade quickly. Albert would, if assessed by this parameter alone, give rise to concern, but the angry redness only lasts while he is outside. Scientifically, we should observe them for longer periods of time, perhaps in a much more remote location, and one at higher altitude and stronger sunlight, but this grates with my conscience. What is clear, if we're sticking to facts, is that they handle short term exposure in a different way to you or me."

"Sorry Christophe, I'm becoming so myopic with respect to the cerebral genetic element that I forgot the deliberate attempt to reinforce the dermis. Your point is well made, now what about the more speculative stuff. I think it may be worth trying to fit the meagre facts to try to explain the motive of the Primedes. There are two main thrusts which occur to me. Their inscriptions could be simply trying to tell us that eventually all stars will embark on the futile resistance to gravitational certainty. In accepting this fate they could be offering an intermediate strategy. The process will, in the early stages involve inexorable increase in radiation penetration of planets with a protective atmosphere. I wonder if that's why we earlier jumped to the premature conclusion that the dermal reinforcement was a secondary but necessary requirement. Unless the mental capacity develops quickly enough to allow galactic travel capability, the radiation resistance would eventually have to be upgraded or it would be overcome. What is your take?"

"That makes sense, but a couple of things still really bother me. Did the Primedes just give up and go away? Or did they truly become extinct? They recorded their prodigious work as a failure. We have to remember that they chose Earth primates. That brings me to the second puzzle. If they chose Atlas as the perfect specimen, it couldn't have been for his cerebral capacity alone. We now know – fact, that Albert is smarter. We're missing something, and it might be related to their DNA profile and their Homeworld environment. They told us that all attempts to graft primate DNA, whether or not it was modified, on to their own, ended in failure. Did they definitely try the reverse? Albert is supposed to be from pure Primede DNA, and considered like the rest to be a failure, so there must be a reason. You said that Albert and Atlas diverged in behavioural terms by pretty much the same approximation, from the present day human range, but in opposing directions. The spread of human patterns of behaviour is already very wide, so there must be some kind of clue in the detail of those alterations. Returning to their Homeworld for a moment, we determined that they were nitrogen breathers from their inscriptions. Can we be certain that the Earth's atmosphere was the same back then as it is now? We have means of estimating this, but a lot of it is empirical in its derivation. What if they chose Earth for the following reasons? The planet was already awash with life, it was a long way from being dragged into gravitational oblivion, and they could survive in its atmosphere. I already mentioned that Albert can function normally by having an 'inhaler'. If the oxygen content was lower when they first came to Earth they wouldn't have needed it."

"You know, Christophe, you may have raised another question if you're right about the atmosphere. If we go far enough back in time, there were periods when there was little or no oxygen present. If these Primedes were intelligent enough to predict the time of their solar system's extinction, hundreds of thousands of years ahead of the event, was this their first visit to Earth?"

"Are you suggesting that the Primedes could have interfered with our evolution from before the appearance of Homo-Erectus? This possibility might even help to explain more about Neanderthals and Homo-Sapiens."

"We are making leaps of logic here instead of basic extrapolation of facts, but it would make certain pieces fit together."

Christophe's normal personality seemed to have been invigorated by such fanciful notions. "It would certainly help me understand why Albert, an alien, looks just like us, but isn't like us inside. Let's see how they are all coping with the behavioural test."

## Chapter 16

Harley and Nero were shunned by the small human community of Brackendale, except the owner of the guest house. They were becoming a little frustrated when they suffered the same reaction in the surrounding hamlets, and Harley decided to take a risk. With the future of James uppermost in his mind, he helped an elderly lady with her heavy bundle of bartered provisions, and asked where she lived. The passing villagers offered only strange glances, but no help. The lady thanked him and he asked if she'd like a lift to her home. She shook her head and seemed worried about the attention the conversation was creating. "Please don't worry, we aren't security Borg, we're on the run from them, we were part of the rebel resistance. We'll be moving on again soon, so it isn't a problem for us to assist you."

She smiled at last. "You gotta be a long way from yer home if yer running from the fascist robots, they have long tentacles. It's a pity the plague don't affect them. We're lucky here; it ain't really affected us at all. It seems to be running out of victims, so maybe we've seen the worst. If yer really want to give me a ride home that would be appreciated, and we ought to let 'em think you are security officers, because they wouldn't be able to keep their mouths shut if they were interrogated by the real filth."

Her simple abode was perched on the side of a rise, about a mile and a half out of the village. Nero pulled up next to the door and grabbed the food parcel. The lady thanked Harley and wished them a safe onward journey. He retrieved the sleeping infant from the storage compartment and showed her James' innocent little face. "We need to find someone to help us look after him. I'm responsible for his welfare, but I now realise I may put him in danger if we are apprehended and he is with us. Do you know of anyone who would be willing to help until we find a truly safe place to take him?"

Harley had never been hugged by a human before and it was a little disorienting when she didn't seem to want to let go. "I doubt if you'll find anybody round here to take on the child. Times are gettin' hard and they won't be gettin' better any time soon. You can stay here for a while, at least until you find somewhere else. We'd better not let anybody know you're here, so I won't be wantin' your help with my chores again. I'll let the villagers think that I've been questioned and you might be coming back to check them out one at a time."

Harley surprised Nero and himself by instinctively reciprocating the embrace. "We'll go back and check out of Brackendale. Can James stay with you until we get back? It won't take more than a couple of hours."

"Of course, leave whatever feed you have for him. Off you go, and hurry back. He may be mighty unhappy with a stranger after being spoilt by two mechanical men. You are both men aren't you?"

"Not really, but that conversation will keep until we get back."

*

Cleopatra and Galileo were not finding it easy to avoid roadblocks. The travel restrictions were being stringently enforced and the tailbacks posed an additional danger, as foot patrols were checking the stationary traffic. They disagreed about what to do next. Galileo insisted that he should leave the vehicle and take his chance on foot. Cleopatra said this was not an option. "Even if you avoid the checks, where will you be able to re-energise, you only have about three days operating level left, and if you head for the countryside, the booths are very sparse there, as well as many of them having been sabotaged by humans. The odds of you making it out of this ring are too slender."

"Maybe, but my presence, if we are exposed, will guarantee your public elimination too. I can't and will not allow this to happen."

"In that case I suggest we return to your safe house in Seattle. The inbound traffic is light and flowing normally. If we were to abandon the vehicle they would be able to trace it to where I picked it up in Vancouver and that could endanger the others. We can sit it out for a while with your friend in Seattle, and when we make the next attempt we must be fully re-energised." They turned around without causing too much attention.

*

The group test showed few surprises. In terms of leadership, Albert had dominated the others. He had gained cooperation from Atlas, but Lofty and Treetop had lost interest pretty quickly. This aspect of recognition of inferiority was felt to be important. The twins couldn't offer much and realised Albert was way ahead of them, and subsequently gave up. Atlas had something to offer but also recognised Albert's pre-eminence in the subject matter. He had tried to keep the twins in the loop to no avail. He'd been a mediator as well as a contributor. Albert was exclusively focussed on the problem and didn't value distractive input. He wasn't a team player, unless he clearly and unequivocally led the team. He had yet to face a situation in which he wasn't pre-eminent.

In discussing this, Douglas Newton brought up another concern. "With such rapid development to adult status, we have observed that the mental maturity lags behind that of the physical equivalent, with one exception. If we consider Albert as by far the quickest, even he hasn't reached his full projected height. Atlas is at present marginally less than ten feet tall, and is expected to push on to fifteen feet pretty soon. Lofty and Treetop are also someway short of their target at seven feet nine inches, and six feet two inches respectively. This cabin isn't going to be an acceptable habitat for much longer. The ceiling is fractionally below nine feet from the floor and the doorways are going to pose a problem for all except Albert. The lab facility has higher ceilings but the doors are still going to be a problem. We should set them the task of using the logs we have to build another cabin and see how they tackle the project."

Christophe wasn't paying much attention but concurred. "Yeah, that could be fun for them. I had another speculative thought yesterday. We seem to have forgotten the signal which was despatched by the hologram at the first site on Ganymede. It was thought to be heading for the centre of the galaxy."

"Go on," said Newton.

"Well, when the Primedes accepted they had failed and went to the trouble to inscribe the vast walls of their cave, we assumed at the time that they could have become extinct. When you espoused the possibility that they could have modified Earth's fauna on prior visits, I thought, maybe they just crossed the solar system off their list and headed off home. As you said, if they knew as a species, what was going to happen to their own sun for a really long time, they would have looked for other worlds as well. Maybe they are still around in some other galactic system in which they didn't fail. The centre of the galaxy may have become just be some sort of data clearing house."

"Have you been at the You2Me again Christophe?"

"Not recently, I'm just keeping an open mind. Anyway, are we going to ask them to think about this new cabin?"

The project excited them, particularly Lofty and Treetop. They loved being outside. The first thing they had to do was decide on the design. Once more Albert wanted to dispense with drawings, it was all in his head. Atlas persuaded him to humour the others, and the plan was drafted quickly. Atlas explained that the heavy work, even with the proper tools would be largely carried out by him and the twins. This was lost on Albert, until suddenly a rustling in the bushes exposed a hungry bear. They all backed off a little. The bear took this as an increase in the chances of a decent lunch, the first in a few days. It gesticulated and acted out some ritual, which prompted Albert to urinate uncontrollably. This was the trigger for action. Atlas walked straight at the bear and offered a few signals of his own. When the bear bounded forward, Atlas picked up what could have been a window lintel and smashed the bear's head into a pulp with only two blows. Christophe and Newton observed this with awe. Not only had they been just as afraid as the others, but they had observed the leadership shown by Atlas. This was in sharp contrast to Albert's recognition that he may be smarter than the others, but he certainly wasn't an alpha male. The cabin project had a new leader, chosen as much by the environment as by architectural or engineering skills.

*

In the meantime, Paul Meyer had been given to understand that the lab facility would be shortlisted for approval to study and implement Tolstoy's transcendental genetic programme. There would be a number of such establishments, and they would be instructed to cover different aspects of modification. He'd been asked about the expertise available to him for such important work and he conveyed absolute confidence that he could attract such people. He would offer proof of this if the Vancouver facility was bestowed with the honour of approval. When this was passed on to Douglas Newton it was perceived as good news, yet dependent on what kind of programmes Tolstoy would demand. They weren't under any illusions that they could be extremely unpalatable.

*

Harley and Nero had returned to Hilda's refuge and found her singing to James. She was already doting over the baby. They noticed that the place had fallen into considerable disrepair and offered to fix it up. The portents of James' immediate future were good and they set about some of the more urgent corrective tasks for restoration of the building. Harley felt secure enough in this location to message both Douglas Newton and Cleopatra to query the status of their objectives. He was pleased to hear of Christophe Rivet's apparent rehabilitation, and the various progress reports on the Ganymede 'children'. He was however, apprehensive that there was no reply from Cleopatra. He didn't even know whether she'd made contact with Galileo. The loyalist news bulletins were of no help, and the humans in this remote location didn't really discuss the macro-political scenario, preferring to keep their own counsel, and retain their focus on survival.

## Chapter 17

Having completed the refurbishment of Hilda's property, Harley asked Nero if he wanted to stay or try to re-establish contact with the defeated Brotherhood.

"I can see that you are edgy here, and you're definitely underutilised. As much as I appreciate the help you have given me, I realise that I'm holding you back. If you choose to go I'll find it difficult to adjust for quite some time, but we'll surely meet again. Please be honest, are you restless?"

"Truthfully, I feel as if I can't contribute much to the genetic programme, and I don't have the same attachment as you obviously do to James. I will also feel the wrench after we have worked so long together, and yet I do need another cause to fill the vacuum of our demoralising defeat. You have said many times that this is a particularly human craving for belonging, and I just couldn't seem to share that view, but now it appears that I can. I'll leave tomorrow, but I'll keep in touch so that we can meet again if the situation permits."

*

Cleopatra and Galileo had eventually made it back to central Seattle and he was able to access a re-energising booth. Their host informed them that they would need to consider moving on again soon because of Tolstoy's security ring being inexorably tightened. The plan was now clear; urban sprawls were being surrounded, to prevent undesirables from eluding capture. The subsequent gradually turning screw of the vice benefitted from having more security personnel to scrutinise less people, in a shrinking area. The systematic phase of street by street purges had already started. Cleopatra began to think they had erred in falling for Tolstoy's strategy of using fear of identification, to kettle thousands into a gigantic prison. They had to come up with a novel escape proposal, and soon, because there would come a point when it would be impossible. They frenetically considered the obvious candidates such as sewers, and deletion of selected modules, plus deliberate disfigurement which would approximate to typical injuries of loyalist veterans. They were rejected. Galileo said, "The sewer exits will be monitored, and even if we could successfully pose as wounded heroes, it would result in us being sectioned off for further scrutiny, and subsequent trivial awards, which would ensure we would be kept inside the ring. Tolstoy is big on handing out trinkets, disguising the real purpose - his new re-classification of all Borg."

*

Christophe Rivet was not handling this phase of cold turkey too well, and it manifestly pushed him into a divergent path from Douglas Newton.

"Don't you think this assessment programme has drifted into an esoteric, academic psychological exercise? I have been drawn into such dabbling because of my guilt in taking unilateral action when creating Albert. I now recall exactly why I did that. We have to extract something of immediate practical value from the vials. Otherwise the ticking clock will see all of us deleted from history. No one will ever know we existed. This has become even more urgent now that this Tolstoy has been specifically designed for maximum efficiency in cleansing the planet. Alexander will flit in and out of the scene to express concern publicly, and then privately express discontent that it isn't proceeding as smoothly as agreed. Douglas, we have achieved nothing here other than creating a sophisticated kindergarten project."

"I respect your impatience to a degree, but work of this nature has to be set on a very robust foundation slab. If this is not meticulously prepared we run a grave risk of drawing false conclusions. The study will proceed more quickly if we get approval for Paul Meyer's unit to begin 'legitimate' research."

Christophe was becoming more agitated. "That's the very point I am trying to get through to you. There won't be any legitimisation of genetic research which doesn't square with the overall Borg desire to design humans toward extinction. It will be results-driven and any deviation will be punishable by cancellation of your licence to live. I can't just sit here any longer without trying to identify some latent ability in our boys which can be harnessed against the oppression. Maybe if you had lost everything you'd ever cared about, as I have, you would be just as driven to take risks in order to end it all. I'm going to leave with Albert unless you can assure me that we can switch to a response mode with immediate effect."

Newton asked precisely what he meant by 'response mode'.

"I don't know. If I did, I'd be getting on with it. You are the damned expert in genetics. It might seem unpalatable to you, but we have to amputate the ideology of the High Command, and it will not be achieved by negotiation. I don't care if it shocks you to the core, I would even authorise biological weapons to completely eradicate the Borg elite. For Christ's sake Douglas, wake up, this is a fight to the death, and as much as you want to pretend it will somehow go away, you simply prove my point. You said earlier that we needed absolutely firm bedrock for your study. Well then, heed those words, because we need that foundation even more urgently for this duel with the cybernetic scourge. Get off your fence of morality and face the fact that we are in an asymmetric conflict, in which one side has no emotional restraint to draw upon. Make up your mind now."

Although thoroughly shaken by the ultimatum, Douglas Newton resisted carrying out anything but a scientific investigation.

"I cannot become an Oppenheimer, so if we unearth knowledge which you decide to employ as a killing device, you're on your own."

"That's acceptable. Now I want to brief the boys with everything we know about them, and what we know so far about their origin. I will then tell them how the Cyborgs were created by humans and the rest of the story. I'm interested in whether they perceive any injustice, and if so, what their reaction is. If they don't feel threatened in the same way I do, I will leave and ask Albert if he wants to come with me. That should allow you to continue to wallow in your self-delusion."

*

The shrinking Seattle ring didn't allow further procrastination on how to break out. Cleopatra suggested that they should use the seething panic in the streets to create a diversion. When asked by Galileo to elaborate, she said they would have to even up the panic between the citizens and the Hulks for just long enough to cause a breach. "I managed to get out of Rio in this way, although I admit it was a significantly lower density of those confined, and power of the guards' weaponry compared to the Hulks. However, we won't be alone in reacting to a breakout. My main worry is that some will pay with the ultimate sacrifice. If we accept that the alternative of doing nothing will actually cause more casualties, then I am prepared to go for it. We need to take out at least one Hulk, but preferably multiples. Our lasers won't do it, so we have to use explosives." Galileo asked his host if it was still possible to obtain explosive devices via the underground network of rebels. He replied in the affirmative.

"They will exist, but obtaining them won't be easy. If you are prepared to go with me and allow a scan to show you are indeed Galileo, then that would be one currency for such a purchase. You will also be asked what your intended use is for explosive devices, even someone of your standing will be required to be explicit. They are nervous about attracting further searches for any kind of resistance."

Galileo agreed and they joined the compacted throng.

Harley was enjoying the alternating solitude and interaction with James. Hilda had proved to be a godsend as a 'grandmother', teaching Harley the basics of caring for an infant. It was therefore quite a jolt back to reality when Cleopatra made contact.

"Galileo has perished. He was on a mission to get us out of here. He managed to obtain some grenades from the residue of the Brotherhood, and we were assisted by many domestiques in a coordinated sequence of simultaneous targets. They had little effect on the Hulks other than creating confusion. It produced a temporary breach in their line and we went for it with hundreds of others. We knew the risk, but underestimated the speed of response, and Galileo was caught by the edge of a DPB discharge while helping a fallen domestique. I was lucky to get out, along with maybe a dozen others. I'm currently in thick woods and I'll soon run out of charge. I don't expect to make it back but I am giving you my coordinates, so that if someone can retrieve me, I will be capable of reactivation. In case that is not possible, I will say goodbye."

"Wait, I can get to you. There is only one re-energising station between here and the Rodriguez' family, so I will take a full charge and then call on Cameron. Another charge and help from him in obtaining transport should get me to where you are. I'm on my way."

She resisted this until he told her about James' new grandparent. She relented and prepared herself for at the very least, a temporary death.

*

Christophe's story-telling fascinated the select audience. The reaction to the conclusion was so splintered that it even amazed Douglas Newton. Lofty and Treetop wanted to sign up for the rebel cause immediately, possibly their instinct to survive had eventually been triggered. Atlas, for the first time betrayed signs of volatility, and this was followed by an intense clamour for retribution. This fervour was escalating, even though he'd never seen the enemy. The power of Christophe's tale had created this surreal reaction. It was as though Atlas was still a child, and therefore unable to detach the storyteller's passion from his interpretation of the issue. Albert was uncharacteristically calm. He had to be persuaded to speak.

"It would appear that I'm different in origin from Lofty, Treetop, Atlas, and even Adam and Simon. I am also suddenly aware that although my biological makeup is closer to primates than it is to these Cyborgs, the elegance of the inorganic ability to comprehend, and act decisively is seductive. It may offer a route to virtual perfection. Before you say that this represents the sole cause of the current genocide campaign, I would respectfully have to draw on my only experience of such Cyborg traits to date, and that is exclusively with rebels, as you have described them. Does this not rank equally with deviant behaviour within the human species? Harley, Cleopatra, Nero and the other domestiques, as you refer to them, are the proof that it's not the template that is flawed, rather the programming and upgrading without sufficient research."

Christophe was ready to once again introduce the dimension of time, and its likely elimination of certain options. Newton asked Albert to continue.

"If your claims regarding my species are correct, then I can visualise that they preferred to research compatibility with Atlas' DNA because it would probably be safer. They may have recognised flaws in their own evolutionary direction, and wanted a more 'stable' union. Perhaps they had already experienced too much diversity in what was essentially a Homo-Sapiens template, which really describes me. This is another example of the dimension of time. I am, like my friends here, from the past, and yet I have the privilege of debating the present. If my species was responsibly trying to prevent polarisation, and ultimately a branch to a sub-species, then they truly did fail. There must be a way to alter the rogue Borg, rather than eradicate them."

Christophe finally intruded. "How does that compensate for the abject disregard of their victims? Not only have they embarked upon an extinction strategy for their creators, they have extended that fate to any of their own species who refuse to accept the edict."

Albert shook his head. "I am unable as yet, to rank one atrocity against another. I only seem to be capable of looking at a problem and feeling compulsion to solve it. Are the two actions mutually exclusive? If you are able to rise up again and strike back, I will still work on a way to technologically change the predisposition of your foe to one of tolerance, as opposed to violence. Harley may hold the key, and somewhere in his replicated circuitry we will find an error, just as in human evolution."

## Chapter 18

Harley was intrigued by what Cameron Rodriguez had dredged up in his quest to provide transport. An old friend of the family had conceded to loan him a motorbike, providing there was no traceable lead for the Borg to land at his door. Rodriguez duly arrived at Hilda's cabin and picked up his friend. It wasn't a revered Harley-Davidson, but it was capable of negotiating many different types of terrain. This was crucial in terms of eluding or escaping any stray Borg surveillance units. The journey back to the Rodriguez household was a mix of apprehension and fun. Harley had to be satisfied with a pillion perspective on this leg, but having dropped off his friend and re-energised, he experienced a true appreciation of the freedom of 'man and machine'.

The second leg of his journey was more dangerous and he had to make frequent detours off the country roads. At last he arrived at the coordinates sent by Cleopatra. She had indeed succumbed to energy drain, and he had to drape her form over the pillion position and strap her tightly to the frame. He elected to travel back in the dark and at a much slower speed. He appreciated the coincidence of the crescent moon and almost full cloud cover. Nevertheless, it was a tense sixteen hours before turning into the driveway of the Rodriguez residence once more, just as the sun's rays scattered their refracted illumination over the distant hills. He accepted their hospitality, and stayed indoors, as he wanted to get Cleopatra to a booth when the darkness could again come to his aid. He was relieved to see her 'boot up' cleanly. The short distance back to Hilda's welcome was more relaxing in terms of unexpected encounters, but there was a surprise for Harley. Cleopatra recounted conversations she had heard while escaping Seattle with the other breakout domestiques, who had witnessed Galileo's unfortunate fate.

"These fellow escapees were typical Brotherhood members and refused to concede permanent defeat. The vivid fall of Galileo to the Hulks brought out further defiance. They didn't hesitate to begin chanting your name in an instinctive act of resistance. With the original leaders basically committing suicide, and Galileo falling in their midst, they seemed to take it as a sign of courage that he risked contacting them for grenades and had tried to lead them out of a hopeless situation. I promised that I would ask you to consider their plight. I will stay with you and James for as long as it takes, but I'll ask you each and every day to accept their call. They believe that more than anyone else, you have proven empathy with humans, and that was really the spark which got the resistance movement to grow from an ideology into action. Needless to say, when you do concede to the request, I'll be at your side."

*

The broadcasts enumerated a list of cities, which, like Seattle, had been similarly strangled and purged of both domestique and human dissenters, without discrimination. The remainder of the bulletin rolled out the status of the genetic transcend programme. Vancouver was among the primary list of eight facilities. As yet, the spread of objectives for these candidates was kept under wraps, but it was confirmed that there would be three main thrusts to the research.

It was less than two hours from the end of the bulletin when Paul Meyer was asked to furnish his genetic expert for scrutiny by Tolstoy himself. This was seen by Meyer as a good sign, and he wasted no time in contacting Douglas Newton. Christophe saw this extremely short notice very differently to Meyer. "You must do as you please Douglas, but I will continue with our boys. I can't say I support Meyer's embrace of this treacherous policy, and I predict he will end up regretting his collaboration. You should also be careful in signing up with the devil. I refrain from saying anything more."

"I fully understand your position Christophe, but I hope we can still be friends, whatever I decide. I have to hear what the research direction is before I can make a balanced decision."

"I wish you luck, especially if you think you'll be told the truth about what the final objective is. It will be cleverly disguised. Do you remember the 'research' mission of the Third Reich? It curiously sublimed from those high ideals into the most monstrous orchestrated butchery in history at the time. You may end up having the distinction of usurping that 'achievement'. Sorry, I promised that I wasn't going to say any more."

Christophe watched Newton meander in the direction of Meyer's facility, and took that to mean that he had already made up his mind. He asked the boys to forget the half-finished building project, and then go with him to look for a new hideout. He promised each of them that he would help them follow through on their aspirations. Addressing the twins first, he would reintroduce them to Harley and Cleopatra, who would guide them to appropriate recruiting agents for any Brotherhood revival plan. Atlas was given assurance that he could shed some of his frustration by study of the Hulks, and therefore what he would be up against. This pledge was dependent on Albert's promise that he would need none of Christophe's time, to help him pursue his proposed modification of the Borg template, concurrent with Tolstoy's ongoing edict on the human equivalent. Albert acknowledged this, and said all he needed to get started was the entire detailed information from Ganymede, and a computer database access to human history. It was a neat solution for Christophe in many ways, because he had seen some of himself in Atlas, and believed he could mould the Neanderthal template into a fighting force. Unknown to Newton, Christophe had purloined all of the vials. He intended to create as many relatives of Atlas as possible before the facility was commandeered by Tolstoy. He knew that Newton would not want these vials to fall into the hands of the High Command, and this was his leverage in persuading him to assist in the process. Meyer didn't need to know.

Douglas Newton initially resisted Christophe's request. The further threat of total exposure of the work carried out so far did the trick. "Listen Douglas, I used to consider you as a friend, and one with a steadfast moral compass, but I've been wrong about so many things recently. When I tell Tolstoy about all of our new creations, not only will they be exterminated, but Paul Meyer, you and yours truly will join them. The facility will be razed to the ground. Have no doubts about whether I'll do this Douglas, because I've already accepted that I'll die anyway, when I can finally inflict fitting revenge upon the High Command. It may be second best to see traitors like you and Meyer pay for your treachery, but it has the merit of ending my personal misery sooner."

Newton capitulated to this ultimatum. "Let's get this done now, so that you can disappear before Tolstoy's arrival. Where are you going to house these new recruits?"

"No need to concern your duplicitous brain with such data, just begin the process and I will tell you when to stop."

*

Atlas and the twins were standing by to collect the new embryos and whisk them away to wherever. About ten percent of the vial had yielded forty male and forty-seven female Neanderthal recruits, and they departed once they could walk upright. The rate of growth ensured that they kept up a reasonably brisk pace. After picking up Albert, they headed to higher ground. With darkness descending and the moon forcing the sun below the horizon, they settled in a clearing to watch the infants embark upon their short journey of maturation to totally independent mobility and awareness of life's predators. By morning the jabbering had reached fever pitch and the trek was resumed. A large building came into view as they crested a steep rise. It looked as if it was isolated, but this was deceptive, as the trees had obscured a few dwellings. The abandoned church and its surrounding hamlet were occupied by homeless groups and social dropouts. The church was ideal in its construction, having large doors and ample headroom. The occupants were terrified of the incomers, until Christophe explained they were all in their own way hiding from the Borg elite. His supply of You2Me came in handy as an inter-species calming agent, and helped keep an emotional lid on the 'grow as you talk' Neanderthals.

*

The army of eighty-plus would soon hear their first brief history lesson from Christophe. Atlas would then explain the need for a chain of command, and division of the group when combat beckoned. He also wanted to encourage breeding, not just to increase the battalion, but to have children to defend. The time had come for contact with Harley.

Christophe began with an apology for his prior attitude toward the new front runner for Commander-in-Chief of the scattered, rag-tag rebel resistance. Having then explained the burning desire of Lofty and Treetop to join the cause, he suspected that Harley was quite cool about the idea. Cleopatra was quite the opposite. She had fastened on to Christophe's claim that Atlas had now reached fourteen and a half feet in height and the fledglings were well on their way. "You said that Lofty and Treetop were also pretty near their mature height of nine feet, how many of such recruits could we expect in future?"

"If the vials are similar in content, then I would say about eight hundred."

"Can we have two Neanderthals as well as the twins?"

"No, I have my own campaign to consider."

Harley intervened. "Look Christophe, we can't impose any danger upon Hilda. She has kindly taken us in to nurture James, and I won't let that be prejudiced."

Hilda nudged him and said it might actually be safer for James if there were no Borg staying with her for a while. "The villagers are a funny bunch, and you'd better believe me, there's a heck of a long way to go before they'll accept your presence on their turf. Come on, look around, this is a one-horse town. You and Cleopatra are hell-bent on fostering a human baby, what'd yer expect, a medal? These rednecks gotta see you as active resistance fighters, to prove you can be trusted. They hardly trust me and I've lived here for almost half a century. Hello, are you listening?"

This sentiment achieved what the daily badgering by Cleopatra had not. Harley told her to inform the rebels she'd encountered in Seattle that he was ready to lead them.

"Ok Christophe, send your twins to the following coordinates and give them the vial which contains their future brothers."

*

Amidst all of this planning and movement, Christophe was besieged by the fifty or so social outcasts. They wanted to fight on the side of the big guy. When it was explained what it would entail, and the odds of survival, they were undeterred. One spokesman said, "What future do we got anyway? We've retreated away from certain death by these Borg bastards, then we were called lepers by our own species. We know we won't be much use, but most of us are on death row 'cause of the radiation, malnutrition, and drugs. We're coming whether you want us or not, that's about the only promise we can make."

Christophe began to shake his head when a second, less erudite representative grabbed his arm.

"What the fuck we got left to lose, huh? Let me tell you about life for us, 'kay? Them borg pieces of metal shit push us from one squalid craphole to another, an' every time I think maybe the lucky ones are them that don't escape. 'Cause you know what? The robots ain't even the ones that hate us most. At least those bastards care enough to try an' kill us. Our own species don't even give that much of a toss. We're dirt to them. Less than dirt. We're dead to them before we even die, you feel me?

"So don't tell me we can't fight for this, man. We may not be shit all use on the big stage, but these people been starved, drugged an' poisoned. Their lives don't mean squat to anybody else, so I will NOT take away the chance for them to mean something to themselves. With or without your okay, we doin' this. That's the one guarantee I'll give you that you can take to your freakin' bank."

## Chapter 19

They realised from his very first sentence that Tolstoy's idea of transcending human deficiencies was different from what they had expected. Paul Meyer and Douglas Newton could not hide their dismay.

"The era of human self-indulgence is at an end. They have to be much more productive from now on. The first and most pressing objective is one of sustenance. Evolution has offered the species a veritable richness in quality and variation of diet, but at a cost. Valuable manufacturing capability is preoccupied with such luxury. You need to appreciate that the call for a balanced diet is but a fantasy of convenience. Somehow the human race has become obsessed with not only the nutritional value of every meal, but also its visual appearance. There are even competitive 'entertainment' programmes for producing 'champions' of culinary concoctions, none of which would be beyond the capability of any simple computing device. Your species has fallen from a position of competent engineering vision to that of filling the vacuum of individual boredom. In order for us to achieve efficient running of your metabolism, we have to alter its demands. You will commence work on ridding the species of allergies, so that a uniform diet is acceptable to all, and efficient to manufacture. It needs to be the same every time, obviating the need for desire. The current food-manufacturing capacity, and the even more complex need for testing, refrigerating, and storing the products will have to be decimated. You know that this plague is still not under control, and we want to help. More vaccine is required and this dovetails with simplification of foodstuff production. Such wasteful activity will be replaced by pharmaceutical products which will reduce risk of disease. This in turn fits well with the travel restrictions for humans, and thus curtailing the spread of such contagious pestilence. The obvious corollary to this is to abandon animal husbandry. It is necessary for all organic species to evolve or perish. Gentlemen, when we are successful with this small first step, you will engage in bioengineering of a different kind. The new robust human form will be better protected, and produces a platform ripe for deliberate mutation. Procreation will be limited to one per family during this phase, as the offspring will be experimental and we don't want to create the kind of plague we are trying so hard to eliminate. The details of the second phase can wait until success of the first is delivered. Humans must begin to pay their way, because we can't afford individual ambition to prejudice convergent evolution. No freeloading will be tolerated. Failure to recognise this will result in termination. We must look to the stars. Now Meyer, I need to speak with Douglas Newton in private."

Meyer was the first demonstration of the ruthless pursuit of efficiency. He was led to the forecourt of the facility and promptly delivered a heavy DPB dose of fragmentation. The pile of his remains was gathered into a hygienic pouch and labelled as experimental DNA. Newton was familiarised with his new role of Director of Research. Tolstoy and his entourage of twelve Hulks left for the next interview.

Newton was shaking with fear and regretted not heeding Christophe's advice. The workforce of the facility began to consider their options and some drifted away. Within forty-eight hours Newton called in his senior managers to deliver an ultimatum, or so he thought. They had already recognised his weak, self-serving character, and where that would lead with someone like Tolstoy. His ready acceptance of Meyer's fate, and then his new cowardly remit, painted a picture in which they didn't want to feature. He was hauled up to the top of the company flagpole by his neck, and allowed to dangle in the breeze. The facility was abandoned and a number of the ex-employees began to think about forming a resistance movement of their own. It would never be of serious consequence in a global sense, but it was a new blip on the radar. Its greater impact could be the potential for all other genetic facilities to refuse Tolstoy's demands. Although the news of this couldn't spread via broadcasts, it had lit up the local grapevine and reached Christophe, via the dropouts. He wasted no time in informing Harley. When this was passed on to the inhabitants of Brackendale, and he declared his intent to help unite this budding resistance movement with the dispersed Rebel Brotherhood, he tapped their support for the very first time. Cleopatra urged them on. "I witnessed our previous leader, Galileo, fall while helping both humans and domestiques escape the Borg Hulks in Seattle. He was on his way here to begin the second generation of the Rebel Brotherhood. His death is a massive blow, but our objective remains unchanged, and Harley has responded to the call to take on the challenge. We will fight on your behalf even if you don't help us, but it would reinforce the morale of our forces if you did. It may be some time before we can make sufficient inroads toward a second global conflict, but the spirit in which the genetic facility workers, and the region's social outcasts have declared their independent intent, represents the acorn of the forest."

Harley was amazed at the spark which resulted from her oratory, and he detected a clear turning point in how the crowd felt toward the two of them. He knew it was the right moment to acquaint them with the presence of James. Cleopatra brought Hilda and the infant to the gathering, and Harley explained why he had tried so hard to find a refuge for the boy. He asked if the residents would help Hilda in keeping him safe, while he and Cleopatra set about their recruiting drive. The band of volunteers began to swell, and the new kernel of rebels awaited the arrival of Lofty, Treetop, the dropouts, and the genetic facility deserters.

*

Christophe was busy teaching the Neanderthals basic tactics. His first battle plan was to overwhelm a few isolated Hulks, and eliminate them in order to demonstrate that they weren't invincible. The regiment was responding well, and with Atlas acting as an able deputy, he went off to the nearest village to watch and analyse the broadcasts. He was about to leave when the item he was hoping to see came up. The pictures showed Douglas Newton hanging limply from the flagpole. The message, delivered as a quotation from Tolstoy left no room for ambiguity. 'This callous act of murder will not go unpunished. The work which Douglas Newton had agreed to carry out was designed to benefit humans, but now the humans in this region will pay the price which would be expected of such terrorist actions. The work will go on at another location. Updates will be broadcast as they become available.'

This was what Christophe wanted to hear. The hulks would be coming, and would anticipate only human resistance. He informed the battalion that zero-day was approaching, and drew a rough map of the facility. They would hide in the surrounding bushes while he and Albert sat on the forecourt. He gambled that Tolstoy would want to make an example of the two of them, and organise a public broadcast to hammer home the point. The twelve groups of seven Neanderthals would each attack a particular Hulk. The recent history had shown Tolstoy to be accompanied by a dozen such bodyguards. The rebel ambush squad would have thick metal shields to dilute any initial DPB discharge, and they would only have heavily sharpened saplings to hurl with their enormous strength at the enemy.

"Some of us or all of us may die, that is why I am happy to be the bait for the trap. No matter what happens to me and Albert, you must stick to the plan. We have surprise, we have tactical superiority insofar as our targets will be concentrated in a small area, and most importantly we have you. Your physical presence will cause panic, and your immense power at close quarters will negate their weapons. I salute you all now in case I am the first to fall. We must prevail, and if I don't survive, you have your leader Atlas to take up the cause. Let us rest, they may be here tomorrow."

Those remaining few dropouts who hadn't made the march to join Harley agreed to help negate the risk to Christophe, by sitting in the courtyard. This prompted him to excuse Albert from the proceedings, although the prospect hadn't seemed to cause the Primede much concern.

It was a cold dawn. The mist was welcome as it added cover for the emergent groups of Neanderthals, and allowed closer order to be taken before unleashing their javelins of prodigious girth. The weight of each of these projectiles, converted to momentum, with the anticipated velocity, was capable of knocking down their ancient church doors. With Christophe and some thirteen individuals sat in a circle as if they were picketing the facility, Tolstoy strode toward them without fear. He engaged them as one. "You know why we are here. Unless you are completely stupid, and I see you are unarmed, you know that this situation calls for a lesson to others as well as your demise. Stand up."

Christophe had arranged for the Neanderthals to respond to his loud laughter, hoping that this would further enrage Tolstoy, and intensify the distraction of the Hulks. They charged from all sides and each group faced the rear of a particular Hulk. It was crucial to get in the first blow. Five Hulks hit the ground, injured but not defunct. Another three were impaled on the mini-trees and could be counted as 'dead'. Two managed to evade the first barrage and did get a round of DPB off to atomise half of one group of assailants. They didn't survive the second wave of spears, and Christophe himself noticed the remaining two Hulks running for cover. They were inconvenienced by sapling splinters in their armour. He picked up a DPB and vapourised them as they approached the perimeter. Instructions had been issued to take Tolstoy alive if possible. Not only was this achieved, they had a cache of twelve DPB weapons. Christophe made sure the first act to follow the victory was one of acknowledgment of the sacrifice of four of their own. Their remains were gathered carefully and would be honoured in an appropriate ceremony the next day. No prisoners were taken. They had the only hostage they needed.

Christophe contacted Harley and told him of the day's events. "That is unbelievable, fantastic – what will you do with Tolstoy?"

"This victory will attract a massive response, that's why I wanted Tolstoy alive and kicking. I'll put up a poster at the scene telling the retribution force that he will be dosed with a DPB if we are pursued. I'm ready to head toward your position, but I still want to follow my ultimate objective."

Harley agreed to wait for him at Everett, just north of Seattle. Christophe said he preferred Bellingham. "We have collected nine DPB units which are in working order, and you'll stand a better chance of defending your group if we can be there to fend off Hulks by using their own weapons against them. They didn't like fighting on a level playing field against the Neanderthals, and we also have stripped the protective armour from our victims to reconfigure it for our soldiers. We need to do this with every encounter Harley, until we can make better weapons ourselves. If we meet further north in Bellingham, you are less likely to run into trouble."

Harley deferred to this suggestion when Cleopatra endorsed it. Nobody had noticed Albert during or after the minor miracle of this victory. He had brought up two important findings for Christophe to consider. The first was a simple but important observation, and the second had enormous potential. "I have studied the original text and your attempted translation of it, from the Primede inscriptions on the walls of the Ganymede cave. Those translations are reasonably accurate, but there are passages which must have been too difficult for you to decipher, because they are missing. Also, you will undoubtedly be far more interested in the work of twenty-first century researchers into the science of Bio Bricks, as it was called at the time."

## Chapter 20

With Tolstoy out of action, Alexander had to make an appearance. He chose to broadcast his message to those who had been involved in the abduction.

"The minority groups of humans and domestiques should take note that the programmes upon which we have embarked since the cessation of hostilities are tailored for their ultimate benefit. We must make order out of chaos, or no one will survive in the longer term. Tolstoy's genetic project is only the beginning, and I urge you to see the benefits before rushing to judgement. The alternative would be very painful for all of us, but will come to pass, unless we can forge a convergent path. The future will be unsustainable if we are confined to this planet. All possible effort must be channelled to this objective of finding another homeland. You have to realise that resisting such an essential mission is both myopic and futile. If we are forced to eradicate such resistance then it will be because of your intransigence. No matter how brutal the medicine, it will nevertheless be administered. As an example, those holding Tolstoy need to think hard. We won't hunt you down, that is inefficient. We will reinstate the mass executions of the recent conflict. You have one week to consider your position, and if Tolstoy is not set free, then one hundred thousand indiscriminately chosen individuals will die."

Harley was really uncomfortable with such a threat, because as a Borg, he knew Alexander would seize upon such justification to eliminate more resistance to his grand design. He turned to Cleopatra. "Tolstoy was feared, but at least he was predictable and therefore we could react accordingly. Alexander is the opposite, and can manoeuvre us into a position which he claims forces him to be draconian, pretending that it is the last thing he wanted. This will weaken the resolve of those who are considering joining with us for a second time."

"That may be Harley, but there are also those who would simply rather die than accept slavery, which is what is coming if he isn't stopped. Think about the dropouts who have already pledged their support. It is meaningless in one sense, but they have decided that their present life, having been abandoned by even moderate citizens, is worth fighting and dying for. We have to match Alexander's propaganda. That should be your role, I can annex his threats better than you can, so you should let me handle the insurgent strategy, and that includes Christophe."

"You mean we are going to watch another stadium full of citizens die?"

"Your concern that this will regenerate such fear that our recruitment will stall may be correct – initially, but we won't be the first oppressed minority to keep coming back for more. He will be killing them, not us, and we have to find the right response. I must speak with Christophe as soon as possible." Harley began to think he was one of the least suitable candidates to lead this crusade.

*

In the meantime, Christophe's long journey to join with Harley was punctuated with ideas from Albert. The revelation that the translations of the Ganymede inscriptions had many gaps was fascinating, but he struggled to see the link that Albert was making with the current slide to a new theatre of war.

"It comes back to the Primedes' declaration that the perfect specimen was a failure. You must factor in the small matter that I am a Primede. Unlike the other vials here and on Ganymede, I am unaltered and I am therefore still one of them. The Neanderthals and modified Homo-Sapiens are experiments. The text your crew failed to translate clearly indicates that the perfect specimen was going to become extinct, despite their considerable investment in it. You must recall Douglas Newton saying that the human alterations were in the opposite direction to the Neanderthals. This is a crucial piece of information. How do you think they judged their perfect specimen? When do you think they concluded it was a failure? Why do you think this was so important to them?"

"I can't wait to hear," groaned Christophe, stifling a yawn.

"Another conclusion you reached was that the Primedes themselves were probably extinct. Wrong, I am here. Come on Christophe, begin using whatever inadequate cerebral capacity you have, which is as yet unaffected by drugs and thirst for revenge. There has been speculation between you and Newton about how far back the Primedes may have been involved with genetic manipulation on Earth. Perhaps you should look at this from their point of view, rather than how fascinating it would be if there had been a benefactor from the stars. I would like to discuss my second discovery, but that will only happen when I have your undivided attention. If we had both expired during the capture of Tolstoy we wouldn't be having this conversation and your struggle with drugs and retribution wouldn't matter. Let me know when you feel the inclination to engage with me."

Christophe promised he would. "We do have to live in the 'now' on occasions Albert, and we need to reach Harley before he gets too close to Seattle. I will speak to you again when we reach Bellingham."

"Living in the 'now', I like that, you must have read my mind." The march continued without bumping into any loyalist forces. Christophe thought this was strange.

The reunion was a source of relief rather than one of jubilation. Harley and Cleopatra were quite overwhelmed by the sight of so many formidable Neanderthals. There were even signs of a few pregnancies amongst them. Christophe explained that he had convinced the expectant mothers to stay out of the front line activities. He therefore needed to find another suitable laboratory in which he could spawn a new specimen to fill the gap. "I think we should keep a reserve in the vial for the present, because we will encounter more difficulty as we make gains. I have yet to suggest that the new offspring will become both a worry and a burden if the maturation process isn't invoked. Natural birth and nurture is for the future. This isn't going to be an easy hurdle to clear."

After everyone was settled, Cleopatra managed to get Christophe on his own. "You are extremely driven for a man who used to be involved in saving lives."

"Yes, that's probably why I'm still on drugs, to blot out the compassionate streak which is required to be a medical practitioner. But that's not what you want to talk to me about is it?"

"Not really, you keep mentioning your objective. I assume that although it is in the same cause as ours, you have a plan which may be considered as barbaric to the Brotherhood. I have thought about this and we may actually be on a similar wavelength. Harley would never countenance such indiscriminate response, but he has given me responsibility for the military implementation strategy. I believe your objective is dependent on getting access to a certain location in what was the old High Command HQ at the Cape. Am I correct?"

"You might be."

"Then be patient. I will shape the campaign to that end and we can do this together." Christophe could not benefit from any interpretive facial expression or body language of Cleopatra, but he was still pretty certain that she had figured out his 'piece de resistance'. She didn't need to know it would be his last contribution to the cause.

Having digested this conversation and its implications he was immediately bounced into another. Albert awaited him, and tackled him about keeping his promise.

"Well Christophe, here we are in Bellingham."

"Yes indeed, you have my attention Albert. I'm sorry that I have been a little distant recently. I know you asked me questions on the way here but it will save time if you just get to the point."

"No, that is not acceptable. What I have to say must be taken seriously, and if you aren't the best person to act on what I have to reveal, I will approach Harley."

"Suit yourself. I have other puzzles to solve which may prevent loss of life of our soldiers. Just do what you think is right."

Albert was extremely disappointed with his creator and decided to sever this contrived filial loyalty. He approached Harley.

He immediately got the attention he had failed to arouse with Christophe. Harley asked him to elaborate on the contention that the Primedes were not extinct.

"I believe that may become apparent if we try to answer all of the questions I asked Christophe. The most compelling in my mind was how far back can we trace Primede interference with Earth evolution? I struggled with this until I had made sense of other blanks in the overall picture. Firstly, how did they judge their failure with the revered perfect specimen? I'm afraid you missed clues to this when you were on Ganymede. They had tried to tinker, rather than make wholesale changes. They didn't like their projected outcome of unaltered Homo-Sapiens in terms of becoming the dominant species. They wanted the more pedestrian, yet intelligent counter-balance of Neanderthals calling the shots. The failure was that they did not prevent their extinction, when all of their projections indicated the opposite. Question two then enters the fray. When do we think they made this assessment?"

Harley began to see where this was going. "You're suggesting they came back to find Neanderthals were extinct."

"Precisely, and now let us consider the third conundrum. Why do we think this was so important to them?"

"All that comes to mind is that they somehow foresaw something extremely undesirable with unbridled human development."

Albert was rather pleased with Harley's deduction thus far. "Indeed, and drawing on the answers to the two previous questions, what might that be? Think about who I am, where I came from and why I was left amongst a staggering number of experimental vials."

"I can only guess that you represent what they were at the time."

"Ok then Harley, we are close to unravelling this mission to Jupiter space. Your crew debated the paradox which confronted you at that time, and the key word here is time. This perceived or real paradox you talked of was merely a flicker in the full context of the plan of the Primedes. We are dealing with, and they were facing a temporal paradox, not one of simply having no solution, rather one with limitations of influence by them or us. Is this beginning to make sense?"

"It provokes even more questions. What you are intimating is that the Primedes are our ancestors, and chose to steer the evolution on Earth to assist their own long term survival. What I can't see is what precisely they didn't like with regard to their own meddling."

"Well, I believe that we haven't seen everything there is to see in Jupiter space, because another passage within their inscriptions, which you failed to appreciate, was with regard to computer science, cybernetics and artificial intelligence in general. It seems as if you misinterpreted their emphasis as well as the actual semantics. You indirectly represent what they were trying to avoid."

Harley pondered this for a brief period and then exclaimed, "You believe that they predicted humans would create life forms such as the Borg, and this could become a self-destructive calamity?"

"Absolutely, and they needed to take small steps to nudge humans, really themselves, in the form of their descendants on to a different path. They had invested millennia of effort in dragging and twisting Darwinian inevitability into a nursery for their IVF progeny. Now we can visualise the missing part of the story which must still be orbiting Jupiter. They, me, the Primedes, Rodriguez and Christophe are from the same nitrogen-breathing stock which originally emerged in other parts of the galaxy. This is but one experiment in a coherent statistical plan. They expected the Neanderthals to prevail, and after all, they were also their long distant progeny. They underestimated the force of uninhibited evolution, which allowed Homo-Sapiens to conquer what Neanderthals could not. Once this was realised they needed to devise a puzzle which humans would discover one day, and change the course of events, including the unsatisfactory future for the Primedes. Your species is threatening their existence out in the galaxy. Their hope is that cyborgs will be eradicated and disappear from their future. This has become extremely urgent. You missed a lot of data while you grappled with the Ganymede terrain. There are many repercussions we have to take into account. They will not stand by idly and watch the Borg effectively keep the timeline as it is. Your species has to be uncreated, and we have to do that. Unless we comply they will have another means of undoing events before Homo-Erectus appeared. They don't want to go further back than is deemed necessary, because it will change so much which will have to be re-created. We are looking at the period just prior to that of computer infancy. It's not what you wanted to hear, but you are just pawns in a complex matrix. Now then Harley, who is going to believe us? There is another layer to the temporal paradox. I have invested in me, a means of carrying out a purge of all cyborgs, but this is for them a fall-back option only, and yet from your perspective, a blackmail threat. How do you suggest we proceed?"

## Chapter 21

Harley didn't really subscribe to everything Albert had put forward, but admitted, that another visit to Jupiter space was justified. How it could be arranged was the problem. He also felt it was not going to be helpful to spread this hypothesis of Albert to a wider audience at present. He put this to the Primede 'Ambassador'.

As could be expected, Albert was open to suggestion, but emphasised that his ability to take cyborgs out of their present conflict predisposition was indeed only a sticking plaster. It would still be necessary to find an alternative to silicon chips, which would take them back to the early twentieth century. "You need to look at this differently. Removing all cyborgs would not in itself prevent future humans from inventing similar devices which could drift to the same evolutionary predicament. Humans need a retrospective nudge."

Harley asked about who needed to know about these 'predictions'. The perfunctory reply only compounded the problem for the new leader of the Brotherhood. "It can't be put off if the human race moves close to extinction. You can delay my involvement by a successful campaign against the Borg. Feel free to enquire about a humane means of eliminating cyborgs, it would simplify things considerably. I will not discuss this with anyone else unless you ask me to, or human extinction looks inevitable. Take all the time you think you may have."

*

Cleopatra and Christophe pondered the approach to Seattle. The city had not seen the expected exodus of forces to cleanse the Vancouver region following Tolstoy's capture. This was due to Alexander's characteristic response. They agreed that opportunistic, cherry-picked raids should be employed until they had obtained sufficient DPB units for every soldier in their ever-growing army.

*

Harley was suffering from cybernetic nervous disorder. Having the deadline of Alexander's threat to kill another one hundred thousand citizens had to be weighed against Albert's deadline which was not as precise in terms of time, but extremely precise in its relative consequence. He felt weak, inadequate and somewhat of an impostor, especially since he had been hailed as an inspirational leader. He badly needed a moment of epiphany. He contacted Cleopatra and insisted that he was to be at the forefront of the Seattle campaign. She argued against this to no avail, and he was briefed with every detail. He questioned none of it, and spent the short period before the action commenced by speaking with every single recruit in the force. He found this to be a therapeutic distraction. The first suburb chosen was one of graphic deprivation. Cleopatra emphasised the 'get in – hit – and get out' regimen. "The advance phalanx will engage the Hulk squad, and only then the follow-up collectors will take the recovered DPB units and armour. By this time we are likely to have attracted a second squad of hostiles. A third detachment of our own offensive troops will join the first and take these hostiles out. You must then encourage bystanders to take any available DPBs and armour, before retreating to our base. The residents who take up the weapons have a choice, join us or retire to their accommodation with the means of protecting themselves in the future. Such snipers will be a serious threat to the Hulk dominance in high rise buildings, and will preoccupy their command structure. Hopefully it will encourage their response units to search for the Neanderthals in the outskirts, where we are better prepared than they think we are."

Harley listened while watching the growing anxiety in all but the Neanderthals, who couldn't wait to get started. He had a moment of madness instead of his desired epiphany. "I will not require a weapon. There will be one tiny addition to Cleopatra's sequence. We must have a recovery team for assistance to any wounded soldiers, ours and theirs. My assistant in this task will be Tolstoy. If he had refused, he would have been publicly dematerialised. He has agreed to this since I modified his upgrade modules, and he may prove to be of further use with any captured Hulks. Do not let this affect your instructions to kill the enemy. Leave the wounded to my unit."

The component of stealth was important and they chose the encroaching dusk to enter a cul-de-sac from the side. Exploding from the entry point broke their cover, but they had achieved the desired element of surprise. The scattering crowd acted as a focussing lens to the target. Triangulated fire accounted for all but four hostiles, and stray beams caused serious collateral damage to buildings, one of which lurched and crumbled, blocking one exit. The call to cease-fire came from Harley. Cleopatra and Christophe were bemused. Harley pushed Tolstoy ahead of the phalanx and toward the remaining four terrified Hulks. Tolstoy was prodded and told to speak. The instruction was to lay down their arms and they would be spared. They quickly complied and the weapons were gathered up by the collectors. The prisoners were herded into the cul-de-sac as the rest of the rebel army took position on the upper floors of buildings in that street. Bystanders began to poke their noses out from refuges in wonderment at the strange giants who had despatched the invincible Hulks with such impunity. The eerie silence was eventually broken by the collective footfall of another hostile squad arriving from directly opposite the cul-de-sac. They closed on their four unarmed colleagues and were damaged with pinpoint accuracy DPB refocused sniper fire. The dropout volunteer collectors threw six of the recovered DPBs to the nearest Seattle residents who had bravely exited the shelter of their mouse-holes. They were encouraged to take them home or join the departing army. No losses had been suffered and sixteen Hulks had been taken prisoner. They retreated to the outskirts and the cover of wooded terrain. The prolonged exposure to radiation-rich air was potentially a problem for the human contingent without protective suits and supplies of this apparel was becoming a priority. The drug addicts didn't care, they were high on a different substance as night fell. The army would have to move on soon. This was precipitated earlier than planned because the Borg response had tracked them and set fire to the woods. They had to head with the wind to outrun the threat and they were confronted by no fewer than four squads of loyalist Hulks. It heralded the first ever inter-Hulk conflict. Interspersing the captured units among their regular groups of Neanderthals caused absolute confusion in the loyalist ranks. Their cybernetic routines were reaching overload as they were programmed to avoid firing at what they identified as their own forces. One by one they stopped all aggressive actions. Tolstoy beckoned them to abandon the manoeuvre, drop their weapons and advance. The process of module removal could begin with the sixty-four captured Hulks. This unexpected gain raised the proposal of developing and using Hulk shields as a prime strategy. The Neanderthals didn't like this idea. They disliked the bit-part role implied. The exodus from the woods was urgent as the fire was forming a crescent around them. Retreating to a disused warehouse gave space to analyse the events more rationally.

*

Back in the city, the loyalist machine was in disarray. With no reports from the four squad detachment, and the grapevine suggesting that Tolstoy had defected, the ground force lacked tactical direction. Cleopatra was just about to find out by interrogation of the captured Hulks that the four squads had been led by a senior commander. His name and identity designation was recognised by Tolstoy. Attila was 'revered' by the Seattle elite loyalists. Cleopatra wondered about the potential advantage this could offer for the next phase of tackling infrastructure gains. Initially, she only aired this with Christophe. "It's a weakness that we hadn't realised we might be able to exploit with Borg architecture, and the Hulks in particular. They are more stringently programmed than almost any other class. It is an oversight which will not last, so we should make it count as quickly as possible. Alexander will have to begin modifying the global template, so we have to concentrate on those already commissioned."

Christophe didn't respond at first. Cleopatra thought he wasn't in favour for some reason, but eventually he answered. "I'm sorry, but I am still distracted by the Neanderthals' dissent about using the Hulks as a shield."

"Yes, I was surprised by that, but I recall that you were also worried about suggesting to them that the pregnant females should have the maturation injection. Well, I think there may be a factor they have not yet considered. I noticed yesterday that Atlas is showing the first signs of ageing. Did you expect this?"

"I had forgotten that the maturation rate would slow with time, but it still shortens the lifespan. I remember Douglas Newton saying that the process would lead to death in old age after about a year. This also applies to the twins, Adam, Simon and of course Albert."

"Right, in that case they need to know. Unless they delay coming off the maturation process for a few generations at least, they won't be able to care for their offspring beyond infancy. They will be deprived of parenthood and a safe world for their children. This may influence their views on maturation, and also on how quickly we have to progress the campaign. They can join the Hulks in the 'shield' if that satisfies their need for valour. If their stance is purely one of morality, we may have a problem."

Christophe nodded in agreement and she went off to see Harley. When he'd digested the précis, his thoughts meandered to the near certainty that Albert would die due to 'natural causes' before humanity was flirting with extinction. His cybernetic nervous disposition was receding, but would return if and when Albert realised that his time was so short. Maybe he already had.

## Chapter 22

Albert decided to take out an insurance policy. He had met with apathy from Christophe regarding the temporal puzzle, and he detected silent concern in the mind of Harley with respect to the gift of a genocide solution to the loyalist Borg problem. He had always felt that Harley was so opposed to the loyalist agenda that he would have seized such an opportunity. He hadn't bargained for a cybernetic 'turn the other cheek' persona, especially when the mass executions were back on the loyalist menu. He spoke again to Christophe, not knowing that he seemed to be heading toward an alternate joint solution with Cleopatra. He was open about the preoccupation of Harley with a clean campaign, which had led to his apparent indecisiveness in embracing a swift end to hostilities.

"In Harley's case, he could clearly summon up the objectivity to accept the justification logic of my recent analysis of the entire Primede purpose with the vials. You had other things on your mind. He was fascinated by my revelations, which not only explained the Ganymede mission, but actually led on to necessary actions which must be taken. He baulked at this, and I don't think it is fear for his own future, rather that he can't find the moral conviction to sanction the use of a species killer. I expect him to prevaricate in the hope that the recent success can avoid such barbaric measures. I know that you don't have such conflicting emotions. I made a mistake by approaching him. My solution cannot be shared with any more of his kind. I will require a favour in return for disclosing the method. Do I have your attention now Christophe?"

"Absolutely, Harley and I have never really been ploughing the same furrow. I want to hear of anything which can eradicate the Borg elite, even if it means a few friendlies have to go with them. If I remember correctly you concluded our last conversation by referring to something to do with Bio-Bricks. You see, I was hearing, but not truly listening. You can start by telling me what the hell they have to do with the war."

"Excellent, but first I have to be sure you can accommodate my favour. I need to have a series of 'brothers'. You have access to the vials and know the procedural technique better than anyone. I realise we would need a laboratory to perform the task. It requires the maturation version and it may need to be repeated at another time. Is this doable?"

"Back up a little, like why you need to do this all of a sudden."

"You must not have observed the premature ageing of the other vial children. They won't survive very long, so your campaign may run out of bodies. In my case there is an inbuilt limiter to this accelerated existence, but it comes with the cost of reduced oxygen tolerance. Therefore I need to have continuity for a different reason. In the event of me falling to such pulmonary toxicity, you need a back-up for me. Do we have an agreement?"

"I don't see a problem with the procedures, but we must be ready to explain the appearance of more of your kind. Give this careful thought, because Cleopatra is red hot on stuff like this. She misses nothing."

"Yes, but do we have an agreement?"

"Tell me about these Bio-Bricks."

"Very well, the serious research started early in the twenty-first century. Bio-Brick biological parts are actually DNA sequences of rigorously defined structure and function. They share a common interface and are designed to be composed and incorporated into living cells, to construct new biological systems. Bio-Brick parts represent an effort to introduce engineering principles into synthetic biology.

One of the primary objectives of the Bio-Bricks project was to provide a viable approach to nanotechnology, employing biological organisms. Another, more long-term aim was to produce a synthetic living organism from the engineered parts. This was ridiculed at first, but the developers were undeterred and their initial success created a storm of protest. Eventually, in 2052 the process was banned. However, as with many acts of prohibition, it went underground. The technology still exists."

"I must be misunderstanding something Albert, aren't we trying to get rid of synthetic life forms?"

"I said synthetic living organisms. Its semantic conveyance depends on your definition of organisms, and their root in organic structure. I don't personally consider cyborgs to be organisms, although they are very well organised. Let us concentrate on the science. This ability to employ simple circuitry to encourage a living cell to consume specific tissue for support of its metabolism is the key."

"Go on."

"Well this is one process in a sequence which can lead to the creation of life. What if our purpose is to reverse this sequence? If we can create an organism which consumes circuitry, it would become the nemesis of the Borg. It is the equivalent of the plague affecting humans right now. We know that the Borg dermis is a highly effective carrier material, and they have conveniently banned humans from travel, which is the secondary requirement for propagation of the contagion. We need a bio-lab and a bio-engineer to get started. I hear you want to create more Neanderthals, and I need a few comrades, so it fits with your plan. The reversal of the Bio-Brick process is likely to be difficult without my guidance. When it is ready we will need a delivery mechanism. This could be our greatest obstacle, as it will not discriminate between circuits such as Harley and Tolstoy, for example."

Christophe was stunned and said he needed time to digest the concept. "No pun intended."

*

Attila had delivered a lot of tactical information to Cleopatra following disablement of certain modules. Completing this personality purge allowed her to attempt a bold strike. She informed Harley and Christophe of the detail and said she didn't want either of them involved, because of the extreme risk. "Firstly Christophe, this has to be a Borg-only exercise. Any presence of humans will be seen as a trap. In a similar way Harley, your refusal to be armed will cause suspicion. The essence of the deception requires the presence of both Tolstoy and Attila. The latter will contact one of his lieutenants in the inner ring which contains the rebels and humans. He will state that he has escaped with other loyalist Hulks, and has a plan to rescue Tolstoy, who has been partially 'dumbed down'. He will stress that this rescue attempt is now a higher priority than simply guarding demoralised citizens. His reputation will sway the entire ring contingent to meet with the 'Hulk escapees'. When they are face-to-face, and Attila beckons them closer to hear the Tolstoy plan, we encircle the destination with every available Neanderthal. Instructions from Attila to proceed to the airfreight hangar, in a very tight formation, will follow. As they approach the target location, they find only humans guarding Tolstoy. Attila will have made it clear that there must be no premature use of weapons, as there are hidden DPB snipers on the mezzanine, and this would put Tolstoy at risk. He will ask to speak to whoever is in command. When I appear and seem to comply with Attila's command to hand over the hostage, because of their obvious superiority in numbers, I raise the stakes by giving my DPB to Tolstoy. He has been prepared to shoot at the Hulks. As we observed in the last skirmish, the Hulks can't handle firing at units of the same designation and the processing conflict causes them to overload almost instantly. We may lose a few during their shutdown interval, including Tolstoy, but the prize is that Seattle will be open to us. If my plan goes seriously wrong then the Neanderthals can dematerialise the entire hanger and its contents, and we only lose me."

Harley didn't like it, but Christophe was not too concerned about the threat to Cleopatra, and swung the balance. The contact from Attila was made.

The first part went well and the lieutenant brought every Hulk to the point of confluence with Attila's contingent. The population in the centre of Seattle immediately took advantage of their departure by evacuating their homes, despite the radiation exposure. The meeting raised questions about the concentration of their forces while moving toward the specified location. Some of the new arrivals were having trouble reconciling such naive tactics with the leader they knew. He managed to diffuse the concern by saying he would typically be first into the hangar. "We outnumber the enemy by a significant factor, and more importantly, we must recover our former ability to generate utter fear before a single weapon is discharged. Some of us will fall, but this is a mission to recover our glorious leader, and the lift in morale which comes as a welcome bonus. If I am the first of our number to suffer expiration, it will be in an important cause. However if mine is the first hand to set free our leader, it will be a moment I will remember forever. We must not delay our task any longer, follow me." Cleopatra breathed a sigh of relief.

Inside the hangar, the Hulks couldn't see any snipers, because there weren't any. They could however see Tolstoy, chained to a girder. Attila asked for total silence, and called out to Cleopatra. She came out from an aisle and this caused considerable tension, as the Hulks shifted their focus to other locations where snipers could be lurking. The order from Attila for her to unlock Tolstoy's chains was met with a resigned nod, and she approached the captive. As soon as she had put the DPB in his hands, she ran for cover. The weapon was set at the broad-kill option and Tolstoy took out over thirty Hulks. The return fire was sporadic until the subroutine disorientation quelled the response, and the meltdown mimicked a giant skittle alley. Cleopatra lost her left foot in the initial confusion, but that was an acceptable price, as spares were not in short supply. The Neanderthals were disappointed, but reassured that there would be another opportunity very soon.

The reconfiguration of the fallen Hulks took longer than anticipated and the Neanderthals were detailed to the nearby industrial estate to take over a bio-laboratory. It was lightly guarded and would not present much resistance. After the building and staff were secured, they were to move on to a broadcast station on the city outskirts. Harley led this foray unarmed, with Christophe marshalling the military side, and every one of his soldiers would be carrying a DPB. This time the Hulks were turned to fragments without any break of stride. Christophe accompanied Harley to the actual broadcast studio and it proved to be an even easier acquisition. Harley wasted no time in speaking through the local network, to declare Seattle free once more, and passionately called for mass enlistment. He referred to this struggle as the last throw of the dice for the Rebel Brotherhood. Christophe left to return to the bio-lab. He asked the director about the in-house bioengineering expertise and was met with a promising reply. They had already been scheduled to take the place of the Vancouver facility in Tolstoy's programme for the region. They had not yet heard the details of the Borg plan, and Christophe didn't enlighten them. He said he would come back with Albert, and left a patrol unit to keep the building secure. There was an air of jubilation about the city, yet the inhabitants had been here before. Somehow this felt different, and the stature of the Neanderthals had a lot to do with it.

Cleopatra had used the time to re-interrogate Attila, about the whereabouts of Alexander. Although he could not be precise Attila was pretty certain that the Borg High Command leader was frequently in Dallas to keep an eye on his prized asset of Hulk production. "He moves around constantly and we are never given specific coordinates of his location, but we have many requests to reinforce his personal security around Dallas. I have no information regarding when he arrives or departs."

She couldn't help feeling that this information was given freely and wondered if he was not entirely happy with the campaign of the High Command. She would speak to him again on this subject.

## Chapter 23

Harley realised that the news of the fall of Seattle would spread quickly, and that Alexander probably knew already. He took the opportunity to make a mass appeal before the scheduled stadium execution date was planned. As he was restricted to broadcasting in the northwest, his appeal was kept extremely simple in terms of the question it posed.

"The liberation of Seattle was achieved despite the fact that the rebel forces were heavily outnumbered. In other cities and rural communities we face a similar challenge. However, if the forces are assisted by citizens enlisting, the odds become more even. We have to ask - how can we compensate for the lack of weapons with which to confront the loyalist hordes? The issue of communication is one such tactic. We must use our personal communicators constantly to update our friends and relatives in other locations. The enemy cannot track these messages continually without being confused and distracted. The power of this activity may culminate in helping us to pin down Alexander. We know from interrogating captives that he moves about but always returns to Dallas. Knowing when he is there would present us with a chance to behead the snake. We would also benefit from a temporary shift in constitutional framework. The Borg template, with its pre-designed architecture is intended to operate on only logic command protocols. I should know because I am one, but apparently a rogue, or a misfit. The recent global centralisation of virtually everything suits them perfectly. I am suggesting that we begin to think and act as City states. If we happen to have a different plan to our neighbouring city it will help confuse them. Seattle forces will gradually move outward to assist military campaigns based on the aforementioned blanket communication network. Additional acquisition of broadcast operations is vital. Please begin communicating now, because finding Alexander will potentially save millions of lives."

Harley's mention of his own rogue character resonated with Cleopatra. She returned to speak with Attila. She noticed the same miniscule misalignment of his eyes, which had been observed in Harley by the little autistic boy on the train to Vancouver. She began to wonder if this was responsible for some 'off specification' manufacturing glitch which was not picked up by the closed loop controls. If this was the case, it had also got past final quality screening. Was this responsible for the number of domestiques who were prone to rebellion? She didn't know enough about the manufacturing process to decide if this could lead to a valid theory. Attila responded to her questions by finally admitting that he suffered from periodic conflicting sub-routines. She didn't have the eye misalignment, so she was further confused by what caused her own defection to the domestique cause.

*

Christophe and Albert were introduced by the bio-lab director to Bianca Fleming. She was, according to her boss, the best microbiologist in the facility. The general chat revealed that in her student days she'd been intrigued by the banned branch of synthetic biology. When Albert began to outline his project, Christophe interrupted his flow and asked Bianca what it was about synthetic biology which spiked her interest.

"Very simply, the opportunity to create life from the most basic building blocks."

"Is that philosophy counterbalanced with any concern that such manipulation could produce any number of problems for our species?"

"Of course, but you use the word counterbalance, so what would happen if these loyalist circuit boards eradicate us? The knowledge obtained from synthetic biology research could recreate us at some time. There are always pros and cons to be considered, for example, these giant Neanderthals who have helped in freeing us from the Borg oppression. Who created them? Did they think about counterbalance? Having the knowledge, and deciding how it is used, is a labyrinthine challenge for technical progression and its ethical counterpart."

Christophe motioned for Albert to continue. When he had concluded his discourse, Bianca suddenly realised the real thrust of Christophe's question. "This is an unashamedly transparent creation of a biological weapon. May I ask about your own background?"

Christophe was brutally honest. "I am a doctor, a medical practitioner who took the Hippocratic Oath."

"And you queried my ethical stance?"

"I merely wanted to know if you were the right biologist as well as the cleverest one available. I lost my wife and child courtesy of the loyalist circuit boards you mentioned. I have argued all of my life against capital punishment, as a principle, but when all of a sudden it is you who suffers the loss, you begin to wonder. Having tried to reconcile my professional and personal views in the midst of this genocide, I find it difficult to just roll over and do nothing. When reason isn't an option, as is the case with the loyalists, I feel compelled to act. Millions have already been executed, and this brought the Rebel Brotherhood to the point of surrender. Millions more are being scheduled again. Where do you draw your line Bianca?"

"I will have to think about it, now that you've confronted me with the Borg threat to reinstate the mass extermination."

"Well don't dwell too long on the purist morality. If it helps you to decide, I can reveal that I was heavily involved in creating the Neanderthals, and my friend who stands here beside us. I am about to create more of each, as I have the vials with the required ingredients. I don't have the template of a pathogen for circuit boards otherwise the conflict would be over for ever. Do you have any further questions as to where I stand on the ethics?"

She agreed to begin the research.

*

There was more good news for Christophe, as Cleopatra's prediction was correct in relation to the Neanderthals' willingness to see the campaign through before discontinuing the maturation process. They put it succinctly through Atlas. "It is our chance to cheat the historic extinction of our ancestors. This, together with our appreciation of the quality of that new life, is dominant in our decision. Longevity is less important than continuity."

*

Alexander was angry at the fall of Seattle. He was doubly annoyed about the capture of Tolstoy. He was also frustrated that the logistics involved didn't allow him to bring forward the mass execution. The reports received about the Neanderthals were worrying, and had been grossly exaggerated with respect to their dominance over his Hulks. A defensive strategy was the distillate of all such considerations. He took the prudent step of trying to confine and let the bush fire burn itself out. Orders were issued to destroy re-energising booths outward from Seattle, to restrict the area of influence of domestiques. Harley didn't yet know that minor successes in Brisbane and Copenhagen had pushed Alexander into thinking that it was a coordinated effort. Taking his foot off the offensive gas accorded more time for progress of a true means to counter the Borg elite on a grand scale. In his ignorance of Alexander's real motive in going on to the defensive, Harley called for a strategic discussion with his closest advisors. He invited Cleopatra, Christophe, Atlas, and Albert to attend. Cleopatra suggested that Attila should be included. The initial brainstorming on ways to compensate for the lack of re-energising booths was top of the agenda, but because of the other 'one hit' irons in the fire, it quickly became evident that not everyone was in on all options. It was a sobering comment from Atlas which conferred a calming overtone to those who felt they had been deceived.

"We don't have much time in which to respond to the problem with the booths, but it affects only the domestiques in terms of their range of effectiveness. That should be considered as a temporary inconvenience. My brothers and sisters have an imminent death sentence which can't be altered. Even though we have agreed to continue with the maturation technique, the caveat has to be that it is not wasted, and there must be sufficient quantities of our DNA template retained for normal growth of our kin when this is all over. If we waste this precious time arguing we must rescind our decision."

Harley endorsed Atlas' position and insisted that all options were evaluated as expeditiously as possible. There were still murmurings of resistance, and it was Albert who finally broke the lock-jam. "I suppose many of you would expect that the death sentence referred to by Atlas also applies to me. It does, but is of a different nature. I will die of oxygen poisoning. It may be quite a bit later than the Neanderthals, because I have a limiter embedded to offset the premature ageing problem, but my tolerance for this oxygen-rich air will shorten my existence. That's why I am, with Christophe's help, about to produce more of my kind to help carry the baton in my absence. In describing my solution to the campaign, I make no apology for any side issue which comes with the technique. There is also a factor which will help judge the relevance of each strategy, which I will only reveal after we have heard all ideas."

When he elucidated his 'circuit pathogen' strategy, Cleopatra, Attila and Atlas were shocked, but to varying degrees. Attila was vehemently opposed to genocide, full stop. Atlas believed that without the domestiques around the planet, all of the Neanderthal vial would be squandered for no overall gain, thus meaning genocide of two species. Cleopatra was appalled at first, and then asked Albert a question. "When you claim that the pathogen can't or won't discriminate between Borg elite and domestiques, is this just another hypothesis, or do you know so for certain?"

"I can only say that it is specifically targeted, whether the organism can react differently in a variety of hosts is unknown."

Cleopatra continued. "Well, we have many examples in humans in which 'deviant' minorities survive pandemics. Indeed there is one such Borg possibility in our midst as we speak. I have noted a very small difference between Harley and myself in terms of conformance to specification. It was first observed by a boy who recognised Harley as the 'spaceman'. This was such a small margin of difference but he was still able to tell Harley apart from other cyborgs. Even I hadn't noticed until it was pointed out. Now, I notice that Attila has the same 'defect'. Other aspects they have in common are the tendency to feel compassion, to rebel against oppression, to share certain human values and needs. I have some in common too, but not all. If this is a mirror image of miscopying human genes and a resultant variation in the immune system, could it not mean your pathogen will not affect all Borg?"

Albert was intrigued. "Actually, I have extracted the detail on how to construct the organism from the Ganymede inscriptions, and we may be able to study this concept of yours. Of course we would need volunteers."

Christophe was then invited to provide detail of his solution, which he had vowed to carry out several times. The possibility that Cleopatra had guessed anyway, the current lack of re-energising booths, and Albert's more efficient proposal persuaded him to concede to outlining his plan. "Everyone seems to have forgotten that the Ganymede mission was equipped with thermonuclear devices for unforeseen circumstances. They still exist. I was one of the personnel entrusted with the arming codes. The others were Harley and Rodriguez. I wanted to find the devices at the Cape and detonate them so that the entire High Command structure was destroyed with one action. If I'm honest, it was Alexander I wanted most, but the destruction of the infrastructure, including the master computing complex would disable many Borg operations. It would swing the odds in our favour, and yes I was prepared to countenance the loss of innocent citizens."

It was Harley's turn to be shocked at the level of barbarism which characterised both concepts heard so far. There were further ideas which were more tactical than strategic, and all were to be kept in mind. However, before any decisions were taken, Albert rose to speak again.

"In having strayed on to less effective items I believe I should finally make you aware of the important overlay I mentioned earlier. In meticulously filling in the missing chunks of the Ganymede translations, I made Harley aware of the probability that we are all an integral part of a temporal paradox. I can go into much more detail on this, as I have isolated more missing text. Apparently the cavern on Ganymede had an additional chamber which was never discovered, despite its location directly behind the one with the vials. There was a disguised and coded access mechanism. It is supposed to contain, amongst other explanatory historical data, a definite plan to return to Earth to check out the programme. This identifies the unfortunate need to see all cybernetic life eradicated. It is not ambiguous, as it is part of their current survival struggle. You must factor this into your thoughts. The present conflict may be difficult, but I would estimate that one with the Primedes is unwinnable"

## Chapter 24

The strategic discussion had produced a waterfall of questions rather than a single campaign path. Most were directed to Albert's final assertion that they had to take into account displeasure of the Primedes, if their tweak of the timeline had not delivered the desired adjustment. Atlas was puzzled.

"You are trying to convince us that the Primedes are ancestors of all of us, but the cyborgs are inventions, and therefore not a sub-species. We could say the same about spacefaring vessels."

"Not really, the important delineation is one of sentience and its tendency to challenge everything which has become the accepted way."

Christophe had been the least inquisitive so far. "If the Primedes are in a death match with cybernetic life forms right now, what do you think would happen if they lost the fight?"

"I can only assume that at some point those cyborgs would discover the temporal programme of the Primedes and may themselves return to Earth in the future."

Christophe had his platform. "So, at least in theory, we could well be debating a second war with the Borg, but one assisted by kin from other parts of the galaxy. I'm intrigued by the admission that these Primedes could be losing a battle, against a foe which by your logic will have absolutely no burden of conscience in disposing of humans. It seems you are implying that we would lose against either of these super-alien races. So, what have we to lose by at least taking out the loyalist Borg? I can guess – the Primedes would purge the remaining domestiques, whereas the galactic cyborgs would dispose of humans and Neanderthals forever. At least humans could re-invent more compatible Borg, if that was deemed a requirement."

"Aren't you missing a small but important detail? The Primedes have an advantage to be deployed in extreme emergency. They can interfere with the timeline further into the past than the cyborgs can. They would have to unravel much more of this paradox than they want to, and that is why the vial with their template was offered on Ganymede. I am evidence of the power to delete millennia of evolution. They prefer to alter rather than remove."

Harley, Cleopatra and Attila, as representatives of the erasable species expressed the joint view that it logically came back to winning the present campaign. Harley spoke for the others. "If we can determine how to develop a modifier along the lines of Cleopatra's claim to domestique immunity from your pathogen, then the rest is out of our hands. Even if we had never found anything on Ganymede, we wouldn't be able to prevent a visit from the Primedes. So let us work with what we can control. At least if we can convince them that we have Neanderthals, domestiques and humans living in harmony, we may alter their disposition towards cybernetic entities. Couldn't that be one of the reasons that you are their 'ambassador'?"

"I suppose it's possible. Making sure that I was able to react to the Ganymede story included the basic methodology of producing the pathogenic organism. If the cooperative effort of our three species produces a refinement of cyborg branching to a compatible template, the Primedes could benefit in a different but novel way from the temporal paradox. I will get to work on this with Christophe and Bianca Fleming immediately."

This decision had depended on some compromise from all parties and helped retain the motivation of the recent gain of their Seattle stronghold.

The responsibilities were split. Albert, Christophe and Bianca began to sketch in the requirements for the designer organism. Cleopatra and Attila set up a development team at the city power grid to replace the re-energising booths with a portable charging capability. Atlas didn't want to waste another minute and led his kin into skirmishes with loyalists to the southeast of Seattle. They wanted to bring more Hulks and weapons under the control of the rebel army. The breakout from the city was crucial to retaining critical mass of the offensive during Alexander's move on to the back foot.

*

Harley surprised everyone after he contacted Hilda. She had told him that the boy had developed whooping cough and was not well at all. The local doctor was having difficulty in obtaining appropriate medication, but James was apparently over the worst. Harley was devastated by the news, but before he could reply, Hilda said that the villagers were all scouring pharmacies between Brackendale and Vancouver. He gave her the contact number for Rodriguez and said he would help. When Harley appeared at the bio-lab unexpectedly, the team asked why he had come instead of concentrating on the campaign issues.

"I am doing exactly that. Your research is going to need guinea pigs to test out your circuit eaters in a real situation. I can't ask anyone else to volunteer for this, so here I am. I know what you're going to say, so don't bother, my mind is made up. Furthermore you will need a volunteer who is to represent the Borg elite, and I have one of those in mind. Tolstoy doesn't have any further strategic benefit to offer, other than becoming our wooden horse of Troy. He can be part of the delivery system." Christophe smiled at Harley and brushed aside any latent challenge from Bianca.

"Great, can I ask what has provoked such a shift in your moral objection?"

"The isolated plight of a helpless infant in Brackendale has persuaded me that injustice is part of a natural order, just as it is a consequence of a ruthless war. We must end the suffering as soon as possible. I have deluded myself once again into believing we could fight a clean campaign. Let's get this done."

*

Alexander sat with his closest aides to discuss the latest position on the stadium massacre and the back-up to his scorched earth policy around Seattle. The location of the stadium had been debated many times and the final choice had been partly dependent on the ease of rounding up one hundred thousand participants. Mexico City was selected because it also offered a salutary lesson right on the doorstep of a rebel hotspot. This proximity to the wave of fear was deemed to be powerful propaganda. The meeting was interrupted by a call from one of Alexander's field commanders.

"Sir, I have had communication from the defeated commander in Seattle. He asked me to pass his request to you. Apparently he has been shunted around by several other contacts before he got to me."

Alexander knew and trusted the field commander as much as he trusted anyone. "Who are we talking about?"

"His designation is Attila, and he has always been a leader by example, rather than exclusively by command. He is highly respected by his subordinates and I have never found him wanting in any respect."

"What does he want?"

"He was captured with most of the Seattle garrison and his message is from the rebel command. He emphasised that he was only a messenger and not representing or advising the course of action proposed."

"Go on."

"These Seattle rebels also have Tolstoy in custody. They want to trade his freedom for a moratorium on the stadium execution. It sounds as if they recognise their domestiques are stuck in a different kind of ring, one without the means to expand without the booths. Attila has been told to ask for a reply by tomorrow, as he has been given to understand that if we disregard the offer, then the rebels will reciprocate with broadcasts of mass killing of Hulks in Seattle. He assures me they mean to demonstrate just how weak the Hulks are in comparison with these Neanderthals we have been hearing about. Attila has met with them at close quarters and describes them as fearsome adversaries. He has also been informed that if agreement to postpone mass slaughter is not reached quickly, the rebels have means of producing thousands of Neanderthals at a faster rate than we can supply Hulks."

"And the point of your call is?"

"I repeat Sir, I am only a messenger. If you are asking my opinion I will comply."

"What benefit do we have in freeing Tolstoy?"

"None that can't be achieved in replicating his template by your instruction Sir, but I have often wondered why you did not order such a replacement. I assumed that you felt it was unnecessary."

Alexander did value the flexibility to have a ruthless Chief of Staff, and the option to show compassion in overruling him when the situation demanded strategic thinking space. He knew this meant as much to his own forces as it did to those domestiques about to join the rebels. "Tell me about your subordinates, what would they want you to do if you were now the captives of the rebels?"

"They would obviously want to avoid mass execution. Dying in action is more honourable than being passively sacrificed."

"What do they think of the practice of our mass executions?"

"The same Sir, they will never comment openly, but a commander must know how his soldiers feel on such issues. Some are more disturbed by the stadium killings than others, but they are still capable of fulfilling their duty."

"And you?"

"Exactly the same Sir, I would rather engage the enemy than cull civilians, even if we were outnumbered. However, it is not my province to debate such policy."

"Nevertheless, your opinion is important. I see no merit in simply creating another Tolstoy as a replacement of a failure. I can see temporary merit in 'rescuing' him and extracting an appropriate apology for his carelessness, which cost us Seattle. It would be preferable to have him cut down by us than see him offer propaganda momentum to the rebels by him being culled at their hand. That would be powerful ammunition for their recruitment drive. I am willing to accept the offer in principle. By that I mean postponing the stadium programme by another week. However I must know how we identify and collect Tolstoy. Find this out and get back to me."

Alexander was quite pleased that this offer had fallen into his lap, not least because the initial timescale was too tight and there were murmurings of the sacrificial lambs being chosen without proper checks on their fit to the original selection criteria. Many loyalist citizens had been incarcerated by mistake, and this had the potential to sow the seeds of doubt amongst the rank and file of Alexander's army.

## Chapter 25

The bio-lab experiments were proceeding concurrent with a trebling of the Neanderthal contingent, all of which would be fast-forwarded. This was considered necessary in the event of Atlas' incursions outside Seattle suffering heavy losses.

Harley was observing Albert and Bianca. "How do you know what will happen to this designer organism if it does eliminate our enemy? What will it attack next?"

Albert responded unconvincingly. "Yes, that could become a concern, but the finalisation of the pathogen will be conducted by me alone. The Primede text was clear on this. I have to insert a predetermined vulnerability into the template."

Bianca asked how he knew it would work. He ignored the question until it was re-phrased by Harley. "I think we should discuss this later. I'm not avoiding the question, I will leave you to decide who to enlighten with my reply. Now can we get on please?"

They had garnered a range of Borg spare parts for the initial trials, and when these experiments had yielded a satisfactory result, it would be time to decide on whether to infect Harley and Tolstoy.

There was also progress on the prototype portable charging system. Cleopatra was spearheading this work, thus allowing Attila the freedom as demanded, to participate in the tortuous communication route with Alexander's chosen delegate. The most promising concept was the employment of a small ultra-violet receptor which could initiate excitation in molecular structures, and although the molecules were designed to react with one another, they were prevented by a blocking agent. The resultant 'frustration' in the form of kinetic energy was collected and directed to a mini-converter. Interfacing this with the Borg polarity input module mimicked a solar generator. It was however, not confined to sunlight as a primary source of UV. Indeed, commercial ultra-violet tubes were more efficient. Human preoccupation with getting a tan had withered long ago, with the onset of the dissipation of the ozone layer. These tubes had been designated as redundant technology by the creators of the Borg, and now they could actually become the indirect saviours of domestiques. Cleopatra followed Harley's example and was first to volunteer to use the prototype.

*

Atlas had headed south and met no resistance until the group reached the outskirts of Tacoma. Even then their scouts reported only skeleton patrols. He decided to take these out one at a time. This was the Neanderthals' first skirmish in which they were in total control of the tactics and resultant decisions. They opted for recovering weapons as the priority. Taking more prisoners was not helpful if they had to be marched back to Seattle to be modified. They were utterly ruthless in executing their sequence of eliminating just enough Hulks to get the remainder to surrender. They then gathered up the working DPBs, and instantly fragmented the rest of the Hulks. They acquired more than two hundred weapons before making more night reconnaissance of the Hulk forces in and around central Tacoma. Atlas' decision was to wait and continue to observe. It became clear that Alexander's edict to destroy all re-energising booths was only strictly applied to rural areas and suburbs. Town centres saw the defensive garrisons posted around the booths. The destruction of each booth was thought to be the last act before any evacuation which became inevitable. Atlas thought carefully about this and then contacted Cleopatra.

"How close are you to creating your portable charger? I ask because it occurs to me that we have two options here. We could probably take Tacoma now, but that would almost certainly result in the booths being lost. If you're confident that you don't need them, it could be an advantage to allow the Hulks' booths to be destroyed, as long as they don't know you have an alternative. The fact that they are facing only Neanderthals may convince them that the domestiques are incapacitated."

Cleopatra agreed. "At least in the present situation it makes sense. I'm highly confident we can make this prototype work. The prospect of retreating Hulks fighting one another over re-energising stations appeals to me."

Atlas now had all of his recruits waving a DPB in each hand. "This mission is a 'kill on sight' command. We take Tacoma. What happens to the weapons and the booths is secondary."

Operating at night, and attacking one booth area at a time with rotating fire, completely confused the Hulks. Atlas had divided his resource into groups which operated like a Catherine Wheel. As the first discharged their DPB's they moved and the second revolved part way into position from behind. Repeating this gave them the advantage of continual fire, as the first in the wheel had time for their weapons to cool before the next discharge, thus avoiding overheating. The second advantage employed by Atlas was to approach from the direction of lowest property density. The Hulks were defending a fixed point and the Neanderthal fire was targeted at buildings as well as operatives. The collapsing, fragmented dwellings engulfed the defenders. The other booth locations were informed of the Neanderthal tsunami and were advised to flee after destroying the re-energising equipment. Atlas had lost only two soldiers, in the taking of Tacoma. He suggested to Cleopatra that they would hold their gain, and requested reinforcements in the shape of the burgeoning dropout army. She acknowledged this and said there would also be more of their own kin sent within days, from Christophe's vial produce. "They will leave here as soon as we are sure they understand the situation, but you will have to train them on arrival."

The fleeing Hulks did not want to face the wrath of Alexander and headed due south toward Portland. The overall commander of the Tacoma defence force told his equivalent in Portland that the Neanderthals were tactically smart, and limitless in number. "Unless we have some defence against our own DPBs, we will all be dematerialised. We can't win this way, and where is our leader? They have their leader conducting the battle. He sees everything and motivates the troops by sharing the risk."

This gross exaggeration, as often happens, created the beginning of a wedge between the ideology of the Fuhrer and the sacrificial role of the individual soldier. After discussing the practical options they were facing, the stark choice was one of gallant and loyal oblivion, or pragmatic alignment with who they perceived would be the victors. It wasn't solely the life or death rationale which influenced the final decision. Alexander had been right, some of the loyalist forces were not happy with the reinstated cull of dissident civilians. The two commanders found it difficult to process their own logic path. They led their recruits out of Portland and headed for Tacoma under a white flag. When they arrived, and Atlas was satisfied they were genuinely opposed to the cleansing objective, he contacted Cleopatra again.

"They have apparently not destroyed the booths in Portland. You should send some domestiques so that this can be verified. These two commanders are offering their services to our cause. I'll wait until your scouts tell me that the booths are still operational before considering their proposal, and then sending the two of them to you. I will keep their forces under guard in Tacoma until you decide what to do. I'm not experienced enough to judge their motive in running away, then returning to surrender. It's very confusing."

*

While Bianca was getting coffee for Christophe and herself, Harley took the opportunity to badger Albert about his certainty over nullifying the effect of the designer organism, once it had exhausted its usefulness. It wasn't quite what he expected to hear.

"In one sentence, this has already been tested by the Primedes."

"How can that be? You said they were already engaged in a struggle with cyborgs which wasn't going too well. Why haven't they used your technique?"

"They did, but weren't ruthless enough, and they neutralised the organism before total eradication was achieved. It was a compassionate decision and for a few decades it appeared that it was justified. However, the cyborgs began to flourish under their guise of having reformed. During this period, they worked tirelessly on an immunity module for any repeat of this kind of pathogen. That is why the Primedes would purge Earth of all cyborgs whenever they decide to come back. It is insurance against such entities ever having been invented, and that is a direct consequence of their current campaign not going to plan."

"Albert, I must say I have problems sifting through the various bits of data you have provided, and determining which to believe. You seem to have been burdened with a mendacious gene. I've come to that conclusion because you only pass on these dubious morsels on a need to know basis. If this latest declaration is true, why should rebel Borg like me assist them to wipe us out? It would surely be logically more pragmatic to join the High Command and cleanse the planet of humans."

"Maybe, but you won't do that. Are you going to pass my revelation on to others? If you are, then it will possibly compromise my work. If Alexander was to get advance warning it may allow him to devise a solution. Think over your dilemma from the standpoint that if the Earth is settled, and domestiques have a proven history of contributing to such stability, the Primedes may reconsider their natural desire to eliminate cyborgs altogether. That will not happen if the loyalists are still around. It is a slender chance to be weighed up against no chance. It's a difficult call. Please let me know what you decide, and until I hear to the contrary I'll assume I should carry on with my work."

*

Harley left the lab and called Hilda. She was jubilant that James was improving, and that this trend was assisted by Rodriguez' swift action in getting medication to her house very quickly, after being told of the child's condition. Pacing around the building, in which Cleopatra was pioneering the portable chargers, Harley debated whether it was appropriate to share Albert's latest crumb of little comfort. He eventually accepted that true leadership came with the responsibility of choosing one difficult route over another, and it was not possible to process every personal quandary through a committee.

He heard of the potential defection of the Portland Hulks from Cleopatra and asked her to keep him posted. "I think it would be wise to keep this from Alexander's spies. The longer he suspects nothing, the more time we have to inflict the pathogen on our brethren."

"So, you've made peace with yourself over this?"

"I suppose so. Many things have changed since I set off for Jupiter space. I have lost much of my innocence, and only the next few weeks will determine if I have also shed an equal share of naivety."

He hurried back to the lab and informed Albert that he was going to accept his advice. "When do we expect the organism to be ready for my participation?"

"It depends on how long it takes Bianca to set up a steady replication environment. The rest is known to me and requires minimal proving tests. I would estimate that about four days from now we will need to infect Tolstoy. Your turn will come after we see signs of the commencement of his personal struggle."

"Good, I have also been thinking of a delivery method for the organism, other than through Tolstoy. We can discuss it any time you are ready."

"I'm intrigued to hear it. There will be a break in activity between Bianca's participation and my final touch. We could talk then."

Harley had banished his doubts for the present, and he asked Attila if there had been any response to Alexander's question regarding a satisfactory means of identifying Tolstoy. There hadn't, and he needed to push this forward if the deception was to occur in time to save the mass killing. "I suggest we make him an offer he can't refuse. Tell him that we are releasing Tolstoy into the care of his Hulks and we therefore expect him to delay the executions. This is an act of trust on our part and he needs to show the same respect to us."

Attila was doubtful that this would occur but complied.

## Chapter 26

Alexander was perplexed by the proposal to release Tolstoy without any guarantee to halt the stadium cull. He mulled over the possible psychology which was being employed, and asked for the precise location in which Tolstoy would be freed. When this was refused he became more suspicious. The original date planned for the massacre was looming, and he accepted that preparations were behind schedule. This was also something he wanted to avoid. Empty threats were a sign of weakness. Despite his discomfort he agreed to the proposal. This communication effectively transferred the pressure back to Albert.

He was almost ready. A defining moment in the second uprising was being sculptured. Atlas had his reinforcements, albeit not fully trained. The Neanderthals were getting restless, they wanted action. Cleopatra had released the new chargers to domestiques and she was to lead them toward Spokane, in a thrust to the east. Christophe would join her, as he still had one eye on the Cape. Attila would complement the eastern initiative as he had spoken with the two defecting commanders in Tacoma. They would help spread the objection to war on civilians. Harley spoke with Albert. "Are you ready to hear my proposal, or do you intend to inject Tolstoy first?"

"I should hear it before I inject you, otherwise I may never hear it."

"Very reassuring Albert, I must say. Ok, it occurred to me that of all the fauna on Earth, the Borg have only ever been fascinated with one, other than humans. In fact, we have almost looked at them as Gods. The avian varieties, with their freedom of the skies and graceful movement are observed with wonder. They are still considered as a template of future aspiration, virtually sacred entities. Our Borg obsession with hygiene does not apply with these creatures. Their droppings are not removed from city buildings or statues. They are also a migratory species, and if we want to truly deliver your pathogen on a global basis, they would seem to be a perfect logistics ally. It depends on how confident you are about your ability to restrict the organism after it creates its own hell."

"You have really given this some thought Harley. Here I was, believing that you would actually try to prevent the operation at the last minute. If you are serious, then I can do this instead of infecting you and Tolstoy. Don't worry about deactivating the pathogen, it has been programmed for extinction as it can't mutate to feed on any different kind of hosts, it is specifically targeted to Borg circuitry. I am more worried that it may not be able to discriminate between Borg variants than I am about its eventual demise. I'm satisfied that it will react differently to you and Tolstoy, but I should have had more time to look at other 'off specification' examples. Should we go the avian route?"

"Yes, but we must proceed with the original plan before unleashing the global plague. There are a lot of lives riding on delivering Tolstoy first. Inject him as soon as you can." It occurred while Harley observed.

The stage was set.

*

Tolstoy was delivered to Cleopatra, and the eastern pincer moved out. All Hulk stations had been alerted that Tolstoy's delivery was imminent. Within forty-eight hours, the one in Spokane duly respected the peaceful exchange and whisked him onwards to a location of verification. The hiatus gave Attila and the two defecting commanders a chance to mix with their Spokane equivalents. When those responsible for guarding the city were informed of the back-up of Neanderthals waiting in Tacoma, primed to head in their direction if required, it planted the seeds of fear. They had heard of their ruthless atomisation of the Tacoma Hulks, and the corresponding denials of this by the High Command. The two former loyalist commanders were able to sketch in the truth. Attila then posed a pivotal question.

"What will you do if the stadium massacre goes ahead? We have honoured our part of the bargain. If this is not reciprocated we will have no choice but to eliminate your garrison. Your options will have expired, and you should think hard on what the loyalist regime will do to prevent us. Judging by the events in Seattle and Tacoma, it would appear to be an unnecessary sacrifice. If like us, you are torn between loyalty and killing citizens to rule only by fear, you must decide soon. We were never created to agonise over such conflicting purpose, yet we already have. Let us know how you wish to proceed as quickly as you can."

Alexander had not been informed that Tolstoy had suffered modification, and was furious when this was discovered. He now believed this was why the rebels had offered him on a plate without having an official pledge to suspend the cull. When he was told that it was easy to restore Tolstoy's modules, he suspected further trickery and authorised it to be done in a controlled environment, in case there was an explosive device embedded in Tolstoy's operating system. When there was no such evidence, Alexander was able to authenticate the identity of his former Chief-of-Staff. He accused the rebels of underhanded tactics in modifying Tolstoy, claiming that he had been converted to the rebel ideology, and had to be publicly executed. He would be the iconic sacrifice which would signal the massacre of another one hundred thousand individuals who harboured the same treasonous intent. The massacre would be delayed, but not cancelled; he claimed that this was the agreed basis of the bargain.

The opening up of Tolstoy's architecture lit the blue touch paper of the cybernetic plague, which was as yet undetected. The incubation period was in process.

*

Harley was injected only in the presence of Albert. He had doubts which could not be banished. They weren't directed by his possible demise, rather that the world was going to change, and it was largely down to him. The gaseous infusion invaded his silicon veins and he was convinced that he was experiencing protocol corruption. He drifted into contemplation of what James would make of all this as an adult, if they both survived.

*

Events overtook Alexander's intention to renege on the Mexico City massacre. The contagion was underway, but it was being reported as sporadic malfunctions. Various loyalists who had been involved with checking Tolstoy were suffering temporary data retrieval difficulty. It wasn't until Tolstoy ground to a halt that a 'post mortem' revealed the extent of the damage. His circuitry was turning into a jelly. The slime had been freed to be transmitted by air circulation, and this promoted a much more rapid spread of the meltdown rate. When Alexander was apprised of this he immediately realised that he'd been hoodwinked. He asked his subordinates two questions.

"I want to know if I have this bug, and if so what can be done to stop it in its tracks."

His foremost Borg Health Checker couldn't answer either question, and was told to report back in two hours with a prognosis, or he could expect to be decommissioned. He was already contaminated from the examination of the jelly and was experiencing short blackouts. He never reported back and it became academic, as Alexander had felt the first signs of such disconnects. He swiftly ordered an uncontaminated Health Checker to be brought in and stressed the urgency for an antigen. The problem he faced was the speed of the outward spread of the contagion. Most of those close to him in Dallas were showing similar symptoms. Finding individuals who weren't affected was almost impossible. His new Health Checker advised instituting quarantine procedures around the city while a crash programme of finding an antigen was studied elsewhere. The chain of command to Mexico City was under threat. In believing he would not survive this plague, Alexander, like Christophe, remembered the X-711 craft and its nuclear capability.

The equipping of the Ganymede mission with the two devices had been an exception to the ban on use of nuclear weapons, simply because they were travelling to the unknown. Even so, the deployment could only be authorised by joint Borg and human agreement. The security codes were split. The High Command had one part and the other two were with Harley, Rodriguez and Christophe. There was one other individual who had devised the algorithm for all three – the software engineer. Under normal circumstances he would never have been consulted, but this was an extreme emergency. He was brought in and decommissioned while the encoded strings were back-traced to reveal the digit sequence. By now Alexander was becoming delusional, with longer periods of thought deprivation. He inexplicably visited the X-711 hangar at the Cape with two equally disoriented loyalists. They knew they didn't have much time left, and in a confused state Alexander input the detonation sequences for both devices. He got one wrong, but the other proceeded to bring a new horizon to the war. This devastation halted virtually everything. The sheer confusion had sculptured the cease-fire that had never materialised by negotiation. 'Virtually everything' didn't include the avian delivery of untold quantities of the scourge. Multiple species of birds had already become messengers of death to many areas of the planet. Harley's developing schizophrenia sank to the darkest level. It was complicated by his initial symptoms having receded. He found the urge to end his personal struggle difficult to resist.

It didn't help that the remaining uncontaminated loyalist hierarchy surrendered unconditionally and pleaded for help in providing an antigen. The war was won, the price was yet to be counted, and that was now in the hands of an organism which would decide the fate of millions. The Borg elite had devised a test to confirm whether or not individuals had succumbed to the infection, but many of those afflicted did not adhere to quarantine regulations. The momentum of the plague was consequently unabated. Attila and Cleopatra were clear, but Albert was still unable to provide accurate data on exactly which characteristics were resistant to the bug. The planet was lurching on a precipice of anarchy.

*

Harley could now appreciate what could happen if an antigen was produced by Albert. Those who were saved would learn that others had inbuilt immunity, and that the so-called compassionate rebels had authorised selective genocide. Furthermore, they would legitimately question whether Alexander had been right after all, as this could be construed as proof that they were the superior branch of the species. The survivors were defective aberrations from the template and the intended Borg elite cleansing of such rejects had been justified. This could breed growing hatred which could lead to future war. The alternative was equally bleak, becoming a vigil of a countdown to total loyalist extermination, and how that would be perceived by the aforementioned rejects. His descent into deep depression spiralled nearer to suicide. Despite the efforts of Cleopatra and Christophe, to convince him that all of the other options facing him were potentially accompanied by even worse outcomes, it fell on deaf ears. Christophe understood better than anyone how grief could twist the cerebral capacity to fill up with black emotional distress, supplanting all logic in the process.

"Don't make the mistake I did Harley. Drugs, revenge, and even suicide are not the answer. My obsession with assassinating Alexander has extinguished my need for revenge, but it isn't quite as sweet as I'd imagined. We all need a reason to live, and I can confess to you that I pledged to end my life once Alexander was gone. I now have to seek a reason to abandon that pledge. You already have a reason. It's a little boy called James who was adopted by you, so he now becomes a responsibility as well as a reason. Focus on that for now. As one of your loyal soldiers, I would recommend total acceptance that you could never have predicted Alexander's slaughter of his own kind. You and everyone else have to come to terms with such an act of unstable mind. Despite your own mental struggle, wait for the reaction of those who didn't have to make the decisions which faced us, the oppressed. Left to Alexander, although it seems unimaginable right now, his world would have been even more depressing than the one we have inherited."

## Chapter 27

Harley wrestled forlornly with many voices in his silicon synapses, and ended up confronting Albert.

"Your mission must be almost complete. I have been an easy subject for you to manipulate. Do you feel fulfilled?"

"Not really, I am saddened by many things. I have witnessed just about every imaginable aspect of inter-species butchery, culminating in the insane act of a very disturbed loyalist leader. I have also witnessed your weak pacifism in the face of intolerance and oppression. In spite of such a short but brutal learning curve, I retain the desire to live, and maybe even influence your future. However, I am dying, and my 'brethren' will soon follow. Ironically, you have the means to re-create my kind, but why would you? You correctly suspect that I have harnessed your weakness to complete my mission. I had to do this; I am a Primede. Is that so difficult to understand?"

"Yes, I'm afraid it is, for a weak leader like me. How do you know that your cherished kin across the galaxy will prove to be any different to Alexander? It was you who impressed upon me that they were the ancestors of all of us, and that includes Christophe, me, you and Alexander. Whether we are direct or indirect progeny, the Primedes are responsible for us being here. They are taking the easy way out."

"I keep telling you that they are driven by their own struggle to survive, and in a way which alters the least quantum of time. It could have been easier for them to ensure that Homo-Sapiens became extinct rather than Neanderthals. It would certainly have been less complicated to truncate the emergence of Homo-Erectus. You have also conveniently glossed over the fact that you went to Ganymede, you brought back the vials, and you decided to let the genie out of the bottle..... I could go on. YOU collectively helped to create the situation, and yet I am perceived as the sole instigator of all that is unacceptable from your own actions. Can't you see that the Primedes gave you a multiple choice puzzle? I am guilty of extoling the virtue of one such choice, no more."

Harley digested this response and somehow fashioned a question which Albert seemed unable to answer with his usual directness.

"If I am to accept everything you have just said, what would be your reaction to my request to give me an antigen, to help those domestiques who, unlike me, do not have sufficient deviant circuitry to survive the pathogen? Would you say that you can't or you won't?"

"You are already aware of the Primedes having made this very mistake. If they hadn't we wouldn't be here."

"I will take that as confirmation that we may rule out 'can't'.

"What is your point Harley? We talked this through before the pathogen was developed."

"My point is that the Primedes may believe they made the wrong decision by creating an antigen, and we must convince them that we have learned from such misjudgement. We need to show them that we can manage the situation differently on Earth."

Albert's sarcastic expression was accompanied by an invitation to justify such a ludicrous statement. Harley continued.

"I have listened to your lectures on what the Primedes will and will not accept. I therefore have to tell you what I will accept. It's very simple, I want an antigen, and I will not accept no for an answer. If you won't provide one I will get the best human geneticists on to the task immediately. If you are correct about the Primedes coming here at some time, and blindly cleansing the planet of cybernetic life, I want to offer them a chance to observe harmony. A long period of tolerance, cooperation, and social cohesion may get them to reflect on why their compassionate act went wrong. If we demonstrate a different outcome, then surely any truly sentient species would be curious as to how it was achieved."

"And how will you ensure this happens?"

"Nothing is certain, but if we take no further action, you repetitively point out that they will eradicate domestiques anyway. What do we have to lose? When I talk about harmony I include your template. You asked why would we even contemplate this, and I would have thought that it was obvious. I want them to see that all of their progeny can work together. I envisage more of your kind being nurtured without the maturation technique, giving them a long life. I know you will tell me that it will be difficult, but we may have centuries to develop the enabling technology. You could be part of that if you feel that it confers purpose to your brief existence. The current plight of the planet has presented us with a unique pivot of progression or regression. The recent horrific acts of both campaigns have produced a moment of unity, hence the total and absolute cry of 'enough is enough'. There is no legacy other than the utter pointlessness of further conflict. Each species has its own problems to overcome, and that is the fountainhead with which to begin. The Neanderthals have a problem in common with you, yet they are already keen to nurture offspring without maturation treatment. Domestiques are rallying as I speak; they want to help the stricken loyalists, whether or not they have deviant architecture. Humans, who have been on the receiving end of High Command policy more than others, deplore the indiscriminate biological weapon we have deployed and want it to end. I have spoken to your comrades from the pure Primede vial and because they have not been involved in either the conflict or your specific mission, they have had to socially interact with all other species. They have shared their fear, and their relief at the cessation of hostility. They recognise your loyalty to your ancestral cause, and they share your desire to live. They question the motive of inclusion of a maturation vial. Albert, we have to do this before it's too late."

"You have omitted two central issues. Firstly, there is the small matter of the Neanderthals being able to breathe this atmosphere without build-up of toxin. We don't have that luxury. Your confidence in human tolerance is misplaced, and the proof is right under your nose. Christophe has never shed his thirst for revenge, and as long as human history has been recorded the same indelible trait recurs."

Harley smiled. "Let us ask Christophe if your allegation is still true. If he can convince you it isn't, will you help me? I could go to your comrades and ask them to persuade you, but I want to tackle the difficult hurdles first. Christophe and you are perfect examples, so will you speak with him in my presence?"

"Bring him to me. I make no promises."

*

Harley had not spoken to Hilda since the end of the conflict. James was almost back to his normal level of misbehaving and this was in line with the doctor declaring he was out of danger. Harley couldn't promise to visit Hilda any time soon, and he began to explain the enormously ambitious programme in which he was an integral part. She interrupted his monologue. "I can ask Cameron Rodriguez if he'll kindly bring us to see you, it isn't so far."

"No, as much as I'd love that to happen, this bubonic plague is still a risk to all humans. I can't risk James contracting another deadly disease. The travel restrictions need to be observed until the threat recedes. I will come as soon as I can."

*

He wasted no time in taking Christophe to speak with Albert. After he'd explained his previous conversation and the appeal he had made for an antigen, Albert was given the chance to put across his case.

"Tell me Christophe, has your desire for revenge been sated?"

"Yes and no would be my answer, if the only choice I had was to tick boxes. It's a little more complicated than that. I certainly celebrated the death of Alexander, and I was high without You2Me for the first time. It didn't wash away the agony of losing my family, but it has allowed me to begin to grieve in a different way. I was sure his death would be the signal to end my own life. Now I have started to look more closely at why I would do that."

"I see, and can you explain this change of heart? I also need to ask if you would support the pathogen release again, provided we could turn back the clock."

"Absolutely, and don't look at me as if this is a ludicrous contradiction. Look, Harley and I have never been remotely close to becoming true friends, and yet I can now see an opportunity for that to change. However, I think this experience of the second uprising has taught me something that I didn't realise I didn't know. We have been suspicious of each other's true motive during the campaign. I believe he thought I was only driven by my personal loss, whereas in reality it was the catalyst to despising an ideology. As a doctor I have never had the time or interest to question certain trends. I began to blame myself for being so irresponsibly apathetic. I always thought Harley was espousing his compassion for humans to surf both sides of the board. After all, he was the Commander of the Ganymede trip, and everything was on a need to know basis. I was sure he was really a loyalist."

"Fascinating I'm sure. I'm beginning to feel like an agony aunt."

"Now listen you little shit, I was told you asked to see me, and I was given to understand this was a crucial discussion for all of us."

"I'm sorry, so what made you revise your opinion of Harley?"

"I still suspected him of 'managing' the rebel resistance as a closet loyalist. His softly-softly approach to everything gnawed at my gut twenty-four seven. When I gave my support, and others endorsed the pathogen, he was against it, and yet he authorised it. He even came up with the avian global delivery system. I'm sure you agree that must have been and still is very difficult for him to rationalise. It's only now that I know what I didn't know earlier. I couldn't have done that if I'd had his reservations."

"Interesting, so do you think the price of achieving the cease-fire was acceptable?"

"Without any doubt whatsoever, because in the long run the extremist dictatorial regime would have been a higher price to pay. We humans used to have a term - racism, and it has become redundant over the last century, but at a price. Now we can hopefully put an end to its twenty-second century equivalent - 'species-ism'. I think I know what your next question is. Would I endorse his request to devise an antigen?"

"That is a question I have to ask, but before you answer, how do you expect those who devised the Jupiter Paradox to interpret such a decision?"

"I don't expect things anymore Albert, I have, after a lifetime of procedural adherence as a doctor, become a convert to pragmatism. I'll turn your question back to you. Why can't you figure out that you're blind when it comes to your obsessive mission? Has it never occurred to you that the Primedes are as much a dictatorial regime as the High Command? They may be a paternalistic version, but still a repressive variety. Why isn't it obvious to anyone but me that their sophisticated paradox is driven by the same desire for revenge which I am just beginning to shed? They are clever, much cleverer than you, and the giveaway there is that you don't even suspect they could be devious. A good starting point may be for you to explain how and when cyborgs became the first Earth species to break free of the solar system, and annoy your sponsors at the galactic core. Let me guess, they haven't done it yet. I have to live in the present Albert, and so do you unfortunately, so I am not able to expend the rest of my time worrying about some bloody surrogate fathers of humanity across the galaxy. I do know at last that I trust Harley, and he is better equipped than any of us to judge how to approach our near future, not this ridiculous time-travel game you're selling. I guess you have my answer – yes, I do support Harley's request for an antigen. I need to go now, so do you have any more questions?"

"No, but I'd like you to stay, while I advise you how to proceed with such a foolhardy policy. Harley has already said he could approach my Primede counterparts if I refuse. That is my final question, why hasn't he done that if it is so urgent?"

Harley closed the discussion with appropriate compassion. "Although you will be long dead before we are likely to be judged by your masters, it may be helpful for them to hear from any future Primede babies born from the vial, a quotation of your support in our quest for harmony. If we can deliver this, your legacy could prove critical. I have to be more concerned about the future of Earth as I plan to be around for a while yet."

## Chapter 28

Now that Harley was able to benefit from links to the entire broadcasting network, he outlined the rationale behind proceeding with the pathogen.

"It was an option which had been developed as a last resort. You all know of the detonation of a nuclear device at the Cape. It is impossible to be certain whether the likely contagion from the pathogen precipitated this senseless act. What we did know was that Alexander broke his pledge regarding the stadium massacres, which we believe were to continue, with the next one in Mexico City. Information from surrendering loyalist commanders has revealed that their leader had no intention to sanction any further delay, and that their internal logistics difficulties were the only reason for the one week's grace before the cull. In other words, they couldn't have staged this atrocity any earlier. The willingness to kill himself and hundreds of thousands of his own citizens had convinced us that Alexander had lost touch with reality. Although we may have saved comparable numbers of domestiques and humans by this enforced abortion of Alexander's plan, we firmly believe that such respite would not have continued without draconian intervention. In the circumstances, we have to correct a situation which we have created, albeit the only one which could have halted Alexander's ruthless genocide. We are developing an antigen which will become available for anyone infected, whether they are loyalist, rebel domestiques, or even unlikely contraction of side effects in humans. More information about this antigen will be broadcast as soon as it becomes available. We must all learn lessons from this terrible series of events."

The message seemed to prick the inflating concern over whether it was possible to produce an antigen. It also reduced anxiety in areas where the population was fairly equally distributed between the groups at risk. Although most citizens were still appalled at the use of a biological weapon, they seemed to want to draw a line under this watershed moment, because of the unreserved apology. Their trust could only be further restored by the antigen promise being kept.

Christophe intercepted Harley on his return.

"Your speech means we have to get an answer from Albert immediately. I can't help feeling he is behaving in an increasingly paranoid manner. You and Nero did the initial translation from the cavern walls on Ganymede, but you never reported that there were passages with which you had so much difficulty that they were bypassed. Am I correct?"

"Yes, now that I come to think about it, we may have got some sections wrong but I can't recall leaving any blanks. That is strange. However, we left in a hurry and I honestly can't be certain about it. He was very adamant about the poor semantic interpretation, claiming our attempts were about as accurate as the intonation of a parrot's delivery of classic literature. We should challenge him about it."

"Hold on Harley, we mustn't alienate him further before he gives us the information we need. I took the opportunity to ask his sibling Primedes about him. They consider him a loner. Apparently he declines their company and always accuses them of disloyalty to the cause. They deny any knowledge of any cause. They are also able to translate the Primede text, and have their own interpretations of these timelines he bangs on about. You shouldn't be surprised to hear that they disagree with him on many counts. They didn't approve of the use of the pathogen. I stopped short of asking them about an antigen until we have all the recommendations he is going to offer."

"Good thinking Christophe. I suggest you should do the talking, as he seems to want to gain your respect. Maybe it has something to do with you releasing him from the vial."

Albert was busy studying a work-screen and quickly switched it off before they could see the content. Christophe was direct.

"We need to know how to counteract the pathogen immediately Albert. We value your advice, but you must understand that we are the only ones who are willing to take total responsibility for whatever comes from our decision to help the afflicted."

"I have thought more about your request and I have decided that I can only speak of how you may utilise information in human databases to find a way forward. Bianca should be able to take it on from there. In this way I'm discussing generalities with you and not directly participating in your reckless compassion. It's the best I can do. Anything else would be utterly disloyal."

Christophe glanced at Harley and they both nodded.

"Albert, we recognise and understand your dilemma. Your suggestion is a fair compromise, you point us in the general direction and then we are on our own. Please proceed."

A mischievous smile crossed Albert's face like the slow passing of a shadow. "Well actually, it is staring you right in the face. As a member of the human race and a doctor Christophe, I find it disappointing that you haven't recalled the approach without my help."

"In case you had forgotten, I've been in active service trying to prevent my species being erased."

"Yes of course. The cells of the human adaptive immune system are special types of leukocytes, called lymphocytes. B-cells and T-cells are the major types of lymphocytes, and are derived from hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow. B-cells are involved in the humoral immune response, whereas T-cells are involved in cell-mediated immune response.

"Homing in on the differences between the two types, the B-cell antigen-specific receptor is an antibody molecule on the B-cell surface, and recognises whole pathogens without any need for antigen processing. Each lineage of B-cell expresses a different antibody, so the complete set of B-cell antigen receptors actually represents the entire array of antibodies that the body can manufacture."

Harley looked blankly at Christophe, whose face displayed precisely the converse. "Yep, I've got the picture, but I guess that means we need to have the entire makeup of your pathogen to ensure we can track the process in the lab before injecting serum into live subjects. As I'm sure you'll point out, not all bone marrow donors will be able to provide suitably targeted kill instruction to this absolutely original organism you have created."

"As I said previously, Bianca will assist with this work. I am done with this discussion."

Harley reminded Albert that he had specifically excluded Bianca from that phase of his creation. Albert waved away the accusation and Christophe was sufficiently confident they could develop the antigen, but was worried about the time it might take. He took the gamble that the other Primedes would be able to guide Bianca to shorten the exercise.

"You want us to fail don't you? Listen to me very carefully Albert. I brought you to life, and if you have any doubts about my present state of mind, I warn you here and now, I won't have any qualms about switching you off. Start talking."

"As I told Harley, I'm dying so your threat is meaningless."

"Look, I'm running out of patience. I've talked with your buddies from the vial and what they told me puts your story in a different light. You made it up didn't you?"

Albert began to stutter in protest. "How d-dare you? My s-siblings are l-l-lying to you." He became tearful. "I h-have always tried to help."

Christophe was unrelenting. "No Albert, you are deluded. We didn't miss any text. The cavern on Ganymede doesn't have another chamber which is supposed to prove the Primedes aren't extinct. There's no evidence at all of any present or future war with cyborgs. It's what you wanted to believe."

"I see, so I am now completely alone in quoting you the truth. My kin who came from the vial shunned me. I was so looking forward to being part of a family, but they preferred to mix with others. Being so isolated in a world which was destroying itself beckoned me to fix the problem. All I ever wanted was for you to believe in the Primedes the way I do. My frustration became acute when I discovered that the maturation process limiter would be thwarted by this poisonous atmosphere, and my life would be truncated after all. However, I have stuck to my task and yet you reject my help."

"You just can't stop lying can you? I verified the limiter for your maturation with your kin, but they deny that there is any toxicity problem with oxygen. Remember, I nurtured you from birth and you began to adapt pretty quickly, as have your siblings. They don't deny that they have to be careful when expending energy, and keep their respiratory demand in balance. But unlike you, they say it is actually becoming easier as they adapt. So you see Albert, you aren't going to die, unless you keep telling these lies. I could also delude myself by believing I had nothing to do with the pathogen. You suggested it could be done, you developed it, and I agreed to endorse its use. So, now you're going to show me the quickest way to produce the antigen."

"Christophe, your knowledge of the human immune system tells you that even single cell organisms have rudimentary immune capability. I can't be precise on how to deal with any mutation which has already occurred."

Christophe smashed him in the face, knocking him to the floor. Harley intervened and motioned Christophe to back off. "Look Albert, we can help you with your demons; I've had a few of my own to exorcise recently. Just start by admitting you have a problem and we move forward. I suggest asking your siblings to join us and then we can all share the same information. I haven't forgotten your request to nurture more Primedes without the maturation process. We can still do this and it may give you the purpose you crave, to care for them, and watch them grow up. Your siblings have names, yet you never refer to them. Christophe will bring them now."

Albert was exhausted and shuffled into the corner of the room without getting to his feet. He was also shaking with fear at the prospect of being further disgraced by the only other living Primedes. Just prior to Christophe leaving to bring them, Albert confessed that the synthetic pathogen had been developed without immune capability. "It will not be able to sustain resistance to an antigen. I will direct Bianca, please bring her to me."

## Chapter 29

With all parties assembled in the lab, the Primede kin of Albert were introduced as Napoleon and Josephine. They couldn't remember who had actually chosen their names and they hadn't felt it necessary to acquaint themselves with the history of their famous namesakes. Christophe owned up as a Francophile, and declared it was simply a hopeful gesture in the midst of a battle which they were losing at that time. They were the antithesis of Albert, being laid back, unambitious, and apparently without any agenda other than seeing their baby arrive. Josephine proudly pointed to her bump. They hadn't changed their names but preferred the abbreviated versions of Nap and Jos. They apparently agreed about everything.

Albert's muted welcome betrayed his nervousness. It wasn't helped by the random symphony of flashing LEDs. The lab was designed to have infinitely more machines than operatives. The Borg had decreed that there would be limits to the concessions made to human weakness. The banks of analytical and predictive equipment did have numeric and pictorial displays, but the Borg could directly interface with the digital output. The distractive rhythm of the LEDs and audio prompts took on a sinister aura against the pure whiteness of everything else in the facility. Albert went through the electron microscope images and myriads of calculations with Bianca, and the expectant couple had no remarks as yet. The next step of profiling appropriate bone marrow from which to extract B-cells provoked the first queries. Apart from selecting and testing several of the closest matches to the desired template from available donors, Christophe brought up the question of quantity.

"If we find we have outbreaks all over the world, we need to know if there are local donors."

Albert quietly stated that he would respectfully suggest cloning the most efficient type. "As long as you have competent geneticists like Bianca in these regions it will be more effective to produce the copied antigen locally." He waited nervously for a reaction.

Christophe seemed to concur, and the verdicts of both Nap and Jos were endorsed by Bianca. It was agreed, but Christophe had the last word.

"Let's get to it immediately. Bianca, can you get the cloning preparation equipment set up? I will begin rounding up donors, and Nap, Jos, and Albert will work together on the selection process. Sorry Albert, but after your recent duplicity we can't have you working alone. Don't screw up this chance to begin redeeming yourself. Is that understood?"

A resigned nod was all that preceded the awkward moment for Albert to summon the humility to apparently offer such an olive branch to his kin. Harley was sufficiently relieved to go to the broadcast studio to study any reports of significant spread of the contagion. With the vaccine production for the bubonic pestilence back on stream he wanted to announce the imminent equivalent for the cybernetic pathogen. In the meantime, he had received a very favourable response to his suggestion of decentralisation of control to City states during this phase of emergency. The vast majority of citizens embraced the principle that smaller groups could find accord easier than a monolith such as the High Command. Harley asked Cleopatra to accompany him to Brackendale to see James, while the hiatus of the antigen design hovered over the political landscape. He was relaxed, yet something was bothering him. He looked skyward and gazed at the brightest stars. Had he possibly missed something on Ganymede? Was Albert's paranoia completely brought on by loneliness, or had he discovered something which had triggered the onset of this almost theological cause, in which he was suspended? He unsettled himself by recognising that such acute conditions were not banished by a single session of exposure and subsequent threat.

*

The welcome in Brackendale was low key, nevertheless it was a welcome. When they finally arrived at Hilda's dwelling, Harley and Cleopatra were amazed at the change in James since they last saw him. His eyes were bright and he wanted to touch these strange beings. They took him into the forest and pointed out many other unfamiliar creatures. The evening sunlight filtering through the trees was a pleasure to behold compared to the rubble and strewn bodies of the cities. Harley turned to Cleopatra and suggested that they now faced a new challenge.

"It's over fifty years since humans finally abandoned the last vestiges of capitalism. After the century of preparation it didn't really deliver the goals they imagined, and it is said that this was at the heart of the rift between them and our species. Everyone having apparent equality and subsistence credit, which is calculated by an algorithm of arbitrary assessment, may only work for a period. The problem arises out of changing circumstances which have to be addressed. Pretty soon there is a distrust of the complexity within the algorithm. The fact that there is no poverty, such as that which was found within the capitalist model, just isn't enough. Humans miss incentive and reward, and they seem to be more interested in the differences amongst their population than the similarities. The centralised system which replaced capitalism suited cyborgs so well. And I believe it was the wellspring for considering humans to be an inferior, freeloading burden. The present peace, and hopefully the success of an antigen will have a lifespan of cooperation. We must be prepared for separatist emergence well before it happens."

Cleopatra urged him to put these philosophical challenges aside during their short break. However, she knew he was right. The restoration of harmony was part of a cycle, just as the disappearance of the ozone layer was. They set off on their return as the gloom pushed the fading sun below the horizon. They met Hilda on the way. "Cameron Rodriguez needs to speak with you. He says it is urgent and wants you to contact him as soon as possible."

They had intended staying a second night but it was not to be. "Cam, what can I do for you?"

"It's more a case of what you can do to get vaccine to us. Vancouver has had pretty low infection rates, but the disposal of Hulk carcases has ignited a significant increase. I think it might be wise to keep humans away from these disposal sites. We desperately need to receive more medication."

"I will check out the situation, we'll leave now. I'll get back to you Cameron."

He turned to Cleopatra. "I wasn't involved in disposing of Hulks, but you were. We should have both been cleared before we came here. I suggest we travel back separately, taking Hilda and James with us. We know there is vaccine in Portland, so can you go there and obtain a small amount? I'll have James checked out in Tacoma and wait for you there. We both need to be tested before we leave, just to be sure."

They nervously awaited the results. Bringing the plague to an area already deficient in vaccine would turn their newly acquired popularity into open hostility. Relief came within the hour, they were both clean. They set off on their separate tasks.

*

The pattern of the pathogen multiplication was becoming evident and logical. The Cape infection rate was virtually zero because of the nuclear purge, but a circular band on the radius of the blast was very high. This was thought to be due to weakened circuitry of those Borg, caused by collateral electromagnetic interference. It was a gifted gateway for avian-delivered death, and coincidentally with perfect timing. The remaining pattern was actually no pattern, other than sporadic clumps of pathogen virility. Widening the picture from the Western Atlantic states, there were minor clusters of symptoms but as yet few fatalities. Harley seriously regretted his advocacy of using birds to bring one war to an end, and spawning another. Although migrations of the avian carriers were predictable, controlling the effect of their droppings was a different matter. He could only hope that Albert had been truthful about the effectiveness of the antigen, and more importantly the prediction that without compliant hosts, the pathogen would become extinct.

He was met in Tacoma by Christophe. He could tell by the facial expression that there was bad news.

"Firstly, I need to bring you up to date with the antigen programme. The team has exceeded expectations in terms of the time taken to construct the pathogen's nemesis. It is also more efficient than I could have imagined. In short it is ready to go. We are debating the means of application, as it has to be delivered directly to an individual, unlike the pathogen."

"What is the bad news Christophe? You seem to be even more edgy than when you were stoked with You2Me. Surely the application of the antigen is not beyond the imagination of the group who developed it. We knew we'd have to do this. Albert, Bianca or Nap and Jos must have some suggestions, and your career has been in this field. What is the problem?"

"This morning I did have a plan, and when I arrived at the lab, Bianca was distraught, she was inconsolable. Without uttering another word she opened the clean room door. Albert has hung himself. She left him in that room last night when she went home. She found the door locked from the inside this morning. The security men had to break the door down because he'd altered the code."

Harley was stunned and failed to respond. Christophe continued. "Nap and Jos have disappeared without a trace. It is now a matter of urgency that we find them."

"Why would that be our main priority? Can't you and Bianca concentrate on the antigen application first?"

Christophe handed Harley a piece of paper.

"It was found inside the locked clean room."

Harley read it aloud. "I'm sorry for all of the trouble I've caused. I have been obsessed with helping my creators, and also the humans they have nurtured over the millennia. I may have conveniently created blind spots with regard to cyborgs, and Harley in particular has been sympathetic in seeing my situation differently. However, once I had helped to produce the antigen, I could no longer live with the accusation in which you believe I made up the scenario of the Primedes' predicament. Nap and Jos must have told you what you wanted to hear. Despite this I've always said you must visit Ganymede again. The truth is there. When you perform my autopsy, evidence of oxygen toxicity will be obvious. Everything considered, I knew for certain that I was on borrowed time, and I implore you to question Nap and Jos again. I also posthumously withdraw my request to create more of my kind. It was the final straw when I realised I was but one strand of Primede agenda. Judged by the variance between myself and the other two who have come from the vial, I shudder to think what else there is in there. I hope I have restored some of my credibility with Harley, and I wish for a better outcome than the one I was programmed to execute. Albert."

They looked at one another and the silence endured. Finally, Harley realised just how upset Christophe was over his bullying relationship with Albert.

"I do see the urgency now Christophe. I advise you and Bianca to continue with the antigen application. That's what Albert would want from you. I will organise the search for the others. I'm not going to ignore his plea for a return to Ganymede either. It's just a question of when it can be arranged. I have to go back there, because there is obviously something we did miss."

*

The search was initiated via the broadcast links, and it went global. It was put across as the two missing persons being required to help with the investigation into Albert's suicide. It wasn't thought prudent to introduce the complexity of extra-terrestrial conspiracy theory into the public domain just yet. Harley wracked his interrogative module to no avail in trying to predict where Nap and Jos were likely to have gone. As the days went by they were no nearer finding them, and the search became counter-productive with multiple bogus sightings.

Christophe and Bianca had decided to use a 'carwash' principle to apply the antigen. The Borg carcass would be opened up and internally sprayed with a suspension of the targeted B-cells in liquid nitrogen. The initial freezing effect on the circuitry would be followed by evaporation of nitrogen gas, leaving an even spread of the antigen. In this way it was hoped that all circuits would receive treatment. For those individuals with advanced damage, the spread would be halted, and then replacement units could be installed. The methodology and design criteria of the pathogen killer were transmitted around the world. This information that the antigen had been approved was broadcast to all citizens, presumably including Nap and Jos, if they were still alive.

## Chapter 30

Following Albert's concern over the variation in the bits of DNA in the Primede vial, it was placed in the highest security location. Only Harley and Christophe had the entry codes. The search for Nap and Jos was finally called off, at least for the present. The inflow of results indicated that the antigen was successful. There had been many who were too damaged to benefit from the cure, and some of them were domestiques from the ranks of Cleopatra's and Attila's units. This indicated that the deviant character of domestiques, in relation to immunity, was still not completely understood.

Harley wanted to know just how much of what Albert had said was true, and therefore why Nap and Jos tried to humiliate him. Because they hadn't responded to the call to help explain Albert's suicide, and they had eluded the search, he wondered about whether they had been killed, kidnapped, or simply didn't want to be found. He spoke with Christophe again.

"It's going to take several months to prepare another craft for a return to Ganymede. Do you want to join me?"

"Yes, I do owe that to Albert. I pushed him over the edge, so I must know the truth. I suppose you have heard about his autopsy?"

"No, I've been visiting the recovering domestiques from our campaign. It has been a very harrowing experience. I feel just as bad about this as I did about my decision to employ the birds to spread the pathogen. I was convinced that the rebel domestiques would have the same immunity as I have. We both have a lot of soul-searching to do Christophe. You mentioned the autopsy."

"Albert was in the mid-phase of pulmonary failure. He wasn't lying about that, and I'm beginning to think we will find further proof of his veracity on Ganymede. It also begs the question of the agenda of Nap and Jos. I've questioned the Neanderthals, domestiques, and humans they socialised with, and they all say they were a laid back, friendly couple. Albert was the only one they didn't get along with. There is something we aren't seeing Harley, can't we speed up the return to Ganymede?"

"Not really, the return to freedom and reconstruction is what the citizens are embracing right now. It's what so many died for. We must be patient."

*

The Neanderthals were, as usual at the forefront of rebuilding the Tacoma and Seattle infrastructure. Their limitless energy and strength won them frequent accolades which were bordering on worship. They had found time for recreational activity, judging by their prodigious numbers of pregnant females. Atlas believed he had sown his seed in at least eight of them. Monogamy was obviously not a priority, yet there was no evidence of jealousy or mortal combat amongst the males to gain favour of the opposite sex. Even allowing for the forthcoming early termination of the first generation, they were on course for narrowing the gap in their numbers to those of the other species.

*

Nap and Jos had made it to Helena, deep in the Rocky Mountains. There had been a few scary moments because of the travel restrictions still being in place. The euphoria of the war being over came to their aid many times. They told the sparse enforcement officials that with Jos sporting her maternal bump, they needed to get to her parents' home for the actual birth. Everyone wished them well and some even offered them transport. They came across as a very plausible couple who wanted to take in the astonishing majestic beauty of the mountain routes, and preferred to use local public transport for each memorable stage. This bending of the rules was a mutually acceptable accord.

Having decided to settle for a period in Helena, they let themselves be known as Jake and Primrose. As well as ditching their previous names, they wove a new tapestry of ambition. Jake said that his father had passed away and left him a roughly-sketched family tree. They had decided to trek north from Boulder, to search for any surviving members from their lineage. They were seen as pioneers, having braved the probability of being arrested by the loyalists during the final phase of the war. They used the fictitious family name of Jefferson, and quickly established that they had no known living relatives in Helena itself. When they declared they would have to move on again, a mountain woodsman took pity on them and suggested they should wait until Primrose had delivered her baby. He said they could use a cabin on his land, and promised them sustenance in exchange for Jake helping with the chores. This was perfect for their needs. The elevated site eased their breathing difficulty, having oxygen-thin air. Primrose wanted a natural birth. They had the desired seclusion and ample time to consider how to implement their embedded plan. They had no doubts, it had been ordained. The birth would signal the next steps.

*

Cleopatra had obtained the vaccine for James from Portland. There was enough to treat other infants in Tacoma who may have been at risk. Harley had spent a lot of his time getting the production of the vaccine back up to levels which eventually translated into optimism that the plague was receding.

*

Four months of peace had also brought forth changes, some subtle, others extremely obvious. Atlas was now 'very old' and frail. With such a large frame, the effect of gravity was much greater, and his increasingly curved spine demoted him from the colossus he once was to a relatively gentle giant. He had many contemporaries who were also making their final preparations. Harley and Cleopatra never ceased to be amazed at the demeanour of the species. From day one they had participated in everything on offer with such enthusiasm, and had asked for little in return. This 'Pharaoh-like' ceremonial advance to the afterlife didn't seem out of character. It had the air of fulfilment. Atlas spoke to them, sporting his perennial boyish smile.

"Harley and Cleopatra, it is so good to see you again. I wanted to ask a favour. Will you do me the honour of speaking at my funeral?"

They were both 'embarrassed' and tried to protest that it would be some time before he succumbed to mortality.

"That would be wonderful if it was true. We have never tried to fool one another, and it will not begin now. I would just like you to pledge your support for my people after I'm gone. At the beginning of my life, a few months ago, I could not have logically predicted that we would prevail against the loyalists, yet I believed we would. That good luck must not be wasted, and I want you, Harley, to reinforce that as my final request. You gave us life and purpose. We came back from the dead. If you don't speak at the celebration, I may come back a second time to ask for an explanation."

Harley nodded and felt the need to configure an appropriately humble facial expression, and though such a dermal contortion was beyond him, the emotion in Atlas' eyes told him that the thought was recognised and appreciated.

*

Mr. Kelly's kindness to Jake and Primrose was repaid with interest. He was the first to be invited to afternoon tea. The strong brew contained a carefully measured amount of sedative, and Wilson Kelly never knew he'd been infused with Primede DNA, which the affable duo had purloined from the vial while they were supposedly helping to create the antigen. As there was such a strong overlap with human DNA, they had been able to cloak a bridging agent in the converter serum. Wilson would feel no change for a few weeks and then he would gradually be fed with more serum. Ultimately he would join in their secretive assimilation of humans. It was a remarkably effortless means to supplant existing human character with a designer version, and pretty much undetectable. The birth was near, and in her present condition Primrose was not able to walk up the mountain each day to reach the thinner air. It was going to be touch and go as to whether she would survive the natal trauma.

*

Harley had been given good news about the new X-711 craft assembly. It would be ready to go through proving trials in two weeks. He had delayed thinking about the crew until he'd been informed that they were near to departure time. There was good reason; he wanted the same crew as before, and didn't want to disclose all of the justification criteria too early. He checked out Cameron Rodriguez first. Michaela didn't want him to go, and he couldn't disclose why he felt he had to comply with the request. It caused a major rift in their relationship when he signed up. It took a few days to run Nero, Beethoven and Anton to ground. Harley and Christophe made up the six. The briefing was met with disbelief initially, and yet they all shared the notion that they had left Ganymede prematurely because of their fear of inevitable escalation to conflict on Earth. Nero in particular did remember thinking at the time that the glass smooth walls were concealing something, but the multitude of inscriptions convinced him that it was only spare writing space.

*

Primrose had to have the birth induced. Wilson Kelly had offered to help. But despite his hybrid state, Jake declined politely. The real reason was to disguise the tricky immediate post-natal period during which the baby would have to adapt to oxygen-rich air. It would look unnatural to human onlookers. Primrose smiled at Jake, knowing that she wouldn't survive. She fought through the respiratory pain to see the last of seven infants emerge from inside her. Jake was emotionless and tended to the new arrivals before asking Mr. Kelly to help him bury Primrose. It was a grisly scene, in which the two-day-old corpse creaked under the weight of the soil, due to a combination of rigor mortis and the freezing mountain climate. The simple wooden cross, carved with her name, was hammered into the unyielding earth, and the echoes brought the first raw emotion to the eyes of Jake. When Wilson Kelly saw the seven babies for the first time he was not yet a full convert, and expressed genuine sorrow to Jake. He took it upon himself to inform the inhabitants of Helena about the cruel sequence of events. Jake played the part of the helpless father to perfection, and a nursery was set up in the medical centre. This communal concern gave him the platform to extend the conversion programme, and soon he could count on Wilson Kelly's assistance. Who better than a trusted one of their own?

*

Atlas had passed on and Harley honoured his obligation. The gathering was immense, showing exactly how the Neanderthals were revered in peacetime, just as they were for their heroic deeds in conflict. Harley really struggled to get through the words Atlas had left with him. The realisation that many more of the Neanderthal 'veterans' would be gone, in the coming weeks, hit home as Harley closed his speech. Never before in Earthly conflict had an entire generation of soldiers died in just weeks after surviving the war. Attila, Christophe and Cleopatra had to collectively convince Harley that the other comrades of Atlas preferred to rejoice in the friendship and leadership they had shared with their departed Commander, than mourn his passing. He recovered his poise to speak with each and every one of them. He had also temporarily lost his appetite for heading to Jupiter. The contrast in joy and sadness gradually restored his perspective, and a smile fought its way back to his circuitry, even if his face could not display the result.

## Chapter 31

With all seven children in the care of the Helena medical unit, Jake continued to milk the pity of its citizens. Its population had been fairly steady over many years, except for a slight increase to just over twenty-five thousand at the millennium. Then the advent of the radiation blight heralded the decline of so many small cities, towns and rural communities. Having to spend so much time indoors wasn't conducive to their preferred way of life, and the drift toward much bigger urban centres became irresistible. This relentless trend saw the disembowelment of many such centres of human population, and Helena was typical of such deserted shells. The current population was less than three thousand, and still heading downwards. About the only upside to this decimation had come in the diminishing attention they attracted from the Borg High Command. Even at the height of the war, Helena was relatively free from loyalist patrols.

The plight of a desperate father of seven children, who had tragically lost his 'wife', was a potent factor in his ability to vacuum offers of help on every corner. Jake was selective, and wanting to remain relatively reclusive was important to him. He accepted a volunteer young woman, Hannah Treadwell, to assist him with domestic chores in and around his cabin, while he was grateful for the opportunity to help run the library, following the sudden death of the former incumbent. It was a start, but he had to make haste with spreading the infection, as the respiratory problem would gradually limit this activity. The good news was that Wilson Kelly was ready to begin producing converts, and he had no such governing ailment.

Jake explained the process to his protégé and gave the vial extract to him for safe storage. He observed Wilson's capable handling of the conversion of his domestic helper, Hannah Treadwell, the widowed mother of two, who had one eye on Jake as a future provider. The sedation and infusion went smoothly each day. When Jake was certain that Hannah was fully converted and able to speak of the agenda with Wilson, he revealed the next steps to them.

"I am leaving the mission in your hands. I will soon join Primrose, and you must make sure I am laid to rest alongside her. You must prevent any attempt for conducting a post-mortem. I will leave a note to explain why I could no longer go on. My last wish will be that my orphaned four girls and three boys are cared for by the good people of Helena, and that Wilson becomes their godfather. Your conversion programme must continue at a pace which is commensurate with the serum you have, but it is vitally important that you keep sufficient for reinforcement of one of my children. It will be a female, and she will identify herself to you when she has passed through the first of two stages of puberty. She must not receive the boost before that natural development phase is complete. The first stage defines her procreation potential, and the second controls her ultimate procreative capability as a function of that potential. If she suffers an accident or contracts some disease and dies prematurely, another will come forward, but she will have correspondingly lower potential."

The news of Jake's death was reported by Hannah, suitably hysterical while giving her account. Many citizens travelled to the mountain retreat to witness a distraught Wilson Kelly. He was paralysed with shock and had not yet cut the rope from which Jake's body swayed in the breeze. He handed the note to the chief medical officer and attracted a gathering of sympathetic citizens who imagined the terrible ordeal of discovering the tragedy. After all, Jake was like a son to Wilson Kelly.

The funeral was attended by almost everyone in the area, and not only was Jake interred next to Primrose, but a huge headstone was inscribed and erected at the site. Helena would never forget Jake and Primrose, yet none of this bizarre event percolated to the wider world; it was an essentially private expression of mass grief, a contradiction in itself.

*

The vessel had passed the proving trials and the crew was assembled. The public were told of the information which had been suppressed by the Borg High Command from the previous mission. The purpose of the new voyage was to confirm or deny certain allegations that there may be more data to be found. Put in the context of the now famous Neanderthals, it was important to have all knowledge regarding the revelation that the human race had not solely risen to the zenith of life on Earth under the constraints of Darwinian law. Whether the Primedes were benefactors or a threat was not yet known, and the longer term future could be affected by whatever remained in the cavern on Ganymede. It was a sobering thought that such a fundamental alteration in perception could undo all that had been fought for, but it would be extremely foolhardy to bury heads in the sand.

The crew had its own situation to consider. The first mission was embarked upon with no real expectation of finding anything of interest, and then making the most astonishing discovery in the history of the planet. This time around, the reverse was true, as they were all bristling with anticipation and yet realised that they could well find nothing to add to what they already knew. They previously left Ganymede debating the meaning of a paradox. Now they were looking for information which could either dismiss such conjecture or immerse them deeper in its complexity.

Harley stressed to each participant the need for consistent methodology. "We have what we saw and analysed last time, and then there are the assertions of Albert. We should begin by confirming what we already think we know, or marking any differences to that knowledge before tackling the second objective. Whether or not we see slight differences from the former analyses in comparison with the present, we should take time to debate how to proceed. Pressing buttons, translating script, breaking codes and entering any new areas must be treated with caution. The urge to react emotionally to such stimuli must be kept under control. We rushed back home last time, and for good reason we thought, but ask what would have changed if we had discovered what Albert told us without him ever having been born. The questions leading to a decision process are likely to produce disagreement. We mustn't let that boil over into frustration or worse. Finally, I see you are all nodding your heads, and I'm going to remind you of that whenever necessary, because it will be much more difficult in practice than in a briefing such as this."

The launch was broadcast and unlike the first mission, the population watched with trepidation rather than wonder. Another difference would characterise the Ganymede II trip; the reporting would be uncensored, and regular updates would weave their own grip on the population's emotional ebb and flow. It would begin almost immediately after the craft acquired Ganymede orbit.

*

Wilson and Hannah had now promulgated the second wave of Primede converts and were currently engaged with fourteen new friends. They had chosen people of influence to further the alien infusion. The mayor, the chief medical officer, the head librarian, and the midwife supervisor were amongst the fold. The meetings with the second tier had to be one-on-one and carefully planned to minimise suspicion that something strange was going on. The babies had been given names and Wilson noted that the girls were developing quicker than the boys, just as Jake had inferred. Betsy, Clare, Deborah, and Katherine were difficult to tell apart, whereas, Jonathon, Nathaniel, and Zak were more varied, like siblings, but not identical twins.

*

Cleopatra was nominally the reporting voice of the mission. She made her first broadcast to the world. "Ganymede capture has been achieved and the new hover descent pod will soon be employed to transport the crew to the precise landing coordinates in this tricky terrain. One crew member will always stay in orbit, for safety reasons. The next bulletin will be in two hours from now."

*

Because Christophe had not descended to the surface during the last trip, and he had heard more than the others from Albert, he wanted to be amongst the first to descend. Harley agreed and allocated him second spot, having already made landfall himself. They were followed by Nero, Rodriguez and Beethoven. Anton remained aboard and would relay any unseen updates to Earth.

The terrain was familiar and showed little change from the recorded footage they had with them. The displaced hot-spot area was unchanged and they noted that they had to repeat the sub-surface reaction to their scanner adjustments. The hologram duly appeared and indicated the upward projection to the elevated cavern. They needed to see if the hologram was actually able to deliver any different information. The cavern entrance was still as difficult to access, but was achieved without incident. Entering the chamber confronted them with the vast array of vials. They once again compared the portable footage display with their optical assessment. The Borg visual capability was more precise than the humans in terms of fine detail, but less efficient in handling spectral variation. Both species agreed that things looked pretty much the same. The first real test arrived with the search for Albert's code panel for the alleged aft chamber. Several hours later they were ready to return to orbit without success. Nero asked the rest to join him at the narrowest point in the cavern.

"There are faint marks in the floor next to this section of the wall. I think we should blitz this area with the scanners. We should do it in close-up, not more than ten centimetres from the walls."

The intense scans finally revealed a discrete circular area of no more than ten centimetres in diameter, which had been so precisely cut in all dimensions, that the outline had been undetectable to the naked vision of both species. Time had obviously compounded its invisibility by the combination of dust and atmospheric erosion. Without the micro-mapping of the scanners it was impossible to see the circle, even when staring at it. Harley called a halt to proceedings.

"Ok, let's get back to the vessel, get some rest and talk this through. We can watch for any consequent appearance of the hologram through one of the ship's telescopes. Nero, can you and Beethoven highlight the discovered circle with indelible markers so that we can check its position easily when we resurface? And then you can ascend after the rest of us have re-boarded the vessel. Make haste, we need to discuss this, and we must not waste too much time, there is a cosmic dance beckoning."

They all made it before the Sun entered a partial eclipse with Jupiter. The return of the hologram disappointed until the very last seconds. It stunned everyone aboard. The final projection clearly and unambiguously showed a digitised representation of the six vials which had been taken from the cavern. They were set alongside a graphic of the Earth. Before they could catch their breath another burst of magnetic flux was despatched. They didn't need to guess the destination.

Harley was first to recover his poise. "This must mean we have missed something else. The detection of us taking the vials could only have been made from the cavern, and on the first trip. There must be a device in there, and our removal of the vials must have been sent to the centre of the galaxy at the time, we just didn't see it happening. The transmission trigger could be in the next chamber and connected somehow to the holographic display. Now the recipients will know we've come back for some reason, and also compute that we know that they know. We have to proceed with extreme caution."

No one got any sleep in orbit, and few back on Earth could put this out of their minds. One intermediate conclusion could be drawn and yet still subject to change. So far Albert had been right. Christophe was more affected by this than anyone. He couldn't help connecting his distrust of Albert with the death of his family at the hands of Alexander. He may not have reacted to Albert in the same way if the earlier atrocity had been avoided. Harley could detect his inner conflict and stared at him in silence. The seemingly eternal stoppage of time was eventually reset by his determination to gently coerce Christophe into focus, and stay with the plan.

## Chapter 32

The analysis was still missing an important element. Christophe illustrated his recovery of emotional control by reminding the others of this lapse.

"Albert claimed that he discovered the existence of this second chamber from the inscriptions. We have found what may be a control panel, but we haven't confirmed the text he said was in the symbols. Harley, you and Nero did most of this translation. Don't you think you should look at it again before we do anything else? Remember, Albert has never been on Ganymede, other than in the Primede vial."

It was agreed to concentrate on this before the next descent. It was a valid but tiresome reminder that they had to rigidly and thoroughly re-interrogate all of the known data, before authorising each and every new action.

Harley and Nero spent several hours on this task and the rest of the crew were getting restless. Rodriguez and Christophe at least had to consume sustenance, and even this mundane chore was a welcome distraction. All of a sudden, Nero shouted so loud that the others thought there was a problem with the vessel.

"It is a matter of context which fooled us Harley. Look here, the symbols for circle and sphere are virtually identical, and this applies similarly to code and what we transposed to DNA."

They still didn't get it. Nero continued. "Study the section at the end of the description of the vials, and substitute circle for sphere, bearing in mind that the vials are spherical. Now substitute code for DNA. It gives a different meaning to that section. Instead of it being a continuation of the description of the vial experiments, it is telling us that more information can be accessed by entering the code (which we transposed as DNA), behind the circle (which we read as vial). Albert was right, and he translated the text more carefully than we did. It's quite an indictment of cybernetic fallibility, especially when it is proven by an organic from pre-history."

They appreciated the humour for all of ten seconds, and then Christophe brought the mirth to a shuddering halt.

"This means that everything we challenged Albert about has turned out to be true. If this continues to be the case, we are looking at the probability of a visit from the stars. Although Albert predicted that the Primedes would be utterly intolerant of cyborgs, I now realise that he didn't share such generalisation. His frustration was rooted in his inability to change anything, and we made it worse because we wouldn't listen. I can at last appreciate his concern about the two Primedes who disappeared immediately after his death. Having discovered that he told us the truth, we can no longer rule out that they might have had something to do with his death."

The mood had changed. They were apprehensive about opening up the second chamber. Albert had said this was where the proof of the Primede intent could be found. Christophe recalled Albert's vivid description of the numerous times they had visited Earth in the past, but even Albert's discourse didn't have detail on how recent the last trip may have been. They were now convinced of the threat, and that some of the answers were back on Earth. They had to resume and intensify the search for Nap and Jos, alias Jake and Primrose. They interpreted the latest signal to the galactic core as an invitation for the fox to check out the henhouse. Because the bulk of the data on the Primedes was historical, and the same was apparently true of the vial contents, they had no real idea how these aliens had progressed, or what they now looked like. All Albert had predicted was a very poor chance of resisting them whenever they did arrive. Either he didn't know much detail about their present state of development or he knew so much he daren't tell the Earth inhabitants.

Harley recalled one particular conversation he had with Albert. "His fear was palpable when he insisted that the only chance of humans remaining untouched by the Primedes, when they did call, was if there was no evidence of cyborgs, and particularly their uprising."

Christophe nodded and reminded the others that he had also predicted that there could be an even worse scenario.

"Their alleged struggle with cybernetic entities was not going well, and Albert intimated that if the Primedes failed to defeat them, the cyborgs would eventually come to Earth and eradicate all species related to their galactic foes. That's what he meant by a temporal paradox. He insisted that Earth was just one 'cultivated' outpost of the Primedes, and may not be the only one from which their cybernetic nemesis arose. He also revealed that one such strand of dismantling the paradox was to alter the timeline of human history. He didn't say that the Primedes have tried to institute this elsewhere. I believe we have to open the second chamber."

The first signs of fracture were evident. Rodriguez thought that any future consequences were still speculative, and that Christophe was still carrying guilt over his treatment of Albert. The three domestiques were obviously worried that even the prospect of a visit within a few hundred years would affect their life. Harley was not diverted from what he had actually said to Albert just before his demise.

"I seemed to strike a chord with him when I suggested that a truly harmonious, multi-species Earth would surely give the sentient Primedes pause for thought. He was sufficiently pensive that I assumed he felt such a model might help them see that it could be applied in their own conflict, and simplify this pursuit of dealing with this temporal paradox. Anyway, we have to implement the new search for Albert's kin, and I will arrange it through Cleopatra immediately. The second decision remains littered with all manner of aggregate from fact and speculation, but we still have to decide whether to open the next chamber. I would ask you to consider another question. What else is there for us to do here if we don't open it?"

*

The global reaction to mission updates on Earth was chequered at best. The demographics had altered significantly at the close of the war. The conflict itself, and the two plagues, had restored a more even balance of species. Borg predominance was drastically reduced. Humans had closed the gap considerably if the loyalists and the domestiques were considered as sub-groups. The joker in the deck for the future could be the Neanderthals, who were predicted to see explosive growth in their numbers. Factoring this growth with the likelihood of Primede arrival being many years ahead, threw up a red flag. The Neanderthals had no interest in such long term projections. Humans tended to be almost as sceptical. Domestiques were mainly focussed on forging a lasting peace, and didn't yet trust stubborn loyalists, who accepted rather than believed this peace was the first priority. The same loyalists saw the possible threat of Primede invasion as something for which they must be meticulously prepared. The invasion of galactic cyborgs would be welcomed.

*

There was also a curious response in Helena, to the massive effort invested in finding Jake and Primrose. Their self-sacrifice had obviously been planned. Their offspring would be split up and fostered by several families. Meanwhile, the conversion rate was relentless. Over ninety were on course to becoming disciples. The supply of serum would limit this rate of expansion, and the children would only be used after the pubescent phase, following the prescribed reinforcement of one female. This would become a periodical exercise, in a similar fashion to donating blood. The process would be set up by the chief medical officer during their monthly clinics, so it was a priority to get the foster parents processed ahead of the vial source running out.

*

The debate on Ganymede revolved around Harley's last question, and they all concurred that there was little else they could achieve if they didn't progress to the second chamber. They also agreed that they may find that they couldn't access it. The possibility of not cracking the code should not be excluded. Further deliberation eventually corralled the indecisiveness into an admission that the first genie was already out of the bottle, and they couldn't change that. In some way this knowledge had helped to create the paradox. A second genie could deliver more ways to tackle it, and without something to break the circular arguments, they were actually less able to deal with the unknown. Christophe made the point that neither he nor Rodriguez could translate the symbols and break the code.

"It comes down to all of us deciding to leave now, or the four Borg to approve trying to open up the bloody chamber. I'm not going to change my mind; we need to know what the hell is in there. You guys have the power to decide if we're doing everything by committee, so let's stop pussyfooting around the issue. I've had it with procrastination. I am saying for the record that it is negligent to pretend we have a choice anymore."

They would descend within the hour.

Getting the circular cover off the panel without damaging it proved to be a time-consuming and delicate task. Anton was relaying this to Earth and the tension was steadily rising. Finally, the gentle twisting and low intensity vibration prised it from its defiant grip. The panel itself was a mosaic of cylindrical interlocking rods. They had to be withdrawn as a cluster to see the principle of the rearrangement to produce a key. This was the 'code'. They needed to record any changes so that they could retrace their steps. They stopped to discuss the various female combinations inside the space from which the rods were withdrawn. There were many possible patterns which would slide back in, and many more which would not. They assumed the final grouping of the cylinders would have to be turned in one direction or another, or maybe both, or even several turns, like a combination to a safe. Rodriguez suggested fabricating some of the 'key' patterns from rock dissociated with a DPB, and recombined in the configuration of the particular desired template. The grains of rock could be aggregated with epoxy resin adhesive they always carried for emergency repairs. The shaping of the protrusions would have to be approximated at the mid-cure point of the resin, as they had no means of producing a mould.

Some of the attempts failed but they gradually got more proficient and the first acceptable 'key' was allowed to harden and then be tested. The principle seemed to work, but they detected no movement in the female parts. The frustration was building following failures stretching into double figures. At last, a simple arrangement with four protrusions at north, south, east and west caused a short grinding sound. They decided they should try this with the cylinders and meticulously noted each step. With the longer, harder protrusions, insertion was inhibited, but jiggling the position at the first point of resistance allowed further entry. Repeating this four times gained the flush position within the lock and the moment of truth arrived. One movement clockwise and then anti-clockwise, kicked off an escalating rumbling noise and the opening appeared. It was quite small, only about five feet high and two feet wide. The equilibration of atmosphere, or lack of it was audible, and once more hesitancy returned to the group. The interior was unlit and it was Christophe who volunteered to go first. He turned up the headlight on his suit, crouched and poked his head through the 'doorway'. He reported that the walls, just like the antechamber were covered with inscriptions. He could also make out a soft glow at quite some distance from the entrance. He took the unilateral decision to squeeze through the gap. Once inside, he beckoned the others to follow. His opening remark jogged Harley's memory.

"Albert was almost paranoid about the potential variation contained in the 'pure' Primede vial. I'm beginning to appreciate what he meant. The two we're searching for on Earth were nothing like him; they were smaller, so now I'm wondering why this damned entrance is so diminutive and inconvenient for anyone taller than five feet. The vial may well be a cocktail of many eras."

## Chapter 33

They arranged the pre-charged solar lights around the perimeter of the chamber. It was larger than the antechamber. This solar illumination assisted the soft glow in identifying a circular podium. There was a faint humming noise from near the base. It was almost ten metres in diameter, and without any obvious means of powering a cartouche of backlit symbols. Other than the inscribed walls, and the podium, there appeared to be nothing else of note in the illuminated space. It was a pretty flat emotional moment, as the only agreed action was more hours of painstaking translation of the inscriptions. Christophe and Rodriguez were redundant while this activity was in process. The onerous task of logging everything from the walls was undertaken by Nero and Beethoven. Harley began examining the symbols in the cartouche.

He quickly made the assertion that he didn't recognise any of them, and began to look for references to them on the walls. He asked the other two to look out for them and alert him if they became evident. The boredom of this necessary phase had all but eclipsed the former adrenaline levels, when Nero shouted for Harley to check his latest find. "There are some which look very similar to those in the cartouche, and they are spread amongst ones I already recognise. They are instructions as to what will presumably happen if the new symbols are activated. It's a little vague but the ones I've found so far seem to indicate time periods. They are in some delineation which doesn't relate to Earth dates, as we would expect. I have the order but nothing else."

"Ok Nero, let's find the rest before we fiddle with the cartouche. It seems logical that we concentrate on your section. I will join you, and Beethoven can continue with his methodical translation."

It was an agonising situation for the two humans, and they wandered back to the antechamber. They began to check the vials to see if there were repeats of any particular type, as there was really nothing else to do. The paranoia of Albert was still bothering Christophe, and they now knew that some device could be monitoring their movements. Although they couldn't truly translate the symbols on the vials, they could match like with like. Considering that they had only selected six from this massive horde on the first trip, Christophe felt that the assumption of every one being unique was solely based on translated inscription data. It had been persuasive because this text had described millions of experiments, and the vials were some kind of representation of the best efforts in each category, hence only thousands of vials.

"Let's start at the other end from where we took the first vials Cameron, and we can build a row of unique examples. If we don't find any duplication, at least we have ruled out another conspiracy theory of mine, while we patiently wait for the Rosetta-Stone moment from next door."

Meanwhile, Beethoven had extracted some of the new symbols from a different section of the inscriptions. "They are related to positions in the Milky Way galaxy. As my section seems to come before the one Nero is working on, it may mean that this group of new symbols should be checked out before his are activated. It makes sense in a way if we consider the position, then the chunks of time, rather than the other way around. What do you think?"

"Yes, that is logical," said Harley, "we now need to check if your combined extracts account for all of the new symbols."

Nero and Beethoven conferred and affirmed that it did, and Harley went to the antechamber to alert the humans that they were about to interrogate the cartouche. He found them just as they had discovered their first duplicate sample. It was another vial of the Neanderthal perfect specimen. Harley's urgency to begin pushing buttons receded. Christophe and Rodriguez didn't try to convey what this might mean until they produced several more identical vials. They kept moving to the right, and checking each row and column, to reveal an estimated six hundred vials, which were probably marked with the same identifying symbols. Harley returned to ask the domestiques to join the trawl for more vials which had been duplicated. The result was worryingly simple in its implication. The only other vial with multiples of identical marking was the 'pure' Primede type. There was over four thousand with this nomenclature. They took a break to digest this revelation. It wasn't difficult to see how they missed such a discovery during the first visit. The duplicate samples of both the Neanderthal and Primede broth were set back in rows eight and upwards, the first seven rows were taken up by vials with unique markings. They now had a drawing to show the overall distribution. The blocks were divided by the door to the second chamber and its access way. The multiple Neanderthal vials were to the extreme left of this divide, and the Primede to the extreme right. When they had looked at these together with the text describing the experiments to guide them on the original trip, they had never penetrated beyond row two. The text was persuasive in reinforcing the one vial – one type mental configuration, and they had truncated their visit due to pressing problems back home. They now realised that this had been a serious oversight, and one which would have probably saved the life of Albert, apart from knowing then what they were about to find out.

*

Wilson Kelly spent a lot of time deflecting questions over the selection of foster parents for the children. He was uneasy that it could snowball and attract attention from outside Helena. He placated the complainants by arranging communal play sessions, so that those wanting to be included in the care were satisfied without having the burden of full responsibility. This deft move permitted the conversion clan to increase to two hundred and seventy, nearing ten percent of the population.

*

Harley offered to point out the sequence of symbols and allow Christophe to touch them in the cartouche. "We wouldn't be here at this time had it not been for your continual hounding to bring the trip forward."

He began with the positional variety. Nothing happened until the full complement had been lit by contact but without pressure. A sub-menu appeared in the form of a list. They had no idea which symbols referred to any particular location, but proceeded from the top. It was immediately recognised as they leapt back in awe. A cube of pixels appeared above the circular podium and displayed a three dimensional chunk of the galaxy. It wasn't the sector containing the Earth. They continued to the next sector and the next without much of a pause. The fifth selection produced the one they were after. A short deliberation resulted in Christophe touching the time related symbols. This was different. The first brought up a sphere, and the cube shrunk to a reference sized icon at the side. Their open-mouthed reaction provoked Harley to call for another pause, this time to record what they were looking at. It was a totally realistic scene of Homo-Erectus interacting with what could only be the Primedes. It was a typically cautious encounter, presumably somewhere near the Rift Valley. There was no sound, until Anton scared the wits out of them by announcing that another magnetic flux had been observed. They acknowledged, and watched in wonderment as the Primede seemed to cast a spell over the aggressive primate, and the gesticulations became more playful. Christophe was urged to go to the next period. This proved to be a taster for what was to come. A group of Neanderthals was being baited by early Homo-Sapiens. The to and fro of this ritualistic intimidation was punctuated by a Primede trying to communicate with the protagonists. This mediator was not quite the same in appearance as the one in the first sphere. The body was smaller, the head larger, and the features were less angular.

There were six periods to get through. They were now shivering with excitement. The third sphere depicted a realistic shot of Giza, except the pyramids still had their white limestone dazzle. Panning around, a figure of an Egyptian official came into view and he was discussing some object which was still out of sight. Another few seconds of camera rotation and the object was actually revealed. He or it was again a Primede, with slight variances compared to the previous one. The cranial capacity again appeared to be increased and although the height was similar, the torso was more slender and less muscular. It was becoming annoying that there was no sound, but it was also plain to see that they were exchanging views by symbols and hieroglyphs. Presumably, the Egyptian was some way down the pecking order from the Pharaoh. With a total of six to check, the situation reached fever pitch.

The fourth sphere was from the Hellenistic era. Attending a play in an amphitheatre, the Primede was very similar to the third individual. That seemed logical with just a few thousand years between them. Then there was a change. The fifth scene was one of observation but no interaction. The Russian Steppe was probably captured by the recording device at some point leading up to or during the Mongol transformation into a nomadic empire. This was the first of two images, the second being from the other side of the planet, concentrating on Inca sites. It covered the period at some point between the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The final projection was pulled back to a further altitude in the sky, and the slideshow was the most specific of all. The occupied trenches included from the First World War graphically brought the potential threat very close to 'home'. It produced a spiral of speculation. Rodriguez ventured that the compression of the last three into a period of two and a half thousand years, and minimum interaction, reflected the Primedes' concern.

"There is an interval of well over a million years in the first three. It has to have worried them that Neanderthals were gone, and humans were out of control."

Christophe concurred. "This last graphic was also about the time computers were being vigorously researched. They could have been refining projections on when this would lead to cybernetic life forms. Hello, has everyone gone deaf?"

The combination of the thousands of Primede vials, and the last visit being only about two hundred and fifty years ago, did precipitate the possibility of an invasion launch pad. Before panic overtook reason, Harley reminded the others that they still needed to check the other galactic spheres. The appetite for doing so had all but evaporated, but it was necessary to complete the task this time.

Trying to make sense of the three dimensional coordinates from the cubes was going to be guesswork at best, so they captured the images for astronomical computation on return. The spheres themselves painted an easier landscape to understand. Of the other five sectors, only three were in the era of emergence of sentience. The remaining two not only confirmed Albert's insistence that the Primedes were at war with cyborgs, but also showed them to be vaguely similar in physique to those who visited ancient Greece, and more importantly that the cyborgs were more advanced than those who were actually watching the display.

The panic was still in check but only just, and there were suggestions that they should destroy the Primede vials. Christophe called for order.

"Albert has been right all along and if we were to do this we would be ignoring him again. He was almost at his wit's end when he shouted me down to make it crystal clear that if the Primedes lost this conflict, we would have to prepare for the galactic cyborgs instead. I guess we still have a paradox guys. If we are sure we've done everything here we must at least get back to Earth and find Hansel and Gretel. Yes? No?"

## Chapter 34

Rodriguez was muttering to himself while they were making preparations to leave. Christophe asked him to speak up or shut up.

"Yeah, yeah, I don't think we've discussed why this is all here on Ganymede. What is the bloody point? All we have done is to prove Albert was right, is that a big deal?"

"Well, I think it's obvious why the vials are here, to tempt us to come and open them, and then fiddle with them. We complied and we are being used. I think it's more interesting to think what difference it would have made if we had brought Hansel and Gretel to life and never known Albert. Either way the Primedes had it covered. The difference is that Albert warned us what would happen if we ignored him. The alternative is what the other two are up to, now that he is dead. It's an invasion Cameron, no matter how it is dressed up. I shudder to think what else there is in these Primede vials. Having slept on it, I now believe we have to destroy them."

"Ok, but why are the movies here? You know, the Primedes appearing to be on good terms with historical human figures."

"I suppose as this is just one of their outposts, they want to have a safe house equipped with the information as well as the tools for a new start. It's still bad news for Earth, particularly the Borg. However, if the Primedes lose out we will be next. I just hope I'm long gone by then. Anyway Cam, we haven't dislodged the paradox by coming here again, it is still there. We are being implanted with the idea of cleansing Earth of the Borg or having a fate worse than cleansing the Earth of the Borg. I still say we should scour our planet for the runaways. They are the Primedes' other option, their Trojan horse. Let's finish up preparations and have one last crack at Harley about the next move."

They were all set. Christophe approached the subject carefully. "Harley, Cameron and I were shooting the breeze and we started looking at this place in a different way. One of the questions we wrestled with before Albert put his oar in, was whether or not the Primedes could actually be extinct. That was based on our translation of the inscriptions during the first trip. Albert tried to persuade us they weren't extinct, and I, more than anyone, didn't believe him. Now we know they weren't extinct in the early twentieth century."

Harley was getting weary of the continual regurgitation of 'what if' scenarios, but it had been his own firm edict at the beginning of the current exploration that they had to stick to the facts. This seemed to qualify as a fact. "Yes Christophe, you have a point. Does it change anything?"

"I believe it does, but since I was more scathing than anyone else about Albert's veracity, I don't have a good track record to back up my volte-face. Cameron asked what the real purpose of this outpost could be, and I can't get away from us being a pawn in a game going on over our heads. We, Cameron and I, drifted on to the multi-layered agenda possibilities and something else which Albert felt, which now disturbs me. To make an analogy, he was a 'Primede domestique' and his missing kin are Primede loyalists. The thousands of the pure Primede vials must contain more variants, and therefore more solutions. They are trying to cover every base."

"I see, and your conclusion is?"

"I know you'll think I'm crazy, but one such solution, looked at from their point of view is to drive a wedge between us, just as Albert did. It was him who advocated the pathogen. It failed to produce the wedge, but only just, and that may have been what pushed him over the edge. I really implore you to think again about what is in these four thousand identically marked vials. We wouldn't want to have to come back a third time to do something we could do now. There is also the number of magnetic flux missives which have gone in the very recent past; it could be that we won't get another chance to return. Until we can find the missing duo, I can't call this any other way. We are either being invaded or we are going to be. Cameron is right, because there is no other logical explanation for this outpost. If you have one I'd like to hear it."

Harley could sense the others were not challenging this in the same way they had in the second chamber.

"You haven't touched on my feeling that it would be better for the Primedes to see harmony when they arrive. Do I take it that you now disagree with that strategy?"

"No, it's what we all supported before we landed on Ganymede again. I thought the purpose of this exploration was to find evidence which would support that plan. My reading now is that it has done nothing to support it, and it may even have suggested it would have no effect on the psyche of the Primedes. In splendid isolation, I still support your call for harmonisation, so I would like to see us use that cohesion to make the kind of decision we are facing now. The very least we should do is talk this through again as many times as it takes to be of one mind. We should delay the return."

The others backed him up.

Having raked over the coals again there was now consensus on finding out more about the content of the massive quantity of Primede vials. Christophe asked for Cleopatra to get Bianca to check more from the vial in the security vault on Earth. It wouldn't take too long to prove or disprove whether there was variation. While this was being done they returned to Albert's many predictions, in particular the one in which he steadfastly dismissed all protest. The Primedes knew of the existence of cyborgs on Earth. Nero asked how the sphere graphics affected this prediction.

"The last recorded visuals were from the early twentieth century. We hadn't been created then. I know you will say the era of computing was about to emerge, but that isn't proof."

Rodriguez countered this. "That's true. However, if we look at the progression of their graphics from interaction to observation, it would suggest they were worried about blowing their cover. Don't laugh, but there was an absolute explosion of UFO sightings in the twentieth century. We could say they were all bullshit, but a few could have been the vial people. They must have known the human race was not only computing, they also had one eye on the Cosmos. If this Ganymede outpost was manned, they would have tracked all of the probes and exploration equipment we sent out into space. They may even know that we have been to the Moon since their last visit. I'm with Christophe on this; we can't afford to just roll out the red carpet."

The discussion was interrupted by a message from Bianca. It wasn't the result of the analysis. It was the discovery that most of the contents were missing. The mood of the discussion changed instantly.

Christophe lit the fuse again. "I can't guess who the thieves were? Do you need any more convincing?"

They argued again for hours and finally settled on taking as many vials back to Earth as the vessel could safely carry. They prepared for a long process of loading one at a time. Rodriguez flagged up an oversight.

"They have a means to video capture any of our activities in the chambers. The hologram has shown that to be the case."

They agreed there must be a 'camera' of some kind hidden somewhere in the cavern. It had the ability to connect to the holographic interface. It had to be wireless, but they didn't even know what they were looking for. The option of using the DPBs to dematerialise the vials or rock in which the video recorder could be embedded was rejected. It would be detected or determined as an act of aggression. The search was conducted as if they weren't actually looking for something. They began to think that the entire power source was geothermal. Harley had taken his mind back to the original site on the other side of the moon. "The casket was connected via some kind of cabling from underground. This site is probably powered in the same way. Can we use the scanners from the vessel by refocusing them? They surely can't trace us from there."

They ascended once more. Harley was correct; the conduits to the circular podium in the second chamber were clearly heading vertically downwards. The second trace picked out the position of another connecting point. It had to be the video apparatus. Beethoven ventured an observation.

"Maybe there's no camera in the second chamber, because Anton flagged us when the cartouche was interrogated. There was a magnetic emission the instant we did this. That in itself means that the information is on its way. They don't need it on video."

The new puzzle was to disable the camera without blowing the whistle. Anton wasn't used to the limelight and nervously blurted out a crazy idea. "When I was stuck in the ship while the rest of you were solving the mystery of the second chamber, I was bored. I played around with my scanner and found that all of this surface rock has pretty strong magnetic properties. I wasn't too surprised as Ganymede has a magnetic field."

"Yes. And why is that interesting?" said Harley.

"If we put a metal cover over the camera spot, when we find its location, it will most probably stick to the wall without any help."

"Presumably you haven't forgotten we will be seen to approach the camera just before it blacks out."

"Of course, but if we make a dust storm with the DPBs outside, it will mask the activity. It might also seem like it failed because of the dust rather than being applied by one of us."

"It's the best suggestion so far. Does anyone have a better idea?"

It was approval by silence. It would also give them plenty of time to fetch and carry out the vials.

Eventually Bianca's archived results from the first Primede vial came through. There were at least thirty-two marginally different DNA profiles. She also answered a question they had not yet asked. Only one being came to life when Albert was created. She had determined that the process of maturation was designed to eliminate all but one within a sample. It was a kind of survival of the fittest. This rang a bell with Christophe. When he had repeated the exercise to produce a successor to Albert, he was sure the first attempt had failed, so he began a second process only to find that the first had taken much longer than expected, hence the two fugitives.

The entire group was now fully convinced that invasion was coming. Christophe said, "Or is already happening. There is nothing more important now than finding the missing duo, after we disable the camera and load the vials."

Harmony was in fashion again, but only as a means to compose the strategy, not as the solution to a paradox, especially one with a shrinking deadline toward extermination.

The trip home was thankfully short in terms of time, and highly concentrated in discussing what information from this trip would be acceptable to pass on to all species. Christophe suggested all information was held back until they had exhausted the search for the fugitives. He referred to it as 'A Fairy tale by the Reapers Grimm'. Black humour was an acquired taste for the Borg.

## Chapter 35

Wilson Kelly was running short of serum. He had been informed by Jake that the first stage of puberty was different for his daughters compared with his sons. The Primede breathing conditions elsewhere in the galaxy imposed a two-step correctional adjustment to atmospheric makeup. Jake had been able to shorten the first by infusing small amounts from the maturation vial which he'd stolen along with the pure Primede broth. The infusion took place just prior to each session of intercourse with Primrose, and was injected into her womb. Conception then became a free-for-all scramble for however many divisions took place in the embryonic process. It was very similar to what Bianca had reported regarding the multiple templates giving way to a single birth. In this case it was not so draconian, insofar as the multiples could survive, but the female embryos were able to take more than their share of the fast-forwarding characteristics. It was however, nothing like the rate achieved in the laboratory process. It had a marginal accelerated boost, but had primarily been designed to overcome respiratory toxicity by creating markers for passing through infantile and juvenile phases of puberty. Such meddling was not considered to be manipulation of Darwinian law; in fact it was to ensure the fittest did survive. From the seven children, and four females, it was highly unlikely that more than two would become a potential queen. Wilson Kelly had to look out for a change in the brightness of the iris of the girls. It was not expected to occur in less than a year, and this was still a little way off. He had to settle for a hiatus in conversion of the citizens of Helena. He was however, pleased with the flock having risen to over four hundred. Jake had emphasised the need for the final exodus to be in dribs and drabs to avoid suspicion. The destination was already known.

*

The new stock of vials was handed over to Bianca for testing and the returning team concentrated on the search. They briefed Cleopatra with the latest findings, which had not been broadcast. The wider approach was abandoned in favour of spreading out from the bio-lab in a concentric manner, with much more thorough checks. Harley outlined the starting procedure.

"We will begin again here in Tacoma. The travel restriction for humans is still in place and these two targets look like humans. Ask every contact about new arrivals in their neighbourhood, especially a couple who could be brother and sister. The absence of a biometric local travel chip is a clue. Such a young couple who both have breathing difficulty is unusual. Once we clear Tacoma we have to institute incoming checks. Then we move outwards to take in Vancouver, Spokane, and Portland. Withdraw all units from outside this radius to assist. I will have to find a form of words to broadcast why we must upgrade this manhunt to the highest possible status. We do have Bianca to check any suspects for DNA, but this work cannot be outsourced and she will have limited capacity to perform the checks. Fortunately, Christophe is familiar with the screening process and will assist her. We therefore have to be careful to avoid overloading the lab with bogus individuals. Good luck."

Cleopatra was able to assure Harley that James was progressing well and this was an oasis of good news amongst the stark truth of the fragility of lasting peace. He was anxious about the precarious balance of harmony between each species, if too much was revealed too soon. Censorship was undergoing flexibility in its definition.

Bianca and Christophe stared at the results from the first of the new vials in disbelief. None of the templates were exact replicas of those in the original vial from which Albert had been created. If this trend continued, the implication they faced was that over four thousand containers, each with a minimum of twenty variants on average, projected eighty thousand types of human lookalikes. Christophe sank into a chair and gazed blankly at the printout. "What the hell can this mean? Surely it's not a recipe for eighty thousand competitive strains to fight over who inherits the Earth?"

Bianca reminded him of the duels which took place in the lab to bring forth a single victor from each cultured specimen. He replied. "That's true, but we don't have a clue what happens with natural procreation. I can't see past the human comparison that the entire planet has a very low common denominator of DNA groups in relation to the total population. This is totally unlike the vials containing Neanderthal and Homo-Sapiens templates, as they were from thousands of years ago. We don't know that the four thousand Primede vials were produced at the same time. I hope this doesn't mean that they already knew they were going to lose the war with the cyborgs. If that is the case, they could have prepared a Noah's Ark to embark on their journey to Ganymede, and then cut off all data which contains any reference to our solar system. My mind is in overdrive again. The invasion could be an enforced survival strategy, apparently fighting to the last man, and conveying pseudo-extinction."

"It sounds like You2Me talking again Christophe. Let's check a few more vials before we all get stoned."

"Hey, I'm still clean. Have you got a better explanation?"

"I don't have any explanation, and may not have one even after we have tested all of the vials you brought back. Until we know something for certain I'm putting all of this out of my mind. I could get hit by a bus tomorrow, and one of the few ways to avoid that, which is within my control, would be the bus timetable. Let's sketch in this timetable shall we?"

"You're right? Pay no attention to me."

*

More Neanderthal veterans had passed on, and both Lofty and Treetop were gone, as were Adam and Simon. In the mind of Christophe, that only left James, and the rest of the Neanderthals from the original creations, apart from the two fugitives. James was an enhanced human from the same period as the Neanderthals, and like them posed no threat. Christophe's proliferation of theories was unabated, despite the sarcasm of Bianca. He couldn't sleep, and began to think about stepping up the pace of checking the other vials. He was desperately hoping they would find a match for the fugitives, as that could be another way of unravelling the agenda. He worked through the night without success, but the ray of hope was that he had at last found two templates which had already been discovered. This gave him the belief that there could be others. He was asleep in his chair when Bianca arrived. She saw his results and decided not to wake him. She continued his search.

The broadcast wasn't totally convincing, more because of the intonation than the actual words, even though Harley blatantly disregarded Christophe's advice to maintain a temporary 'detail blackout'.

"As you are all aware, we have completed our investigations on Ganymede. It was a productive exercise. The pictures you saw of gaining entry to the second chamber were unfortunately curtailed due to technical difficulties and Jupiter space 'weather'. Suffice it to say that we discovered more from the holographic displays in this chamber. These pictures showed beyond any doubt that Primedes did interact directly with Hominids from our ancient past. However, we now have evidence that this continued for thousands of years. It seems that they have kept a watchful eye on our progress in more recent times, without the former direct interaction. We still believe that if the Primedes decide to resume contact, we need to demonstrate as much mutual respect between species as possible. If they have helped our ancestors to make progress over the millennia, it is in our interests to ensure that such benefits are not replaced by interference. We believe that further trips to Ganymede may be justified in future, if analysis of the most recent data warrants on-site exploration. We can now concentrate on producing more vaccine and antigen for those who are still at risk from the respective plagues, and therefore we must retain the travel restrictions until we are certain the pestilence to all species is totally under control. We are winning these particular battles, and your patience is appreciated. There will be progress reports on the aforementioned issues as new information comes to hand."

There was no additional reference to the manhunt.

*

The perception of over four hundred citizens of Helena was markedly different from that of the general public. They were happy that there was no mention of the search, but somewhat concerned at the revelation that the Primedes more recent history was known, and that there was no elaboration of the detail. This unease compounded the shortage of serum during the critical period up to the first daughter being ready for infusion. It would be a nervous few weeks.

*

Bianca couldn't wait any longer to report her find. She disturbed Christophe, who rubbed his eyes and yawned. A delayed reaction caused Bianca to blush. He kissed her passionately on the mouth, and then apologised. She didn't seem to mind in the least. After checking the printout again and again, he marked the parent vial and suggested they proceed to initiate a culture.

"Christophe, I'm sure these creations have been tabooed. We must seek approval."

"No, no, that is exactly what we must not do. It will get mired in procrastination. I have my doubts as to whether we will ever find Albert's living fugitive cousins. This could save us weeks of fruitless effort. It's a lucky break that we have again stumbled upon their profile. I'll take responsibility. You clock out and go home. I'll make sure the reports show that I was alone. For God's sake I've done this before. Leave now."

She returned the kiss and complied.

Christophe set out five separate extracts and added the maturation promoter to each in a staggered time schedule. He wanted to be able to terminate any if the template of the fugitives didn't prevail over the alternate ones in the extracts. The first was such a failure, but the next hit the jackpot. The rest were destroyed. He couldn't leave or relax until the embryo could be weaned sufficiently to tolerate oxygen. Bianca returned the next day to witness the accelerated hourly growth. Having heard about this was nothing like seeing it. Christophe whispered through his fatigue.

"I need a couple of hours sleep and nobody else must know of this. Lock the door and wake me at eleven."

She was transfixed by the fast-forwarding process. It was truly alien. It was a male and had already begun to have eye contact with her. The conflict of wrongdoing with the thrill of creating life was highly addictive. There was a knock at the locked lab door. Her heart skipped a beat and she asked who it was. It was the janitor and she relaxed a little. "You'll have to come back in an hour. I'm in the middle of a test which needs absolutely constant lab temperature and humidity. Sorry about this but I can't help it. I'll let you know as soon as I'm done."

She heard the footsteps fading down the corridor. She then shook Christophe. "You have to get out of here with your new friend. It will be safe to return after five-thirty in the afternoon if the boy needs emergency laboratory care. I can't keep people out of here without arousing suspicion."

"Ok, I'll take him back to my place. Keep your communicator handy in case I need you to bring something to me. It looks as if he is becoming less dependent on the pure nitrogen. I think we have pulled it off Bianca."

She made it clear that he had pulled it off, and apart from getting the infant completely out of danger, she wanted no further part in the deception.

"It could be different between us Christophe if that's what you want, provided you disclose the baby's existence, at least to Harley."

He nodded and left with his little parcel.

## Chapter 36

Two more weeks had passed and the search had still not been productive, in fact Bianca's DNA matching work had been cluttered with false suspects, and tedious ruling out of their genetic profiles.

Harley was embroiled in the squabbles over distribution of the increased stocks of vaccine and antigen. The process was dogged by the logistics of getting the stuff from sky stations to the surrounding cities and rural areas. In an act of desperation to smooth out the supply lines and the pent-up emotions, he proposed two actions. They carried a risk, but so did not getting the plagues stamped out. The first was to lift the travel restriction for humans so that they could help in localised regional distribution. The second was to commandeer significant capacity of sea freight to get bulk supply to regions without sky stations. The latter proposal would normally have precluded humans because of the long, uninterrupted periods of exposure to radiation. He was astonished when he was deluged with volunteers to help out. These people insisted that it was their choice to help sufferers of their own species, and threw Harley's path to harmonisation back in his face. He eventually conceded to the pressure, and a temporary suspension of the use of biometric chips was authorised. He thought he felt good about this altruistic response from the human race. Cleopatra tried everything she knew to persuade him otherwise. Her last plea was to at least delay it until her search had reached the first bases of Vancouver, Portland and Spokane. Harley had been seduced by the selfless clamour of people to help their stricken kin.

This declaration was all the incentive Christophe needed to confront him with his new Primede friend, who had the same makeup as the fugitives. "This decision you have taken on lifting travel restriction without consulting others, who have always rallied to your cause, will come back to haunt you. You're lucky that my discovery effectively makes Cleopatra's search redundant. I have no regrets about creating another Primede, who can probably give us data on any agenda of the ones we've been looking for. He is almost ready for interrogation. I don't want him confused with all of Albert's actions or any information regarding the recent war. I intend to keep him isolated with whatever he has been programmed to do, and offer to help him. I'd appreciate you keeping out of my way, because I just might be able to stop you screwing everything up."

He left a speechless Harley to get started. On the way out he was met by Cleopatra. They exchanged their various frustrations and she said something which resonated with him.

"I'm extending the search in one direction only as we can't keep this circular net going if Harley's travel permission renders it porous. We are heading to the East. It's only a hunch, but it's about all we have anyway. We have several reported sightings of a strange couple moving that way. They all said she was pregnant. The other common remark was that they looked and behaved more like brother and sister than two people in a relationship. They were asking for general directions to the mountains, yet they had no possessions and they never seemed to be looking for accommodation. Every interviewee thought it strange that a pregnant woman with no suitable clothing was verging on desperation to get to the mountains."

"That is the best lead we've had yet Cleo, will you come with me to speak to my new friend?" He explained what he'd done, and that he had already told Harley of his intent. She agreed.

*

Harley's travel concession had placed Wilson Kelly in a quandary. It could be manna from heaven if it was a permanent situation, but this was just a little too soon for a change of pace in every aspect of his objective. He couldn't spare any more serum for converts, and none of the females were through the first pubescent stage, although at least one was expected at any time. Despite this dilemma, he felt that advantage should be taken of the groundswell of human assistance in local delivery of medication. Chicago, being one of four global distribution locations was perfect. He set the first part of the exodus in motion. The final count of converts was now five hundred and twelve. He instructed groups of roughly thirty to head to Chicago every two to three days. The population of the windy city was big enough to provide anonymity and the foster parents left with the children in the second group. He would stay to oversee the departures, and then he intended to join the last group to leave.

*

Christophe gave the new recruit the name of Judas, indicating he'd not lost his cynical sense of humour. He began with a very short précis, including Judas' own ancestry.

"We will tell you more as we go, but we happen to know from your kin, who have disappeared, that your distant ancestors are in a deadly struggle with another species. We can't find them and they may have got into some kind of trouble. We agreed to help them but we think that we can only do that through you now." He encouraged Cleopatra to describe the search activity and the sightings of the couple who were heading for the mountains.

Judas was about to speak but was cut off by Christophe.

"We appreciate the breathing difficulties you have, and that may be why they chose to go to altitude where there is less oxygen. They also said they could remember something important they had to do, but they never got around to telling us exactly what it was. We're pretty sure it was something which could help your entire species, but we don't have any specific data. Does any of this make sense to you?"

"There is something vague which I have to do, but that is all. I also 'feel' that it will become clearer. Is there anything else you can tell me about my ancestral species?"

Christophe was running on adrenalin. He didn't want to disclose too much detail about the second trip to Ganymede, and especially its implications for Earth.

"Of course we can, as I said, we want to help. Your ancestors have been around for a very long time, and we think they have visited our world before my species evolved. They have been looking out for us ever since and it's time we began to show our gratitude and repay them."

"Yes, but I need something to help me work out what this vague task is. How did they help you?"

"Well, they assisted in bringing our species to its full potential. We have had to survive many potential extinctions and predators. Your people seem to have altered the direction or the rate of our development, and as you can see, we are by far the most sentient species on the planet."

Judas pointed at Cleopatra. "But that is a different species to you."

"Not really, we have many sub-species on Earth and Cleopatra is a part of our own development which is in another direction. We work very well together."

"How did you first know about my ancestors?"

Christophe thought for quite some time before answering. He didn't want to go further into the cyborg history. "The very first thing we noticed which led us to understand the caring nature of your people was in connection with their concern that our atmosphere was losing its ability to protect us from radiation."

"Radiation, that is familiar to me, I don't know why. How did they help?"

"The initial proof of their benevolent nature was triggered by an artefact they left on Earth. We actually found it before we knew about the existence of your people. We observed a magnetic surge from a device they must have buried to measure radiation levels. It sent a signal toward Jupiter."

"That is helping me to clarify my thoughts. I think that this had something to do with what I need to do. Where is this device?"

"It was submerged in another part of the world, but we have excavated it. It is guarded carefully but it has been inactive since then."

"That is what I have to do. I must go to it and make it send another signal. Thank you, will you take me there?"

"Certainly, but why do you think you have to do this, we can just get one of our people to do it for you."

"No, I am sorry, I should explain; I have things to do before the signal is sent."

"Oh I see, but maybe we can help with that as well."

"That would be very much appreciated. I have to work out how to do it first. Can you make another copy of me?"

Christophe was beginning to see a pattern. "That is easy, but why do you need to have another individual like yourself?"

"I have to make more of me by doing things with this second friend."

"Right, I think we refer to that as having a family."

"Yes, it is clear now, I need to have a big family before my people can come and collect me. Will you make this individual now?"

"Yes of course, just come with me." He told Cleopatra he was going to see Harley again with Judas. She nodded in resignation. Christophe said she should head to the East as she had already planned. "I'll catch up with you. I'm sure you are on to something, and we still need to find them."

He didn't go to see Harley. Judas was curious about almost everything he saw, even the DPB. He was instantly dematerialised. Christophe joined the search with Cleopatra without Harley ever knowing of Judas' elimination.

*

The two of them followed the convoluted trail to Helena and were sure they had the right place when one of the residents disclosed the couple had been given a mountain retreat by Wilson Kelly. On further questioning, the resident described the humanitarian act of fostering all seven children, after Jake had taken his own life. They pinned down Kelly in town and asked him to show them the graves. He obliged, but was horrified when Christophe asked Cleopatra to get two of her units to exhume the bodies.

"I'm afraid you don't know what you are dealing with Mr. Kelly. Now where are these children?"

"They aren't here any longer. Many people, as you must know, are helping in distribution of medicines. This town's population has been decimated by volunteers leaving. I think most of them will have gone to help in remote rural areas where the transport links are not so efficient. I know many of those who have already left were going south."

Christophe thanked Kelly and told Cleopatra that he would accompany the bodies back to the lab and get Bianca to make absolutely sure the profiles were matched. She took her search to the south after Kelly had assured her that he knew at least one family and two of the orphaned children had headed that way. He had no idea where the others had gone. Kelly was relieved to see the back of them, especially as he had been contacted by one of the families from Chicago. They claimed that Deborah, their foster daughter was sick. He asked about the symptoms. He had to go to Chicago.

Harley was furious when Christophe confessed what he had done. He was a little more circumspect when the matching printouts proved that the fugitives were dead. He slumped into semi-depression when the seven children were disclosed, and flipped back to anger at his own stupidity in lifting the travel ban. The device in the Rift Valley was the only thing which now lay between the galactic Primedes and their seed on Earth. Christophe at last got him to agree to destroy all of the vials they had brought from Ganymede, and he added another request.

"We need to do the same with the rest which are still there. Nero, Beethoven, and Anton can do it. Send them now."

It was arranged and Christophe headed for the Rift Valley because he didn't trust the locals to stay alert, especially if they had no idea of what could happen, or just as importantly, when.

## Chapter 37

When Christophe finally got to the Rift Valley and communicated the need to destroy the device, he was ushered away from the site. He was then told in no uncertain terms that he had no jurisdiction there. The City state principle had been welcomed, and furthermore it had become the number one tourist attraction on the planet, following the free travel period. It had occurred to their leaders that infrastructure was badly needed to cope with the demand. In fact, there were the first green shoots of a return to capitalist mentality in this region.

The wrangle eventually escalated back to Harley. Contact between them produced more unpleasant exchanges, but changed nothing. Christophe tried to cut the session short and insisted that he wanted to help out in guarding the device.

"That isn't really what you want to hear is it? Well Harley I've spent so long on preventing this invasion that I am simply not moving. I'm staying for as long as it takes, I hope that is now crystal clear."

The months rolled by without incident and Cleopatra had never found a single clue as to where the children had gone. Christophe eventually called it a day after six months, believing that the real threat had died with the fugitives. He returned to Tacoma.

Wilson Kelly had completed the infusion process with Deborah and now he could turn his attention to the Rift Valley. Jake had told him that the children would interbreed when they were approximately fourteen years old. He was instructed not to prevent this. Kelly passed this on to the foster parents and signed up for a sea-going job, distributing medicine.

Arriving on the other side of the Atlantic, he found the travel situation to be even less controlled than back at home. Public transport got him to where he could at last see the target. When Christophe had eventually left, it sent an unintended message to the local guards – the threat had been neutralised. They became even more lax, and took bribes of You2Me for unauthorised entry. Kelly gained access very late at night and input the data he'd been given by Jake. His proximity to the device was fatal. There was only a two second interval to get clear and he'd never been told about it.

*

Harley and Cleopatra were with young James when Christophe called. "I told you we should have destroyed the bloody thing. Everything we've done has been for nothing. Hopefully I won't be around to see the consequences, but you will. I'm going back to Paris. Have you decided when to send Nero and the others to destroy the vials on Ganymede?"

"Not yet, I must admit it had slipped my mind when we thought the threat was gone. I will arrange it tomorrow."

"Why do you always put things off Harley? You could do it now."

"And you rush into every situation without thinking it through. It will be tomorrow in four hours from now. Enjoy Paris."

It was actually another three months before the X-711 could be readied. When they got to Ganymede the cavern was completely empty.

In 2213, Christophe Rivet died. He had lived with Bianca, but they never married. They had been blessed with a son, and named him Charles. He was now thirty-one and took his father's death very badly. He never told anyone, but he wanted to carry on with his father's vigil. Christophe had impressed upon him that the human race had taken its eye off the ball.

Rodriguez had attended the funeral and reflected on how much he'd missed his friend in the last few years. They should have kept in touch. He died himself five years later and this was a much bigger wrench for Harley.

He and Cleopatra raised James as Hilda had also passed away. They were often asked by Neanderthals why they didn't want more children. They were also asked by humans if they were going to get 'married'.

Harley deflected both questions. "We will outlive our son, and that is going to be very sad. We wouldn't want to repeat it. As far as marriage goes, we are strictly speaking, neither one sex nor the other. Taking some kind of arcane vows such as 'till death do us part' is meaningless if we aren't going to die."

In 2221, Nero called. "The new orbiting space station has just identified a new object which is circling the Earth. It is by far the largest satellite which has ever been captured by the planet. Harley gazed skyward. He couldn't see anything but he knew they had come.

What he and the rest of the world didn't know, was that the Midwest housed a massive colony, with almost a thousand queens. It is often said that wars are decided before they are fought. It was especially true with the one which might be about to begin. What wasn't known was who the protagonists would be. The answer to that was in the stratosphere.

*

The Primede Ambassador and a healthy squad of security personnel descended to retrieve and reset their device in the Rift Valley. Those charged with guarding the object refused them permission. The Rift keepers and the Galactic owners couldn't understand one another's words, and out of frustration, the locals raised their weapons. Before they could discharge them the Primede security units cast a slimy, sticky textile-like web over them. The cocoon solidified their blood and flesh, resulting in statuesque martyrs, frozen in time. The Primedes left, and then observed various centres of population around the globe. The Ambassador took note of the harmony which prevailed and was not unimpressed. The vessel disappeared and Harley was immensely relieved.

In 31,818 BC, the Ambassador was a spectator in what would become known as France; he watched as two sub-species which normally respected each other, squabbled over the same prey. During the noisy, demonstrative posturing, the prey escaped. The Ambassador signalled his subordinates to sedate one of each species, Neanderthal and Homo-Sapiens, and airlift them for observation and experimentation.

In 18,127 BC, the planet was ruled by fifteen-foot tall Neanderthals, the perfect specimens. Homo-Sapiens had become extinct except for a few pockets in the Antipodes, and they were isolated from the rest of the world.

In 1987 AD, the Ambassador viewed the landscape with pride. There were no computers, and the Neanderthals had forged a peaceful, caring society, inclusive of the minor population of Homo-Sapiens. There was little disease to worry about, and the radiation threat had not yet become a major concern, partly because of absence of pollution by industry. There was little heavy industry to worry about as yet. The same was true of world conflicts which might have been expected in the twentieth century, they did not occur.

In 2061 AD, the peace had come under growing strain because the autonomous Antipodes accused the Neanderthal hierarchy of gross disrespect. The global attitude to, and treatment of the Aboriginal inhabitants was considered to be offensive.

In 2258, the Ambassador made his scheduled trip and was dismayed at what he saw. The opportunism of Homo-Sapiens was churning the fragile peace through the protest meat grinder and the road to rebellion was recognised. The Ambassador concluded that the ability of his species to manipulate the directionality of time was not all it appeared to be. His report would state that such tweaking was inextricably linked to the creation of another temporal paradox. Unpicking actions of that mix of order and chaos, no matter how meticulously executed, always resulted in yet another cyclical, insoluble conundrum.

It was therefore recommended to abandon temporal meddling and concentrate on the practical issues in the wider galactic hegemony. The addendum highlighted that the radiation threat on Earth was now building steadily, and it would take care of the remaining endangered Homo-Sapiens. The ruling Neanderthals were not advanced enough to prevent this natural extinction. After all they had always been classified as Perfect Specimens. The previously engineered timeline with Harley's cherished harmony and the growing colony of Primedes had almost succeeded, but not quite. The new era of the perfect specimens had replaced all others and shown great promise.

Reflecting on the incident of solidifying the humans guarding the Rift Valley device, the Ambassador recalled resetting the protocols to allow timeline alteration. The current reality of the projected demise of antipodean humanity now encouraged him to irrevocably shut off further visits to the past. Even though inexorable increase of this harmful radiation would ultimately claim Neanderthals, in a few millennia, the planet would be cleansed of the potential to create androids. That would be the time to inherit the Earth. He was still dismayed that the latest timeline had been necessary, especially as the previous reality, the Jupiter Paradox, had been predicted to succeed, and it had been his prediction. He mused, 'The vials with 'multiple instinct' specimens had provided a very promising start. If only more Primedes had been created, the plethora of vial-based embedded strategies would have converged to ensure elimination of the Borg. Albert's pathogen, together with Jake and Primrose's colony, were but two of many, and although very different in methodology, either or both could have led to success, they weren't mutually exclusive. The ever-expanding colony would have eradicated human compassion, and the compliant Neanderthals would have been led by Primede humanoids, to cull cybernetic life. Without Harley the antigen would not have been developed and Albert's purpose would have been a one-hit solution. The noteworthy strategy of Harley, patently appearing to repeat the disastrous mistake of the galactic Primedes, in offering a second chance to Borg elite, sealed the fate of his 'species'. All things considered, Earth was to be viewed as a Noah's Ark in the event of the conflict at the centre of the galaxy eventually being lost'.

The Ambassador smiled as he perceived another cycle beginning to take shape, one of future terrestrial Primedes fiddling with life on the blue planet. It would prove irresistible. Another visit was recommended in four galactic time segments.
