فصل 21

Part Two

Chapter 21: The Board’s Decision

“I hate boats,” Hatch said, wiping his forehead with a gold-monogrammed handkerchief. The boat he was hating was a superyacht with all the luxuries befitting a $450 million vessel: a helipad, two current-jetted swimming pools, and an art gallery that included two van Goghs, three Escher lithographs, and a Rembrandt (the chairman had a penchant for Dutch artists). There were luxury suites for eighteen and an exclusive dining room with crystal chandeliers and scarlet wool carpet interwoven with twenty-four-karat gold thread. The yacht also featured some less luxuriant but interesting add-ons, including radar, sonar, and surface-to-air missiles.

Hatch was prone to seasickness, and although he understood the necessity of moving the Elgen corporate headquarters to international waters, he would have preferred the ship to remain docked in some obscure bay off the coast of Africa or the Philippines. The two electric teens seated next to him in the waiting room looked at him sympathetically.

“Would you like me to help?” Tara said, tapping her temple. “I could make you feel better.” Hatch shook his head. “No. I’ve got to keep my wits about me. I’m sensing trouble.” Tara had traveled with Hatch and the rest of the kids from Pasadena to Rome, where they left the others behind, helicoptering to the Elgen’s yacht a hundred miles north of Sicily—in the Tyrrhenian Sea. The other teen, Torstyn, had joined them in Rome. Torstyn had spent the last nineteen months on assignment in Peru and, at Hatch’s command, had flown directly to Italy.

Tara knew Torstyn—all the Elgen teens were familiar with one another—but she hadn’t seen him in a long time and he had changed. His skin was darker from the South American sun, and his hair was long and wild. His personality had changed as well. Something about him frightened her.

“How long will we be here?” Torstyn asked, his hand extended toward the hundred-gallon saltwater aquarium built into the wall in front of them.

“Only as long as we need to be,” Hatch said.

“Stop it!” Tara said.

“Stop what?” Torstyn asked, grinning.

“You know what. You killed the fish.”

Torstyn had boiled the water in the aquarium from fifteen feet away. Two exotic angelfish were now floating on top of the water.

“They’re just fish,” Torstyn said. “Same thing you ate last night.” “Actually,” Hatch said. “They were rare peppermint angelfish, found only in the waters of Rarotonga, in the South Pacific. I gave them to the chairman as a gift last year. They run about twenty-five thousand dollars apiece.” Torstyn frowned. “Sorry, sir.”

“Ask next time.”

“Yes, sir.”

Hatch looked at him coolly, then asked, “How long did it take you?” “About forty seconds.”

“Good. I want you to get it down to twenty.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then ten.”

“Yes, sir.”

Hatch nodded. “At ten you’ll be unstoppable.”

“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”

Hatch went back to his e-reader. He’d been reading a book on mind control written in the late fifties by William Sargant, a British psychiatrist. He had already read the book several times. He was fascinated with the subject and had studied all aspects of mind control from hypnosis to suicide cults.

A slender, well-dressed woman in her midthirties walked into the waiting room. “Excuse me, Dr. Hatch?” Hatch looked up.

“The board is ready to see you now.”

Hatch stood, tossing his reader on the sofa cushion next to Tara. “I’ll be right back,” he said.

“Do you want us to come with you?” Torstyn asked.

“No, you’re not invited.” He walked to the conference room door, then turned back. “But stay alert.” “Yes, sir,” they said, almost in unison.

Hatch straightened his tie, then walked into the conference room. An Elgen guard stood on each side of the door. Neither of them saluted him. The guards on the boat were the only ones in the company who never saluted Hatch. He walked past them into the room.

The boardroom was bright and the walls were covered with stainless steel tiles. Recessed directional lighting illuminated the art on the wall—large, black pictures with red, abstract silhouettes, images that looked more like inkblot tests than art. The shape of the room was trapezoidal; one entered in at the smaller end and broadening out in the rear. The outer wall, to Hatch’s right, was made of thick, protective glass, forming an eight-foot-tall window looking out over the crested waves sixty feet below.

The table in the middle of the room was twenty-seven feet long and made of rare Brazilian rosewood, with brushed stainless steel trim around the edge. The table was surrounded by twelve high-backed chairs upholstered in black Italian leather and spaced every few feet. All of the chairs were filled except for two, one next to the chairman and one at the opposite end of the table, which was usually reserved for visitors.

The board was split evenly between men and women—all over fifty, a few gray with years. Anonymity was essential to the Elgen, and board members used numbers instead of names, the numbers corresponding to their term of service and place at the table. The chairman, Giacomo Schema, was Number One and the only member of the board who used his name.

Every eye was on Hatch as he entered the room. Although he had, at one time, served as CEO of Elgen Inc., the company had been reorganized after the original MEI machine was discovered to be dangerous. Hatch had been removed from the board, but had served ever since as the executive director, overseeing the daily affairs of the company. His relationship with the board had been volatile, and more than once there had been motions to remove him as director. But the company’s growing profitability and status had, at least to that moment, ensured his longevity.

“Chairman Schema, board members,” Hatch said, slightly nodding.

“Welcome, Dr. Hatch,” the chairman said. “I trust your flight wasn’t overly taxing.” Chairman Schema was a broad, barrel-chested Italian who dressed impeccably in Armani suits with silk ascots.

“No, thank you. I’m used to the flight.”

“Take a seat, please,” Schema said, motioning to the chair at the opposite end of the table.

“Thank you.” Hatch pulled the chair out and sat down.

“Tell us about the disaster in Pasadena,” Schema said, no longer concealing his anger.

“As I wrote in my report, one of the electric children—”

“Michael Vey,” Six, one of the board members to his left, said.

Hatch looked at her. “Yes,” he confirmed. “Vey managed to overpower one of our youths, the one you know as Zeus, and recruited him to help him free the others.” “How did he accomplish this? Was Vey left unguarded?”

“On the contrary. He was actually strapped down and being watched by three guards and Zeus. We believe that Vey may have telepathic powers we were unaware of—powers like Tara’s or her sister, Taylor. Shall I continue?” Chairman Schema waved his hand in an angry flourish. “By all means.” “The surveillance cameras in the room were blown out, so we’ve had to deduce much of what transpired. From what we’ve gathered, after Vey overpowered Zeus, he freed two of his accomplices who were locked down and the four of them attacked the guards in the hallway outside. They then released three more of the children who had been kept in seclusion—Ian, Abigail, and McKenna. Together, the seven of them attacked the academy and freed the GPs. The GPs managed to arm themselves, and for the protection of the rest of the children, we were forced to flee.” “What is the status of the freed GPs now?”

“The GPs are all accounted for except three. Two of them are with Vey, the other one, we believe, committed suicide in an aqueduct. His RFID tags are no longer registering. We are awaiting a report on the body.” “What about the children?” Three asked.

“We lost seven. . . .”

There was an audible groan from both sides of the table.

Hatch looked around, then said in a softer voice, “We lost seven. Vey; Zeus; Tara’s twin, Taylor; and the three from Cell Block H—Ian, Abigail, and McKenna.” “Please, remind us of their gifts,” Four said.

“Ian sees through electrolocation. . . .”

“Which means?” Chairman Schema asked.

“He can see through solid objects that humans cannot. McKenna can generate heat and light. Abigail can eliminate pain by stimulating nerve endings.” “I could use her for my headache right now,” Eight said wryly.

Hatch ignored the comment. “Then, as I mentioned, Zeus, who can throw electricity.” “That’s only six,” Chairman Schema said.

“We also lost Grace.”

“They captured her?”

Hatch interlaced his fingers in front of him. “Yes, we think so.” “What is it that Grace does?”

“She can hack into data systems and store information like a hard drive.” Six asked, “Did she hack into our system? Does she have confidential information that could compromise our security?” “She was never given access to our mainframe.”

“Were the children still in the building when you fled?” Three asked.

“Yes. They were.”

“Then may we presume that she had access to the mainframe after you left?” “The mainframe was set on self-destruct, so all the information was destroyed. But there was a short window of opportunity, so it is possible she downloaded some information, but even that is highly unlikely. Especially if she was taken against her will.” “What makes you think she was taken against her will?” Six asked.

“As we gathered up the other youths, we were not able to locate her. We believe she was on one of the other floors when the attack occurred.” Eight shook his head in disgust. “What a nightmare.”

Chairman Schema leaned forward, pressing his fingertips together. “You had reported to me . . . actually, you had promised me, that the children would be back in your custody two days ago. But they are not.” “No. Vey and his associates have eluded two of our traps.” “Two?”

“They were tipped off to the first one. They attacked and tied up our watch, then fled the scene. We tracked them down to a home where they were hiding, and they were all captured. But they managed to overpower the guards and escape.” “This seems to be part of a pattern, Dr. Hatch,” Chairman Schema said angrily. “I am beginning to doubt your ability to capture Vey and his friends.” “These are very powerful youths. The combination of their unique powers makes apprehending them, as Eight so aptly put it, a nightmare. Especially since our objective is to bring them in alive.” “What provoked Vey’s attack in the first place?” Three asked.

“Vey was looking for his mother. We captured and held him for more than three weeks before he attempted his escape.” Three leaned forward. “And did he find his mother?”

“No. She wasn’t being held in Pasadena. She’s currently detained in our compound in Peru.” “So now we are holding hostages too?” Eight said.

Hatch replied, “She’s the bait we need to recapture her son.” Chairman Schema slammed his hand on the table. “Dr. Hatch, your missteps continue to compromise this organization. First you were abducting children, now you are abducting their parents. These are crimes for which the board may be held accountable.” “Which is why we reside in international waters,” Hatch said. “Mr. Chairman, may I remind the board that we were all complicit in much greater crimes with the death of forty-two infants. It was our cover-up of that incident that revealed the phenomenon of the electric children in the first place.” “Strike that from the record,” Chairman Schema said to the board member taking notes. “Yes, we are aware of our complicity in that matter. And every time you pursue additional lawlessness, you further endanger this board. Are you mindful of this?” “I do not take any of our actions lightly, Mr. Chairman. What has been done is part of our ongoing Neo-Species Genesis program, a program that has been unanimously approved by the board, not once but repeatedly, over the past decade.” “Which is precisely what we wish to discuss this morning,” Chairman Schema said. “Dr. Hatch, in the last decade you have spent two hundred and forty-six million dollars in the Neo-Species program. Other than the ‘accidental’ creation of the original seventeen children, have you successfully replicated an electric human?” “No, sir. But we believe we’re close.”

“What evidence would you have to support what seems to me a rather optimistic assessment?” “As you’re well aware, we’ve now successfully altered the electric composition of other mammals, and we are about to begin testing on primates. Also, there have been many other worthwhile discoveries and advancements that have come as a result of the program. The Starxource initiative wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for the Neo-Species program—surely that alone warrants its continuation.” “Dr. Hatch is right,” Four said. “The Starxource program is of inestimable value.” “Thank you,” Hatch said. “And we don’t know what other beneficial advancements the program will generate in the future.” Board member Two spoke up for the first time. “I am the first to commend you for your success with the Starxource program, Doctor. Our power plants have been even more successful than we envisioned or hoped for. My question is, now that we have found a commercially viable use for the technology, why should we continue pursuing an end, which, after more than a decade, appears to be a dead one?” “I would second that argument,” Nine said. “Even if we are successful in achieving your Neo-Species goals, I see no commercial application.” “Commercial application?” Hatch blurted out. “We’re talking about creating a new species of human beings. We are altering the very course of human history.” “Exactly,” Nine said. “And how do you propose we monetize that? These are people, not machines. If we create an electric person, they are free to do whatever they want with that power. What is to keep them from sharing their gifts with the highest bidder?” Nine turned to the chairman. “It is not our objective to create history, it is our mission and corporate objective to create profits. If the doctor’s goal is a worthy one, and I have no doubt that he intends it as such, I suggest he create a charitable organization to pursue these ends—but separate it from the corporate body.” Hatch didn’t answer, though some of them noticed his hands trembling with anger.

“At any rate,” Two said, “whatever good may come from electrifying people, it certainly will not generate more profits than the already proven Starxource initiative. We have a very real opportunity to become a force of global power, larger than OPEC or any of the oil-producing countries of the world.” This started a discussion among the board members. Chairman Schema raised his hands for silence. When the room was quiet he turned his attention to Hatch. “Dr. Hatch, you should be aware that this discussion on the continuance of the Neo-Species program is more than a hypothetical one. Several months ago a motion was brought before the board to shut down the program entirely. At that time we tabled the motion until you could join us in person and be given the opportunity to defend your work.” Hatch turned red. “Shut down the program? That would be ludicrous. The power of this corporation exists because of this program.” “That is incorrect,” Twelve said, speaking out for the first time. “The MEI was developed prior to the Neo-Species program. Unfortunately it is still too dangerous to use. The only part of the machine we can duplicate is the part that kills people. I agree with the commercial assessment proffered by Nine. I believe we should focus our efforts on the propagation of the Starxource initiative, to the exclusion of all else. Future discoveries will still come, just from the Starxource labs.” “I have a question,” Three said, looking over a document. “Please explain this twenty-seven-million-dollar price tag for our facility in Peru. It’s nearly double the cost of our other plants.” “We added a new guard training facility as well,” Hatch answered.

“What are we training them to do? Fly?”

Several members chuckled. Hatch looked at Three, concealing his fierce anger behind a controlled demeanor. She had been against him from the beginning.

“Elgen security is of utmost importance,” Hatch said. “Just one leak of our information or the theft of one pair of breeding rats could endanger our entire operation. Security is no place to count pennies.” “Twenty-seven million dollars is hardly pennies,” she retorted.

“Dr. Hatch has a valid point,” Chairman Schema said. “But why Peru?” “Peru gives us a certain latitude to train in privacy and in the manner we consider best practice.” “Very well,” the chairman said. “Is there anything else you would like to say, Dr. Hatch, before we vote on the future of the program?” Hatch glanced around the room. “What you are considering . . . to shut down the Neo-Species Genesis program is to turn our backs on the future.” “Wait, wait,” Three said. “What future are you speaking to? Certainly not the Starxource program. The future could not be brighter.” She turned to the other board members. “I sound like the slogan, don’t I?” “Please,” Hatch said. “Just give me another year. We are on the verge of a breakthrough. With the finding of Vey and the twin, Taylor, we expect critical advancement.” “But you don’t have Vey or Taylor,” Three said.

“We will soon. I promise you, you won’t be disappointed.” Hatch turned to Chairman Schema. “Just give me twelve more months.” “We’ve been hearing a lot of promises but seeing few results,” Three said. “You ask for another year, I would maintain that we’ve given you five years too many. At least.” “Mr. Chairman,” Four said, “I move that we suspend discussion for a vote.” “Do I have a second?” Chairman Schema asked.

Three hands went up.

“Very well. Doctor, if you would please leave the room while we conduct a vote.” Hatch slowly stood, looking over the board members. “Shutting down the Neo-Species Genesis program would be a huge mistake, one I believe you will live to regret.” “Noted,” Chairman Schema said. “If you would please wait in the reception area, we will momentarily notify you of our decision.” Hatch walked outside the room, shutting the door behind him. Tara and Torstyn watched him enter. They could see from his expression how angry he was. Torstyn started to speak, “What’s—?” Hatch held up his hand to silence him. “They are voting on our future.” He sat down on the couch. Nothing was said. Less than a minute later the door opened.

“Dr. Hatch, you may come in now.”

Hatch returned to the conference room. Few of the board members were looking at him, and from the sympathetic expression of those who were, he knew how the vote had gone.

“The vote was not unanimous,” Chairman Schema said. “But there was a majority vote in the affirmative to dissolve the Neo-Species Genesis program. To avoid further expenditures we are asking you to fly immediately to Peru, where you will relieve the scientists who are involved with the program.” “But . . .”

Chairman Schema raised his hand. “You will relieve these scientists of their current duties. Obviously we cannot just release them back into society, so they will be assimilated into the Starxource program. Their expertise led to the creation of this program, so we expect that their talents will be put to good use in maintaining and improving the program. At our current rate of growth and demand we will certainly need their specialized knowledge.

“The GPs, of course, are no longer of use to us. For obvious reasons, we can’t just release them, as that would cause serious problems and inquiries into our activities. We trust that you will find a creative solution to this problem. We don’t want to know about it.” “What about the electric children?” Hatch asked.

“It is also the decision of the board that the electric children should be reintegrated into normal society. An endowment will be established for each one allowing them to pursue further educational or vocational opportunities.

“As for Vey, you will reunite the boy with his mother with sufficient monetary remuneration to guarantee that there will be no lawsuits filed. We expect you to work with Legal to ensure that this delicate situation is handled discreetly.” Hatch was speechless.

“This is not a censure, Doctor, this is simply a change in course. We appreciate your devotion and the success that your efforts have brought to our company.” Hatch clenched his hands behind his back, his jaw tightening. “Do you have a time frame for this action?” “We desire an immediate shutdown. We expect you to be in Peru within two days to begin the process. We realize that your relationship with the children is as personal as it is professional, so your timeline for that transition is up to you and the children to decide; however we expect that all business related to this matter be finalized before the end of this calendar year. We ask to be kept informed in all aspects of the transition. We thank you in advance for your expeditious handling of this matter, and we trust that it will be more successful than the shutdown of the Pasadena facility.” Hatch looked around the room, veiling his contempt for most of the gathered body. “Yes, sir. I’ll see to it immediately.” He turned on his heel and walked out of the room.

Tara and Torstyn stood as he entered. “Come on,” he said. “We’re leaving.” Walking to the helipad, Torstyn asked, “Where are we going?” “To Rome to gather the others. Then we’re headed back to Peru.” Within minutes the three of them were hovering over the Tyrrhenian Sea on the flight back to Rome.

“What did they say, sir?”

“They want to dismantle the NSG program.”

The kids looked at each other.

“What?” Torstyn asked. “How come?”

“What about us?” Tara asked.

“I’ll tell you on the plane,” Hatch said. He glanced down at his satellite phone. “No! No! No!” he shouted. He pressed a button on his phone. “Get me Dr. Jung immediately.” “What is it?” Tara asked.

Hatch looked at her with a dark expression. “Tanner just tried to kill himself.”