Regression (44 page)

“
I think it all went
smoothly. Unfortunately, once Dawn,” she quickly glanced to check
the divider, “is introduced I expect there will be intensive
background checks and lots of digging. There shouldn’t be anything
to connect the various young women who were travelling all over the
country today. The only possible connection is the Three Eleven
Prerogative but having those other girls running errands on behalf
of the company will help screen the important itineraries. I plan
to continue sending decoys for the next few days, under the pretext
they are preparing for the press conference and doing preliminary
liaises with subsidiaries in advance of our announcement. Actually,
they truly are. The press conference is set for November eleventh.
Two days from now Three Eleven goes public.” Melik and Peter
reflected her own anxiousness as they exited the limousine and
prepared to board the jet home to the Island.

As they approached the doors of the tower, Adya was again
struck by the beauty of the building. Thoughts had already
formulated regarding construction of a new building to house the
executive and the children who would be born during the next
decades and she planned to follow the design lead of the tower. She
walked with Melik and Peter to the entry gate where Ethan and Fred
stood guard. Their eyes reflected curiousity as Peter
spoke.

“
I need to take Mrs.
Ingram through to the registration room but Mister Kartal and I
will complete the process.” The men nodded, Fred opening the keyed
entry and allowing his superiors through the door before closing it
behind them. They began her registration.

“
What if it recognizes
the finger prints? What will the computer do if Adya Jordan tries
to imprint as Dawn Ingram?”

“
Let’s try and
see.”

Adya’s hands began to itch,
stinging radiating out from the birthmark. She rubbed them together
before placing her palm on the palm pad. The computer accepted the
input.

“
See, no
problem.”

She cocked her head, looking at
her hands. She spread her fingers wide, turning them from side to
side. “I think we once again got assistance. My skin was horribly
itchy the night of the transformation. My palms got itchy just
before the scan. Ask the computer to compare Adya’s print to
Dawn’s.” Peter punched a few keys.

“
They’re different.
The report shows two different sets of prints.”

“
This is
incredible.”

Peter and Melik went ahead to the
executive meeting to prepare the group for Adya’s transformation
but even so the men were left speechless when she walked into the
room. She turned a slow pirouette, secretly enjoying the
sensation.

“
What you see right
now is the handiwork of the organism residing in my cells. It
understood the need for change and enacted the transformation. Dawn
Ingram has truly and irrevocably been born.” Silence reigned. “I
think this…demonstration…also lends credence to the earlier
discussion regarding my purpose in this timeline. Shall we return
to that discussion?” She took her seat at the centre of the
horseshoe table’s toe, beside Babak. The hush lingered until he
spoke, one finger tracing a curl on her shoulder.

“
Wow. We saw the
action of the plasmid on the embryonic cells and eye colour, but to
enact such extensive changes is extraordinary.” He addressed Melik.
“I guess we should consider the plasmid active now?”

“
Yes, we deduced as
much last night when we went to pick Adya Jordan up at a hotel in
California and instead found Dawn Ingram in the flesh.” The rest of
the men snapped out of their stupor.

“
So, are we to assume
this…thing…is benevolent? Have there been any other symptoms or
actions?” Taddeo found his voice.

“
Nothing as of yet.
There’s no reason to think it intends to cause harm, conversely it
gives every impression of aiding our cause. We needed
Adya—

“
Impression’s not
enough−”

“
We need her to be
disguised. She’s now more than disguised. And when she needed the
hand print for access registration this morning the plasmid acted
right then and there to change her prints.” Further murmuring
erupted. “Dawn voiced concern about the computer recognizing her
hands and within seconds she had new palm prints. It seems to act
upon Dawn’s needs as they occur rather than making its own
choices.”

“
I think you’re
absolutely right, Peter. When I went to sleep in the hotel I was
worried about successfully maintaining the charade as Dawn Ingram.
I woke up in the morning being Dawn Ingram. I voiced a concern
about hand prints and immediately mine changed.”

“
What about the
modification to the babies? In here,” he motioned to the folder,
“you mention their DNA’s been modified. You wouldn’t have thought
about doing that.”

“
Perhaps that is the
purpose of the plasmid, to ensure genetic variability and enact any
changes needed by Dawn or the babies to ensure success of the
mission.”

“
You make it sound
like it thinks.”

“
We don’t know that it
doesn’t.”

“
It could be sentient.
Or, at the very least, like a computer program.”

“
We all know computers
use binary language. DNA is very similar except it has four base
signals. It could even be a computer.”

“
But, where did it
come from?”

“
That we don’t know
the answer to. It could be from our own future, even.”

Adya grasped onto the thread
introduced by Melik. “We were sent back in time. Maybe they had a
way to send microscopic matter back, the plasmid perhaps all they
could send aside from our consciences.”

“
So, where do we go
from here?” Troy held his information folder in his hands, waving
it for emphasis. “What do you want from us? Other than our
semen?”

Adya blushed. “No need to be
crude. Unlike the other initiatives, this…project…is going to
involve all of you at some point in time so as we explore how to
approach it input from all of you is needed. Is there anyone who
did not review the package?”

“
I reviewed it, not
sure I follow it, though.” Kalani’s brow furrowed in confusion.
“Like Troy said, what do we need to do?”

“
The action of the
plasmid needs to be intensively studied. The accelerated gestation
might be only one of many modifications, but one I am thankful for.
But, it gives us more flexibility in our timeline, greater
opportunity to−”

Hovannes interrupted Adya. “These
things, these creatures in your womb−”

Peter roared “They’re not
creatures−” while Melik and Babak rose from their seats, mouths
open to protest.

Stepping back from the vehemence,
Hovannes glanced around the room. “We don’t know what they are
yet−”

“
The ultrasounds and
genetic samples show normal development and profiles. Just faster
growth. In my opinion they are two normal baby boys.” Babak tapped
his folder. “They will be born at the end of the year if the
current gestational pace is maintained. We have twenty six years,
and if the gestation is less than six months we have time to study
this set of twins before considering another.”

“
Is there no other way
than…becoming a baby factory?” Hovannes’ persistence was beginning
to wear on Adya. She sighed.

“
The only way to pass
the plasmid on to the next generation is through me.” She turned to
Peter and Melik. “We can try again to inject it since it seems to
have activated but I think we need to operate on the assumption it
will not transfer any other way. Then, as identified in the
package, each of you offers your own unique genetic makeup which
will preserve diversity in the plasmid carriers.”

Melik took up her cause. “I firmly
believe in what Dawn’s proposing, I think it is the only possible
explanation for her presence. Even for all of our presences.” He
approached her chair and hugged her. “I stand with her.” He looked
to Peter, who subsequently stood.

“
I, too.”

One by one the men again stood and
offered their support to her. The first to rise were the men who
had already spent an orientation week with her but she was
gratified to see no hesitation in the other men until everyone had
acknowledged the initiative.

“
Developments must be
monitored and reported.”

She nodded. “Of
course.”

“
We expect regular
reports.”

“
As with every
initiative.”

“
At the last meeting,”
Mordecai rarely spoke, especially since Abraham’s death, so his
contribution was a surprise, “you mentioned you think this isn’t
your first time through this. Can you elucidate?”

“
It’s a sensation,
like an echo or déjà vu. When I encounter certain concepts, they
resonate with me. Like I’ve heard them before and know them well,
like the concepts are coming home.” She moved to a computer, doing
a quick search before posting the image of a child’s shape sorting
toy on the screen. “The ideas are the blocks, my head is the toy.”
She grinned, “Hopefully it won’t get too full. I think the
explanation for my exceptionally high IQ score and skills is I’ve
been regressed before.”

“
Wouldn’t you
remember, then, the way we do?”

“
I remember everything
from one life, but…these concepts are like echoes, maybe from other
lives.

Kalani’s deep voice resonated,
“The dreams…we’ve all had them. Maybe they’re our
echoes.”

“
Perhaps previous
attempts didn’t work.”

“
How do we know we’re
not doing the same thing over again this time?”

Adya shook her head. “We don’t,
but it doesn’t feel familiar to me, if that is any help. When I
encounter some concepts, like when I learned to play guitar in my
previous life, they don’t ring true. I reason that to mean I never
developed the skill or encountered the situation before.” Moving
her arms expansively, she grimaced. “This whole scene doesn’t
resonate for me.”

“
Let’s hope if this is
true, that we get it right this time. I don’t like the thought of
replaying my life over and over again.” Santino shuddered. “I want
to die properly and go to Heaven one day. Being stuck on Earth
would be like serving in Purgatory. No thanks.”

The group slowly filed out of the
conference room.

Journal of Doctor Nicholas Weaver

November 11, 98 P. I.

The ninety-ninth
anniversary of Adya’s death. It seems ironic to mourn the loss of a
woman I not only have never met, but whom I know will live again
through my actions. As will I. The time of my death is fast
approaching and is a welcome friend. Living alone the past years
allowed me to deliberate the meaning of life and death. The very
meaning of life. Knowing it can be redone, one lifetime need not be
the last, changes your perspective.

Would I do it all over
again? The answer is no, I will not. This is the last time I will
put us through it. I hope I will get the chance to beg Adya’s
forgiveness, to finally meet her and explain why she found herself
reliving her life. I pray she will be able to understand, to
forgive. It is a great curse I inflicted upon her, and full
responsibility lies with me yet I cannot regret the attempt. It is
better to have tried, and failed, than not to have tried at
all. 

Adya faced the assemblage, grasping either side of the
podium. Flanking her in both directions were all the members of the
executive, present to offer their support and endorsement of the
announcements she had prepared. Her hands trembled slightly as she
straightened the sheaf of papers atop the pedestal.

“
I address the world
today with both great sorrow and great optimism. This day, November
11, has special meaning around the world as a day of regret and of
hope. Earlier today we all spent a moment in silence to remember
those who made the ultimate sacrifice in order to preserve the way
of life we take for granted. With immense regard for those who gave
of themselves, I also would like for us to take a moment of silence
and honour those we have lost from our own lives. If you please…”
The gathering was utterly mute as she counted to eleven in her
head. “Thank you. You are already aware of the regretful losses of
Abraham Fairfield, Norton Fuller, Josiah Tait, Roger Whitman, and
Benjamin Smith. We are distressed to announce the further losses of
Jennifer Carter and Adya Jordan. Adya succumbed to injuries
sustained during the Anvolussion attack on the Three Eleven
corporate jet which claimed the lives of the other men. A promising
young intern, Adya had only recently become a member of the Three
Eleven family but had collected a large following of friends and
earned the respect of all she encountered. Jennifer’s long term
role as executive assistant to Abraham was one she performed with
the utmost of care and effectiveness, her valuable contributions to
our team will be missed. An unrelated tragedy took Jennifer from us
and we will miss her immensely.” She bent her head, tears stinging
in her eyes. She regained composure and tipped her visage to the
sky.