The Leaves in Winter (22 page)

We humans have our priorities. Too bad they’re at odds with reality.

In the last half of the 20th century, advances in agriculture increased grain production by over 250%. This was heralded as a great thing. The only problem was, as a result, world population grew by four billion since then. Worst of all, much of this agricultural revolution had to be accomplished with fossil fuels. Natural gas to produce fertilizers, oil to produce pesticides, irrigation powered by hydrocarbons.

As economies of the world have grown more interdependent, fertility rates in the world’s poorest areas have skyrocketed. In the poorest regions of Africa and the
Middle East
, populations are doubling every generation. There is no world stability when such a demographic bulge incites despair and violence or adds to poverty, unemployment, and mass migrations.

Our century is the time when it all changes. We can either allow the perfect storm to hit us or make the hard choices now. The problems of growing populations, falling energy sources and food shortages will converge by 2030. Food reserves are already at a fifty-year low. And yet, the world will need 50% more energy, food and water by 2030. By 2050, the world will need 70% more food to feed an extra 2.3 billion people. This is not my alarmist rhetoric. This was reported by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, the FAO.

And so, the time for half-measures and token efficiencies is gone. Compact fluorescent light bulbs will not save the planet. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against conservation measures. Of course there must be smart electric plugs in homes with strict usage governors. I’m all for computerized trip monitors on cars with high fines for inefficient travel. Things like that must be the norm, but those are just the beginning of what I like to call the
New World
Harmony.
But none of it will be possible until humans are back in accord and proportional balance with nature.

My grandson came to me the other day and asked me what I was working on. I explained
The Anthropocene Dilemma
to him this way. We’re living in a time in Earth’s history when human activity for the first time is having a major impact on the whole planet. We’re using up the Earth, the oceans; we’re changing the weather and making it hard for animals to live. There are so many of us. We’ve gotten so good at what we do that now we’ve become a bad thing for the Earth.

We must realize – hurting Mother Earth is suicide.

All considered, I can only come to one conclusion. Humanity needs an intervention of epic proportions if we are going to survive. For the sake of generations unborn, we are somehow going to have to devise a way to conduct an intervention on ourselves. No one else can do it. It will be the hardest thing we’ve ever done. Will it be worth it?

Consider this.

The Jurassic Period lasted
fifty million
years. And yet, the dinosaurs are gone. Maybe in the distant, evolved future, some intelligent lizard-insect hybrid will look back upon
The Anthropocene Period
with bewildered curiosity. How could the bygone human species attain so much so fast – but have it all end after only
fifty thousand
years? How could they be called
intelligent
and yet miss so many blatant signs of their own demise?

They must have been infected with narcissistic mass hysteria. Somehow their very own intelligence had become a mental disorder. They believed themselves too clever to be governed by natural laws, cause and effect, or even basic common sense. Of course, they didn’t realize this. How could they? According to them, their place within the circle of life was preeminent and assured. They could mate and procreate to their hearts’ content. To be human meant one was
entitled
– in so many ways.

I thank the Department of Sociology for its kind invitation to speak to you this evening. I ask all of you to consider the lifeboat we’ve all fallen into. We now face a terrible storm in the middle of an unforgiving sea. What will be do? Will we drift into oblivion – or seize ethics and practical values to guide us?

At such a pivotal time, true words can be harsh. Necessary actions might seem severe. But without them and our resolve to see them through, none of us will reach the distant shore.”

Eugene Mass stood at attention. His stature and sudden silence punctuated his words. With solemn intensity he searched the faces in the audience one last time. Fervently, he soaked in their reaction. Only when he was satisfied with the study of their faces did he nod to signal the end of his lecture.

The audience, comprised mostly of students, responded with a standing ovation. A commotion of side conversations erupted to bolster the impact of the applause. Media members jockeyed to take still pictures or find the next best setup position for their live-action cameras. Reporters wrestled with bodyguards in an attempt to get a word of immediate reaction from
Eugene
for their microphones.

Leah Mass sighed and smiled at her husband. As she stood in place before her seat,
Eugene
stepped forward and took her by the hand. He led her into the center of attention with him and put his arm around her in solidarity. Only then did he manage a smile. He received the affection of the audience with expected grace and humility.

Eugene
stepped towards the exit while shaking the hands of university deans positioned closest to him. Pleasant but assertive, one reporter managed to poke a microphone over a professor’s shoulder. He yelled above the hubbub.

“Mr. Mass…that was very dramatic…you defined the problem, but how do you answer critics who say you offer no real answers?”

Eugene
stepped between Leah and the media assault but the protective move placed him square before the microphone. Mass couldn’t help a condescending smile as he made his way past.

“You had time for one question. It’s a shame you wasted it belaboring the obvious.”

Husband and wife clung together as they aimed their way down a narrowing gauntlet for the door. For security reasons, guards hustled both of them out of the hall in the direction of a waiting limo. They were handed their coats which they hurriedly put on as they hit the crisp air. Outside, a dusting of snow blanketed everything. A twilight sky brooded grey above them as they dashed for the car.

Flanking bodyguards shielded them. Dozens of photoflashes sparkled from behind the police lines. Then an arcing brilliance attracted everyone’s attention skyward. A Molotov cocktail landed in the street in front of the limo and erupted in flame. A second later, another firebomb was thrown from the roof of a building across
Broad Street
. It landed in the street on the far side of the car.

Guards reacted quickly by shoving Leah and Eugene into the limo’s backseat. Panic and chaos exploded as spectators and police ran every which way. The limo driver revved the car in reverse and gyrated the vehicle back to the next corner. On the way, a pedestrian was clipped by the rear fender and left injured in the street.

Eugene and Leah were alone in the backseat. The driver and bodyguard controlled the escape in the front seat on the other side of soundproof privacy glass. Within a minute, the limo was on the road towards
London
with a police escort in front and behind. Leah slumped away from the window, doubled over.

Eugene
reacted to her position. “Are you all right?”

Leah nodded but said nothing.

“What is it?”

Straightening up, Leah squeezed
Eugene
’s hand. “I’m just a little tired.”

“You can rest on the plane.”

Leah smiled weakly. “You know I don’t rest on planes.”

“At least the worst is over. The treatment’s done.”

Leah pulled away from him. She knew he was speaking of
GenLET
but after the speech she had just heard, his comment seemed out of place.
The worst is over
– how comforting lies could be, even when she knew in her heart what they were.

Nothing more was said until
London
city limits when Mass’ cell phone vibrated once again in Leah’s purse. She plucked it out and handed it to Mass.

“Here – this thing was going off all during the speech.”

Eugene
answered it curtly and turned his attention to the oncoming city lights.

“I told you not to call me on my private line.”

The man was insistent. “I thought you’d want to know right away.”

“Know what?”

“The laptop was used again.”

Mass tensed and leaned forward. “For what?”

“The same thing. Another download.”

“Shit!” Mass pumped his fist against the window. “What is wrong with those people? Can’t they secure their network? Where are we now? Any chance we can get an MD5 Hash? We need to know if that memo got out?”

“No way. It happened so fast; no chance for a digital fingerprint.”

“Damn!”

“What do you want me to do?”

Mass held a steely gaze out the window. For the longest while, only his labored breaths could be heard in the phone. When he finally spoke, it was guttural, determined but fatalistic. “Find out from Oliver how soon he can be ready. We need to accelerate the schedule.”

Mass pressed disconnect and threw the phone on the seat between him and his wife. Leah held her breath.

“Was that Javier?”

Mass nodded.

Leah turned away. She watched outside as the city rolled by.

The
New World Harmony
edged closer. Necessity was not always kind.

Her eyes filled with tears.

Chapter 21

Curtis Labon’s Estate

Quebec Province
,
Canada

“So. What’s the mystery?” Heinrich pushed away his empty breakfast plate.

Curtis Labon excused the service staff by motioning for privacy in the atrium. As the doors closed, he reached for tea. “I’d rather wait until everyone’s arrived.”

Hasuru Tamasu studied Heinrich’s reaction. “It would only complicate things to start a discussion now. The whole Group should participate.”

Heinrich settled to one side. He managed to smile. Toothpick in hand, his mouth widened as he dug deeper. “You two have already talked about it, haven’t you? Whatever it is.” The German was not so much perceptive as he was familiar with the longstanding friendship between the other men.

“What of it?” Feeling empowered at home, Curtis saw no reason to be coy.

“Nothing…” Heinrich bit down on the toothpick then let it dangle from his mouth. “…except you could be using this time to convince me.”

“Whatever for?”

“You didn’t call this meeting so abruptly just to go over regular business.”

Hasuru tried to make light of the rising situation. “I didn’t know there
was
such a thing as
regular
business anymore.”

“Let’s see…” started Heinrich. “For whatever you’re planning, you’ll need five votes for a majority. Without my vote, I predict you’ll only be able to muster four. The delay in some people getting here is already sending a message, don’t you think? I wouldn’t be surprised if one or two of them don’t even show up.”

Curtis paused. Heinrich was right. Any new proposal would be a hard sell to The Group, even with new facts on his side. With the advent of delayed fertility, most Group members had become risk adverse. Even at the best of times, the radical proposal he had in mind would not sit well among the Group. But it couldn’t be helped. He could act alone but Curtis knew that Group cohesion going forward would be irreparably harmed by unilateral action by any one member. A consensus was not needed to move forward with the plan – but forward as a Group.

Heinrich eased forward. It was as if he had read Curtis’ mind. “I don’t see why we go through the formality of voting anyway. Times have changed. We’ll all do what we have to do regardless. You’ve proven that.”

“If you had any problems with my actions before, this is the first I’ve heard of it.” Curtis’ attempt at nonchalance went unnoticed.

“You have a way of getting what you want – despite advice to the contrary.”

“Such as?”

“People are starting to notice the drop in teenage pregnancies. Delayed fertility will soon take center stage. The World Health Organization, among others, are quite interested. Already, some at the fringe are becoming alarmed.”

“As we expected.”

“Yes, that’s why we agreed years ago, when this time came, we’d have independent research ready. We need to give people another reason for what’s happening, something that doesn’t lead them to 1st Protocol – and to us. Hasuru and I, through our agents, have managed to get our research out on time. You have not.”

“Releasing simultaneous studies would be suspicious. If I remember correctly, our plan was to stagger publication.”

“Not beyond the point when it’s needed. The truth is – you insisted on having your part done by a government agency in the States, despite the advice of The Group to keep such things with private institutions.

“I already had biodefense contacts. It wasn’t a problem.”

“You mean you didn’t expect it to be a problem. My sources tell me you’ve had several run-ins with your boy in
Kansas
– Oliver Ross. You’re not seeing eye-to-eye on the scheduling of several animal studies. You think he’s dragging his feet.”

“It’s a procedural matter, nothing more.”

“
Government
procedures, to be precise. The kind of procedures you wouldn’t be bogged down with if you’d followed Group advice and kept the study private.”

“The extra hassle is worth it. Private studies convince some people. Government studies convince others. We need both. We agreed simultaneous research would be suspicious but leaving the government out of the loop will also look peculiar. They’re bound to research it anyway. This way, we control the results.”

“I’m still not convinced you’re in control of Ross. The man is too high maintenance to be on the team.”

“Oliver is my concern.”

“He wasn’t even your first choice.”

“He was available when I needed him. Don’t worry. I’ll handle it. He’s at a new facility. Some of it is still under construction.”

“Excuses,” snapped Heinrich

Hasuru turned to the German. “Since we’re on the topic of disrupted schedules, what’s going on with 2nd Protocol? Last year you said we’d have it by now.”

“That was best case.” Heinrich pushed back from the table. “You know very well what we’re up against. Capping lifespan is more challenging than delaying fertility. Hitting a precise age is the most difficult thing of all. We have to be patient if we want to lock it down.”

“Is there something about a 70-year cap that’s a problem?”

“A cap at any age would be difficult. It’s not the age; it’s the precise timing.”

“But it’s going to happen,” prompted Hasuru.

“Difficult, not impossible.” The answer was immediate but without conviction.

“So, you’ve figured out how to accelerate the aging process?” asked Curtis.

“What’s to figure out? It’s the flipside of
GenLET
– the easier side. I like to call it
RevLET
–
reverse
life extension therapy. Thanks to Malcolm Stowe’s split loyalties between spying for Her Majesty and accumulating pounds sterling, his work procuring
GenLET
for the Crown also gave us what we needed.”

Curtis tensed. “Your mercenary is dead. And that’s a problem. With Malcolm gone, our line into NovoSenectus is shut down.”

“We have what we want. It’s just as well. Malcolm went off the deep end after his girlfriend died. Last time we spoke, he was ranting about a bio-lab in
Austria
.”

“What lab?”

Heinrich laughed. “
My
lab – the lab where we were working on 2nd Protocol.”

“Why didn’t you tell us about this?”

“It was a non-issue. I handled it.”

“Handled what?”

“Malcolm claimed Mass was preparing to collapse the world’s population using my lab. Something so ludicrous didn’t require Group involvement.”

“Did he report this back to British intelligence?”

“I think not. He wanted to confront me with it first. Poor man. Blinded by the need to explain Riya’s death, he lost grip and critical focus. He became gullible.”

“Gullible enough to suspect you and Mass might be working together?”

Hasuru added, “Maybe he took your denials about the lab with a grain of salt.”

Heinrich laughed. “Me? Working with Mass to collapse the population – and at the same time stealing his
GenLET
? Hardly.”

“What else did Malcolm say?” asked Curtis.

“Does it matter? The man was obviously deranged by grief. More importantly, he was paranoid. He felt NovoSenectus was freezing him out. He’d gotten used to being on the inside of their top security. Suddenly, he was out of the loop. It didn’t occur to him that a non-professional association with Riya Basu might have something to do with that.”

“Is that what you told him?”

“No. You can’t reason a man out of something he has not been reasoned into. It had gotten emotional with him. That mindset is immune to logic or common sense. He badly needed his explanation to be true.”

“You had to tell him something.”

“I told him to take some time to get his head on straight. I can’t afford unstable people in sensitive positions. I know what’s going on in my lab. Eugene Mass has nothing to do with it.”

“Is it so impossible?” Hasuru squinted. “You got to Malcolm in NovoSenectus. You convinced him to supplement his income while stealing secrets for the Royals. Likewise, why couldn’t Mass have someone in your lab in
Austria
?”

“That’s preposterous. Stealing secrets is one thing – developing a major pathogen, with all that would entail – that’s something else. Malcolm was a spy at NovoSenectus – but he was one person – he wasn’t running a major lab project to develop a superbug. That’s what he claimed was going on in
Austria
.”

Curtis sat up straight. “Malcolm was a trained agent – British Special Forces. He may have been lining his pockets working both sides against the middle, but he wasn’t deranged. What else did he say?”

“I only half-listened after that. He wasn’t making sense. He had just watched Riya Basu gunned down right in front of him.”

“His job was to be on the inside – and you ignored what he brought to you?”

“Oh, I didn’t ignore it. I’m not stupid. Just in case, I moved 2nd Protocol work out of
Austria
, to another lab.”

“If you weren’t concerned, why bother?” asked Hasuru.

“The way Malcolm was acting, I couldn’t rule out that Mass had put him up to it. I knew there was no way
Eugene
was running a major bio-weapons project out of my lab. All the same, I wasn’t going to fall for one of his tricks.”

“Like what?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Our work could interfere with Mass’ plans for
GenLET
and his
New World Harmony
. What if we successfully release 2nd Protocol? What if we manage to cap lifespan
before
Mass has a chance to extend life for everyone he’s invited to his fountain of youth party?”

Hasuru looked to Curtis. “He’s right. We weren’t a threat to Mass until now. It didn’t matter until we got near to having 2nd Protocol ready.”

Curtis stiffened. “If Mass knows the project status of 2nd Protocol that well, then he
must
have someone on the inside. That would prove your project’s been compromised. Who knows how far it goes?”

“A mole is one thing,” noted Hasuru. “But there’s no way Mass could be hiding a whole project in Heinrich’s lab. I’m more interested in what else Mass is up to.”

“Sabotage.” The German elaborated. “To sabotage 2nd Protocol, I figured Mass might be motivated to let some vile rumors about himself fall into the hands of an intelligence service – the Brits or Americans, probably.”

“He probably still has contacts,” noted Hasuru. “When Mass bought NovoSenectus, I heard they were doing some secure government contract work.”

Curtis would only add, “I’m familiar with it.”

Hasuru turned his attention back to the German. “The leak would need to be plausible. Beyond scrutiny.”

Heinrich offered, “Malcolm Stowe was handy – and vulnerable. His assignment from
London
was to get next to Riya Basu in order to get
GenLET
. Unfortunately, he got in bed with her in a way that affected his judgment.”

“What about sabotage,” prompted Hasuru. “You said 2nd Protocol.”

Heinrich continued. “Yes, well, all of these on-purpose leaks would lead to my lab in
Austria
. Before you know it my lab would be investigated and 2nd Protocol would be exposed and linked back to us. Mass would be cleared of suspicion while eliminating 2nd Protocol’s threat to his timetable.”

“He’d also have a bit of revenge on us,” added Curtis.

“It sounds like
Mass.
” Hasuru explored the implication. “Exposing us would create a cover story. If anybody cried wolf about him after that – few would listen.”

Curtis added, “At least long enough for him to carry out plans to bring the population down.”

Heinrich laughed. “You two sound like Malcolm. His rants were helpful in motivating me to move 2nd Protocol work out of possible harm’s way, but that’s the extent of it. Face it. Mass is consumed with
life extension
, not mass murder. It’s been that way for ten years. The older
Eugene
gets, the more desperate he is to live longer. It’s all he thinks about.”