Genesis Code, (Book 1, Genesis Series)

Chapter 26

The previous morning, Laura had made a call to her mother on the anniversary of her father's suicide. Fionnuala struggled most days to be alone, but on the day that was painful for both of them she made everything about her, about what she'd lost.

Four years after his death, her mother still couldn't bear to be alone.

It had taken Laura a long time to get over her father's death. It hadn't been his fault; severe depression could take anyone. But death by hanging was a brutal way to die, especially with the option of the termination rooms. Fionnuala had been mortified by the press coverage her husband's suicide had attracted and, to this day, continued to voice her irritation about the intrusion. The woman rarely let anything go.

During their Light Box call, Laura had listened as her mother launched into her usual anniversary tirade of who was to blame that day.

'You should have tried to save him.'

'I did...'

'You should have tried harder.'

Laura had arrived home one evening to find her father still strung up while a hysterical Fionnuala looked on. She would give her mother a few days to calm down and apologise. That was usually how their arguments went.

But no matter how she felt about Fionnuala, she would not consider a move to Exilon 5 without her. They ended their conversation without Laura mentioning her new promotion and the lottery update. Fionnuala would only find something else to criticise.

Following her signature on the confidentiality agreement, Brett had escorted Laura to the door leading to Level Five. 'You must never speak about the work you do here. You're about to be given access to sensitive information. Your work will be continually monitored while you're at the Centre. Understand?'

Laura nodded as Brett opened the door to reveal a room half the size of the one on Level Four. On Level Five, just twenty-four isolation booths faced towards the centre aisle. Twenty-two were occupied. Brett had led her down the aisle and deposited her at a vacant booth. Nobody moved or spoke to her.

'You can take this one. Someone will contact you shortly. For now, just sit here quietly.'

Those had been Suzanne's last words before she marched out the door like her backside was on fire. Laura stared at her blank monitor unsure of what her new role would be. A few hours later, she received orders to go home and rest.

The following day and after her mother's call she arrived into work, refreshed and ready to get started. But her excitement about her new promotion waned when lunch came and went without even a congratulatory high-five from her former colleagues, Chris and Janine. Then Suzanne Brett's chilling warning the day before reminded her of the confidentiality agreement she'd signed.

'Listen up, everyone,' said a small man with black beady eyes who occupied booth ten. 'Brett says some important files are on their way. So we need to process them fast and get them into the central computer.'

Laura flexed her fingers and waited for her monitor to spring to life. She listened to the soft sound of fingers gliding across screens as the others got to work. But two hours later, her screen remained blank and she felt the cabin fever set in.

A bored Laura got up and explored the room. Beyond the twenty-four booths was a water station, a bulletin board that displayed a different motivational quote each day, and a vacuum tube with a sign that read: "Gilchrist's office".

The bulletin board message was short.

"We are the sum of our counterparts."

'What the hell does that mean?' Laura turned her back on the board and walked along the central aisle.