Blood of the Ancient - The Helix Rebellion saga #1

Chapter 11

Laina and her husband had analysed DNA all year, though it felt longer since the initial meteorite investigation. She remembered the look of awe on her husband's face, when he first laid eyes on the body, tightly-wrapped in a protective webbing. They were lucky to find her, as they examined and explored what was left of the frozen wreckage. The fuselage had been destroyed, but they'd been able to salvage a small amount of equipment from the interior. Glorious, President Malik had said. Exposed bunches of wire-loom dangled along the ships length, with a great tear on the side of the craft.

It still wasn't clear how or why the crash had happened. Why would a spacecraft from another world want to visit Eridanus? What was clear though, was that it had happened quite some time ago, estimated between five and fifteen thousand years. Unbelievably, and much to the Crow's disbelief, the body inside was almost perfectly preserved in the frozen pod - the only significant damage was a severed arm. Not only had they found a treasure-trove of advanced technology and unique qualities within the ships composition, they'd been presented with an alien species from another world. They'd hit the ultimate jackpot, answering the long-standing question of 'are we alone in the universe?' Since the beginning of time, man had looked to the twinkling skies, inspired by the possibility of life elsewhere in the cosmos. For Quinton and Laina, they knew the truth. They owned the truth.

For a long time, Crow had suffered the burden of developing cures and disease-preventing elixirs for Malik Corporation, many of which were sold at extortionate prices. He was very passionate about his role in the Government, and he knew he'd laid his hands on a specimen that potentially held the key to healing the planet. Misery and suffering could be eliminated - he just needed to find a way of utilising the advanced cells. Crow was determined to uncover a treatment for Nidrahni Disease - the illness consuming inhabitants of Barlow at an alarming rate.

It would be the greatest discovery ever known to man, it would be his legacy. But the endless task had thrust him into a dark tunnel of frenzied drudgery, desperately seeking answers like a mad-man, and more importantly - results.

"Her DNA is so complex, much more than ours." I never imagined that possible.

Laina acknowledged her husband with a tired nod. She knew these super-cells could be used as a cure, and was devastated that she'd been unable to produce a safe sample for human testing. She'd worked laboriously to find a secure mix, but none of their fluffy subjects had survived initial testing. She watched her husband lean back, the old wooden chair creaking as he removed his spectacles and rubbed his eyes aggressively. "You need a break, Quinton."

I'm fine. He rubbed until satisfied his vision had cleared, then stood and wandered through to the sealed containment room. He pulled a small rigid card from his pocket and swiped it through the reader on the stone wall, the security magnets released their grip with a click. He opened the door and walked in.

Crow's lack of interaction was common now, and once the ghost of her husband had floated from the room, Laina returned her attention to the microscope eyepiece. On the new glass slide was a fresh batch of cells from the body of their exotic friend, mixed with human cells infected with Nidrahni. She had manufactured a thousand different techniques and methods for perfecting this elixir, but nothing had worked. This was attempt one-thousand and one. The muscles around her eye twitched as she pressed it against the soft rubber, straining for a clear vision; something which was becoming more and more difficult with the lack of sleep. As she observed, the cells began to slowly merge, retaining the new shape. The disease was being swallowed up by the new cells, then disappearing completely – like it was being swallowed. She forced her lungs to inhale the stale room air, uncertain of her last breath. "Great Lunis, it's working!"

***

Crow stepped into a crinkly radiation suit, before pushing his way through the plastic sheeting. The lighting was dim, with the sound of bubbles bursting from vents at the top of the huge glass dome. His jaw dropped as he saw her, it always did. Beautiful. A white tube went into her mouth, with other leads attached to various parts of her body. She was suspended in a crucifix position, her head gently bobbing from side to side, eyes partially open. Blue cryopreservation liquid flowed over her body, and her sparkling red hair danced in time with the gentle movement of the liquid. He stopped in front of her, marvelling at his wonderful specimen in all her glory. He often wondered if her soul was lost in oblivion, or watching from behind those eerie eyes.

"Anoniem," he whispered. "From a distant world, a galaxy far away. Grant me your wisdom and insight. Help me cure the people of this terrible dystopian world." He pressed a palm against the glass, reaching for her. "You're our Goddess, Anoniem. You must save our souls." Make me your puppet, show me the way. He closed his eyes and placed his forehead on the cool glass, listening to the exploding bubbles from above, willing his god to hear him. "Please, answer my call."

"Quinton, you'd better come and see this."

He turned to see Laina exiting through the plastic sheet. I wonder what that's about. Returning his gaze to Anoniem, he suddenly wondered if his prayer had just been answered. A big grin grew on his face. "Thank you." He tore off the white, paper suit, dropping it at the door as he walked out. Laina was waiting at her work station, and stood up as he neared, an unusual smile on her face. "What is it?"

"Come," she said, ushering him into her seat. "Sit, are you ready for this?" she sounded excited. Crow stared at her blankly, searching her expression for an answer. "Look through the eyepiece!" she demanded, pointing at the microscope on the desk. "This is a mixed-concentrate, three percent."

He slowly lowered his gaze, pressing an eye against the microscope eyepiece. Shuffling on the chair, his attention was caught immediately; as she knew it would be. He twisted the zoom dial, and gently adjusted the glass plate in the spotlight. Laina waited with eager anticipation, he was observing much longer than she had expected. As she opened her mouth to speak, he lifted his head and turned to her with his usual vacant look.

"Great Lunis. I think we've done it." Exhaustion overcame his emotions as he broke down in tears. His head sunk into his hands and he wailed like a baby.

Laina leant over and threw her arms around him. She too was exhausted, and a little disgruntled at what had become of their relationship. She knew how much he wanted to succeed with this quest, but she was deeply hurt at her husband's lack of empathy. He'd barely even looked at her the past year, let alone spoken. And the only time he ever touched her, was when he woke her up during the early hours, eventually coming to bed - full of stress. It hadn't felt like love when he rolled over afterwards, falling asleep within seconds. Her mind raced back and forth over her predicament, but at the end of the day the final outcome was always the same. She had no choice but to give in, he was her husband and she loved him no matter what. Besides, she'd known from day one that any relationship would always be second to his work, even if the reality of actually living it was far harder to accept. Did she think she could actually change him? Stupid.

"We didn't do it, Quinton, you did." she said. "You found the combination!"

He stood up - still crying, and pushed his face tight into the nape of her neck. Reaching around her waist, he dragged her closer against him. Moisture from his tears soaked the flowery collar of her blouse.

This was it, she decided, the perfect time to announce her news. There'd be no better opportunity. "Quinton," she said softly, searching for words and composure. A smothered sob came from her neck. "I err..." she looked up to the ceiling and closed her eyes, and taking a giant breath made the announcement. "I'm twelve weeks pregnant." Her eyes remained closed whilst awaiting a reaction, but nothing happened. He didn't speak, he didn't move. When he eventually did pull himself away from her, his eyes glazed and fluttered.

That was when he fainted.