The Genesis Illusion

Chapter 57

Backstage the applause penetrated the shell, but the structure muffled the sound due to the outward facing acoustics. Lee led Paul to Maria standing with the three inventors at the rear of the staging area. Maria? Should I call her Bright Sun now?

Maria stood directly in front of Paul, and said, "Now you know, I am the leader of the Arcadia movement."

Memories and escape options flooded Paul thoughts, but he muttered, "But I..., the inventors...?"

Maria scoffed and shook her head. "They were only convenient surrogates for my inventions. I treasure their unwavering support, but the inventions were all mine."

"But why? Why did you..."

"I didn't want anyone to know I was responsible until we were ready to launch our worldwide movement. I needed time to develop everything we would need for Arcadia's success. We sold those early patents to corporations to fund our research."

"Why did that stop? I didn't find any patents after five years ago." Paul remembered his patent research.

"The money wasn't sufficient for our needs, and the patents brought our developments into public view. This couldn't continue. I had to find another way to raise funds."

"So that's when you switched to drug money?" He hadn't yet heard from Wu or Nara confirming the drug money link. But he already knew it had to be the source of the funds.

"It was necessary, unfortunately. Using Meth as a base, I altered the production process to make a new better, cheaper drug we called Magic. Our production facilities fit right in to the already existing Meth trafficking network. This revenue source produced the massive funds we desperately needed."

"Do you have any idea how many people are suffering around the world because of your horrible drug?"

"An unfortunate consequence of war is the inevitability of collateral damage. We didn't intend to hurt anyone. The illegal drug world had the skills and produced the funds we needed. We used the traffickers to subdue any threats and control the release of information about our movement. It was an unfortunate necessity in order for our movement to be successful."

"So the deaths of Frank and the convention center security guard were just unfortunate collateral damage?"

"Yes, incompetents caused those, but it is acceptable for a few to make the ultimate sacrifice so that many can benefit."

"What about those that became addicted to your drug and may have committed crimes including murder because their dependence on it?"

"Yes, those too were necessary but undesirable outcomes needed to reach our global objectives."

Paul now felt completely free the drug effects. I should look for a chance to escape. "How did you make all those incredible discoveries in so many fields? You really helped your uncle Lee, and I saw the advanced research going on in your laboratory."

"I'm not sure. My surge in intelligence seems related to the disease outbreak after the meteor shower ten years ago. The three survivors..."

"The three inventors?"

Maria rolled her eyes and extended her open hands, "You're supposed to be so intelligent. Don't you remember your life-threatening illness and your evacuation to the US for treatment? It doesn't take a genius to figure this out. I bet you have a small Arcadia symbol indented on your lower back above your right hip."

The blemishes on Paul's back were in that shape. "Yes, that's all true."

"Come on Paul, the three survivors were me, Lee and YOU."

I suspected that. I had a surge in intelligence after my illness too. "Lee?"

"He survived but, unfortunately, whatever transformed us didn't take properly in him. He instead contracted a rare genetic disease. A gene of his changed, as was probably the case for us, but his tragically produced the aHUS gene..

"So what's with this slave drug you invented?"

Maria laughed mocking its triviality, "I modified Scopolamine. It's sometimes used as a truth serum and at increased dosages people claim it's used to gain blind obedience. I enhanced it so we can use it to ensure obedience and guarantee the massive number of followers we need for our movement's success." She was obviously very proud of this invention.

Astonished by her admission Paul searched for a way to escape or at least delay until Nara arrived. He groped in his shirt and pants pockets, being careful to hide his movements, for anything that might help. "You will drug people to follow your movement?"

"Everyone we persuade eventually becomes a believer once they understand what we are trying to do. We need thousands and maybe millions of followers initially, however. Those numbers are necessary to overcome any opposition and to establish the Arcadia homeland. This invention can guarantee those numbers once we develop a method of delivering it to the masses."

"Let me see if I've got this right. You're creating an advanced society with you as the supreme leader. All your citizens will receive innovations in healthcare, food supply and security. To guarantee the number of the followers, you need your selling illegal drugs, killing people, and using a drug to enslave your first followers." Paul summarized the situation with more than a little sarcasm.

"I know what's best. The time required to convince the multitudes by conventional methods is prohibitive and it all ends at the same place. I will become the supreme leader and millions, perhaps the entire world will be my subjects. Using the persuasion drug just accelerates the inevitable."

"I can't support a cause based on illegal drug money and coerced followers. Being a citizen of that society would betray my sense of what is right." Maria's proclamation was hauntingly familiar. It's for their own good, was what Hitler and Stalin said before they murdered millions to hold their power.

"Then we will compel you to join us. Our combined intelligence will change the world. Bring me my case."

Lee retrieved a small briefcase, Maria reached inside to retrieve a small packet. "This dose will last for a week." She unrolled a latex cot over her index finger and mounted the micro-array on the tip. "Hold him still." Carlson pressed hard on Paul's shoulders securely anchoring him in the chair. Maria positioned her fingers to pinch the slave drug into his earlobe.

A stagehand awkwardly carried the long, rolled up, Arcadia banner he had removed from the stage backdrop into the busy backstage area. Turning to avoid another worker with an armload of electronic equipment, the end of the roll accidentally hit a ladder knocking it off the rod that supported the top. The ladder tipped off the rod falling to one side grazing a powerful spotlight that swung erratically causing its beam to reflect off a mirror leaning against the wall. The bright ray of light glanced off the mirror striking Maria's eyes as she prepared to inject Paul with the slave drug. Maria, startled by the blinding shaft of light, threw her head back jerking her hand up to her face to cover her eyes. Carlson released Paul and reached out to catch Maria as she fell awkwardly to the floor.