The Genesis Illusion

Chapter 10

Nara's eyes fixed on the road ahead while listened to music he recorded a couple of years earlier for entertainment on road trips. The Bollywood Indian show tune recordings seemed out of character for a man approaching seventy. He was, in that way, like most people who continued to enjoy the music of their youth as they aged.

The highway from Singapore to Bangkok, nearly nine hundred miles, traversed the entire length of the Malay Peninsula. The southern end is a modern four-lane highway, but this narrowed to two lanes after crossing into Thailand. Nara passed Kuala Lumpur hours ago and now only small villages crossed his path. I must spend the night somewhere along here.

Nara's hands rested comfortably on the almost horizontal steering wheel of his techno-bus. He and Paul had it custom-built in Singapore to support development of their inventions. The fifty-foot long monstrosity was packed with the latest high-tech communications and computer systems. Over the years they had split time between New York and Singapore. When in New York they worked out of the Innovatism Institute headquarters. But in Singapore they used this mobile laboratory.

Driving a bus through the narrow streets they encountered wasn't easy. Nara took driving lessons and spent many hours behind the wheel before he became comfortable driving the beast. Now he maneuvered it skillfully through even the most challenging urban traffic.

The advanced electronic technology crammed into the vehicle provided the support they needed for developing and testing their high-tech inventions. I'm glad now I forced myself to learn about computers while I was on the police force. Computers run everything in here.

~~~

Paul and Nara scrutinized the control console in the mobile command center alongside Army Major Worlin. Live video and real-time systems monitoring data displayed spectacularly on the many monitor screens. Several other army observers stood behind the Major notepads in-hand.

"Jacobs, we're ready to start the test," barked Worlin. "I still think it would be better if we were outside."

"Our monitoring systems actually give us a better view," Paul assured the Major. "You can even observe the body sensor data."

The Strong-Arm appliance that Paul created was a lightweight sleeve that fit over the subject's arm. It extended from just below the shoulder down to the wrist. When activated the unique fabric strengthen an arm ten times normal. Paul and Nara pitched this device to aid soldier's ability to carry heavy objects and even defend them from attack.

A soldier wearing the Strong-Arm sleeve appeared on the primary monitor screen. "I'll activate the sleeve," Paul said into his headset microphone. "Tell us what you are feeling."

"I feel pressure on my arm," the soldier said. "It feels like someone is taking my blood pressure."

"That's precisely the reaction we expected." Major Worlin stared at the screens showing the live video and the sensor readings.

"He's at full strength now. Reach out and push on the concrete wall in front of you." Extending his arm the soldier pushed against the eye-level concrete wall. The wall collapsed without hesitation as the soldier glanced into the camera in disbelief.

"That's amazing. I didn't even try. I just leaned my arm against the wall and it did the rest."

Worlin didn't change his position, fixed on the screen in front of him. "Okay, now your partner will come at you with a steel bar. Deflect the bar and subdue him. Take him to the ground if you can."

The Major and the others watched as the soldier effortlessly deflected the bar swung at his head and threw the opponent ten feet landing him on the ground. Dazed, the defeated soldier gathered himself shaking off his inglorious fall.

"Disengage the sleeve," the Major said. "I want to see how easy it is to remove."

"Did you hear that?" Paul asked the soldier.

"Yes, Sir," the soldier replied.

"It is disengaged. Now remove it from your arm by peeling it from the top to the bottom."

"The pressure on my arm has gone." The soldier reached over and peeled it down rolling it like a condom turning it inside out as he slipped it off his arm.

"That's incredible," Worlin finally stated the obvious. "It's so thin." The Major held another prototype that Paul had given him earlier. "I can just roll this up or fold it flat. It will easily fit in a shirt pocket or a cargo vest."

~~~

Nara day-dreamed, but yet drove cautiously down the highway evading potholes and stray dogs. Somewhat revived after drinking a cup of tea, he drove for a while longer.

"Hello," Nara answered using his hands-free earphone.

"This is Paul."

Nara was glad to hear from his partner. "You in Bangkok?"

"Yeah, I've been here all day. I'm staying at the Pink Lotus Hotel near the Arcadia warehouse."

"I assume your re-breather worked fine?"

"Sure did. I used the inflatable you left to get to shore."

"Your memorial was heartbreaking for the staff. It's too bad we had to put them through that."

"I know. They'll forgive us when they find out why."

"I identified the body. No questions, just as we predicted. They were happy for someone to take responsibility for disposing of it. The unclaimed body I found there wasn't even questioned. I used a false ID, but they didn't even care."

"The ID documents you prepared passed without question," Paul confirmed. "I've got to remember I'm Mike Collins now. My gray hair makes me look so much older."

"It will be worth it. I'm sure they think you're dead."

Nara explained he setup a meeting for him with the Bangkok Arcadia director, Sam Howe, for 9 am the next morning. As a precaution, he also planted electronic documents in the Sydney Chapter computer files identifying Mike Collins as the Cyber Security Manager in case they checked his credentials.

"I told them you wanted to share enhanced encryption procedures, and I routed my call through Sydney so it appeared authentic."

After disconnecting Nara secured the mobile laboratory and prepared for bed. Glad to hear from Paul. I'm sure they think he's dead. Restless with concern, sleep evaded Nara for what seemed like hours. Tomorrow he'd be in Bangkok, in a better position to help Paul.