Then he turned and followed the corridor to a small utility closet at the far end.
He removed a key from his pocket, unlocked the door, and stepped inside. With probing fingers, he felt along the edge of a metal shelf until he grasped the item he wanted. Finally, he closed the door and sat down with his back against it. When his breathing returned to normal, he opened the case, inserted the freshly charged battery, and pressed a button on the object in his hand. The satellite phone’s tiny screen illuminated the darkness. Isaac punched the number he knew by heart and waited. When his call was answered, he spoke.
Though the voice on the other end of the line pressed for details, he didn ’t elaborate. It was difficult to betray his lifelong friends and he grieved for what had been lost. He had never wanted the Design to be what it had become, but he had sworn allegiance to it. His heart conflicted, his explanation was brief. The airborne version of Priscilla would soon be released. Capable of genetically modifying all who remained unvaccinated, it would change the world forever by eradicating greed, ambition, pride, lust, and every other known behavior that contributed to strife. Using a global network already in place, the designers were preparing to shepherd a new flock of innocents. Those infected would pass the mutation to their children. He finished speaking, turned off the device, and cradled it in his lap.
He sat for a long time, caught in a tangle of emotions too complex to unravel. In the beginning, the cause had been worthy of his highest endeavor. Then the early tests had gone wrong. The designers had moved too quickly and the effects of their meddling had proved irreversible. He had personally witnessed the devastation some of their mistakes had caused and had resigned from his beloved temple to seek refuge in retirement. Part of him still prayed for the Design’s success. The other part wished he could stop it. If young people like Vanessa and Michael lost their spark, fight, and independence, what was the point? The effects of the genetic modification were worse than the ills they sought to eradicate. Priscilla 279 would be death to everything that made mankind worth saving.
When his aching bones finally demanded movement, Isaac struggled to his feet and shuffled out the door. He locked it behind him, pulled himself down the stairs, and out of the bakery. Instead of returning home, he continued to the cell’s sanctuary. Isaac would make sure Vanessa was truly safe. He could not live with himself if she were raped again.
At the Gate, his soft whistle was instantly returned, signaling the all clear for him to enter. He sidled into the crack and counted his paces until he reached the basement door. Inside, Mariah greeted him.
“How did you know to come? Michael’s been asking, but we couldn’t spare anyone to send for you,” she said.
“What do you mean Michael ’s been asking? Where is he? If he wanted to see me, why didn’t he come himself?”
Mariah frowned. “I ’m sorry, Isaac. Since you’re here, I just assumed you knew. Michael’s had a serious accident. He’s in the infirmary.”
“Can I go to him?”
“I’ll take you.” Mariah placed her hand on his arm. On the way, she explained the day’s events. Isaac withered under the weight of what he had done. To save a life, he had inadvertently compromised the well being of at least five others.
It was his curse. Every time he had tried to do the right thing, his actions brought unintended pain and events spiraled out of control. There was no such thing as a straight line, a pure heart, or a good deed. He had thought he knew the minds of men, but he only knew the carnival funhouse of his own desires. Deep in the maze, the distorted reflections mocked him. Who was he to save anyone?
When Mariah parted the privacy curtains, Isaac couldn’t stop his eyes from welling. He shuffled across the room and took Michael’s hand in
He removed a key from his pocket, unlocked the door, and stepped inside. With probing fingers, he felt along the edge of a metal shelf until he grasped the item he wanted. Finally, he closed the door and sat down with his back against it. When his breathing returned to normal, he opened the case, inserted the freshly charged battery, and pressed a button on the object in his hand. The satellite phone’s tiny screen illuminated the darkness. Isaac punched the number he knew by heart and waited. When his call was answered, he spoke.
Though the voice on the other end of the line pressed for details, he didn ’t elaborate. It was difficult to betray his lifelong friends and he grieved for what had been lost. He had never wanted the Design to be what it had become, but he had sworn allegiance to it. His heart conflicted, his explanation was brief. The airborne version of Priscilla would soon be released. Capable of genetically modifying all who remained unvaccinated, it would change the world forever by eradicating greed, ambition, pride, lust, and every other known behavior that contributed to strife. Using a global network already in place, the designers were preparing to shepherd a new flock of innocents. Those infected would pass the mutation to their children. He finished speaking, turned off the device, and cradled it in his lap.
He sat for a long time, caught in a tangle of emotions too complex to unravel. In the beginning, the cause had been worthy of his highest endeavor. Then the early tests had gone wrong. The designers had moved too quickly and the effects of their meddling had proved irreversible. He had personally witnessed the devastation some of their mistakes had caused and had resigned from his beloved temple to seek refuge in retirement. Part of him still prayed for the Design’s success. The other part wished he could stop it. If young people like Vanessa and Michael lost their spark, fight, and independence, what was the point? The effects of the genetic modification were worse than the ills they sought to eradicate. Priscilla 279 would be death to everything that made mankind worth saving.
When his aching bones finally demanded movement, Isaac struggled to his feet and shuffled out the door. He locked it behind him, pulled himself down the stairs, and out of the bakery. Instead of returning home, he continued to the cell’s sanctuary. Isaac would make sure Vanessa was truly safe. He could not live with himself if she were raped again.
At the Gate, his soft whistle was instantly returned, signaling the all clear for him to enter. He sidled into the crack and counted his paces until he reached the basement door. Inside, Mariah greeted him.
“How did you know to come? Michael’s been asking, but we couldn’t spare anyone to send for you,” she said.
“What do you mean Michael ’s been asking? Where is he? If he wanted to see me, why didn’t he come himself?”
Mariah frowned. “I ’m sorry, Isaac. Since you’re here, I just assumed you knew. Michael’s had a serious accident. He’s in the infirmary.”
“Can I go to him?”
“I’ll take you.” Mariah placed her hand on his arm. On the way, she explained the day’s events. Isaac withered under the weight of what he had done. To save a life, he had inadvertently compromised the well being of at least five others.
It was his curse. Every time he had tried to do the right thing, his actions brought unintended pain and events spiraled out of control. There was no such thing as a straight line, a pure heart, or a good deed. He had thought he knew the minds of men, but he only knew the carnival funhouse of his own desires. Deep in the maze, the distorted reflections mocked him. Who was he to save anyone?
When Mariah parted the privacy curtains, Isaac couldn’t stop his eyes from welling. He shuffled across the room and took Michael’s hand in
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