Blake Schwendiman's Blog and Blook

Chapter 31

Thursday, 10 March 2022 – 10:45 p.m. MST

Quinn returned home late. He rushed into the house, hoping to find Laura still awake. She was. She was standing in the entrance, waiting for him. She had apparently been crying, but she was composed when he arrived.

“What’s wrong?” Quinn asked.

“Jordan called,” Laura responded, “she was heartbroken.”

“Why? What happened?”

“Tonight was her interview. She feels that she did terribly. She said that she just froze in front of the panel, and then she had trouble answering after she gained composure.”

“That doesn’t sound like Jordan. She’s so outgoing.”

Laura nodded. She wiped a new tear from her eye. “It was because of the subject.”

“What was it?”

“Adoption in the twenty-first century. They asked her to defend adoption in this new era of medical and genetic advances. They wanted her to explain why any parent should adopt a child when they can easily and more inexpensively use modern genetic technologies to ensure a biological childbirth.” Laura stopped. She wiped her eyes again. “It’s not a fair question. They did that on purpose.”

“Of course they did. How many other girls are the daughters of the richest man in the world? How many other girls have so much of their personal life discussed in the media? They knew she’s adopted. They wanted to see how she would deal with such a personally sensitive topic.” Quinn felt for his daughter and for Laura. There were times that he regretted the decisions that brought them so much media attention and so little privacy.

“But they didn’t ask the other girls such personally invasive questions.”

“Probably not. But like I said, Jordan has an inherent disadvantage. As unfair as it is, nobody wants to see her win. People just don’t like to see successful people continue to succeed. It’s not fair, but it’s life.” Quinn took Laura by the hand. “I’m sorry.”

“I know,” Laura said as she pulled Quinn in for a hug. “It hurts so much worse when they pick on the kids. And she so badly wanted to go to Mobile.”

“We can go to Mobile any time she wants.”

“That’s not the point. She wants to compete nationally. On her own merit. She doesn’t care about Mobile Alabama per se, she just hoped...” Laura trailed off.

Quinn held Laura for a moment. He hated that he had even more bad news to add. “Honey?”

“Yes?”

“Have you seen the news?”

“No. What’s going on?” Laura felt the tension in his voice.

“Karachi. Terrible.” Quinn activated a video display in the room. He sat next to Laura and watched as the scene continued to unfold.

“What happened?” Laura asked incredulously.

“An outbreak. They’re blaming it on contaminated food brought in for aid. The crowd has gone crazy.”

“Didn’t they test?” Laura asked. She knew that since the development of inexpensive and thorough contamination testing, no international food shipments were ever dispersed without it.

“I don’t know. But the food they distributed was from the US.”

“So it would have been tested at export time anyway.”

“Yes.”

“Then what happened?” Laura looked at Quinn. This news was bad on multiple fronts. Not only was it a tragedy in itself, but it would also bring Q-Morrow into the limelight again. Q-Morrow had developed nearly all of the testing methods and technologies used throughout the world.

“I don’t know. But I’m going to find out.” Quinn felt sick. He feared that this was planned, that it was a volley by Sireesha against him, his companies and the United States.

“I need to be able to talk about it on Sunday.” Laura said flatly.

“The awards banquet? That’s not a political venue.”

“It’s all politics now, honey.” Laura countered. “You know that as well as I.”

“Okay. I’ll get as much detail as I can.” Quinn paused. “But...”

“What?” The tone in Laura’s voice became skeptical.

“Well, do you want a theory?”

“Oh, hon, not a conspiracy.” Laura had listened to many of Quinn’s conspiracy theories.

“If you don’t want to hear it, that’s fine.” Quinn struggled so often with the fact that Laura didn’t know about the futurestream. He had incredible insight into the present world because of the future, but he could not disclose the details.

“Okay. Let’s hear it. What is it this time?”

“If you can’t take me seriously...”

“I’m sorry. Go ahead.”

“Okay. Suppose an Indian terrorist engineered a bio-weapon intentionally. Then those terrorists intercepted the aid packages to Karachi and infected them with the bio-agent.” Quinn didn’t actually know how Sireesha infected the aid packages, but she would have had access to delivery information and routes.

“Okay. Let’s say you’re right. Why does it have to be an Indian terrorist?” Laura recognized that even if Quinn’s theories seemed outlandish sometimes, he always had a well-considered motivation.

“Because Pakistan’s relations with the U.S. are at a pivotal point right now. This is an important position for us in Asia. Our positions with Pakistan and China both have been strengthening and that may be a threat to India. But if the US is perceived as outdated, India can begin negotiating with China and Pakistan and position itself to create an economic superpower in Asia. Imagine the impact on the world economy if India and China were to create open trade agreements and open political policies.” Quinn stopped. He had more information about the future, but decided to allow Laura some time to digest what he had already provided.

Laura considered the idea for a moment. “Let me make sure I understand. You’re saying India is placing a wedge between Pakistan and the United States? And the purpose of the wedge is to improve India’s relationship with its neighbors?”

“Yes. Our relationship with Pakistan is tenuous, but it’s better than it has been in decades. If India can strengthen its relationships by claiming that the U.S. is weak and outdated, India stands to gain. It was our technology, United States technology that was used to scan the aid that was sent to Pakistan. India can leverage this to form a new agreement throughout Asia to supply scanning technologies and begin forging a stronger overall alliance.” Quinn paused again. He searched Laura’s eyes for a response.

“You mean Sireesha can forge an alliance, right?” she asked, pausing to search his face for a reaction. “Quinn, you need to let go. Everything that happens in the world is not directly related to the personal war you’re having with Sireesha.”

“It’s not just that, Laur...”

“But even if you’re right, I can’t propose that. We have nothing to back that ... do we?”

“No.” Quinn responded in a whisper. “We don’t.”

“In that case, I need to be able to speak intelligently about it based on what we do know.”

Laura loved Quinn. She hated dismissing his earnest help. He really did mean well and she knew it. He just didn’t seem to have a solid grasp of the real world from time to time.

“If you need anything, just say the word.” Quinn tried to sound upbeat. He knew that he really couldn’t convince Laura to go public with the information he had just provided. It would be detrimental to her credibility. He had no intention of damaging that.

“Thanks.”

Quinn walked over and gently kissed her forehead. “Don’t stay up too late,” he whispered as he started for the bedroom.

Chapter 30

Friday, 11 March 2022 – 8:30 a.m. PKT

Temporary shelters established in Karachi, Pakistan housed thousands of people displaced from their homes by a recent earthquake. The shelters filled the parks and public spaces. Some mosques and other religious buildings were also used to house the temporary insurgence of refugees.

Food and clothing relief had been arriving for days, but the infrastructure was not established well enough to avoid small outbreaks of violence in the crowds. The relief packages from the United States and China had arrived in the early morning hours. Normally any foreign aid would have been thoroughly screened for contaminants, but local officials had decided to forego some of the screening to alleviate pressure in the camps.

The food aid had been readied for an early morning distribution. It was welcomed. The crowds clamored, but this time there was enough for all. Within a few hours the nearly four thousand displaced and some five or six hundred more of Karachi’s own homeless had been fed. Some clothing and incidentals were organized for distribution after the food.

The crowds bustled about, individuals seeking particular needs and wants. Some people took as much of everything as they could carry. Others sought only the few things that they and their families needed.

Shortly after nine a.m., a cry began to rise out of the camps. Here and there people fell. Some collapsed into seizures, others passed out. The cries of death began to fill the air. Local medics and international aid volunteers scrambled. In moments the entire area was abuzz with fear. American and Chinese volunteers were attacked in anger and hatred raged through the city. Gunshots. Military personnel stationed to keep the peace fired. At once the melee exploded into a disaster.

Hundreds of miles away, Sireesha sat at her desk, waiting for news. She didn’t wait long. Reporters that had been dispatched to Karachi to cover the ho-hum news of another twenty-first century earthquake had found themselves at the epicenter of a true crisis. Sireesha selected a broadcast and increased the volume.

“Karachi is currently the scene of major civil unrest. Early reports indicate that several hundred people have died of unknown causes. Speculation is that food aid shipments may have been contaminated.

“The local military attempted to manage the disruption, but according to one source, shots have been fired. We are not sure whether the shots were directed at civilians or aid volunteers. At this time there is mass confusion and many people are still falling due to the unknown outbreak.

“We have learned that the food distributed this morning came from either China or the United States.”

Sireesha continued watching the report. Other news agencies broadcast similar stories. Within just a few minutes, the scene in Karachi was being broadcast by every major network in the world. Sireesha watched for a few minutes, then muted the sound and placed a call to her local press contact.

Chapter 29

Thursday, 10 March 2022 – 8:30 p.m. MST

Ramesh returned with Valerie and Quinn to the top floor. Laura had a prior engagement and had said good night. Ramesh felt a bit of his emptiness return when she left. In the few hours they had spent together, he had fully committed to helping her.

As the three entered the main conference room and sat down, Quinn seemed to be a bit pre-occupied and a little distant. Valerie was focused and determined. She looked to Quinn for indication of whether she should take the lead in the conversation.

“You go ahead, Val. I need to make a call. I’ll be right back.” Quinn disappeared into his office and closed the door.

Valerie turned to Ramesh. “It’s important that you get a good night’s sleep tonight, Ramesh. The full impact of the surgery tends to hit on the second day. You may feel the control implant again when you wake up. That’s normal. In the first few days, it’s reminding you to practice.” Valerie spoke in a rehearsed fashion. She had apparently delivered this message many times before. “How do you feel about the control device?”

“Good. I feel like I have good control now,” Ramesh answered. He hadn’t actually practiced since before dinner. He had forgotten about it entirely while talking to Laura.

“I’m going to access the training program and get the results.”

Ramesh felt nothing. He saw nothing. He heard nothing. But in a split second Valerie continued, “You are doing pretty well. I’d say about average. I’m going to enable the advanced training mode now.”

“Advanced?” Ramesh questioned. He had been feeling pretty good about his progress until just then.

“Yes, the interface actually works in three dimensions. You have been training in the two D mode. It’s a good starting point. You are proficient in controlling the device in the X and Y planes.” She paused and looked at Ramesh. She smiled a bit sheepishly. “I’m sorry Ramesh. I’m talking like you’re one of our military patients. I’ve gotten used to that. Basically, you’ve mastered controlling the input in the visual left-to-right and up-down directions. To fully control the implants, you need to learn to move on the Z axis, forward and backward. Does that make sense?”

Ramesh nodded. “Yes. I haven’t ever used a three-dimensional interface though. I am not sure that I have the foundation...”

“No one does. The interface here is unlike anything else. It’s hard for most people to map this to the physical world because we have too much history and too much familiarity with two-dimensional interfaces. With the neural implants we have a great deal more flexibility and there are essentially no physical limitations. You don’t have to scoot something around a desk, or tap a stylus on a display. Don’t feel bad – you’re learning something that very few people in the world have learned.”

“So, once you activate the advanced training, will I then have full access to all the controls?” Ramesh was genuinely curious.

“Basically, yes. Once you can control the input in three dimensions you can learn to use all of the other controls. You’ll be able to perform text input and select modes and do basically everything. There is much more that you can train yourself to do, but that’s something you can explore on your own later. I don’t want to overwhelm you with all the possibilities tonight.”

“Such...” Ramesh stopped. He could see that the display had changed. “I assume this is the advanced training?” he asked.

“Yes.”

Ramesh closed his eyes to filter out the background of his view. The new training mode looked similar to the old one, but the flat circular target was replaced by a spherical one. The pointer also appeared to have a three-dimensional depth. He could easily see that the pointer was in front of the target. His first attempts to move the pointer into the background failed. He had become so familiar with controlling the left-right and up-down motion that he couldn’t even conceive another way to stimulate the control.

“It’s like learning to wiggle your ears,” Valerie interrupted. “At first you can’t find the right muscles. You twitch your nose or raise your eyebrows. But once you find the right muscles you can repeat it anytime.”

Ramesh smiled. “Yes. I am starting to get control of it.” He smiled. “This really is fantastic technology. So many good uses.”

“You haven’t seen anything yet.” Valerie chuckled. Controlling the implants is just the first step. But when you see the information, the access, the future... It’s overwhelming sometimes.”

While Ramesh practiced, Quinn returned to the room, looking a bit troubled. He sat quietly and watched. Ramesh kept his eyes closed. His facial muscles relaxed and tightened and his shoulders bobbed slightly up and down.

“Advanced training?” Quinn asked.

The sound of Quinn’s voice stopped Ramesh. He opened his eyes. “This is amazing technology. It is hard to believe you have come so far already.”

“We have a slight advantage,” Quinn returned.

“Even so, this is truly amazing.” Ramesh closed his eyes again. He tried to practice without moving his face or arms. He seemed to be gaining better control. In his field of vision he saw the pointer moving more and more deliberately in the directions he wanted.

“Val, I’ll be happy to finish up with Ram tonight. You’re welcome to go home if you like.” Quinn spoke in a tone that said a little more than his words. He was pleasant, but it was clear that he wanted to speak privately with Ramesh.

“I’ll see you in the morning. Ramesh, I suppose I won’t see you until you’re back from Durban.” Valerie stood and extended a hand toward Ramesh. He took her hand and thanked her. She passed quietly from the conference room into her office. Within moments the lights in her office were dimmed and she could be heard crossing the reception room to the elevators.

Anxiety swelled inside Ramesh as he realized that he was on the verge of leaving on a trip that he could not have imagined just two days ago. He sat back in his chair. Quinn was quiet for a moment, pondering, distant.

“Ram,” he started, “you have no idea how much this means to me that you’re going. And I realize that you’re not doing it for me.”

“But...”

“It’s okay Ram. I have a sense of who you are – much more of a person than I am...” Quinn trailed off. He glanced at his watch, then out the window. “It’s important to me that you know how much this means to me. And also why it is so critical. I think you may be the only person that can get to Brad. Get to him and warn him. But also find out what is so important to Sireesha that she would send Daniel to Durban.”

“Daniel is there?” Ramesh felt his heart sink.

“Yes. And I think he’s there for Brad.”

“How do you know he’s there?”

“We have access to a lot of information. Our systems cover a huge percentage of the world’s networks. When I need to find someone, track them, it’s usually straightforward. We get bits of information from financial transactions, travel manifests ... that kind of stuff.”

“Big brother.” Ramesh was nearly as loud a voice for information privacy as he was for corporate ethics.

Quinn raised his eyebrows and half-smiled. “Yes. But we’re just a part of the big brother family. There are many other brothers.”

“I’m not sure that makes it right,” Ramesh cut.

“I’m not arguing that, but it has been useful. And it is arguably the least of our sins, if you’re looking for something to damn us for.” Quinn spoke more frankly than Ramesh had expected.

“I apologize. That’s really none of my business.”

“Don’t apologize. The reasons I brought you here are many. The fact that you’ll be blatantly honest with me is one of them. And now I’m being honest with you. Going to Durban could be a dangerous proposition. Sireesha knows you’re going. Daniel will know soon, if he doesn’t already.”

“How?”

“I’m not sure. I believe someone inside the company is ... I don’t know. But Sireesha sent me a short message. I received it just as we left dinner. It simply said, ‘How is Ramesh?’”

Ramesh paled a bit. His heart sank further. “Do you think they’ll try...”

“I’m not sure what they will do,” Quinn interrupted.

“But why would she let you know that they know?”

“It’s a game with Sireesha. In business and in life she and I have been playing a complex game of chess since she left. She and I are very similar. We both have a need to control negotiations. We both thrive to have more information, more strength. She was letting me know that she is aware of my next move – to see how I react.” Quinn shook his head. “There is more to her positioning than my company and my family. I’m afraid that she’s planning much larger moves involving many more players. I’m afraid that she’s playing Risk while I’m fumbling around with a few pawns on a chessboard.”

“Risk?”

“It’s a world domination game. A strategy game.”

“World domination? Do you think she’s really capable?”

“Well, I mean financially not militarily. She’s very capable of putting me out of business. When she and I parted, I agreed to allow her access to the futurestream until 2020.” Quinn stopped.

“So she no longer has access?”

“Not to the futurestream that we developed together, no.” Quinn knew Ramesh was smart enough to follow the implications. He waited.

“But she knew about those three kids. So, unless she was relying on old information she either still has access, or...”

“She has her own.” Quinn finished the thought. “I’m sure she does. It would make sense. Rely on the infrastructure I built until she had deployed her own. And it’s likely better.”

“How so?”

“Faster and more comprehensive for sure. With faster hardware and better software development techniques, they could build a much better system. And,” Quinn chuckled, “I took some shortcuts in the original system. Without boring you with the details, my system has the ability to see the future up to 2038. January 19^th, 2038. It’s because of a programming decision I made back in the late nineties. Never thought I’d care to see past then.”

“It’s a strange date to limit on.” Ramesh struggled to see the significance of that date.

“It’s the inherent maximum date of a unix-style timestamp. After that, dates roll back to 1970. It’s similar in some ways to the year 2000 problem that was supposed to have caused the end of the world. It’s just the result of a storage limitation in old computer systems...” Quinn stopped again. He could ramble about computer systems and software development for hours, but he had more urgent matters to discuss with Ramesh.

“The point is,” Quinn continued, “Sireesha is a threat. She knows you’re going to Durban and she knows why you’re going. The frustrating thing for me is that I don’t know why they’re trying to locate Brad, or why he stopped working for them in the first place. I hope what he knows gives us the leverage we need to negotiate with Sireesha when the time comes.”

“You have no idea why Brad stopped working with them?” Ramesh asked.

“No. We’ve not spoken since he left.” Quinn rubbed the bridge of his nose. He appeared exhausted. “I regret losing touch with him. Shouldn’t have let it happen.”

“I haven’t heard from him much since he left India,” Ramesh said quietly. “I heard from him a few times before he married. Then he sent me a wedding announcement ... and later,” Ramesh hesitated. “He sent me a short note.”

Ramesh reflected on the cryptic note and the gift that had been his last communication with Brad. He had never responded to that message. Now he wished he had. Perhaps he would be more certain of Brad’s safety if he had stayed in touch. Ramesh had become so absorbed in his own self-pity that he had pushed even his best friends away.

“I’m sure he would love to have more contact with you,” Quinn interjected, “but he has chosen to stay off the grid. He would have no network connection, possibly no telephone. That’s why I haven’t been able to find him myself,” Quinn said in resigned frustration. “And I have tried. I just let too much time pass.”

“And his future?” Ramesh asked.

“No idea. The futurestream only works on information sent over the net. He has removed himself from all electronic communications and he is not working in areas that would create notable press. He’s anonymous.”

Silence enveloped the conference room. The rhythmic hum of the air conditioners was the only notable sound. Ramesh considered for the first time that his life may be in direct danger. He pushed the worry aside and focused on Brad and Laura.

“I should get you to your room. You need rest. Tomorrow’s a big day.”

Quinn stood and offered a hand to Ramesh. They walked to the elevators.

“How are you feeling, by the way?”

“Fine, actually. I’m a bit hungry, but I’ll wait until morning.” Ramesh noticed the visuals in his field of vision. He was amazed at how subtle they were. They had not interfered with his ability to concentrate during the conversation, but when he actively looked for them, they were easily identified.

“In the morning, I’ll come with the car and go with you to the airport. I’ll activate the implants completely and show you how to access the built-in tutorials. You can then use that to learn the system.” Quinn led the way into the elevators, but did not enter with Ramesh. “There is a driver waiting for you at the main doors. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“You’re not leaving?” Ramesh was surprised. Quinn looked so exhausted.

“Not yet. I need to do a little more work here.”

“I think you’re the one who needs some rest.”

“You know what they say. No rest for the wicked.” Quinn tried to smile at himself, but wasn’t quite able. “Good night, Ram.”

“Good night.”

Chapter 28

Thursday, 10 March 2022 – 6:00 p.m. MST

Ramesh sat alone in the large conference room on the top floor of the Q-Morrow main tower. His eyes were closed as he continued practicing the control implants. He had become quite adept in the past hour.

Outside the conference room, Ramesh heard several people approaching. He opened his eyes and sat up. Laura entered the room with Quinn and Valerie close behind. Ramesh leapt up. He had so hoped to see Laura on this trip. He crossed quickly over to greet her and put his hand forward, but Laura smiled and stretched out both arms. They held each other. Ramesh felt a swelling of emotion.

“So glad to see you again, Ram.” Laura said.

He stepped back from the embrace. He smiled and choked back his emotion. “Yes. It has been too long.”

“How are you?” There was softness in her eyes. The last time they had been face to face was at the funeral for Padumi and the twins.

“Better now. It is so nice to see you.” Ramesh quickly drew his hand over his eyes. He smiled.

“Well, Quinn’s kept your presence a secret. I’d have come yesterday if I had known.” Laura winked at Quinn as she spoke. “Will you be having dinner with us?”

Ramesh shot a glance at Valerie and Quinn. “I don’t think I’ll be eating tonight.”

“Why not?” Laura asked.

“Because of my...”

“Stomach.” Valerie interrupted quickly. She nodded once at Ramesh. “He’s been complaining about his stomach since he arrived.”

Ramesh had been told not to eat after the surgery. He was actually quite hungry, but wasn’t interested in becoming ill again.

Laura looked concerned. “Are you sure? Is there something we can get you?”

“No. Really, I’ll be fine.”

“Perhaps you’ll come with us? Maybe a cup of tea? I’d really like to spend some time with you before you leave. Quinn tells me you have to go in the morning?”

Ramesh hadn’t been told that he would leave so quickly. “Yes,” He answered, glancing at Quinn. “And I would like to go with you. A cup of tea sounds wonderful.”

“Great! We have so much to discuss. I’d really like to get your thoughts on my campaign, if you don’t mind.” Laura took Ramesh by the arm. It felt so natural to have him there again, as if the past four and a half years had not occurred.

They walked together out of the conference room to the elevator. There was a delightful chatter as they descended through the building. Ramesh was so pleased to be in such company. He had sheltered himself for so long that he had forgotten the joy of socializing.

“How are the kids?” Ramesh asked Laura.

“Great,” Laura answered, “Julie Ann and Josh are both doing well in school. They’re looking forward to summer. Jordan is in her senior year and participating in the Arizona Junior Miss program right now. She’s in the state competition this week, so she’s staying with a host family until Saturday night.”

“Host family?”

“Yes, the program requires that each girl stay with a host family for the duration of the competition. They’ve been doing it that way for years. She’s been there for the whole week. She spends most of her time practicing and preparing for the competition.” Laura glowed as she spoke about her children. They were her greatest source of joy and pride.

“Do you know the family? Is it safe?”

“In our case, we did make a few special arrangements regarding the host family. But, we’ve wanted the kids to grow up and feel as normal as possible. They’ve been in little league, gone to camps and done most of the things that other kids do. It’s important to them, so it’s important to us. And Quinn does keep an eye on them. He always has a good sense of when a situation could be dangerous.”

“Well, with the...” Ramesh caught himself. He nearly mentioned the futurestream. “...resources he has.”

“Yep,” Laura continued, “He’s always looking out for us.”

They continued together to a small restaurant. It was a comfortable venue, quiet and dimly lit and not particularly busy on a Thursday evening. The hostess recognized Quinn and took them to a table out of the main dining room.

“Quinn, Val, I hope you don’t mind if I talk shop with Ram for a bit,” Laura said as they sat.

“So, I’m curious to find out what you think of Senator Cox’s opinions on modern political centrism, particularly what he recently said about winning voters.” Laura never questioned whether Ramesh would have the background for the topic. She knew that Ramesh had become very involved in American politics since he had become a full-time writer. His articles touched on many facets of ethics in business and in politics.

Ramesh shook his head. “That man is setting himself up for a big fall, I believe. I agree that the American public do want political leaders with strong opinions. Political centrism is not working. Americans can no longer distinguish their candidates because they are all too close to the center. I do not believe, however, that Americans will vote for an opinionated candidate irrespective of the opinion. Senator Cox is underestimating the American public.”

“I fully agree.” Laura was grinning. She had spent so much time establishing the goal and objectives of her political campaign. “I believe that Americans do want strong, opinionated leadership, but I think that they are still concerned about core values.”

“Most certainly,” Ramesh continued, “and your campaign is proving that,” he smiled.

“Well, we still have a long time left before November.” Laura never felt that she could rest. She had one of the largest projected leads in a Senatorial race in Arizona history, but she never felt that a victory was guaranteed. It was not in her nature to become complacent.

Ramesh and Laura continued through two hours of spirited conversation. Quinn and Valerie joined in from time to time, but spent a great deal of the time simply listening. Ramesh enjoyed the evening more than he had any time since Padumi’s death. He felt involved. He found himself considering the possibility of joining Laura as an advisor, being active in her campaign. He hoped she would ask.

The evening faded and the conversation tapered. After coffee, the four left and made their way back across the Q-Morrow campus. It was a perfect Arizona evening. Ramesh felt vibrant. In the past few hours he had not once worried about his upcoming trip. He was simply content to be with friends.

Chapter 27

Friday, 11 March 2022 – 6:30 a.m. IST

Sireesha always started her days early. The sun was just coming up as she entered her office. It was quiet. She sat at her desk and activated the viewscreens opposite her. She checked her messages. She immediately found the message from her inside source at Q-Morrow.

She glanced at the brief text message then activated the video segment. The file contained several minutes of internal security video. She watched closely. It was Ramesh. He looked older and a little ragged, but it was definitely him.

Sireesha sat back in her chair. She considered the implications of Quinn involving Ramesh. She assumed that Ramesh would be traveling to Durban. She opened a new message window and sent a quick note to Daniel.

Confirmed Quinn has contacted Ramesh. Likely Ramesh traveling to Durban. He is still in US. I will track Ramesh and inform you of his flight plans. He is not a threat, but he must not reach Brad before you.

Sireesha switched to another display and sent another message.

Have received requested information. Payment wired. Will be in contact if more information is needed.

She sat back and considered her next actions. Things were proceeding as she had hoped.

At seven a.m. Sireesha turned to make a video call. She leaned forward in her chair, assuming a more dominant posture for the call. The viewscreen opened. Opposite her on the screen, yet over three thousand miles away in Beijing sat Xinxin Chen, a young Chinese woman destined to become one of the most important political figures in Asia in the next twenty years.

“Good morning, Chen,” Sireesha greeted.

“Good morning.”

“Today begins the new order of Asian dominance,” Sireesha smiled. “Today begins the rise of Asia.”

“You have selected the target?” Chen asked.

“The target was chosen for me,” Sireesha responded coldly. “This is both political and personal.”

“How soon?”

“Within two hours,” Sireesha responded.

Chen smiled. “Very good. If you are capable of doing what you have promised, this will be an historic day for all of Asia.”

“Yes,” Sireesha responded, “but it only works if you are able to convince your people as we discussed.”

“There are many within the government that are ready now to distance themselves from the west,” Chen continued. “But are concerned about retaliation in terms of sanctions and boycotts. If your position is as strong as you say, we will be able to re-align with India to meet our technological and biotechnical needs.”

“You have nothing to fear,” Sireesha confirmed. “Naidu is prepared and we have surpassed all the technological and biotechnical boundaries currently plaguing our competition. We just need a partner in Asia to end the western empire.”

“You will have your partner,” Chen said, “when you prove your superiority. Beijing is only waiting for a better option and an opportunity.”

“You will have both today,” Sireesha responded.

Chen nodded then ended the call. Sireesha leaned back. She glanced at the time. It wouldn’t be long. There was a part of her that wished she could be there and see the suffering and pain. She wished she could scream out for justice against the people that had taken her brother from her in war. But she reveled in the knowledge that she would strike an anonymous blow and that she would never be connected with the truth.

Chapter 26

Thursday, 10 March 2022 – 5:00 p.m. MST

Ramesh awoke. He was so relaxed that he didn’t feel like opening his eyes. He couldn’t remember exactly where he was, but he was comfortable. His breathing was slow, heavy. As he lay, his senses began to recover. It was a bit cool in the room, and there were unfamiliar sounds – a constant beep, beep that seemed to be getting louder. Eventually he cracked his eyelids open. He was in a bright white room. He was lying on a hospital-type bed. He remembered. He rolled his head to either side, looking for anyone.

“I’m here.” It was Valerie. She spoke softly.

“How long ... What time is it?”

“Just after five. Everything went well.”

“So, they’re implanted?”

“Yes,” Valerie said as she stepped closer and placed her hand on his chest. “But don’t worry about that now. You need to wait a bit longer. Let the anesthesia wear off. Then we’ll activate them. For now, just relax.”

Ramesh closed his eyes. He felt nothing unusual. He assumed that was a good thing. As the minutes passed, he began to feel more and more connected with his body. He noticed that his mouth was dry and there was a chemical taste or possibly a smell, very faint.

“May I have a bit of water?”

“I’ll call for the nurse.”

Valerie left, but returned almost instantly with a nurse, a cheerful young man who appeared thrilled about his work.

“How’s our patient feeling?” The nurse asked as he looked at the monitors and jotted some notes in an electronic log.

“Thirsty.”

“Well, everything looks fine here. I’d say you’re about ready to go.” The nurse took a few more notes, thoroughly checking the readings from the various monitors. “I’ll bring some water.”

“Will you activate the implants now?” Valerie asked the nurse.

“Let’s let him rest for another minute and have a drink. Maybe you can help him to the chair.” The nurse disconnected the monitors and switched them off.

Valerie stepped up beside Ramesh. She helped him to sit up and then waited as he adjusted. He actually felt much better than he was expecting. There was no nausea, no pain. He was impressed. He inched off the side of the bed and stood. He felt no dizziness, no weakness.

“Very nice,” he said as he walked to the chair. “I didn’t expect to feel so good.”

Valerie smiled. “I told you so.”

Ramesh sat in a large, comfortable chair. He stretched his arms and legs a bit as he sat. He realized that he felt more rested and more comfortable than he had all day. The nurse returned with a small bottle of water. Ramesh sipped.

“Let me know when you feel ready to activate the implants,” Valerie said.

Ramesh breathed deeply. “I suppose I am ready now.”

“Okay.” Valerie motioned to the nurse. “Let’s do it now.”

The nurse approached a panel near the bed where Ramesh had been laying. “Get ready,” he said. “This is going to feel a little strange.” He tapped on the panel.

Whoosh. A deep, intense hum roared through Ramesh’s head and a quick flash of light stunned his vision temporarily. He rocked forward in his chair and pressed his hands to his ears. In a split second, the sound was gone, but no matter where Ramesh looked, four bright flashing lights obstructed his view.

“Close your eyes.” Valerie stepped over and put her hand on Ramesh. “Close your eyes. The implants are initializing. The flashing will stop in a moment. But you’re going to feel...”

“Ow.” Ramesh reached up and grabbed at his left shoulder. “What...”

“That’s the neural control device.” Valerie gently rubbed Ramesh’s shoulders. “It will pass.”

“It hurts.”

“Only for a moment. We do that on purpose. You need to feel it before you can control it. Focus on the pain. Try to interact with it, move it. The more you force your body to interact with the new nerves, the quicker the pain will subside.”

Ramesh closed his eyes. It was such an unusual sensation. He was feeling pain, like a sore tooth, but it felt like it was coming from a point just above his left shoulder. He tried again to rub it with his right hand, but it wasn’t there.

“Not with your hand. Concentrate,” Valerie urged.

Ramesh focused. He realized that the pain had a shape. As he focused, the pain dulled. He continued. Soon the pain dissipated and was replaced with a tingling.

“Amazing,” Ramesh whispered. He noticed that as he concentrated on the tingling, the visual overlay began to change.

“It’s starting to feel better?”

“Yes. And I seem to be doing something. The display...”

“Good,” Valerie interrupted. “Your implants are currently in training mode. You’ll notice that there is a pointer moving around as you focus. There is also a target in your field of view, a small circle in a stationary position. Do you see it?”

“Yes.”

“Try to move the pointer onto the circle.”

Ramesh chuckled. “It’s all over the place.”

“You’ll get it. Just keep trying.”

Ramesh concentrated. It was amazing. As he continued focusing on the tingling, he became aware that he was actually controlling the moving pointer in his field of view. After a moment he learned how to move the pointer directly to the right or left. It took a few more moments to train himself to control the up and down motion.

“Incredible,” he whispered. Slowly the pointer moved onto the circular target. Immediately the tingling diminished again. The target moved.

“Have you done it?” Valerie asked.

“Yes.”

“Keep practicing. The more you practice, the less you will feel of the tingling and the better you’ll become at controlling it.”

Ramesh continued. He became more adept. Within minutes he was able to move the pointer at will. He smiled. “This is absolutely incredible.”

“There is so much more to learn, but we’ll go over that later. I’ll let you change into your clothes and I’ll meet you back upstairs. Keep practicing whenever you can. You’ll want it to become second nature, so you can control the implants while doing other things like walking, driving and having a conversation.” Valerie winked.

Ramesh hadn’t realized until just then that he had been so focused on his implants that he had heard almost nothing that she had said. He stood up and picked up his clothes. He tried to practice while he was changing, but he found it impossible to do. He fumbled with his clothes while concentrating on the implant. Eventually he concentrated on one task at a time. He hoped that he would soon be as adept as Valerie seemed to be.

After changing, Ramesh stopped and stared at himself in the mirror for a moment. He reached up toward his left shoulder, looking for any sign of the implants. There was nothing. He looked exactly the same as he had looked yesterday. He felt the same as he had felt yesterday. But he was different. As he looked in the mirror, the semi-transparent pointer and training target seemed to float in front of him. He was definitely different.

Chapter 25

Thursday, 10 March 2022 – 12:30 p.m. MST

Laura sat at her desk, poring over her notes and files. Her office was adjacent to, but not part of the Q-Morrow corporate campus. She had always preferred to maintain a professional distance from her husband’s work and his business stature. She had started her legal career doing pro bono work for Spanish-speaking clients. It had been exceptionally rewarding and had grown into a seven-partner firm providing mainly family legal services. Laura still spent about half of her time doing pro bono work with the Latino community.

Quinn arrived in her office a little earlier than she had expected. In the past few months, he had transformed from an always-late, self-absorbed corporate magnate into a right-on-time, surprisingly supportive husband. When he had promised to fully support her Senate bid, she had no idea that he would become so responsive and available.

“Am I late?” Quinn asked, smiling.

“You never cease to amaze me. I keep expecting the other Quinn to return. You’re sure you didn’t abduct the real Quinn – maybe you’re one of his latest revolutionary technologies – a clone maybe?”

Quinn winked, “You may never know.”

“What’s for lunch?”

“Indian?” Quinn chided.

Laura pretended to gag. “Not in this lifetime.”

“Maybe if Ramesh invited you?”

Laura furrowed her brow, confused. “What would make you say that? You haven’t mentioned Ram for years.”

“He’s here. I flew him down yesterday.”

Quinn spoke with such nonchalance that Laura wasn’t sure if he was kidding or not. “Really?”

“Yep. I’m having him take a look at some things for us. I thought maybe tonight we could get together for dinner with him. He’s leaving tomorrow.” Quinn stepped around behind Laura’s desk and offered a hand to help her up.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Quinn shrugged. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to keep it from you, I’ve just been busy. Didn’t think to mention it last night.” That was true. Quinn was horrible with details. There had been many instances when Quinn received news of the birth of a niece or nephew and forgot to mention it to Laura. He told her that his mind was so full of professional thoughts that he had trouble finding space for social ones.

“I’d love to see him. How does he look?” Laura asked as they left her office.

“He looks okay. Older.”

“Not everyone can afford to look twenty years younger than they are.”

“Only twenty?” Quinn rubbed his chin. “I would have said thirty.”

“You wish.”

Laura held her husband’s hand as they walked briskly toward Mill Avenue. Twice a week Quinn met Laura for lunch. When the weather was nice, they walked to one of the many small restaurants near the University and enjoyed some time together. Laura looked forward to that time almost more than any other as it was her exclusive time with Quinn – no phones, no clients, no kids. It was almost the only time they could have a conversation during the day. And though most of the restaurateurs recognized the couple, most of the patrons did not. Students were always so self-absorbed that they didn’t look too much past their own noses – and the few that did recognize Quinn or Laura were usually too intimidated to approach them.

As they walked, they chatted mostly about their family. Laura felt safe walking with Quinn. When they were younger, when Quinn had just become a media icon because of his wealth, Laura worried about their safety in public. But after years of experience, she always felt safest when she was with him, no matter what they were doing. Quinn always seemed to have a good sense of when a situation could be dangerous. She always trusted his judgment, even if it meant changing plans at the last minute. She trusted him. And she loved him.