Chapter 24
Hobbes drove the rental van up 17th Street towards Pennsylvania Avenue. He was going to get Darien and Ed as close as he could to the West Wing of the White House. Hobbes stopped the vehicle just shy of where Pennsylvania Avenue is blocked off. Marine guards came up to the window and Hobbes pretended that he was lost. He stepped from the van and inconspicuously left the door open, "I need some help here. I'm trying to get to the visitor center. I was trying to go down Pennsylvania Avenue to get to 15th Street but I can't seem to get through."
"Sir, Pennsylvania Avenue splits with the White House in the center. You're on the west side, what you need to do is go around to the east side," the first guard graciously told Hobbes. He even pointed to the map that Hobbes was holding to show him how to get to Pennsylvania Avenue on the east side.
Darcy snickered to Tara, "The ironic thing about this is…human men don't usually ask for directions." Tara chuckled back, "That's true for dominant men as well." The two ladies shared a laugh with Mark and Tom looking on with awkward expressions.
Darien and Ed took advantage of the delay tactic and made their way from the van to Northwest Gate about a mile away. Hobbes after getting the right directions to his fake destination got back in the van and drove off. Tom and the others sat in the back and all they could do was wait. Hobbes headed towards the visitor center on the east side of the White House.
Darien and Ed walked down the small road towards the entrance to the West Wing. Trees lined the road which had started to turn colors to greet the fall season. Cars drove up and down the road as staff went to work or were dropped off. Darien looked at Ed, "You ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be. This is something to tell my grandkids isn't it?" Ed replied with a slight chuckle.
"Let's go. Remember to keep contact or else you'll have to go invisible yourself."
"Don't worry. The last thing I want to do is go nutso in the Oval Office."
The two men walked inside unnoticed and quietly made their way to the secretary's office. It was an unusually busy day with the President getting ready to sign the bill. The media was definitely on hand for this historic occasion. Darien and Ed walked past the secretary who stopped what she was doing and her body shuddered. "What's wrong Mrs. Matthews?" A man asked.
"I just felt a cold rush of air," she commented as something from the corner of her eye caught her attention. The door leading into the Oval Office opened and then closed. She turned and stared at the White House usher, "Did you see that?"
"It's the ghosts again, you know this place is full of them. Maybe it's the ghost of Abraham Lincoln going to tell the President not to sign that bill." He jokingly remarked. The secretary let out a somewhat nervous laugh, "Oh, David, you're such a kidder. You don't really believe in those stories do you?"
"You just felt one and saw the door open and close by itself didn't you?" The usher smirked and sat down to wait for the mini press conference to be over with.
Mrs. Matthews glanced back at the door and then at the usher. Maybe there was some truth to the tales of the ghosts of past Presidents haunting the White House.
Darien and Ed entered the Oval Office. There were cameras set up in the middle of the room, photographers were ready to snap pictures, and reporters with notepads in their hands ready to record the President signing a very important bill. Also in the room was Senator Allen, who was accompanied by Ed's father, Jonathan Tate.
Ed whispered in Darien's ear, "What's my father doing here?"
"I'll explain that one later." Darien patted Ed on his back, "Get ready, you're on." The two men made their way to the back of the room near the fire place. Darien took his hand away from Ed and a few moments later, Ed appeared in the back of the room behind the cameras. Now visible, he moved from behind the cameras into view. Jonathan looked up in shock and had to do a double take. He grabbed his heart in fear that he was seeing the ghost of his son.
Ed smiled, "I'm not a ghost, relax." All eyes turned to Ed. The President stood as Jonathan cried out, "That's my son!" The cameras quickly turned around and started filming, the photographers snapped their pictures. Senator Allen looked on in shock. "Dr. Tate? Here? So he did escape," he muttered softly to himself. He had heard about what happened at the base, but he didn't have all the details. He was told that Dr. Tate could not be found.
Jonathan rushed over and embraced his son. "My boy…my boy…" Jonathan repeated over and over as he checked his son to make sure he wasn't dreaming, "What happened to you…look at you…you look awful."
"I'll explain later, but right now I have to talk to the President…alone," Ed said to his father.
Ed's sudden appearance caused a commotion in the room. Reporters and photographers surrounded him. Ed covered his eyes from the bright flashing bulbs. Questions were coming at him from all directions. The President called in some secret service agents to clear the room.
Everyone was ushered out including the cameras. Only Senator Allen remained at Ed's request. "How did you get in here?" The President asked. Darien appeared in a shower of shimmering flakes sitting on a chair next to the President's desk, "You know, your chairs are very comfortable." Darien got up and extended his hand, "Hello, Mr. President, I'm Special Agent Darien Fawkes."
The President reached out with an unsure hand. As he shook Darien's hand he couldn't help but stare. He read the reports about the QS-9300 Project but he hadn't seen it or in this case not seen it in person. "Amazing, just amazing, Agent Fawkes," he said. His voice filled with astonishment.
The Senator took a step back at the sudden appearance of Darien Fawkes. "Sir, this man is a dominant," Senator Allen said as he pointed to Darien, "Your life is in danger."
Darien cocked his head to one side with disgust written on his face, "Come on, if I was going to do the President any harm, I would've done it already. Man, you need to loosen up. Are you getting enough fiber in your diet?"
Senator Allen moved across the room towards Darien. "I do not have to take that from someone like you." The Senator was now standing nearly toe to toe with him.
"Bring it on," Darien said in a low tone. He glared at the Senator with anger.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Senator, unless you can back up your words," Ed replied.
"Is that a threat, Dr. Tate?" Senator asked turning his gaze to Ed.
"No, just a warning."
"Gentleman! May I remind you that you are in the Oval Office and I'm in charge here," the President stated in an authoritative tone.
Darien turned to Ed, "Did the President just tell us to shut-up?"
"Ah yeah, that was definitely shut-up, but it was said nicely."
"Hmmm…a Presidential Shut-Up."
"That can't be good."
"As oppose to a Presidential Pardon."
"Which is good."
The President stared irritably at the twins, "I would like to have some questions answered please."
Darien and Ed smiled at each other. "That was good, Ed. You're learning."
"I learn from the best."
"Okay, would either of you like to explain to me what is going on here," the President said as he sat down. Senator Allen began to speak, "Sir, these men…"
"Hold on, I do believe since I'm the dead one here that I should at least be allowed to speak first," Ed said as he stared down Senator Allen. The President nodded, "Go ahead, Dr. Tate."
"Thank you, Mr. President. Sir, I know that you are well aware of the QS-9300 Project?" Ed watched as the President acknowledged that he knew. "Okay, well…" Ed turned to Darien and he gave Ed encouragement to continue. Ed let out a throat clearing cough, "Well, I was recently implanted with a QS gland by a terrorist named Arnaud de Thiel or is it de Fohn…"
"What were you doing collaborating with a terrorist, Dr. Tate?" Senator Allen questioned trying to catch Ed and protect himself.
"Well, actually that's a question I should be asking you, Senator. What did Ms. Welsh promise Arnaud?"
"Ms. Welsh?" Senator asked.
"You know who I'm talking about. The one that set me up from the very beginning, she had me kidnapped and implanted with this thing although that wasn't exactly the plan now was it?" Ed said as he glared at Senator Allen.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Ed held up papers he was holding in his hand right up to the Senator's face, "Does 'Operation: Gemini' ring a bell?" Ed waited for any sign of recognition from Senator Allen.
Senator Allen looked down at the floor in an attempt to hide his expression that he knew what Ed was talking about. 'He knows,' he thought to himself. He glanced up in time to see Darien smiling at him. He had completely forgotten about Darien's dominant ability to read minds.
Ed continued, "We have telephone logs that show when you called Ms. Welsh. You can't cover this up, Senator. Ms. Welsh already tried to cover up one big snafu…" Ed saw how the Senator's eyes shifted direction quickly, "She chose you to help her didn't she? Why not, you're the big shot Senator in Congress that everyone respects. Who better than to lead the masses in an unprecedented move that hasn't been seen in a long time?"
"Dr. Tate, please explain," the President said with hands folded on top of his desk.
"Alright, I have this theory that hasn't been tested yet on the true origin of the dominants. I don't think they came from Central Mexico, well, at least they weren't indigenous to that region." Ed watched Darien and the President sit up straight. Senator Allen listened intently. Ed continued, "Skulls dating thousands of years older than the Neanderthals were found in Ethiopia making the whole theory that we evolved from Neanderthals unlikely. These skulls have an uncanny resemblance to modern homo-sapiens then anything found to date. It's believed that these early homo-sapiens migrated into Europe and they caused the extinction of the Neanderthals. In other words, Homo-sapiens and Neanderthals were two completely different species, like humans and dominants."
"What does that have to do with your theory?" Senator Allen asked.
"Keep your pants on, I'm getting to that," Ed shot Senator Allen an irritated look and then continued, "These homo-sapiens were obviously smarter and stronger than the Neanderthals, but were not accustomed to the different climates in Europe. So, like with anything else, they were able to adapt over a period of time. Now this took thousands of years. I'm talking about, change in hair, eyes, skin, body build, you know, physical changes. Now jump ahead a couple of million years and here we are now. Sir, I was at the dominants place of origin and there's no possible way that anyone could have survived in that desert. At least not now, but nearly 60 years ago, it was habitable and the dominants lived in a village a mile and a half wide. Sir, that village is now buried fifteen feet underground and unless my anthropology is a little rusty, that sort of devastation to a large village does not occur naturally over a 50 year period, it takes at least four to five centuries for that to happen. Not to mention that an area doesn't become inhospitable overnight, something catastrophic must occur."
"Like what?" Darien asked genuinely interested in what Ed was saying.
"I've studied areas devastated by volcanic eruptions, but this is not what happened here and it wasn't an earthquake either. Our first theory was that something happened to cause the climate to change like global warming. But that doesn't explain how the village became buried fifteen feet under the desert floor in a relatively short period of time."
"So, what ya think caused it?" Darien asked. Then he looked at the President and gave him an apologetic shrug of his shoulders for asking questions ahead of the President.
Ed sighed, "I'm not sure, but given the time and how nuclear science was young, I'd say it was radiation caused by a nuclear accident, but that's my best guess. We would need to take soil samples from at least fifteen below the surface to test that theory, but that's not my field of expertise. But I will say this, we know the kind of experiments the Nazi's were performing on people and I won't go into that," Ed glared at Senator Allen. He had just spent four days being experimented on and he was still in discomfort from that. "I'm thinking that like the Nazi's, a government, possibly ours were doing experiments on people. I have no idea what the intentions were but somehow from messing with the boundaries of science, dominants were created from either a failed science experiment or nuclear accident of some kind or even both. Humans may have been injected with some chemicals that had a DNA altering reaction to exposure to radiation. Look, I don't know for sure but…the dominants that I've met are not indigenous to Central Mexico. They look about as American or European, if you will, as any one of us. If the dominants truly evolved naturally from humans, then they should bare a more strikingly resemblance to their natural ancestors, Central Mexicans. It's only been close to 60 years since they evolved, not enough time for physical changes to occur. I've seen older dominants with blue eyes and blonde hair, which are not genetic markers that you would associate with Central Mexico, some West European Countries, yes, but not Central Mexico."
"What if they evolved a long time ago and just left the area 60 years ago?" Senator Allen asked.
Ed shook his head as he spoke, "Alright, anthropology 101 is in session. What we think of as our DNA is also called 'nuclear DNA'. That controls most of our physical appearance because it's in every cell of our bodies and there are two copies of it in the cell nucleus. Now within those cells are what we call mitochondria DNA or mtDNA and they also have their own DNA molecules. These mtDNA are small energy-producing organelles found in cells. What's the difference between nuclear DNA and mtDNA? Glad you asked. Nuclear DNA is inherited from both mother and father where as mtDNA is only inherited from the mother. That is because all of the mitochondria are descended from those in our mother's egg cell. Now with the males, it's the Y-chromosomes that are tested within the DNA that is past down from father to son. Genealogists look for what is called 'Short Tandem Repeats' or 'STR's'. Those are 'stutters' in the DNA that repeats a certain pattern over and over. Ahh…think of the DNA molecule as a computer program except instead of being a long string of all 1's and 0's you have A's, C's, G's, and T's. The pattern that is repeated could look like GATA GATA GATA. These 'stutters' are given names like DYS391 or DYS455. The numbers that we get back in the Y-chromosome test refers to how many times a pattern is repeated at one of the markers or stutters. The example I gave you would return a value of '3'. We refer to that number of repeats as 'alleles' of a marker. This pattern is handed down unchanged from father to son. Now changes can happen in the repeated pattern. The son may inherit either a longer or shorter repeat than the father. The son would then eventually pass that modified version to his own sons. These mutations in the marker don't happen often, they may mutate once in a bout 500 generations." Darien let out a long whistle of astonishment. Ed smiled and then continued, "But it also means that with 25 markers we might see a mutation in one of them within say…about…20 generations."
"Dr. Tate…please, I'm getting a headache," Senator Allen protested.
"You're not the only one," Darien smirked with a half grin.
Ed let out a sigh and put his hands up, "Okay, okay, I get the hint, but I need to explain this so you can get the complete picture here. As a geneticist I look at a different kind of marker called a Unique Event Polymorphism or in short, UEP. The change that I would expect to see is just a switch in a letter in the DNA, like a 'C' may change into a 'T'. This is called Single Nucleotide Polymorphism or SNP. These mutations are very rare in UEP's, they may happen once in a 100 million generations. Once a UEP mutation has occurred all the descendants from that first man will show the same mutation. That's how we group people into what we call haplogroups."
"Harpogroups?" Darien asked.
Ed chuckled. "Haplogroups. It's a group made up of all the paternal descendants of the single person who first showed a particular UEP mutation. Each member of that group would have the same mutation that appeared in that group's founding father along with the UEP mutations he inherited from his forefathers. This is how we're able to identify descendants of a group of people over tens of thousands of years."
Darien looked at Ed in shock, "Whoa, now that's a long time."
"It sure is." Ed turned his attention to the Senator, "Senator, you asked what if they had evolved along time ago. Let's take your scenario and combine it with what we just discussed. If a village that size was around for a long time as you suggest, then at least some of the people if not half of them within that village should be related to a specific haplogroup. Families very rarely moved around like they do here, especially in villages that were so far from civilization. They mostly kept to themselves or the surrounding villages, but in this case, Senator, there was only one other village in the area." Ed looked around the room. There was a moment of silence as Ed's words were starting to sink in.
"Ah…I get it. What you're telling us is that the dominants should share a common ancestry because of this UEP…and what else?" Darien asked.
"'mtDNA'," Ed answered.
"Yeah, okay, so this mtDNA is passed down from mother to child and the UEP is passed down from father to son, so that would mean that the dominants should be related in one way or another and you're saying they're not…is that right?" Darien asked.
"Give that man a prize," Ed responded gleefully. A self-assured smart ass kind of grin spread across Darien's face.
"Yes, that's what I'm talking about." Ed turned his attention to the President, "Sir, I ran an mtDNA and an UEP test on Darien and myself to see if we're related cause of our close resemblance. There was no match, our mtDNA and UEP are different. If we had a common female or male in our ancestry that would have shown up but it didn't. What I'm saying here is that none of the dominants I've tested are related outside of individual family groups. If their ancestors lived in the village as Senator Allen has suggested for along time, then there should be a common mutation in the DNA in some of them if not all of them."
The President looked at Ed for a moment and then asked, "What other proof do you have?"
"Well, there's something else we need to look at that doesn't fit with the Senator's scenario. Knowing that dominant females can become pregnant at the age of nine and they can have up to four children at a time. Over a period of just a couple of years, maybe even sooner, that village would have become over populated. Besides, if they had evolved a long time ago their strong desire for survival, their innate aggressive tendencies and the need for procreation would have driven them out of the village anyway even years earlier. No, what we're looking at is something that occurred over night. Look, some physical traits are more dominant than others. As I've stated, I've seen and tested many dominants and there are no Central Mexican characteristics in most if not nearly all of them."
There was a heavy silence in the room. Ed continued after giving the three men a few moments to think about what was being said. "Look at this way, if one of the parents is indigenous to Central Mexico, that child would more than likely have dark eyes or darker skin pigmentation because that's the stronger trait, but I just haven't seen it. I also use mtDNA to trace migration patterns to study our ancestors. Our mtDNA does not match those of Neanderthals, that's another study that strengthens the theory that we did not evolve from them. The mtDNA or UEP I've found in dominants shows they are not related to the Mixtecs and or Zapotecs or any other Native American haplogroup. If they lived in Oaxaca for a long time, they should have the mtDNA of the indigenous people and they don't. The only thing I see in common with all dominants is the natural immunity to three specific diseases to that region. And that can only occur with long exposure to that strain."
"Okay, Dr. Tate, if it was a government testing ground, then how do you explain the long exposure? Wouldn't they have to be around for a long time as you say?" Senator Allen asked.
Ed smiled, "There's a lot you don't know about dominants or anthropology for that matter. Dominants have the uncanny ability to adapt very quickly to any given area. It's biologically imperative for their survival. It's possible that the immunity was picked up at the moment of the DNA conversion. It can also mean that over a short period of time, they can become immune to any childhood diseases as they adapt to any given area and that immunity is passed down from mother to child."
"This makes them even more dangerous. They can be carriers of childhood diseases and pass them on to us," Senator Allen pleaded with the President, "Sir, you've got to sign this bill."
Ed shook his head, "We have vaccines for that now and besides, you changed the subject. The only reason why you want this bill signed is to keep the world from knowing the truth and you want to fix the mistake by turning dominants back into humans. Ms. Welsh didn't want peace, she never did. All she did was push us to come up with ways to fight this 'war'. She just wanted a way to keep the truth hidden to save the government from being embarrassed." Ed shook his head, "I can't believe that I didn't see all this sooner, but the pressure was on us to find ways to fight for our survival that the true origin of the dominants was never in question. All we focused on was that we had a war to win. But I should add that all this is only a theory and no one outside of this room knows it." Ed lied; the only other person who might know was Tara. But how much she knew, he didn't know. "I never got a chance to say anything to anybody. So, the secret is safe as long as we keep our mouths shut."
"Are you thinking of blackmailing the United State Government, Dr. Tate?" The President asked as he rose to his feet.
Ed let out a soft chuckle, "Mr. President, a theory is hardly blackmail material, and I don't have concrete proof…at least not yet. But one thing I do know, my death was used to sell you a lie and put the world in danger. I know that Senator Allen was involved in my so-called martyrdom. The original plan was for me to get close to the gland so I could help in the production of QS glands. While invisible, dominants can be spotted easily and therefore easily apprehended or killed. But I was implanted with the gland instead. The gland was originally going to be harvested from me, killing me in the process. But a strange little mutation called quicksilver madness prevented that from happening, because in order to figure out the mutation and come up with a cure, it has to be in a living host. Lucky for me…or not. I was kidnapped the morning I came to my theory about the dominants. I was taken to a secured military base and put through days of experiments and tests that were not at all that comfortable. It was then realized that the implantation procedure and the rehab time following surgery would take too long. So, taking some information from the Agency files, it was decided to use special back packs to circulate quicksilver through the wearer's body. It would work and act just like a gland. While they were trying to figure out a way to recycle the quicksilver, I was pushed into stage five madness…" Ed looked at Senator Allen, "I was anything but nice. The plan was to brainwash me, Mr. President, to be a killer and I suspect not just to kill dominants but anybody who got in the way of the great plan to wipe out the dominants. It was easy, I had no morals, no conscious, I wouldn't care who I killed, just as long as I got to do it. No one would be safe with an invisible hit man running around, not even you sir."
The President let out a sigh, "This is serious accusations, Dr. Tate. Do you have proof?"
Ed put the papers down in front of him, reached into his back pocket and pulled out a mini-disk, "Proof is on here, Mr. President. Some of the material was taken off of Ms. Welsh's computer, not the one at the military base, but from her office in San Diego. I think that you would be interested in seeing what she had going through that mind of hers. The other material is from the main computers at the military base…along with some nice photos taken from the security cameras." Ed turned to Senator Allen, folded his arms and with a look of someone who won a major victory retorted, "Check mate."
Senator Allen sneered at Ed, "You're bluffing."
"As a scientist I deal with hard facts and indisputable evidence," Ed turned to look at Darien, "But Darien, he's an ex-con, bluffing is a part of life for him. What you have to figure out is whether or not he's bluffing, with me, it should be pretty damn obvious. " Ed peered down at Senator Allen, "You need more proof," Ed pulled up the sleeve on the blue 'Pepsi' jacket he borrowed from Darien and removed one of his bandages. Underneath was the mangled flesh of his wrist, skin torn off in some areas showing tissue that normally lies beneath it and marked with assorted colors of the rainbow. Senator Allen looked in disgust as did the President. "I've got three more just like it, plus other assorted bumps and bruises and a hole in my head where quicksilver was milked from me like I was a cow." Ed paused for a moment as Senator Allen had the appearance of someone in deep thought about what to do next. "Still think I'm bluffing?" Ed said in a tone that showed he was daring the Senator to deny any involvement.
"How sure are you of your theory, Dr. Tate?" The President asked.
Ed folded his arms in front of him, "On a scale of one to ten with ten being certain…I'd say I'm 9.8 certain that the dominants are not the result of natural evolution but man made."
"But if the dominants where human and their DNA was altered, wouldn't that give you mixed results?" The Senator asked.
"No, not really. Look, the DNA of chimps is about 95% close to human DNA. There are about three billion base pairs in the human genome. Dominants have about twice that many, but like the chimps whose DNA is so closely related to ours, it's the same with the dominants. Only their genome or DNA strand is more compact than ours. We may have about 50,000 base pairs for every 5,000 turns where as dominants have about 100,000 for every 5,000 turns. They also have twice as many chromosomes. Add all that up and that would account for the differences between our two species. They're more advanced mentally and physically so naturally their DNA would be the same. But the similarities in DNA are still there because we are their natural ancestors whether they evolved naturally or by man."
"What would you need to do to be 100% certain?" The President asked.
"I'd have to do DNA comparative testing on dominants as well as humans. It could take a couple of years to come up with definitive proof."
"That's good enough for me. Gentlemen, this project is of the utmost secrecy. Dr. Tate, when can you start your…"
"Sir…excuse me for interrupting but I'll need funding for this type of research," Ed informed with a hint of uncertainty in his voice. Did he really want to get involved in such research? The dominants clearly have tried to hide their true origins for a reason. Ed felt that he was going to open a whole new can of worms and he was sure he wouldn't like what he might find.
"Don't worry about the funding, Dr. Tate. I'm sure Senator Allen will sponsor it." The President looked at the Senator with a cross expression, "Won't you, Senator?"
"Ah…yes, sir." The Senator's voice sounded overpowered.
The President sat back down and talked into the intercom, "Mrs. Matthews, please have Mr. Tate and the press come back inside now." Everyone in the room watched as the press took their positions again. Ed looked at Darien with confusion. Darien shrugged his shoulders, he could read the President's mind but that would make him no better than Ms. Welsh and her cohorts. He would wait and see what happens.
The President gripped the bill in his hand and he stared at it for a moment. He looked up, "Ladies, gentlemen, our country holds firm the idea that you're innocent until proven guilty…"
Darien rolled his eyes. 'Great, a judicial speech, like I haven't heard this before,' he thought to himself.
"…You have the right to a fair trial by a jury of your peers. A conviction is handed down by a jury because they have unreasonable doubt that you are guilty. If there is a hint of doubt a juror cannot say in true conscious that the defendant is guilty…"
Now it was Ed's turn to roll his eyes. "Just get on with it," he muttered to himself.
"…And it is because of this principle that I have decided to veto the Dominant Registration Bill…"
Ed closed his eyes and lowered his head. Senator Allen was displeased and it showed. Darien smiled and shook his head proudly. Jonathan was in shock. Light bulbs flashed in the room as the President signed his name indicating that he had vetoed the bill. Some reporters asked why he had changed his mind.
"Let's just say the sudden…reappearance…of Dr. Ed Tate has led me to believe that we need to take a closer look at what we're doing. With the evidence that has been presented to me, I'm calling on a full investigation into the events of Dr. Tate's alleged death. At this point, I would also like to reopen talks with the new species on co-existence negotiations. Ladies and gentlemen, that is all."
Darien patted Ed on the back, "Good job, man. You *are* the King of the Smartypants." Ed forced a smile of gratitude, "Thanks, Darien."
"Ain't no biggie braddah," Darien replied with a soft chuckle.
"Totally," Ed replied half heartedly. He was exhausted and in discomfort. All he wanted to do was get out of there and curl up in a corner somewhere. With the room being crowded he started to feel an anxiety attack coming on. Reporters and photographers had again descended upon him, flashing pictures and asking him questions. He saw his father approach him and he relaxed somewhat.
Jonathan pushed his way through the crowd, "Leave him alone," he said in a commanding tone. Some secret service agents came back in and kindly pushed the press out of the office. Ed was grateful to see them leave, his heart had started to pound and he was afraid the gland would kick in. What a news headline that would be. Jonathan looked at his son once more, "Son, what happened?"
"I can't tell you dad, it's classified…never thought I'd hear myself say that," Ed said with a half hearted smile.
The President's secretary came in and interrupted the small gathering as the press was leaving. "Sir, Dr. Walter Attwood and three other people are with him. One of them is Dr. Sloan Parker."
"Send them in," the President said. He walked over to Senator Allen, "Senator, please don't even think about leaving the area." The Senator in a beaten tone answered, "Yes, sir."
Walter, Sloan, Claire and Irene walked in. "Ed!" Irene cried out when she saw him talking to Jonathan. Ed turned and saw her face go from joy to sudden shock. "Oh my God!" She held her hand up to her face at the awful appearance of her son, "What did they do to you?"
Sloan's eyes watered up, the last time she saw Ed look horrible was when he had the Spanish Flu, but this was even worse. Claire walked over to him as he hugged Irene. Walter walked over to the President who was talking to Darien at the moment.
Irene cradled her son's face in her hands, "Look at you…" tears weld up in her eyes as she shook her head, "Who did this to you?"
"I can't tell you that, but…I'm going to be alright," Ed said with anxiety in his voice.
She forced a smile, "Edward, I'm your mother, I know when you're lying."
"I wish I could tell you, but I can't."
She shook her head as she brushed a stray strand of hair from his face, "Okay, but I can still give you TLC that only a mother can give…" She glanced over at Claire and turned her gaze back to Ed, "…and of course a loving a wife."
Ed smiled, "I love you, mom."
"I love you too," she hugged him and then let him loose so he could go to Claire.
Claire looked around waiting for the hands to come up and grab him like in her dream. Plus she was confused because he was wearing Darien's clothes. Before she knew it, she felt hands on her and they were warm…it wasn't a dream. "Ed?" She asked cautiously.
"It's me." Before she could respond he covered her mouth with his. His hands were planted firmly on the sides of her face. Her arms wrapped around his neck and the kiss deepened. Their lips pressed hard against each other. After a few moments, they broke the kiss and panted for air.
Claire looked into his eyes and her own eyes began to water, "I can't believe it…I thought I'd lost you….I…" she was cut off by Ed's mouth covering hers again.
"Ahem, you happen to be in the Oval Office."
Ed broke off the kiss and saw Sloan. They hugged. "You don't know how good it is to see you again, Ed," Sloan said through her tears. Ed hugged her tighter.
Irene had walked up to Senator Allen. "Mrs. Tate…"
"It's Ms. Morgan."
"I'm really grateful that…"
"Don't patronize me, Senator. You're lucky we're in the Oval Office or else I would be showing you how I really feel. I know you had something to do with this. You reap what you sow, Senator, you best remember that." Irene turned on her heels and went back to her son. She wasn't going to waste another moment on him.
The President hung up the phone and came up to Ed. "Dr. Tate, I'm not a doctor but I would say that you need medical attention. I have arranged for you to be taken to George Washington University Hospital to be examined."
Walter took the President off to the side, "Sir, there's a matter of national security that should be taken into consideration. I believe that the only doctor qualified here to give Ed the medical treatment he requires is Dr. Keeply. Ed's Keeper is shall we say, not available."
"Understand."
Darien and Ed had stared at each other in disbelief at the way Walter took the President aside. "You get the feeling that Walter is buds with the President?" Darien pondered.
"Walter is as mysterious as the Official. I just didn't realize how much until now. I know I've said this to you before, but I still wonder what he was up to all those years he was at the lab before the new species was discovered," Ed retorted. Darien looked at Ed. He still didn't know. But it wasn't for him to tell, that was Walter's job.
The President approached Claire, "Dr. Keeply, given the secrecy of the situation. Would you be able to treat Dr. Tate?"
Ed looked shock. Claire glanced at the Ed and met him with the same expression. "Well, I uh…sure, yes, I will treat Ed...er…Dr. Tate."
"Good, there are cars waiting out front to take all of you to the hospital. I will also have my staff get you room reservations at the nearest hotel."
Claire's eyes connected with Ed's for a moment. His eyes were distant and his face wore a deep frown. 'I think I have more to treat than his physical wounds,' she glanced at his weary features as he greeted Walter, 'My darling, what did they put you through?' She wondered to herself as she watched the others start to gather around him. He started to look uncomfortable. She watched as his eyes darted nervously from one person to another as if he was expecting someone to hurt him in some way. She figured it had something to do with what happened to him. A deep distressed sigh escaped her lips. She had to do something to get him out of the stressful situation, she was afraid he would loose it. Even Darien gave her a quick glance that Ed needed help.
Claire pushed her way through and gently took hold of Ed's arm, "Okay, everyone, he's officially my patient and I need to take care of him. So if you would excuse us, I have work to do." She could feel Ed's body trembling as she walked him away from the small group. "It's okay, honey, you're safe. They were not going to hurt you."
Ed glanced at her with petrified eyes, and his breathing was short and rapid. "I…know, it's just…that…"
"Shh," Claire put her finger up to his lips, "You don't have to talk about it now. We have plenty of time for that later. Just remember that they are people who love you very much and they were just glad to see you back…that's all." Ed shook his head that he understood, but he was still very visibly shaken up by being surrounded like that. It reminded him of the scientists that would crowd around him during the early stages of quicksilver madness to run their scans and tests. To him, that meant more pain and more needles.
Irene gave Senator Allen a look of sheer anger and if her look could kill, the Senator would have dropped dead right then and there. She had seen the change in her son when they all crowded around him, the fear that flowed into his eyes and how he suddenly broke out in sweat. She turned her attention to Darien, "Thank you, Darien, for finding him and bringing him back to us alive." She glanced back at Senator Allen, "At least I know who I can trust." She gave Darien a kiss on his cheek and whispered in his ear, "Please watch him."
"I will," Darien whispered back and felt her arms tighten around him.
Everyone individually thanked the President as they were escorted out of the Oval Office. They walked through the West Wing towards the entrance that Darien and Ed had entered earlier. Darien stopped in the hall and watched Ed. He let out a long cleansing sigh.
A 19th century American poet by the name of Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: 'What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.' This couldn't be any truer for a man by the name of Ed Tate. He's faced adversity that even he couldn't imagine. Yeah, he's had his share of bumps and bruises, but he never stayed down for the long count. They say that a measure of a man is what he does when no one's looking. But for Ed, the measure of what kind of man he is is how he's able to make lemonade from lemons. History may remember him as a scientist who figured out a way to change the DNA of dominants but who refused to use it in the end, seeing co-existence as the only real option for both sides. Is that Nobel Prize material? Only time will tell. But one thing I do know is that through it all, Ed will come out of this stronger and more determined to find the answers than ever before. Cause deep down inside he has what it takes to get back on his feet again. And that's the true measure of a man.
Darien raced to catch up to his friends. He bounced joyfully in front of Ed who had his arm around Claire. In a sudden burst of jubilation, Darien threw his arms in the air victoriously. There was hope again.
The End…for now.
Hobbes drove the rental van up 17th Street towards Pennsylvania Avenue. He was going to get Darien and Ed as close as he could to the West Wing of the White House. Hobbes stopped the vehicle just shy of where Pennsylvania Avenue is blocked off. Marine guards came up to the window and Hobbes pretended that he was lost. He stepped from the van and inconspicuously left the door open, "I need some help here. I'm trying to get to the visitor center. I was trying to go down Pennsylvania Avenue to get to 15th Street but I can't seem to get through."
"Sir, Pennsylvania Avenue splits with the White House in the center. You're on the west side, what you need to do is go around to the east side," the first guard graciously told Hobbes. He even pointed to the map that Hobbes was holding to show him how to get to Pennsylvania Avenue on the east side.
Darcy snickered to Tara, "The ironic thing about this is…human men don't usually ask for directions." Tara chuckled back, "That's true for dominant men as well." The two ladies shared a laugh with Mark and Tom looking on with awkward expressions.
Darien and Ed took advantage of the delay tactic and made their way from the van to Northwest Gate about a mile away. Hobbes after getting the right directions to his fake destination got back in the van and drove off. Tom and the others sat in the back and all they could do was wait. Hobbes headed towards the visitor center on the east side of the White House.
Darien and Ed walked down the small road towards the entrance to the West Wing. Trees lined the road which had started to turn colors to greet the fall season. Cars drove up and down the road as staff went to work or were dropped off. Darien looked at Ed, "You ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be. This is something to tell my grandkids isn't it?" Ed replied with a slight chuckle.
"Let's go. Remember to keep contact or else you'll have to go invisible yourself."
"Don't worry. The last thing I want to do is go nutso in the Oval Office."
The two men walked inside unnoticed and quietly made their way to the secretary's office. It was an unusually busy day with the President getting ready to sign the bill. The media was definitely on hand for this historic occasion. Darien and Ed walked past the secretary who stopped what she was doing and her body shuddered. "What's wrong Mrs. Matthews?" A man asked.
"I just felt a cold rush of air," she commented as something from the corner of her eye caught her attention. The door leading into the Oval Office opened and then closed. She turned and stared at the White House usher, "Did you see that?"
"It's the ghosts again, you know this place is full of them. Maybe it's the ghost of Abraham Lincoln going to tell the President not to sign that bill." He jokingly remarked. The secretary let out a somewhat nervous laugh, "Oh, David, you're such a kidder. You don't really believe in those stories do you?"
"You just felt one and saw the door open and close by itself didn't you?" The usher smirked and sat down to wait for the mini press conference to be over with.
Mrs. Matthews glanced back at the door and then at the usher. Maybe there was some truth to the tales of the ghosts of past Presidents haunting the White House.
Darien and Ed entered the Oval Office. There were cameras set up in the middle of the room, photographers were ready to snap pictures, and reporters with notepads in their hands ready to record the President signing a very important bill. Also in the room was Senator Allen, who was accompanied by Ed's father, Jonathan Tate.
Ed whispered in Darien's ear, "What's my father doing here?"
"I'll explain that one later." Darien patted Ed on his back, "Get ready, you're on." The two men made their way to the back of the room near the fire place. Darien took his hand away from Ed and a few moments later, Ed appeared in the back of the room behind the cameras. Now visible, he moved from behind the cameras into view. Jonathan looked up in shock and had to do a double take. He grabbed his heart in fear that he was seeing the ghost of his son.
Ed smiled, "I'm not a ghost, relax." All eyes turned to Ed. The President stood as Jonathan cried out, "That's my son!" The cameras quickly turned around and started filming, the photographers snapped their pictures. Senator Allen looked on in shock. "Dr. Tate? Here? So he did escape," he muttered softly to himself. He had heard about what happened at the base, but he didn't have all the details. He was told that Dr. Tate could not be found.
Jonathan rushed over and embraced his son. "My boy…my boy…" Jonathan repeated over and over as he checked his son to make sure he wasn't dreaming, "What happened to you…look at you…you look awful."
"I'll explain later, but right now I have to talk to the President…alone," Ed said to his father.
Ed's sudden appearance caused a commotion in the room. Reporters and photographers surrounded him. Ed covered his eyes from the bright flashing bulbs. Questions were coming at him from all directions. The President called in some secret service agents to clear the room.
Everyone was ushered out including the cameras. Only Senator Allen remained at Ed's request. "How did you get in here?" The President asked. Darien appeared in a shower of shimmering flakes sitting on a chair next to the President's desk, "You know, your chairs are very comfortable." Darien got up and extended his hand, "Hello, Mr. President, I'm Special Agent Darien Fawkes."
The President reached out with an unsure hand. As he shook Darien's hand he couldn't help but stare. He read the reports about the QS-9300 Project but he hadn't seen it or in this case not seen it in person. "Amazing, just amazing, Agent Fawkes," he said. His voice filled with astonishment.
The Senator took a step back at the sudden appearance of Darien Fawkes. "Sir, this man is a dominant," Senator Allen said as he pointed to Darien, "Your life is in danger."
Darien cocked his head to one side with disgust written on his face, "Come on, if I was going to do the President any harm, I would've done it already. Man, you need to loosen up. Are you getting enough fiber in your diet?"
Senator Allen moved across the room towards Darien. "I do not have to take that from someone like you." The Senator was now standing nearly toe to toe with him.
"Bring it on," Darien said in a low tone. He glared at the Senator with anger.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Senator, unless you can back up your words," Ed replied.
"Is that a threat, Dr. Tate?" Senator asked turning his gaze to Ed.
"No, just a warning."
"Gentleman! May I remind you that you are in the Oval Office and I'm in charge here," the President stated in an authoritative tone.
Darien turned to Ed, "Did the President just tell us to shut-up?"
"Ah yeah, that was definitely shut-up, but it was said nicely."
"Hmmm…a Presidential Shut-Up."
"That can't be good."
"As oppose to a Presidential Pardon."
"Which is good."
The President stared irritably at the twins, "I would like to have some questions answered please."
Darien and Ed smiled at each other. "That was good, Ed. You're learning."
"I learn from the best."
"Okay, would either of you like to explain to me what is going on here," the President said as he sat down. Senator Allen began to speak, "Sir, these men…"
"Hold on, I do believe since I'm the dead one here that I should at least be allowed to speak first," Ed said as he stared down Senator Allen. The President nodded, "Go ahead, Dr. Tate."
"Thank you, Mr. President. Sir, I know that you are well aware of the QS-9300 Project?" Ed watched as the President acknowledged that he knew. "Okay, well…" Ed turned to Darien and he gave Ed encouragement to continue. Ed let out a throat clearing cough, "Well, I was recently implanted with a QS gland by a terrorist named Arnaud de Thiel or is it de Fohn…"
"What were you doing collaborating with a terrorist, Dr. Tate?" Senator Allen questioned trying to catch Ed and protect himself.
"Well, actually that's a question I should be asking you, Senator. What did Ms. Welsh promise Arnaud?"
"Ms. Welsh?" Senator asked.
"You know who I'm talking about. The one that set me up from the very beginning, she had me kidnapped and implanted with this thing although that wasn't exactly the plan now was it?" Ed said as he glared at Senator Allen.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Ed held up papers he was holding in his hand right up to the Senator's face, "Does 'Operation: Gemini' ring a bell?" Ed waited for any sign of recognition from Senator Allen.
Senator Allen looked down at the floor in an attempt to hide his expression that he knew what Ed was talking about. 'He knows,' he thought to himself. He glanced up in time to see Darien smiling at him. He had completely forgotten about Darien's dominant ability to read minds.
Ed continued, "We have telephone logs that show when you called Ms. Welsh. You can't cover this up, Senator. Ms. Welsh already tried to cover up one big snafu…" Ed saw how the Senator's eyes shifted direction quickly, "She chose you to help her didn't she? Why not, you're the big shot Senator in Congress that everyone respects. Who better than to lead the masses in an unprecedented move that hasn't been seen in a long time?"
"Dr. Tate, please explain," the President said with hands folded on top of his desk.
"Alright, I have this theory that hasn't been tested yet on the true origin of the dominants. I don't think they came from Central Mexico, well, at least they weren't indigenous to that region." Ed watched Darien and the President sit up straight. Senator Allen listened intently. Ed continued, "Skulls dating thousands of years older than the Neanderthals were found in Ethiopia making the whole theory that we evolved from Neanderthals unlikely. These skulls have an uncanny resemblance to modern homo-sapiens then anything found to date. It's believed that these early homo-sapiens migrated into Europe and they caused the extinction of the Neanderthals. In other words, Homo-sapiens and Neanderthals were two completely different species, like humans and dominants."
"What does that have to do with your theory?" Senator Allen asked.
"Keep your pants on, I'm getting to that," Ed shot Senator Allen an irritated look and then continued, "These homo-sapiens were obviously smarter and stronger than the Neanderthals, but were not accustomed to the different climates in Europe. So, like with anything else, they were able to adapt over a period of time. Now this took thousands of years. I'm talking about, change in hair, eyes, skin, body build, you know, physical changes. Now jump ahead a couple of million years and here we are now. Sir, I was at the dominants place of origin and there's no possible way that anyone could have survived in that desert. At least not now, but nearly 60 years ago, it was habitable and the dominants lived in a village a mile and a half wide. Sir, that village is now buried fifteen feet underground and unless my anthropology is a little rusty, that sort of devastation to a large village does not occur naturally over a 50 year period, it takes at least four to five centuries for that to happen. Not to mention that an area doesn't become inhospitable overnight, something catastrophic must occur."
"Like what?" Darien asked genuinely interested in what Ed was saying.
"I've studied areas devastated by volcanic eruptions, but this is not what happened here and it wasn't an earthquake either. Our first theory was that something happened to cause the climate to change like global warming. But that doesn't explain how the village became buried fifteen feet under the desert floor in a relatively short period of time."
"So, what ya think caused it?" Darien asked. Then he looked at the President and gave him an apologetic shrug of his shoulders for asking questions ahead of the President.
Ed sighed, "I'm not sure, but given the time and how nuclear science was young, I'd say it was radiation caused by a nuclear accident, but that's my best guess. We would need to take soil samples from at least fifteen below the surface to test that theory, but that's not my field of expertise. But I will say this, we know the kind of experiments the Nazi's were performing on people and I won't go into that," Ed glared at Senator Allen. He had just spent four days being experimented on and he was still in discomfort from that. "I'm thinking that like the Nazi's, a government, possibly ours were doing experiments on people. I have no idea what the intentions were but somehow from messing with the boundaries of science, dominants were created from either a failed science experiment or nuclear accident of some kind or even both. Humans may have been injected with some chemicals that had a DNA altering reaction to exposure to radiation. Look, I don't know for sure but…the dominants that I've met are not indigenous to Central Mexico. They look about as American or European, if you will, as any one of us. If the dominants truly evolved naturally from humans, then they should bare a more strikingly resemblance to their natural ancestors, Central Mexicans. It's only been close to 60 years since they evolved, not enough time for physical changes to occur. I've seen older dominants with blue eyes and blonde hair, which are not genetic markers that you would associate with Central Mexico, some West European Countries, yes, but not Central Mexico."
"What if they evolved a long time ago and just left the area 60 years ago?" Senator Allen asked.
Ed shook his head as he spoke, "Alright, anthropology 101 is in session. What we think of as our DNA is also called 'nuclear DNA'. That controls most of our physical appearance because it's in every cell of our bodies and there are two copies of it in the cell nucleus. Now within those cells are what we call mitochondria DNA or mtDNA and they also have their own DNA molecules. These mtDNA are small energy-producing organelles found in cells. What's the difference between nuclear DNA and mtDNA? Glad you asked. Nuclear DNA is inherited from both mother and father where as mtDNA is only inherited from the mother. That is because all of the mitochondria are descended from those in our mother's egg cell. Now with the males, it's the Y-chromosomes that are tested within the DNA that is past down from father to son. Genealogists look for what is called 'Short Tandem Repeats' or 'STR's'. Those are 'stutters' in the DNA that repeats a certain pattern over and over. Ahh…think of the DNA molecule as a computer program except instead of being a long string of all 1's and 0's you have A's, C's, G's, and T's. The pattern that is repeated could look like GATA GATA GATA. These 'stutters' are given names like DYS391 or DYS455. The numbers that we get back in the Y-chromosome test refers to how many times a pattern is repeated at one of the markers or stutters. The example I gave you would return a value of '3'. We refer to that number of repeats as 'alleles' of a marker. This pattern is handed down unchanged from father to son. Now changes can happen in the repeated pattern. The son may inherit either a longer or shorter repeat than the father. The son would then eventually pass that modified version to his own sons. These mutations in the marker don't happen often, they may mutate once in a bout 500 generations." Darien let out a long whistle of astonishment. Ed smiled and then continued, "But it also means that with 25 markers we might see a mutation in one of them within say…about…20 generations."
"Dr. Tate…please, I'm getting a headache," Senator Allen protested.
"You're not the only one," Darien smirked with a half grin.
Ed let out a sigh and put his hands up, "Okay, okay, I get the hint, but I need to explain this so you can get the complete picture here. As a geneticist I look at a different kind of marker called a Unique Event Polymorphism or in short, UEP. The change that I would expect to see is just a switch in a letter in the DNA, like a 'C' may change into a 'T'. This is called Single Nucleotide Polymorphism or SNP. These mutations are very rare in UEP's, they may happen once in a 100 million generations. Once a UEP mutation has occurred all the descendants from that first man will show the same mutation. That's how we group people into what we call haplogroups."
"Harpogroups?" Darien asked.
Ed chuckled. "Haplogroups. It's a group made up of all the paternal descendants of the single person who first showed a particular UEP mutation. Each member of that group would have the same mutation that appeared in that group's founding father along with the UEP mutations he inherited from his forefathers. This is how we're able to identify descendants of a group of people over tens of thousands of years."
Darien looked at Ed in shock, "Whoa, now that's a long time."
"It sure is." Ed turned his attention to the Senator, "Senator, you asked what if they had evolved along time ago. Let's take your scenario and combine it with what we just discussed. If a village that size was around for a long time as you suggest, then at least some of the people if not half of them within that village should be related to a specific haplogroup. Families very rarely moved around like they do here, especially in villages that were so far from civilization. They mostly kept to themselves or the surrounding villages, but in this case, Senator, there was only one other village in the area." Ed looked around the room. There was a moment of silence as Ed's words were starting to sink in.
"Ah…I get it. What you're telling us is that the dominants should share a common ancestry because of this UEP…and what else?" Darien asked.
"'mtDNA'," Ed answered.
"Yeah, okay, so this mtDNA is passed down from mother to child and the UEP is passed down from father to son, so that would mean that the dominants should be related in one way or another and you're saying they're not…is that right?" Darien asked.
"Give that man a prize," Ed responded gleefully. A self-assured smart ass kind of grin spread across Darien's face.
"Yes, that's what I'm talking about." Ed turned his attention to the President, "Sir, I ran an mtDNA and an UEP test on Darien and myself to see if we're related cause of our close resemblance. There was no match, our mtDNA and UEP are different. If we had a common female or male in our ancestry that would have shown up but it didn't. What I'm saying here is that none of the dominants I've tested are related outside of individual family groups. If their ancestors lived in the village as Senator Allen has suggested for along time, then there should be a common mutation in the DNA in some of them if not all of them."
The President looked at Ed for a moment and then asked, "What other proof do you have?"
"Well, there's something else we need to look at that doesn't fit with the Senator's scenario. Knowing that dominant females can become pregnant at the age of nine and they can have up to four children at a time. Over a period of just a couple of years, maybe even sooner, that village would have become over populated. Besides, if they had evolved a long time ago their strong desire for survival, their innate aggressive tendencies and the need for procreation would have driven them out of the village anyway even years earlier. No, what we're looking at is something that occurred over night. Look, some physical traits are more dominant than others. As I've stated, I've seen and tested many dominants and there are no Central Mexican characteristics in most if not nearly all of them."
There was a heavy silence in the room. Ed continued after giving the three men a few moments to think about what was being said. "Look at this way, if one of the parents is indigenous to Central Mexico, that child would more than likely have dark eyes or darker skin pigmentation because that's the stronger trait, but I just haven't seen it. I also use mtDNA to trace migration patterns to study our ancestors. Our mtDNA does not match those of Neanderthals, that's another study that strengthens the theory that we did not evolve from them. The mtDNA or UEP I've found in dominants shows they are not related to the Mixtecs and or Zapotecs or any other Native American haplogroup. If they lived in Oaxaca for a long time, they should have the mtDNA of the indigenous people and they don't. The only thing I see in common with all dominants is the natural immunity to three specific diseases to that region. And that can only occur with long exposure to that strain."
"Okay, Dr. Tate, if it was a government testing ground, then how do you explain the long exposure? Wouldn't they have to be around for a long time as you say?" Senator Allen asked.
Ed smiled, "There's a lot you don't know about dominants or anthropology for that matter. Dominants have the uncanny ability to adapt very quickly to any given area. It's biologically imperative for their survival. It's possible that the immunity was picked up at the moment of the DNA conversion. It can also mean that over a short period of time, they can become immune to any childhood diseases as they adapt to any given area and that immunity is passed down from mother to child."
"This makes them even more dangerous. They can be carriers of childhood diseases and pass them on to us," Senator Allen pleaded with the President, "Sir, you've got to sign this bill."
Ed shook his head, "We have vaccines for that now and besides, you changed the subject. The only reason why you want this bill signed is to keep the world from knowing the truth and you want to fix the mistake by turning dominants back into humans. Ms. Welsh didn't want peace, she never did. All she did was push us to come up with ways to fight this 'war'. She just wanted a way to keep the truth hidden to save the government from being embarrassed." Ed shook his head, "I can't believe that I didn't see all this sooner, but the pressure was on us to find ways to fight for our survival that the true origin of the dominants was never in question. All we focused on was that we had a war to win. But I should add that all this is only a theory and no one outside of this room knows it." Ed lied; the only other person who might know was Tara. But how much she knew, he didn't know. "I never got a chance to say anything to anybody. So, the secret is safe as long as we keep our mouths shut."
"Are you thinking of blackmailing the United State Government, Dr. Tate?" The President asked as he rose to his feet.
Ed let out a soft chuckle, "Mr. President, a theory is hardly blackmail material, and I don't have concrete proof…at least not yet. But one thing I do know, my death was used to sell you a lie and put the world in danger. I know that Senator Allen was involved in my so-called martyrdom. The original plan was for me to get close to the gland so I could help in the production of QS glands. While invisible, dominants can be spotted easily and therefore easily apprehended or killed. But I was implanted with the gland instead. The gland was originally going to be harvested from me, killing me in the process. But a strange little mutation called quicksilver madness prevented that from happening, because in order to figure out the mutation and come up with a cure, it has to be in a living host. Lucky for me…or not. I was kidnapped the morning I came to my theory about the dominants. I was taken to a secured military base and put through days of experiments and tests that were not at all that comfortable. It was then realized that the implantation procedure and the rehab time following surgery would take too long. So, taking some information from the Agency files, it was decided to use special back packs to circulate quicksilver through the wearer's body. It would work and act just like a gland. While they were trying to figure out a way to recycle the quicksilver, I was pushed into stage five madness…" Ed looked at Senator Allen, "I was anything but nice. The plan was to brainwash me, Mr. President, to be a killer and I suspect not just to kill dominants but anybody who got in the way of the great plan to wipe out the dominants. It was easy, I had no morals, no conscious, I wouldn't care who I killed, just as long as I got to do it. No one would be safe with an invisible hit man running around, not even you sir."
The President let out a sigh, "This is serious accusations, Dr. Tate. Do you have proof?"
Ed put the papers down in front of him, reached into his back pocket and pulled out a mini-disk, "Proof is on here, Mr. President. Some of the material was taken off of Ms. Welsh's computer, not the one at the military base, but from her office in San Diego. I think that you would be interested in seeing what she had going through that mind of hers. The other material is from the main computers at the military base…along with some nice photos taken from the security cameras." Ed turned to Senator Allen, folded his arms and with a look of someone who won a major victory retorted, "Check mate."
Senator Allen sneered at Ed, "You're bluffing."
"As a scientist I deal with hard facts and indisputable evidence," Ed turned to look at Darien, "But Darien, he's an ex-con, bluffing is a part of life for him. What you have to figure out is whether or not he's bluffing, with me, it should be pretty damn obvious. " Ed peered down at Senator Allen, "You need more proof," Ed pulled up the sleeve on the blue 'Pepsi' jacket he borrowed from Darien and removed one of his bandages. Underneath was the mangled flesh of his wrist, skin torn off in some areas showing tissue that normally lies beneath it and marked with assorted colors of the rainbow. Senator Allen looked in disgust as did the President. "I've got three more just like it, plus other assorted bumps and bruises and a hole in my head where quicksilver was milked from me like I was a cow." Ed paused for a moment as Senator Allen had the appearance of someone in deep thought about what to do next. "Still think I'm bluffing?" Ed said in a tone that showed he was daring the Senator to deny any involvement.
"How sure are you of your theory, Dr. Tate?" The President asked.
Ed folded his arms in front of him, "On a scale of one to ten with ten being certain…I'd say I'm 9.8 certain that the dominants are not the result of natural evolution but man made."
"But if the dominants where human and their DNA was altered, wouldn't that give you mixed results?" The Senator asked.
"No, not really. Look, the DNA of chimps is about 95% close to human DNA. There are about three billion base pairs in the human genome. Dominants have about twice that many, but like the chimps whose DNA is so closely related to ours, it's the same with the dominants. Only their genome or DNA strand is more compact than ours. We may have about 50,000 base pairs for every 5,000 turns where as dominants have about 100,000 for every 5,000 turns. They also have twice as many chromosomes. Add all that up and that would account for the differences between our two species. They're more advanced mentally and physically so naturally their DNA would be the same. But the similarities in DNA are still there because we are their natural ancestors whether they evolved naturally or by man."
"What would you need to do to be 100% certain?" The President asked.
"I'd have to do DNA comparative testing on dominants as well as humans. It could take a couple of years to come up with definitive proof."
"That's good enough for me. Gentlemen, this project is of the utmost secrecy. Dr. Tate, when can you start your…"
"Sir…excuse me for interrupting but I'll need funding for this type of research," Ed informed with a hint of uncertainty in his voice. Did he really want to get involved in such research? The dominants clearly have tried to hide their true origins for a reason. Ed felt that he was going to open a whole new can of worms and he was sure he wouldn't like what he might find.
"Don't worry about the funding, Dr. Tate. I'm sure Senator Allen will sponsor it." The President looked at the Senator with a cross expression, "Won't you, Senator?"
"Ah…yes, sir." The Senator's voice sounded overpowered.
The President sat back down and talked into the intercom, "Mrs. Matthews, please have Mr. Tate and the press come back inside now." Everyone in the room watched as the press took their positions again. Ed looked at Darien with confusion. Darien shrugged his shoulders, he could read the President's mind but that would make him no better than Ms. Welsh and her cohorts. He would wait and see what happens.
The President gripped the bill in his hand and he stared at it for a moment. He looked up, "Ladies, gentlemen, our country holds firm the idea that you're innocent until proven guilty…"
Darien rolled his eyes. 'Great, a judicial speech, like I haven't heard this before,' he thought to himself.
"…You have the right to a fair trial by a jury of your peers. A conviction is handed down by a jury because they have unreasonable doubt that you are guilty. If there is a hint of doubt a juror cannot say in true conscious that the defendant is guilty…"
Now it was Ed's turn to roll his eyes. "Just get on with it," he muttered to himself.
"…And it is because of this principle that I have decided to veto the Dominant Registration Bill…"
Ed closed his eyes and lowered his head. Senator Allen was displeased and it showed. Darien smiled and shook his head proudly. Jonathan was in shock. Light bulbs flashed in the room as the President signed his name indicating that he had vetoed the bill. Some reporters asked why he had changed his mind.
"Let's just say the sudden…reappearance…of Dr. Ed Tate has led me to believe that we need to take a closer look at what we're doing. With the evidence that has been presented to me, I'm calling on a full investigation into the events of Dr. Tate's alleged death. At this point, I would also like to reopen talks with the new species on co-existence negotiations. Ladies and gentlemen, that is all."
Darien patted Ed on the back, "Good job, man. You *are* the King of the Smartypants." Ed forced a smile of gratitude, "Thanks, Darien."
"Ain't no biggie braddah," Darien replied with a soft chuckle.
"Totally," Ed replied half heartedly. He was exhausted and in discomfort. All he wanted to do was get out of there and curl up in a corner somewhere. With the room being crowded he started to feel an anxiety attack coming on. Reporters and photographers had again descended upon him, flashing pictures and asking him questions. He saw his father approach him and he relaxed somewhat.
Jonathan pushed his way through the crowd, "Leave him alone," he said in a commanding tone. Some secret service agents came back in and kindly pushed the press out of the office. Ed was grateful to see them leave, his heart had started to pound and he was afraid the gland would kick in. What a news headline that would be. Jonathan looked at his son once more, "Son, what happened?"
"I can't tell you dad, it's classified…never thought I'd hear myself say that," Ed said with a half hearted smile.
The President's secretary came in and interrupted the small gathering as the press was leaving. "Sir, Dr. Walter Attwood and three other people are with him. One of them is Dr. Sloan Parker."
"Send them in," the President said. He walked over to Senator Allen, "Senator, please don't even think about leaving the area." The Senator in a beaten tone answered, "Yes, sir."
Walter, Sloan, Claire and Irene walked in. "Ed!" Irene cried out when she saw him talking to Jonathan. Ed turned and saw her face go from joy to sudden shock. "Oh my God!" She held her hand up to her face at the awful appearance of her son, "What did they do to you?"
Sloan's eyes watered up, the last time she saw Ed look horrible was when he had the Spanish Flu, but this was even worse. Claire walked over to him as he hugged Irene. Walter walked over to the President who was talking to Darien at the moment.
Irene cradled her son's face in her hands, "Look at you…" tears weld up in her eyes as she shook her head, "Who did this to you?"
"I can't tell you that, but…I'm going to be alright," Ed said with anxiety in his voice.
She forced a smile, "Edward, I'm your mother, I know when you're lying."
"I wish I could tell you, but I can't."
She shook her head as she brushed a stray strand of hair from his face, "Okay, but I can still give you TLC that only a mother can give…" She glanced over at Claire and turned her gaze back to Ed, "…and of course a loving a wife."
Ed smiled, "I love you, mom."
"I love you too," she hugged him and then let him loose so he could go to Claire.
Claire looked around waiting for the hands to come up and grab him like in her dream. Plus she was confused because he was wearing Darien's clothes. Before she knew it, she felt hands on her and they were warm…it wasn't a dream. "Ed?" She asked cautiously.
"It's me." Before she could respond he covered her mouth with his. His hands were planted firmly on the sides of her face. Her arms wrapped around his neck and the kiss deepened. Their lips pressed hard against each other. After a few moments, they broke the kiss and panted for air.
Claire looked into his eyes and her own eyes began to water, "I can't believe it…I thought I'd lost you….I…" she was cut off by Ed's mouth covering hers again.
"Ahem, you happen to be in the Oval Office."
Ed broke off the kiss and saw Sloan. They hugged. "You don't know how good it is to see you again, Ed," Sloan said through her tears. Ed hugged her tighter.
Irene had walked up to Senator Allen. "Mrs. Tate…"
"It's Ms. Morgan."
"I'm really grateful that…"
"Don't patronize me, Senator. You're lucky we're in the Oval Office or else I would be showing you how I really feel. I know you had something to do with this. You reap what you sow, Senator, you best remember that." Irene turned on her heels and went back to her son. She wasn't going to waste another moment on him.
The President hung up the phone and came up to Ed. "Dr. Tate, I'm not a doctor but I would say that you need medical attention. I have arranged for you to be taken to George Washington University Hospital to be examined."
Walter took the President off to the side, "Sir, there's a matter of national security that should be taken into consideration. I believe that the only doctor qualified here to give Ed the medical treatment he requires is Dr. Keeply. Ed's Keeper is shall we say, not available."
"Understand."
Darien and Ed had stared at each other in disbelief at the way Walter took the President aside. "You get the feeling that Walter is buds with the President?" Darien pondered.
"Walter is as mysterious as the Official. I just didn't realize how much until now. I know I've said this to you before, but I still wonder what he was up to all those years he was at the lab before the new species was discovered," Ed retorted. Darien looked at Ed. He still didn't know. But it wasn't for him to tell, that was Walter's job.
The President approached Claire, "Dr. Keeply, given the secrecy of the situation. Would you be able to treat Dr. Tate?"
Ed looked shock. Claire glanced at the Ed and met him with the same expression. "Well, I uh…sure, yes, I will treat Ed...er…Dr. Tate."
"Good, there are cars waiting out front to take all of you to the hospital. I will also have my staff get you room reservations at the nearest hotel."
Claire's eyes connected with Ed's for a moment. His eyes were distant and his face wore a deep frown. 'I think I have more to treat than his physical wounds,' she glanced at his weary features as he greeted Walter, 'My darling, what did they put you through?' She wondered to herself as she watched the others start to gather around him. He started to look uncomfortable. She watched as his eyes darted nervously from one person to another as if he was expecting someone to hurt him in some way. She figured it had something to do with what happened to him. A deep distressed sigh escaped her lips. She had to do something to get him out of the stressful situation, she was afraid he would loose it. Even Darien gave her a quick glance that Ed needed help.
Claire pushed her way through and gently took hold of Ed's arm, "Okay, everyone, he's officially my patient and I need to take care of him. So if you would excuse us, I have work to do." She could feel Ed's body trembling as she walked him away from the small group. "It's okay, honey, you're safe. They were not going to hurt you."
Ed glanced at her with petrified eyes, and his breathing was short and rapid. "I…know, it's just…that…"
"Shh," Claire put her finger up to his lips, "You don't have to talk about it now. We have plenty of time for that later. Just remember that they are people who love you very much and they were just glad to see you back…that's all." Ed shook his head that he understood, but he was still very visibly shaken up by being surrounded like that. It reminded him of the scientists that would crowd around him during the early stages of quicksilver madness to run their scans and tests. To him, that meant more pain and more needles.
Irene gave Senator Allen a look of sheer anger and if her look could kill, the Senator would have dropped dead right then and there. She had seen the change in her son when they all crowded around him, the fear that flowed into his eyes and how he suddenly broke out in sweat. She turned her attention to Darien, "Thank you, Darien, for finding him and bringing him back to us alive." She glanced back at Senator Allen, "At least I know who I can trust." She gave Darien a kiss on his cheek and whispered in his ear, "Please watch him."
"I will," Darien whispered back and felt her arms tighten around him.
Everyone individually thanked the President as they were escorted out of the Oval Office. They walked through the West Wing towards the entrance that Darien and Ed had entered earlier. Darien stopped in the hall and watched Ed. He let out a long cleansing sigh.
A 19th century American poet by the name of Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: 'What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.' This couldn't be any truer for a man by the name of Ed Tate. He's faced adversity that even he couldn't imagine. Yeah, he's had his share of bumps and bruises, but he never stayed down for the long count. They say that a measure of a man is what he does when no one's looking. But for Ed, the measure of what kind of man he is is how he's able to make lemonade from lemons. History may remember him as a scientist who figured out a way to change the DNA of dominants but who refused to use it in the end, seeing co-existence as the only real option for both sides. Is that Nobel Prize material? Only time will tell. But one thing I do know is that through it all, Ed will come out of this stronger and more determined to find the answers than ever before. Cause deep down inside he has what it takes to get back on his feet again. And that's the true measure of a man.
Darien raced to catch up to his friends. He bounced joyfully in front of Ed who had his arm around Claire. In a sudden burst of jubilation, Darien threw his arms in the air victoriously. There was hope again.
The End…for now.