CHAPTER TWENTY NINE
It was hard seeing a small coffin in front of the Church, hard to see a family who had little emotions, hard to see someone who could not scream and because of that, would not be understood.
The Geronas sat in the mourners's room, hearing the Priest intone how such a brilliant boy Alejandro was. How he was always polite, how he won the Science Project, etc. How even though he did not like to sing, was an excellent violinist, and so on.
The obituary had mentioned that he died suddenly, a euphemism for accident or murder and donations were to go to the Children's Hospital. If someone misunderstood that he had died of a fatal illness, his father was not worried.
They buried Alejandro in the children's section of the cemetery where they had angels sprouting wings and epithets such as:"She's playing with Jesus now." Enrique ordered a plaque which stated Alejandro's birth and death and "Taken too soon." It would arrive a week from Monday.
Meanwhile Tom and Sloan prepared for their wedding and since Sloan did not know Tom's real name, Daniels being taken from another FBI agent, they decided to go with that one. However in order for that to happen, the other Tom Daniels had to disappear but Tom did not want to be responsible for his killing. Fortunately the other Tom Daniels got reassigned to another state, and the group found that Tom Daniels was not an uncommon name, so they did not have to worry.
Paul notified the Council, telling them that Sloan was his daughter, and that the humans had improved the program that showed the differences between the 1.0 of homo sapiens and the 1.6 of Dominants. ( Ever since the Progeny program proved a success, the term humans was fast going out of style.). Since the young female, Kelly, had turned to a 1.4 through Randall Lynch's injection, and since they had to mercifully put her to sleep to prevent her from harming them or the weaker species, the Dominants ensured the homo sapiens they could track down and punish whomever of their kind was doing an illegal injection.
On learning of Tom's marriage proposal to Sloan, the Council agreed on one condition, that the rite, either the homo sapien type or the Dominant Official Union would have as much pomp and ceremony as possible so that no one would use that to kill one or both of the couple. Knowing that the children born would be Progenies with the Dominant DNA no doubt cemented their decision.
"We've decided to have the ceremony at the Church," said Tom, "It is the same faith that the villagers near where I grew up as a child believed."
"But what about you having taken the place of that Tom Daniels, the FBI agent?" asked Sloan.
"In the Chameleon program, we are careful to use common names. Lewis checked the name Tom Daniels, and found that the FBI agent the one I replaced, had a son, a Tom Daniels, Junior who disappeared as a child. We had two scenarios, one in which we killed the father, or two, I pretended to be his long lost son, and then discover that only our names were similar. We could not have a close relationship so Lewis had me practice the last case scenario until I got it perfect. However, since he was on an outside case, I did not have to use either."
"Enrique says that since Carl and Walter are old friends, he can vouch for us. Therefore there'll be no trouble in getting the marriage legitimized."
"That's what we have to do. Since the Sedonas, your real parents belong to this particular Church, Paul has agreed to give Sloan away. I'm sorry, we tried to get in touch with your adoptive parents, but were unable to."
"What about my sister?" asked Sloan.
"We telegraphed her, but got no reply. However, I have some good news for you."
"No more killing?"
Tom looked serious. "That is impossible, but those school children in California. Because you helped rescue me, the Council has decided to alter the nano virus."
"How?"
"It appears that certain members of your society have a disease that causes a similar condition and since your doctors are working on a cure, a hopeless gesture, the medicine that may extend the lives of the children is directed to these."
Sloan thought how hard it was for a Dominant to mention something that to them was foreign. "Could you not remove the nano virus and let the children live?"
The Dominant Medicals put counter nano virus's in the children's bloodstream, not the same amount in each, but according to the family history. In time, twenty to fifty years depending, the children's deaths would be attributed to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or accident. No one would think something amiss. "But there is one catch."
"What is it?"
"Since they will survive into adulthood, the virus can be transferred to their offspring unless..."
"Unless what?"
"They mate with Dominants."
Sloan felt a chill coming even though it was one hundred degrees in the shade.
10/1/2003
It was hard seeing a small coffin in front of the Church, hard to see a family who had little emotions, hard to see someone who could not scream and because of that, would not be understood.
The Geronas sat in the mourners's room, hearing the Priest intone how such a brilliant boy Alejandro was. How he was always polite, how he won the Science Project, etc. How even though he did not like to sing, was an excellent violinist, and so on.
The obituary had mentioned that he died suddenly, a euphemism for accident or murder and donations were to go to the Children's Hospital. If someone misunderstood that he had died of a fatal illness, his father was not worried.
They buried Alejandro in the children's section of the cemetery where they had angels sprouting wings and epithets such as:"She's playing with Jesus now." Enrique ordered a plaque which stated Alejandro's birth and death and "Taken too soon." It would arrive a week from Monday.
Meanwhile Tom and Sloan prepared for their wedding and since Sloan did not know Tom's real name, Daniels being taken from another FBI agent, they decided to go with that one. However in order for that to happen, the other Tom Daniels had to disappear but Tom did not want to be responsible for his killing. Fortunately the other Tom Daniels got reassigned to another state, and the group found that Tom Daniels was not an uncommon name, so they did not have to worry.
Paul notified the Council, telling them that Sloan was his daughter, and that the humans had improved the program that showed the differences between the 1.0 of homo sapiens and the 1.6 of Dominants. ( Ever since the Progeny program proved a success, the term humans was fast going out of style.). Since the young female, Kelly, had turned to a 1.4 through Randall Lynch's injection, and since they had to mercifully put her to sleep to prevent her from harming them or the weaker species, the Dominants ensured the homo sapiens they could track down and punish whomever of their kind was doing an illegal injection.
On learning of Tom's marriage proposal to Sloan, the Council agreed on one condition, that the rite, either the homo sapien type or the Dominant Official Union would have as much pomp and ceremony as possible so that no one would use that to kill one or both of the couple. Knowing that the children born would be Progenies with the Dominant DNA no doubt cemented their decision.
"We've decided to have the ceremony at the Church," said Tom, "It is the same faith that the villagers near where I grew up as a child believed."
"But what about you having taken the place of that Tom Daniels, the FBI agent?" asked Sloan.
"In the Chameleon program, we are careful to use common names. Lewis checked the name Tom Daniels, and found that the FBI agent the one I replaced, had a son, a Tom Daniels, Junior who disappeared as a child. We had two scenarios, one in which we killed the father, or two, I pretended to be his long lost son, and then discover that only our names were similar. We could not have a close relationship so Lewis had me practice the last case scenario until I got it perfect. However, since he was on an outside case, I did not have to use either."
"Enrique says that since Carl and Walter are old friends, he can vouch for us. Therefore there'll be no trouble in getting the marriage legitimized."
"That's what we have to do. Since the Sedonas, your real parents belong to this particular Church, Paul has agreed to give Sloan away. I'm sorry, we tried to get in touch with your adoptive parents, but were unable to."
"What about my sister?" asked Sloan.
"We telegraphed her, but got no reply. However, I have some good news for you."
"No more killing?"
Tom looked serious. "That is impossible, but those school children in California. Because you helped rescue me, the Council has decided to alter the nano virus."
"How?"
"It appears that certain members of your society have a disease that causes a similar condition and since your doctors are working on a cure, a hopeless gesture, the medicine that may extend the lives of the children is directed to these."
Sloan thought how hard it was for a Dominant to mention something that to them was foreign. "Could you not remove the nano virus and let the children live?"
The Dominant Medicals put counter nano virus's in the children's bloodstream, not the same amount in each, but according to the family history. In time, twenty to fifty years depending, the children's deaths would be attributed to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or accident. No one would think something amiss. "But there is one catch."
"What is it?"
"Since they will survive into adulthood, the virus can be transferred to their offspring unless..."
"Unless what?"
"They mate with Dominants."
Sloan felt a chill coming even though it was one hundred degrees in the shade.
10/1/2003