"Genesis"

Chapter 8

That night at dinner my chance came.

Gero had been in his lab all day and was tired. I could see the strain in his face as he sat down to dinner with us. The meal was a silent one at first, the clinking of cutlery being the predominant sound and then the android dropped a plate causing it to shatter loudly.

Gero's eyes flashed angrily and he opened his mouth to let loose with a tirade of angry words at the poor android.

Krystal and I just stared. We had seen the darker side to Gero on a couple of occasions, but never anything quite this bad.

Realizing that our shocked eyes were upon him, Gero looked at us both before apologizing for his outburst.

"That's all right," I reassured him. "We realize you are under a lot of strain with your experiments and all, especially as you are nearing the completion of a major part of your research."

Krystal gave me an odd look.

I continued. "You really are working far too hard and pushing yourself to the limits."

Gero stared at me. "Just what is it you are suggesting here, Jay?"

"I really think you need an assistant."

"And what makes you think I don't already have one?"

"Maybe you do, but I don't think you are getting the help you need from them then if this is how strained you are getting." Having set the hook I now began to play the fish.

Gero stroked his whiskers thoughtfully. "Maybe you are right, boy," he said.

"I know I'm right. Just think how much further you can get if you have the right help," I coaxed.

Krystal was staring wide eyed at me.

I chose to ignore her; instead I concentrated on reeling in my prize. "You could be so much closer to the ultimate in your research."

"And just who might you have in mind?" asked Gero.

"Well if I may be so bold, I was thinking of myself..."

Gero smirked. "What makes you think you are smart enough or talented enough to help me out, boy?"

"You have had many a scientific conversation and debate with me over the last few months, you have even said yourself that I have an uncanny grasp of the sciences. We share similar interests and besides, I want to help and learn," I said, letting the line run again before once more reeling in the slack.

Gero chuckled to himself. "So you think you are worthy enough and talented enough to be my assistant then..."

"You know that I am a very quick learner and I am sure that I can be of some form of help to you." Sensing that my catch was almost in the net I pushed home...

"Hmmmm... you have got a valid point there, boy," said Gero.

"Besides, who else are you going to trust?" I added as I brought the fish to shore.

"Okay then. Seeing as how you are so keen to help me and learn all my secrets I will take you on as my assistant."

My eyes lit up as I realized I had finally reached my objective.

"But."

My smile froze on my face as I once again looked into those cold, blue eyes.

"But you will need to finish your final exams first," said Gero.

I stared into those cold depths and replied, "No problem."

"Right then. You pass all your exams and I will take you on," smirked Gero and then he waved his hand to indicate that the conversation was closed.

The rest of the meal finished in the same manner as which it had started... in silence. Once it was over, Gero left for his rooms and Krystal and myself went to our section of the mountain home.

As soon as the door to the sitting room was closed the assault started.

I raised my hands in an attempt to block the barrage of questions.

"Why, Jay? Just what sort of stunt are you trying to pull? What do you think you intend to accomplish by helping him? Don't you realize that we will both be 18 in a matter of a few months and free to leave this place? So why all of a sudden do you want to help him for?" Krystal stopped to take a breath.

Seeing my chance I lowered my hands and spoke. "Whoa! slow down there, Krystal," I said "Look, it may not make sense to you at this stage but I have a funny feeling that Gero isn't all that he's made out to be. Over these past years I have been doing some research and digging of my own. We always knew it was funny that he should just suddenly front up out of nowhere and claim us like lost property when we had been happily living with Uncle Howard and Aunt Jenny for so long. And haven't you ever wondered why Mom and Dad never spoke about Gero? Just what is his relationship to us? I don't know about you but none of this seemed to make sense to me so I have looked into it and you would be amazed at what I have found out." I paused for breath and to let this sink in to Krystal's mind. I scanned her face for a clue as to her thoughts, my sixth twin sense telling me she was grappling with what I had said so far.

Krystal sighed and sat down heavily on the couch. She looked at me with confusion in her cornflower blue eyes, eyes that had seen way too much suffering in her short life.

"Okay Jay... why don't you start at the beginning. Tell me all that you know."

I swallowed hard, this wasn't going to be easy, but I had to tell her.

"I was first suspicious when I saw Gero at our parents' funeral. Then, when he showed up at Aunt Jenny's I began to wonder just what his relationship and interest in us was. I wasn't able to do much until recently. I have been scouring the Internet as well as trying to hack into Gero's computer system." I paused.

"But why didn't you tell me any of this sooner? asked Krystal.

"I wanted to be sure of my facts first."

"And what have you found out ?"

"Okay, I will tell you, but you have to promise you will sit and listen to what I have to say and not interrupt me, no matter how horrible it gets you have to hear me out." I waited for her response.

"I trust you Jay. I will hear what you have to say," s,he replied and then sank back further into the couch.

I ran my hand absently through my hair wondering just where to start. Then I turned and looked directly at my sister and revealed all that I had learnt...

"Gero is not related to us. He made the whole thing up. From what I have discovered he used to go to school with our father and there they became very good friends. Gero was a scientific genius whereas our father was more of a mathematician, but they got along very well. When they left school and graduated university Gero went to work for a bio-genetics company and our father went into the banking industry. They kept in contact as the company Gero worked for did all their financial dealings with dad's bank." I stopped to catch my breath.

Krystal was staring at me intently. I continued...

"Dad met mom and they got married and settled down. Dad's position within the bank was on the rise, he was appointed to assistant manager and head of the loans department. Gero was also working his way up through the ranks in the bio-genetics company and had reached a rather high level and was involved in some top secret work. It was around this time that you and I were born."

Krystal cleared her throat as if to speak. I raised my finger to silence her.

"From the records that still exist, the company needed extra finance to continue the research they were doing and so Gero applied to the bank for a rather large loan. He felt rather confident of getting the loan as after all the head of the loan department was his old school pal and good friend. Dad on the other hand wasn't so sure. The documentation that was supplied for the loan reason was to say the least, rather sketchy. Dad wanted more information before he would approve any money. This didn't go down too well with Gero, who for some reason couldn't or wouldn't supply the data that dad required and so dad turned the loan down."

Krystal's eyes opened wide as her brain absorbed the information.

I could see the realization beginning to form in her mind and so I pressed on. " That's when I suppose you could say the rift in their friendship began. I have checked into the records of the bio-genetics company and found that although they didn't get the loan, Gero continued to research until the funds dried up and thus in effect he caused the company to go bankrupt. By the time the directors of the board found out what Gero was up to it was a bit late to do much so they fired him. From what limited information I have he seemed to hold dad responsible for the loss of his job, the demise of the company and the resulting termination of his research and experimentation."

I looked at Krystal to see if she was still with me...

She nodded to let me know that so far she understood.

Again I pressed on. "It seems that our Dr Gero disappeared for a bit after that, I can't find any data on where he went or what he got up to other than the odd bit of so called speculative gossip that he was involved with a red ribbon company or something . He must have made some money though somewhere along the line because the next concrete data I have is when he resurfaced to buy and establish this place." I waved my hand around to indicate the mountain residence.

"But why would he bother with us?" asked Krystal.

I frowned. "Now that is a good question. To be perfectly honest, I really don't have an answer," I replied.

"Maybe he felt bad about the rift that happened between him and dad and wanted to make it up to him and this is the only way he knew how?" suggested Krystal.

I stared softly at my sister. "I have been thinking along the same lines but there are a few things that don't quite add up on that score."

"How do you mean?" she asked and cocked her head.

"Well, why wait all these years for one," I said. "We were only 2 years old when they had their disagreement and 8 when mum and dad were taken from us. Then we spent a couple of years with Aunt Jenny and Uncle Howard. Why didn't he do or say something in that time? Why wait until we were 10 before coming forward to claim us?"

"Hmmm..." said Krystal.

"And another thing, he wasn't a blood relative and yet he falsified papers to say he was so that the judge would have no choice but to send us to live with him. Now doesn't that strike you as a bit weird?" I raised an eyebrow at my sister as I felt her jumbled thoughts in my own confused mind.

"He seems to have gone to an awful lot of trouble for us both. But what for?" Krystal crossed her legs as she thought.

I moved across the room and leant with my back against the door, staring into space. "Another thing that struck me as odd is that he is so keen for us both to learn and have a good education. He certainly has spared no expense when it comes to us getting the very best of tutoring."

Krystal sighed softly. "There certainly is a lot more to this than first meets the eye," she smiled at me.

"Yeah... you can sure say that again," I grinned ruefully at her.

"So- just what are we doing here then, Jay? Have you any ideas as to what Gero wants with or from us?"

I sat down beside her on the couch and took her hands in mine. Staring into her eyes I told her of my theory. "I think it may have something to do with making amends with our father for their earlier differences. But then I also think that Gero has another motive too, and that's the one I'm not sure about. All I know at this stage is that whatever his reasons are for taking us in the answer to that lies beyond those steel doors and inside that lab. Once I manage to get inside there I am sure that I will find out for sure just why Gero took us in as well as what on earth it is that is so important to him in relation to his research."

"I don't think I want you to go into that lab and work with him, Jay," said Krystal.

The look of concern in my sister's face touched my soul. "I would rather not in one way, but another part of me wants very much to find out what on earth it is that he is up to in there."

"Well, you have to pass your exams first and that gives us a couple more weeks yet before you disappear in there; so who knows, we may find our answers before then."

I smiled at the look of hope in her eyes. "I wish it would be that simple, but somehow I can't see it," I replied

She tossed me an exasperated look. "What ever happened to optimism?" she asked tartily.

"I think it flew out the window along with common sense," I quipped and then ducked as a large cushion whistled past my ear.

"Aww, come on, sis... where's your sense of adventure?" I teased.

"I think it went west along with your brain." she replied haughtily. "I don't think you are taking this seriously, Jay. You have no idea what lies beyond those doors. All I'm asking is that you be careful, okay?"

I stopped my teasing. "Okay. I promise to be careful. I was only trying to lighten the mood a little. I'm sorry."

"That's okay, Jay, but you just make sure to look after yourself, you're the only flesh and blood I have left now and if I lost you I don't care to think of what would happen."

I wrapped my arms around her and gave her a reassuring hug. "It will be all right," I said softly. And then whispered inaudibly "I hope."

#

We studied hard over the next two weeks and sat our exams. On the whole it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be and I was relatively happy with the questions and the answers I had given. I was quietly confident that I had done very well. Krystal was also pleased with herself and confided in me that she also had hopes of having high marks.

Then the results came through.

We sat quietly at dinner, noting the two yellow official looking envelopes that sat at Gero's place. Nervously I glanced at Krystal who also seemed to be worried and kept darting anxious glances at Gero and the envelopes.

Gero to all intents and purposes seemed oblivious to our concerns and decided to eat before opening the mail.

I groaned... "Sadist!" I thought silently and began to pick at my food.

Krystal's appetite had also taken a vacation and the two of us sat and played musical chairs with our food, seeing just how many different ways the stuff could be rearranged on the plate. Finally Gero was finished and he picked up the envelopes.

With a flick of his unused butter knife he sliced them both open, spilling the contents onto the table. He picked up the folded paper and began to read.

I watched his face carefully. Trying to read any form of emotion there that would give me a clue as to the results.

Nothing.

The man remained poker faced as he picked up the next piece of paper and scanned down it. Then he placed both papers on the table and leaning back he looked into Krystal and my expectant faces.

I swallowed hard, I could hear Krystal's shallow breathing beside me.

Gero cleared his throat.

"Congratulations. You have done me proud. Both of you passed all your subjects with honors."

I stared at Krystal as the realization sank in. We had passed!... and with honors! I came back to planet earth with a jolt as I heard Gero continue.

"Meet me outside the lab doors at 9 am, boy," he said and then abruptly got up and left the room.

I smiled at Krystal, failing to see the concern and fear she tried to hide in her eyes.

"Now we will get some answers ."

~ T B C ~