NEXUS POINTS : Chapter 29-31

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Chapter 29

It was a little past 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning. Kora waited in the same visiting room where she’d last seen Yong Liu. 

She felt tired, having come directly from SCH after returning from Bartlett’s lab in the desert earlier in the morning. The strange exchange with the voice in her head left her feeling unsettled and on edge.

Half an hour went by. What’s taking so long? Has something happened to Yong?

Just then the door opened. In walked Beck Hollen. 

“Where’s Yong?” Kora asked.

“It’s good to see you too, Dr. Amelli,” Hollen said sarcastically, before his tone became serious. “Dr. Liu is in the infirmary. We thought he had a heart attack, but the staff physician said he had a panic attack and a seizure.”

“A panic attack and a seizure? What caused it?”

“We’re not sure. He seemed to be having hallucinations in the past 48 hours. The physician on staff is examining him right now. I’m afraid you won’t be able to see him today.”

A sense of dread came over Kora. “I need to see him.” 

“I’m afraid that’s not possible. He’s been behaving erratically. He’s not even coherent right now.”  

“Erratically? Do you mean he’s been aggressive? Has he been having insomnia?” 

“How did you know that?”

“That’s... that’s how... Look, you wouldn’t understand even if I told you. You’ve got to let me see him,”

Hollen’s expression hardened. “Try me.”

Kora tried to compose herself. “His symptoms could be caused by mutations in his brain, which in turn caused degeneration in his limbic system. It’s the same condition that killed my aunt."

“What makes you think it’s the same condition your aunt had?” Hollen asked.

Kora took in a deep breath. “I’ve been trying to tell you: Yong... Dr. Liu was framed. Now I’m convinced it’s because he found out Derin Serpius and the people he works for might be using foreign DNA to infect the population’s genome. The infection causes degeneration in the limbic system of the brain.”

Hollen frowned. He seemed skeptical.

“I know that’s what Yong is being accused of doing. Only it’s them,” Kora said.

“Who?”

Kora wanted to scream. “Derin Serpius and the people he works for!” 

“And you know this...how?” Hollen asking, obviously not believing her.

Exasperation had turned into desperation. Kora pleaded, “I… I don’t have any proof, not yet, but I’m working on getting it. I’ve been testing patients at SCH. Over 90% of the people we’ve tested so far have the same type of degeneration in their brain. From what you just told me about Yong, I believe he might have the same condition. It would explain the symptoms he’s having.”

Hollen searched Kora’s eyes for several long moments. “Wait here,” he finally said. He turned abruptly and left the visiting room. 

Kora waited anxiously. 

A few agonizingly-long minutes later, Beck Hollen returned, holding a document display. “This is a consent form saying you’ll be accompanied by me at all times during your visit with Dr. Liu; that you understand the risk, and we’re not responsible in the event something should happen. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I understand. What do I do?

“Put your left eye in front of the retinal scanner.”

Kora did as Hollen said. He opened the door for her. “After you.”

They were both silent as the elevator took them to the infirmary. Kora’s mind raced. Does Yong really have the same degeneration in his brain? If so, why are the symptoms manifesting all of a sudden? Is it because of stress?

Hollen opened a metal door and waved for Kora to go in. They walked down a well-lit corridor flanked on both sides by windows looking into what appeared to be treatment rooms. He stopped outside the door of one of the rooms.

Inside, a man was tending to Yong Liu, who was lying on a hospital bed with electrodes attached to his chest and forehead. He looked emaciated, his eyes sunken with dark circles underneath. It seemed he hadn’t combed his hair for days. The image was a stark contrast to the neat and well-groomed man Kora had known and grown close to in the past two years.

Hollen opened the door with a palm scan. Kora walked over to stand next to Yong’s bed. She squeezed his hand gently. “Hey, Yong…how are you feeling?” she asked softly.

Yong turned to face her. He managed a smile. “Kora. It’s good to see you.”

“I was told you had a panic attack. Are you feeling okay?” Kora looked into Yong’s eyes, searching for clues.

“I... I’ve not been well. Something’s happening to me. I don’t really...understand.” Yong closed his eyes. “I keep...seeing them.”

“What do you mean?” Kora asked.

“Ann... Annie...and Lisa.” Yong’s eyes had a glazed look to them, as if his mind were somewhere else. Then, a terrified look appeared on his face. “I can see their faces. They’re... somehow... somehow...they’re here.” 

Kora had seen the look on Yong's face before. On Anita. Right before she lost her memory and could no longer recognize Kora.

“Yong, please listen to me carefully. If anything should happen to you, I want you to grant me the right to use your brain tissue for my research. Will you do that for me?” Kora suddenly realized how she must have sounded. Pain gripped her heart. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”

“Hey, kiddo… I understand. It’s okay.” For a minute Yong seemed to be brought back to reality. He looked to Beck Hollen. “I’ll sign the consent form right away.”

Hollen nodded.

Yong turned to Kora, “I was wrong. You must continue your research. Do you hear me? Promise me.” He squeezed Kora’s hand. “Promise me.”

“I promise you, Yong. I went to see Rene Bartlett. I know how to proceed with my research now. I’ll find a way to reverse the mutations, I promise you. Wait for me.” Kora burst into tears. “Please! Wait for me...”

“Everything is going to be okay. I’ll be okay, kiddo.” Yong forced a smile. “Kora, I think something’s wrong... I think... I think I’ve been drugged. If anything happens to me, you need to look at the AG6 and AG24 molecular pathways. Ask Rene if you need help. Will you remember?”

“Yes, I’ll remember. The AG6 and AG24 molecular pathways.” Kora broke into a sob. “You’ll be okay, Yong... You’ll be okay...”

Yong wiped the tears off of Kora’s face. “Go now, Kora. I don’t want you to see me like this. There’s nothing you can do for me here. I’ll be fine.”

Reluctantly, Kora let go of Yong’s hand. At that moment she thought of her last days with Anita. 

As she was leaving the infirmary, Beck Hollen called out to her, “Dr. Amelli.” 

Kora turned around to face him.

“I know you don’t like me, but I want you to know I do care about the truth. If you have new evidence about this case, you can bring it to me.” 

Something in Hollen’s voice caused Kora to believe he meant what he said. “Yong belongs in a hospital ward, not in jail. Please...take good care of him.”

Hollen took a few steps closer to Kora, looking down into her eyes. “We’ll do our best. You can call me if you need help.”

The sincerity in Beck’s voice moved Kora. “Thank you,” she said, then started out the door.

Chapter 30

Cody sat on the floor of Kora’s lab at SCH, programing various commands into the forty-centimeter long robotic canine she’d just brought him, stopping only to take an occasional spoonful of ice cream. 

“Why can’t I have ice cream instead of fruit with my meals?” he asked, after scooping the last bit of ice cream from the carton.

Kora smiled. “Don’t say that to Dr. Sandberg, or she may not let me bring you ice cream anymore.”

The dog gave a low bark. Cody beamed. “There! Spot! Sit!” The canine sat on its hind legs, wagging its tail, large silver spots glowing on its black surface.

Kora was impressed with how easy it was for Cody to assemble the robot, which came with a rather sophisticated AI-chip that allowed it to be trained by its owner. “Good job!”

I have to get him something more complicated next time.

Meanwhile, Cody seemed to have already lost interest in his new pet. He studied the holo display in front of Kora. “What’s this?”

Kora gestured to the black box to her right. “You see that? That’s a high power electron microscope. It’s looking at a very tiny piece of brain tissue and analyzing the activity in its cells. The AI in the computer relays the images of the cells to a holographic projector, and that’s what we’re looking at.”

She pointed her finger at an oblong structure inside a cell that had been tinted orange. The AI immediately enlarged it. The structure was enclosed in a double membrane with the inner membrane forming convoluted layers that folded inwards. One could see various molecular activities occurring on the inner membrane, represented by different shimmering colors in the hologram. It was as if the structure contained a world of its own inside.

Cody studied the image in front of him in fascination. “What is that?”

“That is a mitochondrion. It generates the energy a cell needs to do its job. Neat, isn’t it?”

Kora began pointing out the various components in a brain cell to Cody. She enlarged the nucleus to show him the chromosomes inside. When a chromosome was enlarged, they could see dense clouds of DNA particles.

Cody’s eyes widened with wonderment. “I want to do what you do when I grow up,” he said.

Sandberg walked in, smiling at Cody. “You can do whatever you want, Cody.” She looked to the empty ice cream carton on the floor. “I see you had a whole carton of ice cream again.” She shook her head, a look of disapproval on her face.

Cody retreated behind Kora, giggling. 

“It’s time for your treatment,” Sandberg said. “The therapist is waiting for you in your room.”

Cody’s grin disappeared. He looked to Kora. “I’ll come back later.”

“No, Cody. You’ll need to rest after your treatment. I’ll come to see you,” Kora said reassuringly, leading him to the door.

“Come on, Spot!” Cody called to his robotic pet. 

The canine sprang to life, following Cody out the door.

Sandberg turned to Kora. “What’s with the dog?”

“Just so he has some company.”

Sandberg looked at the mess on Kora’s workbench. “Well?” she asked.

“All positive! The assays for the LYN120 markers came back positive for all the tissue samples we have. The cascade is definitely the cause of the degeneration!”

Sandberg gasped. “How could this be?”

“The only plausible explanation would be that someone has been systematically infecting the population.”

“I don’t believe this… Why would anyone do that?”

“I don’t know.”

“What do we do now?”

“Now we look at the exact locations of where the markers were found and see which genes are being affected and how they are being affected.”

“I think it’s time we notify the authorities.” 

“No, Kora, not yet,” Alina said in Kora's ear. 

“I agree. We need to be able to test a larger sample. What if the entire population has been infected?” Kora said, ignoring Alina.

“That’s what I’m afraid of. I’ll go talk to the administrator. We need to get a wide-scale sampling test started right away.”

“Good idea.”

“Who do you think is behind all this?” Sandberg asked.

“I think they’re the same people who framed Yong Liu. I just don’t have any proof.” Kora thought about Beck Hollen and his offer to help. “I know someone at the SSA who may be able to help us.”

*

“You need to be careful who you talk to about the gene cascade. Remember what happened to Yong Liu,”  Alina said to Kora after Sandberg left.

“Are you saying I’m in danger?” Kora asked.

“I’m saying you need to exercise caution.”

“Why are you talking to me?”

“I am here to assist you. Your work is important.”

Kora frowned. Could the voices be a side effect from the degeneration in my brain?

“I am not a side effect. I am the reason you existed in the first place, remember?”

“What does that even mean?”

“I conceived the blueprint of your existence before you came into being. You are my creation, in a manner of speaking.”

“No, my parents’ genes formed the blueprint of my existence! I am their creation.”

“There’s much you don’t understand about your existence, Kora. Think of all your recent experiences. Contrary to what you believe, your understanding of the world around you is quite limited.”

Kora thought about Danny Wilcox and the amphitheater. “Are you the reason I’m seeing these...”

“Visions? Hallucinations? Danny Wilcox?” Alina filled in.

“Yes!”

“I suppose you can say that.”

“Are they...real?” Kora immediately realized the absurdity of her question since she just saw Wilcox on the news last night.

“The visions you’ve been having are possibilities in the quantum field. They are possible future outcomes of events that are unfolding in your present.”

“Are you saying I can see the future?”

“The probable future. There are multiple timelines unfolding at each now moment. You’re seeing the timelines that you can affect, those that you are personally entangled with. Eventually the timelines will resolve themselves and merge into one final outcome.”

Does this mean I’m somehow involved in Wilcox’s assassination?

“You are not responsible for Wilcox’s possible assassination, but your actions today impact his future. Or I should say, both of your futures.”

“Then that means I am responsible! What should I do?”

“No, you are not responsible. Wilcox is responsible for his own future. All you need to do is focus on what’s in front of you, your research.”

This is crazy, all of this!

“You are only getting pieces of the puzzle. That’s what causes the confusion. You must understand the future is not set,” Alina said. 

“Why are you having me see these…visions?”

“They’re meant to assist you. You’re seeing exactly what you need to see. Right now there’s something else I am able to show you that would help you.”

“What?”

“Don’t be afraid. Resistance only makes it more difficult. Relax and let me show you...”

As reluctant as she was, Kora admitted she was also curious. She closed her eyes. Again she heard that resonating tone in her ears, followed by the strange sensation that the world around her had disappeared, somehow receded into a void. She opened her eyes.

Kora found herself back in the office with the thick dark blue carpet. She recognized the images on the holographic projector atop the wooden desk. There was that pleasant smell of sandalwood in the air. 

The curvy woman with dark olive skin walked in and sat down on the beige-colored sofa in the middle of the room, seemingly disoriented and confused. She was followed by the young brunette with the button nose and short hair. 

The brunette stood over her, whispering something to her that caused her to become highly agitated. She tried to get up but the brunette stopped her. She struggled, screaming to be let go, but was overpowered. A menacing, volatile look appeared in her eyes. She looked as if she wanted to attack the woman standing over her.

“Remember who your enemy is. You need to do what’s necessary to protect all of us,” said the woman with the light brown hair. She then left the office, closing the door behind her.

The woman with the olive skin started pacing the room, rubbing her hands together nervously. All of a sudden she stopped, as if having had some kind of revelation. She walked towards Kora, only to pass her as she headed back to the sofa.

Kora watched as she reached into a handbag and retrieved a dark grey object. Kora looked closer. Her heart leapt into her throat. It was the weapon she’d seen on the floor at the amphitheater, the very same weapon that had been used to kill Danny Wilcox. 

“Please, don’t!” Kora pleaded to the woman, only she didn’t seem to hear her. 

She put the gun back into her purse, clutching it tightly in her hands. A strange look appeared in her eyes as she headed out the door. 

Kora followed her, only to find herself back at her lab at SCH. She looked around, noticing the electron microscope on her lab bench, the small assay chamber at the far corner of the room, the light grey tile floor, and the smell of sterilizing wash. 

Suddenly, a name popped into her mind. The woman in her vision was none other than Assembly Woman Divya Verma.

Chapter 31

Yong Liu felt calm and lucid. The sleep aid was finally working, and he’d caught up on some much needed rest. The physician had wanted to keep him under observation following his panic attack, and so he had spent the last two days at the infirmary. 

The door to his room clicked open presently. Through half-open eyes, Yong saw a nurse standing outside with a small tray in her hand. She looked familiar. Her short, light brown hair had a shimmer in it that seemed to make her glow under the ceiling light. 

The nurse lingered at the door for the next few moments, then entered the room and walked towards Yong’s bed. She looked at the chart on the holo display at the end of his bed, then gave him an injection in his IV. She moved about the room, tidying things up, occasionally checking her watch. Then she was gone.

Yong closed his eyes, slowly drifting back to sleep. He began to feel restless for some reason, and his pulse quickened. He could hear his heart thumping loudly in his chest.

Yong broke into a cold sweat. His eyes shot open as he tried to catch his breath. He was terrified by what he saw in front of him. 

Annie was bleeding out of her eyes, nose, and ears. When she opened her mouth, blood began to spill out of her. Soon it was pouring... 

“Why can’t you help our daughter?” Yong turned to see his wife Lisa standing to his right, bleeding out of her eye sockets. The blisters on her face had broken open. Pus tainted with blood oozed out of them. 

Yong screamed at the top of his lungs. He jumped out of his bed, frantically pulling the IV off his wrist. When he looked up, Lisa was standing in front of him. “Go away! Please go away!” he yelled and begged. 

Yong turned around, only to see Annie right behind him. He screamed again, “Go away! Just go away!” 

Something in him snapped. Yong collapsed on the floor, leaning against the wall. He banged the side of his head against the concrete. 

This isn’t real. If I bang my head hard enough, they’ll go away, he told himself. 

The pain and the wobbling sensation in his head felt good to him. So he turned towards the wall and banged his head harder. 

The wall cracked. Shards of concrete dug into his forehead. He could taste his own blood. There was a strange ringing in his ears. Soon after, he could no longer feel his body other than that wobbly, numbing sensation in his head. 

A voice called to him, “Everything is going to be all right. It’s time for us to leave now.” 

Yong looked up. A swirling white light appeared overhead. He could see the faces of his wife and daughter. They smiled at him, looking beautiful and healthy. In that instant he let go, and his heart was filled with peace.

- End of Chapter 31 -