Book 2: Chapter 57: Past and Present (1/2)
”Impossible,” the Summers' matriarch stated once Dan finished his tale. She was fully caught up, read in completely to Gregoir's theory of an active Genius running about the city.
”Is it, though?” Dan warbled back. ”Is it impossible?”
”The blueprints were purged quite thoroughly, and almost everyone who built it is dead,” Anastasia explained in obvious irritation.
”Almost?” Dan repeated.
He could hear her snarl. ”With one notable exception, but that one fled the consequences of his actions and is about as likely to recreate the Genius upgrade as I am.”
Marcus. She was talking about Marcus. Who... had gone a little crazy, then vanished. Who had been investigating t-space for answers to his past mistakes, including the Genius upgrade. Dan had about ten seconds of intense, heart-stopping panic at the paranoid thoughts swirling through his head, before he remembered that Bartholomew must have received his upgrade long before Marcus Mercury had vanished from his space station into parts unknown.
”Ok,” Dan said, slowly. ”Say you're right. Can't it be recreated? Anything created can be recreated, no?”
”Of course,” Anastasia agreed. ”If you had the backing and resources of a first world country and access to some of the best equipment in the world.”
”The Genius upgrades were developed in the seventies,” Dan pointed out. ”How hard could it possibly be with today's technology?”
Anastasia scoffed. ”I'll forgive your poor understanding of the subject given your circumstances. The Genius Wars killed all interest in using upgrades to modify intelligence. Few, if any advancements have been made on that account. Anyone working on the Genius upgrade would be starting from scratch, with outdated technology, and facing massive stigma. Even accounting for all of that, assuming it was possible to recreate the Genius upgrade, only a fool would do so. What would be the point? A Genius cannot be controlled, and you cannot truly know where their passions lie until the upgrade has taken root.”
There was a pregnant pause between the two, as Dan deliberated his response. Anastasia seemed convinced, but Dan didn't share her conviction, nor her past experience with the deadly upgrade. It gave him perspective, Dan thought, that Anastasia could not share. Everything she laid out seemed reasonable enough, but it assumed an inherent fear of the upgrade that Daniel simply didn't have.
”Are you really going to ascribe rationality to a terrorist organization?” he asked, trying not to be too pointed.
”They are fanatics who think powers are the key to unlocking human potential,” Anastasia stated coldly. ”Using an upgrade goes against their core principles.”
”Yes,” Dan stated in a dry deadpan. ”Principles. Because fanatics aren't known for doublethink.”
He could perfectly picture Anastasia grinding her teeth together. There was a very long, tense silence before finally she spoke, ”There are three copies of the Genius pattern still in existence. One is with me, under lock and key. One is possessed by Marcus Mercury. The final is kept in a secure government facility...” She slowly trailed off.
”What?” Dan asked. ”What is it?”
”I need to check on something” she offered simply. The simple sentence could not possibly encompass the near palpable rage that laced her tone. ”I'll get back to you, Newman. There might be something to your theory.”
The line went quiet. Dan heard a few fumbling sounds, and Abby voice piped up.
”I haven't seen her so angry since... well, a long time. What did you tell her?”
Dan did his best to summarize, but Abby was every bit as lost by the end as Dan was. He glanced around, taking note of Gregoir having his own quiet conversation, presumably with Sergeant Kaneda Ito. Consulting with someone who'd served in the APD at a time when Geniuses were running rampant would be an enormous boon. Given Anastasia's reaction, Dan was starting to give more and more credence to Gregoir's theory.
”Text me, okay?” he asked Abby. ”Let me know if Granny Terminator comes up with anything.”
”I will,” Abby promised. ”Stay safe.”
Dan said that he would, silently hoping that it wasn't a lie, and ended the call. Gregoir finished around the same time, glancing optimistically over to Dan.
Dan shook his head. ”She said she'd get back to me, but it's plausible.”
Gregoir's mood seemed to brighten, then plummet. He smiled wryly. ”I'd hoped she'd shut down the idea completely. Kenny said much the same.”
”Should we... alert somebody?” Dan asked slowly. ”I mean, there's no hard evidence but shouldn't the idea be floated to someone in charge, at least?”
”Sergeant Kenny will alert the Captain, and he will send it up the chain of command,” Gregoir confided. He seemed hesitant. ”I don't know what happens from there. This is an unusual situation, and I find myself in unfamiliar waters.”