Devolution

3 rubbed his temple vigorously as he hovered back and forth alongside Joshua’s Monaro. Although McNalty had arranged to have the vehicle refueled, none of its occupants were allowed to leave the scene, as he personally questioned each one of them individually. All four told the truth, exactly what happened but failed to hide the suggestion they suspected more, particularly Jeremiah, who aroused McNalty’s suspicions from the start of the interview, and did or said nothing as it progressed to allay his concerns. 3 was the last of the quartet to be questioned by McNalty.

‘So I’m hearing the same thing as I heard from the others and I’m also getting the impression that Jeremiah has more to say. I believe he knows who these people were and why they were trying to kill him.’

3 stopped for a moment then continued. ‘I’m sure he does but he wouldn’t tell us, so you’ll have to ask him.’ Stopping again he realized his tone was rude and McNalty was only doing his job. He didn’t want to appear ungrateful. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said.

‘This has been the worst day of your life.’ An obvious statement, not a question.

3 nodded.

‘And it’s not over yet so I can excuse your attitude being a little surly,’ said McNalty as he shook his head. ‘Hell. Anyone with half a brain or half an ounce of compassion would understand if you were a screaming mess.’

‘Thank you,’ said 3 rubbing his temple again. The pain made him think of his father and mother at his bedside that very morning as he awoke with a headache and other body pains which were the results of puberty. The genetic manipulation the Newtonians were involved with had a number of unpleasant but necessary, according to the scientists, side-effects. One of which was the elongation of the normal period of puberty for males. This headache could just as easily have been caused by tension after the extreme events of the day which had seen 3’s father assassinated, together with Veena’s father and now this attempt on their lives. It was most likely a combination of the stress, tiredness, drugs, and puberty. Damn it, thought 3, if this goes on much longer I’m going to have to kill myself.

McNalty decided to leave 3 with his thoughts and pain. ‘We’re going to let you all go soon,’ he said as he stood. ‘I just want to talk to Jeremiah one more time. Thanks Ted.’

3 watched him walk over to where Jeremiah was sitting in the transport with his legs out on the road. Although of smallish build he looked wiry and strong, naturally agile and quick. That much about him was to be envied by the likes of 3, but outside of his physical attributes he was a pretty unpleasant character. He understood why Joshua who was now standing beside his cousin, rarely spoke of Jeremiah and obviously was no longer close to him. McNalty gestured for Joshua to move away and he did so causing Jeremiah to stand up and almost immediately begin to speak in a loud voice laced with attitude. The experienced policeman raised his open palms and placed one on Jeremiah’s shoulder which was angrily shrugged off as he continued to rave.

‘For the last time,’ yelled Jeremiah, ‘I don’t know and I don’t need your help or your protection.’

He pushed McNalty aside and ran right off the side of the road down a side street and without looking back or slowing down disappeared around a corner. Two officers saw him run and began to give chase but called McNalty called them off. He walked casually back over to 3, waving as he did for Joshua and Veena to join him.

‘Your cousin,’ he said to Joshua, ‘is trouble.’

‘Is trouble or is in trouble?’

‘Both,’ said McNalty, smiling without humor.

‘What can we do? What are you going to do?’

‘We planted another tracker on him.’

‘You only just took one out didn’t you?’

’Yes, anyway, you three can go. I suggest you go home and stay out of trouble. If Jeremiah contacts you or tries to, please let me know. We will now where he is but not necessarily what he’s doing. It’s highly likely these people, whoever they are, will try again to not only take him out but also, because you are now involved and they don’t know whether Jeremiah told you anything or not, they will probably try for you again.

‘Your Monaro,’ he said, pointing at Joshua, ‘is an obvious target. That pretty orange color is like having a bullseye painted on its roof. If I were you, I wouldn’t use it once you get home.’

Moving away, 3 glided slowly over to Joshua’s transport and the other two followed as McNalty called out to them. ‘Remember, if Jeremiah tries to contact you, you would be wise to contact me before going off on another rescue mission. You were lucky this time. Plain lucky.’

Silently, the trio entered Joshua’s RV, now refueled and ready to go. As they left the scene 3 heard Joshua whispering to himself and realized he was praying. At that moment 3 wished he believed in God, any god would have done, just so he had someone or something to draw strength from. How else could he make sense of all that had happened? There was no comfort in the atheism handed down to him and drilled in to him by his mother and father. A world without religion was cold and passionless, obsessed with things of no real consequence, grasping at thin straws of humanistic philosophies and their outworkings. His grandfather had been right to support the propagation and expansion of C.O.R.E during and after his presidency.

The Newtonians were only interested in their own future, the future of their race; the rest of the world be damned. It was selfish and wrong. Why had it taken him so long to realize it? The strong appeal of Joshua’s faith had never quite penetrated his world view until now, never been able to crash through the mask through which he observed society and which protected him from it. Now he began to see it as a shining light, a beacon of hope in a truly hopeless world. Why was it only now that 3 accepted that? What was it that Joshua often said? You have to be right at the bottom of the pit before you even think to look up.

Looking at Veena he thought how even the Adonites, famed for their vanity and selfishness, had more compassion for other tribes than Newtonians. They maintained some semblance of spirituality although not wanting to identify with any particular God or religious creed, they still accepted the truth that all sentient beings were more than just emotion and intellect, more than just physical, they were spiritual. Cursing his birth, 3 wished he was someone else, something else.

Aware of 3 looking at her, Veena turned her head and smiled, reaching out to hold his hand. ‘It’ll be all right.’

3 attempted a smile and said, ‘I wish I could believe that, Veena.’

‘Why. You’ll see. We’ll be all right, won’t we Josh?’

Having finished his prayer, he answered with absolute conviction. ‘Yes.’

Joshua dropped Veena home first followed by 3, and then said he was going home for some rest. Watching him go, 3 wondered what his friend was thinking. He had been unusually quiet on the trip home even allowing for the frightening experience they had just had, and the confident way he had answered Veena after being so calm during his prayer. Maybe, that quick and confident ‘yes’ was too assured. Was it forced? Was he trying to convince not only us but himself as well? They had been through some scary stuff together often before and Joshua had always managed to laugh it off and throw a few thank yous to his God. Now he was subdued, obviously troubled, deeply disturbed by something.

The surging media throng that had set up camp outside 3’s home had left. Only a couple of reporters remained and they seemed uninterested in 3 as he was scanned at his gate and entered. Snippets of their conversation floated to his ears as he passed. Something about a definite link being established between the murders of the two senators and the attempt on the life of police commissioner, Jacobssen. Something about a conspiracy. All stuff he had heard before, all obvious conclusionary, but what else did they have to talk about. Speculation was a big part of their work. Reporting news or manufacturing it, whatever, they were salesman selling news.

He glided slowly inside his home as the door opened for him and called for his mother. The house was eerily silent. Guessing she was sleeping, 3 went to his mother’s room and found the bed undisturbed. He then realized the house was generally tidy as though nothing was wrong, as though life was continuing as normal: father at work, mother at the club having finished all the housework and 3 himself arriving home from another day at school.

Suddenly remembering he had not eaten since breakfast, 3 went to the kitchen. It too was spotlessly clean. His mum liked cleaning, really enjoyed the satisfaction of a tidy and clean home. It also provided her an outlet for tension; a way to blow off steam after a hard day at work or an argument with dad. Even though he occasionally made fun of her, his father really appreciated how fastidious his wife was but that admiration had not transformed itself into emulation though, either by his dad or himself.

He ordered the television on and opened the refrigerator: fully stocked although it was two days before his mother’s usual shopping day. Maybe she had cleaned and shopped today to take her mind off the grief she felt. Would she have thought of that herself or did one of 3’s relatives suggest it as therapy? His aunt maybe. The number of unanswered questions was getting way too high for 3’s liking. Uneasiness sloshed around in his stomach and he began to feel dizzy, the first signs of a new headache building in his temple. He decided his mum was fine and was too hungry to do anything but eat as soon as possible.

Pulling out a container of left overs, he opened the lid to inspect the contents and after deciding they were desirable and still edible, he placed the container in the microwave and began channel surfing on the television to find a news update.

’Although police maintain they have a number of good leads to follow and are confident of discovering the identity of the assassins and the people behind the conspiracy, respected analysts are now saying the chances of solving these crimes is fading as fast as the daylight. Louise Johnstone reports from outside police headquarters in Riley St.

’The murders of two senators today have sent shockwaves around the world. Here in India of course the deaths of these men has hit hardest because they were high profile politicians, well known and well respected. Within a wide circle of friends and family and in the wider community there remains a pall of shock and grief.

‘Although confidently stating they have good evidence to pursue, the police in reality have nothing to go on. The assassinations were extremely well planned and carried out, with the only hitch being the failed attempt on the life of the police commissioner due to the large crowd which quickly assembled there. Senior police, crime analysts and most media agree the assassinations were the work of professionals and finding the man behind the conspiracy will prove next to impossible. This is Louise Johnstone for channel 8 news.’

3 finished his bowl of curry, loaded a glass with Coke from the dispenser and continued to watch the news, although the stories were now about much more mundane things; the stalled subterranean freeway project and the latest round of price increases for fresh produce.

They have nothing, thought 3. I don’t believe it. His father had instilled in him a strong belief in the integrity and efficiency of the police force. Personally acquainted with many of the senior management including the commissioner and his deputy, he held a rock solid confidence in them which 3 in his lifetime had yet to have disapproved by anything he had experienced. They would work it all out and bring to justice those responsible. It was only a matter of time.

After downing the last mouthful of Coke, 3 decided to swim so he removed his clothing and dove into the floor pool. The warmed water instantly soothed his body and his mind began to clear as the pain in his head abated. It was in moments like these when he most agreed with his father’s philosophy about the Newtonians needing to further evolve or devolve as he called it back to fish like creatures who were more at home in the water than on land. It was clear, he always said, that our future lies along this path.

Apart from the fact his father had an authority about him and spoke so clearly and forcefully, 3 had never felt fully convinced of this destiny. Although he could not deny the idea was perfectly logical, doubt still lingered in his mind and there was something disturbing about the whole idea of evolution in the first place. Joshua was a passionate and skillful apologist for creationism. If he weren’t the son of a powerful Newtonian, 3 may have chosen to believe his friend and subscribe to his take on the beginnings of life on Earth. Six days? Millions of years? That debate had raged through the centuries. Who was to say, said Joshua, that six days and millions of years aren’t the same thing?

As he swam, he began to feel the lonely and quiet solitude of the water oppressing him, and he knew he would always be torn between two worlds. Perhaps, he reasoned to himself as he surfaced and pulled himself back into his hover chair, future generations would be more comfortable with devolution.

Future generations, mused 3 while he dried and redressed in the bathroom. I, he thought, am responsible partly for the production of future generations. If he were free to do such a thing, if it were at all possible, 3 would like to produce offspring with Veena, but what a childish and unrealistic fantasy that was. He chided himself for such stupidity but continued to think about her, because he could not help himself. Not knowing what love really was, he could not put his finger on the emotions he felt but they were strong, strong enough to be tearing him apart. As much as he knew the foolishness of wishing for something that could never be, he simply could not stop himself. Was that the spiritual aspect of him, of all beings that continually reached out towards idealism, that dreamed great dreams despite the apparent folly of doing so? Hope was almost invincible. Almost.

Feeling drowsy now as much from the excitement of the day as from emotional turmoil, 3 lay down on his bed and fidgeted to find the most comfortable spot on the pillow to lay his head, the sweet spot, and he took these pleasant thoughts with him into slumber, temporarily forgetting his earlier concerns about his mother.