Evergreen by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 0000000000000
Published: 2021-11-07T16:25:09+00:00

Chapter Twelve

I can’t believe it, Henry said.

That’s just sickening, Kristen replied.

Just the sort of thing I’d expect, Jacob said.

So cool! Caleb added.

“Human cloning,” I whispered aloud.

Emil smiled. “They’re much more advanced than the rest of the world would believe. The engrammatic replication technology is one of the final pieces for them. They’re using artificial intelligence research as a cover, but the reality is that they have a way to cheat death. Or they will, soon.”

Handy, in a country where they’re already overcrowded by billions, Jacob said, his tone dry and biting.

And advocating the murder of baby girls, Kristen replied, bitterly.

“You have a body there,” I said.

“A cancer-free body,” Emil smiled. “Yes.”

The cancer. Pancreatic cancer. I could almost feel it, the way Emil could. Painful. Persistent. It was always there, eating away at him like some oily black beast gnawing at his insides.

At the moment, the cancer was being held at bay by more experimental treatments than I could count. They’d been pretty effective at slowing the cancer’s progress, at least. Despite this, however, Emil had only months—maybe a year, if he was lucky.

His doctors didn’t hold out much hope in luck.

“You’re holding up pretty well for someone who’s more radioactive than the Hulk,” I said.

“The experimental procedures have helped quite a bit,” Emil nodded, smiling. Then the smile faded. “Not enough, of course. Never enough.”

“So your plan is to retrieve your clone body, sabotage the Chinese, and perfect the technology here in the US so you can cheat death.”

“And repeat,” he said, smiling once more. “Again and again, as needed. At least until science can create a body that won’t deteriorate.”

“You’re working on that, too,” I said.

“Isn’t science amazing?” Emil beamed. “It can create wonders of technology and even keep a man from dying before his time.”

“Have you ever stopped to consider maybe it is your time?” I asked.

“Well that poses an interesting philosophical question, doesn’t it?” Emil replied. “Who determines how much time we have? God? That has never sat well with me. Shouldn’t it be us? It is our life, after all. Or maybe it should be you, Evergreen. Don’t you have a few formerly living souls in that head of yours? Minds that lived beyond the expiration dates of their bodies?”

“Not exactly the same,” I said.

“And yet, not altogether different,” Emil smiled. “Each engram you absorb gets to cheat death, in some small way. They live on in a new body that isn’t theirs. My new body will just happen to be a bit more engineered.”

I thought about all of this, trying to wrap my head around what I was learning. He had things well planned, well plotted. Everything he needed was already in place, already in motion. Before I’d even known he was my enemy, he’d already planned multiple ways to beat me.

And yet, he still needed me.

“So you want me to play spy,” I said, “and get you the rest of the puzzle pieces. Government and military secrets from all the major players.”

“And in return, you and your friends can live without fear.

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