The Delta Chain (55 page)

‘It was halfway between a
dream and a nightmare.
’

‘Yes!
’

‘I know. I used to have a
dream that felt the same way, about that night.
’

‘What night?
’

‘Your dream was real. We
played that game. There was a storm and you hid on an old jetty
over the water. These Keepers, they
’
d
been watching our family for weeks it seems.
They
’
d been loitering along the coast in
a boat for days, watching and waiting. The storm gave them the
perfect opportunity to make it seem like you
’
d drowned. Apparently that
’
s the
way they planned many of their kidnappings.
’

‘Miss Jarvis told me my
real name is…Alana. Bennett.
’

‘That
’
s right.
’

‘What
’
s going to happen to me now?
’
Tears came to her eyes. Adam couldn
’
t imagine how strange and scary this must all have seemed
to her.

‘What I would
hope,
’
said Adam,
‘
is that you and I could start to get to know one another.
It will take time, and we
’
re both going
to need help. But there
’
s a home for you
here, Alana. I
’
d like us to be brother
and sister again, if we can.
’

Her eyes searched his. Was
there a faint glimmer of recognition?
‘
I
think I
’
d like that.
’

‘And you
won
’
t be the only one. Daniel and
Elizabeth are going to stay on here, in Northern Rocks.
’
Unconsciously, he had gestured with his right
hand, palm up, an offering.

‘Yes, I heard.
’
She reached forward, tentatively placing her
hand in his. Just then the door opened and they both looked toward
it.

‘Hi,
’
said Kate,
‘
Dianne thought it
should be okay for me to pop my head in.
’

‘Kate-
’
Adam began
–
and she could hardly
believe the eclectic mix of nervous energy and elation in his
voice, in his expression, in his eyes,
‘
I
’
d like you to meet my sister.
Alana.
’

FINAL DESPATCHES

World Science Monitor

August 12 issue

News Break section

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND. Robert
DiMarco and Gordon McAden, senior geneticists with the Folvar
Institute, have announced a breakthrough in the development of
genetically engineered blood cells enabling humans to store greater
amounts of oxygen. It is over 20 years since German scientists
discovered that crocodile haemoglobin has a special property
enabling the reptiles to stay underwater for long periods.
Subsequent research established many similarities between crocodile
and human haemoglobin.

In the
1990
’
s scientists from Cambridge, England
synthesised some human and some crocodile amino acids. They then
implanted the resulting gene into fast replicating bacteria to
create the new haemoglobin.

DiMarco and McAden had gone a
similar route, combining crocodile and orangutan blood cells and
infusing test orangutans with their new haemoglobin. After
successful experimentation, with orangs surviving underwater
without breathing for 10 minutes, they received approval for
similar trials with human/crocodile haemoglobin on human test
subjects.

Their first report, published
this week, has surprised the scientific community by showing a
modest success rate, with their human subjects carrying ten per
cent more oxygen in their blood than under normal
circumstances.

New York Daily News

September 15

WASHINGTON. Strong denials today
from the Folvar Institute in Geneva, and from the U.S. Defence
Chief Of Staff, that recent breakthrough work in recombinant DNA of
human and crocodile haemoglobin, benefited from illegal research
carried out several years ago by the now defunct Westmeyer
Institute. At the time, several senior military personnel were
indicted by the U.S Attorney General for their role in a secret
group that financed the Westmeyer project. That project involved
human kidnappings and experimentation. All data pertaining to the
work was believed to have been destroyed.

The Folvar Institute has denied
any similar co-operative venture with any military operation
anywhere in the world. The Defence Chief Of Staff ensured our
reporters that strict security measures ensure that none of its
internal units can act alone to conspire with external commercial
groups.

Nevertheless, the similarities
between Folvar and Westmeyer cannot be ignored. This newspaper has
now come into receipt of documents confirming that U.S. military
scientific staff, acting in a private capacity, visited the Folvar
Institute on two separate occasions in the past 10 months. We have
now lodged those documents with the Federal authorities and await
their reply.

###

Ian Edward has a background in newspaper and
magazine publishing.

Thirty of his short suspense stories have
been published by magazines in England, North America, Sweden,
Norway, Denmark, Australia, New Zealand, and one of these,
Private Day
, has also appeared with the Scandinavian
University Press.

He is currently working on a new novel.

Visit him at:

http://ian-edward.blogspot.com