The Secret (The Scinegue Series Book 1) (27 page)

M
ary walked to the tub and sat gingerly on the side, absently watching the running water flow down the drain.

“Mr. Bennett said you met with the Browns.” Mary tilted her head back to look at Billy. “So you know your family lineage? You know you were bred not only as a eugenics experiment, but also as a possible future Top?”

Billy stared at her in surprise before assenting. Mary knew a lot more than she’d originally let on.

“I was bred for my position as well
:
A potential Top if the timing was right, but more immediately to serve in a group that protects the Tops and what they stand for. Mr. Bennett was also part of that group and when he became suspicious of the direction Scinegue was taking, we alerted the other local Protectors.”

She trailed her fingers under the running water as she spoke, “Since it was possibly the Tops themselves who are initiating the changes we’ve had to keep things very quiet. I’m sure you know by now the power that the Tops have, both within the company and in the world.”

Billy’s eyes narrowed and he shook his head
;
first Tops, now Protectors? “I really don’t know much about them at all. I’ve been learning bits and pieces, but there is always something more pressing going on, and I never get the full story.”

“I doubt I can fill you in completely now, either. I don’t know how long we can stay in here before someone gets suspicious. I will tell you what I can, though.”

She took Billy’s silence as an invitation to begin, “Eugenics, in theory, has been around...well, probably as long as man. With the advent of easier worldwide communications; brilliant minds, heroic personalities and incredibly healthy bodies were found among every race. That raised questions about the chosen criteria for the ‘perfect person’ to the point that the company slowly evolved its focus from eliminating people whom they deemed unfit to making all people the best they can be,” her voice was brisk and reminded Billy of a museum tour guide.

“There were more studies into diet and health to find the exact combinations that allow people to live long, healthy lives. Different types of education have been studied to see what flips the switch for people to help them achieve their very highest potential; not only giving them the ability, but also the desire to do so. There are many groups of people around the world that still believe certain races or people who meet certain standards are superior, and those are the only ones worthy to live and enjoy the earth’s resources. Scinegue had gotten away from that for the most part. Our research proved that all people can be bettered. Do you know how many people with diseases like diabetes have been completely cured in our studies just by changing their diets and making some lifestyle changes?” she asked suddenly.

Billy shook his head.

“Hundreds! With more research, maybe all of them could be cured. That isn’t the only ‘incurable’ disease we’ve found to be potentially curable either. With enough time and research, and then the ability to implement the results, much pain and suffering could be eliminated.” She caught herself becoming overly excited about the subject as she usually was and took a deep breath.

“These types of changes, as easy as they sound in theory, are often hard to implement. Doctors don’t want to suggest that their patients just eat differently because
:
a) they know some people just won’t do it; b) some people who want to do it don’t have access to the resources they need; c) there is so much money to be made off of illness that some companies will fight hard to make sure diseases aren’t eradicated; and d) diet alone isn’t usually the complete answer. Physical fitness is also involved, and again, many people aren’t willing to change their lifestyles.” Mary gushed, before realizing she was getting caught up again.

“Sorry.” She took another deep breath. “I guess you can tell I’m very passionate about all of this. The point I was coming to though, was this; researching and implementing the changes we have in mind takes years—generations even. There are some people who don’t want to wait that long.”

Her eyes dropped to the floor. “Even within our company people get impatient, they think it would be easier to just start with a clean slate. Get rid of the people who already have problems rather than try to fix their problems, and get rid of anyone who opposes their plans.” Mary pounded her fist on the edge of the tub. “But to just wipe out masses of people would be to eliminate future artists, or scientists, or simply wonderful parents who are trying to do their part to raise a better future generation.”

Mary stood and walked over to Billy, and he watched her carefully. He really wanted to be able to trust her. Everything she said sounded right, and she wasn’t talking about ‘weeding’ people out as Mr. Bryant had. But he didn’t want to be foolish and trust the wrong person. There was too much at stake.

“The Tops are put into position for life,” Mary continued. “They are the best of the best physically, mentally and morally. Almost all of them are original members who banded together to stop the senseless eradication of people and instead help every person become a contributing member to society. Most of the members are getting old, and perhaps they want to see their plans come to fruition before they die.”

“So you think that this group of the ‘best of the best’ who have dedicated their lives to improving human life have suddenly reverted to what they fought in the beginning?” Billy asked incredulously. “That doesn’t seem very logical.”

“I never said it was.” She shrugged. “I don’t think any of the Tops, when they undertook their roles, expected it to be so complicated to provide nourishing food, a good education and some common sense about how to live. And they didn’t expect the big companies that have emerged over the years to fight tooth and nail to keep these simple changes from happening.”

She splayed her hands in front of her. “There is
big
money in disease,
big
money in chemicals used to grow plants and raise animals. Those companies make it seem as if they are providing an easy answer to improve the quality of life, and unfortunately our way seems a little bit harder.”

Her hands fell to her sides. “If there are Tops involved in this, they will be almost impossible to stop. The potential destruction they can cause is unimaginable.”

“What if it isn’t the Tops, though? I’ve talked to a couple of them, and they made it clear they wanted to stop this from taking place.” Billy glanced at his watch, knowing they couldn’t stay in the bathroom much longer.

“It’s almost irrelevant. Whoever it is has gained considerable power and protection and won’t be easy to stop.”

“Why can’t we just alert the public to what’s going on? Warn them that some foods might be dangerous and recommend things that are safer, like unprocessed foods that can’t be tampered with?”

“It’s not that easy because even unprocessed food can be contaminated. If we alert the public, whoever is doing this will probably become more aggressive. I don’t know how much power they’ve attained. It could include lawmakers or the military. They could find ways to decimate any populations they desire rather than going through the subtle channels they’re using now. It looks like they don’t want to do anything major that will attract attention and cause an uproar just yet.” She gave him a minute to think about that before continuing.

“People can often be very passive until they are pushed to their limit, and then something clicks and they decide they won’t take any more. Like with the early eugenics programs, people didn’t put up too much fuss when certain people were forcibly sterilized. But when whole groups of people were killed in large numbers on the other side of the globe, their sense of righteousness was called into play, and they determined they wouldn’t stand for that. Whoever is in charge here wants to sneak in and not make their plan obvious so there won’t be as much resistance.”

“So, someone eating a tainted candy bar will make people upset, but not to the point that they do much about it other than perhaps boycott that one offending company? On the other hand, lining people up to be killed based on a chosen set of criteria will cause a rebellion?” Billy asked.

“Pretty much. Historically, people will take a lot if it’s introduced gradually. The people doing this are trying to make things go smoothly for themselves. They don’t want a fight because many people—including some of the people they are using to do their dirty work—don’t measure up to their very specific criteria. If those people band together, well, there’s strength in numbers. The people doing this are hoping to remain quiet and accomplish their agenda before the general public realizes what’s happening.”

“Then how do we find out who’s behind this and stop them before it’s too late?”

“You are the key to that Billy; you always have been.”

Billy frowned. “That’s what you said earlier. And Bob—I mean Stanley—said almost the same thing. I don’t understand how that can be when I know so little about the situation!”

“You know about your connection to William Berkley by now?” Mary asked.

“That he’s really my great-grandfather? Yes, I found out on my trip to meet with him.”

“The Tops have almost equal power and shared knowledge. The original goal was to have a diverse group of ‘perfect’ people controlling the company as a visible reminder that great people come in many different shapes and colors. However, William Berkley was a key player in making Scinegue what it is today, and as such he reigns as the ultimate authority over the group.”

Mary went to the mirror and started fluffing her hair and then patted her face with a damp cloth. “You might want to change your suit and muss your hair a little. We were in here way too long to walk out looking the same as we did when we came in.”

Billy shook his head. He couldn’t believe he was doing this, and yet he hadn’t been able to believe his involvement in any of this. He walked into the closet to get a different tie and jacket and went back to the mirror to comb his hair differently enough to be noticeable if anyone was paying close attention.

“You’re saying that I could be put into Uncle Bill’s position with his ‘ultimate authority’ even though I know almost nothing about the company?”

Mary shrugged. “That’s the way I understand it. You would have a mentor and be educated about what Scinegue is today and what its goals are for the future. But then you would control the company and its resources. And if someone is able to control you...” she let that thought hang.

“That doesn’t make sense. If the Tops are so big on the ‘best of the best’, why wouldn’t they recruit someone who fit their criteria? Why take a blood relative who might not even believe in what they are doing?”

Mary stopped adjusting her clothes in the mirror and turned to look at Billy. “I think you’ve been prepared for this position more than you might be aware.
Do
you believe in what Scinegue stands for?”

“Sure,” Billy shrugged. “My uncle said it was almost completely the opposite of what eugenics stands for, hence the backwards spelling of Scinegue. Instead of disposing of people who don’t meet certain standards, they are helping people to be healthier and more productive, with a little moral goodness thrown in. Who wouldn’t be for that?”

“You would be surprised,” she murmured. “The point is, from the food you were fed to the education you received, you were being molded into the type of person who would care for these issues. When was the last time you had a soft drink and a bag of chips?” she asked abruptly.

“Huh?” Billy asked in surprise.

“Junk food. How often do you eat it?” she persisted.

“Not very often I guess. I was raised eating food that was grown and prepared at home
,
so I guess that’s just what I like. I’m not totally opposed to junk food though!” Billy answered defensively and Mary smiled.

“I’m not totally opposed to it either, but like you I wasn’t raised with much of it in my diet and never really developed a big taste for it.” She tucked some stray wisps of hair behind her ear before pulling them back out again.

“Education,” she fired the word at him. “Ever go to any summer camps or school enrichments over the breaks?”

Billy smiled. “Always. It was something I looked forward to though, not something I was forced to do.”

“Billy, learning and eating well aren’t meant to be miserable. They can and should be enjoyable. We were created to do both and should get pleasure from them. Just because we enjoy something doesn’t mean it hasn’t done us any good, does it? Those summer camps you went to, you probably had a great time, but I’m sure you learned many things there.”

Billy agreed then thought of another question. “My parents didn’t know anything about Scinegue though. Why would they have raised me to potentially take over the company?”

“I’m sure they were raising you the way they were raised, and I doubt they did it alone. It’s very possible Mr. Berkley used his connections to make sure you were being trained in the way you should be.”

Billy considered that. “He was a big part of my life until I was about twelve. He was around our house quite a bit and always tried to make it to any games or competitions I had.”

“It was a little different for me. My parents were Protectors, so I knew from the time I was a little girl that I would be a Protector. My training was enjoyable too, but it was always with a goal in mind. I needed to know certain things, and I needed to be as healthy as possible because one day the fate of the world could depend on me and the other Protectors.”

“That was a huge responsibility to lay on a little girl,” Billy protested.

“Not really,” she shrugged. “I grew up with a sense of purpose for my life and for everything I did. I learned the stories of people who were persecuted over the years just for being sick or weak, and I learned I could help keep that from happening to others.”

“So, now you’re saying no one ever has to be sick or weak? No one has to suffer?”

“No,” Mary’s voice was brusque but her expression was pained. “Many will still suffer, but less than do now. The answer is so simple. It’s only a matter of making it affordable and desirable.”