Deeply rooted dreams, p.25
Deeply Rooted Dreams, page 25
“He figured out that one must find the hub trees and then tap into the mycelia there. Then you are connected to what connects all trees. It’s like a back door. His technology could propel human civilization to an entirely new level and lead to a new wave of thinkers and thinking. It could be used as a template for how to think differently about a problem.”
“If only I can figure out the password,” Malik said.
Wen Shen took another sip of her tea. “Remember, you’re never alone, Malik, not when you are pursuing great things.”
“You can’t see it all yet, but we can,” said Ori. “Now’s the time to be brave.”
Malik glanced at Magaly, who had been quietly watching, then looked back to Wen Shen and Ori and nodded.
Wen Shen got a twinkle in her eye and asked, “Was your plan to just continue to create these bootleg atomizers?”
“As many as I could,” Malik said with a smile.
Wen Shen laughed. “We can’t allow that, can we? Not if you’re ready.” She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples in small circles. “All right, all mutations are temporarily paused. If you can find a way to get the antidote you’ve created into distribution in the next forty-eight hours, I’ll maintain the pause long enough for appropriate balance.”
“Excellent,” Ori said.
“What?” Malik said. “That’s imposs—”
“Have faith,” Ori said. “I have a plan.”
Wen Shen looked at the clock. “It’s after three in the morning,” she said.
“That it is,” Ori said.
“What are you leaving behind?” she asked.
“I’m not sure yet,” Ori said. “I’m open to recommendations.”
“You should include—” Wen Shen started to say, but Ori interrupted.
“Hold that thought, I’m expecting one more.”
“Two in one?” Wen Shen said. “That’s pretty aggressive.”
“It’s out of necessity.”
Malik opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.
Chapter 62
Another Chair Appeared
Malik noticed there were now four chairs at the table.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Here we go again! Who this time?
This time, the noise got louder and was no longer isolated to the garage door. It reverberated through the entire building and did not stop. Malik felt the vibration in his stomach and braced himself in his chair. He watched as neither Ori nor Wen Shen reacted. They continued drinking their tea as if they were on a pleasant picnic. The banging grew louder and louder. Malik couldn’t hear himself think. He tried to focus his gaze and his mind on the teapot in front of him. Just as everything blurred, Malik isolated other sounds, which allowed him to focus. He heard Wen Shen’s teacup being placed on its saucer. He heard Vau’s and Tony’s voices in a side conversation. He heard Ori scoot his chair back ever so slightly. Malik’s vision cleared up completely. The thumping on the walls was still loud, but it faded to the background. Malik heard Tony more clearly say, “Ori, check him out.”
Ori was looking at Malik and smiled. “See, I told you he could handle it.”
“Enough!” Wen Shen said. The loud thumping stopped.
The garage door rolled up quickly, and Malik saw a man in a black suit with a white shirt and a black tie. As he entered the garage, Malik recognized him. “Chance?” he said.
“Hello,” Ori said politely. “We haven’t met before.”
Chance stared at Ori, silent. Then he turned his gaze to Wen Shen and asked, “What are you doing here?”
Wen Shen continued to sip her tea, not looking up at him. In a soft and steady tone, she replied, “I think the better question is, what are you doing here?”
Ori interjected. He spoke in a calm voice. “I, we, have been called in.”
Chance looked from Ori to Vau and Tony and back again. “Ori?”
“Ding, ding, ding,” Wen Shen said, still peacefully drinking her tea. “You didn’t know you were in his web, did you?”
The man glared at Wen Shen. “Just because Ori decides to grace us with his presence doesn’t mean anything.”
Ori looked down at the table like he was thinking about what to say. Malik wanted to say something, but every time he opened his mouth, no words came out. He tried hard to speak, but his bottom lip just trembled. All the hairs on his arms stood up.
Ori, still looking down, calmly said, “I was called all the way in.”
Chance took a deep inhale. “So what are you going to do?”
Wen Shen set her tea down on the table, then lifted a doughnut to her lips.
Is that chocolate? Malik’s stomach rumbled.
“Stay with us, Malik,” Wen Shen said.
Ori sighed. “I need to ensure the right events are set off in the right order.”
“Too late for that, isn’t it?” Chance asked. “Besides, I’ve just been fulfilling my purpose. Gabriel is aware of everything.”
“I know, and I understand,” Ori said. “But Roy has utilized you too much for the wrong purposes. Too much greed has taken him, his company, and society in a dangerous direction and thrown off humanity’s course.”
Chance focused on Ori’s face. “How can you be sure of the right course and the right order of events?”
“I’ve examined them all,” Ori said simply.
“You’re telling me that you consciously traveled all the way through?” he said.
Ori nodded.
“You’ve seen it all?” Chance sounded incredulous.
Ori nodded.
“Not unscathed,” Vau said from a distance.
“I’m so sorry,” Chance said somberly. Malik thought his expression was one of shame.
“You did exactly what you were wired to do. Your job was to bring to life whatever was envisioned by the bold. Not all bold visions are kind. Unfortunately, this went way too far.”
Chance’s face hardened. “So, the reset is near? Enough will survive this next cycle. They’ve done it before.”
“Not without Earth as well,” Ori said.
“Is that possible?” Chance asked.
“Yes, unless we take direct action quickly.”
“You’ve spoken to Gabriel?”
“Yes, and Aja,” Ori confirmed. “Otherwise, I would not be here with the two of you.”
Chance nodded toward Malik. “What’s his importance to you?”
Wen Shen slid the atomizer across the table. “Haven’t you been curious about these?”
Chance picked it up and inspected it. “It was you, Malik, who created this?”
Malik tried to talk but could say nothing still.
“Clever, very clever. You know, I saw the genius in you. Roy just... had other visions.”
“Greed and power will do that to you,” Wen Shen said.
“And then you must have known why Malik’s pen was so important to Roy?” added Ori.
Chance gave a small nod, then held up the atomizer. “This alone isn’t going to be enough.”
“Wen Shen has agreed to temporarily pause mutations. And in the meantime, Aja is willing to help.”
“Really?” Chance looked from Ori to Wen Shen. “Then, what do you need from me?”
“Two things,” Ori said. “First, you need to get the Biotech tracers away from Malik’s house. He needs access.”
Chance closed his eyes and was silent for a few seconds. He opened them quickly. “Done. And the second thing?”
“Malik needs the password,” Ori said.
“From Jessica?” Chance said.
“Yes.”
“She was your recruit, wasn’t she?”
“She is,” Ori said.
“I knew there was something different about her. None of that felt right.” Chance nodded toward Malik. “Are they?”
“They’re prospects. They have lots of potential.”
“What do you think of them?” Wen Shen asked Chance, tilting her head to Malik and Magaly.
“From what I can tell, they’ve got grit.” Chance leaned in, looking Malik in the eye. “Listen, kid. Here’s something that they don’t tell you. Yes, you’ll have all the access to amazing universal knowledge. But, you’re not the one in control, and you won’t be happy or proud of everything you help manifest. And that’s something you have to live with.”
Malik suddenly felt sorry for Chance.
“Okay, let him talk to his grandma,” Chance said, looking at Ori.
Chapter 63
Final Chapter
Malik jumped awake to find himself sitting on the love seat on the lower level of Callie’s house. His movement woke Magaly, who had been resting her head on Malik’s shoulder. She wiped the drool from her mouth, and Malik pretended like he didn’t see.
Malik heard footsteps on the stairs and turned to find Aunt Lily quickly coming down. “The coast is clear. The Biotech tracers left. Your dad, Callie’s dad, and a couple of neighbors are walking around the neighborhood. They’ll send out a signal if the contact tracers return.”
Malik’s eyes were burning. He looked out the basement door window. It was still dark outside. He checked his watch. It was just before four in the morning. He rubbed his face, trying to collect his thoughts.
“I just had the wildest dream,” Magaly said. “We were driving and wrecked in some woods nearby.”
“Did we go to a garage with a giant man with tattoos?” Malik asked, not expecting her reply.
“Vau?”
Both of their jaws dropped.
“You gonna try to get to your house while you can?” Aunt Lily asked.
Malik and Magaly both looked down at the satchel. Malik frantically opened it but couldn’t find what he was looking for. “Was that real?” he whispered as he looked up toward the stairwell.
It was like Magaly was reading his mind. “The pen in Callie’s room?”
Malik darted up the two flights of stairs to Callie’s room. The laptop was on the desk, unplugged, and the desk drawer was slightly ajar. He waited, half expecting Callie to appear again. Nothing. He ran toward the desk drawer, pulled it fully open, and stuck his hand inside. Malik felt around until his fingertips touched something with the grooved sides he knew so well. He slowly pulled his hand out to see the all-white mycelium pen. “How is this possible?” he whispered to himself.
“Find what you needed?” a voice came from behind him. He turned, expecting to see Callie standing in the doorway, but instead, it was Aunt Lily. “You should go.”
Malik grabbed Magaly and his things, and they ran out of Callie’s basement and up the street to Malik’s home. They burst into the door to find Malik’s mom waiting, strain and fatigue on her face. She squeezed her son tight. “I was worried sick about you. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, we are,” Malik said. “Mom, this is Magaly.” He turned to his date. “Magaly, this is my mom, Nia.”
“Hi, dear,” said his mom, pulling her in for a hug too.
Malik snapped back into the urgency of the moment. “I need my laptop.”
“Why?” Nia asked.
He held up the white pen. “I think we found the missing link to the Global Breadth system. I think this could help find a cure for the virus.” Malik started toward his room; Magaly and Nia followed. In his bedroom, he powered up his laptop and inserted the USB drive. As they waited for the USB files to open, Malik looked to his mom and said, “Did you know that grandma knew Zach Carver from the Singularity Group?”
“Your grandma knew all sorts of people, Malik. She was a famous journalist,” Nia said, “and more.”
The system popped up just like it did in his dream. Run the Global Breadth Program? Confirm or Cancel.
The heart thumped in his chest. He raised his finger and gently pressed the Confirm button on the screen.
Running System Diagnostics... Installing Program... Installation in Progress... Installation Complete.
Initiating Two-Factor Authentication.
The five small ovals appeared on the screen, just like in his dream.
“This is the best date I’ve ever been on,” Magaly whispered over his shoulder. Malik looked up to see her face brimming with excitement.
Malik turned back and placed his fingertips on the screen.
Scanning in Progress...
Scanning Complete... Approved. The rectangular window popped up. Enter Password.
“We never got the password,” Magaly said.
“Grandma has it,” Malik said with confidence. He grabbed the laptop, and they ran downstairs to her bedroom. Her wheelchair was there, facing the window, but it was empty.
“Where is she?” Nia asked. “Mom!” she shouted while darting out of the room, Magaly in tow. Malik was right behind them but stopped as he got to the bedroom door. He hadn’t spent that much time in his grandma’s room, not lately anyway. Her room had a beautiful view of the old white oak tree in the backyard. Malik could see its entire canopy. He walked to the window and saw a small, frail figure with silver hair standing in front of the tree. She seemed to be talking to someone, but Malik couldn’t see who.
He walked downstairs through the basement and outside to the tree. Although Malik couldn’t make out what she was saying yet, his grandma was still having a full-on conversation.
Hoot! Hoot! The loud hoots of the owl startled his grandma, and she slowly turned around. She smiled at Malik with a look of recognition. She turned back and continued talking to a figure up in the tree’s branches.
“I’m very proud of this boy,” Malik heard his grandma say as he got closer. “I’m proud of you too. You had a tough part to play, and I know your father is going to be proud.” Malik saw a little movement but could only clearly see the night sky through the branches.
“Come here,” his grandma said, motioning him closer. “It’s a rare opportunity that you have.”
“Well done, Malik.” The voice was familiar to him. It was one that he’d known since he was a little kid.
“Callie?” Malik said.
“Yep, it’s me.” From the starry sky, he saw an outline emerge. It was her. “We don’t usually show ourselves like this. And I can’t stay, but I wanted to say thank you for going after this and goodbye.”
“But wait,” Malik said, “you can’t leave this fast.” He noticed fog drifting over from the neighboring trees.
“It’s my time,” Callie said. She tilted her chin to indicate the space behind him. “You’ve got everything you need back there,” Malik turned around to see Magaly holding his mom’s shoulders as she cried, “and in there.” Malik saw the dark finger point at his heart, then at his forehead. “I’ll always be around. We always are.” As the fog moved past the tree, he could no longer see her.
Malik stepped forward when he felt his grandma’s hand on his forearm.
“It’s time. You’ll see your friend again. Don’t worry.” His grandma looked down, and Malik followed her eyes to the laptop he held in his hands.
Malik held it up on his forearm. “I need your help. Zach Carver put a password on it, and we think that only you know what it is.”
Jessica turned to see Nia, who was slowly approaching them. She cupped her mouth with both her hands and cried. “Try ‘Nia Carver.’”
Malik’s mind reeled, realizing that perhaps it was odd that he never knew who his grandad was. His mom never talked about it, and so he never pressed the issue. Malik looked back at the screen. Enter Password. He typed N-i-a-C-a-r-v-e-r.
Initiating System Scan... The screen went black, and there was only a network of trees on the screen. There was a pulse of light, almost like sonar radar. As it pulsed, some new trees showed up on the screen, and others were no longer visible.
Hub Trees Identified....
Detecting Virus Strains....
Magaly was now next to Malik. “What’s happening?”
“It showed hub trees. Now I don’t know.”
Malik felt his grandma’s gentle tug on his arm again. He looked over at her, and she was inhaling deeply. “Do you smell that? It smells like mint or...”
Malik followed suit, lifting his head higher and inhaling.
“I smell honey,” Magaly said.
“It smells like lemon to me,” Nia said.
Malik saw that the screen was now being populated with an array of numbers.
Virus Detection Complete.
Negative.
Initiate Global Network Scan? Confirm or Cancel.
Malik tried to confirm.
Scan Incomplete...
“It’s not working,” Malik said, racking his brain for what the issue could be. “Maybe the network or satellite connection is no longer in place?”
What now? This was supposed to be the solution. Malik thought back to his dream, sifting through the conversations. Then he saw Coach O walking toward them from the mist around the cluster of trees in the back of the yard.
“Glad to see you guys made it,” Ori said, looking from Magaly to Malik.
“Ori?” Malik’s mom said, sounding surprised and happy.
“Are you still chasing flowers in the field?” Ori asked her.
“Not nearly as often as I used to,” she admitted.
“Having some trouble?” Ori addressed Malik again.
“It seems to be getting tripped up at the global scan,” Malik explained.
“Confidence Biotech hasn’t been properly maintaining the network. The Singularity Group will be able to help.” Ori took the laptop and handed it to Magaly. “In the meantime, you’re part of Aja’s accelerated solution as well.”
“I am?” Malik asked.
“You and your mother. We need to get the antidote that you carry in your DNA to as many people as possible.”
Malik then heard a sound growing louder, breaking the quiet of the dawn. It was a buzzing, like insects’ wings. He watched as a thick cloud moved toward them.
“Female mosquitos,” Ori explained. “They will take your blood back to their eggs, and billions of mosquitos will then carry a form of the antidote.”
Ori walked closer to the trees. Jessica grabbed Malik’s and Nia’s hands and led them the same way.
