Met-Chron Sanctuary (Metamorphosis Chronicles Book 1) Read online

  MET–CHRON

  SANCTUARY

  Metamorphosis Chronicles

  Book 1

  RON S. NOLAN

  PlANETROPOLIS PUBLISHING

  222 Santa Cruz Avenue, No. 11

  Aptos, California 95003

  www.planetropolis.com

  This book is an original publication of Planetropolis Publishing.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any actual resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for third party websites.

  Copyright © 2017 by Ron S. Nolan

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Please purchase only authorized editions.

  ISBN-10:0-692-76745-2

  ISBN-13:978-0-692-76745-0

  DEDICATION

  Michael H.D. Dormer

  Michael H.D. Dormer was a master of the creative process and the art of thinking outside the box. This novel is devoted to his memory.

  Michael H.D. Dormer’s art is featured on the cover. The mixed media painting, which he created decades ago, seems to presciently depict Jasmine and Europa gazing at Comet Hope as it transits the solar system.

  Metamorphosis Chronicles is a new series of novels and screenplays that explore the future of a human society that is confronted with the threats posed by AI cloud beings, New-Humans, robots and a white-hot planet Earth.

  MET-CHRON SANCTUARY is the first book in the series.

  –––––––––––––––––-

  Planetropolis Publishing

  www.planetropolis.com

  Metamorphosis Chronicles

  Acronyms

  BGI: BioGenetics International Laboratories: conducts research into genetic modifications directed at enhanced human longevity

  CHIRUS: a government-corporate state formed by the union of China, Russia and North Korea

  CREOS: SDL members that are fanatical followers of the Reverend LeRoque's teachings.

  IRANVEN: a government-corporate state formed by the union of Iran, Iraq and Venezuela

  SDL: Seekers of the Divine Light, headed by Reverend Granger LeRoque

  USACO: United States of America Corporation–a

  Government-Corporate state formed by the union of the United States, Great Britain, and Israel

  VIDAS: Independent thinkers who believe in the merits of science and genetics.

  -- CHAPTER 1 --

  Year 2029

  BioGenetics International (BGI)

  Berkeley, California

  Dr, Astra Sturtevant, a head-turning Brazilian girl in her mid-twenties was not only beautiful but also brilliant…and in big trouble! She was just concluding the third year of her postdoc in advanced longevity research at BioGenetics International and so far she was shooting blanks in terms of positive results.

  The foremost researchers from universities around the world came to BGI to investigate, probe and manipulate the fundamental elements of living systems. As long as they were productive and young, which the lab director narrow mindedly believed to be one and the same, they were welcome. But as soon as they lost their edge, or they reached the grand old age of thirty, they were discarded like last year's model car. Nevertheless, still running fine and with good rubber on them, they were shipped off to make room for the next fleet of brilliant, young scientists charged with new energy and new ideas

  According to the standard measure used to rate scientific institutions, i.e. papers cited in the technical literature, the strategy was a resounding success. The lab had produced more than its share of biomedical breakthroughs and generated a hefty number of burned out minds as well.

  In the mid-morning light, the modern research laboratory in the center of the BGI campus seemed to fade and emerge as waves of fog rolled in from across the bay. The fog provided a bit of relief from the blistering heat when it momentarily blocked the sun. In spite of the two decade drought and strict water rationing, a fountain at the entryway ostentatiously gushed water into the air attracting flocks of thirsty pigeons and kids wading in the pool. By the time Astra reached her office on the third floor, preferring to walk instead of taking the elevator, she was dripping with sweat. But like most modern day women working in the sweltering Bay Area these days, she kept a backup blouse and slacks ready for a quick change.

  Now wearing fresh clothes, she slid into a lightweight, plastic lab coat with 'Dr. Sturtevant' embroidered above the BGI emblem, snapped on the mandatory surgical gloves and bio-filter mask and then unlocked the door of her small, private lab. Depending upon a researcher's chosen field of study, a molecular biology lab might house rhesus monkeys, cell cultures, or even a collection of plants. Astra's lab was unique in that it contained dozens of aquaria each providing a home for hundreds of very small, freshwater flatworms known scientifically as Planaria.

  The flatworms were tiny critters about a half inch long and an eighth of an inch wide. Although they had no real commercial value, Planaria remained a mystery to science. If they were cut in half, the head end would regenerate a new tail. But if they were sliced in two lengthwise down the middle; each half would develop into a separate living worm, thus generating a new pair of flatworms. That might be of interest to scientists studying tissue regeneration, but the current research thrust at BioGenetics International was the aging process in higher level organisms–not simple flatworms as the director was fond of reminding her.

  Scientists had known for years that a culture of human stem cells would flourish in a culture dish as long as nutrients were provided. They would grow and divide time after time, but after a certain number of cell divisions they would suddenly stop reproducing and perish. Millions of research dollars later, all that was known was that something turned off the gene that instructed the DNA of the stem cells to replicate. One theory that had gained a certain degree of popularity conjectured that a genetic clock was somehow embedded into the DNA code.

  The foundation of Astra's studies began back in the 1960s when a zoologist from the University of Kansas published an obscure paper which was soon buried in the literature with little recognition at the time by the scientific community. He had found, and Astra always wondered why anyone would ever have thought of such a novel experiment, that if he alternately starved and fed a certain species of Planaria, it would live for decades–normally that particular species had a lifespan three years or less. And like back then, no one at BGI today regarded the flatworm rejuvenation phenomenon to be anything more than a mere curiosity...except Astra who seemed to have the entire field to herself–at least no one else had published any follow-up studies in recent years. Experiments spanning decades were rarely conducted and Astra often wondered how the KU zoologist had had the persistence to monitor his experiments for twenty-plus years.

  Astra couldn't conceive of waiting that long for her results so she used a genetically modified Planaria that had a limited lifespan of only two weeks due to a mutation that she had induced that restricted their ability to synthesize telomerase, an enzyme that protects chromosomes when they replicate. She reasoned that if she could identify and manipulate the mutated worms' genetic clock to increase their lifespans to four weeks, she would be able to claim a one hundred percent increase in longevity–bu
t so far the experiments had been a dismal failure.

  Although ostensibly part of the BGI Gerontology Research Group, the offbeat nature of her work had not endeared her to the lab director. Now in her third year of wheel spinning, even she was beginning to wonder if she might have chosen the wrong subject to investigate. It looked more and more like a dead end and the way Director Horowitz treated her, she had begun to doubt that her contract would be renewed for another year.

  Horowitz had seemed skeptical from the outset that Astra's work with Planaria might meaningfully contribute to the development of commercial longevity enhancing drugs for the burgeoning pharmaceutical market, but Astra's grant from the World Institute of Health had opened the door at BGI. And since her work did involve the study of aging, Horowitz had begrudgingly accepted Astra’s appointment to the lab. Astra's research certainly lacked the luster of other aging related projects at BGI and she found herself increasingly on her own with little interchange or opportunity for collaboration with other scientists.

  There were plenty of other organisms that had lengthy lifespans. Bristle cone pines in the California desert had been dated at well over three thousand years of age so her research on a twenty-year-old flatworm wasn't nearly as glamorous as compared to the work of Horowitz's showcase of postdoctoral prima donnas which was focused on systematically refining the map of the human genetic code and determining which genes might regulate the aging process.

  Since experimenting on humans was currently illegal, the research at BioGenetics International was only theoretical and intended to provide a foundation for gene manipulation that might occur decades in the future. Still the possibility of prolonging the human lifespan was currently the hot topic for commercial drug companies and medical practitioners. Understandably Horowitz was taking full advantage of the opportunity to secure as much funding for as many new research projects as possible.

  The termination of Astra's appointment at BGI would mean that she could no longer put off joining her father's herbal products company back in Brazil and she would have wasted three precious years of grant funding, which would likely taint her chances for financial support down the road. It would definitely be a major blow to her career.

  Astra activated her notepad and prayed that she would finally make a breakthrough. Suddenly the lab lights flickered out and then snapped back on just as a tremendous clap of thunder reverberated throughout downtown Berkeley's forest of skyscrapers.

  Astra looked out the window and was happy to see a sprinkling of raindrops on the glass. Tropical squalls like this were quite rare in the Bay Area and never lasted long, but Astra was from Brazil and dearly loved the rain. Even though most of the precipitation evaporated before it hit the ground, she thought of the brief downpour as an omen of good things to come. She laughed and said, "World get ready...my worms and I are coming to set you free!"

  -- CHAPTER 2 --

  Deep Space Mining, Inc.

  Moonbase

  Mare Tranquillitatis

  The lunar spaceport was bustling with traffic as space-suited workers directed the loading of regolith ore shipments rich in titanium and other heavy metals–the primary export from the moon. Suddenly an alarm sounded and red lights began flashing inside the entry bay. A computer voice announced, "WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! ALL PERSONNEL REPORT TO SAFETY STATIONS."

  The workers quickly donned space suits and scurried to their duty stations while thick metal shields closed over vulnerable parts of the base and the landing bay doors folded shut.

  Miguel Castaneda, Head of Security, briefed Robert Sanders, Base Manager and majority stockholder in Deep Space Mining, Inc. Miguel was tense; meteor showers were dangerous. He focused on the vidscreen, then turned to Sanders and delivered the SITREP. "Meteor shower–a big one!" There was a series of pings then a loud thud. A few seconds later the overhead lights dimmed, flickered then went out. After an uneasy delay, the emergency power kicked in and the lights snapped back on. A technician tapped Miguel on the shoulder and gave him a thumbs up signal.

  Sanders queried, "Status?" and got "Everything secure" from Miguel.

  "That was a big one, Miguel." The technician pointed to the vidscreen. "Power was down for a few minutes. The solar array took a hit and will likely need some repairs. But otherwise the shields seem to have done their job."

  As the staccato series of pings tapered down, Sanders asked, "Is it over?"

  Miguel replied, "Seems like it–at least for now. I just received a message from the SpeeZees Lab. They report an issue with one of their backup systems. I'll go check it out."

  "Great, sound the all clear. I'm going outside to look at the array."

  Sanders put on his helmet, slung a pack over his shoulder and whistled Here Comes the Sun as the doors swung open and he stepped out into the brilliant sunshine.

  ******

  The central meeting point for the base residents was appropriately known as the ‘Luna Lounge’. It was outfitted with a huge vidscreen behind the bar and looked pretty much like a neighborhood bar back on Earth, but with a few added high tech features. The crowd waiting at the entrance cheered when the bartender unlocked the door and the air was charged with animated conversations about the meteor alert. Some of the new arrivals were visibly shaken while the veterans laughed it off as another day at the office. Two digital clocks on the vidscreen behind the bar ticked down the time until the next shuttle arrival and the next lunar sunset.

  A veteran of the Moonbase took a seat at the bar next to a cute girl named Diane. In his deep southern drawl he threw out his standard opening pitch, "Hi, what's a cute, little darlin' like you doing floating around in a joint like this?" She smiled, so he sat down on the stool next to her and said, "I haven't seen you here before. My name is Auggie."

  Diane smiled, "I came in on today's shuttle." She pointed at the clocks and asked, "What's that mean...lunar sunset? I thought the moon stood still."

  Auggie explained, "Not really, if you think about it, the moon has to rotate to keep the same face pointed towards Earth. It takes about twenty-nine Earth days to make a full cycle. So that makes it fourteen Earth days between the last sunrise and the next sunset. The changeover happens in minutes because the moon is so small." Diane pointed at the clock on the screen.

  00 Earth Days

  45 Earth Minutes

  28 Earth Seconds

  "Looks like it's almost time for the sunset. Where did the name Auggie come from? It sounds like the name of a football team."

  "Nope, just born in August, that's all. This is your first time off planet, right?"

  Diane flushed, "Is it that obvious? My name is Diane."

  "Glad to meet ya. The bar special is called a 'lunatic', want to try one?"

  "Sure why not?"

  Auggie caught the eye of Genie, the bartender, and held up two fingers. Genie had orange hair cut in a butch and was enormous, but because of the low gravity moved effortlessly as she brought them tall glasses streaming bluish vapors. Auggie and Diane clicked glasses, swallowed deeply and then both suddenly burped what sounded like an old fashioned trumpet salute.

  Diane gasped, "What fun! Do they always make that sound when you swallow? I want to try that again. This place is a real blast!"

  Auggie picked up a remote control from the bar and pointed. "The ceiling and walls are all vidscreens. Anybody in the lounge can use one of these to select feeds from cameras all around the base. Sounding an even louder trumpet blast as she took another sip of her lunatic, Diane grabbed Auggie and gave him a hug, "This is so cool!"

  Auggie keyed the remote to shift to different views of the mining operations. The vidscreen showed expanses of pure, white regolith and a mountain range in the distance. He explained. "This setting is called 'Home Base'. It's how it would look if we were outside on the surface. Here you try it." He handed her the remote.

  Diane, wide eyed, used the remote to shift scenes. "Wow! The folks back in Minnesota would be totally amazed!"

  Gen
ie joined them and Auggie made the introductions. "This is Genie. She runs the joint. Be sure to stay on her good side. We'll take a couple of more lunatics, Genie my love. And how about some of your famous spicy space cheezies to go along with them?"

  After Genie delivered their order, she picked up the remote and pointed to the sunset clock, "It's about time to bring in Torch's herd." She keyed a feed showing the landing bay. The vidscreen showed a herd of black and white cows milling around the ramp. Diane asked, "Is this some kind of joke? I don't get it."

  Genie laughed. "Not at all, Torch's herd is programmed to gather at the ramp just before every lunar sunset. You know, like a herd coming back to the barn to be milked, but in this case to deliver mineral samples that they have collected for lab analysis."

  A worker guided the cows up the ramp. One of the lounge regulars set his lunatic to make mooing sounds. Soon most of the patrons joined in roaring with laughter.

  Diane grabbed Genie's hand. "Come on! Cows can't live up here...can they? I thought that they needed oxygen."

  Genie laughed then waved her finger at Diane, "Naw, they're just high tech robots. Torch experimented with a bunch of different designs and found out that the best all-terrain vehicle for use up here was a four-legged walker. They can climb most any wall and carry quite a load suspended from their midsection which led Torch to model of them as cows.”