Getzi Chronicles

Within the antiseptic walls of Rayberdyn Industries, Delores stared in shock as she witnessed Debbie progressively move from a walk to a hop to flat-out bursts of speed with intervals of power-stopping. She fully tested the leg she’d recently injured as Brian and Daniel skipped about near her side. Excited that the injury was completely healed, Debbie laughed out in joy, but John showed no such exhilaration. He had always known that darkness often accompanied such progress. As he cast his eyes over at Delores’s angry expression, he was certain that the same was true in this case. Delores strode over to David, clasped his right arm firmly, dragged him aside out of earshot, and began to angrily whisper to him. Meanwhile, John casually maneuvered himself near the control panel, scanning loose papers that were on a clipboard there. As he cast an eye toward their deep conversation, John made sure neither of them noticed him leafing through the clipboard’s pages. On the last few pages, he found what he had needed. Clearly marked at the end of each report was the name of the authorizing military officer to whom this laboratory directly reported: Colonel Gerd Steinholtz. John felt a sinking, ominous feeling as he watched Delores’s strained expression, and he realized they suddenly had a lot less time to relax than they had thought. Delores appeared to be furious with David. She knew that somehow he had agreed to let the military dabble in the company’s work. In days gone by, they would have defended their pure science against the contaminations of military funding. Now, to Delores, the whole establishment reeked of military involvement. Her burning gaze pummeled David’s shocked face. “How could you?” she sneered in a quiet shout. “How did this happen? All those days we fought to stay clear of them, knowing of their involvement with the dean—your father, David!” She looked around, quickly checking to see if anyone was within hearing range. “They killed your father, and you got in bed with them?” David yanked his arm out of her grip. “Don’t lecture me about things you have no idea about. You were the one who put us in this mess! I warned you, but no! You had to push it—that’s why father died, trying to chase your misguided theories. So don’t jump on my back with your guilt-tripping accusations.” He felt bad for countering her reprimands so bluntly. She was, after all, the woman his father had wanted him to marry. But now they’d volleyed too much guilt and too many painful words at each other. David turned his back to her as he shook his head and stared at the ceiling. “Look, Del, I didn’t mean to—no, what I mean is, I want to help you. Just trust me when I say that there was no choice in the matter.” “So it’s all about money, is it?” she said. “You were just waiting for the right time to turn us in—to hand me over, Dave? How much are they paying you?” Delores was slowly moving away from David as she spoke. She glanced at John and noticed his hardened expression. She knew he was aware of their plight by the way he approached her. “We’re leaving now!” John commanded as he gently took Delores’s arm and stared at David coldly. They turned and headed toward the exit, but David dashed ahead to the door, blocking their way. Without hesitation, John threw a heavy punch that connected with David’s jaw, knocking him through the doorway and to the cold white-tiled floor. Still cupping Doctor Clark’s arm, John stared at David with disgust and then walked hurriedly toward the elevator. Each person walked past David as he propped up his body. They looked down on him in shame. Debbie shook her head and passed. Next, Brian nervously watched his father briefly and then hurried past. Only Daniel paused and bent down to help his uncle to his feet. He wiped David’s bleeding lip with his own sleeve. His glossy, tear-filled eyes were magnified behind his large glasses. Daniel couldn’t speak; he just bowed his head and followed the rest.