Testing Grounds Ch. 01

May 23rd, 2057 11:24 am PST

Like a spy cloaked against its enemies, three small spiked shapes danced unnoticed by the neighboring cells floating in the culture dish. Dimmed light from the monitor lit Dr. Campbell's face while he watched the movement of the magnified sample. Computers hummed in the darkened room, providing power to the algorithms that automatically tracked and recorded the specimens.

Dr. Campbell cleared his throat before speaking. "Allie, begin recording. Adenovirus infection test number 689. This sample is from batch 23-A and I've recoded to hopefully prevent the previous disruptions of the cell wall. I've introduced the virus into the sample of cells and am- hang on, here we go. Allie, mark affected displayed cell as a-1, please. "

One of the spiked viruses attached itself to a cell and Dr. Campbell watched quietly as the tiny structure decomposed after delivering its payload. Mentally, Dr. Campbell counted slowly while watching the larger cell. When he passed ten seconds, he smiled; when he reached thirty, the normally restrained man felt like laughing.

"Allie?" The doctor said out loud.

A soft feminine voice purred in response. "Yes, Dr. Campbell?"

"Status on a-1, please?"

The small array of computers silently ran a series of tests while he waited. Once completed, the AI gave its report. "A-1 shows the modification as described in your test case scenario, Dr. Campbell."

"Beautiful," the man whispered. "Now... Allie, I need an assistant. Please create a listing for me. Maximum of $5000 for the budget and I want precedence given to the local university listings. Male or female between 18 and 25 with some experience in biology but nothing beyond either simple interest in the subject or high school classes required. Give the advertisement a seven day lifetime."

"Yes, doctor. The postings have been created and I've debited your account for $4503. Shall I keep you notified of potential applicants?"

Dr. Campbell tapped his nose in thought. "A daily reminder is fine, Allie." On the screen, only one adenovirus was left and he watched it attach to another cell. "I need a cryo injection on the samples. And disposal. Have my car ready and notify my office that I'm on my way."

"Yes, doctor," Allie responded.

Dr. Campbell stood and knuckled his back. "And, Allie, once the samples are disposed, please roll back to the save point created at 7:00 am this morning. That includes all data."

A faint hiss announced the destruction of the samples currently on display. Dr. Campbell watched as the small tray was carefully lifted by a delicate metal arm. Five seconds later, a cheerful 'ding!' sounded over the room's speakers.

"Good morning, Dr. Campbell," Allie announced.

Following routine, the man answered. "Good morning, Allie."

"Dr. Campbell, you've received two emails regarding applications for an assistant's position. I've located advertisements listed in eleven different resources on the Internet. Would you like a summary of the applicants and their qualifications?" Dr. Campbell could almost hear the frustrated surprise in Allie's voice; a frustration that could never exist in her electronic brain.

"Not at the moment, Allie. Please set up a daily notification at 5 pm."

"Yes, doctor," the voice replied.

The young woman in front of the large glass desk fidgeted nervously and Dr. Campbell watched while she did. The girl alternated between biting her lip, rubbing her hands and setting her hands on her lap. Her eyes strayed to the large animal sitting alertly at the side of Dr. Campbell's desk. She was an average looking girl with a small chin and a slightly pointed nose. Her blond hair was held back in a ponytail and her hazel eyes darted nervously around the room. Without makeup or revealing clothes, she'd fade into any crowd; neither pretty nor ugly.

"So," Dr. Campbell said. The young woman jerked minutely, bringing her eyes back to the man. "Trisha, isn't it? What do you know about our company?"

Trisha swallowed and then bit her lip again before answering. "There's not much I could find, actually. Umm. You, well, your company, Alpha Gen, I mean, works with animals-"

"Wolves," Dr. Campbell interrupted.

"Y-yes," Trisha continued. "Wolves. You work with wolves. And, umm, gene therapy. So, not much? The search bots all came up with the nearly the exact same mission statement. It was, umm, sparse. No history of the company, no products, no list of employees or anything."

"And? What do you think we do?"

The young woman fumbled at her fingers in her lap and then glanced at the wolf again. "I- I think you modify the wolves in some way. Probably government work. Maybe stronger? Faster? More loyal? For the police and such?"

Dr. Campbell stared at the woman and she wondered if she'd made a mistake by asking a question. "You are basically correct in your assumptions. I founded this company with Dr. Schneider and we've done an immense amount of work with the canine genome and are pioneers in identifying key aspects of the genetic code and either encouraging or discouraging certain aspects of the genetic code. All according to our client's specifications. As you've said: strength, speed, loyalty, obedience, fearlessness, aggression and more. We were the first to fully sequence and understand the common wolf genome and we've only grown our understanding from there."

The silence stretched between the two as Trisha wondered if she was supposed to say something. Again, Dr. Campbell allowed the woman to squirm uncomfortably. He'd always been fascinated by the little tics and mannerisms people displayed under pressure. Even more, he enjoyed having power over people. As with the animals, asserting control needed to be done quickly and firmly. A gentle ping signaled an incoming secure, bringing Dr. Campbell out of his reverie. The almost invisible, razor-thin bone conducting speakers near his ears relayed Allie's voice to him without letting the young woman know anything was happening.

"Dr. Campbell," the AI said. "I've completed my initial research. Trisha Renee Adams. Born August 3rd, 2038 at Mercy Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. Her parents both died in a car accident when she was five years old. The incident was blamed on the flaws in the third generation of fully auto-piloted vehicles. She lived in foster care from that point on. Her psychological profile shows her as insecure, submissive and easily adaptable. She was raped four years ago by her foster father but, when questioned by police, she dropped the charges. Further investigation on my part shows a link between the father, Terence McMillan, and the local precinct. Nothing was filed but they moved her to keep suspicion from developing. The University of Washington was her first and only choice of college. Rental agreement records show she moved here from New York one week ago."

"Do you like animals, Ms. Adams?" Dr. Campbell asked.

Trisha's face positively glowed as she answered. "Yes! I love animals! Especially dogs. My family, well the family I lived with when I was ten, had a husky and I spent all my time with her. I'm actually starting at UW for veterinary medicine next quarter. I'd love a chance to work with dogs... I mean wolves while going to school."

Dr. Campbell smiled. "Well, Ms. Adams, I do believe you'll get your chance. The job is yours if you want it."

August 9th, 2057 6:17 pm PST

The contoured black chair creaked as Dr. Campbell leaned back, massaging his temples. "Allie, prep another sample. Rotate to batch 83-d and mix when ready. I want solution number six standing by in aerosol form this time."

Allie responded immediately. "Yes, doctor. Estimated completion time in two minutes, thirty-three seconds."

Machinery moved, whirring and hissing as samples were destroyed, removed and exchanged. So close, he thought. Twenty-three years of work and I'm finally so close. The affected cells respond to the virus and the code is stable. Why won't it activate? What am I missing?

Allie's soothing voice filled the room. "Doctor, the solutions are ready."

Still with his eyes closed, Dr. Campbell answered. "When the payloads are all delivered, activate the aerosol." Barely twenty seconds later, the older man heard a faint hiss as the solution was released into the enclosed area containing the culture dish. After a few minutes, Dr. Campbell leaned forward to look at his display. His eyes widened in shock. "Allie! Replay from the beginning!"

The doctor's display reset itself and he watched as the viruses delivered their tailored payload. The time at the bottom-right of the display flickered as milliseconds passed. After seventy-four seconds, the cells began dividing at a frenetic pace until the fluid in the dish was entirely drained.

Swallowing to clear a suddenly dry throat, Dr. Campbell stared at his screen. "Allie, what is the status of the cells?"

It took nearly a full minute for the powerful AI to respond. "All cells carry the modified genes, Dr. Campbell."

"Oh my god. Allie! I did it! This- I did it, Allie!" Dr. Campbell stood from his chair. "Allie, warm up the back areas and wake up the rats. Start the bacteria working on more of solution six. I'll need at least five gallons of it."

Trisha sighed. Two weeks since my birthday, she thought. And I still haven't worked up the nerve to talk to anyone. So, here I sit doing paperwork. They promised animals! Although... wolves? I've never done anything with wolves before.

Glancing at the corner of her monitor, Trisha noted the time and then rubbed her eyes. "Cecilia?" Trisha called out.

"Yes, Trisha?" Alpha Gen's AI answered.

"Could you please have a public car called for me? I'm going back to my apartment."

"Yes, Trisha. Transit responds with an arrival time of 4 minutes, 24 seconds. I've informed your apartment AI of your arrival in approximately 12 minutes. Have a pleasant evening, Ms. Adams."

"Thank you, Cecilia," Trisha said. The young woman collected her bag as she left her desk. Cameras with an array of sensing equipment worked to track her progress. Soft overhead lights silently powered down as she left various areas of the empty office. Trisha stepped outside to wait for her car. Bicycles raced past in their designated lanes while public and private cars wove around each other. Trisha stepped to the curb and watched the flow of traffic while she waited. Seattle was slower than back home but she preferred it here. Less people, less in-your-face noise and activity. She'd often felt like she'd had no room to breathe on the east coast and escaping here seemed like the best option.

A small red and white car separated from the stream of traffic. She watched as it gently and noiselessly parked next to her. She was used to the color pattern of the public cars by now but the image of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. left no doubt. The small, smooth oblong shaped car dinged cheerfully as she approached and the front of the car pushed up and forward, exposing the single cushioned seat within. Trisha carefully arranged herself and the car closed around her with a faint hiss. The five point restraint system settled solidly around Trisha and she closed her eyes against the feeling.

"Breathe deeply," she reminded herself. "Slow and steady, in and out. Slow and steady. Slow and steady. You're okay. You're okay." She felt her heart racing as the car pulled away from the curb to insert itself into the flow of traffic. Seven years ago, a foster family decided that they would physically restrain her when they felt like she'd misbehaved. For two years she'd lived them, screaming and crying for hours when they left her tied up all night. Even now she still panicked from something as simple as a car restraint system.

A soft female voice spoke over the car's audio system. "Welcome to King county public transportation with partial funding from Google. Please, visit their website for more information." The limited intelligence of the cloud based AI paused as it looked up her information. "Trisha Adams, would you like to view top news stories listed as relevant based on-"

"Yes," Trisha hissed through her teeth. "Anything to distract me."

Unseen to her closed eyes, a small video appeared on an overlay of the front window. A male voice, not human, spoke over the muted roar of a large crowd. "Protestors and human rights activists clashed with Russian police this morning over recent remarks made by Russian president, Alexander Putin."

The seasoned voice of the simulated news host was replaced by a dour, heavily accented voice. Trisha couldn't understand Russian but the English translation followed the speech. "Homosexuality is an aberration of society. I will round up all suspected homosexuals and-"

Trisha waved her hand to the right and the news feed vanished. Maybe not anything, she thought. The rest of the ride was nearly silent and the young woman focused on her breathing. She'd often wondered why the car ride itself didn't bother her but she thought that perhaps she was too young to remember anything about the crash that took her parents.

Her car announced her arrival and Trisha eagerly exited when it opened for her. She hurried through the front door of her apartment complex and then up the two flights of stairs to her room. The door registered her arrival and opened automatically for her. She pulled it shut and then lay back, nearly gasping in relief. She could still hear the sounds of people outside but they were outside and she was home and safe and by herself.

"House," Trisha said (she always renamed her shared apartment AIs to 'House'). "It's too bright in here." The windows darkened and the overhead lights dimmed slightly in response to the command. Trisha made her way to the small bathroom just inside the door. With deft, practiced moves, she removed the small amount of makeup she used. Mostly to hide her nearly constant fatigue; sleep never came easily to her.

After a quick look in her small closet, Trisha grabbed her favorite pair of cotton pants. Rummaging further, she found an oversized black shirt and then quickly changed out of her work clothes.

"Rocket ship jammies? Check," she said to herself. "Old tattered comfy shirt? Double double check. Now where the hell did I put my tablet? Ah!" Trisha pulled her tablet from under a stack of papers and then settled in under her blankets on the narrow bed she used. Detaching the small stylus from the device, the young woman resumed her calculus coursework with a sigh.

Two hours later as the sun finally set, Trisha received a small message notification on her tablet. The message was from Cecilia at Alpha Gen: Ms. Adams, tomorrow you will be working with Dr. Thompson and her training group. Please arrive on time at 7 am. Trisha smiled. Dr. Sheila Thompson worked directly with the animals. She'd seen a few more of the wolves by now but she'd not yet had the chance to interact with them. It'd taken a bit of time but she'd overcome her fears after watching the large animals calmly walk around the facility. Never once did one of the animals step out of line or misbehave. She was fascinated. They were larger than wolves she'd seen on video and they walked with a majestic, sure purpose. None of them were on leashes but when a command was given, they acted immediately as if that was what they'd intended to do all along.

The night passed as it almost always did and Trisha eventually settled into troubled sleep. She tossed and turned, muttering under her breath, fragments of old conversations becoming vocalized. Begging to be let out, for someone to untie her. Whimpering quietly, she woke as soon as the apartment AI slowly turned on the overhead lights to a comfortable morning level. At the same time, it picked a random selection of her favorite Chopin and gradually increased the volume. Trisha sighed and swung her legs over the edge of the bed as the windows lightened to let in a fraction of natural light.

"At least," she grumbled. "At least I get to finally see the animals today."

Dr. Campbell sat nervously at his desk. It was an odd sensation for him and one not felt since completing his final thesis. With a glance at the time (6:58 am) he stood and made his way to the front. Allie whispered in his ear as Trisha's public car pulled to the front and he forced himself to walk nonchalantly past the car. The young woman seemed taken aback when she stepped out of the small vehicle.

"D... Dr. Campbell. Good morning," Trisha stammered.

"Ah, Ms. Adams. Good morning. I was on my way to the coffee shop when I got a call from Dr. Schneider. Dr. Thompson was called away for a customer meeting and I'm told you were meeting with her today. I'm sure I can find a few things for you to do around the office in her absence."

"Oh, that's... oh. Okay. Sure, that'd be great."

The older man sighed sympathetically. "I'd forgotten that you've been waiting to work with our wolves. It is perhaps against procedure but, if you like, you could visit my home. I have two of our wolves as guards while they wait for placement."

Trisha considered her options. She had no classes today so she could either spend an entire day staring at the screen or she could go out for some fresh air and actually see what the wolves were capable of doing. All she knew about them was from a much sanitized presentation and the various bits of whispered gossip around the office and she was dying to learn more. The only problem she had was Dr. Campbell. He was remote and rarely around but, when he was, she felt nervous. Something about him set her nerves on edge. However, he hadn't mistreated her so...

"I'd love to," she told him.

Dr. Campbell felt a nervous tension leave his shoulders. "Wonderful. Why don't you buy yourself a coffee and I'll bring my car around and meet you when you're finished. I'll be just a moment." Dr. Campbell watched Trisha walk away. "Cecilia?" He said out loud.

The Alpha Gen AI answered over the man's private headphones. "Yes, Dr. Campbell?"

The man talked as he walked towards the company's small parking garage. "Trisha Adams just met me outside and informed me that she's leaving her position. Could you please make an advertisement for a replacement and inform Dr. Thompson? Also, please have my car meet me at the parking entrance."

"Yes, Dr. Campbell. Trisha Adams' access rights are now revoked and I've updated our records. Will you be in the office later today? I cannot seem to find a record of your events."

"No," he told the computer. "I have a potential meeting with the Seattle police department in one hour. Non-official and it may be canceled. If so, I may come back to the office or just take a day to myself and shop. I do have my sabbatical coming up so I may just prepare for that, instead. Allie will inform you of any changes."

"Very good, Dr. Campbell. Good luck on your meeting, sir."

The parking garage gate opened and Dr. Campbell's black sedan drove through the opening. Dr. Campbell walked over to the driver's side and the door popped open for him. Taking the manual controls, he turned onto the street and drove the short distance to the small coffee shop three blocks from his building. Trisha was waiting near the curb with a small iced coffee drink. Dr. Campbell slowed to a stop and the passenger door opened. The young woman settled into the leather seat and then buckled herself.

"Are you ready?" Dr. Campbell asked.

"Yes, sir!"

With a small smile, Dr. Campbell accelerated away and into traffic. "Glad to hear it," he told her. "Very glad."

"I'm surprised," Trisha said.

Dr. Campbell glanced to the side. "At what?"