Mutation

VJ ran ahead to open the door. Victor returned to the main room where the security men were still playing cards, talking loudly in Spanish.

Victor slowly walked around the circle, gazing at the instrumentation. Impressive was an understatement. He realized his headache seemed suddenly better. He felt a growing sense of elation. It was hard to believe that his ten-year-old son was responsible for all this.

“Who knows about this lab?” Victor asked, stopping to appreciate the electron microscope. He ran a hand over its curved surface.

“Philip and a handful of security people,” said VJ. “And now you.”

Victor shot VJ a quick glance. VJ smiled back.

All at once Victor laughed. “And to think this has been going on under our noses all this time!” Victor shook his head in disbelief, continuing around the circle of scientific appliances, tapping the tops of some of them with the tips of his fingers. “And are you sure about this implantation protein?” Victor asked, already considering likely trade names: Conceptol. Fertol.

“Completely,” VJ said. “And that’s just one of the discoveries that I’ve made. There are many more. I’ve made some advances in understanding the process of cellular differentiation and development I believe will herald a new era of biology.”

Victor stopped his wandering and turned back to VJ. “Does Marsha know anything about this?” he asked.

“Nothing!” VJ said with emphasis.

“She is going to be one happy lady,” Victor said with a smile. “She’s been worrying herself sick that something is wrong with you since you don’t have time for kids your own age.”

“I’ve been a little too busy for Cub Scouts,” said VJ.

Victor laughed. “God, I’ll say. She’s going to love this.

We’ll have to tell her and bring her here.”

“I’m not convinced that’s such a good idea,” VJ said.

“It is, believe me,” Victor said. “It will relieve her enormously and I won’t have to listen to another lecture on your psychological development.”

“I don’t want people knowing about this lab,” VJ said.

“It was an unexpected accident that you discovered it. I wasn’t planning on telling you any of this until I’d moved the lab to the new location.”

“Where is that?” Victor asked.

“Nearby,” VJ said. “I’ll show it to you on another day.”

“But we have to tell Marsha,” Victor insisted. “You have no idea how worried she’s been about you. I’ll take care of her. She won’t tell anyone.”

“It’s a risk,” VJ said. “I don’t think she’ll be as impressed as you by my accomplishments. She’s not as enthusiastic about science as we are.”

“She’ll be ecstatic that you are such a genius. And that you’ve put all this together. It’s just extraordinary.”

“Well, maybe . . .” VJ said, trying to decide.

“Trust me,” Victor said enthusiastically.

“Perhaps on this one issue I’ll have to bow to your better judgment,” VJ said. “I guess you know her better than I do.

All I can say is that I hope you’re right. She could cause a lot of trouble.”

“I’ll get her right now,” Victor said with obvious excitement.

“How will you get her over here to the building without people noticing?” VJ said.

“It’s Saturday,” Victor said. “Hardly anyone is around, especially so late in the day.”

“Okay,” VJ said with resignation.

Victor headed for the stairs, practically running. “I’ll be back in thirty minutes. Forty-five, tops,” he said. He charged up a half dozen steps, then came to a stop. As he noticed before, the stairs dead-ended into heavy planks.

“Is this the way out?” Victor asked.

“Just give it a shove,” VJ said. “It’s counterweighted.”

Victor went up the rest of the stairs more slowly until his hand rested on the overhead planks. Tentatively, he pushed upward. To his surprise, a large trapdoor opened with amazing ease. Casting a last glance down at VJ, Victor winked, then climbed up the rest of the stairs. When he let go of the trapdoor, it sank silently into place, cutting off the light from below.

Victor ran from the building, his pulse up from sheer exhilaration. He hadn’t felt so ecstatic in years.

Having returned from her two upsetting visits, Marsha made herself a real cup of tea. She’d taken it into her study to try to calm down when she heard Victor’s car start up the drive.

It wasn’t long before his head popped through the door. He still had his coat on. “Ah, there you are, sweet thing!”

Sweet thing? Marsha thought disdainfully. He hasn’t called me that for years. “Come in here!” she called to him.

But Victor was already on his way into the room. He grabbed her hand, trying to pull her from her couch. Marsha resisted and got her hand free. “What are you doing?” she questioned.

“I’ve got something to show you.” There was a distinct twinkle in his eye.

“What’s come over you?”

“Come on!” Victor urged, pulling her to her feet. “I’ve got a surprise for you that you are going to love.”

“I’ve got a surprise for you that you are not going to love,” Marsha said. “Sit down. I have something important to tell you.”

“Later,” Victor said. “What I’ve got is more important.”