Pandora's Ark

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Leonid Sakharov did little to acknowledge the techs or Aryeh Levine. Instead, the old man focused more on the electromechanical components and hardware, showing more adulation toward the molecular assembler, the infrasonic equipment, probe microscopes and the vacuum environments created to avoid the scattering of bots. He catered lovingly to the most advanced Electron Optical System available, rather than the living tissue that surrounded him. This was his entire world — the world of science. Everything else was immaterial.

While Sakharov seemed oblivious to those around him, he walked with more spring to his gait. And Levine couldn’t help notice that the old man was sweating profusely while his hands shook with all the symptoms of a neurological disease. The old man was drying out, he thought, the spirit of his mind overcoming his constant need for alcohol.

As the lab techs worked the consoles imputing data, Levine stood back, arms crossed, watching the monitors and finding with great fascination the simulations being cast on the high-definition wall-screen. Chains of molecular nanobots were replicating and self-sustaining themselves, the program giving them the intelligence to learn from experience as they evolved, essentially giving them life.

As Levine watched the chains move in serpentine fashion on the screen, the glass door opened and al-Ghazi entered the lab with al-Sherrod behind him. Two Quds soldiers followed in their wake.

Al-Ghazi smiled when he saw Levine. He was wearing camouflaged attire and a black turban. “How are you, my friend?”

Levine greeted him, feigning a smile that looked uniquely genuine. “It’s good to see you. I had no idea that you were coming.”

“I’m here on a last minute invitation, Umar. I understand that the good doctor has performed all that was required of him, and that we are ready to proceed with the testing on live subjects.”

This was the first time Levine heard anything about this, al-Sherrod obviously keeping him in the dark.

“Testing?”

Al-Ghazi sported his dazzling white teeth in the form of a broader smile. “It appears that the good Dr. Sakharov is ahead of schedule and is excited to show us his program regarding the nanobots.”

Levine looked at the doctor, who was tapping instructions into the keyboard, noting that Sakharov chose to ignore those in the lab by remaining oblivious and cognizant of their presence at the same time.

“Doctor.” Al-Ghazi stepped toward the scientists with his hands clasped behind the small of his back. “This must be an exciting moment for you, yes?”

The doctor gave a cursory nod, nothing else, not even a flicker of emotion.

“Then let’s get started, shall we?”

One of the two techs went into one of the vacuum environments, a glassed-in room, with a canister the size of a liter bottle. It was cylindrical, the container metallic with a mirror polish. On top was a screen cap, an opening. He placed it gingerly on the table and left the room as the second tech brought a goat into the chamber tethered to a leash, the animal bleating. While removing the tie from the goat’s collar, the first tech returned with a cluster of indigent plants and placed them on the table beyond the goat’s reach. Once done they exited the room, the door closing behind them with the subsequent whisper of the seal tightening that made the room inescapable for anything living — including a single cell, virus, bacteria or nanobot.

“The canister, Doctor, will be larger for our purposes when the time comes, yes?”

“No,” he answered crustily. “The nanobots have been programmed to reproduce exponentially. But every succeeding life will have a half-time, which means that they will eventually shrink themselves to a time limit where they can do no harm. For the purposes of this experiment the bots have been given a primary lifespan of one minute, its replicated life form will be half that, thirty seconds; the third chain, fifteen seconds; and so forth until their span shrinks down to a point where they don’t exist long enough to do further damage. They will always exist since a trillionth of a trillionth of a nanosecond is still a measure of time, but too little to cause destruction. It’s a safety measure to keep the nanobots from creating Drexler’s theory of grey goo.”

“Grey goo?”

Sakharov ignored him.

And then: “But is one canister enough for our needs?”

“More than enough,” he answered. “In that one canister is a nano swarm that will act as a whole that can wipe out an entire city. So that you know, you can fit one hundred thousand nanobots on the head of a pin. It’s more than enough.”

Al-Ghazi gave off an expression denoting that he was impressed. “I see.”

Levine took everything in. His curiosity piqued.

“And what about the plants, Doctor? What’s their function?”

Sakharov set up the monitor for the final click of the button. “The bots have been programmed to attack organic matter, things that are alive or at one time were alive. Everything else — glass, metal, plastic — should remain unaffected.”

“I see. But why isn’t anything happening? I see that the container has a screen top. I assume it’s open.”

“It is.”

“Then why is nothing happening?”

“Because,” he let his finger hover over a button on the keyboard, “the nanobots are stimulated through sound waves. Once they are, then their programming kicks in and they take on a life of their own, doing what I programmed them to do: To evolve and to learn by experience.”

“Life,” he said.

Sakharov nodded. “I’m creating life.”

After a moment of silence, as the doctor held a wavering finger above the keyboard, everyone waited with childlike anticipation.

And then the finger dropped, a single button pushed, the program initiating.

The goat bleated without care or caution, pacing the glass enclosure.

And then a waspy hum sounded over the speakers, growing in sound.

“It’s activating,” commented Sakharov.

Within thirty seconds the goat began to shake its head wildly, as if buzzing flies were annoying it. Its bleating becoming more agitated, more terror-stricken. And then its coat began to ripple as if something alive was undulating beneath its skin, rolling. The creature then raised its head and wobbled upon weak legs as sores opened and pared back from its joints, exposing blood-laced bones. Its eyes bulged in terror, but only for a moment as they dissolved within their sockets, decaying. The meat of its tongue was now gone. Its flesh, disappearing. And within seconds its hide became a wild tangle of hair that appeared to move as the bots broke down every inch of the animal down to nonexistence.

On the table the plants were decaying just as quickly, the organic material breaking down like a film in fast motion, until nothing was left.

And then they waited, the glass holding, the buzzing sounding over the loud speakers in a raucous din.

But within five minutes the drone of the bots was gone, their lifespan shrinking to the point where they could no longer be effective.

Al-Ghazi smiled and clapped a hand on Sakharov’s shoulder, causing the old man to finally bring a smile to his own lips. He had achieved his goal, he thought. He had done what Mother Russia refused to give him credit for — the ability to achieve where others had failed.

“My good Doctor, you truly have an amazing mind.”

“I know.”

Levine, however, was beside himself. Here was a technology far more devastating than any nuclear device, a weapon that could be programmed to kill without impunity or conscience — entire cities, towns and populations gone without damage to the surrounding infrastructure. No doubt Israel was on that list.

“Ahmadinejad will be most pleased,” stated al-Sherrod. “Since sanctions have made Iran the largest leper colony in the world, this will provide the means of leverage should Israel decide to bomb our nuclear facilities. Its allies will also fall under Allah’s wrath — city by city, infidel by infidel.”

Levine’s fate was now clearly stated: He had no choice but to put himself in position to contact his sources. Not trying to tip off his thoughts, he nevertheless gave a cursory glance to the Comm Center on the second level and noted the wall monitors through the smoke-stained glass. He would have to be swift and efficient. First he would have to take out the two Quds soldiers that constantly shadowed him, no easy feat, then work his way to the center and send his coordinates for a military strike.

He then closed his eyes, a thought forming. He had lived a good life, an exciting life. But he saw no way to survive this mission but by the grace of God. He would, at least, try to escape through the mountains, finding avenues to the north. But the cold of the mountains were brutal, the attempt unrealistic, if not suicidal. But it was the only course of action available.

Al-Sherrod maintained his smile. “Then we are ready to move forward?” he asked al-Ghazi.

Al-Ghazi nodded, and then he turned to Levine. “Umar, I understand that you have seen the Ark.”

“I have.”

“Then your role has become much larger.”

“How so?”

“The Ark will possess the good doctor’s discoveries. I will need you to introduce the Ark as a faith of good will to the Zionists of Israel, the Catholics, and the Muslims. Iran cannot take an active role in this because they will be targeted should it be discovered that they had an active role in promoting the good doctor’s creations. You will act as an emissary on behalf of our organization to promote a false image of good intentions. We would like a gathering of all heads of state, as well as the heads of religion denominations, to attend the opening of the Ark for the possessions within to be shared by all, since all have an interest of what’s within the Ark. Mossad already possesses the staff of Aaron and the golden pot of manna, as proof that the true Ark exists. However, we still possess the tablets containing the Ten Commandments. Such an opening of good will should be shared by all. But when they open the Ark, they will be greeted by the demons of Dr. Sakharov’s making.”

Sakharov clenched his jaw, causing the wiry muscles to work.

“But the Muslims?”

“Collateral damage,” he said with indifference. “Since Solomon was selected to maintain the Ark, then it is believed that Allah favored him. Therefore, Muslims must be present so as not to draw suspicion as to the Ark’s true intention.”

“And my position?”

“You will negotiate the trade of the Ark for the good of all religions when, in fact, the opening of the Ark is to happen at a place of my choosing, my Ground Zero. A team of onsite operatives will coordinate the attack by initiating the program at the location. Laptops and experience will be necessary. Of course their deaths with be martyred.”

“And what will your role be in all this?”

“My position will be minimal, since it is my continuing duty to direct cells to perform certain missions throughout the regions. Therefore, I must remain covert. Iran, however, will deny culpability in this matter to keep sanctions from crippling them further. It is our intention to test this technology before we take it one step further.”

“And that would be?”

Al-Ghazi nodded. “Should the doctor’s finding prove as fruitful as to the events we have just seen, then we will place a canister in every major city in Israel, the United States, the United Kingdom, and to anyone who does not relinquish to our rule. Sanctions will and must be lifted from Iran. The infidels will give in to our demands. If not…” He let his words trail.

“And where will Ground Zero be for the initial run?”

Al-Ghazi’s smile lifted into a sardonic grin. “In a most appropriate place,” he told him. “We will open the Ark in the heart of Vatican City.”