Chapter 46
Foundation of the First Pillar
The Institute remained unknown to the general public for over forty years. Most world leaders were aware of its existence, but remained silent in exchange for new technology.
The greatest threat to security came from ordinary people who heard stories and rumors. By the time the Prophies arrived at ORION, the Institute was already attracting the attention of inquisitive locals and amateur ufologists from around the country.
Unlike Area 51, the facility was in the middle of a densely populated state. Some of the most popular tourist destinations on the planet were within an easy drive. Even the ten-foot-high perimeter fence and a small army of security guards couldn’t prevent at least one unauthorized entry onto the main campus each day. Trespassers were promptly escorted off, but the vivid descriptions of the futuristic architecture they witnessed encouraged more to come.
The Security Department relied on technology from the vault to create a multi-layered veil of secrecy. The first level consisted of an imperceptible electronic dome which projected a photographic representation of the area surrounding the facility. Photos taken from above by plane, drone or satellite revealed nothing more than undisturbed woods and scrub.
A second level of security was provided by the dome itself, composed of an electromagnetic field which disabled most small mechanical devices. Birds, insects, people and other animals could pass through unencumbered, but remote-controlled devices were disrupted, falling to the Earth like insects exterminated by a bug-zapper. The disrupting field worked pretty well, but a significant flaw was detected.
When the Vice President of the United States tried to come onto the property unannounced after 9/11, the dome disabled his pacemaker. He almost died, so Claude asked students to generate new ideas for improving perimeter security. It took a year to tweak the technology, but Steve submitted the winning suggestion, with a little help from Dan.
J. Alfred told Steve that the floating sensation people experienced at Becky’s Restaurant was caused by a small device taken from the vault. He called it an “Optical Displacement Regulator (ODR).” A team of technicians concluded it had no practical function, so J.Alfred installed the ODR at the entrance to his Bayport house.
He said, “The device creates a slight feeling of intoxication, like inhaling a breath of nitrous oxide. I mounted it as a soothing welcome for guests when they enter the front door.”
Steve speculated the sense of being intoxicated could be used to disorient would-be trespassers. After completing a short class in optogenetics (the biological technique of using light to control cells in living tissue), Steve began to understand the science behind the sensation.
“I think I have the answer to our security problems,” he told Claude after studying the device. “The Optical Displacement Regulator is emitting an imperceptible pulse of light which creates pressure on the optic nerve. It distorts our sense of direction. We may be able to adjust the pulse to misdirect any would-be trespassers.” Instead of building barriers, Steve’s plan addressed the problem by altering the intruder’s perception.
Claude agreed to let Steve proceed with his plan, but added, “You’re going to need a test subject. Any volunteers?”
Dan jumped at the chance to help. It was an opportunity to spend more time with Steve. Lately, Dan’s friends had shown little interest in anything other than research. He missed spending time with them. Mr. Weston had arranged a trip to Hong Kong a couple months earlier, but it was cancelled when Dan was the only one of the Prophies who wanted to go.
Dan and Steve spent a couple hours on the project each week. Dan tried to walk from point A to point B while Steve directed pulses of non-visible light at him, then recorded the response. Steve discovered in addition to altering Dan’s sense of direction, it affected his emotions. Sometimes it made him happy, sometimes sad, angry or confused. After several months of calibrating the device, it created the impression Dan was walking forward in a straight line when he was actually staggering in circles.
Anastasius produced replicas to hide inside the perimeter of the property. Large sections of fence were removed so trespassers appeared to have easy access. The security team entertained themselves by watching footage taken by the perimeter cameras.
Intruders who tried to sneak onto the facility would stagger without direction until arriving back at the perimeter. Once outside the device’s range, most fell to the ground laughing. Some would try dozens of times before giving up. Over time, a few creative individuals found ways to block the pulses by covering their bodies with tin foil. Not only did they look ridiculous, but the foil set off proximity alarms which allowed guards to intercept them before reaching the main complex.
During their time together, Dan realized Steve was still obsessed with understanding his deceased brother’s behavior. Through work done with the Human Genome Project from its beginning in 1988, the ORION Institute had amassed a huge database of genetic information. Steve used the information to identify the gene which triggered John’s death.
“I’ve done it!” he told Dan. “I’ve found the gene responsible for John’s death.”
“How could a gene cause your brother’s death? Didn’t you say he committed suicide?”
“The gene causes extensive development in the part of the brain controlling emotions and empathy. John had a heightened sense of empathy. Every time he witnessed a tragedy or heard a sad story, he experienced those emotions as if directly involved.”
Steve turned to Dan and smiled. “I just remembered something Chris said at John’s funeral. ‘Some people have too much compassion to survive in this world. For every ounce of kindness, a pound of strength is required.’ It didn’t make sense at the time, but now I think Chris understood John better than anyone.”
After spending months hearing Steve explain how brains handle emotions, Dan began to understand. Psychopaths feel nothing and can’t be emotionally hurt. People like John feel everyone’s pain.
Steve chose the study of genetics to understand his brother’s death. Dan asked Steve if he would continue conducting genetic research now that the mystery was solved.
“You’re kidding,” he replied. “My work is just starting! Now that we understand what made John emotionally fragile, we can begin helping others. It doesn’t stop there. We may be able to help people with the opposite problem like psychopaths who experience little emotion or have no compassion.”
Gene therapy was already being used outside the Institute to treat physical and mental disorders. Steve was a pioneer in genetic modification techniques, but realized his work could be used to identify people like his brother before they were born. Rather than raising a child who might be ill-suited to face the realities of life, some mothers would terminate the pregnancy. The thought sickened Steve.
He continued his work, but focused his studies on the ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI) related to human genome research. He was there for completion of the Human Genome Project in April, 2003 and continued working with the National Human Genome Research Institute for many more years.
Large commercial companies also participated. Steve worked with scientists from Lifecode Health which would be acquired by MedGenome in 2016. He eventually published his doctoral dissertation “The Code of Acceptable Practices in Human Genetic Modification.” It became the model used to resolve differences in standards around the world and would become the first pillar of The Great Coalescence.