“I don’t know . . .” James argues.
The next week is certainly going to be entertaining. And she must have utter confidence that they’ll succeed. Otherwise, the consequences are too . . . never mind. No need to think of that. K8 gives James an assuring grin. “You’re going to have to trust me about this.”
12 – Bombs Are Dropped
James
October 11, 2390, Day 77.
Lessa and Jett sit on the couch, diagonal to James. Their mouths hang open as they stare, blinking at him. He really wishes one of them would say something so this nervous flutter in his stomach would abate.
Moments earlier, Kate dropped the bomb of his retained memories on them. Before that, due to his heightened paranoia, James had requested that Decci get locked in Kate’s bedroom. The manupartner was all too happy to please.
“Hello?!” he demands as her friends continue to wordlessly stare at him.
Lessa opens their mouth as if they are going to speak,but then closes it.
Jett steps in. “So what you mean to say is you have some of this James fellow’s memories?”
“What I’m saying is I am James Fletcher. I am him. I have all of his memories. Well,” he backtracks. “At least the ones I’ve always remembered.”
“It seems there was a glitch in the DNA processing,” Kate says. “Researchers have known for a while now that DNA carries memory. Particularly in the cells that make up certain areas of the brain. When James died, they pulled him from a plane crash. He had severe brain trauma and died before they got him to the hospital. I’m wondering if that trauma somehow caused his memories to imprint more deeply in the cells that got collected for research purposes. James donated his body to science.” Kate proudly pats him on the knee.
Listening to people talk about his death so nonchalantly in front of him is unsettling. James ignores the discomfort. “But how would my DNA have ended up in a GROW database?”
“Over the years, batches of DNA have been traded. Acquired by different companies, to study or formulate products, like the manupartners. Yours must have got swept into one of the batches.” Kate’s explanation makes him shiver. What else has his DNA been used for?
Jett leans forward, grinning. “This is fantastic. Iknewthere was something off about you!”
Kate perks up. “Exactly! That’s why we need you two to help us prepare for the inspection.”
God, she is positive. Almost annoyingly so, if she wasn’t using her perky energy to keep him from being recycled.
“If we fail, they will recycle me.” He hopes her friends understand the urgency. “That means death number two, and this time I’ll see it coming.” Not to mention he’ll lose the chance to test himself in this future world. They don’t need to know that, though. Keeping him breathing should be enough, but who knows with these futurepeople—had he not seen the woman commit suicide on his first day, he would feel comfortable relying on human instinct when it came to his life.
Lessa sighs, leaning back in their chair. “I’m going to need a cocktail for this.” They keep fidgeting with an invisible speck of lint on their pant leg.
The tic is familiar. Someone he knew from before did that.
“Wait, so who were you?” Jett asks as he scrolls through his device. “There are a lot of articles about you from your time. Did you know that?”
Even though Jett is doing his own research, James tries to explain, as it is unlikely the articles accurately represent him. “I was an entrepreneur. A job creator. I had a business and made investments,” he says, thinking that about sums it up. Before, those words would have felt like enough. They feel brittle now as he speaks them to these future people. But surely there are still people like him?
Jett continues scrolling as Lessa leans over to look at his screen. “You were a billionaire,” they say. “That was a lot of money then, right?”
James rakes his fingers into his hair as he buries his face in his hands. The heels of his palms press into his closed eyes as if the action might soothe the sting of the memory. “Yes, that was a lot of money.” And he can do it again. He will do it again.
“Did you have a will?” Lessa asks.
“It wouldn’t matter if he did. A manupartner couldn’t claim it even if The Great Equalizer hadn’t wiped out all personal wealth from his time.” From Jett’s tone, he doesn’t realize he’s delivered a crushing blow. James makes a mental note to research the ominous-sounding event.
He must appear crestfallen, because Lessa frowns, seeming genuinely concerned. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“It’s only money.” Jett waves a pale hand through the air as if it’s no big deal for James to learn some historical event would have wiped out any legacy he might have passed down because, of course, he had a will.
Lessa smacks Jett’s arm. “Don’t be insensitive. Clearly, James isn’t upset about the money. Speaking about the past probably reminds him of the family he’s left behind. Right, James?”
Jett gasps. “Wait, were youmarried?” He says the word like it tastes funny.
