Anthem's Fall by S.L. Dunn Read Free Book Online

a Vatruvian cell flourishing in a one-hundred-eighty-degree oven when the cell it was modeled after died at ninety-nine degrees. It’s an insult! My data collection is meticulous. I graduated number one in my biology program at Stan—”
    “Wait.” Kristen held up her hand. “So what you’re telling me is the Vatruvian cells have more robust physical characteristics than the original cells used to transcribe them? That shouldn’t be possible. They follow the original cell’s DNA blueprints—they have nearly identical genetics aside from some of the ones that code for structural proteins.”
    “I’m telling you what my data shows, what the facts show,” Cara said. “What they continue to show over and over again.”
    Kristen took a deep breath. “Okay. First of all, I believe you. But if that is true . . .”
    “It’s true.” Cara’s eyes narrowed. “The Vatruvian cells are superior to their biological counterparts.”
    “Good lord.” At once, Kristen understood the magnitude of Cara’s discovery.
    “That’s exactly my point.”
    “But how could that be possible?” Kristen pondered the basic composition of the Vatruvian cell. “How could the Vatruvian cells have traits that differ from the template cells used to construct them? They’re forged using mostly the same DNA.”
    “You tell me. You know the framework of the technology better than anyone on the team.”
    An undergraduate in sunglasses walked casually past them. Kristen ran a hand over her forehead, her gaze following his shoes as she waited for him to be out of earshot. Once his Sperrys were far enough away, she continued. “Aside from a few signaling hormones and structural proteins here and there, just about every aspect of the Vatruvian Cell is based off mimicry.” Kristen stopped to consider the details. “I guess it’s possible the synthetic composition could function at a more efficient capacity than the natural one. That could provide greater physical thresholds and strengths to a Vatruvian cell, but it runs counter to the whole foundation of our research.”
    “Well, I can tell you one thing that’s absolutely certain,” Cara said, her whisper staunchly matter-of-fact as they ascended the stairs to the Legrande building. “The Vatruvian cells are physically superior to their original cells—in every tested aspect. And Professor Vatruvia has explicitly threatened me against telling anyone about my findings. I have no idea what I’m going to do.” They joined a small group waiting to enter the large auditorium.
    “Unbelievable.” Kristen murmured, stepping over the tall entry threshold into the bustling auditorium. Several hundred people were crowded into rows of seats.
    “You’re telling me.” Cara sighed anxiously. She pointed to a poster by the entrance, where the Columbia student debate team’s program schedule was listed in a flowery hand. “Fitting subject for us.”
    Kristen turned and read the first topic: Ryan Craig, sophomore Anthropology major, and Alden Harris, consulting lobbyist for the Rijcore Company discuss the ethical principles in the ever-growing field of genetic engineering .
    “Oh boy,” Kristen said.
    They pushed through the standing crowd and sat in a pair of seats, Kristen still replaying the images of the replicating Vatruvian cell and all of its constituent parts in her mind. The Vatruvian cells were superior to their natural versions. Kristen had no doubt Professor Vatruvia knew this truth from the very beginning.

Chapter Three
Ryan
    R yan Craig sat in silence at a circulation desk in the Columbia student library. Dark hair fell across his forehead in a controlled mess, unchanged since he rolled out of bed late that morning. The slight shadow of a beard—simply the result of forgetting to shave—spread from his neck to his high cheekbones. He was absentmindedly checking and rechecking status updates on his laptop, his eyes half dozing and his mouth agape. His mind was inundated by