De Novo (The Gene Thief Series Book 1 - Short Story) by Jason Cole Read Free Book Online Page B

she had ever known.
    One day she woke up in this empty apartment, nothing but a small TV and couch. Bare bones kitchen, no artwork, and a small mattress in the corner. In her mind, she knew there had to be nicer apartments. Elegantly designed and decorated, brimming with technology. Despite all that, this was home. Over time, this became her haven. A place for rest and recuperation.
    Other than the TV, the only other thing that captured her attention was the mounted device inside the wall. It stood out in a dull apartment like this. The images it projected were so detailed and clear. Detailed holographs floating in midair. No idea how it got there, it seemed to serve a singular purpose. Revealing her next mission.
    She finally dropped down from her handstand, grabbed an old towel hanging off the arm of the couch, and wiped her face. She threw the towel back, and sat down on a cushion on the floor. She folded her legs inward, a posture she had seen a monk do somewhere. Named after a flower, the lotus or something like that. She closed her eyes and started to drift into the nothingness. A state of being she had grown to love. The simplicity of the room allowed her to appreciate the power of stillness. The universe which existed internally.
    Just as the influx of thoughts slowed, she heard it.
    Beep. Beep.
    This meant one thing. Her next mission was here. She made her way over towards the screen, and six inches away, a document appeared in thin air.
    Mission #45.
    You are to obtain a gene located in a remote area of the rain forest. We have determined which individual carries the target gene and a picture is attached. Standard operating procedure applies. If the gene is delivered on time, payment will follow. Be nimble, and be invisible.
    She always resented the last line. Nimble and invisible, as if it took effort to do so. Not long after she woke up in this apartment did she realize she had this uncanny and innate ability to disappear. It was almost comical how she’d make people question their reality. They would wonder if their eyes were deceiving them. If the small female was there, or if she was just a figment of their imagination. When she was a naïve and immature gene thief she used to pickpocket and steal things from right out in the open, without grabbing a second glance from onlookers. This pastime proved to be the only way she knew how to add some excitement to her life between missions.
    At the bottom of the projection, she looked at the danger level. She wasn’t sure what criteria they based this on, but in her experience the numbers were accurate.
    It read: 5.5. Not the highest level she’s ever completed, but no walk in the park either.
    A normal person would go mad not knowing who pulled the strings from behind the scenes. The one making all of the decisions, providing the necessary supplies, and dictating the next move. It didn’t bother her though. She couldn’t remember anything else. She knew she had a life before this, but nothing concrete to hang on to. No definitive memories to savor.
    Besides, the rain forest seemed enchanting. She had never been there and the thought of it intrigued her. Other than the massive amounts of rain and poor conditions, she was excited to explore one more new area of the world. Of all the risks that came with her line of work, at least her job offered a lot of travel opportunities.
    Once her luggage was packed, she walked over to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and cracked open a secret compartment on the interior wall. Vial after vial of fluids. Red, green, blue, and other vibrant colors. These vials represented her tools, weapons, and safety. Her lifeline in whatever situations she got herself into.
    The only thing as important as her vials was the camera that had been given to her. One quick scan of a drop of blood, and it could sequence an entire human genome. Attached on the top of the camera was another holographic projector which showed her the target gene,