““Look, I don't know where you get your delusions from, but there's nothing left for us on Earth. The shuttles are leaving tomorrow. Period,” the voice of the President echoed throughout the now nearly bare laboratory of the science collective known as the Community – the best and brightest minds who survived the near-apocalyptic solar flare known as the God Spot that wiped 80% of the Earth's population in a single burst of fire, flame, and utter fatality.
“But sir, if you just gave us one more week, I'm certain that we—”
“Sarah—”
“It's Doctor Mitchell. Sir.”
“Doctor Mitchell. I'm well aware of your groups' fascination with cell regeneration and manipulation, but we're simply out of time. I have the world to think of. Now. Not your futuristic magical fantasy. I'm shutting you down.” The sound of the video call ended with a loud *click* of the screen slamming shut.
“Well. I guess that's that,” a young woman named Darcy O'Halloran scoffed, “A lifetime of research drained once again to humanity's hero complex.” A murmur of agreement, disdain, and frustration echoed through the six women left in the room.
“Predictable,” Sarah Mitchell, one of the original founding members of the Community exclaimed. “They will delay the shuttles for some billionaire's fantasy failure of robots saving the world, but god forbid actual scientists with real proven records of regenerative success ask for the same support…” Her voice trailed off as she crumbled into a chair in defeat, clutching her crystal locket out of habit - an heirloom that's been passed down through the women in her family since before the family history was recorded.
“Who's to say we need their support?” A voiced called out from the back. It was Amara Aye, the youngest, and most recent member of the Community. The rest of the women perked up at the curious questioning as she stepped forward. “I mean, we're still here, aren't we? The shuttles aren't leaving until tomorrow. We can still do this. But we've got to work quickly. And we've got to work together.”
“I'm in,” nodded Zorana Hlavic.
“We've nothing left to lose anyway,” Darcy agreed.
“I mean…what's one last hurrah, right?” Lwesi said in jest.
“Sarah, we've still got samples…” Zoe added.
A pause echoed as the colleagues waited for the last of the group to reply. With a deep breath Sarah stood from her chair, pulling down her goggles.
“Okay. Let's save humanity.”
***
“Okay, this is our last shot at this, folks,” Sarah wiped a bead of sweat from her brow as she pulled the last of what she called the Role Model's DNA samples from the cool storage. “Regardless of what happens next, you're all heroes in my eyes.”
“Aw, I love it when you get sappy,” Lwesi retorted sarcastically as she fired up the computer monitoring software she programmed specifically for the Community's research and study of biologically engineered cellular restructuring. Mutated cellular growth was nothing new to humanity – what started from exploring cancerous cell growth and decay, the scientists have collectively been able to not only counter and combat these disasters throughout their combined decades of experience, but also reverse and completely reengineer their abilities unlike anything humanity has seen before. Not a living being…but change its coding entirely. “One day, we'll see society's greatest potential yet,” Sarah remembered her grandmother telling her as a little girl, “But it's only going to be possible if we all come together.”
“Alright, so who's on deck for some cellular fusion today, ladies?” Sarah set a tray of containers on her stand. “Looks like we've got a senator, an Olympian, a scholar—”
“Ooh, any chefs?” Darcy called out. “What? I'm hungry.”
“What about a mother?” Zoe suggested. “Sure seems like the world could use some more love these days, eh?”
“I think Zoe's onto something. One mother who also happened to be a great leader coming right up!” Sarah said, selecting a DNA sample amongst the collection of samples pulled from the most powerful, benevolent, and awe-inspiring voices of Earth's history before beginning the excruciating fusion process of genetic mutation.
“What if it doesn't sustain with new human tissue again?” Lwesi said nervously, standing behind a glass wall in order to monitor the project's levels. “We still haven't found a suitable component that can store the cells safely for human regeneration.”
“Sometimes you just have to believe.” Amara stated matter of fact. “We're trying to manifest the human spirit of the greatest voices from our past and present to change the future for the greater good. That's all they had at times. Maybe that's all the difference.” “Besides,” interjected Zoe, “I think it's what they would've wanted. The abilities of many coming together for the greater good.”
“Just like us!” Zorana smiled.
“Just like…us.” Sarah said through gritted teeth. It was time. One last fusion process all down to the press of a single button. “Zoe, I'll give you the honors.”
***
“Levels are looking good!” Lwesi noted after the two samples of microscopic cells began to connect. “All signs are pointing to…wait…”
“Oh no!” Darcy exclaimed, pointing to the fusion, “It's happening again!” The women watched in a collective as the inner reactor of the lab began to flash a warning, the components of the DNA not able to fuse on their own, rejecting the experiment.
“No!” Sarah yelled out, throwing her gloves in frustration. “Not again. We've got to hold it. Something stronger than the glass.” She pulled her goggles back on and marched towards the fusion chamber.
“Sarah, what are you doing? It's not stable, you can't go near it!” Zorana burst out, “Who knows what an uncontained sample could do if you're exposed!”
“You're right. Who knows, indeed.” Sarah looked down at the test tubes, fizzling with two samples rejecting each other like non-polarized magnets. She took one bare hand and covered the top, looking back at her colleagues to reassure them. “For humanity, right?”
And with one swift motion, the team watched as Sarah snapped off her family heirloom, clamping it over the failed experiment in a last ditch effort to save their cause. “If you don't want to come together on your own, well, maybe we can coax you some other way.” Both hands now clasping the crystal shut, and silence took over the room. Amara nodded solemnly, as she put down her goggles. One by one the rest of the women followed suit – stepping into the reactor as Sarah clamped the crystal over the fusion, each of the woman held on, holding it in place as they held their breath.
“Did it…?” Zorana started.
“I'm scared to look.” Lwesi said, taking a breath as she stepped back.
“You're not wearing gloves!” Darcy called out, pointing at her superior's bare hands, still cupped out the crystal. “You didn't…get any on you, did you?” Sarah's eyes widened as she looked down at her now empty hands, the only remnants of her crystal the faint trace of dust coating her fingertips as she gasped.
“It fused…with me.”
“So the theory is that the crystal and DNA fused with you? Is that what you're telling me, Mitchell?”
“Doctor Mitchell. Not just the DNA…the crystal itself. And it's not a theory. I know it.” Doctor Sarah Mitchell, a founding member of the science collective known as the Community, said with resolve to the President, her eyes a bit brighter, her demeanor calm than when they previously spoke.
“I know it seems impossible, Mr. President but…ever since the fusion, well, I don't know how to explain it, but she knows things now. Impossible things.” Zorana Hlavic confessed.
“And it didn't just fuse with Doctor Mitchell,” another voice belonging to Zoe Swanson, another one of the founding Community members piped up.
“Zoe!” Shushed Darcy, furrowing her eyebrows while staying out of the President's line of sight. Zoe's cheeks burned red as she looked away.
“What?!”
“It's true, sir,” Lwesi replied. “After the successful fusion and integration of the altered DNA with Doctor Mitchell, we, uh…we all took part in the experiment. Turns out crystals really are magic, ha!”
“It works, sir,” Sarah said confidently, turning back to smile at her peers. “We've successfully managed to integrate the altered DNA of history’s greatest voices, leaders, and champions with ours.”
“It changed us,” Zorana continued, “When we're together we, well…we're different. I can see things differently. Clearly.”
“I can do things. Physically impossible things,” Darcy reluctantly added.
“And I…I can mirror anyone else's abilities. Maybe even combine them?” Zoe added while thinking aloud, her eyes brightening at the concept.
“Show him!” Lwesi suggested, gesturing to a small carrier sitting behind Sarah on her desk. The doctor lifted the front gate and out walked what looked like it was once an ocelot, but was mutated, burned, and altered by the devastation of the Godspot flare. What should have been a snarling, deadly creature that has since wreaked further destruction on surviving humans and other animals, was now curled up purring in the doctor’s lap.
“How on earth…?” The President stammered in disbelief. “One of the Flaremarks…and it’s…docile? How is this possible?” And then, as if connected by a singular train of thought, each of the women lifted their arms, showing just how much the fusion indeed changed them. Almost made of crystal themselves, their skin changed right before the President’s eyes on his screen. Iridescent shades of blue, purple, green like the sea. Red, orange, yellow like the Godspot flare. Pinks, purples, and periwinkles mimicking the dancing northern lights. Together a rainbow of energy pulsating through the screen, as if he could feel it with them in the room himself.
“The fact of the matter is, sir, that we’re all different now. The world is different, too, but it’s not dead. Not yet. We can save it. Together. I know we can.” Sarah urged. “It’s not too late to change your mind about the chances of Earth’s future.”
“I…I believe them, sir,” a voice off-screen was heard speaking to the President as his silently studied the women on the video call a world away from him. “I don’t know how to explain it, but something feels…right about this.”
“Here,” Lwesi stepped forward, her skin now as bright green as once the forests of the Amazon. Extending her palm forward was a patch of dirt where before there was nothing. And right before the President’s eyes unfurled a stem, reaching for the sky like a child stretching as it wakes, a single leaf blossoming followed by a bulb, a petal, and suddenly a flower was in Lwesi’s hand. “All it takes is a single seed for a forest to grow.”
The Community glowed, both in spirit and in the room physically. “We’re not asking for your permission to continue our mission, sir,” Darcy said, the reds and oranges of her crystalline form now echoing the same firey color of her hair, “But if we’re to heal from the wounds of the godspot and its offspring, as well as humanity’s past failings, we need to do so together.”
The President took a breath before speaking. “For the first time in a long time, Doctor Mitchell, it appears I have hope,” he paused as collected his thoughts, a wave a peace flashing in his eyes. “I look forward to one day soon thanking you in person.” And after a brief smile, the call ended, leaving nothing but the reflective glow of iridescence on the screen.
“Well,” Sarah glanced at the rest of the Community as she smiled, “Where should we begin?”