Taking the pen that is on the table already, I sign my name at the bottom. In the spot where you put your fingerprint on the smart e-paper, I press my thumbprint to it. I then turn the paper around and offer it to Mrs. Laman to look at. She confirms that I signed it, asks for the pen I still have in my hands, signs it herself where it says witness, and thumbprints it as well.
“Thank you, Jeff. I am sorry I had to do this, but once we talk about it, you will see why. These two gentlemen are from the FBI, but from a small division you would not have heard about,” Mrs. Laman says, her demeanor doing a total 180. “And I am also sorry I had to do this to you,” she says, pulling away a section of the contract that had seemed blank to me. I look and see writing that hadn’t been visible before.
“What the hell!” I say in shock, as I grab the contract and read the section that was just uncovered.
I also hereby give my body and my mind to Paradigm Alpha. I agree to abide by their choices for my welfare, work location, and job title from now until I die. I shall not in any way, shape, or form fight Paradigm Alpha in any Court of Law regarding the terms of this contract. I also agree not to discuss it with anyone, as I have given away my rights to Paradigm Alpha with my admission of guilt for espionage against the government of USACan for giving technology to the Chinese government that would have allowed China to bypass the Satellite Defense Network and kill millions of USACan Citizens.
“What?” I scream at them in horror. “I did none of those things, and you know it!”
“Be that as it may,” one of the suits finally says, “You are now the property of Paradigm Alpha and the USACan government, to do with as we see fit.”
“Agent Mead? If you will allow me?” Mr. Broady says to the agent.
Nodding, the agent sits back. “Now, Jeff, we are sorry we did this to you, but you have to understand we have a good reason,” he starts.
“Mr. Broady, what good reason would you have for making me a damn slave!” I ask him hotly.
“William, call me William,” he continues, ignoring my brief outburst. Sighing, he sits back. “Trust me. We have a significant reason. Where do you think we will be in, say, ten, twenty years from now?” he asks me. The question throws me off guard, and my anger disappears in a puff of smoke.
I look at him oddly and ask, “You mean Paradigm Alpha? Probably richer, better tech. Why?”
“No, not Paradigm Alpha, the world. Earth?”
I laugh at that question. “Knowing the way things are going, probably in a nuclear apocalypse.” But I stop laughing when I notice no one else at the table is laughing with me. “What, seriously?”
“Seriously,” says the other suit. “Name is Agent White. No. It’s not a code name,” he says at my raised eyebrow. “Our projections say that within a year, there will be another nuclear warhead detonated somewhere on Earth, and the chances of it being in the USACan are very high. So, with the help of Paradigm Alpha, the USACan government has come up with a plan to save as many people as possible.”
“You mean the rich and those who can afford it,” I tell him bitterly. Yeah, sure, save the human race. Right.
“No, we will be saving many genetic samples. We have been for the last two years,” he says.
What? Genetic samples? How is getting genetic samples from people saving them? “I don’t get it? What do you mean samples? You have been collecting humans?” I ask him, confused.
“No, samples. Blood DNA samples.”
“And how is that going to save humanity?” I ask, perplexed at his answer.
“Are you sure you want him in on this?” he asks both my bosses, and both of them answer quickly, “Yes!”
Sighing, he turns back to me. “We have collected over three million blood DNA samples. Over one million female egg cells, or oocytes, and over one million male sperm cells. These are stored in a deep bunker on the moon. What we need is an administrator to watch over the system,” he finishes.
I gape at him in shock. I am not sure if it’s the number of samples they have collected or the fact that we have a base on the moon. I guess my brain knows which one since I blurt out, “We have a base on the moon?”
“We do, but we need someone to watch over them, for when, as you called it, the nuclear apocalypse happens, and it’s over. We need someone to watch the system with all the human minds in it.” It takes me a second or two to finally clue into what he just said.
“What! What do you mean, human minds?” I ask him.
“And this is where we get to the chief issue. We cannot take humans as they are. They would die. So we will upload folks onto what we call The Doomsday System. Think of it as a big VR system, but for human consciousness. The technology works, thanks to Paradigm Alpha. Most folks can be uploaded, but they are just on pause, as it were. Not able to interact with The Doomsday System. Think of it more like storage,” he says.
“So wait, you want me to get uploaded with them, so I can watch over them? But how is that going to work when my brain will be in storage? And I hope you aren’t going to say you have some kind of new technology that will make me immortal,” I tell him with a nervous laugh.
“No, you will be uploaded along with them. But there is something unique about you,” Mrs. Laman says quietly.
I give her
