Chapter One

                On the sky of the largest lunar cities the clouds were programmed to pour rain for the vegetation that lived in parks and the roofs of the never ending malls and shopping centers. Even though the crucial decade, when the population suffered from life threatening diseases, passed, a large number of people were still wearing masks and protective latex suits. Some were still disinfecting their bodies before entering their homes and made genetic or allergy tests on the food and clothing they were buying. When it was rain time on the schedule, nobody walked outside.

                The City of Gold was indeed the largest and the majority of the population was working in the science field and it was also the richest. The other people around were the political groups and the guards - but they didn’t have any social life. This city was also the best protected place, not just on the Moon. It was better protected than any other places on Earth. Babel was very proud to remind everybody this. In front of the Highest Tower - the majestic building where he solely lived - were no less than 64 guards with no background and no memories, designed for one purpose only: to protect the Golden God. The people that arrived in the city, on any route possible, were checked for weapons, diseases, DNA inheritance that tracked their family members and their criminal records for more than a hundred years. Everywhere else there were placed mindless guards that followed orders blindly.

                The other six smaller cities around were quite prosperous themselves, but the people from there were not making so much money like the scientists and the politicians. Anyway, they could not be happier, because now, after the genetic crisis disappeared, they lacked nothing.

                Maybe just seeing their god and protector in flesh and blood as often as they used to a long time ago was something they missed. Some people even assumed that their lord, Babel, was so badly affected by the epidemic that the special serum had no effect on him and he remained forever ill. It is true that he sent them holograms with best wishes on celebrations and holydays, but he stopped visiting the other cities. Even the politicians from his city complained that they simply can’t agree all the time to have his hologram around in their meeting rooms instead of him, in person.

                  The only people that had access to him were his most trusted scientists, meaning Wilhem Sand, Linus Genopole and Padma Sell. They usually went on foot from their offices and the people who saw them and knew them so well were aware that they were on their way to see the Big Man. Today it was only Linus and Padma on their way to the Highest Tower, the man holding a white case and the lady holding a giant umbrella above them. They were recognizable by their personalized latex suits, Padma was wearing a pink one with leopard patterns applied and Linus was having his simple silver one. They were both well built and Padma was attracting most of the looks. People greeted them, but nobody asked anything about their business with the boss. They already knew there will be no answer to that question. Their eyes followed them even after they entered the building without being checked, which meant they were surely expected.

                The rain stopped so everybody minded his own business.

                        The elevator took the two on the top store, which was the only populated one. Babel lived there because he loved watching over the seven cities. Linus was not very fond of visiting him there, because such highs always made him nervous and dizzy. Their lord welcomed them in his ceremonial manner, though Linus knew it was only a spectacle he put on and loathed him a bit for wasting his time with invitations to tea that he constantly needed to refuse or invitations to dinner. Padma always said yes to everything he had to offer, but Linus knew exactly what was going on when she told him to go ahead alone, because she wanted to stay a little more.

            ‘How’s life in BSP building, friends?’ he begin his usual interview, putting a red robe on his shoulders, full with fake rubies and sapphires.

            ‘But, who knows?’ thought Linus. ’With his money, maybe he could afford to find real precious stones!’

            ‘As usual, sir!’ Padma said, taking a seat on the comfortable sofa tapestried with the best synthetic fur possible. The presidential apartment was a jewelry of a place to live in. It has the best of every existent artificial materials created in the laboratories and the other six cities. The woman took the conversation in her hands, while Linus opened the case, looking around and then at the glabrous man.

            ‘So?’ Babel looked back at him. ‘What results do we have with DHEMMI?’

            ‘At the moment only 60% of the fetuses survived. We have a very unusual one, number 43. It seems it didn’t respond to all manipulation we tried with it and it developed to be fully anatomically equipped.’

            ‘Meaning?’

            ‘Meaning it is showing signs of a genital apparatus, sir. A functional apparatus, if I may assume!’ Linus said.

            ‘We didn’t plan for that to happen, did we?’ the Golden God said, sipping his tea.

            ‘No, sir. But this is mostly an experiment, as you called at the beginning. We couldn’t say what would have happened next. Hopefully the other DHEMMIs will develop as well as number 43 without a genital apparatus!

            ‘But another aspect of this matter is that number 43 seemed to develop the best qualities it was created for and more. 43 is having the best intellectual development, anatomical potential to survive, it has the best regeneration potential and most of all, the superhuman aspects of it are more than expected!’ Linus explained.

            Babel looked very interested and puzzled in the same facial expression. He got up from the sofa, thinking profoundly, approaching the giant window with his full of rings hands behind his back. Maybe he wasn't so sure at the beginning that this would actually work, but now he had to think about this like he would have thought for a serious problem.

            ‘If you come to good consideration, it would be better for us to infiltrate a DHEMMI that resembles humans as much as possible. One that lacks a sexual apparatus would be so easy to discover. We only need to sterilize it when we send it down to the Impious, like we do to the working class we own!’ he said without looking at them.

            ‘The Impious found a way to cure themselves from the sterilization serum, sir!’ Padma said calmly. ‘Don’t you think that we would take to many chances sending to Earth a clone with reproductive potential? And, most importantly, isn’t it too risky for us to keep a clone able to breed, considering the superhuman aspects it is going to possess?’

            ‘Let’s do it both ways, then!’ Babel said. ‘Grow them all, number 43 and the remaining survivors until they reach a proper age! Manipulate their subconscious for their mission and their future behavior! And we will decide which one to send down there to end the Impious era! To end the life of that dirt that haunts our nightmares and prevents us to build a perfectly peaceful society!’

            ‘Should we start the “Kill Ten Kafka” program, then?’ the woman asked.

            ‘Yes. And keep me updated with their daily development!’ Babel turned to them. ‘You can both flee now! I’m going to hit the gym and try the new massage program the Afrikan created this afternoon!’

            Padma looked disappointed as she followed Linus out. Babel took the case and put it on his office desk for further study and took off his robe to go in the next room where the gym was.