Tweak

Finally, a night to himself and the next day, he would have a day to himself. Ash had excused himself in the afternoon to go see Bri and wouldn’t be back for several hours. From seeing Bri, that was, Layaent took up a good deal of Ash’s time in the evenings as well.

It seemed the family was very good at cultivating a relationship between two people. Breeding pairs were, for the most part, basically arranged marriages. A lifetime contract, raising children and such. When breeding pairs worked together, they worked better and when a breeding pair worked better, their family unit worked better. When the family units of an entire family worked better, well, the family worked better. And when a family worked better, they made more money, which meant they had to work less.

For the few like Shin, having to work less was a good thing. A very good thing. A fully working family meant that the family could afford a security connection that was worth as much as an altered foetus so that Shin could work at home.

Shin’s aunts and uncles had realised what was going on, as word spread around about Shin and Ash, and had suddenly taken an interest in him. The extended family hadn’t avoided him because of his parents, they all wanted to be very clear about that, they had avoided him because they didn’t think he was interested in them. He still wasn’t entirely interested in them, but with Ash by his side and everyone wanting to be introduced to the big male, he hadn’t much choice but talk to others.

He always felt like the extended family pitied him, like they looked down on him, and not just because he was a runt, but because they didn’t see him as their equal.

Take the great-aunt Io, whenever she spoke to Ash she very gently patted Shin’s arm. The way she did when she was trying to calm a crying child or reassure someone with a broken or damaged limb. Io, along with her six sisters, at least Shin thought they were sisters, ran the infirmary. Anyone who took a chill, scratched themselves or suffered side effects from their genetic alterations, went to Io and her sisters.

Joral, the new head of household, bent the rules for Shin, dismissing him from a meal to go eat in the kitchen. The man even allowed Shin to simply laze about in the garden for an hour when he should have been carrying on a conversation with his generational siblings.

Shin didn’t do it to annoy Joral or to poke or cause problems for the head of household. He simply lost track of time.

Without his mother curtly informing him of every appointment or his father ordering him out of the house to see the museum or the park or something involving social interaction, Shin simply lost track of time. There was no where to be, no absolute need to get anywhere. His work was done from home so really, the only day that mattered was the next day, his day off in a seven day.

Shin settled at his desk and made himself as presentable as he could before he turned on the camera phone and called the museum. The place was in an uproar, Joral had demanded an overhaul of security features and by damned, when Joral demanded something it happened or funding was withdrawn.

“National Museum, how may I take your inquiry,” the secretary said as four workmen in the background removed her desk, “please excuse the work crews, we are currently renovating.”

Was that what they were calling it?

“Put me through to those in charge of the power displays please.”

“One moment please,” she clicked Shin onto hold.

Hadn’t even introduced herself, how did he know that-

“Thank you for calling National Museum, Ahta Miush, third generation power user, how may I help you today?” the woman who answered the phone had the brand at the hollow of her neck with an odd symbol off to the side. It took Shin several moments to recall how to count in numerals.

She wasn’t just a power user of the third generation of commoners, Ahta was a third generation power user. Her mother or father had been a user and their mother or father had been a user. Ahta had generations of knowledge to draw on and no doubt had lenient rules when it came to dealing with the government.

“Shin Ishteshtin, ten generation-”

“I know who you are,” Ahta said, looking unimpressed, “what you are and every item you possess.” she paused for the briefest moments, “Joral leased me from the government and placed me at the museum. If I do a good job, he may even purchase me, and my mother and grandmother, from the government. So let me tell you straight out.

“I will not be giving you any information you are not allowed and I will not be swayed to breaking procedure. I am going to obey every aspect of my lease to your head of household and do my damnedest to do, what he considers, a good job. Understood?”

Shin was not a rich spoiled brat. But, if she knew every possession Shin had, then she knew about the ring and the fact that he stole the ring kind of made him a rich spoiled brat.

“Understood, as you well know,” Shin raised his right hand as if promising something, but managed to flash the ring, “there is a predicament that my family has. Someone stole the ring.”

“That they did, what’s your point?”

“I would like to know what investigation has been done,” Shin said.

“The police dropped the investigation,” Ahta said quietly.

“Is the Ishteshtin family investigating?”

“They have other things on their minds. An officer by the name of Bri has been stopping by every day to try to butter me up but without a warrant, I will not be giving her information. I am conducting my own investigation, to try to seal off any problem areas.” Ahta shuffled through some papers and then stopped and glared at Shin, “why do you ask?”

“I want to find a certain display.”

“A,” Ahta’s head cocked to the side, “display? We haven’t got a display. The last one died and the government refuses to issue us a new one.”

“Can… I be told where the old one came from? Who brought it to the door, who signed for it?”

Ahta blinked at Shin, “shipping and receiving. Hmm. Let me verify your authorization and I will let you know.”

“I’ll wait.” Shin sighed as the screen went on hold. He rubbed his face and sat back in the chair.

Talking with a commoner was so much easier than talking to a genetic. He didn’t have to watch his words or try to distinguish any double meanings. The words said were the words that were meant. Shin liked Ahta’s attitude and wondered if he could speak with Joral and have things swayed in her favour. Though outright purchase of a power user from the government was expensive as could be. Ahta’s children’s children’s children would still be paying back the debt.

Ahta popped back onto the screen, “authorization verified. The company that brought the shipment in was Gomesh Genetics, apparently they were responsible for reviving a fifth generation’s genetic material and placing it into a second generation commoner. This resulted in a power user. The power user was registered and brought to the museum because of her ability to perform upon request. She signed a ten year contract with the firm, at the end of which time, with good behaviour, she would be allowed to have one child.”

Shin scribbled down notes. He would have to call Gomesh Genetics, the company’s records had been cracked so anyone could access them until the sixth family took over the business.

“Who signed for it?”

“A museum curator who is no longer with us.”

“Could I have his name and number please.”

“No, you can’t, because he’s dead.”

“What?” Shin looked up from his paper.

“He tried to put the ring on his finger shortly after accepting the shipment, it drained him of his life force and the resulting explosion shattered four irreplaceable relics. The display passed from him and to the power room, now I’ve not been down there to speak to them about the display-”

“Please do,” Shin said quickly, “and call me back. Ask them if they recall anything about the display. I know she was female, I looked right at her, but that’s all. Maybe there’s something they remember about her that will add to the description.”

“Who exactly are we looking for? Why is this display important?”

“I think,” Shin stressed the word, “the display wasn’t a display at all. I think the display was a power user that infiltrated the museum to try to steal the ring.”

Ahta blinked at Shin several times, “that’s not possible.”

“We also, two weeks ago, thought it was impossible for the ring to be stolen. Would you be so kind as to ask them about the display, and call me back?”

“Yes, of course, I will,” Ahta nodded, “Ahta out.”

And the screen went black. Shin gave himself to the count of three before he dialled Gomesh Genetics. The woman Shin had spoken to, back when he had been investigating the Meita family popped onto the screen and smiled kindly at him.

“Hello and thank you for calling Gomesh Genetics, you dream it, we create it. This is Evera Gomesh speaking, daughter of the chair, heir of the company. Four years customer service with third to tenth generations. I, myself, am a seventh generation, how may I help you today Shin Ishteshtin, fifteenth born of the tenth generation, sixth born to the Ishteshtin line and genetic investigator?”

Shin wasn’t entirely certain how to word it so he just came out with it, “is it in your company’s policies to revive the genetic material of a generation no longer reproducing and place it with the genetic material of a commoner of a much lesser generation?”

Evera went a funny colour, “whatever do you mean?”

“I’m talking about a display that was shipped to the National Museum, a broken chain, with power. She signed a ten year contract to produce one child on good behaviour, a fifth generations genetic material was implanted with a second generation’s material. Something that is illegal in fourteen of fifteen cities.”

“Of course it’s illegal,” Evera said quickly, “the biological standards of the fifth generations cannot combine with the biological standards of the second generation. The body must be prepared over multiple generations for the biological standards of, say myself, to be placed in them. I can assure you that we have never done such a thing and never will.”

Shin’s computer informed him that he had an email from Ahta, “one moment,” he flipped the screen over and read the email. A quick jotting of the purchase order number. He memorized it and flipped back to Evera’s screen, “Purchase order number 19786452179a.”

Evera typed it into her computer and the funny colour returned, two shades darker than before, she pressed a fist into her stomach, “That order was a third generation display named Mally.”

“Mally who?” the name rang a bell inside Shin’s head, it made sense, it fit.

“She doesn’t have a last name, she was a tweaker of the company. We’re permitted one each generation and she was ours,” Evera took a breath and began furiously typing on one screen while she continued to speak to Shin on the other, “she was an attempt to make someone with without power, she was an unfortunate failure in that aspect, presented as a power user and we registered her. The government allowed us to keep her so long as she served ten years. Because she’s a break through.”

“A break through in what?”

“From our Power Research Division.”

“PRD?”

“Yes,” Evera nodded, “nearly every company has one but each one calls it something different. The capability to turn on or off the power gene. We found a way to turn it on but flipping the switch the other way just turns it on again. I’m telling you this because-”

“You have to, I know.”

“No. Because Mally was switched for off.”

“That means what to me?”

Evera sighed and an email popped up from her, on Shin’s screen, “From what we know of myth and legend and such. Mally could give the Emperor a run for his money. And she didn’t have a ring to boost her powers.”

“Why wasn’t this reported before?”

“Mally has been lent out to many museums, you must realise. Nothing has ever gone wrong. This is her fifth year of service. At no point did Gomesh Genetics think that Mally was a harm to herself or to others. She is a very bright young girl.”

“Girl?”

“Yes, girl. Mally is fourteen years old. As is shown in the email I just sent you.”

Shin frowned and shook his head, “that’s not possible, the display I met was at least twenty-five.”

“She’s a powerful user,” Evera murmured, “I highly doubt she did what you think she did. But if she did, hypothetically, want to escape. Why, the only thing stopping her is the chain of command that we inserted into her genetic material. If Mally did, whatever it is, that you think she did, she is not the one responsible. Mally is a superimposed submissive.”

“Superimposed means what exactly?”

“Think,” Evera paused a moment, “a dog. She’s a puppy just looking to please.”

“Does she have a handler?”

“No,” Evera shook her head, “everyone at Gomesh Genetics has dealt with Mally at one point or another. From my father and right down to the cleaning staff, as we do with all of our tweakers. They are never alone and they are never without people to talk to or entertain them. Gomesh Genetics allows its tweakers to have full run of the non-science based facilities.”

“Could you send me a list of the places Mally has been lent to and how long she was there. Dates and who took her there and brought her back?”

“I can do that, of course. Would you like to speak to Mally, once she gets up from her nap?”

Shin frowned, “she’s there, now?”

“Yes, we don’t like to wake her from her nap, when we do, she gets upset,” Evera said, nodding.

“I. Yes, I would like that, when does she get up?”

“In an hour or so, I will ring you when she wakes.”

“Thank you, I appreciate your cooperation.”

“Gomesh Genetics lives to serve. Goodbye.”

***

“They won’t give me any information whatsoever,” Bri snapped at Layaent, “how am I supposed to do my job when I can’t investigate a crime because your family is sitting on the information? And don’t tell me you don’t have your own crew investigating this because I know it’s a lie.”

Layaent blinked at Bri, “I assure you, we have no one investigating the matter. If there was someone, it would have to be myself, Ash, Shin or Joral, as we are the only ones who know. If anyone else found out that Shin had power my family would not only be shamed, but we would have to hand him over to the government. Who have made it very clear that they don’t care if a person is a genetic or a tweaker, that person, if found to have power, belongs to the government. We are not going to pursue the matter.”

“So instead you’ll break the laws?”

“We break them all the time,” Layaent responded as Ash settled into the seat across the desk from the genetic. It was going to be a long argument, he was certain, “Ash can’t take out a breeding contract because the government won’t allow him to. To even get him off of the force and as a member of my household without getting him branded was impossible. They won’t even allow us to purchase him back because we’re not the original owners of his genetic material and the only ones who can purchase him back are the Meita.

“Then do you know what your precious government did? They laughed in my face and hung up on me because the Meita family hasn’t got any money and is the original owner of the genetic material, therefore the government doesn’t have to sell Ash to anyone. They own him. We had to lease him at double the price as it is and they still threatened to brand him despite the fact that he will be returning as an officer of the law.”

“Don’t say my precious government,” Bri snapped.

“They’re trying to wrestle control away from the families, the council of six has been called to parliament to answer for the atrocities that affected fourteen million people, who Gomesh Genetics’ side division, the one that does alterations on commoners, fucked up with their class four, five and six felonies. As if it’s the council’s fault!”

“Well they should have audited the family! Or the company or something!”

Layaent sat back, “the auditors are now being audited and four of them are being executed for taking bribes, Bri.”

“Oh,” Bri straightened, “seriously?”

“Seriously,” Layaent looked to Ash for help, “tell her that we don’t have an investigation going on, tell her that we’ve no intention of taking any sort of action against Shin or this power user.”

“Maybe the power user knows how to get the ring off of Shin’s finger without killing him,” Bri countered.

Ash pointed to Bri, “she has a point, Layaent, we still have to get that ring off his finger. Yes, it’s rare that an occasion pops up when a genetic needs to remove their ring, but if the government is calling the council of six to parliament, then we have an issue on our hands. Our rights and privileges are about to change. Soon we won’t be able to wipe our asses without asking the government for permission.”

“Are they investigating?” Bri snapped at Ash.

“Not as far as I know. None of us have had time, Bri,” Ash sighed out, “believe it or not, a family falling is a lot of work. We have to go over securities and sell all their stuff and the paperwork of transferring a genetic company.”

“Not to mention the council of six is planning on fully auditing every family,” Layaent muttered.

“What?” Ash asked.

“Yeah, a sort of report card on our status,” Layaent explained, “this report card will be given to the parliament explaining who has been charged with what and if a family has succeeded in not being charged. The Ishteshtin line has already handed over to the council all of our files.”

“Why not ask a third party to audit the families?” Bri asked. “Your method is like the officers of the law investigating themselves when a crime may or may not have been committed by one of them.”

“You have to realise,” Ash said, “the genetic and tweaker families have a good deal of secrets that they don’t even share with newer generations. To unlock our files to an outside source would be to give away our secrets.”

“Shin’s not the first one a family has had to cover for,” Layaent muttered, “and he certainly won’t be the last.”

Bri crossed her arms and glared at both men, “I don’t like either one of you right now. You’ve got secrets every which way and you’re keeping information from commoners and the parliamentary system and you’re not even investigating into your own brother being a victim.”

“We don’t want people to delve into Shin’s records,” Layaent growled.

“I am upset and annoyed and possibly angry,” Bri said, “I’m leaving.”

“You do that,” Ash murmured.

Layaent watched Bri storm out of his study and looked at Ash, “should I be going after her?”

“Give her some time. She does that when she needs time to think. Apparently it’s something commoners do,” Ash muttered, “what did you mean,” he sat forward in his seat, “when you said you didn’t want people delving into Shin’s records?”

“Did I say that?”

“His record doesn’t say anything about him being a power user, or about the ring, so, what else is going on with Shin that I should know about? And, does it have something to do with him being called Shin?”

“Being called Shin?”

“It’s the last syllable of his name,” Ash murmured, “he and I introduced ourselves night before last. Tradition dictates that the first syllable of a name is used for the public name. I don’t think it’s breaking any rules or anything, but when he introduced himself I almost called him Ess, even Shu might be acceptable considering the first syllable is more of just a letter than anything else.”

Layaent’s lips pressed together, “Fine.”

“Fine what?”

The man sat up and folded his hands, putting them on the desk, “Shin is Shin’s name.”

“Right. I got that from knowing him for two weeks,” Ash muttered, “I’m just wondering why his public name is the last syllable of his full name.”

“No, Ash, Shin is Shin’s full name. Sight, hearing immunity, neurons.”

“I’m not following.”

“The letters of your name dictate what genetic alterations are made, your public name dictates what was changed the most. Auditory, sight, hearing.”

“Ash…” Ash frowned, “I never even thought about that.”

“Because you weren’t told,” Layaent said, “Shin is a prototype.”

“A what? You can’t tweak your own family, that’s illegal.”

“Every company is allowed one per generation.”

Ash sat back, “but the company tweakers stay with the company.”

“They used my parents’ genetic material because my family made a request to them. He has biological standards, those aren’t listed in a name, because then everyone would have them and it just lengthens a name to the extreme.”

“That would make him a commoner.”

“Somewhat, and that’s the point, the Meita allowed your family to breed without biological standards, to do it the old fashioned way, to see what would come of that. My family chose to take a genetic family and give only enough alterations that he would be considered a genetic. He technically would have benefited from other alterations but the point was-”

“To see a commoner at tenth generation.”

“They can’t pay for the things we can pay for, they can’t afford to program their children without emotions. Things like that, they have to be done almost every generation. Things like height, second growth, once you flip that switch on, it passed from one generation to the next, especially when all parties leading to that child had the second growth.

“Shin’s file is covered with cases of nature because we made him that way. I shouldn’t say we, had it been my choice he would have been given every privilege of any other tenth generation. But some eighth generation looked at the commoners and asked the very basic question of what was going to happen when commoners hit our stage but didn’t have the social alterations and such to dictate how they behave.”

“Does he have a command structure built into him?”

“No,” Layaent gave his head a shake, “Shin’s. Odd, he doesn’t socialize with the rest of us because he wasn’t programmed before birth to understand the signs and symbols. He doesn’t see a hand wave and automatically translate it to hello. He’s had to learn that language as he grew and it seriously impeded his ability to socialize. You’ve probably noticed that Shin seems to over express himself.”

“At times it seems that way.”

“Why do you think that is?”

Ash frowned, “I. Don’t know.”

“Bri could tell you, any commoner could if they spent enough time around genetics and tweakers. You unconsciously move your hands to talk, it’s a way for us to have private conversations with one another. How many words do you and I actually use when Bri is out of the room? How much of what you understand, you take from my body language alone?”

“I. Don’t know. But now that you mention it,” Ash set his hands on his lap, “when we don’t want to be misunderstood we-”

“Clasp our hands before us. It’s a sign that we want to have a serious discussion,” Layaent looked down at his hands pointedly, “you make the transition very easily, you’re used to talking to commoners and so, in at least that aspect, you and Shin are a perfect pair. You can understand him and can make yourself understood to him. It’s not that he’s an idiot, don’t ever make that mistake about Shin, it’s that he can’t communicate his ideas. If it’s all text based, there’s no other way to interpret the words. So we let him have his connection.”

“Most of the family just thinks he’s slow, don’t they?” Ash asked, as he recalled how the family had reacted to Shin introducing Ash to them.

“Most of the tenth generation call him retard behind his back. Literally,” Layaent made a sign with his hand, “Those not of the tenth generation, myself and possibly Taya, know the truth.”

“How could Taya know the truth?”

“That girl hacks our system every other day,” Layaent growled, “she’s not stupid and she’s a sensitive in more than the ways of power. Built like that because she’s bound for either the infirmary or the nursery. She knows something is off with Shin, instinctually, and as soon as she realised it, she attached herself to him. Since Taya has come out of the nursery herself, she has been slowly pushing herself into Shin’s life.”

There was a knock at the door, “come in,” Layaent called.

Shin slipped into the room and closed the door. The young man stood there for a moment before he looked between the two of them.

“Am I interrupting something?”

“No,” Layaent said quickly, “nothing, what do you need?”

“Uhm, I. May have overstepped my bounds,” Shin murmured, “but I contacted the museum and found out who had delivered the display, who is the thief,” he pointed at Ash, “the museum sent me to Gomesh Genetics who told me about the display. It would seem that Mally-”

“Who is Mally?” Layaent asked.

“The name the display introduced herself to me as,” Shin said quickly.

The name sounded familiar to Ash, “might have been the name she gave me as well.”

“Anyway, Mally is apparently a fourteen year old tweaker belonging to the corporation. She was lent out multiple times and is currently at Gomesh Genetics and Evera, their secretary and heir, is going to call me when she wakes up so that I can speak with her.”

Layaent stood, “you mean that. That the thief could be a corporation’s tweaker and she’s a fourteen year old girl?”

“Maybe…”

“When’s she supposed to get up?” Layaent snapped.

“Any minute now,” Shin said, “I tried calling Ash and Bri before I came here.”

“Whose phone are they calling?” Ash asked.

“Mine.”

“Then why are we standing here?” Layaent growled, “let’s move this discussion to Shin’s room.”


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