The Prisoner - Carlos J. Cortes [97]
“Is he the leader? Your benefactor—is he running the operation?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know if they’re the same person. I’ve never met him—either of them.” Laurel narrowed her eyes. “We’ve spoken on several occasions; that’s how I know Russo is my father. My benefactor, as you call him, outlined his plan, but it was my decision to become involved. Only Tyler has met him, and I trust both of them.”
“Why did you do it?”
“Ideals is the byword, but it’s more complex than that. The offer came at a difficult point in my life. I was depressed and feeling useless. This was a chance to do something important, something that could change our society a little, and … I wanted to confront my father. It may seem puny, but I wanted him to know I knew of his cowardice.”
He reached for her hand and wrapped long fingers around it. It felt good. “What about Lukas?”
“Money. A new life.”
Floyd nodded. Another puzzle piece to slot into whatever picture was forming in his mind. Laurel followed his profile, sharply delineated against the white wall. “And you?” Laurel asked. “They told me you didn’t ask for much money, only enough to settle your debts and pay off your ex-wife, so I assumed you were also a puny idealist. But you seem to view idealism with distaste.”
“My involvement was supposed to be slight, and I believe that hibernation has the potential to be a godsend for humanity, but the science is still in its infancy. And if the status quo continues, it will remain so. Let’s face it, next to nothing has been researched since its beginning—Hypnos has made sure of that by keeping a tight rein on the snippets of technology they license. Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for free enterprise and for the rights of businesses to extract profit from their patents, but this is different. Hypnos has kept the lid on a technology that could herald a new era for humankind.”
“How so?”
“Reducing trauma in patients enduring long surgical interventions was the original reason behind the hibernation research. The U.S. government, however, had already thought of using hibernation to store people and ordered NASA to keep a watchful eye on the research, to be ready to pounce and seize the technology to send astronauts to far-flung destinations.”
“Yes, but besides cold storage in its different guises, what else could you use hibernation for?”
“The medical applications are countless; many illnesses are lethal because of how fast they spread through the system before the body defenses can kick in. Think of cancers and all sorts of opportunistic viral attacks. A hibernating body with only a fraction of metabolic activity could have its defenses boosted to a point where an infection would be history as soon as it appeared. For vaccines, we could study the viral mechanisms in slow motion. And develop much more sophisticated surgeries.”
“But I thought these avenues had been explored already.”
“Only superficially; most work has been done by the military or Hypnos itself. Imagine what would happen if the technology became available to researchers: Tens of thousands of brilliant minds could study untold applications. They could open avenues we can’t even imagine now. Take endangered species; once the processes responsible for damage and decay were fully understood, the species could be placed in long-term hibernation. Food preservation is another possibility. This technology is in its infancy, and the possibilities are infinite.”
“Was that the carrot dangled before your nose?” she asked.
“If they could cajole Hypnos into freeing the technology, there would be untold opportunities for research.”
“And there aren’t many people around with your expertise.”
“That’s about it. Of course, I had no idea of the DHS’s involvement.”
“Come on. Who else? They had to be in it somehow.”
“Not really. I’ve been aware of center occupants for a few years, and so have scores of others.”
Laurel jerked back in shock. “You what?”
“This is a relatively small industry. I always thought the extra space in