CHAPTER 17 — THE FIRST PROJECT
Claire’s tracker led to an abandoned research center outside Boston.
The facility belonged to a shell company connected to the original Mercer network.
Grace entered with Clara, Ethan and Naomi.
Daniel remained behind to coordinate with federal agents.
Margaret and Lydia were placed under protection.
The building appeared empty.
Inside, they found laboratories preserved exactly as they had been thirty years earlier.
Embryo chambers.
Genetic records.
Photographs of dozens of children.
Claire was not the only experiment.
Project Eden had created eleven genetically selected infants.
Some were designed as biometric duplicates.
Others were created to inherit medical traits, wealth or political identities.
Grace found her own file.
Her grandfather had selected her before birth as the legal successor to the Mercer archive.
Claire had been created as a backup.
Clara was labeled an accidental pregnancy.
Ethan appeared in another record as a behavioral insertion subject assigned to Grace’s life.
Even after learning he was not her brother, the truth remained monstrous.
Their meeting had been engineered from childhood data.
Naomi found Claire inside the central laboratory.
Evelyn stood beside her.
Grace raised her gun.
“Step away.”
Evelyn did not move.
“I wanted Claire to see the truth.”
“You kidnapped her.”
“I invited her.”
Claire looked at Grace.
“I came willingly.”
“Why?”
“Because the destruction command did not erase Project Eden.”
Evelyn activated a wall of screens.
Ten names appeared.
Children from the original experiment, now adults.
A governor.
A military officer.
A media executive.
A Supreme Court clerk.
A billionaire investor.
All placed into influential systems.
“The network was never only blackmail,” Evelyn said. “It was generational control.”
Grace lowered the gun slightly.
“And you helped create it.”
“My father did.”
“You continued it.”
“I created Claire to defeat it.”
Claire looked at her.
“You created me to replace Grace.”
Evelyn’s silence confirmed it.
Grace approached.
“Why did you survive the island?”
“Because one of us had to finish this.”
“No. You survived because you could not surrender control.”
Evelyn looked exhausted.
“Perhaps.”
Clara entered the room.
“Federal agents are five minutes away.”
Evelyn smiled.
“Daniel called them?”
“Yes.”
“Then they will never arrive.”
A distant explosion shook the building.
The lights failed.
Evelyn had anticipated them.
Emergency doors sealed.
Grace looked at her mother.
“What did you do?”
“I removed the road.”
“You killed them?”
“No. I delayed them.”
Evelyn gave Claire a drive.
“It contains the identities of every Eden subject.”
Grace reached for it.
Claire pulled away.
“She gave it to me.”
“She is using you.”
Claire’s expression hardened.
“Everyone uses me.”
“I’m trying to protect you.”
Claire laughed bitterly.
“Now you sound like her.”
The accusation stopped Grace.
Evelyn watched with quiet satisfaction.
Grace understood the trap.
Her mother wanted conflict between the sisters.
Control worked best when everyone believed only one person could hold the truth.
“Give the drive to Clara,” Grace said.
Claire looked surprised.
“Why?”
“Because she is an investigative journalist. She can verify the names without either of us controlling them.”
Evelyn’s expression changed.
Clara accepted the drive.
“We release only what can be proven.”
“No assassinations,” Grace added. “No secret punishments. No family tribunals.”
Evelyn stepped toward them.
“You believe institutions will stop people who own institutions?”
“Maybe not,” Grace said. “But we will not become executioners.”
A shot echoed.
Naomi fell.
Evelyn held the gun.
Grace screamed.
Naomi clutched her side.
Evelyn aimed at Clara.
“The drive belongs to Claire.”
Grace fired.
The bullet struck Evelyn’s shoulder.
Her mother staggered.
For one terrible second, Grace considered firing again.
Ending it.
Evelyn saw the thought.
“Do it,” she whispered. “Prove you are different.”
Grace lowered the weapon.
“No.”
Evelyn smiled.
Then pressed a hidden detonator.
The research center began burning.
They carried Naomi toward the emergency tunnel.
Claire took the drive from Clara.
For a moment, Grace feared she would return to Evelyn.
Instead, Claire broke the device in half and gave one piece to each sister.
“No one controls the whole truth,” she said.
May you like
Behind them, Evelyn vanished into the smoke.
Again.
