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to Claire,
"Were grateful for being released from a life of misery." The high
ranking military officials are not happy about the speech delivered
by Alisha, threatening them with "Designer revenge," should they
engage in this type of abhorrent behavior in the future. The
spontaneous combustion of a nearby trashcan augments the threat. I
can't be sure if Bernie is grateful for being on our side or
regretful, but I hoped the former. I was beginning to have a soft
spot for the woman and wanted her to stick around for awhile.
    ***
    The six of us are silent as Bernie hands us
each a packet with our name on it. I accept mine, along with
Claire's and get up to leave. One of the lead scientists clears his
throat, "Um, you may want to review it here, so we can be available
for answering or clarify any questions you may have." I shake my
head, looking around the table at the scientists who were part of
the evaluation team. I can't be sure, but judging by the level of
concern they are exhibiting at releasing the confidential
documents, I would venture that they have already reviewed the
results.
    "Cat should definitely be present to review
Claire's profile, after all she is her legal guardian," I say, a
claim that nobody verbally disputes. The lead scientist nervously
taps his pencil on the table while he exchanges looks with
Bernie.
    "Bernie, is there something you need to tell
us?" Elizabeth asks on our behalf, also noticing the subtle
uneasiness of the team.
    "Yes, we looked at each of your profiles and
there is something you should know," she says pausing.
    "See, I told you," Burke interrupts, not
bothering to keep the accusation private.
    "What is it Bernie?" Alisha prompts,
ignoring Burke altogether.
    "Well, most of the genes in the genome are
self-explanatory. For example, a copy of the gene CR2H was found in
almost all of you. It's a gene that's found in large cats and is
responsible for speed. A copy of the gene AG2K comes from eagles
and is responsible for enhanced eye sight. The list is extensive,
with an average of fifty to seventy identifiable animal genes that
correspond with enhanced physical traits. Almost all of the variant
genes come from some animal species; however, each of you has
variant genes that we were unable to identify as either human or
animal.
    "What do you mean?" Alisha demands.
    "Genes that are not found in nature," the
lead scientist blurts out. It's not the answer any of us was
expecting.
    "We'll keep testing it against anything
already in our database, but right now we suspect it to be a
synthetic strand of DNA," Bernie explains.
    Elizabeth gasps. "You mean my dad built an
entirely new strand of DNA from scratch?"
    "It appears that is precisely what he did,"
Bernie answers somberly.
    The four-hour plane ride back to Canada is
uneventful, even with the storm brewing over the Rocky Mountains. I
don't bother connecting mentally to assist with navigating the
aircraft through it; the five others manage just fine. Even landing
on Brandon's icy airstrip is effortless. I spot Cat standing on the
deck from almost a mile away, and my chest tightens. I clutch the
two packets even closer as I contemplate her reaction to the
outcome of our DNA mapping sequence. All of us decided to wait
until we were home to review the results, however now I almost
regret not having previewed the packet. I had no way to prepare
her, other than with what we were told by Bernie.

CHAPTER FOUR
    RONAN
    My hands are shaking as I open my packet and
begin the tedious job of decoding the map that will unravel the
mystery of who I am. The others are sitting around the large dining
room table with their packets in front of them as well, and the
room is silent with the exception of the crackling sounds of
burning wood from the fireplace. Claire is the only one absent from
the event. Tired from the trip back, she was ushered to bed early
by Cat. It was just as well. As brilliant as she is, no one expects
her to grasp the significance of the