The Einstein Pursuit

50

Payne studied his hosts, trying to get a sense of their mood. ‘When was the last time any of you heard from Berglund?’

Rita pointed at Sahlberg. ‘Mattias talked to him roughly two months ago. As for the rest of the group, it’s been closer to three months.’

‘Why did he pull away?’

Gambaro shrugged. ‘We aren’t sure why — nor do we know what he was doing. And that’s what has us worried.’

Fell nodded. ‘Someone of his skill, with his abilities, must be handled with care.’

Grossman agreed. ‘Monitoring his activities is essential.’

The comment upset Sahlberg, who pounded the table in frustration. ‘He’s not an experiment to be handled or monitored. He’s a man — a brilliant one at that. His thoughts are his, not ours. We have no more right to them than to the blood in his veins.’

Payne put his hand on Sahlberg’s shoulder and patted it gently. He wanted to quell the rising emotions before things got out of hand. ‘Everybody just take a deep breath. I can see where you’re all coming from, and everyone has a valid point.’

Jones spoke next. ‘Mattias is right: a man is entitled to think whatever he likes, without the need to answer for his thoughts. However, the fear felt by the rest of you is justified. I think we would all sleep a little more soundly if we knew exactly what he has been working on.’

‘What have you done to find him?’ Payne asked.

Rita answered. ‘Inquiries were made, but we were forced to do so delicately. We are not, as you might have guessed, a group that welcomes publicity. It was our hope that someone as recognizable as Tomas would be unable to fly under the radar for very long. Unfortunately, it seems we have underestimated his skill set. Apparently he is as talented at avoiding detection as he is in other areas. In fact, we were hoping you might be able to help us.’

‘With what?’

‘Filling in some of the missing details.’

‘We can do that right now,’ Payne said. ‘We know that Berglund was running human trials in Stockholm. The coroner located synthetic cells in several of the fire victims.’

‘So,’ Gambaro said, ‘we’re no longer dealing in hypotheticals.’

‘I’m afraid not. The cells are very much a reality,’ Sahlberg said. He went on to describe how his research in immortal cell lines might have influenced Berglund’s experiments. For the most part, the science was way above Payne and Jones’s understanding.

‘Does that technology pose a threat?’ Payne wondered.

‘That depends upon his intentions,’ Rita offered cryptically. ‘If Tomas was studying ways to prolong life, I imagine there are those who would stop at nothing to obtain his research.’

‘How does a synthetic cell prolong life?’ Payne asked.

Sahlberg answered. ‘If he can somehow overcome the limitations of a synthetic cell’s inability to replicate, then he could effectively design a human body that would flourish for an unnatural period of time. Synthetic cells would be immune to the ravages that destroy natural cells. Cancer and other diseases would not be a concern. What’s more, the natural processes that determine a cell’s life cycle would not exist. The cell could be manipulated to grow to a certain point, and then it would simply stop growing. With nothing to kill it off, it could remain that way for ever.’

‘You’re talking about immortality,’ Jones stated.

‘Yes and no,’ Grossman replied. ‘No one can say for sure what the neurological impact of immortality might be — the reality of never ageing beyond a certain point may drive a person insane — but Tomas’s research was aimed at extending human survival.’

Jones shifted uncomfortably in his seat. ‘I’m starting to see why you guys liked keeping track of Dr Berglund.’

‘Then I’m hoping you’ll assist us further,’ Gambaro said. ‘Based on your experience with the MANIACs, you are particularly suited for the task at hand. We can finance your endeavor in any way that you choose, so long as there is no direct association with our group.’

Jones stared at Payne, who stared right back. Neither needed to be psychic to know what the other was thinking. Their operations with the MANIACs were classified above top-secret. How in hell did the Einstein Group know about their training?

‘You guys work fast,’ Payne said with a laugh. ‘Granted, I kind of figured that your group had government connections, but still …’

Rita cocked her head to the side and faced Sahlberg. ‘You didn’t tell him?’

Sahlberg shrugged. ‘I didn’t know I could.’

‘Tell me what?’ Payne asked.

‘His file, please,’ Rita said.

Fell raised a briefcase off the floor, opened it, and removed a manila folder. He slid the folder across the table to Payne.

‘Jonathon,’ he said in a comforting voice, ‘you’re a legacy. We’ve been following your career for quite some time.’

‘I’m a what?’ Payne demanded.

He whipped open the folder and stared at its contents with a mixture of excitement and confusion. On top was a black-and-white photograph of four people sitting around a table, their glasses raised in a toast. Payne recognized the man in the middle as Jonas Salk. To his left was a much younger Mattias Sahlberg. Next to him was a sighted Rita Dawson. And to Salk’s immediate right was a college-aged Andrew Payne.

‘My father?’ Payne asked incredulously. ‘My father wasn’t a scientist.’

‘No,’ Rita explained, ‘but he was a visionary. He understood that scientific discovery comes with a cost — a literal cost, one that can be measured in dollars and cents. He realized that most investments would never see returns, not when financing projects on the fringe of known science, but he endorsed these attempts regardless. He supported projects like the polio vaccine and others that were dismissed as flights of fancy. Without him and those like him, the Einstein Group would be little more than a debate club.’

Payne furrowed his brow. ‘My father was still an undergrad at Pitt when the polio vaccine was announced. There’s no way he could have financed Salk’s research.’

‘Not alone,’ Sahlberg agreed, ‘but don’t underestimate his powers of persuasion. Your father took it upon himself to approach every big-money family in the Pittsburgh area in his search for support. And in the forties and fifties there were quite a few big-money families in the area. He convinced the Carnegies, the Rockefellers, the Mellons and the Heinz family — not to mention all of their friends on Wall Street — to support Salk’s work.’

‘You’re too young to remember the magnitude of Salk’s discovery,’ Rita explained. ‘When the polio vaccine was announced, the news swept over the country like a joyous wave. Radio programming was interrupted to broadcast it. Those who had televisions were able to watch the announcement live. Remember, this was an era when even presidential addresses were taped and then broadcast at a later time, so a live feed was extraordinary. Shops and department stores relayed the news across their loudspeakers. Businesses closed so that employees could go celebrate. Even judges suspended their trials so that they could rejoice.’

She smiled at the memory. ‘But what I remember most was the sound of the church bells. They rang from coast to coast, loudly trumpeting the defeat of the horrible plague that had affected so many children. All of it thanks to your father and men like him. It was his first contribution to our cause, but it certainly wasn’t his last. In our circles, everyone would come to know and respect him. Turn it over. Read the inscription.’

Payne flipped the photo over and saw a handwritten note. The writing was scribbled and unsteady, but still legible.

Payne handed the photo to Jones before turning to Sahlberg for an explanation. ‘You’re telling me that my father knew Albert Einstein?’

Sahlberg nodded. ‘They met a few days before the polio vaccine was announced on April 12, 1955. It’s a good thing we visited when we did. Albert died six days later.’

‘You introduced them?’ Payne surmised.

He nodded again. ‘We took the train from Pittsburgh to Princeton. It was the least I could do. Besides, it was hard to say no to Albert when he wanted to meet someone.’

‘That’s pretty cool,’ Jones admitted.

‘Pretty cool indeed,’ Sahlberg replied.

Rita continued from there. ‘So you see, Jonathon, you have been under our microscope for quite some time.’ She laughed at the pun. ‘For many years, it seemed as though your chosen path might never cross with ours. But now it seems as though they were fated to intersect. We could use someone with your training and expertise. Someone like you and David.’

Payne glanced at Jones, waiting for his response.

All Jones could do was laugh. ‘It’s freakin’ Einstein, dude. How can we say no?’