Chapter 12 #3
David nods. “Exactly. This latest mass kidnapping is to see if the newer versions of the weave will work to change only fertility instead of everything. They’ll be able to test for that within twelve months, although if it was me running the experiment, I wouldn’t consider it a success until the children went through puberty. ”
My head is spinning as I try to grasp this. I don’t know a lot about biology, but I didn’t think DNA and genes worked that way… I guess magic and sorcery have a huge part to play in this?
“So,” Lily begins, “theoretically, within twelve months the CCA will have developed community DNA that has human-level fertility?”
“Theoretically, yes,” David agrees. “Unless my extrapolations are completely off track.”
“Would it be possible for them to then… I don’t know what term to use. Apply? Could they apply or transfer that to adults to improve fertility?”
“Again, theoretically… yes. Once they know what more fertile DNA looks like in each species, they could potentially develop a weave that would make that change in an adult. The same way we’ve developed weaves that change cells containing chronic or genetic diseases.”
Lily rubs the bridge of her nose. “So they could conceivably rally people to support them by dangling improved fertility as a carrot.”
“I’m so confused,” I admit. “I know what they’re doing is wrong, but increasing fertility isn’t a bad thing overall, is it?”
Percy smiles sadly. “Remember that our lives are longer than humans’, and we’re harder to kill—we heal faster and are susceptible to fewer life-threatening illnesses.
When you factor in our lifespan to a comparison between fertility rates, we’re actually just as fertile as humans.
Well, we are when we mate within our own species.
Cross-species mating can be a little more difficult.
But even knowing how long their lives are, people get impatient and want things now , especially things like babies.
Or they want their babies closer together.
So the concept of improved fertility will appeal to a lot of people. ”
“But it will increase community population levels.” Which doesn’t sound bad in and of itself, but there would definitely be a change in world dynamics if humans were suddenly outnumbered.
The CCA could potentially achieve their goal without ever even stating it or using the word “human,” simply by appealing to the community’s desire for babies.
“And we don’t know how the magic will react to that,” Percy reminds me. “There’s a reason for the current population balance. The magic protected us when it looked like humans would wipe us out. If things go the other way, it may very well step in again, and we might not like the result.”
“This is so complicated,” I mutter. “I feel like I’m doing a jigsaw puzzle without a picture of what the end result should be.”
“Well,” Percy stands, and we all follow suit, “hopefully these raids will give us a clearer picture. Sam, I’m sorry, you need to stay here, and someone’s going to stay with you.”
I sigh. I’m not really surprised by that. I never expected to be included in the actual raiding—I’m not trained for that—but if things were running as usual, I would have been in the control center. Potentially having a target on my back, though… “Fine,” I concede. “But nobody else needs to stay.”
“I disagree,” Percy declares with a steely look. He’s so mild-mannered, it’s easy to forget that he’s literally the ruler of the world and is able to wield existential magic. And then he’ll whip out his authority like now, and I’m sharply reminded.
“I’m with Percy,” Aidan says. “Sam, even putting aside the fact that you’re likely one of the CCA’s earlier test subjects and they’d probably want to retrieve you, a lot of shit has happened to you in the past twenty-four hours.
You may still not be past the reactions to the compelled shift this morning. Leaving you alone would be stupid.”
A glance around the room shows a lot of sympathetically agreeing faces. I shrug. “It’s your call.”
“I’ll stay,” Lily volunteers. She smiles at me. “Sam and I will hold down the fort. Just don’t forget to update us.”
“Regularly,” I add. “Don’t leave us sitting here wondering all night.”
“Will do,” David promises. He holds out my new phone.
“Here—switch your SIM over and start using this. I’ve set up a panic button feature.
Hit this button”—he indicates the power button—“three times fast. It’ll send a panic alert to all of us on the team and automatically activate the GPS so we can find you. ”
“If someone’s kidnapping him, they’re unlikely to let him bring his phone,” Elinor says, frowning. “But I guess it’s a start.”
“We’re investigators, Elinor,” David says dryly, already halfway to the door as I sink back into my seat, clutching my new phone. “Once the panic button alerts us and gives us his initial location, we’ll be able to find him. I’ll call Gideon and tell him and Andrew to bring Alistair and meet us.”
“Be discreet,” Percy warns, following him. “We still don’t know whether our phone encryption has been compromised. Take care, Lily, Sam. We’ll check in.”
And with a jumble of goodbyes, they’re gone, leaving me and Lily alone in the suddenly empty-feeling apartment.