The Eden Project: Humanity's Last Chance Read Online Free PDF

her something just then, but Adam appeared in the distance. Gen pulled Tuna back by his arm to the shaded nook under the trees, out of Adam’s sight.
    * * *
    CLAUDIA CARDOZA HURRIED TO catch up with Doctor Quarna in the corridor as the others entered the conference room down the hall.
    “What gives, Doc?” Claudia asked. “These unscheduled meetings might work for the rest of you, but I have an electrical issue I’ve been struggling with today and I’d rather it not wait.”
    “I understand. I’d rather it not wait as well, but I did not call this meeting,” Doctor Quarna said stepping aside to let Claudia enter in front of him.
    Doctor Becker stood holding a stack of stapled papers. She started passing them out while Claudia and Doctor Quarna took their seats.
    “Thanks for coming everyone,” she said handing the last pack to Doctor Quarna who regarded her with concern. Doctor Becker cleared her throat and turned back to the others.
    Her heart raced, cold sweat moistened her neck and forehead. She watched them all glancing doubtfully through their small stack of printouts. “That’s it. I’ve gathered information from every possible source still left to us.”
    “What’s the point of this?” Doctor Quarna coldly asked.
    She had been planning this meeting for the past twenty-four hours and every time it was at the point when Doctor Quarna lost his patience that her plan always started to fall apart. Never did she let herself imagine he would lose patience so fast. It was too soon. The plan could fall apart now and she could have blood on her hands.
    “What you’re holding in front of you—”
    “And where’s Doctor Hossler?” Doctor Quarna surveyed the room again as did everyone else. Doctor Hossler was not present.
    Doctor Becker nervously watched the room become restless. Doctor Quarna started scanning through possibilities in his head, a place where numbers and scenarios process at alarming speeds.
    Doctor Quarna had graduated at twenty from CCID with his Doctorate in Medical Physics and added two more doctorates by twenty-three. When Doctor Becker attended CCID in the years following, stories of his genius bounced off the walls. It was said he had aced every test and every paper on his way to his doctorates, the only student in history of the school to do so.
    That means he had nothing wrong. Ever. Nada.
    “I asked Doctor Hossler not to attend while we revisited his request.”
    Doctor Quarna dropped his head. “You did what? We have met on this. It’s been decided.” He studied the papers he held as if they were contaminated and tossed them onto the table. He started to stand.
    “Please, listen!” Doctor Becker raised her voice, startling everyone.
    Doctor Quarna sat back down as did the other doctors who had followed Doctor Quarna’s lead. Claudia just shook her head.
    “If you turn to page three,” Doctor Becker said, pointing to Doctor Quarna’s papers now on the table. He picked them up, slowly. “You’ll see some startling new information on infected activity in the Northwest region where Doctor Hossler’s grandson is sheltered.”
    “It says attacks on shelters have subsided to the lowest rates in nine years. That’s great,” Doctor Quarna said, detailing the report for her, but his tone was less than impressed. “The lowest rate? Do you realize what that means, Doctor Becker?”
    “It means that the attacks are lessening,” she stalled and Doctor Quarna saw his opportunity to pounce.
    “No, it means there are far fewer shelters remaining and still they are found and attacked. There are still attacks. Attacks like the one that killed Doctor Hossler’s son. That attack probably is not even included in these stats. Most attacks never go reported because no one survives.”
    The other doctors gave her sympathetic looks as her points were crushed by the obvious truth. Claudia could not even muster sympathy and instead dropped her head to avoid eye contact.
    “Perhaps a second