Chapter 9 - Bad news

* Sunday - January 27th, 2002 – 6:00 am (Day 6) After Jarod escaped from the Centre with the few decrypted files, he travels and locates a building on the outskirts of town. He climbs the stairs of an abandon warehouse at the exact coordinates that were in Emily’s coded message. He approached with pre-calculated pattern of footsteps to let his father know it was him that was coming. He carefully opened the top door…

MAJOR CHARLES
“Good to see you again son!”

JAROD
“Dad, I got an emergency message from Emily … What is wrong?”

MAJOR CHARLES

“Bad new son it’s Gemini … I am afraid he is dying”

JAROD

“No! I did not have time to get the Gemini File, it had already been breached!”

* Jarod and his dad peek into the back room where Gemini is laying on the bed.

MAJOR CHARLES
“Emily, has diagnosed that the problem is in his blood proteins. There was a flaw in his genetic sequencing. We do not know if it was intentional or not but there is a protein in his blood that neither you nor I have. It is deteriorating his body chemistry. Emily left to find your mother to see if she has any answer to this? Ethan is in here talking with Gemini”

JAROD
“Hasn’t the Centre done enough damage? Now they are playing God! It is time we really stop them now! Have you tried their main frame?”

MAJOR CHARLES
“I can’t seem to get past their new firewall”

JAROD
“Well, I can”

* Within minutes and lots of typing … Jarod scanned through many files and found PROJECT GEMINI … coming out of PROJECT GENE in Africa?

JAROD
“PROJECT GEMINI: Pretender Gene Splicing. Gemini was the first of many experiments in which to clone the Pretender Gene (Subject 1 – Jarod). Many experiments failed due to blood incompatibility between the clone and the surrogate mothers. Those who did go to full term, died along with the mother at child birth. Gemini was conceived in an artificial womb. As a result needs daily supplement of enzymes to keep him alive. Without a continual nutritious diet, Gemini cannot survive outside the Centre”

ETHAN:
“Jarod, he is calling you!”

GEMINI
“Jarod, Jarod …”

JAROD
“I am here … Hang on we are going to figure this out…”

GEMINI
“No, Jarod, It is no use. I need to tell you … While I was in the Centre alone, I created my own simulation. It was the most uncomfortable thing I could have ever done! … Jarod, I became Mr. Raines!”

JAROD
“You what?”

GEMINI
“I simulated being Mr. Raines. His mind is so twisted and he is so self-righteous. I am the first of many to come! I was biologically designed to expire if I ever ran away. There is no cure and it’s too late to go back... Jarod, you have to stop him now! Plans are being made to make more of us in The PROJECT GENE. There is more I …

JAROD
“Take your time…”

* Gemini fell into a deep unconscious sleep and slept until morning. He woke up and called for Jarod again

GEMINI
“I have very little time left … Jarod, you must destroy “PROJECT GENE” and you could also destroy the Curse of the Parkers!”

MAJOR CHARLES
“Please hang on Gemini … You are my son and we will fight this together!”

GEMINI
“Thank you Dad … for making me feel like family! I am your Son … and Ethan’s brother, and Jarod … I am your twin brother and I am you. I am also dying. I will have to live on inside you from now on … thank you for giving me li—“

* 9:00 am (Day 7) Gemini closed his eyes for the last time. Nothing else could be said as teary eyes were all around … It seemed to be hours of silence. Jarod slowly put the sheet over Gemini’s head.

ETHAN:
“I am sorry Jarod”

JAROD
“It’s time we end this for good…. Ethan, are you up to making one last package for the Centre”

ETHAN:
“You’re Damn Right”

MAJOR CHARLES
“Jarod, there is one last thing … its Zoe … I have lost contact with her… I was going to go there after we found the problem with Gemini but …”

* Major Charles stopped and looked at Ethan. Jarod turned as well ... Ethan had a blank stare in his eyes, he shook his head and sat down, It was like he was looking at someone

ETHAN:
“TT. TT, ZZ, TUL, Jarod … I am not sure … Jarod, you need to go to her ... Go to her now!”

MAJOR CHARLES
“Jarod, you can’t take the airport son, the Centre is monitoring all channels… I can fly you!”

JAROD
“No, I’ll get there … Help Ethan! I will be back as soon as possible!

MAJOR CHARLES
“Ok, go son, Ethan and I will prepare a package for The Centre. Special delivery! We will be ready!”

* 9:25 am Jarod did not hesitate, nor did he say a word he left immediately. He could not help but think the worst … all emotions came to the surface.… Worry, Love, and even Revenged festered in his heart as he speeds over 110 MPH. He drove all night and dodged ever speed trap he calculated through four states ... but his car could not travel fast enough… Still two days away, maybe sooner If he drove faster…

JAROD
“Zoe, I am coming …

* He floored his car even faster! He drew upon every piece of experienced he knew, angle of the curves, velocity, and road conditions and even weather charts with the knowledge of an Indianapolis race drive. He never stopped driving... What was normally a three day trip traveled at top speed, Jarod drove in two… Finally speeding down a very long country dirt road …  it was Wednesday Morning, 7:49 am, he pulls up to her grandmother’s house and skids to a stop….jumped out and yells …

JAROD
“ZOE!”

* Her grandmother came out... and from the look in her eyes … Jarod already knew what she was going to tell him. She was crying, the whole family was!

GRANDMA:
“Jarod, I am so sorry”

* She flung her arms around him, crying as she held him…

GRANDMA:
“She loved you so much Jarod. She died last night. Her last wishes were not to tell or call you. She said her greatest moments of her life were with you and did not want anything else to stop that memory. The last memory she wanted was of your loving arms and smile … not crying over her death bed! … We buried her this morning in the back meadow by the tree, where she will always be close! … She wanted me to give you this note …”

* Grandma could not say another word. She just handed Jarod the last note Zoe wrote. 

Tears filled Jarod’s eyes. He felt his heart burst. A pain he has never felt before. It took over all of his senses. With a cry that could be heard all down the entire mountain he ran out. He was trembling! He was not ready to read! He ran and kept running and did not stop for hours. He found the highest mountain he could climb … Once on top he yelled the words … “ZOE” … and then collapsed for the rest of the day. No time was passing. He was stuck in a moment that seemed to last forever. His heart was pounding painfully in his chest. He caressed the letter, but he was afraid to read it. With trembling hands he looks at it.

JAROD
“ZOE!”

*His eyes were blurry with tears as he opens the envelope...

To My Beloved Jarod ….. The love of my life!

After your dad rescued me from Mr. Lyle and Mr. Cox, I lied to you about being in perfect remission. I just wanted to spend what little time I had with you in joy and laughter. I am sorry that I could not tell you the truth. I always wanted you to remember me as young, active, loving, caring and full of life. The way I started to feel after I met you.

I did take all the cancer treatments, like you asked. The treatments did not go well. I just didn’t want you to see me with the loss of all my hair, bed ridden, unable to walk and my health fading. I could barely breathe. I could not even eat. Even after all that, the doctor told me I had very little time.

I could never put you through that. The only thing that kept me alive was your smile and loving face. I held on to that as long as I could. And that is when I realized that I already had what l have always wanted in my life. You.

You gave me the happiest times of my life and I will never forget “Our Road Trip”  Here are our photographs of how I want to be remembered, with joy to fill up a life time!

I want you to always remember the best parts of me … Always happy, always smiling … And I will always be beautiful in your mind. That way, I can live forever … Happy!

Please promise me you will find your mom and thank her … for giving me you!

And just put tulips on my grave!

I love you always

 Zoe --- XOXOXO

 
* Jarod let out a wail. He has never really cried like this before. It was frowned upon at the Centre. He knew what physical pain was or loneliness pain, but never before had he felt the pain of the ripping of his heart and soul within his  very existence. He speeks to himself ...

JAROD:

Is this what dying feels like? No, it is worse; it hurts so badly … I would rather be dead!

* Nothing in his past has ever prepared him for this. Addiction, physical abuse, emotional betrayal, torture, nothing even came close to the depths of the pain pounding in him right now … he did not feel he could ever be happy in his life again. Misery was now his closest companion.

* He spent a three more days walking, crying, yelling… no food, no water; just agony seemed the only sense that kept him alive. He had no more energy, no more tears left, numbness took over his body, and his mind was completely emptied. He knelt down at Zoe’s grave and then looked up to sky and finally said:

JAROD:
“I promise Zoe, I promise!”

* Jarod drove into town … He came back with the largest truck he could find, with as many tulips that he could carry. He spends all night planting around her grave and planted more than a 1000 tulips. It was everywhere within 100 feet of where she laid.

JAROD:
“I promise Zoe!”

 *He stayed under that tree with her for rest of the week. He slowly wandered back to grandmother house where they were all waiting for him….

GRANDMA:
“Jarod, thank you for giving Zoe the best life she could ever have!”

 
* Day 16, He had been awake for over 7 days, could not say a word. He kissed her on the forehead and hugged her for the longest time. He turned, left his car and slowly walked away…