Read The Eden Project: Humanity's Last Chance for Free Online Page B

capable of this,” Doctor Becker pleaded. She set her hand tenderly on his shoulder. “Just let him go. He’ll never speak a word of this place. You won’t do this. Please, Nathan, you’re not a killer.”
    Doctor Quarna slowly removed her hand from his shoulder. “If you think I won’t protect this project from anything or anyone, then you don’t understand me at all, Doctor Becker.”
    He started to type the sequence code. Doctor Becker stood in disbelief while she watched him typing the long code. She had no choice. She jumped on his back and grabbed his arms.
    Doctor Quarna spun her around, grabbed her arms and restrained her in a violent bear hug. He nodded to Claudia to come to his assistance.
    “Claudia, can you take care of this for me?”
    The compact, but powerful Claudia easily took control of the delicate body of Doctor Becker to allow Doctor Quarna to finish.
    “Claudia, you can’t want this. Can you really be so heartless? Hoss is your friend. Please!” Doctor Becker pleaded without hope.
    Doctor Quarna started over with the sequence code. “In one way or another we all sacrificed our lives for this project.” He glanced back at Doctor Becker regretfully. He finished entering the sequence code this time and lifted a finger above the ENTER key.
    Doctor Becker could not watch. She hung her head.
    “Wait!” Claudia yelled.
    Doctor Quarna held his hand above the button. He exhaled and closed his eyes deeply frustrated. “What is it now?”
    “It’s the dome. Look.”
    Doctor Becker lifted her head to the images of sweet, concerned faces. The kids were on every screen. They were all watching the sea, waiting for the final act of this strange happening.
    Doctor Quarna saw the faces too, but his hand remained just above the button. No one must ever leave the Dome. No one. Not until humanity’s last chance was fully realized.
    They watched the camera slowly panning the faces of those kids who seemed younger and more innocent than ever before. An unknown fear grew in their eyes.
    They had started to realize what the siren meant.
    The camera stopped moving. It focused on Ada’s small face. She stared out through the glass confused. Involuntary tears began to well in her big blue eyes.
    “Nathan,” Doctor Becker said, waiting for him to look at her. “Hoss would die before he said anything about this place to anyone.”
    His anger still brimmed over. He peered into her eyes and through her, blaming her for everything and wanting to make sure she knew it.
    He turned back to Ada, exhaled his fevered contempt and then slammed down a few quick keystrokes. The sequence screen closed, the control module closed, the cameras turned off and the siren stopped screaming its manic cry. Doctor Hossler would sail on.
    The silence now was nearly as deafening as the sirens had been.

-8-
    The last of daylight touched down on the distant sea. Darkness was coming. Adam sat up on his perch and watched anyway, watched the sea fading to black. The glimmering blue ocean would soon disappear just as Doctor Hossler’s boat had disappeared hours before, cutting slowly through those salty waters and disappearing into the world beyond.
    Gen walked down the ramp of Eden Sphere 1 carrying a wicker basket full of ripe tomatoes. She reached the floor of the dome and took a sharp left toward the main corridor. She adjusted her grip on the overfull basket. A tomato rolled right off the top.
    She carefully set the basket down and squatted to pick up the escaped tomato. She spotted Adam above in his usual place staring sadly out on the darkening waters.
    She clutched the tomato with both hands and watched Adam. The clever teenage rebel seemed more like a conflicted boy to her. Did she really fear this lost boy? Was he really so dangerous? Could he single-handedly bring about the end of the human race?
    Maybe she had been too hard on him. Sure, he had helped put them all at risk by helping Doctor Hossler leave the Dome, but his