Synapse: A Novel

By Ron Prasad

Dr. Frank Chambers, a geneticist, has just given his resignation at the University of British Columbia. Set to complete project SYNAPSE, a ten-year endeavor that he is certain will mark a significant point in time regarding human evolution, Chambers and his team of international scientists head to the Kerguelen Islands off the coast of Antarctica. Chambers has one goalto protect the information he has worked so hard to obtain.

As Chambers works on the finishing stages of the project, an inexplicable discovery is made, thrusting him into an enigmatic spiral that transports him deep into the Giza Necropolis of Egypt. In the company of new friends, Chambers is determined to go to any length to expose knowledge and more importantly, the truth. As stunning secrets hide within earths layers, the SYNAPSE team soon uncovers evidence that has the potential to forever change the way humans view themselves, Earth, and each other.

In this tale of action and adventure, a revolutionary scientist holds in his possession something so valuable that others are willing to do anything to get their hands on it. Now he just has to determine whom he can trust with his secret. His life depends on it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Sep 13, 2012
• ISBN: 9781475945331

Ron Prasad

Ron Prasad is the author of award winning novels “Paradox and Rebirth” & “SYNAPSE”. He lives and writes on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia. Visit the author’s official website at: ronprasad.com.

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Copyright © 2012 by Ron Prasad

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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ISBN: 978-1-4759-4534-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4759-4532-4 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4759-4533-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012915109

iUniverse rev. date: 09/05/2012

Contents

PART I Overlooking the Waterfront and The Velvet-Lined Box

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

PART II Touchdown on the Ice Palace and John Taylor’s Discovery

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

PART III Castles Made of Sand and The Theory of the Cycles

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Epilogue

A Note from the Author

For:

The foundation on which the structure stands:

Barry, Fraser, Shawn, Jody, Gellner, Stadnyk, Clayton, and Rogie

The bricks that make the castle walls:

Mike, Gary, Christian, James, Griff, Steve P., Billy, and Teddy

That which mortars the joints:

Seth and Drexler

And the radiant flowers that reach forever skyward:

Erin, Carrie, Loretta, and Denise

How lucky I am to be part of such an unbreakable fortress,

In such a rich and diverse universe.

Synapse: /’si-naps, se-‘naps/ (noun) 1. A junction of two nerve cells, consisting of a minute gap across which electrical impulses pass by diffusion of a neurotransmitter/ 2. The synapses in the brain, considered as an indicator of mental activity.

Trident Press International

The New International Webster’s Pocket Dictionary of the English Language, 2002

The universe cannot enter into the petty mind; the immeasurable cannot come to a mind that knows measurement.

J. Krishnamurti

To Be Human, 2000

PART I

Overlooking the Waterfront and

The Velvet-Lined Box

Prologue

Mount Ross

Kerguelen Islands, Antarctica

Yesterday

Despite the immediate danger, John Taylor grinned. Make sure your line is securely looped through! he shouted. This wind could take hold and plunge us into the abyss!

My line is definitely secure, sir! Gary bellowed. Let’s finish up and get back to the base! At times, they had measured storm-force gusts of up to a hundred kilometers per hour. There had been too many close calls, too many times when they had almost lost their footing.

In spite of every other obstacle, the wind is our worst enemy, John thought. He squinted through his goggles and looked up toward his young colleague. Though he was screaming his instructions, his voice was barely audible. I’m done here, he said. The cables look to be safely protected!

John took a deep breath and shouted again. We can head down now, but be careful! he said. Start retrieving that safety line!

Gary’s words were swallowed up immediately by the ravenous wind. Okay, sir!

John Taylor hoped it would be one of the last times he would have to scale Mount Ross. As the foreman on the project, he had the job of performing the final inspections. The work on the wind and solar systems his team had done appeared to have been impeccably executed, and he was proud.

Dr. Frank Chambers, along with the rest of the SYNAPSE team, were supposed to arrive in less than a week, and John had barely met his deadline. He temporarily ignored the wind and the sound of Gary securing his line and took a moment to absorb the panoramic view. He briefly closed his eyes and reveled in the moment.

John had spent much of his own childhood traveling around the globe with his father, a consultant for a major airline company. He had visited dozens of countries in his travels, but nevertheless, the view right there and then could never be duplicated in his mind.

For the last eight years, he had basically lived on the island; he would stay for six months at a time, returning home for a four-week leave between stints. The last of the remaining cargo had arrived by ship the previous day, and John and his team were scheduled for a few days of rest before the team arrived. It had been the most difficult job John had been contracted to carry out, but the rewards of being a part of such an important project were unparalleled.

It was a place of incomparable beauty; it had all the elements stacked against it but somehow managed to overcome them all. It was a wonder one could find such splendor among subzero temperatures and extreme desolation. On certain days, the temperatures reached far below zero, and the long stages of silence could make a person come within inches of losing his sanity. The landscape demonstrated the earth’s authority in its truest and most natural sense—its gentle, rejuvenating calm, as well as its raw, destructive power.

There were over seven billion people on the planet, but there was nothing for thousands of miles that would indicate this. Also known as Desolation Island, it was, in fact, classified as one of the world’s top ten most remote places. It was a landscape of virtually untouched natural beauty—that was, of course, until they had arrived.

As requested by the steering committee, they had not gratuitously tampered with the natural features of the islands, but it was impossible to build such a massive structure without changing the landscape in some way. John’s mind once again returned to his family, and he wondered what his son was doing at that moment.

Suddenly, Gary shouted at him, shattering the natural stillness. Hey, man, watch your footing!

John barely had enough time to look up before his legs gave way beneath him. Never lose focus and concentration was the first lesson John remembered from his mountain-climbing training. It was also the lesson he remembered then, as he plummeted, quite possibly, to his demise.

John’s left foot had rested on a loose rock when the ledge gave way, and his fall seemed to last an eternity. He landed with a vicious thud on his right side, expelling the remaining air from his lungs. His safety line coiled around his midsection.

John had fallen over a dozen feet onto a flat protrusion measuring half as much across. Landing two feet over to the left would have cost him his life. He quickly gathered his senses and peered over the edge. The plunge below looked to be about seventy feet before darkness enveloped whatever else was left of the drop. He let his head rest back on the terra firma beneath him and looked up silently. Gary shrieked into the two-way radio, Are you all right?

John struggled to regain his focus. After a short pause to catch his breath, he answered, still dizzy, Yeah, I think so.

Gary listened intently over the howling of the wind. Trembling, he finally exhaled, hanging onto his own safety line with the most ferocious of grips. John carefully patted his gloved hands over his torso, checking himself for injuries. A sharp pain shot up through his wrist. Shit, I think I might’ve sprained my arm, he said. I’m okay though.

Is it bad? Gary called down.

John slowly maneuvered onto his hands and knees and looked up at Gary. Not as bad as it could have been, he said. Take the extra rope in your pack, and spike an eyelet into the rock face. You’re going to have to hoist me up. Let’s see if you’re as strong as you claim to be!

Gary moved as fast as he could and went to look through his pack for the supplies. I’m on it!

As the remaining light continued its rapid fade, a faint shimmer to his right abruptly caught John’s attention, temporarily holding his pain at bay. At first, it appeared to be a reflection off the ice, but at second glance, John realized the differences in spectrum. It was so bright that it momentarily caused a burning blindness in his retina, even through his dark goggles. He spoke upward into the radio toward Gary, his eyes squinted and brow tensed. Hey, slow down, kid, he said. I think there’s something here.

John tried to focus his eyes to the best of his ability, but the fall had left him shaken. He closed his eyes and centered his thoughts, attempting to control his double vision. After a few seconds of concentration and breathing, he regained his composure. He crouched lower.

It’s shaped like a cave opening, John said. Is there another one plotted on the map in this location?

I don’t recall a cave being on this side of the mountain! Gary shouted down.

I’m going to take a look. Hang tight.

Watch your footing this time, will you? Gary said.

John rose carefully to his feet. He looked down as he walked and approached slowly. The cavity didn’t look very natural to him; there was something artificial about it. He reached into the pack and retrieved his chipping hammer. He ran his gloved hand over the rock surface. Upon closer inspection, he realized the center of the rock face was covered with an aggregate material, which was undeniably not natural. His geological experience and gut instinct told him that in an instant.

It looked to be a very small but existing cave opening that had been covered by some sort of mixture that was so close to the natural rocks surrounding it, he had trouble separating them. It was the way in which it had aged and the slight discoloration that gave it away, differentiating it from the surrounding rocks.

Again, he slowly ran his hand along its face with increasing pressure, and pieces began to crumble away. He stepped back, careful to maintain his balance. He looked up at Gary and back toward the rock again. There was something reflecting from behind it. It was what must have caught the fading sunlight and caused the shimmering he had noticed earlier. He began carefully chipping away the material with his hammer. The pieces broke off, first in small chunks and then in bigger portions, falling at his feet. Absentmindedly, he risked taking another fall trying to avoid them. He inhaled and looked up at Gary. You have the eyelet hammered in?

Yup.

John threw his safety line upward. Catch!

Gary caught it on the first try and began expertly looping the rope through and fastening the necessary knots. John could feel his heart pounding rapidly. It felt like it was going to jump out of his chest. He licked his chapped lips.

Reminding himself to breathe and concentrate, he continued chipping. The rocks might’ve been holding their integrity for many years, but now, they were easily breaking away. He watched them fall over the cliff and shuddered. John carefully brushed the rocky and icy dust off of a flat metallic panel beneath. He squinted, trying to make sense of it. Not believing his eyes, he used the knuckles of his glove to scrape vigorously at the remaining rock and dust covering the panel. The last rays of the cloud-covered sun exposed a chiseled inscription. John’s heart rate gradually increased, and a bead of sweat ran down his temple. It froze quickly.

Having spent years on the island, John had become a landed expert on the geology of Mount Ross, and what he saw left his mind viciously arguing with his eyes. His intellect refused to process what his heart had already accepted. He salvaged whatever breath he had left to speak. He swallowed. You need to get me out of here, fast, John said. We have to get back to the camp and reach Frank immediately. There’s something here.

Gary’s eyes widened. What is it?

I can’t explain this.

Should I be worried?

Just pull me up! John shouted.

Chapter One

University of British Columbia

8:47 a.m.

Today

Yes, Mr. Colby, it starts in less than fifteen minutes, Frank said.

You’re going to be there by the end of the week, aren’t you? We’ve got deadlines, you know. Lots of money invested. I don’t have to remind you of that.

Frank swallowed. Understood, Mr. Colby, but they’re waiting for me.

The world will be watching.

Bob Colby hung up the phone without saying good-bye, as he often did. Breathing deeply to control his nervous heart rate, Dr. Frank Chambers touched End on his cell phone. He inhaled deeply, let out a sigh, and began massaging his temples.

Frank put the phone in his pocket and walked into the boardroom to address his waiting audience. Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen, he said.

The university has been generous enough to provide fresh coffee and pastries. They’re located in the far corner of the room, so please help yourselves. I would like to begin by extending my gratitude to each and every one of you for your attendance this morning. I’ll make this as brief and to the point as I possibly can, as many of you must be eager to get back to your work.

Frank nervously adjusted his reading glasses and straightened his posture. Most of you know me, but I’d like to introduce myself to some of the most recent additions to our faculty, as well as those who are visiting our campus, he said. "My name is Dr. Frank Chambers, and not to bore you too much with the details of my résumé, I’d like to provide a condensed outline of my background.

"I’m a practicing geneticist here at the university and have been so for the past nine years. In addition to teaching, I have also had the privilege of assisting, on a limited basis, with the mapping of the human genome. Although my discipline is genetics, I have extensively studied philosophy for the better part of my personal life, and the marriage of these two subjects has incited a personal quest, which has led me to where I am today, standing in front of you all.

I’ve been relentlessly pursuing a financial grant for over a decade to begin work on a project that has been in conception for the better part of my career. The project did not qualify for a conventional research grant, as this particular venture did not hold a scientific thesis based primarily on health research or the prospect of subsequent financial gain. Every scientist at this table has encountered such obstacles in obtaining money to conduct research or project start-up.

Frank looked around the room and cleared his throat. "So, as many of us do, I went looking elsewhere. As a result, I was lucky enough to carry out my work with the help of a number of private investors, headed by the senior VP of Geo-tech Industries, Bob Colby.

In short, I’ve organized this meeting today to personally and officially announce my resignation and to thank everyone at the university for making my tenure here a pleasurable one. This will be my last week.

He paused and took a breath, as his audience listened intently. They blinked wordlessly with little other reaction, but he seemed to have their full attention. It made Frank nervous. He cleared his throat again and continued, "Along with diverse other contributors from various educational institutions across North America and overseas, we are set to complete an endeavor that will mark a significant point in time on the course of human evolution and achievement. I have compiled a brief outline of the project, which you will find in front of you next to your cutlery. My collaborators and I have appropriately named the project: the Synthesis of Natural, Absolute, and Progressive Systems of Earth or, as an acronym, SYNAPSE.

Ladies and Gentlemen, if you will, please turn to page one …

Chapter Two

Rain.

It was always raining in Vancouver.

Frank Chambers would secretly admit that he quite enjoyed the weather; he only pretended that it bothered him so as to avoid explaining to people the reasons for his fondness. He took pleasure in the fact that most people would do anything to avoid such a damp and miserable climate, because it meant that he could enjoy a nice quiet morning to himself without any noisy interruptions. It was a selfish notion, of course, but everyone had an optimal environment for doing his or her best thinking, and Frank was no exception. The word miserable, in reference to the weather, was a relative term.

Frank’s outdoor table overlooked the parking lot, and if he glanced peripherally beyond his cup of Verona, he could see that there were only about half a dozen cars there. It probably had the capacity to hold over one hundred. He was looking for another.

According to his watch, he had been waiting about twelve minutes for Dave. It was more like a twenty-year wait, to be more exact—not just for the car or the coffee meet, but for this particular rainy and miserable morning. He had, in fact, been dreaming of this day for much of his life.

He could see Dr. David McGee’s silver Toyota Corolla turning into the parking lot. Frank smiled to himself with excitement but pretended not to see him. He remembered the day Dave bought the Corolla; it was just before Bob Colby had signed the final papers on the investment. It