Genes/A Futuristic Thriller

By Sandy Raschke

On June 1, 2206, Kiera gave birth to Aldis Jake, the Hunt-Morgennas' second child. A young nurse sees him in the nursery and tells a colleague that she wants to steal him. Morgetta tells Layla Orgode to back off—the baby's parents are Aldis Morgenna and Kiera Hunt, well-known private investigators. But when the Regional Governor's premature infant is taken from a private birthing center where Layla used to work, Morgetta contacts Kiera and suggests her friend is behind the kidnapping. Using the information she provides, Aldis is able to retrieve the baby without incident. Layla is arrested, her accomplice still at large.

Aldis feels a strange kinship toward Layla, and Kiera does a background check but can't find anything about Layla's early years. Later, Layla tells Kiera that she legally changed her name and appearance to hide from an abusive boyfriend, who had beat their infant daughter to death. A new search for "Lila Gadsden" leads to Almeera Washak Gadsden, Lila's mother, born on the Yomba Reservation in 2158. A DNA test confirms that Almeera is Aldis' and Joss Thundercloud's half-sister.

Aldis and Kiera travel to Yuma to visit Lila in prison; when they leave, they are approached by an old man who mistakes Aldis for his birth father. He takes them to see Jagger Lindstrohm, disabled from an accident on the Cuechan Reservation. Benita, Jagger's spouse, gives Aldis his father's old handheld containing photos of Jagger's first spouse—Aldis' mother, Sofia Morgenna. Aldis prods Jagger about his late mother's origins. Lindstrohm struggles to remember but eventually reveals where she came from, then confesses why he abandoned Aldis after his birth, and the eight Native American women he subsequently impregnated.

After they return home, Aldis begins a quest to not only find out about Sofia and the Morgenna family, but also the half-siblings that resulted from Lindstrohm's profligacy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sandy Raschke
• Release date: Dec 3, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393205449

Book preview

Chapter 1

M orgie, wake up.

What’s the matter?

I think I’m in labor, Kiera said.

But June 15, the due date, is two weeks away.

"Maybe not. Maybe Aldis Jake is telling us he’s ready to be born—now."

Okay. I’ll call the hospital and your doc and tell them we’re on the way, he said. Do you have your go-pack?

Right by the door. Kiera got out of bed then groaned. Ow, that was a big one.

Let me help you. He grabbed her clothes and helped her dress. But as she headed toward the lavatory, her water broke.

Yes, our boy is on the way—and soon.

Chapter 2

They barely made it to the birthing center at the University of Nevada—Las Vegas Medical Center and Hospital, even with Aldis driving through the streets at seventy miles per hour. Kiera was taken by wheelchair into the hospital by an AI humanoid technician, with Aldis and Sofie not far behind.

Two hours later, on June 1, 2206, at 0530 hours, Aldis Jake Hunt-Morgenna made his debut, crying loudly as he exited the birth canal. Both Aldis and Sofie were in the birthing room for support. Sofie held Kiera’s hand the entire time and Aldis stood behind her, massaging her back and shoulders as the doctor and a female humanoid labor coach guided her through the birthing process.

Look at him, Morgie, Kiera said as the AI humanoid nurse swaddled him and placed the baby in her arms. Thirteen pounds, black hair, long legs and arms. He looks like the both of us, doesn’t he?

He looks more like you. He bent over and kissed each of them on the forehead. Did I tell you how happy I am to have a healthy son, and how much I love you?

Yes, about a half dozen times in the birthing room. She laughed softly. I thought you were going to faint when Aldis Jake’s head popped out, but you were a real trouper. Sofie stood at the foot of the bed. And my sweet daughter, I couldn’t have done it without your support either.

Sofie, uncharacteristically shy, tiptoed toward the baby. I was a little scared at first, because I didn’t want to see you in pain, but then Aldis Jake came. She leaned over and kissed his cheek. Hi, Aldis Jake. I’m your big sister, Sofie. She turned to Kiera, I love you, Mommy.

And I love you, Sofie, very much.

I’m going to take Sofie home. We’ll get some rest, eat something, and be back later this afternoon, Aldis said. You probably need to rest, too, after you nurse the baby.

Another humanoid nurse came into the room to take vital signs of both baby and mother.

Aldis gave Kiera one more kiss, then he and Sofie left for home.

Chapter 3

L ook at that kid, she said. He must be at least twelve pounds, maybe more. And all that black hair. Cute. What I wouldn’t give to make him mine.

Stop talking like that, Morgetta said. Don’t get any ideas, either. The hospital has so many security cameras on every floor that you’d never make it out the door with him.

I’m a nurse. No one would suspect me if I went into the newborn unit and picked him up.

But he’s the only baby in there, and the only one born in Vegas for almost a year now. Besides, you’re not a pediatric nurse, she said. Give it up, Layla. Go adopt a child. He’s not yours and never will be.

We’ll see.

"No, you need to see. Don’t you know who his parents are? Layla shook her head. Aldis Morgenna and Kiera Hunt, the investigators who tracked down the assailants that tried twice to murder that retired Las Vegas police detective. Morgetta waited for Layla’s response, but the young woman just stared at her. They’d have you in handcuffs in thirty seconds."

Chapter 4

At 1000 hours, Taralina Thundercloud, arrived to visit. It went splendidly, Kiera said to her sister-in-law. Without your help with the breathing techniques and visualization, I would have been a screaming harridan. Then again, Aldis Jake was born within two hours of our arrival.

Aldis said you actually looked serene, Taralina said. Just as you do now, with Aldis Jake at your breast.

He’s big and pretty, isn’t he? Kiera asked, running her fingers through his thick black hair. Morgie can’t wait to see what color his eyes turn out to be.

They’ll probably be bright blue, like his, Taralina said. Women will be throwing themselves at Jake when he grows up.

Jake, huh? I was thinking ‘AJ’ but that might be a little too cute, Kiera said. We’ll see what Morgie has to say.

I’ll leave you two now— Taralina kissed Kiera on both cheeks. Aldis Jake seems rather hungry and you need to get as much rest as you can before going home. You’re going to be a very busy mom with him, and Sofie.

1500 HOURS. ALDIS RETURNED to visit. He brought a bouquet of flowers that Sofie helped pick out. He had dropped her off at Taralina and Joss’s home, as he wanted a private moment with Kiera and his newborn son.

Thank you for giving me this gift of life. He sat down on the bed and kissed her cheeks. I never thought I’d have the courage to stay through the whole thing, but it happened so quickly, I didn’t have time to panic.

Me either, Morgie, and I was afraid for a while, especially after my water broke before we even got out of the house. She shook her head. I thought I was going to have our boy right there on the stairs.

I probably would have fainted away and Sofie would have had to call for an ambulance for the both of us. 

Sofie was a real trouper, Kiera said. I wondered at first if she should have been in the birthing room but she showed remarkable poise. I’m so proud of her.

So am I, Aldis said. She actually kept me calm by her presence.

The nurse brought Aldis Jake to Kiera; Aldis sat back and watched Kiera nurse him. It reminded him of Sofie’s premature birth and how he was only allowed to see Kiera through the glass outside the preemie ward while she nursed her. He was so full of love for Kiera and Sofie then, and now his son, it brought tears to his eyes.

When the baby had his fill, Kiera placed him in the just-delivered bassinette next to her bed. She started to drift off. Aldis gave her another kiss and said he’d return tomorrow to pick them up.

THE NEXT MORNING AT 1100 hours, he and Sofie arrived with clean clothes for Kiera to wear. She was holding Aldis Jake and handed him the baby while she changed.

Dad, can I hold him, too?

When we get home, Sofie. This not-so-little guy weighs over twelve pounds, a bit too heavy for you. We’ll let you hold him at home, when you’re sitting down.

Okay!

Ready to go, my love?

I feel a little weak, Kiera said and staggered backwards. And I’m finding it hard to breathe. She sat down awkwardly on the hospital bed. Her face paled and she looked as if she was about to faint.

Aldis put the baby in his carrier and rang for a nurse. Just as the AI nurse arrived, Kiera slumped over, moaning.

What’s wrong? he asked.

I do not know, the humanoid nurse said, and called for a doctor. Then the nurse helped Kiera lie down flat and took her vital signs. Her pulse was erratic, and her blood pressure unusually high.

Within minutes, the doctor on call—an AI humanoid physician—appeared at the door. He laid his hands on her chest then felt her pulse. I believe she may have a blood clot—deep vein thrombosis, he said. Or it could be a small stroke. He called for an emergency technician, and they wheeled her into an examination room.

The nurse took Aldis Jake back to the nursery while Aldis stood there, his heart hammering as Sofie started to cry.

AN HOUR LATER, THE doctor came back to her room; Aldis was pacing and Sofie looked bewildered. Your spouse has a blood clot, the doctor said. It most likely traveled from her leg to her lung. We gave her medication and the clot is now dissolving, but she needs to stay here for a few more days so we can monitor her.

Then what? Aldis asked, as six-year-old Sofie tearfully clung to him.

She will need to take blood thinners for a while to make sure she does not get another clot, the doctor said in standard humanoid speech. That means your spouse will not be able to nurse your son. He will need to be bottle fed. We will give you a carton of formula to take home, a synthetic substitute to mimic her breast milk, with automatic renewals of formula until the baby is weaned.

Anything I should be aware of when we get home? Symptoms of another clot or infection—or what?

I will have the nurse give you a checklist so you can monitor Ms. Hunt-Morgenna at home, along with a feeding schedule for your son. He bent down on one knee and looked at Sofie with his unblinking green eyes. Do not worry about your mother, he said softly. This is a rare event, but she is a strong, healthy woman and will recover quickly.

Sofie nodded and Aldis said, Thank you. When can we see her?

She will be back in her room in about fifteen minutes.

Just enough time to get some flowers, Aldis said. Sofie, let’s go buy lots of flowers for Mom.

THEY WENT DOWN TO THE lobby where the gift shop was located and with Sofie’s assistance, Aldis bought every bouquet that had anything lavender-colored in it. Then they went back upstairs, found an AI nursing assistant and asked for some vases.

When Kiera returned to the room, there were flowers everywhere.

You gave us a scare, Kiki, Aldis said.

I was petrified with fear. Her breathing was still labored and she sounded hoarse. I thought I was having a heart attack—a deep pain in my chest and I couldn’t breathe. She looked around the room. Oh my, did you buy out the florist?

Tried to, Aldis said.

I helped, Mom. Her eyes were bright and no longer filled with tears.

They are beautiful. She inhaled and coughed. I love them.

The doc said you have to stay a few more days, to make sure the clot is completely dissolved, Aldis said. And you won’t be able to nurse the baby because of the medication you’ll have to take.

A small price to pay for— Kiera said, before she glanced toward Sofie and saw an alarming look on her face. Sofie, would you like to help us feed Aldis Jake when we get home?

Yes!

Good, then it’s settled. We’ll all take turns feeding him.

A nurse arrived with the baby and handed Kiera a bottle. Kiera did a double-take as the young woman bent over to place Aldis Jake in her arms. Bea? Is that you?

Yes, friend Kiera, she said. I heard you had some trouble and I wanted to visit.

We haven’t seen you since Sofie’s birth. What are you doing these days?

The birthing center and nursery will be closed after you leave, she said. I will be working as a supervising hospice nurse in another wing of the hospital. Alva and I spent over six years bringing new life into this world. Now we are going to comfort those who are leaving it. She smiled. You have a beautiful baby boy. He looks very much like you.

Sofie, this is Nurse Bea who taught me how to nurse you. She’s a special friend. She didn’t say anything about Bea and her three humanoid sisters, who were the principals involved on their first case as investigators in Las Vegas. They had killed their creator, Benny Rugio, after he abused them by tying to inject a mixture of his semen and a high-end prostitute’s DNA into their system. They escaped from the local lock-up after a judge ordered their destruction, and cleverly staged their demise in the desert so that no one would ever come after them. Only she and Aldis knew they still existed and were working in the medical field, to atone for their crime.

Sofie shook Bea’s hand and cocked her head; she was silent for a moment. Nice to meet you, Nurse Bea.

Great to see you again, Aldis said. How are your sisters?

We are all doing well in our fields. We enjoy being of service to humanity. She smiled at them and left the room.

Chapter 5

Two more days and we can bring Kiki and Aldis Jake home . For the last two days, Aldis had made a special breakfast for Sofie. Then they would take a long walk with Barney the AI robotic beagle that Sofie had created for him when she was four years old. In the late afternoon, they would return to the hospital and visit Kiera and the baby and, when they got home, Aldis would help Sofie with her lessons. While Sofie studied, Aldis cleaned the condo. It was the best way, he found, to allay his anxiety until the next day, when he did it again.

The night before they were due to bring Kiera and Aldis Jake home, Aldis and Sofie went shopping. They bought food, more flowers, and when they returned, Aldis linked to everyone and told them Aldis Jake had arrived a little early, and Kiera had a few complications but would be coming home tomorrow afternoon.

DAD, SOFIE SAID, AS they were getting ready to go to the hospital, Is Bea an AI humanoid nurse?

What makes you think that? Had Sofie’s telepathy exhibited itself again? She had first exhibited her gift at four years of age, after she slugged the Hanleys’ three-year old son for trying to kiss her. After Kiera chastised her, Sofie said she heard Kiera say how sad she was about her bad behavior; but Kiera was only thinking it. Kiera then explained how she had inherited her telepathy from Anaya, her mother, deliberately leaving out the alien part, and told Sofie the rules about using it.

The last time Sofie exhibited her psionic ability was over a year ago, when she told Kiera a bad man was at the door of their former home in Henderson. Roald Finn had been sent by Dominick Salgado to kill Sofie, to exact revenge for foiling two attempts to murder their friend, Frank Hanley. Finn had invaded their home in broad daylight and had threatened to kill not only Sofie but the entire family. If it hadn’t been for her precocious talents, and the little AI Catahoula hound she had created as a guard dog, they all could have been murdered.

Dad? Are you listening? His reverie interrupted, he turned to her and nodded. Nurse Bea looked human and had human expressions and a pulse, but there was something about her I didn’t understand.

She’s very human, Aldis said. More human than most people we know.

That sounds vague.

And we’d like to keep it that way.

You aren’t going to tell me, are you?

Not now, maybe some day when you are older.

I’m six now—how much longer do I have to wait?

Oops—look at the time. We’ve got to get going. He called for Barney and the beagle came running down the stairs.

Finally, Barney said. I get to go for a ride in the car.

OTHER THAN ALDIS JAKE crying all the way home, the ride was uneventful. But it was a portent of things to come. He wasn’t anything like Sofie, a calm and peaceful baby, who rarely woke them in the middle of the night. Because she was born prematurely and they had to feed her every two hours for the first two weeks, they often had to wake her up—and even then she never fussed. 

But Aldis Jake was different. He came home weighing thirteen and a half pounds and now less than a week later, was close to fourteen. The first time they let Sofie hold her little brother he squirmed and fussed but settled down when she patted his belly and head. He rarely slept. He was hungry all the time. He whined and cried and even Barney began to retreat into Sofie’s workshop when he heard the loud shrieks coming from the bedroom.

SINCE KIERA NEEDED her rest, Aldis took it upon himself to feed and change the baby at night. But it was never enough—after a bottle, Aldis Jake began fussing, even after he was burped. Finally, around 2400 hours one night, Aldis put the baby in his carrier and went out to the car; he drove around town until his son fell asleep then, when they got home, he slowly removed him from the car and crept up the stairs. He placed Aldis Jake in his crib and crawled into bed beside Kiera. It was 0200 hours.

At 0500, Aldis woke to screaming and crying. I’ll do it, Kiera said. She got up, changed his diaper, prepared another bottle and settled into an easy chair to feed him. He sucked down the formula in just a few minutes then fell asleep in her arms.

She gently placed him in his crib and went back to bed. Aldis leaned over and kissed her. Are we dead yet?

Getting there, my love.

Aldis Jake woke up and began fussing again.

Maybe it’s the formula, Aldis suggested.

It could be—but he’s cranky all the time. I haven’t seen any bloating or gas to indicate he has colic, and he doesn’t seem to be in pain. I’ll call the doc later this morning, she said. You get some rest. She kissed him lightly on the lips, got up, took a shower and dressed. Quietly, she left the bedroom and went downstairs to prepare Sofie’s breakfast.

MOM, ALDIS JAKE IS a big crybaby, Sofie said. Did I do that when I was a baby?

You were premature and so quiet that we had to wake you up to feed you. I have no idea what’s happening with your brother.

Have you read him?

Of course not. He’s just a baby. They communicate through cooing, babbling and crying. Suddenly, Kiera laughed. Although when he was still in the womb, you did say that you and he had some kind of communication.

We did. She grinned, just as Aldis Jake started shrieking again.

Chapter 6

I disabled the security system, he said. Be careful. Grab the kid and get out.

Don’t worry, she said. I’m good at being stealthy.

Yeah, right. I’ll be around the corner with the motor running. Here, take the stun gun. And make sure when you leave, you can’t be identified from any of the surveillance cameras on the street.

If we can pull this off, she said, I’ll have my baby and you’ll never have to work again.

He gave her a kiss. Now go, make us rich.

Chapter 7

A ldis Jake, Sofie said as she cradled him in her arms. Why are you so cranky? Mom and Dad can’t get any sleep because of you. And they are worried you might be sick.

She placed her hand on his belly and softly rubbed. He began to coo and babble and reached out for her hand with his chubby fingers.

Aldis and Kiera looked on in astonishment as their crabby little boy responded positively to Sofie’s touch.

His eyes closed and he fell asleep.

He doesn’t like the formula, Sofie said. He likes mother’s milk, but I let him know that you had been sick and couldn’t give him any more, and he’d have to put up with bottle feeding.

And how did you find out what he wanted?" Kiera asked.

He told me through his thoughts.

"Thoughts from a newborn? Do we now have brother and sister telepaths in the family?" Aldis asked.

No, Dad, we just seem to have a special bond, Sofie said. Maybe he will have Mom’s gift some day, but for now it’s just between us. She patted his head. Maybe I should give him Charlie the Catahoula now?

Does Charlie sing lullabies? Aldis asked.

If you want him to, Sofie said.

THE NEXT MORNING, KIERA took Aldis Jake for a regular checkup and the doctor pronounced him fit and healthy. At her checkup with her doctor, he said the blood clot was gone but gave her another time-release sub-dermal blood thinner that would last for two weeks, just to be safe.

Over the next three nights, Kiera and Aldis were able to sleep with only one interruption. Aldis Jake woke up at 0200 hours and Aldis gave him a bottle. That third night, under the lamp light, he saw his son’s eyes: bright blue like his. Smiling, he changed the baby’s diaper and put him back into his crib, where he promptly fell asleep. No lullabies required, even though Charlie was there at the foot of the bed.

AT 0700 HOURS, ALDIS kissed Kiera awake. Did you know that Aldis Jake has my blue eyes?

What? she whispered, still half-asleep. Oh...yes."

Kiki, after three nights of actual sleep, I’ve begun to feel human again. What about you?

Hmm. She yawned, stretched then turned to face him. She gently kissed him. It’s been a while. Too long. I miss your touch, my love. She drew him to her and kissed his chest and neck, then ran her hand down his inner thigh.

Oh, how I want to make love to you, he said in a soft voice as he caressed her. I’m practically aching for you. But I was worried you might not be ready yet.

"I’m fine. My woman parts, as you call them, healed quickly. Are you worried about waking up you-know-who?"

A little, but we can be quiet and take it slowly.

Slow is good, she said. As for quiet, Charlie, sing some lullabies to Aldis Jake.

AFTER BREAKFAST, SOFIE went up to her room to finish her lesson in astrobiology. Kiera went through their client list, pulling out the companies they needed to bill. Aldis Jake took a nap, and Aldis sat at his workspace, feeling somewhat aimless. Finally, he decided to link to Joss. "I need to