What do I know about the 8 minutes in Hell?

I frowned.

I had no idea.

I vaguely recalled Eva or Fiori saying something about 8 minutes. But that was it…

“Of course, 8 minutes is just a vague estimate. No one really knows for certain how long it will last. Regardless, be it only a minute, this event will be catastrophic for life as we know it. And you, my friend… you might very well be able to prevent this from happening.”

Ted fell quiet. He was waiting for a reaction from me, but I had none. I was hungry. All I could think about was food.

“Your brother never told you? Did he?”

I shook my head.

“The magnetic pole switch is a well-documented occurrence in the scientific world. Since the birth of mankind, there hasn’t been one, but we are edging ever so close to the next one. The problem is that during a magnetic pole switch, the Earth loses part of its magnetic field leaving the planet unprotected against solar winds. If the loss is too great, the ultraviolet radiation can interfere with life on earth. We already know, the last magnetic pole switch, some 40 000 years ago, caused the mass extinction of the Neanderthals. There are also some paleontologists exploring the idea that it might have played a part in the extinction of dinosaurs. We know it has happened, and we know it will happen again. But there is another scenario, albeit controversial, that the magnetic pole switch could affect Earth’s gravitational field. This is what some scientist refers to as the 8 minutes in Hell. It is believed that Earth could lose its gravity field for upward of 8 minutes, thus liberating the oxygen from our atmosphere rending the air unbreathable. Water would rise, momentum could send people or things floating upwards. Combined, it would spell the end of humanity. The axial tilt decimated civilization. The magnetic pole switch could complete its destruction.”

“And what does my brother have to do with it?”

“Great question Fenn! I can tell curiosity runs in your family. It is not so much your brother we need, technically we can do without him. It is the information stored into his brain that we need. More precisely we need your mother’s memories. She knows how to survive the magnetic pole switch.”

“My mother was a geneticist! Why would she be concerned about solar winds and gravitational fields!”

“Your mother had a keen mind! Her research interests were many. Ultimately, your mother’s greatest achievement, was understanding the value of her work and the far-reaching implication of her discoveries. Your mother found the answer to a problem she didn’t even know existed but once she became aware, she was quick to hide it!”

“How can you be so sure she hid it?”

“Because you are the living proof of it! You, and Evian. Ellioti, Meyer, Eva and Eden too.”

“So, it is about our Heighten Characteristics then?”

“No, these were just a marvelous side effect. What you have is better. Much better. And I got to witness it with my own eyes. Do you know how long you were kept in that small cell? Do you have any idea?”

“Too long,” I answered with a smirk.

“Don’t be a smartass. Think about it, give me your best estimate.”

“Two weeks. Three at most.”

“And why do you say that?”

“Because you starved me. But one cannot live longer than three weeks without food,” I answered like a well-schooled boy.

“It’s been over two months. Almost three months. 82 days to be exact. You exceeded my expectations. You survived without food. You survived with less than a cup of water a week. For 82 days, you survived with oxygen level below 6%.”

Quick math was happening in my head. It didn’t make sense. No one could survive oxygen level below 6%. As a matter of fact, most people couldn’t function below 14%.

“My parents sought complete species reunification. Why would my mother suddenly be interested in surviving some hypothetical event that no one can agree on?”

“Because it will happen. There are fools out there not believing in the science. Just the same, people didn’t believe climate change could trigger an axial tilt. But we have the numbers, we have the data, we have the models, the predictions and we have the date.”

“If you have all this… what is it that you are missing?”

“We need your mother’s research.”

“Why?”

Ted frowned. He didn’t like this question.

“Because we have never been able to replicate B-24602…”

“And B-24602, is what gives people the ability to survive with lowered oxygen levels.” I asked skeptical.

Too many pieces didn’t fit in the puzzle. If what Ted said was true, why would the government have cut off my parent’s funding? Why go after my father, destroying his research and his reputation?

“Unfortunately for us, your mother was emotionally unstable. The version of B-24602 that your father administered to his victims, before offering his service to hide the aethereusian genes, is the same version of B-24602 that we obtain from your mother. This version of B-24602 does not lead to Heighten Characteristics nor the ability to breathe toxic air. The B-24602 in our possession is a dummy only mimicking aethereusian characteristics. Which leads us to believe she hid the formula to create the real B-24602. The one used on you and your siblings, and on some of your friends. I believe Evian knows where the formula is kept.”

“Well then, why not get the information from him? Or get Eva to get it from him? What makes you think, he will give me the information!”

I still had the feeling that something wasn’t adding up. Why make such a fuss about keeping me alive. Why make such a fuss about project EDEN if all was needed to assure humanity’s survival was B-24602?

“Can all Aethereusians breathe at low oxygen levels?” I asked.

“No. As I mentioned, this is not a natural adaptative trait of Aethereusians. It is something the original B-24602 triggered. The same way that normal Aethereusians do not have a Heighten Characteristic, they need oxygen to survive. But you, and your friends… and Eden are different. Which is why I believe your mother hid the real formula.”

“What will you do when you get the formula to the original B-24602?”

“Ohhhh, that is a discussion for another day.”

“So, you want me to go inside Evian’s head, find the information and give it to you?”

“Simply put, that is what I am asking of you.”

“And what’s in it for me?”

“I have you by the throat. There is nothing in it for you. I will keep you alive regardless. But the way you will be treated will greatly depend on how useful you prove yourself to be. You are either with me, or against me. Pick your side.”

I didn’t take me long to make my mind. I wanted to see my brother, therefor there was only one answer possible.

“I’ll do it. Let me see my brother and I will find out the information.”

“You can be such a good boy Fenn.”

Ted put down the small tree he was holding and got up.

“Let’s not waste any time. The end of the world is approaching…”

His ominous tone sent a shiver down my back.

I followed him in silence trying to memorize the layout of this gigantic building.

We travelled a different way from which I had arrived, yet the hallways all seemed identical. I couldn’t tell if I had been here before or if this was a perfect replication of where I had been kept all this time.

We finally arrived in a small room, reminding me of my own cell. Ted punched in a long sequence of numbers on an electronic pad next to the door before we entered.

“I have to adjust the oxygen level before I enter, unfortunately, I am not one of the gifted,” he explained with a threatening smile.

Inside, Evian was laying on the ground. Much like I had been, he was curled up in a corner of the room asleep or unconscious, it was impossible to tell.

Ted kicked him, to seemingly wake him up.

It enraged me! It infuriated me! I reached out to touch him. To stop him! I could just…

Ted turned.

I retracted my hand quickly!

Had he notice?

“Do you want to kill me Fenn? Go on! Do it! There is no one here to stop you.”

We stared at each other. He was right, there was no one here to stop me. I could… with one touch I could… but I didn’t.

I lowered my head. Something deep within me was stopping me. I couldn’t kill. No! It was different. He wasn’t mine to kill. Not yet! I needed him. I needed to find out the truth. I needed to gather as much information as possible.

Evian groaned. He flopped to his side. Just then I noticed he was lying in a pool of dry blood. His wounds had not been tended to. I could hardly recognize him. He was swollen and dirty.

I turned to Ted and said: “I won’t do anything until he’s taken care of.”

Ted frowned. I left the room.

“He’s going to die. You realize it!” said Ted angrily.

“We are all going to die, if I don’t get inside his head!” I screamed back. “So you either get him the cares he needs or I kill myself!”

My threat had the reaction I expected. Ted pulled a phone from his pocket and ordered medical attention to room C509. Within minutes a whole team had been mobilized taking my brother away.

As the team made its way toward an unknown destination, Ted turned to me and angrily slapped me in the face.

“This is the last time you ever pull this shit on me! Do you understand!”

I didn’t flinch and answered: “You touch me one more time and I kill you.”

Unexpectedly, Ted started laughing. A loud hearty laugh.

“I like you Fenn Li! I think you and I will get along just right. Let me show you to your room.”

His sudden change of nature left a sour taste in my mouth. He had the marking of a psychopath and I was walking a thin line in his company. I had to be careful.

“Let me show you to your new room.”

As I followed him, once more, in the labyrinth of hallways, I couldn’t help but think of Eva and Eli. What kind of deal had they made with this man? Had they, really, willingly walked straight into the spider’s web? Or had they been entangled in a web of lies without their knowledge?

And as we walked, another shiver ran down my back. What kind of man would confidently turn his back to a train assassin? A man that was in perfect control! That meant, so far, I had done everything as he had predicted!

Fiori came to my mind.

My jaw tensed up.

It’s too late to be unpredictable, I thought. I am already deep into the spider’s nest. Might as well look and see what I can find!