"Maria V. Snyder - Protect the Children" - читать интересную книгу автора (Snyder Maria V)

“Alright, Ms. Darren, you have one hour as promised.” He sank into the overstuffed chair across
from me.
 I placed my recorder on the scratched surface of the desk and turned it on. “Why did you begin
Project Protection?” I asked. The question had burned inside me for years and tasted hot and acidic in
my mouth. Life would be completely different if he hadn’t meddled. Much had been written about his
research and the wide spread effects of his discovery, but there hadn’t been any articles on his
motivations. And I wanted to know.

“Don’t you know?” he countered.

“No.” I wanted to shake him until the rest of his gray hair fell out, but instead I clenched my hands
and pushed them into my lap.

“Why ever not? Haven’t you read your own newspaper’s headlines from forty years ago? They were
screaming for help. Disease. Birth defects. Abuse. Accidents. Shootings. The children were dying.
‘Protect the children’ the public demanded.” He slammed a fist on the desk. “My research into genetics
discovered the answer. Instead of being banned by the government like all the other genetic
breakthroughs, it was literally hailed as the messiah. It was implemented before anyone could properly
imagine the consequences.”

I shook my head. He had misunderstood my question. “But you had been working on the project for
years before that. Why did you start on that particular line of research?”

“You’re hoping for some heart-warming story? A child’s death that propelled me on my mission of
mercy.” He clutched his hands to his heart, acting like a grieving father. Then his expression dropped
from his face. “Sorry, no tears for your exclusive. I was after the elixir of life and all the fame and fortune
that comes with it. The protection was a misfire, but it ended up being quite useful.”

A sudden flush of fury shot through me. “What about the consequences? Didn’t you think about
them?” My fingernails bit into my hands. I had envisioned myself behaving professionally during this
interview, remaining detached from the subject matter.

“Yes, I did.” He stood abruptly and crossed to his bookcase. Hidden behind a wooden panel was a
row of bottles. “Drink?” He waved a glass in my direction.

“No.”

He poured himself some scotch, then made a circuit of the room. The ice in his glass clinked as he
moved. “Each time I had mentioned a potential problem it was quickly dismissed as minor. I was
accused of being difficult, of being greedy by holding back the technology. I decided the problems would
be addressed as they arose, so...” He shrugged and took a long drink. “I gave society what they
wanted.”

Dr. Silver appeared calm, unconcerned about how he had ruined society. Not one bit remorseful
over the anguish he had caused and was still causing. “But what about...” Unable to remain still, I stood
up. “The overcrowded schools? The Kamikaze gangs? The Euthanasia gangs? The waning effect?”

“I warned them. Protect the children, they demanded, so I did. Overcrowded schools would be
wonderful, society said, we’ll just raise taxes. Kamikazes? Well, adolescent suicide rates actually