Did you see which way they went?-
A couple of gunshots drowned the fleeting sound of the attackers’ combustion engine.
I have no idea. Probably not far, but…-
But they still won’t find them, right?-
Ai shrugged: - As if the police would care about us. Had someone died, maybe.-
Bo looked hurt : - Don’t say that!- And in a worried whisper added - Somebody could hear you -
Ai turned to face him, but any answer died as she saw the Director coming down the stairs, still fastening his dressing gown.
Any injuries, Dr. Xilai?- He asked
She shook per head: - None reported, unless someone inside the building was hit by a shard or a ricochet, Mr Keqiang-
As usual, the Director seemed slightly uncomfortable at being addressed that way, but there were clearly bigger issues worrying him tonight.
Good, good, let me have the contractor's preliminary report as soon as it’s ready. I will be in my office calling Beijing. Might as well start the day-
He looked like he was about to stretch, but stopped mid-movement, and turned around to go back upstairs. Too undignified, Ai thought, amused.
He stopped again on the first flight of stairs to add an embarrassed - I am happy you are all well- before resuming his ascent.
He had his good moments too. Ai repressed a smile as she watched Bo doing the same.
Finally, the siren of a police car could be heard in the distance. Its flashing blue lights gave an eerie appearance to the courtyard in front of the Institute. From the windows broken by the attackers’ slugs, a few timid faces finally started peering. One of the guards shouldered his rifle before going to greet the incoming officer, his skin looked an impossible shade of blue.
We will need a bigger gate- said Bo.

[hr]

The telomeric mutation had taken the world by storm, at least judging by the volume of discussion surrounding it, if not by how much it was used outside mainland China. A judicious amount of gene editing, coupled with other proprietary technology that the Beijing Institute of Genomics was as happy to speak in general terms as dodgy about its exact inner workings, could stop cellular degeneration and guarantee an almost infinite lifespan, if administered as soon as possible after conception, and no later than puberty. At least, in rats and dogs. Experiments on monkeys were still underway, and unfortunately humans lived for so long. A generation would pass before the data on the first cohort of subjects would be available.
The FDA dragged its feet, vigorously lobbied by the American companies that had betted heavily on blood filtering and hormonal anti agathic therapy. The EU shared their concerns, but most of the third world did not, and the Gulf countries had embraced the technology with worrying gusto.
With an eagerness that surprised only a few, the Kingdom of England had passed a huge package of medical deregulation, and opened its gates to Chinese companies. Rich oligarchs from the East came to have their heirs’ embryos custom-made, and many more people from all Europe came with their children. Far fewer than the Institute had hoped, though, and the subsidized community outreach programs had had almost the opposite of their intended effect.

[hr]

Ai raised her eyes from the lab results that had just came in and sighed.
Why do you think they hate us so much, Omar?-
They are too rich and complacent to hunger for more. They are set in their ways and have no hope -
The burly Sudanese contractor could be prone to bouts of philosophising that could surprise those who did not know him. Ai wondered how fluent he could be in his native language, and how much was lost using English as their lingua franca.
What even is his native language though?- Thought Ai - Well those who attack us are not rich, you know?-She said.
Omar’s smirk made it quite clear what he thought of “poor" English people.
Ok, she is compatible: bring her in-
The baby looked happy and healthy. Ai distracted her with a plush toy before inoculating Cher.
Would they really kill us over this? It’s just one shot-