Liam smiled, relieved that the conversation was steering clear of the sensitive topic. "Well, whatever inspired you, it's paid off. This is some of the incredible, it might actually give us a chance to work together."
Selena's face lit up with a warm smile, and Liam felt a pang of guilt for not being entirely truthful with her. But he knew he couldn't risk talking about the future or losing her. Liam's eyes widened as he read Selena's paper, his mind racing with the implications of her discovery.
He had been working on creating a mini-brain to cure epilepsy, ALS, and dementia, but he had been stuck on how to repair the damaged neural tissues before he came back in time. He had the answer: he just had to wait over a decade. But by then, people he loved would suffer for years.
Selena's research was the missing piece he needed, now. Her approach to programming Stem Cells to repair neural tissues was revolutionary and more advanced than Park,J, Kim,A and Jackson,C work in 2037, and Liam knew that they could make breakthroughs by working together. They'd save so many lives.
"Selena, this is groundbreaking work," Liam said, his voice filled with excitement. "I've been working on creating a mini-brain to cure epilepsy, ALS, and dementia, but I've been stuck on how to repair the damaged neural tissues. Your research is the missing piece I needed. Without it, I can't repair anything, I'm just adding another communication structure,"
Selena's eyes sparkled with interest, and she leaned in, eager to hear more. "Tell me more about your work," she said. "How do you think we can work together to make a breakthrough?" Selena said. She knew it would help him, and was happy to see his excitement.
Liam's face lit up with enthusiasm. "I think we can use your approach to programming Stem Cells and apply it to my work. We can create a revolutionary new treatment that can cure and prevent some of the most devastating neurological disorders. We'd use the fine needle technique outlined in your paper."
Selena's eyes widened with excitement, and she nodded eagerly. "I'm in," she said. Liam's work was necessary. She still had her other full-time work. After this, she'd rapid-fire to start to introduce new treatments for brain damage. She'd have to wait for diabetes, it would be to suspicious.
The development of the microbrain structure led to intrabody organ regeneration. But much later in her life. Liam and his fellowship had not made a breakthrough until decades after North America was decimated. Her Stem Cells are ready to learn anything with the 60 years of medical science breakthroughs at her disposal. She had to move slowly and push the right people from behind the scenes. Nothing ever got traction unless it was peer reviewed anyway; she could not be peerless. She had her duties, she would have to retire soon, so she had to lay the groundwork for others like Liam. They would advance the world.
Selena's eyes sparkled with warmth as she gazed at Liam, the massive engagement ring on her finger a reminder of the whirlwind events that had brought them to this moment. She couldn't help but think of A.A. The now quiet artificial intelligent being, that had once been her constant companion. Was it happy for her?
Although A.A was no longer able to communicate with her directly, Selena could sense its presence, still perceiving the world and occasionally providing her with relevant information. She felt a pang of nostalgia for the auditory chimes that had once accompanied A.A's interactions, but she was grateful for the AI's continued presence in her life. "You're probably happy for me. You'd tell me some way." she thought.
As she looked at Liam, Selena was struck by the maturity and calm that had settled over him in the past months. Since the assassination, he had become an adult with whom she could have actual conversations. It was isolating; she had older colleagues. They were conservative in their beliefs. They were not the same type of seniors she had hung around with in her past. She wondered how those people were doing right now. Their circumstances would change in the future. She had changed enough in the world, would they be living better lives?
Despite the rift that had formed between them and the challenges he had faced with his friends, Liam seemed to have emerged stronger and more at peace. He and Gunn had stopped talking as much in the past few months. Jakob and Michael were in Europe or the Middle East, their small business was booming. Jonah and Liam had made peace enough to give them a small social life. As tense as this all was, she was not sacrificing her happiness. She already had to give up so much. They could sulk.
At least Gunn and Mike had started talking to her again, and Selena was grateful for the reconciliation. Jakob's departure for Dubai and his subsequent falling out with Liam had been a difficult, but Liam seemed to steel himself against Jakob's disappointment. He had been quiet about it. She felt bad about it, but angry that she was made to feel guilty by it. She spent her youth as single and unapproachable by other possible suitors, because of the four men and her brother.
Selena was a little hurt by it, but was won over when he said she "wasn't an object to fight over and not responsible for sparing his feelings." She rewarded him with a lap dance that night. It seemed to blow his mind as he spent hours afterward tormenting her in the costume she bought.
She was pulled out of her fantasy as they approached the front of the building. Selena's eyes widened, and her breath caught in her throat. Suddenly, she was transported back to a traumatic event, and her mind was flooded with memories she'd rather forget. Her heart racing, Selena's vision began to blur, and her legs felt like jelly.
Liam noticed the change in Selena's demeanor and quickly wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice soft and calming.
Selena tried to speak, but her voice was barely a whisper. "I...I need my puffer," she stammered. Her heart hammered in her chest.
"Damn it, she had to go and ruin work for me. This is going to take a while like the high school locker room did." Selena thought. She coughed, the scar on her chest tugging. Her brow furrowed.
Liam quickly grabbed her inhaler from her bag and handed it to her. Selena took a few deep breaths, inhaling the medication, and slowly began to calm down. She was having an anxiety attack. He had seen these before. She probably did not need her Asthma medication; she needed to see a professional about what had happened across two lifetimes. She was so stubborn, though.
Liam rubbed her shoulder, "It's okay, breathe. It is hard going through the front door for me, I have been using the back door. It is closer to the freight elevator. Which is always pretty much free."
They walked around to the back of the building, and Liam opened the door like a gentleman. Selena nodded, smiled softly, still feeling a bit shaken. They took the freight elevator up to the lab. She was excited to see the animals, especially Roscoe.
"Hey, where is my good boy!" Selena called out in a loud saccharine sweet voice that filled him with sunshine. Loud, excited yips and barks immediately sounded to her call from the Golden Retriever. "Oh, hello, everyone. I missed you too, oh yes I did." Selena called out as she stroked the fur of multiple animals. He could not help but grin. The room full of cured subjects started to call out to their returning Messiah. It was as if they knew she was a descendant of the beings the goddess placed on this planet, sent to help them.
Now that she was distracted, Liam pulled out his phone and dialed a number. "Hey, Jonathan, it's Liam. I need a favor," he said, his voice low and serious.
Selena's eyes widened. It worked. Roscoe was perfectly healthy. He was no longer in pain. He was coordinated, and he could feel all of the love she was giving him. His butt wiggled as she scratched her nails up and down his back. His fur was reacting and moving. Tears sprang to her eyes. It would not be long until Jonah would be walking. She would be able to move on to human trials shortly.
Meanwhile, Liam was arranging for Jonathan Lowrie, Selena's father, to purchase the building and renovate the facade, outdoor decorations, and landscaping. Liam knew that Selena's PTSD was somewhat triggered by the building's exterior, and he wanted to create a safer, more comforting environment for her.
As the days passed, Selena remained unaware of the changes taking place outside. She was too busy with her work to notice. But when the construction started, and she heard the sounds of hammering and drilling, she approached the window, curiosity getting the better of her.
As she looked out, she gasped in surprise. "Wow, that's lucky," she said, taking in the transformed exterior. Not all triggers can be removed like that. Walking out the door gave her so much anxiety in buildings like this, even Liam's building. She wanted a house, but she technically still lived with her parents. She couldn't change everything that bothered her and lost her hard-won calluses.
She worried about the triggers that still lingered, the memories that still haunted her. She had to get help. She thought about James, her friend who had served in Iraq, and the PTSD episodes he had suffered. She remembered the day she witnessed one of his episodes when she was just 12 years old.
As Selena stood at the window, gazing at the transformed exterior, she couldn't shake off the worries about her PTSD. She feared that the triggers would never fully go away, that the memories would always linger, waiting to pounce. Would it haunt her like her father, would she fly into a rage, disassociate or shake this way her whole life. She was a moving target.
Suddenly a cold tingling feeling embraced her like a hug; Selena's voice was eerie and flat as she spoke the words of her prophetic vision. "I see a plane crash, Flight 9525, impact zone is the East Siberian Mountains, the date is March 24, 2015." She paused, her eyes still closed, focusing on the vision. "I see the co-pilot intentionally crashing the plane, killing 250 people on impact, setting a forest fire that will be the worst in history."
Selena's eyes snapped open, and she quickly grabbed her journal to write down the details of her vision. She was aware of the significance of her words and knew she had to act fast. With trembling hands, she dialed her father's number, her voice shaking as she relayed the message.
Her father, Jonathan, listened intently, his expression grave. He quickly hung up the phone and dialed the authorities, relaying the information Selena had provided. The authorities sprang into action, fortunately for those people.
Despite the tragedy, Selena felt a sense of excitement and hope. She had finally experienced a prophetic vision without having a seizure, a breakthrough she had been praying for. It was over, the sense of paranoia and the medication.