The Genius Club - A Tense, Dark Psychological Thriller by NJ Barker

 “Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent manipulation.” - Anon.

‘The second commitment is to support the scholarship in its broader work to democratise intelligence.’ ‘What does that mean?’ Vanessa asked. ‘My vision is to help as many people develop to their potential as possible. There are many interesting research projects in the areas of intelligence, education, and personal development. I would like you each to assist with research into some of these areas.’

There weren’t many places in the flat where Lucy could have hidden anything from Matthew; the last remaining place was the wardrobe in their bedroom. He pushed away his guilt as he flipped through her dresses hanging on the rail before squatting down and searching through the boxes at the bottom of the wardrobe. Tucked away at the back, on Lucy’s side, underneath some old trainers, Matthew found a small white plastic container. He pulled out a pair of navy trainers to give himself room to slide the box out. He frowned as he ran his hands over its top. Then, he pressed the catches on the side, lifted the lid, and peered inside. It contained a set of white headphones. There was a pinch between his shoulders. He removed the headphones from the box, and only then did he realise that the two circular pads weren’t in the correct place. The device had a curved T-bar with a small cross pad at the base, which appeared designed to rest at the base of the skull. The strap ran up over the top of the head and down over the forehead, whilst the broader bar fitted horizontally with the two discs resting just beyond the eyes, near the temples. He reached back into the box and removed a device resembling a smartphone. He pressed the power-on button and waited for it to boot up. A moment later, he was looking at the home screen, a green background with a white sine wave curving around the word electro-flow. Whatever the device was, he was holding the controller. Matthew let out a breath. He pressed on the icon, and a menu appeared. Your Progress Set New Goals Profile He hesitated before clicking on Your Progress and scrolling through Lucy’s report. She had been using the device for periods of more than thirty minutes for years. Matthew shook his head. The first entry was recorded on 2 September 2007, seven months after Alfie was born, and the last entry was that morning. His arms were trembling. Alastair had said he would find something. Matthew stared at the device. He’d accepted his friend might be correct, but he’d never considered that when he unearthed some evidence, he would have no idea what it meant. Matthew stared at the computer screen. His answer was written clearly in white text on a black background. The electro-flow website claimed that using an electric current to stimulate the temporal lobes could counter depression. It cited various clinical trials which supported the view that the electro-flow device was a more effective treatment for depression than antidepressants. Matthew clicked on one of the reports referenced and started to read. “Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of 20- or 30 minutes are efficient for treating mild and moderate depression; the effect of 30min stimulation exceeds that obtained from 20min.” Matthew chewed his lip. There were two facts. Lucy had used an electro-flow device, and that device was advertised as a treatment for depression. The two statements pointed to an obvious conclusion but weren’t compelling. That conclusion wasn’t inescapable. He thought back to his conversation with Alastair. If Lucy had hidden a struggle with depression, she would likely have sought medical support. It was already late at night, but Matthew stood up and opened the loft hatch. Lucy had filed away their old medical records a few years ago. It only took him a few minutes to locate the box file and carry it down from the loft. He placed it on the kitchen table next to his laptop and opened it. The box was full of documents, and Matthew picked up the top one from the pile. It was a slim, bound volume labelled as a medical report from Heartfield Health Clinic. He had forgotten that Lucy had been for a check-up every year after graduation, and she’d been sent a report after each appointment. He read the report and studied Lucy’s vital statistics, as well as the BMI, cholesterol, and cardiac risk graphs. There were also pages with audio graphs, analysis of lung function tests, and eyesight results. Finally, there was a pathology report. Matthew flicked back to the cover letter. The conclusion was that Lucy was in good health, and there was no mention of depression or any mental health challenges. The report was dated August 2007, the month before her first recorded use of the device. He read through all the reports in the box, which covered every year from 2007 until the final report, dated August 2011. None of the reports mentioned any physical or mental health issues other than low-level concerns over Lucy’s weight and lack of exercise. The signatory of the reports was Dr Henry Bannister. Matthew recalled the name immediately. Caesar introduced them to Bannister, his private doctor, when they joined the scholarship programme. Lucy had liked him. She had first seen him at university in Cambridge and continued to see him at his Cambridge practice, even when she’d moved to London. She’d also encouraged Matthew to see him, but he hadn’t heard her mention the doctor’s name for several years. Matthew sat back down in his chair and opened Google on his laptop. He typed in the doctor’s name and hit search. The third hit was an obituary. Doctor Henry Bannister, a doctor and an academic, died aged 53. He scanned through the text, unsure of what he was looking for. His head jerked back to the penultimate paragraph of the obituary. Professor Hunter, who tutored Dr Bannister at Cambridge University, recalled: ‘He was an exceptional, brilliant and radical man. He was known for pushing medical boundaries and challenging conventional thinking. He died too young. He was destined for great things.’ A knot twisted in Matthew’s stomach. Lucy started using the device in September 2007, when she was still seeing Bannister for her annual medicals. tDCS treatment wasn’t universally accepted by the medical profession, at least not over a decade ago. Had Bannister prescribed the treatment to Lucy, an example of him pushing medical boundaries, and kept it from her official medical records? And if so, why? Matthew decided to rake through everything he could find on the uses of tDCS machines. He started reading online articles. Several studies appeared to show that the treatment reduced depression symptoms in patients, yet Matthew was sure he would have known if Lucy was struggling. He also clearly remembered her telling him she wouldn’t take her mother’s chosen path, ever. He was aware that people who were depressed could hide it well, even from those they were closest to, but there had been no changes in Lucy’s appetite or sleep pattern and no loss of interest in activities. He shook his head and tried to focus on the facts. There wasn’t a single suggestion, or even a hint, that his wife had been suffering from depression, but she had been using a tDCS machine for over a decade. The only explanation was that she was using the device for another purpose, but what was it? He began to scroll through the research papers and paused at a headline from October 2018. Would you zap your brain to improve your memory? Scientists study attitudes toward brain stimulation. An article dated August 2014 made a similar claim. Northwestern Medicine researchers have discovered that using high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation to indirectly stimulate the hippocampus portion of the brain (which is involved in forming memories) improves long-term memory. Then he found a third, from March 2019. Online repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation during working memory in younger and older adults: A randomized within-subject comparison. Matthew changed his search terms, and immediately, he was presented with page after page of articles on transcranial magnetic and direct current stimulation being studied as possible methods for boosting intelligence. He sat back and let out a deep breath. Could Bannister have suggested using the machine not to treat depression but to attempt to boost Lucy’s intelligence even further? That would explain why there was no medical record of depression. It would be consistent with no mental health issues whatsoever. He rubbed his forehead. Bannister had treated Lucy, a doctor described as radical and a man who enjoyed challenging conventional thinking. Matthew raked his fingers through his hair. What had this guy done? What had Lucy signed up for? With Lucy and Bannister both dead, only one person might have the answers to all his questions. He needed to speak to Ben Caesar.

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“Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent manipulation.” - Anon.

Yes, this epigraph in the front of the book needs to be repeated... In fact, you will learn of the inspiration that is available right at the beginning... And little by little, even before it began and continues over years, manipulation will actually be in play...

In many homes of the rich and famous, you may find classical music playing in the background, low so that many will soon not even realize that it is playing--it is merely a bit of manipulation to set the stage, don't you think? To provide the background as mentioned, I chose to play Rachmaninoff, my personal choice often because I enjoy the minor key with the fascinating tone that it brings to my ear that I prefer... Nevertheless, we are in a location where a small group of students have come together to be offered a chance of a lifetime... They are high school students from a very poor or difficult background that have been pulled together--by manipulation. Readers will not know what I mean until much later in the book. But to present the background, it is merely to say that the students who were offered this opportunity was greeted by who would come to be their mentor for many years. They will essentially become a part of the program developed by Benjamin Caesar. Where his money originally came from we don't know but the riches found in his home, as well as the substantial time and money he spent with the six who were ultimately chosen naturally revealed that money was no object...

Matthew and Lucy were two of those that arrived early that day. Lucy was beautiful and Matthew was drawn to her... The book does not claim this, but the way that Matthew was drawn as a character, I imagined he may have been one affected by Asperger's Syndrome. He was not an individual who was comfortable in routine activities, so that Lucy soon was pulled into his orbit as she was helpful in clarifying what may be considered routine by many people but had not been, also because of his background, little to normal interaction with people. It is Matthew who becomes the lead character as the book really begins to move beyond their basic program adaptations under Ben's tutelage...

We meet Matthew as he comes home from work at a company developed by Ben's desired research, at which Matthew works. He searches for Lucy, only to find her dead in their bedroom... Immediately Matthew does not believe that, as it appeared, she had committed suicide. And that begins his personal investigation to find out what really happened to his beloved wife...

Matthew has developed a close friendship with another of the scholars, Al Niven, who was the very first individual who had ever shortened his name to Matt and presented a friendly connection. They continued as best friends throughout the upcoming years, even though Al had begun to pull away, only to prefer drugs, drinking and gambling instead of what he could have successfully become in his life.

As Matt began to investigate what might have resulted in Lucy's death, he assumed that she had to have been murdered and started with searching their bedroom. He discovered that she had been using a machine on her brain, supposedly to increase intelligence. But when he started looking further, having found a needle which appeared to have been used by Lucy, he immediately asked the police to test it for contents. And, after having his own issues with some medication that had been prescribed by the doctor who Ben recommended, but had stopped using, saw that what was contained in the shot could have been what caused Lucy's death...

It took all Matthew’s energy to stand and shake hands with the guests. He briefly closed his eyes in the hope that it would ease the pain in his head, but today, he had no choice other than to push on. Any funeral was an ordeal, but the coroner’s verdict that Lucy had taken her own life painted another emotional layer over the immediate shock of her being gone, especially when Matthew couldn’t accept the verdict. He didn’t speak, preferring simply to nod as a procession of faces mumbled their condolences. He would have felt sorry for them, having to deal with the awkward conventions of a burial service, if he had been able to feel anything. But he was hollow whilst his thoughts churned, tripping over themselves in the search for answers. Sammy’s hand was rubbing his back, encouraging him to move. He turned to face her and saw the compassion in her eyes. Her large, dark-rimmed glasses covered the top half of her face, and her slightly crimped, brown hair flopped forward to offer extra protection. Matthew allowed himself to be guided away from the church entrance. As soon as they started to walk, she linked her arm with his, saying nothing but leading him down the cobbled path. The stones were shining, and small pools of water had gathered where the grass ran up to the border. Matthew was starting to accept that people, that the world, would return to mystifying him. Lucy had been his guide for the last twenty years, and he’d seen life more clearly than ever before. They had talked for hours sometimes about ideas and philosophies, whims, music, or writing, but he’d never been in the habit of asking her what she was doing, where she’d been, or what she was planning. He’d never seen the need and believed that Lucy felt the same way as he did, but today and every day since her death, he wished he had. Because now he knew that by not asking, he’d missed something, a sign or a tell that she was in danger. ‘We can take you home now if that’s what you want?’ Sammy said. ‘Daniel’s waiting in the car.’ ‘Thanks.’ The word came out as a shrug. Matthew knew nothing about cars, but whatever vehicle Daniel and Sammy owned gleamed in the rain. The rear door swung open as he approached, and Daniel stepped out, holding the door and waiting for Matthew to climb inside. ‘I won’t be a minute,’ Daniel said after helping Sammy into the front passenger seat. Matthew momentarily closed his eyes. Everything seemed easier that way. He touched his face and felt that it was wet from what could only be his tears. He hadn’t realized he was crying. He wasn’t sure what to do next, so he just waited. 

‘Let’s get you home to Alfie,’ Sammy said. Matthew opened his eyes. His vision was blurred. He wiped his eyes with his hand. Alfie. They’d discussed the funeral, and eventually, Alfie decided he wouldn’t attend. Alastair had agreed to stay with him, and Matthew knew that his friend would be doing his best to take Alfie’s mind off what was happening, even though he might as well have been trying to stop the sun from rising. ‘Thank you.’ The words sounded detached. Had he even spoken? He wasn’t sure. Matthew could hear the rain pounding on the car roof. He tightened his focus, trying to discern a pattern in the dance of the raindrops. He had to find some meaning somewhere. ‘At the dinner, when I mentioned Doctor Bannister, I thought you and Daniel … I thought you were going to say something.’ He lifted his head to look at her in the rear-view mirror. She had coiled a strand of hair tightly around her finger. ‘Maybe I was seeing something that wasn’t there, I don’t know, but if there’s anything…’ He massaged his forehead. ‘Please.’ ‘Okay.’ She twisted around and reached out to take his hand. She sighed before starting to talk. ‘As you know, Daniel and I tried unsuccessfully for a baby for a long time. A year after we started trying, we had some fertility tests.’ She let her hair fall over her eyes. ‘We also tried a couple of rounds of IVF.’ Matthew swallowed. He knew what he would hear next. ‘Our doctor was Henry Bannister.’ Sammy pushed her hair behind her ear. ‘When we finally accepted we weren’t going to be able to have children, he tried to persuade me to freeze my eggs. He was a great believer in advancements in medicine and technology giving us a chance to have children in the future. We decided not to and told him our answer was no. We wanted to live in the present. We didn’t hear anything more from him for a while. Then, a few months before he died, he got in touch.’ Matthew looked at the floor of the car. ‘What did he say?’ ‘He told us that there was a new technology. Something that allowed DNA to be manipulated. He referred to the technology as genetic scissors.’ A cold wave rolled down Matthew’s back. ‘Professor Hunter, the woman who taught Bannister, told me that twins were born in China recently, and there’s speculation their DNA was altered to eliminate the risk of HIV. She also told me that the same gene affects brain function.’ He paused. ‘Apparently, Bannister was researching similar ideas.’ Sammy nodded. ‘He told us we were still young; we were on the verge of turning thirty. He said there was still hope, not just for us to have children, but for us to have remarkable children.’ Matthew said nothing, and after a moment, Sammy continued. ‘We didn’t really think about it. We were irritated he was still pressuring us to try for children when we’d already told him that we’d decided to put that behind us. But what you told us…’ ‘…you think there could be something more to it.’ ‘I don’t know, maybe.’ Sammy shrugged. ‘I guess we ask Caesar on Wednesday.’ ‘If he turns up,’ Matthew said. Sammy wrapped her arms around her torso. ‘Surely, he would have told us by now if he wasn’t going to be there.’ ‘I don’t know.’ Matthew massaged his hands. ‘He wasn’t well enough to come today.’ Since that one email, he hadn’t heard from Caesar again, but Matthew had still hoped their patron would make the funeral, not just because he needed to speak with him but because he’d wanted him to come for Lucy. ‘Do you ever wonder about how he found us all?’ Matthew asked. ‘He selected kids who had challenging upbringings,’ Sammy said. ‘It was one of the reasons I accepted the scholarship in the first place; that and the money.’ She grinned at Matthew. ‘Seriously, though, there are so many routes for kids with a comfortable upbringing to get support that they often don’t need. I’ve always thought of him as a class warrior. Even Cerebrum, he’s not doing it for the money.’ ‘I guess so.’ It was true that collectively, they had faced more than their fair share of challenges. Adoption, lost parents, divorced parents, and even the death of a sibling. And they were only the things he knew about. He didn’t often talk about personal experiences with the others, but he was sure that Lucy would have been able to provide a complete list. Everyone used to confide in Lucy. Thoughts were spinning around in his head. If Sammy were right, on Wednesday, he’d have the chance to look Ben Caesar in the eye and ask him for the truth, but he had an uneasy sense about the upcoming meeting, a feeling that things were going to change and not for the better. Daniel was walking back to the car, and Sammy twisted back to face forward. ‘How’s Alfie doing?’ she asked over her shoulder. ‘He’s not saying much. He doesn’t respond well if I try to push him.’ He hesitated as Daniel opened the door and climbed into the driver’s seat. His thoughts turned to the meeting at Alfie’s school. ‘I’ve got a meeting with his headmaster on Monday,’ he said. ‘Did you arrange that?’ Sammy asked. ‘No. The school did. I don’t know what to expect.’ Daniel started the engine. ‘I’m sure it’ll be fine,’ Sammy said. Matthew didn’t feel any better about the meeting with the headmaster than he did about the meeting with Caesar. At times like these, he’d always turned to Lucy. Looking out the window, he saw the last few mourners heading towards their cars. He didn’t have that choice anymore. He balled his hands. He had to face the world alone.

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And on Monday, he learned that his son was now being attacked... Somebody had made up things about his mother and started yelling words to him abut her. He gave the list to his Dad to explain why he's been asked not to return to class for the last two weeks of class. Alfie didn't want Matthew to talk to his teachers about what had caused his attack of the boy...

During his investigation, Matt had learned that another of the potential scholars had been murdered. Two women now dead... Matt had also learned that Lucy had been leaving Alfie with another woman and her friend, who had pulled out of being a scholar even though she certainly had the intelligence... Alfie had grown to like this woman and Matt realized that it was best to allow him to keep seeing her... She was to become an important ally in what was to come!

As we have learned, many times individuals hide their real selves from the world, even from those who were supposedly close friends. Readers will learn the devastation that was wrought by who, they ultimately discovered, was the real Genius Club... And, to learn that sometimes genius may...just...be...a (or more) psychological monster(s)...

What kind of mind wants to manipulate and control the minds of many? Sometimes it's just through verbal manipulation like repeating the same message over and over... Sometimes it's joining with others who have specific ideas they believe and feel they have the right to impose them on other people. Sometimes it's through the provision of riches that blind a few in providing it unlimited, without accountability...

A final note, the actions of these psychopaths had been developed even before the actual testing of the children began. Manipulation of  the artificial insemination process had been conceived and implemented through lies told to women seeking medical help... Many may have heard of Hitler's efforts to create super soldiers... In my opinion, this plan was much worse since it was planned to keep this process moving into future generations! When somebody or some group is trying to change the standards, the norms by which we have functioned for years, you can be sure it is manipulation and NOT the genius of those who are trying one more way to achieve something that nobody else would ever support.

Even if I knew what to expect from reading the epigram, this was, indeed, tense, and too real, for me not to become completely involved in the book. Check it out!

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How could the world be so very, very cruel?