The Altian Plague by DM Arnold (best book club books for discussion .TXT) 📖

“A single exposure transmitted to thirty-four random individuals, Illya. Earth authorities are better skilled at dealing with these then are we. At any rate -- all Earth victims were passengers on a flight from Tulsa to Kansas City -- or, they had contact with those passengers. Marxo was also on that same flight.”

“So?”

“Marxo had no business in Tulsa -- he was stationed in Scottsdale. I went through his draw account records -- looking for flights, hotels and so on, paid for with his draw card.”

“What did you find?”

“Not much -- but he did have numerous cash withdrawals both in Scottsdale and Tulsa. A couple times he slipped up and paid for hotel accommodations with his debit card. I think he was spending a significant fraction of his time in Tulsa. It explains the poor performance of the Scottsdale lab -- he simply wasn't there to do the work. His performance was so poor Seymor and I discussed sending him up. Add to this the fact that Zander kept his Earth home there, and we know he was involved in the original Ricin plot. The virus was tested on Earth. I think it's possible it was created or perfected there.”

Kronta stroked his chin. “I doubt created -- but, I believe perfected and certainly tested there.”

“There's more, Illya -- When we sanitized Marxo's lab, we found record of a telemessage transmitted from Altia. It was coded using Altian street codes. We believe the contents of the message read, pickup January 15, delivery January 18. Marxo contracted the virus and died on the nineteenth.”

“Do you still have the message?”

Nyk withdrew his handheld vidisplay. “I transferred a copy here.”

Kronta looked toward the doorway. “Captain Sirk, you should have a look at this. I'll transfer it to your handheld.”

“Nyk...” Senta jabbed Nyk in his ribs with her elbow.

“Right... Illya, Senta would like a word with you.”

“Follow me to my office.” Kronta sat behind his desk, pressed a control to secure the door and adjusted the level of white noise. He looked at Senta. “What can I do for you?”

“Mr Kronta ... Illya ... I'd feel better about this project if we had Professor Hanri on board.”

“Who's he?”

“He was Senta's thesis advisor in graduate school,” Nyk answered.

“Yes -- and he is the expert on native biology. It's a native biological strategy that the virus uses to modify itself.”

Kronta tented his fingers. “Every individual we bring onto this team doubles the risk of information leaking. The team is larger than my comfort as it is, and we're adding Andra Baxa to it.”

“Senta,” Nyk interjected, “you don't need Hanri. He was little help to you during the Ricin affair...”

“...true,” she replied.

“...he was more of a hindrance. In fact he didn't believe it was possible to design an organism based on Earth genetics that could employ a native Floran generation ... counter ... sequence ... thing...”

“...also true...”

“You said this looked like the Ricin genome. You figured that out by yourself, and I'm sure you and Helsyn can figure out this one without involving Hanri.”

“I agree with Nyk,” Kronta said.

“But, as a consultant, Hanri might speed the process ... at least have someone to bounce ideas...”

“I have to go with the team I'm comfortable with,” Kronta interrupted. “I know every participant first- or second-hand. Hanri is an unknown quantity to me, and I'm not going to risk it. My decision is final.”

Senta stared at Kronta's desktop. “Understood.”

“Come on, Senta,” Nyk said extending his hand. “We'll go back to the apartment and have some dinner.”

Nyk sat across from Senta and scooped from a packaged dinner. “Why do you suppose Kronta was so dead-set against Hanri?” she asked.

“I've worked enough with Illya to appreciate his instincts,” Nyk replied and scooped another forkful. “You heard him say it -- he has to go with the team that makes him comfortable ... or, at least one that won't make him uncomfortable.” He eyed her. “You're not going to go behind his back and contact Hanri anyway ... are you?”

“Of course not. If Kronta says no Hanri, then it's no Hanri.” She looked up at him. “I did appreciate your vote of confidence in Kronta's office, Nyk. It was nice to hear you say that.”

“I meant it. Senta, I have always admired your abilities, even if we sometimes don't see things the same way. I've told you all along I want to keep you as a friend.”

“I know you have... Nyk -- do you have accommodations while you're onworld for this project?”

“No. Not yet.”

“You can stay here.”

“Thanks, Senta. I know the rules -- stay in the guest room and don't bother you when you have company.”

“I'll be so busy with this project I won't have time for company.” She pointed to his meal tray. “Are you done?”

“Yes.” He handed her the empty package and she dropped it into the waste reprocessor.

She stepped to a control panel, scanned her wrist and touched some controls. “Nyk, come here... Scan your wrist.” He pressed it to the control panel. “I've authorized your ID on the doorscan. You may come and go as you please.”

He wandered into the apartment's living room and sat on a sofa. “So you think you and Helsyn can do this.”

“Yes, but we have no margin for error.”

“How long do you think it'll take?”

“How long do we have?” she asked.

“Well -- let's back-time it. It's twenty-nine days 'til the ultimatum ... twenty-eight, really, since today is nearly over. Let's assume it takes Lexal three days to inoculate everyone -- we're down to twenty-five. How long would it take the replication plants to gear up and manufacture a hundred fifty million doses?”

“Assuming we deliver good molecular models...” She looked at the ceiling. “Five days.”

“Thirty million doses a day? How big is a dose?”

“Probably five millilitres or so.”

He pondered. “That's 750,000 litres for a hundred fifty million doses ... three thousand barrels manufactured and delivered to Lexal.”

“Hmm... Maybe we should budget ten days, including transportation.”

“I'll bring this up at our next meeting. We need to figure the logistics of moving three thousand barrels to Lexal. Ten days to make and transport the vaccine and three to administer it. That gives you twelve days to develop it. Can you do that?”

“We'll have to, won't we?”

“What goes into a vaccine?”

“Well -- vaccines work by stimulating the production of antibodies -- molecules the body produces to defend against infection. Antibodies tie up the virus so it can't attach to the target cell and reproduce.”

He nodded. “I get it -- an antibody resembles the surface of the target cell. The virus attaches and is neutralized.”

“Right. What we must do is to trick the body into forming antibodies that will attack the virus. Dr Helsyn tells me historically, a pathogen was grown and then killed or crippled. Unfortunately, we have no media in which to grow this virus.”

“I don't think we'd want to grow it if we could,” Nyk replied.

“Instead, we must synthesize molecules resembling the protein jacket. The immune system will believe the vaccine molecules are invaders and create the antibodies. Once they're in the bloodstream...”

“...you're immune.” He nodded. “Very clever the immune system is.”

“We can also create synthetic antibodies as a bridge until the natural ones develop. And, we'll throw in a good dose of immune system booster to speed up the process. I'll tell you, Nyk -- working with Dr Helsyn has been a thrill. I've learned so much.”

“I'll bet he'll say the same about you. I was proud of your performance at the meeting today.”

She smiled. “Why, thank you, Nyk. If I didn't know better I'd say you were coming on to me.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “I'm not one for hollow flattery, Senta. I was proud of you. Despite the whole divorce business, I never lost my admiration for you. I've said it before -- I'd like us to be friends. Do you think that's possible?”

“Possible ... yes.”

“Good.” He yawned. “I'm going to turn in. I have to be up early tomorrow. I'm meeting Andra at the shuttleport, and then we take a ride to Lexal. We're meeting with Mykko Wygann and his wife.”

Nyk sat beside Andra as the shuttle swept across the Lexalese highlands and touched down at the shuttleport. “I didn't expect to return here so soon,” he said.

“I've been here a couple of times since the insurrection. I like it here.”

The craft stopped by the terminal building and the door opened. Nyk descended a flight of steps and onto the pavement. Andra joined him and they headed through the terminal to the groundcar lot. He hired a car and directed it to the palace.

“It looks like they've repaired most of the damage,” he said to Andra as the car wound up switchbacks to the hilltop palace. It's also nice to see fewer guards on duty.”

“Yes,” she replied. “Tensions have eased significantly.”

“I wonder what our news will do to tensions.”

The car parked and Nyk stepped out. He gave Andra a hand and led her toward a guard station. The guard spoke through a vidphone. “Someone will escort you.”

Another member of the security force approached. “Follow me.” He led them into the palace and into a lift to an office.

Nyk sat on a bench upholstered in a deep-pile blue velvet. Harsh light from the blue sun streamed through a window and across the floor. Andra stood, her hands clasped behind her back.

The door opened and a stocky, late-middle-aged man entered accompanied by a tall woman with oat-straw white hair. She approached Andra, embraced her and they kissed.

“I still can't get over how alike they are,” the man remarked to Nyk. He extended his hand. “Nykkyo -- good to see you again.”

“Chancellor.”

“Please -- it's Mykko.”

Janna offered her hand. “Nykkyo.”

“I read the briefing material you sent,” Wygann said. “We've heard the threats from this separatist group. We hadn't quite known how to interpret this planet-killer talk.”

“A biological weapon,” Nyk replied, “a vicious disease, a plague that would undoubtedly kill the majority of a planet's population.”

“And you believe Lexal is the target?”

“Your world, Chancellor, is unfortunately the logical choice for demonstrating this weapon. We can't guarantee these terrorists will behave logically, but all indicators point to a first-use against Lexal.”

“We had adjusted to a period of lessened tensions with Altia,” Janna added. “After the insurrection, the High Legislature ordered the scrapping of Altian perimeter defenses.”

“Yes,” Nyk replied, “along with a restructuring of the Altian government and payment of reparations to Lexal. I'm familiar with the settlement.”

“How does your task force expect to deal with this threat?” asked Wygann.

“We are proceeding on several fronts. We have liaisons with security and intelligence forces in several areas and we are pursuing The Seven with all diligence.”

“Given the nature of that organization, I doubt you'll make inroads before the expiration of their ultimatum.”

“We're hoping for a breakthrough. On another front, we are in the process of developing a vaccine that would render their weapon useless. I've been authorized to offer it to you. If the virus is deployed against Lexal, your people would be immune -- assuming you could inoculate your entire population.”

“Are you offering this to other colonies?”

“We will offer it to the entire hegemony. As the likeliest target, Lexal is to receive the first shipments.”

“Hmm...” Wygann looked toward Janna. “Get my security chief.”

Janna touched a proximity pad. A tall young man approached. “Venn, Chancellor wishes to speak with his security chief.” The man snapped a bow, turned and left.

Wygann turned toward Nyk. “Who all is on this task force?”

“ExoAgency personnel, a couple of doctors... My wife -- my ex-wife, who's a genetics expert... A Mr Pring...”

“Chief boot-licker to the president of the HL,” Wygann interjected.

“A Captain Sirk of the Altian Security Force.”

Wygann squinted “Do you really think his bunch is sincere about stopping The Seven?”

Nyk nodded. “I do.”

“Even if The Seven is secretly part of the Altian government?”

“Certainly you don't believe that.”

“Certainly I do. Who is this Captain Sirk?”

“He's the Altian security force expert on The Seven.”

“A captain ... their head man on The Seven -- is a mere captain.” Wygann shook his head.

“I've seen him aggressively hunting their operatives on Altia,” Nyk replied.

“They should be hunting the brains of the operation -- not the feet.”

The door opened and an older man in uniform entered, bowed to Janna and saluted Wygann. “My security chief.” Mykko looked at him. “Tell me -- suppose we wished to inoculate every Lexalese... How quickly could we do that?”

“Inoculate, Chancellor?”

Wygann touched the inside of his elbow with his forefinger. “Give everyone a shot in the arm. How could we do that?”

“I'll need to study this -- formulate a plan.”

“How long would it take?”

“The plan? A few days, Chancellor.”

“No -- I need to know how long it would take to inoculate everyone if we were to press all our medical staff to the job. And, it must be done in total secrecy.”