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

remarked and pointed to a display. “Her other symptoms are mitigating.”

“Yes,” Helsyn said. “She is beginning to clear the virus.”

“We have a treatment protocol,” Aahhn said. “We need both vaccine and booster. The vaccine stops the first phases and the booster controls the subsequent ones.” He stepped to the communicator. “Andra,” he called to her. “How are you feeling?”

“My head has stopped hurting. I really need a shower. This gown is stuck to me.” She rubbed her forearm. “This rash is so itchy.”

“Try to resist scratching it,” Aahhn said. “We'll try putting some healing salve on those lesions.”

“You're looking much better,” Nyk said.

“Yes, you are,” Suki added. “We were worried for a while.”

“YOU were worried?” Andra asked. “I'm feeling much better -- a bit hungry, even.”

“I'll have an attendant help you with a shower and a fresh gown,” Aahhn said. “I'll order a meal tray for you.”

Andra held her shell in Suki's direction. “This hasn't failed me yet!”

Andra reclined on the pallet. An attendant removed the I.V. line. “Doctor wanted to discontinue the booster infusion,” she said. “We'll give you booster injections twice a day until we're sure you've cleared the virus. I have a fresh gown for you. Do you think you're sure enough on your feet to take a shower, or do you want me to sponge you off?”

“I'll take my chances in the shower,” Andra replied.

“While you're in there I'll change the bedding. Then, you need to rest and recover your strength.”

“I've been lying down for two whole days. I want to go outside and take a walk.”

“Senta, Aahhn and Helsyn are working out details of the protocol,” Nyk said. “They'll administer the vaccine along with booster. Any patient exhibiting symptoms will be put on a continuous booster infusion. Once he recovers -- he'll be immune to all the phases.”

“Does that mean I'm now completely immune?”

“Yes. You can be Florence Nightingale on Lexal.”

“Who?”

“An Earth personage who cared for the sick and wounded. Let's hope it doesn't come to that.”

Senta followed Aahhn and Helsyn into the treatment room. Aahhn began scrolling through Andra's charts. “See?” He pointed. “Here is where we started the infusion -- her antibodies rallied rapidly ... this tapering is the turning point when she began to overwhelm the virus.”

“It's why we test these things,” Helsyn added. “Now that her antibody counts have leveled, she is out of danger.”

“Out of danger?” Senta asked. “You're sure?”

“Yes -- she will make a full recovery.”

“When can she leave containment?” Suki asked.

“In the morning, I think -- after we do a thorough decontamination.”

“Let's get some sleep,” Nyk said. “Suki -- you can come to the apartment with us. Wouldn't it feel good to lie in a real bed?”

“I'll stay here,” she replied. “I've been here for two days -- another night won't kill me.”

Nyk slipped his arm around Senta's shoulder, walked with her to the tubecar platform, ordered a car and directed it to the apartment tower. Senta walked in silence with him to the apartment door. He pressed his wrist to the doorscan and the door opened. Senta stood with her back to him.

“Senta...” She sniffed. “Senta -- let me hold you.”

She fell against him and he caressed her red hair. “Oh, Nyk -- Andra had me terrified!”

“For a while, we were all terrified.” He brushed one of her tears from her face. “You came face to face with our enemy and stood him down. You looked him in the eye and he blinked. Senta ... you vanquished that virus. YOU did it. You've done the impossible -- cured the incurable. Andra will recover. I saw one of our agents die of it. We've won -- this round at least.”

“I was so sure of our vaccine...”

“And you were right. Our adversary is stronger than you figured.” He held her until she calmed. “Andra is one lucky woman to be loved so by you and Suki.”

She stroked one of his tears from his face. “And, by you. Oh, Nyk -- if she hadn't recovered ... I wouldn't have been able to live with myself.”

“But she is recovering. You saw how much improved she is -- how quickly that booster turned her around.” He held her as she regained her composure. “Come on -- let's have some dinner. I haven't eaten well for the past two days and I imagine neither have you.”

Nyk sat at the table. Senta placed a meal before him, sat and switched on the vidisplay. “Senta -- must you?”

She held up her hand. “It's news from Lexal.”

“What are they saying?” he asked.

“Mykko Wygann has been sabre-rattling. He's claiming the Altians have developed nuclear flash bombs.”

“What is a flash bomb?”

“I have no idea -- he's claiming the Lexalese will defend to the death any invader. He's boasting of the strength of their perimeter defenses -- he's practically daring them to attack. I hope he doesn't lose himself in the part.”

“Mykko is an expert at brinksmanship -- one of the best.”

“They're also saying Lexal has begun planet-wide air raid drills.”

“Mmm...” Nyk nodded. “He's laying the groundwork for the inoculations. I'd hate to get into a high-stakes game with him. He'd win for sure.” He picked up the empty meal packages and dropped them into the waste reprocessor. “I'm beat -- I'm going to turn in. All I want to do is to stretch out on a real mattress.”

“Wait, Nyk...” Senta approached him and caressed his arms. “You don't have to use that cramped guest room. You can share my bed.” She kissed his cheek and then his lips. “I've missed you, Nyk.” She kissed him again and her tongue touched his lips.

“Senta ... this isn't a good idea. Let's not complicate things.”

“But Nykkyo...”

“It's relief from the vaccine test talking. Senta, I'm happy we can work together like this. Let's keep it on a professional level -- at least for now.”

“Don't the years we were married count for anything?”

“They certainly do. Let's not mess things up now -- okay?”

She released him and nodded. “Of course, you're right. I feel foolish. I'm a bit embarrassed, now.”

“Don't be. Part of me thought your offer sounded pretty good.”

“Really?”

He held her hand against his abdomen. “This part of me.” Senta giggled. He pointed to his head. “This part of me knows it's wrong.”

She smiled and pointed to her forehead. “This part of me agrees. I'll spend the evening looking over some crop sequencing reports. I've been neglecting my day job for this government project. Good night, Nykkyo.” He headed toward the guest room. “Nyk -- thanks for the help at the lab.”

Nyk undressed and lay on the guest room bed. He locked his hands behind his head, closed his eyes and attempted to will himself to sleep. Images of Marxo and Andra flashed through his mind.

He cleared his mind of thoughts and relaxed, modulating his breathing. Sleep was almost upon him when he heard the doorchime. It rang again.

He heard the apartment front door slide open, and Senta's voice. “Oh, it's you -- come in.” Then came a muffled shriek and sounds of a struggle.

Nyk hopped out of bed and tore open the guest room door. He saw a figure dragging Senta, limp, into the hallway. “Stop!” he shouted and ran after them. “Stop!”

Another figure stepped from behind a pillar and pointed an object in Nyk's direction. It discharged with a thwip and he felt something sting his shoulder. He grabbed and pulled out a dart. The corridor began to spin and his vision went grey...

13 -- A Need to Know

“Come on, pal -- wake up.” said an unfamiliar voice. Nyk cracked his eyes open. His eyes ached, his neck was stiff and his mouth was stuffed with a wad of gauze; then, he realized it was his tongue. He looked down and around -- he was lying on a thin mattress in an orange confinement tunic. Surrounding him were other mattresses, some inhabited by men also dressed in orange.

He looked up. Standing over him was a man whose insignia identified him as an Internal Affairs beat patrolman. “I don't know what you got into, pal. Time to see the sergeant.”

Nyk stood and followed the officer into an interview room.

“Wristscan,” a stocky older man with a more elaborate insignia ordered. He presented his wrist. “Nykkyo Kyhana -- resident of Sudal. You're quite a ways from home. What were you doing in that apartment building?”

“I was staying there -- in my ex-wife's apartment. Why am I here?”

“You were discovered nude and unconscious in the corridor of a very upscale apartment building. We figured you had one too many hits and passed out. We're charging you with disorderly conduct and public intoxication.”

“No! My ex-wife was abducted last night.”

“Abducted?” The sergeant poked his vidisplay. “We have no reports of a disturbance or missing person.”

“That's because I'd be the one to report it. I was trying to help her when one of them shot me with a dart -- it must've held a sedative.”

“A dart?”

“Yes.”

“We found no dart.”

“They must've retrieved it after I passed out. Look -- I'm involved in a very important project. I can't waste my time here.”

“What sort of project?”

“It's top secret.”

The sergeant glanced toward the beat officer and nodded. “Top secret project, huh?”

“It's important -- lives are at stake!”

“Lives at stake, now...”

“And my wife has been abducted! You should be out looking for her instead of bothering with me.”

The sergeant nodded toward the door and the beat cop grabbed Nyk's upper arm.

“Where are you taking me?”

“Back to the holding cell. You can get back to your top secret project after you've seen the magistrate.”

“I'm entitled to make a vidphone call, am I not?”

The beat cop looked at the sergeant. “Yes,” the sergeant replied. He turned a vidisplay toward Nyk. “See to it he gets his vidphone call.”

Nyk punched in Kronta's locator code. “Illya...”

“Nykkyo -- where are you?”

“I'm at the...” He looked up.

“Four hundred thirteenth precinct detention center.”

“I'm at the four hundred thirteenth precinct detention center.”

“What are you doing there?

“It's a misunderstanding. Illya -- please come down here and bail me out. Also -- bring a tunic and a pair of sandals.”

“I'll be there as soon as possible.”

“Illya -- Senta's been abducted.”

“I was in here,” Nyk explained to an Internal Affairs inspector, pointing to the guest room. “Senta was in the living room. She was working on some sequencing reports. The door was closed. I heard the doorchime and Senta said, 'Oh -- it's you,' or the equivalent. Then I heard a struggle. I followed into the hall. They shot me with some sort of dart and I passed out. How many times do we need to go over this?”

Another Internal Affairs officer inspected the doorscan. “He scanned his way in last evening, Inspector. No more scans until we arrived this morning.”

“It wasn't Senta's practice to have visitors identify themselves with the doorscan,” Nyk replied. “If the chime rang, she'd answer the door.”

“Why would she open the door to a stranger?” the inspector asked.

“Whoever it was, it wasn't a stranger,” Nyk replied.

“She wouldn't have known that until she opened the door. Why would she be in the habit of opening doors to strangers?”

“I don't know. She was always like that -- even when we were married. Whoever did it would have to have scanned their way through the front door -- wouldn't they?”

“Or, through the tubecar platform.” The inspector gestured toward his deputy, who handed him a vidisplay. “Here are the names of everyone who scanned their way into the building. I'm highlighting every name who DIDN'T use an apartment doorscan.”

Nyk took the display and scrolled through it.

“As you can see -- every name is accounted for. Are there, by chance, any you recognize as suspicious?”

“No... What about that unlocked maintenance door you found?” Nyk asked. “Someone could've come in that way.”

“Also an excellent way to dispose of a body. Mr Kyhana -- Dr Tibran was your ex-wife.”

“IS my ex-wife.”

“What were the reasons for your divorce?”

“Do we really need to go into that?” The inspector looked down his nose at Nyk. “I see how it