Flight To Pandemonium

by Murray, Edward

  Mac assembled a carry-on backpack with limited gear according to Abel’s rules of simplicity. The backpack carried no fishing tackle which might be confiscated by an airport screener. He packed only the best cold and wet weather gear that REI could furnish. He was pleased with the latest version of Sorel Caribou wool-lined boots which he now wore. He was energized for an adventure!

  At home Heather stood at the front door frowning, holding documents which obviously distressed her.

  “Why such a disturbing look for a Sunday morning and a glorious fall day for Seattle?”

  “Mac, you need to read this presser from the Center for Disease Control yourself. My office emailed it this morning marking it urgent but I don’t fully understand it.”

  “I’m about to leave for the airport. Can’t you just tell me what’s so urgent? You all live in your own world of control-speak over there.”

  “I can tell you this much. DOH wants me to report right this morning to BioWatch. Please, just read the presser while I drop you off at the airport on my way to work. Mac, there’s a CDC quarantine screening office in the central terminal at SeaTac right nearby. Why don’t you check in there for an update before you go to your gate?” Heather handed him the presser.

  “Quarantine office? Why would I do that?”

  “Just read it, will you?”

  Mac didn’t want to be late for baggage screening or to read a boring government press release but realized that Heather was seldom so insistent about anything. He tried a superficial scan, but as he read the presser, he slowed down, surprised:

  SARS outbreak rapidly worsens; CDC issues Level 3 Travel Warning

  Press Release - Urgent

  For Immediate Release: Sunday, September 9, 2018

  Contact: Media Relations (http://www.cdc.gov/media)

  The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today issued an urgent warning to avoid nonessential travel to the Asian region of India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, and to the European region of Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Germany. This Level 3 travel warning reflects the rapidly worsening outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in the two regions during the past 48 hours. Hundreds of deaths are confirmed at this time.

  U.S. citizens who must visit affected regions are urged to monitor public health broadcasts and to follow recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO). This disease appears to be quickly amplifying to other urban regions via air travel and public gatherings. Monitoring updated health information will be vital to avoid coming in contact with the virus.

  CDC is also distributing published guidance to airlines and cruise lines for managing ill passengers and crew members, and to health care workers for the manner and care of evacuees.

  At this time, CDC and local authorities stationed at points of departure are not screening passengers leaving the affected countries. The World Health Organization is considering cautious recommendations for quarantine of affected regions.

  Symptoms of onset of the disease include prolonged coughing, shortness of breath, pneumonia and later, blood tinged expectoration. SARS infects the respiratory system and subsequently spreads quickly and easily through droplets from coughing. Preventative inoculation is not available since the exact strain of this virus has not yet been identified.

  CDC is investigating a SARS coronavirus as the likely mutated strain causing the disease.

  # # #

  Mac sheepishly handed the presser back to Heather and said, “Damn, I see why you wanted me to read it. Sounds like they don’t even know what’s causing the disease so far… some mutant strain of virus if you know what that means.”

  “I don’t understand what it means,” replied Heather. “I’m just a staff lawyer, not a microbiologist or a geneticist. But events sound grim to me… so many deaths in just forty eight hours. CDC has jumped directly to a level three travel warning. They’re already considering regional quarantines. I’ve never heard the like.”

  “Well… it’s high time for us to…”

  Mac was interrupted by the loud scaling ring tone of Heather’s cell phone. She answered it, listened briefly and then said, “Mac, I’ve got to take this. I’m part of a CDC conference call.”

  “Then I’ll back the car…” Instantly Heather held up the palm of her hand for silence while she listened. Frustrated, Mac carried his travel pack, backed Heather’s Acura out of the garage, parked at the curb, and sat waiting. Heather scampered to the car carrying a change of clothes, and sat in the passenger seat, silently listening intently to her cell phone.

  Mac interpreted her silence as consent to drive to SeaTac so that he could catch his flight to Nome and then hand over the car. The frustrating drive to the airport was the usual stop and go. Heather remained glued to the cell phone the entire way to curb-side drop off at Alaska Airways where Mac stood waiting for her to finish.

  Heather finally snapped to airport reality when Mac asked, “What could be so almighty important to have me miss my flight?”

  She opened her door, met Mac on the sidewalk and gave him a quick lip buss and said, “The disease is worse… much worse. Call me when you get to Nome and I’ll fill you in. But don’t forget that quarantine office just inside. You really shouldn’t be going anywhere just now… so check there first for flying restrictions.”

  Without waiting for a reply she climbed in her Acura and drove off with the cell phone against her ear.

  Glancing at his watch, Mac shouldered his pack and walked into the terminal building. He thought he might be just in time to make flight check-in and to clear carry-on screening. He thought of Heather’s quarantine office. His choice was to find the office and miss his flight, or just blow off the update and get to the security line in time.

  Mac’s thinking was that while that bug was infecting cities around the world, he would be submerged in the Alaskan wilderness for weeks or more. By the time he returned, the quarantine calamity and its cure would be put into action and all officious pressers long forgotten. He didn’t want to hear any reason why he shouldn’t travel. He had paid for everything in advance! This would be his bucket list fishing adventure!

  3

  Copenhagen, Denmark, Monday, Early Fall. The medical emergency spiraled to pandemonium. Medical investigators piecing together what happened found three problems. One- everyone involved in the original flight from Delhi, passengers, crew, and care givers were deceased and their remains cremated; two- no log was kept from the time of arrival; and three- the A320 aircraft had been torched with accelerant together with its potential primary evidence of the disease.

  The World Health Organization could not offer a forensic explanation as to how the pathogen arrived on the aircraft before anyone became sick. The only evidence available to detectives came from screeners and ticket clerks who noted that no one boarding the flight appeared noticeably ill.

  Some deliberate introduction must have happened. The best biological evidence available in the hermitically sealed case had been destroyed. No one knew for certain whether the contents of the case had anything to do with events on the airplane. Only the blood serum of later victims was preserved by hospital attendants… and soon no one was willing to touch the containers considering the inadequate custody protocol adopted.

  Virtually everyone exposed indirectly to early events in India talked about bats. But interviews with rural farmers revealed a widely held phobia of bats. Bad things were attributed to bats… a blood sucking, vermin infested, invisible deadly menace. So medical detectives doubted the credibility of the farmers’ ardent talk.

  Time was critical for the WHO. Their investigators needed to first narrow the field of hundreds of potential pathogens. They started with the portal to humans directly via bats. Detectives sought prime evidence by capturing bats near farms and taking blood samples for study… a risky procedure if the
virus could be spread directly to humans. Bats were known to carry many strains of influenza virus. However, the complex study of blood serum would take many days.

  Discovering Mohinder Datta’s pathology files in Mumbai, a second possible portal was proposed… that of bats to pigs and then to humans. Since bat influenza seldom affected pigs, the few that did narrowed the field of study dramatically. Perhaps a strain of SARS virus already known to science had mutated by antigenic shift. This study could be performed rather quickly.

  A third possible portal had been studied following the 2003 outbreak of the SARS coronavirus, primarily in Asia. The WHO identified the coronavirus as a likely cause of a future epidemic and recommended further study to be prepared for diagnostic tests at breakout. A minor antigenic shift with this strain could be deadly. The effort might leap directly into identifying surface antigens and comparing various strains. This study would be risky as it required researchers in special facilities to handle the virus.

  Meanwhile, the four days since the destruction of the Airbus blossomed into a disaster for the WHO. A majority of researchers had quickly succumbed to the disease. Compelled to present a confidential briefing to staff which would give little reassurance to the public, the chief administrator of the WHO prepared an informal summary of events to begin discussions with the CDC to expand their role:

  ‘Within hours of arrival, everyone aboard the A320 Airbus required urgent care. Its one hundred eighty-seven passengers and crew were dispersed to nine area hospitals. Airport operations personnel and responding medical teams soon began to report for care as well. Attending staff and indiscriminate hospital patients began experiencing symptoms the following morning. That evening, Dr. Arend Vilhem, a passenger and expert in pathology, succumbed to cardiac arrest brought on by acute bronchial pneumonia. Sadly, he did not discuss events during the flight with anyone.

  ‘The death of unprotected technicians sidetracked a planned Polymerase Chain Reaction Test for the presence of a virus considering the frequent association of pneumonia with influenza. Early testing concentrating on identifying strains of bacteria which might be causal resulted in no progress. Few epidemiologists believed that an entire flight of nearly two hundred random, unrelated passengers could become acutely ill with respiratory influenza so quickly. Consequently, other possible causes were explored first.

  ‘The presence of Anthrax antibodies was ruled out as was Legionnaire’s disease. Common pneumococcal pneumonia was determined to be the prelude to death, but pneumonia was considered to be a consequence, not the precursor.

  ‘The short time factor reinforced suspicion of deliberate biological sabotage… perhaps using a pathogen created by culture rather than resulting from natural events. Every nurse, physician, or pathologist who examined patients or handled their serum acquired the disease despite vigilant precautions. Such a virulent pathogen is uncommon in medicine. Consequently, CDC has suspended all laboratory procedures until effective protocols can be proposed and tested. Experts now consider only the design hardened Level 4 Biohazard laboratory safe for handling this organism.

  ‘Just yesterday, a risky PCR test conclusively revealed the presence of viral nucleic acid. The woman who performed that test died this morning. The next level of testing needs to begin immediately to identify the strain. But most of our own laboratory technicians handling the disease are now afflicted or deceased. Sadly, we’ve halted testing as well.

  ‘No further progress with our joint research can be made until we have those protocols tested. We absolutely must do better than this. The number of new cases appears to be doubling every day. This meeting seeks a way to arrest that dreadful pandemic wave so we can develop and dispense a vaccine in time to save lives.’

  Following the meeting, fearing the worst, the World Health Organization assumed worldwide control noting parallel events unfolding in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Determined to arrest rumors, the WHO speculated that the cause was not biological terrorism, but more likely a deadly new strain of avian SARS virus which vectored to humans. Tests were underway and better understanding of the disease should follow shortly, they said.

  Four days after admitting their first SARS patient and having lost most of their staff, all nine Copenhagen hospitals closed their doors to prevent further amplification of the disease. More than five hundred patients had died. Medical facilities around the globe, especially Asian, followed suit.

  Most new cases were now associated with places of assembly rather than air travel. No individual had been discovered with natural immunity. Previous treatment regimens failed to arrest the disease and no new treatment emerged. Few health administrators fully anticipated the consequences. Of those, only a few were willing to publically support the draconian quarantine measures proposed to arrest the disease.

  The bat plague raged on.

  4

  Nome, Alaska, Tuesday, September 11th. Mac was pleased to find Abel waiting for him near baggage claim at Jimmy Doolittle Terminal Building. Abel was dressed in an elaborately beaded deerskin tunic and stained fur pants. He doffed a Russian beaver hat and greeted Mac with a bear hug. The man looked like Albert Einstein with his flyaway snow white hair and wrinkled face.

  “You’re a different man from three years ago,” said Mac.

  “Different for sure,” replied Abel, grinning, “and a happy one enjoying my new life.” He was slowly scanning faces waiting at baggage claim, obviously looking for someone else he expected. When no one joined them, Abel said, “I don’t see the others.”

  “Others?” asked Mac.

  “Supposed to be two more fishermen coming in today to join us.” Mac and Able waited until the last bag was claimed by passengers disembarking the flight from Anchorage. “Looks like they’re not here; maybe they came in on this morning’s flight,’ said Abel. “We’d better check town.”

  A swift pat on his back, a firm guiding grip on Mac’s elbow and a rapid pace through the airport crowd belied his age. He led Mac to an authentic World War II canvas-covered jeep older than he was and nimbly climbed aboard, beckoning Mac to ride shotgun. Off they went sputtering a distinctive trail of blue smoke. Stopping first at the Nugget Inn, Abel asked Mac to inform the clerk that he was ready for his fishing guests while he checked the Bearing Sea Grill next door. “Meet you at the Grill.”

  Checking in provided the perfect opportunity for Mac to make future hotel arrangements for himself as well.

  “Ain’t nobody here been askin’ after Abel,” said the clerk, slurring his words around a bulge in his cheek. The cadaverous man gave Mac the once over staring into his eyes.

  “There’re supposed to be two of them,” said Mac.

  “He’ll jus’ have to check back hisself, later. They ain’t been here.”

  “Then I’m checking in for tonight and I’d like to make an open reservation for two nights when I return from Abel’s trip in about two weeks or so.”

  “He oughtta know we don’t do about… told ‘im afore.” He spat the wad behind the counter for emphasis and Mac grimaced. “What can I do? Abel can’t give me an exact date for my return.”

  “I don’t know…” A Cheshire grin appeared on the clerk’s pallid face. “It’ll take a little scratch to do that. ’Bout a C-note.”

  As he fished out the money, Mac said, “Put that hundred on my account for me, will you please?”

  “Ain’t how it works, m’man.” The clerk stuffed his mouth with a fresh wad.

  “Then here’s my card. Why don’t you fill out the paperwork any way you want?” What an operator, Mac thought as he picked up his brass key. “We’ll be right next door at the Grill if anyone asks for us.”

  The clerk called after him, “Have ‘em check in by six or we won’t have a room!”

  When Mac related the clerk’s advice at the restaurant, Abel cursed, “Damned zjulik! They paid in adv
ance. I’ll bet he put ‘em off this morning when they came in on the early flight and they’re waiting around town somewhere. Why do they put up with that guy?”

  Mac nodded with sympathy, “That guy can’t be the owner. Looks like he’s got his own caper going.”

  “Enough of him,” replied Abel. “Welcome to Nome. Let’s talk fishing. Did you bring your gear? None of your cheechako fluff, just the list?”

  “Yea, just the list. But I did bring along a journal that wasn’t on your list. I want to write about this trip. Everything I brought is in my backpack,” Mac said, holding the pack up for inspection.

  “Good thing you came light. We’ll be doing a lot of walking… and I’ve got another idea to bounce off you. How ‘bout a special trip you can brag about back home in Seattle. We won’t bring any food with us… just a little cooking oil. Live off the land for two weeks with only what we can gather and catch. There’s a little rice stored at our yurt in case we don’t do well enough. My grandson lives there and can help if we don’t measure up. That’s where we’ll start our trip. The yurt will be our base camp.”

  “Four guys living alone off the land will have bragging rights! Let’s do it! I think I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been and ready for adventure. We won’t even think about the rice.”

  “That’s the right attitude, but I’ll bet you’ll crave your bread. And another thing… when you get hungry, and you will, you’ll pay much better attention to the fish. What they feed on each day and where… and how to make attractive lures. You’ll be driven by your stomach to become a better fisherman. We’ll gather berries, mushrooms and hunt game. The Pilgrim River has every kind of food to keep a man healthy. We keep canning gear at the yurt. We know how to preserve food without making us sick… and there are hot springs… very hot, in fact. You’ll like that country. Alaska’s best, I think.”