“They grab on to the person’s arm and some nanos cross from the fingers into the skin of the new host,” I growled.
“Yes. That’s why the attackers had bloody hands. They were in infection mode, getting ready to spread. The nanos travel through blood—it’s needed during infection.”
“How long does it take?”
He glanced at the ceiling while he considered the question. “I predicted fifteen minutes during my research, but I don’t know for sure.”
My breath blew out in a rush and I leaned back, relieved.
“Yes,” he said, eyeing me. “You’re lucky. You only allowed contact for a few minutes, and you washed the blood away immediately after. And since several days have now passed, there is no way the nanos are controlling you.”
A shock passed through my body: maybe I was infected! Would I even know? Perhaps they were making me think I was perfectly normal, when in fact I was under their control!
My hand trembled; I immediately hid it from view.
“How can we kill the nanos?” I said in a flat voice.
He shook his head. “You can’t. I’ve programmed numerous defense mechanisms.”
“To protect the infection.” I exhaled. “I can’t believe what you’ve done.” I pursed my lips in thought. Something Quint Sirius had said to me, only days earlier, came to me unbidden. Funny, it seemed like I had taken him into custody years ago. I’m sick, he’d sobbed. I need help.
“What about antibiotics?” I asked suddenly. “After all, these things are essentially bacteria, right? Antibiotics should be enough to—”
Malichauk laughed, a sharp bark. “Do you think I would create nanos susceptible to something so simple? I hardened them to antibiotics during the manufacturing process. It was similar to what happens when doctors treat an infection and the patient doesn’t take the recommended dosage. I exposed the bacteria, but not to the point that they died. Rather, the subsequent generations developed a resistance to the drugs. Evolution, Tanner!”
I scowled. He had thought ahead, anticipated the nanos’ discovery. “What else?”
He shrugged. “Well, most drugs don’t penetrate into the brain, where the nanos are located.”
“And?”
He fell silent for a moment. “They’re hardened to an electromagnetic pulse. They have other defense mechanisms too, but I don’t really want to say more about them.”
I knotted a fist. Dammit. He was willing to talk about them—perhaps even brag about them—but not to the point where it could help us survive this situation. We had to convince him; our lives depended on it.
Katrina said, “Building self-replicating machines is a dangerous thing, Doctor. Rampant growth—especially exponential growth—can lead to what many scientists have called the ‘gray goo’ problem.”
“Gray goo?” Rickets asked.
“An uncontrolled population of runaway nanobots, growing exponentially, eating a planet’s biosphere to supply the energy for replication. It’s a scary proposition.”
“It’s nonsense,” Malichauk said. “As I said, I programmed limitations into them.”
Katrina snorted. “Some job you did. They don’t seem to obey your programming.”
Malichauk rolled his eyes as if he didn’t care.
“Don’t you see what you’ve done?” I snapped. “You created a self-sustaining bullet that could exist forever. An intelligent bullet that will no longer listen to its master!”
He sneered but still didn’t respond.
“Do you realize that someone on Mercury removed Jarvis Riddel’s head and hands?” I asked, thinking back to my discussion with Dr. Higby.
“What?” Manny blurted. Malichauk also looked shocked.
“Yes. He apparently had a heart attack, and some people from Earth examined the body and took those parts away.” I waited, but the doctor had no answer for me. I mulled the problem over for a moment. “You’ve answered some questions, Malichauk, but there’s still another big one.”
He nodded. “The murders and the severed heads and hands. Since the nanos are located in the brain and fingers of the host, someone was trying to cover up evidence of Jimmy’s infection. An autopsy might have revealed them.”
The nanos had controlled Jimmy, but as Malichauk had planned, he’d still seemed normal in every regard. He had even died in an accident, in a very human way.
“Then why were Reggie and Bel killed?” Shaheen asked.
“Reggie discovered the nano,” I said. “He told Bel, and an infected person must have overheard. There’s no way to tell who it was, though it might very well have been Brick.”
“But why cut their heads and hands off? They probably weren’t infected.”
I frowned. “I’ve been thinking about that,” I said. “The answer I keep coming up with is that, had he simply killed the two and left them there, it might have looked odd to me. But the fact that both their heads and hands were gone made me think there was still just one killer, killing in the same method. It was brilliant, really.”
Malichauk grunted. “Yes it was. The only problem is, I never programmed that into them. The nanos aren’t obeying my code. They’re acting on their own now.”
“And what’s worse, Doctor,” I said, “they’re incredibly intelligent.”
* * *
It grew deathly quiet.
“How is that possible?” Rickets asked. “Nanos are just tools.”
“Tanner’s right,” Malichauk answered. “I’ve pondered the problem since discovering Jimmy’s body. It occurred to me immediately when I found that his head and hands were missing.”
“You didn’t program that into them?” I asked.
“Definitely not.” He paused. “But it does make me wonder. You see, we’ve never succeeded in making a nano intelligent. They’re too small—not enough processing power. They can receive orders and obey them, but they can’t do much thinking for themselves.”
Sally said, “Then how are they managing to—”
“Well, typical nanos can’t communicate with each other. However, I’ve programmed these ones to take over neurons—one hundred billion neurons, mind you—in the host and communicate with each other using the brain’s own system—electrochemically. Think about it! One hundred billion organisms talking to each other simultaneously at the same speed our own neurons communicate.”
“A hive mind?” I suggested.
“Exactly! Individually the nanos are simple machines, nothing more. But with all of them inhabiting a host’s brain and talking to one another, it’s possible an intelligence has evolved. They’ve formed a neural net, superimposed over our own!” He shook his head. “I didn’t foresee it.”
“Obviously the murders and their attempts at concealing their existence are evidence of intelligence,” Manny said.
The scientists looked horrified. I felt the same. Intelligent nanos in control of human beings?
“Malichauk,” I asked, “what are the chances that they will still obey the original code?”
“Which code?”
“The kill code, as you call it.”
His brow creased. “I have no idea, really.”
“What about the code that tells them to leave the host after performing ten infections?”
“I can’t say,” he murmured.
Avery Rickets clenched his fists. “This is insane. You’ve admitted to the release of an infection on board this station. It may have even spread to the outside! And on top of that, Brick and Bram are infected, and maybe more of us as well!”
Malichauk looked defeated. “I’m sorry, I really am. It wasn’t supposed to happen this—”
“Bah!” Rickets spat and turned from him.
There was that feeling again...something about the disease spreading off t
he station.
“Oh my God,” I muttered. “Oh, shit.”
“What?” Shaheen asked.
“I just realized something. Something scary. The people who took Jarvis Riddel on Mercury. They removed his head and hands. They must have discovered the nanos.”
“So?” Katrina said.
I thought furiously, the pieces falling together in my mind. “It explains a lot of things, like the constant reports Mercury was asking Brick to file.” I spun on the scientists. “You all complained about the number of reports you were forced to make for them.”
“I don’t understand,” Manny said.
“Think about it. Someone discovers the infection in Riddel. They know it came from SOLEX. The question is, who made the nanos? The simplest explanation is that one of the scientists here created them. Hence all the reports. They want to know what all of you are up to. They hoped one of you would slip up!”
“Oh my God,” Lingly said in shock. “I can’t believe it.”
Shaheen noticed the look on my face. “What is it, Kyle?”
My tone was dark. “They knew about the infection when they sent me here. Maybe they sent me, thinking I’d be able to figure things out. But they didn’t tell me about Jarvis Riddel, the nano, nothing. They didn’t prepare me. I think they sent me in expecting me to figure it out or die trying.”
Rickets said, “What do you mean?”
I hesitated. “I’m expendable. And now we may all be dead.”
“How so?”
I threw my hands up. “Do you think they’ll let any of us off this station if we can’t figure this out and beat the infection? They’ll kill us all if we call for help or try to leave before I’ve solved the mystery.”
No one said anything. They looked at each other and waited for someone to object to my theory.
No one did.
And then the power failed, this time for good.
* * *
Everything was out. Ventilation fans, lights, carbon-dioxide scrubbers, the microwave beam to Earth. Everything.
Battery power kicked in a second later and the environmental systems restarted. The lights remained out, however; only the red glow from the emergency system now illuminated the station.
“Will they come back on?” Sally inquired as she looked to the ceiling.
“If Brick or Bram did this,” Shaheen said, “and they did a thorough job, then no. The batteries are dedicated to critical systems like life support. Lighting isn’t that important.”
“Maybe Earth will send someone for us, now that the beam has stopped,” Lingly said with a flash of excitement on her face.
She still didn’t understand. She hadn’t listened to a word I had said. Or maybe she just hadn’t wanted to believe me. “No, they won’t,” I replied savagely. “They know what’s going on here. They won’t send anyone. They’ll let us die in order to kill the infection. We’re on our own.”
She flinched and pulled back, but her expression wasn’t anger. She was appalled.
“What do we do?” Balch asked.
I considered his question. “Some of us here may be infected right now. We have to find a way to identify who. And we have to worry about Brick and Bram. They’re on this station, and they will kill us to save themselves.”
“If they do that, they threaten their own chances of survival!” Sally shouted.
“We represent more of a threat to them alive than dead,” I said. “Don’t forget that. If knowledge of this becomes widespread, the CCF will probably hunt and kill everyone suspected of carrying the infection without mercy. They wouldn’t even get a chance to explain.”
“We’re on our own, then,” Manny said.
“But what can we do?” Lingly asked in a trembling voice.
I didn’t plan on answering, but I noticed all eyes on me, including the captain’s. “I’m open to suggestions,” he said.
I grunted. “I guess we have no choice.”
“What’s that?” Grossman growled. “Abandon the station and set it to self-destruct?’
Another silence, then, “There are a few problems with that,” Rickets answered. “First, Tanner destroyed all means of escape.”
Grossman looked mad enough to chew nails.
The first officer continued, “Second, he’s right. More of us could be hosts. We need to find out who and deal with them.”
The gravity of his statement hit the room like thunder. The scientists, crew and officers stared at one another, unsure what to do.
Run? Where?
Hide? How?
Call for help? From whom?
Everyone was scared to death.
“You were saying?” Rickets said, looking to me.
“There are two things.”
“Two? That’s it?” Grossman said. He looked surprised.
“Right. First, we have to find and restrain Bram O’Donnelly and Lieutenant Kayle.”
“Maybe we should just kill them,” Katrina Kyriakis said.
There was a lot of grumbling at that. Lingly gasped.
“Well, why not?” Katrina said. “Look, they had no qualms killing Reggie and Belinda. And if we do manage to capture them, don’t forget they’re highly contagious.”
“Infection takes fifteen minutes,” Malichauk reminded her.
“I’m sure there are other ways to become infected, Doctor.”
That stunned Malichauk. “I only programmed one.”
“These nanos have grown intelligent. You said so yourself. A hive mind.”
“Perhaps, yes.”
“So they know we’re a threat to their survival. What does a sentient, intelligent species do when threatened?” She planted her hands on her hips. “Fight! They do whatever they can to avoid extinction. From where I’m standing, those two men out there—” she pointed out the hatch and to the corridor beyond, “—are alone, possibly frightened and ready to kill to survive. So yes, I’m suggesting we find and kill them. There’s nothing odd about that at all.”
She was right, but these were two of their own she was referring to. It was going to be hard to convince the others that there was no hope for them anymore.
“You mentioned other methods of infection,” I said. “What are you implying?”
“Dr. Malichauk says he programmed infection to occur only through direct contact. But what about ingesting a nano? In our food, perhaps. Or inhaling one, in our air supply.”
Lars shook his head. “That would mean they isolated nanos and allowed them to replicate outside the body. It’s not possible.”
“Why not?”
“The bacterial hosts need to replicate in an environment that supplies an unlimited amount of energy. The human body is the source of energy for them. Therefore replication will occur there.”
Sally looked outraged. “Come on, Doctor! You of all people know bacteria can be grown outside the host!”
Malichauk frowned. “Of course I do, but where would they manage to find the equipment to do that here? It’s not a practical line of thought. Infection can only occur by touching—”
“Just a second, Doc,” I interjected. “Katrina suggested we could become infected through our food. Is that possible?”
His eyebrows arched. “I suppose, but I didn’t program—”
“Did you program them to murder and slice people’s heads off?”
He looked outraged. “Of course not! I already explained—”
“Case closed,” Katrina said. “We need to be extremely careful what we eat. Only sealed ration packs.”
“Oh, please!” Malichauk said. “Those two only just escaped. They couldn’t possibly be ready to infect us in the manner you’re suggesting.”
“They’ve probably known something like this
was coming, Doctor,” Manny said. “The three bodies, remember? Tanner’s here to investigate, and they knew he was good. They must have anticipated this.”
I considered what the captain had said. It was interesting. “You’re suggesting the nanos were prepared for this?”
“They cut the power pretty damn fast.”
A jolt coursed through my body. He was right. Perhaps they’d expected that I would discover the truth all along. After all, they had tried to infect me almost immediately upon my arrival. And if they had predicted this development, they might also have prepared some nasty surprises for us. “We better move quickly then.”
“Wait,” Rickets said. “You haven’t finished yet. What was the second thing we have to do? The first was to find and restrain Bram and Lieutenant Kayle...”
I nodded. “The second is to develop a test to find out who among us is infected right now. Just as you suggested.”
Silence.
“Why do you think one of us is under their control?” Sally asked. There was a tremor in her voice.
I knotted a fist. “Think about the chain of events that has occurred. Jimmy witnessed an infection taking place. So that means the nanos controlled two people, at least. Got me?”
“Yes.”
“Jimmy died and someone removed his head and hands. This indicates Jimmy himself was infected. That’s three.”
“Okay...”
“Someone was trying to cover up the infection in Jimmy. Later, someone killed Reggie and Bel, also to cover up the infection.” I exhaled. “In addition, don’t forget that Jarvis Riddel was infected. He left SOLEX four weeks ago. That’s four. Do you really think that in a four-week period no further infections took place? If it only takes fifteen minutes, there could be a lot more than two infected people right now.” I eyed them slowly, one by one.
Balch said, “Then everyone here might be infected!” He backed away until there was steel at his back.
I held my hand up. “No! Think about it. If that were true, we wouldn’t be sitting here talking right now. You’d all attack and infect me.”
“You talk as if you were still human,” Grossman snorted.
I hesitated. This was a tricky problem. “I know I am, but I suppose you all need proof of that, right? Well, I need proof that you’re uninfected too, Grossman.”
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