by Kit Pedler
He began to muse on his next job. The shelves in the larder or the bedroom ceiling. Gradually as the tea warmed its way into his body, his eyelids drooped and he nodded off. Mary watched him, smiling to herself. As he began to snore softly, she took the blanket from around herself and wrapped it carefully over his knees. Then she shrugged into his overcoat and settled back in the chair picking up a thumbed paperback and turning its pages towards the candle.
In the kitchen the patch of foam was beginning to move and expand.
Variant fifty-nine was waking up in the warmth.
Complex biochemical signals began to pulse as the static protoplasm of the cells began once again to constrict and divide. By now, the Variant was an almost perfectly equipped biological entity. Defying the laws of Darwin, each generation was acquiring some of the most successful attributes of the last, learning new methods of unstitching plastic molecules to get energy and life. Learning to use the complex artifacts of man.
Gas bubbles began to form again as the cells used up the last of the food around them. One bubble popped soundlessly, spraying a few small droplets onto the draining board – newly covered in self-adhesive plastic sheeting by Jack.
Almost immediately, the droplets appeared to soak into the surface of the plastic and disappear.
In the living-room, Jack woke up in the dimness and saw the blanket round his knees: ‘Ta. You all right?’
She nodded. ‘How long’s this going to be?’
‘Can’t tell. They’ll put it to rights I expect. There’s a lot of those scientist geezers working on it down at St Thomas’s.’
‘Like the blitz, isn’t it?’
‘’ope not. went on for two bleeding years that did.’
‘Don’t know how we’ll manage, we only got about a couple of gallons of paraffin.’
‘It’s all right love, I’ll go down the emergency whatsit in a bit, see what’s going on. They thought it all out you know. I got the instructions here somewhere.’
He pulled out a folded sheet of brownish paper printed in heavy black ink. Attached to it was a simplified, large scale map of Central London.
‘Here it is, I’ll read it to you.’ He began slowly to pick out the words in the dim light of the candle, the ponderous phrases sounding strangely incongruous as he read.
STATE OF EMERGENCY
A proclamation of emergency has this day been made under section one of the Emergency Powers Act 1920 (a) and it is here stated that the proclamation is now in force having been signed by Her Majesty with the advice of her Privy Council.
The instructions which follow are for your protection. It is essential that you read them very carefully and carry them out with the greatest of care. They apply only to those who are inside the area shown on the attached map.
Until the emergency is over, it is the Government’s intention to evacuate the region, this means that you will have to go to one of the decontamination centres marked on the map. There are no other exits.
Do not go with any luggage or personal possessions. Put on your warmest and oldest clothes and do not wear or carry anything made from plastic. Think very carefully and decide whether you have any plastic objects on your person. If you have, discard them.
For example, if you wear dentures, these must be left behind. Shoes with plastic soles or uppers must similarly be left.
At the decontamination station, you will be asked to remove your clothes and pass through a special shower. While this is happening, your clothes will be subject to steam treatment and will be returned to you before leaving. In some cases, it may be necessary to retain your clothing. If so, alternative clothing will be provided at the centre. Once you have passed through decontamination, you will be free to leave, but you will not be allowed back into the area.
Non-residents
If you are confined in the area, go to any one of the hotels listed on Paper A where you will be given food and shelter. You will also be given a numbered lapel badge indicating your place of decontamination. Go to the nearest listed hotel and do not loiter or visit any other place on the way.
These instructions apply both to British Nationals and foreign visitors.
Residents
If you live in the area. REMAIN INDOORS.
Do not worry about food supplies, these are being brought in by the Police and the armed services and will for the time being be distributed free of charge.
Look carefully on the map and find your nearest emergency post. It is marked by a flashing red-striped beacon similar to the barber’s post sign.
What to do with an outbreak
If you see any signs of invasion by the plastic destroying agent, first of all DO NOT TOUCH anything nearby. Infected plastic objects most often show first a softening, then a melting, then the formation of bubbles accompanied by an unpleasant smell similar to rotten eggs. The gas produced in the bubbles is explosive, so do not use any naked flame. If, for example, you see an outbreak in your kitchen, turn out all pilot lights on your gas stove. If you have any solid fuel or gas central heating, turn it off.
Then go at once to your nearest emergency post and report the outbreak. It will then be dealt with by skilled experts.
Remember:
Don’t touch anything
Don’t try and do it yourself
Report it at once.
Public Places
No public place may open to do business. This applies to shops, licensed premises, restaurants, theatres, cinemas, clubs and any other establishment where the public may gather.
Vehicles
No vehicles may be driven on the roads in the area unless specifically requested by a member of the Police force, armed services or other properly authorized person. If you are required to drive a vehicle on official business, it is not necessary to have a valid road fund licence or insurance certificate.
Public Transport
All public transport in the area is cancelled until further notice. It is most important that no person makes any attempt to go near the underground railway. This has been closed down since it is one of the principal sources of infection. It must be avoided.
Drains and Sewers
The sewers are heavily contaminated with the plastic destroying agent and have therefore had to be closed.
Whether you are a resident or not, it is most important that you do not allow anything to go down your drains or lavatory. Fill the bath with cold water and use this only for drinking. If you wash; any water you use must remain inside your premises. It must not under any circumstances be taken outside.
Don’t use your lavatory at all.
Paper sacks are being provided for refuse, so place some diluted disinfectant in your dustbin and use this as you would a chemical closet.
Be particularly careful to separate water for drinking, which should be boiled, from your toilet arrangements. Failure to do this may result in the spread of a number of dangerous infections.
Sickness
If you, or a member of your family, are taken ill, go to the nearest emergency station marked on your map, where medical staff are available. Cases of serious illness will be removed through decontamination centre ‘M’ at the Portland Square exit, if they cannot first be treated in University College hospital or Charing Cross hospital.
Communication
The telephone system is now almost completely out of action, so stay tuned to Radio Three, where regular bulletins of instruction are being broadcast, on the hour.
Penalties
The Emergency proclamation gives the Police and other authorities wide powers. Whilst it is hoped that it will not be necessary to use these, members of the public are strongly advised to adhere to these instructions. Penalties for failing to do so are severe.
In the kitchen, variant fifty-nine was fully active.
The patch on the draining board had now bubbled and splashed droplets onto the vinyl surfaced wallpaper above it and onto the felt-backed PVC floor covering below. As each single drop landed, it sunk in a
nd started to soften and bubble the surface.
As bubbles burst more droplets sprayed out. One patch to two, two to four and four to eight or more. Gradually the variant consumed the Baileys’ kitchen. A transparent plastic container labelled coffee and containing sugar began to soften and distort.
A polythene jug sagged, buckled and tipped over releasing a spreading pool of custard.
The shiny covering of the kitchen table began to move – distorting the flower pattern on it into surrealist shapes.
Suddenly the black polythene waste trap under the sink ballooned weakly downwards and burst releasing a writhing glutinous mass onto the floor. Gradually, as the rate of division increased, the foul smelling gas residue seeped under the door into the living-room.
Jack wrinkled his nose in disgust and pointed towards the kitchen door.
‘What you got in there?’ He looked at her for a moment then down at the sheet of emergency instructions, she stared back her eyes widening.
‘Gawd, you don’t suppose …’ she began, they both got up reaching for a candle. Jack opened the kitchen door, reaching in with the candle. Mary sheltered behind him shivering.
The entire kitchen seemed to move in the dim light, almost as if the room was alive, outlines of familiar objects were undulating, covered with mantles of softly hissing foam.
‘Oh Gawd, gawd …’ She was plucking at his sleeve, shaking.
‘Come on, out of it.’ He pushed her back into the living-room.
‘The gas, what about the gas, turn it off – quick.’ Bailey looked at her for a second and rushed back into the kitchen and switched off the two rings. Slamming the door behind him he took her firmly by the shoulders. ‘It said we had to report it so I’ll go off …’
‘Jack, oh my Christ, don’t leave me with that in there – don’t leave me alone …’
‘I got to, now come on, you’ll be all right.’
‘I’m not staying if you go, I tell you.’ She began to get up.
‘I’ll be back in two minutes: there’s an emergency post in Cambridge Circus.’ He pointed to the kitchen door. ‘Now don’t go in there and you’ll be all right …’
‘Jack, I’m not staying …’
‘You’ve got to – I’ll be back in a tick.’ He pushed her firmly back into the chair. ‘They’ll find somewhere else for us.’
He looked back at the door and then at the paraffin heater. ‘I’ll have to turn this off. Said so, didn’t it?’ He turned the wick control right down and waited until the blue flame flickered out.
‘Be as quick as I can.’ She looked at him from the chair, huddled herself closer in the blankets and stared fixedly at the kitchen door. He gave a last look round in the gloom and went out.
She waited shivering for a full twenty minutes, then Bailey came in, stamping the snow off his boots. He shut the front door behind and leant back to regain his breath.
‘What’s going to happen?’ Mary asked.
‘They’re sending a decontamination squad. Gave ’em our address. Said they’d come as quick as they could, shouldn’t be long.’
For a half an hour they sat in the semi-darkness waiting. Suddenly there was the sound of grating footsteps in the stone corridor outside and a loud peremptory knock at the front door.
‘Who is it?’ Bailey said nervously.
‘Decontamination. Open up will you, please?’
Bailey walked to the door and slid back the heavy iron bolt and undid the catch and opened the door, Mary Bailey screamed.
Outside the door were three giant figures carrying heavy rescue torches. Each was dressed in a complete protective rubber suit complete with transparent visor and hood. On the front of each suit was a stencilled label in black: ‘Chemical defence unit Beeston’. One man had a pressure spray canister strapped to his back, another carried a bunch of tools; a shovel, a long hatchet and crowbars. The third was holding an electronic unit with coiled wire probes strapped to its side. For a moment they stood there like space creatures looming in the glare of their torches. Jack Bailey recovered himself.
‘Bloody hell, you gave me a turn.’ The leading man replied, his voice muffled by the face piece of his suit:
‘Sorry mate, didn’t mean to frighten you.’ The men advanced into the room shining their torch beams into all the corners. Mary cringed back into the chair under her husband’s coat. One of the men saw her fright. ‘Don’t worry, sweetheart, shan’t be long.’ Then, turning to Jack, he said: ‘Where is it?’
‘In the kitchen, over there.’ Bailey nodded towards the closed door. The leading man, who wore an armband showing sergeant’s stripes, gestured to the other two. They all began unpacking gear and laying it out on the floor in the light of the torches.
‘’ere, what you up to?’ Jack said anxiously.
The sergeant eyed him carefully through the visor. ‘Going to make a bit of a mess I’m afraid.’
‘Eh?’
‘Let’s have a look anyway.’ The sergeant opened the kitchen door carefully and shone one of the torches into the gloom. The whole room seemed to be moving and heaving in the shadow. The foul dank smell flowed into the living-room.
‘Stone me, it’s a bad one,’ the sergeant said as he began to unpack a rubberized canvas holdall. Out of the holdall, he took three pairs of large rubber overshoes. Each man put the shoes on over their boots and stepped into the kitchen. They put the holdall in the centre of the room.
Jack turned to go in after them, but the sergeant whipped round and said: ‘Don’t come in, you mustn’t walk on this floor any more. You stay in there now.’ Jack backed away protesting.
The men went to work with a practised fury. One cut away the sagging sink tray with a handsaw. Another swept up all the misshapen food containers and the third began to pump the spray canister on his back with an extended hand lever. With his other hand he directed a mist of fluid from a long thin tube into the affected areas. An acrid chemical smell spread back into the living-room.
Mary sat wide eyed with fear, coughing in the fumes. Gradually the three men reduced the kitchen to a shambles. Hacking and wrenching their way into all Jack’s handiwork, they gutted the room of plastic whether it was affected or not. Jack watched from the doorway, silent with shock as months of his work were reduced to ruin.
As the men worked each piece they cut away was put into the holdall. Vinyl wallpaper was torn down, the tabletop cut away and the floor covering ripped up.
Finally they were done. One lifted the bulging holdall next to the door and as they went back into the living-room each took off the rubber overshoes and put them into the holdall, just before crossing the doorway. The sergeant took a small aerosol gas canister out of his suit pocket, pulled a tag on its side and set it down on the kitchen floor. It immediately began to hiss furiously. He closed the door behind him, sealed it off with a roll of sticky tape, and turned to the shocked couple. Mary was weeping silently.
‘Come on missus,’ the sergeant said. ‘You’ll get compensation – make a mint probably.’ He chuckled briefly behind his face mask. Turning to Jack, he said: ‘Better get some clothes on.’
‘What do you mean?’ Jack said.
‘Well, you can’t stay here, can you?’
‘Where are we going? – I don’t want to go— Here, what’s it all about?’
‘Well, you’ll have to be decontaminated, won’t you? You’d better get cracking. Charing Cross is your nearest. Only about ten minutes’ walk. I’ll give you a ticket so as you won’t get stopped.’
Mary cried out: ‘Why do we have to go? Oh gawd.’ She wept heavily.
‘Now look, dear,’ the sergeant said impatiently, ‘it’s nothing to do with you. You’re infected, aren’t you? That means you got to get uninfected, doesn’t it? Now come on, we got another ten calls, can’t stay here all night.’
As he reassured her the other two were expertly gathering their gear together. The top of the holdall was tied off and they prepared to leave. The sergeant took a car
d from a pocket on the outside of his suit and wrote briefly on it with a wax pencil and handed it to Jack.
‘Here’s your pass then,’ he said. ‘Get moving quick as you can.’ He turned to Mary: ‘Sorry missus, goodnight now.’ The three men turned and clumped out of the flat.
The two stood there peering after them in the light of the guttering candles. Almost absently, Jack put his arm round Mary’s shoulder.
Fourteen
Buchan put the phone down.
‘That was the lab at St Thomas’s,’ he said. ‘They confirm our microscope findings. They have the micrographs and they’re trying to identify the bug. It doesn’t seem to fit any of the known species. I’m not surprised.’
Betty put her head round the door, her face white and drawn: ‘I’ve been on to all the hospitals I can reach, some of them are off the phone – there’s no sign of them – nothing at all. Their names don’t appear on any of the casualty lists. I don’t know what else I can do.’ She looked up to see Kramer standing at the door, his face set, immobile. She started to speak, Kramer gestured: ‘OK, Betty, I heard – you’ve no news.’ He slumped into a chair. The phone rang again, Betty picked it up.
‘Yes – yes he is all right – yes I’ll get him at once.’ She handed the receiver to Kramer. ‘It’s NASA New York.’ Kramer spoke curtly:
‘Yes, Kramer here – Who? – Oh yes Marker – How are you? – What do you want?— I see, well you must be in the picture by now, we’ve got the answer – No it’s not Aminostyrene – How do I know? We’ve got the proof here. Look Marker, you can’t fix the blame on our material, it isn’t the cause – no – of course I can prove it. It’s bacteria – a bug! – No, I’m not joking, it’s a bug. We’ve got the evidence here – look, I don’t care what you say, we have first-class evidence. Well, you’ll have to believe it – When? – Tomorrow 10.30!’ He looked at his watch. ‘That’s six hours minus, I can just make it if I get a flight now – What? – That’s right, if they won’t accept it I’ll bring the goddam evidence myself. I told you I’ll be there. OK, goodbye.’ He slammed the receiver down and leant back in the chair.