Dark Star Rising Second Edition (Pebbles in The Sky)

by Bagley, Jeffery

  The driver just looked at him curiously in the rearview mirror.

  Before the driver could speak Jessica jumped into the conversation. “Brett, I am sure he knows where to take us. He does this all the time, right Mr. Driver?” Jessica winked at the driver so he could see her in the mirror.

  “Uh, yes that’s right, we have not missed the exit,” he replied with a question evident in his eyes.

  Brett disagreed, “Well, there was a sign right back at the last exit that said NIH. I think you did miss the exit.”

  “Brett, calm down. I am sure that they may have scheduled the meeting somewhere else, isn’t that right Mr. Driver.”

  The driver had no idea what was being played out between his two passengers and just shook his head in affirmation.

  “See Brett, now just calm down,” said Jessica.

  “Whatever,” said Brett “as long as we are not late getting there.” Brett went back to reviewing his notes and Jessica smiled and winked at the driver again.

  Ten minutes later they pulled up to the security gate at the visitor’s entrance to the White House. Brett looked up and around in bewilderment. “Hey, this isn’t NIH, this is the White House.”

  “Surprise,” beamed Jessica. “We are going to meet the President.”

  Brett was beyond speech when the driver opened their door and they were ushered inside to pass through security. He looked at Jessica in accusation. “You knew about this all along didn’t you?”

  She just gave him a quick kiss. “Now you know why I insisted on you wearing the tie.”

  They were led to a small ante room where they watched a few different people go in and out of a briefing room. At one time, they even caught a glimpse of the President. After about twenty minutes a man who appeared to be of Indian or Pakistani decent came in and introduced himself. “Hello, I am Dr. Simi Basjani. I believe I have had the pleasure of speaking on the phone with you, Mrs. Driskall. Mr. Driskall, it is a pleasure to meet you also. I believe we are next on the agenda.” They sat in silence for about five minutes until another man appeared at the door and beckoned them in.

  “Madam President, I would like to introduce Doctors Brett and Jessica Driskall. I believe you already know Dr. Basjani,” said Donald Masterfield, the President’s science advisor. The President looked up from her papers and smiled. She offered her hand and shook hands with both of them, pausing with each for a photographer to step forward and take a photograph. “The photos are for you to show your grandchildren someday,” she laughed. “I guess it is a miracle I do not get flash burns from all the photographs they take around this place. It is a pleasure to meet both of you. From what I have been told you have made a very important medical breakthrough. Please, please be seated. I like to run these briefings in a very informal manner, so please make yourselves comfortable.”

  “Dr. Basjani and Dr. Masterfield have already briefed me on your research. It is a definite pleasure for a change, for one of the government’s research grants to pay off with such potential rewards. We have taken so much criticism from the press in the past when so many technology companies that have been awarded grants went bankrupt before yielding any positive returns on their research and the taxpayer’s investment. My job gets so mundane from time to time that I really enjoy meeting people and connecting faces with accomplishments. That is why you were invited here today.”

  “We are deeply honored Madam President,” said Jessica. “If it was not for the grant from NIH and Merck, then we would not have been able to do our research and perfect our techniques.”

  “I would like to ask you both a few questions if you do not mind,” said the President.

  Brett nodded. “Why of course, fire away.”

  “First, I understand that human clinical trials are to be set up within the next couple of weeks at Bethesda. Specifically, this will be for a trial of your newly developed vaccine for the HIV virus.”

  “Yes,” agreed Brett “We will be giving the vaccine to a group of about three hundred volunteers who are considered at very high risk for contracting HIV.”

  “How are these volunteers chosen?” asked the President.

  Jessica answered. “Well, the people at the highest risk of contracting HIV are people who self-inject drugs, homosexual men, prostitutes, and spouses or partners of people who already have HIV or AIDS.”

  The President wrinkled up her nose. “While everyone deserves to be protected from this dreadful disease, isn’t this a less than ideal group for your trials?”

  Brett spoke up. “Well, the purpose of the vaccine is to prevent additional people from contracting HIV. We are also hoping to eventually develop a drug from the serum of immune people and use it to actually treat and cure HIV in healthy individuals. There is hope that we can also try and set up a clinical trial through the World Health Organization to take place in several areas of Africa where HIV is epidemic and all of the population is at high risk of contracting the disease.”

  President Montgomery nodded thoughtfully. “How long will these trials last, and if successful, how long would it be for a vaccine to be available for widespread use?”

  “Well, due to the long latency time for HIV, it will probably be at least three to four years to prove that it will actually protect against contracting HIV,” said Jessica.

  President Montgomery looked surprised. “You mean you have a way to make a vaccine that you are pretty sure works and you have to wait that long? How many people will die of the disease in that time period?”

  Doctor Basjani spoke up. “Madam President, there is a reason for carefully studying new drugs and vaccines like these. This is a radically new concept for a vaccine that is actually using a genetically modified live HIV Virus. We will be injecting the volunteers with this. It would be very un-wise to make such a vaccine available until it is proven to work safely. So, we have to wait and watch these test subjects to see if it will really protect them and not make them sick in the process. Until we know it works we just have to be patient.”

  Brett interrupted at this point. “Actually the vaccine does work. We have had a one hundred percent success rate with our primate trials and there should be no difference in the way the vaccine works in humans.”

  “Humans are not monkeys, Dr. Driskall. Until we know that it actually works in humans then we will have to wait and see,” warned Dr. Basjani.

  Brett became more adamant. “But we do know that it works in humans, at least in one human.”

  Jessica rolled her eyes and kicked Brett under the table. She thought she would pass out from embarrassment.

  “Dr. Driskall,” admonished Dr. Basjani, “I was not going to bring up your very unorthodox testing of the live vaccine on yourself.”

  President Montgomery looked up at Brett in surprise. “You mean you have tested this vaccine on yourself?”

  “Madam President, I felt I could not ask others to test what I would not myself. I injected myself with all three vaccines that we have developed to date. Those are for Ebola, Varicella, and of course HIV. I then inoculated myself with live virus of each disease after I had given myself time to develop immunity. The fact that I am sitting here talking to you shows they work, otherwise I would have died within about ninety six hours of inoculating myself with the Ebola virus.”

  The President looked at Jessica. “Either your husband is very noble and very sure of the work that you two have done, or he is very reckless and trying to make you a widow. Trust me, being a widow is not fun. I speak from experience.”

  Jessica shook her head. “Sometimes I think he is a little of both.”

  “Let me ask you another question then Dr. Driskall.” The President looked back at Brett. “You say you inoculated yourself with the live virus. Would this not be a faster way of doing a clinical trial than waiting and seeing if someone actually catches the disease naturally over a period of years?”

  Brett laughed and said, “Yes, it would be much faster, but it is hard to ask someone to volunt
eer to be injected with a virus that may kill you in a most unpleasant manner just to test a vaccine that has not been proven to work. Both Jessica and I were confident enough of it that I tried them on myself. Doctor Basjani is correct though when he says that my methods are considered somewhat unethical.”

  The President looked thoughtful and nodded. “Dr. Basjani, please keep Doctor Masterfield updated as to the status of the clinical trials. I am very interested in the results. I want to thank both of you, Doctor Driskall, and Doctor Driskall for coming today. Please keep up the good work and let Doctor Basjani know of any problems that may arise in your clinical trials. Have a good day.”

  They all stood as she stood and exited out the door. She paused for a moment and turned, “Dr. Basjani and Dr. Masterfield please stop by my office before you leave. Again, thank you both.”

  Brett and Jessica were shown back out though the visitors entrance and climbed in the same car for the ride back to the hotel. As soon as they were out of sight of the White House Jessica turned and slapped Brett up side of his head. “You dunce, I cannot believe you actually bragged to the President about trying the vaccines on yourself.”

  Brett rubbed his head. “Oh cool it. She probably already knew about it if she had been briefed beforehand.”

  “You still did not have to brag about it,” pouted Jessica. “She probably thinks you belong back in the lab with the other test monkeys. You can be so difficult sometimes.”

  Brett just grinned and ran his hand up her leg. “Hey, wanna try out the Jacuzzi back in the room and monkey around some when we get back?” She lifted his hand and dumped it back on his own leg.

  “Not tonight, I think you have given me a head ache,” whispered Jessica when she noticed that the driver was listening to them.

  The driver just grinned to himself. He had heard the headache excuse plenty of times from his own wife. It was a shame about not using the Jacuzzi though. “I love my job,” he thought to himself with a grin. I hear some of the most interesting conversations.

  …

  Back at the White House President Montgomery sat down at her desk in the Oval office as Doctor Basjani and David Masterfield followed her in. She pressed her buzzer to her secretary, “Could you please have Mr. Dewey come in also?” Elliott Dewey, her chief of staff entered shortly after she called. “I have read the concerns that you two have regarding what can happen if the Driskall research is used in a non-benevolent manner to develop super pathogens for biological warfare. This concerns me greatly since the research is going to be widely available when they publish their findings. Some terrorist group that was well financed could do what they have done if it had knowledge of the research work in hand. There is no way that we can protect that knowledge. So, what I want to know is there a faster way of testing these new vaccines than the standard method of clinical trials and waiting for years for the outcome?”

  Dr. Basjani answered. “Well, like we discussed, it would be un-ethical, but you could do a trial with volunteers that agreed to be inoculated with live viruses after receiving the vaccine for that pathogen. I am not sure how many volunteers you would receive. After personally watching patients die of things like Ebola, and Marburg, I would not be inclined to volunteer unless there was a very great reward involved.”

  The President looked at Dr. Basjani. “Why doctor, are you telling me that you would agree to do such a thing if the price was right? Does the government pay you so poorly that are you that desperate for money?”

  “Not for money, you misunderstand me, Madam President. “If it meant life or death then I would be willing to do it.”

  “Life or death,” repeated the President. “Hmmm, Mr. Dewey, I have a theoretical question for you. As President, I am allowed to pardon someone who has been convicted of a serious offence, correct?”

  “That is correct, Madam President,” answered Elliott Dewey.

  “Ok, then, a hypothetical question for you. What if there is a convicted murderer that is due for execution, could I pardon him if he would volunteer for such a clinical trial?”

  All three men were taken aback. Donald Masterfield was the first to speak. “Madam President, you would actually release a convicted murder back in to society?”

  “Not exactly, no. Life or death. If this convict was getting ready to die for his crime, but I commuted his crime to life without parole if he agreed to try and repay his crime against humanity for volunteering for testing of these vaccines, would that be ethical? Otherwise his life is forfeit and nothing good will come of it. This individual who has hurt others could then make amends for his crime by trying to help others.”

  David Masterfield shrugged. “I am not sure I am qualified to answer that question.” He looked at Elliott Dewey.

  Elliott had been silent until now. He had been chief of staff for three presidents now, and had been involved in many such meetings where questionable policies were pondered upon. “I am not sure of the legal ramifications; I will have to do some research on this. As to being ethical, I cannot answer that either. I would have to wonder how the family of the victim would feel. I would hazard a guess that if they agreed to the change in sentence, then yes, it could be done legally. It would be a way to get this testing done in a much more expedient manner, especially if national security was at stake. I would also recommend that a small public poll should also be taken to see how the general public would view this matter prior to it being done, there could be some backlash from families of victims and the press.”

  “Very well gentlemen,” said the President. “Look into this and get back to me. There is another issue that has arisen that may possibly require some expedient breakthroughs in this area of disease prevention if things do not work out well. That is all I have for today.”

  She turned to her computer as they left the room. She was worried. This thing with the Brown Dwarf was hanging over her and haunting her sleep. She knew that the NSA’s infrared spy satellites were being launched into space in two days. She just hoped that the information that they provided was good news. Waiting was hard to do, even for the President of the most powerful country on the planet. Patience is a virtue she reminded herself.

  Chapter 12

  March 24th 2016

  Pasadena, California

  Peter arrived at JPL at eight am and joined the morning ritual of the other workers circling around the parking lot looking for a decent parking place. Unlike the senior staff, he was not assigned a reserved parking place, so he had to join the parking lot feeding frenzy with all the other junior JPL personnel. Like vultures in the sky, they circled waiting for a parking place to appear.

  Peter had been at JPL now for three days. As excited as he had been to have landed a job at JPL, he had quickly realized that he would have to pay his dues and work his way up the ranks like everyone else. The morning of his first day, he had been grabbed up by Mattie, the secretary for Doctor Mike Banscott, and marched up to the suite of offices where he was to be assigned. As an assistant to Doctor Banscott, he was told that he needed to be readily available for any tasks assigned. A small closet that was full of old file cabinets was hurriedly cleaned out. Someone had found an old second or third hand government Issue grey metal desk and it was somehow shoved into the cramped space. A computer station was set up, and he was given a chair that someone obviously overweight had long ago worn out the springs on. On top of it all, his “office” was about fifteen feet in front of Mattie’s desk. She watched him like she was some marine drill sergeant. He felt that he must be a real VIP to have been assigned a personal baby-sitter.

  The afternoon of his first day was spent reading security policies and doing orientation on the government’s online education site. Not a very auspicious beginning he thought to himself. He had expected to be in the control center for one of the various robotic space missions that were currently underway. The closest he came to anyone actually working on a mission the first two days was when a Doctor Mary Beth Davis came by. He noticed he
r come into the office suite and say something to Mattie. Mattie had nodded her head in his direction. Doctor Davis looked him up and down and laughed. He overheard her tell Mattie that “if Doctor Banscott continued to hire school kids then he had better have Mattie buy some more diapers,” as she left the office. Mattie just looked at him and shook her head. Mike Banscott, for whom he was supposed to be an assistant, finally appeared on the third day and things finally appeared to be looking up.

  That morning Peter had pulled up all the information on line in JPL’s libraries and was reading all the literature and research on Brown Dwarf’s that he could find. Doctor Banscott walked in, looked into the closet that Peter was in and gave Mattie a dirty look.

  “Where was I supposed to put him?” she asked. “Do you want him in the office with you?”

  Mike shook his head in dismay and stepped into Peter’s closet office to introduce himself. “Peter, I am Mike Banscott. I am sorry I am late getting back to the west coast but I have been tied up in Washington. I see that Mattie has taken good care of you,” he grinned sarcastically. They shook hands and Mike motioned for Peter to follow him into his much bigger office. Shutting the door behind them, he motioned for Peter to have a seat.

  “Doctor Eric Casselman recommends you very highly Peter, that is why you are here right now. To be honest with you, his recommendation and the fact that you were the one who discovered our coming interstellar visitor is the reason I hired you. It also does not hurt your cause very much that Eric and I were old roommates when we were still in school at Cal Tech. Frankly, I am still amazed that a student using old data from the Spitzer project was able to discover something that no else had noticed. You seem to have a knack for collecting, and poring over data from various sources and drilling down though all of it for a single purpose. That is what you are here for. I have some bigger fish to fry and I need an assistant that can collate the data as it comes in, assemble it, and then give it to me in a logical format where I can analyze it and make decisions as needed. I also need to be confident that the data is reliable and re-producible as I have to report on up the line to some rather important people; people who ultimately pay both our paychecks.”