“Oh, oh, you mean it?” The sheriff asked, eyes wide. He looked at his boss. “I'm gone,” he said, rushing out.
“Now gentlemen, the shots won't cure you, once you're infected you're infected. But I can see about killing what is in you now.”
“What price?” Hodges asked.
“First, get rid of the lights that aren't working,” the admiral said, pointing to a few of the lights.
“But... but Huey had them made!” Hodges said turning on his nephew. His nephew hunched his shoulders and then smiled an innocent smile. “Huey...” Hodges growled menacingly.
“Sorry uncle boss, I couldn't help it,” the younger man said sheepishly.
“Yeah, and I bet he sold these all over town. So people who thought they were being protected are still dying. So, item number two, fix that. At your own expense,” Irons growled, eying the schemers.
“I will,” Hodges said, nodding dutifully, bottom lip jutted out, doing his best to do a bulldog impression. Irons snorted.
“Fine. And get with the doctor, they need more help in the hospital and in getting the vaccines out. And the sheriff needs more help, we need to secure the perimeter of some of the buildings. I've had to chase people out who tried to climb in a window yesterday. That's a waste of my time.”
“All right.”
“Good,” Irons put his hand on the man's chest, then his other on Huey's. The men looked down at the hands and then up at him questioningly.
“Hold still. Just relax,” the admiral said as the nanites went to work.
Fifteen minutes later Proteus was finished. He turned at the sound of a clatter, a medic was being hustled in holding a red plastic toolbox filled with syringes. “Got her, though she didn't want to come,” the sheriff said, motioning with a finger for the woman to enter. The woman glared at him and then entered the room.
“What the devil is going on?” she demanded.
“Ah, my dear Amanda,” Huey started, hands apart. He almost slopped his drink. Irons snorted.
“Can it you,” the woman said, glaring.
“I've got some customers for you,” Irons said. “We've been reminisce on getting the Hodges and the sheriff's staff inoculated. That ends now.”
“Why?”
“Because like it or not, they're needed. And the sheriff and his people are in contact with a lot of people all day and night long,” Irons said. “And it's an order,” he said straightening. “Get it done,” he growled.
Her eyes widened briefly and then she nodded. “Fine then,” she said, grabbing Boss Hodges arm and yanking his sleeve up. “Just don't expect me to be gentle about it,” she growled.
Irons snorted. “If that's all, I've got to get back to work on the big picture,” he said. The boss nodded, handing him a clear bottle with a lightning bolt on it. Irons snorted. “Thanks,” he said trying to get past Rosco. Every time he zigged left the sheriff did too. Finally he stopped and when the sheriff went right he dodged around him and left the room.
Outside the admiral paused on the steps.
“What is his angle?” he asked Sprite.
“Who Hodges?”
“Yeah. I'm not sure, but from a few choice tidbits he spoke around Coltrain and his nephew... future politics may be a major factor.”
Irons snorted. “It figures.”
“It could also be his wife is leaning on him heavily to behave. Or he came to the light and realized they will all die if they don't pull together. Or a little of both,” she suggested “Sometimes a hanging is a very powerful motivator for change, even temporary change.”
“Yeah well, a leopard like him doesn't change its spots.”
“True,” Sprite chuckled. “In some small way I like the fat lard ball. Some of the schemes I've heard about... They're a bit funny.”
“Really. You of all people like a corrupt politician?” Irons asked.
“I respect his intelligence, wit, and stubbornness,” Sprite replied with some dignity.
“Right...” Irons replied with a snort. He heard a distant bang, like a fire cracker going off. Then a second and third. “What was that? Was that what I thought it was?” he oriented on the sound and started to move in its direction.
“If you mean gunfire yes. And Nohar is right in the middle of it. He needs back up admiral,” Sprite said, voice picking up with urgency. Irons swore and took off at a full run, moving at a blur.
...*...*...*...*...
Nohar had concentrated his efforts on security and the much overlooked Neo community. It seemed that some of the humans were ignoring the Neo plight, or at least not focusing enough effort on the smaller population. Things like that happened, he knew they had the bigger picture to worry about, but someone had to help his people. He guarded Hank when people began to rush the replicators thinking they had a cure, but he couldn't do it all the time and couldn't be everywhere at once.
He'd started to act as a guard to the nurses running vaccines to the clinics after one had been mugged when she'd carried a supply. Another had been nearly raped, her dress had been practically ripped off her by the mob. She'd been a sobbing wreck.
He insisted some of the vaccines went to the Neo's and Doctor La Plaz had no problem with that. Which was where he was when he heard a scuffle and then a series of shots.
Nohar arrived on the scene at his best speed to find a distraught man, enraged by the deaths of his family. He had killed a medic with a small hold out pistol, wounded others, and was holding another hostage. “Where is he? Where is the bastard! Show him to me! Why did he do this? Why didn't he help my family! He saved mobsters but not my family!” the man screamed, looking around.
The men and women around him cringed, ducking under various equipment, beds, or just crawled into a fetal ball on the floor when no other cover was available.
“He's a sleeper! They're all at fault! They did this to us!” he snarled, looking around with wild hate filled eyes. “He did didn't he? Didn't he?” he demanded of his hostage. The man gulped and nodded.
He kicked another hostage and then turned, glaring at Nohar.
Nohar felt the admiral's ID ping coming closer, at a pace he could barely believe. Irons must have been blowing through things to get here that fast, he thought. “Look man, no one needs to get hurt,” a doctor said, hand up. The man had his hostage by the throat in a half sleeper hold. The hostage had a bullet wound in his shoulder. He whimpered but stayed slack, letting his hostage taker prop him up.
Nohar felt Sprite enter his implants and then access his video. He authorized it and watched as the AI swept the room with his right eye. Then he noticed the admiral's icon move to the window. He unconsciously moved so the hostage taker would have his back mostly to the open window.
“Where is he!” he shrieked. “I want Irons! The sleeper!” he snarled, spittle spraying the room.
“Then you want me too,” Nohar said. He turned to his left, showing the man his right side. “I'm a sleeper too. I've been awake sixty years, most of that time on this planet,” he said.
The man stared at the artificial arm and eye. “It's not our fault what happened, The admiral and I are doing our best to stop it,” he said, doing his best to modulate his voice. He couldn't control his ears though, they were flat against his skull.
“You... you stay back! Cat!” The man said, brandishing the weapon. Nohar calculated he could take the man, but the way he was waving the gun around and then bringing it back to under the medic's chin didn't bode well for others. Or for him for that matter, the gun was a small caliber, but it could still kill him if it hit in just the wrong spot. Even he could bleed out in a hospital.
The man was confused and angry. Wildly he looked around to the sea of angry and fearful faces. “Why are you looking at me like that?” he demanded, waving the gun. Stop looking at me!” he snarled, waving the gun. “I'm doing this for all of us, can't you see that?” he shrieked. “They need to die!”
Nohar shook his head to the orderly behind the man. The or
derly picked up a metal tray as a shield or weapon, another orderly arrived at a run but stopped quick. The man saw the movement out of the corner of his eye and turned. “Get back!” he snarled, looking at them. “Get back!” he raged. He shook, seeing the bodies around him. “Goddess...” he whimpered and put the gun to his own head. Before he could pull the trigger Irons hit him with a stun bolt from the open window. The man and his hostage crumpled to the floor.
“It might have been kinder to let him kill himself Admiral,” Nohar said as orderlies rushed in and one big black male human kicked the weapon away with the sweep of one foot. “Now he's got to live with what he's done. And we've got to deal with him.”
“Maybe. I don't know,” the admiral said.
“Nice trick,” Nohar said. “Aren't we on the second floor though?” he asked.
Irons smiled and then drifted down. Nohar went to the window to see him land and the blue glow around the flag officer's legs fade. Irons looked up and then went back to what he was doing.
“Show off,” Nohar snorted, turning. He watched the cleanup, arms crossed and quiet for a long moment as medics treated the wounded or helped the traumatized people out of the area. Finally he sighed and then turned and went back to his own work.
Chapter 21
Two and a half weeks after the initial outbreak, three additional doctors and two nurses flew into Hazard. Each of them were in suits, but they all had the latest shots. It was a mark on how far they had come that the aircraft landed instead of dropping them and their supplies. Of course until the situation was resolved the aircraft wouldn't fly again.
The pilot didn't seem to mind, he was wearing a blue doctor's suit. He was a black male human, he shielded his eyes from the sun as they exited the craft.
Irons had time to expand the virology lab and even add force emitters around the perimeter and a wash airlock to scrub the suits down and irradiate them with ultraviolet light.
One of the doctors was a young red haired human female and her husband, the Daniels. The trio were the only doctors in the last batch of volunteers to join the navy. All three had implants.
“Where the hell have you two been?” La Plaz demanded. “Didn't you know we were in a worldwide crisis?”
“Hey, I was around,” the black doctor said hands up. “Sort of.”
“I'm not talking about you Salt. Besides, what are you doing here anyway?” La Plaz asked.
“They needed a pilot,” the black doctor replied with a shrug and thumb jerk to the Daniels. “Just my stupidity to learn to fly as well as be a doctor,” he grumbled.
“And for Helen to take advantage of it,” La Plaz teased. He turned an expectant look at the Daniels as they unloaded gear. Both hunched their shoulders. They were of a select group, the last two virologists on the continent.
“We went camping,” Doctor Sam Daniels said gruffly, shrugging. “Real camping, roughing it. Somewhere way off grid up north. Where we thought no one could find us.”
“Which was true,” his wife Robby said apologetically. We took our dog with us. No phones, no cars, we hiked in. Just the three of us and a tent in the back wilds. Beautiful country, but very remote. Sorry.” She shrugged helplessly.
“I am, but I'm not,” her husband said, giving her a smile. “We had planned it for months and put it off twice. It was worth it, or so we thought. But we're here now,” he said, turning to the others. “We've been briefed, medicated, implanted, and stuffed to the gills with new knowledge. We're eager to make up for lost time.”
“But first we need the implant keys,” Robby said looking pointedly at the admiral. The others nodded.
“Yeah, forgot that,” Irons said with a snort and slight smile. “Okay doctors, Sprite is the one you need for that. Let me get through what I'm working on now and then she can help you.”
“Yes sir. Can she well, detach or something?”
“No, the commander is rather attached to me,” the admiral replied. “Just let me finish up here,” he said, indicating the transhab project. Hank and Jerry had taken the idea and ran with it, turning it into a complex of inflated buildings. The noise from the filters and compressors were like an aircraft engine, but it had its benefits.
“What is this?” Robby asked, looking at the tent. “Hey honey, we go from one tent to another...” she teased.
“It's a tent to get out of the suits and clean up and get some downtime,” Jerry said. “Which Hank and I are doing first. You just got here and the other damn doctors keep hogging the clean room. You know some of us itch too!” he growled, glaring at La Plaz. “And we've been in our suits a hell of a lot longer than you!” he snarled, baring canines.
“Well!” the young doctor said, eyes wide in surprise at the show of teeth. “Soooryy!”
“Right,” Hank said, clapping Jerry on the shoulder with a restraining hand. “Doc, you kill this thing for good and we'll forgive you. Eventually.”
“Gee thanks,” La Plaz said. “Well folks,” he said turning to the others. “Since the admiral is currently busy, let me give you a tour while he finishes up. Then you can jump into things after you've had your exam.”
“Exam? What exam? No one said anything about an exam...” Doctor Salt said pointedly as they walked out.
...*...*...*...*...
Sprite had to go through the steps to initialize their keys. The admiral was annoyed, but agreed to do it. While they went through the tests Irons got to know them a little more. Both of the Daniels had been waiting for the keys excitedly. They had a slightly longer recovery time than the first wave, apparently Proteus did good work. Both had used the extra recovery time to read and learn as much as they could.
Doctor Salt was an old friend, he'd been hauling them and La Plaz and Ivanov around from one local outbreak of whatever minor virus came up to another. They were a close knit family.
...*...*...*...*...
The next morning they were up bright and early and dived into the work. The virology team consulted Sprite as Doctor La Plaz brought the newcomers up to speed on their work. The spread of the pathogens had been slowed, but the original Xeno organic nanites were still in play. They had to find a way to deal with them So far they had calculated that one hundred twenty thousand lives had been lost.
Pride and sadness spread throughout the staff, they had achieved so much, but also lost so many in the process. The Daniels were particularly guilty when the final numbers were reported. Sprite could tell both were feeling guilty about playing hooky.
The shaken staff tried to shoulder aside their grief to get to work. The latest attempt at a cure all was still failing, the vaccines couldn’t keep up with the spread of the virus in someone already infected.
“So, what you're saying is we need to find another path. This one isn't working, so shelve it and move on to something better,” Sam Daniels said bluntly. La Plaz grimaced but finally nodded grimly. Sam had a way about him, an ability to play out hunches that were insightful and brilliant. He was also ruthless and blunt when he needed to be. La Plaz had to remind himself that the virus didn't play any favorites, they needed to be focused and kill this thing. He couldn't let ego get in the way of the job or more people would die.
“So, treatment options...”
“Suck. Once the virus is in the body, a vaccine is useless. Giving the patients artificially synthesized antibodies is something else we have been thinking about.”
“But it's not an easy plan. We need another method,” Doctor Ivanov replied. “Trying to kill these things one at a time... I don't think any of us ever dreamed of taking on multiple viruses all at the same time. It's been my worst nightmare for weeks now.”
“And yet you're still hanging on,” Robby said, nodding to him.
“Dogged determination. And I'm too pig headed to give up. I refuse to surrender to something I need a microscope to see,” the doctor growled. He'd lost weight, shed over thirty pounds in the suits and under the constant stress and strain. He was exhausted, but still determi
ned to see the project to its conclusion.
“Any other ways?” Sam asked. “Do we have any natural immunes?”
“Not natural no,” La Plaz said slowly. “Nohar and the admiral are immune for different reasons. Nohar was inoculated during the war. We've given him boosters just in case now that we've gotten a handle on this.”
“Oh. Okay, so what about the admiral?” Doctor Salt asked. “How is he immune?”
“He's got nanites. And an energy shield. That sparkly thing around him.”
“Oh. Wait, nanites? That's how he can do things?”
“Yes. And how he's immune. And yeah, he's cured some people with them too. But it's hard on him,” La Plaz said.
“Wait, cured...”
“Yeah, it's like this....”
The doctors heard about how the admiral cured Fat Larry's son and a ward full of people. Not everyone had lived, some had died despite the cure, but many had survived and built up antibodies to fight the viruses off. Sam crossed his legs as they spoke, flicking his foot as he thought deep thoughts. His wife and Doctor Salt looked at him, watching the foot. That was a sure sign he had an idea percolating in his head.
“This... this is giving me ideas,” Sam said when the younger doctor finished his impromptu presentation.
“An anti-virus nanite,” his wife said, beating him to the punch. Her eyes were wide. She'd tried to snap her fingers but the gloves had stopped that.
“You're kidding me,” Doctor Salt said, eying them as if they were insane. “Are you serious?”
Sam shrugged, spreading his hands. “Why not? We program the thing to kill the viruses.”
“But...”
“I think you need the admiral in on this,” Sprite said from the holo projector she had been using. They turned to look at her. She smiled grimly. “I'll page him for you.”
Plague Planet (The Wandering Engineer) Page 51