“That won’t be necessary Doctor,” Benton said. “I will leave you to your lunch.”
“And don’t hesitate to let me know if you need anything,” he added.
“Thanks again, Mr. Worthington. Hopefully the brain tissue samples will yield some answers,” Dr. Sanderson said.
Benton nodded and headed for the door.
Dr. Sanderson turned his attention back to the sandwich. He reached down under the workbench, just to the left, and opened the refrigerator removing a Sprite. He popped the top and took a swig.
Enjoying his lunch, his thoughts turned to his family. He had asked Benton shortly after his arrival if he had been able to locate his wife and daughter. Benton said not yet, but they were working on a couple of leads but he would not go into detail. He would have to ask Benton again, maybe when he had something positive to report.
Putting a potato chip in his mouth he thought about, surprisingly, Manuel’s Uncle. ALS was a dreadful disease. There had been some significant advances over the last few years but its causes were still largely unknown. A defect in Chromosome 21 has been linked to many cases worldwide, specifically those involving heredity.
It had been a significant part of his research over the years and he had treated many patients suffering from ALS. He even had a couple of patients down in the Florida lab who had suffered from the disease.
“It was unusual that …”
Dr. Sanderson stopped his thought in mid-sentence and bolted upright, knocking his stool to the ground. He raced to the door and opened it in a hurry. Stepping into the hallway he looked in both directions. No sign of Mr. Worthington. He was going to need him for what he had in mind.
Moving to the end of the hall the Doctor was about to turn left and head upstairs until he heard voices coming from the office to his right.
At first he couldn’t make them out. He turned and slowly moved toward the office door. As he got closer he recognized Benton’s voice and noticed the door was slightly ajar. The other voice had a definite German accent.
He peeked through the crack in the door and listened.
“Dr. Sanderson has not made a great deal of progress but I feel confident he will have a breakthrough soon,” Benton said.
“When he does, I will need you to be able to duplicate and reproduce what he discovers,” he said to the other man in the room.
“That shouldn’t be a problem,” said the man with the accent.
Dr. Sanderson shifted slightly to get a better look without being seen.
“Unfortunately Dr. Ehrlich, Dr. Sanderson will want to distribute the vaccine to the masses for free. I didn’t become one of the wealthiest men in the world by giving away what I have rightfully paid for,” Benton stated.
“Ehrlich,” Dr. Sanderson thought.
Dr. Werner Ehrlich was a neurologist such as himself but with a somewhat shady past. He had been working on a drug that significantly improved the cognitive ability of Alzheimer’s patients a few years ago. Unfortunately, he manipulated much of the test results in order to get it approved by the FDA. His malpractice was discovered just before the drug was set for approval. He was disgraced and cast out of the medical community.
By most accounts, however, he was a brilliant man, who just lacked a certain moral compass. It looked to Dr. Sanderson that Benton had brought Ehrlich in to take over for him after he found an antidote. Ehrlich would have little pause in selling whatever he came up with for a profit.
He heard shuffling in the room and it looked like they were heading toward the door. Dr. Sanderson turned the corner heading back down the hall and ducked into the bathroom.
He stood there and tried to digest what he had just heard. He could not let Benton sell, or whatever he planned to do with it, anything he was able to produce. It had to be made available, free of charge, to everyone who was still … human. Also of grave concern was what Benton was planning to do with him when he was finished with him.
Unfortunately, he needed Benton and his lab to complete his work. What happened afterward, the Doctor would have to deal with then. It would not be too much longer anyway, he was confident he had figured it out.
Chapter 38
Breakthrough
Dr. Sanderson spent the next several days putting together what he needed for his experiment. He went about his business as usual, not letting on that he overheard Benton and Dr. Ehrlich in the office. Benton was very helpful in getting everything he required and was nearly as excited at the possibility of a breakthrough as the Doctor was; but for very different reasons.
As with most revelations, once one is undergone, you spend time trying to figure out how it had not occurred to you earlier. Dr. Sanderson was currently wrestling with that very problem. The experiments in Florida had produced some amazing results before The Principle had taken over and shut down the host organisms. One of the most intriguing aspects of his research was the few ALS patients that he had brought down to Florida, showed no effects from the bacterium.
He was so absorbed with the others, such as Number 5, who were making great strides at first that he completely disregarded what was not happening with the ALS patients. Going back over his notes from the Florida lab, he remembered that the ALS test subjects not only failed to show any progress, they did not show any accelerated regression either. In other words, The Principle was ineffective when administered to humans with ALS.
Recent advancements in ALS research have pointed to mutations in the enzyme superoxide dismutase, or SOD1, as a probable cause in a number of cases. Over one hundred different mutations have been discovered already with more probably waiting to be discovered. Unfortunately, the ALS test subjects in Florida did not have the same exact genetic mutation but did have one thing in common; their bodies were producing excess amounts of SOD1.
SOD1, simply stated, protects cells from superoxide toxicity. It is an anti-oxidant. The mutations occur in the form overproduction, underproduction, or a lack of production.
One of the great things about enzymes are they can be artificially created; simulating what the human body naturally produces. People had ingested synthetic enzymes every day; most commonly in over the counter multi-vitamins.
The Doctor believed that introducing excess SOD1 into living human cells would prevent the bacterium from taking over and infecting its host. Unfortunately, the choice of dying from ALS or a bite from an infected person was not much of a choice. He was betting, however, that by creating temporary elevated levels and the fact that the body itself was not generating the excess enzyme, the probability of contracting ALS would be slight; if at all.
Creating the enzyme would be the easy part. All he had to do was mix the active ingredients with some kind of excipient like glucose. The difficulty would be determining dosage and frequency. The Doctor envisioned it in pill form, taken as a supplement. Determining how much to take and how often would be problematic. Too much and you increase the risk of disease; too little and you risk infection.
“These are all interesting questions,” thought the Doctor, “but irrelevant if it didn’t work.”
He started by using small amounts of SOD1, not much more than the human body produces on its own. He introduced the bacterium onto slides that contained human cells. The Principle made quick work of these cells, killing them instantly. He gradually increased the dosage a little each time.
The first dozen trials ended with the same result; the bacterium overpowering the human cells and killing them. It was not until he had reached roughly double the usual level of SOD1 in the human body that he saw some changes.
The Principle was having a much more difficult time achieving victory over the human cells. It eventually won the battle but it took much longer than before. He continued to increase the levels.
Almost a week after Manuel’s story about his poor Uncle Hector, Dr. Sanderson stared intently into his electron microscope. He had just introduced the Principle into cells with nearly three times the normal level of SOD1. Small
beads of sweat had begun to form on his forehead. He had spent every waking hour during the past week under hot fluorescent lights staring into microscopes.
He watched and waited as the foreign invaders sought out the human cells. They attacked and then attacked again but nothing happened. Dr. Sanderson pulled his head away from the lens and grabbed a paper towel to wipe the perspiration from his brow. He removed his glasses and rubbed the corners of his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. Putting his glasses back on, he looked into the microscope.
He was surprised to see the human cells still intact. As a matter of fact, it appeared that the Principle had been surrounded by the human cells; quarantined if you will. He watched for several more minutes as the human cells closed ranks and slowly destroyed the invading bacteria.
There was an overwhelming sense of relief followed by a feeling of accomplishment. It had been almost two months since test subject Number 5 walked out of the lab in Florida. A lot of people had died and life as he knew it had been altered forever. There was also a feeling of redemption. He felt responsible for the hell that had been unleashed on humanity. Now he believed he had a chance to right a terrible wrong.
Benton checked in from time to time looking for updates from Dr. Sanderson. He obliged with vague information and simply indicated they were moving in the right direction. When Benton asked for more details, the Doctor spewed technical data that was impossible for the lay man to comprehend in the hopes Benton would stop asking and leave.
He was purposely keeping certain pieces of information from Benton, feeling he needed to buy himself some time. The Doctor had not seen or overheard him speaking with Dr. Ehrlich again, but knew that he must be nearby.
The plan he was hatching in his head was risky but necessary. Benton had obviously enlisted the German to take over for him when he produced the antidote. They planned on selling the pills to the remaining human population. Paper currency probably had no value now so he would most likely ask for food, or weapons, or knowing Benton … allegiance.
Unfortunately, the SOD1 was only a temporary solution. It would eventually work its way out of the body and one would need another dose. It would make the person with the antidote the most powerful and important human alive. Perhaps, one day, he would find a more permanent solution. Until then, Dr. Sanderson would try to get the SOD1 to as many people as possible.
His idea involved making and storing as many pills as feasible, giving Benton just enough to wet his appetite. Benton would, of course, turn the supply over to Dr. Ehrlich and have him finish production. By then, the Doctor had hoped he would have successfully bargained with Benton to let him go, now that his job was done. He considered simply trying to sneak out at night but he had no idea where he was or how far he might be from another human being; not to mention the infected. The pills might have protected him from the bite of one or two of them but not from an advancing horde intent on having him for dinner.
He would bring the extra supply of pills with him and try to reconnect with the Major. It was a long shot, all of it; Benton letting him go, escaping with the antidote, finding the Major. He figured that Benton probably had cameras in the lab watching his every move. Unfortunately, he did not see too many other options at the moment.
The next few days were spent narrowing down the dosage and trying to figure out the SOD1’s disposition curve. After a couple dozen trials he was confident he had determined the optimal dosage; one that was safe and provided some lasting protection. He estimated that an individual pill would be good for about two weeks minimum; perhaps more for some. He was not nearly as confident about this projection as he was the dosage but figured about twenty-five pills would last any one person an entire year.
He started making the pills in the far corner of the lab, away from any possible cameras Benton may have hidden. If Benton asked, he would say they were placebos or that they were the wrong dosage. He would sneak a small amount of pills up into his room daily using the excuse he needed something from there or he was going to take a quick nap to clear his head.
He tried to act nonchalant and not do anything to arouse suspicion. Benton could have this entire house wired, even the bathrooms. He continued to make additional pills over the next few days but it was getting increasingly difficult to keep Benton at bay. His trips to the lab were becoming more frequent. He was obviously becoming impatient.
The Doctor had filled his backpack upstairs with pills and had created a small cache to give to Benton. He reckoned he had stalled long enough and Benton or no Benton, he had discovered an antidote and world should know about it. He just hoped they would not have to pay dearly for it.
He was about to leave the lab and head upstairs to make the official announcement that he had found an antidote when the door to the lab opened and Benton poked his head inside.
“Doctor, could you join me in examination room number three, I have something I need to show you,” he said.
Chapter 39
Wild Goose
Major Bradley watched as the trees zipped past his Humvee. Everything looked so peaceful, so normal, but the reality of his current mission kept him from being lost in the serenity around him. It had taken Major Bradley nearly four weeks of constant petitioning before he had convinced his commanding officer, Colonel Jepson, to authorize the mission.
The story Major Bradley conveyed about the conversation with Dr. Sanderson at Fort Campbell and the possibility of a cure had been compelling, until the involvement of Benton Worthington III was mentioned. Unfortunately for the Major, Colonel Jepson had his own run-ins with Worthington on Capitol Hill and none of them were pleasant.
For the next three weeks Major Bradley laid out a case for his mission. At every juncture he had been met with an excuse. First it was Worthington’s involvement, and then it was the lack of concrete proof that this Doctor was actually close to developing anything. Limited resources and a shortage of manpower had been the biggest obstacles for the Major to overcome.
Finally a breakthrough occurred when, using help from Nick’s father, the Major was able to garner enough support for his plan. In the end, the mission was given the green light but not after severely cutting the number of men the Major had requested. Thankfully he had been able to bolster his numbers slightly with the addition of civilian scouts. Even better, the civilian scouts were Chester and Stephen, two of the civilians Major Bradley and his men had seen in action and grown close to on the trip to Fort Carson. Also along on this mission were Cpt. Morris, Sgt. Sanchez, Spc. Simmons, and Cpl. Sinclair.
The group was traveling in two Humvees, each with its own mounted weapon. With the exception of Chester, who carried his own rifle and shotgun, the men each carried silenced weapons recently obtained from Fort Carson’s arsenal. The Major and his men had learned from their time on the road that gunfire only attracted more of the infected. Each man was also armed with a close combat weapon; Chester with his machete, Stephen with his axe, and the soldiers each carrying a combat knife that could be used as a bayonet on the end of their rifles.
The mission was simple in concept; find the Worthington Estate and extract Dr. Sanderson and any work on a cure. As is the case with most things, it would likely be easier said than done. Major Bradley knew that Benton would not simply hand over the doctor. Even though the Major carried an executive order from the President of the United States, he knew this would not hold much weight in the eyes of Worthington.
The Major was hoping he could strike some kind of deal with Benton but held little hope that a compromise would be easily reached. As long as the doctor was not being held against his will, Major Bradley hoped he could convince him to come with them of his own accord. He wanted, above all else to avoid any kind of violence, but was well aware of the armed security that Benton usually employed; like the mercenaries he had seen protecting the doctor at Fort Campbell.
The trip to The Worthington Estate went by quicker than the team expected, primarily as a result of their ability to ign
ore the posted speed limits. Dr. Sanderson had given Major Bradley an exact address of the estate so it was not difficult to find.
As the convoy rolled to a stop in front of the estate’s entrance, Major Bradley was surprised to see no one guarding the gates. Getting out of the Humvee, the Major punched the buzzer on the intercom box hanging on the wall of the guard house. Several seconds passed with no response. He looked around locating the camera pointed in his direction. Waving his hand over his head he pressed the buzzer again. Again nothing emanated from the intercom. Growing frustrated Major Bradley moved to the gate itself and found it locked.
Realizing nothing short of running through the gate with the Humvees would open it, Major Bradley moved to the guard house door. Trying the nob he unsurprisingly found it locked. This was, however, quickly rectified by several heavy boot strikes to the door. With a crack the door bolt dislodged from the frame and the door swung open. Inside the Major found a desk with several security monitors and a switch board. Everything seemed to have power and the Major searched the switch board until he found a button for the front gate. Pressing the button Major Bradley was rewarded with the sound of the gate unlocking and swinging open.
Stepping out of the guard house and closing the mangled door behind him, he motioned for the two Humvees to move through. Once they had cleared the gate, the Major followed, closing the gate via the control panel inside the perimeter. He jumped back into the Humvee and directed Corporeal Sinclair to continue on to the main house.
The Worthington Estate was, as one would expect, opulence embodied. The mile and a half drive from the entrance to the main house was nothing short of breathtaking. Even in the midst of the current crises the grounds were perfectly manicured. Large trees like pillars towered over the wide driveway. Beyond the tree lined drive stood magnificent gardens and lawns. As the Humvees crested a final hill the trees parted and the main house came into view.
The Zombie Principle Page 33