Starting the Slowpocalypse (Books 1-3 Omnibus)

by James Litherland

  Anthony snorted. “You? Holmes?” But he felt hurt. Here Kat had a friend in the hospital who was an experienced investigator, but she hadn’t requested his help. There had to be some way to return the relationship between them back to what it had been before.

  He turned back to his FURCS pad with a grunt. “I’ve just realized George Radley might be a target, because of what his son did. I’d better be sure they know to keep an eye on him.” He began tapping out another alert to his senior officers.

  He’d just finished and put his pad away when a nurse came into the room. That pudgy young fellow with those big smiling eyes behind his glasses could not properly be called a sister, and Anthony was unreasonably disappointed. If he had to be stuck here in the hospital, why couldn’t he at least be attended to by an attractive female?

  The young man shook his head as he came over to the bedside, and his voice was muffled by the paper mask he was wearing. “You know you shouldn’t be getting up and down and moving around—now, don’t you?”

  How did the fellow know? Anthony found himself grimacing as the nurse tidied his bed sheets. “I would feel better if I could get some exercise.”

  “If you want to get better, just relax and rest like your sensible friend over there.”

  Of course Miles had to smile and nod at that, as if this wasn’t all his fault in the first place. Anthony would rest only once he was out of here and back in his own bed. He felt like complaining, and at least it would look natural. “If this is just the flu, why stick me in here? I’d be happy to relax at home.”

  The nurse just shook his head and moved across to check on Miles, and Anthony saw that Dr. Harker had come. She stood in the doorway to their room, examining them through her horn-rimmed glasses. And as always, the woman was wearing a crumpled white lab coat with her bleached-blonde hair pulled back into a rather sloppy ponytail.

  Dr. Harker must have heard what he had said to the nurse, because she answered his question. Even though he already knew the real answer, she had an explanation of her own. “The tests we ran overnight confirmed you’ve both been infected with the influenza virus. Fortunately, it’s a mild type C strain, but as it’s also a previously unknown one, and different enough from past versions you’d have been exposed to, your immune systems hadn’t yet started to produce the proper antibodies. At least as of last night. I’m sure they’ve begun by now, but until you’re fully recovered, we’ll keep you here as a precaution.”

  She made that sound like it was for their benefit rather than to prevent them from spreading this flu to others. “And if I don’t want to stay?”

  Dr. Harker stared at him for a long moment before nodding at the nurse, who left Miles and moved around to the other end of the room to start turning the sheets down on the empty third bed on Anthony’s other side. The doctor moved into the room far enough to not block the doorway.

  She addressed her next remarks to the director. “Part of the reason you hired me was my training as an epidemiologist, and I’m doing what I consider to be best for this community. Since it’s not flu season and nineteen people have suddenly become ill, all at the same time with a new strain, even if it is a mild one, an abundance of caution is called for. Until we know more. And it’s good that this entire floor had been set aside for research and was available to use as an isolation ward—it’s perfect for the purpose.”

  Miles cocked his head at her. “If you’re being so careful, Doctor, why aren’t you wearing a mask?”

  “As long as I keep a sufficient distance, I should be safe. The air recycling system on this ward purifies it of potentially contaminated particulates.”

  Anthony shook his head. Miles had counted on this woman’s assiduousness to make sure they were all quarantined, but he’d gotten more than he’d bargained for. She might find out the truth.

  There was a bustling outside the room, and Dr. Harker put her hand to her head and pulled her pony tail over her shoulder. “I should’ve said twenty— I have another patient, and you’re about to get another roommate, Director.”

  The nurse returned, walking backward into the room and pulling a gurney carrying the new patient as one of the sisters helped him guide it through the door. It was David being wheeled in, unconscious, and the kid looked like death warmed over.

  Anthony wondered why Ms. Belue’s son was being admitted only now—Miles had assured him that the woman had every detail in hand. But he thought he knew why the kid was in such bad shape. Unlike himself and Miles, David had already been infected by the real bug before receiving this so-called cure. And while Miles had said they had reason to believe it would work to protect those who had yet to catch the contagion, apparently its usefulness for treating the afflicted was considered an open question.

  Watching the boy with concern, Anthony hadn’t been paying attention to the sister who was helping the nurse move David onto the bed. When he lifted his gaze and met her eyes above that paper mask, he saw it was Kat. He couldn’t see her expression, nor could he decipher the look in her eyes.

  He’d barely seen her over the past several weeks because he’d been avoiding her—not that it was doing any good, or that he could continue like that. He tried smiling at her. “As you can see, there’s no way I could train with you today. I have a perfectly legitimate excuse.” She’d accused him of making up excuses for not helping her.

  Her gaze growing cold was her only response to his little joke, that and turning on her heel and leaving the room. Anthony sighed. He needed to talk to someone about this situation with Kat. He couldn’t discuss it with her, and he certainly couldn’t broach the subject with her father. So who would he talk to about his dilemma?

  Of course, Kat had effectively given her father a cold shoulder as well, so maybe Anthony was imagining how mad she was at him.

  The nurse finished tucking David into bed, then followed her out, pushing the empty gurney in front of him as he went. Dr. Harker glanced at David before returning her attention to the two who were actually conscious. She turned first to Anthony. “Perhaps having Officer Belue here to witness the example you set will help you behave better.”

  He grimaced. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  She shook her head. “That young man was sick and stubbornly went to work anyway, and look what it got him. And don’t try telling me you don’t want to do the very same thing, because I heard you.”

  Thankfully Miles distracted her. “Doctor Harker, is that why David looks in such poor condition? Because he didn’t seek medical attention?”

  Of course, Miles really wanted to know why the boy’s mother hadn’t managed to get him into isolation at the clinic with the rest last night, but he certainly couldn’t send her a message about that.

  The scowl left her face as the doctor returned to the director. “Apparently he stayed out, up all night with friends. And not getting proper rest lowers the body’s defenses against illness. Then he tried to do his job as usual, thinking he was only tired, and not seeking medical attention, as you say. He collapsed at work.”

  Anthony could just imagine the scene at Security. He hoped no one else there had caught this ‘flu’ from David, and of course he worried about the boy himself. “How bad is his condition, Doctor?”

  She turned back to him and the scowl returned. “As far as the flu goes, he should be fine now that he can get rest and proper care. But he hit his head on a table when he passed out. He may have a concussion, but he’s unconscious and we can’t tell. So we’ll have to pray that he wakes up normally and makes a full recovery.” She didn’t stop there, though. “Now, I checked Officer Belue’s records, and I saw this is the third serious blow to the head he’s had over the past several months. I would’ve thought you’d take better care of your officers than that.”

  Once again Miles interrupted any further scolding from the doctor. “I appreciate your precautions on everyone’s behalf, Dr. Harker. What actions exactly are you taking?”

  The doctor tur
ned back to the director and continued, just as if she were giving a formal report. “I have the sisters searching for other people with flu-like symptoms. Anyone you gentlemen or the other patients might’ve infected wouldn’t be showing any symptoms yet, but you all would’ve caught the virus from someone else. And since even with a pathogen as highly transmissible as influenza, it’s improbable one person could’ve infected all twenty of you, we’re looking for multiple carriers. Some of them may be asymptomatic, making them difficult to track down and identify.”

  She looked to Anthony again. “And since I’ll be busy trying to culture this new strain, and helping to treat the sick, and collating information to track the disease vectors, as well as evaluating further potential cases, a little help would be greatly appreciated. Would you mind loaning me Officer Mori for a few days?”

  He sighed heavily. He had such a small staff as it was, and with both himself and David out sick, it would be difficult to do without Michelle too, but he couldn’t really say no, even if Miles didn’t want Dr. Harker to find out the truth. Anthony glanced at his friend but got no help there. “Alright, Doctor. I can assign Officer Mori to assist your work dealing with this outbreak, but she’s just gotten off a night shift. Can she get some sleep first?”

  The woman nodded curtly. “Of course, didn’t I just finish telling you how important getting enough rest is? Can she come this afternoon?”

  Anthony pulled his FURCS pad back out to type a quick message to Michelle with an alarm to make sure she got it by one. As he did that he considered how savvy Dr. Harker had been, asking for that particular officer. Michelle was also a graduate student in medical research, which the doctor must’ve been aware of already.

  Dr. Harker glanced back and forth between the two men. “You heard me say what I need to do, and I expect to have your cooperation. I’ll have to wait for Officer Belue to regain consciousness to ask him questions, but I can begin now with you gentlemen.” She cast a dubious look at Anthony. “I need to know everybody you’ve come in contact with, from forty-eight hours before you’d begun to experience symptoms, to help me track down who might’ve infected you. As well as who you’ve been around since, so we can test them for the virus.”

  She cradled her workpad in one arm and looked expectantly at Miles. Anthony grinned at his friend as if to say—look what you’ve got us in for now.

  Chapter 4

  Know Your Enemy

  1:15 p.m. Monday, May 19th

  CAROLINE would have preferred making a grand entrance, but this was still unfamiliar terrain to her, and it was more important to understand the lay of the land than to make an impression. And whatever her daughter’s accusations, Caroline could curb her theatrical impulses when she wanted. Besides, even if she was new to politics, she knew there’d be ample opportunity for drama later. So she glided down the Community Hall corridors a full fifteen minutes before the council meeting was to begin. She intended to be the first to arrive.

  When she made it to the door of the conference room, though, she found that the Belue woman had beaten her there. And if there was one person Caroline was having a hard time getting a handle on, that was her husband’s deputy. But that difficulty wasn’t anything new.

  Verity had worked as Miles’ assistant in administration for such a long time, politics should be second nature to the woman by now. That and her influence with Miles made Ms. Belue a formidable foe—or a potentially priceless partner. At the moment that was Caroline’s chief concern, assessing her fellow council members so she could know best how to deal with them, whether friend or enemy. And also so she could decide what role to play.

  She smiled warmly at Verity, noting the woman had taken a seat perpendicular to the door, allowing her to see each person as they entered without making herself a focus of attention. Caroline didn’t feel the need to go to that extreme. She’d already made a certain impression on her fellow councilors, without any special effort—her experience as a television hostess had allowed her to slip into the role of moderator for these meetings without any discussion. A remarkable feat among these people.

  Walking all the way around the circular conference table, she took the chair facing the open doorway. It was essentially the head of the table, and not only did it make her the center of attention, it positioned her well to take stock of her fellow councilors as they entered. She particularly wanted to observe their reactions to seeing her sitting there.

  Folding her skirt under her as she sat, Caroline inclined her head slightly toward Ms. Belue. “It appears we’re both a bit early.” When Miles expanded the council, he’d also installed a video camera which automatically recorded all proceedings and uploaded the footage to the FURCSnet for people to watch if they wanted. On a thirty minute delay, of course, in case the administration needed to edit something out. So Caroline was careful with what she said and how she said it. But then, she was used to playing to the camera.

  Verity turned and gave a polite smile. “I’m sure you’re aware I’m here representing the director. As his substitute, I certainly wouldn’t want to show up late and cause problems for the rest of you.”

  Caroline refrained from snorting. She could not remember the last time her husband had attended a regular council meeting himself. Verity was experienced at taking his place, yet here she was acting as if this were all new to her. Of course, until recently there had only been three people on the council and the meetings had been closed and confidential. Not many people were aware, therefore, how much this woman actually ran things.

  “At least Miles has a valid excuse for not attending.” This time.

  Verity actually allowed a slight twitch to appear at the corner of her mouth. “His condition isn’t that serious, but you wouldn’t want the rest of us catching the flu from him, would you?”

  Not expecting to learn anything from observing Ms. Belue’s expression, Caroline kept her gaze fixed on the door as she spoke. “I heard that George Radley officially resigned his council seat a couple hours ago. So he won’t be here for this session.” And Verity and Dean Alice Kittner would be the only veteran council members Caroline would have to deal with. But although both women had lots of experience in FURC politics, the newer members like herself were wild cards in the deck, dangerous in a different way. And some were wilder than others.

  Verity nodded. “Eventually it had to come out, about what his son had done, and I believe the man had been thinking long and hard about what he’d do when it did. I’m not surprised he chose to resign—if his supervision of his son was so lacking, how could the community trust him with all of our affairs?”

  How could the residents trust any of them, particularly those they hadn’t chosen themselves? Ms. Belue and Dean Kittner and George Radley were all appointed by Miles, and had retained their seats on the council when it was expanded. At least the new members like Caroline herself had been selected by the residents, even if it had been done in a rush.

  Caroline simply nodded, though, and asked her next question. “The business community will surely not have had enough time to vote for a replacement for George yet. Could he send a substitute or would that not—” She cut off what she’d been about to say as Dean Kittner appeared in the doorway. Caroline couldn’t fail to notice the flash of displeasure on the woman’s face.

  Alice certainly thought she should be the one to run these meetings, and she was giving in to the unspoken consensus with bad grace. Freezing her jaw in an attitude of belligerence, she took the chair opposite Caroline as if preparing for battle. She probably was. She had also put her back to the door and the other members as they would enter. Was that a tactical error or a shrewd move?

  Determined to play the charming hostess, Caroline beamed warmly at the woman. “Hello, Alice. I see you like to show up early as well. We’ll just have to wait for everyone else—that won’t include George though, if you hadn’t heard.”

  Dean Kittner nodded curtly. “I had.”

  Continuing to smile, Caro
line considered Alice, who’d been one of a ruling triumvirate until recently. Her role may have been only advisory, but where she had once represented the interests of the whole university and its integrated research facilities, now she stood for just the administrative arm. The student body had chosen its own representative, as had the teachers and researchers. That meant Alice had lost over two-thirds of her power base in one stroke. All because of one sweeping decision by Miles to expand the council—but while Caroline had jumped at the chance to get into politics and have a say in how the FURC community was run, Dean Kittner clearly rued the change.

  Caroline had found herself a place by representing those who considered themselves civilians—the spouses, children, and other relatives of FURC employees. Feeling less connected to the institution of the FURC, they wanted their voices heard. And she had listened to them, the heart of the community.

  Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Jeffrey Minchin, a landscaper who had worked with Ken Cameron’s construction crew. Now he was responsible for the compound’s outdoor public spaces as an independent contractor. An unlikely choice to represent the workers. But since the man was really his own boss, perhaps he stood for what every worker wished to be.

  With a slight smile on his face, he nodded at her and glanced at the others, then settled his lean, wiry frame into the chair between her and Verity. Glancing first at his watch, he pulled a paperback from his back pocket and adjusted his glasses before starting to read. So far he had never evinced any interest in talking until the meeting was in session. But Jeffrey took his responsibilities as a councilor very seriously, even if he never seemed to want to be here. And that made him predictable. If only they all were.

  They all sat there for a few minutes, Caroline attempting to look pleasant, Jeffrey with his head in a book, Verity staring into space, and Alice squinting across the table. One minute before the session was scheduled to begin, Dr. Harker hurried through the door in her lab coat, as if she were still at the clinic. Glancing at them each in turn as she walked to the table, she sat across from Verity. Checking the time, she grunted, then pulled her workpad out of her bag and began fiddling. She was another one who didn’t want to be here.