by Neal Jones
"You're right," the commodore agreed. "As soon as I get back to my office, I'm screening Admiral Hazen. If he isn't able to help us with this, then..." He shrugged. "I'm sorry."
"You don't have to apologize, commodore."
"Marc," he corrected her.
She smiled wanly. "Marc. I appreciate everything you're done so far." Her tone became bitter. "As I said earlier, this all about politics, and those of us outside the arena have no choice but to be spectators. All we can hope is that the bureaucrats know how to play the game."
Gabriel nodded, but the chirp of his commlink cut off his reply. He pressed his right temple to activate his 'net's visual feed. "This is Gabriel."
Doctor Rosenberg's tense face filled the holographic screen. "Marc, I need to see you immediately. Do you know where Doctor Garrett is? I just tried screening her quarters. She's not there."
"She's with me. I'm on my way back to my office."
"Good. I'll meet you both there in ten minutes. Rosenberg out."
Amelia, who had only been able to hear Gabriel's side of the conversation looked at him, puzzled.
"Doctor Rosenberg is meeting me in my office. He requested your presence as well."
( 7 )
"Seven?"
"Yes," Rosenberg confirmed. "I've triple checked these scans and bio-analyses. All the readings come out the same: seven different alien species, each one exhibiting a series of different symptoms, and none of these cases are an exact match for known diseases in the Federation's medical database." He pointed to the holographic display in the air above Gabriel's desk. "There's a list of possible matches at the bottom of that grid, but my staff and I have already ruled them out."
Doctor Garrett was standing next to Gabriel, and she leaned closer for a better look. "How many different species are there currently residing on Exxar-One?"
"As of this morning, sixteen. Our largest populations are Human, Chrisarii, DrayH'M and Murdohn."
"Humans are one of the affected species," Gabriel observed, "but Chrisarii isn't."
Rosenberg nodded. "I'm not sure exactly what we're dealing with yet, but look at those numbers at the top of each column."
"You're getting more cases every few hours," Garrett replied.
"Yes. Right now, the total number of infected is around three thousand. On a starbase like this with a total population of just over three hundred thousand, that number is a drop in the bucket."
"But if this trend continues," Garrett remarked, "you're going to reach five thousand by the end of the week." She glanced up. "Have there been any fatalities?"
"No. Not yet." He hesitated, scowling.
"What is it, doctor?" Gabriel pressed him.
"All of the patients who first exhibited symptoms three days ago are not showing signs of improvement, despite the fact that they've been on a standard course of anti-virals and bed rest since their initial diagnoses."
"That's never a good sign," Amelia replied.
"Exactly." The CMO hesitated once more, and then continued, "What I think needs to happen right now is that we declare a red level quarantine of Exxar-One. You need to activate emergency protocol three, and then we sequester the infected populations. I've already ordered my staff to start setting up triage centers in all major areas of the station. They're being discreet, of course, but I think it's only a matter of hours – maybe a day, at the most – before I start logging corpses for the mortuary." He nodded at the holo-display. "We need to be ready to deal with mass panic from the public by then."
"Now hang on just a minute, doctor –"
"No," Garrett interrupted, "he's right. You've got a case of multiple outbreaks with unknown causes and vectors. As fast as these numbers are rising, there's no other option but a red level quarantine."
The commodore glanced back and forth between the two doctors, and then gave a resigned nod. "All right, but I'm not making a public announcement until later this afternoon. We need to brief the rest of the senior staff, and then Navarr needs a few hours to coordinate the dispatch of security personnel to the proper stations. Once all of that is complete, then I will make an announcement on the public news feed."
Rosenberg nodded. "Understood. But there's also the issue of ships currently docked. Red level quarantine means that those ships are not allowed to depart and that their crews must be evacuated to the station. Not all of them are going to come willingly."
Gabriel nodded grimly. "Duly noted."
Rosenberg turned to Garrett. "Doctor, since this is your area of expertise, I'd like you to look over all the data we've gathered thus far."
"Absolutely. Lead the way."
After they were gone, Marc sat behind his desk, staring at the holo-display and its grim report. First the kidnapping of his chief engineer, and now this.
"How could things possibly get any worse?" he murmured to himself as he pressed the comm panel beside his terminal. "This is Gabriel to all senior staff. Please report to the wardroom immediately for an emergency briefing."
( 8 )
"That's us," Sikandra murmured sleepily as she reached for her commlink. It was lying on top of her clothes which had been thrown into a pile on the forest floor nearby.
Her breath on his bare skin made Kralin smile, and he looked down at the chief tactical officer. "We never got around to actually having lunch."
She lifted her head, grinning. "You enjoyed eating me."
He shook his head, gently working himself out from under her. "We don't want to be late."
"I've never heard you laugh. You're always so serious about everything."
He smiled again, reaching for his clothes. "Laughter is overrated. Besides, it would ruin my image to the rest of the crew."
"Commodore Gabriel, you mean." Grynel pulled on her uniform top and fastened it.
"Yes, him too." Kralin looked around for his other boot.
"It's over there." Sikandra pointed to a nearby bush. "Shall we do this again tomorrow? Same time?"
"The others might get suspicious."
"So what? It'll give 'em something else to gossip about beside Sam and Chris."
Saveck scowled as he picked up his sword. "Let's just take a break for a couple days, all right? Computer, end program." The forest disappeared, and the major started for the door. But as he passed Grynel, he paused, turning to face her. "I had a good time."
"Me too," she replied. She watched him leave, smiling to herself.
( 9 )
"Emalie, let's go!" Jennifer snapped, shifting Jeremy from one arm to the other.
"But I'm not done yet!" Emalie protested.
"I didn't ask if you were done, I said it was time to go." She grabbed her daughter's backpack and started for the door.
Emalie had to run to catch up to her mother, and, as they stepped into the PTL, she crossed her arms, scowling. "I was trying to draw you a picture," she said angrily.
"Well, I'm sorry," Jennifer retorted. "You'll just have to finish it tomorrow." She shifted Jeremy back to her right arm, and the boy squirmed and wriggled in an effort to be set free.
"Why are you always so mad?" Emalie asked, looking up.
"Because I'm tired, sweetheart."
"You're always tired," Emalie muttered.
"I know," Jennifer sighed. "Mommy just doesn't feel well today."
"Are you getting sick?"
"I don't know. When we get home I want you to play with Jeremy while I get dinner. Read him one of your stories."
"But he doesn't sit still," Emalie whined. "I wanted to color some more."
"Em, stop arguing, and just do as I say, all right?"
The girl looked shocked at her mother's tone, and she crossed her arms again, frowning. "Fine," she muttered, staring at the floor.
Chapter 20
____________________
( 1 )
A slight buzzing in Varis' right temple signaled an incoming call. Took him long enough, she thought dryly as she pressed the same spot to activate her 'net's vi
sual feed. Agent Connor's angry expression filled her holo-screen.
"Agent Varis, I believe I ordered you back to Exxar-One."
"Yes, sir, you did. But you said nothing about how I was to get there, or whether or not I was allowed a slight detour on the way. It turns out that the transport on which I booked passage has made a stop at the L'Dai colony in the Tahgo sector. It's going to dock soon, so I'll have to switch you off. I'll be back at Exxar-One within the week."
"What exactly is it you're looking for on L'Dai, agent? This wouldn't have anything to do with Doctor Moru, would it?"
"Oh, I'm not sure, sir. I'm just trying to find out who was behind the attack on myself and Anteri Prill two days ago. How do I know that they won't make another attempt once I'm back on Exxar-One?"
The vein in the middle of Connor's forehead pulsed. He glared at her for a few moments before smoothing out his expression. "Very well. I will expect a full report on this matter as soon as you have returned to Exxar-One. In the meantime, of course, you are on your own. I can't guarantee your protection on L'Dai. I have been informed that our agents in the Tahgo sector are already on other assignments."
"Understood, Agent Connor. Varis out."
No sooner had she deactivated her bio-net than the ship's captain came on the intercom to announce their landing in Bryco City. Her seat's restraints activated automatically, and J'Soran watched through the side viewport as the starscape outside was soon replaced with the swirling, gold clouds of L'Dai's atmosphere. Seconds later, the clouds dispersed to reveal yet another sprawling, vast alien metropolis. Bryco was the third largest metropolis on L'Dai, and it was where Moru had boarded the Dagonite liner bound for Exxar-One two weeks earlier.
As she threaded through the crowds in the ground terminal, Varis wondered yet again why it had taken her so long to arrive at the logical conclusion that Moru must have been here for the last five years. She and Navarr had assumed that he had purchased some other false ID before arriving on L'Dai since no arrival manifests had listed Harmod Rosa as a passenger. But, after her brief conversation with Avyrem in the hotel room back on Anjisald, J'Soran realized that Moru probably spent the last five years here on L'Dai. The question now was where and what he had been involved with. Was "Avyrem" the name of the man J'Soran had killed or the name of the organization that had employed him? Her meld had been too brief to gain a definitive answer, but she had managed to pull an image from his chaotic mind just before the link was broken. It was blurred, but enough detail existed to tell Varis that she was looking for a building in an industrial district in a foreign city. On the side of the building was alien lettering, large and neon.
It wasn't much to go on, but J'Soran's instincts told her that Avyrem had accidentally let slip a physical location somewhere here in Bryco – a place he had been recently, in fact. Whomever he worked for had either kidnapped Korik or otherwise coerced him in some way five years ago. Varis was certain now, more than ever, that Moru had been living here on L'Dai for all that time, and she wouldn't be leaving until she'd solved this particular mystery.
She followed the throng out of the terminal into fading afternoon sunlight. Hovercar traffic buzzed overhead, and, on the ground, taxi drivers hollered in multiple languages to the crowd. Varis ignored them, turning instead to the train depot. Once aboard, she took a seat near the back and switched on her bio-net, linking it to the city's network. Her 'net was sophisticated enough to keep her true identity a secret while she downloaded a city map and then skimmed the local news feed. She also checked the train's schedule. It would eventually be stopping in the northern district of Bryco, an area that looked moderately upscale, where the hotels were probably not too expensive but not very cheap either. It would be a thirty minute trip, so Varis settled back to watch the city pass below her window.
L'Dai was a planet with no native species. The entire Tahgo sector, in fact, had no native inhabitants, despite the fact that it's five star systems all had multiple class-four planets. The Federation had claimed the sector three centuries ago, and, ever since, it had not taken the member worlds long to fill the habitable planets with cities, factories, farms, pleasure resorts, and all the other assimilating junk that space-faring civilizations brought with them wherever they went. Bryco, in particular, appeared as gaudy and as busy as Varis had expected. It was all quite ugly, in fact, no rhyme or reason to any of the architecture, as if the city planners had allowed the citizens and investors to build whatever they liked, piling the skyscrapers and complexes on top of one another in a hurried and mish-mash manner.
J'Soran raised her eyes, searching for glimpses of the cream-and-gold sky far above the city. She sighed, yearning to be back in space, wishing for the calm, clean starscape beyond her window instead of the clamoring, chaotic, ugly façade of Bryco City. She leaned back, closing her eyes. She didn't open them until the train's computer announced its arrival at her destination. Varis disembarked, looking both ways as she descended the platform. She checked her palm readout for a listing of the hotels, and then selected one that was two blocks away.
Her initial suspicions about this district were correct. The streets were clean, the passing citizens dressed in expensive costumes, and the towers gleamed and winked as the sun reflected off their glass and cerma-chrome surfaces. Varis entered the lobby, striding briskly to the front desk, and then swiped her palm over the interface. The clerk smiled as he waited for her ID info to appear on his 'net's holo-screen.
"Welcome to the Birddon, Miss Theno. I see that you don't have a reservation."
"No," she said, putting on her best sympathetic tourist performance. "I just arrived from Mirxa, and I didn't have time to book a room. I don't need anything fancy, just one of your budget suites will be fine."
The clerk checked the screen of his terminal, nodding. "I have one available with a view of the plaza. It's on level sixty. Will that be all right?"
"That's fine."
"And how many nights will you be with us?"
"I'm not sure. I'm here on business. Probably a week, at most. Let's start with two nights, and then I'll let you know after that."
"Excellent. Please swipe your palm again. How would you like your room key? I can provide you an access card or a code for your 'net."
"A code will be fine." Varis held her palm over the interface a third time.
"You're all set, Miss Theno. Please enjoy your stay. Will you need a porter?"
"No, thank you." J'Soran picked up her suitcase and left the lobby through one of the nearby corridors that led to the PTLs.
Once inside her room, she linked her bio-net to the hotel's network, and then switched on the terminal screen on the desk. She ignored her growling stomach and set to work searching the local interweb for images of all the buildings in Bryco's industrial district.
( 2 )
"Put simply, what we're dealing with here are seven separate viral outbreaks of unknown origin and vector." Rosenberg looked at each of the faces gathered around the table. "Each of you has a compad with the list of the seven species that are currently infected, as well as the data that my staff and I have gathered thus far. The purpose of this briefing is to review emergency protocol three as well as the procedures and regulations regarding a red level quarantine. But, before we get to that, Doctor Garrett has requested that she present her analysis of my data."
Amelia stood, nodding to the CMO. "Thank you, doctor. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to get right to the point. A situation such as this – where seven separate viral outbreaks have occurred in a self-contained environment such as Exxar-One – is statistically improbable. One outbreak, even two maybe, yes. But not seven, especially when each species appears to be infected by a specific virus tailored to their physiology and biological makeup. In other words, it's highly improbable that we are dealing with seven separate, naturally occurring outbreaks." She paused for emphasis, looking around the table, gauging the reaction of her audience in their expressions.
"Are you saying
that this is bioterrorism?" Navarr asked.
"It's very likely, yes. I can't say for absolute certainty yet, but my analysis of the data gathered so far suggests bioterrorism as a very real possibility."
Saveck leaned forward. "What happens now? Aside from a red level quarantine, how do we deal with this?"
"Well, for starters, I need to isolate the virus responsible in each of these outbreaks. That, alone, could take anywhere from eight weeks to six months. Only once the virus has been isolated can I start looking for a cure. That will probably be another two to three months, at best. Now, the fact that we're dealing with seven different possible viruses means that it could be up to a year before we completely eradicate all seven. It's also possible that someone has engineered a virus capable of mutating and adapting to its host's physiology at the moment of infection. If that's the case here, then we could be dealing with just one virus, and it may not take as long for me to isolate it and find a cure."
"I had no idea that was even possible," Sikandra remarked. "How long before you know for sure?"
"I honestly don’t know. It could be a couple of weeks or a couple of months."
"And, in the meantime," Decev added, "we have to deal with mass panic among the general population." She glanced at Gabriel. "Once you make your announcement, all hell will break loose, especially among the crews of the ships already docked here. They might put up a fight."
"And we're going to deal with that accordingly," the commodore replied. He looked at Navarr and Colonel Bryant. "Commander, as soon as we're done here, your first task will be to disperse your officers to those ships. They will tell the captains they're there for a routine inspection, and that all personnel must evacuate to Exxar-One until the inspection is complete. Assure them that this is a routine measure, something that we're required to do on a random basis. While they're doing that, have the rest of your teams spread out through key civilian sections. Keep them on stand by until I broadcast my announcement. Colonel, coordinate with the commander to dispatch your men wherever the two of you think they'll be needed the most." He turned to Rosenberg. "Doctor, you said your staff has already begun setting up triage centers in the civilian sections?"