by Tara Ellis
“Perfect,” Peta mumbled, setting the jar aside. “How hot do you think it was? And the smell?”
“Pungent,” Jason answered for him. “And not that hot until it erupted.” He held his bare arm out to show several small, red burns where the spray had landed. It wasn’t much by way of injury, but it sure stung.
Peta frowned and then looked up to meet his eyes. “You were that close when it erupted?”
“We all were,” Devon said, showing a burn on the back of his hand. “But did you see the mud sample? I almost didn’t get that, and I’m not sure if those leaves are the right ones or not,” he added, pointing to a baggie.
Akuba leaned forward from where she was sitting next to Paul. “What leaves?”
“The Libi Prani,” Jess said. She jumped up and went to examine the leaves. “These are the right ones,” she said with a smile, turning to Akuba. “I got to thinking about the tea, and figured it might be worth looking at.”
“Tea?” Peta asked, sounding intrigued.
Jason scratched at his head and picked up the bag. “Jess said they’ve used this plant to make a tea for rituals for a very long time. Thought it could be significant, and that maybe we should be concentrating more on the tales of the water’s healing power, instead of it being the source of the disease.”
Jason watched as a couple of different expressions played across Peta’s face. “Jess,” she said, pointing a finger at the girl. “You said Maya had probably been in the pool lately?”
Jess began to nod, but Akuba answered for her. “If she was caring for the Libi Nati in the same fashion as the Lokono, it would involve walking the edge several times a day to clean the water of debris and vegetation, and to trim back the foliage, which grows very quickly.”
“Well, there wasn’t much growing there anymore,” Devon offered. “Looked like there was a lot of damage from the last eruption. That was the only Libi Prani I could find.”
Akuba’s eyes widened. “There had to have been more than that!” she exclaimed, watching as Jason shook the leaves out onto the table.
Devon crossed his arms and made a tsking sound. “Nope. I mean, I didn’t have a lot of time to look, but it was really obvious nothing much was growing now, and with this last eruption I’m sure whatever was left is gone.”
“Why?” Peta asked. “Why is it so important?”
“The Libi Prani only grows in the hot spring and along its edge,” Akuba explained. “It has played an important part in my tribes’ ceremonies for generations. It dates back to the ancient village and is even in paintings on the walls.”
Jason continued to stare at Peta, curious to know what she was thinking. It was obvious she was getting excited about something. While he found the tea to be an interesting aspect and certainly worth sending back to the CDC, in his experience, while natural remedies could be beneficial it wasn’t really feasible to think it could do anything against prions. The most likely mechanism behind the Lokono’s immunity was genetics, which the scientists at the CDC could then compare and cross-correlate with the prions and thermophiles they’d hopefully pulled from the hot spring.
Peta picked a leaf up and held it to the fading light filtering in through the window. To Jason, it looked similar to a long chunk of algae or a saturated lily-pad. “How many people are in your village?” she asked.
“Just under three-hundred,” Akuba answered, shifting in the seat.
Peta scowled, and Jason thought she looked disappointed. “There’s no way all of them drink this on a regular basis?”
Akuba nodded, glancing over at Jess. “Yes. At least once a month. The ceremony doesn’t only happen at the hot spring. It is a prayer ritual that still takes place in every household. It should be weekly, but many have strayed from tradition. Even for those families, the tea is commonly served around evening fires, at any gatherings, and to anyone who is feeling ill. As Jess said, the Libi Prani has been a part of our tribe since the beginning of our recorded history.”
“You drink this?” Peta asked, waving the plant at Jess. “What about your dad?”
“Yes, I have,” Jess said. “But not my dad. I know he tried it before, but he couldn’t stand the taste. It is pretty horrible, but you get used to it. I had to drink it since I’d help clean the water on the weekends.”
Devon put his jar of mud down on the table and looked questioningly at Jason. “I’m no botanist, but how could a tea fight something like The Kuru, after our best scientists threw all of their most powerful drugs at it?”
Peta rubbed the leaf between her fingers and then smelled them, crinkling her nose in reaction. “L-serine,” she said to Devon before holding the plant out to Akuba. “Do you know how to make the tea?”
“Of course,” Akuba said, taking it. “But it takes at least two of these for one cup. “I have to crush it first, and then steep it.”
Peta took another piece from the small pile. “There’s only enough for a few cups, then,” she said, sounding discouraged. “Let’s go ahead and make the one.”
Akuba rose with Devon’s help and took the second leaf. “I’ll let you know when it’s done.”
“L-serine,” Jason repeated as Akuba left. “Amino acids? Seems a little too simple, Peta.” While Jason studied emergency medicine, with Eddy as a best friend and mentor toward specializing in neurology, he’d stayed somewhat up-to-date on beneficial “brain food”. But there was a big difference between helpful and therapeutic.
Peta gave him a look that was hard for Jason to interpret. He knew she was a highly respected scientist in her field and wasn’t likely to suggest something without good reason, but he didn’t want them to get too distracted. “I want to send these samples as soon as you have them ready,” he explained. “We can’t wait, not with the likelihood that Davies is planning to stop us. Every minute we delay could jeopardize getting it to the CDC.”
Peta leaned over to scratch at Marty’s ears as he leaned up against her leg, while continuing to stare at Jason. “There was a very interesting study that came out last year about an ancient village in Japan that had an extremely high number of centenarians and a low incidence of neurodegenerative disease.”
“Yeah,” Jason said, understanding where she was going with it, but still not convinced. “They believe the link was in their diet. Some seaweed, or something?”
Peta nodded. “Yes. L-serine, a type of amino acid. In more recent, continued studies, it’s been found to be beneficial in a wide-range of conditions, including Alzheimer’s and ALS.”
Jason’s frown deepened. “Okay, but—”
“Some are calling it a legitimate treatment,” Peta interrupted.
“It’s intriguing,” Jason admitted. “And I agree it’s worth sending the sample back, but do you really think this tea could be the reason for the immunity? We’re talking about a prion disease, not a naturally occurring, degenerative condition.”
“There were also some very convincing studies that Alzheimer’s is a type of prion disease,” Peta pushed. “I didn’t think too much about it before now, because even those reports don’t indicate it being infectious. However, the reality is that just like every other prion disease, no one really knows.”
Jason remembered hearing something about it, and had dismissed it as unscientific since it wasn’t definitive. Though the implications behind what Peta was suggesting suddenly made more sense. Turning away to think, Jason walked to the window and stared outside at the trees. Could Jess have been right? Was it possible that instead of gathering an assortment of causes, they might actually have a cure?
Closing his eyes, Jason tried to center his thoughts. He’d been acting as a soldier lately, not a doctor, and it was sometimes hard to merge the two and deviate from the single-minded mission he was so focused on. “Let’s say you’re right,” he said, turning away from the window. “Wouldn’t our guys at the CDC have already considered amino acids as a potential treatment? And does it change what we’re doing now? Let’s take what we hav
e and get it to them.”
“I’m sure they did consider it,” Peta agreed. “The problem is that we have no idea what the effective compound in this plant is. If there is one,” she added. “I’ve spent a lot of time in the field, and I’m constantly amazed by the new discoveries being made through the simple observation of indigenous people and their “medicine”. Especially here in the Amazon. There are literally thousands of plants still left undiscovered by the modern world, and each one has the potential of holding a different type of medical application.”
“She’s right,” Devon said, and it was obvious to Jason that he was onboard with the whole theory. “And we certainly have nothing to lose by exploring it as a potential treatment.”
“But everyone is already sick,” Jess said, glancing at Tyler. “How do we know it’ll help stop it once it’s already started, or heal someone who’s already got brain damage?”
“We don’t.” Peta started putting the leaves back into the bag, and pulled out a black marker and handed it to Devon, so he could begin labeling everything. “But I’d say it’s the best lead we’ve got.”
“How do you know so much about this?” Jason asked. “It’s not exactly a part of marine biology.”
Peta looked up from where she’d started preparing a slide. “My father died of Alzheimer’s three years ago. I’d been researching it throughout his whole illness, and subscribed to several journals. I was sent those articles after he died.”
Jason thought of his own mother’s death, and how it had steered him toward neurology. Though different mechanisms, he could certainly appreciate her desire to understand what had stolen her father away, slowly, right in front of her.
The suggestion of a never-before-seen plant having a strong medicinal component certainly wasn’t that far of a reach. Considering what they were up against, and the fact that the Lokono tribe were all immune, against insurmountable odds, it made sense.
The first stirring of optimism…even excitement, caused Jason’s features to soften as he stared back at Peta. “What do you suggest?”
“We have to find that ancient village,” she said without any hint of doubt. “We need to study those villagers and hope large amounts of these plants are still growing there, because we don’t have time for whatever is in there to be synthesized. There might not even be anyone left in a few more days that’s capable of doing that.”
“Here’s the tea,” Akuba announced as she hobbled into the office with a steaming mug in her hands.
Peta glanced at Akuba, and then turned to Jess who was still standing beside her. “Go make Maya that dinner, and give her the tea to drink with it. Will she know what it is?”
Jess shook her head. “No way. She grew up sheltered. Her dad was an ambassador, and they definitely didn’t take part in any Lokono rituals.”
“It isn’t something served outside of our village,” Akuba explained.
Jason squinted at Peta, impressed again how her brain worked. “Our own test subject.”
“Right,” she confirmed. “We’ll give her a first dose, and then send her and everything else with Mavi to the drop-off, after he’s gotten some sleep.”
“After it’s dark, but before morning would be best,” Jason said, looking to Paul for his input.
The older man nodded. “I can go with him, since I’m not much good around here with a bum leg. I can still provide him some backup from the passenger seat, though.”
Jason pointed at Paul’s oozing bandages. “How about you make that a personal escort all the way to the lab? You’re going to need some advanced treatment for that leg. Even if it takes a couple of days to get there, it could make all the difference. You should go, too,” Jason said, turning to Tyler.
“Uh,” Devon spoke up hesitantly. “I don’t think the number of passengers on the boat out of South America is an issue, but once you reach the other side, Garett said there’ll only be room for two extra passengers on their ground transportation.”
“Paul can take Maya with him,” Tyler said, impressing Jason with how quick he was to suggest it. “I don’t think we’re done here.”
“No,” Peta agreed, setting the slide aside and reaching for another one. “I don’t think we are.”
“So now what?” Devon asked, looking at each of them. “‘Cause I don’t know about you all, but I’m not really game to find out who gets us first—the jaguars or the Night of the Living Dead crew.”
Chuckling, Jason appreciated Devon’s ability to lighten the mood, no matter how serious the situation. “Now,” he said, thinking of Eddy, Tyler’s dad, and all the people still struggling somewhere trying to survive. He smiled at Jess, and could feel the final pieces falling into place. “Now we find the ancient village of the Lokono.”
Chapter 19
JESS
Amazon Jungle near Kumalu, Suriname
The Libi Nati Preserve
Jess should have probably gotten used to being woken up unexpectedly in the middle of the night, but it didn’t seem to get any easier. Rubbing at her eyes, she was aware that Amisha was still snoring next to her, and the candle was thankfully burning bright enough to assure her that they were alone in her room.
The rumbling of several loud, male voices drifted in through her closed bedroom door, confirming it wasn’t a dream that drew her out of the much-needed sleep. Jason’s was easy to pick out amongst the rest, and it sounded like he was talking with Paul and Mavi.
Groaning, Jess pushed herself up onto her elbows and waited for the rest of the fog to clear from her head. It must already be time for them to leave, and she wanted to say goodbye to Paul. There was a good chance they might never see him again and she’d gotten to really like the guy.
Leaving Amisha, Jess stumbled from her bedroom in the shorts and T-shirt she normally slept in. The coolness of the wooden floorboards felt good against her bare feet, and the vanilla-scented candle left burning in the hallway lent a contrasting atmosphere to what was really going on. There was still a part of her that just wanted everyone to go away so she and Akuba could pretend everything beyond the preserve was unchanged. That they could make their reality whatever they wanted, except Jess knew that wouldn’t last. They’d already experienced enough intrusions into their home by the animals, the violent Immunes, and her own father, to understand it wasn’t possible to maintain the illusion.
So, Jess only closed her eyes for a moment there in the hall. Long enough to assure herself that no matter what was happening, she could always find small pockets of escape, before stepping out into the brightly-lit kitchen.
Someone had turned the generator on, and Peta was busy making some coffee, while Jason sat at the table with Paul and Mavi. Tyler was concentrating on packing what looked like the samples into a bag as Marty sat at his feet.
Jess glanced at her watch and saw that it wasn’t yet three in the morning. If she remembered right, Devon was on patrol until four, and then Kamal was taking over. Jason would be following behind Mavi and Paul in the truck, to make sure they got safely beyond Bottopassi.
Peta looked up at her as Jess wandered slowly into the room. “Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you up.”
Jess shook her head. “No, it’s okay. I wanted to get up.” Walking over to where Paul was sitting with his leg propped up out to the side, she leaned over and hugged him around the shoulders. “I’m going to miss you.”
The older man gazed up at her with such a kind and understanding expression that Jess had a sudden and unexpected lump in her throat. Paul had reminded her of her grandfather over the past week, but never as much as then. “I’m going to miss you, too,” he muttered, patting at her hand that still rested on his shoulder. “We’ll get this all to them, Jess. We’ll never give up, will we? It just isn’t in our blood.”
Unable to speak, she simply nodded as Paul gave her a wink before turning back to Jason, and the map he was going over with them. Jess had never seen it before, and it looked like it’d been through some rough times. Th
ough torn and dirty, there were several clear lines marked out on it, along with hand-written directions along the bottom and sides. Jason was drawing a new line at one end of it, leading to the coast to the north. She recognized the town of Paramaribo, that he’d circled. It was the closest town to the preserve to get supplies. There were several ports both directly on the sea, as well as the inlet, which turned into the Suriname River.
Jess assumed that was where they were getting picked up. That was good, because it meant it wouldn’t be easy for her father or anyone else to simply make a random guess about which port they were using, if they even suspected they were trying to send out any samples to the CDC. Paramaribo was a great place to get lost, even if the population was decimated. With all of the old buildings, mix of roads, open markets, and ports, it was like a maze.
“We should get there long before nightfall,” Mavi was saying. “I know the area.”
“Good.” Jason slapped his hands on the table and then stood. “I’d like to get on the road, then.”
Peta set two cups of coffee down on the table and then gestured toward the hall. “Akuba is getting Kamal and Maya. I woke her before I got you, as soon as I was done preparing those samples.”
Tyler zipped the bag and then smiled triumphantly. “Done!”
Peta frowned. “I wish it were more, but I suppose it’ll have to do, for now. Maya might end up being a great source of information for them.”
Jess heard movement behind her and turned to see Kamal pushing Maya ahead of her. The change in the woman was so surprising, that Jess gasped and looked accusingly at Kamal. “What happened?”
Kamal shrugged and immediately got defensive. “I don’t know. I certainly didn’t do anything to her!”