mind!?”
“Freda wants us to try and cure her, to give her some kind of life.”
“Peter … seriously…” said Gabriel. “She is beyond help.”
“The virus entered her system and was designed to repair all her genetic defects. As you can see, it didn’t go according to plan.”
Peter approached the glass and tried to calm the little girl down. He had nieces of his own and hated to see any child in distress.
“Peter, she looks dangerous.”
“What? Violent tendencies aren’t a side effect of this virus.”
Gabriel shook his head, unconvinced, and stood back from the glass wall.
“I don’t think we can help her,” said Mary. “I’m as motherly as they come, but something about this child scares me.”
“We have to try,” said Peter. The infected child threw herself at the glass wall, crying, wanting out.
“I can’t let you out. Please understand that.”
“I wouldn’t bet on that, boss,” said Gabriel. “These scans show her neural network is going crazy. She probably doesn’t even know who or what she is anymore.”
“CIM, release a mild sedative into the bio-containment chamber.” Peter wanted to try and calm her.
“It’s not working,” said Gabriel a few moments later. If anything, it had enraged the child. She began slamming her jaw shut repeatedly, smashing what teeth she had left.
“You know, it looks similar to rabies,” said Mary.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” said Peter and Gabriel together.
“I’m being serious.”
“Computer, release five liters of water across the interior of the safety glass.”
“Releasing water,” said CIM.
A small strip opened up in the ceiling, releasing cold water.
“Nothing,” said Peter. Those infected with rabies had an extreme fear of water and of drowning. “If she was infected with rabies, she’d be cowering at the back of that room now.”
“I’m just saying, the symptoms aren’t all that different,” said Mary, undeterred.
“Computer, release sedative J-12 into bio-containment unit.” Peter watched as the girl noticed a change in the air. J-12 was the most powerful airborne sedative available to them.
“I can’t believe that’s not working.” The girl continued to run around the room.
“Believe it, Gabriel.”
Peter watched, the Eugenics Virus changing the very essence of her humanity.
It frightened him.
Chapter 15
“Peter, I was looking over the notes for the Eugenics Virus,” said Mary. “If it had worked, we could have seen an end to all the world’s problems. Well, genetically anyway.”
“I know.” Peter agreed with her. He found the Eugenics Virus a terrible tease of what could have been. Ridding humanity of illness, in the right way, was the golden mountaintop every scientist raced toward.
“The girl continues to deteriorate,” said Gabriel. “Where was she found?”
“Freda found her in an underground lab run by the Bernay.”
“Oh yes … under the DMZ in Korea.”
“Yes,” said Peter. “She’s the result of their original plan. Create a virus to correct all our genetic mutations.”
“And look at the result,” said Gabriel.
Jolene roared across the lab.
Peter tuned the noise out. He didn’t want to risk giving her any more sedatives.
“It’s Tuesday, people. We have six days until sterilization begins,” said Peter.
Gabriel went to get a pad. “There must be something we can do to stop them.”
“We can’t fight a race of super-intelligent aliens.” It pained Peter to admit it, but humans were the very junior member in this partnership.
“CIM, confirm the subject is infected with the Eugenics Virus,” said Gabriel.
“Confirmed.”
“It’s a super virus,” said Peter. “She will have to be exterminated.”
“Peter,” said Gabriel, “that’s a bit hasty.” No scientist wanted to hear the words “super virus.”
“CIM, status of genetic scan of infected female?” asked Peter, ignoring Gabriel.
“Ninety-eight percent complete.”
“I want us
“Freda wants us to try and cure her, to give her some kind of life.”
“Peter … seriously…” said Gabriel. “She is beyond help.”
“The virus entered her system and was designed to repair all her genetic defects. As you can see, it didn’t go according to plan.”
Peter approached the glass and tried to calm the little girl down. He had nieces of his own and hated to see any child in distress.
“Peter, she looks dangerous.”
“What? Violent tendencies aren’t a side effect of this virus.”
Gabriel shook his head, unconvinced, and stood back from the glass wall.
“I don’t think we can help her,” said Mary. “I’m as motherly as they come, but something about this child scares me.”
“We have to try,” said Peter. The infected child threw herself at the glass wall, crying, wanting out.
“I can’t let you out. Please understand that.”
“I wouldn’t bet on that, boss,” said Gabriel. “These scans show her neural network is going crazy. She probably doesn’t even know who or what she is anymore.”
“CIM, release a mild sedative into the bio-containment chamber.” Peter wanted to try and calm her.
“It’s not working,” said Gabriel a few moments later. If anything, it had enraged the child. She began slamming her jaw shut repeatedly, smashing what teeth she had left.
“You know, it looks similar to rabies,” said Mary.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” said Peter and Gabriel together.
“I’m being serious.”
“Computer, release five liters of water across the interior of the safety glass.”
“Releasing water,” said CIM.
A small strip opened up in the ceiling, releasing cold water.
“Nothing,” said Peter. Those infected with rabies had an extreme fear of water and of drowning. “If she was infected with rabies, she’d be cowering at the back of that room now.”
“I’m just saying, the symptoms aren’t all that different,” said Mary, undeterred.
“Computer, release sedative J-12 into bio-containment unit.” Peter watched as the girl noticed a change in the air. J-12 was the most powerful airborne sedative available to them.
“I can’t believe that’s not working.” The girl continued to run around the room.
“Believe it, Gabriel.”
Peter watched, the Eugenics Virus changing the very essence of her humanity.
It frightened him.
Chapter 15
“Peter, I was looking over the notes for the Eugenics Virus,” said Mary. “If it had worked, we could have seen an end to all the world’s problems. Well, genetically anyway.”
“I know.” Peter agreed with her. He found the Eugenics Virus a terrible tease of what could have been. Ridding humanity of illness, in the right way, was the golden mountaintop every scientist raced toward.
“The girl continues to deteriorate,” said Gabriel. “Where was she found?”
“Freda found her in an underground lab run by the Bernay.”
“Oh yes … under the DMZ in Korea.”
“Yes,” said Peter. “She’s the result of their original plan. Create a virus to correct all our genetic mutations.”
“And look at the result,” said Gabriel.
Jolene roared across the lab.
Peter tuned the noise out. He didn’t want to risk giving her any more sedatives.
“It’s Tuesday, people. We have six days until sterilization begins,” said Peter.
Gabriel went to get a pad. “There must be something we can do to stop them.”
“We can’t fight a race of super-intelligent aliens.” It pained Peter to admit it, but humans were the very junior member in this partnership.
“CIM, confirm the subject is infected with the Eugenics Virus,” said Gabriel.
“Confirmed.”
“It’s a super virus,” said Peter. “She will have to be exterminated.”
“Peter,” said Gabriel, “that’s a bit hasty.” No scientist wanted to hear the words “super virus.”
“CIM, status of genetic scan of infected female?” asked Peter, ignoring Gabriel.
“Ninety-eight percent complete.”
“I want us
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