After two hours, Captain Nellis and the senior staff led by Dr. Fuller gathered to report their progress.
Captain Nellis once again stood at the head of the table. “Let’s get right down to business. Dr. Fuller, I have been informed that you might have some hope for us, or at least something to start working towards.”
“As you know, the infection has been spreading around the globe. Most of the world is in turmoil, dead or infected, so we have had little help from the outside world. It is a small miracle that some of the best and brightest from the U.S. and CDC are onboard this ship.
“From what we have been able to ascertain, the cause of the infection comes from bacteria that are inside the spores. They are spreading everywhere and, once inhaled into the lungs, the spores break down, and the bacteria spread throughout the host’s system. From the little we know about how the bacteria work, it seems to target the brain cells and neurons of the host. There seem to be three strains of the bacteria in different concentrations.
“At this point, we haven’t been able to determine the difference between the three and what happens to the host once infected. But one thing we do know is that it seems to change the brain, similar to the effects of LSD. All or most of their past is erased and replaced by new memories and behaviors implanted by the bacteria. We aren’t sure what the new memories entail yet.
“The most disturbing part of our discovery is that the bacteria seem to be engineered in a certain way. Inside each bacterium, there is a microscopic nanobot of some kind. It is about half the diameter of the bacterium, spherical, and has several dozen spikes around the surface. At this point, we are having a hard time discovering its purpose. We just don’t have an electron microscope onboard to study it further. At this point, that is all we know. But I have a hypothesis that could lead to a possible solution.”
Dr. Fuller stood and cleared her throat. “When I was in graduate school, I did my doctoral thesis on rare blood types, one type in particular. As you know, most of the population are in the blood groups of O, A, B, and AB. However, there are also a few little known variations to this.
“In 1952, in New York City, there was a sixty-six-year-old woman who was sick with colon cancer. She had received a blood transfusion, and her body immediately started to reject it. As the researchers investigated the rejection, they referred to her by her last name, Vel.
“Further study found that Mrs. Vel had developed a potent immune response against some unknown compound found on the red blood cells she had received. However, scientists could not identify this compound, opening the mystery of a new blood type: ‘Vel-negative.’
“So how does Vel work? Researchers soon discovered that Mrs. Vel was not alone. More than 200,000 people in Europe and more than 100,000 in North America shared the Vel-negative blood type. For the one in 2,500 people of European descent with the rare blood, receiving a non-Vel transfusion can easily result in kidney failure and death.”
Captain Nellis stood and said, “This is very interesting, but I don’t see how this helps us.”
Dr. Fuller half-grinned because she knew that she had his attention.
“Everyone’s red blood cells are coated with molecules that can serve as what are called antigens, compounds that prompt the immune system to respond. It does so by pumping out proteins known as antibodies that latch onto and neutralize those antigens. However, people don’t normally produce antibodies to their own red blood cell antigens, only to foreign ones - such as when they received blood from another person who has a different blood type and therefore, an antigen they lack.”
Captain Nellis was confused and glanced at the others for an answer.
“Captain, don’t you see? People of Vel-negative will be infected, but they won’t show any of the symptoms because of the unique properties of the antibodies their blood produces. In theory, we should be able to extract these antibodies and inject them into the body of an infected person and possibly change them back to their normal state. Or, in the worst case, we would kill the red blood cells of that person. I had the ship’s records officer pull the blood types of all the personnel to see if we could get lucky and find someone onboard who had this blood type to test our hypothesis. To my surprise, one of our Marines had the blood type.”
“Had the blood type?” Captain Nellis interrupted.
“Yes, Captain. I went to the brig to search for the young Marine. But because he was not of O blood type, he was put in the brig with the rest. He was showing no symptoms of the infection, but it was determined that it was only a matter of time before he would change like the others, and he was killed. We did catch a break, though! His body had not been thrown overboard yet before I got down there and was able to draw some blood.
“I verified that the young Marine had the infection, but the cells had not changed like the other infected bodies we have studied. Now the bad news… because this man is dead, we won’t be able to extract any of the antibodies from the body.”
Dr. Fuller sat down. “Captain, it is the best thing we have.”
Captain Nellis stood and nodded. “Thank you for your work and sacrifice. I will inform Pacific Command of your findings.”
Day 5: Blake
Just as the warm, soft glow of the sun peeked over the eastern horizon, Blake joined Munns. He had been keeping watch the last half of the night. “Any activity out there?”
“Nothing. The ABs must need sleep just like we do.”
“What have we got left to defend ourselves with?” He was afraid he knew the answer.
Together, they made a quick count of their rounds. They realized the awful defensive state they were in. Blake had three rounds left in his pistol, and Munns had two. A quick check of their gas wasn’t much better; there was less than an eighth of the tank left.
“So how far do you think we are from the clean zone?” Blake asked Munns quietly.
“Maybe fifteen miles,” Munns replied.
“Do you know what kind of gas mileage these things get?”
Munns shrugged. “Not good, from what I hear. But hauling this many people, it will be even worse.”
“Well, it should be close.”
Blake walked away and softly woke up Tara and Kaya. “Wake up. It’s time to go.”
Tara hadn’t slept most of the night and sat up quickly.
Kaya yawned. “But Daddy, it’s still dark outside.”
“Come on, Sweetie. We need to go.”
They packed a few meager supplies and hopped onto the ATV. The small group was within a couple miles from the supposed clean zone, but then the engine started to sputter. The ATV only drove another hundred yards before it stopped altogether. Luckily, they had not run into any AB groups.
As the sun cleared the horizon, they could see the gates to the clean zone. Blake carried Kaya on his back, and several soldiers came running out with their guns raised. Blake put Kaya down, and they all raised their hands and dropped to their knees.
As the soldiers approached, a familiar voice said, “Good to see you, Captain Reynolds. Welcome back.”
Day 5: Lord Dameon
Lord Dameon was furious with the escape of their sacrifices for the celebration. As he watched the small group drive away last night, he knew he needed to escalate the timetable for their plans.
There were a couple of doctors that had changed and still retained enough of their knowledge to treat the Lord Dameon’s wound.
He gave orders to search for all of their brothers and sisters and gather them to the white church. He also ordered all the scouts to gather weapons, vehicles, and fuel. They were going to war against the unclean.
Later he gathered several of his brothers and sisters that he designated as his lieutenants. Their job was to make plans to purge this part of the planet of any remaining unclean. Lord Dameon stood at the head of the pulpit and scanned the small band of men and women in the pews.
“Brothers and Sisters, less than two days ago, none of us knew each other… but look at
us now! We are all united in this great cause of cleansing this unclean planet and starting a perfect order of unity and brotherhood where there is no hate, malice, or strife. All men will be treated equal. Now, all we need to do is finish what has been started. I need each of you to come up with some ways to eradicate the unclean that have gathered north of here.”
A tall man dressed in a police officer’s uniform stood. “We need to gather some information on what we are facing. Numbers, size of the area, and weapons.”
Everyone in the room murmured in agreement.
“Very well,” Lord Dameon said. “After this meeting, gather some men and start the scouting work. Next!”
An extremely large woman in hospital scrubs stood up. “I seem to remember that a terrifyingly effective way to trick the enemy is to use children to lure them into helping them and then setting off explosives hidden on their bodies. It will be at some sacrifice to us, but the psychological impact would be enormous. I know of several children in our group who still speak the unclean talk to fool them, but I don’t have any explosive knowledge for the bombs.”
A large black man in military clothing stood. “Leave that to me.”
The discussion went on for some time as they formulated the plans to achieve victory.
Finally, Lord Dameon stood and smiled at the group. “Brothers and Sisters, I feel that we are being directed in our work by the givers of this great gift, the creators. If we are all fully committed, we shall win and achieve what we are all working towards: bringing the creators here.”
As everyone walked out of the church, a small bald man with a suit and bow tie was left sitting in the corner. He hadn’t spoken at all during the meeting, but Lord Dameon approached him as if he had known him all his life.
“Brother, I feel that you are here for the most important purpose of all.”
The small man simply nodded.
“Why are you here?” Lord Dameon asked as he placed his hand on his shoulder.
“Before my transformation, I was chief scientist for NASA’s deep space telemetry project. During my transformation, I was approached by a man… no, a God… and instructed to build a device and send a message to a planet that circles Alpha Centauri, our nearest neighbor. In this dream, I was shown how to create the transmitter.
“Most of the equipment that I need is at the university, and I know where to locate the rest. I should be able to have the device ready in a week or two, with some help from our brothers and sisters.”
Lord Dameon leaned a little closer to the older man. “What is the message that is to be sent?”
His eyes lit up. “I was told that a leader in a white coat would know what the message would be.”
Lord Dameon smiled, and his chest filled with pride. He knew what the message would be. “‘We are here.’ Brother, anything you need – people, resources, time – you let me know! Whatever it is, you shall have it. Everything can be sacrificed to achieve this goal.”
Day 5: Blake
After a few minutes of searching inside the clean zone, Blake and Munns found the tent that Munns’s family was in, and he was greeted with multiple hugs and kisses.
Blake and his family were assigned a small tent in the back of the football field. They were resting peacefully when they suddenly heard someone tapping on the outside. Blake unzipped the tent and stuck his head out. He noticed a tall Marine dressed in battle gear. “Captain Reynolds, I have orders to bring you to the command center.”
Blake didn’t like his tone, but he knew the young private was just following orders. “OK, just a minute.” He pulled his head back into the tent. “I have to go.”
Tara nodded, and Kaya lunged for his neck. “No, Daddy!”
“Listen, Sweetie, I will be back as soon as I can. I love you.” Blake kissed them both on the forehead, stepped out of the tent, and walked away with the private.
They passed a few of the guards outside the doors and entered a large, repurposed principal’s office. It was strange seeing school charts and slogans mixed with military maps and diagrams. The private was thanked and excused by Major Williams, a familiar face. Blake had been under his command on several of his overseas deployments. Major Williams was alongside a large monitor with other men sitting around the desk. He stood and shook Blake’s hand and pulled him close.
“I’m glad to hear your family is safe, but you have planted yourself in some deep shit. The Marines don’t like it when you disobey a direct order,” he whispered.
Blake nodded. “I would do it again,” he whispered as they sat down and faced the screen. General Wicket was on the monitor, and two aides were behind him.
“Captain Reynolds, I gave you a direct order to return to base. So why in the hell did you decide that it was in the best interest of this company to leave your men and go on a joyride through the countryside to look for your family? Do you know what would happen if every soldier did the same and left their posts?” General Wicket stopped to catch his breath before continuing. “And if it wasn’t bad enough that you left your command, you also took several soldiers with you. What do you have to say for yourself?”
Blake slowly stood and took a step toward the screen. “General, I hold the values that the Marines stand for at the center of my being. I would never disobey a direct order. However, there is one value I hold higher than the Marines, and that is the love of my family. I fully accept whatever punishment or discipline you feel is necessary or warranted.” Blake saluted and then sat back down. For a moment he thought he might have seen Major Williams grin.
“Captain, you have left me in a terrible position. I want to kick your ass all the way to the brig, lock the door, and leave you there until you have grown old and gray. However, I have to consider something else. We can’t afford to lose any more of our good leaders, and you have been out on the front lines so you know what we are facing.”
Blake’s shoulders loosened, and he let out a relieved breath. “So, Captain Reynolds… on the recommendation of Major Williams, instead of sending you to the brig, we will be transferring you to Major Williams’ command and putting you in charge of patrols and gathering intelligence. We need to know what is going on out there. Things have gotten too quiet. What do you think, Captain?”
“I think that sounds very good, sir!” he said with a smile.
“Very well then – don’t let it happen again. By the way, Captain, had I been in your shoes, I might have done the same thing. But don’t let that get out.” He reached across the table, and the screen turned black.
Blake extended his arm across the table to the major. “Thank you, sir. I know that there was some risk in what you did for me, but I won’t let you down!”
“I know you won’t. I need you to gather some patrol leaders and get back with me later today with their names and a plan on how you are going to gather the intelligence we need.”
“Yes sir. One other thing… while I was out there, the ABs were acting differently than what we first noticed.”
“In what way?”
“They seem more organized.”
“That is the kind of intelligence we need. That’s why you are the best man for the job.”
Blake stood to attention, saluted, and walked out of the room.
Day 6: Lord Dameon
The next morning, a large woman in scrubs and a soldier in camouflage reported to Lord Dameon’s office.
“Sir, we have found two perfect young recruits for our unique mission, and our brother here has completed the small explosive vests,” the woman said.
“The explosives will not be large but will take out anyone within ten feet,” the man added.
“Good work. This will destroy their morale and show them our resolve!” Lord Dameon said as he stood. “Do the children understand what they are going to do?”
“Yes sir. And they are eager to give their lives for the cause.”
“Excellent. If you are ready, send one to the south gate and one to the north gate. Time i
t so they both approach at the same time. Let’s say seven, just as the sun is setting. That way, it will have maximum effect and they won’t be expecting two attacks.”
“Yes sir. For the glory of the cause!”
Both of them left the room so Lord Dameon could plan the next phase of the attack.
Day 6: Blake
Blake walked into the office for his pre-morning briefing. The senior staff started to talk about how it had been unusually quiet for the last twenty-four hours. They hadn’t gone long before a call came in over the radio from the guard tower at the south gate.
“This is south gate tower; we have movement on the outer perimeter, over.”
The base commander quickly reached for the mic. “Can you make out if it is an AB or not?”
“I can’t tell, sir – they have sunglasses on. And it appears to be a child… They are approaching the gate.”
“We haven’t seen any children make it to the clean zone in the last couple of days. Open the gate and let them in, but keep a gun on them just in case.”
Blake quickly grabbed some binoculars off the shelf and looked out the window of the office towards the south gate.
The gate opened, and the soldiers kept their weapons aimed at the little girl. It only took the young girl a couple minutes to make it to the gate.
The soldier on the ground had keyed his mic on so that the command office could hear what was happening. “Come here, child. It’s dangerous out there.”
The little girl approached the last few steps, and the sergeant started to examine her. Blake could tell the soldier had a puzzled look on his face.
“Let me take a look at you.”
As he reached out to pull down the glasses of the little girl, there was a sound of an explosion at the north gate.
AB (The Blake Reynolds Chronicles Book 1) Page 9
