The Perfect Pathogen

by Mark Atkisson

  “Like I said, no problem,” said Beth while giving a thumbs up gesture.

  Katie went into her office and powered up her computer. She was hoping the test results on the living group were in her email so she could start analyzing the results.

  “There it is,” she said excitedly to herself.

  Katie immediately opened up the file and did a quick visual of the data. The data was arranged in columns so she moved quickly to the tests of interest. Just as she thought, they were all high on the first test. With information provided by Ben she had been able to improve her algorithm so that it would check for possible elevations, but also for mismatches at the same time. She thought she should be able to run the algorithm on all 37 samples in a little under thirty minutes.

  In short order, she had all of the data uploaded and got the analysis underway. She planned on doing the same thing with her family’s data when she received it later that afternoon. She started to think about the DVC earlier that morning and the visceral reaction that Jim Redman had when he heard her say he was probably positive for SDX. It wasn’t unlike her own reaction, only she was the source of the information and not the messenger in her own case. She wondered how the others on the list would take it when they found out. If the people were as important as Sarah had said, and if they were positive, then she was sure someone would be lighting a torch under someone’s butt to find the cause and remedy pronto. In a morbid sort of way she found this kind of humorous. But then she remembered, if she was right then her family was also at risk and all she wanted was to save them right now. Her humor quickly disappeared.

  As she was reviewing her email, she noticed the live data analysis was complete and ready for final review. She jumped into it with great vigor, for she wanted to know if she was right or wrong. She looked at the first sample and saw exactly what she expected. Next, she checked the date and location where the blood was drawn: It was five months ago at NMMRC Bethesda. Then she checked for mismatch data and there was none. Each of the six tests out of normal range. She paused, and looked at the biographic data for this test subject. He was 58 years old. She wondered how much time he had to live. With that thought in mind, she remembered how critical it was that she make no mistakes.

  Each test took her about five minutes to review and double-check. At 2:30 p.m. she was about halfway done and she decided to take a five-minute break. Every test subject was positive for SDX so far, just as she thought. She expected the same for the rest, but she had hoped that there would be at least one negative, so that there would be at least one data point to investigate.

  By half past three, Katie had reviewed all of the data. All the tests were positive. Katie sighed, saying to herself, “Only bad news here.” She called Sarah to break the news.

  “Hi Sarah. I have just finished reviewing the data for the 37 living blood sample batch tests. Unfortunately, it is as I expected. All are positive for SDX.”

  There was silence on the other end of the line. Then Katie remembered that one of the tests was Sarah’s. “I guess she was holding out for the possibility that she wouldn’t be a carrier of SDX,” thought Katie.

  Then Sarah spoke. “I guess I am still a little stunned, although I have been trying to prepare myself for this all day. I heard what you said earlier during the DVC, so this should not be a surprise to me. It’s just a little devastating, and I know you know what I mean because you seem to have already come to grips with this new reality. I need to pass this on to all of the key players. I am sure there will be some questions. Will you be in this weekend?”

  “I plan on working all day tomorrow, but I won’t be in on Sunday as I need a break. Anyway, there won’t be anything specific for me to look at on Sunday since I will have completed my analysis and my data will be with Ben for evaluation,” explained Katie. “I am going with the family to see Rob and my parents on Sunday, but I’ll be on my Blackberry. There is a real possibility that this will be the last time we see them alive.” When Katie said this she started to sob.

  She pulled herself together and said, “I want to think I‘ve come to grip with all of the possibilities, but the reality is, there is the potential for so many deaths which will affect every family in America, and the world. I am not sure how the average person will hold up under all of this grief.”

  “Be prepared for a visit to the White House tomorrow afternoon,” said Sarah. “It isn’t for certain, but I have a feeling the President will want a briefing directly from you. What is your recommendation now that we have the live batch information?”

  “I discussed this briefly with Ben earlier today and we want to get the blood samples from the submarine crew, and at the same time, I think we should extend the testing of live samples through use of blood bank samples. This is less invasive and won’t cause as much fear in the community. Obviously there is a chance that someone at one of the blood banks could put two and two together and draw some conclusions. It may be hard to keep this under wraps,” said Katie.

  “Good idea Katie. Let me see what we can do without raising too much concern. I think we should get samples that have a large geographic and age separation. What do you think?”

  “I agree. I would like to get some data from blood that was taken from the younger part of the population, say 18 to 25, to see if they too are positive for SDX,” said Katie.

  “Have you analyzed your family yet?” Sarah asked.

  “No, the data just came in before I called you. I will work on them now and then I will start the longevity data analysis. The more I think about it, I believe the longevity data may be the best chance for finding what is causing the deaths.”

  “Well, you have been right so far. Keep up the good work. We are all depending on you Katie,” said Sarah.

  “I will call you if I find anything out of the ordinary as I start to analyze the data from the longevity study. I will begin sending information to Ben later this evening for his analysis.”

  “That sounds great. I will see you get the Sub crew numbers also. Good hunting.”

  Katie hung up the phone and went immediately to the data for her family. She didn’t think she needed to run it all through the algorithm just this minute, she could do that later. She wanted to check the six tests results first for each of them to see how that looked.

  She looked at Rob’s results first. The first test was high. So was the second and third. She was resolved that the news was going to be bad. Rob was positive for SDX. She looked at the results again and then started to cry. She could hardly catch her breath. Had she done this to him? She didn’t know for sure, but right now she felt responsible.

  She pulled herself together and started the analysis of Brett’s data. She was hoping that the children weren’t old enough to be carriers, but then the memory of the death at the Center brought her back to reality. He was also positive for SDX. By now she was trembling.

  The next one on the list was Sam. She almost wanted to close her eyes and wish away the results. The first test was high. So was the second, third and fourth. After another minute, she had verified that Sam too was positive. He was only 14 years old and he was going to die if we didn’t find a cure, she thought. She started to get sick to her stomach. It was all she could do to not throw up.

  The last one was Hope. She thought to herself, why even check? She already knew the result. She would be positive just like the others. As she reviewed the data, her jaw dropped, then a slight smile came to her face. The first test was negative. The second negative too. She frantically searched for the other four test results and they were also negative. Hope was not a carrier of SDX! She was not yet infected! This was a miracle, Katie thought as she breathed a sigh of relief.

  Katie’s head immediately started to spin with thoughts of what the best course of action would be now. Should she isolate Hope? Have her wear a mask? Her excitement was so overwhelming she almost forgot about her own fate, and the fate of the rest of her family. Suddenly though, she was sure there would be
a cure. Her family would be treated and continue to live the wonderful life they had built for themselves. Yes, she was sure of it.

  Katie knew she needed to share this information with Sarah and Ben immediately. As she picked up the phone to call Sarah, she paused briefly, anticipating Sarah’s first question. Why has hope not contracted SDX when the rest of the family has?

  Katie pondered this question for a few minutes. There were dozens of possible reasons why. Perhaps there are a lot of children who have not contracted SDX. Maybe it has something to do with her being a young female, or her Down syndrome. Or maybe the test results were just wrong. She should have them done again to double check.

  Katie picked up the phone for the second time and shared the information with Sarah. She was excited about the fact that there had been one live sample that was negative. After they discussed the possible reasons why, they both decided that the safest bet was to do a retest. It would be a hassle for Rob to bring her all the way out here this evening, but it had to be done.

  After hanging up with Sarah, Katie picked up the phone and called Rob. “Hi honey, you remember what we talked about last night.”

  “Of course I do, but I guess you don’t want me to say it out loud on the phone.”

  “That is right. I need you to bring Hope out so we can get her sample again. It looks like there may have been an error in analyzing her sample. I know it is a hassle, but this is very, very important,” said Katie.

  “We will be out at about six, if that is alright with you. Maybe we will go to Macaroni Grill this time?” he asked.

  “That sounds good to me,” said Katie. “See you at six.”

  Katie had about an hour to start analyzing the longevity data, but she needed to email Ben first with the information on Hope to get his take.

  Her email read:

  Ben,

  I believe that Sarah already told you but all 37 of the live test batch were positive for SDX. Some new information though, I finished analyzing my family and they are also positive except for my daughter, Hope. I am having her come back in this evening for a retest to verify. Any thoughts? Also, I should have the first packet of regional data to you in about forty-five minutes.

  Stay tuned,

  Katie.

  CHAPTER 21

  As Katie started analyzing the longevity data, she realized it was going to take longer than she thought. Over the last seven years, blood tests for all of her subjects had been taken every three months. Originally she hoped to get through five out of ten regions this evening, but at the pace she was going she would be lucky to finish two regions tonight. She started with Africa because, all things considered, they had the least longevity and she thought their lower life expectancy had something to do with SDX, though deep down inside she thought it was their environment.

  She looked at the deceased subjects first. For Africa this represented about one hundred and fifty of her test group. As she analyzed the data, she saw they all had elevated levels in the four blood tests, which were indicative of an SDX carrier. Reviewing the data from the beginning of the longevity project, it looked like their blood started showing increased levels about fifty-four months earlier. It seemed like a long time ago, but she was convinced it would be a key piece of evidence as she moved forward with her analysis.

  The data was also consistent to within three months, or one sample cycle, throughout Africa. She would have to map the blood level increases to a specific area in Africa to get a more accurate picture, but there would be time for that later.

  It was already nearly six, so she decided she’d better head downstairs and out front to meet Rob and Hope. They were standing at the elevator when she reached the first floor. She gave them both a hug and then took Hope’s hand as they walked down the hallway to the laboratory.

  After Hope had her blood drawn again, Katie talked briefly with Patti who agreed to send the results to Katie on Sunday evening, so Katie would have them when she reported to work on Monday. She was anxious to see what the retest said, but she took a deep breath and decided the extra day would not make a big difference.

  After the blood test the three of them headed over to the Macaroni Grill for dinner. Hope was sitting in the backseat of the Pacifica with her headphones on, so Katie took this opportunity to discuss what was going on with Rob.

  “I analyzed the test results for the family,” said Katie. “They are all positive, except for Hope. Her test shows no increase in any of the six things we are checking. I discussed this with Sarah and we both decided that the best thing would be to retest her. She has been living in an environment that obviously exposed her to SDX, and you and the other kids have it, so we both thought the test was probably bad. We’re really not sure why, but I think a retest is warranted.”

  Rob drove on, trying to put what he just heard into perspective. All he could think was that he was going to die. And so was the rest of his family. After some silence, he asked Katie if she was sure that the test was accurate and a true indicator of the disease.

  “Ninety-nine percent sure. It doesn’t look good, honey. We are going to have to find the cause and then the cure ASAP. I am trying to pinpoint where it started, and from that we might be able to pinpoint a cause. Once we do that I think we can find a cure. I believe you and I have about six months for them to find a cure. The kids a little longer,” she said.

  “Well then why are we going to dinner? Shouldn’t you be back at work?” asked Rob semi-seriously.

  “I have about three or four days of work to do to get the data analyzed and then it will be in the hands of others. In fact, most of what I am doing will be complete tomorrow evening. I think we can afford for me to go to dinner,” said Katie as she smiled and touched Rob’s shoulder reassuringly. “Six months is a long time and there are over 200 teams across the globe working on this problem. We will solve it.”

  “I guess you are right. It’s been awhile since I seriously considered my own mortality. I think we need to start working less and spending more time with family,” Rob said.

  “Me too, but it’ll have to be after tomorrow. I have a full day ahead of me. I did tell Sarah I had to take Sunday off to visit our parents. I think we need to do that for our own sanity. Sarah agreed but wants me on a tether just in case.”

  “Do you think they are at risk?” asked Rob.

  “I think everyone is at risk. Our parents are in their late sixties and early seventies. So, if Dr. Shah’s hypothesis is correct and they are in good health, which we believe they are, they probably have about three or four months to live,” said Katie.

  Rob went silent. All he could think was “Shit.” They had made so many plans for the future. They would watch their children and grandchildren grow. Now, that legacy and their golden years were being ripped from them. Katie could sense from his expression that he was a little pissed but at the same time resolute.

  They pulled into the restaurant and parked. As they got out of the car Rob called for a group hug. He had always said that when the kids were young. As the three of them huddled together, a tear rolled across Rob’s cheek. He didn’t ever want to let go.

  “Let’s eat. I’m hungry,” exclaimed Hope.

  The moment was broken and Rob regained his composure and they headed for the restaurant door. At that moment he thought about Hope’s childlike innocence, and smiled. He would move forward and not give up. This was his family. He would support them, and he was sure that in the end, everything would work out. Besides, one of the smartest women in the world was working on the solution. His woman, Katie.

  After dinner, Katie returned to work and Rob and Hope headed south down Route 4 to home. Rob and Hope reminisced about her childhood and Hope talked about her promising future and the fact that she could be living alone, at least not with her parents, by Thanksgiving. Rob had explained that the pods at work should be ready by mid-November and she could be one of the first students to live at the Center. Rob could see the excitement on her face. Rob kep
t falling back into reality, but overall he was able to keep his thoughts to himself and his energy positive. He loved being with Hope. She was everything other kids weren’t. She filled their family with unconditional love, which in turn provided Rob the strength to dream of the future, even now.

  Back at the office Katie continued her analysis of the longevity project data. She was just about finished with Africa. The deceased and living subjects had similar elevated blood levels indicating the presence of SDX around fifty-four to fifty-seven months ago. She expected that those few still living would all be dead within a month, if not sooner. They were all positive. Somehow they had all become infected. How could that be?

  As she wrapped up the data from Africa, she zipped it in an email and sent it on to Ben so he could start his review. After hitting the send button she sat back in her chair and wondered if she was going about this the right way. She looked at the remaining nine regions. Maybe she should be looking for something about the regions that stands out. But they were all the same as far as she could tell by cursory inspection. Then it occurred to her that she had the data on all of the deceased. Maybe she should look at the area with the most deceased. Maybe that region was infected first.

  Katie dug into the data with renewed vigor. It would take her several hours to separate them out, but the more she thought about it, the more worthwhile she thought it would be. Beth had arranged the files by dates of death. She went back two weeks and noted that there was slight increase in deaths and then it seemed to take off about six days ago. She sorted the individuals by region. When she was about three quarters of the way through she notice a pattern. It appeared that the deaths seemed to have occurred first, even if only by days, in an area of northeastern Russia, or Siberia. It wasn’t statistically accurate yet, and she knew this, so she continued to process the data.