The Leaves in Winter

by M. C. Miller

  Only one question remained – what would Leah Mass do?

  Now that 3rd Protocol was taking lives, now that the engineered contagion was sweeping through continents, would she publically come forward with the vaccine? The CDC and WHO were at a loss on how to combat the virulent disease.

  So far, the mortality rate was 90% for those infected.

  There had been no word, nothing in the news of any vaccine even possible, let alone planned. Leah and Eugene had shared much over the years, including rising concerns about the critical state of the planet. Hasuru said she traded the vaccine because she decided not to go ahead with 3rd Protocol. Had she changed her mind? Now that it was out there, had she adjusted her answer to the circumstances too?

  What was she waiting for?

  Mouse took phone in hand and furiously started to send a text message.

  Chapter 43

  Near the Forest of Soignes

  South of Brussels, Belgium

  The Mass estate was warm and inviting. Dining and living room fireplaces danced with welcoming light. In the kitchen, house staff cleaned up after serving family favorites. Music played and vases were stuffed with exotic flowers to brighten the mood. Everyone was sated with good food, conversation, and the comforts of overstuffed couches. Everything had been arranged as normal was possible.

  Despite the travails of a beleaguered outside world, Leah was determined that inside her home she’d maintain a refuge where the act of family coming together was honored. She enjoyed the visit; she needed it, even though she knew it might turn out as heartbreaking as it was endearing.

  Her daughter and son-in-law were attentive and consoling, considerate and respectful, but it was little Jayden that tugged the most at her heart. To watch him was to witness the lost innocence of a world gone wrong. For her to be the only one in the room aware of his sterility only intensified the anguish she felt.

  Jayden idolized his grandfather and Eugene had responded in kind with a tender side of himself rarely evoked by anyone else. The absence of Eugene’s strong and animated presence in the house was palpable.

  But it was no less felt than in the way Jayden reacted.

  Gone were the games, the funny banter, the private time in Mass’ upstairs study between the two of them. The billiards table sat unused in the basement game room. Story time from pirates to Pinocchio had gone silent.

  The boy had lost his mentor, playmate, and buddy.

  As Leah helped Jayden put on his coat and hugged him, tears she had held back the entire evening came silent but strong. Daughter and son-in-law kissed her and smiled, wished her well and said goodnight. They thought they understood her grief. She knew they were only aware of half of it. An extended future with Eugene had been swept away but Jayden’s future was also barren. Within the weight of that knowledge was a struggle to overcome the pointlessness of it all.

  The guests were gone and soon the vast estate was empty again, empty in a way Leah had never felt before. Not only was Eugene no longer at her side, now she had an immeasurable extended life to go along with the hollowness. Isolated with so long to live, she now had more than she ever wanted to feel.

  She thought of going to bed but she wasn’t tired. She thanked the house staff for their wonderful care then headed upstairs. She found herself drawn to Eugene’s study and paused in the hallway outside the double doors.

  A part of her wanted to back away, not put herself through the misery of remembrance. But the evening had drained any resistance left. She felt impelled and needy and told herself if nothing else, being around Eugene’s things, just as he had left them, might quiet the desolation closing in on her.

  She opened the door as if unlocking a chamber of her heart. On her movement the lights came on and everything appeared in place, except Eugene.

  She closed the door softly behind her and strolled into the study. At once the dark woods of the surrounding bookcases and the mosaic of stone in the fireplace imprinted a sense of something so solid and sturdy. A favorite chair, a wet bar at the ready, all of it remained so much like the husband she had known. In the silence she stood and took it in. To no one present she spoke in a whisper.

  “What now, Eugene?”

  It was as much a prayer as a cry for help. She closed her eyes. As tears fell she felt the room embrace her. The smell of coffee and brandy and Eugene’s cologne enveloped her with memories of his presence. To anyone else, the aromatics of Jamaican Blue Mountain Peaberry and 30-year-old Armagnac mixed with a hint of musk held no special essence other than what they were. But to her in the moment it became so easy to believe Eugene might appear any second to comfort her.

  Along with the warmth of the sense memory, a rising anger arose in her. Yes, this was the man she loved but he was also the man who had engineered Goodwin Godspeed Diye III to trigger upon his death. What kind of world had he left her?

  Had Eugene lied to her when he promised to put everything on hold until more tests were done? Her heart grappled with finding excuses for him. He’d simply never expected to be assassinated. Perhaps he had put everything on hold, only he excluded plans for what would happen if anyone tried to defeat him by taking his life.

  Maybe he had felt too insulated to die. She knew all too well what he’d thought about the demands of fate. It had been easy for him to see himself as the one destined to make the hard choices, to save humanity from overrunning itself into extinction.

  If he had only told her this kind of predicament was a possibility. If he had at least warned her that his untimely death would mean severe consequences, she could have prepared. But why should he? He knew she had no intention of collapsing the population if left to do it on her own. She had made that clear in so many ways. And maybe that was enough for him to keep the secret.

  Only now, as a result, others had the vaccine to do with as they may.

  The predicament she was left with was stifling. She didn’t want anyone to die and yet coming out with the vaccine herself would only convict her and Eugene as the ones responsible. As it was, she could live with speculation and conspiracy stories. But confirmation of her culpability she could not.

  If she hurried the vaccine to the authorities, she knew what would happen. All the conspiracy theories about 3rd Protocol would be proven. Suddenly appearing with the antidote for a custom poison was highly suspicious. Helping the world would mean admitting guilt for creating the plague. How could she do that? Her life would be over. On the other hand, not helping would mean the end of so many lives.

  She had to think, find a way to help the world without going down in history as the one responsible for the greatest act of mass murder, an act so horrendous that calling it mass murder was not doing it justice. Killing six billion people was an apocalyptic act beyond compare. She refused to take the fall for Eugene’s crime.

  She only hoped that The Group would release the vaccine she had given them in her ignorance. So far they hadn’t and it worried her. What were they waiting for? If they released it, the pressure would be off of her to do the same. But with every passing day, the likelihood of their involvement waned and the need for her to act grew stronger. One thing was certain – she had to find a way to give the world the vaccine while keeping all connection to any of it far away from her.

  She looked down at Eugene’s desk and suffered a slashing ache. Resting there was the plastic hospital bag holding Eugene’s personal effects. It was right where she had placed it that terrible night. Emergency medical staff had emptied Eugene’s pockets and given her the contents. Unable to look at any of it once she got it home, she had placed the bag on his desk and forgotten it.

  Seeing it brought her back to the opera and the last words she spoke to Eugene.

  “All I want is to be happy with you…” The sentiment now seemed so naïve.

  She stepped closer and took notice – inside the plastic bag was Eugene’s phone. A single indicator light meant a saved message was not yet heard. The light hadn’t been on when she plac
ed the bag on the desk. The message must be new.

  Hesitating but knowing full well that she must, she reached for the bag and took hold of the phone. In moments she was listening to voicemail.

  A vaguely familiar voice spoke on the recording.

  “Eugene, it’s Javier. We’ve got to talk. I had a run-in with André Bolard. NCO is planning to shift focus onto GeLixCo. I think we can flip this if we get to him right away. I’m going to be in the European Quarter on Tuesday. If you can, meet me at Marie-Louise Square as usual, lunchtime date. I’m going there either way so if you can’t make it, no problem; no need to get back to me.”

  The message ended. Perplexed, Leah stood holding the phone. What did Javier mean – shift focus onto GeLixCo? Why would NCO do that? And even if they did, why would Javier and Eugene be interested in flipping that situation? It didn’t make sense unless they wanted NCO to continue its focus on NovoSenectus instead. But Eugene had always complained about the constant demonstrations by NCO against GenLET. If anything, shifting focus onto GeLixCo should be a good thing.

  On impulse, Leah dialed Javier’s number back. She would ask him straight away. The problem was – he didn’t answer. Her call went to voicemail and she hung up before the recording started.

  Leah never had any dealings with Javier although she heard quite a bit about him from Eugene. She knew how valuable a resource he could be. He knew people and got things done. More to the point, Eugene had trusted him for years. If Leah needed something covert carried out, who better to turn to? The arrangement for a meeting was on Tuesday. That was tomorrow. If Javier wasn’t answering his phone, maybe she should go meet him at the time arranged for Eugene. Javier said he’d be going there whether or not Mass could make it.

  Obviously, Mass wouldn’t be attending – at least Eugene Mass.

  Leah had to get ideas and make critical plans. There was work to do. She had a vaccine that needed a way out into public use. And final justice had to be done regarding Curtis Labon. Javier was the one to ask. She’d start with him first.

  She put the phone in pocket and walked out of the study. Standing in the doorway before she left, she looked back and remembered Eugene’s last words. They were as true for her as they ever were for him.

  “I wish the world was different…”

  Chapter 44

  Apartment Level, Building 2

  GARC, Puerto Rico

  The flow of water over skin became a morning meditation to start the day.

  Janis stood beneath a warm shower with eyes closed and let residue sleepiness drain away. Work from the night before lingered in mind. In a fog of drowsiness her late-night session in the lab seem closer than the day ahead. And yet disturbingly, the day ahead seemed farther away than the consequences of an on-rushing future.

  She had stayed late by herself deciphering 2nd Protocol. Afterwards, as usual, she had gone upstairs to be with Alyssa. By the time Janis crawled into bed, she knew she’d be sleeping in late. Morning would come quickly. She hated disrupting her sleep routine but was determined to do whatever it took to find answers.

  Faye had left two hours ago. Janis had the apartment level to herself.

  She shut off the water and grabbed a towel but froze on a sound in the distance. Oddly, it was the sound of water. Drying herself, she strolled into the bedroom and caught sight through the window. A squall of heavy rain was passing over the island. It beat on the roof and against the glass with primal force. The insistence of it was dispassionate. Its resolve, arbitrary. It was going to come down regardless of anyone’s opinion. For Janis, it added stress and a powerful reminder of how nature considered humanity. So soon from the shower, it only extended her meditation.

  She finished dying off while heating coffee and starting toast. She dressed in laboratory scrubs and went to the living room to check the computer. There were no messages from Faye but world news was nonstop. Janis watched a report.

  Panicked regions in southwest Asia and sub-Saharan Africa in desperation were using any vaccine stocks on hand to try to combat the GGD3 plague. Nothing was working; if anything, the situation was getting worse.

  The combined death toll on both continents now topped 10,000. Travel to and from impacted areas was restricted. Teams of experts in the field had collected samples and were trending on how the infection was spreading. The virus had been identified and blood tests were being done in outlying populations to see if others had been exposed. Some researchers disputed the value of such tests since the incubation period for the virus was so short. If you were exposed, you soon knew it.

  Janis retreated into the kitchen to collect her toast and coffee. The news was overwhelming but she couldn’t let it sap her energy for doing work. She simply had to concentrate on problems with an attitude that anything could be solved.

  Foremost on her mind were all the sterile children. If the population collapsed and the world also faced a generation who couldn’t reproduce, what hope was left for humanity? Now more than ever it was critical to find a cure for sterility.

  The goal of Eugene Mass was a human population of 500 million in harmony with nature. He knew the survivors of his tough love would go through a rough adjustment period; that’s why he’d planned on a core group of GenLET recipients to guide the world back from the brink. Such was his New World Harmony. But he had never expected that survivors would have to face being the last people on Earth.

  Janis returned to the computer and sat to have breakfast. She brought up a video feed from the sub-basement lab in Building 3 and switched the display into multi-view mode. Six different lab rooms were shown in separate windows; two of the views alternated between prep and lab areas. In one of the windows, Faye worked in BSL3 containment. Hidden in a safety suit, gloves, and helmet, no one else would have been able to tell. But Janis knew Faye, knew the way she worked. It hadn’t taken long for the two of them to fall into sync as lab partners. Whether or not they would ever achieve such harmony outside the lab was as yet unresolved.

  Flitting her gaze from window to window, Janis watched as more than a dozen technicians in eight different rooms concentrated on their research. She hoped that measures Faye and her were working out would prove viable enough so the results could be sent to Granite Peak Installation for animal trials. She wanted to have hope. Then again, she didn’t realistically expect their first or second attempt to find a fix would turn out to be the magic bullet. Even more reason for work into the late hours.

  Janis eased back with coffee in hand and changed the surveillance feed. This time, Alyssa’s room appeared on the screen. The camera’s vantage point was from a corner at the ceiling. A wide-angled lens added some distortion but the scene was unmistakable. Entranced, Janis watched the live action as Rebecca Yeats, the supervising care provider, checked monitors and gave instructions to a nurse. The audio was off and Janis left it that way. It would only interrupt her reverie.

  Rebecca left the room; the nurse soon after. Janis at last had an unobstructed view of Alyssa lying in the hospital bed. She looked just the same as when Janis last left her in the middle of the night only now the light of day shined on her face. On her window, the rain’s mottled pattern ran in freckled shadows down the walls and across the bed. It was as if nature herself was tapping on Alyssa with a thousand silent calls to come to life.

  Janis wanted to be there with her but, as with the rain, her wishes didn’t matter.

  She also wanted a solution. For that she was needed in the lab.

  She pushed up from the chair and got a lab coat from the entryway closet. While slipping on the coat she headed out the door. Her natural habit was to thrust hands in pockets. There she found her phone. On it was a waiting text message.

  Standing on the threshold with door still open, she checked the sender.

  Knockout Mouse.

  Interesting. Her thumb tapped through panels for access. When the message came up, she gave it a quick scan but it went through awareness and didn’t register. She needed t
o read it again. Was this real?

  411 \ vac 4 3P exists! me 2 get & give 2 u asap 1 way or other ///

  Janis slammed the front door shut and took off in a dead run down the hall. She reread the message as least ten more times during the elevator ride to the lobby. Running through RIDIS scan to check out, she burst outside, oblivious to the rain.

  The distance between building 2 and 3 wasn’t huge but it was enough to get drenched, even after running the whole way. Security agents in building 3 at first were alarmed when she tore into the lobby. Two of them reached for their holsters.

  “Everything’s all right, it’s all right,” she yelped. “I’ve got to get to the lab.”

  Dripping wet, she endured check-in and scan with no patience but rising hope. Once through, there was only the freight elevator ride to the bottom. A minute later she was on the intercom to Faye in BSL3 containment.

  “Faye, get over here! You’ve got to see this!”

  Faye reacted with concern until she saw Janis’ smile. Dragging her positive air tube with her, Faye sidled to the thick glass.

  Janis held up the phone and pressed it to the window.

  “It’s from Knockout Mouse. He says a vaccine for 3rd Protocol exists! He’s going to get it for us!”

  Overjoyed, Faye squinted to read the message for herself.

  “That’s incredible. Wait there, I’m coming out.”

  It took several minutes to shed the layers of BSL3 confinement and follow proper egress procedures. Faye hurried but completed each one. Once outside, she had to see the message again for herself.

  “This came in early this morning. Anything else since then? Any email?”

  Janis took the phone back. “No, this is it. This is enough! If he manages to come through, just think what that means!”