“Unless something is done, something with a big impact, the world will eventually implode into a huge struggle between and haves and have nots. Reducing a country’s population is too hard for governments to even contemplate.”
Wong agreed, but was this the answer? Wong wrestled with conflicting emotions. The thought of having a laboratory of his own, designed by him, a super laboratory, with the best equipment in the world, staffed with his own research team, brilliant people, the top scientists in the world, selected by him, was intoxicating. Doing world first research was challenging. Also challenging was the effect his research would have on the world, if it succeeded.
He quickly recognised there could be external dangers. If governments discovered he was working on a means to massively shrink their country’s population, they could view it as an attack, an act of war. The lives of all those involved in the project might be put in jeopardy.
And what would happen, when an entire population, eventually, discovered they were no longer producing children? When entire communities realised they were growing old, with fewer children growing up to replace them, care for them in their old age? That their community was dying out? Could this be worse than starvation, and endless fighting?
Would it be like that? Viruses were difficult to control once they spread into a community, but they did not necessarily affect everyone . History showed, that viruses which invaded a population in the past, did not infect everyone. The great plague, the notorious black death, killed hundreds of thousands, but not everyone. Many survived, not all were infected. It was the same with the great influenza epidemic. It was possible a carrier would behave in the same manner, infect many, but leave enough people intact for the human species to continue. That was a highly probable outcome. Also, could a population be protected with a vaccine?
Testing would be another issue they would have to deal with. How would they do this testing? Who would they test it on? Over what period of time would the testing be required? All these issues had to be addressed. Wong realised the research would require the utmost secrecy. What they were proposing, might not only be viewed by governments as an attack on its people, but there were commercial considerations as well. Many businesses relied on large populations as a market for their products, which, for them, meant making money. Anything that reduced the size of that market, would be viewed with horror.
Keeping the work hidden from the outside world would be of paramount importance. It would also be difficult. Every question Wong asked himself, raised a dozen more. He could see this project would take over his life, and the lives of his team. Nothing would ever be the same again. If it succeeded, it would transform the world, and he, Professor Lee Miu Wong, would be responsible. History would record him as possibly the greatest geneticist who had ever lived. Perhaps, in time, as the world came to recognise his work, a Nobel prize? For a moment, he dreamed. Would it bring a better world? Would Sorensen agree to go ahead?
When Frederik Sorensen called two days later to say the project could proceed, professor Lee Miu Wong let out a sigh of relief. He would have his laboratory, but he knew his life would never be the same again.
11
Having made the decision, Wong turned his mind to designing his laboratory, and the equipment it would require. Security would be paramount. The building had to be completely safe in a number of areas. Quite apart from the risk of break-ins from would be thieves which the establishment might attract, his team would be working on viruses, and bacteria. Break-outs would be as big a problem to control, as break-ins.
His team would comprise both geneticists and virologists, and all members would have to observe the absolute highest standards of self protection. They would need to maintain their own complete personal safety, not contaminate themselves or each other, and also ensure they did not communicate anything from the laboratory, to the outside world. There was also the possibility that, if word got out what they were working on, attempts might be made to sabotage or destroy the building, or even attack the scientists. He expressed these concerns to Sorensen.
Frederik eventually hit on the idea of locating the laboratory on an island, isolated, accessible only by helicopter. An island, separated from the outside world, would provide an effective barrier to accidental escape of the pathogens they would be working on. It would provide privacy, and security. They could monitor everyone arriving on the island, and establish protocols to ensure there were no leaks of information. Snooping journalists could not come close. Also, appropriate decontamination equipment could be brought in, to ensure everyone leaving the island did not carry with them, dangerous bugs.
It would be expensive, everything would need to be transported in, and staff, which would include his scientists, as well as support staff such as cooks and cleaners, would also have to be accommodated, and ferried back and forth from the mainland, as required. However, the additional expense was, he thought, justifiable.
If it became necessary, they could throw up an information smoke screen, say they were working on vaccines for highly toxic viruses, and even perhaps produce something, or make an occasional announcement, to satisfy the media’s curiosity.
Wong thought it would be wise to only disclose the ultimate aim of the project, to those on the team who needed to know. It was, he said, not necessary for all to know its final target. Many would be working on aspects of the work that could stand alone. The fewer people with knowledge of the eventual objective of the work, the less chance of loose talk alerting the outside world to what they were doing. Sorensen did not argue, but thought it unlikely scientists, working together, would not quickly deduce what was going on. Time would tell,
Finding a suitable site proved not as difficult as he first thought. The criteria, that it be relatively small and uninhabited, had no convenient harbour for boats to put in, meaning it was not suitable for resorts, or casual visitors, and was not too far off the mainland, was met by a surprisingly large number of islands. He located a suitable one, eighty miles off shore from mainland Central America. It was both far enough away, and close enough, too far from the mainland for pleasure boats to come nosying, but still within easy reach of helicopters. It cost less than he thought.
Sorensen moved quickly. His expertise at facilitating the rapid construction of large building projects soon became apparent to Dr. Wong, who was impressed by the efficiency with which his newly found employer got things done. Frederik purchased three, near new, heavy lift transport choppers from a defunct company, and a suitable parcel of land not far from the coast, as their base, and quickly had a hangar and maintenance facility under construction.
Simultaneously, a team of builders was assembled, and work got under way on the island itself. Shipping containers, carried in slings under the choppers, conveyed the materials needed, then were converted for accommodation use into snug huts, with skillion roofs for shade, and air conditioners for ventilation. A large generator to supply electricity was set up, and fuel tanks brought over to feed it. To save power, the roof of each building sported a battery of solar panels, feeding into the small grid. The main buildings were prefabricated in a mainland factory, and ferried over, also in slings under the choppers. A constant movement between the mainland and the island by the choppers, carried tons of building materials and supplies, and a small township sprang up on the island, seemingly overnight.
Wong also was active, and set about ordering his equipment. He felt like a child in a lolly shop. At first, he felt apprehensive about the prices asked for much of the apparatus, but Sorensen insisted he get the best available in the world, and this delighted him. The new microscopes he wanted were both exquisite, state of the art, and horribly expensive, but he decided to take Frederik Sorensen at his word, ignored the cost, and specified the very latest in design and power. They needed to be manufactured to order, and there was some delay while this happened, but they began arriving, mainly from Germany and Switzerland
, a month later. Wong was ecstatic while unpacking the gear, and overseeing installation. It was like Christmas morning, unwrapping presents. He was in a state of euphoria, setting up his lab. It was indeed, the most modern, and best equipped laboratory, in the world, and he had designed it.
Wong studied resumes submitted from around the world, and prepared a list of staff he wanted. He restricted the short list to those with English language skills, which he thought would make life simpler for the staff. Frederik asked to be involved in their selection, and sat with him, to interview them all.
Outlining the project was tricky. They couldn’t disclose too much about their ultimate objective until they were sure each of the scientists would be supportive, and this meant quizzing them at length regarding such matters as, attitudes to world affairs, and sense of social and moral responsibility. This caused bewilderment from some, who thought it was their credentials that would be questioned, but Wong had already done his homework thoroughly, and knew their qualifications, before they were contacted.
Eventually, a team was selected. All were keen, and curious. Wong’s reputation, and the realisation they would be operating in a world class facility at the cutting edge of science, on a hefty, secure salary, with work that would be long term, was the carrot. It was a big carrot for scientists, who often never knew when their funding would be cut, and they could be looking for a new placement. It was an intriguing opportunity, for the mostly younger scientists. Having to live in isolation from one week to the next, leaving only for weekends, with no outside contact, was a downer which discouraged several. All were required to sign a detailed confidentiality agreement, which included assigning rights to all discoveries to the laboratory.
Sorensen named his new company “New World Horizons Inc.”
It took almost nine months after his first conversation with Wong, but eventually the laboratory was fully operational, and the real work commenced. Wong’s idea of informing only some staff of their ultimate objective, lasted a few days. The staffers, curious about the work they were doing, talked among themselves, and had soon worked out approximately what was at stake.
The genes responsible for reproduction were already known. Wong could take a selected gene from the genome of a subject which would render that person infertile. Science had already advanced this far, and his staff was familiar, both with the science, and the techniques currently available to achieve this result. It required skilled and delicate work, using powerful microscopes, and could only be done one gene at a time, one subject at a time.
His team now had to develop something different, something science had never attempted. They had to find a virus capable of identifying a particular gene in a human, then attack and destroy it, or render it non operable, without otherwise damaging the target person.
Wong believed a virus would be the tool to treat large numbers of people, a virus that was robust, could replicate itself readily, in both tropical and temperate climates, and was fiendishly clever. He would also need guinea pigs, human guinea pigs eventually, but initially monkeys, for testing this virus, that is, if they could find it. In all likelihood, his team would start with a virus possessing some of the qualities needed, then manipulate it, to behave as they wanted. It was no small order.
Wong also had another problem to deal with; his boss.
Frederik Sorensen was accustomed to getting things done, of moving quickly and decisively, of organising people to carry out his instructions, efficiently, and precisely. When he made a decision in business, it usually transformed into action overnight, and things began to happen on the ground almost at once. Now his laboratory was functioning, Sorensen thought he would be getting results almost immediately. He began making regular visits to the laboratory, and he soon irritated Wong.
“We are scientists, not magicians Frederik. We have no magic wand. The task you have given us is enormous, and complex. Nothing like this has ever been done before. We are breaking new ground. The science must be done, and done properly, thoroughly and painstakingly, and you must be patient. We have to get it right. Ringing me every day for a progress report, calling in every week or so, is wasting my time, and will not hasten a result.”
Wong looked into his employer’s eyes.
“I understand your passion for this. I am now convinced, like you, that what we are doing, if we can succeed, will make this world a better place, a safer place, and I am doing my best. The team is with us. They are not slackers, they too want to see results. But it will take time. Every theory has to be tested, every virus we investigate has to be pulled apart, understood, and again tested. This cannot be hurried. It is science, not magic.”
Suitably chastened, Frederik apologised, and promised to stop hassling, but he found his undertaking difficult to honour. He settled for a weekly update from the professor, and a monthly visit, and although he could not understand a lot of what he was told, it soon became apparent, that his objective was not going to be accomplished in five minutes.
The challenges facing the laboratory team were huge, but he had the best brains available working for a solution. As the professor had advised, he had to be patient, something he was not particularly good at.
12
Georgio Scarletti stepped back from his microscope, to consider what he had just observed. The virus he was working on, a successful mutation from the common influenza strain that had devastated the world one hundred years earlier, looked promising. It had the robust qualities he was looking for, so far so good, and he should soon know if it would recognise the cells he wanted it to attack. He had been studying this virus, playing with it, changing it, for almost a year.
Georgio was one the brightest scientists Wong had employed. He had aced his university, taking out the medal for most outstanding graduate, and gone on to achieve considerable notice as a researcher. He had been developing this virus, manipulating it’s characteristics in various ways that showed promise, and the Professor, recognising its possibilities, had encouraged him to persevere.
“You may have hit on something here, Georgio, well done! Great work. Keep with it. This could be close to what we are looking for.”
Heartened by these words, Georgio pressed on with his experiments. The young Italian wondered what would happen next, if they did succeed in developing a virus that would render women infertile. This thought brought to his mind his young wife, Maria, who wanted to fall pregnant, had wanted to for some time. He must be very careful, handling this virus. he told himself. If it did work, he would not want Maria infected with it.
Maria was naturally very curious about what he was doing on the island, and found it difficult to understand why he could not tell her about it, which of course, made her all the more curious. He would return to Maria, Friday afternoon. They would have three nights together, working on that baby, before he flew back to the island first thing Monday. She would go to church on Sunday, Maria was very religious, but they would have the rest of the time for themselves.
“What is it they want you to discover?”
She had asked him many times, but he could not explain. What made it more difficult, was that he loved the work, and wanted to talk about it. Everything about the laboratory was so good. The equipment he worked with was fantastic, the best he had ever used, and he could not blame a lack of resources, if he did not achieve results. The other scientists he worked with were so clever, their ideas so good. It was wonderful, being in that environment.
That mysterious Swedish gentleman, Frederik Sorensen, who dropped in to the lab. from time to time, and who apparently had put up the money to build it, was another enigma. Why was he so interested in a strain of influenza virus that would be a deterrent to child birth? When Georgio had tried to explain the intricacies of his experiments to the Swede, Sorensen did not appear to fully comprehend them, which told Georgio he was no scientist. Still, the facilities he had provided were second to none, and he paid
extremely well, so Georgio accepted him for what he thought he was, an eccentric rich man, lavishing money on a whim.
Maria was such a sticky beak, always wanting to know what he was doing. She was so intelligent, it was a shame she could not find a decent job in their new mainland home, that would let her use her brains. Working in a shop was all very well, it kept her busy, and provided a bit more income, but she was too bright for that.
Maria questioned him many times about his work, coming at it from different angles, and Georgio had trouble dodging the questions. It would be good if she would fall pregnant. They both wanted a baby, had been trying for more than a year now, and could not understand why it was not happening. Both had had the tests, and everything seemed to be working, so they would just have to keep trying. That brought a smile.
Trying, with Maria? She was a delight in bed, he loved their sex, and he would be happy “trying” for the rest of his life. Being with her only three days a week was a strain, but he would make the most of those three days, and it did mean there were no distractions with his work in the laboratory.
The priest had blessed their efforts, had asked a few intimate questions about their sex life Georgio thought a bit strange, coming from a celibate who had never married, but he had assured them, Maria would conceive, when God saw fit. Georgio thought it was more up to him, than God, but Maria was contented with the priest’s words. Maria took great stock of what the church had to say. Georgio was less convinced.
“What is really going on in that laboratory? There are almost two dozen scientists working, so what are they doing? Just what is it?”
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