The Dolos Conspiracy

by Frank Perry

lag and other factors often cause symptoms. It just spiraled out of control, and he died this morning, our time. I just got a text message from an associate who was with him a few minutes ago.”

  Kelly was shocked. Suddenly the implications of their work became more vivid. “Do you know … has anyone determined how he died?”

  Jules shock his head, “No, but the team suspects VHF (viral hemorrhagic fever) based on the severity and rapid glandular failure. We won’t know until there’s a post-mortem. He’s being returned under quarantine. It may be weeks before we know.”

  “I’m sorry, Jules. I didn’t know Lorne too well, but it’s been apparent that you all were very close.”

  “Yeah, now I’ve got to tell Carol, his wife.” He leaned his head back as though studying the ceiling. “Carol, my wife Nancy and Charlie’s wife were all close. If Nancy were alive now, she’d be heartbroken for Carol. I’m going to drive over to see her in a few minutes to tell her. It’s not something I could do over the phone. She’s a special friend. She’s also, now, an active partner in the Institute.”

  Kelly didn’t have anything more to say as Jules continued, “That’s why I asked you in here. I want you to move over to BSL-4B, Lorne’s lab. The work over there is different, and I will be working with you to get familiar. For a time, you’ll still have BSL-4A also until we can find someone.” He waited for her response.

  She didn’t know what to say initially. Few people knew what was in BSL-4B; it was the private domain of Lorne and Jules. John might know something, but they had never discussed it in detail. John! Would she be able to work directly with John as his principal scientist? That would be awkward at the least. “Jules, I’m surprised, obviously, but do you really think I’m the right choice. I mean, I’ve got a full load now and wouldn’t want to get into a situation where neither lab was managed correctly. I …”

  He interrupted, “Kelly, don’t you think I know what it will be for you? I’ll be spending a lot more of my time with you. I don’t expect you to manage 4B alone, just give me an assist until we get another person on board. Until then, we’re all going to put in some extra hours. Our research is important and time-sensitive, so it must be managed. Bottom line: we don’t have any other options now.”

  “Jules, I don’t want you to think I’m ungrateful; I just don’t want to let you down.”

  A quick smile came and went, “You won’t. In some ways, 4B is simpler than 4A. We’re more engaged in producing antidotes and vaccines, based on the exploratory work done in 4A. The parameters are actually a lot narrower, since all the predictive work is done before we go into production. In the future, when GHI becomes the foremost supplier of cures for VHFs, you’ll be part of a major expansion of the lab. Don’t you want to be part of that?”

  “Yes, of course I do, Jules.” She wasn’t going to say more. Her head was spinning. He was handing her a huge career move, and she didn’t want to blow it.

  “Good. I might also add that your stock options will be doubled.” He stood, offering his hand. “Charlie and I are both happy that you joined us, Kelly … you’re the future of GHI. I know this was suddenly thrust upon you, but you’re the right person for this, I’m willing to bet the future of GHI on it.”

  The meeting was over; he led her toward the door while gathering his sport coat for the trip to tell Lorne’s wife the tragic news. Kelly left ahead of him, walking quickly back to 4A. She wished she could talk to John.

  Irina Petronova

  Sometime during her second week at GHI, Kelly met Dr. Irina Petronova. They met in the cafeteria when Kelly was taking her morning break, before she’d met John. She had heard of the mysterious math genius who had preceded her at 4A. The meeting could have been the end of any chance for a cordial relationship. Petronova was illusive. Kelly had actually gone looking for her on her second day, but her office never seemed to be in use. She would later learn the mid-forties woman liked to spend her days circulating in the executive wing.

  Irina was short and stocky with frizzy dirty-blond hair speckled with grey that didn’t have any style at all. If she cared about her appearance, there was no evidence. She may have been an attractive graduate student, but twenty years of sitting at computer workstations and squinting through coke-bottle-thick glasses had taken a toll.

  The first encounter between the women scientists didn’t go well. Kelly was finishing preparing her tea at the counter, when she felt a hand brush along her hair and down her neck. “What …!” She turned abruptly, startled, half expecting to see a man smiling at her. She couldn’t have been more surprised and shocked.

  “Good day, Dr. Miss Kelly Egan. I am Dr. Irina Petronova, perhaps you have heard of me.” The woman with a strong Eastern European accent had a sardonic smile. She stood uncomfortably close, apparently unaware or not caring that she’d done anything wrong. Kelly would learn later that Petronova was compelled to make dramatic entrances and keep people off balance. She was almost slapped this time.

  “I … Hello, Dr. Petronova, (extending her hand), I’ve heard of you.”

  The shorter woman smiled. “Of course you have. All complimentary, I presume?” She didn’t lack confidence.

  Kelly wasn’t sure how to relate to the woman. She’d heard of her, but the vision didn’t match the reputation. About the only thing Petronova exhibited was a rude demeanor that Kelly had encountered so many times among her academic peers. “I heard that you run the modeling and simulation department.”

  The Russian accent didn’t help the woman’s sociability. “You may call it that, but it is much more. In fact, the GHI would not exist as it does today without me. I am the individual whom developed algorithms for predicting Hemorrhagic virus mutations. Already twice I have been ahead of it and made GHI famous.”

  Petronova was sizing up the young scientist that replaced her in the labs. She had struggled for almost twenty years to gain acceptance from the males that ran GHI. She had finally received the respect that she had earned.

  Life had not been easy for her as an immigrant. Nobody really knew her true background. She was rumored to be from the long-deposed White Russian nobility who fled to South America toward the end of the First World War. That was the story she preferred and did nothing to refute it. Another story had her as the granddaughter of a Soviet war criminal, which was closer to the truth. She didn’t actually know or care about the source of family wealth. She was raised in Argentina as a young girl. Her unique accent arose from both her upbringing in South America and Russian which was spoken at home. The family lived well and neither her father nor grandfather had any specific occupation. She’d heard whispered stories from other expatriates that her grandfather had looted Jewish estates during Stalin’s reign of terror, but she just ignored them and enjoyed an priveleged lifestyle.

  As a teenager, she’d been sent to boarding school in Connecticut and later attended UConn, majoring in life science and mathematics. Everything was paid for by her grandfather, including a comfortable allowance. She didn’t socialize but made a few casual friends. She did not welcome attention from either sex and never dated. Her lack of social connections followed her into the Institute after graduation, and she enjoyed seclusion inside the laboratories, progressing to the most secure of them all. It was her math skills that got her special recognition; her ability to prove conclusively how the viruses would change in predictable ways under different environmental conditions.

  Her first predictions over many years of math-modeling were always wrong. Then it happened, she had been correct and had even gone so far as to begin developing antidotes for predicted outbreaks. Her success could have been discounted as coincidence until she was able to repeat it a second time.

  Jules, Lorne, and Charlie had practically adopted her, although she was certainly no longer a child. She was able to ask for and receive whatever she wanted from them. In the months before Kelly was hired, Irina left the
labs and was promoted to Director of Modelling and Simulations, a position created specifically for her, and she received a suite of computer equipment along with full executive perks. She was envied by everyone, at least in her own mind.

  This did not entitle her to harass Kelly.

  The Docks

  It was dark when the door opened. Gort didn’t knock, he just walked in, “Time to get up and earn your keep. Downstairs in ten minutes.” He left as abruptly as he entered. John couldn’t focus in the dark. His head ached and muscles didn’t want to work so early in the morning. He didn’t know if he’d slept, he wasn’t rested. Mary had frightened him.

  Nevertheless, he rolled to the edge of the bed and sat up, wondering if he had any clothes for working on the dock before dawn. He put his travel bag on the bed after turning on the light. It hurt his eyes momentarily before he settled on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. He’d only brought his best sneakers, which would have to work. His light jacket was nearly new. At least it wasn’t raining any more. After dressing and