Blood on the Water

by Mark Hildebrandt

  “I see from your face you do not believe. Don’t worry it makes no difference if you believe or not, some things are just meant to be. Now I think we are done, and you were correct, we will not speak again. Good day Doctor.”

  Chapter 15

  - Cozumel…are you nuts -

  James released Cassandra’s hand, moved to the workstation on the other side of the cabin, sat down, and began searching. After opening and closing every drawer and cabinet, he glanced over and was frozen by the look of bafflement on Cassandra’s face. “What is it?” He asked, wondering what could possibly be wrong.

  “What the hell are you doing?”

  “I thought we would try and make sense of this puzzle. I have found a good way to start is to make a list of as many key points as possible. Once we lay out all the pieces it usually becomes obvious how they fit together.”

  “That sounds like a good idea, but why are you looking in the storage compartments?”

  “I was hoping to find something to write with.” He turned to look at her; “like a grease pencil and a whiteboard or poster board.”

  Gradually a look of understanding began forming on Cassandra’s face, and she started to shake her head, “I think I understand, but we don’t have anything like that. We use the data pad, but since you don’t have one, there is a pop-up key board in the workstation.”

  James wanted to protest, there was something cathartic about having a grease pencil in your hand and a white board to talk to. He often found the whiteboard was a very effective technique to focus the group and encourage participation in his graduate student discussion groups. He sighed, oh well there were only two of them; he should be able to draw her out. Still it would be nice to have the points laid out in large, easy to see letters.

  While he was considering alternatives to the whiteboard, Cassandra began pushing keys on her data pad, and a large section of the bulkhead transformed from a sound absorbing decorative fabric into a screen that looked for all intent to be a three-foot by four-foot whiteboard. At the top of the board in bold underlined letters was written: KNOWN ELEMENTS.

  “That’s what I wanted.” He said and looked back to an amused Cassandra. But after studying the alien keyboard at the workstation in front of him, he threw his hands in the air, “This keyboard makes no sense to me. The pattern of letters and numbers is unlike anything I have ever seen. Is there any way I can write on that screen directly?”

  “No. You are going to have to do it our way. I can make the list from my data pad, but if for some reason you need to have control of what is written then pick up that little circular tab next to the keyboard. It will translate your words to written text and place them on the screen. Now will that work?” She said still grinning.

  “Yeah, that will do nicely.” He answered softly.

  “Good, now where do you propose we start. Because, I’m not certain I understand your approach. I can’t figure out how making a list of things we already know is going to expand our understanding?”

  From her perspective, James was certain it didn’t make any sense, but from his it made perfect scene. He knew virtually nothing about this situation, and fresh eyes were often the best way to solve a problem. “Well that is not exactly true,” he said moving to the chair next to her, so he could gaze into her large brown eyes. “Cassandra, you probably already know how everything fits. You claim to be in the dark, but I suspect you have simply lost sight of the answers. I truly don’t have any idea, and that is why it might be easier for me to see the patterns. Just trust me, and I’ll bet we can figure it out.” James could see a myriad of emotions in those brown eyes, and despite the tough mantle of nobility, he could also see a desirable woman lurking behind the seemingly impenetrable exterior.

  Slowly she began nodding agreement. “All right. But you have only been here for three days, how could you possibly know anything?” Her confused look gave way to a smile, “I’ll play along, and I bet you, when all is said and done, the only change is that you will have a better idea of what you don’t know.”

  I’ll take that bet.” Both smiled, and James continued, “It seems to me we have three unrelated issues that are the root of our dilemma. Let’s look at the three individually first, and then see how they might be related.”

  “Place at the top of the board three sub categories, TRANS-DIMENSIONAL PROJECT, VIRUS, POLITICS.” James said into the microphone and then watched in amazement as his instructions were carried out. He turned from the screen grinning like a child on Christmas morning and said, “Where should be begin?”

  Cassandra was shaking her head, “The only one I know anything about is the Trans-Dimensional project.”

  “Okay, let’s start with the virus.”

  “What?”

  “We will come back to your project, let’s look at the other two first.”

  “James I’m not so sure this is going to work.” She protested with more than a hint of frustration, “I told you, I have avoided the life sciences and politics most of my life. I don’t know how much I can help.”

  James gentility put his hand on her shoulder and soothingly said, “Yes you can, you know a lot more than you realize. We don’t need a doctoral dissertation on viruses. All we need are a few bullet points, like who gets it?”

  “As far as I know everyone in the solar system has it”

  James nodded and said into the microphone “Under VIRUS type, EVERYONE INFECTED.” Damn it would have been nice to have one of these for term papers, he thought, “Do you know how people become infected?”

  “I’m not sure, apparently the exposure occurs before birth, but the virus lies dormant for years. At some point late in middle age, it awakens, takes over the body’s internal organs, and kills the person.”

  James considered her words for a moment and stared into space. A short time later, he became aware Cassandra was staring at him. “I’m sorry,” he said refocusing on her face, “But the fact that everyone in the solar system is infected is pretty frightening. I guess that helps explain why ever since I got here, people have been asking about the damn virus. You said it awakens in middle age, what happens?”

  “James, I told you I’m not a doctor. I don’t know if I can help.” She said with a tinge of irritation.

  “Yes, you can.” He answered softly, “All we need to list are thing we understand, anything more complicated would be confusing. So, what are the basics, you know like what organs are affected, is there fever, nausea, diarrhea, what happens?”

  “Oh, very well I’ll try. No one knows how the virus is transmitted; everyone seems to have at birth. The speculation is that it is somehow passed across the placental barrier in the womb. It lies dormant until about age sixty, and then it mysteriously turns on. It invades every internal organ and starts replicating. The first symptom is either high fever or the virus is activated by a high fever, I don’t know which, but either way, once it becomes active the patient begins to experience extreme pain as internal organs fail one by one. Most patients are comatose from the pain medication when they die.”

  The two sat and listened to the rumble of the plane’s engine in silence for the next few minutes. James finally broke the calm, “Well that’s pretty gloomy, but let’s keep going, under VIRUS add MIDDLE AGE ONSET, below that, FIRST SYMPTOM FEVER, and below that ALWAYS FATAL.

  “Does anyone know how or where it originated?”

  “I don’t think so. Because of the sixty-year incubation period, everyone tested was already infected, once the virus was identified.”

  They were interrupted by a beep from the intercom. Cassandra pushed a key on her data pad and said, “Yes Engineer?”

  “Dr. Vespus we are about to cut the engines and coast for a while. Please prepare for weightlessness.”

  “Very well. Thank You.”

  James began sliding to the adjacent seat, since the one he was sitting in did not have any restraints, but in the middle of the process the engine rumble ceased. Fortunately, he was abl
e to grab one of the seat belts as his body passed his intended target and kept going. Cassandra seeing his less than graceful movement, began to chuckle, “Careful James, this cabin was designed for seasoned travelers. Pay attention to your force vectors. You don’t want to hit something sharp.”

  “Oh, very funny,” he responded feeling somewhat queasy. “I thought the warning was intended to give us time to strap in, not that the Engineer was going to cut power as soon as the intercom was closed.” James pulled himself down to the seat and fastened the seatbelt. “There”, he said with a small amount of satisfaction, “Now, where were we?” James studied the screen, and asked, “Has there been any progress made on a treatment or cure?”

  “Apparently there has been. Marcus indicated he is getting very close though...”

  She stopped for a moment and stared while James said into the microphone, “MARCUS CLOSE TO CURE.” Smiling as the words appeared on the screen, James turned to Cassandra, “What is it?” he asked as she stared expressionless straight ahead.

  “That is how two of the pieces fit.”

  “Which pieces?” James asked following what he believed to be her gaze to the screen. “I don’t see it.”

  “The VIRUS column and the POLITICS column are related by the cure.” The realization seemed to bring a smile to the corners of her mouth. “The Senate has threatened Marcus and the family. Told him to delay the development of a cure, and yet the Emperor is pressing to find one as quickly as possible. The cure is at the heart of the war.”

  “That may be the relationship, but it doesn’t make much sense.” James said, turning to the microphone and saying under VIRUS, type CURE POLITICAL.” As he watched the letters appear he just could not reconcile the connection. “Cassandra, I understand political strife, God knows there is enough of it in my world, but if everyone is infected and everyone is going to die from this virus, why would the Senate want your brother to delay work on a cure?”

  “I don’t know. I’m have a hard time trying to figure that one out as well. However, the Senator, who threatened Marcus, gave some excuse about crowning the Emperor’s son, when Emperor Claudius gets sick. But I don’t see that either, the Emperor is only fifty, they might have to wait ten years. Billions of people would die in the meantime.”

  “Maybe it will become clear as we go. Let’s put the Senator’s name under the column POLITICS. What is his name?”

  Without saying a word, Cassandra keyed KUKULCAN.

  “That is an interesting name, it obviously is not Roman. Is it eastern, Mongolian perhaps?”

  “No not at all. Senator Kukulcan is from the Mayan Provinces. It is said he is descended from the Mayan royalty.”

  An invisible cloud of impending danger slowly engulfed James’s mind. Something wasn’t right, but he didn’t know what. He turned to face Cassandra, who was staring at him as if she could sense his distress. “What Caribbean island are we going to?”

  “Cozumel, Why?”

  “Oh shit! Can we turn this thing around?”

  “James, settle down. My family has used the Cozumel retreat as a safe haven for over five hundred years. There is no reason to turn around. We will be safe there.”

  He watched her and was surprised at her lack of concern. Something was seriously wrong. Her brother sent her into hiding, hiding from a powerful Roman Senator, a powerful Roman Senator from the Mayan provinces. How could she possibly believe landing on a small island within sight of the Yucatan coast, an Island, which had been a Mayan fishing village for thousands of years, was going to be safe. Her calm was becoming unnerving. This was one strange place, was it possible he was overreacting. This wouldn’t be the first time the fabric of this world had seemed upside down and backward. Yet those other things became clearer with an explanation, perhaps the best thing would be to try to understand this as well. He just wished the premonition of danger would go away.

  “Cassandra, if I’m not mistaken, there was a Mayan fishing village on Cozumel when Rome arrived, and from what you have told me, after the conquest, the Mayan people would have been welcomed as citizens.”

  “Yes, but that all happened eight hundred years ago. So, what?”

  “Please be patient. I’m just trying to understand. Since it has been eight hundred years since the conquest, I bet there is still at least a village on the island, in fact, since it is such a beautiful place there is probably a lot more than just a simple village.”

  “Sure, there is a huge community of locals, all on the north end of the island. They cater to the tourist business. What are you getting at?”

  “Doesn’t it bother you, a Mayan Senator has declared war on your family, and we are preparing to hide in the Senator’s home province?”

  “No, James it does not. No one will know we are there, besides the real danger comes from Rome. There are garrisons all over the world, specifically to insure the citizens in the backwater provinces don’t miss behave. I would be worried about Senate surveillance teams if we were near Rome, but not on a remote island. With the all the staff sent home, no one will know we are there, and we will be safe. It’s very remote, you’ll see.”

  As he looked at her beautiful face and alluring brown eyes, he could not detect any concern, but on the other hand his scene of foreboding hadn’t dissipated either. Could it be possible that the legions had controlled local populations so effectively, they were not a threat? History, his history, was full of incidences where revolutions began far from the seat of power. Clearly her brother Marcus and the Optio were concerned, yet Marcus seemed to think the island would be safe. He just couldn’t reconcile the enigma. Cassandra, I hope you’re right, but do you mind if we include Optio in this discussion? I would like to hear what he has to say.”

  Before she had a chance to answer, James noticed the tug of gravity had returned. Apparently, Cassandra noted his relief “We should hear the engine restart in a few minutes. I expect we will be landing soon.”

  “Since it appears we are not going to turn around, do you mind if we talk with the Optio?”

  She nodded and without saying a word Cassandra opened the intercom “Optio would you please join us.”

  Chapter 16

  - Secure -

  The Optio entered the rear cabin and smartly saluted. James wondered if he was still peeved from his last exchange with Cassandra and hoped he could make a more affable impression. So, before Cassandra could say anything, he asked. “Optio, have you been briefed on our destination?”

  James watched as the Optio’s gaze moved from Cassandra to him and then back again. Finally, in neutral non-threatening tone while staring straight ahead, he simply said, “Sir?”

  That response was all James need to hear to realize the Optio was programmed, ordered, to report to Cassandra, and not him. Better try a different approach he thought and turned to look into Cassandra’s smiling eyes. He realized there was no need to say anything. He understood completely the message her expression conveyed. You will remember I’m in charge; was emblazoned in that grin. You’re right he wanted to say, but simply nodded instead.

  “Optio. This is Dr. Woodman. He has a few questions about the island. Please try to answer them.” Added in a subtle non-vocal tone was, just remember, you will still only accept orders from me.

  “Yes ma’am,” The Optio responded, then turned to look directly at James, “Yes sir. I have been briefed on the destination as well as the defensive capabilities of the retreat.” After answering, his head immediately turned back eyes staring straight ahead.

  This master servant relationship did not suit James at all. The advice of the Optio needed to be heeded because if they were headed into a dangerous military situation, Optio did not need to be encumbered by civilian bosses. “Optio, would you please relax and have a seat.”

  James caught sight of Cassandra nodding out of the corner of his eye, just before the Optio moved to take the seat facing them. “Optio, you said you wanted to work as a team and I agree with you.” James det
ected a slight movement around the corners of the Optio’s eyes, he wished he could tell whether it was some form of acceptance or maybe just laughter. “Were you also briefed about where we are going?”

  “Yes sir. I was told you are to stay out of sight until the Senate goes on recess next week.”

  “No that is what we need to do. We are hiding from a Senator Kukulcan.”

  “Yes, sir that was part of my briefing as well.”

  “Well don’t you think it is damn odd, we are headed to an island in the Senators home province?”

  Apparently Optio didn’t expect that question. He refocused his gaze on James and slowly nodded, “Yes sir I thought it was strange.”

  “Well can you help me understand why she doesn’t think it is strange?” He said pointing to Cassandra.

  “Sir? I’m not sure I take your meaning.”

  “Look I’m not from Rome, and it seems to me the last place we want to be is in the Senators home province. Why are you the only person who agrees with me?”

  Clearly the Optio heard what James said, but for some reason didn’t comprehend or maybe just didn’t want to answer. His gaze once again sought Cassandra for guidance. “Optio, it might be best if you imagined, Dr. Woodman was from a different world. He knows nothing about the fabric of our society. I think what he is asking is, why do you see danger, while my brother and I do not?”