mc.prey-第60节

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infect　us？　What？
　Walking　down　the　corridor　next　to　my　wife；　I　felt　as　if　I　was　walking　with　a　stranger。　With　somebody　I　didn't　know　anymore。　Somebody　who　was　immensely　dangerous。　I　glanced　at　my　watch。　The　helicopter　would　be　here　in　less　than　two　hours；　now。
　Julia　smiled。　〃Got　an　appointment？〃
　〃No。　Just　thinking　it's　time　for　breakfast。〃
　〃Jack；〃　she　said。　〃Why　won't　you　be　honest　with　me？〃
　〃I'm　being　honest　。。。〃
　〃No。　You　were　wondering　how　long　until　the　helicopter　es。〃
　I　shrugged。
　〃Two　hours；〃　she　said。　And　she　added；　〃I'll　bet　you'll　be　glad　to　get　out　of　here；　won't　you？〃
　〃Yes；〃　I　said。　〃But　I'm　not　leaving　until　everything　is　done。〃
　〃Why？　What's　left　to　be　done？〃
　By　now　we　had　reached　the　residential　unit。　I　could　smell　bacon　and　eggs　cooking。　Ricky　came　around　the　corner。　He　smiled　heartily　when　he　saw　me。　〃Hey；　Jack。　How'd　you　sleep？〃
　〃I　slept　okay。〃
　〃Really？　'Cause　you　look　a　little　tired。〃
　〃I　had　bad　dreams；〃　I　said。
　〃Oh　yes？　Bad　dreams？　Bummer。〃
　〃It　happens　sometimes；〃　I　said。
　We　all　went　into　the　kitchen。　Bobby　was　making　breakfast。　〃Scrambled　eggs　with　chives　and　cream　cheese；〃　he　said　cheerfully。　〃What　kind　of　toast　do　you　guys　want？〃　Julia　wanted　wheat　toast。　Ricky　wanted　English　muffin。　I　said　I　didn't　want　anything。　I　was　looking　at　Ricky；　noticing　again　how　strong　he　appeared。　Beneath　his　T…shirt；　the　muscles　were　well　defined；　cut。　He　caught　me　staring　at　him。　〃Something　wrong？〃
　〃No。　Just　admiring　your　butch　look。〃　I　tried　to　be　light；　but　the　truth　was　that　I　felt　incredibly　unfortable　in　the　kitchen　with　all　of　them　around　me。　I　kept　thinking　of　Charley；　and　how　swiftly　they　had　attacked　him。　I　wasn't　hungry；　I　just　wanted　to　get　out　of　there。　But　I　couldn't　see　how　to　do　it　without　arousing　suspicion。
　Julia　went　to　the　refrigerator；　opened　the　door。　The　champagne　was　in　there。　〃You　guys　ready　to　celebrate　now？〃
　〃Sure；〃　Bobby　said。　〃Sounds　great；　a　little　mimosa　in　the　morning　。。。〃
　〃Absolutely　not；〃　I　said。　〃Julia；　I'm　going　to　insist　you　take　this　situation　seriously。　We're　not　out　of　the　woods　yet。　We　have　to　get　the　Army　in　here；　and　we　haven't　been　able　to　call。　It's　not　time　to　break　out　the　champagne。〃
　She　pouted。　〃Oh；　you're　such　a　spoilsport　。。。〃
　〃Spoilsport　hell。　You're　being　ridiculous。〃
　〃Oooh；　baby；　don't　get　mad；　just　kiss　me；　kiss　me。〃　She　puckered　her　lips　again；　and　leaned　across　the　table。
　But　it　seemed　like　getting　angry　was　the　only　move　I　had。　〃God　damn　it；　Julia；〃　I　said；　raising　my　voice；　〃the　only　reason　we　are　in　this　mess　is　because　you　didn't　take　it　seriously　in　the　first　place。　You　had　a　runaway　swarm　out　there　in　the　desert　for　what…two　weeks？　And　instead　of　eradicating　it；　you　played　with　it。　You　fooled　around　until　it　got　out　of　control；　and　as　a　result　three　people　are　dead。　This　is　not　a　goddamn　celebration；　Julia。　It's　a　disaster。　And　I　am　not　drinking　any　fucking　champagne　while　I　am　here　and　neither　is　anyone　else。〃　I　took　the　bottle　to　the　sink　and　smashed　it。　I　turned　back　to　her。　〃Got　it？〃
　Stony…faced；　she　said；　〃That　was　pletely　unnecessary。〃
　I　saw　Ricky　looking　at　me　thoughtfully。　As　if　he　was　trying　to　decide　something。　Bobby　turned　his　back　while　he　cooked；　as　if　he　was　embarrassed　by　a　marital　spat。　Had　they　gotten　to　Bobby？　I　thought　I　saw　a　thin　black　line　at　his　neck；　but　I　couldn't　be　sure；　and　I　didn't　dare　stare。
　〃Unnecessary？〃　I　said；　full　of　outrage。　〃Those　people　were　my　friends。　And　they　were　your　friends；　Ricky。　And　yours；　Bobby。　And　I　don't　want　to　hear　this　celebration　shit　anymore！〃　I　turned　and　stomped　out　of　the　room。　As　I　left；　Vince　was　ing　in。　〃Better　take　it　easy；　pal；〃　Vince　said。　〃You'll　give　yourself　a　stroke。〃
　〃Fuck　off；〃　I　said。
　Vince　raised　his　eyebrows。　I　brushed　past　him。
　〃You're　not　fooling　anybody；　Jack！〃　Julia　called　after　me。　〃I　know　what　you're　really　up　to！〃
　My　stomach　flipped。　But　I　kept　walking。
　〃I　can　see　right　through　you；　Jack。　I　know　you're　going　back　to　her。〃
　〃Damn　right！〃　I　said。
　Was　that　what　Julia　really　thought？　I　didn't　believe　it　for　a　moment。　She　was　just　trying　to　mislead　me；　to　keep　me　off　guard　until　。。。　what？　What　were　they　going　to　do？　There　were　four　of　them。　And　only　two　of　us…at　least；　there　were　two　if　they　hadn't　already　gotten　to　Mae。
　Mae　wasn't　in　the　biology　laboratory。　I　looked　around　and　saw　that　a　side　door　was　ajar；　leading　downstairs　to　the　underground　level　where　the　fermentation　chambers　were　installed。　Up　close；　they　were　much　larger　than　I　had　realized；　giant　stainless　spheres　about　six　feet　across。　They　were　surrounded　by　a　maze　of　pipes　and　valves　and　temperature　control　units。　It　was　warm　here；　and　very　noisy。
　Mae　was　standing　by　the　third　unit；　making　notes　on　a　clipboard　and　shutting　a　valve。　She　had　a　rack　of　test　tubes　at　her　feet。　I　went　down　and　stood　beside　her。　She　looked　at　me；　then　shot　a　glance　toward　the　ceiling；　where　a　security　camera　was　mounted。　She　walked　around　to　the　other　side　of　the　tank；　and　I　followed　her。　Over　here；　the　tank　blocked　the　camera。　She　said；　〃They　slept　with　the　lights　on。〃
　I　nodded。　I　knew　what　it　meant；　now。
　〃They're　all　infected；〃　she　said。
　〃Yes。〃
　〃And　it's　not　killing　them。〃
　〃Yes；〃　I　said；　〃but　I　don't　understand　why。〃
　〃It　must　have　evolved；〃　she　said；　〃to　tolerate　them。〃
　〃That　fast？〃
　〃Evolution　can　happen　fast；〃　she　said。　〃You　know　the　Ewald　studies。〃　I　did。　Paul　Ewald　had　studied　cholera。　What　he　found　was　that　the　cholera　organism　would　quickly　change　to　sustain　an　epidemic。　In　places　where　there　were　no　sanitary　water　supplies　but　perhaps　a　ditch　running　through　a　village；　the　cholera　was　virulent；　prostrating　the　victim　and　killing　him　where　he　fell　from　massive　overwhelming　diarrhea。　The　diarrhea　contained　millions　of　cholera　organisms；　it　would　run　into　the　water　supply　and　infect　others　in　the　village。　In　this　way　the　cholera　reproduced；　and　the　epidemic　continued。
　But　when　there　was　sanitary　water　supply；　the　virulent　strain　could　not　reproduce。　The　victim　would　die　where　he　fell　but　his　diarrhea　would　not　enter　the　water　supply。　Others　would　not　be　infected；　and　the　epidemic　would　fade。　Under　those　circumstances；　the　epidemic　evolved　to　a　milder　form；　enabling　the　victim　to　walk　around　and　spread　the　milder　organisms　by　contact；　dirty　linens；　and　so　on。
　Mae　was　suggesting　that　the　same　thing　had　happened　to　the　swarms。　They　had　evolved　to　a　milder　form；　which　could　be　transmitted　from　one　person　to　another。　〃It's　creepy；〃　I　said。
　She　nodded。　〃But　what　can　we　do　about　it？〃
　And　then　she　began　to　cry　silently；　tears　running　down　her　cheeks。　Mae　was　always　so　strong。　Seeing　her　upset　unnerved　me　now。　She　was　shaking　her　head。　〃Jack；　there's　nothing　we　can　do。　There's　four　of　them。　They're　stronger　than　we　are。　They're　going　to　kill　us　the　way　they　killed　Charley。〃
　She　pressed　her　head　against　my　shoulder。　I　put　my　arm　around　her。　But　I　couldn't　fort　her。　Because　I　knew　she　was　right。
　There　was　no　way　out。
　Winston　Churchill　once　said　that　being　shot　at　focused　the　mind　wonderfully。　My　mind　was　going　very　fast　now。　I　was　thinking　that　I　had　made　a　mistake　and　I　had　to　fix　it。　Even　though　it　was　a　typically　human　mistake。
　Considering　that　we　live　in　an　era　of　evolutionary　everything…evolutionary　biology；　evolutionary　medicine；　evolutionary　ecology；　evolutionary　psychology；　evolutionary　economics；　evolutionary　puting…it　was　surprising　how　rarely　people　thought　in　evolutionary　terms。　It　was　a　human　blind　spot。　We　looked　at　the　world　around　us　as　a　snapshot　when　it　was　really　a　movie；　constantly　changing。　Of　course　we　knew　it　was　changing　but　we　behaved　as　if　it　wasn't。　We　denied　the　reality　of　change。　So　change　always　surprised　us。　Parents　were　even　surprised　by　the　maturing　of　their　own　children。　They　treated　them　as　younger　than　they　really　were。　And　I　had　been　surprised　by　the　change　in　the　evolution　of　the　swarms。　There　was　no　reason　why　the　swarms　shouldn't　evolve　in　two　directions　at　the　same　time。　Or　three；　or　four；　or　ten　directions；　for　that　matter。　I　should　have　anticipated　that。　I　should　have　looked　for　it；　expected　it。　If　I　had；　I　might　be　better　prepared　to　deal　with　the　situation　now。　But　instead　I　had　treated　the　swarm　as　one　problem…a　problem　out　there；　in　the　desert…and　I　had　ignored　other　possibilities。
　It's　called　denial；　Jack。
　I　started　to　wonder　what　else　I　was　denying　now。　What　else　I　had　failed　to　see。　Where　did　I　go　wrong？　What　was　the　first　clue　I　had　missed？　Probably　the　fact　that　my　initial　contact　with　a　swarm　had　produced　an　allergic　reaction…a　reaction　that　almost　killed　me。　Mae　had　called　it　a　coliform　reaction。　Caused　by　a　toxin　from　the　bacteria　in　the　swarm。　That　toxin　was　obviously　the　result　of　an　evolutionary　change　in　the　E。　coli　that　made　up　the　swarm。　Well；　for　that　matter；　the　very　presence　of　phage　in　the　tank　was　an　evolutionary　change；　a　viral　response　to　the　bacteria　that…
　〃Mae；〃　I　said。　〃Wait　a　minute。〃
　〃What？〃
　I　said；　〃There　might　be　something　we　can　do　to　stop　them。〃
　She　was　skeptical；　I　could　see　it　in　her　face。　But　she　wiped　her　eyes　and　listened。
　I　said；　〃The　swarm　consists　of　particles　and　bacteria；　is　that　right？〃
　〃Yes　。。。〃
　〃The