Chapter 9

“I still don’t like this,” Dr. Cynthia Jones said.

Dr. Michael Radford looked at her. The sixty-five-year-old head of the Microbiology and Genetics department at Harvard University was trying to be patient with her. “As I’ve told you, Cynthia. The longer it takes us to do this, the more likely something will go wrong. What you like, what I like, what anyone anywhere likes, really doesn’t play into the matter.”

“But I thought we all agreed, the more people who are involved, the greater the possibility that we’ll get caught. And if we get caught--”

“We have taken every precaution we can take. The time has come to metaphorically shit or get off the pot.”

“I understand and I don’t disagree. But we’re not going to get a second chance at this.”

“We won’t need a second chance. But in order to succeed on the first chance, we have to actually take the chance.”

“And this… student of yours will do whatever we ask of him?”

“Student? Cynthia, please, he’s getting a PhD in Genetics from Harvard. Try not to make him sound as if he’s a freshman in Communications. And, yes, he’ll do whatever I’ll ask of him.”

“He’s that loyal?”

“He’s got more than two hundred thousand dollars in student loans. He needs the PHD to pay them off. And don’t forget, I’m one of the leading geneticists in the world. Why wouldn’t he do as I say? I’m the very personification of being above reproach.”

Jones thought for a moment. “Do you plan on keeping him because he’s so capable or…” She didn’t want to say it out loud.

Radford shook his head. He knew exactly what she meant. “I’ve considered it. Ultimately, I’ve decided not to. He’s very smart. He trusts me too much to think I could ever do anything like this but when he sees what’s happening, I’ve no doubt he’ll figure out what he’s accidentally helped me do.”

Radford was quiet for a few more seconds, then shook his head again. “No. I’m afraid that after he helps me make the vaccine, the brilliant but not quite doctor, Xavier Fisher will have to be eliminated before the pandemic starts.”

Jones could see how sad Radford was at the loss of one of his most respected students. “None of us are happy about the sacrifices that have to be made in order to make the world a better place,” she said. “But we must focus on our end goal. We will have a strong, vibrant, world shaped by the most brilliant minds of our time. The human race will grow at a controlled pace, respectful of the fragility of the planet we’re lucky enough to have evolved on.”

“Cynthia, when I’m not working, that’s the only thing I’m able to focus on.”

She was quiet for a few seconds. “Approximately how long do you think it will take?”

One of the most knowledgeable men on Genetics shrugged his shoulders. “Guessing at something like this would be a fool’s errand.”

“I’m not asking for a guess. I’m asking for an approximate estimation from one of the leading minds in the field of Genetics in the entire world.”

Radford smiled. “A pretty young woman flatters an older man. A timeless strategy that will no doubt be taken into the future we’re creating based on its effectiveness. Very well, my dear. Anything less than a week would be hubris based on delusions of grandeur. I’d like to think I don’t suffer from that. But, of course, if I did, I probably wouldn’t notice, would I?”

She answered him with a coy smile.

He continued. “Finishing the hybrid virus should take between two and five days. The vaccine will be more challenging. Still, no more than a month.”

Her smile disappeared. “A month?”

“If we can’t get the vaccine at ninety percent effective, we can’t possibly go forward with the plan. To give you a better approximation, the flu shots people get every year are between sixty and seventy percent effective.”

“I agree with you but… Miles was hoping for something a little faster.”

“Miles is an ambitious optimist. We’re going to need his leadership for the transition and everything afterwards. But everything he knows about creating a worldwide pandemic with a vaccine to stop it can be placed on the head of a pin with enough room left over for the actual head of the pin. If he has any problems, send him to me and I’ll walk him through the process.”

Radford was quiet for a few seconds, then shrugged his shoulders again. “Who knows, maybe we’ll get lucky.”

“Have you seen the news reports on what’s happening in Berhanu?” Jones asked.

“No.”

“The original virus reached the capital and spread to the general population, the army, and the warlords. Neighboring countries have closed their borders. People caught trying to sneak out of Berhanu have been shot on site at the various border crossings.”

Radford shook his head. “Africa. How could the birthplace of humanity be in such… desolation?”

“I don’t know. But if the World Health Organization goes in there and gets a sample--”

“You just said the borders were closed.”

“They are. And furthermore, the airport was damaged in an attempted coup. But I can tell you from experience, all you need is a pilot with the skill to land on a concrete road, send out some technicians to get blood samples from bodies lying on the ground by the road, and then you can take off and be gone before anyone knows you’ve landed.”

Radford chuckled to himself. “Sounds a little too ambitious for the W.H.O.”

“Today, yes. But in a month, when so many people have died that the rest of the world can’t ignore it and there’s no one left alive on the ground? I don’t know… we might have a problem then.”

Radford thought it over. “I suppose you’re right. But it isn’t my problem. We both know what my problem is and it certainly has my undivided attention, I assure you.”

“I don’t see it as a problem,” Jones said with a smile. “I see it as an opportunity for you to be the brilliant man we all know you to be.”

Radford smiled and shook his head. “As I said, a pretty young woman flatters an older man…”

Two knocks on the office door stopped the conversation cold. Radford saw the expression on Jones’ face and said, “Cynthia, dear, do try not to look so guilty.” He paused for a couple of seconds, then said, “Come in.”

The door opened. Fish stood in the doorway. He took two steps into the office and stopped when he saw a woman he didn’t recognize. He turned his gaze to the man who controlled his future. “You wanted to see me, Dr. Radford?”

Radford stood up and came out from behind his desk. “Xavier, yes. This is Dr. Cynthia Jones. Cynthia, this is Xavier.”

Jones stood up and shook hands with Fish. “I’ve heard many great things about you, Xavier. Thank you so much for helping us.”

Fish nodded his head as he shook her hand. He had no idea what she was talking about. He glanced at Radford, then back at Jones. “I’m happy to help.”

“I’m helping Cynthia make a vaccine for a virus,” Radford said. “With your help we can finish in less time and save lives. Maybe, tens of thousands.”

“Yeah. Yeah, that’d be great,” Fish said.

“About your teaching schedule. Abdul taught your class last semester, didn’t he?”

“I think so, yes.”

“Good. I’ll need your undivided attention. He should be able to step in and take over while you help me with our project.”

“I’m sure he’ll do a great job taking over for me. Am I going to have to teach again next semester?”

“You’re going into research, right?”

“Yes.”

“All right then, don’t worry about the mandatory teaching credit. And one more thing, Xavier. You’ll be able to use our research for your doctoral thesis if you’d like. I’m guessing it might save you… six months of work.”

Fish swallowed. “Um, yeah, great. Thank you. So, when do you need me to start?”

Radford acted as if he hadn’t already planned the whole thing out already. “I need to finish some things this week, then there’s the weekend. Let’s say you’ll start on Monday.”

“Monday it is.”

“And Xavier, the vaccine will be revolutionary. You’ll need to sign a nondisclosure agreement. Of course, we’ll wave it for your doctoral thesis but you can’t speak of it to anyone. Not even Abdul.”

Fish nodded. “Understood.”

“Al right, then. Cynthia and I have some things to discuss, so if you don’t have any questions… oh, I’m having a small get-together at my house Saturday night. Nothing formal. Drop by around nine.”

“Nine, Saturday. Thank you, sir.” Fish turned to Jones not sure if he should call her Cynthia or Dr. Jones or what. “Nice meeting you.”

“Nice meeting you too,” she said.

Fish walked out of the office.

Radford closed the door behind him.

“Why did you tell him about the vaccine?” Jones said when she was sure he was gone.

“I told you, he’s smart. He would’ve figured it out the first day. Now, he’ll be able to concentrate on his work. I’ll introduce him to Miles and a few of the others and get his head in the clouds. By Monday he’ll be raring to go.”