Energy #08 17 августа 1997

FANTASY - Roman G. Harrison, "Plague from Space" (continued).

     Continuation of the novel Gary Harrison

            "Plague from Space"



     - How are you both? Are there any
you have any symptoms of the disease?

     View Sam slid on scale devices and the device that hung 
from his wrist.


     - All data is normal, no
symptom of something. Were there more cases
this disease?

     - No, not yet. I'm worried about
you because you first have undergone the risk of infection.

     McKay for a moment closed his eyes and
held back of his hand across his forehead.

     - As already stated, we do not have new
Rand's disease cases, as we unofficially
called it. In any case of infection it
rights.

     - Birds?

     - Yes. Search group with spotlights
the night was out. With the dawn of steel
Reports. Epizootic. Everywhere
dead birds. WHO has already issued an order not
touch dead or sick birds and the requirement immediately report 
them to police. 

     - Other animals also are infected? -
asked Nita.

     - Thankfully, so far only the birds. So you do not have 
any symptoms? This sounds promising. You must constantly

keep with me. Now tell if you notice any unusual symptoms. Have 
a nice day! 

     McKay turned off.

     Nita picked up from the table and drank a cup
from her breath.

     - Coffee is cold. I heated it up again.

     She took two tall flask and put them in the microwave.

     - Everything about this disease is unusual. Nothing, we 
were taught, we can not used against her.


     - Well, there's nothing wrong with
Nita. In the end, it is a new disease
came from the depths of the universe. Should
expect that it will put us in front of
ever new riddles.

     - A self why? A new disease,
but not so alien. Matter what
is for micro-organisms, if they can affect the human body only 
limited number of ways. If the disease is so

would be alien to us, it would not have been on
man no action. If he were, say, a fungus that attacks only 
living beings on a silicon-based ... 

     - Or bacteria, which are viable only in sub-zero 
temperatures. 

     - Right! The disease, which returned
Rand, a completely new for us, but its manifestations are not 
new. Fever, kidney failure, abrasions, fever. Except

addition, the disease covers the entire body, only
combination of these factors is new for us.

     Sam took a warm flask, which gave him Nita, and filled his 
cup. 

     - Your words are encouraging. I
already seen in front of an epidemic that
came from outer space and spread
the whole earth.

     He wrinkled his nose thoughtfully.

     - And what about birds? As they approach
your theory?

     - We do not yet know whether they are suitable.
This may be the same disease, or
quite different. If they are infected with another disease, 
then we get great help if someone else is infected virus, which 
cost the lives of Randy. Then we will be able to prepare a 
vaccine or even protective medications that

exclude the transfer of the disease. I want to
know how far work in
laboratory.

     - I too would gladly learn it. But we
must come to terms with the fact that we have
stay here for some time. You
Pathologist, you will have enough work here. And me, as a 
physician assistant, almost nothing to do. I think it is not 
necessary for me call a couple of friends at the hospital to 
find out what happens behind those walls in the world.


     Nita was still busy in a small,
superbly-equipped laboratory, in quarantine department.

     When it is before lunch, finally made a break, she found 
Sam's hunched over a map, which he spread on the table. He 
nodded. 

     - Come take a look here for it!
That's Long Island, but the JFK airport. WHO sends me my request
all posts about birds. I have mapped
location of all finds of birds and their number.
You will find this pattern?

     Nita finger quickly slid on a little red numbers.

     At first glance it seemed that all
sites are located along the southern coast, and
especially a lot of them in Kadarkurste, Lawrence
and Long Beach.

     - Yes, the findings so far made
only on the southern coast. You can see that
here in the channel Reynolds number, near Long Beach
found about two thousand dead ducks.
Well ... Do you happen to remember which side was sent to the 
opened hatch of "Pericles"? 

     - No, I was so excited that it is not
drew attention.

     - I also am not sure, so I
contacted the airfield. Open the hatch was
directed almost exactly in the south-east, so
so.

     He took a ruler and put it under
compass needle and had a red line on
through the airfield of Long Island into the ocean.

     When he raised the ruler's eyes Nita
wide.

     - This line passes through Long Beach,
exactly through the center of Occurrences. But this
can not be. This may be only
If in this direction the wind was blowing.

     - Yesterday, it seems, there was no wind. You
remember? At most, the wind force was then two miles per hour, 
and he time to change direction.


     You want to say that the virus
struck the bird flew out of the hatch in a straight line
line and has infected all met at the
his way?

     - It told you, Nita, and I did not. I
Simply apply the figures obtained from the police.
Maybe virus spread as
we assume, but maybe we are wrong, hoping that the alien
organisms will behave like this
require our rules and laws. Still
the whole thing was going to unknown laws.

     Sam nervously paced back and forth and banged his right 
fist on left palm. 

     - And right now I have to sit
here, in this trap. If the illness Rand
infects only birds, they can hold
We monitored the rest of our
life, because they will never
sure that none of us carries within himself the disease ...

     Boomed video signal. Sam picked up the phone. Appeared on 
the screen Cheybl. On his face come to lie deep wrinkles, and 
his voice was so quiet that he could barely understand.


     - The patient is on its way to you, Dr. Berthollet. Please 
keep it to yourself. 

     - That means ...

     - Yes, Rand's disease. Cop. He
one of those people who were tasked to collect dead birds.



                  4


     Nita has prepared a bed for the patient,
and Sam waited impatiently until the open
inner door.

     Blinking light, indicating that
exterior door is opened, then roared
hidden motors, and the hissing intake
air showed that the sealed lock
the inner door opened. Once the door
opened wide enough, Sam pushed his way into it. A policeman on 
mobile stretcher was still dressed in his uniform. He

sat up and leaned on his elbow.

     - I do not know why they brought me here, Doc - he said 
quietly, - just a slight fever, chills and all. I'm not sick. 

     His face was covered with red spots, which could turn into 
an ulcer. 

     Sam took the police arrived with a medical card. Frances 
Miller, thirty eight years, the police - these data were

clarified machine. In the bottom half of the map
were huge letters: "Virus diseases Rand
- Positively! ".

     - Well, you're here because we have established that you 
have everything in order - said Sam.


     His face was immobile. He again
put the map in intended for her
place.

     - Lie down again, otherwise you will slide down
from the stretcher. Then go to bed.

     He wheeled a stretcher into a quarantine room and a 
massive door closed behind them.


     Nita met police radiant smile. She helped him get into 
bed, found that it seems to her hungry invited him to lunch. 
She found a the farthest corner of the refrigerator, even a 
bottle of beer, which the police accepted with gratitude from 
her. 

     Sam worked quickly and confidently. He
attached measuring body functions on a dry, warm skin of the 
patient. It took him nearly a quarter of an hour all the 
research, during which time the body temperature rose slightly. 
The first eruption began to form, when Sam closed the chamber 
door and got in the video room McKay.


     - Do you have any recommendations for treatment?
- Sam asked.

     - We are still discussing it.

     - But you must also have suggestions!

     Sam clenched his fists, fighting the approaching fury.

     - There are many different views
- Said McKay. - Supporting functions
body means in the previous case,
does not seem to have given no effect. May
they will be effective in combination with
interferon. Drug on its way to you. There are cases in which a 
proven effectiveness of a pressure chamber ...


     - Dr. McKay, - interrupted by her companion, Sam - we have 
not here the pressure chamber to provide treatment in 
accordance with the recommendation. You also must understand 
that the devices do not show everything. This man is dying in 
my arms. I have never seen so rapidly progressive disease. And 
you? 

     McKay shook his head wearily, and Sam
stooped to the most screen video.

     - Will you give me permission to introduce him
antibiotics, supporting the body's functions
funds, together with interferon to
prevent the spread of disease?
I must do something.

     - Yes, of course, Dr. Berthollet. In
After all it is your patient. I agree with all of your 
decisions. I am aware Committee of everything that happened 
here. 

     When Sam turned off the video, he saw
Nitu, who came up behind him.

     - You have all heard? - He asked.

     - Yes, you were the only true
solution. They can not understand this, because
they do not have the sight of our patient. I had to give him 
surital. I did the right thing? Six blocks, because

that he was very restless, he almost fell into
tantrum.

     - It must be right because
that what we are doing now, is directed
to improve the patient's condition. Now
see whether interferon has not arrived.

     The capsule was lying in a box receiver, and
Sam quickly prepared for injection, and Nita order
time sterilized hands of police. He was lying on his back, his 
eyes were closed, he was panting open mouth. Leather it was 
dotted with reddish bubbles. Sam gave him an intravenous 
injection. Current Blood smash drug in the most remote

corners of the body. Sam then injected a small
dose of the drug in one of the boils.

     - This is what we are doing to control - he said.

     It marked the boil circle of iodine
infusions.

     - Local treatment with interferon
always been effective. In combination with antipyretic, we may 
be able to get positive results. 

     Do not come any noticeable improvement, although the 
patient's body temperature dropped to two degrees. McKay and 
his team monitor the efforts of Sam on the screen and video

proposed changes in treatment.

     A stocky policeman was a patient
Sam, but Sam was opposed to
patient was considered as a guinea
rabbit, although things were so.
If this person will be able to save, so in the future will find 
treatments for this disease. 

     Then there were more cases. They were registered in 
hospitals in New York, where had a lot of quarantine offices 
and isolated chambers which were occupied by volunteer helpers. 
It was hard to believe that just happened so many cases, 
because the official reports of physicians contained only the 
facts. Television and broadcasting content with universal

appeals, which have appealed to morality
population.


         To be continued ...