“There were the news reports that some groups had been producing clandestine vaccine from human remains,” the flake said. Lieutenant Colonel Howard Ellington twitched right after speaking, one of his habits that had Brice right on the edge of murder.
“CDC?” Galloway said. “Comment?”
“It was doable,” Dr. Dobson said. “And, quietly, it was recognized in the immunology community that some people were doing it. By that I mean people with degrees who were in some sort of position to get the…materials. Which, admittedly, was being an accessory to murder. Given how things ended up going… I’m not going to point fingers or condemn. It wasn’t even particularly hard to do and much much faster than the alternatives. Frankly, if we’d just…processed those who became full neurological from the beginning we probably could have stopped this in its tracks. But nobody, then, was willing to even consider it. In retrospect…”
“That’s a hindsight I’m not sure I want to explore,” Galloway said.
“We may have to, sir, with respect,” General Brice said.
“Explain,” Galloway said.
“If we’re going to get vaccine to the uninfected crews… There aren’t a lot of other choices,” Brice said. “I don’t see anyone being able to produce the… Dr. Dobson…?”
“What the general is saying is that the attenuated vaccine is relatively easy to make,” Dobson said. “Not easy and there are dangers. But it’s doable. Whereas the crystal formation serum… We’ve got some here. Now. But it is exceedingly unlikely they have either the ability or the equipment to build it. And from the sounds of it, killing infected does not really bother some of them. Frankly, Mr. Galloway, the attenuated virus from infected homo sapiens is the only valid choice in terms of vaccine for the crews.”
“There’s one problem I’d like to bring up,” Commander Louis Freeman said. “Using an untested vaccine produced by people whose credentials we don’t even know on our last remaining operational military arm raises some issues.”
“You think?” Galloway said, chuckling.
The one of the things going for the NCCC, in Brice’s opinion, is that he had a great black sense of humor.
“Then there’s the whole chopping off people’s heads to make it, commander. I’m cognizant of the issues, Commander and we’ll cover them if and when we get to that point. But since the agenda for the rest of the day is watching the world not miraculously spring back to its feet, I’m declaring a blue sky discussion. Dr. Dobson, you know, more or less, what is required for…attenuated vaccine?”
“Yes, sir,” Dobson said. “General lab equipment. A controlled source of radiation such as an x-ray machine. Infected spinal cords. And a blender.”
“I think I know where the nukes can get some radiation,” Brice said.
“Controlled,” Dobson said. “I’m not sure exactly how much you can release from a nuke’s engine or how you’d do it. But the most important part is that it be controllable and precise. If you get too much, you do too much damage to the virus and it’s useless. Too little and you infect those you’re trying to vaccinate. That was one of the major mistakes that drug dealers, who were selling virus that was, in fact, attenuated, made. Some of them infected their customers, others gave them ‘vaccine’ that wasn’t much more than tap water with some random organic material in it. On the other hand, some of the materials collected off the street might as well have been made here. It was that good. Controlled.”
“There’s a way to do a release,” Commander Freeman said. “How controlled?”
“The radiation dosage for creating the primer is forty-three millicuries per second per milliliter in a standard microtube,” Dobson said. “For the booster, thirty-seven millicuries. If you’re off by as much as a millicurie or a tenth of a second, you get either useless or infection. That’s the danger of attenuated virus.”
“Damn,” Galloway said. “What would you suggest using if we, and I’m starting to think we can’t, use this method?”
“A cesium x-ray machine,” Dobson said. “And a lot of prayer. I’d suggest testing specific lots of the vaccine on specific crewmen. Absent them having picked up a microbiologist along the way or having someone familiar with successful attenuated vaccine production…”
CHAPTER 22
“Fish or cut bait?” Steve asked. “You want it or no?”
The 67' Bertram Convertible had taken a beating from the three zombies that had survived. It looked as if there had originally been six. But according to Stacey none of the damage was critical and it was basically a good boat.
“You missed your calling in life,” Blair said, shaking his head at the feces all over the saloon. “You should have been a yacht broker. It’s going to be a hell of a lot of clean-up.”
“If you don’t want it, I’ll find somebody who does,” Steve said. “That’s not being a prick. But if you don’t take it, somebody will. Sophia would take it like a shot.”
“Oh, I’ll take it,” Blair said. “I’m tired of getting beat to death on the Endeavor.”
“How are you with Sophia taking the Endeavor over?” Steve asked.
“Today?” Blair asked. “I’d like to take both into Bermuda and get this one cleaned up before changing over.”
“I can live with that,” Steve said. “Your crew could use some in-harbor time. By the way, if I haven’t said this, you’re doing a hell of a job. But after?”
“I’m good with Seawolf taking it,” Blair said. “She’s young but she’s good. What about the other captains?”
“You heard the vote the last time,” Steve said, shrugging. “There’s not anybody else with the same level of experience. Not that we’ve got right now. Maybe later. The problem’s going to be a crew.”
“You’re the history teacher,” Blair said, grinning. “That was always a problem for captains. Was before the plague. Good crew, anyway. Watch she doesn’t steal yours.”
“Which she probably will,” Steve said. “Okay, somebody’s got to drive this into Bermuda. Then get to work on it. When you’re ready to change-over, give me a holler. I’ll make sure the rest of the captains are good with Seaw… Sophia taking over.”
“Almost got you there,” Blair said, smiling.
“Da, you’ve got a call from the Sea Fit,” Sophia said, over the radio.
“Gotta go,” Steve said. “Good luck.” He stepped into some shit and shook his boot. “Seriously, good luck.”
“Thanks.”
* * *
“Sea Fit, Wolf,” Steve said. It was just easier that way.
“You’re going to need you and Cooper’s team on this one,” Captain Sherill said. “Big Coastie. And I mean big. One of their Famous class. More like a destroyer.”
“Oh, crap,” Sophia said.
“Cooper, are you monitoring?” Steve called.
“Roger. Location?”
“Three one point nine one five by seventy point seventy five two.”
“Roger,” Steve said, looking at the spot. “Be there in about…three.”
“Cooper will be about six,” Chris sent.
“Victoria, Wolf, over,” Steve said. He sighed and shook his head. “Victoria, Wolf, over.”
“Uh… Victoria…?”
“Tell Victoria actual to expect company,” Steve said. “Get the Large warmed up. We may have some customers.”
“Sorry, what?”
“Tell Mike Sea Fit found a cutter,” Steve said, carefully. “Did you get that?”
“I…what’s a cutter?”
“Is there any possibility I could speak to Mike?” Steve said, calmly.
“Yeah, hang on…”
* * *
“He’s going to go back to Bermuda and kill everybody,” Fontana said. He had his feet kicked up on the helm of the Cooper and was enjoying the radio play.