Riposte (The Redivivus Trilogy Book 2) Page 6

  Although she had no way to access the files on the USB drive tucked safely in her pocket, she had spent enough time studying them on the flight from Brazil to the United States to know the basics of what the scientists had done. In the construction of LNV, the researchers began with a replication-deficient retroviral vector—a virus similar in structure to the dreaded human immunodeficiency virus. A vector, much like the body of an automobile, is essentially a shell that can be fitted with various modifications and customizations in order to suit the needs of its creator. Their need, of course, was the ability to efficiently and discretely kill another human being. Within that human, their targets were the cardiovascular and central nervous systems.

  The first step in the construction of such a pathogen was to gut the original virus, removing those qualities they did not wish it to possess, and making room for those they wished to add. The latter was accomplished through the insertion of novel plasmids of their own design. A plasmid is nothing more than a segment of DNA or RNA—the blueprint of life—and in the case of LNV, it was engineered with genes stolen from the rabies virus, among others, in order to facilitate its infectivity and lethality.

  By incorporating rabies’ unique ability to invade the brain by travelling hidden inside nerves accessed near the site of infection, the researchers managed to circumvent one of the human body’s most formidable defenses: the blood-brain barrier. Essentially, the virus was engineered to slip in through the back door without ever being detected. Once there, it had unrestricted access to the sensitive mainframe that is the human brain. It was also protected from the host’s defenses as they are excluded from the central nervous system by this barrier; as though the crime taking place right under their noses is simply beyond their jurisdiction.

  Lin shuddered at the thought of all the harm the diabolical pathogen could cause from such a vantage point. How can the body begin to fight an enemy it doesn’t even know is there? Once it does make itself known, it is already entrenched so far behind enemy lines there is precious little that can be done about it. Rabies has been around for thousands of years, and we’ve come up with almost nothing to treat infection once it makes it that far. How can I expect to accomplish more in a just few short months? If it takes any longer than that, it won’t likely matter anyway…

  Once inside the host’s brain, LNV produces a novel protein called tetrodotoxin-related protein, or TTXrP. Like the potent neurotoxin synthesized by bacteria living within various sea creatures such as the pufferfish, TTXrP interferes with the function of sodium channels embedded in the outer walls of nerve cells located in both the heart and nervous system. With these channels blocked, the nerves are unable to send their vital transmissions. The end result of this communication blackout should be muscle paralysis, impaired sensation, abnormal heart rhythms, respiratory failure, and ultimately death. As Lin thought about her experience at the air reserve base, she knew with absolute certainty that the true end result of LNV was not death; at least not as she had come to understand it.

  Dr. Lin San’s scientific mind processed the few hard facts she had regarding the pathogen with the cold, objective detachment of a computer analyzing data, trying to cull the plague down to its fundamentals. Even the facts, she acknowledged, were a far cry from facts as she was accustomed to them. Being unable to verify much of what she knew left her feeling as though she were accepting a great deal of information on faith alone. As a lifelong scientist, that was not something she was overly comfortable doing. She found this prospect even more disconcerting when she considered that those she had placed her faith in were the very monsters responsible for the creation of the vile pathogen in the first place. What else can I do? I really don’t have any other choice. Even if I had the facilities and equipment to verify their experiments, there is no time for such things. In the end, she felt as though she repeatedly came up against a brick wall, her analytical mind flashing an ominous error message at the conclusion of every stream of thought.

  DOES NOT COMPUTE. DOES NOT COMPUTE. DOES NOT COMPUTE.

  Frustrated, she gazed out the window at the carnage besetting the world around her. No longer could she find even a trace of the fleeting sense of normalcy she felt moments ago. She tried to clear her mind of the science of the situation, instead looking at things from the perspective of an active observer who had lived through the nightmare enveloping the world. While that approach left no unproven facts to torment her, she found more than enough other things to cover that job.

  The rate of infection following inoculation with blood or saliva appeared to be nearly 100%, but the mortality rate—if that metric even applied—was another matter all together. That is, it was unclear if those who were infected actually died in the traditional sense or if they were severely weakened after being hijacked by the invading pathogen. Dr. Johnson’s notes indicated they detected persistent, extremely low-level vital signs in Lazarus after the animal had been pronounced dead. I suppose there is precious little difference. Alive or dead—they certainly aren’t living as we’ve come to accept it. This was at the heart of her biggest question: What exactly did LNV do to its victims if not kill them, and by what means did it accomplish this?

  Anatomically, the infected looked grossly human, but the similarities vanished soon after that. Nothing else about the monsters now inhabiting the world resembled anything she had come to know and accept about humans and life. From a physiological standpoint, she had no idea what systems remained functional, and which were no longer necessary for their survival.

  Lin knew she would have little chance of finding any useful treatment until she gained a better understanding of LNV’s pathophysiology. If indeed the bodies of the infected were somehow shanghaied and kept alive by the virus, how long could that last? Surely the vile process behind such an egregious hijacking was not so sophisticated that it could sustain a complex system like the human body for an extended period of time. At this point, the virus simply had not been around long enough to adequately answer that question. Every question that entered Lin’s mind led to more questions instead of answers.

  How were the infected able to survive the degree of injury and mutilation she had witnessed, and still remain an ambulatory threat? A great number of them endured multiple traumatic insults that should have quickly led to human death, yet they appeared largely unfazed in most cases. It seemed that only severe damage to the central nervous system could cause their true demise. Short of that, any other injury merely maimed the infernal things—slowing them down at best, or doing precious little at worst. Lin thought that she might be able to learn more about which body systems, if any, were necessary for their survival by more careful observation of the effects of various injuries.

  What allowed them to move tirelessly for seemingly indefinite periods of time without the need for rest? Lin postulated that infection with LNV might lead to a dramatic alteration in the host’s basal metabolic rate. By shutting down parts of the human body deemed non-essential or even deleterious to the virus’ purpose, particularly those with high energy consumption like the cerebral cortex, the overall energy requirements could be dramatically reduced. While not seen in humans, such occurrences were not unique in the animal world. Dormancy is seen in various forms including hibernation, a primarily mammalian phenomenon. The metabolic depression that occurs during this state is often associated with a significant reduction in body temperature as well as a reduction in respiratory and heart rate, the latter to as low as 5% of its normal value. Like Lazarus… When a bear hibernates, its basal metabolic rate drops to less than 75% of normal, while other animals exhibit an even greater decrease. By what mechanism this could occur, Lin was not sure. Perhaps the increased activity in the hypothalamus reported by Dr. Johnson was responsible. She knew that compounds such as dynorphin A and enkephalin are found in high concentrations in that area of the brain, and are thought to be potential triggers for hibernation in some mammals. That would explain why the infected often appear completely inacti
ve in the absence of stimuli. Could such a phenomenon be switched on and off just by specific sensory input?

  What senses allow the infected to locate the uninfected? How can they tell when someone is uninfected? Lin believed the infected retained at least some degree of sight, though she hardly imagined it was anything close to the acuity of normal human vision. Perhaps they could merely detect alterations in light, which could be interpreted as movement. The fact that they seemed to have difficulty seeing anything far away or moving very slowly supported that assumption.

  Having watched as countless people were attacked after screaming or making some other noise, she felt certain that hearing was preserved, and perhaps even heightened. It seemed clear that hearing played an integral role in their ability to track as well. Although she could not conceive of a way that hearing sensitivity could be enhanced at the cellular level, it seemed quite plausible that the infected could become more adept at processing auditory information—in much the same way that a blind person becomes more reliant on other senses in the absence of vision. Were that the case, she imagined that the younger a person was at the time of infection, the more keen its hearing would be, and the more dangerous it would be. Lin made a mental note to look for any evidence to support that theory.

  Smell, being one of the oldest and most evolutionarily preserved senses, was almost certainly a significant factor in the ability of the infected to hone in on uninfected humans. While humans relied on smell much less than most animals, due to evolutionary improvements in other senses like vision, the hardware and wiring were all still in place. Further, when Lin thought about smelling food in the absence of any emotional context or intellectual concerns about whether it was a healthy choice or if it would make her fat, olfaction seemed more like a reflex. Smell food—eat food.

  Regardless of the sense in question, it seemed probable that without the background noise generated by the higher functions of the big human brain, more focus could be placed on a specific sensory input, leading to a relatively stronger, cleaner signal. All of these suppositions were just that—untested assumptions—and Lin was certain she would be given ample opportunity to validate them if she survived.

  Perhaps the most perplexing question of all was how did the virus described in Dr. Johnson’s journal entries transform into the demon currently destroying humanity? According to the documents on the USB drive, the researchers had been close to successfully creating a rather sophisticated bio-assassination weapon, but somewhere along the way something went terribly wrong. Lin thought the answer to that question might also be the secret to unraveling LNV itself.

  While the virus sweeping through the world’s population certainly destroyed those it infected, Lin was not certain that it killed them. Moreover, it lacked the specificity they originally intended; this virus was plenty capable of replication as well as human-to-human transmission. Were these simply unknown characteristics of LNV-human interaction or had the virus somehow changed, mutating into something far more diabolical? Once again, Lin repeatedly found herself running into the same brick wall, her more experiential side offering error messages of its own.

  Unbelievable. How is any of this shit even possible? This can’t really be happening.

  Understanding that time was of the essence, Lin reflected on these questions despite her overwhelming exhaustion. The thought of the daunting task ahead was like a battering ram, slamming her brain against the inside of her skull repeatedly. Everything swirled through her mind at once, making it virtually impossible to get a firm grasp on any one idea. Her breathing grew restricted and a feeling of lightheadedness settled over her. I can’t do this! I can’t do this! Why the hell did they pick me? I can’t do this! It was all too much.

  Lin’s burgeoning self-doubt made her question whether it was even worth trying. Is it not already too late? The problem had so many variables that every question proved more mind-boggling than the last. Although she knew the data on the USB drive likely gave her a leg-up on anyone else who might be working toward a cure, she worried it would not be enough to make a difference in time. Lin also knew that she could not accept the situation as it was without seriously rethinking many of the fundamental scientific principles that had played such an instrumental role in shaping her life. Even so, she had observed LNV in action with her own eyes; she could not refute that.

  The more she thought about the prospect of a cure, it seemed inconceivable that many of the infected she had seen could survive, even if the virus could somehow be eradicated from their bodies. Such were the severity of injuries often incurred by the infected. Assuming recovery was possible, would people even want to? Would they have any recollection of the things they had done? If so, it would certainly create an all-new category of PTSD.

  In light of her serious doubts, Lin shifted from thoughts of eradicating the disease to those of preventive vaccination or post-exposure prophylaxis. When she considered a vaccine, she wondered if there were enough humans left, and if they could hold on long enough for such a thing to be created. Even if they succeeded in creating an effective vaccine, she had no idea how they would distribute it to the isolated pockets of survivors she hoped still dotted the globe. Lin knew, or at least hoped, that if infection could be prevented in a handful of people, perhaps they would be sufficient to rekindle the entire human population. After all, regardless of one’s beliefs on the matter, the world’s human population had been little more than that at some point in the remote past.

  Lin’s scattered thoughts were interrupted abruptly by the sound of tires screeching against pavement and the sensation of being hurled toward the seat in front of her. Sliding forward, her nose smashed into the headrest of the front passenger seat, causing her eyes to water profusely. She let out a pained yelp and silently cursed herself for being too preoccupied to put her seatbelt on when she got back into the vehicle. As she cleared her involuntary tears, she raised her head to search for the cause of their sudden stop, simultaneously noting that no one else in the vehicle was making a sound. With jaws hanging slack in disbelief, the other three occupants of the truck stared straight ahead at something in the distance. Following their gaze, Lin instantly joined their incredulous gawking.

  Up to that moment, the ride had been rather uneventful by current standards. It had been slow going as Sergeant Garza was forced to weave in and out of abandoned cars as he drove; only having to go completely off-road to circumvent the occasional heavy pile-up. On the contrary, the scene sprawled out ahead of them was magnificent in scale. Afflicting the entire landscape for as far as the eye could see, it exuded such pervasive desolation that it seemed wholly manmade, like some grandiose Hollywood movie set. The gestalt was not unlike that Garza had experienced when looking at photos of the uninhabited exclusion zone around Chernobyl; such was the sense of despondency and absolute abandonment.

  Otherwise familiar artifacts of humanity lay dormant—contorted into completely alien configurations that sent icy chills up Garza’s spine. Seeing many car doors left wide open, he briefly entertained the idea that the vehicles had been rendered useless by an EMP attack, causing their occupants to simply walk away. In truth, he realized it was likely an oversight caused by the urgency with which people were forced to flee their trapped vehicles. Thinking back to the horrors he witnessed at Dobbins, he shuddered and tried to steer his mind away from such thoughts.

  After a long period of stunned silence, Corporal Rocha quietly said, “Holy Mother, help us. What the hell happened here?”

  Ahead, the road they were on had once traversed an extended overpass that spanned an interstate running in a roughly perpendicular direction. The interstate had a total of six lanes, three in each direction, separated by a narrow swath of land. Traffic on the road below was far more gridlocked than on the one they were currently travelling. Crammed in bumper-to-bumper like crazed fans trying desperately to reach the big concert in time, those on the road below didn’t stand a chance when thousands of tons of concrete and meta
l came crashing down upon them. Whether the collapse was due to the combined weight of all the automobiles sitting idly on the overpass at one time or some other force, they did not know. Either way, the result was total devastation. Concrete and metal entwined together in a massive, jumbled heap. Withering tentacles of smoke rose wearily from the remnants of dwindling fires long past their prime. Aside from that, they saw no movement among the wreckage.

  While General Montes remained at a loss for words, Garza croaked out a single word, summing the situation up perfectly.

  “Shit.”

  As the shock of witnessing such devastation faded, they discussed a plan to get around this new and imposing obstacle. Finding his voice, General Montes spoke for the first time since they arrived at the collapse. “First thing’s first. We need to get closer and scout out the situation. We need to know exactly what we are dealing with.”

  With everyone in agreement, the four cautiously climbed out of the truck. Garza and Rocha took point, and upon finding no apparent danger in the immediate vicinity, they signaled for General Montes and Dr. San to join them. Without making a sound, they advanced toward the edge of the ruined interstate in a low crouch. They weaved through the stalled cars—weapons at the ready, heedful of the impairment the vehicles posed to their ability to maintain complete situational awareness. They also knew that while many had become tombs, any one of them could be a deathtrap in disguise; one of the infected restrained inside, waiting for unsuspecting prey to wander too close like a Venus fly trap waiting for a fly to come into range.

  During the drive from the airbase, General Montes gave Lin a crash course on using the Sig Sauer 9mm semiautomatic handgun he had given her. As she advanced ahead of him, Montes noticed with approving admiration that she held the weapon in a proper two-handed grip—her support hand dutifully wrapped around her strong hand positioned high on the gun’s back strap.