mc.prey-第68章

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y　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　bacteria　provide　the　raw　ingredients　for　the　particles　to　reproduce　themselves。　Right？　Okay。　So　if　the　bacteria　die；　the　swarm　dies　too？〃
　〃Probably。〃　She　frowned。　〃Are　you　thinking　of　an　antibiotic？　Giving　everyone　an　antibiotic？　Because　you　need　a　lot　of　antibiotics　to　clear　an　E。　coli　infection；　they'd　have　to　take　drugs　for　several　days；　and　I　don't…〃
　〃No。　I'm　not　thinking　of　antibiotics。〃　I　tapped　the　tank　in　front　of　me。　〃I'm　thinking　of　this。〃
　〃Phage？〃
　〃Why　not？〃
　〃I　don't　know　if　it　will　work；〃　she　said。　She　frowned。　〃It　might。　Except　。。。　how're　you　going　to　get　the　phage　into　them？　They　won't　just　drink　it　down；　you　know。〃
　〃Then　we'll　fill　the　atmosphere　with　it；〃　I　said。　〃They'll　breathe　it　in　and　they'll　never　know。〃
　〃Uh…huh。　How　do　we　fill　the　atmosphere？〃
　〃Easy。　Don't　shut　down　this　tank。　Feed　the　bacteria　into　the　system。　I　want　the　assembly　line　to　start　making　virus…a　lot　of　virus。　Then　we　release　into　the　air。〃　Mae　sighed。　〃It　won't　work；　Jack；〃　she　said。
　〃Why　not？〃
　〃Because　the　assembly　line　won't　make　a　lot　of　virus。〃
　〃Why　not？〃
　〃Because　of　the　way　the　virus　reproduces。　You　know…the　virus　floats　around；　attaches　to　a　cell　wall；　and　injects　itself　into　the　cell。　Then　it　takes　over　the　cell's　own　RNA；　and　converts　it　to　making　more　viruses。　The　cell　ceases　all　its　normal　metabolic　functions；　and　just　cranks　out　viruses。　Pretty　soon　the　cell　is　packed　with　viruses；　and　it　bursts　like　a　balloon。　All　the　viruses　are　released；　they　float　to　other　cells；　and　the　process　starts　all　over。〃
　〃Yes　。。。　so？〃
　〃If　I　introduce　phage　into　the　assembly　lines；　the　virus　will　reproduce　rapidly…for　a　while。　But　it　will　rupture　a　lot　of　cell　membranes；　leaving　behind　all　those　membranes　as　a　lipid　crud。　The　crud　will　clog　the　intermediate　filters。　After　about　an　hour　or　two；　the　assembly　lines　will　start　to　overheat；　the　safety　systems　will　kick　in；　and　shut　everything　down。　The　whole　production　line　will　just　stop。　No　virus。〃
　〃Can　the　safety　systems　be　turned　off？〃
　〃Yes。　But　I　don't　know　how。〃
　〃Who　does？〃
　〃Only　Ricky。〃
　I　shook　my　head。　〃That　won't　do　us　any　good。　Are　you　sure　you　can't　figure　out…〃
　〃There's　a　code；〃　she　said。　〃Ricky's　the　only　one　who　knows　it。〃
　〃Oh。〃
　〃Anyway；　Jack；　it'd　be　too　dangerous　to　turn　off　the　safeties。　Parts　of　that　system　operate　at　high　temperature；　and　high　voltages。　And　there's　a　lot　of　ketones　and　methane　produced　in　the　arms。　It's　continuously　monitored　and　drawn　off　to　keep　the　levels　below　a　certain　concentration。　But　if　it　isn't　drawn　off；　and　you　start　high　voltage　sparking　。。。〃　She　paused；　shrugged。
　〃What're　you　saying？　It　could　explode？〃
　〃No；　Jack。　I'm　saying　it　will　explode。　In　a　matter　of　minutes　after　the　safeties　are　shut　off。　Six；　maybe　eight　minutes　at　most。　And　you　wouldn't　want　to　be　there　when　that　happens。　So　you　can't　use　the　system　to　produce　a　lot　of　virus。　Safeties　on　or　safeties　off；　it　just　won't　work。〃　Silence。
　Frustration。
　I　looked　around　the　room。　I　looked　at　the　steel　tank；　curving　upward　over　my　head。　I　looked　at　the　rack　of　test　tubes　at　Mae's　feet。　I　looked　in　the　corner；　where　I　saw　a　mop；　a　bucket；　and　a　one…gallon　plastic　bottle　of　water。　And　I　looked　at　Mae；　frightened；　still　on　the　verge　of　tears；　but　somehow　holding　it　together。
　And　I　had　a　plan。
　〃Okay。　Do　it　anyway。　Release　the　virus　into　the　system。〃
　〃What's　the　point　of　that？〃
　〃Just　do　it。〃
　〃Jack；〃　she　said。　〃Why　are　we　doing　this？　I'm　afraid　they　know　that　we　know。　We　can't　fool　them。　They're　too　clever。　If　we　try　to　do　this；　they'll　be　onto　us　in　a　minute。〃
　〃Yes；〃　I　said。　〃They　probably　will。〃
　〃And　it　won't　work；　anyway。　The　system　won't　make　viruses。　So　why；　Jack？　What　good　will　it　do？〃
　Mae　had　been　a　good　friend　through　all　this；　and　now　I　had　a　plan　and　I　wasn't　going　to　tell　her。　I　hated　to　do　it　this　way；　but　I　had　to　make　a　distraction　for　the　others。　I　had　to　fool　them。　And　she　had　to　help　me　do　it…which　meant　she　had　to　believe　in　a　different　plan。　I　said；　〃Mae；　we　have　to　distract　them；　to　fool