Flight of the Maita Supercollection 3: Solving Galactic Problems Collector's Edition (61 page)

She had lists
of numbers of workers needed for each portion of the island's
society. She had thought of the absolute necessity of including a
lot of nonscientific workers. Even a therapeutic physical exercise
instructor was on the lists. He felt warm for some strange reason
and for the first time felt this had a very real chance of working
– at least as a self-supporting colony.

They would have
good leadership, but why not get one single responsible person to
handle all of these details?

They made their
plans and designed portable buildings that could be prefabricated
and moved in by helicopter, then cemented down onto strong
foundations. There could be a beginning colony in as little as
thirty eight days from start right there on that mesa. Long Island
was decided on and they moved from that point.

Mi certainly
was capable of making decisions! She had already decided that,
seeing there was excellent basalt, she would have a burner moved
in. They could produce their own cement, thus saving the need to
move so much heavy material. The harbor would be blasted as soon as
they could determine the shortest and safest route for it into a
defendable spot. Mi hated the idea they may be forced to ever fire
on anyone, but there was no way to avoid the possibility. She was
also realistic.

She already had
a group of farmers, fishermen and general maintenance personnel in
quarantine. The first groups were ready and anxious to go.

"We'll need
food and water before anyone else goes there," she explained. "Next
group will be technicians and lab aides. They'll prepare the labs
for the experiments the individual scientists are working on. The
research mustn't pause for one moment – and it WILL not! Anyone
will be able to step from their laboratory here in quarantine into
the one on the island and continue as though nothing has happened.
There must BE no breach of study! Even the one day spent in moving
the people is one day more than we can afford."

Hal looked at
her and felt the warmth again. He was so proud of her!

How silly!

* * *

Sop Lett leaned
back again to consider. He had still to find any pressing reason to
abandon the constitution, but it was equally – no. More – important
he have some story ready as soon as that island idea was in use to
ensure no one would ever attempt to go there. Some stories were
starting that there was some disease that had major world health
scientists "concerned" and that research was beginning on trying to
contain and cure it.

He picked up
the handcom and punched the code for the local international news
agency.

"Dok Finn
please? Sop Lett calling," he asked and was soon connected.

"Listen, Dok,"
he demanded in as much of a conspirational tone as he could manage.
"This cannot be connected with me in any way and I will deny I even
know what you are talking about if it ever comes up, but I have it
on VERY good authority from a very high official that this NSV
thing that is beginning to make the news is much more serious than
anyone knows. It could even become a plague and they do not know
how to stop it. The top council members including Enn Far himself
are almost in a panic. They have even taken extraordinary steps
already."

"Is Enn Far
your source?" Dok asked.

"No comment!"
Sop replied quickly – too quickly. It would be almost certain in
Dok's mind his source was council chairman Far. That was something
to grab the attention of these news people and get cooperation from
them early.

"What
extraordinary steps?" Dok asked.

"Well, this is
rumor, but I know of two people who have already been approached
about it. You know that group of islands down south?"

"Mekos or
Lupis?"

"The volcanic
ones that no one can get to. I guess that would be Mekos. Mekos
means firepot.

"Listen, Dok.
This thing, this NSV, is so virulent they are going to build some
sort of facility out there where they can be certain no one will
ever be able to get to it for the research facilities. They are
going to then isolate the top scientists there. No one will be
allowed in or out until they have found some way to fight the
thing. It is a major plague, goddamn it! And it has already
started! I cannot get any information about it. They all lock their
jaws and throw me out of the labs and agencies!

"Dok, this
thing scares hell out of me! Find out what we are not being
told!"

"Two things,
Sop," Dok said. "How in all the hells will they get anything onto
those islands and what do you mean by NSV?"

"NSV four
is what they are calling the disease, the virus," Sop answered.
Might as well give them shorthand for it. "It is for Nervous System
Virus mutation four. It can be detected in the carriers by what
they call N four A antibodies.

"They will have
to 'copter everything prefabbed onto a natural mesa or something
such. The first thing will be a large laser cannon and operator.
They are deadly serious that they will not allow anyone in or out,
then the buildings and then the people. I am not sure whether or
not they are going to have a bunch of infected people out there. It
would be easy enough to isolate them on one of the islands. Nobody
is going to move around much out there.

"No one who
goes after they carry in the lab supplies and the virus stock will
leave again and anyone who attempts to reach the islands will be
shot first, eliminating the questions later. This is big, Dok!
Huge!

"I do not
personally care about the facility. I am damned glad they have the
sense to put the thing way the hell out there and far away from the
populace in case of accident. I have always said and continue to
say that Far is one of the smartest men alive!

"Dok, I want to
know exactly what this damned plague is and how serious it could
get. Far does not pull punches and he does not run around the pond.
He hits hard and direct and he jumps right in. If he is hiding
something from us I want to know what! If it is so serious that he
would do this, I am, to express it bluntly, terrified! For all of
us!"

"You're
definitely not alone," Dok said dryly. "You've scared ten
millimeters from my growth already and I may be microscopic by the
time this is over if Far feels it's that serious. I'll get on it
yesterday!"

They soon hung
up and Sop leaned back. Now they can have an accident where the
virus is released on the island as soon as they are all there, he
thought. There is no doubt whatever that an "unimpeachable source"
will have the story on all the news channels within the hour. It
would be one of those "reliable sources" things at first, then
would slowly grow as facts were leaked out by selected
employees.

"It's started.
I hope we can stop it when the time comes!" he mumbled to
himself.

*

Enn Far stared
at the TV screen in shock and disbelief.

"...the islands
are totally inaccessible and are easily defended – though this
reporter assures you she would have to be taken there at gunpoint,
not kept away in that manner!

"What we want
to, nay MUST, know is exactly how serious is the threat from NSV
four? Just how much at risk are each of us in the general public?
How do we know who is a carrier? How is it spread? How fast?

"We know it
exists among the Passioneers, but what greater danger exists among
those of us not a part of that nut cult? Is it already among the
general public? Can things such as flies or gnats or other natural
pests spread this plague?

"We want
answers! That's what we have a national health office for! We want
to know the things they're paid to tell us! We want protection! We
want it now!

"Here we have
the health researcher, Gad Nott, who has spent as long as anyone
tracing this virus.

"Gad, tell us
what you know of this disease."

A rather
disreputable looking character was shown. He cleared his throat and
seemed unable to decide which camera to look to so his shot was
finally taken from a distance as he spoke.

"The
Passioneers aren't really where the virus got started, but that'll
be ignored by those with prejudices such as yourself," he replied,
getting a hard glare from the newswoman. "It's a type of systemic
virus that's carried by certain desert rodents. It has apparently
mutated into some new and much more virulent form. It's been known
for about ten years among the nomads. It was held in check by the
fact those people don't much mix with any other people.

"The
Passioneers traded with the desert nomads in the war of the scrolls
they had with the Cult of the Court of Dole. The only thing that's
saved the members of The Court Cult from the same disease is the
fact that it's forbidden among the cultists to touch one
another.

"So the plague
started among the nomads in a mutation from NSV three among the
rodents. The strange scientific fact about the virus is that NSV
three can't survive in us and NSV four can't survive in the
rodents. The mutation was on the PT carrier C six L nine chain P
three...."

"Yes, yes," the
newswoman interrupted. "I'm sure that's very interesting, but we
need to know about the danger to the general population from this
thing, not what kind of cute notations you scientists use among
yourselves."

Gad Nott leaned
back, interlaced his fingers over his ample stomach, then shook his
head. "Oh, it's probably not too terribly serious," he dismissed,
"It demands direct contact to transmit so all we have to do is not
touch anyone who has it. You see, the virus is a weak one that
can't survive exposure to light or air so it shouldn't be a problem
stopping its spread with a little simple precaution."

"I see," the
newswoman said. "Tell me, how do we tell who has the virus? I've
heard there are no symptoms for three years or more."

"We can test
for the antibodies," Gad answered.

"But won't it
be spread by carriers for as much as three or four years before
they even suspect they have it? Isn't THAT the dangerous time?" she
asked, leaning toward him.

Gad looked
shocked, then said excitedly, "Oh my! You're right! You're always
in contact with all kinds of people yourself and I've had direct
contact with you several times! Oh, dear!"

The newswoman's
eyes were wide. Her mouth hung open.

"Oh, hell!" Enn
snarled and shut the set off. "Who in all the HELLS let that out
about the islands?"

He called Hal
Korr, who didn't answer, then Mi Yinn where Hal Korr answered.

"What do you
know about the leak of information about those islands?" Enn
demanded.

They had no
idea what he was talking about so he told them to watch the set and
called Sop.

"Yes, I figured
it was time to start rumors the islands were among the most
dangerous places on this world to find oneself," Sop replied. "As
soon as our people are there word of an accident will get out that
will make the islands appear to be absolutely deadly for years to
come. It is time we begin to alert the population, too. We must
begin a system of rapid education so we can disseminate information
as quickly as we know anything at all. If we can get them in a
frame of mind to fight the disease perhaps we can avoid panic. If
the mass of the people start running and moving they will spread
the virus much more rapidly than if they stay put."

Enn thought
about it for a moment, then had to agree. "Why was the virus named
NSV four? And Sop, please let me know about these decisions in the
future. My heart can't stand many more shocks like that one! You
almost panicked ME! I already KNEW about it! What do you have as to
quarantining the scientists? Can we do it legally?"

"No, but that
is no problem for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is
that Mi Yinn is a true genius among geniuses. She already has her
first crew on the program. They will be ready to move to the
islands as soon as the facilities are completed. They are already
working on their individual projects while in isolation. Mi also
has the building and maintenance crew in isolation and has arranged
for everything – more than I could have thought of from the
perspective of someone not involved in such things.

"Hal is working
closely with her. He was on the islands a few years ago. That
should save us quite a lot of time as we can have so much of it
laid out in advance. We have the seed crops and other food plants
will be ready for immediate planting there. The farmers are going
with the maintenance crews, as are fishermen. Enough food will be
taken in for farmers to have time to produce, though I understand
there is a great variety of food already growing on the islands. We
will live like gourmets there.

"All of that is
being taken care of. Mi is taking full charge of each small thing
as it arises and is handling it. She is using the tactic of telling
the people she wants on the island the entire truth, then they are
going into immediate testing and isolation. She has found several
already with the antibodies, you know – I named it Nervous System
Virus number four, NSV four for short, to give it a label in the
people's minds – Mi said it means the virus is much more ingrained
than we had ever supposed to find so much in the kinds of people
she chose for the island.

"She tested me
herself, and Hal. She and Hal are as much as in isolation now. I am
going into isolation and I think you should, too."

"That isn't
vaguely possible. I must remain fully accessible to the people.
That's a clear duty."

"It is a clear
death sentence!" Sop snapped. "We need you to hold this nation,
even this world, together!"

"I'll live for
at least three years. That'll be enough. I've got to accept that
I'm in no position to protect myself."