Unfortunately, Seymour and Shanti have had shots of the vaccine and are still showing signs of the infection. Naturally, this makes us wonder if T-11 even works.
“Why are Seymour and Shanti still sick?” Matt asks Charlie.
The scientist doesn’t look a day over twenty, but he’s an amusing example of an immortal. He has a facial twitch that causes his right eye to blink whenever he speaks. He paces anxiously as he answers.
“A vaccine isn’t usually a cure, although most people think of it that way. You see it all the time on the news. People say, ‘When are they going to come up with an HIV vaccine so all the people with AIDS can be cured?’ But a vaccine is designed to prevent a disease, not to cure it. And Seymour and Shanti were already infected with X6X6 when they got their first shot of T-11.”
“But the shot seemed to stop the virus dead in its track,” Matt says. “All of us got better at first, and Teri and I continue to feel fine. It’s only Seymour and Shanti who are showing signs of a relapse.”
“You have a few black blisters,” Charlie says to Seymour and Shanti. “But you two feel okay, don’t you?”
“I feel fine,” Shanti says. “Except my face itches where I had plastic surgery.”
“My hands itch like crazy,” Seymour replies.
“Do you feel better since I gave you another shot this morning?” Charlie asks.
“I do,” Shanti says.
“I’m not sure,” Seymour says, doubtful.
Charlie continues to pace. “Your case is unusual. I gave you guys the vaccine just a few minutes after you got infected with the virus. The two compounds overlapped in your bodies in ways we won’t see in the general population.” Charlie pauses when he realizes what he’s saying. “That is, if we’re lucky enough to duplicate the vaccine and get it out to the world in time.”
“A big if,” Seymour grumbles.
Matt holds up his hand. “Let’s not go there yet. I want to know if the vaccine works, period. If it doesn’t, then there’s no point in trying to get help to spread it globally.”
“T-11 is definitely effective on Telar,” Charlie says. “It was designed with them in mind. After personally vaccinating five hundred Telar with T-11, I exposed them to the virus and nothing happened. They were immune.”
“So Telar and vampires like me are safe,” I say. “What about the other seven billion people on the planet?”
Charlie stops pacing and shrugs. “It must work to some extent on humans. Otherwise, Seymour and Shanti would be dead. It just has to be tweaked to accommodate a mortal immune system.”
“That’s the bottom line,” Matt says to Charlie. “Can you alter it to protect everyone?”
Charlie hesitates. “Yes.”
“But . . . ,” Seymour says, letting the word hang.
“But I’ll need a state-of-the-art laboratory and time,” Charlie says. “A few brilliant chemists and microbiologists helping out wouldn’t hurt.”
“Can you make up a list of human scientists that can help you?” Matt asks.
Charlie considers. “I have Telar friends that would be more helpful.”
Matt’s face darkens. “Who can you trust?”
“Those close to me. They’re not fans of Haru or anyone connected with the Source,” Charlie says.
I recall that Numbria, the Telar woman I interrogated and murdered, referred to the Telar high command as the Source. I got the impression there were only a dozen or so people on their high council.
“But they still fear the Source,” Matt says.
“Of course,” Charlie says. “We all fear them.”
“I want to stick with human scientists for now,” Matt says. “It will be safer. Later, if you’re not making progress, we can consider contacting your Telar friends.”
“How do we approach these scientists?” Seymour asks. “We can’t run around saying the world is ending. We need proof that the Telar exist and we need proof that they intend to release X6X6.”
“The contagious effects of the virus are easy to demonstrate,” Charlie says.
“In a lab, sure,” Seymour says. “But how are we going to get these brilliant men and women into your lab?” He turns to Matt. “You’ve been kicking around forever. You must have contacts in the government.”
“I know important people in this country and across Europe. They’ll take my calls if I contact them. But the moment I do, the Telar will know about it and they’ll come after me and whoever I talk to.”
“Then we’re screwed,” Seymour says.
Matt gives him a hard look. “That’s helpful. Give up at the start.”
“I’m just being pragmatic,” Seymour says. “Charlie’s told us that he and his Telar buddies have been working on the X6X6 virus for over twenty years. Do you seriously think he’s going to be able to modify it in two weeks so that it works on mortals?”
Matt turns to our resident scientist. “Charlie?”
Charlie is so hyped, he’s close to pulling out his hair. “I don’t know. I could stumble on a cure in an afternoon. Or it could take six months.”
“When does Haru plan to release the virus?” Seymour asks.
“No one knows for sure,” Matt replies.
“We heard it was going to be soon,” Charlie adds.
“We’re screwed,” Seymour repeats, not afraid to look Matt in the face when he says it. Yet it’s Charlie’s last remark that deflates the room. Our timetable for stopping the virus appears to be a fantasy.
It’s time for me to speak what’s on my mind.
Time for me to sound dangerously like Sita.
“We can’t stop the Telar without the IIC’s help,” I say.
“I disagree,” Matt says. “We have vials of T-11 and X6X6. We have Charlie, who helped create the virus and the vaccine. The IIC has nothing.”
“Then we should give them what we do have,” I say.
Matt studies me closely, alert to my tone, my choice of words, my way of thinking. There are so many ways for him to penetrate my disguise. But I’m careful; I’m good at mimicking Teri.
“Explain,” he says.
“The IIC and the Telar are already enemies. When it comes to power and influence, they’re about equal. More important, the IIC already know about the Telar. We don’t have to prove to them how dangerous they are, or their virus. The IIC will take one look at X6X6 and understand the threat it represents.”
“They’ll also immediately take it out of our hands,” Matt says.
“Maybe they should. They have resources we can’t imagine. I say we warn them about the coming plague.”
“That’s insane,” Matt snaps.
“It sounds reasonable to me,” Seymour says.
Matt stands and the force of his presence seems to fill the room.
“Are you forgetting the IIC is every bit as evil as the Telar?” he asks. “They have the Array. They have even used it on us a few times.”
“So?” Seymour says. “If they force us to jump off a building, what does it matter as long as they’re able to neutralize the virus?”
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend,” I say quietly.
“That’s bullshit and you know it, Teri,” Matt says. “If Sita was here she’d agree with me. The IIC may have the means to alter the vaccine and manufacture enough of it to save the world. But they’re the last group we should put in charge.”
“Why?” Seymour asks.
“Because we can’t trust them,” Matt says.
“You don’t like them because they forced you to shoot Sita,” Seymour says, in a slightly mocking tone. I wonder at his motives. Throughout the meeting, I have felt he’s trying to push Matt’s buttons. I know Seymour well enough to realize he must have a reason. But I fear for him. Like his father, Matt has a temper.
Matt stares at Seymour. “Maybe you’re right. Until you’ve had your free will ripped from your grasp, you can’t imagine what it’s like. Trust me, if it had happened to you, you’d want nothing to do with them either.”
Seymour meets his gaze. “How did they get their hooks in you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Did they have a sample of your blood?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Matt says.
“I’m sure you don’t,” Seymour says. “Let’s move on. The danger of this virus is too big for us to handle. If we have to make a deal with the IIC or the devil himself to make it go away, then so be it. No offense to Charlie and his pals, but we can’t rely on them to alter the vaccine and spread it all over the world in time to stop this plague. It’s not going to happen, not in the real world.”
“Seymour,” Matt says, “the vials of virus and the vials of the vaccine all represent power. We can’t just hand that power over to the IIC when we have no idea what their ultimate goals are. We would just be strengthening their position while we weaken ours.”