Late April 2025
Secret Bioresearch Lab at Yulin Naval Base in Hainan, China
It is past midnight, and two agents from the Ministry of State Security are talking in hushed tones. One of them is wearing a biohazard suit and carrying a small medical kit.
The agent in regular clothing says, “Hurry, we need to get out of here before we are noticed. Remember, you are doing this for the Party and you have been bioengineered to be immune to the harmful effects of influenza viruses, but to still be a carrier and remain fully infectious.”
While this is occurring, Dr. Johnson watches from a hopefully safe distance.
The man in a biohazard suit opens a door marked “Biosafety Level 4,” and after entering, he removes his biohazard suit and other clothing. He enters and walks through a shower area; moves into a changing area, where he puts on a positive-pressure suit; and then walks through the decontamination shower area before finally opening the door to enter the BSL4 lab environment while still carrying the small medical kit.
Once inside, he activates the automated system to select a virus sample. A circular containment device in the interior of the system rotates. He stops the rotation when it reaches a sample labeled “H1N1 maximum HA and PB2 enhancement,” and he then uses a robotic arm to retrieve the sample. He opens the medical kit and takes out a syringe, which he uses to extract a portion of the sample. Then he attaches a nasal adaptor to the syringe, removes his protective headgear, and injects the sample into his nasal passageway. After that, he reattaches his headgear and disposes of the syringe and the medical kit.
He then reopens the interior door and exits the lab; when the door is fully closed, he pushes a button labeled “Begin Decontamination Shower.” After that shower, he enters the next room, where he removes the positive-pressure suit before entering the next shower. Following that shower, he enters the last room, where he dresses once again in his original biohazard suit before finally opening the last door and rejoining the other agent.
They then depart quickly. As they leave, the one in regular clothing glances in the direction of Dr. Johnson. Dr. Johnson ducks out of sight, hoping that he was not noticed.
After the agents exit, Dr. Johnson enters the BSL4 lab and is shocked when he sees where the automated lab equipment is positioned.
Dr. Johnson returns to his apartment. His body is shaking, and he picks up his cell phone.
“Hello, Mike. Not good. We have a big problem.”
There is pounding on the door to Dr. Johnson’s apartment.
Someone shouts, “State security. Open immediately.”
Dr. Johnson turns toward the door and says into his phone, “The Chinese took the H1N1 maxed out on HA and PB2.”
The apartment door is broken open; security agents rush into the apartment and grab Dr. Johnson. One of them says, “You are under arrest.” Another one takes the phone out of Johnson’s hand and pushes the button to end the conversation.
Washington DC
Dr. Gates is trying to reconnect his call with Dr. Johnson. He tries several times, but he can only get his voice mail. His hands are trembling, and he drops the phone. He says to himself, “What have I done? What have I done?”
Dr. Gates pulls himself together and travels to the White House, where the president meets with him.
“Hello, Mike.”
“Hello, Mr. President.”
“So why the urgency?”
“I got a call from Mark Johnson in China. He said that the Chinese took one of the viruses that we developed. And then it sounded like they arrested him. His phone went dead, and I haven’t been able to get through to him since then.”
“Wow. I’ll get on top of this immediately and find out what’s going on.”
“Thank you, Mr. President. Also, the virus that Mark said they took is one that could make COVID-19 look like a minor annoyance.”
“Thank you for bringing this to my attention.”
That evening, Dr. Gates is in his home, trying to figure out what is going on, when the doorbell rings. He opens the door and finds a team of agents.
“Hello, what can I do for you?”
“Dr. Gates?”
“Yes.”
“We are with Homeland Security, and you will have to accompany us.”
“What’s happening?”
“You are being investigated for subversive activities.”
The agents escort Dr. Gates into their waiting SUV.