Dr. Hsu was accompanied by two staff researchers, each carrying a tablet computer for recording notes. They all wore surgical masks containing activated charcoal embedded with silver nanoparticles. The masks were designed to trap and sanitize air-born microbes.
The doctor was conducting his morning rounds. He stopped at the foot of a simple metal-frame bed with a clipboard hanging from the footboard. Fastened to the clipboard were the subject’s medical charts. The male subject lying in the bed was asleep.
As Dr. Hsu scanned the notes on the charts, he pinched his eyebrows. “This subject was injected two days ago?”
“Yes, doctor,” replied one of the researchers after consulting the computerized records.
“I see the subject is showing the normal early signs of infection. Good… as expected.” Dr. Hsu put the clipboard down and moved to the next bed.
This subject was awake as he approached and lunged for the doctor. It was a weak effort, easily restrained by the nylon straps binding his arms and legs to the bed frame. The man shouted in his native language, no doubt some curse aimed at the doctor and his staff. No sooner had the words come out when he retched in convulsions, his body going into spasms, trying to double over. As his muscles contracted, his arms and legs yanked against the straps and further chaffed—the skin already rubbed off in many places.
“This subject was injected with the virus three days ago,” commented the other researcher.
Dr. Hsu nodded and studied the medical chart. “Severe cramps, nausea… vomiting began earlier this morning. Make sure the subject stays on a saline drip; I don’t want him to dehydrate. Begin administering Halotestin, 60 milligrams per day, IV drip. And take a bone sample; I want to monitor the rate of progress of the cellular reconstruction.”
Both researchers bowed, indicating their obedience.
Although there were other beds and other subjects in the room, the trio left with Dr. Hsu in the lead. He entered the hallway and walked only a short distance before entering another room, this one rather small and equipped with numerous air intakes that allowed the room to be maintained at a slightly negative pressure of filtered and sterilized air. The door shut behind them automatically.
Hanging on the wall were white, sterile, hooded jumpsuits. Hsu slipped into one and zipped it up all the way to his chin, pulling the hood snuggly over his head and neck; the two researchers did likewise. Next, they each donned a pair of nitrile gloves and then a full facemask. The mask fit tightly, sealing the hood against the chin, cheeks and forehead.
Attached to the facemask was a device that looked very similar to a diver’s rebreather. It consisted of an aluminum tube mounted horizontally. The tube contained sodium peroxide, a chemical that liberates pure oxygen when it reacts with the moisture and carbon dioxide exhaled by the user. A mesh pad impregnated with silver nanoparticles filtered the oxygen to provide an added measure of safety by destroying bacteria and viruses.
After checking to make sure that his mask was properly fitted and sealed, Dr. Hsu opened a second door and entered a large room with twelve beds arranged in two rows of six; four of the beds were empty. Along the wall behind each bed ran a green pipe containing oxygen with a gas regulator located at each bed. Attached to the regulator was a length of clear plastic tubing connected to a simple facemask that could be placed over the subject’s nose and mouth. LCD monitors above each bed displayed the subject’s blood pressure and pulse in real time. A portable defibrillator was pushed off to the side of the room.
All of the subjects exhibited signs of bleeding—extreme in some cases. The evidence was all over the bed sheets. The room was quiet, except for an occasional groan.
“These subjects—” that’s how Hsu thought of them, as subjects rather than patients, “—were all infected with the most recent variation at the same time?”
“Yes. Formula 26rh8. They were infected almost nine days ago,” one of the researchers replied.
Dr. Hsu knew that this formula was based on a derivative of the Ebola-Sudan virus, a variation of the Filoviridae virus that causes hemorrhagic fever.
The other researcher added, “Four of the subjects died during the night.”
“The cause?” demanded Hsu.
“It was a combination of blood loss, liver damage, and systemic shock.”
Dr. Hsu smiled. “Excellent! Keep me informed as the symptoms progress in the remaining subjects. Once the control experiment is complete we can test the new viral carrier for the foreign DNA.”
The two researchers exchanged a confused glance; then one dared to ask the question that was suddenly burning in both minds. “I don’t understand, sir. Did you say this is a control experiment?”
Hsu spun on his heels, he did not care to be questioned. “Of course! How else would we know if the viral insertion is inducing any new side effects? Besides, the mutated viral strain we are using—with similarities to both the Sudan strain and the Zaire strain—has not been studied in depth.”
“I’m sorry, sir. I just don’t understand why the Filoviridae virus is considered a candidate host to insert the foreign DNA into the subjects. The virus induces such severe systemic damage to the subject’s body… the mortality rate is as high as 90 percent.”
“Yes, and our control experiment will certainly verify that result.”
“But with such a high mortality rate, how can the procedure be effective?”
“Effective can have many different meanings. With procedure 33vK the subjects are likely to survive the transformation, and we have seen the results, which are quite impressive. But the Ad14 virus is weak; it can be treated and killed with new drugs. In contrast, the Ebola virus is far more robust.” The gleam in Dr. Hsu’s eyes shone through his clear plastic face shield.
“There are few effective treatments for hemorrhagic fever. What treatments there are remain expensive and in short supply, partly due to the ease with which the virus naturally mutates into a distinctly new strain, still deadly but resistant to prior medications. It is the perfect carrier for the foreign DNA!”
The researchers stared back at Dr. Hsu, admiring his twisted brilliance but also not fully comprehending his ultimate objectives in these experiments.
“It is evident you don’t understand.”
The two researchers had blank expressions.
“It should be obvious.” Hsu was imagining himself lecturing to a room full of students. “The Ad14 virus infects hundreds of millions of people each year. Even though it is relatively harmless, it is a nuisance. Drug companies and medical labs will eventually find an effective vaccine, and when they do… well then, procedure 33vK will be far less effective.
“But, the Ebola virus—aside from the occasional regional outbreaks—infects on average only a few hundred people each year and therefore, even though it is quite lethal, it usually does not merit much attention. There simply is not enough profit to be made by developing an effective treatment, let alone an effective vaccine.”
“But if the mortality rate remains high,” one of the researchers interjected, “then most of the subjects will die before the transformation is complete. I don’t see how this moves us toward the Committee’s goal of engineering a superior soldier?”
Dr. Hsu smiled behind the surgical mask, his eyes reflecting excitement. “You seem to confuse effectiveness with yield. If the mortality rate of 26rh8 is high, it simply means we need a larger population to infect. This is not a difficult problem.”
Both researchers stared blankly back at Dr. Hsu.
“These issues do not concern either of you.” Hsu moved on to the next bed and then the next. After completing his inspection, and satisfied with the data, he turned back to the two researchers who were following three steps behind.
“When this control experiment is finished, we will move into the next phase. This work is very important. Procedure 33vK has proved sufficient for making a super soldier, and that work showed us possibilities never before imagined. You see, once we perfect the 26rh8 formula and procedure, we will have an invincible biological weapon. One for which there is no vaccine and no cure.”