Children of the Miracle by Daniel Weisbeck

Author:Daniel Weisbeck [Weisbeck, Daniel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781527261501
Publisher: DJW Books
Published: 2020-06-28T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Mercy was trapped. After the terrifying experience in the forest, and now Chase’s confession of his personal feelings, she didn’t know which way to turn.

The words of the stranger in the hall began to haunt her once again, ‘You’re in danger.’ She thought about leaving the Sanctuary but quickly dismissed the idea as childish. No, she was much stronger than that. At the very least she should send Agent Basil a message to water her tree, she thought. But what would she tell him? Other than a stranger’s threat, there were no signs of danger. And the bear attack was her fault. If she were going to contact Agent Basil, she would need something more substantive.

‘Hope, pull up the report on MUTATION FFv1 ANTI-SPARG3. Have lab PVA run a full analysis of the viral mutation post antidote testing. I’m looking for anomalies that may have surfaced but were not pertinent to results. I want to see everything.’

The morning quickly passed as Mercy filed through reams of data, looking for anything unusual, and updating the search criteria in real-time. It was like looking for a snowflake in an avalanche, but this is what she excelled at: finding what others couldn’t.

By late afternoon, ready to give up for the day, Hope announced a breakthrough. ‘Doctor Mercy, the lab PVA, has run the current analysis. There is a change of nucleotide bases in the viral genome which match your criteria. The results indicate there is a forty-two percent probability of genetic modification using biotechnologies.’

Mercy sat back in her chair; eyes worried. Genetic engineering was only a hunch, one of several theories. But this was the one theory she desperately hoped was not true.

Why would someone engineer the mutation and who? She asked herself. Mercy needed absolute certainty before going to the Prime, and that meant getting into the lab and running tests on the live virus. But only a few scientists had access.

Mercy took a deep breath. ‘Hope, please call Doctor Chase.’

The holographic display lit up in Mercy’s apartment, and an image of Chase sitting at his desk appeared.

‘Doctor Mercy, how can I help?’ His tone was distant.

Mercy expected awkwardness but calling her by her professional title after everything they had been through together hurt. An air of something ending hung between them in a moment of silence, a door closing before fully opened.

‘Hello, Chase.’ Her voice was friendly. ‘I’d like to ask for permission to run some tests on the live virus.’

Chase offered a blank stare. ‘Why?’

‘I have an idea about a possible antigen,’ she lied.

‘We run all theories through simulation first, before live testing. I’m sure you can appreciate the extreme safety protocols around the virus. We are under strict orders to limit all unnecessary access.’

‘I understand,’ Mercy plotted quickly, ‘But I’m only here for a limited time. If I spend all my time in simulations, it will delay any real progress.’

Chase thought silently before answering. ‘Okay, I’ll set it up for tomorrow morning. There are protocols. But it shouldn’t be a problem.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.