NP 1 - Hominids by Robert J. Sawyer

Author:Robert J. Sawyer [Sawyer, Robert J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: sf
Published: 2011-04-07T03:59:26+00:00

Chapter 25

Mary went to the front window of Reuben’s house and looked outside. Even though it was after 6:00 P.M., there would still be light for another couple of hours at this time of year, and—

Good God! The producer for Discovery Channel wasn’t the only one who had figured out where they were. Two TV vans with microwave antennas on their roofs, and three cars decorated with radio-station logos were outside as well, plus a beat-up Honda with one fender a different color than the rest of the car; it presumably belonged to a print journalist. Once the wire-service piece had gone out about her authenticating Ponter’s DNA, apparently everyone had started taking this seemingly impossible story seriously.

Reuben finally got off the phone. Mary turned to look at him.

“I’m not really set up for guests,” said the doctor, “but …”

“What?” said Louise, surprised.

But Mary had already figured it out. “We’re not going anywhere, are we?” she said.

Reuben shook his head. “The LCDC has ordered a quarantine on this building. Nobody goes in or out.”

“For how long?” said Louise, her brown eyes wide.

“That’s up to the government,” replied Reuben. “Several days, at least.”

“Days!” exclaimed Louise. “But … but …”

Reuben spread his hands. “I’m sorry, but there’s no telling what’s floating around in Ponter’s bloodstream.”

“What was it that wiped out the Aztecs?” asked Mary.

“Smallpox, mostly,” said Reuben.

“But smallpox …” said Louise. “If he had that, shouldn’t he have lesions on his face?”

“Those come two days after the onset of fever,” said Reuben.

“But, anyway,” said Louise, “smallpox has been eradicated.”

“In this universe, yes,” said Mary. “And so we don’t vaccinate for it anymore. But it’s possible—”

Louise nodded, getting it. “It’s possible it hasn’t been wiped out in his universe.”

“Exactly,” said Reuben. “And, even if it has been, there could be countless pathogens that have evolved in his world to which we have no immunity.”

Louise took a deep breath, presumably trying to stay calm. “But I feel fine,” she said.

“So do I,” said Reuben. “Mary?”

“Fine, yes.”

Reuben shook his head. “We can’t take any chances, though. They’ve got samples of Ponter’s blood over at St. Joseph’s; the woman I’m dealing with at the LCDC says she’ll speak to their head of pathology and run smears for everything they can think of.”

“Do we have enough food?” asked Louise.

“No,” said Reuben. “But they’ll bring us more, and—”

Ding-dong!

“Oh, Kee-ryst!” said Reuben.

“There’s somebody at the door!” declared Louise, looking out the front window.

“A reporter,” said Mary, seeing the man.

Reuben ran upstairs. For half a second, Mary thought he was going to get a shotgun, but then she heard him shouting, presumably through a window he’d opened up there. “Go away! This house is quarantined!”

Mary saw the reporter step back a few paces and tip his head up, looking at Reuben. “I’d like to ask you a few questions, Dr. Montego,” he called.

“Go away!” Reuben shouted back. “The Neanderthal is sick, and this place has been quarantined by the order of Health Canada.” Mary became aware of more vehicles arriving on the country road, and red-and-yellow lights starting to sweep across the scene.

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