按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
de。〃
〃Human guinea pigs；〃 Golding said。 She was a veteran of the wars on cancer and AIDS。 She knew the temptations to use live humans。 But no one had ever dared cross that line with actual clones。
〃Elise；〃 said Abbot； 〃this thing is moving faster than our ability to understand it。 Our existence may depend on what they're doing here； even if it involves human surrogates。〃
〃Humanbeings；〃 Golding said。
〃For what it's worth；〃 said Cavendish； 〃we only use the dead。 It makes the experiments easier on our staff。〃 You're not the only one with a conscience； you know。 We debated using real people。 Death row inmates or paid volunteers。 But few of our people were ready for that。 Also； ethics aside； our secrecy would have been breached。 Someone out there would have gotten wind of it and panicked the masses。 The dead； on the other hand； are forgotten。 Buried。 No one is minding them。 And finally； each of the clones has lived one life pletely。 They've had their turn； so to speak。〃
〃Why not take skin cells from lab workers？〃 she said。 〃Why not use your own clone？〃 It didn't change the argument one bit； but she needed to buy time； to find an opening。
〃We tried。 It got too personal；〃 Cavendish said。 〃Staff members attached to their second selves。 It was like doing surgery on yourself in a mirror。 Very distracting。 Very stressful。 Physicians don't operate on their own family members for a reason。 They don't trust their own objectivity。 Our solution was to harvest genetic material from strangers。 Deceased strangers。〃
〃Life；〃 she snapped； 〃is being sacrificed within my walls。〃
Cavendish exchanged a look with Abbot。
〃These are radical times； Elise。 We need radical measures；〃 Abbot said。 〃There's no time for animal testing。 puter models may or may not work。 We have to move quickly。 Human trials are our best hope。 They die so that we might live。〃
〃They？〃 Golding felt tangled in question marks。 Miranda had described the death of just one clone。 There were more。 〃I want numbers；〃 she demanded。
〃How many did Miranda tell you about？〃 Cavendish asked。 He knew it was Miranda who had told her。 That could only mean Miranda was being watched。 Her phone was tapped。
〃You dare to drag Miranda into this。〃 She turned her wrath on Abbot。 〃Where are you； Paul？ What have you thrown your daughter into？〃
Abbot winced。 〃She wants to be part of the solution；〃 he said。
〃Not like this she doesn't。 How many have died？〃 she demanded。
〃Thirty…eight；〃 Cavendish replied。
〃Slaughter；〃 she hissed。
〃Elise； would you please sit；〃 said Abbot。 〃Where is your oxygen set？〃
She pushed his hand away。 The empty chair beckoned。 Sit and they would draw her into details and discussion。 Cavendish would needle her。 Abbot would search for middle ground。 They would equivocate； stonewall； lie。 No； this needed to be done swiftly。
〃I won't sanction murder；〃 she declared。
〃Murder？〃 Cavendish asked whimsically。 〃In an age of plague？〃
Golding stared at him。 〃Enough。〃 She slapped a letter on his desk。 〃You're terminated。 I'm freezing the entire operation。 Every lab；〃 she said。 〃I've contacted the FBI。 There's going to be a full…scale investigation。 Criminal charges will be brought。 You will be tried for thirty…eight counts of murder。〃
Cavendish looked unfazed。
〃Elise； you don't understand；〃 Abbot interjected。 〃You're aware the blood test to screen for Corfu was developed here at Los Alamos。 Did you know it came out of human trials？ Clones from the Golgotha bones were used。 Miranda found a way to retrieve T…cells from flakes of old blood。 Even if we can't locate the microbe itself； at least now we have a diagnostic for who is carrying it and who is not。 It's a start to defending ourselves against this thing。 Now we can defend our borders。 Hell； now we can draw our borders。 By sacrificing a few lives； we may be saving hundreds of millions。 We may be saving mankind。〃
〃It's over；〃 she said。
〃I understand；〃 Cavendish replied。 〃You see a mad scientist lurking in your laboratory。 A Napoleon plex on wheels。 You've tried to rise above what you see in me。 I know you have。 But you keep ing back to this crippled little freak in a chair。 It's very politically incorrect。 But we all do it； we see what we have been programmed to see。 Fairy tales。 Evil as a flaw in nature。 That's our bias。 In a way； it's our redemption。 We want to believe in the good。 Evil is monstrous。 Crooked。 Misshapen。 Yes？〃
〃Are you finished？〃 said Golding。
He cocked his head。 〃How old are you； Elise？ Seventy…something？ A good； full life； wouldn't you say？ Rich with acplishments。 Desires。〃 He smiled。 〃I'll never see thirty…two。 I'm in pain。 My hands jump around like fish in a pond。 My spine twists。 Against my will。〃
〃I'm sorry about that； Edward。〃
〃No； please； don't mistake me。 No self…pity here。 Only an explanation。 Since I was old enough to think； I've been driven by one realization。 What is happening to me doesn't need to happen to anyone else。 That's why I pursued genetics。 To spare the innocents from my fate。 Now I am placed in the path of this other disease； and I can help。 I want to be part of the solution； too。〃
Golding wanted to change her mind about him。 And yet he had retracted nothing。 He meant for the human experimentation to go on。 〃The end does not justify the means；〃 she stated。
〃I thought it might e to this；〃 Cavendish said。 He tapped a key on his console。 A moment later； his phone rang。 He picked it up。 〃Yes；〃 he replied。 He looked at Golding。 〃Someone wants to see you。〃
She caught Abbot's surprised frown。 They were going off script here。
〃I told you to leave Miranda out of this；〃 she said。 Who else could it be？
〃It's not Miranda；〃 Cavendish said。 〃This won't take long。〃
Someone knocked at the door。
〃e；〃 spoke Cavendish。 The door opened。 There was a noise； wheels rolling。
Golding didn't turn to see the visitor。 She kept her head high。 To her side； Abbot pivoted in his chair。 She saw confusion in his eyes； then shock。
〃Elise？〃 a voice called。
She grew very still。 Her heart squeezed。 She didn't want to turn。 She didn't want to know。 She turned。
〃Victor；〃 she whispered。
Her husband； the father of her children； lay on the gurney； too feeble to move。 It wasn't just gravity's weight。 They had fished him from the tank and docked his hair and clipped his nails。 But already his hair was creeping onto the pillow。 His nails were coiling outwards。 What entered had been a young man。 Already he was fifty。 The aging was so rapid his body quivered with the metamorphosis。
〃Where am I？〃 he whispered。
She stroked his head and the hair pulled out in her fingers。 Sixty。 Liver spots blossomed on his hands。 Seventy。 His face was hollowing out。 Ninety。 He blinked； utterly disoriented。 〃You're with me；〃 she said； and kissed his forehead。
〃I don't understand；〃 he said with a birdlike voice。
〃It's okay； Victor。 I do；〃 she whispered。 〃I love you so much。〃
〃Is this a dream？〃
He died。
Even then the accelerated genes did not slow。 The metabolism had momentum。 He lost flesh。 His eyes。。。。
She felt her heart go。 She draped herself across the body； holding on to the far edge of the gurney。
〃What have you done？〃 she heard Abbot shouting at Cavendish。 His voice was so far away。
〃We obtained all the proper permits to exhume the body；〃 Cavendish said。 〃A few cells； that's all we needed。〃
〃I won't be implicated in this；〃 Abbot was shouting。
She listened。 Such horror。 Her grip failed。 She slid to the floor。
〃Elise！〃 Abbot knelt over her。 He was trying to cradle her。 〃Call for help；〃 he demanded。
With the last of her strength； she pushed him away。
10
Pornography
FEBRUARY
It felt to Miranda as if she had lost her mother all over again。 But mourning had fallen from fashion； and so she did not cry。
Nearly everyone at Los Alamos had lost someone by now； either to the pandemic directly…especially the foreign scientists…or to the circumstances surrounding it。 The plague had still not muscled its way onto American shores。 But as medical stockpiles dwindled and physicians were sent off to various 〃beachheads〃 along the seaboards and Mexican border； other diseases were beginning to prey on the population。 Tuberculosis had made a major eback。 Polio was rearing its head。 There were cholera outbreaks up and down the Florida peninsula。 Mortality was said to be soaring among the very old and very young。 Health care was in such collapse that people were dying out there from dog bites； rusty nails； and broken bones。 Curiously all of the suffering； death； and chaos had e to be lumped together。 In one way or another； every random event was driven by the same single mechanism。 That was their definition of the plague。 You only had to say the word； and it explained any misery； any misfortune。 Even the death of an old woman from her second heart attack。
Elise had toppled into the mass grave in their minds。 Los Alamos had lost its leader； but gained a new one in Cavendish。 Miranda made her grief invisible。 As a courtesy to others； you were expected to bear up and carry on。 There was work to be done。 She did her work。 In the face of death； she threw herself into creating new life in the cloning works of Alpha Lab。 Somet