“If we need genetic stock that’s just one more reason to hit the Connecticut coast,” said China. “Not to raid it, but to find people who want to join us willingly—people that actually know how to farm, or fix broken equipment. Hell, we’re going to need equipment.”
“We could be attacked by other looters,” said Samoa.
“We’re not looting,” said China, “we’re surviving.”
“The danger of the mission makes it that much more important to preserve our DNA before we go,” said Mexico. “ReBirth clones can recover from everything, up to and including gunshot wounds.”
“That’s a very dangerous way to look at it,” said Lyle.
Blauwitz looked at Dr. Shorey. “How much do you have?”
“The government sent us thirty-four grams,” said Shorey.
“That’s huge,” said Samoa. “We could do any of the things we’ve talked about, and more.”
“You didn’t let me finish,” said Shorey, and the look on her face spoke volumes by itself. “They sent us thirty-four grams, but we’ve used or destroyed most of it in tests. I’d have to check the vial to be certain, but I think we have two grams left. Maybe two point five.”
China’s eyes went wide. “You didn’t conserve it?”
“Why would we conserve it?” asked Shorey helplessly. “They told us they were making more.”
“Two grams is barely any,” said Lyle. “We can save the dying guy, but not much more than that.”
“Forget the dying guy,” said Cynthia. “This is our only sample, and I don’t want to waste it on someone who can’t even communicate with us.”
“So we just let him die?” asked Lilly. “Is that a precedent we want to set for what is apparently going to be the start of a new civilization?”
“It’s a precedent of conserving resources,” said China. “New people we can get, but this is all the ReBirth we’ll ever have.”
“We don’t need new people if the ones we have are immortal,” said Mexico.
“Are ethics a renewable resource?” asked Lilly. “Because if we let people die for being inconvenient we might run out pretty quickly.”
“We’re not letting him die,” said Cynthia, “we’re just not fixing his ankle. We have antibiotics—he’ll live.”
“The odds are strongly against that at this point,” said Shorey.
“Think about it this way,” said Lyle, trying to think back to his days at NewYew, tricking the executives by appealing to their self-interest. “If we don’t use ReBirth, and somehow he lives, he’ll hate us. He’ll have gone through months of unnecessary suffering, and he might not even be able to walk. He’ll just be one more person on the island desperate to get the ReBirth and fix himself by any means necessary.”
“That’s hardly an issue if he doesn’t live,” said Cynthia.
“We save him,” said Samoa, rising up to his full, imposing height. “I don’t want his death on my conscience.”
“Then let’s do it now,” said General Blauwitz. He hesitated for a split second. “I’ll go to the lab with Dr. Shorey to make sure nothing happens to the ReBirth along the way.”
Shorey scowled. “Now you don’t trust me?”
“Alone at the end of the world with an elixir of immortality?” asked Cynthia. “I don’t trust any of you. And you’d be fools to trust each other.”
61
Thursday, December 13
4:08 P.M.
Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Long Island
1 DAY TO THE END OF THE WORLD
Lyle was suddenly, painfully aware of how many guns were in the room, and how close each person was standing to each of them. Mexico’s assault rifle was sitting on a table, maybe five feet from both Mexico and the general. The general’s own gun was farther away, but close to China. Cynthia’s handgun was probably in her purse, which she pulled slowly closer. Lilly’s submachine gun was somewhere around, but Lyle wasn’t sure where. Did one of the scientists have it? They looked just as tense as the delegates.
The scientists will side with Shorey if this turns into a fight, thought Lyle. There’s four soldiers on the island, too, out patrolling the coasts—will they side with her, as well, or with the general? Or will it all be over before they can get here?
“I want to go, too,” said China, and looked pointedly at the general. “To help make sure.”
“And who’ll make sure of you?” asked Mexico. “We should all go.”
“Not a chance,” said Shorey. “That’s not just a storage facility, it’s an active lab for studying extremely contagious diseases. We’re on an island because those diseases are so deadly it’s literally illegal to store or transport them on the mainland. A group this size could destroy that lab’s security and kill every one of us with something as simple as a misplaced foot.” She paused. “Dr. Broadus is in the lab—let me call him, and he can bring the sample here.”
“Or you can warn them,” said Samoa, “and they’ll use it before we can get there.”
“Let me go with her,” said the general again. “You can trust me—I’m a sworn servant of the American people.”
“Some of us aren’t American,” said China.
The was a silence in the room, and Lyle watched each person’s eyes dart back and forth across the group, sizing them up, gauging their own distance to the weapons, to cover, to the door, to the cars outside. If the peace fell apart, what would he do? He might be able to reach the general’s rifle, but he would almost certainly lose if he had to fight China or the general for it. Mexico’s gun was closer, but not as close as it was to Mexico. He could maybe get Cynthia’s purse, but then what? He’d be making himself a target against better-armed foes. He looked at Lilly, and saw that she was just as scared as he was.
