Saying goodbye to Cee after just getting to Rio was not something he wished to do but he had given his word to Kronos, and he was a man of his word. He fell asleep thinking about her; it was a pleasant sleep.
The plane was now landing and a driver waited for him on the tarmac. The ride was long and by the time he arrived at the complex, he was tired and a bit hungry.
The complex was modern, well staffed and had cutting-edge security; all revelations to Korda. Not that he thought Kronos would be in a cave, but he just considered him a loner when it came to his work.
He had watched his arrival on the security monitors from the moment the car arrived at the gate. He stepped away from them to usher Korda into the lab. "Greetings," he said as his lips curled up in a smile.
"Welcome to my world," he said with obvious pride as he looked around at the gleaming and immaculate facilities. "Won't you come on in?"
"Kronos it is good to see you." He extended a hand. "I must say; this place is impressive. I'm honored you would invite me here."
His obvious amazement at the surroundings now showed as he walked beside Kronos through the halls. "All these people working with you?" he asked, while peering into one of the labs.
"Yes," he replied as they continued to walk deeper into the building. He didn't want to give too much away. It wasn't important to his objective.
"They're working on various aspects of the whole." He punched in the access code on the door and waited for it to open. "This is where I spend my time," he said as he flipped on the rest of the lights."
Parts of the whole, he thought about it and what the 'whole' might be. But as the door opened his train of thought shifted gears to take in this private lab.
The first thing he noticed were the animals, all of them focusing on their arrival into the room with what could only be described as excitement. There were different species, from the lesser primates all the way up to the great apes. If these were all part of the whole, this research was complex beyond Korda's original thoughts.
He entered, stepping ahead of Kronos. Cautious but relaxed, he looked at the blackboard. There were genetic formulations scribbled in an unfamiliar pattern. How very odd. He wanted to say something but felt the time was not right for such an obtrusive comment. The remainder of the room was filled with chemical workstations and several computers.
Suddenly aware of the other man's gaze, he shifted attention back to the cages. "They seem excited to see you."
"Don't they," he deadpanned before grinning at them. He walked towards the cages and focused on one animal in particular. Clyde had stuck his arm out between the bars and was motioning him closer. He laughed.
"That is Clyde," he said. "He's my most cunning monkey. He likes to escape his cage. Not that he can get anywhere." He took Clyde's hand and shook it, holding it lightly until the monkey withdrew it. He took a look around at the other animals to see if any of them were also vying for his attention but they all seemed content.
He turned back to Korda. "They're a very important component to my work."
"It is not an illusion of freedom for him. He wants to show you he can get out. For whatever his reason, it pleases him." He chuckled at the monkey's actions. Then he leaned against the desk, half sitting on it. Arms folded, Korda waited for Kronos to turn. "Your work. You have asked me here for something… What exactly is it you are working on?" He doubted the truth would come out, and he prayed the other man did not take offense at his curiosity. The last thing he wanted was any type of confrontation with this man.
He turned towards him. "I did mention I was at a critical stage." He nodded as he spoke. "I am researching avian influenza and a specific type of bird flu called avian influenza A that's caused infections in birds in Asia and Europe and also in humans in Asia." He paused to see what effect, if any, his explanation would have.
He didn't yet want to reveal that he was also vastly interested in both the low and high extremes of virulence. Many times the low pathogenic form went undetected and usually caused only mild symptoms. On the other hand, the highly pathogenic form spread more rapidly and might be responsible for affecting multiple internal organs. Plus, the mortality rate could often climb 90-100% within 48 hours.
He looked at the monkeys, who all seemed in excellent health. "You have discovered a vaccine!" he guessed, but his tone validated the idea. The other man's expression did nothing to dissuade the statement. Korda walked over to Clyde's cage and the monkey extended his hand. "This is very dangerous research. If these animals ever did get out… " He changed directions suddenly in the conversation. "How can I help you?"
He was absent-mindedly stroking Clyde's arm while pondering the altruism of this venture. However, the businessman in him was keenly aware of the tremendous windfall this could bring. He thought of his doctor friend in China and the substantial investment he had in his facility; a facility that worked closely with the World Health Organization. "I do know someone who is working on inoculation variables," he said matter-of-factly.
The monkey suddenly lashed out, savagely biting him. His incisors ripped through his suit and sank all the way to bone. Despite the pain, Korda froze, but the monkey did not let go.
"Contaminate him!" he half screamed, half moaned while stepping swiftly away from the cage. The teeth must have hit an artery because he was bleeding in bursts. He leaned against a wall and held his hand over the wounds. "What is wrong with him…" he started to ask but his knees felt weak and he slid down to the floor.
"There's nothing wrong with him," Kronos replied while he eyeballed the monkey. Satisfied that he was okay, he turned his attention to Korda. "You need a band-aid for that?"
He pulled the first aid box off the wall and rummaged through it before he approached him. He pulled out the special roll of gauze he'd prepared ahead of time and pressed it against his arm like a pressure bandage. "Sometimes he just bites," he offered as an explanation. "Got me last week. Good thing we can't die from it."
The plane was now landing and a driver waited for him on the tarmac. The ride was long and by the time he arrived at the complex, he was tired and a bit hungry.
The complex was modern, well staffed and had cutting-edge security; all revelations to Korda. Not that he thought Kronos would be in a cave, but he just considered him a loner when it came to his work.
Reply
"Welcome to my world," he said with obvious pride as he looked around at the gleaming and immaculate facilities. "Won't you come on in?"
Reply
His obvious amazement at the surroundings now showed as he walked beside Kronos through the halls. "All these people working with you?" he asked, while peering into one of the labs.
Reply
"They're working on various aspects of the whole." He punched in the access code on the door and waited for it to open. "This is where I spend my time," he said as he flipped on the rest of the lights."
Reply
The first thing he noticed were the animals, all of them focusing on their arrival into the room with what could only be described as excitement. There were different species, from the lesser primates all the way up to the great apes. If these were all part of the whole, this research was complex beyond Korda's original thoughts.
He entered, stepping ahead of Kronos. Cautious but relaxed, he looked at the blackboard. There were genetic formulations scribbled in an unfamiliar pattern. How very odd. He wanted to say something but felt the time was not right for such an obtrusive comment. The remainder of the room was filled with chemical workstations and several computers.
Suddenly aware of the other man's gaze, he shifted attention back to the cages. "They seem excited to see you."
Reply
"That is Clyde," he said. "He's my most cunning monkey. He likes to escape his cage. Not that he can get anywhere." He took Clyde's hand and shook it, holding it lightly until the monkey withdrew it. He took a look around at the other animals to see if any of them were also vying for his attention but they all seemed content.
He turned back to Korda. "They're a very important component to my work."
Reply
Reply
He didn't yet want to reveal that he was also vastly interested in both the low and high extremes of virulence. Many times the low pathogenic form went undetected and usually caused only mild symptoms. On the other hand, the highly pathogenic form spread more rapidly and might be responsible for affecting multiple internal organs. Plus, the mortality rate could often climb 90-100% within 48 hours.
Reply
Reply
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The monkey suddenly lashed out, savagely biting him. His incisors ripped through his suit and sank all the way to bone. Despite the pain, Korda froze, but the monkey did not let go.
Reply
"Don't bleed on the monkey," he said. "You could contaminate him!"
Reply
Reply
He pulled the first aid box off the wall and rummaged through it before he approached him. He pulled out the special roll of gauze he'd prepared ahead of time and pressed it against his arm like a pressure bandage. "Sometimes he just bites," he offered as an explanation. "Got me last week. Good thing we can't die from it."
Reply
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