The Parasite, Part 1
Mumbai shoreline - January 31, 2009, 9:00 PM
Captain Michael Leibowitz’s radio buzzed.
“Captain Leibowitz, what's your 20?” Alpha said.
“We're in tow,” Michael said, “200 meters out. What's your ETA?”
“We're in position,” Alpha said, “Standing by. No activity, Captain.”
“Verstanden,” Michael said, “Hold position. Gamma?”
“In position,” Gamma said, “Standing by.”
“Delta?” Michael said.
“Standing by, Captain,” Delta said.
“Verstanden,” Michael said, “Cutting engines. At South Bank now.”
Michael cut the engine to his speedboat, and the other boats with him also cut their engines as they approached the shore.
“Shore quiet,” Michael said, “Beta, status?”
“All quiet, sir,” Beta said, “Wait. I think I hear something. We have Lima in sight.”
A truck rolled around the corner, heading for a waterfront dock.
“All teams, move out!” Michael ordered. “Go, go, go!”
Michael’s SWAT teams stormed out of their boats and up the beach. They quickly surrounded the truck before it could drive away.
“Stop the truck!” the agents shouted, brandishing their guns at the driver. “Stay where you are! Out! Out! Get out! Hands where I can see them!”
The driver got out and was immediately handcuffed. Michael and an agent walked around to the back of the truck and opened it. However, the only thing inside were boxes of stuffed bears.
Strasburg field office - February 4, 2009, 8:00 AM
“Panda bears?” Kurtz said. “Frakking panda bears? I assume you checked inside them.”
“They knew we were coming,” Michael said, “Somewhere, they made a switch. Jacob Schmidt. Began working for the shipping company a week before the container was packed. He had access to the container. He's also got a science background. Customs has him back and forth from Yangon eight times in the past 12 months.”
“Other local agents on the operation?” Kurtz said.
“Coscarelli and Scrimm, check page 47,” Michael said.
“Weight of the container after pickup was 1306 pounds,” Kurtz said, “The weight when it arrived in India before shipping, 1299. That's seven pounds. What the hell weighs seven pounds?”
Michael suddenly collapsed, gasping for air and clutching his stomach in pain.
“Michael?” Kurtz said.
Strasburg General Hospital - 8:15 AM
“What'd you give him?” a doctor said, pushing Michael along a stretcher.
“One round of epinephrine,” a nurse said, checking Michael’s eyes, “Intermittent cardiac arrest. I've never seen anything like this. Pupils fixed one minute, dilating the next.”
They wheeled him into the emergency room and prepared surgical tools.
“How's the rhythm now?” the doctor asked.
“Asystole,” the nurse said.
“Charge the paddles,” the doctor said, “We'll start at 200.”
The nurse grabbed the defibrillators and charged them. Behind them, the doors swung open, and Michael’s wife Samantha ran in, followed by Kurtz.
“What's happening?” Samantha said.
“We don't know,” Kurtz said.
“Is he going to be okay?” Samantha said. “Is it a heart attack?”
“The only thing for us to do is wait,” Kurtz said.
“Clear!” the doctor said.
The nurse pressed the paddles against Michael’s chest, and he convulsed.
“Alright, again,” the doctor said, “Let's go to 300. Clear!”
The nurse jolted Michael again.
“Okay, we need to open him up, pump the heart manually,” the doctor said, “Prep him. Scalpel... Saw. Retractor.”
The nurse handed the doctor a scalpel, while assistants placed a retractor over Michael’s chest. The doctor cut into Michael, revealing his innards, while the assistants tightened the retractor, holding open the incision.
“We got something, his heart's beating,” the nurse said, “Wait, what the frak is that?”
The doctor looked closer and saw a slug-like organism constricting Michael’s heart.
“I…don’t know,” she said.
10:00 AM
“In happened in my office two hours ago,” Kurtz said, “It wasn't a heart attack. At least not in the traditional sense. They cordoned off the area. But ZKP’s been here already, said the thing isn't communicable, thank God. I would’ve lost my appetite.”
“The thing?” Anders said.
“We'll get to that,” Kurtz said.
“You have any gum?” Walter said.
“No, Walter,” Anders said.
“Mints?” Walter said.
“No,” Anna said, “Later.”
“Agent Leibowitz returned from an operation last week in Mumbai,” Kurtz said, “Do you know him at all?”
“No,” Angela said.
“He collapsed,” Kurtz said, “Thought it was a seizure at first, except he appeared lucid, in pain. Didn't seem like a heart attack either. None of us knew what it was, and the hospital’s stumped. And none of us know now either.”
“How are his vital signs?” Angela said.
“Weakening,” Kurtz said, “Dr. Humboldt, what you're about to see... I don't know if you've seen anything like it before. But I'm hoping you have. I'm hoping you can help. The man lying in that room is not just a colleague, he's a friend. We’ve been friends since the Gulf.”
“I see,” Walter said, “Do you have any mints?”
“Damn it,” Anders said.
They walked into the operating room, where Michael still lay, hooked up to life support. The organism was still wrapped around Michael’s heart.
“This is spectacular,” Walter said, pointing at the organism.
“Spectacular,” Anna said, “I'm sure he'd be thrilled to hear your diagnosis.”
“Do you know what that is?” Diana said.
“Your work or your old experiments, does that look... look familiar?” Anders said.
“No, couldn't be more aberrational,” Walter said, “I'm simply admiring the design. It’s at least partially organic. Looks like the hybrid result of genetic manipulation. Symmetrical, its central body mass. If indeed it is an organism at all, It's designed, it seems, to envelope the entire human heart. Look, look. A series of tendrils. A root system. Don't you see it? How beautiful this is?”
“Not so much, no,” Olga said, “Maybe if I shoot it.”
“Can you help?” Angela said. “Do you think you can remove it?”
“Oh, I'd be willing to try,” Walter said, “But not here. My breath is atrocious.”
Walter’s lab - 10:00 AM
“I was deconstructing in my head the approach to designing something like this,” Walter said, “And… and two things occurred to me in the hospital. One, we could be dealing with something as simple as, uh, Giardia Duodenalis.”
“As simple as that,” Diana said, “Really?”
“It's a single-celled parasite that lives in the intestines of animals,” Anna said.
“Common waterborne illness,” Angela said.
“Could we attach Herr…” Walter said.
“Leibowitz,” Anna said.
“…to the vitals machine, please?” Walter said.
“So you're saying that... that thing in his chest…” Angela said.
“It’s a parasite,” Anders said.
“Yes,” Walter said, “Yes, perhaps. But with an exceptional means of attachment. Typically, parasites use whole body insertion. This creature is unlike anything I've ever seen before. So we won't be able to truly examine it until it's removed.”
Olga handed Angela a folder. “Agent Leibowitz’s recent case files, as requested.”
“Oh, thanks, Olga,” Angela said.
“And his wife just arrived,” Olga said, “She asked to speak with you.”
“I'll talk to her in the office,” Angela said, heading off.
Anna connected Michael to Walter’s equipment. “Okay, he's wired. What was the other thing?”
“Pardon?” Walter said.
“You said two things occurred to you,” Anna said, “What's the other one?”
“Oh, I would still really like some gum,” Walter said, “Or some mints?”
Anders reluctantly handed him a pack of minds.
“Thanks, Anders,” Walter said.
Angela stepped into her office next to the lab, where Samantha waited in front of her desk.
“Frau Leibowitz, I’m Angela Hansen, Athanatoi,” Angela said.
“Samantha,” Samantha said, “I'm hoping you can help me. No one will tell me anything. Why was he transferred here? Can you at least tell me that?”
“I can tell you that there's a doctor here who is... uniquely qualified to save your husband's life,” Angela said.
Samantha handed her a sheet of paper with numbers on it. “This was in his bag. Among the things he brought home from Mumbai. I don't know if it'll help at all.”
“It might,” Angela said, “We'll check it out. Thank you.”
“Can I see Michael?” Samantha said. “Please?”
“As soon as possible,” Angela said, “I promise you that.”
Outside, Walter stepped back from Michael, whose heartbeat sped up.
“Uh-oh…” he said.
“What's happening?” Diana said.
“It's killing him,” Walter said, “Squeezing his heart. Killing him.”
“Yeah, that’s what killing him means,” Olga said.
Anna picked up a syringe.
“What are you doing?” Anders said.
“I'm going to give him some cyclobenzaprine,” Anna said, “If the parasite is constricting, this might loosen its grip.”
“It's a gamble, but I like the theory,” Walter said.
Anna injected Michael with the syringe, and his heartbeat slowed to normal. Walter took a scalpel and cut out a piece of the organism.
“Look at this,” Walter said, walking away, “This is good. Organism's tissue.”
“Where the hell are you going?” Anders said.
“DNA analysis should tell us much,” Walter said, “Excellent work, children. You may have found your true calling at last. Working with me.”
“God no,” Anders said.
“I certainly hope not,” Anna said.
Angela walked back into the lab. “Please tell me you guys have some good news.”
“I don't know if it's good news, but it’s something,” Diana said.
“This is fascinating,” Walter said from a computer, “We can assume that this growth, this parasite, is... is of human design, yes?”
“Of course,” Anders said.
“I was looking for repetition,” Walter said, “The signature of the creator. A sign, a... a footprint that he or she had been there before us.”
“I don't understand,” Angela said.
“Well, that puts you in the same group as the rest of humanity,” Anna said, pointing to Walter’s computer screen, “What he's trying to say is we found this.”
“Ah,” Walter said, “No, see that? This pattern repeats throughout the DNA sequence. It appears again and again. But it's too organized to be accidental. Too perfect to be natural.”
“So you're saying that someone put in this line of DNA on purpose,” Anders said.
“Mischief,” Walter said, “Arrogance. We don't know. Your friend thinks it might be a code.”
Anders and Angela looked at Diana.
“No, the other one,” Anna said.
“They taught cryptology at the KGB,” Olga said, “I keep assuming it can't be this. That it's too simple to be plain text. But I think it may just be the 'Caesar Shift’."
“What's that?” Anna said.
“It's a simple mono-alphabetic cipher,” Diana said.
“Is it now?” Anna said.
“It's what Julius Caesar used, apparently, to send letters to his friends,” Angela said, “You take one letter and replace it with another, but in alphabetical order.”
“There's a sequence of three letters that appears repeatedly in the parasite's DNA,” Olga said, “It could be CIY or DJX. Or EKY.”
“Or ZFT?” Anders said.
“Yeah, ZFT fits,” Olga said, “What’s that?”
Kurtz’s office - 10:30 AM
“I've been reviewing Agent Caleca’s cases, checking to see if any of them were mishandled, or seeing if any of the cases were left unsolved,” Anders said.
“And?” Kurtz said.
“And one of them that I remember was an operation tracking a group working out of Yangon,” Anders said, “The name on the file, what was written, was the acronym ZFT. That mean something to you?”
Kurtz looked uneasy.
“What?” Anders said.
“A month ago, a man named David Ruprecht Jansen was arrested in Mumbai by United Nations Police on possession of Roman state secrets,” Kurtz said, “His professional background is in deep biotechnology. Notably genetic weaponry. He was a senior fellow at the Bremming Institute for twelve years, then went off the grid. He'd show up now and then, often in the former Occupied Territories and South Asia.”
“So you think he is ZFT?” Anders asid.
“I don’t know,” Kurtz said, “But Leibowitz did. It was one of the reasons he was in Mumbai, investigating Jansen.”
“Meaning that thing…” Anders said.
“May be retribution,” Kurtz said.
“So ZFT, what is it?” Anders said. “Who are they? Another three-letter government agency dedicated to world domination?”
“Agent Humboldt, there is much you have not been made aware of regarding the Pattern,” Kurtz said.
“Well I’m here,” Anders said, “I have time. Are you available? Why don’t you tell me?”
“What we’ve learned so far is the following,” Kurtz said, “There are cells, we don’t know exactly how many. Privately funded with presence on all continents except Antarctica. ZFT is apparently in charge of them.”
“So they’re terrorists,” Anders said.
“Not in the conventional sense,” Kurtz said, “They traffic not in drugs or weapons, but in scientific knowledge, unhindered by ethics regulations and national governments.”
“Meaning what?” Anders said.
“Meaning what happened on Flight 627, or what happened to Agent Leibowitz, these may have been simply proof that a scientific theory or experiment worked,” Kurtz said.
“So that thing we found in Leibowitz could be one of those experiments,” Anders said, “Do you think Jansen will tell us how to remove it?”
“He might, if we were allowed to see him,” Kurtz said, “Indian authorities refused us access.”
“What?” Anders said.
“They’re not giving the Reich access,” Kurtz said.
“And he’s being kept in Mumbai?” Anders said.
“Yeah,” Kurtz said.
“I may be able to get me and Angie in,” Anders said.
“You got superpowers you aren’t telling me about?” Kurtz said.
“How else did you think I survived in my job for so long?” Anders said.
“You’re not really going to India?” Kurtz said.
“I’m really going,” Anders said.
“Let me save you and Hansen the trip, Humboldt,” Kurtz said, “You’re not getting in.”
“I don’t see any other option here, do you?” Anders said. “Leibowitz’s your friend. And Angie promised his wife.”
Walter’s lab - 11:00 AM
Anna rushed into the lab, where Walter, Diana, Olga, and Angela crowded around Michael.
“What’s wrong?” Anna said.
“This may be something of an understatement, but he is not doing well,” Walter said.
“He’s dehydrated,” Angela said, “I’m going to check his IV.”
She walked over to the drip and noticed something inside.
“Uncle Walter, come here,” she said, pointing to a tendril inside the drip, “What’s that?”
“That’s the root,” Walter said.
“Coming up from his arm?” Anna said.
“Into the IV, yes,” Walter said, “This parasite is spreading faster than I thought.”
“How long do you think he’s got?” Diana said.
“Probably a day,” Angela said.
“Maybe,” Walter said.
Angela’s phone rang.
“Hansen,” she said.
“Hey Angie, I think we have a lead,” Anders said, “The bad news is we have to go to India.”
“I don’t think that’s the bad news, Anders,” Angela said, “He’s dying, and I don’t think we can save him.”
“We’re going to make it,” Anders said, “Meet me in the airport.”
Mumbai - February 5, 2009, 5:00 AM Indian Time (3:00 AM Imperial Standard Time)
As soon as Anders and Angela exited into the airport’s main concourse, they noticed a man in a suit waving at them, holding up a sign with Angela’s picture on it. Angela immediately ran over and hugged her brother.
“Look at you, Bill!” she said.
“Well, don’t let the suit throw you,” Bill said.
“I never thought I’d see the day,” Angela said.
“It’s more comfortable than the military uniform,” Bill said.
“Yeah, we were wondering if you could help us?” Anders said.
“I’m not sure I can help you,” Bill said, “I’m needed with the Indian Army. Those Naxalites are raising hell in Bengal.”
“But we’re here already,” Angela said.
“You said you have contacts at the prison,” Anders said.
“I’m in the Sansad Bhawan,” Bill said, “I have contacts everywhere. But you jumped on the plane so fast, and the Bengal situation is escalating so quickly, I didn’t have time to check anything out.”
“Well, what did you find?” Angela said.
“I know the warden,” Bill said, “He wouldn’t agree to anything. He didn’t want me to show up.”
“So what do we do?” Angela said.
“Show up,” Anders said, “That never stopped us before.”
Vigyaan Prison, outside Mumbai - 5:30 AM
“Tenacious as always,” the warden said, “What can I do for you, Bill?”
“Angela Hansen, Anders Humboldt, this is the warden, Nikhil Shah,” Bill said.
“Thank you for seeing us,” Anders said.
“You want time with a prisoner?” Nikhil said.
“David Jansen,” Angela said.
“This will be a problem,” Nikhil said.
“I’m sure we can work something out,” Anders said.
“I’m sorry,” Nikhil said.
“Aisee cheejen hain jo aapake lie kuchh upayog ho sakatee hain aur main in cheejon ke baare mein baat karane ko taiyaar hoon,” Bill said.
“Meree zaroorat ke saath aap meree madad nahin kar sakate,” Nikhil said.
He turned to Angela and Anders. “Your friend wants to be persuasive.”
“Herr Shah, you have your reasons why you won’t allow access to your prisoners, but this is very important to us,” Anders said, “I can sign anything. Udaaharan ke lie kuchh saabit karata hai ki main kabhee yahaan nahin tha.
“I like this guy,” Nikhil said, “Even if I were to give the okay, Jansen talks to no one.”
“Well I have reason to believe he will talk to us,” Angela said, “If I write him a message, will you give it to him?”
Walter’s lab, Strasburg - 3:35 AM (5:35 Indian Time)
“I don’t expect miracles,” Kurtz said, “I don’t know if I expect anything. But I am grateful - for whatever you can do in this case.”
“Sorry?” Walter said.
“He’s saying he’s grateful for your work.” Erich said.
“You’re most welcome,” Walter said, “You know I had a fruit cocktail once. In Rouen. Mind you, I’m not a fruit cocktail sort of guy.”
“Excuse me,” Kurtz said.
While Erich continued chatting with his brother-in-law, Kurtz walked over to Anna.
“We need to discuss your father,” he said.
“Is it the fruit cocktail thing again?” Anna said.
“Yes,” Kurtz said.
“Yeah, he’s been doing that recently,” Anna said, “He’s obsessed about certain foods. It’s weird.”
“We need him to focus,” Kurtz said.
“To focus?” Anna said. “Herr Kurtz, two-thirds of the time, my father’s not even lucid. And in those rare and unpredictable moments of clarity, he rambles on about the food he missed while he was incarcerated in a mental institution for the better part of the last two decades. To say he’s not focused is to say he’s a biped, which is to say, you’re absolutely right. He’s not focused. And also, it’s not going to change anytime too soon. I’m his daughter. I’m not a puppeteer. I’d don’t have a remote control. There’s no master switch I can flick and turn him into the man I wish had raised me, or even somebody I don’t have to baby-sit ever day.… I guess I’ve had that on my mind for awhile.”
“Apparently,” Kurtz said.
His phone rang, and he picked it up.
“Kurtz,” he said.
“It’s Agent Kazdan,” Louise said, “I have something for you.”
“What is it?” Kurtz said.
“Local connection to the ZFT,” Louise said.
“Speak to me,” Kurtz said.
“We analyzed the document Leibowitz brought back from Mumbai,” Louise said, “We figured out each line corresponds to an Athanatoi case file and an ID number for the agent or agents assigned to it. Every one of them originating from this field office.”
“Another mole in this office?” Kurtz said. “And you think what? Agent Caleca? She was working with ZFT?”
“Maybe, maybe not,” Louise said, “Whoever did this needed upper level security clearance. Access to the Athanatoi mainframe.”
“You said local connection?” Kurtz said.
“Yeah, one of the lines is a phone number registered to a Jacob Schmidt, and we have him tied…” Louise said.
“Yeah, I know Jacob Schmidt,” Kurtz said, “Leibowitz was briefing me on him before this! You got an address?”
“Hold on… 4331 Breitstrasse,” Louise said.
“4331 Breitstrasse,” Kurtz said, “Inform Director Hansen. I’ll call you back.”
He picked up his desk phone. “I want a SWAT team surrounding Jacob Schmidt. He’s at 4331 Breitstrasse in Neudorf. And I want this radio silent.”
Vigyaan Prison, Mumbai - 8:45 AM Indian Time (6:45 AM Imperial Standard Time)
Nikhil entered the waiting room and approached Angela, Anders, and Bill.
“I’m surprised,” Nikhil said, “He’ll see you… but only Agent Hansen. You’ll have fourteen minutes this afternoon and not a second more. That is our prison policy. Also, Jansen wanted you to have this. His conditions.”
He handed Angela a note. She read it and handed it to Anders. Anders took out his phone and dialed Anna.
“Hello?” Anna said.
“Hey Anna, it’s me,” Anders said, “I’m looking for Kurtz or Uncle Erich. Are they there?”
“No, they’re on a raid or something,” Anna said.
“Jansen has agreed to meet with Angie,” Anders said, “But only on the condition that he first get to talk to a colleague of his. So we’re looking for a guy local to Strasburg. He’s in Neudorf.”
“He’s in what?” Anna said.
“His name’s Jacob Schmidt,” Anders said.
“At 4331 Breitstrasse,” Anna said.
“How’d you know that?” Anders said.
“That’s who Kurtz is after right now,” Anna said.
“What?” Anders said.
“I don’t know,” Anna said.
“Anna, we need him alive,” Anders said.
“Frak!” Anna grabbed her keys and hung up.
Neudorf, Strasburg - 7:00 AM Imperial Standard Time (9:00 Indian Time)
As Anna drove down the street at over forty miles per hour, her phone rang again.
“Hey,” she said.
“Are you there, are you close?” Angela said.
“No, I’m on my way,” Anna said, “You get in touch with Kurtz or Uncle Erich yet?”
“I can’t reach Dad,” Angela said, “They’re still radio silent. I’ll try the office. I’ll call you back.”
“I know they’re radio silent, but you’ve got to get someone down there right now, please,” Anders said, “We need to get the message to them, they need to keep Jacob Schmidt alive.”
“Damn it,” Anna said.
She stopped the car at the first barricade and ran in the direction of Jacob’s house, which she determined based on the frequency of Athanatoi agents running around.
“You must stand back, ma’am!” an agent said.
“I’ve got information!” Anna said.
“Ma’am, this is a police action,” the agent said.
“I need to talk to Wilhelm Kurtz or Erich Hansen!” Anna said.
“You need to get back,” the agent said, “You are not authorized to get any closer to the house!”
“Come out with your hands up!” another agent said over a bullhorn.
Anna’s phone rang again.
“Hey,” she said.
“Are you close?” Anders said.
“Yeah, I’m here, but I can’t get any closer to the house,” Anna said, “They’re already inside.”
Jacob emerged from the front door, a gun in his hand.
“Freeze!” an agent said. “Athanatoi!”
“Oh, scheiße,” Anna cursed.
“Anna, talk to me,” Anders said.
“Stop or we’ll shoot!” an agent said. “Drop your weapon!”
Instead, though, Jacob pointed his gun at the nearest agent and prepared to fire. The agents immediately shot him in the head.
“No, frak!” Anna cursed.
Also if you haven´t, I suggest adding this Wonder post to the table of contents like the other cultural posts.
