"Sonny Whitelaw - Rgesus Factor" - читать интересную книгу автора (Whitelaw Sonny)

Trying to calm himself, Clem took a few deep breaths. Outside, the sky had darkened and stars were
visible, not because it was nightfall but because Air Force One was an SPтАФa Space Plane. He wasn't
impressed by the view; it served only to remind him how small the planet was. International flights were
the perfect vector for plague organisms.

'You're up.тАЩ Jean tapped him on the shoulder.

Startled, Clem sat up. тАШYou read my report?'

'The whole thing. I've briefed the President; he'll give you a couple of minutes.'

Clem stood and adjusted his rumpled coat and tie. He wished he'd had the time to get cleaned up and
changed; his bags were still in the DC hotel.

'And Andreas,тАЩ Jean added. тАШYou have my unequivocal supportтАФif you agree to hold off announcing this
until we formulate a response.'

After the introductions, President Edwin Blake took off his glasses and stared at Clem. тАШJean tells me that
a plague virus has infected a significant percentage of the American population. After what we went
through in 2011, why wasn't I informed sooner?тАЩ He wasn't angry, but his voice carried a depth of
annoyance.

'Sir,тАЩ Obermann cut in. тАШThe Rhesus virus doesn't kill people. It doesn't even make them sick.'

Doesn't kill people; Clem closed his eyes in disbelief. Party politics, not professional competence had
landed Obermann the role of Assistant Secretary of Health. Obermann still thought like a doctorтАФa
mediocre one at thatтАФnot a public health professional.

'So what's the problem?тАЩ President Blake sat back in his chair and tapped his steepled fingers together.

'The CDC has just discovered a staggering side-effect.тАЩ Jean held up the report.

President Blake stared at Clem. тАШExplain.'

Clem ran his hands through his wiry black hair. тАШSir, we initially thought the Rhesus virus only attacked a
protein coating on human blood cells. This protein is an agglutinogen that alerts the immune system to
produce antibodies against disease.'

The President frowned and sat forward. тАШIt's another immunodeficiency virus, like AIDS?'

'No, sir. Blood group substances are weak antigens; they don't play a significant role in protecting the
body from disease.'

'Blood groups,тАЩ explained Jean, тАШare defined by the Rhesus or RH Factor, which denotes the presence or
absence of the protein.тАЩ She glanced warily at Clem. тАШIt now seems that destruction of these proteins by
the virus is just a symptom of a vastly more complex condition. Andreas is worried about the ultimate
consequences.'

'Sterility.тАЩ Clem ignored Obermann's pleading look. Now that he was finally getting someone's attention