Gregg Hurwitz - Minutes to Burn

Donald lowered his shiny forehead into a hand. Samantha softened her voice."If this thing hits the mainland…it would spread like an STD. The results would be…" She shuddered, imagining a new generation of grotesquely altered babies. "The effects on humans could be horrid- and now we know it could be a reality."

Donald mumbled something and raised his hands in exasperation.

"We have this virus pinned down," Samantha said. "For this brief opportunity, on this island. Imagine if we ever had this for AIDS, how many lives would have been saved." Samantha's eyes seemed to glow with fearful intensity. "I don't want this virus crawling around that island."

Colonel Douglas Strickland walked down the hallway toward the slammer, and the group around the desks to Donald's right quieted. He approached the glass, addressing Samantha only, as if the others did not exist. "We've had a breakdown in chain-of-command which, apparently, can't be rectified long distance."

"We know," Samantha said. "We heard."

"That's not even the biggest concern," he continued. "We can straighten that out back here. However, the latest developments regarding the Darwin virus…" He grimaced his stern grimace. "We're debating what degree of force the crisis necessitates."

Samantha frowned. "Degree of force?" she repeated.

"All the life on that island is potentially dangerous. We have to assume a worst-case scenario."

"But the rest of the fauna appear to be normal," Donald broke in. "We're even questioning if the dinoflagellates are still infected."

"But we don't know for sure."

"We never know for sure," Samantha said. "That's why we should do this in a limited way to preserve the island life. Euthanize the animals we know are infected, and then run tests on the plants, animals, and water to make sure they're clean."

Strickland laughed, a loud, hearty laugh. Samantha realized she had never even seen him smile before. His laughter had no element of spon-taneity. "Oh yes," he said, once his laughter died down. "I'll just commit another squad of men to this endeavor from our copious resources. Per-haps pull them from Quito where they're de facto running the nation."

Strickland's smile dropped from his face. "I want those drill holes closed over and the island sterilized."

Donald stood up. "That doesn't make any-"

Strickland stared at him, pushing him back down into his seat with his eyes.

Samantha rose, pressing her hands against the window. "What if we could guarantee that the virus reservoir was exterminated? Would you spare the island?"

"Top brass are flying in tomorrow afternoon. We'll decide our plan of action then."

"What about my request to get that crew off the island?" Donald asked.

"If memory serves, Dr. Denton," Strickland said, "you were the one so anxious to get those men on the island." He turned on his heel. "We're having air asset complications, but we'll be able to get a helo to your men by 2200 on the thirty-first."

"That may not be soon enough."

"Well, Dr. Denton," Strickland said. "In light of the amount of shit in which we would appear to have landed, it'll have to be."

Derek had temporarily deactivated his transmitter, so the page from Samantha defaulted to Cameron, as his buddy. She'd been gathering fire-wood at the forest's edge, alone. The others were around the base. Cameron could see from their posture they were all uncomfortably aware of Cameron and Derek's tent. She didn't blame them. The flap was zipped, and Derek hadn't made a sound since retiring; she'd been tempted to peek inside to make sure he was still there.

When she clicked on, she heard Samantha's loud voice ring through the crackle. "Samantha here. Dr. Everett. Who's this?"

"Cameron Kates."

"You the one asking all the sensible questions earlier?"

"Yes," Cameron said. "I suppose so." I've got higher stakes, she thought.

"I have some tough news," Samantha said. Something in her voice was immensely comforting without being condescending. Cameron lis-tened carefully as Samantha filled her in on her conversations with Strickland and Donald.

Cameron took a deep breath. "As you already know, we sort of reached that conclusion on our end as well."

"Donald took it heavy," Samantha said. "It won't be easy with the sci-entists. And you're going to need their help. If need be, I can bottom-line them on the decisions of my ever-astute superiors."

"I don't think that'll be necessary. I can handle it."

"Page me if you need anything."

"Thank you. But I won't."

There was a long pause. And then, "Cameron?"

"Yes?"

"Good luck." Samantha clicked off, and Cameron took a moment to collect herself before returning to the others. They'd noticed her talking but had given her space. She walked back with an armful of branches, and the others watched her expectantly. The fire was almost out, a glowing heap of embers. She caught Diego's eye. "Samantha and Donald back our decision to take out the remaining larvae."

Diego took the news calmly, with an air of mournfulness. "Why?" he asked.

She dropped the wood. "Because they're pretty sure that if we can't exterminate the virus reservoir and provide damn good evidence that the water samples are virus-clear by 2200 on Monday, there's not gonna be an island left to argue over."

Rex exhaled in a sharp sigh. Diego eased himself down onto a log.

When Savage looked up, his eyes were flat and dark like water-smooth stones. "Sometimes you have to destroy a village to save it," he said.

It felt odd to Cameron, reconning with Justin. But since Derek was obviously out of the picture for the time being, and Szabla and Savage were standing guard over his tent, it made the most sense for her and Justin to pair up. Tank and the scientists took the western rim of the transition zone, hooking north around the Scalesia zone.

Cameron followed her husband through the dark forest, covering the terrain with slow sweeps of her elbow light. The Estradas' violent deaths and the mutiny had drained her, so she tried to keep her mind on the task at hand. It occurred to her just how odd it was that they were out here to dispose of gentle creatures that crawled in the night. Such a task seemed discordant at a time when her whole body was yearning for softness.

When he'd realized that the entire island was at stake, Diego had yielded to their objectives, finally agreeing to help dispose of the larvae. His advice was simple-the larvae would be attracted to light and humans, and want to keep to the shade. The first larva they'd captured had never made an effort to flee, and it had all but sought Cameron out by the lagoon. It was part of the larvae's strategy to locate other organ-isms to look over them, a strategy that had worked out nicely on an island with few predators.

Diego and Rex had also urged that they all keep an eye out for any other irregularities in the flora or fauna.

Cameron and Justin marched through the foliage, the branches arched like gothic gables, the trunks rising like spires to the vast spread of leaves floating overhead. They were enclosed, the two of them, in a world of vegetation, and it seemed that the canopy above was the floor of another world just out of reach. It was cavernous, the forest, a living stomach dripping with vines and life.

Cameron had the sudden peculiar sensation that she was going to her wedding. Aside from the fact that she was alone with the man she loved and the night hovered ahead of them intimidating and yet unrealized, she did not know why.

She passed the entrance of a cave, more like a deep niche carved into the side of a hill, and noticed movement just inside. She called Justin back and he came quietly. They stepped inside, the light casting shadows broad and fearful.