Infection

"The agent is highly infectious for approximately 30 seconds in its aerosol form, but after that 30 second window the bacterio-virus or Lazarus 237 as we have dubbed it begins to degrade exponentially in its ability to infect a potential target."

"So doctor this agent as you call it was developed by using bacteria and splicing its DNA with a lab-created virus' RNA can do that to a normal human being?"

PowerPoint/Video presentation showing a human male in a time lapsed state of infection.

"Yes, Mr. Secretary, this was discovered quite by accident! We irradiated a small sample of the Neptunium and saw how Lazarus 237 reacted to the exposure. We injected it into a lab rat and within 12 hours the subject was dead. We next tried it on a chimpanzee and it had the same effect. Though in the act of injecting the chimp subject this occurred."

Video plays showing the chimpanzee breaking its bonds and causing the syringe to puncture the hand of a research assistant.

"Within 24 hours the subject died and then reanimated! It is really quite amazing sir!"

The conference room began to murmur with the sounds of discontent and wonder at the military applications of such a weapon. Dr. Leopold Dyer was very much proud of the new biological agent that he dubbed Lazarus 237. He knew that the application of this agent in a military scenario would have him set for life. Unfortunately the discovery came at the cost of one of his assistants, but that was the nature of scientific research in his mind, "No Risk, No Glory."

"Dr. we would like to see this agent tested more before we move on to any type of field operations." said Lt. Gen. Raymond George.

Leopold was surprised by this reaction from the military. He had mountains of tests and test data. The visible verifiable results of the infections power and they still were not willing to give him his just due after years of research.

"I know this is not what you wanted to hear Dr. but we still have no type of antivirus or antibiotic to fight this thing if it were to get into the general population, do we" the General asked?

The doctor knew the answer was no but he could not bring himself to say it.

"We have a few promising lines of treatment right now that we are testing to try to inoculate test subjects from the biological agent." Dr. Dyer said.

All this happened while the Secretary of Defense just watched in quiet contemplation. He finally had seen and heard enough from the doctor and his staff. Dr. Dyer knew that his only chance to get his future research funded was with the Secretary's approval.

"Dr. Dyer while I appreciate the time and effort you put into your work, which the results are truly amazing, we cannot further fund this research as it is too great a risk to national security and the world at large. I want all research to immediate stop and all evidence that this ever occurred destroyed within the hour," the Secretary ordered.

With those words Dr. Dyers world came crashing down, all his years of research had been thrown away as if it was used tissue. The gathered personnel began to exit the conference room leaving only the doctor and his assistance to gaze on in disbelief at how the presentation had gone so horribly wrong. The doctor's assistants Mark Bell, Lindsay Van Horn and Gerald Webber began to gather his things and load them into the van parked behind the conference building. The doctor and his assistants drove in silence to the lab located at the rear of the base to begin gathering their personal items.

"Don't worry guys I will write letters of recommendation for all of you so that you will be able to find other places of employment." He said.

"Doc we appreciate that but these boneheads have no idea how groundbreaking all this research is this could lead to cures, prolonged life, the possibilities are endless." Lindsay said.

As they drove around the corner that was right before the lab they saw military personnel trucks parked in front.

"This can't be right they haven't even given us time to get our things." Gerald said.

Then gunshots were heard and military personnel began to pour out of the lab. Some were bleeding while others were firing as they fell back from the onslaught of about 20 other soldiers that just engulfed them like a wave. The rest of the military personnel outside heard the commotion over the radio and had organized a firing line across the street from the lab. They were able to put down most of the men that showed signs of the infection. The doctor and his assistants knew what had happened, the military personnel did not know all the correct procedures to destroy the Lazarus 237 agent and some of them had been infected, but how had it gone from infection to reanimation so fast? There was something missing in the timeframe of infection to reanimation that had been tested and recorded in the lab, the doctor knew he had to get to the bottom of this and soon.

Seeing that the situation was only getting out of hand the doctor turned the van around and attempted to leave the base. Just as he was about to put the vehicle in drive he was hit by a military personnel carrier and was separated from consciousness.

It was Friday October 5th, 2007, the weekend before Columbus Day, many men would be going home for the long weekend or would be leaving for reassignment to another base and Lazarus 237 would be introduced to the rest of the world.