Chapter XI

James Crow was digging through the Central Database, but he wasn't working on a new case. Moreover, such term as new case didn't exist for him right now. Now that Martin Stein was dead he felt – he knew – that now it's just a matter of time before the new drug will be introduced – and he intended to find out when will that happen.
Of course it wasn't an easy task. Everything that could regard Prozium III was classified. Or – was it really everything? Of course the direct approach would fail. But it happened more than once that James acquired what he wanted by more indirect queries.

Suddenly, he got an idea. He knew that the Tetragrammaton network was connected with the Equilibrium Centre. It was a convenient solution, used frequently by appropriate persons – mainly from the Research Department - and sometimes by the Investigators. Crow didn't need to make use of it before – not until now. He figured that – classified or not – introducing a new drug had to leave some traces in the records – like mention of a new substance, not used before as an ingredient. After all, the personnel had to know what to produce and how.

James started searching the documents, starting from the oldest ones and wrote down the substances usually used for producing Prozium. The search results were discouraging – it seemed that there was no trace of a new drug.
After a moment of thought he suddenly experienced a flash of insight. Wondering, why hadn't he thought about it earlier, Crow checked the latest storage records and the results surpassed all of his expectations.
Of course there were plenty of things mentioned – but only one was stored in similar quantities as the rest of the substances used to manufacture Prozium. As Crow started to dig deeper, he found out that the delivery came just few hours earlier. He also found an entry, which really answered his question: the estimated storage time was seven days.
He disconnected from the network and attempted to form a plan. Martin was dead and there was no-one who could sabotage the production process. There was still the antidote, but, as he soberly concluded, he couldn't place his hopes in two vials of the antidote.

"Two vials against one hundred thousand Librians on the dose... that's nonsense" he calculated.

If he knew that the vials were found he would consider thoughts about them even a greater nonsense.

James sighed. He wasn't used to being helpless. Everything was planned for years, held in greatest secrecy. Now the project was practically completed and nothing could interfere with its implementation now.

His watch beeped reminding him of taking his dose. He injected it, knowing that it was still Prozium II.
But others didn't know what was about to come in seven days.

"Of course! How could I miss it?" the thought struck him completely unawares. The plan that formed in his mind was both desperate and strikingly simple: maybe Crow couldn't stop the process, but he still could thwart Vice-Council's plans by making a top secret project an open secret.

James logged again to the Central Database, this time in order to dig out all of the e-mail addresses. He knew it'll take ages to do and he hoped that no-one will disturb him. Methodically, department by department, he eventually got the e-mail addresses. The few phones in between, fortunately for him, turned out to be not so important. He had plenty of time to work in silence and solitude.

He started to write about everything he learned about Prozium III, without missing any relevant details. After copying and pasting the e-mail addresses he got and hitting the "Send" button he knew he sealed his fate. The punishment would be swift and inevitable.

But James Crow didn't care. If his plan worked, then the whole thing would be worth it, despite the consequences. If not – then he knew he'll have to leave as well, since in the new world order there would be no place for him.

Andrew Ross checked his e-mail and got a single message – it was neither an order nor the internal newsletter, which already was highly unusual. As he opened it, he couldn't believe his own eyes. Luckily, he dosed not long ago.

"Clerical training surely didn't cover this!" he thought as he was reading it.

He read the message once more, carefully observed by Kurt Donovan. It read:

To all!

There is a top-secret and deadly project aimed at every single Librian. There is a new generation of Prozium to be introduced. It contains a poisonous substance which causes imminent death. Its effect is inhibited by Prozium, so the only way to prevent it is to take another dose. The Vice-Council knows about that – well, he ordered to begin this project. It was so secret that only the Vice-Council and two researchers – Michael Dorn and Martin Stein – knew about it. The latter was executed for revealing this secret and developing the antidote. The research lasted years and it was completed eventually.

Even those of you who are truly loyal to Libria should beware. The new Prozium will be introduced in seven days. You would dose it, not even knowing about it. Father – or should I say the Vice-Council - doesn't trust you.

Every single Librian will fall a victim – maybe except of the Vice-Council who, aware of the project, wouldn't want to inject a poison in his veins. I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out, that he was off the dose all the time.

I'm giving you the choice which you wouldn't get otherwise. I was forced to revise my loyalties and I know I will be punished. I've chosen already.

"It's madness!" he thought as he finished. He didn't suspect Crow of having suicidal tendencies, but now he had to revise his opinion.

"Why?" he kept asking himself.

Andrew closed the e-mail client and peeked at Kurt. The young Cleric read the message carefully, but Ross was unable to determine what he thought at the moment.

"Seven days…" he thought – and with this thought he finally understood James' intentions.

The Librians deserved to know. If this knowledge would cause some of them to skip the dose, then maybe not everything was lost.

"Maybe the truth is the only thing that we've got" Andrew thought.

"I think you should see this, sir" Donovan's voice was loud and clear.

The Vice-Council looked at the printed message and read it carefully. He felt exposed and humiliated, all the more that he didn't expect that move.

"Thank you, Cleric. You may leave" he said eventually, barely managing to control himself.

As soon as Donovan left, he took a blank sheet of paper and started to tear it into pieces. He asked himself, how could he make such fundamental mistake. He should had listened to his intuition which told him to arrest this Investigator. He should had, but he hadn't – and the consequence of this negligence lied in front of him.
He read the message once more, amazed by its relevance. As if out of spite Crow even managed somehow to determine the day, when Prozium III was supposed to be distributed.

DuPont wasn't so angry in his entire life. Now he was in trouble. Of course he could deny everything and hope that everyone will believe, but the damage has been done. There was a real danger that people would start asking questions – especially James' colleagues from the II Department. Damn Investigators… Maybe this specialization wasn't that good idea at all? They were always asking too many questions.

Finally he knew what to do. He took his phone and dialed the number to the Equilibrium Centre. His order was short:

"The production is to be finished in five days, not seven."

"That's impossible. We received the substance just few hours ago. We won't manage to finish the production within five days."

"I won't accept any delays, understood?"

After a moment of silence the interlocutor finally answered:

"Yes, sir."

DuPont could only wait.