“We’re talking about less power than you would get from a double-A battery. It’s safe, I assure you,” Osebold said. “We’ve all been through it.”
“I’ve never heard of this,” Duncan said.
“Compartmentalization,” Osebold said. “No one can know everything that’s going on, especially when it’s covered under the Black Budget.” She reached out and felt the helmet. The black metal reminded her of the skin of the mothership. “Tell me more.”
Kopina nodded. “Okay, what we do is two things. We fit the suit to the body using the impression tank, then we fit the SARA link array to the brain.” She held up a small black box. “This is SARA, which stands for sensory amplifier response activator. The box goes on the back of the suit. SARA is a very special computer. It adds sensory input to the brain and receives immediate commands back from it which it relays to the suit even as the body is still responding through its own nervous system.”
Duncan stared at the black box. “You’re joking.”
Kopina shook her head. “No, I’m not.”
“Have you used it?”
“In the tank,” Osebold said, referring to the large water tank in the hangar. “It’s been experimental.”
“But it’s not experimental now?” Duncan asked.
“We’re operational,” Osebold said.
Duncan looked at the members of the team. “Have any of you ever been into space?”
“I have,” Kopina said. “Aboard the shuttle.”
“Has this team ever conducted any sort of mission with these TASC-suits in space?” Duncan asked.
“No,” Osebold said, “but we’re ready.”
“T-minus three hours, thirty minutes,” Kopina said. “They have to go suit up.”
“Someone’s alive.” Norward’s voice sounded weak in Turcotte’s earpiece.
Turcotte had to turn his whole body to look at the other man. Norward had his arm raised, pointing at a small building to their right. A figure was standing in the doorway. The robes had once been white, but now they were badly stained with blood and other material that Turcotte had no desire to know. The woman wearing them was old, her white face lined and weathered.
As he got closer Turcotte could see the trace of black lines on her skin, indicating she had the Black Death. Her pale blue eyes watched them approach in their protective suits.
“I am Sister Angelina.” The old woman’s English was heavily accented. She looked up and down at their suits. “I see you are a bit better prepared for this than we are. Who are you people? We have not been able to communicate with anyone since this began.”
“We’re from the CDC,” Norward said. “America. What’s the situation?”
“Over half my staff is down,” Sister Angelina said. “High fever, headaches, bloody diarrhea, vomiting. We’ve tried to do all we can, but nothing works.”
Sister Angelina led them into the building. Turcotte looked around. Through a curtain made of a sheet, he could see a ward. There were bodies in the beds and two nuns moved among the people, ministering to them. He felt totally immersed in a different world. The nuns didn’t have the slightest form of protection, not even surgical masks.
“I was in Zaire in ninety-five,” Sister Angelina said. “This looks very much like Ebola.”
“It’s not Ebola,” Norward said. “At least not one of the known strains.”
“But it is a virus,” the nun replied. “Or else you would not be wearing those suits.”
“Yes,” Norward confirmed. “It is a virus.”
“Can you help us?” Angelina asked.
“We have to track down the source,” Norward said. “I’ll have them send you some equipment. Gowns, masks. That will help.”
“If it isn’t already too late,” Sister Angelina said.
To that, Norward had no answer. Turcotte knew that she knew she was dead. “We would like to look at some of your patients,” Norward said.
Sister Angelina pointed to the ward. “Follow me.”
They moved through the archway, careful not to scrape their suits on either side. There were fourteen people in the beds.
“My native support left when they first feared this was a virus,” Sister Angelina explained as they moved. “All that is left are my Sisters. And these are the only ones left in town alive.” She pointed at the bodies.
“How many people used to live in Vilhena?” Turcotte asked.
“That is hard to say. Maybe five thousand. Some have fled into the jungle or downriver, although I heard that the next town in that direction has set up a blockade on the river and is killing anyone who tries to cross it.”
Turcotte knew that also meant the native support workers might have run away with the disease in their system. This was the horrifying danger of trying to contain an epidemic. Nobody wanted to hang around in the area where the sickness takes root, but by running they spread it to new areas.
They walked down the aisle. Turcotte was glad that he had the suit. The smell must be horrendous. The overworked nuns were trying their best, but the soiled sheets from vomiting and diarrhea could be replaced only so often.
They’d seen Ruiz’s body, but at that point the virus had been at full amplification, taking over the host completely. Here they could see what it did to flesh prior to death.
“The rashes,” Norward said briefly.
Turcotte had noted that too. Streaks of pustulant black cut across the skin of most of the victims. He leaned over one bed. Blood was seeping out from the patient’s eyes, nose, and ears. The eyes were looking at him, wide open, rimmed in black and red, fear and pain evident.
Turcotte glanced about. There were no IVs or any other signs of modern medical procedures in sight. Just the nuns in their habits, using what they had to comfort the people, wiping sweat and blood from ravished flesh. Giving aspirin for the sickness and pain. In his time in the Special Forces, Turcotte had served on MTTs — mobile training teams — and MEDCAPs — medical civilian assistance programs — in several third world countries.
“We have to go,” Turcotte said, tapping Norward on the shoulder.
“Will you help?” Sister Angelina asked.
“We’ll get you some help,” Norward promised.
Turcotte turned for the door, then paused. “Sister—”
“Yes?”
“Have you ever heard of The Mission?”
The nun stared at him for several seconds, then she nodded ever so slightly. “Yes.”
“Where is it?”
She lifted an arm under her stained robe and pointed to the east. “I have heard that The Mission has made a pact with the Devil where the sun rises out of the ocean.”
“Where exactly—” But Turcotte was cut off as she asked her own question.
“When will the others arrive?”
“The others?”
“Help.”
“They should be here in the morning,” Norward answered, feeling Turcotte’s disapproving gaze upon him even though it was hidden by the plastic mask.
She put out a hand and touched Turcotte on the arm. “There are no others, are there?”
“It takes time to mobilize people,” Norward said.
“You’re with the American army, aren’t you?”
“I…” Norward halted.
Sister Angelina was looking at Turcotte, her face calm.
“Yes,” Turcotte answered.
“There will be no others coming to help, will there? We’re on our own, aren’t we?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you for being honest.” She looked down the row of beds, the sound of people vomiting and moaning in pain filling the air. “I need one more answer. Did your people cause this?” Turcotte blinked. “No. I think it came from The Mission.”
“I would not have believed that answer if you had not told me you were with the army.”