CHAPTER 15: HAZMAT
"Doctor Cornelius...if these spore samples have the properties you say they do..."
"They do"
"...Then you're going to need a protective suit of the kind that isn't made to get past that spore cloud."
"I know, and that's why I trust you, Moira. I know you'll find us the best protection that exists. Try NASA; we'll use spacesuits if need be"
Cornelius was demanding the highest standards from his team at DPR headquarters. He had biologists and technicians working hard on coming up with devices that could combat the alien plant spores so he, and probably David, would be able to pass safely through the spore cloud that blocked the way into the core of the Strangerville laboratory.
One of his team, Gene, had approached him with a new device.
"And what, pray tell, is this?" said Cornelius as Gene handed him something that looked like a cross between a science fiction ray gun and a sun lamp.
"It's a weapon, Doctor. It fires a negative ion spray" said Gene in his Southern American drawl.
"And this helps...how?"
"Well, if what we're dealin' with here is extra-terrestrial, Doctor, then this little baby will disrupt its cellular structure." said Gene with a smile.
"I see...now normally I abhor violence" said Cornelius, picking up the gun.
"Well, it's a plant, sir. And you might need all the protection you can get down there" Gene replied.
Cornelius placed the gun on his desk and looked at it. "Thank you, Gene, I shall keep this weapon of yours in mind when we next go to the base."
Gene left Cornelius' office and the scientist was left alone for a moment. He picked up the gun, pointed it at a chair and said "stick 'em up!" with a fake American accent.
"Dr Sands, this data cannot be correct! It's completely off the scale of what we know!" said Wong who was trying to make sense of what he was seeing on the Department's computer.
"Working with what we don't know is what the Department of Paranormal Research is all about, Dr Wong" said Sands, dryly.
"I know, I know but it frustrates me that we don't have the capacity or means to deal with the Strangerville threat."
"Not at the moment, Dr Wong..." said Cornelius, as he entered the room and approached his colleagues. "Gene's been developing ways to combat what we might encounter down there and Moira is looking to develop appropriate protective clothing. What is it that you think we lack, Dr Wong?"
Wong took his time to answer as he worked out what to say to Cornelius in his head. He had to be precise in front of the maverick English scientist.
"Our spectroscopes and computer...they're good, but they can't handle the data obtained from your samples. We need something that is built to handle biological material of this complexity and we just don't have it nor do I know where such a machine exists."
Cornelius thought about this and stroked his chin. "Actually, Dr Wong, I think I do know where I could find what you're looking for..."
THE NEXT DAY
"Remind me, Cornelius, why are we here again? I thought you said we couldn't come back here unless we had the right equipment...which we don't."
"Plans change, David. DPR headquarters doesn't have a spectrometer that can analyse the spore samples we collected. But my hunch is that this laboratory has what we need...after all, they were studying the plants...they were even cultivating them!"
Into the lab the pair went and down past the electronic doors they passed until they got to the lower level chamber where the alien plants were being grown inside glass pods.
"When we were last here we were so focussed on those plants being grown in the pods and that dense spore cloud we forgot to look at all this wonderful technology the lab possesses." said Cornelius to David as they approached the analyser.
"What do you want me to do, Cornelius?" asked David.
"I have our original samples stored in the scanning device. With your one, I want you to collect more spore samples from around this lab so I can compare the two. Just how toxic are these spores when compared with the ones we found back in Strangerville?"
"On it" said David, getting the scanner out from his jacket pocket and heading back upstairs to the main lab.
The two men worked tirelessly for hours. David would walk around the lab collecting spores whilst ensuring he didn't get trapped in the dense cloud of them right near the laboratory's core. He would pass on the samples to Cornelius, who used the lab's specialised equipment to analyse them, comparing these lab gathered spores with the ones found in the town and at Ted Roswell's mansion.
"Any results, Cornelius?" David asked after he had delivered him three loads of spore samples.
"Most certainly, David. The ones you've gathered here are 3 times more toxic than the ones we gathered before. With this new data we can build the best hazardous material suit, or HAZMAT if you will."
"Yes, Director, I understand Director....this is very good news. Yes, I'll come over to headquarters right away....Goodbye"
Cornelius put down the trimphone receiver and stood there, stroking his chin in contemplation. It was still early in the morning but the team at DPR headquarters had been working around the clock to work on the information Cornelius had sent them and a phone conversation at 6:30am seemed in keeping with a team of scientists who were shut indoors and hadn't seen daylight in three days.
David was still eating his breakfast and was just shaking off his tiredness when he saw Cornelius standing by the phone looking pensive.
"Was that HQ just now...on the phone?" David asked.
"Indeed it was...and it looks like there's some good news" replied Cornelius, making his way to their new dining table and sitting down.
"News you can share with your research assistant?" asked David.
"Of course...it affects you as well. They took the data we retrieved from our latest trip to the laboratory and have been able to modify the protective suits based on what we sent them."
"So are the suits ready?"
"They say so, although I want to see them for myself"
"Shouldn't I come along as well?" asked David.
"No...I still need you here, in Strangerville, to monitor the situation in the town. Those alien plants are growing and starting to sway when there's no breeze. Also the infected are remaining in their possessed state for longer and longer these days. Continue to log any and all details relevant to our case."
"Will do"
DPR HEADQUARTERS, 1000hrs
"I have complete trust in you and the team." he replied.
"We ran those samples through the chemical analyser then Dr Sands inputted the data into the computer and based on that data we knew what level of protection the HAZMAT suits required." she explained.
Dr Kaden Sands and the lab technician, Gene, entered the room and overheard what Mrs Fyres was telling Cornelius.
"We ran the prototype suit through a Permeation Resistance Test and it came back with 120 minutes before the spore molecules breached the fabric" said Dr Sands. "Will that be enough time for you and Mr Wright?"
"It'll have to do, Dr Sands" said Cornelius. "I take it the suit will have an inbuilt timer and a radio receiver and communicator?"
"It does, Doctor. And a small drink dispenser to keep you and Mr Wright hydrated."
"Good, good" said Cornelius. "One hundred and twenty minutes...should be enough time down there. Alright, let's try it on for size!" he said, excitedly.
Half an hour later Cornelius donned the HAZMAT suit and walked around the laboratory, testing his mobility within it.
"Radio test...one...two...three..."
"Reading you loud and clear, Dr Cornelius" replied Gene from one of the consoles which had a radio receiver.
"The radio works...the suit is relatively free to move around it, despite the bulk and my forward visibility is acceptable."
"There's also an independent oxygen supply should you need it" said Dr Sands.
"We probably will. Alright, now we have the protective gear I'll talk you through the plan. We take two lorries..."
"Lorries?" asked Gene.
"I'm sorry, I mean trucks or vans. One will contain all the equipment and communication devices and will be operated by Gene and Moira. The other will be the decontamination chamber which will be operated by Dr Sands. My other assistant, Peggy, will go down to the lab with David and myself where she will monitor our progress from the computer and surveillance system installed there."
"Now this is important. We don't know what is down there, exactly, but we must assume it is hostile and toxic. We must leave nothing to chance. A minor breach of these suits and we will immediately abort the mission and enter the decontamination truck. A major breach of the whole facility and Peggy will engage full safety protocols by shutting down the entire laboratory, regardless of whether David and I are still in there or not. We cannot risk this plague getting out any more than it has done. Dr Sands, you will then be in charge and it will be up to you to decide whether to engage the Ares Protocol."
"The Ares Protocol?" asked Gene, nervously.
"Complete destruction of the laboratory site. Once I, or Doctor Sands, send the password then an immediate tactical nuclear strike will be launched at the facility."
The whole team went silent when Cornelius said this. Everyone realised the gravity of the situation.
STRANGERVILLE, 1700hrs
"So...what do you think?" asked Cornelius after he had donned the HAZMAT suit back at the house to demonstrate it to David.
"It's...bright and bulky. And they're sure it works?" David replied, hesitantly.
"All the tests has shown it will. Do you want to try yours on now?"
"Later. So when do we head off to the secret lab again?" asked David, sombrely.
"Everything is set to go, David. First thing tomorrow."
David nodded but didn't say anything. He instead remained silent and serious looking as he looked out the window towards the library. Cornelius removed the HAZMAT suit and laid it gently on the sofa. He noticed where David was looking and could guess what was going through his friend's mind.
"We're equipped as best as we can be and we'll have a team from the DPR, including Peggy, in assistance but there's no telling what it is down there that we'll be dealing with. It might very well prove extremely hazardous or..."
"Malevolent?" said David, interrupting.
"Indeed..." replied Cornelius, solemnly.
"We've seen what it can do to people...it might do the same to us." said David.
"David..." began Cornelius. "...I think if you wish to see your friend, Lauren, one more time before we depart tomorrow then that would be good."
"Is it that obvious, Cornelius? I'm not sure it's love between us but..."
"I understand the two of you have formed a bond and that you deeply care for one another. You should see her before we go."
"Thanks, Cornelius" David replied.
The library was busy and David was frustrated that he and Lauren couldn't have a private conversation there, especially what he had to say to her was both personal and technical about the next trip to the lab.
"Tomorrow we go back...to the lab" said David, quietly.
"You sound more serious this time, David. What's changed?" Lauren replied.
David took a deep breath and said "We're going further in to the lower levels...where we believe the disease originated from."
"Oh" she said, letting the gravity of the situation sink in. She knew by the tone of his voice that where they were going was dangerous.
"Will it be just you and Cornelius?" she asked.
"Yes. We can't risk anyone else down there. We'll have protective suits on and other such scientific instruments on us but...well, there's still so much we don't know and we don't know how bad it is."
"Look, what I'm trying to say is that we're going down there as best prepared as we can but there's always a risk that something will go wrong, that the suits won't work or they'll malfunction or that the threat there is too big for the two of us to fight."
"You came to say a possible goodbye..." Lauren interjected, her eyes began to water.
David nodded solemnly. "That's about the sum of it"
They both stood up and Lauren stood close to David, looking him in his eyes as she resisted the urge to cry. "Please come back alive" she said, softly.
David nodded again but this time there was a small, warm smile on his face. He wiped a solitary tear from her face and they embraced. Tomorrow would be a make or break day for him and Cornelius.
David then departed from the library and headed home. He didn't notice two people in black suits and wearing sunglasses that hid their eyes who were watching him as he ran across the road. One of them pulled out a Dictaphone and began recording.
"Time: 2015hrs. David Wright heads back to his home after a meeting with the local librarian. He's obviously planning something to do with the secret laboratory. Will follow him and Dr Cornelius tomorrow."
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