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Kate nodded her head It was extreenomically tailored therapy to every person It was decades ahead of anything in use It was a shaue to reach such a breakthrough

“Yes, but if the iive everyone Orchid?” Dr Janus asked

“Three reasons In some early trials, we found that the implants couldn’t build a viable therapy for everyone The implants build antivirals from the enzymes and proteins in the host’s body—it essentially does a co to create the therapy it needs But the process with an ihty percent of hosts So we give the implants a sort of viral stock—a proverbial block of viral clay it can carve a therapy out of That’s what’s in the Orchid pills—viral stock”

“Very interesting…” Janus seeht

“The other reasons?” Kate asked

“Oh, yes,” Brenner said “I get lost in the science The second reason was speed We kneould need to deploy a new therapy quickly:was out of the question, and of course this is a variable solution We knee could be looking at a base therapy with possibly thousands of small tweaks by the implants to make it ide”

“And the last reason?”

“Hope People taking Orchid everyday… we felt we needed to give theible, so for a disease And now, I hope, you’ve given us thepiece—the for your data now Assulobally across the Orchid Alliance within hours”

Around the small saloon, the scientists nodded David and Shaw eyed each other, like two gunfighters in a bar in the Old West, each waiting for the other to draw

Dr Brenner interrupted the tension “There’s so I haven’t told you, Dr Warner”

“What?” Kate asked through the speakerphone, not bothering to make the call private

“The Orchid leadership has ordered us to execute Euthanasia Protocol”

“I don’t—”

“We had standing orders,” Brenner went on “If either Orchid failed or the Immari ever became a viable threat, our orders were to issue cancellation co die quickly That would leave a world of Orchid survivors, a base to save the Alliance So far, we have sinored those orders We’ve focused on our research and hoped the leadership wouldn’t actually go through with the plan But we’ve heard rumors If we don’t execute Euthanasia Protocol, Allied troops may take control of Continuity and do it for us”

Kate sat back against the white couch

No one said a word

“Can you slon Euthanasia Protocol?” Kate asked

“We can try But… let’s hope your therapy works”

Downstairs, in their stateroom, David allobal consortium this whole time?”

“Yes What?”

“Call them back Here’s what you say…”

Kate called the Continuity nu is fine I need a favor I need you to contact British Intelligence and ask them if they have an officer named Adaanization about someone named Dr Arthur Janus?—Yes, that would be very helpful—Fine Call me back as soon as you know It’s very important