Capital Bloodlust: Chapter 1

CHAPTER I







Sulwey Health research institute was abuzz with hopefuls on this particular day. The Center of Disease Research and Testing had received a peculiar package. Not to say that the package was in any was suspicious; just that the contents had been altered. Yes, for on a sweltering hot July day in Nevada, a certain vial containing a blood sample had finally arrived. With it, hopefully came an answer to how to finally defeat the scourge known as AIDS.

Dr. Stewart was the lead scientist in what they called Project A.I.D. It was a research campaign in which several scientists from all over the United States conducted various studies involving infected blood samples of HIV+ patients which then underwent strenuous genetic mutation cycles. Using this method, scientists hoped to find a way to alter the virus’s genetic code and ultimately, as they say fight fire with fire. What a prospect! It was amazing to have found a way to use the deteriorative nature of HIV to possibly cure it. The possibility of this completely baffled Stwart and his colleagues at Sulwey, but the results of years of testing and research did indeed null their doubts, and if fortune was on their side, HIV would become about as dangerous as chickenpox.

As for the blood sample in question, it had arrived by Priority Mail this morning, at about 10 am to be exact and it didn’t take long from when the parcel was unloaded off the truck to soon be unboxed and the vial to be in the hands of Stewart and his team.

“This is finally it” said Steward in a hopeful tone. “Ladies and gentlemen, this vial contains the result of years of toil and tribulations, years of slaving over Petri dishes and microscopes, and our arduous years of Human Genome study and tinkering with the very building blocks of life” Gerald P. Steward now spoke with the jubilation and glee of a five year old at Christmas: “Stem cells be damned, this is the best thing to come along in medical history since the first successful heart transplant. Ladies and gentlemen” he paused to hold the vial up in the air so all of his team could see; as he did so, he continued, “I give you Immunogena!”

After Stewart had given his little speech of inspiration, several members of his team consulted him throughout the day regarding the strange sample of blood. One of the more common questions however, was how exactly this little bit of crimson fluid was going to be the cure for such a deadly disease. For they knew exactly was they and several other scientists around the nation were doing. It just all sounded too good to be true, especially when it came to messing around with genetics. Stewart, as well as many other of the lead scientist really had their minds set that this sample of blood, which was called Immunogena, or Immune regeneration was the exact reverse of what the original virus does. The scientists of Project A.I.D. had found a way to reverse the properties of the original HIV strain; creating a new strain that, instead of destroying the white blood cells as well as the T-cells used to fight disease, it actually strengthened existing cells and stimulated the creation of new cells so that damaged immune systems could eventually return to full strength and in turn, reverse the effect of HIV altogether. It had taken years upon years of people suffering, but now that horrible blight on mankind could be wiped out forever. This notion assured Stewart that millions of people around the world would remember their great deeds.

Of course, the vial wouldn’t be staying at the Sulwey labs. Stewart no longer would need to worry his balding, stout little head about working on the Immunogena blood any longer. All he would need to do now is to box it back up and ready it for shipment to a larger laboratory were actual testing would begin. Yet, as they say: “Rome wasn’t built in a day” so the only thing that Stewart would need to do now is to finish up today’s work and go home. Prep for postage and shipment of the sample would have to wait until a destination had been chosen.

The rest of the day at the Sulwey labs had been the usual paper pushing and tending to the in house animal testing chambers. No sooner did 4:30 come around as Dr. Steward hung up his lab coat and drove his way along the small road to the small town where he resided. He would be phoning a very important client about the receipt of the sample before he sat down for dinner.

All was routine for Stewart as he made his way home and prepared himself for the evening. Hearing of the receipt of the blood sample made Maddie Stewart glad as her husband as various others have constructed what clearly was the scientific breakthrough of the century. Of course, it wasn’t Maddie who was as inclined to hear the news as would be a certain government official. Gerald Stewart was a little more than nervous as he made his way downstairs to the den area where his home office was situated and seated himself in the soft pleather chair and fumbled through his contacts book. He could sense himself getting more and more anxious as he neared the section where the name of the call recipient finally reached his eyes. A one Sen. Jamie Groves of Virginia. He had a slight tremble throughout his body; but he assured himself that it was due to excitement. Senator Groves had been in close ties with Dr Stewart regarding the progress of Immunogena research. Dr. Stewart may have been a bit shaky, but he once again felt the sense of jubilation come over him as he heard the phone ring on the other end, and almost blurted out the info the second he heard the Senator’s “hello” in the receiver.

“It arrived from the L.A. labs this morning, Jim” said Dr. Stewart. “What’s the location?” The man on the other end of the line couldn’t help but grin as he heard the news.

“The Immunogena vial made it? ... Good” was Groves’ response. “As soon as it’s ready, ship it out. The sooner it makes it to the designated hospital, the sooner we can begin human testing trials.”

“Where is the destination?” asked Dr. Stewart. On the other end of the line, Senator Groves couldn’t help himself but smile. Of all the places in America where Immunogena could be tested, Jim Groves thought it wise to begin in a smaller area; one where the number of HIV/AIDS patients is more concentrated. “It’ll do fine there” he thought. Groves spoke once again into the receiver: “I’ll be going uptown to Washington on business in a few months. I’ll get us the okay to send the sample to one of Washington Hospital Center’s in house labs.”

“D.C.? you want to send the sample to D.C.? What exactly are you up to Senator? I want to begin tests and a possible distribution” said Steward. “It seems you are just seeking favor on Capitol Hill”

When Jim heard this, he was shocked. Who the fuck did this lab coat wearing, bald, beaker licking kiss-ass think he was? It seems that the desert faring scientist forgot who exactly got him the grants and funding to do this whole project. It was the good Senator of Virginia, after all who even met with President Rosenthal himself with the news that he, Groves, had assembled a team of scientists some years ago with the hope of finding a cure for HIV. And now, it appalled him to even fathom that one of the country’s finest scientists, as well as his close friend, was second guessing him.

Despite his rising fury at the saintly simp on the other end of the phone, Senator Groves managed to keep his calm composure. “You do know, Dr. Stewart, that Washington DC happens to have a high percentage of diagnosed HIV/AIDS individuals, don’t you? He continued, “Being so, as well as the fact that it would help the cause regardless of where the first injectons of the Immunogena vaccine are reported; I find it only right to start where there are a lot of known cases of the virus floating around.” “Go with DC, and Rosenthal and his whole administration will be wagging their Right-Wing tails at both of us.”

Gerald Stewart had been bested by his old friend again. His only response was a hesitant “ok” in agreement. He had been assured by his good friend the Nation’s Capital was as good a place as any to start testing and reproduction of the altered counter-virus; he just didn’t want Groves using the blood, sweat, and tears of several scientists across the US to earn political gain.

Dr. Stewart found that his tiredness as well as his hunger were starting to linger so he thought it best that the conversation by continued at another time. The two parties exchanged farewells and parted. For Dr. Stewart, not even the wife’s fine cooking couldn’t break a sense of unease about the whole thing. Jim Groves has his own agenda, and Lord knows he fancies the Presidency more than anything; but to risk Immunogena getting prematurely exposed, in the center of American politics was too much for the middle aged doc to bear. However, if it meant that AIDS was one step closer to being squashed for good, he’d risk it.



If only he knew his old colleague’s true intent, perhaps Gerald Paul Stewart could have averted a catastrophe that would have spared a city the unholy terrors that awaited it only a few months’ time, but neither of these men could truly imagine what would soon follow.



Elsewhere, at 367 16th Street Northwest, Washington, DC, an rising med student had just settled into bed.