also cause some of the physiological expressions of fear and anxiety. When the hormones exceed normal levels, anxiety disorders are very common.”
Murray nodded with understanding. “So these parasites make people go crazy by increasing neurotransmitters?”
“Right,” Amos said. “But there’s more. The parasite grows structures that mimic human nerves. We found such structures in the area surrounding the growth, but we found traces in the brain as well, particularly in the cerebral cortex and the limbic region.”
“What’s the limbic region?”
Margaret answered. “It’s a cluster of areas including the thalamus, the hippocampus and the amygdala, among others, that is thought to control emotion and comprise the basic structures for memory storage and recall. The growths in that area may have been some kind of endocrine system for secreting the excess neurotransmitters. Based on case studies of excess dopamine in the limbic region, hosts may develop extremely acute paranoia. That’s consistent with the behavior observed in Brewbaker, Blaine Tanarive, Gary Leeland and Charlotte Wilson. But if the growth was actually artificial nerves, it may have had another purpose-it’s possible the parasite was somehow wired into the brain.”
Anger flashed in Murray’s eyes. “Oh come on. I agree with your ‘drug delivery’ theory, that makes sense, but wired into the brain? What are you saying, that this isn’t just some chemical overdose, that the parasite is somehow controlling the host?”
“It is a possibility,” she said.
“Why don’t you just tell me the hosts are possessed by evil demons, Doctor Montoya? I’m beginning to suspect I made a serious mistake by putting you in charge of this. How the hell can you expect me to believe a parasite can control people, make them do all those horrible things?”
“We didn’t say the parasite used people like some kind of robot,” Amos said. “However, there are parallels found in nature where parasites modify the host’s behavior. For example, there is a trematode that parasitizes a species of mud snail. To complete its life cycle, the trematode must pass from a snail to a sand flea. The trematode larva somehow forces snails to high ground, out of the water, where the snails will die. It makes them commit suicide, if you will. At that point the trematode exits the snail and enters a flea. Think also of the thorny-headed worm, which starts in a cockroach and moves on to a rat. To facilitate the change, the worm actually makes the cockroach less aware of danger, so it is more likely to be eaten by a rat. Then there is the-”
Murray held up his hand, cutting off Amos’s next example. “I get the point, Doc. That’s riveting stuff, really it is, but snails and fucking roaches are a hell of a ways away from human intelligence.”
“Behavior is merely a chemical reaction, Mister Longworth,” Amos said. “Human behavior involves more complicated reactions, but they are reactions nonetheless, and if a snail or-as you so eloquently put it, an effing roach -can be manipulated, then so, too, can a human.”
Murray rubbed the bridge of his nose, as if some monster headache pounded the inside of his skull. “You know, I came here hoping for some good news, but this just gets worse every second. Okay, so someone out there has created a parasite that can manipulate human behavior. When the hell are you two going to give me something I can use?”
“Mister Longworth, this is something incredibly advanced,” Margaret said. Her voice grew cold and angry. This man wanted simple answers, yet there were none to give. “We’re talking a high degree of technological superiority. If this is an engineered organism, someone out there is so far ahead of us it’s difficult to conceive. To put it another way, if this parasite is engineered, we’re in a lot of trouble.”
Murray scowled-it was clear that additional complications were not welcome. “What do you mean ‘if ’?”
“I suspect, and I should note that Amos disagrees with me, that this psychopathic behavior may not be intended, but is actually a side effect. The possibility remains that this is some kind of natural parasite, or if not natural, then it was not specifically designed to make people crazy.”
Murray shook his head, then stared at the plaques on the wall. “It’s a weapon, Doctor Montoya, and a damn good one at that. Don’t make this so complicated you can’t see what’s blatantly obvious. You handle the chemicals and such, and leave the strategic analysis to me. Now, I need ideas from you on how to fight this thing. Do you have any suggestions?”
Actually, Margaret had several suggestions, most of which involved a sledgehammer and Murray Longworth’s ass, but those she kept to herself. “There are a couple of things we need to do. First, we need to expand the staff. We need some psychiatrists on board.”
“Why?”
“All the hosts have shown severe behavioral disorders. If we’re going to learn how this thing works, we need a living host. We need a bigger staff and we need it quick, particularly a neurobiologist and neuropharmacologist. A psychologist might help us figure out how to handle deranged victims. And in the long run, we need to learn how to combat the parasite’s effects, possibly with drugs that modify behavior by countering the neurotransmitter overdose.”
“I don’t think adding staff is a good idea, Margaret.”
“We need these people, and we need them now. We could lose control of this any second. Information control is one thing. Letting a plague break out on our watch is another.”
Murray’s fingers drummed the desktop. “Fine. I’ll start looking for people. I don’t need to tell you again just how secret this whole operation is, so I’m not going to have someone for you tomorrow or the next day. What have you got that I can use now?”
“Brewbaker had a small growth with colored fibers growing out of it,” Margaret said. “This symptom is consistent with a condition called Morgellons disease. We think that the fibers are a parasite that died, but parts of it keep working. The fibers are made of cellulose, a material common in plants but not produced in any way in humans.”
“Are the fibers conclusively connected with the triangles?”
“They are,” Amos said. “The structure of the triangles is the same material as the fibers-cellulose. There is no way it’s a coincidence.”
“And if you have the fibers,” Murray asked, “then you have the triangles? You’re going to go psycho?”
Margaret leaned forward. “No, that’s not the case. It seems people can have the fibers and not develop the full-fledged parasite.”
“And we haven’t seen the triangle growths before, not before the last few days? The CDC doesn’t have anything on it?”
“Not that we know of,” Margaret said. “That doesn’t mean there haven’t been, or aren’t currently, more cases. They may have existed. We just didn’t find them.”
“So the fiber thingies have been around for a few years, but the triangles are new,” Murray said. “Sounds like whoever is making the weapon is getting better at it.”
Margaret swallowed. If she was going to get her way, now was the time. “The CDC may have information on Morgellons, including potential time lines of the condition and maps of people claiming to have this disease. We need to talk to Doctor Frank Cheng, who’s leading the investigation.”
Murray leaned back in the director’s chair and looked up at the ceiling.
“We can’t get the CDC involved, Margaret. That’s why I lifted you out of that organization.”
“We have to talk to this man,” Margaret said. “It’s possible they have a database on this. If we’re lucky, they are tracking symptoms, dates of infection and other data that could potentially lead us to other parasite victims.”
“I can’t allow it.”
“You will allow it, Murray!” Margaret said. Murray’s gaze lowered until his cold eyes locked with hers. She couldn’t stop now, she had to see it through. “I’ve played this how you want it so far, but I will talk to this man, with or without your permission.”
She expected a huge fight, a battle of wills, but Murray just sighed. “Okay, you can talk to him. But you cannot, and I repeat it just to be perfectly clear, cannot tell him about the triangles. Deal?”
“Deal.”
“Find out what they’ve got. And I’m giving you executive-order clearance on this. Otto, make a call to the CDC director. Doctor Cheng will cooperate with Doctor Montoya, and he doesn’t need to know why.”
“Yes, sir,” Otto said. He smiled at Margaret. It was a small smile, but she couldn’t miss it.
