“Thank you,” Kate said.
“Anything else you need from me now?”
“Tap into the network when you feel up to it.”
“I’m ready.”
Leslie eagerly took the seat where Kate had been as Ron prepared the webbing for her to integrate with. Once she was in the chair, Ron glanced at his wristwatch.
“She can probably withstand listening for a good four or five hours,” Ron said. “I can join you up in the lab once we know Leslie’s connection to the network is stable.”
“Do it,” Kate said.
She headed straight to the lab. A few of the chromatography machines were still humming and clicking as the pumps and injectors siphoned various samples through their lines.
Ron joined her a few minutes later, and they reviewed the data Leslie had told them about.
By then, the last of the chromatography runs had finished, which would give them some insight into the properties of the compounds they had identified in the Chimera’s tissues.
“I want to cross-reference every active molecule and chemical compound we find in the biopsied tissues with a known list of pharmaceuticals and biological agents,” Kate said. “If you find any matches, let me know.”
“We’re going to see if any suspicious compounds help us pinpoint a research group responsible for developing them, right?”
“You’ve got it,” Kate said. She scrolled through the analytical results on the computer. “Any matches might tell us the original companies or institutions where these compounds were produced.”
“I’m on it,” Ron said.
They each worked at computers, side-by-side, poring over the results. It took several hours for the automated database search to return their queries. While Kate found matches for a few of the molecules, she discovered several with no known matches.
Ron came up with a similar list.
“Doesn’t look like anything we’ve seen before,” he said. “There’s no way to tell where they came from.”
Kate sighed. “I did find something interesting. See what you think.”
“I’m all ears,” Ron said, turning away from his computer.
Kate pointed to a pair of molecules on her screen. The long chain of lines and angles representing bonds between atoms was nearly indistinguishable between the two molecules at first glance. But Kate pointed to a smaller section toward the right end of the chain.
“The first molecule you see is one of the active components in VX-99,” Kate said. “It confers many of the epigenetic changes that lead to the aggressive nature of the Variants.”
“Following.”
“In this second sample, the one we extracted from the Chimera, the last chain of molecules is different,” Kate said. “It’s impossible to say exactly what it does without extensive computational modeling and cellular studies.”
“But you think that it could be enough to change the molecule’s function so it doesn’t alter the neurological activity of the Variants?”
“It’s all a theory, but bottom line, yes.”
She could tell from Ron’s expression that a light had gone off in his head.
“What you’re telling me is that someone modified VX-99,” he said. “This version turns people into actual super soldiers without destroying their intellect.”
Kate didn’t want to believe it, but it was hard to deny.
“This has to be someone who had access to the original VX-99 studies and samples,” she said. “Someone with intimate government connections.”
Kate tapped on the keyboard, clicking through to another molecule.
“There are a couple of compounds that look like they were adapted from other government projects. They have a sub-90% similarity match, but it’s certainly enough to connect a few dots,” she continued.
“Like what?”
“This one.” Kate pointed to her screen. “It looks similar to an active compound DARPA was working on that can be used in cell targeting for drug delivery. It homes in on very specific cell types, which means that this mysterious VX-99 variant could act much faster on its target.”
“VX-99 already turned people into monsters in days.”
“Expediting targeting efficiency could decrease the dosage needed in a host while increasing the targeted signaling pathways.”
“So a person would change in less than a couple days?”
“With the right conditions, the first changes would be nearly immediate.”
“Good God,” Ron said. He pushed away from his computer, slouching in his seat. “This is worse than a nightmare.”
“There must be some more commonalities we can identify to find out who is responsible.”
Ron swiveled his monitor back to face him. “I know you’re good with the molecular data, but I’m more of a big picture researcher. We already have tons of data from your past research on what VX-99 does to a human to turn them into a Variant, including anatomical studies. But we don’t have that kind of data for Chimeras.”
“You’re right. That could be just as helpful. Tell Jacobs we need a full workup on that Chimera they captured. MRI, CT, whatever they got. I want to know what that thing looks like under its skin.”
Ron picked up their radio to make the call.
“No, better to keep this one quiet,” Kate said. “Just in case anyone’s listening who shouldn’t be.”
“Yes, of course.” He started to head toward the door.
“Wait,” she said.
Ron looked back.
“The last report we got back from Ghost said they have a Chimera in their custody, too. See if we can get the same data from the Canadians. The more, the better.
Ron disappeared into the hall to relay the message, and Kate continued working for another thirty minutes trying to fit the pieces of this scientific puzzle together. She was certain that the spider web of connections they were making would lead to a clue.
The radio on the lab bench crackled. “Doctor Lovato, are you there?”
It was Sammy. Her voice was tinged with worry.
Kate grabbed the radio. “What’s going on?”
“We’ve got… we intercepted something. Leslie is headed in your direction right now.”
A minute later, someone pounded on the door. Kate opened it to let Leslie in.
The woman’s face was red. “We heard it! We finally heard it!”
“Heard what?”
Leslie took a deep breath. “They’re in Las Vegas.”
“Who? The collaborators? Another mastermind?”
“The Prophet. The New Gods, everything. They’re headquartered in Las Vegas.”
Kate nearly stumbled backward. “You’re sure?”
Leslie nodded. “Sammy recorded the transmission.
