"Okay. Do it anyway. Release the virus into the system."
"What's the point of that?"
"Just do it."
"Jack," she said. "Why are we doing this? I'm afraid they know that we know. We can't fool them. They're too clever. If we try to do this, they'll be onto us in a minute."
"Yes," I said. "They probably will."
"And it won't work, anyway. The system won't make viruses. So why, Jack? What good will it do?"
Mae had been a good friend through all this, and now I had a plan and I wasn't going to tell her. I hated to do it this way, but I had to make a distraction for the others. I had to fool them. And she had to help me do it-which meant she had to believe in a different plan. I said, "Mae, we have to distract them, to fool them. I want you to release the virus into the assembly line. Let them focus on that. Let them worry about that. Meanwhile, I'll take some virus up to the maintenance area beneath the roof, and dump it into the sprinkler reservoir."
"And then set the sprinklers off?"
"Yes."
She nodded. "And they'll be soaked in virus. Everybody in this facility. Drenched."
"Right."
She said, "It just might work, Jack."
"I can't think of anything better," I said. "Now open one of those valves, and let's draw off some test tubes of virus. And I want you to put some virus into that gallon jug over there." She hesitated. "The valve is on the other side of the tank. The security camera will see us."
"That's okay," I said. "It can't be helped now. You just have to buy me a little time."
"And how do I do that?"
I told her. She made a face. "You're kidding! They'll never do that!"
"Of course not. I just need a little time."
* * *
We went around the tank. She filled the test tubes. The liquid that came out was a thick brown slop. It smelled fecal. It looked fecal. Mae said to me, "Are you sure about this?"
"Got to do it," I said. "There's no choice."
"You first."
I picked up the test tube, took a breath, and swallowed it whole. It was disgusting. My stomach heaved. I thought I would vomit, but I didn't. I took another breath, swallowed some water from the gallon jug, and looked at Mae.
"Awful, huh?" she said.
"Awful."
She picked up a test tube, held her nose, and swallowed. I waited through her coughing fit. She managed not to vomit. I gave her the gallon jug, she drank, and poured the rest out onto the floor. Then she filled it with brown slop.
The last thing she did was twist the handle of a big flow valve. "There," she said. "It's going into the system now."
"Okay," I said. I took two test tubes and stuck them in my shirt pocket. I took the gallon jug. It said ARROWHEAD PURE WATER on the label. "See you later." And I hurried off. As I went down the hallway, I figured there was one chance in a hundred that I would succeed. Maybe only one chance in a thousand.
But I had a chance.
Later on, I watched the entire scene on the security camera, so I knew what happened to Mae. She walked into the kitchen, carrying her rack of brown test tubes. The others were all there, eating. Julia gave her a frosty look. Vince ignored her. Ricky said, "What've you got there, Mae?"
"Phage," she said.
"What for?"
Now Julia looked over. Mae said, "It's from the fermentation tank."
"Ew, no wonder it stinks."
"Jack just drank one. He made me drink one."
Ricky snorted. "What'd you do that for? Jeez, I'm surprised you didn't puke."
"I almost did. Jack wants all of you to drink one, too."
Bobby laughed. "Yeah? What for?"
"To make sure none of you is infected."
Ricky frowned. "Infected? What do you mean, infected?"
"Jack says that Charley was harboring the swarm inside his body, so maybe the rest of us are, too. Or some of us. So you drink this virus, and it'll kill the bacteria inside you, and kill the swarm."
Bobby said, "Are you serious? Drink that crap? No way, Mae!"
She turned to Vince.
"Smells like shit to me," Vince said. "Let someone else try it first."
Mae said, "Ricky? You want to be the first?"
Ricky shook his head. "I'm not drinking that. Why should I?"
"Well, for one thing, you'd be assured you weren't infected. And for another, we would be assured, too."
"What do you mean, it's a test?"
Mae shrugged. "That's what Jack thinks."
Julia frowned. She turned to Mae. "Where is Jack now?" she said. "I don't know. The last time I saw him was by the fermentation chambers. I don't know where he is now."
"Yes, you do," Julia said coldly. "You know exactly where he is."
"I don't. He didn't tell me."
"He did tell you. He tells you everything," Julia said. "In fact, you and he planned this little interlude, didn't you? You couldn't seriously expect us to drink that stuff. Where is Jack, Mae?"
"I told you, I don't know."
Julia said to Bobby, "Check the monitors. Find him." She came around the table. "Now then, Mae." Her voice was calm, but full of menace. "I want you to answer me. And I want you to tell me the truth."
Mae backed away from her. Ricky and Vince were closing in on either side of her. Mae backed against the wall.
Julia advanced slowly. "Tell me now, Mae," she said. "It will be much better for you if you cooperate."