Chapter 25 Chapter 23 Experiment

It took a few days to get everything in place, but President Wren had to meet with some other new senators. Some states are always slow to do things, mainly because some governors set up something like a research committee to Evaluate candidates.This surprised most people in Washington, because they believed that the governors should have already appointed replacements when they needed to replace congressmen, but it also proved that Wren's speech had a certain effect.Eight governors have recognized that the situation is unique, so they have acted differently, and they have responded well, winning the praise of the local press, if not exactly the official press.

Wren's first political tour was experimental.He got up early that day, kissed his wife and children goodbye, and boarded the helicopter on the south lawn just before seven o'clock.Ten minutes later, he disembarked from the helicopter and trotted up the gangway of Air Force One, which the Pentagon technically calls VC|25A, a luxuriously converted 747.When Wren boarded Air Force One, a senior colonel was giving preflight orders similar to those performed by airlines.Wren looked over the tail of the plane, about eighty journalists were buckling up and some weren't, because Air Force One flew more smoothly than a cruise liner in calm seas when he looked back At that time, I heard someone talking: and this is a plane that does not allow smoking!

Who is speaking?the president asked. A TV guy.Andre replied that he thought it was his plane. In a sense, this is indeed something to keep in mind.Van Damme pointed out. His name is Tom.Donald, Carly.Added Weston, the NBC anchor.Not a great character, he even uses more hairspray than I do and it's a mess. This way, Mr. President.Andre pointed forward.The presidential cockpit on Air Force One is located at the front of the main cabin. The inside is very ordinary. If you want to say luxury, it is that in addition to the seats, there are also a pair of couches that can be unfolded into beds during long-distance travel.Under the watchful eye of Chief of Guard Andre, the president fastened his seat belt. Ordinary passengers could not follow the regulations. The Secret Service didn't care about the reporters, but the president couldn't.After fastening her seatbelt, Andrea waved to one of the flight crew, who picked up the phone and told the captain it was time to take off.Then, the engine started running.Wren has almost forgotten his fear of flying, but still closes his eyes and prays in his heart for the safety of all passengers on board (in the past he would whisper the prayer) because he believes that it may seem selfish to pray only for himself .At the end of the prayer, the plane started to run, it was much faster than a normal 747, but because of the light load, it didn't feel like a train pulling out of the station.

alright.As the nose of the plane lifted, Van Damme said.The president deliberately didn't hold on to the handrail as tightly as he usually does.It will be an easy ride.To Indianapolis, Oklahoma City, then home for dinner.People there will be friendly and probably as conservative as you are.He blinked, then said, so, you don't need to worry at all. During takeoff, Operator Price sat in the same cabin, and a few feet behind, Operator Rahman sat in a rear-facing seat staring at the front entrance in case some reporter pulled out a Not a pencil but a pistol.There were six operators on board, and they kept tabs on everyone on board, even the uniformed crew.In each of the two destination cities, a platoon of operators and a large number of local police are on standby.At Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, the fuel trucks were already under guard by Secret Service operatives in case anyone attempted to contaminate the presidential plane's fuel; this would continue until 747 returned to Andrews Air Force Base so far.In addition, a C|5B Galaxy transport plane had already delivered the presidential limousine to Indianapolis.

Operator Price saw Wren reviewing his speech, which was one of his few normal behaviors.They are almost always a little nervous about speaking and are usually less worried about being nervous than talking about confusion.The thought made Price smile.Wren wasn't worried about the content of the speech, he was only worried about screwing it up.But he's lucky, Carly.Weston wrote good speeches, though she was always looking for trouble. Would you like breakfast?After the plane entered level flight, a flight attendant asked.The president shook his head. Not hungry, thank you. Order him ham, eggs and toast with decaf coffee.Van Damme ordered.

Never give a speech on an empty stomach.Carly advised, trust me. And don't drink too much plain coffee, because caffeine can make people too excited.When a president gave a speech, Van Damme began to lecture, he Carly, tell me? Nothing dramatic will happen on these two trips today.You are like a visiting smart neighbor because the person next door wants your advice.You have to say nicely, reasonably, calmly: Geez, Fred, I really think you can do this.Weston raised his eyebrows and explained. Kind of like a gracious family doctor telling a person that it's okay to eat a little bit of greasy food, and that maybe one more round of golf is a pleasure, and so on.The chief of staff went on to explain that you do this all the time in your day-to-day life.

Just did it this morning in front of four thousand people, didn't you?Ryan asked. And the 24/7 Cable TV cameras that will be on all the evening news tonight CNN will also be doing a live broadcast because this is the first time you'll be speaking publicly to the people.Carly added.There is no intention of deceiving the president at all. God.Ryan bowed his head and returned to the speech.You're right, it's best without caffeine.He raised his head suddenly, is there any smoke on the plane? The way he asked it made the flight attendant turn around, do you want a smoke, sir?

Although a little shameful, Wren replied: Yes. She handed him a Virginie thin cigarette and lit it for him with a friendly smile.After Ren took a puff of cigarette, he looked up. if you tell my wife, sergeant It's a secret between us, sir.She disappeared into the tail of the plane to prepare breakfast. The color of the liquid was astonishingly terrifying, dark scarlet with a hint of brown.They have observed the process through a small sample under an electron microscope.The kidneys of monkeys exposed to infected blood consisted of discrete, highly differentiated cells that, for unknown reasons, Ebola has a particular affinity for, like a foodie loves chocolate mousse.It's both fascinating and terrifying to watch; tiny viral filaments reach kidney cells, penetrate them and begin to multiply in this warm, nutrient-rich biological environment.It's like a shot from a sci-fi movie, but it couldn't be more real.Like all viruses, this one is unstable, and it can only survive with help from its host, who not only provides it with the means to activate it, but also cooperates with it to set it up. himself to death.Ebola virus only contains ribonucleic acid, but to undergo mitotic division, both ribonucleic acid and DNA must be present.Both are present in the kidney cells, so the viral filaments seek them out, join them, and start replicating.Energy is also needed in this process, and energy also comes from kidney cells. Of course, kidney cells are completely destroyed in this process.This reproduction process is a microcosm of the spread of Ebola virus in human society.It starts off slow, then accelerates exponentially: two|four|sixteen|two hundred and fifty-six|sixty-five thousand five hundred and thirty-five, until all nutrients Filovirus, at this time they lie dormant and wait for the next opportunity.All kinds of assumptions have been made about this virus. It waits for its opportunity, it kills mercilessly, it seeks victims.Moody and his colleagues knew that all of these were meaningless anthropomorphic assumptions.It doesn't think, it doesn't do anything overly harmful, all Ebola does is eat and reproduce, then go back to dormancy.However, just like a computer is just a combination of electronic components that can recognize 1 and 0, it can calculate faster and more efficiently than humans Being powerless to resist is like being attacked by a large group of man-eating ants.At the same time, this also exposed the weakness of the Ebola virus, because its reproduction rate is too high and the lethal rate is too fast, so that the infected person has no time to infect others before death.Moreover, Ebola cannot survive in the open air for a long time, and is only adapted to the tropical jungle environment.For this reason, if it cannot kill human tissue in less than ten days, it cannot survive in the human body, and if it does not evolve into an airborne pathogen, its development process will be very slow.

Almost everyone agrees that if the Ebola variant could be spread by aerosols, it would be an irreparable catastrophe, and the Mainega strain is suspected of being able to spread by aerosols; Exactly what they had to prove. For example, using liquefied nitrogen to make cryogens for freezing can kill most of the human cells.When a cell freezes, the expansion of the water causes molecules to clump together and burst the cell wall, leaving only cellular debris.Ebola, on the contrary, is too primitive for this to happen.Too much heat can kill it, so can ultraviolet light, and so can a slight change in the chemical environment.However, if it is given a cold and dark environment, it can hibernate quietly and contentedly.

They operate in a cabinet with glove inserts.Inside is a tightly controlled, deadly infectious environment, with walls made of pure polycarbonate, impenetrable to bullets, and a pair of thick rubber gloves nailed to either side of the walls.Moody took ten cc of the virus-laden fluid and placed it in a small container, then sealed it.The process is slow, not so much because it is too dangerous, but because gloves are extremely inconvenient to use.Once sealed, he shifted the container from one hand to the other and handed it to the commander.The commander repeated the same action, and finally put the container into a small airtight compartment.After closing the airtight cabin door, the indicator light reads the data of the pressure sensor, and then the airtight cabin is sprayed with disinfectant-diluted phenol for three minutes to ensure that the air and small containers inside have been thoroughly sterilized.Even so, no one dared to touch it without gloves, and both doctors wore full protective equipment, apart from a gloved insert cabinet for safety.Although it was only three meters away from the workbench, the commander still held the container with both hands and sent it over carefully.

Depending on the purpose of the experiment, the spray can was used to spray insects.This kind of thing can be placed on the ground, and when opened, the aerosol released will fill the entire room.It has been completely disassembled, steam cleaned three times, and then put back together. The plastic parts would have been a problem, but this was fixed a few months ago.This is just a preliminary device.The only danger here is from liquefied nitrogen, a liquid that looks like water.If splashed on the glove, it will freeze immediately, turning the glove into shards like black crystal glass.The commander stood by Moody's side as he poured coolant around the pressure vessel.Only a few cc of liquid are needed for the experiment.Then, the liquid containing the Ebola virus was poured into the stainless steel container and fixed firmly with screws.After the lid is sealed, the new container is sterilized and then rinsed with sterile saline.The original small container was thrown into the waste bin for incineration. Here, said the commander, we are ready. In the spray tank, the Ebola virus has been frozen, but not for long, because the liquid nitrogen will boil relatively quickly and the sample will thaw.At that time, the rest of the experiment will be completed, and the two doctors will take off their protective clothing and go to dinner. The colonel landed the plane successfully with flawless technique.It was his first time flying for this president, so he had to prove something to him.The plane was taxiing on the runway, and through the porthole, Ryan could see hundreds, if not thousands of people, he judged.Are they all here to see me?Red, white, and blue flags hung above the low circular railings and in their hands.As soon as the plane came to a complete stop, the national flags rushed over like waves.The flight attendant who had given him the cigarettes opened the door as the portable gangway was pushed over. Want another one?she asked in a low voice. Ren grinned and said: Maybe wait a while.Thank you, Sergeant. Everything is ready for the owner.Price was briefed by the advance team leader over the radio network.She nodded to Ryan. The show is on, Mr. President. Ren took a deep breath, stood in the center of the hatch, and looked out against the bright midwestern sun. According to etiquette, he must be the first and alone to go down the gangway.He is rarely the first to be greeted, especially when they come from people who know little about him.His suit was sharp and his hair was neatly styled and gelled despite his objections.Wren walked down the stairs, feeling more like a fool than a president until his feet hit the ground.An air force chief sergeant saluted him, and Renn returned the salute very smartly, and there were cheers again.He glanced around, and saw the Secret Service and the Ministry of Finance operatives deployed around, almost all facing the crowd.The first to come was the governor of the state. Welcome to Indiana, Mr. President!He shook Ryan's hand vigorously. It is a great honor for us to welcome you for your first official visit. They arranged it all very well.A company of the local militia has formed a parade formation.The military band played "Prosperity and Prosperity," followed by "Salute to the President."What else could Wren have along the red carpet?Walking in front, the governor of the state followed about half a step behind him on the left.Soldiers in line saluted the president with guns; as he walked past the soldiers, Wren put his right hand on his chest and looked at the soldiers in line, a gesture he remembered from his youth.He was their Commander in Chief now, the President told himself, and he could order them into battle, so they had to see their faces.There they stood, clean-shaven and young and proud, just as he had been more than twenty years ago.They came for him, and he came for them.Indeed, Wren said to himself, you must remember that. May I introduce you to some local citizens, sir?The governor asked, pointing in the direction of the guardrail.Ren nodded and followed him. Go in front of the president, lean in.Andrea shouted into the radio microphone.Since they have seen that happen too many times, the guards responsible for the president's security regard this kind of thing more than anything else.Price would stay with the president at all times, with Rahman and three other operatives on either side of him, eyes searching the crowd behind black sunglasses for guns, suspicious looks, those pictures in their heads. The face on the face and all the abnormal things. A lot of people, Ryan thought.None of them voted for him, because until then almost no one knew his name.And yet they came here.Some people may be state government employees who get half-day leave, and some people with children.Their eyes startled the president, something he had never experienced in his life.Their hands came frantically, and Wren moved along the railing to the left, shaking hands as best he could, trying to pick out individual voices over the cacophony of screams. Welcome to Indiana!Hello!Mr President!We trust you!well done!We support you! Ryan tried to reply, but could only repeat thank you over and over, his mouth gaping open in surprise at the moment of overwhelming enthusiasm.All this made him forget the pain in his hands, and he had to leave the guardrail step by step, facing another wave of cheers. damn it!What would they do if they knew what a liar he was?What the hell am I doing here?He asked himself as he walked towards the presidential limousine with the door open. There are ten people in the basement of the building, all of them are men, only one of them is a political prisoner, who committed the crime of apostasy, while the rest are people who are extremely harmful to society, there are four murderers, one rapist , two child molesters, and two thieves, both of whom are repeat offenders, should have their right hands cut off according to their country's Koranic laws.It was a separate, temperature- and humidity-controlled room, and each of them was shackled firmly to the foot of the bed with shackles.Except for the two thieves who only needed to have their right hands amputated, the rest were sentenced to death.After the two thieves learned of such a situation, they felt very strange, how could they be locked up with this group of people.They didn't understand why the others were alive, they didn't ask, and they didn't find a satisfactory explanation.During the past few weeks, their food has been particularly poor, which has greatly weakened their physical strength and vigilance. The door of the room opened, and someone entered wearing a blue plastic hazmat suit. They had never seen this person before.That person was a man, and although they could barely see the face behind the plastic mask, they knew to put a barrel-shaped container on the concrete floor, remove the blue plastic cover, press a button, and Then back quickly.Almost as soon as the door closed, the container hissed and a mist like water vapor filled the room. One of them screamed and, realizing it was a poisonous gas, grabbed a thin sheet and held it tightly to his face.The guy closest to the container was unresponsive, just staring at the container and looking around as the fog closed in on him.At this time, the others were waiting to see him die, but he didn't die, they felt very strange, and for a while they forgot their fear.After a few minutes, they gradually put the matter behind them.The lights went out and they fell asleep. Results will be available in three days.The commander said while turning off the cell monitor. Three days, Moody thought.Seventy-two hours later the evil they have wrought can be seen. For all the money and publicity that went into it, to make the elaborate plan come true, Wren was sitting on a metal folding chair, and in front of him was a crossbar covered in a flag with a thin piece of bulletproof underneath. steel plate.The podium is also equipped with steel plates and a stronger but lightweight synthetic fiber, which can almost completely protect the body below the shoulders.Reporters would probably describe the college sports building as packed to the beams, since that's a way they often use to describe packed audiences.Most of the audience were students, but it was hard to say that countless lights were chasing Ren, and the blinding light made him unable to see most of the audience.Ryan and the others are going through the back door, in order to allow the president to enter and exit with the fastest shortcut.The president's motorcade drove all the way from the highway, filling the sidewalks that take up a quarter of the city.Roadsiders waved to him as the governor extolled the virtues of the city and Indiana. Now, the governor spoke again, followed by three others.First a student, then the president of the university, and finally the mayor of the city.The president tried hard to listen to their speeches, but they said much of the same thing, and almost none of it was true. They seemed to be talking about someone else, a president who theoretically possessed ordinary virtues.Wren thought it might be better for local speechwriters to address local issues. It is my great honor to present to you the President of the United States.The governor turned and gestured.Ryan stood up, walked to the podium and shook hands with the governor.He placed his speech on the podium, nodding awkwardly in thanks at people he could barely see. Thank you, Governor, for your introduction.Ren turned around and gestured to the people on the podium, and began to read the names of those people in the order recorded on the first page of the speech. Those people were good friends he saw for the first time and would never see again. They all glowed as Wren pronounced their names in the correct order. Ladies and gentlemen, I have never been to Indiana before and this is my first visit to the state, but after feeling so welcome by you, I hope it won't be the last It was as if someone held up an applause sign on a TV show, before Rennes finished speaking, there was already thunderous applause.He just told the truth and added something that could be true or a lie, and even if they knew it, they didn't care.Then, for the first time, Ryan understood an important thing. God, this is like LSD, Ryan thought.Only then did he understand why people go into politics.No one could stand here, listen to the uproar, look at the excited faces and not enjoy the moment.Moments like these allowed him to overcome stage fright and an unbearable sense of loss.He stands here before four thousand people, before every citizen who has equal rights before the law.But in their hearts, he is a completely different thing, he is the United States of America.He was their president, but he was also the embodiment of their hopes and demands, the symbol of their country.So they are willing to love someone they don't know and to cheer every word he says.They look forward to this brief moment, knowing that that person has looked straight into everyone's heart, and that this moment will last forever, never to be forgotten.It was a force he had never been aware of; this group of people he commanded, and that's why people spend their lives trying to get the presidency. But Wren wondered, why did people think he was so different?What made him special in their minds?For Wren, it's just chance, and in other cases, it's their choice, it's them who put that person on the podium, it's them who turn an ordinary person into something special maybe More than these.It's just a feeling.Ryan was the same guy he was a month or a year ago, just a different job.But, with his new position, he became a man surrounded by a circle of guards, surrounded by a torrent of love he had never seen before.They thought he was different, special, even great, but that was just a feeling, not a fact.And the real situation at this moment is: a pair of sweaty hands on a podium with steel plates, a speech written by someone else, a man who knows that he does not belong to this position; but the excitement at this moment is real. So what am I now?the American president asked himself.When the applause in front of him gradually subsided, his brain was also running rapidly.He was never what they thought he was, he was a good guy, but not a great guy, the presidency is just a job, a position.Wren looked at the glass panel on which his speech was projected, took a deep breath, as he had done as a history teacher in Annapolis, and began his speech. Today, I'm here to talk to you about America Below the president, there are five operators standing in a row.They wear sunglasses to cover their eyes so that the audience cannot detect where they are looking. From a psychological perspective, people who cannot let people see through the window of the soul are a threat in themselves.Hands clasped in front of them, they use radio headsets to keep in touch as they scan the crowd.There are some other operators in the back of the gym. They use binoculars to monitor the crowd, because they know that not all people in the gym love Rennes, and even if they are, there will be people who try to kill the people they love.For this reason, advance teams have placed movable arched metal detectors at all entrances; for this reason, Belgian Malinois (short-haired shepherd dogs) have sniffed all over the gymnasium; for this reason they observed everything as infantry soldiers on the battlefield scrutinize every hiding place. American power is not in Washington, but in Indiana, in New Mexico, everywhere the American people live and work, it could be anywhere.We are in Washington, but we are not America, you are!The president's voice echoed muffled through the PA system. The PA system wasn't working well, the operators thought, but part of it was the president speaking a little too fast.We work for you.Regardless, the audience cheered again. The TV cameras all transmit images to the OB van outside the stadium through the network connection, and the OB van transmits the sound and picture to the satellite through the air-to-air communication dish antenna.Reporters took notes for the most part today, even though they had the full speech and a written assurance that the president would speak from it. Not an opportunity, but a responsibility we share, and if America is ours, then the responsibility to govern begins here, not in Washington.At this point more applause rang out. Very well spoken.Tom.Downer to his commentator and analyst John.Planbo said. The speech style is also quite good.I talked to the headmaster of the naval academy and they said he had been a very good teacher.Plumber replied. For him, the audience is suitable, mostly children.He didn't talk about major policy issues. This is his first time.John agrees, you've sent a team to record another show tonight, haven't you? Tang Na looked at his watch and nodded: he should be there by now. So, Dr. Lane, how does it feel to be First Lady?Christine.Matthews asked with a friendly smile. I'm still figuring it out.They were talking in Kathy's cramped office overlooking downtown Baltimore.The room was so small that there was only room for a table and three chairs (the better one was for the doctor, one for the patient, and the other for the patient's spouse or mother), but it was crammed into everything. With cameras and lights, she felt a little besieged.You know, I miss cooking for my family. Are you a surgeon and your husband wants you to cook?the NBC associate anchor asked in a tone of surprise bordering on exasperation. I have always loved cooking.It's a great way to unwind when I get home.I don't watch TV, Caroline.Professor Lane did not say this sentence.Also, my meal was well done. Ah, this is a little different.She showed a tiresome smile: What's the president's favorite food? The doctor smiled.this is very simple.Steak, baked yams, fresh kernels of corn on a bun, and a spinach salad I made. I knew my doctor's instincts would lead me to tell him the salad was slightly high in cholesterol.Wren is so good at grilling, in fact, he's so good at housekeeping that he doesn't even mind mowing the lawn himself. Let's talk about the night your son was born, that horrible night, being a terrorist I still remember.Casey said calmly. How did you feel when your husband killed someone and you are a doctor? Jack and Robbie He is Admiral Jackson now, and Robbie and Shessie are our good friends.Anyway, she explained, they did what they had to do, or we wouldn't have survived the night.I don't like violence, but what Jack did was different, my husband fought to protect me and Sally, and little Jack, otherwise little Jack would never have been born. Do you like being a doctor? I love my job and I wouldn't give it up for something else. but usually the first lady I know what you want to say.I'm not a political wife, I'm just a doctor, a research scientist, and I work at the best ophthalmology facility in the world.Now, I have patients waiting for me, they need me and you know, I need them too, I can't separate from my work.I am also a wife and mother, and I love almost everything about my life. What else?Christine asked with a smile. Kathy blinked his blue eyes.I don't have to answer this question, do I?Matthews knew it was time for her to address the key questions of this interview. What kind of man is your husband? Well, I can't be completely objective, can I?Because I love him.He risked his life for me and the kids and was there for me whenever I needed him.I do the same with him.This is the meaning of love and marriage.Jack is smart and loyal.I think he's the sentimental type.Sometimes, he would wake up in the middle of the night and I mean stare out the window at home for half an hour.I don't think he knew that I knew about it. Is he still like this? Not lately, because he was pretty tired by the time he went to bed.These days are the hardest for him to work. What about his other government jobs?In the CIA, for example, it is said that he Kathy cut her off with a raised hand.I don't have clearance to do classified work, so I don't know, and maybe I don't want to know. We want to see how you deal with patients. The First Lady shook her head and stopped her question. No, this is a hospital, not a TV station.I am personally less important than my patients.To them, I'm not the First Lady, I'm just Dr. Wren.I'm not a celebrity, I'm a doctor, a surgeon.And to my students, I am the professor and teacher. It is said that your professional achievements are among the best in the world.Matthews added, wanting to see her reaction. she laughed.Yes.I have won the Lasker Award, but the respect of my colleagues is a gift more valuable than money, you know, it represents a deeper meaning.Sometimes, not often, I take the bandage off a patient's eye in a dark room after a major operation, and as the lights slowly turn up, I can see that joy on the patient's face, that reunion Bright Joy No one is in medicine for the money, at least not at Hopkins.We are here to save lives, and in my case, to preserve and restore sight.When you see the patient's face when the work is done, it's like God pats you on the shoulder and says well done.This is why I will never, ever give up medicine.Casey.Wren said it almost with passion, because she knew they were going to be showing it all on TV tonight, and if she had to take this time-wasting interview, maybe she could use it for her own benefit. art service. That's a pretty good ending, Christine thought, but it's only two minutes and thirty seconds long, and they might cut it.To them, the part about her reluctance to be First Lady was newsworthy because they were so used to the doctor's talk.