Brett Barney - Of Guilt And Honor.txt Read online

  A Novel by Brett Barney Of Guilt and Honor

  © 1999 Brett Barney Literary Page 1

  Of Guilt and Honor

  A Novel by Brett Barney

  The following material is copyrighted. Copyright 1995 Brett Barney Literary. The owner of this

  copyright allows one time print rights to readers of this text. Hard copies should include the

  above copyright as a footer on each page. This work is registered, and any resubmission or

  posting of this work in any form other than its original state is strictly prohibited. Distribution of

  the work in its original form is permitted. It may be distributed freely on the basis that no person

  collect a profit from it’s distribution. For further information regarding this text, contact it’s

  owner at [email protected] or [email protected].

  A Novel by Brett Barney Of Guilt and Honor

  © 1999 Brett Barney Literary Page 2

  Prologue

  Jerry Hatcher looked out from the center of the stage, delivering his monologue to the

  crowd of anxious gatherers for tonight’s show. He had grown accustomed to the heat. His flashy

  blue silk shirt, purchased several blocks away on Hollywood Boulevard, reflected the bright

  radiance of the light. His navy blue dress slacks did not, and grew warm as they absorbed the

  heat. The outfit was specifically designed and tailored for a single hour on network television.

  Even the shiny black dress shoes glistened under the powerful lights which centered on him.

  Jerry had enjoyed a quick rise to late-night stardom. His thin frame and healthy lifestyle

  allowed him to keep pace with the fast-moving profession he had chosen. Sponsored by the

  efforts of a talented marketing agent, and a great deal of luck, he had settled in on the ratings

  with a good piece of the market. He had already surpassed the expectations of a newcomer, and

  was threatening to move up a time slot. Jerry knew the life expectancy of a late-night talk show

  host didn’t entail a great amount of time, but he refused to dwell on that. Optimism required him

  to ignore history and reality at times. Hatcher just triumphed in his moment of fame, and tried to

  offer the viewers what he believed they wanted to see.

  His comedic talents had earned him several awards, and his cable special still appeared

  from time to time on several other channels he now competed against. The tall, dark haired man,

  with a hint of sarcasm in his smile had won the hearts of many. He had a unique sense of humor,

  clean and refined — rarely flagrant — with a subtle, but enjoyable amount of class. He steered

  clear of tasteless jokes, offering the public a different kind of evening entertainment.

  He felt comfortable in the spotlight of such a volatile career, not ashamed of his

  conservative lifestyle. He enjoyed his work, and the minor inconveniences that came with it.

  Anyone could give the public ordinary talk show guests. He provided them with something

  more, making a distinct effort to bring a wide range of guests to his show, many with more

  interesting topics to share than the latest Hollywood gossip. Surprising to most network analysts,

  his strategy pulled in a great number from the evening audience, and other networks already

  fought to copy his style and program.

  Jerry smiled with satisfaction as he presented the humor of his many creative writers. His

  act was new, and refreshing to the scene, and he would follow it with a quality show, loaded with

  truly interesting guests. Jerry had managed to pull off a truly unique guest again tonight. After

  three separate phone conversations in which he prodded at the entertainment value of the man, he

  had quickly convinced his producers to put the man on his show. He finished his opening line of

  jokes with a remark about the budget deficit, receiving a roar of laughter from the crowd, and

  noticed the prompter signaling him to announce the evening’s guests.

  “This evening, it is my pleasure to welcome Dr. Bernard Baxter to the show. As one of

  the youngest nominees for the Nobel prize in medicine, he will share some of his work in the

  A Novel by Brett Barney Of Guilt and Honor

  © 1999 Brett Barney Literary Page 3

  field of cancer research. He’s a remarkable man, very interesting and enjoyable to speak with. It

  should prove to be a wonderful learning experience for everyone.

  “Who says you don’t get quality programming after ten p.m.?”

  Bernard Baxter sat at the small table, while the makeup woman finished applying the last

  of the powdered cosmetic to his face, darkening his complexion for the bright lights of the stage.

  He heard the familiar line over the speaker in his dressing room, a phrase which had launched

  Jerry Hatcher into the television ratings. Bernard knew he had only a few minutes before he went

  on.

  He had taken a tour of the stage earlier, and they warned him how hot the lights might

  feel. The light in the room was intense, to simulate the outside environment, and to adjust the

  guest’s eyes prior to their appearance. Even with the rumble of the air conditioning in the

  background, fighting valiantly against the heat, he already felt the light perspiration caused by

  the lights.

  Donna, the makeup artist sitting across from him, concentrated on her job. She didn’t

  seem to notice the audio coming from the speakers in the room. It was a sign of strong

  concentration. She took great pride in the appearance of the guests on the show, and Bernard had

  enjoyed the small talk with her. He glanced at the look of professionalism on her face as she

  checked her work for imperfections. She would make a good researcher, he thought to himself as

  he admired her. She took great pride in her work, and was a master of her profession. He could

  tell by the look of satisfaction on her face, that the woman loved her job.

  She smiled softly and wished him luck. He thanked her as she put her powder brushes

  away in the bag, and a moment later, she left the room to check on the second guest. The stage

  manager came soon afterwards to lead Bernard to the curtain. His thoughts quickly returned to

  the interview, and the work that he would share. He felt a certain excitement, as he always did

  before a public appearance. He couldn’t deny that he received an amount of satisfaction from

  discussing his work in a public forum.

  Bernard heard the sound of his introduction coming through the speaker, and stood near

  the stage manager as the curtain opened momentarily, allowing him to walk across the set. The

  applause rose as Bernard walked over to take a seat near Jerry Hatcher. Bernard wondered for a

  moment if the crowd really applauded him out of his appeal, or just because the prompts above

  the stage signaled them to do so. He didn’t worry about it for very long, as he made a point not to

  emphasize those things he could not control.

  Bernard shook the hand of the trendy young host, and turned for a moment to face the

  crowd. He bowed slightly, standing for a moment to acknowledge his gratitude toward the warm

  A Novel by Brett Barney Of Guilt and Honor

  © 1999 Brett Barney Literary Page 4

  reception of the crowd. He stood slightly taller than Jerry, and his stature seemed to dwarf the

  host’s, though they were of nearly equivalent weights. He followed Jerry’s lead, and took his seat

  near the expensive oak desk that Jerry sat behind each night.

  The lights on the stage were much brighter than the dressing room, and the scents of a

  hundred visitors, crammed tightly into the small audience seating area, filled the building. Most

  had stood in line outside for hours, and the mixture of cologne, perfume, deodorant and sweat

  created a noticeably putrid aroma inside. As Bernard forced himself to ignore the odor, he

  wondered to himself why the station had never bothered to invest in a better ventilation system.

  A glass sat at a small table to Bernard’s right, filled with the guest’s preferred drink.

  Bernard had chosen cognac, not only for flavor, but for its ability to soothe his nerves. He had

  brought his own bottle of a preferred and imported brand. Public appearances never really

  bothered him, at least not after the first sip. He sat calmly and smiled out at the crowd with his

  warmest smile. Jerry liked Bernard. He looked natural on camera, and didn’t fit his original

  expectation of a scientist. The man was slightly rough, but extremely good looking and

  charming.

  Bernard had presented research to many people over the years, standing in front of huge

  conferences of well-educated peers. These presentations he sometimes found stressful, though he

  had learned to keep his mind focused through almost anything, and enjoyed presenting to his

  peers. Tonight was a different sort of cro
wd for the scientist.

  “Welcome, Dr. Baxter,” Jerry ushered with a smile. Bernard could see the slight

  nervousness in his actions, and knew the host still questioned the success of his guest in the

  ratings.

  “Thank You,” Bernard allowed. He liked Jerry, and the change he attempted to make in

  traditional late night talk shows, by teaching those who refused to sleep. He could respect the

  man, and wanted to assure Jerry that he wouldn’t let him down.

  “Now, most of the people in America know your name quite well,” Jerry started, as he

  presented some background on his guest. “You are one of the youngest people ever to receive a

  nomination for the Nobel Prize in medicine. Your work is already respected by a great number of

  people around the world, and the rumors around the scientific community suggest that you are

  near a tremendous breakthrough in cancer research, as well as the favorite for the award.”

  “That about covers it,” Bernard replied with a pause, followed by a slight grin. He had a

  calm demeanor, and relaxed wit as he teased the anxious host.

  “No, you won’t get off my show that easily,” Jerry threatened in a serious tone, trying to

  hide his smile. “Ratings,” he reminded. “It would be a great honor if you might share some of

  your work with our viewers, or at least, the portion that our regular viewing audience can

  understand.”

  A Novel by Brett Barney Of Guilt and Honor

  © 1999 Brett Barney Literary Page 5

  “Our work isn’t anything which is that difficult to understand,” Bernard admitted

  honestly, “It’s actually a very basic approach we have taken. Research requires a stubborn

  individual, and someone who likes to disagree with everything everyone else says.”

  “Is it true that you are close to a new treatment for cancer?” Jerry asked seriously.

  “We are optimistic, definitely,” Bernard allowed, though he retained his excitement in the

  fact.

  “What can you tell us about it, which can shed some light on your work, for those of us

  who haven’t spent ten years at educational institutions?”

  “Jerry,” Bernard scorned, “give yourself some credit. All science is actually quite simple,

  you know. Scientists are some of the most air-headed people you will ever find. It is the ability to

  take a complex problem, and apply an amount of simplicity in order to solve it, that makes a

  good scientist. It is the same thing with our flawed host virus.”

  Bernard’s face glowed as he spoke. He had always enjoyed sharing his work with those

  around him, and tonight’s show offered him a new forum to explain his accomplishments. His

  looks, contradictory to the general stereotype, were fashionable. As a medical researcher, who

  dealt with microbiology every day, he had to maintain a level of cleanliness. He had come from a

  new breed of scientists, mystified by the new powers of science, respectful of the ability it

  provided, and the possibilities at his hands. He lived in a new social atmosphere, attending

  conferences, and dealing with powerful research companies, who invested in him personally, and

  funded his work.

  He had a naturalness in the way he talked. His youthful appearance, and apparent mastery

  of his field, provided a certain appeal. Indeed, a handsome man, his eyes were filled with a fire

  arising from his ambition. His deep voice had a strong eastern accent, and he spoke very clearly.

  He had married a beautiful woman, who he met in college, and started his own family.

  She knew him as nobody else could, admiring all about him. His hair was a soft brown, cut by

  his stylist of fifteen years, and it set off his calm and non-intimidating manner. It had changed

  little during that time, taking on a bit of refinement. He wasn’t a trendy man, but his wife

  managed to keep him fashionable enough. He wore a comfortable pair of dress slacks and a nice

  shirt, chosen by his wife for the occasion.

  “Anyone who has ever taken a high school biology course knows that DNA is the

  primary building block of all cellular structure in our bodies,” Bernard continued. “The DNA in

  our bodies makes up the genetic code that you find in every cell. The cell is a very complex unit

  of the human body. There are a great number of other molecules that exist in a balanced

  environment within its walls. Everything within the cell reacts for one reason or another as

  directed by the DNA.

  A Novel by Brett Barney Of Guilt and Honor

  © 1999 Brett Barney Literary Page 6

  “Cancer, in many forms, appears as a malignant tumor, or generally, a mutation of the

  cell. The human body is remarkable in its abilities to seek out deformations in the genetic code,

  and make repairs where they have occurred. In cancer, the mutation spreads too quickly for the

  repair mechanism to alter the changes, or it is unable to make the alteration because the mutation

  is so vast. We have taken an approach different from most therapies.”

  “And what is your approach?” Jerry asked, in a voice evident his deep interest.

  “We’ve worked years to develop a method using recombinant DNA technology. In

  practice, the theory is very straightforward. DNA research really took off following the

  discovery of the structure of the double helix. The double helix is two strands of molecules that

  match one another in bonding characteristics. It is possible, to remove DNA material, and

  separate the two strands of the double helix from one another.

  “What we do, is remove healthy DNA, from healthy cells. We also take mutated DNA,

  from cancerous cells, and split the double helix of each. We mix the healthy and mutated DNA

  back together, recombining the double helix of the two. In the regions where the mutations or

  differences occurred, the two strands don’t match one another, and won’t bond together.

  “Using selective molecules, we can separate the portions of the strand that didn’t

  recombine. This separation removes a small segment of the DNA, from each of the two strands,

  one healthy, and one cancerous. By determining which strand is the mutation, we have obtained

  a fingerprint of the mutation, at the molecular level.”

  A Novel by Brett Barney Of Guilt and Honor

  © 1999 Brett Barney Literary Page 7

  Jerry looked over at the monitor display, where Bernard pointed out each detail as he

  spoke on the chart he had brought along. Jerry really liked the man, a scientist who brought his

  own props.

  “From this point, we can selectively place the mutated segments inside a virus. We use

  several techniques to reproduce the virus in large quantities, and allow the virus to enter the

  subject. The virus invades the body, and seeks out the mutation in other cells.”

  “So, let me get this straight,” Jerry asked, a look of confusion on his face. “You use a

  virus to attack the cancer. Aren’t viruses harmful?”

  “I’ve spent years working with others to develop viruses that are rather feeble,” Bernard

  explained, his manner was understanding, and never condescending. “It’s taken a great amount

  of work, but we’ve learned enough now to develop certain viruses that can serve our purpose.

  Basically, we’ve removed all of the virus’s natural defenses, so that if something ever happened,

  it would be quite easy to destroy.

  “We’ve developed the viruses to use a phospholipid membrane as their cell walls, very

  similar to healthy animal cells. The virus requires a synthetic chemical, unlike anything found in

  nature, in order to multiply. Because of this, it is completely unable to reproduce once introduced

  Healthy Healthy Cancerous Cancerous Healthy and cancerous Mixed

  Combination Separation Recombination

  I solation Ident i f i cation

  Healthy Cancerous

  Annihi l a tion

  A Novel by Brett Barney Of Guilt and Honor

  © 1999 Brett Barney Literary Page 8

  to the host. We add only enough of the virus to destroy the cancer, and the viruses are very

  selective for the cancers we are currently working on.