The Generation at the End, page 14
“Now that you mention it, there are some nurses and a secretary in my department off sick this week. Do you suspect there are any number of people with milder cases of the same disease who just haven’t been sick enough to be hospitalized?”
That may very well be the case, Ben. Do you think this is serious enough to post notices throughout the facility? Something in the way of a request for all the employees with flu like symptoms to inform their supervisors.”
“I’m thinking that would be a very good idea, Mel. Let me call my secretary right now and get the ball rolling. It might be prudent to call all the medical facilities in the L.A. area and request that they post similar notices.”
“While we’re at it, Ben, would you mind having her call several facilities in the Portland area with the same request?”
“Great idea, Mel. We may be surprised to find out just how many people in the various medical facilities are or have been experiencing the same symptoms. Are you starting to feel we might be in the early stages of an epidemic, doctor?”
“Epidemic at the CDC is a word similar to “incoming” with a military unit. We try hard to be 100 percent sure before we declare a full scale epidemic. We may very well issue an alert if the number of reported cases continues at the rate we are now experiencing. To my knowledge, there haven’t been any reported fatalities. It may sound insensitive, but we just don’t declare an epidemic without a substantial number of confirmed fatalities. You wouldn’t believe how many wheels are set in motion when the CDC declares an epidemic. It is a time consuming and very costly procedure.”
“You’re right, Mel. I knew the CDC always hesitated to declare an epidemic. I must admit I thought it was mostly to keep from being guilty of a false alarm. Please forgive my uninformed assumption. Didn’t I hear you tell me there were no reported cases in Seattle so far, doctor?”
“You may very well have heard it from me, Ben. We’re still trying to determine just how contagious this strain of virus is. If it began in either Portland or L.A. it could have very easily reached Seattle by now. San Francisco seems to be free of the virus also. It’s almost as though L.A. and Portland were singled out intentionally.”
“That suggests a rather foreboding future, Mel. Are we experiencing the first stage of a biological offensive?”
“I wouldn’t even consider such a thing at this time, Ben. If you recall, the Swine Flu took more than three months to reach epidemic proportion. Several hundred deaths occurred over a six month period. To my knowledge, we are only a week or so into this outbreak. I’m ready to do some examinations, Ben.”
“Right this way, doctor. Would you like to see some newly admitted patients or some more advanced cases?”
“The more advanced cases should have a greater number of pathogens to observe. Let’s start with one of the long term patients. Have you been able to examine a blood sample with a modicum of live cells, Ben?”
“That is the strangest thing about this virus. The number of live pathogen on any slide is always near zero. It’s as though the virus expires when placed on the slide. I’ve never seen anything like it. I’m going to have Karen draw a sample from Mr. Burton. We can look at a sample I obtained myself, just minutes before you arrived, while we’re waiting. The lab is through those double doors.”
“What is Mr. Burton’s condition?”
“He is listed as serious. He was admitted five days ago with what he thought was pneumonia. He’s sixty six years old and describes himself as quite a health conscious person. As you already know, all of our patients are suffering from a very low metabolic rate. Mr. Burton has lost six pounds. The nutrients just aren’t being converted to energy. All of the more advanced patients complain of overall weakness.”
“We’re dealing with a very formidable pathogen here, Ben. Have you noticed any patterns forming?”
“I’m not sure I understand the question, Mel.”
“Aren’t you seeing the young patients improving and the older ones getting worse?” “That does seem to be the case, Mel. Isn’t that to be expected? There are a greater number of T and B cells and other antigens present in the younger patient. A stronger immune system would be in force. Do you suspect something else may be the cause?”
“To tell you the truth, I’m just fishing, Ben. I’m starting to have a real bad feeling about this situation.”
“Karen is about to draw the sample, Mel. Let’s head over that way.”
“Can we have a microscope brought in and make up the slide right at the patient’s bed? I would like to view the sample as soon as possible.”
“That won’t be a problem. I’ll have Karen hold off until Marty can bring in a scope on a cart. Do you think the cells are dying because they are exposed to light or air?”
“To tell you the truth, Ben, I don’t think it’s either one. One of the theories I wanted to have your opinion on was what was killing the pathogens. It is possible a drop in temperature kills them. They may not be able to survive at less than 98.6°.”
“What kept them warm before they entered the body?”
“Perhaps they undergo a metamorphosis once they are in the blood. This is only theory, Ben.”
“Well, here’s hoping we find some answers. Marty’s here with the scope. I’ll have Karen go ahead with drawing the sample.”
Chapter thirty two
10/13
“Good afternoon Ari. This is Martin Hillshire. How are you this fine afternoon?”
“Greetings, Martin. I am quite well. How are you doing?”
“This is my favorite time of year; vacation, football and Thanksgiving. It just couldn’t get much better.”
“Did I hear you say vacation, Martin?”
“Indeed you did. We go to Costa Rica almost every year at this time. The weather is perfect and the resorts are not crowded. We can only take two weeks but it’s more than worth the trip. Have you been to Costa Rica, Ari?”
“I haven’t had the pleasure. Isn’t it rather hot there?”
“A lot of the resorts are in the mountains of Costa Rica. The place we usually stay is over two thousand feet in altitude. The average daily temperature is only seventy seven degrees.”
“I have some news about the property I submitted the bid on. It is owned by an investment company. They purchased it to build on but failed in their effort to have it rezoned. They paid cash for the property and now need the money to close a deal on another piece of property. They’re anxious to negotiate.”
“That sounds great, Martin. I’m ashamed to tell you I have not contacted your friend, Louis, about the necessary square footage I should be looking for. Would you be opposed to looking at a few more lots in the near future, Martin?”
“What a coincidence you should mention that, Ari. I discovered a very interesting piece of property just this morning. I’d be more than happy to show it to you. It’s almost due west of you, in the Woodside area. When would be a good time for you?”
“It just so happens I’m taking the rest of the afternoon off. Would you be free around four o’clock, Martin?”
“That works for me. I’ll be at your front door at four.”
“Great. In the mean time I’ll try to contact Louis.”
“I’ll see you in a couple hours.”
“Thanks, Martin.”
As Ari sat in his office composing a letter he planned to send to Laura in the morning he glanced at the calendar. The date was October twelveth. It was nearly four o’clock in the afternoon in New York. Try as he may, he could not dismiss the fact that no doubt tens of thousands of New Yorkers were just hours away from drinking contaminated water. Ari didn’t know how many people, if any, had died in Portland and L.A.. These were all thoughts he had mulled over when deciding if he would be a part of this, “unholy alliance”. Ari turned his thoughts to the research center he would soon begin construction on. Tens of millions of people would be spared the agony of slowly dying of cancer in the near future. The good doctor believed that with all his heart.
“Good to see you again, doctor. Were you able to reach Louis?”
“It’s good to see you, Martin. I really appreciate this. I did speak with Mr. Apollo. He is a very interesting man. I gave him all of the pertinent information. He should be calling me any time.”
“Here’s the info on the property. I was sure we had a photo but I couldn’t bring it up on the computer. Is sixty thousand square feet more than you would like to consider, Ari?”
“I don’t think so. It would depend if it was all relatively flat. Perhaps Louis will call before we reach the property.”
“You mentioned the structure would be twelve to fifteen thousand square feet. Will that be all on one level?”
“Yes. I have drawn a very rough sketch of the building. Excuse me a minute. I’m hoping this is Louis.”
“Yes, this is Dr. Soshyant. Please call me Ari, Louis.”
“Very well, Ari. I do have some information for you. Do you have a minute?”
“As a matter of fact I’m here with Martin. We are on our way to look at another piece of property. I’m sure he won’t mind if I speak with you for a moment.”
“From the information you gave me I would recommend fifty five to sixty thousand square feet to have ample room for parking and some landscaping. I will fax you the workup I did but that’s the bottom line. Do you have a builder, Ari?”
“No. I haven’t given that much thought as yet, Louis.”
“I can recommend a good one when you’re ready.”
“Thanks, Louis. I’ll be in touch with you in the near future. I appreciate your promptness.”
“I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you, Ari. Bye for now.”
“Good bye, Louis. Thanks again.”
“Well, that was good timing. Are we near the property, Martin?”
“We should be there, Ari. I’m going to call Lynn and have her find and send me a picture of the lot. There’s a driveway here but no address. It appears to lead right up the side of that hill. We might as well walk up there while were waiting for Lynn.”
“I’m all for it, Martin.”
“Wow! Is this neat, or what? It looks like there’s a natural cove in the side of the hill, Ari.”
“Indeed it does, Martin. It also looks like someone has done considerable excavating to enlarge the size of the concaved area. This is more than neat.”
“Hold on a second, Ari. I’m getting a text from Lynn.”
“Oh my God! Look at this, Ari. This is the property.”
“This is outstanding, Martin. Are you sure this is the listed property?”
“Let’s go back down to the highway and look for a sign. It may have fallen or been knocked down.”
“What’s your best guess, Martin? Could sixty thousand square feet extend from the highway to the back of the flat area on top?”
“If the highway frontage is not too wide it could.”
“Does it say on the listing who owns the property?”
“Oh boy. I didn’t even think of that, Ari. This property has me pretty excited. If you decide you don’t want it I just might purchase it myself. I’m kidding of course. I probably couldn’t afford the taxes.”
“When we get to the car let’s see if the dimensions are on the listing. Do you happen to recall a price, Martin?”
“I believe it’s over two million but I can’t recall the exact amount. I’m pretty convinced there is no sign here. How about you?”
“Me too, Martin. Let’s have a look at that listing.”
“Man, I’m striking out big time today. The asking price is three point eight five million, Ari. There is good news. According to the MLS listing the dimensions are 155’ by 385 ‘. They’re calling it sixty thousand but it’s fifty nine thousand, six seventy five. Close enough I guess. Shall we call the number on the listing?”
“Please do, Martin. I’m going to take a walk around. Perhaps I can find some boundary markers and possibly even a for sale sign.”
“Shall I make an offer if I do speak to a realtor, Ari?”
“Absolutely. You have my permission.”
“Good afternoon. My name is Martin Hillshire and I’m a realtor. I’ve found this particular piece of property on the MLS site. There doesn’t seem to be a for sale sign at the property. I’m wondering if the property is still for sale.”
“If you have the MLS number I’d be glad to look for you, Mr. Hillshire.”
“Great. Here’s the number: 31094438delang.”
“Thank you. Can you hold for a minute? My name is Jannel, by the way.”
“Certainly; nice to meet you Jannel.
“Thank you for holding. The property is for sale. Are you at the site right now, Mr. Hillshire?”
“Indeed I am. We have made a fairly thorough search to no avail. Can you tell me how long the property has been on the market?”
“I’m not positive. It has been on more than one listing. We have had it for almost ninety days. Do you have a potential buyer, Mr. Hillshire?”
“Quite possibly. Can you tell me who owns the property?”
“Yes. It’s Balfour Investments. They have a San Francisco address.”
“Where is your office, if I might ask?”
“We are located in Palo Alto, right near the interchange in the Edgewood Plaza. Would you like to stop in today?”
“Do we need an appointment?”
“No sir. We are on the south side of the plaza, right off Embarcadero. We look forward to seeing you.”
“Thank you very much.”
“Did you have any luck, Martin?”
“Yes, I did. How about you? Did you find a sign or any markers?”
“I found some old looking wooden stakes but no for sale sign. Did you speak to someone in person?”
“I spoke to a secretary at the office. It’s right in Palo Alto. Would you like to take a drive over there?”
“I would like that if you have the time.”
“My time is yours, Ari. Let’s go.”
On the way to the real estate office Ari asked Martin to stop at a bank. It was one of the banks that Cyrus had deposited fifty million dollars. Ari requested a cashier’s check for one million dollars. The president of the bank handled the transaction personally. Ari was somewhat taken aback by the VIP treatment. Then he realized there probably weren’t too many depositors with a fifty million dollar balance.
The realtor who had the property listed was not in the office but a Mr. Lane assured Martin he could handle any transaction. Mr. Lane vowed he would make sure the listing agent would get his fair share of the commission if an agreement should be reached.
“Mr. Lane, do you have a copy of the legal description of the property?”
“I can certainly get one, Mr. Hillshire. Are you thinking the description on the MLS document may not be up to date?”
“That is one concern. We noticed there had been excavation on the property. In addition, there were no prominent survey stakes. I assure you, this is no reflection on your company. My client is prepared to make an offer on the property and would like to close in a timely manner.”
“I fully understand your position, Mr. Hillshire. Jannel would be glad to begin the paper work while we wait for the document to be faxed to our office. We can be ready for your client to submit the offer in just a few minutes.”
“That would be excellent. Dr. Soshyant and I will return within thirty minutes.”
“The paper work is being prepared, Ari. Would you like to have a cup of coffee or something?”
“I could use a cup of tea. I noticed a coffee shop just a few doors down. Shall we walk?”
“Great idea. Would you mind if I made a suggestion concerning your offer?”
“Not at all.”
“It is a wonderful piece or property, Ari. It has been on the market for more than ninety days and for that reason I recommend your first offer be no more than two point seven five million.”
“I trust your experience in this matter, Martin. What final offer do feel would be a nominal amount. I truly like the property but would, of course, like to buy it at a price that would reflect the fair market value.”
“I feel certain you would do well to close at three point two five, Ari. That is an equitable amount for both parties. Were you going to offer some earnest money, Ari?”
“Indeed. I have a negotiable draft for one million dollars. Would it be prudent for me to offer that much, Martin?”
“It would certainly make your offer far more attractive, Ari.”
“Very well, Martin. Shall we head back?”
“Yes we should. I am curious about the lack of a for sale sign. I meant to ask Mr. Lane if there was someone in the office who might know what became of it.”
“How is it going, Jannel?”
“All of the documents that need signing today are prepared.”
“I would like to introduce my client, Dr. Soshyant.”
“A pleasure to know you Dr. Soshyant. Am I pronouncing that correctly?”
“You did very well, Jannel. The pleasure is mine.”
“While it is fresh on my mind, I’m wondering why there is no signage at the property.”
“I’m not sure, Mr. Hillshire. I can leave a note for Mr. Cartwright, the gentlemen who has the listing, to call you concerning the matter.”
“I would appreciate that, Jannel. It is more curiosity than anything. Would it be alright if the doctor and I sat at that table by the window to sign the papers?”
“That is fine. Can I get either of you something to drink?”
“Thank you so much. We were just at the coffee shop.”
Ari signed each document as Martin finished perusing it. The rest of the transaction was completed just as Mr. Lane returned to the office. He assured Martin there would be a response within forty eight hours. Back in Martin’s Jaguar the mood was festive. Ari was very excited over the possibility of beginning work on the research facility. Martin was doing some math in his head. Three point five percent of three point two five million was…
