Read Online Dark Star Rising Second Edition (Pebbles in The Sky) by Jeffery Bagley - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jeffery Bagley
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fondly, and then said sadly, “There are some women who would not my dear . I knew one myself.”
Chapter 6
March 14 th , 2016
Boston , Massachusetts
Monday afternoon found Jessica and Brett sitting across the table from Doctor Harold Berkshire, their grant coordinator from the National Institute of Health. Doctor Alec Souse, director of immunology studies at Merck Incorporated was also sitting across from them. They sat in silence as both the men across from them read through the synopsis of their findings to date. Both finished at about the same time. Dr. Berkshire rubbed his chin thoughtfully and spoke first. “If this plays out like you two propose, and your rather unorthodox research can be verified, and I do stress very un-orthodox,” he said while giving Brett a big frown, “then you may have just changed the future of mankind.
“The implications are much greater than what you two see,” continued Dr. Berkshire. “You were given a grant to find a way to rapidly identify, catalogue, and report the genome of new viral pathogens. I will agree that your data seems to support that you have more than accomplished that goal. Then, using your left over grant money, without authorization I might add, you took this a step further and did what no other major research lab has done with all the billions of dollars that have been poured into this area. I find this very hard to believe, but your data does seem to collaborate your findings. All of your work will have to be reviewed and verified independently I warn you, but frankly, I am utterly amazed, if still a little bit skeptical.”
Dr. Alec Souse leaned forward over the table and gazed at the two of them. “If your findings are substantiated, do you realize what you two have probably done?” he asked. Jessica started to speak but he held up his hand to silence her. He then continued. “If your research pans out, then you have probably cost me and thousands of other immunological researchers our jobs. In addition, there are going to be thousands of stock holders in the pharmaceutical companies that are going to lose their life time savings because of you two.”
Brett finally spoke up. “Dr. Souse, I really am not sure what you are talking about, we have merely made possible a cure for some of the most dreaded diseases that infect mankind.”
Dr. Souse snorted and leaned back in his chair. It was easy to see his mind was rapidly working on interpreting what all of this could mean to his company.
Dr. Berkshire cleared his throat and spoke again. “Doctor Driskall, or pardon my Latin but shall I say Doctors Driskallae,” he chuckled at his lame attempt of humor. “Try to think about Dr. Souse’s perspective. He works for a pharmaceutical company that makes money making drugs to treat diseases. The drugs usually do not eradicate the diseases; they merely attempt to treat the symptoms for that patient who may have the disease. As cases of a particular disease keep popping up, the medicines will continue to be sold to fight them. Thus, the drug companies sink billions into research to develop new drugs that they can sell to treat disease. The companies recoup their cost and make a profit off of the sales of the drugs they develop. In one fell swoop you may have just found a way to completely cure these diseases; they can be completely wiped out. After everyone is vaccinated against a disease, there is no more treatment needed, poof, it is gone. Think about the process of wiping out Smallpox. We are on the brink of that accomplishment today, but it has taken decades and billions of dollars of research to develop a vaccine for that one virus. And now, in just a couple of years using a shoestring budget, you have developed a much more efficient, very economical process that could wipe
Chapter 6
March 14 th , 2016
Boston , Massachusetts
Monday afternoon found Jessica and Brett sitting across the table from Doctor Harold Berkshire, their grant coordinator from the National Institute of Health. Doctor Alec Souse, director of immunology studies at Merck Incorporated was also sitting across from them. They sat in silence as both the men across from them read through the synopsis of their findings to date. Both finished at about the same time. Dr. Berkshire rubbed his chin thoughtfully and spoke first. “If this plays out like you two propose, and your rather unorthodox research can be verified, and I do stress very un-orthodox,” he said while giving Brett a big frown, “then you may have just changed the future of mankind.
“The implications are much greater than what you two see,” continued Dr. Berkshire. “You were given a grant to find a way to rapidly identify, catalogue, and report the genome of new viral pathogens. I will agree that your data seems to support that you have more than accomplished that goal. Then, using your left over grant money, without authorization I might add, you took this a step further and did what no other major research lab has done with all the billions of dollars that have been poured into this area. I find this very hard to believe, but your data does seem to collaborate your findings. All of your work will have to be reviewed and verified independently I warn you, but frankly, I am utterly amazed, if still a little bit skeptical.”
Dr. Alec Souse leaned forward over the table and gazed at the two of them. “If your findings are substantiated, do you realize what you two have probably done?” he asked. Jessica started to speak but he held up his hand to silence her. He then continued. “If your research pans out, then you have probably cost me and thousands of other immunological researchers our jobs. In addition, there are going to be thousands of stock holders in the pharmaceutical companies that are going to lose their life time savings because of you two.”
Brett finally spoke up. “Dr. Souse, I really am not sure what you are talking about, we have merely made possible a cure for some of the most dreaded diseases that infect mankind.”
Dr. Souse snorted and leaned back in his chair. It was easy to see his mind was rapidly working on interpreting what all of this could mean to his company.
Dr. Berkshire cleared his throat and spoke again. “Doctor Driskall, or pardon my Latin but shall I say Doctors Driskallae,” he chuckled at his lame attempt of humor. “Try to think about Dr. Souse’s perspective. He works for a pharmaceutical company that makes money making drugs to treat diseases. The drugs usually do not eradicate the diseases; they merely attempt to treat the symptoms for that patient who may have the disease. As cases of a particular disease keep popping up, the medicines will continue to be sold to fight them. Thus, the drug companies sink billions into research to develop new drugs that they can sell to treat disease. The companies recoup their cost and make a profit off of the sales of the drugs they develop. In one fell swoop you may have just found a way to completely cure these diseases; they can be completely wiped out. After everyone is vaccinated against a disease, there is no more treatment needed, poof, it is gone. Think about the process of wiping out Smallpox. We are on the brink of that accomplishment today, but it has taken decades and billions of dollars of research to develop a vaccine for that one virus. And now, in just a couple of years using a shoestring budget, you have developed a much more efficient, very economical process that could wipe
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