date: 12.07.97
age: 17
grade: 12
rank: 07
"The compound is not dissolving!"
"Well, continue heating the solution and try again!"
"But Dr. Erikson, I don't know if our equipment can handle the temperature! The flasks are starting to melt!"
"Fine. But make sure we don't lose any of our mixture as it cools!" Dr. James Erikson yelled over the loud rattling of the generator. His assistant flipped the switch and, at once, all was quiet.
"Well, at least we extracted half our mixture that time," Walton said, as he snapped his goggles off his head and threw them on the lab bench to his side.
"Yes, but it's just not enough."
The year was 1999. Dr. Erikson sat hunched over his notebook. The city smelled like burning tennis shoes. It was a typical night. While the people remained safely locked in their homes, afraid to step into the dimly lit street, Dr. Erikson and his crew of chemical geniuses toiled over their work. They were working toward a cure.
Despite what figures from previous years had shown, the AIDS virus was not decreasing, nor was it in any way contained. In fact, indicators showed that the virus had remained hidden in many individuals, and millions of sudden outbreaks had occurred within the past year. The sudden problem was caused by the development of a vaccine from 1998. The AIDS virus had responded to the vaccine by becoming relatively dormant, leading scientists to believe they had reached a cure. Meanwhile, the virus was developing a far more aggressive and damaging strain, one that could be spread much more easily, and was nearly impossible to defend against. The new strain, frequently referred to as the AIDZ virus, spread quickly, and contaminated nearly seven percent of the northern hemisphere. In finding a "cure," the scientists of the past had actually made the situation far worse. It was Dr. Erikson's job, along with 12 other scientist around the world, to see if he could find a real cure.
Dr. Erikson knew just how damaging the AIDS virus had become. His mother had died because of it, his brother had contracted it, and his wife was beginning to show symptoms of the virus. AIDZ was so powerful it could make a human's immune system completely inactive within weeks. With next to no immune system, the common cold became as deadly as encephalitis. Dr. Erikson attacked his task like a warrior. AIDZ became his sworn enemy. He would not rest until he was satisfied with a cure. He would not lose this battle.
Nearly all hours Dr. Erikson worked. Day in and day out he calculated and recalculated. When he felt secure in his chemistry he would try to actually produce what was easier said than done.
"Hey, look!" shouted Walton one afternoon, "The compound is actually dissolving this time!"
"Now, all we have to do is filter the result and we will have it!"
"Do you mean..."
"Yes... we will have, in theory, the cure for AIDZ!" As Dr. Erikson poured the solution into the test tube within the air-locked booth, he smiled. Walton could not remember the last time Erikson had shown any happiness.
"We did it!" yelled one of the assistants, jumping up and down. The rest of the crew joined in singing. So they had done it, finally. But would it work? The only way to find out was to begin testing it, a process that could often make or break their best efforts.
Over the next week they conducted hundreds of tests on the solution they called Victory 6. The final ones included tests on lab mice that had been injected with AIDZ. Dr. Erikson analyzed all the results and prepared his report.
"The results were favorable. Some of the mice that had been injected with Victory 6 recovered perfectly, and any trace of the AIDZ virus had been eradicated. But the rest of the mice all died." What were cheers from the crowd turned to gasps.
"But what did they die of?" shouted one reporter.
"Heart failure," replied Dr. Erikson. The crowd exchanged glances while murmuring.
"But why?" asked a different reporter.
"Well, you see, our drug works because it gives an incredible boost to the immune system, and makes it strong enough to fight off the AIDZ virus. However, the change is so strong, it weakens many of the other body systems. The most significant of which is the pumping of the heart. The mice that died had irreversible heart failure. We do not know how frequently this will happen with humans."
More tests were needed. Dr. Erikson's wife's condition had deteriorated sharply. She was so ill she was willing to risk her life to test the new "cure." Dr. Erikson's brother, facing a nearly identical situation, was also willing. Though extremely reluctant, Dr. Erikson injected both of his relatives with Victory 6. Only time would tell if the drug would truly work.
In his research, Dr. Erikson had learned many things about the new drug he had developed. He found that the solution needed to be contained in an enclosed, air-tight environment. Otherwise it easily became airborne, and could spread far with the wind. He learned that the drug was extremely potent, and only a minuscule amount was necessary to treat the individual. A person who simply inhaled Victory 6 would experience its full effects. Dr. Erikson also found out that once the drug was in the body, it acted similarly to a virus itself. That meant that Victory 6 in one person could be spread just as easily, and actually more so, than the AIDZ virus could. The only thing that was still unknown was why half the time it would cure, and half of the time it would kill. After Dr. Erikson's wife showed signs of her recovery, and his brother died of a heart attack, he was even more confused. His sudden gain and loss made him, among other things, less confident in his chemical discovery.
Dr. Erikson was preparing more samples to take to be analyzed at other labs. He took three large test tubes, filled them with the solution, and then sealed them, before removing them from the airlock. He shut down the lab and walked towards his car. Suddenly Dr. Erikson felt his chest pounding. Apparently, upon curing his wife, he had kissed her out of joy, spreading the drug. Even though Victory 6 had a curing effect on her, it was having the opposite effect on him. As Dr. Erikson's heart shut down, his body went numb. He fell over. The sealed test tubes he had held lay on the cold street, shattered.