A Dark Evolution (Book 2): Deranged Read Online Free PDF Page B

percent of the American populace have thus far been affected?”
    “More or less, yes.”
    “And it is still spreading fast?”
    “Unfortunately yes, they don’t last long, but...”
    “But in that time, there is ample opportunity for their vectors to carry the parasite on.”
    “Exactly. We’ve identified mosquitoes, body lice, one obscure tick, and several mites that appear to be able to harbor the parasite.”
    “Didn’t it originally invade through spiders?”
    “It did, but those spiders that it hitched a ride on are long gone, eradicated, as well as almost everything else in Florida.”
    Jason nodded slowly. This was just review, really; he knew most of these things, and had hypothesized about the spread of the infection on his own. “Tell me about the immunization protocol. Has it failed completely?” Jason asked, remembering the beastly antiparasitic pills he had gagged down almost a month prior. He had not waited for the government to disperse them; he had access, through his lab and his ex-wife’s veterinary clinic, to a wide range of powerful antiparasitics.
    Rosa gave him a stern look. “It has not failed; it just isn’t as effective as we would like. It's not possible, not really. And they aren't immunizations, as you know, they are just a course of treatment, in the hopes that if the person does come into contact with the parasite, it will be rendered inert before it can take root.”
    “Yes, I understand the concept. So what is the problem then?”
    “Are you poking me with a stick on purpose, or is it just in your nature to belabor the obvious and be rude?”
    Jason grimaced and held up his hands, “Rosa, I’m sorry. I know this whole shit heap is in your jurisdiction. I can't imagine the pressure you're under.” He sighed. “The media is reporting that you are already running low on antiparasitic meds.”
    “It's true. They are not made to be used in this fashion, blanketing a population with a long course.”
    “Manufacturers are being put under the gun I presume?”
    “They are, and in fact, their response has been fast and furious. We should have millions more doses in another week, two at the most. They’ll just keep making it until we don’t need it anymore.”
    “But that's not the only problem with the treatment protocol, is it?”
    Again, Rosa gave him a stern look, and Jason continued on his own.
    “I know that there is a huge portion of our population that doesn’t trust the government, doesn’t trust doctors, and won't be getting in line to receive high doses of very intense medications usually used on farm animals.”
    “You are not wrong. It isn't just those that are phobic, though. It's dangerous out there, Jason, it really is. Outbreaks here in Atlanta have been handled swiftly, not a lot of deaths. It hasn’t been the same elsewhere; people are terrified to leave their homes. We have set up treatment centers in civic centers and school gymnasiums. We police them with the National Guard and tell people to come. We don’t have the manpower to go door-to-door, and doing so would be wildly impractical anyway, since it would put us in more contact with the infected.”
    “Has anyone tried treating the infected yet?”
    “Of course. Fifty percent success rate. The problem is getting them treated; they want to kill everyone in their path. There’s a company working on a hypodermic dart that would deliver a first dose.”
    “But then what?”
    “Exactly. In our lab successes, it took three days to reclaim the patients.”
    “But they can be saved.”
    “In a matter of speaking, yes. Treatment of the infected is secondary right now though. Our primary goal has to be to stop the spread. Once we contain the outbreak, we’ll do what we can for the infected.”
    “And you think you will eventually contain it?”
    “Definitely. It may take months to manufacture and distribute enough of the meds.”
    Jason cleared his throat. “In the meantime then, now that I have