Hi-Tech Hijack Page 12

  “We achieved a real breakthrough today mapping the DNA of a virus procured from mice tissues,” he said happily, reminding Rose of a little boy coming home from kindergarten with a sticker he got for good behavior.

  “That’s great,” she said, still staring at the TV, clearly uninterested.

  “Want to hear about it?”

  “I heard you talking about it yesterday when I was there.”

  “Yes, but we’ve had some amazing developments since.”

  “I’m too tired now, Eddie. You can tell me about it over the weekend.”

  Eddie felt like a bucket of ice water was thrown over him. All the adrenaline and spontaneous enthusiasm turned into pent up anger and frustration at how little interest his girlfriend and financial partner was paying to his achievements.

  “After today’s breakthrough, we’ll probably work Saturday, too. What we’re doing right now requires consecutive ten-day monitoring.”

  “But we had plans to go to a B&B for the weekend. I already made the reservation, Eddie.”

  “We’ll have to cancel.”

  “You can cancel; I’m going. I’m sick of having to compete for your love against a bunch of mice tissues. I’m sick of being stuck at home night and day.”

  Eddie spent that Saturday, like so many other Saturdays, at the lab between the petri dishes, flasks, and test tubes. He suggested to Rose they meet for dinner at a famous fish restaurant at Ashdod, and she had to make do with that.

  There was a month left for Rose’s Hebrew studies, and she felt she had to do something, anything, to break the routine that was taking its toll on their love. As they were waiting for their desserts and Eddie was passionately telling Rose about another breakthrough at the lab, Rose found an opportunity to speak her mind.

  “Summer is coming Eddie, and once I finish at the ulpan, I’ll have a few months before university starts. How about we take a vacation together at the farm in Zimbabwe?”

  “You know very well I can’t do that right now.”

  “Eddie, I have to get away for a while. Every year I used to escape the urban prison of London and go to Africa, and here I am substituting the London prison for the Rehovot city prison.”

  “So why not go and visit your dad in London?” he asked, smiling and trying to make what he thought was a friendly, helpful suggestion.

  “Eddie, I miss the space and the sense of freedom. I get so bored during the long days without you; it’s killing me. I don’t think you realize just how lonely I am.”

  “Rose, you have to be more patient. After all, this business belongs to both of us. It’s our future.”

  “My dad was the one who decided to put the business under my name. It’s your dream and your addiction, not mine. There’s more to life than this bloody company. I can’t go on like this anymore; something has to change.”

  “I can’t go away, not this year, Rose. I can’t stop the mice testing at this stage of research. “

  “The lab techs and Reuben can keep an eye on them.”

  “We’re on the verge of a major breakthrough, and I’ll have to personally monitor the trials and decide how to proceed right there and then on the spot.”

  “Eddie, do you remember how happy we were in Zimbabwe?” she asked, pleading with him. “Don’t you feel the need to recharge, to get some new energy? I don’t mean at work—I know that’s a perpetual motion machine that feeds itself. I’m talking about us. Can’t you see this demanding reality is wearing our love down?”

  Eddie said nothing. The crème brûlée they had ordered had already gone cold while Rose’s temper was growing hotter and hotter. She got up and left the restaurant in tears. Eddie tried to hold her, but failed. He paid the check quickly, and they got into the car in silence. Eddie drove slowly toward the beach, hoping for Rose to cool down.

  “Just drive home, Eddie. I’m not in the mood.”

  “It’ll be sundown in a few minutes. Let’s go watch the sunset together.”

  “The sun has already set for us. Just take me home.”

  He reluctantly turned the car around, and they went home. The rest of the night went by unbearably slowly. They watched the news avoiding each other’s gaze, and when it was over Rose said, “I’m going away to Zimbabwe in a month’s time for a few weeks. If you want you can come and stay with me for at least some of the time, but you don’t have to. Do what you think is best.”

  “Just try to be patient, Rose. In a year or two the hard part will be behind us, and we’ll be able to look back at it all and laugh.”

  “If we make it that long.”

  “You don’t mean that,” he said, trying to hold and appease her.

  “Yes, I do.” She pushed his arms away and went to the bedroom.

  Rose spent the whole night thinking. Eddie came in to bed later. He stroked her back and tried to calm things down, but she stayed rigid and silent. In the morning she pretended to be asleep and let Eddie leave the apartment with no talking or reconciliation. Her mind was made up. She decided to go to the farm by herself.

  It’ll be a good opportunity to test the strength of my love for him, she thought to herself. She called Aubrey that same day to check when he was planning to go to the farm next and told him she was coming a week before he was. Then they would have two weeks together, and then she would stay on for a few more weeks.

  Two days before her flight Rose reminded Eddie she was going.

  “I’ll take a cab to the airport, there’s no need for you to miss out on a few hours of work.”

  “I thought you gave up that idea.” Eddie was surprised.

  “I don’t know why you would think that.”

  “But you haven’t mentioned it since we had that fight.”

  “You gave me no reason to change my mind. If you want to come with me or join me in a few weeks that’ll be great.”

  A long silence filled the room. Then Eddie asked quietly, “What time is your flight?”

  “Ten o’clock at night. I’m leaving to the airport at six.”

  “I’ll drive you.”

  “Let me know by five o’clock. If you can’t I’ll take a cab.”

  “Do you think so little of me?”

  “You figure it out for yourself.”

  Chapter 24

  Rose left in late May on a night flight to Johannesburg. They parted with a passionate kiss, but with no words. At noon the next day, she arrived at Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe where Benjamin greeted her with open arms and a smile from ear to ear.

  As planned Aubrey arrived at the farm a week later, and the father and daughter had a delightful time together just like they used to when Rose was younger. Once again Rose’s laughter echoed all across the farm, and she was truly happy as she hadn’t been for a long time.

  One morning an old friend of Aubrey’s from Cape Town University named Bill came over to visit them from one of the farms in the north of neighboring South Africa in his Cessna. Every farm had a dirt landing area for light aircraft. The next day Aubrey and his friend took off north to a distant farm of another schoolmate named Arthur. They invited Benjamin to join them so that he could observe the new state-of-the-art computerized milking system that had been installed there.

  Rose went to spend the day with a friend at a neighboring farm. She returned at dusk, and when darkness fell and the three men still hadn’t returned, she tried to call Arthur’s farm, but there was no answer. Then she called Bill’s farm, but no one there knew if anything was the matter. Rose did not want to cause any alarm to Bill’s wife, so she pretended to be confused.

  “Oh, I thought they flew over to your place; I didn’t know they were at Arthur’s.”

  “They probably just decided to spend the night,” said Bill’s wife.

  A growing sense of concern began gnawing at Rose’s heart. This was not like her father at all. Ever since her mother left them, Rose and Aubrey always kept close—they always knew where the other one was and what they were doing at any given tim
e. The farms were so isolated and remote and the relations between blacks and whites in Zimbabwe were so tense that every outing meant exposure to unexpected dangers and surprises. For Rose, her father was everything a home and security stood for. It was always Aubrey’s worst nightmare that something would happen to him and Rose would be left all alone in the world. He knew just as well as Rose did that her mother was not someone she could rely on.

  Hours passed; it was way after dark already, and Rose instructed the farm workers to light torches and set them along the landing strip. Restless and on edge, she paced back and forth from the farm house to the landing area, longing to hear the monotonous humming of an approaching plane. As she was giving a couple of the farm workers instructions regarding the night landing procedures for the third time, the phone rang. Arthur was on the line.

  “Rose, I’m so sorry to have to tell you this, but there was an accident during takeoff back to your place earlier this evening. The plane failed to rise above the trees, crashed into them, and caught on fire. Your father was killed on the spot, and Benjamin was badly hurt. He has injuries on his head and lacerations to his abdomen. We’ve called a chopper, and they’re taking him to hospital in Harare as we speak.”

  “What about Bill?” asked Rose, managing to keep her cool long enough to utter one more sentence.

  “He’s relatively fine. He has two broken legs and some minor burn injuries. They took him to hospital on the same chopper. I stayed at the farm since they didn’t have room for me as well.”

  “Thank you for letting me know. I’m going to Harare to the hospital right away.”

  “You should wait ’til morning, Rose. Benjamin is unconscious anyway, and they will probably operate on him all night.”

  Rose felt she had to do something or she would break down, and after delivering the awful news to the farm workers, she took a car and a driver and left for Harare that very same night. She arrived at the hospital a few hours later and waited outside the operating theatre until dawn when the surgeon emerged and said that Benjamin did not make it. He died on the operating table.

  Rose could take no more. She burst into uncontrollable cries and collapsed. She was given a sedative and was admitted to rest for a few hours before she was allowed to go back to the farm.

  Two days later Aubrey Horowitz was buried on his farm as was specified in his will. Friends from all over Zimbabwe and South Africa and relatives from England attended the funeral. Rose’s mother was also there. She came alone without her young actor boyfriend. When shiva—the seven days of mourning—was over, Rose asked everyone to leave and let her deal with her pain alone. Her friends and relatives honored her wishes and said their farewells.

  Dear Eddie,

  It’s been a month since I arrived here, and I wanted to thank you for giving me my space like I asked and not calling or writing. Two weeks ago, disaster struck. My father was killed in a light aircraft accident on his way back from visiting a friend. My brother Benjamin was also on the plane and was badly injured. He died the next day on the operating table. Shiva was over a week ago, and my father was buried on the farm as he wanted.

  I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I’m sure you would have come right over, and I felt I couldn’t handle seeing you on top of everything else that’s going on here.

  Now that shiva is over and with Benjamin gone, I have no choice but to stay here and run the farm. I feel it’ll be the best thing for me as well. This is the only place in the world where I can find my peace of mind and being alone here does me good. I want to mourn the loss of my loved ones alone, and I don’t think I would want to have any contact with the outside world for a few months. I know you will honor my wishes. Hope things are going well at the company. I’ll be in touch when I’m ready.

  Love, Rose.

  Eddie received Rose’s e-mail in his room at work. He had just had a fight with Reuben. As usual it was about Reuben’s overspending; he had just replaced his year-old laptop with a more expansive computer simply because the deal included a new, sophisticated Palm Pilot. Reuben knew Eddie would disapprove of the transaction and chose not to consult with him before the purchase.

  Rose’s letter left Eddie completely dumbstruck. He felt deep sorrow for Aubrey’s death, but more than that, he felt hurt and left out that Rose waited so long to let him know what had happened and that she didn’t want him by her side. He read the subtext of her letter loud and clear. A heavy feeling of loneliness engulfed him. His girlfriend—his fiancée, practically—had left him, he wasn’t getting along with his business partner, and he had no one to share his burdens with. He felt a deep sense of despair; he could bear Rose’s absence no more. It was true they didn’t have a lot of time to spend together every day when she was in Israel, but knowing she was there for him made all the difference. He stared at the computer screen for a long while, unsure if he was even allowed to reply given her request for him not to be in touch.

  Eventually he typed:

  I am shocked and hurt to hear of Aubrey’s death, whom I loved and respected, and of Benjamin, who was like a brother to you. I honor your wishes and hope to hear from you soon. Eddie.

  It was only after pressing Send that Eddie realized he did not sign the letter, Love, Eddie, like he had intended. Then he wondered whether or not forgetting to do so was merely accidental.

  After that, Eddie spent many nights tormented in his apartment, thinking about Rose’s letter and about his short response—like she had asked.

  I should have ignored her wishes to be alone, he thought. I should have hopped on the first flight and gone to her. She would have been happy to see me, and I would have been able to help and support her through this difficult time, and everything between us would have been right again.

  Or would it? The voice of reason countered. Nothing is ever going to be the same again. Rose is committed to the farm, and with Aubrey and Benjamin gone, she needs someone who can be there for her unconditionally. You can visit, but you can’t abandon the company. Rose’s money is invested in it, as well as your entire professional future. There is no dilemma. Love is a nice thing to dream about, but the reality is it’s a luxury you can’t afford. Forget about it!

  Chapter 25

  In the second year of its existence, Ebocell-Tech made significant scientific progress. Eddie achieved impressive results in his empirical tests on lab mice, and Reuben, with his statistical analysis based on BI- business information techniques, achieved a logical convergence of the mathematical model upon which the DNA ingredients of the Congolese Ebola and the Philippine one—the Ebola Reston worked. The model was able to recommend the optimal combination that would incorporate the aggressive characteristics of the Congo Ebola with the passive ones of the Ebola Reston.

  All DNA is comprised of four bases connected by sugars and proteins. The order of connection between the four bases is unique to every cell type, and a genetic marker marks the specific order of bases of each specific cell. The ability to recreate and duplicate a certain order is tested by a genetic marker. The pool of genetic markers is one of the unique developments of the biotechnological industry and is considered a significant portion of the intellectual property (IP)—the patent-protected knowledge of every company. Eddie and Reuben succeeded in creating such a pool of information for their company out of Ebola-infected cell tissues that they procured from the American CDC.

  Eddie’s intention was to use the combined DNA markers they produced and create a virus that had the desired attributes—one that would destroy cancerous cells but would leave healthy ones intact. Once the proper theoretical combination was located by Reuben’s statistical analysis, it was confirmed by a procedure called ‘electrophoresis’ in a PCR machine. The PCR (polymerase chain reaction) can analyze a group of cells and determine which types of DNA nucleus are present in the tissue. Once this stage was complete it was time for Eddie and the two lab technicians to actively grow the virus that combined the DNA properties of the two sources.

 
; During the first year they used cancerous mice tissues to see how these were affected by each of the Ebola viruses individually. The results were satisfactory. They still required several more long months to receive a reliable, clear cut, and statistically satisfying outcome. Once they got such results with mice, Ebocell-Tech would have to prove its theory on monkeys or at least on pigs. Only then would it be ready to apply for a permit to conduct a study on humans, as required by the Declaration of Helsinki.

  Eddie’s business plan estimated a five-year period required to complete the first clinical trial on humans. He thought Aubrey’s investment would enable the company to make it through the first two years, during which they would reach proof of feasibility on mice. At that stage the company value would be much higher, and they would have no problem recruiting new investors. However as it turned out, the company’s rapid progression also meant a much higher spending rate than they had foreseen.

  The cost of experiments did not stop at purchasing lab mice and materials. A hefty sum went toward issuing permits from the ministries of Health and Agriculture, which held regular inspections at their facilities. Apart from a small number of mice that were intended for dissection and tissue procurement, they were not allowed to keep animals in the apartment in Be’er Ya’acov. They had to rent space at the animal pathological institute in Beit Dagan and transport mice from there to Be’er Ya’acov and back every now and then. Leonid and Luda worked considerable overtime, which also cost the company more money than planned. Furthermore, Eddie’s conscience no longer allowed him to continue employing the two new immigrants at minimum wage. After working at the company for one year, Eddie gave them a 25 percent raise despite Reuben’s protests.