The Strangerville Mystery: Inventing a Vaccine

To say that Ada was tired would be an understatement.  The dark circles under her eyes were becoming permanent.

With the increased plant activity, it felt like she and Zeb were racing a ticking clock to figure out how to defeat the mother plant. Ada had been working non-stop trying to figure out how to stop it.  In addition to her regular shifts at the National Sims Institute, she would stay late to work on ideas based on the technology and serums that Zeb’s people used to fight the plant infestation.

When she did go leave work, Ada often met Zeb at her trailer or his ship to go over her progress or use some of his more advanced labs.

In fact, they had almost made a breakthrough in creating a vaccine to use against the mother plant’s mind control.  Ada had used the suppression protocol that Zeb had dosed her with as the base but then used materials found only on Sim Earth to change and adjust the formula.  They tested her formula on several of the infected in Strangerville. The results were mixed. Sometimes it worked and other times it didn’t. The difference seemed to be how long the person had been infected. 

Ted Roswell, for example, one of the people who used to work at the old institute as an intern, had been exhibiting signs of infection the longest.  There were reports of Ted’s strange behavior for years. On him, the new serum formula had almost no effect. But they tested on Jess Sutherland, the young corporal who had caught them at the abandoned lab, and the results were mixed.  At first, Jess would be fine…she acted normal and seemed to have no memory of being possessed. However, after a few days, she’d go back to acting strange.

“This works like the original protocol,” Zeb said after they noticed these results.  “If she received regular doses as you do, then she’d be fine.”

“So back to the drawing board then?” Ada sighed, wearily.  Zeb looked confused. He always looked that way when she used slang or an idiom he’d never heard of.

One day, after several failed tests, Ada was complaining to Dr. Banks about her problem.  She didn’t tell the other scientist exactly what she was working on, but gave her enough information that the serum expert had an idea.

“There’s a reason you work with rocks, Ada,” the older woman laughed at her.  “You should leave serum research to me and Dr. Patel. Heck, I think that even Dr. Lothario would have figured this out faster than you!”

Ada was too tired and frustrated to be annoyed at the older doctor making fun of her and the fact that she liked working with metals and crystals.  “So tell me what I’m missing. I really want to make this serum work. What should I be doing?”

“Well, you know how vaccines work, right?” Dr. Banks asked, speaking to Ada as if she knew nothing about the subject at all. 

Ada nodded impatiently.  “Of course I do,” she said.

“When we vaccinate people for the flu or chickenpox or measles or whatever, we use small amounts of the disease in the vaccine which forces people to create antibodies that the body uses to fight off the disease.  This is a very simple explanation, you understand, but basically, you need to use whatever the base disease is to formulate a serum that would inoculate someone against it.”

Ada found herself nodding at Dr. Banks’ simple answer.  Of course!

That night Ada came home and told Zeb what they needed to do.

“We need plant samples from the flowers around Strangerville,” she told him.  “If we could get spore samples, that would be good, too.”

“I’m not sure I fully understand,” Zeb said.  “You want to infect the infected even more than they are already?”

“Yes and no,” Ada explained.  “We will create a serum that uses the plant’s original histamine mixed with agents that help counter the histamine–if we do it right, we can help the infected person’s body create antibodies on their own to counter the infection.  We might also be able to create a vaccine that would prevent infection–like having a flu shot.”

“This is not my field of study,” Zeb admitted.

“Mine either.”

“But I’m willing to try it.  If it works, then we will be one step closer to fighting the mother plant.”

Zeb was so excited that he grabbed Ada’s hands and kissed them before giving her another one of his sexy hugs.

“Just don’t get your hopes up,” she cautioned, but she was secretly pleased that he thought this might be another breakthrough.

Now, if she could only get him to do more than hug her or kiss her hands or cheek, then she’d really be happy. She might be tired, but she wasn’t dead. If her sexy alien gave even one hint that he’d like to take their relationship to the next level, Ada would agree. Nothing helped a person sleep better than good old fashioned sex!

Zeberon

Zeb was worried about Ada.  She was working herself too hard.  He often met her at her home after she left her science institute.  When she entered her trailer, she would collapse on her little couch and barely be able to move.

He’d even learned how to use her food preparation devices, the stove and microwave, so that he had food ready for Ada when she arrived.  It was the only way she’d eat.

Zeb thought that if he wasn’t waiting for her, she would likely stay at her lab and continue to work all night.  That’s why he came to her home most often. If they met at his ship, she never relaxed. He’d shown her how to use his technology and she’d just continue working.

They’d had a breakthrough on the vaccine and now had a working protocol.  Ada tested it on herself. As someone already infected, she was the perfect test subject.  

“If it works for me, it should work for everyone,” she said.

The new vaccine made Ada dizzy at first, but then she said she felt fine.

“We’ll have to go back to the old lab,” Ada said.  “The only way to tell if this works is if I let myself get exposed to the spores in the lab again.  If the mother plant can still control me, then we’ll have to try again.”

Zeb didn’t like this plan, but she was right, so he agreed.

They made their way into the secret lab, headed through the locked doors down to the lower level.  They even went into the room with the mother plant. Zeb had his hazmat suit on and Ada was uncovered.

Against his advice, Ada went right up to the plant.  “It seems to be working, Zeb. I need to see what she will do.”

“This is a bad idea,” he said, but Ada ignored him.

The plant became agitated the closer Ada got.  It waved its arm-like tentacles and opened its maw threateningly.

“Ada…” Zeb called out, trying to coax her away from the mother.

“It’s ok Zeb.  Look. I’m not infected.  She’s trying to control me, but she can’t.”  Ada began to laugh and bounce around. “Haha!  We did it. That’s right you bitch!” Ada addressed the mother.  “We’ve figured out a way to stop your mind control. We’re going to figure out a way to stop you completely.  We won’t let you control or feed off of any of the people in Strangerville!”

Ada continued to taunt the mother plant.  Zeb watched as the plant became more and more agitated.  He called out to Ada again, but it was too late. Just as Ada turned away from her, the mother plant whipped out one of her tentacles and wrapped it around Ada’s leg.

“Ada!”

Zeb ran up to help, but there was nothing he could do to stop the plant’s abuse.  The mother plant lifted Ada into the air and shook her around.  Ada screamed. Zeb was sure that the mother would eat Ada, and he was helpless to stop it from happening.  But then the plant roared at Ada and dropped her.

Zeb ran up to where Ada landed.

“Ada!”

Ada moaned. 

“Ada, can you get up? Do I need to teleport us back to my ship?”  Zeb ran his gloved hands over Ada trying to determine if she had broken bones or other injuries.

“Ow,” Ada moaned again, but started to sit up.  “Ow. I think she bruised my ribs, but I think I can get up.”

Zeb assisted Ada to stand.  “Why didn’t she eat me?” Ada asked as she rose, holding her hand to her side.

“I don’t know,” Zeb said.  “I was sure that she would.”

“Maybe it was the vaccine?”

“It’s possible.”

As Zeb helped Ada walk from the lab she continued, “Maybe the vaccine could also double as your weed-killer,” she said.  It took Zeb a minute to translate what she meant.  

“You mean it might be like the formula that my people use to kill the plant?”

“It’s possible.  We’d have to test it.  Maybe if we use a high enough concentration, it will have the same effect.”

Zeb hoped Ada was right, but before they could test anything, they had to make it back to his ship.  That’s where he was going to take Ada whether she wanted to go or not. His medical bay was much better equipped to fix any damage she’d sustained than any other place on Sim earth.

Zeb made her get back into the medical pod bed thingy to treat her ribs.  Ada didn’t like it. It still felt like she was in a coffin, but she had to admit that her ribs felt much better when the device let her out.

“Let me make you some food,” Zeb said as she emerged from the pod.  “I can do mac n’ cheese again.”

She smiled.  “That sounds great.”  She followed him into his galley and watched as his food replicator zapped the cheesy pasta dish into existence.

“That’s so awesome,” she said, inhaling.  “It looks, smells, and tastes exactly like the real thing.”

“It is the real thing.”

“Sure, but it’s like poof, right there.”

“Let’s sit down,” Zeb said.  They went into his sitting room and sat next to each other on the sofa.  They ate in silence and then Zeb took her plate and put it in his cleansing unit.

When he came back, he sat down next to Ada again. He couldn’t help himself, he gathered her close. He had been so worried when the plant attacked. If anything had happened to Ada, he could never have forgiven himself.

Ada

“I can’t believe the mother plant attacked me,” Ada said, deciding to just come right out with it.  She liked it that Zeb was holding her in his arms, but at the same time, his silence about what had happened made her uncomfortable. She wasn’t sure what he was thinking. Had he known the plant would do that?  Was he upset that she’d goaded the mother? Did he think she’d acted foolishly?

“Now I know she’s dangerous,” Ada added.  “We’ll have to weaponize that serum in such a way that we don’t have to get too close to the mother plant.  Maybe a spray gun or something.”

Zeb nodded.  “My people use a gun-like weapon to deliver the serum against the Stra’Cinortcele.”

“Do you have the schematics for it?  I know we have different metals and compounds here, but with your basic plans, I’m sure I can fabricate something.”

“Ada,” Zeb said, interrupting her planning, “I think you might want to consider letting me fight the Stra’Cinortcele on my own.”

She pulled away from his embrace. “But you said that you weren’t sure you could defeat it alone.” Ada couldn’t believe he was trying to prevent her from helping him. She wasn’t helpless or foolish, despite her behavior at the lab today.

“Ada, I know I will need help defeating the mother, but you almost got eaten today.  I couldn’t stand it if something happened to you.”

“But I can help!” she insisted.

“No.  I don’t want you to get hurt again.”

“Zeb, listen…” Ada started, but he interrupted her again saying ‘No’ emphatically and then grabbing her and pulling her into his arms more firmly this time.

Then he kissed her.  It was a passionate, forceful kiss.  Ada was shocked at first, but then found herself melting into his embrace.  She had wanted him to kiss her like this for weeks, but they’d both been so focused on creating the vaccine.

“Zeb,” Ada moaned as Zeb moved his mouth to nibble on her neck and the lick the sensitive place just behind her ear.

“Ada” he breathed into her ear, her name a passionate whisper that told her exactly how much he wanted her.

“Oh Zeb,” Ada sighed and leaned her head back, giving him better access.  His hands were caressing her everywhere they could reach and gradually, Zeb pushed her back against the cushions of the sofa, laying her out so that he could touch her more.  He never removed his lips from her skin, moving between her lips, her neck that that spot behind her ear that made her shiver and moan.

The kiss went on forever.  Ada pressed herself against Zeb, arching her body into Zeb’s hands when he ran them over her breasts.

“Please,” she begged, not exactly sure what she was asking for.  She moved so that she could rub against his obvious erection. She wanted to feel more than his hands against her skin.

Zeb moaned against her neck as she moved, shifting a bit so that he rested between her legs more, his hard length pressing exactly where she wanted it.

Ada lost track of how long they stayed like that, grinding against each other on Zeb’s couch, but she was starting to get frustrated and desperate.  Zeb hadn’t touched her actual skin the whole time, instead caressing her over her clothes and keeping his mouth above her shoulders.

Ada hadn’t made out like this since being a teen…and maybe not even then…but she wasn’t a teen.  She was an adult. She wanted Zeb and she wanted him naked. She wanted to be naked with him and to do more than rub herself against his jean-clad body.

“Zeb, let’s go to your bedroom,” Ada urged when he moved his mouth from hers.

At her words, Zeb stilled.  He was still on top of her, pressing her into the sofa, but he’d stopped moving against her.  Ada stopped rubbing her hands up and down his back, unsure what was happening. Had she done something wrong?  Had she been too forward?

“Ada,” Zeb sighed and put his forehead against hers.  He lifted some of his weight off of her. “We can’t,” he said finally.  Then he carefully helped her back into a sitting position. Since he stayed next to her and had his arm around her, keeping her close, Ada was confused. 

“We can’t we?” she finally blurted out.  She looked down at his pants, noting how he was still very much aroused. “Why did you stop?”

Zeb sighed, moved his arm away from her back and ran his hand through his hair.  “I didn’t want to stop,” Zeb admitted. “But this is a bad idea.”

“Why?  I like you, you like me, why is that bad?”

“That’s why it’s bad.”

Now she was really confused.  Admittedly, her brain was fuzzed by unfulfilled lust and a bit from over-work and the stress of having been pounded around by a killer plant, but Zeb was still making no sense.  

“Ada,” Zeb said, trying to explain, “Once we dispatch the mother plant, I will be returning to Sixam.  My ship is all but repaired. I could leave now if the Stra’Cinortcele was not a threat.”

“Ok.  I still don’t understand.”

“I like you,” Zeb continued.  “Maybe too much. If we continue, if I take you to my sleeping chamber, then I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop myself.  I wouldn’t want to go home. I wouldn’t want to leave you. And that’s just not an option. I have to return home. I can’t stay here on Sim Earth. I can’t disguise myself and live here forever.”

At Zeb’s passionate response, Ada sagged against the couch speechless.  His reply had not been what she was expecting. He liked her too much? He wouldn’t want to leave her?  Those statements made her feel elated. She wanted to throw herself into his arms and kiss him again. But his other words slammed her back into reality.  

He was right.  He couldn’t stay here.  This was not his home. He had told her before that her planet was too primitive and uncivilized.  Of course he wanted to leave.  

And Ada had to admit, at least to herself, that she liked Zeb too much, too.  In fact, she was close to being in love with him. If they made love, she wouldn’t want to lose him.  She’d be devastated when he left her. Even now the thought of him leaving left her feeling dejected.

“I think I understand,” she said, finally.

“If I didn’t have to go…” Zeb started and trailed off.

“I know.”

After a time sitting in sad silence, they both stood.  Ada made excuses for needing to go home. Zeb let her go with little fuss.  But when he had escorted her to the exit of his ship, he stopped her.

“Ada,” he said.  

She turned to him, questioning.  “Yeah?”

“I’m sorry.”  He leaned in and gave her a chaste kiss, rubbing his hand through her hair and against her cheek.

She sighed and felt herself leaning into him.  But then he pulled back.

“Me too,” she said and left.  She drove back to her trailer with silent tears dripping down her face.  Once home, she threw herself onto her bed and cried herself to sleep.

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