Nano #3: The Carnot Cycle
Part Four - Fighting Perfection
Yale was interested in saving their cancer research program, but had it not been for the
fact that the administrator of the program was herself Dr. Barbara Buchler herself,
because she had lost the most recent program supervisor to Stanford and she was a woman
dedicated to saving lives as well as money. Grace and Dana may have been buried in red
tape until it was too late. But Dr. Buchler had accepted Grace's plea and the disc with
enthusiasm. However, all responsibility for any repercussions good or bad would be
Grace's, and it was a risk Grace was more than willing to take. It also did not hurt that
the lab was shut down to a skeleton crew, a few techs and students running simulations and
refusing to give up on their project.
Basic arrangements were made by two that morning. They were given laboratory 2A, which included a network of super computers, but not quite on par with Rachel's system, who had come along to help.
Dana was inclined to refuse the offer of aid from two grad students, but Grace talked her into taking the help, knowing that sooner or later Dana would grow too tired or sick to do the work herself. Dana agreed on one condition, that nobody would be told that she is the one with the virus.
Despite confidentiality, the word that someone with Beta virus had been in the hospital had spread through the nano community within the past day, and the hush, hush research added another level to the excitement.
By 6:00 am Dana took the two students aside into the conference room of the vacated lab
for a briefing. Grace watched through the glass partition while Dana explained to them
what they were going to try and accomplish and how. Then she spent an hour trying to get
to know them so that she could decide who would support which tasks. Minnie, a
twenty-three-year-old microbiologist, Dana determined, would be best to work with Rachel,
creating the computer generated machine and running the simulations to determine whether
the machines would work. Jack, almost twenty-six and working on his PhD, was an organic
chemist. He, Dana trusted, could take the physical preparation of materials and machine
production and run.
"You know what is funny about Doc?" Rachel said blowing a bubble with her chewing gum while standing next to Grace to watch.
"What?" Grace asked fighting the temptation to pop the large sphere with her finger.
"She has know clue how super smart she is, and how much good she could accomplish. She always fears she will screw it up if she tries to act." She chomped her gum for a few seconds. "She trusts you to guide her in the right direction."
Grace watched her tall ailing friend drawing pictures on
the dry erase board. "Dana is strong on her own."
"Dana is defiant, but not confident. You give her strength."
The two students came out of the room buzzing with anticipation and headed for their assignments.
Dana stood in the doorway, letting the doorframe support her aching body. "We need to write the production program for breeding our little monsters. "
"We have to determine what they will need to do."
"We know they have to find the Beta and destroy it."
"What tools do they need for that? "
"Depends on how we are going to find the little buggers."
Rachel shook her head in agreement. They began to walk as a group to the computer room.
"First thing I want to do is adjust the model to make them non-replicating."
"Masters only?"
"We don't have time for the both Master and slave phases."
"They will be bigger than the Beta slaves, but
smaller than the master Betas."
"And they will have to be motile, so that they can
catch the slaves. Do you have any ideas?"
"A few."
Dana sat down in the cushioned chair and groaned at her
throbbing muscles.
"How will they destroy the others?" Grace
asked a good question.
"Either we will short the Betas out with pulses, kind of like a power surge that disrupts and crashes their programming. Or we can blast them and hope to destroy the structure enough to halt functioning. Kind of like how lightning can stop a human heart."
"We have to gather and store energy for that. And then there is the big problem," Rachel said.
"A bigger problem?" Grace asked perplexed.
"Locating them." Dana rubbed her tired eyes as the obstacle mounted. "Get started designing her, I am going to use the Alpha base and turn it into Beta and stick it in the simulation program." She rolled her head and popped her neck. "I hope I can remember everything about the differences between the two, or the simulations won't have any validity."
"I haven't programmed with your model application before. What did you write it in?" Rachel asked as Minnie entered the room.
"Rachel, I only use your language. Its the
best."
Rachel smiled at the compliment, but then she was only speaking the truth. With a spring in her step, she jaunted over to the computer station and began speaking commands as she watched the code flash by her quickly.
Grace stepped closer to Dana and touched an elbow.
"You're a good leader," she whispered as they walked out of the booth.
Dana smiled weakly down at her.
"What can I help you with?
"Don't you have to report to work?".
"I'm scheduled."
"Then you should go down there. They count on
you."
Grace looked hurt. "But . . ."
"I didn't mean it like that. I meant that you can help far more people being down there than helping one worthless ex-con up here."
Grace roughly grabbed the front of Dana's shirt and
pulled her face down to hers. "Don't ever call yourself worthless again." She
was standing on her tiptoes trying to be at eye level with the taller woman.
Dana could not answer, she was in shock. When Grace realized what she had done, she released the shirt, and with her hand smoothed out the claw marks. "Sorry, I think the intensity is starting to get to me."
Dana could not blame her. She recognized that Grace was scared. She had seen Grace scared once before and she was kind of mean and nice to Dana at the same time then too. Dana wrapped her long arms around the doctor and pulled her into her chest for a long hug. Grace returned the embrace trying to release her fear and enjoy the comfort of being there, with her, at that moment.
Eventually, Rachel popped her head out of the room. "Hey Doc, I need a few pointers."
Grace pulled away slowly. "I'll be up in a couple
hours to check on you and bring you some food," Grace said, calmly touching Dana's
cheek with a familiar gentleness and wistful look, and walked away to the elevator.
When the elevator closed and the shock of no longer seeing Grace faded, Dana actually felt
a little less hopeless. She knew she could design and build the destroyer of the Beta
slaves, but the ultimate challenge would be to somehow find catch the Betas. But Beta
slaves gave off no special wastes, or heat that was any different than the waste and heat
given off by other cellular organelles, like Messenger RNA from the Nucleus, or Golgi
Apparatuses which packaged and released nutrients into the cell, or Mitochondria that
created usable energy for cell power. The Beta mimicked the organelles because Dana made
sure that they would, so that they would be invisible just for this reason.
Minnie and Rachel worked through the morning, modeling the tools they knew they wanted into the nanomachine giving it mobility and a way to store enough pulse energy to destroy the slaves, which in itself was determined through a set of simulations once Dana had fed the Beta model into the simulation program. It took more energy than they expected it would to blast the Beta.
"The real Betas won't be as strong as the simulated Betas," Dana pointed out for morale. "The real things will have molecular imperfections," though very few because she had honed the system so that the error was smaller than that allowed in Japanese electronics production. The kids did not need to know that.
After adjusting the pulse levels and the measurement of energy in the form of small molecules called Adenosine Triphosphate necessary to generate the most effective pulse to do the job and not damage the cell at the same time, Dana felt even closer to her goal and a sense of accomplishment. And Grace had been up to feed Dana and examine her twice already
By Eight PM Dana and Rachel and Minnie were
incorporating several sensory adaptors into the machine for tracking the slaves. Rachel
was inputting different chemical levels that the slaves were known to give off during
activity and praying that one of the levels or combinations of chemical levels would allow
the destroyer to lock on its target.
"We track the phosphate gradient already," Dana explained.
"What about motion detection?" the hacker asked.
"They replicate vacuole movement."
"We should feed their speed into the program and simulate any way," Minnie
suggested.
"That's a good point," Dana replied.
That made Minnie grin for a second, then resumed her serious work face.
"How many simulation categories are we up to
now?"
"Fifteen,"answered lovely Asian woman.
"This is going to take hours to run enough cycles to results to make a judgement."
"Does it leave an exothermic or endothermic
trail?" Rachel asked.
"It is slightly endothermic because it takes
slightly more heat in than it releases, but it's too low for the destroyer's receptors to
even pick up."
"We should simulate anyway," Minnie stated and Rachel began programming that.
"I know," Dana rubbed her eyes. "I can't
think of any more properties." I can;t think at all, she told herself. Her body was
aching everywhere, except her stab wound. The skin cells of the unspoiled graft tissues
were weaving their way through her dying skin holding her together tightly.
"Too bad Video receptors haven't been developed?"
"I'm only human, Rach."
Rachel turned to the computer loaded with the simulation
program, "Only human and you created a perfect nano virus the first time," she
mumbled to herself, and began inputting a list of chemical properties that Minnie handed
her.
When Grace returned from feeding the dog and buying Dana a clean set of clothes, it was almost Eleven. Rachel, and the two grad students, were in the office sitting at the conference table and talking over Chinese food. Grace stuck her head into the room interrupting a discussion of how Dana had developed the human physiology program they were using.
"She downloaded most of he physiology right from the government's electronic human program," Rachel described, stuffing a dumpling into her mouth. "She took all the basic cellular function data and translated it into a IDNO. We can find out how each organelle is affected as well as the entire virtual patient and the Beta."
"Howdy, Grace,"Rachel said when she caught sight of the blond head. "We are in the middle of simulation. Do you want something to eat?"
"Actually , I was wondering where Dana was"
"Doc's out wandering. She paces when she's anxious."
Grace nodded and lifted a wonton. "Has she eaten?"
"Just that carbo/vitamin crap you brought up earlier.
Grace left with a small carton of rice and a fork to find her patient. It took her twenty minutes of searching every dark corner before she found her tilting back in a chair next to the janitor's closet. She was staring at the wall and sipping from a bottle of Gatorade. When she heard Grace's sneakers squeak on the floor, she looked up.
Grace gasped at the grizzly changes that had taken place
in her appearance over the past six hours. The whites of her eyes were pink from
exhaustion and stress. She touched her cheek to sense the temperature and felt the clammy
warm skin of a person in the throws of acidosis.
"I must look as bad as I feel," Dana said with
a half-hearted crooked grin.
"How do you feel?"
"Weak, achy, like I have the flu."
"You need rest."
"I need kidney dialysis."
"I can arrange that, but I don't think you're ready
for it. Here," she handed her a minty bicarbonate pill to buffer the acids in her
blood.
"Yum, chalk," she said crunching them and then chasing them with Gatorade.
"What were you thinking about when I came up."
Dana studied her a moment. "The Carnot Cycle."
"You were thinking about engines?"
"Not just any engine. The Carnot cycle describes a perfectly efficient heat engine, so that the work done by the engine is 100% of what is put into it."
"That's a dream. It doesn't exist in our physical world."
"It does in none, almost at least, at the nano scale."
"Why were you thinking about that?"
"Because I wanted to think about something perfect, and attainable." She looked at Grace. "It makes me feel better."
"Do you want me to leave you alone for a little while."
"No, Grace," she smiled, "Now hat you're here, I don;t have to imagine something to make me feel good." She touched her cheek.
Grace turned the had over and kissed the palm and then placed it back on her face.
"Dana, I'm sorry I haven't been understanding about things."
"Grace."
"No, let me say this," she was kneeling next to her sickly friend. "When I . . ., in Chicago . . . when I brought up the tattoo . . . I didn't understand what it meant to you, and now I think I do, and that remembering is very important to you. That it keeps you from making mistakes. What I'm trying to say is . . uh . . . . .what am I trying to say here is . . ."
"You're sorry?"
"Yeah."
A mischievous half smile found Dana's face. "I never thought I would a doctor on her knees apologize for anything."
" How about we go into the bathroom and get you cleaned up." She held up the bag of clean clothes, a tooth brush, and some supplies. "You will feel better."
Another crooked smile.
While the water in the bathroom ran to a steam, Grace helped Dana undress, taking the time
to examine the puncture wound.
"That's taking really well," she remarked,
surprised at how well.
"Too bad you can't use that stuff to replace all of me. It would make this a whole lot easier. Or we could transplant my brain into a whole new body."
"But I really like this one," Grace said helping her out of her jeans
Dana felt the heat creep into her face and other places.
Grace marveled at Dana' blush, that of a young woman. Using a soft wash cloth from home she began to systematically wash, starting with her face and working down to her toes. When she was done she wrapped the damp body in a towel. "Bend over and I will wash your hair too."
Dana caught her hands. "If you touch me anymore , this is going to become more than a sponge bath."
"But you are in no shape to . . ."
"I know that, which is why I can't take you touching me like this."
"I promise not to be . . ."
"Erotic, arousing, tender. You would have to be in the other room not to be."
Grace laughed softly. "Let me wash your hair and we will go find a place to take a nap. "
"If you are intimating that doing it lying down
will be any less hazardous, you are a fool doctor. I would rather go right here, right now
with you on this sink," she said testing the sink's strength with her hands. When she
was satisfied with its stability, she lifted Grace by the waist and set her on the edge of
the sink.
Grace giggled nervously. "But I haven't washed your . . ."
Dana took her mouth with a primal growl and the intensity to match. Her hands popped off the buttons that held the tailored white blouse closed exposing her naked torso . A moment later and she was tugging on the woven belt of her slacks, all the while tongues stroking and tasting each other, darting from one mouth to the next and back again. Grace was holding herself up by hanging onto the Dana's neck with both hands. When Dana could not get the belt to unhook Grace lowered a hand to help, and had to quickly grab the sink as Dana yanked the dockers off her, nearly pulling Grace off the sink on the process. "Grab hold," Dana growled into her mouth. Grace could tell by her tone she meant it and grasped the porcelain tighter.
By the time Dana had finished Grace thought she would never be able to move again, and did not want to. Dana's towel had fallen from her body way back when, and they stood together in their birthday suits holding each other, Grace's head resting on a scarred shoulder.
"I guess you can wash my hair now," Dana
mumbled into the salty skin of her lover's cheek.
"I will wash anything you want after that,"
Grace mumbled back.
A knock on the door. "Hey you two, get dressed, the simulations are complete," Rachel said through the metal door.
Grace was wearing the new T-shirt she had brought for Dana, when they came out of the bathroom. Dana had dressed in the new jeans and a softer than clouds blue fleece shirt. Dana led Grace by the hand to the computer room where they would view the results.
"Where are the kids?" Dana asked, looking for the students.
"I sent them up to the third floor to rest. I
didn't expect the sim returns this quickly." This statement said a silent warning
from tech to hacker.
Dana took the seat next to Rachel and pulled Grace down
onto her lap, causing Grace to blush a little in front of the hacker.
"Don't worry, Gracie, after all that ruckus you made in the bathroom, you're professional images is not key in my mind or ears right now." Dana snaked her arm around her hip and squeezed.
"Now, for the results."
"Hard copy, or shall we scroll?"
"Scroll, but save first." She pulled her glasses out of her pocket and hooked them around her ears. She breathed in the skin of Grace for luck, enjoying the scent of her lover.
Painfully slowly, they moved through the results of sets of simulations. The lists of numbers and percentages meant very little to Grace, but from the falling moods of her companions she could see that the simulations had not gone well. An hour later Dana's expression had changed from from the elation to defeat.
"How bad?" Grace ventured to ask.
"Zero percent," Dana said at a whisper, her eyes closed.
The doctor stirred uncomfortably. Dana turned to face
her. "I'm sorry, Grace," she said her forehead touching her lover's. There
fingers intertwined and held tightly.
"It fucking invisible." Rachel vented angrily. "The little destroyers blasted everything but the Beta slaves."
Dana had buried her head into Grace's shoulder, so tired
she could have slept just like that. Grace stroked her hair soothingly.
"Can you think of anything else, Doc?" she asked impatiently.
"Get some rest," Dana said looking up with blood red eyes. The rosy flush from love had drained away to sickly gray.
Rachel strolled out of the computer center, slapping the
doorframe in frustration.
"What now?" Grace asked trembling.
Dana shrugged. "Home, if you want." Dana expected the disappointment, however, she had let that hope in and now the failure was devastated her. But she could not let Grace know her despair or her fear.
"Why did you have to make it so perfect?"
Grace asked sliding off her lap and looking at the numbers on the screen.
Dana shrugged and leaned forward resting her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands. "It was suppose to be a Beta, it wasn't suppose to be perfect. This is why I put a trigger in the Alpha."
"It's so imperfect we can't even find it to stop it." She laughed sadly. "Too bad we can't shrink Rip and send her in to hunt out and destroy them. She seems to be the only thing that can detect the little shits."
Silence.
"Dana?" Grace said wondering if she was asleep and turning to find her staring back at her. "I didn't mean to make light of . . ."
"Where were you three years ago?" Dana said in
wonder.
"Downstairs working the ER in my first year of residency. Why?"
"Because I could have used you three years ago, " she said jumping up and switching the computer into a super browse of the world wide web. She began hunting for sonar receptors and found a jackpot in the US Navy net. She was able to get past the security into the catalog of sonar hardware and software with three strokes and zoomed in on several technical, yet unclassified publications that were perfect.
"Dana, what are you doing."
"I'm going to build a nanoscale sound receptor,
sonar receptor really, that can latch on to the sound waves of the Beta.
"The sound that Rip hears."
"Yeah, the freaking thing isn't perfect. I had to change some of the gear works in the alpha to get rid of the noise. Other wise the little buggers squeak."
"Kind of like that Six Million Dollar Man episode when Steve Austin's friend is an evil robot that squeaks."
A pause.
"I guess not everyone got the Sci Fi Channel when they were kids."
"I watched South Park," Dana said and continued her search for the sonar receiver she wanted to reproduce.
"Hmm,"she paused and stared at the screen. "I have to incorporate the other sounds of the body into the memory of the program, like the viscosity of the blood against the walls, the heart beat, digestive noises, and external noises. The cell is a highly littoral environment which makes determining a specific sound more difficult, especially if I haven't blocked out the wavelengths of the other noises. Hopefully the Beta will be so unique it won't be too much of a problem. Cross your fingers, Grace."
"We can help by keeping the environment outside quiet."
Dana rubbed her chin. "Would you run upstairs and get Minnie and Rachel for me. I need them to help too."