Fast Forward The Plague Trilogy III

one Mom, listen to this." Amy Candler read aloud from the science section of a news magazine. " 'The world breathed a sigh of relief this past week,' " she began. " 'According to the International Health Association, the dreaded disease that has come to be known as the Plague no longer presents a threat to the human population. With the identification of the gene that caused the serious disorder, medical researchers have produced an antidote and a vaccine, which are now widely available.' " "Amy, stop reading and drink your orange juice," Nancy Candler said. "It's almost time to leave for school." Amy obliged with a quick gulp, but she immediately went back to the article and continued reading out loud. " 'The isolation of the mutant gene was accomplished by a team of scientists at a Los Angeles hos-pital. While the team insists that this was a group effort, Nancy Candler and Dr. David Hopkins have been noted as the chief instigators of the project. However, when contacted, both scientists insisted that the discovery of the gene was a lucky accident.' " Amy looked up. "Mom, why do you have to be so modest about this?" "Because I'm not interested in fame and fortune," her mother replied. Then she amended her statement. "Well, a little fortune wouldn't be so bad. But I don't want my picture on the cover of Time. That wouldn't do this family any good." "But you could win the Nobel Prize for medicine," Amy protested. "You'd get a free trip to Sweden to pick up your award and shake hands with the king. I think you get some money, too." "I don't deserve the Nobel Prize," Nancy said. "And neither does Dave Hopkins." She gazed warmly at her daughter, and the pride in her eyes was clear. "All Dave and I did was study the gene. You were the one who discovered it." Amy sighed. "Well, I can't take the credit." "No, you certainly can't," her mother said. "Even though you deserve it." The mere thought of her adventure brought a grin to Amy's face. "No one would believe me anyway." Nancy had to agree with that comment. "No, I can't see Time magazine reporting on how you were miniaturized and injected into Tasha's genome." Amy struck a dramatic pose and pretended to read from an actual article. "This phenomenally courageous fourteen-year-old girl roamed from chromosome to chromosome, confronting hostile genes, storming the mysterious DNA, determined to uncover the nasty mutation from the Stone Age and save the world from total disaster!" Nancy laughed at her daughter's theatrics. "Unfortunately, I don't think there's a Nobel Prize category for that. Amy, are you ready for school? Tasha's going to be here any minute." "I'm just about ready," Amy assured her. She didn't get up to gather her things, though. It was so nice to be able to sit and laugh with her mother. She had recently gained a new appreciation for these moments together. It came from having almost lost her mother to the Plague too. Was it really just weeks ago that Amy had gone back in time to the Stone Age, seeking the origin of the disease? She'd found the source: Alien visitors to Earth had carried bacteria that infected early inhabitants. And she'd brought back alien blood, enough to create an antidote fKaye, Marilyn is the author of 'Fast Forward The Plague Trilogy III' with ISBN 9780553487657 and ISBN 0553487655.