Polar Quest

Sutton shot a nervous glance at Eames as he shed his overcoat. ‘What’s this all about, Nolan? The fourth-quarter numbers?’

‘Partly, though the numbers are fine,’ Killkenny said reassuringly. ‘I’ve got the preliminaries from our accounants and there are no surprises.’

Kilkenny handed out copies of the financial statements and quickly ran through the highlights: Bottom line, UGene was generating a modest profit – which was no small feat for a newcomer in the notoriously capital-intensive world of biotechnology. What kept UGene from burning through its IPO cash horde like one of the many over-hyped dot-coms was the total focus of Eames and Sutton on ‘bioinformatics’ – the company’s main product line, biological information. UGene specialized in parsing the genomes encoded in lengthy strands of DNA, identifying genes and proteins, and determining how they function inside living organisms.

‘Any updates on the most recent batch of patent applications?’ Kilkenny asked.

‘It’s the Wild West all over again.’ Eames’s reply masked little of his frustration. Like the work of early cartographers in the American West, what the scientists from the Human Genome Project and Celera produced was little more than the first decent map of a previously uncharted territory. The real work came in exploring this vast frontier, and biotech companies were staking claims – in the form of patents – over potentially valuable sections of genetic real estate.

The genetic gold rush was on, complete with prospectors in lab coats and outlaw claim-jumpers in dark suits armed with lawsuits and patent applications instead of six-shooters. ‘Most of our work is clear and uncontested,’ Eames continued, ‘but there are a few sequences we’re going to have to fight for.’

‘That’s why I prefer my side of the business,’ Sutton offered. ‘The patents on my work are based on inventions and processes – they’re totally unambiguous. Gene patents are a claim of ownership over a naturally occurring molecule.’

‘Are you saying we shouldn’t try to patent what Oz and his lab team finds?’ Kilkenny asked.

‘Not at all. As long as it’s legal to do so, we have to file patents on our work, if for no other reason than to prevent some company from shutting us out of a potentially profitable line of research.’

‘Lloyd and I have had this conversation before,’ Eames explained to Kilkenny, ‘usually after a couple beers when we’re both feeling philosophical.’

‘Sounds like the old debate between discovery and invention. You can’t patent the fire, but you can patent the matches.’

‘Exactly, Nolan,’ Sutton agreed.

‘Since you brought up your side of the business, Lloyd, how’s work coming on that package for NASA?’

‘Slow, but we’re getting there. The biggest problem we’ve run into is vibration. Our equipment has to withstand a launch and a jarring impact on Europa.’

‘Take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’,’ Eames summarized.

‘I sent out a unit this week to NASA for testing. We should know something in a few months.’

‘Good,’ Kilkenny said. ‘Where are we on building depth?’

‘We’ve sampled just over twelve hundred individuals from a variety of ethnic backgrounds,’ Eames replied, ‘including multiple family members, so we’re making progress on building a database of genetic norms and variations. I’m just starting to get DNA in from zoos around the country, as well as material from the agriculture firms you cut deals with, but we’re about where we expected to be with the flora and fauna side of our database.’

‘What about the Jurassic Park stuff?’ Kilkenny asked.

Sutton rolled his eyes. He hated Kilkenny’s nickname for the extinct and endangered species portion of the database. ‘We have the first few samples, with more expected to trickle in over the next few months. Sorry to say, but there’s not a T-rex in the lot.’

‘Make lousy house pets, anyway,’ Eames added. ‘Better off sticking with your dogs.’

Kilkenny checked his watch. ‘Gentlemen, thanks for the update. Now I have a little surprise for you.’

A high-definition video monitor on the wall of the conference room displayed a bright blue test screen. A moment later, square bits of a still image appeared like scattered pieces of a puzzle trying to assemble itself. The image blinked once and filled the screen as the satellite connection between MARC and the LV Research Station was established.

‘Hello from scenic Lake Vostok,’ Nedra said with a smile, Collins seated at her side. ‘How are things back in the world?’

‘Cold, and we’re getting a bit of snow right now,’ Kilkenny replied.

‘You poor boys,’ Nedra said. ‘It’s a lovely morning here. The sun is shining, just like it does all day, every day, and it’s a balmy minus forty-four.’

‘You want to trade?’ Collins asked.

‘No way,’ Eames replied. ‘Michigan is more than cold enough for me. I don’t know how you two can stand it down there.’

‘Actually, it’s very cozy,’ Nedra said. ‘I’ve even managed to get a pretty good tan.’

Nedra turned in her chair and rolled the waist of her sweatpants down just enough to reveal a tan line on her hip. Collins laughed at the embarrassed looks on the faces of the three men in Ann Arbor.

‘You’ve been sunbathing at the South Pole?’ Kilkenny asked.

‘They’ve been down there too long, Nolan,’ Eames said. ‘NASA better pull them out ASAP.’

‘When there’s no wind, the sun’s strong enough to keep you warm,’ Nedra explained. ‘It’s like spring skiing at Tahoe.’

‘Enough of this chit-chat,’ Eames said. ‘What are you bringing home for us?’

‘It better be more than a T-shirt,’ Sutton added.

‘Oh, it will be,’ Collins promised, ‘considering what you’ve invested in this project.’

Nedra looked directly at Eames and Sutton. ‘The life flourishing in Lake Vostok is far beyond anything we anticipated. We’ve got some great samples for you guys to work on. Did IPL send you any of the pictures?’

‘Yeah, just got ‘em,’ Kilkenny replied. He slid a file across the table to Eames and Sutton.

‘Jesus, that’s beautiful,’ Eames said as he spread the glossy prints on the table.

‘Cousteau would’ve been proud,’ Kilkenny agreed.

‘We loaded the last samples yesterday and the cryobot is on its way back to the surface,’ Collins said. ‘As the pictures show, there’s some pretty bizarre stuff down there, and we’ve only just started exploring this lake. I hope we can count on UGene’s continued support of this project.’

‘Once we get these first samples analyzed, I’m sure there won’t be any trouble funding a more comprehensive investigation of Lake Vostok,’ Kilkenny predicted. ‘Since NASA’s announcement in December, I’ve taken calls from several drug companies offering millions for a peek at your samples.’

‘Lloyd and I have increased the scan rate on our sequencers,’ Eames said. ‘Depending on the size of the genome, it shouldn’t take more than a few weeks to decode whatever you’re bringing back.’

‘And we’re working on some more improvements to make the process even faster,’ Sutton added.

‘I’d be even happier if you’d make your equipment smaller and lighter,’ Nedra said. ‘As you already know, space on the Europa Lander will be at a premium.’

‘We’ll do what we can,’ Sutton promised.

‘While you two are busy raising the cryobot and getting packed for the trip home, I’ll be working my way south to pick you up,’ Kilkenny announced.

‘What? You’re coming here?’ Collins asked, incredulous.

‘Yeah. Something came up and the NSF agreed to let me have a seat on one of their planes. If everything stays on schedule, I’ll be knocking on your front door in couple of weeks.’

The image on the wall monitor began to degrade.