Page 49 of Outbreak Protocol

"A treatment is not containment," Morrison states flatly. "You are trying to cure soldiers one by one while the army overruns your position. I am trying to keep the continent from falling. These are fundamentally different objectives." He turns to the wall display showing the quarantine zones.

"The intel from Bremen and Hannover is confirmed. Wehave spot fires outside the perimeter. This is no longer about Hamburg. Hamburg is now the reactor core. If we cannot control the reaction, our only remaining option is to entomb it."

"Entomb it?" Felix asks, his voice barely a whisper. "There are millions of people—"

"There arebillionsof people outside that zone," Morrison cuts him off, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous calm. "I have reports on my desk—from London, from Rome, and even from Moscow—asking what my 'final containment protocols' are. They are not asking about your parrot. Every leader in the world is doing the brutal arithmetic of command right now. Your job is to find a medical solution. My job is to have a military one ready for if and when you fail. And from where I'm standing, the probability of failure is increasing with every new case report."

Sarah interjects, trying to get the conversation back on track, shaking her head. "Getting back to the science, we've established that the parrots carry a natural immunity factor in their T-cell response, but without more samples, we can't develop an effective treatment in time to make a difference."

"We've mobilized search teams," Santos says, clicking to a new display showing a grid map of Hamburg. "Every available non-medical personnel is being deployed to locate any African Grey Parrots in the metropolitan area. We've issued alerts through all media channels still functioning—television, radio, internet, print. Citizens are instructed to report any sightings immediately without attempting capture."

"The teams are focusing on parks and wooded areas," a German officer adds. "The Stadtpark, Volkspark, and peripheral forest regions are being searched."

"And if we find this bird?" Morrison asks. "What then?"

"If we can isolate the immunity factor," Sarah explains, "we might be able to develop a treatment that could at least reduce the severity of symptoms, possibly lower the mortality rate."

"Might. Could. Possibly." Morrison's tone is skeptical. "Meanwhile, we have a city in collapse. Essential services are failing.Hospital staff are dying faster than they can be replaced. Civil order has deteriorated to the point where we've had to implement martial law with the consent of both the German government and European Parliament."

"The people need hope," Felix argues. "They need to know we're pursuing every possible solution."

"What they need is containment," Morrison counters. "The rest of Europe needs protection from what's happening here. If this gets out, Europe is done."

The tension in the room is palpable, the divide between medical and military priorities widening into a chasm.

"Colonel Santos," Morrison continues, "brief them on the perimeter status."

Santos taps the display, zooming out to show the greater Hamburg area. "We've established three concentric containment zones. The innermost ring encompasses the most heavily infected neighbourhoods, with no civilian movement permitted. The middle ring allows limited movement for essential workers and medical personnel. The outer ring serves as a buffer zone with full military control of all entry and exit points."

The map before us looks like a military occupation plan, which, I suppose, it is. Hamburg has effectively been surrendered to NATO command in a desperate bid to contain the outbreak.

"And if containment fails?" I ask, unable to keep the edge from my voice.

Morrison and Santos exchange a glance that makes my stomach clench.

"We have contingency plans for all scenarios," Morrison says carefully.

"That's not an answer," Felix challenges.

Before Morrison can respond, an aide hurries in and whispers something to him. Morrison's expression darkens.

"We'll continue this briefing later," he says abruptly. "ColonelSantos, escort our medical colleagues back to the childcare area. Dr. Brennan, remain here."

As we're led out, Felix touches Sarah's shoulder. "We'll talk later?"

She nods, her eyes communicating something urgent that her words cannot.

In the corridor, Santos walks ahead of us, speaking rapidly into her headset. Felix and I fall slightly behind.

"Something's happened," Felix murmurs. "Did you see their faces?"

I nod. "Whatever it is, they don't want us to know yet."

We pass an open door where two officers are speaking in low voices. Santos continues forward, but Felix and I slow our pace, straining to hear.

"—containment breach in sector seven," one officer is saying. "Three checkpoints compromised."

"Civilian or military casualties?" asks the other.