This may be the soliloquy of a doomed drowning man. What will become of me?

I look to my past to have a possible view of the future; Im still optimistic even though the straights of Life have so often proved otherwise. Well, We, I, must go on to whatever future I chose. Choice is a difficult thing, sometimes its very clear what to do, others, insanity prevails. What can I do but strive a forward path? Who knows where it will lead, but I know as Ulyses said:

Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

My life has had so many turns, twists, corners rounded, bridges crossed, gates closed. Clichs all, but truisms, true for me for this is my personal view. Here it is.

There were two ways this could go, either a life of pleasure, fulfilments and opulence, or he could die, leaving me with a life looking over my shoulder. This is a relatively simple tale of want, need and greed. What is not simple is how events unfold, how timing becomes so critical and how random events become so key to the outcome. I begin with a narrative of my childhood: I was born at 4-10 am on 29th May 1959 at Manygates Maternity home in Dewsbury, west Yorkshire. I was the first child of Patricia and Donald Just and would be followed by my sister Kathryn some two years later. My earliest memories are around the age of 3 years 9 months; playing in the garden of 113 Oakwood Avenue, Flanshaw, West Yorkshire. A large blue Silver Cross pram sat next to the back doorstep. I only remember the pram, not even aware what was inside, I just remember being happy and feeling safe. The next flash of memory I have from maybe a little older, about 4 years old was of my nursery school in Flanshaw. It was quite a walk to get to school; I remember that and the fact it was at the top of a Michael D. Just 2011

steep hill. But when I was there I felt happy to leave my mum and go there every day. The smell of boiled potatoes, the clanking of the clanking of the small glass milk bottles in the wire crates. The smell of that milk, sort of warm and creamy. Then time for a short sleep all of us on the classroom floor on small mats taken from the back of the room. No blankets. Safe and quiet. Calm. Then back home for tea time, playing, reading, having a bath in the very steep sided white cast iron bath, kisses and finally sleep. Up until about 6 years old life seemed very simple. I was always doing something; going to nursery school, going to the baby clinic near the school with my sister for her checkups. I think this is the first real physical memory I can recall of Kathryn, at the clinic on a high up, huge weighing scale with the nurse saying to me youve got a very nice sister and me thinking well maybe but what is it for?. As we both got older I did find out what it was for playing! We had so many things to do, mostly the two of us in and around the house, but also at relatives, next door at friends, all over the big world as I saw it then. The games with the wooden clothes horse and blankets and sheets. Can we have our tea in the house we made mum? Yes, but dont make a mess How many times over so many years did I hear dont make a mess? Dad would come home, I cant remember how exactly but he must have had a car at this time. I know it wasnt the red bubble car he had when I was about 3 years old. (I only know about this from a photograph of me standing on the seat holding the steering wheel) Bright orange hair flaming in the sun my eyes screwed up against the sun; a big grin on my face looking really happy. But I was called all sorts of things in times to come because of my hair and copious freckles! When dad was at home we would often do things with him while mum was cooking, ironing, cleaning and other things around the house. He always had time for both of us. We did so many different things. During the weekday time we were mostly around the house or garden but at weekends we would go in our new black car, (a Ford Prefect, I was later told), all over the local area. We went to woods, made kites, climbed rocks, and looked for dinosaurs, as we called them, in bits of rock. We would bash the rocks open with a small toffee hammer. I remember very clearly the first time I found a fossil inside a sandstone rock. It was just a blob with lines going out from the centre. My dad explained what it was, how old it was and how it got there. He could always explain anything so simply I could understand it first time round. He never got fed up with me asking how, why and so on. Im sure he would have been a great teacher. He certainly was to my sister and I. My dad was a very gentle man; he loved nature in all its forms. Great at gardening, growing fruit and vegetables, painting and drawing the Michael D. Just 2011

world he saw around him. He at one time built an aviary on the side of the big shed in the garden. We had so many brightly coloured, noisy birds. I remember one day, I think it was in about November, I felt sorry for them making all the noise, so one evening before the birds went indoors in the shed for the night I opened the doors of the aviary and out they all went. Into the trees, all over the ground, on fences, roofs, flying around free at last. And what a sound! I remember I ran into the house and said to mum and dad that the birds have got out!, however I didnt say how they had though. My dad and the neighbours did manage to get some back in, though not many. Next day a lot were dead, as it had been so cold overnight and there were still quite a few in the trees and on the roof tops. When asked what happened I said I just found them like that. My first Big Lie as I recall. I got away with it. My dad thought he had left the doors open. I never did tell him. Mum was around I remember but much more in the background. Enabling. She was usually quiet, very particular about being clean and neat not easy for me, I just wasnt. I dont remember many hugs for me; some but not often. Kathryn seemed to get more of her time, her curly long strawberry blonde hair being brushed and ribbons put in. I never realised at the time this disparity because I really was so happy, safe and comfortable. The family around me on my dads side lived about 300 M away down the same street at 50 Oakwood Avenue. Grandpa Just, Arthur, was a stern man but kind and gentle too when he wanted to be. He always came across to me as a firm man not to be crossed. I loved it when I asked him to draw something for me and I once took him a small toy clockwork train to draw. Some time later he gave me a small book with about a dozen drawings in black ink of the train from all angles, both inside and out. He explained how a steam train worked and I was fascinated. This was the closest we ever came emotionally. Grandma Just was very strict. Never touching either Kathryn or myself in physical punishments she had other ways, which I thought at the time, were much worse. She would as an example cut off things we liked or treats such as the weekly comic she bought me. I had to collect this from her every Friday and she would often ask me to bring some work from school or do something she wanted me to do like a drawing or learn a particular poem. It was rare that I didnt get my weekly comic! On my mothers side of the family was my Grandma Outwood, as she was known, because she and Grandad lived in Outwood, only about 4 miles from where we lived. I felt even then that she was the most important person in my life. Her first, my father second, mum and Kathryn after that, then so may more. I could write a book on her alone and as feelings go mine ran deepest with her of anyone in my life at this time. Michael D. Just 2011

At about the age of 6 and a bit I was told we were moving home to Kirkhamgate, a small village about 3 miles up the road in the countryside. Latterly I thought I wasnt too worried about this but when I do go back to my feelings at the time I realise I was scared and very happy where I was in Flanshaw. But we moved anyway, it wasnt up to me. The new house was the last one built on the area known as Pippins Green. It had a larger garden than the others in the area and for the first time I had my own room, albeit the smallest one. My mum thought girls needed a bigger room for some reason. I never understood why at the time. My window looked out at Lindale Hill as wells as the fields and woods. A small balcony under the window and I could climb out onto it either from the window or from the garage. I often sat there. This was the first time I realized I was very happy with myself. Just being alone, appreciating the world around me, fantasising about the future, what it may hold for me, how I could change it for myself. I grew up pretty much alone, even though I had friends and Kathryn around me I still felt different and somewhat isolated but this was not an uncomfortable feeling. Things were to change very soon. We moved house. This was a time of very big changes for me. New friends, new school, new teachers, new work for my dad (he had been promoted in the same company) and mum was back to work part time too. At first I didnt like school very much at all. My teacher was old and gave her punishments with a long old ruler across the back of the hand. She would walk up behind her pupils who would be practicing joined up writing and WHACK!, if what we were doing on the chalkboard with white lines wasnt perfect. I hated her. The school had only about 90 pupils from age 4ish to 11 years old with an old headmaster, Mr. Mills who again was liberal with the cane or slipper depending on his mood and severity of the misdemeanor. He never struck girls. Very soon after I came to the school he retired and was replaced by Mr. and Mrs. Mathewman. My life changed dramatically and my whole subsequent life also changed because of them too. Gone were the days of fagging at the school, a tradition where an older boy, maybe 10 or 11 years old would have a fag or effectively a slave to do whatever he wanted. An archaic and cruel practice. With the arrival of the Mathewmans we had peace and calm also so many ways of doing things. It was like a light had been switched on. Suddenly I had teachers who did things in the way I most responded to. They answered all my questions and we worked in a way that was both challenging, creative but most of all unbounded. Holistic Michael D. Just 2011

learning at its best. Discovery learning was key. When I look back now this process was forming my very way of thinking that would last for the rest of my life. We made volcanoes out of papier machee, made them erupt using our own chemical concoctions. We painted the finished volcano; we set then alight in the school playground where they erupted from the aluminium paint pot that held the chemicals. They fumed furiously, foaming with the hot simulated lava running down their slopes. We then wrote poetry and imagined what it would be like to have been in ancient Pompeii and how we might feel when we knew we would imminently be engulfed in molten lava. Strange stuff but good stuff indeed it turned out to be. I was always outdoors whenever possible with my friends, Gary Turner, Andrew Strickleton, Phillip Holt, Simon Oats and very often Grace Austin. The countryside was our playground. Lindale Hill our territory and favourite place. We did everything naughty young boys get up to; making fires, stealing farmers food from their fields and cooking it, scrumping apples, building dams in streams, flying kites and planes. Just about anything we could get away with. I was a hard and creative worker at school and an avid library user as both my sister and I had special library cards that allowed us access to the West Yorkshire Reference Library in Wakefield. I dont know how my parents got hold of these tickets, but Im very glad they did. I devoured the library over many years, going every Monday evening normally with my dad who would happily drive us there. 14 books a week on almost every subject; science, art, engineering, travel, cookery, in fact anything except fiction. Never fiction(Id never read a work of fiction fully until I was 11 years old). My sister was the complete opposite, she read just about only fiction; maybe thats why she went on to become a very successful Head of English in a number of schools. I learnt so much from this time. My love of reading and the excellent teaching I received at school set me up for the dreaded 11 plus exam and got me a place at Grammar School. So did my sister some two years later. She always followed in my footsteps but she always did everything better than me in just about every way. I never minded this and was really proud of her, although outwardly didnt even say so. I do think she knew though. At around this time my dad was promoted to export sales and began years of travel to South East Asia. He was very good at his job, always kept in touch when he was away and always brought great gift on his return. Boy did I wait for him coming back! Not only for the gifts but as much for his stories and photos. I knew I wanted to travel in future. I think the best thing he ever brought me back was a camera, a Canon FTb f1.8 55mm. Photography from then on was always very Michael D. Just 2011

important to me and still is to this day. Passing my 11+ exam was a very important milestone for me. A that time in 1970 the passing of this exam was crucial. It was the difference between hope and less hope. Grammar school would lead to a much higher chance of success, university and a career. The alternative, Secondary Modern school would result in a much more difficult life with almost no chance of escape. Due to the way I had been taught at my Primary school and the holistic approach adopted we never actually learnt separate subjects, such as maths, geography, English and so on. They were all combined into topics so we as a group and me as an individual found the concept of separation very hard. However I did manage to get through the written part of the exam and went on to the second part of the day, which was the interview. At this I excelled; being able to explain things, solve verbal problems, speak coherently and express my aspirations for the future. I passed the exam along with some of my friends, Andrew, Phillip and Grace. Suddenly after the last long summer holiday at Primary school I was being bought my first uniform; Blazer, cap, PE kit, Rugby kit and the rest. I still have my rugby shirt from that time. It was a very big change from Kirkhamgate Primary. No more lunch times running home to see if I had received another package from NASA or the Russian Space Programme. Life at school was structured, broken into subjects and all pretty new to me. Except for science, art and English, which I felt quite at home with, it was a bit if a slog. At this time I found I was good at athletics, gymnastics and especially cross-country running. My dad had been a very good runner in his day and although he didnt push me he did encourage me to try hard. I feel I was good at this sport because living in the countryside Id always run everywhere. So hills, mud and fences were normal to me. This was my element. When there was a choice between rugby and cross-country, often seen as a punishment by the other boys. I would choose the latter. I ran representing the school and later for the County team. I loved it, the harder the better. When it came to rugby I was playing on the wing position because I was fast. Also this allowed me to escape the violence of the scrum. From quite an early on I had some very good teachers and interesting lessons. In our first year we were split up into 4 classes but each of the 4 of us from Kirkhamgate were in different ones. I had to make new friends and although most of these were within my own class there was some intermingling with the other groups. I would say friendships were not so important to me but the classes and time spent outside school certainly were. I was very self-contained but not a total loner. Michael D. Just 2011

Academically, my results were mixed; top of my class in science and art, high comments in PE and in the top quarter in most subjects. I never really tried hard but did keep my love of books, libraries and photography. By this time Id built my own darkroom in the loft at home and was even making some money from portrait work and processing prints for people. Small children and old people were my specialities. I was pretty happy and balanced at this time and really had no great plans at least not just yet.. Tracking forward a good few years my life had had its fair share of suprises which I will return to later and especially women. Yes especially Women! This may explain a little of what happened:

Film Script:

The Paradigm Negotiation

1993 M D. Just

FADE IN : INT. LOS ANGELES, SANTA MONICA, 3rd ST SHOPPING MALL, GROUND FLOOR LEVEL - DAY ROSA NORTON mid 50s, plump, with 4 shopping bags, looking in shop windows. PHILLIP McDONNEL age 40 with teenage children; JAMIE and SAHRA, walking towards the food court. INT. LOS ANGELES, SANTA MONICA, 3rd ST SHOPPING MALL, 2nd FLOOR LEVEL - DAY NICHOLAS BUCHANAN, casually dressed, 35 years old, rear only visible, places large briefcase on floor near the banister rail. With well manicured hands he opens a can of Coke and drinks it slowly, looking over the rail. INT. LOS ANGELES, SANTA MONICA, 3rd ST SHOPPING MALL, GROUND FLOOR LEVEL - DAY PHILLIP McDONNEL, JAMIE and SAHRA, standing in front of food court, children excited, jumping up and down. PHILLIP McDONNEL OK kids calm down. What have you decided on today, Chinese or burgers? Michael D. Just 2011

JAMIE Please dad, can we have Chinese today. Sahra had what she wanted last week. Please! SAHRA Ill have Chinese if we can have some fortune cookies, Dad, OK?

PHILLIP McDONNEL Right, settled. Tell the man what you want and remember only get what you can eat. I dont want to be walking round with doggie bags all afternoon PHILLIP McDONNEL, JAMIE and SAHRA, turn to the Chinese food stall and are seen to order their meals. INT. LOS ANGELES, SANTA MONICA, 3rd ST SHOPPING MALL, 2nd FLOOR LEVEL - DAY NICHOLAS BUCHANAN, picks up the briefcase, throws the Coke can into an aluminium recycle bin and takes the escalator to the first floor then the ground floor. Passes the table at which the McDONNEL family are sitting. He looks at them. Exits the shopping mall. INT. HOME OF PHILLIP McDONNEL, JAMIE and SAHRA, SITTING ROOM - EVENING. PHILLIP McDONNEL Whats wrong Sahra? Was the meal a bit too spicy for you? SAHRA (shivering and sweating on the sofa) Im feeling funny Daddy. My heads on fire and I think (BEAT) Im going to be sick. PHILLIP McDONNEL runs to kitchen, brings a bucket and gives it to SAHRA who is violently sick.

PHILLIP McDONNEL Michael D. Just 2011

Its OK darling its only the food you ate earlier. Youll feel better now youve got it up. Here let me wipe your face. JAMIE Dad, I think Im going to heave too. PHILLIP McDONNEL Hang on a second (BEAT) Ill be right back! PHILLIP McDONNEL goes to the kitchen for another bucket. He is also sick in the sink then returns to JAMIE with the bucket.

PHILLIP McDONNEL My God, I hope Mums back soon. INT. HOME OF ROSA NORTON, BEDROOM - NIGHT.

ROSA reaches out for the phone by her bed and dials 911. She is sweating and rolls out of bed still holding the phone.

911 OPERATOR Which emergency department do you require? (BEAT) Hello? (BEAT) Please respond. ROSA (almost inaudible) Im very sick....... help me. EXT. HOME OF ROSA NORTON - NIGHT.

Emergency Paramedic vehicle with lights flashing seen outside house. PARAMEDICS seen rushing gurney from the house into the vehicle.

EXT. HOME OF THE McDONNEL FAMILY - NIGHT.

Michael D. Just 2011

Emergency Paramedic vehicle with lights flashing seen outside house. PARAMEDICS seen rushing three gurneys from the house into the vehicle.

LARA McDONNEL (to herself) Please get well my loved ones.

INT. SANTA MONICA PUBLIC HOSPITAL, WARD 14 - NIGHT.

Private room off the main ward. Contains four beds. Has dimmed lighting and lots of high-tech hospital equipment.

DR BURTON hurries into the ward and examines each of the McDONNELS in turn.

DR BURTON Nurse, how many cases do these folks make that weve seen coming in this evening? NURSE ALDIS Well, since Ive been on shift there were seven groups of admissions and I hear "Admissions" say we have some more due any minute. DR BURTON examines the charts at the end of the beds. He adds some notes and puts them back on the bed.

DR BURTON Were any of the admissions well enough to talk when they came in? Did they say anything about their illnesses?

Michael D. Just 2011

NURSE ALDIS Mr McDonnel was still conscious and mentioned all his family had eaten from the "Chinese" in the mall downtown, Doctor. DR BURTON OK, it looks like food poisoning, so keep them all on 5% dextrose line and give a bolus of 200 milligrams tetracycline. Stat. Follow this up in four hours with 400 milligrams of ciprofloxacin. OK? He signs the nurses order sheet on her clipboard and hands it back to her.

Ill be in the room and see if I can get SMPD to raise the owner of the stall. I dont want him opening for business tomorrow and giving us more customers! NURSE ALDIS Right Doctor. Ill get the staff onto it right away. INT. SANTA MONICA PUBLIC HOSPITAL, MORTUARY - MORNING.

DR BURTON and the Duty Pathologist, DR STEPHANOS look at the body of ROSA NORTON on the mortuary table.

DR STEPHANOS I dont remember a morning like this. We have a bank over there thats full almost from last night alone. DR STEPHANOS removes his latex gloves and throws them in the bin. Michael D. Just 2011

DR BURTON We obviously have a major outbreak of something centred around here. Its aggressive, whatever it is and its fast. We saw the first deaths within hours of infection. DR STEPHANOS Ive sent for all the microbiology work-ups to be done as soon as possible but as you know these things take a little time. DR BURTON OK, John, lets just hope this was a one off and weve got a lid on it already. I dont want to see a night like that again in a hurry. INT. LA CHANNEL 5 NEWSROOM, EDITORS OFFICE - MORNING

Newsroom morning meeting taking place with MICHELLE GOULD, News Anchor, STEVE GRIESBACK, News Editor and three other members of the staff. All drinking coffee with sheets of notes in their hands.

STEVE GRIESBACK The lead story is a no contest. We have 14 dead and goodness knows how many more still in the local hospitals. MICHELLE GOULD We think it was a food poisoning incident but the hospitals are not giving out too much at this stage because a lot of the relatives still have to be notified. GRIESBACK turns to the phone and dials a number. He connects with the mobile phone of Reporter, MARTIN SIMPSON at the Santa Monica Michael D. Just 2011

Public Hospital.

GRIESBACK Mart, Whats new?...... Yeah, yeah. We have a slot ready to run in 15 and still no feed set up from the truck. I dont want this one going out as a telephone voice over a still of your ugly mug!.......OK, I want you on to Bill at Control in the next 10 minutes. Right. GRIESBACK picks up his notes on the story and bundles them together. He passes them to GOULD.

GRIESBACK OK Michelle, I think we are on this story just ahead of the other networks so I want you looking your sexy best and dont pull anything. If Im right this will be world syndicated, so lots of mentions of the network. Right. GOULD leafs through the notes and scribbles some of her own onto a yellow legal pad. GOULD OK, Ill do a few seconds background then go to a piece to camera from Mart... if hes ready. EXT. SANTA MONICA PUBLIC HOSPITAL, STEPS NEAR RECEPTION MORNING.

CAMERA CREW and MARTIN SIMPSON are seen setting up the equipment for a piece to camera. A crowd can be seen behind with SMPD keeping them behind the Police Line tape.

SIMPSON presses earpiece in further and speaks to Control with the hand mike. Michael D. Just 2011

SIMPSON OK, Bill we can go on your cue and I think we have an interesting twist. Try and line up some kind of biotech expert to go to next. He presses the earpiece in further.

SIMPSON Youll see in a minute. Got to go. The spokeswoman is here. INT. CHANNEL 5 NEWSROOM. NEWS STUDIO - DAY

MICHELLE GOULD prepares to go on air with last minute look at herself in a hand mirror.

STUDIO DIRECTOR Quiet please. On in 10 seconds........ 4. (no sound only hand signals 3,2,1, full hand) MICHELLE GOULD 14 dead and 37 in ICU. (BEAT) Yesterday evening Santa Monica suffered its worst ever public health related incident on record. We go straight over to Martin Simpson at Santa Monica Public Hospital. EXT. SANTA MONICA PUBLIC HOSPITAL, STEPS NEAR RECEPTION MORNING.

MARTIN SIMPSON Thank you Michelle. Channel 5 is here today after what can only be described as an horrific night of deaths arising from what is suspected to be a food poisoning Michael D. Just 2011

outbreak.

INT. HOUSE IN ENGLAND, SITTING ROOM, TV ON BBC - NIGHT

Family in room watching the TV whilst eating their dinner.

MARTIN SIMPSON (from the TV) .........what is suspected to be a food poisoning outbreak. Admissions began at 10 PM and continued throughout the night INT. HOUSE IN GERMANY, SITTING ROOM, TV ON DCC - NIGHT

MARTIN SIMPSON (from the TV) ......... Admissions began at 10 PM and continued throughout the night. By 4 AM the first deaths were occurring and it is still not known what the eventual death toll will be. INT. HOUSE IN SWITZERLAND, HOME OF KIRSTEN THURLOW, BEDROOM, TV ON - NIGHT

MARTIN SIMPSON (from the TV) ......... By 4 AM the first deaths were occurring and it is still not known what the eventual death toll will be. The medical staff here at the Santa Monica Public Hospital have been shocked by the speed and severity of the incident.... Michael D. Just 2011

KIRSTEN THURLOW (to herself) If people will eat out from cheap market stalls what do they expect? She turns off the TV and picks up some papers from work. Puts on her glasses. Starts to read.

INT. SANTA MONICA PUBLIC HEALTH DEPATMENT, DIRECTORS OFFICE - DAY

Director, ALFRED NEIDERMIER enters with Research Director, BEN OLSON and Chief Pathologist GARY WONG. All sit round a large table.

ALFRED NEIDERMIER Well gentlemen, as you are both no doubt aware we have something of a problem in our district. The media are already treating this like some kind of second Bubonic Plague. What have we learnt? Gary first please. WONG walks to the front of the room to an overhead projector, takes an acetate from his file and places it on the projector. GARY WONG The first thing we found was that all the deaths are from the same organism, but we were expecting that. What we werent expecting was this. He switches on the projector showing a slide of the growth of the organism with different types of antibiotics present in the growth medium.

Michael D. Just 2011

GARY WONG (Contd) As you can see we have a multiply resistant organism. We tried all the major antibiotics and some of the more obscure ones. (BEAT) Nothing. It just grew like they werent there. BEN OLSON You mean we lost the patients because the antibiotics the doctors gave them just didnt do any good at all? GARY WONG Just so Ben. We were back to the days before Fleming as if it were yesterday. But thats not really the half of it. He change the slide. Takes out a pointer and indicates an area of the slide.

GARY WONG (Contd) When we ran some DNA probes we found a lot of things missing we expected to see and quite a few that we didnt want to see. BEN OLSON Like what exactly? GARY WONG You can see here when you compare the map of the organisms DNA with a normal strain that the area that codes for susceptibility to antibiotics is missing. In its place we have a dinky little area which codes for a non-bacterial protein. In other words this thing has been genetically engineered. NEIDERMIER and OLSON exchange looks while WONG sits down.

Michael D. Just 2011

ALFRED NEIDERMIER Who else knows about this? None of your team yet Ben?

BEN OLSON This is all new to me, so my people wont know a thing yet. GARY WONG As far as mine go, the only ones in the know are the two techies who were on yesterday in the blotting and autoradiography labs. Theyve both been here a good while. To them it was just another job. They dont know where the samples came from. ALFRED NEIDERMIER OK. Thanks Gary. Ben, do what you can to find out all you can about this thing. Oh, and get me some samples set up for safe shipping. Ive a strong feeling some of the Agencies will want a look when I inform them what we have here. All three men get up from the table. NEIDERMIER goes to his desk and picks up the phone. WONG and OLSON go towards the door. BEN OLSON Sure thing Al. Be ready in half an hour. ALFRED NEIDERMIER Keep all this to yourselves for now. No Press (BEAT) and lets meet back here at 8 this evening. Thanks gentlemen. WONG and OLSON leave together.

Michael D. Just 2011

INT. SANTA MONICA, WILSHIRE BOULEVARD, CJs DELI - DAY

MARTIN SIMPSON and MARK BURNETT employee of OproGen Inc., at table with half eaten sandwiches in front of them.

MARTIN SIMPSON I know what you mean but dont you think its a little far fetched; a superbug resistant to everything the doctors threw at it?

MARK BURNETT Its not unknown for it to happen. Theyre seen all the time now. Overuse of antibiotics in hospitals and surgeries. Farmers using them to make livestock put on weight more quickly. I suppose it was bound to happen. SIMPSON calls for the check and gets his money out.

MARTIN SIMPSON Listen, have you anything on all this kind of thing. Im kind of rusty on this bio-stuff. MARK BURNETT No problem! Ill e-mail a file to you, Scientific American, New Scientist that sort of thing. Even youll be able to understand it, its been written by real journalists! Normal fee? MARTIN SIMPSON Yeah, yeah but stay near your computer, Ive a feeling Ill need your help again real soon. INT. HOUSE IN SWITZERLAND, HOME OF KIRSTEN THURLOW, Michael D. Just 2011

BEDROOM - DAY.

She wakes and pushes the cat off the bed. Looks out of the window to see snow on the ground. Moves through to the kitchen and puts on the kettle. Switches on the portable TV. Report on TV on EuroCableNews.

EXT. SANTA MONICA PUBLIC HOSPITAL, STEPS NEAR RECEPTION MORNING.

MARTIN SIMPSON does a piece to camera.

MARTIN SIMPSON Its now almost 48 hours since the first news came of the situation here at the Santa Monica Public Hospital. Since then we have learnt from sources that what looked like simple food poisoning may in fact be more than that after all. He turns to include the Hospital Spokeswoman, RICKI KRASNY into the shot of the TV camera crew. MARTIN SIMPSON (Contd) Miss Krasny (BEAT), I Understand that there is some new information about the outbreak. We have material sent to us at Channel 5 News that suggests this was not so simple as first thought. Can you comment on the Superbug theory? RICKI KRASNY First let me reassure your viewers that the outbreak is now contained. We have no new cases coming in and all the Michael D. Just 2011

patients that survived the first 24 hours are now stable. MARTIN SIMPSON Which Im sure we all agree is great news. (BEAT) But what about the Superbug. What can it do? Why did so many die? RICKI KRASNY All I can say at this stage is that the organism responsible has a very wide range of resistance to antibiotics. Most of the ones that are normally used for prophylaxis in a staphylococcal infection were ineffective. This was unusual but by no means unheard of... But let me restate the situation is now most definitely under control. Thank you. She turns to go back inside the building. MARTIN SIMPSON tries to follow her but she is inside and out of his camera shot too quickly.

MARTIN SIMPSON (sarcastically) Well thank you Miss Krasny. This is Martin Simpson........

KIRSTEN THURLOW makes her coffee and takes it through to the sitting room where she takes down a book from her shelf. We see it is a large microbiology text. She looks in the index and opens at the page indicated. She looks pensive.

EXT. HOUSE IN SWITZERLAND, HOME OF KIRSTEN THURLOW - DAY.

We see her clearing the snow from her car and getting in. She drives off into the city. Michael D. Just 2011

EXT. UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTES, GENEVA - DAY

KIRSTEN THURLOW enters the main entrance. Shows her security pass to the UN soldier at the desk and crossing the lobby area goes to the lifts. She enters and selects the -2 level. When the lift arrives she exits and goes towards the doors opposite.

INT. UN HQ, GENEVA , BIODEFENCE IMPLEMENTATION GROUP - DAY

KIRSTEN THURLOW opens the outer door with her security card, walks past the desk of the groups receptionist. She nods a greeting.

RECEPTIONIST Dr Duval would like to see you right away in the small conference room. By the way I like your new hair style. KIRSTEN THURLOW Oh thanks! I thought it was time for a change. Tell him Ill be with him right away. She takes off her coat and hangs it on the rack outside her office then goes towards the conference room.

INT. BIODEFENCE IMPLEMENTATION GROUP CONFERENCE ROOM DAY

Present are MARCUS DUVAL, UN Senior Officer, Biodefence Implementation Group and DANIEL GOETZ, Inspector, Interpol and CHRISTIANA NEUBERG, UN/USA liaison officer.

MARCUS DUVAL Kirsten, please to come in. Let me introduce you to Inspector Goetz from Interpol. I am sure, I think, I hope, you have not been Michael D. Just 2011

meeting our colleagues from Interpol before but believe me he does not bite. Now would you like a tea or coffee before we begin? KIRSTEN THURLOW (looking puzzled) Pleased to meet you Inspector. She offers her hand and he kisses it in the old fashioned way. DANIEL GOETZ My pleasure, believe me. MARCUS DUVAL The Inspector is here today, at my request. I am thinking we have a problem that is going to cut across departments and agencies. I know you have met Christiana before, Kirsten so why do we not begin with the background. Christiana? CHRISTIANA NEUBERG moves to the front of the room and switches on the laptop with the projector fitted above the screen. She takes her infra-red mouse and clicks on the first slide. A picture of the body of ROSA NORTON is seen on the mortuary table.

CHRISTIANA NEUBERG Roughly 48 hours ago in Santa Monica, California there was an outbreak of staphylococcal infection. At first it was thought to centre on a food outlet but as the hours passed and more patients were admitted it was clear this could not be the case. 16 people died and 58 were hospitalised. She changes slide to show the figures of the ages of the affected, then where they lived and finally where they were on the afternoon before they were admitted to hospital.

Michael D. Just 2011

CHRISTIANA NEUBERG (Contd) It killed quickly but did not seem to spread patient to patient. The doctors had no chance with treatment, as it had multiple resistance. We now have evidence that the organism was engineered. The next slide shows why we think that. MARCUS DUVAL There is a file for each of you on the table with all the details and for you Kirsten there are samples of the organism on their way with USAF. MARCUS DUVAL (Contd) We dont know why this happened. We have no threats and no incidents related incidents. At this stage I just want to be sure we know all we can. Just in case. DUVAL picks up information file and opens it.

MARCUS DUVAL Inspector have you any ideas what is happening. Political? money? krankenkopf? DANIEL GOETZ At this stage we have zero to work with. If possible can your offices tell us if this could have been an accident from one of the biotech companies that got out or was it deliberate? KIRSTEN THURLOW Well do what we can as fast as possible but I think its going to be hard to say for sure.

Michael D. Just 2011

CHRISTIANA NEUBERG Ill keep the US end up to speed and the information they get coming you way as it comes. INT. BIODEFENCE IMPLEMENTATION GROUP MAIN LABORATORY - DAY

KIRSTEN THURLOW has a meeting with the key workers in the lab. We pick up the conversation mid-way.

KIRSTEN THURLOW We should have a sample with us anytime. So first Id like the work done to confirm what has been deduced by the people in the States. Then could you put together your best strategy for dealing with this if it happens again. I want any theories you have no matter how wild. OK. Just keep me informed all the way. Right go people! INT. BIODEFENCE IMPLEMENTATION GROUP, KIRSTEN THURLOWS OFFICE - DAY.

KIRSTEN THURLOW sits at her desk reading. The phone rings. She answers.

KIRSTEN THURLOW Yes. Thank you Ill be right down. She dials an internal extension.

KIRSTEN THURLOW Matthaus? Can you meet me in the main lab in 5 minutes. Ill be bringing the samples from the Michael D. Just 2011

States so have the team ready will you please? She leaves the room and goes to the lobby of the building and is met by MATTHAUS SCHNEIDER, her Research Assistant. We see the courier from the USAF hand over a pouch and THURLOW signs for it.

KIRSTEN THURLOW Matthaus, you know what this is and I know I dont have to tell you to take care but as far as speed goes do everything you can to get me the data. I dont think this is an accidental release. Do you? MATTHAUS SCHNEIDER From what weve heard so far, it could be. Well I hope so. But it did happen in America so who can say. Be sure we will all work till its done just tell me where youll be for the results. KIRSTEN THURLOW Put it up on the network with an alert and Ill pick it off. Thanks Matthaus!

INT. BIODEFENCE IMPLEMENTATION GROUP, KIRSTEN THURLOWS OFFICE - DAY.

She is speaking on the phone to ALFRED NEIDERMIER of the Public Health Department in Santa Monica, USA.

KIRSTEN THURLOW Dr Neidermier, thanks for taking the call. Have you received the email I sent. Good..good. Yes, we did get the sample, thanks. Why I was calling was we need to Michael D. Just 2011

eliminate the possibility that it was an accidental release from a commercial company. ALFRED NEIDERMIER (v.o.) Were already on that but at the moment we have only a fraction of the companies weve been in touch with come back with a reply. It takes time as you know. confidentiality and the rest, but we are onto it. KIRSTEN THURLOW I understand and thank you again. Bye for now. INT. HOUSE IN SWITZERLAND, HOME OF KIRSTEN THURLOW, SITTING ROOM - EVENING.

KIRSTEN THURLOW is sitting at her computer with the TV on in the background. She is staring at the computer screen and eating a sandwich.

TV REPORTER (v.o.) The authorities in the area to the south of the factory have said that it will be months or even years before the river will recover to its former levels of biological life. KIRSTEN THURLOW turns towards the TV and uses the remote to increase the volume, takes off her glasses. She watches the report.

TV REPORTER Controversy continues today with the announcement by the multinational company, Torenco, that they will go ahead with the programme to finally introduce the genetically modified dairy cattle to European farmers. TV shows pictures of demonstrators in Paris and Bonn. Michael D. Just 2011

TV REPORTER (Contd) Environmental groups have opposed the move but last week the European Parliament passed the required legislation. Over to our science correspondent Mark Davenport. She turns off the TV and goes to kitchen to open some wine. Pouring a glass she hears the computer buzzing an alarm message. When she gets to the computer the screen is showing a file has arrived from Matthaus Schneider. She sits down and begins to open and read the file.

INT. HOME OF NICHOLAS BUCHANAN, LABORATORY - DAY.

Room is filled with normal apparatus for a biological laboratory.

NICHOLAS BUCHANAN is wearing a white one piece Tyvek protective suit, latex gloves and a 3M mask apparatus to purify his breathing air. He opens an incubator and takes out a petri dish. Examines this and in a laminar air flow cabinet, opens the dish, transferring a small sample of the bacteria to a test tube. He adds some chemicals to the tube and then puts it into a polystyrene bucket of ice.

He then goes to the door of the airlock, opens it and closes it behind him. He sprays himself with a strong biocide then strips of all his laboratory clothing before opening the second door and entering another room of the house.

He picks up the phone and dials.

NICHOLAS BUCHANAN Is this Eagle supplies? Good, this is Doctor Goodson here from APT limited. Yes, very well thank Michael D. Just 2011

you. I wonder have you the special order I placed last week in yet? Yes Ill hold........ ........Thank you, thats great Ill be over a little later to collect them. Could you have them ready please? Yes, you too and thank you again. Bye. He walks to his window and looks out. We see a wild country scene. He turns and collecting his coat goes outside to his late model, expensive car and drives off.

INT. CAR OF NICOLAS BUCHANAN - DAY.

NICOLAS BUCHANAN switches on the car radio onto a news radio station.

RADIO REPORTER Controversial plans were announced by the multi-national company, Torenco, today. They said they will go ahead with their objective to finally introduce the genetically modified dairy cattle to European farmers before the end of the month. Environmental groups have opposed the move but last week the European Parliament passed the required legislation. EXT. EAGLE LABORATORY SUPPLIES, CAR PARK - DAY

NICOLAS BUCHANAN parks his car outside in the private parking area. Picks up the fax confirmation of the order he has come to collect. Enters the building from the rear door. He approaches the receptionist.

NICOLAS BUCHANAN Michael D. Just 2011

Good morning, Im here to collect an order please. Passes over the fax to the receptionist. RECEPTIONIST Yes sir, good morning. A bit chilly today but the spring is nearly here. Let me just give the stores a call and check its ready. She phones the stores and a moment later the storesman enters through a side door.

STORESMAN Yes, Dr Goodson, here it is all packed and ready to go. Just sign here please. Thank you and heres the invoice. Its been added to the company account. NICOLAS BUCHANAN Thanks. Appreciate the service. Good day to you both. NICOLAS BUCHANAN takes the box and goes to his car. Puts it in the back seat with the seat belt around it. Gets in and drives off.

EXT. HOME OF NICOLAS BUCHANAN - DAY

We see how isolated the house is in a rugged wild landscape. He takes box from the car and enters the house.

INT. HOME OF NICOLAS BUCHANAN - DAY

We see him taking the box into the double-door entry system to the lab and starting to put on the white Tyvek suit.

INT. HOME OF NICOLAS BUCHANAN - DAY (LATER) Michael D. Just 2011

NICOLAS BUCHANAN is seen packing a large suitcase with various items and placing two plastic whisky bottles filled with a cloudy fluid into a Jenners plastic carrier bag. This also goes into the suitcase.

He is now dressed in his outdoor clothes, takes the suitcase and a briefcase out to his car and drives off.

INT. CITY CENTRE MULTI-STORY CAR PARK - EVENING.

NICOLAS BUCHANAN seen getting out of his car. Waking to the lift. Getting out at the ground floor and hailing a taxi.

INT. MEDIUM SIZED AIRPORT - EVENING.

NICOLAS BUCHANAN gets out of the taxi. Seen collecting tickets from the SwissAir service desk and then taking bags over to the SwissAir check-in area. He hands over his tickets to the girl at the desk.

NICOLAS BUCHANAN Could I check this onto the Zurich flight, SA799 please. Yes thats all. Ill take the briefcase as cabin, thanks. CHECK-IN ASSISTANT No problem sir and thank you. Have a pleasant flight. NICOLAS BUCHANAN walks over to the coffee bar buys a coffee and takes a seat. The cafe area is very busy and he is joined at his table by an elderly woman.

ELDERLY WOMAN Do you mind ,son. I wont disturb you. Thank you. Michael D. Just 2011

NICOLAS BUCHANAN No, please have a seat. Are you flying or have you just seen someone off? ELDERLY WOMAN Im going to see my daughter in Amsterdam you know. Its been so long and she never seems to have the time to come to see her old mother so I thought Id go and see her instead. NICOLAS BUCHANAN Sounds like a good idea. I hope you have a nice visit. He opens his briefcase takes out a laptop and starts typing. The elderly woman looks on. In the background a TV is on and a piece is running about the changes in peoples diets.

TV REPORTER ....one of the other breakthroughs made in recent months has been the development of calorie free fats and oils. These started out life as good old Soya beans which were then genetically modified to increase the length of the fatty acid chains in the oil. We see what looks like an oil refinery on the screen.

Then the scientists from Omnimest took the oil into a chemical plant to polymerise the fatty acids further. In fact they made them so long that now the body can not digest them at all. We see food being deep fried and eaten by what looks like a supermodel.

ELDERLY WOMAN Michael D. Just 2011

I dont know about all this fangled new stuff. We didnt even have enough butter to eat in our day. You know we had to make do with 6 ounces a month for years. NICOLAS BUCHANAN looks up to the TV, shaking his head. NICOLAS BUCHANAN Yes, but times change and science can do so much more now. People want to eat more and not get fat. ELDERLY WOMAN I know that but, well its not natural is it? I mean where will it end? NICOLAS BUCHANAN It wont end yet at all in fact its only just begun. (under his breath to himself) Yes. It had only just begun. EXT. ZURICH AIRPORT, RUNWAY - NIGHT.

SwissAir Airbus A-320 lands and taxis to the stand. We see the ground crew connecting the auxiliary power leads to the plane and the ramp being manoeuvred into place.

INT. ZURICH AIRPORT, RUNWAY - NIGHT

We see NICOLAS BUCHANAN coming through the gate from the ramp see him go through immigration control and waiting for his bags to come through the rubber flaps from the baggage handling area.

EXT. ZURICH AIRPORT, RUNWAY - NIGHT.

Michael D. Just 2011

See NICOLAS BUCHANAN waiting at the taxi rank. A large Mercedes estate taxi picks him up and drives off towards the city centre.

INT. SOFITEL HOTEL, ZURICH CITY CENTRE - NIGHT.

We see NICOLAS BUCHANAN checking in and having his suitcase taken by a porter up to his room.

INT. BAUR AU LAC HOTEL, ROOM 305 - NIGHT.

NICOLAS BUCHANAN opens the suitcase on the bed, takes out the Jenners bag and places the two whisky bottles that it contains in the small fridge under the desk.

INT. BAUR AU LAC HOTEL, RESTAURANT - NIGHT. NICOLAS BUCHANAN enters the room and is shown to a corner table. INT. BAUR AU LAC HOTEL, RECEPTION - NIGHT.

NICOLAS BUCHANAN approaches the receptionist.

NICOLAS BUCHANAN I wonder if you would be able to arrange a hire car for me to be delivered here for 7 in the morning please? EXT. BERN, SWIZERLAND, HAUPTBAHNHOF RAILWAY STATION, DAY.

NICOLAS BUCHANAN seen entering the station after parking in the area outside. He is dressed for a cold day and well wrapped with a scarf and a headband around his ears.

INT. BERN, SWIZERLAND, HAUPTBAHNHOF RAILWAY STATION, 2ND Michael D. Just 2011

FLOOR LEVEL - DAY.

NICOLAS BUCHANAN is carrying his briefcase and uses the central escalators to go up to the tourist information bureau on the 2nd level. He goes inside and collects some maps from the racks just inside the door. He then walks over to the banister rail, puts the briefcase on the floor and opens the map.

STATION ANNOUNCER (v.o.) Der Zuricher bahn geht lassen im drei minuten zum Bahnsteig zwanzig. We see lots of commuters coming out of the various platform tunnels and converging on the central concourse. NICOLAS BUCHANAN waits until a large crowd of obviously business types appears and he bends down to the briefcase. He reopens the map and looks at his watch.

EXT. BERN, SWIZERLAND, HAUPTBAHNHOF RAILWAY STATION, DAY.

We see the commuters leaving the station and going their separate ways across into the heart of the business district and city centre.

NICOLAS BUCHANAN is seen leaving the station. Crossing the road to the parking area in the middle of the road. He unlocks his car, gets in and drives off.

INT/EXT. HIRE CAR, NICOLAS BUCHANAN DRIVING/ PASSING SCENERY - DAY.

We see the signs for the autoroute to Zurich. By the side of the road Michael D. Just 2011

we see many large food companies, pharmaceutical plants and chemical companies. Some of the ones that have been mentioned on the various news reports are seen. He smiles as he passes them.

EXT. BERN TO ZURICH AUTOROUTE, RESTOP SERVICES - DAY.

NICOLAS BUCHANAN is seen arriving in his car and going inside. He heads for the toilets with a large plastic container. He is next seen coming out with the container and going back to his car.

EXT. BERN TO ZURICH AUTOROUTE - DAY.

NICOLAS BUCHANAN is seen in his car arriving at the outskirts of Zurich city. He takes the slipway to the city centre.

INT. CENTRAL ZURICH, MULTINATIONAL BURGER CHAIN RESTAURANT - LUNCHTIME.

NICOLAS BUCHANAN takes a table on the first floor and puts down the coffee he has bought. The restaurant is filled with young professional people at lunch. He adjusts the briefcase to a position nearer the rail and takes out a paperback book and reads.

EXT. CENTRAL ZURICH, MULTINATIONAL BURGER CHAIN RESTAURANT - LUNCHTIME.

NICOLAS BUCHANAN seen leaving the restaurant and walking back to his hotel.

INT. BAUR AU LAC HOTEL, RECEPTION - DAY

NICOLAS BUCHANAN What time is the next shuttle bus back to the airport? Michael D. Just 2011

RECEPTIONIST They run every 30 minutes Sir, so the next one will be leaving in about 15 minutes. Will you be checking out Sir? NICOLAS BUCHANAN Yes, if you could prepare my account and Ill be back down in a few minutes. Could you send a porter up for my bags please? Thank you. EXT. ZURICH AIRPORT, RUNWAY - DAY.

We see an AirFrance Boeing 737 taking off.

INT. AIRFRANCE BOEING 737. BUSINESS CLASS CABIN - DAY

MALE AIR STEWARD Would you like a paper Sir? And what can I get you to drink? NICOLAS BUCHANAN Yes, do you have Le Monde? Thanks and yes Ill have a tomato juice which brand do you have on today. The steward looks in his trolley and pulls out a can of tomato juice. He shows it to NICOLAS BUCHANAN. He sees the Torenco logo.

NICOLAS BUCHANAN On second thoughts Ill have a Bells whisky and some water please. INT. HOME OF NICOLAS BUCHANAN - DAY

NICOLAS BUCHANAN seen sitting at his computer and typing. We Michael D. Just 2011

hear what he is typing narrated.

NICOLAS BUCHANAN (v.o.) As you will be aware there have now been three local incidents involving a recalcitrant bacterial infection. This can be repeated at will, if required, but as you will expect there is a way for you to prevent further problems. An email will be sent via a one-time route, which is of course untraceable. I do hope you will take this in the correct way and for the purpose of absolute clarity let me make you aware I have the facilities and the will to engineer almost any organism I chose. You can imagine the consequences of non-compliance if I decided to step up a gear or two. My requestno, not yet, no demands but they will be made and will be made in my own time. Thats when the real fun begins. Yes the fun began in a period of my life where I lost everything. A true insight to life in all its aspects. Where do we start? Lets start with Love and Life. Xxxxxx Insert textxxxx Insert text from life history Its pretty simple. I Love myself. I have always been egocentric. Love has been hard for me. Yes I have lovedand lost. A clich I know but no regrets either. Where do I go now? I think I know, Why say it once, why say it again Michael D. Just 2011

 Michael D. Just 2011

 Michael D. Just 2011

 Michael D. Just 2011