"Get the Doctor out of the van and back into the jet!" you vaguely remember hearing. You awake next for a few moments long enough to realize that you have been heavily drugged. The rapidly drying blood is still moist over the puncture hole on the top of your right hand. They injected you with Potassium Chloride, KCL, or better known as; truth serum! You can barely see out the jet's small thick window and realize that you are now flying due east over the five great lakes. You know your flying direction by the positioning of the Big Dipper and by locating the North Star in the cloudless night sky. You next hear loud noises that are deafening but you can not open your heavily laden eyes lids. You are physically carried from the plane and into a waiting government vehicle. As you are driven away from the airport you can just make out through slits in your eyes a large sign that reads, "Welcome To Block Island". "Block Island?" you remember thinking and then fall back unconscious again. You are aware of being hastily moved and of the salty taste of ocean water in the back of your parched dry throat. But that is all you remember, for now. You are then driven to a boat and taken for a one hour boat- ride before you are unloaded again and placed eventually on a soft hospital bed in a clinic.

When Kevin found the three government's prepared document in February explaining Adenoviruses, he once again was at a dead end with his research investigation. He lacked a thorough enough understanding of Immunology in order to understand all the information about HCV that he was reading about. He searched and searched for related articles on Immunology. Kevin found college courses that were offered free on the Internet by Ivy league schools and decided to attend Yale and Stanford one rainy Sunday afternoon. He helped himself to all the foundational knowledge he could find on Immunology. He had studied so far: Biology, Microbiology, Chemistry, Bio-Chem, Basic Genetics, Cellular Biology, Molecular Biology, Cellular Genetics, Virology, Hematology, Serology, Immunohematology and Blood Banking, Pathology, Toxicology, Urinalysis, Epidemiology, Histology, Anatomy and Physiology, Entomology, and now Immunology! Whew!

The military had prepared Kevin well for a better understanding of the HCV virus. They had really given the
virus to him in the first place, why not also give him the knowledge to understand it, and explain it to others?
They offered him a free education and he took it and ran with it! Kevin was always a sponge for free
knowledge. He had learned to live, but now with his sickness Kevin could only live to learn. When he sat on
the wind swept ranges of East Germany, as a Private in Germany, he often had a correspondence course
manual in his hand. Kevin thought many times, "Imagine that! FIRST, they pay me to live in Europe, and THEN
they offer me free college, and on top of all that, they THEN deliver it to me here in the woods while I look over at that freezing Russian soldier watching ME freeze!". Imagine that! Free travel and free education! Kevin's parents were retired school teachers so the benefits of a good education was stressed early on in Kevin's youth. The U.S. military offers many free things to its members in uniform. Mark, Kevin and John were all given free HCV! "KEVIN!" Mark yells into the phone. "What Mark? And why do you always yell into the phone?" Kevin asks annoyed. "Sorry! My Doctor said it's because of the HCV!", Mark confesses. "Supposedly it is attacking my inner ear, and taste buds!" Mark says with increasing disappointment. "I can't even taste Toni's good home cooking most of the time anymore. I still eat it anyway! I remember how it use to taste!" he continues. "Mark, if you are losing your hearing from HCV, then what about the VA? Do you have a claim if you lose your hearing or taste?" He inquires. "OH! I NEVER told you about my VA experience!" Mark suddenly realizes. "Man!" he sighed. Instantly, Kevin could tell that something was wrong with Mark and his recent "scouting mission" to the VA.

Mark's mission was to go to his local VA Medical Facility, located somewhere in Michigan, and get tested for
the Hepatitis A, B and C viruses that he knew he had, or had been exposed to in the past (HAV and HBV). The
HCV virus he had was still under control. But every now and then the restless "Unicorn" would poke him from
inside as a reminder to live a clean and healthy lifestyle for the sake of his family. It was a gentle nudge that
occurred each evening after dinner and continued well into the night. After twenty one years of being infected with HCV, Mark's Unicorn had a Big horn!

"HEY KEVIN!", Mark yells again through the receiver from more than a thousand miles away. "What Mark? By
the way!" Kevin interjects quickly. "You know, I don't hear you any better if you yell louder at me just because
you're so far away." Kevin tries to explain kindly. "I know! I know! I just get excited sometimes, Kevin, talking
with you!" Mark innocently admits. "Toni doesn't always want to talk with me about HCV, I have no one else
to talk to about this." Mark says sadly. "HEY MARK!" Kevin now yells through the receiver. "What?" Mark asks
suspiciously. "I'LL always talk to you about HCV! If you want to." Kevin offers timidly. "Man! I just KNEW it
buddy! Twenty years and NOTHING has changed between us!", he announces with pride. "I'll ALWAYS talk with
to you too Kevin about HCV! But, YOU already know that!" Mark excitedly tells Kevin. Mark's last statement
is said with the conveyance of a friend of twenty three years. Together they were both rowdy teenagers in 1976 back in Texas. Now they were middle aged family men living across the country from each other. They had relied on one another in the past and would need to do so again in the future.

In 1997 the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia epidemeologically reclassified the HCV virus from an "Infectious Disease" to an "Emerging Infectious Disease". HCV was moved up in the standings as a greater risk to the public's Health and Safety. This would allow additional funding to be released under existing Public Health Laws. The more of a threat a disease is to the public, the more money should be spent to understand, control and treat it the law says. The much needed vault of money for research into HCV is like
a stair case. The higher you go up it, in importance of risk to the public, the more money there is on each step along the way.

HCV is still on the bottom step when it comes to funding for research and a cure. HCV is not a threat to every
man, women and child today in America, but it could be tomorrow! The nature and history of communicable
diseases is one of an identification of the source, and prompt treatment of the unfortunate victims. Many times treatment includes educating the patient on their disorder. The more they understand about their problems the better they will feel about dealing with them, to include less fear of the unknown.

Knowledge is power and power is like light. It illuminates and controls (i.e., traffic light). HCV suffers can
regain control by educating themselves better about HCV's disease processes and their side effects. The more knowledge they have the more in control they will feel they still have in their lives. The more control they feel they have in their lives, the less affects the symptoms and side-effects will have on their daily functioning. The more knowledge they have the less others will be able to "intellectually" push them around (i.e., Doctors, Insurance Companies, etc..). Most importantly for HCV as a national movement, the more knowledge individuals gather about HCV the more they will be able to inform and teach the general public: a sort of spread the word!

Only through this massive education of the general public will the much needed funds from the vault be
released. HCV funding will go to the "top of the stairs" when enough people find out about it. Kevin knew that when he was diagnosed with HCV he did not even know what the disease was, and he had spent almost 25
years in the Health Care Field in one form or another. He decided then that educating others would be his
second priority that needed to be addressed. His first was self-education, and a better understanding of his
own illness was first!. How could he expect others to be willing to take from one cause and to give to another
like HCV if even he did not know much about the disease? Kevin thought, "If people don't know about it, then
they can not help me with it!". Nationally, education is what is needed first. It is the light of knowledge that will show all. First to illuminate Health Care Providers and Health Care Education Institutions, then to the public itself. Before this begins, HCV suffers must be educated themselves in the issues that they wish to have nationally addressed. Without a national audience then there will be no massive research funding available into find a cure.

In a nation of 270 million people, 5 million HCV suffers represent only 2 percent of the population. To 98
percent of Americans there is no HCV problem! If each HCV victim educated 50 people then the entire country (theoretically) could be informed. Start talking! Start teaching! 8,000-10,000 human beings in America die each year from HCV. Can we help these other people? Can we help us? Will others help us? The answer is of course, yes! The house is as strong as the foundation. We represent the foundation of the HCV movement in America. Where America goes with HCV, the world will follow. Time to lead! Time to be responsible! If you can not lead or follow then get out of the way!

The HCV movement is at a critical ground-level stage of development today in America, and around the world.
The International community has many, many more victims of HCV than America does, but America has the
resources necessary in order to deal with the emerging problem. Just as they built the Panama Canal against
all odds, so too will the Americans tackle HCV, against all odds. America is a representative Democracy. The
government's policies reflect the will of the people. The people must let the government know what their will
is. Their will must be our will and our will is more HCV funding for support of victims and a eventual cure. For
HCV suffers the virus is no longer "emerging", rather for them it has already "emerged"!

When a virus that has been around for 56 years and publicly confessed about for the last 13 years is not known about by society then there is no excuse. Period! When elected representatives and their appointed cronies look to blame you, you turn to them and tell them to do their job! Their job does not include blaming you for five million HCV cases in America today. The only plausible reason for this much ignorance, or naivete, is ifthis was by an orchestrated design! Who are the conductors of the Orchestra? Not the researchers with the magic wands. In a Democracy, we all are the conductors. The American taxpayer will fund research over the next few years that will lead to a cure - world wide. It will cost valuable time and hard earned money, but once achieved a permanent cure will be well worth it. A cure is possibly five to ten years away if not sooner. Until that time the persons that gain the most knowledge about HCV will be the group that champions it's causes.

Most American homes have computers (75% and growing) that can gain access to the Internet. The Internet
allows isolated individuals to meet other isolated individuals with the same affliction and to share common
stories and information. The next level of support comes in the form of a Forum or support group. These
support groups, computers and the Internet become a powerful new tool that can be combined and utilized
by HCV suffers to educate and advance their cause. They can participate in group "town meetings" concerning specific areas, or can share related stories and information. They can also seek advice and understanding from one another. Most importantly they can begin to organize themselves for a more efficient and coordinated effort, regardless of the chosen direction of the group. Five million strong all "hitched" to the same HCV wagon and all going in the same direction is a formidable force that can not be denied by anyone! The Internet has E-mail which allows a person to place a letter on someone 's desk computer. The secret is the e-mail address and the key is what is said in the crafted letter. The right letter on the proper desk will gain more attention than years of jumping up and down, unnoticed by all.

In the past suspicious governments may have banned persons of three or more in number from meeting
together on a downtown street corner. They would ban them from meeting for fear that the group might speak seditiously (bad) about them and could plan their demise (down fall). Nazi Germany did this! During the French Revolution (1789) it was also done! It has also been done by many other nations throughout their developing history, this includes the USA. A free and open government does not fear dissent only revolution. Movements achieve their objectives by an evolution of their cause rather than a revolt.

For a movement to begin people must be educated on the subject and meet to discuss it. Once people meet
they can organize. Once organized they can decide on a direction for the movement. Once directed the
movement needs to be initially propelled and continuously sustained. Once moving in a coordinated sustained direction a movement can gather momentum. Five million HCV victims with momentum can be an awesome political tool. Momentum will advance the set causes of the initial HCV suffers by smashing through the barriers that other movements (agendas) have placed there. To get a dollar for the cause is to either have taxes go up, or have another movement lose some of its critical funding. This becomes a dilemma for HCV victims. Who will lose in order for HCV to gain? Will 98 percent of America want to fund research for 2 percent of the population? Yes! If they are made to realize that they could be next! Education!

"So what did the VA say?" Kevin suddenly remembers to ask Mark. "That I DON'T have HAV, HBV, or HCV!"
Mark delivers this statement innocently like a fresh steak to a hungry lion, on purpose. "WHAT!" Kevin screams through the phone. "Don't yell over the phone!" Mark scolds back. "How could they say that you don't have it?" Kevin begins to ask in earnest. "I know! I know!" Mark cuts in quickly. "I'm going to make another appointment and personally confront the VA Doctor with the civilian tests results!" Mark decides. "Good idea buddy!" Kevin agrees.

Mark has also begun to be watched closely now by his employer at work. His company is a major military
research and development corporation that contracts over 75 percent of its business to the federal
government. It is a large and unfriendly International conglomerate that thinks nothing of crushing opposition from the outside or from within! The Mega-Monster is run and Directed by an unsympathetic lot of Directors that would rather boil him in oil first, if it helped to improve the appearance of their quarterly corporate balance sheets, before helping him with his illness. Their priorities are to the greedy stockholders first, and then to Mark's illness last. They are, and have been in the past, ruthless to opponents and competitors alike. They do not rule their industry, globally, without first knowing what their employees are doing under their own roof. They knew Mark was getting sick. hey knew this for a while now. They also had the proof of it! But they decided not to tell him and millions like him! Or did they?

Up until now there was NO connection between Adenoviruses and HCV in Kevin's mind. The two weren't even related. It would be like saying a cold is related to cancer. Right? Well, a cold is an adeno or rhino virus, right? Adenoviruses are used today in every form of cancer research because of their ability to manipulate genes easily for "gene protocol therapies.". Kevin wanted to be able to explain to his wife, Tina, and to Mark what an Adenovirus was and how DID an old HBV turn into this new HCV? But up until now he could not answer either of these questions. But that was to change soon!

When Kevin began to research information on Immunology he was stunned by how little he knew of the
emerging complex science. Once again Kevin had come upon the old axiom that "the more you learn, the less
you realize you really know!". After a few days of studying he was simply overwhelmed by the vast body of
knowledge pertaining to the human body's ability to fight diseases and infections. In addition, he decided to
brush-up on immunizations in order to better understand the role of Antigens and Antibodies in Immunology.
Much of the material on the Internet about HCV referred to Antibodies, Antigens and other areas of
Immunology. All Kevin wanted to do was understand what HCV was and how he had acquired it. He also
wanted to answer Mark's question about how HBV turned to HCV and his wife's question about what an
Adenovirus was. Once he knew these answers Kevin was prepared to finish living and begin to wait for the
inevitable to come. On some days the "inevitable" was already there. But starting in late February Kevin began to physically rebound and was beginning to put on weight once again. He even started to feel better, for a short while that is.

Kevin did not have much strength left but what little energy he did have remaining would be put to good use
he decided. He would learn all he could about HCV. But the more he looked the more he realized how little
people knew about this disease. One credible source of information would say one thing, while another
credible source would contradict it, and declared something completely different! It appeared to Kevin that the body of HCV knowledge was just now beginning to be formulated. Kevin would be in on the ground floor and try to sort it out for others.

Mark would confront the VA and Kevin would join mailing lists it was agreed. Together, they would find out
what had happen to them. Why their lives had been cut short and why no one seemed to care. Why there was
no information to be found easily on their disease. And why the VA now said Mark was cured. Could they have
an agenda? Are they connected to the 1942 contaminated serum? Mark and Kevin had supported each other
in the past and now realized that the missing link was their friendship that would see them and their families
through this terrible situation. The link was communication. Whether it was between long-lost Army buddies,
or HCV suffers on the Internet, communication and education were the key steps that would help solve the
deepening mystery and complex puzzle of "HCV".

Sir George Everest (1790-1866) was a cartographer for the British Government who was born and raised in
Brecknockshire, Wales. He enjoyed doing Mathematics and loved to learn all about World Geography. The
British Empire "ruled the waves" and "the sun never set on the British Empire" were two phrases that George Everest heard often while growing up as a child in lovely Brecknockshire. As a young man he apprenticed as a map maker (cartographer) in London and soon looked to travel and map the Vast and ever growing British Empire. He was raised and educated on Euclid's "Geometry" and Issac Newton's "Calculus". In addition to Homer's "Iliad" and Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales" he learn to draw little triangles in the sand. But none of these great writings of knowledge prepared him for the mapping of 19th Century India and eventually the world like his little triangles did!

In the next chapter we will first map India and Mt. Everest and then travel and climb Everest with Sir Edmound Hillery and Tensing his Sherpa guide. We will then travel briefly down in the great oceans of the world and go to the deepest spot on the planet in order to better understand: The Panama Story!

Also in Chapter 18; Mark gets to deals with the VA once more, John gets served divorce papers, Kevin wrestles with Adenoviruses and his illness, the Doctor is given a tour of a different kind of government lab, the government starts to lean heavily on Kevin, and the virus mutates again in a small village in China. Don't miss Chapter 18. You have come this far so learn a little more.

Besides, it's almost over!