Nancy Kress' "Safeguard" (novelette, science fiction): A variant of Indian tale of "vish kanya"

Good plot development in this variant of classic Indian story, often called "vish kanya" ("Poisonous Girl") in Hindi. I am aware of at least one other western adaptation of "vish kanya" - Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Rappaccini's Daughter".

Most variants I know are love stories: A maiden is poisonous. How she got poisonous varies - a witch did it magically, accidentally happened, she is not a girl but something else, an alchemist did it when experimenting, ... How her poison transmits also varies, usually not by breathing - & most often by kissing, since that aids love story. Endings vary too - sometimes her prince charming or a wise alchemist will come up with an antidote, at other times both lovers will die (later is rare, since Indians tend to prefer stories with happy endings).

Full text of this story is available for download.

Story summary.

"Safeguard" is not a love story. The poisoned ones are (genetically modified) little children - 4 of them. Of course, they have no clue to their poisonous status. And they infect via their breath - get in their vicinity, & you are dead. But their poison affects only Caucasians, not others.

We are told their origin is in an enemy country of US - obviously a non-Caucasian country. They were supposedly intended for use against US, but brave US forces captured them. For years now, they have been confined to a secret closed habitat in some desert in the US with nothing for 50 miles around. And there is an ongoing debate within the US administration to kill them; they've been kept alive only because hardliners within the administration want an international image of being a kind country.

An old woman, Taney, is their main champion within the administration. She is camping at the edge of the desert, & sometimes visits them wearing a gas mask. Otherwise the kids are on their own. There is a computer interface they can use to ask for food from an automatic machine, or signal Taney when someone is hurt.

One fine day, there is an earthquake. Habitat is shattered, with splinters falling from roof. Kids panic. Food no longer comes when they want. They get out via a big crack in habitat wall, looking for Taney. And discover the unending desert.

Over the next couple of days, they will be picked up by kind hearted folks twice - and a lot of deaths will result from exposure to their breath. Eventually, Taney will find them. And will discover, after some drama, that one of them carries the antidote too.

Fact sheet.

"Safeguard", short story, review
First published: Asimov's Science Fiction, Jan 2007.
Rating: B
Passed the preliminary nominations stage of Nebula Awards 2007 in novelette category.