Pandemia

by Nick Lancaster

  Chee’s body had been washed and shaved. Several x-rays had been taken and samples of blood, urine and spinal fluid were already stored and were being examined elsewhere.

  Wang picked up a scalpel and made a cut from behind one ear, then across the crown of Chee’s head and ended it behind the other ear. The cut was deep and made with steady precision in a decisive movement, like an artist moving a brush across canvas.

  Chee’s skin was then pulled forward and down over his face, exposing the front of the skull. The same action was then made to the skin at the back, exposing the entire top of the skull.

  Next Wang picked up an electric saw and made several cuts around Chee’s cranium. His years of experience ensured the saw cut deep enough to penetrate the skull but not so deep as to damage the brain. He lifted the top of the skull away, causing a vacuum-like sucking noise.

  Wang quickly cut through the spinal cord and lifted the brain from it’s home. He carefully weighed it and then placed it in a storage jar filled with preservative fluid.

  That afternoon Wang examined the brain. He had previously examined the dead subjects the Ministry had provided him. Now, as Wang concentrated on the microscope, he saw the same neuritic plaques, abnormal clusters of dead and dying nerve cells in the brain. The only difference was that this patient had far fewer dead cells.

  He was familiar with this type of brain infection but it was usually seen in patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. He had never seen it as a result of viral infection. Through continued study he was able to formulate a pattern for the virus.

  Later that day Wang began a presentation of his findings to his superiors at the Ministry.

  “Doctor Wang, your report please.” The senior official sat behind a long desk with five other officials. Each man was advanced in years, these were people who had served the Party all their lives.

  Wang began. “The mechanics of this uniquely evil virus are quite terrifying. Once infected the incubation period is on average three days. It begins with a mild fever and from that point on the carrier is highly infectious, able to spread the contagion by an unguarded cough or a simple touch. I cannot stress this point enough, the virus is highly contagious and extremely resilient. For example, a sweaty hand can leave a viable infectious colony on a door handle for several days.”

  Wang paused, allowing the officials an opportunity to ask questions.

  “Continue doctor.” The official said.

  “Yes, of course. This virus attacks the brain and quite rapidly causes confusion, irritability and aggression. Troubles with language processing and long-term memory loss are next. Eventually death will occur around nine days later. We have no cure for the virus. We have no inoculation. We are defenseless against it. The only way to defeat the virus is to quarantine the infected it and allow it to burn itself out.”

  “You are saying doctor Wang, that we are powerless against this virus? That there is nothing in medical science that can either prevent this virus from spreading or heal those who have become infected?”

  Wang paused for a moment, took a deep breath and then spoke. “Yes Sir. I am saying exactly that.”

  “Thank-you for your report Doctor Wang. A driver will return you to your office. Good bye.”

  “But, don’t you want to discuss my report?” Wang was shocked, he had expected a prolonged analysis of his findings, he had expected questions.

  “Good bye Doctor.”

  Wang bowed and left the room. As promised a driver was waiting outside for him.

  The officials waited for the door to close and then one of them spoke.

  “So, Wang tells us there is no cure, no prevention. He confirms what the other scientists and doctors have told us. It is clear, for the Republic to survive we must sacrifice some for the greater good of the many.”

  “Agreed.” Said another committee member. “But, we must also be careful. We must not let the West know we are weakened, we must handle this discretely.”

  The others all nodded in agreement.

  The first member spoke again. “Give the order to demolish Harmony hospital and then make it clear to our generals that they are to react quickly and decisively to additional outbreaks, using whatever means is necessary.”

  “What should we do with the patients inside the hospital?” Asked one of the men.

  “As I just told you, demolish it.”

  Chapter Three

  Mike Landis worked in an office. He had never served in the military or trained with Navy SEALs. He was just a regular guy married to a regular woman. He along with millions of others across the country had been following the spread of the virus with growing concern since it was first discovered in Los Angeles. It was now several months since the virus first appeared in China.

  Mike stood in the basement of the two-story suburban Detroit home he shared with Elizabeth. He was checking his collection of firearms and ammunition. The collection had taken him almost two years to put together.

  He picked up the most expensive purchase, a Ruger SR-556 AR-15 rifle. The black gun was equipped with a red dot sight, Magpul forearm handgrip and button activated flashlight. He’d added Magpul rail covers to make the gun more comfortable to hold as he’d previously upgraded it with additional Picatinny rails. A heavy duty sling completed the load out.

  Mike lifted the gun and flipped open the scope covers and then turned on the red dot to make sure it was functioning correctly. This particular model had the ability to also display green dot, a feature he found very useful on bright days at the range.

  He turned off the red dot, then applied a light coating of Break-Free CLP to the rifle and returned it to the safe. Next Mike retrieved his Remington 870 pump-action shotgun.

  Like the AR-15, Mike had added a flashlight to this weapon. The butt stock had a shell carrier where five cartridges of 00 buck were held. The shotgun also had a sling and he’d prepared two 25 round shotgun shell bandoliers, both loaded for two legged deer. He checked the action of the shotgun then returned it to the safe after applying CLP.

  Next was a handgun, a Springfield XD 9mm semi-automatic pistol. This two tone pistol was normally kept upstairs next to the bed, but Mike had brought it downstairs for cleaning. The Springfield was a favorite of Mike’s, it had been upgraded with a small flashlight on it’s tactical rail. He kept the gun loaded with 16 rounds of jacketed hollow points and it was intended to be his first line of defense should an intruder gain entry to their house.

  A while ago Mike had realized that Liz needed to learn to shoot. He’d purchased a snub .357 Magnum revolver and taken advantage of it’s ability to shoot .38 Special. Liz found shooting the little revolver very manageable and it had become her gun.

  He cleaned the gun, not using too much CLP as he was keeping the gun out. There were two guns left. He had inherited a beautiful stainless steel Colt King Cobra .357 Magnum revolver with a six inch barrel and a worn, but very functional Browning Hi-Power. Bother of these guns came from his father-in-law. Liz’s father was a Vet who’d served in Vietnam and had been a good man.

  Mike picked up the Magnum and after checking the cylinder was empty he cleaned the gun and returned it to the safe. The Hi-Power was already out. This was his carry gun, just as it had been the carry gun of his father-in-law. Everything about this pistol felt right. It had been manufactured in 1988 and some twenty plus years later it still worked flawlessly and was practically a tack driver.

  Mike racked the slide and locked it in position, then quickly disassembled the pistol and placed the components on the bench in front of him. He carefully cleaned each part before reassembling the pistol, checking the slide action and inserting a 13 round magazine of 9mm JHP.

  He turned around to examine his ammunition storage. He was able to store around 5,000 rounds of ammunition, roughly split between the handguns and the rifle, with around 250 rounds of 00 buck for the shotgun. The ammo was kept in labeled steel ammunition boxes, each with packets of desiccant to prolong shelf life.


  Once a month Mike would take one or more of his guns to the range for an hour of target practice. His father-in-law had told him on more than one occasion that a gun was meant to be fired, not polished and kept in a safe.

  Happy that everything was in order Mike turned out the light in the gun room and walked into his small gym and office area as he made his way to the stairs. He'd started working out a couple of years earlier and had been keeping himself in reasonable condition.

  When Mike got upstairs the TV was on.

  “Coming up, we’ll bring you the latest on Los Angeles and the spread of ECD. We’ll be right back.”

  ECD was the name the World Health Organization had given to the virus. It was an abbreviation of Excerebro Celeridiruo, from the Latin for 'quickly making senseless and destroying'. It was more commonly referred to as ECD by the media and the general public.

  To Mike, it seemed impossible that a bug could cause so much destruction. There had been scares in the past of course, Ebola, Bird Flu, Small Pox, HIV, but these were either contained or had burned out.

  Mike had been following the spread of ECD and according to the news media, the virus had infected roughly five million people across the US in the past four months. Most of the infected were in Los Angeles with approximately fifty percent of it's population infected. The current theory was the virus had been seeded in LA by an unsuspecting airline passenger from China.

  Mike remembered that initial news report, how CNN had announced a mystery plague was consuming China and how the Chinese government had denied anything was wrong.

  He wanted to watch the report on the news about Los Angeles. He sat down as the commercials came to an end and Brian Williams appeared on screen.

  “Tonight on NBC Nightly news, we bring you the latest on Los Angeles. As you know, two months ago the Federal Government enforced quarantine around the metro Los Angeles area. Little information has been available since then, but tonight we can report that the Pentagon has confirmed that deadly force has been authorized against anyone trying to enter or leave the quarantine area. We can further report that at least seventeen Americans have been killed trying to leave the LA quarantine.”

  “Jesus!” Mike said aloud to the empty room.

  Mike knew the government was doing what it could, food and medical supplies were being air dropped into LA, FEMA had been activated and the the President of the United States was reassuring the population that the incident, while serious, was under control. This news was not what Mike considered ‘under control’.

  “There is a Presidential address tonight at 8pm Eastern and of course NBC will be providing full coverage of this event.”

  Mike turned off the TV. “Hey Liz, come here.” He shouted upstairs.

  Liz appeared after a few minutes. “What’s up?”

  Mike craned his neck to speak to her from his seat on the sofa. Liz was walking toward him, her shoulder length blonde hair rested loosely around her neck and as usual she wasn’t wearing makeup, yet still looked incredibly beautiful. Liz’s blue eyes met his as he answered her question.

  “Jameson is going to be addressing the country tonight, did you know?”

  “No, I didn’t hear that. What time?” Liz asked

  “In like an hour. I’m going to order us some food, you want pizza?”

  “Sure.”

  He grabbed his cell phone and dialed the pizza place.

  A Presidential address wasn’t unusual, but given that the last time President Jameson had addressed the nation was to announce the LA quarantine, Mike didn’t want to miss the speech tonight.

  Years before ECD appeared Mike had realized he needed to be prepared to take care of himself and Liz if some unexpected event were to befall them. He'd seen what happened in New Orleans when Katrina struck. He'd lived through the massive blackout that struck the Northeastern US. Mike knew he didn't want to be a refugee or be reliant on strangers for his survival. Even a small disruption could have a major impact for those who were unprepared.

  Mike started off by preparing a 'blackout kit' that he'd use in the event they lost power. As time went on and he considered other scenarios he looked at ways to plan and prepare for those. Soon he had an emergency bag that he kept in his vehicle, then a bug out bag at home.

  Mike researched online and read books and tried to learn as much as he could about self-reliance and preparedness. He began to realize how woefully unprepared he was as he learned more about the risks that were out there. It wasn’t that he was paranoid, it was that he felt he was just beginning to see and understand the world he lived in and how fragile it really was.

  He looked at 'what ifs' and determined the most effective way to deal with each. Mike had also taken firearms classes, learned defensive and tactical shooting techniques and obtained his concealed carry permit. Finally he'd attended first aid classes, learning the basics of medical care with a typically stocked medical box.

  His other preparations included first aid treatments, water and food supplies along with many other items he felt he would need. He’d done all this over many years, buying items on sale and picking up ammunition in bulk.

  Mike was especially pleased with a portable ‘what if’ kit he’d put together. He’d bought a messenger style bag online, designed with MOLLE attachments and PALS webbing and with a seeming impossible number of zippers and pockets. He wanted the kit to be lightweight but also stocked with the essentials he’d need to cover any situation he could find himself faced with on a daily basis.

  The kit contained a nifty Gerber multifunction tool he’d received as a gift from his brother. He added a set of tool attachments from SOG, a small Maglite, medical items such as Band-Aids and sterile wipes. There was a quick opening lock knife from Kershaw and even a 20 ounce water bottle. The backside of the pack contained a hidden pocket that was perfect for his Browning Hi-Power. Once it was finished the kit was light enough Mike was comfortable carrying it everywhere he went. Liz jokingly called it his ‘man-bag’.

  Liz hadn't been involved with Mike’s preparing but she thought his hobby was harmless enough. Liz and Mike enjoyed the outdoors and a lot of the items he’d purchased were equally useful on the frequent trips they made 'Up North'.

  Liz’s father had purchased a small plot of land near Oscoda in the 80’s and had built a cabin there. He’d intended to use it as a base for hunting. Liz had inherited the cabin and with Mike they had spent the past few years making regular weekend trips to the property. They’d upgraded the basic accommodations, adding a small Honda gas generator and wiring the place for lighting and even a refrigerator. They both agreed there would be no TV or computer in the cabin. It was intended as a getaway from the inconveniences of modern life.

  A little while later as Mike and Liz ate their pizza the President appeared on their TV.

  “Good evening. Tonight I’d like to update the American people on the serious situation we are facing in dealing with the ECD virus. As you know, two months ago I issued an Executive Order to quarantine the city of Los Angeles and the surrounding area. This order was given based on the recommendations and projections from both the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Centers for Disease Control.

  Earlier this evening I spoke to the Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff and ordered the immediate recall of all American forces in the Middle East. Many of you may wonder why such a step is necessary. I want to assure you that this action should not be seen as anything more than a precaution. There is no need for concern. These troops are being recalled because I believe the defense of our homeland is a priority.

  Our troops are trained to work with biological hazards and we need to protect the American people. In addition, I am announcing a new screening tool has been developed by the CDC. Using a simple mouth swab it is possible to determine if an individual is infected with the ECD virus.

  This is a significant step in our fight against the spread of ECD. The test takes less than sixty seconds to process and toni
ght I can tell you that I have authorized it’s immediate issue to our nation’s first responders and to Homeland Security, where it will be used at all international checkpoints. These decisions are necessary to ensure the safety of all Americans.

  Good night and God Bless America.”

  Liz turned to her husband, she studied him for a moment, seeing his familiar short dark hair, his clean shaven face and high forehead. Even sitting around watching TV it was obvious Mike was fit and took care of himself. “I heard that the virus is in New York” Liz said, almost casually.

  “Where did you hear that?” Mike turned to ask his wife, his brown eyes visible even in the dim light of the room.

  “It was online earlier, it's not there now. Maybe it was a false alarm. I was going to call Nadine later to see if she'd heard anything.”