Erebus: An Apocalyptic Thriller

by Steven Bird

  ���Damn,��� said Brett as everyone in the room stood silently, soaking in the news that each group had received.

  Breaking the silence, Mason asked, ���Has anyone seen Vasily?���

  ���Who���s Vasily?��� Dr. Perkins asked.

  ���Oh, he works, or worked, rather, in the fabrication shop. He���s Russian. He found us at Mac Ops and really helped us find the guns and get out safe. Last night, we were separated from him when we had to evacuate the Chapel. He knew where we were going and was supposed to meet up with us.���

  ���We���ve not seen anyone but Tasha and Phillip,��� replied Brett, pointing across the room to a young woman, who appeared to be in her late twenties standing with a fit young man with a well-trimmed beard and glasses.

  Introducing them, Brett explained, ���Tasha and Phillip worked here in Gallagher���s. They���ve each poured me quite a few beers over the years that I���ve been coming down to work out at MEVO.���

  ���Have you been here in Gallagher���s the whole time?��� Mason asked.

  Tasha answered, saying, ���Yes, I was in the back doing inventory when Phillip heard the news that something was going on. He had just come from his room in the berthing complex and explained what he knew at the time. We hid in the liquor room in the back. It���s got strong doors and good locks for obvious reasons.���

  After a few moments, with each of the groups sharing their stories, Mason sheepishly asked, ���Tasha, may I have a beer? I need to calm my nerves.���

  ���Of course,��� she said. ���Help yourself. It���s not mine, and I have a feeling Phillip and I don���t work here anymore.���

  ���This will be my last time down here, I promise you that,��� Phillip added.

  Taking a sip of brown ale, Mason said, ���Oh, I can feel it flowing through my nerves already. Doc, you should have a pint as well.���

  ���No, thanks,��� replied Dr. Hunter. ���And by the way, it���s Nathan. Feel free to call me Nathan. I think it���s time to dispense with the formalities. It���s safe to say no one is working for anyone anymore.���

  ���Sure thing, Doc,��� Mason said with a smile. ���Uh, I mean, Nathan.��� With a chuckle, he added, ���It may be a hard habit to break, though.���

  Changing the subject, Dr. Graves said, ���So, Nathan, tell me about this trap you mentioned when you two arrived. We looked out the window when we heard the gunfire, but didn���t see what had happened prior to that.���

  ���Let me back up a bit first,��� said Dr. Hunter. ���Over the course of the last day, we have observed that the infected seem to be advancing in some way. Last night, when we made our break for the chapel to wait out the storm, we were accosted by one of them. Instead of going for the kill, its reaction was what seemed to be a call for others, who quickly arrived on scene. It may sound crazy, but I swear I think they were communicating, and successfully at that. Then, later on that night when the chapel was breached, the same thing occurred. It was the same type of call and response.���

  Turning to Tasha, Dr. Hunter said, ���On second thought, I���ll have that beer.���

  Gratefully taking the mug from her, he continued, ���Just now, when we were moving across the lot to get over here, one of the infected appeared in front of us. Unlike before, he didn���t move. He merely stood there, silently. While we were focused on him, several more rushed us from behind. There were no calls, no screams, or sounds of any kind. I swear, it was like they were trying to attack while our attentions were elsewhere.���

  As Dr. Hunter took a sip of beer, Mason added, ���And when our attention was turned to our attackers from the rear, the man out front launched his attack. It may sound crazy, but it was well coordinated and premeditated, if you ask me.���

  ���We���ve noticed similar advancements in their behavior,��� Dr. Graves replied. ���Not regarding pre-planning, as you described, but in terms of communication and teamwork. We, too, have witnessed the calls and responses that you have. That is the reason we had to flee the Crary Lab. One called, and others came in response. Then, as we were leaving, they all seemed to follow. Luckily, we must have lost them in the storm.���

  ���We nearly got lost ourselves,��� Brett added. ���Running blind isn���t something I���m looking forward to having to do again anytime soon. About halfway across the lot, we became completely disoriented. We nearly froze to death while trying to fumble our way around to get our bearings.���

  Linda Graves spoke up, saying, ���It���s unlike anything I���ve ever seen before. Their rapid progression, that is. The microbes do have traits similar to others, but on a much different scale. Their ability to���take control���for lack of a better term, is startling. As we���ve discussed, other organisms have the same ability, in the realms of ants and flies, to take over a host, but to be able to control a highly evolved species such as humans, and to have perfected that control in such a short span of time? Well, that���s something I simply cannot fathom. At least, not yet.

  ���Given the proper laboratory environment, I���m sure we could quickly observe and discover their methods and ways to combat it. But in the field, well, there���s only so much we can do.���

  Pausing for a moment, she continued, ���What���s even more puzzling is that, although the infection seems to spread quite rapidly, Brett came in contact with what should have been infected blood, but he has yet to show any signs or symptoms of infection.���

  ���Neville came down with it pretty quickly,��� Dr. Hunter replied.

  ���Oh, dear Lord,��� Dr. Bentley said, shaking his head. ���Is that how the poor boy went?���

  Avoiding a direct answer, Mason said, ���He was a very strong-willed individual. He handled it with courage, poise, and grace. You would have been proud of him.���

  Walking over to Brett, Dr. Graves said, ���Let me see your arm.���

  Rolling up his sleeve, he handed her his arm and she began to look him over. Examining his cut, she said, ���I don���t see any sign of the infection. Nothing at all. I was sure I would, given the scene at the time.���

  From across the room, Dr. Bentley stood up and asked, ���What���s that bracelet made of?���

  Brett replied, ���Copper.���

  Pausing, each of the scientists looked at each other for a moment, and then Dr. Graves said, ���It seems unlikely, but it���s possible.���

  ���What���s possible?��� asked Mason.

  ���Copper has been used by civilizations for thousands of years as an antimicrobial remedy. It is possible, though how probable I am not sure, that the copper bracelet on Brett���s arm repelled the microbes, if any were in fact present in Jenny���s blood.���

  ���And just how exactly could that be?��� asked Dr. Bentley. ���Not all of the potentially contaminated blood would have come in contact with the bracelet. In all probability, more came in contact with his flesh than the bracelet.���

  ���As an astrobiologist, I���ve studied and searched for ways that life could function and exist throughout the universe by studying ways that it exists in the most extreme conditions here on Earth,��� Dr. Graves explained. ���One of the things I have come to realize is that the Earth and everything on and in it, living or not, is made of the same materials found all throughout the universe. Every atom in your body was fused into the element it represents in a star before being scattered by a supernova, allowing those elements to coalesce into asteroids, planets, moons, and everything else we see.

  ���With that in mind, the uni
verse itself behaves exactly the same way in all observable directions. There isn���t one set of laws of physics in one part of the galaxy and a different set of laws elsewhere. I could go much deeper, but in a nutshell, if the universe is consistent, so should be life.

  ���Now, back to your question about the various conditions microbial life might have encountered when potentially transitioning from Jenny���s blood to Brett. Let���s take a look at honeybees for one possible example. When a beekeeper accidentally squishes a honeybee while servicing a hive, the other bees that instantly attack do not do so because they witnessed the atrocity and want justice. They do so because in the final seconds of the deceased bee���s life, it emitted a pheromone to communicate the threat to the rest of the colony.

  ���In other words, they aren���t consciously reacting to a self-made decision after analyzing a situation; they are reacting almost robotically, based on the communication from another bee in their hive. Though it is only one possible hypothesis, these microbes could react in such a way.

  ���We���ve already seen what appears to be an almost intelligent level of control over their host. Is each microbe capable of such thought? Probably not. It���s probably more of a beehive reaction, where each microbe makes up a link in the chain, and together, function intelligently. In the human brain, for instance, one brain cell plays a very small role, but all of them combined make up an organ that is capable of intelligent thought.

  ���In this instance, if some of the microbes encountered a harmful substance such as copper, if that were to be the case, they could have possibly transmitted some sort of signal to the others to abandon the transfer. Again, this is far from something I would consider to be fact with the information we currently have, but based on how life in other realms has developed, it is a possibility.���

  Still having a tough time accepting Dr. Grave���s proposed hypothesis, Dr. Bentley said, ���But in the human brain, those cells are linked together and communicate via electrical signals generated by neurons. If those cells were separated and no longer connected, they could not communicate and transmit information.���

  ���Honeybees aren���t connected but they still communicate, using the air around them as the medium,��� she replied. ���One of the most important things I have accepted as a scientist is that we have to shed ourselves of the modern concept of science as a religion. The modern concept of science is all too often a belief system, rather than a method of study. I consciously remind myself that I am not capable of understanding everything in the universe. I never will be and neither will you. If we don���t keep our minds open, they will be closed to the answers that may be all around us.���

  Having satisfied Dr. Bentley with her rebuttal, Dr. Graves turned to the group and said, ���So, what now?���

  ���How are we looking in the food department?��� Dr. Hunter asked.

  ���There���s still a large supply of snacks in the back,��� replied Phillip. ���As long as our heat holds out, we should be able to survive in here for quite some time.���

  Looking at Mason and Dr. Hunter, Dr. Perkins said, ���You two have another beer to help you sleep and get some rest. You���ve had a long night from the sound of it. The rest of us will need you on your game.���

  Seeing the same signs of fatigue on Dr. Hunter���s face that he himself was feeling, Mason said, ���I think we just might take you up on that.���

  Chapter Nineteen

  Gallagher���s Pub

  Awakening to the sensation of warm breath on his face, Mason opened his eyes to see Neville kneeling over him. Neville���s eyes were riddled with broken capillaries and the whites now had a grayish tint to them. The arteries in his neck and the corners of his mouth were traced with the microorganisms, indicating that they had fully taken over his body.

  Afraid to move, Mason quietly muttered, ���N… Neville. You…��� as Neville viciously attacked him, lunging down and biting Mason���s throat. Unable to breathe due to his crushed windpipe, Mason struggled to get the beast that Neville had become off of him as a searing pain like he had never felt before rushed through his body and the warmth of his own blood spilled over him.

  Fighting off his attacker, Mason heard, ���Mason! Stop! It���s me, Nathan!���

  Opening his eyes, Mason saw Dr. Hunter standing over him. Releasing his grip, Mason looked around the room to see Dr. Graves and the others all staring at him with looks of concern.

  ���You were having a nightmare, Mason,��� explained Dr. Hunter. ���I was just trying to wake you. Are you okay? That sounded pretty bad.���

  Catching his breath with his heart still pounding in his chest, Mason sat up and looked around in embarrassment. ���Um… It was Neville. I had a bad dream about Neville.���

  Turning to the others, Dr. Hunter said, ���Let���s give him a moment. We���ve all been through a hell of a lot, and we���ll each have some things we need to work through.���

  Patting Mason on the shoulder, Dr. Hunter said, ���We���ll leave you be. Just come on in the other room when you feel up to it.���

  Nodding his head, Mason said, ���Will do, Doc.���

  Watching the others leave the back room where he had been sleeping, Mason sat up and placed his face in his hands. ���Holy shit, that was real,��� he mumbled to himself.

  Regaining his composure, he stood and stretched. Walking across the room, Mason lifted the corner of the curtains that were drawn shut over the window and looked around. As his eyes scanned the area around Gallagher���s Pub, he started to lower the curtain after having seen no threats, but paused when something caught his eye. ���What the…?���

  Looking closely at the Joint Space Operations Center (JSOC) to the west, he saw a figure that seemed to be standing motionless, directly facing Gallagher���s Pub. Rubbing his still sleepy eyes, he looked again, and it was gone.

  ���I���m losing it,��� he mumbled as he yawned and turned to go and join the others.

  ���Mason,��� Brett said as he entered the bar area of the pub. ���Glad to see you up and about.���

  ���I���m sure glad to see you, too, man. I���m glad to see every one of you. That dream was too real.���

  ���We���ve all been through a hell of a time,��� replied Dr. Perkins. ���I���m surprised any of us are holding up as well as we are.���

  ���I���m sure that���ll all come to a screeching halt as soon as we get out of here. We���ll have our own floor in a mental hospital somewhere,��� Brett added.

  Walking over to one of the front doors, Mason pulled back the blind slightly to look outside.

  ���What is it?��� asked Dr. Hunter.

  ���Oh, nothing. I just thought I saw something from the other room. It���s probably just my paranoia getting me prepared for that room in the mental hospital,��� Mason replied, only half-joking.

  ���Maybe you need another beer to calm your nerves, mate,��� Dr. Bentley said jokingly.

  ���No, thanks,��� Mason replied. ���I want to keep what few wits I have about me.���

  Laughing from across the room, Brett said, ���Yeah, I never understood the guys in a horror movie who would find a bottle of whiskey somewhere, crack it open, and start drinking. An alien invasion or zombie apocalypse is the last place I���d want to be drunk.���

  With a half-hearted laugh, Mason said, ���And here we are, in our very own horror movie. Only, in the movies, I can usually guess where the ending is going. Here, though, I have no clue. I just can���t see it. It���s not like there is safety on the outskirts of town. There is nothing on the outskirts of town here b
ut a cold, frozen death. And beyond that���more cold.���

  ���Just imagine how the others at the smaller research stations are doing,��� said Dr. Perkins. ���Those who didn���t leave for the season before everything started falling apart, that is. They have even fewer resources. At least Mac-Town is set up for the wintering-over crew to make it all the way through the winter. The smaller, seasonal research stations scattered about are probably finding their cupboards beginning to look bare, just like we were out at MEVO while we were waiting for a ride. They���ve got to be getting desperate by now.���

  In a grim tone, Dr. Bentley said, ���Some are out there starving with nothing to eat but each other, and here we are, trying to avoid being eaten by our fellow man. It seems we have the same problem.���

  After a moment of awkward silence, Tasha screamed, pulling back from the window.

  ���What? What is it?��� Dr. Graves asked.

  ���I saw something go past the window just now,��� she replied, pointing.

  ���Was it one of them?��� Brett asked, running to the window.

  ���I see something,��� said Dr. Perkins from another window across the room. Separating the blinds with his index and middle fingers, he said, ���Someone seems interested in the pub.���

  Joining Dr. Perkins, Dr. Hunter looked out the small opening in the blinds, saying, ���It���s one of them for sure.���

  ���Why the bloody hell is he just standing there staring at us?��� Dr. Bentley asked.

  ���We���ve seen that behavior several times before,��� replied Dr. Hunter. ���My guess is it���s either a distraction, trying to get us to focus our attention on that one individual, or it���s a marker of some sort, pointing us out to the others. Either way, I think our comfortable stay here at Gallagher���s Pub is nearing its end.���