Animalypse
Page 7
“Today at six p.m.,” says the reporter, “a fatal incident caused the death of three workers in the Loinco Packing Company meat-processing plant in Tar Heel, North Carolina.”
A sequence of security camera videos shows the interior of the meat-processing plant. The vast indoor stables where hundreds of pigs are housed prior to slaughter. There is a great stir among the animal, which are bigger than buffalos with bulky muscles.
The reporter continues explaining.
“This videos from security cameras show pigs jumping out of the pigsties and attacking the workers at the site.”
The large animals emit shrieks, rearing up and jumping the fences of the pens, which are unable to contain them.
The giant pigs’ flock runs through the aisles of the pens. They crush and attack workers in their path. Two pigs dismember a worker.
The image switch to an exterior security camera.
The employees flee through the outer door of the plant trying to hide or climb where the pigs won’t get them.
The reporter narrates.
“This security video shows the giant pigs escaping from the plant and destroying everything in their path.”
The massive pigs flee in droves from the plant, taking down its fence and getting into the surrounding cornfields.
“There have been reported half a dozen killed and dozens injured, many critically,” concludes the reporter.
The video ends.
“Obviously,” comments Chandra, “they cannot put a cloak of silence over all this for much longer.”
Dr. Forseter moves his head skeptical.
“Saint Mount has powerful influences in the media and in the government.”
“Indeed,” agrees Chandra, “I have come here investigating its connections in the Senate. Also, you could help me with your knowledge.”
Chandra changes the subject, somehow embarrassed.
“Could I use your bathroom?”
“Sure!” answers Dr. Forseter, “just go through that door to the right. You could take a shower if you like.”
Chandra shies.
“I don’t want to bother you.”
Dr. Forseter sticks to his offering.
“It’s a pleasure! You have made a long trip and have a real adventure at my barn! There are clean towels in the bathroom.”
“Thanks,” says Chandra going to the bathroom.
It appears to be the only really clean and organized place in the house. She undresses and takes a shower.
When drying herself with a towel, she finds a hairdryer. While drying her hair, she hears over the hairdryer noise that Dr. Forseter is talking by phone.
She set off the hairdryer, but the conversation stops. She doesn’t give much attention and continues drying her hair.
Chandra goes back to the living room. Dr. Forseter handles her a cup of tea.
“Thanks!” Says Chandra.
“Sugar?” Asks Dr. Forseter.
“No, thanks.”
“Saint Mount and those who use Mutanex,” comments Dr. Forseter, “don’t want my work or any other research coming to light.”
“You don’t need to convince me,” replies Chandra, “I have been subject to harassment myself for the only reason of going around asking questions.”
“You?” Dr. Forseter gets surprised.
“Actually,” confesses Chandra, “I haven’t come in an official assignment. They have accused me of provoking some events on a poultry farm and for harassing a senator.”
Forseter steps back, taking distance from her.
“I can’t help you. If anyone knows what I’m doing without any authorization, I can go back to jail.”
Chandra tries to make her case.
“Look, there is a global catastrophe going on, and only you can stop it. It’s our opportunity to exonerate ourselves.”
Forseter goes around the room thinking.
“What about the evidence you mention in your letter?” Inquires Chandra, “your research on neutralizing Mutanex would also be a weapon against Saint Mount.”
Dr. Forseter stops, check his watch and looks at her as taking a tough decision.
“Come with me. I want to show you something.”
Chandra follows him outside.
Chapter 21. Under Attack
Dr. Forseter leaves the house by a side door, followed by Chandra. They walk a hundred feet to a nearby hill covered by trees and bushes. Chandra can’t catch his pace because of the dark, the bushes, and the terrain irregularities.
Suddenly, Forseter stops and watches back. Chandra also turn around to see what he’s looking at.
They see the lights of three large black SUVs coming through the road in the countryside night.
The vehicles hit the brakes at the front of the house producing a cloud of dust.
A dozen men in tactical attires, ski masks and with assault rifles jump out of them. They stand in a line in front of the house shooting long bursts.
Chandra draws her gun dragging Dr. Forseter to a nearby bush.
From their hideout, they see one of the attackers going back to an SUV. He opens its back door, pulling out an RPG. He aims and shoots the RPG at the house, blowing it up.
Another attacker takes out a flame-thrower from other vehicle and sets fire to the house in ruins.
From their hideout, Chandra and Forseter watch everything in awe.
The attackers split in couples and began searching the surroundings. The one with the flame-thrower goes around the barn setting it on fire.
The big barn gets completely on fire. Terrible roars and screeches are heard from inside while the animals in the barn are burned alive.
They also set fire to Forseter and Chandra’s cars.
A couple of Attackers search around where Chandra and Forseter are hiding.
Chandra forces Dr. Forseter to lay down tight to the dirt when the couple attackers pass by their hideout.
Finally, the attackers jump into the SUVs and leave, screeching tires, leaving a dust cloud.
Chandra and Forseter get out of their hideout. He yells upset.
“But…! Why have they done this?”
“Who knew I was coming? Who did you call while I was in the shower? You told me you had no phone.”
“I called through Skype to order pizza. It’s untraceable.”
Chandra hits her forehead with the palm of her hand.
“It has to be Mora! He was the only one who knew where I was! I shouldn’t trust him!”
“Why do they want to kill us? What’s happening?”
Chandra gets worried.
“I’ve just opened the Pandora’s box. They will do everything possible to prevent being unmasked.”
“What could we do now?” Asks Forseter, disturbed.
“I shall call my boss in Washington. He was my father’s partner. I’m sure he will help us.”
“I don’t think that’s a smart thing to do, they could track us by your phone. You should put it off and look for another way.”
Chandra turns off her phone and removes its battery.
“You’re right! What were you going to show me before the attack?”
Dr. Forseter points out to the other side of the hill.
“Luckily, the attackers probably didn’t know about the facilities back there. Follow me, please.”
Chapter 22. The Ecoloverse Lab
Chandra follows Dr. Forster down a path through a forest in the dark to a hidden building that looks like a bunker among trees and shrubs.
Dr. Forseter opens a large iron door and turns the light on. It is a large lab, equipped with the ultimate high-tech.
Chandra is surprised.
“This facility must have cost millions!”
“It is the Ecoloverse lab,” explains Forseter, “an environmental nonprofit organization. I contributed with the land.”
Chandra reviews permits and certificates in a notice board next to the door. Forseter stares at her.
“I’m
sorry,” she apologizes, “it’s a habit. Everything seems to be in order.”
Forseter leads Chandra to a corridor with large recessed refrigerators.
“The Ecoloverse’s board has been kind enough to use my services, which allowed me to continue my research.”
Forester opens the door of the first refrigerator and pulls out a stretcher covered by a nylon sheet.
When lifting the plastic cover, a misshapen creature the size of a large pig appears covered with clear plastic.
It’s a giant guinea pig, full of repugnant swellings and pustules.
Chandra backs off in disgust.
“What the heck is that thing!”
“This was one of my first attempts to counteract Mutanex’s effects.”
Chandra watches the creature cautiously making faces of disgust.
“It seems to have become seriously ill.”
“My first experiments neutralized the effects of Mutanex’s restrictive enzymes that prevent organisms from developing cancer.”
“So, you haven’t found the way to counter Mutanex’s effects yet.”
Dr. Forseter answers proudly.
“On the contrary.”
Forester goes all the way to the end of the corridor opening refrigerators doors. Each refrigerator has a stretcher with a body of a similar specimen in it, covered by a clear plastic sheet.
Chandra follows Forrester watching each specimen with apprehension.
Dr. Forseter narrates his experiences.
“Science is a long and tedious process of trial and error.”
“That’s what my mother has always told me.”
The row of stretchers displays a collection of evolving experiments. Dr. Forseter shows them one by one.
“My first attempts were failures.”
The first guinea pigs have monstrous sizes with tumorous deformations.
Dr. Forseter continues explaining.
“When it just seemed that all was lost and useless, something happened.”
Forester points at a smaller corpse of a guinea pig, though still with tumors.
“Gradually, we were able to control Mutanex’s carcinogenic effects.”
Forseter shows various specimens which are smaller and have fewer tumors.
“Until we got this repeatedly!”
Forseter shows a rack of dozens of small cages full of healthy and normal guinea pigs.
Chandra is amazed.
“You really did it!”
Dr. Forseter talks with modest pride.
“We have developed a restrictive enzyme, which nullifies the effect of Mutanex. We call it HYPERGENEX. It could also be the actual cancer cure for humans!”
Chandra has contradicted feelings.
“I’m sorry for how these animals should have suffered, but it's incredible!”
Dr. Forseter sights.
“The problem is that the bacteria and virus carriers of Hypergenex could only be inoculated individually to each animal and plant.”
Chandra gets discouraged.
“So, this catastrophe has no quick solution.”
“It does. That’s why I've been trying to contact Professor Wilkinson. The professor has developed microscopic robots from bacteria and viruses.”
Chandra cheers up.
“Exactly, her nanobots are the ultimate in nanotechnology.”
“I think that the Wilkinson’s nanobots could be a radical solution to the problem.”
“How can they help?”
Dr. Forseter gets excited.
“Simply, spreading the nanobots charged with Hypergenex in the water used for plants and animals’ consumption.”
Chandra doubts.
“Could be that easy?”
“As soon as the water is absorbed by the body of animals and plants,” Forseter tries to convince her, “which are made mostly of water, the nanobots could reach each cell rapidly, downloading the Hypergenex.”
“So, the cure could work almost immediately!” Chandra gets enthusiastic.
“Exactly, but the professor wouldn’t ever accept doing anything illegal.”
“My mother has been an environmental activist since the 60s. She knows the urgency of stopping this catastrophe.”
“Do you believe that she will help me?”
“I know her better than anyone. How can we get out of here?”
“The lab has a truck we could use,” says Forseter, “it will take about twenty hours to get to Philadelphia.”
Chandra urges him.
“We must do it in a record time!”
Dr. Forster takes out a set of keys from a drawer and walks out. Chandra follows him.
Chapter 23. On the Road
Dr. Forester drives the lab truck on Pennsylvania I-80 highway eastbound. Chandra goes in the passenger seat inquiring about his plans.
“What is your actual plan to control all these animals and plants?”
Dr. Forseter explains.
“Your mother has done an extraordinary job turning the Escherichia Coli bacteria into nanobots. We could easily contaminate a small Escherichia Coli bacteria crop with our Hypergenex compound in a lab. Then, in an aqueous medium, we could make them reproduce at extreme speeds. We just need to spray Wilkinson nanobots from fumigation airplanes over the main sources of water in the world. Wilkison’s nanobots will multiply at incredible speeds in those waters. Within weeks, we can cover all agricultural water supplies of the world.”
Chandra doubts.
“Wouldn’t it be harmful to humans and the environment?”
Dr. Forseter corrects her.
“The beauty of Wilkinson’s nanobots is that they are harmless to humans and the rest of the biosphere. Furthermore, they are biodegradable. They won’t leave a trace in a few weeks. But, before they disappear, a great deal of them will access to most of the producers who have used Mutanex. The nanobots will reach crops and the animals through the water and will circulate through the plant capillaries and the animals blood systems reaching every cell of every plant and animal. There, they’ll download the nobots they carry. These are another Professor Wilkinson’s robots made from viruses. And the nobots will take our Hypergenex enzymes to the DNA of each treated Mutanex plant and animal cell, editing their genetic code. Our Hypergenex acts exclusively on organisms treated with Mutanex, reversing its effects.”
“I hope you’re right,” sights Chandra.
Chapter 24. A Green Tsunami
Hours later, Chandra drives Forster’s truck on I-76 expressway. The doctor sleeps in the passenger seat.
Suddenly, the highway shakes. Forseter wakes up.
“What’s that?”
“It looks like a mild earth wake,” answers Chandra.
Dr. Forster stares at her.
“Let me drive. You should be tired.”
“It’s okay, we are a few hours from Philly.”
Suddenly, another shock shakes the road, this time, twice as powerful.
Chandra struggles to keep the truck straight.
In the dark, the woods seem to move as a sea toward the road.
Chandra tries to see through the dark.
“What’s that?”
Dr. Forseter takes his head with his hands.
“Probably, some idiot had the great idea to use Mutanex in the nearby woods.”
The trees surrounding the road grow rapidly surpassing several times the heights of the giant sequoias of California. Their trunks and branches grow enormously and get thicker and thicker, pushing each other, plowing the earth in slow motion and knocking down the huge trees at the edge of the vast forest.
The deep-toned creak of hundreds of huge trees pushing and twisting each other shakes the atmosphere with its chilling vibration.
The giant forest grows and advances towards the road pushing fallen trees, crumbling houses and buildings, and mounds of dirt and debris.
On reaching the road, the slow-motion flood of trees brakes the concrete falling like an avalanche of timber,
debris, and soil over the highway.
The roots seem huge snakes emerging from the asphalt and concrete.
Cars and trucks on the road hit the brakes or turn abruptly.
Some collide with other vehicles or against the massive trunks, branches, roots, or the dirt and debris mounds.
Some vehicles fall into the deep cracks opened by the roots on the road.
A couple of cars explode. The fire rapidly expands through the moving forest.
Chandra makes sharp turns to avoid obstacles.
She mustn’t stop, crossing under huge branches and bunches of broad leaves. Passing to the other side, she almost hit a truck that had turned over. Forseter yells at her side.
“Look out! There!”
The huge logs and debris fall on the road, crushing cars and trucks. There are some more explosions.
Chandra sees through the windshield the entrance of the Kittatinny tunnel and hits the accelerator turning tightly to avoid the massive trunks, debris mounds, the wide cracks in the road and other vehicles.
Chandra goes faster and faster, making sharp turns. Dr. Forseter hangs on, withstanding the shaking and turns of the vehicle.
Chandra manages to drive into the tunnel just before the avalanche, saving the truck from getting smashed.
Chandra breathes.
“We’re safe!”
Dr. Forseter points out frantically to the roof.
“I’m not so sure of that!”
An earthquake rumble is heard. The tunnel begins to shake. Tiles and large pieces of concrete fall from the ceiling.
Huge roots emerge from the cracks, smashing vehicles. Some cars explode, setting fire to the meandering roots.
Chandra accelerates grazing the tunnel walls, other vehicles and the roots that grow in the way, rushing toward the end of the tunnel.
The truck gets out of the tunnel, rushing toward the entrance of another tunnel, the Blue Mountain, where it enters.
Upon entering the Blue Mountain Tunnel, everything seems calm. The few vehicles left speed towards the exit of the tunnel, Forseter’s truck among them.
Inside the truck, Forseter looks worried, talking to himself, moving his head.
“This is getting out of hand!”
Chandra watches him for a moment somehow confused.