by Dean, Jane
She took another deep breath and looked around the room. No one was looking in their direction and she brushed a hair from her face and sat up straight again. "I haven't heard from my family but I haven't given up hope.” She picked up her phone and studied the screen. “When this calms down, I've been told that they’ll search for them."
"I'm sorry. I lost a lot of people close to me too. They'll find them,” he said.
"Yes. I don't doubt they will." She straightened her jacket. "The entire procedure was efficient."
"Very efficient,” he said.
A tall military uniformed man walked to the head of the conference table lectern and addressed the room in a loud voice. "Ladies and gentlemen.” The chatter quieted quickly. "I'll ask you to listen to Doctor Conrad for a quick briefing as we wait for a few of our key scientists and experts to arrive." Mayor Lynton stopped picking at the buttons on her jacket and turned to the military scientist now standing at the podium. The screen at the front of the room snapped on and displayed a slide of the US emblem.
"Thank you for your patience. I’m the scientist in charge of research at this facility,” he addressed the group as still more people entered the room and took seats. "Our intelligence has been informed that the virus has now spread to every corner of the globe." He waited for the murmur of the crowd to dispel before continuing. He turned to the screen and pressed a button on a control on the podium.
The Mayor squinted at the world map displayed on the screen. "What is this?" the Mayor asked. She could see red, yellow and green areas on each screen.
"We're currently tracking the virus and any mutations reported from sources around the world. In turn, we're sharing our knowledge with a base near the United Nations headquarters. Their base is still intact but we're losing ground in most areas of the globe." Dr. Conrad turned to look at the screen. "This is a live feed from the United Nations intelligence center above our position at the base. You'll see that India has been lost and the considerable population is moving out to nearby regions." He moved the red indicator to the other side of the oversized screen across the Atlantic.
Kat could see that most countries were shaded yellow except India which was entirely red. "The stars represent an operational military base that we have contact with.” The doctor pressed a hand to his earpiece. “One moment please." He listened to the earpiece for a moment and began again, “Ladies and gentlemen. I've just been informed that one of our key scientists has arrived. We’ll have him join us to present his findings and a possible solution." He turned to the officer sitting at the computer to his right. “Please have all bases connected when the doctor gets here.”
* * *
Ursa fought with the weight of Melissa on her back. Marshall and Tod stopped between two houses on the tree-lined street as Ursa caught up to their position a moment later. She looked up to the growing clouds that now almost covered the sky and was thankful that they helped to hide them in the darkened street. With no sign of biters they were able to catch their breath. "How can your dad possibly help us?" Tod asked Ursa.
"He's a scientist. He does a lot of work with the government. He may have connections that can help." Ursa watched as Marshall looked around the corner of the house.
"It's clear,” he said motioning his hand quickly and they stayed low to follow him to the next house.
"He called me right before the race,” she continued to whisper when they stop. "I think he knew something was happening."
"Did he say what was going on?" Tod asked.
"Ready?" Marshall asked. Ursa and Tod nodded. They reached a car parked at the next home and hid behind it.
"He sounded worried and told me to get to Washington,” she said. “I didn't pay attention to what he was trying to say because the race was starting. I'm sure he knew what was happening and tried to warn me. He said I needed to get back right away."
Marshall grabbed a shovel left against a garage and wedged it between his back and the pack he was wearing. "We can't stay here," he said. "Let's keep moving. The marina's about a mile further at the end of the street.”
“I don’t that I can run that far very fast,” Tod said.
Marshall looked at the cars left scattered on the road. “We can take a car as far as we can then run the rest of the way on foot if we have to." Ursa's phone began to vibrate. She swiped at it quickly.
"Callum? Callum?" she said.
"Yeah it's me. I'm almost at the house." Ursa closed her eyes and rested back on her heels.
"We're not there anymore. I couldn't reach you to let you know. Marshall can tell you how to get here. Hang on." She slipped the arm band off and held the phone out to Marshall. "Marshall? Can you tell Callum how to get to the marina?" she asked.
He ignored her for a moment and continued to look around the car trying to tell if there was any sign of Walkers.
"Jesus. We don't have time for this." Marshall whispered and grabbed the phone. "Callum, where are you now?" He waited briefly. "Okay. Continue to the end of the road you're on turn right at the light. Continue straight from there to the marina. Got that? Good. You have half an hour to get to our position. We're going to take a boat to get away. Look for us at the marina." He threw the arm band back at Mattie and looked around the corner. "He's close to us. There’s a good chance he’ll make it. Now let's go."
They stopped behind a hedge row next to a newly paved driveway and watched as a few biters crossed the street aimlessly. "Those things are fast at first maybe they slow down after they're dead for a while,” Tod whispered.
Ursa looked around her, "There could still be some fast ones out there. Do you think we can outrun them?"
"I'm going to try." Marshall was focused on something down the street. He turned and grabbed Ursa's arm. "We can make it to that car over there.” He nodded to a small Honda. “It looks like the driver got out and left his door open."
"Okay. Let's do this,” Tod said and adjusted his pack.
“Right, time to go,” Marshall said. Ursa nodded. Most of the biters weren't looking in their direction, giving them a head start.
They ran close together following Marshall as he led them from car to car. Ursa got glimpses of the inside of the car they were running toward between the two men in front of her. She couldn't see anyone in the passenger seat and hoped they wouldn't be noticed by the biters staggering around the front yards of homes. They ducked down for a moment as a biter shuffled out toward them from the side of a house. It was a woman in a housecoat. One slipper was missing and her head was bent to the side at an odd angle. Their group was now in plain view but the woman didn't move in their direction. They went unnoticed as she dragged a bare and bloody foot across the street. "Okay,” Tod said to Marshall. "Let's go. We're almost there."
Ursa struggled with Melissa. The little girl was wriggling and the movement upset her balance. Ursa twisted to catch hold of Melissa's leg, turning her head slightly she could see two biters running in their direction. She could tell they were two runners from the marathon. Both men were wearing singlets and, although their stride was lopsided, they were moving quickly in their direction. "Marshall!"
"What?" Marshall turned and looked at the men approaching.
"Shit,” Tod yelled and they all stood to run toward the car. Ursa had Melissa by a leg and an arm and struggled to keep up with the men. Tod looked back to see her stopped for a moment and then ran back to help.
“Thanks,” she said as he took Melissa from Ursa. Able to run unhindered, Ursa lengthened her stride. They were about 10 feet from the car when a figure sat up in the back seat. They stopped and looked back at the runners coming quickly toward them down the middle of the street. Ursa looked around and couldn't see another car within reach. The marina was still a mile from their position.
She looked back to the car. "They might be okay!" she yelled and ran up to the passenger side. The child on the other side of the window scratched and clawed against the glass. Ursa drew back in revulsion.
&nbs
p; Marshall ran to join Ursa. "We don't have a choice,” he said. “Run around to the other side." Tod, Ursa and Melissa ran around the car. Marshall held the driver's side door closed and opened the back door. The gnawing child fell onto the road. "Get in!" he yelled. He closed the passenger door and leapt into the driver's seat while Ursa, Tod and Melissa jumped into the back of the car. Ursa felt the tackiness of blood on the seat as she struggled to close the door. Marshall was already driving over the curb and back onto the street before she could slam the door shut. "Everyone in? Hang on," Marshall yelled as biters flew over the hood of the car drawn out by the sound of tires and yells. Ursa turned to see the runners still chasing them.
Ursa's phone vibrated. "Callum?" she answered still staring back at the runners.
"Yeah!” Callum yelled over the phone’s speaker.
“If you run at top speed you can get to us. Do you think you can do that?" she asked.
"I don't know,” Callum said. "I'm trapped Ursa. If I’m not there don’t wait for me. Leave. Get away."
"You're close Callum. You've got to try. I know you can do it. I can't lose you."
EIGHT
"Ladies and gentlemen. While we wait for Dr. Myers to join us. I've been instructed to brief you all as to our present state of affairs. You've been gathered here as experts in your respective areas. There are bases similar to this one around the world. We are staying in contact to keep all groups up to date about the situation. Any and all suggestions will be presented to the United Nations. Our leading expert, Dr. Frank Myers, who has studied this virus has arrived and will address us and any surviving base who still has access to our media stream.”
Kat turned to see who had walked into the room as Dr. Troy looked up from the podium. An older man with long grey hair dressed in a dirty lab coat entered the room and bumped into a man standing at the doorway. He staggered slightly then continued to move toward the front of the room. A smaller man followed behind with folders tucked under his arm. As they approached, Kat could see that both men were smeared with blood and their hair was in disarray. The younger man tried to push his wiry hair back into place as they turned to face the crowd.
“Dr. Myers is here to speak briefly about a solution we think may save the remainder of humanity.” He looked to the doctor, nodded and moved away from the podium. The Major turned to a young man with glasses sitting next to him. "Are we ready with France and Sweden?"
The man removed his head set to communicate with his superior, "Yes sir. They’re connected." The young man blinked his eyes a few times readjusting his headphones and returned to typing. Kat guessed he hadn't slept in days.
The scientist turned to the crowded room and to the camera which must have been installed on the podium on the table in front of him. His video image appeared at the bottom of large screen. As he began speaking the image expanded to take over most of the display. "Hello, I'm Dr. Myers. I'm head of research at Yale University. I won’t take long here because I’ve been ordered to get to work right away. I’ll have my assistant, Will,” he motioned to the man next to him, “update you on any progress we make while I’m working. In the 70s, we realized that to progress on a solution to the Ebola virus had stopped. Instead of trying to break through the barrier we tried a different approach. We developed a treatment to change the genetic makeup of humans to withstand the onset of the Ebola virus or any disease for that matter. I am going to be transparent and tell you all that anyone treated will face the prospect of genetic mutations or potential death.” He took a moment to look around the room and glanced at his assistant’s pale face. “I warn that this treatment hasn’t been fully tested and variations in the outcome will occur.”
Sweden's leader could be heard through the speaker and his face enlarged on the monitor with a small label below his face listing his name and country, "How soon can we obtain this solution doctor?” Dr. Myers began to answer but stopped as the screen changed and the leader of the Philippines spoke and enlarged.
“We need this treatment or our remaining people will not last long.”
Dr. Myers continued, “Yes, I will warn you that the mutations may be as abhorrent to some as the walking dead you see now. The physical and mental changes are radical and but these changes will give an advantage to the dangers we face.”
“What exactly will people become Dr. Myers?” The Prime Minister of Finland asked.
“We think what we are looking at is human evolution sped up by at 100,000 years with increased intellect and physical strength. Testing on primates was halted in the 80s. Production of the drug Thantos which is the first phase of the treatment is being mass produced.
The second phase is an infusion of a supplement. The subject will need an increase of caloric and the supplement which will be provided is required to ensure that starvation doesn’t result and the correct nutritional components will assurance the mutation results. We know that increased food intake will not complete the cycle. The supplement is also required. We are testing on human subjects right now and Dr. Hume will take my place to show you more.”
Dr. Hume stepped up to the podium as Dr. Myers followed by his assistant walked quickly from the room. “To give a complete picture of the drug and results, the full report and testing is being transmitted and distributed. Small booklets were being passed around and tablets around the room glowed with the newly uploaded information. “All bases worldwide should have receive the report by now.” Dr. Hume picked up one of the booklets and turned to the camera. “All countries will be asked to put forth their conclusions and any alternate solutions. Everything we know will be shared.” A murmur spread through the room as people reviewed the report.
The Mayor looked to John, “We need to get the vaccine,” she said. "Can we produce enough? Is there a way to make it available to everyone?"
Dr. Hume’s loud voice cut through the room. "I have something to show you all first." He began typing into his laptop and turned toward the large monitor with a grimace as a video replaced the face and a feed from a grey laboratory began to play.
"May I have your attention please?” he said. “While Dr. Myers is working to upload new data and complete testing, I'm going to show you what happens when a subject is injected with the drug Thantos.” He pressed a button and the camera zoomed in on a man laying strapped to a bed. “Our main problem has been that the drug reacts in different ways with each blood types." The doctor turned to the young man next to him working frantically on his computer. "Are we ready?" he asked.
"Yes, sir. We have all available countries monitoring our feed."
"That's good." The doctor turned to the screen. The video cracked across the screen. The man pictured was quietly laying on the lab table and seemed asleep. A person in a lab coat appeared next to the prone man as an assistant checked the straps that secured his arms and legs to the table. They watched as the drug was injected into the man's IV. Both scientists stepped out of the room. After about three minutes the man started to writhe and scream.
"This is torture!" Mayor Lynton yelled.
"I know it looks bad, but we're saving his life. This man had been bitten moments earlier by an infected primate. The alternative to what you're seeing here is for him to wake up as an undead Walker. Wait, please, he'll be okay in a moment." They continued to watch the man contort himself and strain against his bonds.
"Do we have the ability to do this? To vaccinate enough people?" Asked the British Prime Minister from his minimized screen he tone sounded skeptical. Dr. Hume paused the video.
"We do. We have a lab here in Yakima directly below us and the drug and supplement can be delivered to most countries. We will send formulas as well, but there's a problem,” Dr. Hume answered and moved back to typing on his laptop to resume the video. The monitor flashed at the front of the room and the man was shown later still hooked to the IV but now calm.
"What is the problem doctor?” Kat asked. “You've just told us that the serum works."
Dr. Hume glance
d up briefly to look at the Mayor. “Please continue watching,” he said.
The man on the table lay calmly. A scientist returned to the room to check his vitals on the monitor next to him. Kat noticed something remarkably different about the man after she was able to compare him to Dr. Myers standing nearby.
“Is that the same man?” she asked Dr. Hume.
“Yes. He’s the same man. But you’ll have noticed that now he is about a foot taller and his head especially has enlarged. If you look carefully he has less hair, you can’t see from here but feet have changed to leave indistinct digits instead of toes. Internally his heart has enlarged to two its normal size and his eyes allow for increased night vision. We do know from previous tests that his brain has also changed significantly. Recorded IQs have increased by at least 100 points. We haven’t studied long term effects.”
“Was this the O negative subject?” Kat asked the doctor.
Dr. Hume replied, “No. This man was AB positive and the results were acceptable. Because of his biological changes is now impervious to the current Ebola strain as well as almost every known disease have were able to introduce.”
The Prime Minister of Britain came onto the screen. “If we have the drug available, we should use it right away. Everyone should have the right to be. We're just standing around doing nothing doctor while the world is being overrun. We won't be able to save anyone if we wait much longer." The crowd agreed and called out.
Dr. Myers returned to the room at that moment and elbowed his way through the crowd to the podium.
"Dr. Myers,” Dr. Hume said. “Are you absolutely certain that your conclusions are correct? Can you address the members here to tell them the limitations and side effects of Thantos?"
"Yes." Dr. Myers stepped forward to the podium. "From our research on primates and humans we can predict 90% acceptance of the mutations. I’m unable to modify the serum further but the results are acceptable. We are now in the process of shipping to all bases in countries around the world. Our main concern are those subjects vaccinated who have an O negative blood type.”