Particle Z (Book 1)

by Scott, Tim

  “How do you know so much about it, Julian, when it took the rest of the world by surprise?” Marlee asked him. She was staring intently at him now, almost through him it seemed.

  “You can sense it now, Marlee?” Julian asked her with a look just as intense.

  Mike got the definite impression there was something else going on between them, something the rest of them could not see or understand.

  “Yes, I feel it now. You have a familiar feeling about you that I also sensed when I first touched Ashley’s mind.”

  “Very good, Marlee, you’re getting stronger and have already gained some control of your gift.”

  “Gift, is that what you call this curse?”

  “How else would you explain something that didn’t kill you and may help others?” Julian asked her with a clinical inflection to his voice.

  “How do you know what I can feel?” she asked suddenly.

  “I’ve had a little more practice than you,” he said and looked directly into Marlee’s eyes.

  Without blinking, Julian’s eyes turned from a crisp blue to a dull red. The red radiating from the depths of his pupils mirrored Marlee’s exactly. Her breath caught in her throat and shock registered on the faces of those around Julian.

  “How?” she breathed after a pause.

  “Up till now there were only sporadic outbreaks involving a small number of people, relatively speaking. These outbreaks were easily contained and explained because they occurred in remote or Third World countries,” Julian started to explain before Marlee cut him off.

  “Julian, I want to know how you changed your eye color,” Marlee asked impatiently.

  “I’ll get to that, patience please, but I’m going to start from the beginning. It’ll save time and answer many of the questions you’re going to have.”

  Marlee didn’t argue so Mike assumed Julian’s presumption was correct. He wondered if they were going to finally learn the real story behind Julian and his motivations.

  “Okay,” Marlee said a bit sheepishly, confirming Mike’s suspicion.

  “Like I was saying, there were only sporadic outbreaks involving a small number of people. I had been conducting research for the Army and a few other agencies to determine what could be done, if anything, to prevent a worldwide pandemic. As you now know, that part of the mission can be checked off as an extreme failure. It was inevitable anyway; the secrecy surrounding the research prevented collaboration between agencies as well as nations and it was only a matter of time before all of these little outbreaks would hit a tipping point and go global.”

  Mike stopped Julian mid-oration and asked, “How did you get selected for this mission in the first place?”

  “Mike, you’re as impatient as your girlfriend. Please let me finish,” Julian said gently, not wanting to offend Mike, but letting them all know he was going to provide this explanation on his terms. “Like I was saying, the outbreaks were getting harder to explain; the recent Ebola outbreak that obviously wasn’t Ebola was the tipping point, and when it started to spread globally I knew we had lost the battle for a cure or containment. We never really had the resources or the time to get ahead of it. Looking back, we were foolish to even think we could turn the tide of an event that was prophesized and inevitable. Man was doomed the day they fired up the Large Hadron Collider. As for me, I can only assume I was exposed when we went to Switzerland to demand the immediate shut-down of the Collider. I got lucky with my Change and didn’t exhibit the most obvious sign.”

  “The red eyes,” Marlee stated

  “Bingo, although I could feel things were different within me but I just assumed the Change was dormant. What other choice did I have?”

  Reid interrupted Julian even after his quiet warning against such an action. “What happened in Switzerland? Did they shut it down?”

  Julian gave Reid the stink-eye for interrupting again, but responded anyway. “They refused, of course. Those high and mighty pricks already knew their work was the catalyst that would end the world and they didn’t give a flying shit. Arrogant self-righteous assholes making decisions in the name of higher education with little regard for the rest of us … sorry, I’m getting off topic. Back to the first question. I have enhanced senses and figured out by pure chance how to hide the eye thing. Very useful when meeting new people for the first time and yes, I can show you how it’s done later.”

  This was a huge relief for Marlee as well as Mike. His biggest fear was having her mistaken for one of the Changed and being butchered right in front of his eyes. Looking over at Marlee, he could tell she was having the same thoughts. He could almost see some of the stress leave her body.

  Julian continued speaking after a short pause to allow that small bit of good news to sink in. “I don’t have the ability to do what you did to Ashley, and other than slightly improved vision, smell, and hearing I’m pretty much no different than anyone else … living.”

  Eric interjected this time, “Are you a molecular biologist?”

  That question brought a look of sadness to Julian’s face. “No, they were all on the bus that was overrun when we landed. That team of scientists and medical staff contained a couple of very talented molecular biologists who will be sorely missed. Unfortunately, we’re now very limited on medical and scientific resources.”

  Mike didn’t know the people they lost on the bus had been so critical. He wondered what the chances were of finding talent like that again with the world being what it was now: fucked.

  “What’s the plan now? Do we just hunker down in the bunker and wait? This place seems about as secure as it gets,” Mike asked.

  Julian looked lost as he stared at the images streaming across the television screens in front of him. He finally responded to Mike’s question. “We need to see what’s going on outside and we need to secure the lower levels of the bunker. A mini rail system goes between the bunker and a secure location in the D.C. suburbs. My original plan was to get to the Naval Research Laboratory just outside D.C., but I ‘m seeing some news here that suggests the D.C. area is a total loss, completely overrun with Changed. I doubt there are any surviving staff that would be able to assist us in such a large metropolitan area. We may be on our own for a while.”

  Everyone was silent for a moment as the realization took hold that the people in this room were most likely the people they would be living and surviving with for an undetermined period of time. Suddenly it was clear to everyone standing in that small cold gray room – images of horror and desperation splayed out in front of them on the screens – that life was forever changed and it would never go back to the way it was. No more work, summer trips to favorite vacation spots, or even pizza or a hamburger from a local fast food restaurant. How long would cable TV work? And the ease of instant information at your fingertips would be a distant memory soon. Even the weather would become a daily surprise to the survivors. Every man and woman standing inside the entombing walls of this bunker would gladly accept this new reality because the alternative was so much worse.

  Breaking the eerie silence that had come over the room, Mike quietly said, “Let’s take inventory of what we have, make sure we’re alone down here, then take some time while we have it to learn a little bit more about each other. It seems we will be spending the foreseeable future together.”

  “He’s right. Get ready to move out; we need to secure the entire facility before anything else,” Julian said, reasserting his leadership over the group. Mike knew this was more from habit than a need to control the situation, so he motioned for Eric to get ready to head out with Julian and his men. He turned to walk Marlee back into the medical center but she wasn’t budging.

  “I’m going to stay here and start writing down all the news I can so we have as much information as possible about what’s going on outside.” This was one of the reasons why Mike loved this woman so much; she was as smart as she was pretty and still managed somehow to impress Mike with her drive and work ethic. Reid, on the other
hand, was headed back to bed. Mike just shook his head and smirked inwardly.

  The bottom floors of the bunker were set aside for Congress to conduct business and provide for the continuity of the American government, all while being sheltered from nuclear war. There were multiple areas on the bottom level. They had dormitory-style living quarters along with a Congressional assembly area every bit as formal and well-appointed as those found in Washington D.C. Neatly tucked away was a kitchen that rivaled any found in an elite New York City restaurant. There was even a room set aside for Presidential addresses during any perceived time of crisis. The floors were all finished with smooth concrete and the walls were decorated with finely framed depictions of major events from the United States’ storied past.

  Mike spotted everything ranging from George Washington crossing the Delaware River to images of the Apollo Space Mission and man’s first step on the moon. He lost himself in the moment, wondering if George Washington could have ever imagined the country he was pivotal in building would land a man on the moon less than two hundred years later.

  “Mike! Stop daydreaming and stay alert,” Eric said, jolting Mike back to the present.

  Mike sheepishly smiled and got back on task. Trust Eric to watch his back even while he was not looking after his own self.

  After a good twenty minutes of searching the lower level, Julian sounded the all clear and the rest of the group found its way downstairs, except for Marlee, who refused to leave the communication room until she had gathered as much information as she could.

  After the others had a chance to explore their new surroundings, they soon found themselves sitting around a large conference table off the main Congressional Assembly Chamber. They only numbered ten now because of the prior days’ losses.

  Mike whispered to himself the names of each person present. “Julian, Marlee, Eric, Reid, Davis, Aggeles, Shrader, Daniels, and Garcia.”

  Julian, as was his penchant, took charge. Must be the CEO in him, Mike thought as the businessman began speaking. “We have some important decisions to make and they need to be considered and decided upon as a whole. I checked the railway under the bunker and it looks operational, but I have no way of knowing what may await us at the other end of the line. I don’t even know if the military is operational.”

  “Are you saying there may not be any help for Marlee or even us for that matter?” Mike asked, sounding perplexed.

  “I don’t know what to expect anymore. I doubt people are waiting around to see who may walk through the door needing help while they themselves are in survival mode. They’re probably out looking to protect loved ones or make it to the next day for all we know,” Julian said, laying out the sobering truth.

  “He’s right, the world is a bloodbath right now,” Marlee said, sounding somber as she relayed what she had seen broadcast by multiple new agencies from nations around the world. “It’s the same everywhere; people are being overrun by the Changed. Government response is spotty at best, and the military was hard hit just like the general population. They stopped setting up safety zones because it was a magnet for the Changed. People are told to hunker down and fend for themselves as best they can for now. Major metro areas were the hardest hit, but the unpredictable nature of the event has left even the smallest of towns decimated.”

  Marlee’s announcement was digested in stunned silence.

  “So, Julian … what does that research of yours predict will occur next? Are we doomed?” Mike asked half-jokingly, but genuinely concerned about the response he would receive to his question.

  “Our time has come to an end. What happens to mankind largely depends on how we handle this crisis. Many will believe this to be a cleansing and reset. Our way of life is gone and it’s up to people like us to rebuild. I’ve been preparing for this eventuality.”

  Mike could plainly see the dismay etched on each face.

  It was Julian’s man Garcia who broke the silence. “Julian, is Terra Corp gone?”

  Mike felt like reaching out to the young man and telling him it would be okay, but he knew it wouldn’t. Right now wasn’t the time for false hope or the painting of pretty pictures that had no basis in reality.

  “What about my wife and little girl? She’s only three and my wife doesn’t have any friends close to our home to help them. Our family is all in Puerto Rico,” Garcia asked in a broken voice, finally facing a demon that he had been keeping at bay for days now.

  Mike felt the heartache and tears well up within him. The young man’s emotions were so raw and unfiltered that it tugged on his heartstrings. Davis and Aggeles stood up then and walked over to Garcia. Mike was prepared to stop any public humiliation suffered upon the young man, but he needn’t have worried. The gruff and hardened men put their hands on his shoulders and stood silently behind him like two anchors bracing him while the emotional storm he was experiencing ravaged his soul. Davis then leaned in and whispered something in the distraught man’s ears that seemed to calm him down. Garcia rose slowly from the table, allowing Aggeles to walk him to a private place where he could be alone with his worst fears.

  After Garcia was escorted out, they went around the room to see who had loved ones out there trying to survive this nightmare. Daniels had a wife in California; she had family to hunker down with, but remarkably, there were no additional spouses or children to worry about. This didn’t stop them from talking about parents, grandparents, siblings, and even pets. Every person sitting at the table was worried about losing family, but little could be done other than pray for their safety. It was a gut-wrenching feeling of helplessness. The grim reality was they would probably never set eyes on their loved ones again.

  Marlee decided to take charge and instructed each person to head up to the communication room one at a time to see if they could make calls to loved ones using the bunker’s secure phone lines. They already knew cell phones were useless beneath so much concrete. Amazingly, the internet was still largely functional so they would try sending emails and check social media as well. Doing something always felt better than giving up hope or doing nothing at all. They counted themselves among the fortunate, as they were safe for the moment. Most people were not so lucky; Marlee knew that for certain, as she had watched the carnage raging across the world.

  CHAPTER 16

  Rest and a New Objective

  A few days’ rest had everyone’s spirits back up, as much as they could be considering their circumstances, and decisions had to be made. Mike had spent as much time with Marlee as possible while Julian was teaching her how to control the color of her eyes. She seemed to have it down now, and Mike was happy to see the woman he fell in love with staring back at him. He suspected Julian was probing Marlee while teaching her the eye trick to uncover other abilities, but he trusted Julian enough now and knew Marlee was aware of his interests as well. Perhaps Julian should be cautious around Marlee.

  They had explored the bunker, an underground fortress really, for days now and it really was quite impressive. Mike was amazed it had managed to stay hidden from the public for so long. He considered this proof positive of the lengths the government was willing to go to keep its secret programs secret. Other than Aggeles, who had risked it all to grab his drone from the MRAP, no one else had ventured outside. That adventure resulted in a scathing lecture from Julian.

  Aggeles brought back grim news after his outing. The exit they had used to bring in the others was now overrun with the Changed, and they had even swarmed the MRAP. The chances of using that vehicle again were close to non-existent. With only ten souls remaining in their group there was no way they were going to risk it. Julian was convinced keeping the MRAP fueled would be a liability with its ammo now depleted. Not to mention with the noise it generated it would attract the dead from miles away. Mike was in full agreement with this assessment. With Julian’s corporate and personal resources, Mike was sure he had access to additional equipment. What Mike did not know was where that equipment might be, and Julia
n hadn’t mentioned it during any of their conversations.

  In addition to the research Marlee was doing on the outbreak, she had also done some snooping around on Julian and Terra Corp while holed up in the COMM room. Considering they were living in the information age, there was very little she was able to lean about Julian other than a corporate profile of Terra Corp and a few bios from various business magazines providing very little detailed background on Julian himself. She did come across an older article wherein Julian described himself as an avid prepper. At one point in the article, he even joked about having a plan for everything, even building a new society based on human decency, faith, and community. Strange words from a mega-wealthy CEO. Terra Corp itself owned or controlled holdings all over the world, and operated, for the most part, out of sight. Marlee didn’t find anything questionable or shady online, but maybe Julian simply ran a tight ship.

  They had the rail system under the bunker, and while this had been the primary goal, the news reports clearly showed D.C. was a mess and exceedingly dangerous. There were large concentrations of military and law enforcement in the D.C. metro area, but the sheer numbers of Changed ultimately dwarfed them. It was neighborhood-by-neighborhood warfare for survival in the streets of the Capital.

  Mike and his group had discussed the choices open to them and had decided to set out in search of Garcia’s wife and daughter. Julian wasn’t opposed to the idea, he just didn’t know if it was the wisest course of action. Garcia’s family, if they were still alive, were relatively close to the bunker near the town of Lewisburg. Mike understood this would have been an easy drive a couple of weeks ago, but wasn’t sure how long it would take in the sickly world beyond the fortified walls of the bunker. Everyone was going to meet later to discuss options.