Sedulity 2: Aftershock (Sedulity Saga)

by David Forsyth

  I probably should have killed Linda on that last night at the Tabula Rasa base, not that it would have changed much of anything, but I couldn’t bring myself to even discuss what I had discovered. I settled instead for rough and even sadistic sex. She seemed to enjoy it. I know I did. We were spent and exhausted when we fell asleep together. She whispered that she would miss me. I pretended to already be asleep.

  I left the Tabula Rasa’s secret base the same way I had arrived, on a helicopter with a blindfold hood over my head. I can’t tell you much about where it was, aside from being less than an hour by helicopter from Seattle, and I smelled the ocean. Other than that I only saw the inside of the building, which was quite large. If anyone out there survives to read this, I hope you hunt down those bastards and kill them all. I really had no idea what I was getting into until I read the notebook I stole from Dr. Strangelove’s office. Oh, did I fail to mention that? No matter. It didn’t come into play until days later, but perhaps I should go back and tell you about how I acquired it.

  ****

  It was pocket size black notebook that had fallen under a desk where I was told to sit while the others prepared the infernal inhalers for my mission. It turns out the virus needed to be activated before I could release it. The mad doctor and his assistants were busy activating several of them while I was waiting. I even overheard where some of them were going. “These three go by overnight FedEx to your carriers back east. Those two are for Japan. We already sent the ones for China, Kenya, Nigeria, and Indonesia this morning. I’ll activate the ones for Central and Eastern Europe next, but I’ll hold them for the carrier to arrive.” Or something like that. Anyway, while I listened to all of that I saw a little black notebook on the floor. I bent down to tie my shoe and slipped the book into my sock. It was a crazy thing to do, but so was the rest of the mess I had become involved with. I just didn’t know how crazy until it was too late.

  So I flew away from the secret base with a hood over my head, a little book in my sock, and two deadly inhalers in my carry-on bag. The helicopter also carried packages with other inhalers destined to be shipped across the country and around the world. I almost felt like James Bond, except I knew that he would be trying to kill me if this were one of his movies. I was the bad guy and I knew it. What I had learned about the virus did alter my perspective, but they had done a good job of convincing me that the cause was just. So, instead of putting up a fight and trying to kill the pilot and bring down the chopper, I sat there meekly and plotted my own revenge on the human race. Yes, I was a sick fuck, or hadn’t you figured that out yet? I could blame the cancer, or the oxycodone, or the brainwashing, or the girl, take your pick, but the truth is that I knew I was going to die and didn’t mind taking as many of you with me as I could.

  The rest of my story is more of a travel diary than a confession, but some things still need to be explained. I was dropped off on the roof of the same hotel and I asked Linda to accompany me to the airport to say goodbye. I could see her hesitate and hardened my heart to act there and then, but after a moment she agreed. I was glad, but not for the reason you might think. There was a limo waiting for me, just like before, and I asked the driver to close the privacy divider when Linda and I got into the back. Nothing unusual about that, right? I just wanted to cop a final feel. Well, not exactly. I brought my carryon with me, having been instructed to never let it out of my sight. During the short trip to the airport I did kiss Linda, passionately. But as I was doing that I withdrew an inhaler from the bag and sprayed a dose into her face. It went into my face too, of course, but I had nothing left to live for.

  Linda’s reaction was priceless and unforgettable. It was as if her whole life flashed before her eyes, followed by the comprehension that it was soon to end. She pulled away from me and started to scream, but I put my hand over her mouth and said, “Shush…. It’s all part of the plan, right? You don’t want to bring children into the world any more than I do. So now you can join me on my journey.” I removed my hand slowly and saw that she was shaking in terror, her eyes wide in fright.

  “You have no idea what you’ve done,” she blurted.

  “But you told me this virus was harmless, except for making people sterile or infertile. You even said there was an antidote. You didn’t lie to me about that, did you?” I’m sure that some bitterness leaked through my words because her eyes narrowed and her breath quickened. I saw none of the love or compassion she had shown me over the past few weeks, just anger and fear. “So why not join me on my vacation?” I pressed.

  “You bastard!” she blurted. “Of course it’s more than a sterility virus. I just told you that to make you feel better about spreading it. And what’s the harm in that? You were going to die anyway. But now you’ve killed me too! What were you thinking?”

  “I was thinking that I don’t like to be used and lied to,” I replied as smoothly as possible. “I was thinking that since you want me to take millions of people out with me, it’s only fair for me to take you along for the ride. So what do you say? I’m sure the credit cards you gave me will pay for your tickets to join me on this adventure. We could have another few weeks of fun and games.”

  “Fuck you!” she screamed and tried to attack me.

  I backhanded her across the face and sprayed another dose of the inhaler between us. She cringed away from me and started to cry. The limo was pulling up to the terminal and it was time to make a decision. I could have killed her right then and there, but I figured I already had. Better to leave her in terror for the next few weeks to spread the virus herself. With any luck she would go back to the Tabula Rasa base and infect the rest of them. But I doubted she would.

  As I grabbed my bags and got out of the car I turned back to her and said, “Let’s start over with a clean slate, a tabula rasa so to speak. No hard feelings. I actually enjoyed our time together. And just so you know, I’m still going to follow through with the plan. My options were always limited, more so now that I let the genie out of the bottle. But it puts us on even ground. So this is your last chance to come with me on the vacation of a lifetime.” Linda just cowered and cried on the far side of the limo. I turned away and strolled casually into the airport, smiling sadly as I walked through a crowd of strangers.

  ****

  That would probably make a good ending to my story. In truth it was only beginning. The real end is coming soon, at least for me, but I still have a few hours to kill (pun intended) on this plane, so I might as well write down the rest of it.

  I wasn’t really supposed to use the inhaler in SEATAC airport, but I did anyway. I didn’t intend to, but the TSA agent asked to look in my bag when he saw the two oversized inhalers through the x-ray of my carryon. I smiled and let him rifle through the bag. He picked up one of the inhalers and raised an eyebrow. I told him I was asthmatic and was bringing two of them because I was taking an extended vacation. Then I picked up the other one and took a shot off it, puffing it out in the TSA agent’s face. That seemed to satisfy him. I’m sure it also killed him, along with everyone else who passed through that checkpoint after me, but I don’t really care. They were just a few out of millions. I had committed myself irrevocably to the cause.

  That scene was repeated several times at different security checkpoints in different airports. It worked like a charm every time. I also used the inhalers several times on each flight, once in my seat and later when I would get up to stretch my legs and use the lavatory. I tried not to focus on the other passengers too much, especially the families with children, but I figured that they were taking a chance by flying on an airplane already and this was just another way that their number came up. At least they wouldn’t suffer a terrifying death in a plane crash, or the fear of knowing they only had days or weeks to live, as I did. Of course I still didn’t know exactly what would happen to me or them when the virus took full effect.

  ****

  I actually enjoyed the first week of my vacation. I spoke passable Spanish, but had never
traveled through Latin America. Although I didn’t have a lot of time to explore each city, my instructions did involve going to popular attractions and landmarks where I would mix and mingle with the crowds. I was also told to sample food from street vendors and infect the proprietors in the process. It’s amazing how fast a popular taco stand can spread a virulent pandemic in the heart of a crowded city. And, true to their word, the Tabula Rasa had first class accommodations waiting for me each night. Either Linda hadn’t told them how I betrayed her, or they decided to continue supporting my mission for as long as I stuck to the travel schedule. After all, what did Linda’s life mean to them in the grand scheme of things? In any case, I had a good time in Mexico City where I even hired a prostitute for the night. I was only in Panama for about eight hours, but I went to see the canal and took a public bus back to the airport. Rio de Janeiro was a blast. I hit the clubs at the Copacabana, dancing with half a dozen women before enjoying the services of two prostitutes in my suite that night. My flight to Buenos Aries the next day included a connecting flight in San Paulo where I used the inhaler repeatedly as I made my way through the terminal. I only had eight hours to visit Argentina, but I liked what I saw of it. All in all, my Latin American adventure was quite enjoyable. The rest of my odyssey would be less carefree.

  ****

  I was on the flight from Argentina to South Africa when I finally decided to read Dr. Strangelove’s little black book. That was a particularly long flight and I needed something more than movies to occupy my mind. So I pulled out the little book. I almost wish I hadn’t. Most of it was Greek to me. Lots of numbers and symbols and words I would have had to look up if I cared. But after skimming halfway through I picked out some scary shit. I’ll copy some of it here, since I marked the pages. If I don’t share it now it will be lost forever.

  Stage One of the Virus is universally contagious and is spread by airborne and aerosol transmission, as well as direct physical contact. In general there are no outward signs of Stage One infection. However, approximately .01% of those infected with Stage One will experience immediate allergic reactions resulting in seizure and death with stroke like symptoms. The remaining 99.99% become vectors of transmission. There is no known immunity or cure, although research continues on vaccines and antidotes.

  Onset of Stage Two invariably occurs approximately 15 days after initial exposure to the pure strain of the Stage One virus. This varies precisely according to the level of mutation at time of exposure. For example, a subject exposed to the virus after 10 days of mutation will transition to Stage Two in 5 days. Initial Stage Two symptoms are loss of appetite, dizziness, irritability, and shortness of breath. Subjects report feeling an itching sensation inside their head. Onset of seizures and convulsions is rapid, but brief, followed immediately by transition to Stage Three and total loss of all higher brain functions.

  Stage Three is marked by unrestrained rage and aggression, including acts of cannibalism, accompanied by a nearly total lack of cognitive functions. During Stage Three the subjects will attack any uninfected person, but appear to avoid violence on other Stage Three subjects. Observable symptoms include bloodshot eyes, foaming at the mouth, and acute hydrophobia, similar to but significantly more pronounced than rabies. Stage Three subjects spread the virus through blood and saliva with the most common form of transmission being physical bites.

  Stage Two and Stage Three forms of the virus are not subject to airborne or aerosol transmission. Subjects infected by Stage Three transmission go directly to Stage Two and generally transition to Stage Three within 12 hours and as rapidly as several minutes if the blood stream is infected. Transmission and transition rates of those infected are 100% with 0% survival rate.

  That’s when I really started to freak out. Knowing that I was infected and intentionally spreading a deadly virus was one thing, but I had been thinking in terms of a super flu or small pox, maybe even Ebola. This was something totally different and scarier than hell. Cannibalism? Stage Three sounded like a description of ZOMBIES! And that’s what was in store for me and everyone who I had infected? It took a while for me to get my head around that. When I did my first thought was to dispose of the inhalers and kill myself as soon as I got to Cape Town. I even convinced myself to take that exact course of action. So why didn’t I? I suppose you could say that fate stepped in again.

  ****

  The customs and immigration officers in South Africa are real pricks. Some of them are white and some are black and they seem to compete to show each other which ones are the bigger pricks. I must have looked shell-shocked or drugged out when I arrived in Cape Town. I know I had taken at least a couple oxycodone after reading that little black book on the plane. For whatever reason, I was singled out when I presented my passport and taken to a small room for questioning. I showed them the prescriptions for my medication, both the legitimate pain killers for my cancer and the fake one for the asthma inhalers. I explained that I was dying of a brain tumor and was taking a final trip around the world before I died, which was why I only had time to visit Cape Town for ten hours, and could they please stop wasting my precious time with this nonsense. When they looked skeptical and continued asking questions I picked up an inhaler and took a deep puff. I wasn’t as pissed off at the pricks after that, confident that I had already killed them. Eventually I was released and granted entry to their fucked up country for a few hours. I took a bus around town, stopping to wander around a train station full of people heading off to places unknown, and used the inhaler a few more times before returning to the airport and boarding my flight to Cairo. Yes, the pricks at the airport in Cape Town had made me hate mankind enough to keep going.

  ****

  Cairo didn’t raise my esteem for the human race much either. It was dirty. It stank like shit. And there were a lot of pissed off people yelling for and against one thing or another. I did enjoy the helicopter ride to the Pyramids though. Seeing those monolithic structures also got me thinking about the sum of human history. Those ancient Egyptians didn’t have iPhones, airplanes, or television, but they sure knew how to build something that lasted. Moreover, they did it at a time when the global population could be counted in millions, not billions. After the helicopter ride I went to the central bus station in Cairo and dreamed about a world like that while I puffed away on my inhaler.

  I looked down briefly on the Holy Land during the flight to Athens. We were out over the Med, but the captain pointed out the coast of Israel as we flew by. It didn’t look much different than the rest of that part of the world, certainly no Garden of Eden, and I pondered why God chose to make it such a special place that everyone fought over it. I didn’t really believe in God, of course, or I wouldn’t have done the things I’ve done. But I’m open minded enough to ponder such things.

  ****

  Athens was also dirty, but didn’t smell as bad as Cairo. Almost everyone in the country was on strike the day I was there. Just about everything was closed, so I killed time by walking through a crowd of protestors and killing them with a few puffs of the inhaler. They didn’t know it yet of course, but they were soon destined to walk those streets indefinitely. It took forever to hail a cab to take me to the Acropolis. It wasn’t as impressive as the Pyramids, but it brought on images of post-apocalyptic landscapes. I imagine that much of the world will look like that before long. On the long ride back to my hotel I pictured trees sprouting out of buildings and parking lots around the world, slowly reclaiming the land that man has defiled. I finished up my day with a puff at a crowded street market where farmers brought produce from the countryside and the people who owned the stalls had nobody to strike against. The hotel I stayed in was nothing to write home about, but it won’t be open much longer.

  ****

  Rome! Now that was one city I liked. I didn’t even use the inhaler much after I left the airport. I don’t suppose it mattered though, since all the nice people I met were doomed by our encounter. But I couldn’t just hide in my room above
the Spanish Steps. I needed to go out and see the sites, right? And Rome is a city best explored on foot. The Parthenon was amazing, as were many of the fountains and statues around the city. Even the side streets and alleys held historic gems. Some of the buildings are actually built into the sides of the ancient walls of the old city. I took a cab across the river and stood in line to enter the Vatican where I mingled with crowds and did use the inhaler a few times. I even made a point of walking up to one of the Swiss Guards and breathing on him. Don’t ask me why. If I were a better writer I am sure I could bring you to tears with descriptions of the things I saw and people I met. Actually, I probably am doing that now, if you are thinking about how many people I infected there. I suppose my most memorable experience in Rome was going to the Coliseum. It’s only a shell of its former glory, but still awe inspiring. I thought about all the people who were killed in the arena and all the people who cheered on that carnage from the stands. Then I learned that most of the Coliseum would still be intact if not for succeeding generations who stripped the marble walls and seats to use in other buildings and to line the curbs of the city’s streets. That left a sour taste in my mouth, but I suppose that any survivors of what is coming will strip our current civilization of its riches too.