Lockdown Nation

by Lim, Candice

  “Wait a minute!” My thought went to Robert Tan. If he worked for Quillon, surely he would have some idea about it.

  The adrenaline shooting through my veins catapulted me to my feet. I bolted down the staircase and burst into my room where the whirring of the hairdryer had come from. “I need to go back to Vector!”

  Sam, drying his hair on the edge of my bed looked up with a frown. “What? I just showered and got ready for some rest.”

  I sucked in a mouthful of breath and tried to calm the whirlwind of chaos in my head. “Look, Robert must know something.”

  The creases on his forehead deepened. “Oh, that Robert. But he’s an Infected. He probably doesn’t even know what’s going on with himself.”

  My shoulders slumped. The realization hit me. I plopped onto the bed next to Sam. “You’re right. I need to get my hands on the Genex first.”

  Sam flicked off the hairdryer and put it away in the drawer before turning his face to me. “Roxy, why are you even doing this when you’re worked your arse out to get out of the Community? If you can’t let go, why didn’t you stay?”

  Sam’s words struck home. Why did I even bother about Project Hive Mind when I was long out of the Community? Sometimes I forgot that. The fact I was still hanging around the labs made me forget I was a dropout peasant.

  The reality sank in me when Sam grabbed me by the shoulders and looked into my eyes. “Roxy, it’s over. Your life in the Community has ended. You can rest now.”

  A familiar sadness hit me. My thoughts went back to my grandpa’s journal, but I was quick to shake them off. Whiteshore was no place for grief. It was my happy place and I didn’t want to taint it with the ugly memories of the Community.

  Heaving a deep breath, I feigned a smile. “You’re right. It’s not my problem anymore.” I should rest my case now. I should’ve rested my case a long time ago.

  11

  VAXINE

  “Now, we have only one chance at doing this and a very small margin for error.” Ronin overlooked the heavily guarded entrance of the Council, the official residence and workplace of the President of Asia Nova. The pair of besuited guards stood as straight as ramrods at both sides of the grand entrance right below the sentry cameras.

  Vaxine in the passenger seat glanced at her smartwatch and the rest in the car parked along the curb. “Five minutes until the staff are back from lunch break and we can blend in with the group.” She looked at herself in the rear mirror and adjusted the collar of her white shirt.

  Vaxine, Axon, and Ronin were suited up in matching tuxedos, the standard dress code for all working in the Council. Mandy, being the designated chauffeur, dressed down in a black t-shirt and washed-out jeans.

  Ronin and Axon at the back did the final check on their earpiece and gadgets.

  “Wouldn’t it be easier to use the InviSpec?” asked Mandy.

  “The Infected have a heightened sense of smell. The InviSpec only fools humans,” explained Vaxine. “It’s time.”

  The car clock struck hours 1300. The wave of besuited people headed for the twisted glass-coated double-helix building soaring into the sky. It was the cue. The three hopped out of the car.

  They stood together in the shadow of the building. In her glossy stiletto heels that matched her fire truck red lips, Vaxine easily rivaled the two men in height. She reached for her earpiece and muttered, “We’re going in.”

  “Copy that,” Mandy replied on the line and gave them a thumbs up from inside the car.

  “I hope she isn’t a flake like your junior,” Vaxine muttered to Axon.

  The three made it towards the staircase. They slipped in with the oblivious crowd and whipped out their fake IDs Ronin managed to get hold of through his connections. They tapped on the scanner. It gave out a green light and they breezed through the security.

  A smile crept on Vaxine’s face. Not even the well-trained guards batted an eye on them.

  But that was just the beginning.

  The three shared a knowing glance and breezed into the elevator that opened in front of them. The crowd flooded in and the door closed them in. All noises fell at once. With a tremble, the elevator went up.

  Vaxine stared at the number on the elevator, wishing it would go faster. From the corner of her eyes, everybody looked engrossed in their agenda. Ronin and Axon were on their phones like the other men.

  The uneasiness and anxiety bristled the hairs on her arms. It wasn’t the first time she’d infiltrated a government facility but now she felt every ounce of fear. As if the virus in her used to suppress her senses and give her some sort of confidence she’d lost now.

  Vaxine didn’t realize she was holding her breath until the elevator stopped on the tenth floor. The last of the crowd evacuated the elevator. Vaxine’s eyes briefly interlocked with the man turning around back at them and winked at him through the gap of the closing door.

  “Jammed the cameras.” Axon dropped to his knee next to the elevator menu and removed the lid to the panel. He flicked a switch and the elevator stopped. “I think it’s working.”

  The lights went off and the siren wailed.

  Vaxine rolled her eyes and whipped out her phone for the flashlight. “What have you done?”

  Axon frantically fiddled with the switches in the panel in the halo of light. “Look, I just learned how to do this in the morning from watching a few videos.” Beads of sweat formed on his face and were quickly wiped on his jacket sleeve.

  Ronin looked at his watch. “We don’t have much time.”

  “Thanks. That doesn’t help anything,” spat Axon. “If you wanna say something at least say something motivating.”

  “Axon, you can’t give up now. This is a steep learning curve. It’s only going to get worse.”

  Vaxine frowned. “Um, that’s not what he means, Prof. Ronin.”

  With a grunt, Axon flicked a series of switches and the lights came back on. The three spun around. Axon got up and tapped on the 38th floor, the top floor where the President's office was and only accessible by special permission. The button lit up and the elevator moved with a tremble.

  Closing the lid, Axon wiped his face with the tissue Vaxine handed to him and fixed the collar of his shirt. “Well done, Axon,” said Vaxine.

  “I hope we didn’t attract unnecessary attention,” said Axon.

  The elevator pinged. All three snapped their heads at the double door. A chill trickled down Vaxine’s spine when a middle-aged lady appeared behind the door. The three reluctantly stepped aside, and she tottered in. When she reached for the menu, she shot suspecting glances at them again.

  “Did you have an appointment with the President?” Her gaze bounced between the three. A dubious look rose on her face.

  Vaxine nodded at her team. “Yes, we do.”

  The door was closing when the lady asked again, “I’m his personal assistant. May I know your name?”

  “Sure.” Vaxine whipped out her Zapper and fired. The older lady’s eyes widened before they rolled back into her skull. She collapsed against the corner of the elevator.

  The elevator door opened to the President’s office. The three stepped over the comatose and marched into the office. Axon, the last to exit, grabbed an umbrella from the rack and jammed the elevator door. Zappers brushing against fabric punctuated their footsteps.

  “Hello again, Peyton.” Ronin stood in the middle of the room, under the crystal chandelier.

  Peyton snapped his head up from his computer. His forehead creased for a second. He was about to reach for the red button on his desk when Axon shouted, “Keep your hand away from the button!” He and Vaxine approached the desk and each sat on the opposite edge with their Zappers pointed in the President’s direction. The duo shared a no-nonsense look.

  With a pity laugh, Peyton fell back in his chair and laced his fingers across his belly.

  “Professor Ronin Yamashita, I must admit I am very impressed by your re
silience,” said Peyton. “It never crossed my mind you would be able to walk out alive and hold me up.”

  Ronin sneered, “You have greatly underestimated me. Or perhaps overestimated yourself.” He stepped closer and pulled a chair where he plopped in. “Well, let’s cut the crap, Peyton. You have the virus in you, and we have the potential cure that could help you.”

  Peyton stared at Ronin for a full minute as if he had stopped working. Ronin was about to say something again when he burst into a maniacal laugh.

  “I must admit I’m utterly disappointed someone like yourself are still in the dark about everything that’s going on right now,” said Peyton. “I wonder how your species have survived for so long. The anti-Cranax gene is obsolete and soon will Cranatol. Cranax has a very sophisticated immune system that will constantly evolve against new threats. Your species can never!”

  Vaxine and Axon traded frowns, then Vaxine pulled out his Genex and shot him in the chest. Peyton’s eyes widened. his whole body jittered with shock. The tension bristled Vaxine’s hairs.

  Axon and Vaxine peeled from the desk where they sat. The three had their eyes and Zappers on Peyton, his head hung low, chin on chest.

  “He—he’s dead?” Axon stammered, glancing at Vaxine and Ronin.

  “I don’t know. It’s your anti-Cranax gene.” Fear trickled in Vaxine. The last thing she wanted on her record was the assassination of the President, though at this state, Peyton was barely a shell of himself, a puppet of the Cranax virus.

  Two minutes passed. Her heartbeat picked up along with the questions burning her mind. The gene would’ve worked by now. Sucking in a deep breath, she inched closer and nudged the unmoving body with the muzzle of her Zapper. “Peyton?”

  The familiar horrendous roar flinched her. Except it wasn’t Peyton. The blood in her veins froze over. She spun around and was met with a pair of animalistic crimson eyes. “Father of Science!”

  Vaxine raised her Zapper but it was too late. The Infected, who happened to be the lady in the elevator with them, pounced onto Ronin and sank her teeth into his arm. The stun pulse cut through the air and struck the Infected on the forehead. Her eyes rolled back into her skull. She buckled on the floor.

  Axon and Vaxine hurried over to Ronin clutching onto his wound.

  “Blot my gel!” snarled Ronin through gritted teeth. Sweat glistened his forehead and the few strands of stray hair from his ponytail stuck to the sides of his face.

  The veins thickened and cobwebbed over his wrinkles. His eyes watered and turned bright pink. Fear turned into panic. Vaxine muttered a cuss beneath her breath and reached for her Genex. It would be futile, but she didn’t have better ideas. Her finger on the trigger, ready to shoot when Axon clutched her wrist.

  “I’m not sure if we should do this, Vax. Cranax has mutated beyond recognition. I’m afraid we’re doing more harm than good,” said Axon.

  Vaxine’s lips parted to say something when a maniacal guffaw erupted from behind them.

  Peyton returned with a wicked sneer on his face. “Perhaps, you have finally come to some sense, Axon.”

  Vaxine and Axon glared in Peyton’s direction at once. Vaxine clenched and unclenched her fists. Her glance bounced back and forth between Ronin and Peyton, fearing Ronin might turn anytime.

  “The virus has taken over 2 billion people in the world,” said Peyton. “There is no way you can stop this now. Humanity will come to end!”

  “And how does that benefit you, Peyton?” spat Axon.

  Peyton laced his fingers on the desk and leaned forward. “The whole world will be a so much better place without a parasitic species that keeps exploiting the rare resources of the planet in the name of greed, wouldn’t you think?”

  Vaxine and Axon traded glances. Vaxine’s brow knitted. It wasn’t Peyton’s talking. Heck, it didn’t even sound like Hershey and Cash were on the same page.

  “Well, to be fair, I kinda agree with what he says.” Axon nodded matter-of-factly.

  The two got into their fighting stances when Peyton stood up. The legs of his chairs scarped the carpeted floor punctuating the Zappers brushing in the air.

  Someone prodded against the back of Vaxine’s head.

  Ronin charged his Zappers at Axon and Vaxine. “Lower your Zappers, kiddos. You have been taught better than to disrespect your elders.”

  Axon rolled his eyes and muttered a cuss beneath his breath. His shoulders slumped. He lowered his Zapper. Vaxine persisted. The muzzle of her Zapper unwaveringly pointed at Peyton, like her death stares for him.

  The corner of Peyton’s lips quirked up into a victorious smirk. He crossed his arms over his chest and came up to them. He glanced at Vaxine up and down. “I like you better when you were on our side.” He grabbed hold of the muzzle, trying to hold it down when Vaxine whipped out the Sequencer Gun and fired.

  The dart hit Peyton in the guts, bending him over in pain. With a cuss, he plucked the dart. Vaxine reached for her earpiece and shouted, “Leave now!” She spun around at Ronin for a leg sweep, but her opponent reacted faster.

  The stun beam struck Vaxine’s chest, sending a sharp jolt of pain through her entire body. The next second, she lost all her senses as if history replayed itself on the day she caught Cranax. The corners of her eyes blurred and blackened.

  “No, Vaxine!” Axon’s voice warped with her vision. His silhouette approached her before someone swiftly pulled him away.

  Vaxine’s eyes rolled back into her skull. She lost balance and collapsed on the floor, blacked out.

  12

  MANDY

  Vaxine’s voice and the Zapper firing in the background whirled in her head, distracting her from focusing on the road. She zipped past the other cars on the freeway as if she was in some sort of racing game.

  At this rate, she would be getting a few tickets and possibly having her driving license revoked but it was the last thing on her mind. Her palms were getting sweaty and slippery on the wheel and she wiped them on her jeans. Her eyes were on the road, but her thoughts were all over the place.

  When the demons were getting stronger and unbearable, she swerved to the most left lane. The car behind her screeched. A long honk followed by the driver flipping out at her. “Are you crazy?”

  Mandy slammed hard on the brake. The car jolted to a halt. She pinched her eyes shut and buried her face in the wheel. “Father of Science…please be just a nightmare…please be just a nightmare…”

  She opened her eyes to the freeway and all the troubles swarmed back into her head. She had no idea where she was but that wasn’t the issue. Sucking in deep breaths, she braved herself to pick up the tablet on the passenger seat. A message popped up.

  ‘99.23% match with Cranax. See similar strains? Y/N?’

  Mandy tapped ‘Y’ and a list populated under it. Hershey’s strain was the first on the list and it had a percent identity of 99% while the rest were below 80%. Mandy was no expert, but the results seemed to be supporting what Axon and Vaxine suggested. Even if they were right, the results would be useless without execution.

  Mandy picked up her phone and dialed Roxy again. “Oh for science’s sake, pick up your phone, Roxy Riley!” The same beeping tone answered her, catapulting her into a rage. She muttered a cuss and tossed her phone on the passenger seat.

  She sighed when the rage passed, and she’d calmed down. Even if she managed to get hold of Roxy, it wasn’t like she would miraculously come up with a solution. Roxy was probably as clueless as she was.

  Mandy’s head hurt from all that was happening. She pinched the bridge of her nose, contemplating her next move. Roxy Riley was MIA. No one knew what happened to Ronin, Axon, and Vaxine.

  Sure she could go home, get a job around the neighborhood, and pretend nothing happened. Her conscience wouldn’t let her do it. Mandy was the last person bestowed with the information that could rewrite the destiny of mankind. Even if she couldn't do anything about it, she had to
pass it on to someone who could.

  But who? She couldn't think of anyone she could trust. Mandy was at the end of the road. She looked at the freeway, at the passing cars in the window, each to its own destination, oblivious to the pandemic. The freeway had been the busiest since the Panic Protocol.

  Certain envy for the other cars swelled in her chest. At least they knew where they were going. She wished she was in the other car instead.

  An idea hit her. She pulled out a piece of paper in the depth of her jeans pocket and unfolded it. She looked at the paper and chewed her lip until she could taste blood. “Screw this!” Mandy set her GPS and eased into the freeway, rejoining the other cars in it.