by Lim, Candice
Vaxine sat at the other end of the room, next to the window overlooking the city skyline but the view in front of her held her attention. She poured two glasses from the remainder of the bottle they found back at Hershey’s facility. She took one to Axon and sipped hers. “So you gonna talk about it?”
Axon chugged his glass. “About what?”
“Cooper?” Vaxine shrugged. “You never told me anything about him.”
Axon hung his head low. As if he was weighing up how much to tell Vaxine. “Before you joined Hershey’s lab before Cash was appointed the CEO of Meds and Drugs Pharma, we used to be a close-knit team. At least we tried. But Cash’s always stretching the limit and closing deals under the table. So one day, I called her out on her shit.”
Axon passed the empty glass to Vaxine, who placed it and hers on the dressing table. “I should’ve known she wasn’t one to let things go so she sent her personal assistant Cooper to teach me a lesson. He accidentally contaminated my six months’ worth of lab work. You see, I was young and filled with rage. I walked straight into her trap by beating the crap out of Cooper. That was strike two.” Axon let out a self-pitying snigger. “Are you gonna see me in a different light now you know I’m not perfect?”
Vaxine forced a smile on her face and patted his back. A tendril of compassion for him twirled around her heart. “I’m sorry to hear that, Axon. We don’t have to live through that again, Axon. It’s a new beginning.”
“We’ve lost everything now. There’s not a lot we can do.”
“For now.” Vaxine pulled out the memory chip from her pocket. “Once I’ve reinstalled the programs, I’ll be able to extract the data from Assunta’s phone and see what we can work out from there.” She got up, ready to work when Axon clutched onto her wrist.
Their eyes interlocked. “Let’s not think about work for the night. It’s late and the end is nigh. Why don’t we wind down and start afresh tomorrow?”
Vaxine’s gaze glued to his lips instead. His soft thin lips spilled words that sounded equally tempting. The corner of her mouth quirked into a suggestive smirk as she placed the chip on the dressing table. “You’re right. Let’s save the work for tomorrow.”
21
ROXY
Sam’s car eased into a complete stop at the curb a few feet from the Graybridge Neighborhood Admission Kiosk. The NA-K had been reinstituted at the entrance point at every city since the announcement of Lockdown Nation. He pulled the handbrake and released the minidrone through the slit of the window.
“You sure we can fool them with our disguise?” Carlisa poked her head in the space between the front seats. Like the rest, she wore a button shirt with a lanyard of fake ID hanging around her neck.
I shrugged and sipped the instant coffee from the drive-thru. My eyes weighed tons and the tension stiffened my joints. My mind barely functioned with only two hours of sleep and the rest of the night plotting our next course of action. That explained I’d come up with such a terrible idea.
“We’ve done this before.” Mandy rolled up her sleeves. “We just have to fake it till we make it.”
Carlisa plopped back into the backseat crossed arms, her makeup barely concealed the dark circles around her eyes that rivaled mine. Except I had them hidden behind my black-framed glasses.
“They’ve blocked out the black zone in Graybridge.” Sam looked up from his tablet.
“Can you find a way in?” I nudged Sam.
“I’m on it.” His fingers skated across the screen. “Well, there’s one way we can get in but we’re not gonna like it.”
We traded wary looks when Mandy clapped once. “Beggars ain’t choosers, I guess.”
Sam arched a brow and released the handbrake. “We better get on with it, then.” We joined the back of the line of cars waiting for the inspection to enter Graybridge. Sam shot me a warning look before he eased to the NA-K and wound down his window.
The ATP craned his neck in and scanned the interior. “What are you guys doing in Graybridge? Lockdown Nation will be commenced in the next 9 hours. Shouldn’t you be preparing to stay at home?”
I whipped out my ID. “We’re from the Cranax emergency coalition. Under the command of Prof. Ronin Yamashita, we’re here for health and safety inspections.”
The ATP gawked at me. “What?”
I stared at him over my glasses. “You’re not telling me you’re unaware of this procedure?” I cut off the stammering officer. “We have other sites to inspect before the lockdown regime. Do you know how much time and resources you’re wasting because of your ignorance?”
“My apologies, Dr. Please come through.” The officer gestured at his colleagues to open the gate.
Sam wound up the window and breezed through.
“Whoa, you’re above the law if you’re a part of the Community, huh?” Carlisa glanced back at the kiosk with a smirk.
The car eased through the sleepy town. Gray buildings that had seen better days flanked the double-lane road. I went down memory lane to the days when Derrick, Vaxine, and I had been here. When I’d encountered the Tree Man. Perhaps, if I had met him again, I would stand up for myself this time. Never thought my eyes would meet the same scenes again.
My thought went to Vaxine and Axon, wondering if they were still alive. The car pulled up with a jolt, snapping me back to the present.
“We’re here.” Sam hopped off and plucked his minidrone from the air he shoved into his back pocket.
I got out and gaped at the spartan white building resembling a vertical USB stick where the smoke exhaled from the vents on top. “Is this a crematorium?”
“That’s right,” said Sam. “When Cranax first broke out in Graybridge, the Community set up camps and the crematorium to stop the spread. Things went out of hand so they decided to seal the black zone and left the Infected to their fate.”
“Are you playing?” Mandy scrunched her nose.
“It’s the only way into the black zone.” Sam shrugged. “Take it or leave it.”
We traded knowing looks.
Mandy nodded first. “We knew this before we agreed to come. We’ve come so far to give up now.”
I dipped into my pocket for the Cranatol I shoved into Carlisa’s palm. “We all have been infected except for you. Should the worst happen, pop one immediately.”
Carlisa looked at the packet. “Right.”
I checked my Zappers and passed the gene gun to Carlisa. “There are 50 doses of the anti-Cranax gene. They only work on the standard strain. Use them wisely.”
Carlisa twisted the Genex around her fingers and shoved it into her back pocket. “All good.”
I glanced at the team, in turn, then spun around in the direction of the crematorium. “Let’s brave the wave, guys.”
Sam led the way around the crematorium.
I glanced at the cameras.
“Don’t bother them. They’re dead. Like the residents inside.” Sam found the backdoor sealed off by planks of wood and yellow caution tape that read, ‘DO NOT ENTER: BIOHAZARD ZONE’.
“This is a bad idea.” Carlisa cuddled herself.
“Any better ideas?” Sam picked up a shovel and cranked the door.
Carlisa and I stepped aside as Mandy scooped the crowbar and helped Sam.
Sweat trickled down my spine. My hand on the Zapper, ready to fire at anything that might jump out. The metal door creaked open, followed swiftly by the brushing of guns in the air. No life signs in sight. Only the dead of the room greeted us, the air as still as the furniture.
My eyes darted in all corners, not giving a chance to any lurking Infected that might be there. A minute later, I lowered my Zapper. “All good.” Fighting against my fear, I braved through the door. The whiff of musty stench scorched my lungs.
I spluttered and winced at the post-apocalyptic silence of the crematorium. Sunlight punctured through the holes in the roof, forming stalactites of light through the chamber where the sp
arkly dust fairies danced.
The devoid of life and morbid peacefulness felt even eerier than in the presence of the Infected. It sucked away the last bit of hope left in me like the world had come to a standstill and nothing could be changed.
A hollow hole burned in my stomach as my gaze fell on the empty benches and cremators lined up along the wall, left frozen in time. The uneasiness bristled on my nape urged me to leave the building immediately. We split ways to look for a way out.
“Here’s a door.” Carlisa twisted and tugged the knob but it didn’t budge.
The rest of us joined Carlisa behind a metal cabinet. Half of the door tucked behind it. Light seeped through the slit on the top of the door.
Sam glanced up and down. “Looks like someone used the cabinet to block the doorway.” He put away his tablet and pushed the cabinet aside. It buckled and tumbled over. “Oh, no, damn!”
“Watch out!” Mandy pulled Carlisa and I aside.
I scrunched my face and pinched my eyes closed as the cabinet crashed on the floor with a loud clank and crumbled. No one moved a muscle. Only eyes moved for the full minute as we anticipated the horde but nothing happened.
The tension burst. My shoulders relaxed and Mandy immediately sprang into action. She dropped to a crouch and worked on the lock. The rest stood around her, keeping guard.
“I got it!” Mandy turned the knob. It clicked and flung open. The sun poured in and the gust of fresh air that had become a luxury I craved for breathed into the crematorium. Mandy put a hand over her eyes. “Looks good. No signs of Infected.”
“Yet.” Carlisa took her side.
I took the rear and shut the door. My stomach somersaulted at the warning sight of the scratches on the other side. “Blot my gel.”
Sam released his minidrone to survey the site. He looked at the tablet and shook his head. “It didn’t seem like many Infected here.”
“Maybe they died off.” Carlisa shrugged.
“That doesn’t mean we should be complacent.” Mandy raised her Zapper and took the lead. “Keep our eyes peeled, guys. They can appear anytime now.”
Sam followed suit, then Carlisa, and I taking the rear. I glanced back now and then, making sure we didn’t miss any of them. The dirt path led to Ridge Cove. The makeshift shacks cinched my heart. Not because of my previous encounter but the sight of the damaged houses, vacant of residents.
I muttered a cuss and covered my mouth with my hand. “I can’t believe this.” My heart ached with the pangs of anger and sadness that deluged my chest. All the effort Vaxine, Derrick, and I had put in to rescue the residents had gone to waste. Derrick died in vain. As much as I got annoyed by my experience here, I wouldn’t wish this upon them.
Sam patted my shoulders. “Come on, Roxy. We better go before the ATP sniff us out.”
With a defeated sigh, I tore my eyes from the sight and moved on. A five-minute walk later, the gray-washed building where Vaxine, Derrick, and I had sought refuge a few months ago materialized in the sky along with my survivor guilt. I couldn't believe I was back here, more so that I was the only one left from the previous team.
Sam pulled up short and raised his fist. “Guys, we’ve got company.”
The team froze at once. I could hear pin drop as only eyes swirled in all directions.
“There’s a horde about 500 meters ahead.” Sam nudged me on the arm. “Get ready for implantation.”
I reached into my backpack for the Gene Blast. Sam scanned the QR code on the base and the app popped up, transforming it into an infrared view.
“The radar camera’s on. The Gene Blast works like a cluster of homing missiles unleashed at once. These missiles, each containing a dose of the anti-Cranax gene, will then target on the Infected within the range.” I trained my eyes on the horizon, where the Infected would be. “There’s one problem. Gene Blast is designed for agriculture. We need to be near the targets to fire it.”
“How close?” Carlisa asked.
“50 meters at least.” I shrugged, reading from Sam’s tablet.
‘No targets detected. Please make sure the target within 50-meter range’ read the message over the camera.
Sam rubbed his chin. “Well, there’s a building next to where the horde is. If we could find a way to get in there, we could drop the Gene Blast from above.”
Mandy and Carlisa traded looks. “Let’s get to work then.”
“We can follow the back alley and get into the building through the backdoor. There will be a couple of stray Infected back there but should be more manageable than the horde out there.” Sam gestured at the narrow alleyway between the grimy buildings. “Now, these Infected attract to loud noises like moths to fire. So keep our noise level down, guys.”
Mandy and Carlisa took the lead and I the rear, sandwiching the unarmed tech guy in the middle. The alleyway fitted one person at a time so we moved in a line.
I inched carefully, not touching the moss-topped walls with my body.
“Stop, guys!” Sam said in a hushed urgent voice, stopping us at once. “Mandy, Carlisa, there are five Infected waiting for us on the other side. If you act quickly, Mandy, you can take out the three on the left and Carlisa, the other two on the right. On the count of three, two, and now!”
Mandy hopped out into the back lane, followed by Carlisa. They spun in opposite directions and squeezed the triggers. The synchronized muted shots zipped through the air punctuated by bodies hitting the grounds.
The girls lowered their guns a few seconds later and turned to us. “All clear,” said Mandy.
Sam and I slithered out of cover. The arid smell of excretions and diseases pierced my nostrils. A long slate of sky flanked between the close-packed buildings.
The bodies on the right stirred and grunted. Carlisa raised her gun to shoot again when I held her back. “No! You cured them with the anti-Cranax gene. They’re safe.”
Carlisa’s face lit up as she glanced at the Genex. “Blot my gel. This is so magical!” She turned around and pointed her gene gun at the other bodies when Mandy stood in front of her.
She grabbed the barrel and lowered it. “Don’t waste ammo, Carlisa. We don’t know how many more Infected are waiting for us out there.”
Carlisa glanced between the recovered and us. Her face dropped. “But why aren’t we saving the people when we could? Isn’t this the whole point of this mission?”
Sam, Mandy, and I traded glances. I stepped forward. “Look, Carlisa, we need to focus on the goal and the goal is to test out the Gene Blast and see if it’s working. We’re running out of time to save Ronin and the rest.”
“So you’re saying Ronin’s life is more important than theirs?” Carlisa let out an explosive sigh. “So you’re a typical elitist who thinks the lives of the Community worth more than the peasants?”
“No!” I sighed, slighted Carlisa compared me to the self-important snobs. “You’re being short-sighted. It’s not about saving the people of the Community first. It’s about saving the only people who could possibly stop this pandemic before it’s too late.”
“Sorry, can’t do that!” My eyes widened in shock and betrayal when Carlisa raised her gun at me and pulled the trigger. I ducked. The static erected my hair as the biolistic blazed through the air above me. A grunt ensued.
I spun around at the Infected looming inches from me. His bloodied eyes rolled back into his skull as he tumbled back and jittered on the ground.
A shriek rang in the air. We turned around and shushed the recovered. She shut up and widened her eyes at us in turn when the growls rose from around us.
“Blot my gel!” Mandy clutched onto her Zapper and gestured at the recovered. “Get on your feet. We need to go now!”
Carlisa went to help the recovered back on their feet. Mandy sighed in defeat and went to help Carlisa.
Sam’s fingers danced on the tablet. “There’s a door to the building ahead. We could seek cover there.”
“Father of Science! We need to go!” The bile rose in my throat. The Infected sieved through the narrow alleyway. Their diseased fingers extended out in our directions as their growls echoed through the air as if they were signaling for their kind.
I raised my Zappers and fired. The Infected collapsed and piled up, blocking the passage. “That should hold them back for a bit. Let’s go.”
I glanced at the recovered, heart pounding in my chest. Two women and a man in their mid-life. Their cheeks were sunken and eyes hollow. How long had they been Infected? Could they make the run?