Lockdown Nation

by Lim, Candice

  I plopped onto the stool next to me and stared at the barren state of the lab. Without one, even the PCR kit would be futile.

  Perhaps, the rest could distract the Infected while I make a run to another lab with a PCR machine. My head hurt from racking my brain but it drew a blank. I squeezed the bridge of my nose as my thought drifted to Quillon Riley.

  What would grandpa do if he was in the same situation? He would’ve done so much better than me and even with more primitive technology than the one here. I realized how much we’d become reliant on technology and how obsolete we’d become without it.

  As I went on and imagined his life in the lab, a sudden brainwave struck me. A smile broke out on my face as I hopped off my seat. “Oh yes, we do.”

  They exchanged looks again. “Uh?” Mandy raised his brow. “Is it invisible? Because I can’t see one.”

  “We’ll just have to do it the classic way.” I flicked on the switches of the waterbaths and the power buttons lit up. “Well, the whole purpose of the PCR machine is to adjust and maintain the temperatures for the PCR steps, which consist of denaturation, annealing, and extension. So technically, all we need is a piece of equipment to retain the temperatures for the process.”

  I turned around and tapped on the waterbath. “We have three waterbaths here. That should suffice for the different temperatures we need. The only challenge we have here is to precisely transfer the PCR tubes into respective temperatures within a certain timeframe for 30 cycles. That’s an hour. This requires high accuracy and fast, steady hands. It won’t work if the tubes are out of water for too long.”

  Their faces lit up with hope.

  I pursed my lips. “The problem is…we only have one shot at this.”

  The tension in the air could be pricked with a needle until Carlisa sighed and raised her hand. “I can do this.”

  All heads turned to Carlisa.

  “You sure? No offense but you haven’t been in a lab for years. This is our only chance of survival.” Mandy rubbed her chin.

  Carlisa shrugged. “Look. The way you describe it, it’s like making 30 batches of thrice-cooked fries, right? Guess who’s the most experienced in mass fries production here?” She pointed two thumbs at herself. “Yours truly.”

  “For an hour straight?” asked Mandy.

  “Five hours. And no toilet breaks. Welcome to my life.”

  Mandy sighed. “Guess I'm not dropping out any sooner.”

  Sam pulled out his phone. “I’ll be the timekeeper.”

  Mandy stirred the 70% alcohol cocktail with a glass rod in a beaker and slid it over the bench to Roxy. “Here’s your drink.”

  Carlisa clapped her hands once. “Less talking and more action. We’ve got a bigger fish to fry here!”

  The three got to work. They cleaned, filled up the waterbath, and set them to the respective temperatures.

  Whipping out my tablet for the protocol, I slapped on my gloves and wiped down my work area and the pipettes I found with the alcohol Mandy prepared. As I held onto the pipette, my hand trembled with anxiety. I sucked in a deep breath and focused on the procedure.

  I mixed the reagents in the PCR tubes with the kit from the fridge and retrieved the anti-Cranax gene vial from my gene gun. I stuck the pipette tip into the vial and added the gene into each of the tubes.

  Closing the last lid on the tubes, I passed the freezing plates of PCR tubes to Carlisa. “All yours.”

  Sam took Carlisa’s side with the timer on his phone ready. I passed the tablet to Sam while Carlisa transferred the tubes into a floating rack.

  “First one’s easy. Five minutes at 95 °C. For the next thirty cycles—30 seconds at 95 °C, 30 seconds at 55 °C, and one minute at 72 °C. Rinse and repeat.”

  “Cool.” Carlisa sucked in a deep breath and dipped the floating rack into the first waterbath. “Now start!”

  Sam hit the timer.

  All eyes trained on the waterbath.

  The veins on Carlisa’s arm bulged against her arm. Mandy dabbed the sweat on Carlisa’s forehead.

  The time stretched into eternity. I shifted my feet and clenched onto the edge of the bench. I rolled my shoulders, trying to ease the tension that locked my neck. I thought it was almost five minutes but only three had passed. The uneasiness trickled down my spine, bristling the hairs on my nape.

  “First five minutes passed. Another minute and we’re transferring to 55 °C. Mandy, make sure the waterbath is ready.” Sam’s eyes drilled on the timer.

  Mandy went to check the next waterbath. “All good.”

  “Now change!” Sam reset the timer.

  Carlisa lifted the floating rack and dipped it into the next waterbath, all within a split second. “All good!”

  “The next bit is going to be challenging. Mandy, you keep track of the cycle number.” A rivulet of sweat trickled down Sam’s face where the veins showed on his temple. “Next!”

  Carlisa’s hands blurred as she shifted the rack from one waterbath to another.

  My eyes darted up and down following Carlisa’s skilled hands.

  A loud crack burst the door snapping our heads at once. The Infected reached their arms through the splintered hole in the door.

  Carlisa flinched back. Mandy pushed the rack back into the water. “Keep it under!”

  “How many cycles left?” I scooped up my Zapper and fired at the door.

  “Seven more!” Mandy cried out. “About 14 minutes left. Can you hold them back?”

  “Not for long.”

  The Infected spawned as quickly as I took them out.

  My fingers ached in protest but before I broke them, the Zapper battery died away with a whine. I muttered a cuss and spun around at the group. “How long more?”

  “Final extension!” cried Mandy.

  Another bang split the door that would soon cave under the weight of the Infected. The throbbing terror gnawed me from the insides as I retreated. My eyes glued to the door as if the Infected would jump on me if I took them off. I reached for the Gene Blast in my backpack on the bench and scanned the QR code with my tablet.

  “We’re almost there, guys.” Sam’s eyes affixed on the timer. “Ten, nine, eight…”

  My eyes bounced between the tablet and the door as I adjusted the setting. My fingers blurred on the screen as if they were racing against Sam’s counting.

  “Three, two, one—”

  The door burst open with a massive wham. The Infected poured in like a broken dam.

  “Fire in the hole!” I flung the Gene Blast at the incoming horde and nose-dived behind the bench where the group took cover.

  I pinched my eyes closed and covered my ears as the detonation blasted through the room, shattering every glass in the vicinity. My head throbbed from the concussion as I peeked over the edge of the bench. All Infected were down.

  Carlisa handed out the rack of vials to us. “Here, have them while they’re still fresh.”

  I popped out the other gene and slid in the new vial. The ammo bar charged back up to green. I slid the vial of the other gene into my back pocket. “Let’s get outta here.” My legs wobbled as I tried to get up. “You guys are right. I probably shouldn’t have used the Gene Blast here.”

  The ATP stirred as we treaded out of the lab, carefully not to step on them. The hallway had been cleared of Infected. I made for the emergency staircase where Vaxine and Axon had been. When I opened the door, they were gone.

  35

  TAMEERA

  The guilt amplifying in Tameera’s chest reflected on the rapid bouncing of her foot. She watched the number drop on the panel as she descended the facility. But her thoughts stuck with the group she’d come with. Sure she was pissed she missed the chance of curing the other Infected but it was quite an overreaction for being mad at them for choosing their friend instead.

  The mental turmoil passed and her common sense took over the wheel. She sighed and pushed the ‘Stop’ b
utton. She pinched the bridge of her nose and pressed the button for the 77th floor. The elevator ascended before it jolted into a complete stop.

  Terror coursed through Tameera’s veins. She clutched tightly onto her tablet, wishing she had accepted Vaxine’s offer for a Zapper. “What’s going on here?”

  The door opened to a pair of ATP greeting her. Panic clawed up her throat making her retreat until her back was connected to the wall.

  “In reason we trust, Dr. Tameera. Welcome to MAD. Please come with us,” said the ATP in a monotonous voice that sounded robotic.

  With a gulp, Tameera did as she was told. Not like she had any choices.

  Her eyes darted in all directions, taking in her surroundings. The curved panoramic ceiling to floor glass window commanded the night skyline and wrapped around the round conference room. The low flush lights cast the room in an amber glow.

  “Dr. Cash, Dr. Tameera is here.”

  The silhouette at the window spun around in her chair. The glossy red lips, almost artificial, split her face. Fur coat on her shoulders, glistening satin dress hugging her figure. She lived up to her fashionista reputation. “In reason we trust, Dr. Tameera.”

  Tameera stared at the other woman in utter disbelief, unsure if it was more surreal to meet the legendary Dr. Adenine Cash more or the fact she was her hostage. “What do you want, Cash?”

  “I looked up at your Social Sense and discovered you’ve quite a few significant feathers on your hat.” Cash got up and poured two glasses of whisky. She handed one to Tameera. When she stared at it without accepting, Cash simpered and put it on the table. “We’re always seeking self-driven and talented individuals like yourself to add value to the company. A little bird told me you might have a program that could tap into one’s genome and reverse the infection.”

  “You are not looking for a cure.” Tameera tightened her clutch on the tablet. “You’re looking at mass control.”

  Cash sipped her drink. “Dr. Tameera, you are not looking in the right direction. We’re in the middle of a pandemic that affects all of us. Our priority is to put an end to the virus.” She shrugged. “But if we have a tool that could outdo our expectations, why wouldn’t we utilize it to its full potential?”

  Tameera sneered. “I’m not sure if this is a great idea.”

  “I don’t make a lot of offers but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you to collaborate with us. You’re an intelligent woman, Dr. Tameera. It’ll be a shame to waste your future and talents on the co-lab when you could achieve more and better under the guidance of our esteemed research team. You will find yourself among the best minds of Asia Nova.”

  “I don’t think I can live with that on my conscience, Cash.” Tameera shook her head.

  Cash scoffed. “Funny you should say that, I thought I saw you ditch your friends to fend for themselves from the Infected. You changed your tune so quickly; which I believe you will fit in the company well because we’re full of quick-minded people too.”

  Cash’s face turned into a serious expression as she snapped her fingers.

  Bile rose in Tameera’s throat as the pair of captors yanked the tablet out of her grip and held her down. She flinched to no avail and could only shoot daggers at the other woman.

  Cash clicked her tongue as her fingers danced on the screen. “I just don’t understand why people like to overcomplicate stuff when we could have done it the easy way—”

  Her face crumpled with displeasure at the prompt. “Please connect probes to proceed.”

  A smirk quirked up Tameera’s lips.

  “Now,” sighed Cash. “If you cooperate with us, we won’t hurt you.”

  “I’m afraid I don’t have the probes with me.”

  Her face darkened into shades of black. “Search her!”

  Tameera pursed her lips and closed her eyes as the men patted her down. She didn’t want Cash to revel over the humiliation she felt. A minute later, the ATP shook their heads at Cash.

  “Where are they?” hollered Cash, her voice pregnant with impatience.

  Tameera shrugged. “Guess you’ll have to find them yourself. It shouldn’t be too much of a problem for you since you have the best research team in the nation at your disposal.”

  A snarl erupted from Cash’s throat. Then, her face relaxed and a peal of laughter erupted from her. She retrieved a syringe containing some amber liquid. “Now, do we need to do this the hard way? Dr. Tameera, you're an intelligent woman. You should know the best course of action.”

  Tameera’s belly cramped with fear as she followed the syringe with her eyes. “Roxy—Roxy Riley has them.” Raw panic dripping from every word.

  Cash’s victorious laugh boomed across the room. She gestured at the ATP who then muffled to his earpiece.

  An idea brewed in Tameera’s head. “Why don’t we talk about our future collaborations?”

  Cash’s brow perked up with interest. “What made you change your mind?”

  Tameera wriggled free from the ATP and massaged her arms. “I don’t have a choice, do I? What good would it do me if I’m dead?”

  Cash sneered but her expression wary. Tameera knew better a woman in her position wouldn’t trust too quickly. “Well, what do you propose, Dr. Tameera?”

  Tameera suppressed a smirk. She figured she would play along as long as it would keep her alive. “I’ve been toying with some prototypes in my free time. Perhaps, one or more might pique your interest.”

  36

  VAXINE

  “No!” screamed Vaxine. Part of her was mad at Axon for shutting the door at them but there wasn’t anything else he could do.

  “They can fend for themselves.” Though he’d said that, the look on his face told otherwise. Axon hung his head and propped against the door holding it back with his weight.

  Vaxine sighed and turned away pinching the bridge of her nose. The unwanted thoughts of bad things that might befall Roxy and the others pounded her head. She was no stranger to being helpless but it didn’t make her feel any less bad. “Screw this. Let’s look for Ronin. At least we get something out of this.”

  Axon snapped his head up with a confused look. “Ronin? Where?”

  “If he’s still in the facility, he should be at the production lab.” Vaxine snatched Axon’s phone out of his pocket. “I hope you haven’t deleted the blueprint.” Her eyes stilled on the screen for a full minute before a smirk peeked from her lips. “Found it.”

  She tossed the phone back to Axon and whipped out her Zapper to check the battery. “We might have to go for a walk.”

  “We—we just leave them like that?” The guilt etched on his forehead.

  “Do you have a better suggestion?”

  “No.”

  “Then, let’s get going.” Vaxine spun around and descended the stairs.

  Axon sighed and followed suit. “Hey, Vax.” Two floors later, he broke the silence but not the pace. “Thanks for coming back for me.”

  “You trying to make me feel better?” Vaxine wasn’t sure what else to say. Her head was full of worries and had no room for another piece of nuisance.

  Axon shook his head. “I thought long and hard about it the other day. Sure I was mad at you for turning my life upside down but I’d rather you dragged my ass out of my comfort zone instead of letting me hide away from the truth, oblivious of everything that happened out here. Thanks for bringing the best out of me, Vax. I wouldn’t have completed my doctorate without you.”

  Vaxine broke out of character. She spun around, threw her arms around Axon’s neck, and planted a kiss on his lips.

  Axon’s eyes fluttered open before they closed. He held her by the hips and deepened the kiss.

  Vaxine pulled away a minute later and looked Axon right in the eye. “I don’t want you to leave ever, Axon. No matter what.”

  Axon cupped his hand on her face. “I won’t. We will fight through this, Vax. We’ll fight through this toget
her.”

  The door bursting open behind them snapped them back to reality. Both spun at once and were met with the familiar face. Axon tightened his grip on Vaxine, his growing anger evident through the bulging veins and tensed muscles. “Cooper…” he muttered through his gritted teeth.

  Both men traded a look of murder.

  “Finally, found the pests that have been terrorizing the facility!” Cooper leaped down to the landing where Vaxine and Axon were on. “You will pay for what you have done!” The couple split up in different directions as Cooper’s fist slammed through the space between them and connected to the wall.