antidote during the
event before the terminal stage,” he paused, “or you are born already immune which,
statistically, is very unlikely. With every viral contagion there are those who
are the two-percenters and unaffected, to put it in a way you would understand.”
“What good is the vaccine in your pack if you only
have a few vials?” said Katy.
“There are more located in a safe place. These
represent half the equation. The vials here need to be combined with the other
formula stowed away at the secondary site that each of us were assigned.”
“But, by now, hasn’t the initial virus run its
course? I mean, won’t it burn out once these creatures are all dead?” said Katy.
“If we hide out here for a while longer, we can avoid becoming infected until
those things die off, right?”
“No. You see, we created the bioweapon to have three
waves, each being more virulent than the ones that preceded it, much like the
original 1918 virus but with one difference. The reanimation of the deceased is
not something that was in the strain we created. That is nature’s cruel
handiwork spitting back in our faces. The next wave will produce not only an
even higher mortality rate, but who knows what will happen with the reanimation
effect.”
Jim looked up at Katy and Travis and quickly back
down at the river. “Each successive, viral wave has a shorter incubation period.
With the first wave, viral onset until death is usually six to eight hours, as
you’ve witnessed. With each wave that terminal rate is cut in half. You may not
even have to be bit to have the next wave spread. Anyone who has been in
airborne contact with the virus already, is most likely an asymptomatic carrier
and will suffer the effects,” he kicked a pebble in the river with his boot and
then looked up. “Probably, even you two and everyone else here.”
Travis shot a glance at Katy and then clenched his fist
while squatting down next to the cowering figure. “Not you though, eh Jim?
You’ve probably already been vaccinated I’m guessing. How long before the next
wave hits?”
“You must remember that the initial testing we did
was on monkeys under controlled laboratory conditions and….”
He was cut short by Katy, “Spare me any more
lectures Spock. How long damnit?”
“The models indicate that we have six months until
the next wave strikes with the third wave following in another six months, as
per the 1918 pandemic. Anyone left after that will truly be the next Adam and
Eve.”
Katy’s face went from flushed red to a buttermilk
color. She sat on the rocks behind Travis and gazed down canyon.
Travis’s mind flashed to his son, Todd. Was he
alone, fending for himself in some god-forsaken burnt out house in what was
once Denver? Maybe he made it out with his mom? Was he even alive? What if…. he
immediately forced the images away and resumed his laser focus on Jim’s words.
“Solutions…options, let’s discuss those,” Travis said. “You are carrying those
vials for a reason so you must have hope that something can be done to stem the
tide of further infection. Let’s talk about that and why you thought hiding out
with us was ‘humanity’s best course of action’.”
“I was told to join this particular trip by my
handler- the only person I trusted. He arranged everything and said that I
would be safe until the first wave had passed. Then he would come for me, but
something must have gone wrong.”
“Define ‘safe’, you bastard,” said Katy, who was
standing again and motioning her fist at Jim. “Those fucking creatures on the
beach didn’t make me feel too safe.”
Travis wedged himself between the two and then
turned towards Jim. “You said there was a site where the other vials were kept.
Where?”
“I only have the coordinates for the secondary site.
Whether that is the location of the laboratory is unknown but….” Before he
could finish, Pete emerged from across the river, leaping from rock to rock
event before the terminal stage,” he paused, “or you are born already immune which,
statistically, is very unlikely. With every viral contagion there are those who
are the two-percenters and unaffected, to put it in a way you would understand.”
“What good is the vaccine in your pack if you only
have a few vials?” said Katy.
“There are more located in a safe place. These
represent half the equation. The vials here need to be combined with the other
formula stowed away at the secondary site that each of us were assigned.”
“But, by now, hasn’t the initial virus run its
course? I mean, won’t it burn out once these creatures are all dead?” said Katy.
“If we hide out here for a while longer, we can avoid becoming infected until
those things die off, right?”
“No. You see, we created the bioweapon to have three
waves, each being more virulent than the ones that preceded it, much like the
original 1918 virus but with one difference. The reanimation of the deceased is
not something that was in the strain we created. That is nature’s cruel
handiwork spitting back in our faces. The next wave will produce not only an
even higher mortality rate, but who knows what will happen with the reanimation
effect.”
Jim looked up at Katy and Travis and quickly back
down at the river. “Each successive, viral wave has a shorter incubation period.
With the first wave, viral onset until death is usually six to eight hours, as
you’ve witnessed. With each wave that terminal rate is cut in half. You may not
even have to be bit to have the next wave spread. Anyone who has been in
airborne contact with the virus already, is most likely an asymptomatic carrier
and will suffer the effects,” he kicked a pebble in the river with his boot and
then looked up. “Probably, even you two and everyone else here.”
Travis shot a glance at Katy and then clenched his fist
while squatting down next to the cowering figure. “Not you though, eh Jim?
You’ve probably already been vaccinated I’m guessing. How long before the next
wave hits?”
“You must remember that the initial testing we did
was on monkeys under controlled laboratory conditions and….”
He was cut short by Katy, “Spare me any more
lectures Spock. How long damnit?”
“The models indicate that we have six months until
the next wave strikes with the third wave following in another six months, as
per the 1918 pandemic. Anyone left after that will truly be the next Adam and
Eve.”
Katy’s face went from flushed red to a buttermilk
color. She sat on the rocks behind Travis and gazed down canyon.
Travis’s mind flashed to his son, Todd. Was he
alone, fending for himself in some god-forsaken burnt out house in what was
once Denver? Maybe he made it out with his mom? Was he even alive? What if…. he
immediately forced the images away and resumed his laser focus on Jim’s words.
“Solutions…options, let’s discuss those,” Travis said. “You are carrying those
vials for a reason so you must have hope that something can be done to stem the
tide of further infection. Let’s talk about that and why you thought hiding out
with us was ‘humanity’s best course of action’.”
“I was told to join this particular trip by my
handler- the only person I trusted. He arranged everything and said that I
would be safe until the first wave had passed. Then he would come for me, but
something must have gone wrong.”
“Define ‘safe’, you bastard,” said Katy, who was
standing again and motioning her fist at Jim. “Those fucking creatures on the
beach didn’t make me feel too safe.”
Travis wedged himself between the two and then
turned towards Jim. “You said there was a site where the other vials were kept.
Where?”
“I only have the coordinates for the secondary site.
Whether that is the location of the laboratory is unknown but….” Before he
could finish, Pete emerged from across the river, leaping from rock to rock
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