Outbreak - Part I
It was winter when the first outbreak had happened. I was young and married, and I had no idea what to expect. My entire family was wiped out. Friends. Relatives. My husband. It was all over. It was only then did I realize that my fears about some sort of 'zombie plague' ripping through the world were becoming real, very real, and that I had not been prepared for any of it like I thought. I should have listened to myself over everyone else's false assurances that it could never happen. I have learned in the last ten years that never is a very dangerous word...
I glanced over at my husband, who was standing by the window. It was dark, but through my own experimentation I had gained the ability to see in the dark. It was nothing comparable to that of a cat, and I didn't have any sort of eye shine, but my eyes were able to separate the light and the dark better, and I could easily make out shapes, faces...infected. It helped. I'd done it to him, too, after his team had been brought in for the treatments. It didn't take long - his body seemed to respond like mine. Instantly. As though we were made for it. The other members of his team had taken months to develop the things our bodies seemed to adopt as second nature. It was why we were in the city now, and they were still back in the labs.
"What're you doing?" he asked. Jackson turned to look at me, his dark eyes studying my form, which was positioned over a small photo album I kept with me while seated on the makeshift bed. He did not turn fully, unwilling to leave the window completely unguarded. We were on the ground floor, and he was ever the man, wanting to make sure that we were safe. He had a great sense of duty, and of protection. It was a trait that I appreciated, though it made for conflict at times. I was too 'brazen', too 'careless'.
"Just remembering," I said absently. I looked back down at the photos. Friends of mine long passed, or in other parts of the world. My best friend had gone into biochemistry before I had, and she was working on a cure for the virus somewhere in Europe with her husband. They had been contracted out by the government and lived on a compound somewhere. I hadn't seen her since my previous husband had been killed.
He looked back to the window. Sometimes I hurt him without meaning to, and I suspected now was one of those times. He had lost a wife and a child, I know, and I also knew that in a few days this would be reversed, and I would feel the wonderment that perhaps I was 'just a replacement'. Such was life between us. It was not always love that kept us together, but duty and a common bond.
I stood, remembering the day he had approached me after my lecture. As I walked to him, it was as though I had slipped back into three years prior, and we were speaking for the first time.
"We refer to the infection as the Solaris virus, after the late scientist Branigan Solaris, who originally discovered it and was able to get as far as naming it before he died. Many years passed before it resurfaced and there was virtually no knowledge of it. However, this is what WE have discovered so far through research and these key points will help keep you alive." I straightened my lab coat and walked across the large stage I was on, in front of hundreds of men and women, scientists and operatives alike.
"First - this virus is transmitted somewhat like the AIDs virus is. You cannot get it through a scratch. You cannot get it through moderate physical contact, like holding hands. You CAN get it through sexual intercourse. You CAN get it from a bite - the saliva isn't what carries it but often the infected in Stage III develop sores all over their bodies, including their mouths. Once their blood mixes with yours, you need to get treatments immediately. I cannot stress this enough. Once you enter Stage II of the process the treatments we have thus far WILL NOT work. You will be too far gone, and if you come into any facility you will be terminated ON SIGHT. We have managed to contain outbreaks and we will make NO EXCEPTIONS."
"Second - there are, as I have previously mentioned, different developmental stages of the Solaris virus. During Stage I, you will have NO SYMPTOMS of infection. This is the most crucial stage because it is where an infected can infect others without REALIZING it is happening. There are test kits available at EVERY store now. TEST YOURSELF WEEKLY."
"Stage I can last from one week to one month, depending on your exposure. For instance, a small bite will take longer to develop than, oh, if you were mauled and barely escaped." I tipped my glasses down a second at a man in the front who laughed at my description. "It has happened, sir. What will you do when you have to put a bullet in your partner's face because he has entered Stage II within a matter of days and you had no thought to take him to get treated? Will you be able to? I know I can, because I have had to. The point is that it shouldn't come to that. We cannot afford to lose any operatives or any of our scientists. This is why I must stress that once you have become infected you come IMMEDIATLY to get treated."
He had been silenced then, and I paused for a sip of water before continuing. "Stage II is where it starts to become apparent that you have been infected, although some people are able to hide it if they try. You will find blood in your body fluids - stool, urine, saliva, tears, and in rare occurrences, sweat. As the virus begins to take hold of your body, you will experience things such as memory and time loss. Contrary to the hopeless romantic, when a loved one has entered Stage III, they retain NO memory whatsoever of you. They are no longer a living entity, but a vessel with base functions for survival. They do not feel pain, nor do they feel emotions of any kind, including love and fear." I felt as though I'd gone off on a tangent, so I let that soak in as I returned to my podium and leaned against it.
"As Stage II progresses, you will find that you have phantom circulation loss. You will still have, physically, circulation going to your appendages, but you will not FEEL them. Usually it's the fingers and toes to go numb first, and it works its way inward. You will also find that you have no appetite, and often you will feel tired. At the end of Stage II, which usually lasts for two to four weeks, the virus begins to pick up. Before entering Stage III you will have virtually no memory whatsoever, and your skin will begin to develop sores from a reaction to the virus."
"When you have completely entered Stage III, you will have no memories. You will have no feelings. You will have basic functions to feed. You will not physically sleep, though we have seen some instances where the subjects tire to the point of exhaustion and simply collapse for a few hours at a time. You will still require oxygen to breathe, water to drink, and food to eat, but these are ALL of the functions you have. Most attacks now are resulting in infected that have become crazed due to starvation, and yes, they do seem to have an affinity for the taste of flesh, though they will eat ANY sort of meat, and do not rely specifically on humans to sate their endless appetites."
"We have come very far in our developments and understandings of those infected with Solaris; however, we do not fully understand their body functions or what seems to drive them except for the simplest want to survive. Moving on," I said, taking another brief pause to glance at my notes, "I will next explain how to kill them."
I stepped off the stage, and began walking the rows in the auditorium, my wireless microphone projecting my voice clearly. "Unlike the movies, it is not as complicated as severing the spinal cord at the base of the brain, which, we all know, is sort of a pain when you're caught off guard without a gun or something the size of a Scottish Claymore at your side." I let them have a small chuckle, these hardened champions, and then pressed on.
"They can bleed to death. They can drown. They can be suffocated. They are susceptible to fire. They can be shot in the head or the heart. They are much like us in their mortality, except that they do not feel pain, so if you do not land a shot to the head, expect that they will still be moving until their body simply drops from lack of ability to move any further. The best method will, and always has been, for any foe, a bullet, or blade, to the head. Destruction of the brain is the only surefire way to get the situation contained with as little room for error as possible. I just want to let you know that you do not have to be a sharpshooter, as long as you can spare a few moments to let them bleed themselves out."
"Now that we've covered all of the information I had prepared for you today, if you would please report to the main labs, there will be several stations open for vaccinations. Those of you that have family members within the compound, they are currently on the other end, getting the vaccine as well. Those of you operatives who have been sent to me by Dr. Walker, skip the vaccines and go straight to my personal lab. My assistant will show you the way."
As I stepped off the stage with a small file of notes in my hand, ready to walk into the proverbial lion's den of operatives that Dr. Walker had specifically chosen for my own team, I realized that one of them lingered behind. He was taller than I, with features that spoke more of a kind man than of a rigid killer. It was his eyes, though, that spoke a different story. His eyes reflected my own. Pain and loss. Rage. Emptiness. I had come across many who reflected bits and pieces, but none had made me stutter as I spoke to them - none except my late husband.
"Jackson St. James," he said, holding his hand out to me. "Walker told me that I was to undergo the same treatments you did, but he neglected to tell me what more your special chemical cocktails had than the ones you're to be dosing my men with. Can you?"
I introduced myself and raised my brows. This man must be exceptional at what he does for Dr. Walker to refer him to my own personal work. I was working on making myself some sort of superhuman, though I had a long way to go. Dr. Walker had actually helped me with the beginning work, and I had taken it from there. The man was very aware of what I was doing to myself, but he knew I would be hesitant to subject another human to it.
"Right," I said. I did not let this man see my own personal distress. He seemed to strike me as the type who did not appreciate weakness from a leader, and I know that I would not have cared much for someone I was placing my life into the hands of to have a moment of confusion. "If you'll follow me, please."
I glanced over at my husband, who was standing by the window. It was dark, but through my own experimentation I had gained the ability to see in the dark. It was nothing comparable to that of a cat, and I didn't have any sort of eye shine, but my eyes were able to separate the light and the dark better, and I could easily make out shapes, faces...infected. It helped. I'd done it to him, too, after his team had been brought in for the treatments. It didn't take long - his body seemed to respond like mine. Instantly. As though we were made for it. The other members of his team had taken months to develop the things our bodies seemed to adopt as second nature. It was why we were in the city now, and they were still back in the labs.
"What're you doing?" he asked. Jackson turned to look at me, his dark eyes studying my form, which was positioned over a small photo album I kept with me while seated on the makeshift bed. He did not turn fully, unwilling to leave the window completely unguarded. We were on the ground floor, and he was ever the man, wanting to make sure that we were safe. He had a great sense of duty, and of protection. It was a trait that I appreciated, though it made for conflict at times. I was too 'brazen', too 'careless'.
"Just remembering," I said absently. I looked back down at the photos. Friends of mine long passed, or in other parts of the world. My best friend had gone into biochemistry before I had, and she was working on a cure for the virus somewhere in Europe with her husband. They had been contracted out by the government and lived on a compound somewhere. I hadn't seen her since my previous husband had been killed.
He looked back to the window. Sometimes I hurt him without meaning to, and I suspected now was one of those times. He had lost a wife and a child, I know, and I also knew that in a few days this would be reversed, and I would feel the wonderment that perhaps I was 'just a replacement'. Such was life between us. It was not always love that kept us together, but duty and a common bond.
I stood, remembering the day he had approached me after my lecture. As I walked to him, it was as though I had slipped back into three years prior, and we were speaking for the first time.
"We refer to the infection as the Solaris virus, after the late scientist Branigan Solaris, who originally discovered it and was able to get as far as naming it before he died. Many years passed before it resurfaced and there was virtually no knowledge of it. However, this is what WE have discovered so far through research and these key points will help keep you alive." I straightened my lab coat and walked across the large stage I was on, in front of hundreds of men and women, scientists and operatives alike.
"First - this virus is transmitted somewhat like the AIDs virus is. You cannot get it through a scratch. You cannot get it through moderate physical contact, like holding hands. You CAN get it through sexual intercourse. You CAN get it from a bite - the saliva isn't what carries it but often the infected in Stage III develop sores all over their bodies, including their mouths. Once their blood mixes with yours, you need to get treatments immediately. I cannot stress this enough. Once you enter Stage II of the process the treatments we have thus far WILL NOT work. You will be too far gone, and if you come into any facility you will be terminated ON SIGHT. We have managed to contain outbreaks and we will make NO EXCEPTIONS."
"Second - there are, as I have previously mentioned, different developmental stages of the Solaris virus. During Stage I, you will have NO SYMPTOMS of infection. This is the most crucial stage because it is where an infected can infect others without REALIZING it is happening. There are test kits available at EVERY store now. TEST YOURSELF WEEKLY."
"Stage I can last from one week to one month, depending on your exposure. For instance, a small bite will take longer to develop than, oh, if you were mauled and barely escaped." I tipped my glasses down a second at a man in the front who laughed at my description. "It has happened, sir. What will you do when you have to put a bullet in your partner's face because he has entered Stage II within a matter of days and you had no thought to take him to get treated? Will you be able to? I know I can, because I have had to. The point is that it shouldn't come to that. We cannot afford to lose any operatives or any of our scientists. This is why I must stress that once you have become infected you come IMMEDIATLY to get treated."
He had been silenced then, and I paused for a sip of water before continuing. "Stage II is where it starts to become apparent that you have been infected, although some people are able to hide it if they try. You will find blood in your body fluids - stool, urine, saliva, tears, and in rare occurrences, sweat. As the virus begins to take hold of your body, you will experience things such as memory and time loss. Contrary to the hopeless romantic, when a loved one has entered Stage III, they retain NO memory whatsoever of you. They are no longer a living entity, but a vessel with base functions for survival. They do not feel pain, nor do they feel emotions of any kind, including love and fear." I felt as though I'd gone off on a tangent, so I let that soak in as I returned to my podium and leaned against it.
"As Stage II progresses, you will find that you have phantom circulation loss. You will still have, physically, circulation going to your appendages, but you will not FEEL them. Usually it's the fingers and toes to go numb first, and it works its way inward. You will also find that you have no appetite, and often you will feel tired. At the end of Stage II, which usually lasts for two to four weeks, the virus begins to pick up. Before entering Stage III you will have virtually no memory whatsoever, and your skin will begin to develop sores from a reaction to the virus."
"When you have completely entered Stage III, you will have no memories. You will have no feelings. You will have basic functions to feed. You will not physically sleep, though we have seen some instances where the subjects tire to the point of exhaustion and simply collapse for a few hours at a time. You will still require oxygen to breathe, water to drink, and food to eat, but these are ALL of the functions you have. Most attacks now are resulting in infected that have become crazed due to starvation, and yes, they do seem to have an affinity for the taste of flesh, though they will eat ANY sort of meat, and do not rely specifically on humans to sate their endless appetites."
"We have come very far in our developments and understandings of those infected with Solaris; however, we do not fully understand their body functions or what seems to drive them except for the simplest want to survive. Moving on," I said, taking another brief pause to glance at my notes, "I will next explain how to kill them."
I stepped off the stage, and began walking the rows in the auditorium, my wireless microphone projecting my voice clearly. "Unlike the movies, it is not as complicated as severing the spinal cord at the base of the brain, which, we all know, is sort of a pain when you're caught off guard without a gun or something the size of a Scottish Claymore at your side." I let them have a small chuckle, these hardened champions, and then pressed on.
"They can bleed to death. They can drown. They can be suffocated. They are susceptible to fire. They can be shot in the head or the heart. They are much like us in their mortality, except that they do not feel pain, so if you do not land a shot to the head, expect that they will still be moving until their body simply drops from lack of ability to move any further. The best method will, and always has been, for any foe, a bullet, or blade, to the head. Destruction of the brain is the only surefire way to get the situation contained with as little room for error as possible. I just want to let you know that you do not have to be a sharpshooter, as long as you can spare a few moments to let them bleed themselves out."
"Now that we've covered all of the information I had prepared for you today, if you would please report to the main labs, there will be several stations open for vaccinations. Those of you that have family members within the compound, they are currently on the other end, getting the vaccine as well. Those of you operatives who have been sent to me by Dr. Walker, skip the vaccines and go straight to my personal lab. My assistant will show you the way."
As I stepped off the stage with a small file of notes in my hand, ready to walk into the proverbial lion's den of operatives that Dr. Walker had specifically chosen for my own team, I realized that one of them lingered behind. He was taller than I, with features that spoke more of a kind man than of a rigid killer. It was his eyes, though, that spoke a different story. His eyes reflected my own. Pain and loss. Rage. Emptiness. I had come across many who reflected bits and pieces, but none had made me stutter as I spoke to them - none except my late husband.
"Jackson St. James," he said, holding his hand out to me. "Walker told me that I was to undergo the same treatments you did, but he neglected to tell me what more your special chemical cocktails had than the ones you're to be dosing my men with. Can you?"
I introduced myself and raised my brows. This man must be exceptional at what he does for Dr. Walker to refer him to my own personal work. I was working on making myself some sort of superhuman, though I had a long way to go. Dr. Walker had actually helped me with the beginning work, and I had taken it from there. The man was very aware of what I was doing to myself, but he knew I would be hesitant to subject another human to it.
"Right," I said. I did not let this man see my own personal distress. He seemed to strike me as the type who did not appreciate weakness from a leader, and I know that I would not have cared much for someone I was placing my life into the hands of to have a moment of confusion. "If you'll follow me, please."