by Candice Lim
I looked out at the azure sea below. Sunlight glittered on the rolling waves. Despite the chaos overtaking Asia Nova, the sea and sky remained calm, like any other peaceful day. Long days in the Safe House, well, that’s what I had dubbed this place, had numbed me from the pain of losing Mom and Dad. Perhaps, I’d learned to accept the ugly truth. Perhaps, I’d grown up and understood I couldn’t turn back time. But I couldn’t wipe out this painful memory haunting me every night.
I wasn’t alone. Thousands of lives were sacrificed every day. People lost their families. Children were orphaned. I felt sorry for them, for myself. Cranax did not play favorites. It preyed on everyone.
“Eureka!” Vaxine exclaimed. I cocked my head at her. Vaxine jumped out of her seat, her chair scratched the floor. It was the first time I’d ever seen Vaxine smile, especially at me. I stared at Vaxine, wondering what happened. “I managed to decrypt and collect the necessary data about Project Cranax. We can use this against Cash and her accomplices.”
“What you gonna do?” After all we’d been through, I felt justice no longer existed to give me the slightest hope.
“I’m going to call the lawyer.” Vaxine looked at the laptop again. “Give him everything we have, then we press charges against them.”
I nodded.
“The Council will take care of the rest.” Vaxine beamed. “Then, you are free to go.”
I snorted. What’s the point now? Everything was too late. Mom and Dad were dead and gone. Life held no meaning anymore. My thought went to the President. “Wait, the Council?”
“Yes, why?”
I jumped off the sofa, towards Vaxine’s computer. Dropping into the warm seat, my fingers started typing on the keyboard. Seconds later, the page I was looking for popped out. The golden double helix logo rotated in the middle of the screen. It dissolved into a grainy image and disappeared two seconds later. It was the same logo I saw on the President’s suit. It was the logo of the Council. “I think we shouldn’t do this.”
Vaxine’s frown deepened. “What are you talking about?”
I bit my lip. “We can’t do this. I think the Council is working with them.”
Vaxine pulled a chair next to me and sat down. ”You mean, these people are on Cash’s side?”
“I suspect so. The President―” I gulped. “He spoke to me the other night in The Court. He seems to know what’s going on. ”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
I was at a loss for words. I’d been too preoccupied with my parents’ death I forgot to tell Vaxine this. “I’m sorry. I truly am.”
Vaxine looked surprisingly sympathetic and rested a hand on my shoulder. “No. I’m sorry for your loss, Roxy.” I gazed at Vaxine, dumbfounded. That was the last thing I expected from her. “I understand how hurt you are right now.” Vaxine’s lips were a grim line as she gazed into the distance, lost in her thoughts. “I’ve lost people I care about too.”
“Hershey?”
Vaxine laughed and shook her head. “Hershey is not dead. I was fatherless―am still fatherless. He was too busy being a prolific scientist and is good as gone. My mother was the one who took care of me since I was a child though she was in the Community too. I guess she got more leeway as a mother. She didn’t talk much about him either. I love her so much. Then, a terrible lab accident took her away.”
“I am sorry, Vaxine. I didn’t mean to―”
“Don’t worry about that. “Seriousness bled into her voice and she sounded like tough Vaxine again. “There’s no point living in the past. You must now live your life so that your parents’ death will not be in vain. Don’t let your unguarded emotions get the best of you.”
I nodded. Maybe that explained the lack of emotion as Vaxine spoke of her mother she dearly loved.
“So, it’s over?”
“Yeah.” Vaxine sighed. “It seems so.”
“Our one last hope destroyed. We are going to die.” I chuckled. It blossomed into a loud, hacking guffaw reverberating off every wall.
Vaxine followed suit.
We both chortled, bursting into volleys of howls as though we were going to die tomorrow. We sat there and let everything out because apparently, nothing else could be done. It was the first time after what seemed an eternity I’d allowed myself to loosen up. For a second, the world around me disappeared along with its problems. I felt a certain relief.
Vaxine stopped laughing as her face suddenly tensed. “Wait, cut it out!”
I shut up when Vaxine grabbed the laptop and read the data again. “It’s not over yet! We have the anti-Cranax gene!”
“The anti-Cranax gene?”
“Enough of playing the nice guy card! We are going to do it Cash’s way.”
I frowned at Vaxine, trying to digest her words. “What do you mean? We go and kidnap her back?”
“Yes, both of us.”
I stared at Vaxine dumbly.
“Okay, okay, I know you’re lost. Let’s get back on track.” Vaxine tilted the laptop screen so we both could have a better view. “The anti-Cranax gene is the only weapon against Cranax. But the problem is.” Her face withered a little. “No human trials have been conducted yet.”
“So…we don’t know if it works?”
Vaxine shook her head. “Worse yet, we don’t know if there are any side effects. But theoretically, Hershey developed the cure.”
“This is what Cash wants to hide from the world. The cure to Cranax. The ultimate killer of her Cranatol business. The backup.” I nodded in understanding. “So Hershey’s life is also hanging on this thread. They’re keeping her alive because if shit happens, no one else can develop the cure in a short time.”
“Bingo! You are not as dumb as I thought after all.”
I rolled my eyes. “So, what are we going to do with the anti-Cranax gene? To be exact, who can you trust?”
“Exactly. I don’t trust anyone.” I arched a brow at her. “That’s why we have to take matters into our own hands.”
“Welcome to Hershey Research Laboratory. Please suit up,” said Vaxine. The double doors closed behind us with a hiss. Vaxine thrust a lab coat in my face and a choking odor of disinfectants seared my lungs. Then, she went on with the unofficial tour. “This is the dry lab, where all the cool supercomputers are. Mind you, don’t use them as gaming stations. These bad boys are up for serious business.”
I pulled the oversized lab coat over my head. My eyes swept around the lab. In contrast to the all-white hall outside, the lab had metallic decor. Chrome benches lined the aisles occupied by equipment of all shapes and functions. I only recognized a handful, like the monitors and printers.
“Nothing interesting here. Let’s move on to the wet lab.” Vaxine walked me through the pressure door into another similar-looking lab. “And here’s where all the dirty work takes place.”
White bottles were arranged in the racks alphabetically and numerically. Labeled amber glass jars, filled and empty, sat on the shelves on the walls. The workstations were immaculate and devoid of clutter, unlike those in CU.
I feasted my eyes on the majesty of the lab. I stepped back and tripped over something hard. I looked at the floor. Nothing was there.
“What’d you see?” asked Vaxine.
“I think I stepped on something but―”
“Pay attention while I talk!” Vaxine went on with reading the labels of each instrument she could find on the bench.
I nodded and stole another glance at the floor. I was never a confident person but I was totally positive that I did step onto something. Something that had just disappeared. A strange eeriness crept onto me. I hugged myself and closed Vaxine. She was presenting the microscope, her long fingers stroking the instrument. “This bad boy allows us to look at the surface of big objects by scanning―”
“Do you keep your live specimens here?” I blurted. “I am sorry.”
Vaxine shifted her feet, one fist at her waist and anot
her hand on the microscope. “Were you even listening to what I was saying? No, we don’t keep live specimens here.”
“Y―yeah, I am. I am,” I lied. “But I’m really bothered. I thought I stepped on something. Then, I turned around and it was gone!”
Vaxine stared at me like I was stupid.
“No, I really felt something, all right?”
Vaxine folded her arms and glanced at the floor. I stepped aside. “Apparently, you stepped on an ongoing experiment,” Vaxine said matter-of-factly.
I lifted a foot and frantically looked around. “What did I step on?”
“Some invisible bullshit. Now, stop all the hooey and get back to work.” Vaxine floated to another bench where she talked about another microscope.
A hybrid robot-monster swung in from another aisle, pouncing on my leg. My blood froze in my veins as I screamed, kicking my leg to a blur. “Blot my gel! Escaped specimen!” I jumped around, slamming my leg onto the benches. But it was still snarling, aggravated by the fierce swinging.
“Botty!” Vaxine shouted.
The metallic object dropped off my leg with a clank and fell on its back. It rolled over, two sapphire eyes shone at me.
“Bad dog!” Vaxine hollered at the metal puppy.
It bowed its head and whimpered.
“It’s a BotDog!” I crouched down to pet the dog’s head. BotDog was the world’s famous robotic pet dog. It had gained its popularity among pet enthusiasts who couldn’t afford a real dog. Rumor had it, this space-age animal came with an electronic nose could compare to a real hound’s. “I’ve always wanted a pet dog.”
“It’s not a pet dog. More like a guard dog. Someone needs to keep a watchful eye on the lab when no one’s around, like always.”
I turned a deaf ear to Vaxine. I’d been distracted before and now with this cute little puppy, no way I could focus. I wouldn’t get a chance to use those instruments anyway. I stroked the puppy’s head. It tilted its head towards me like a real dog, as if it was enjoying the petting. Despite the metallic exterior, it looked as though it had a soul, like it was made of flesh and blood.
Vaxine rolled her eyes in annoyance. “Knock it off. This is not a petting zoo for kids.”
I stood up. “What’s its name? What did you call it? Botty?”
“Yes. Now go, Botty.” Botty scurried away and disappeared around the corner. “Get back to business, shall we?”
I stole another glance and turned to Vaxine. “Blot my gel! It’s so cute!”
Another sigh escaped Vaxine as she steered us into another area. “All right. It’s time we get down and get dirty.” She spun around and opened the fridge.
I folded my arms and leaned against the bench, catching a glance of Botty in the opposite corner of the lab. The robot dog wiggled its metal tail at me. I giggled when Vaxine turned around, fixing me with a serious stare. When Vaxine poked her head into the corridor, Botty was gone. “That damn dog,” she cussed lowly and placed a frozen vial on the bench.
“What is it?”
“The gene.” Vaxine dropped into a crouch and rummaged in the cabinets.
“So this is it.” I picked it up. A fine print read ‘anti-Cranax gene’. It brought me back to the Underlab. This was what George had chucked into the trash bin; the cure to Cranax, the poison to Cranatol.
“Yes and here’s the interesting part.” Vaxine stood up and leveled a gun at me. Her lips curled into a sinister smile.
“Whoa, relax!” My hands shot up in reflex as I teetered a few steps back.
Vaxine chuckled. “What am I gonna do with an unloaded gene gun anyway? Give me the gene.”
I pursed my lips and dropped the vial on the bench.
Vaxine popped open the lid and slid the vial in. This one looked the same as the previous she used in The Court, save for the spiral muzzle. Like every instrument in the lab, it was white, sleek and looked cool. “I hope you shoot straight.” Vaxine was too good a shooter for a scientist. “Who are you? I know you’re my senior, I mean, where did you learn how to shoot?”
Vaxine sighed. “After the Asia Nova Revolution, they had an explosive increment of geniuses. The economy plummeted and unemployment soared. Thirty years ago, getting a job with good pay was a piece of cake. With a university degree, you were ten steps ahead of others. The rules have changed. Having a degree is nothing. Heck, anyone can get one. You gotta go beyond the norm to be better than others. Learn a couple of languages, soft skills, hard skills, anything. Luckily, most things are automated in this age. Bringing home whatever bacon is left ain’t easy nowadays.”
“So that’s when you learned how to shoot?”
“Among other things. But thanks for reminding me. Let’s go to the shooting range. We need to make you ready for the war. Then, we’ll head over to the hangar to check out our ride.”
“The hangar?” My eyes twinkled with renewed zeal. “Are we going to get on a helicopter?”
“Better yet.” A wry smile formed on Vaxine’s face. “A jet.”
21
ARMANI
The sun was high in the sky, scorching the land beneath it. Sweat beaded Armani’s brow, but nothing shook his resolve. The tempestuous waves crashed upon the shore. It reflected the passion burning within, thrusting him to the top of the rocky slope.
Rock after rock, he climbed. Until he reached the one biggest of all, then he reached behind and produced an axe. He hoisted it over his shoulder. More drops of sweat formed on his face as he swung the axe hard against the rock. It shattered like an eggshell, its fragments tumbling down the slope.
Armani’s heart raced, exhilaration swirled in him like a bottomless glass. He couldn’t wait to find out what was hidden beneath the broken rocks. He dropped into a crouch and examined his prize. Fossils, ancient remnants right before his eyes.
The knocks on the door broke into his trance. He opened his eyes to the familiar confines of his dorm room. Part of him was still in the Galapagos, unearthing natural history. Too caught up with reading, he’d slipped into a dream realm and become a part of it. It wasn’t new to him. That was one of the few ways he could truly enjoy the world beyond the windowless auditoriums.
He glanced at the clock on the wall. The knocks on his door became more insistent. “What’s so urgent that you have to bang on my door at two in the morning?” Armani muttered.
The door burst open. Armani jumped out of his chair in shock. He grabbed a ruler from his desk to use as a weapon. When he spun around, his eyes met with Mandy’s.
Mandy’s expression mirrored his. Their chests rose and fell in sync. Sweat formed a patch on Mandy’s shirt and her hair clung to the sides of her face like seaweed.
“Blot my gel, Mandy! I thought you were a burglar!” Armani kept his voice down but he was furious. “And how the hell did you get in? CU is locked down after dark.”
Though her breathing was ragged, Mandy still managed to quip, “The thug life, Armani.”
“Funny, if I was in the mood for jokes, Mandy.” Armani tossed the ruler onto his desk with a clatter. “Take a bow and thank you for coming.”
“It’s urgent.” Mandy peeked into the corridor and closed the door behind her. Making herself at home, she dropped onto Armani’s bed. When she saw his Periodic Table bedsheet, she gave him an ‘Are you kidding me?’ look.
“It’s my dedication.” Armani shrugged. “To the Community.”
Mandy grunted. He saved his reading progress and put the tablet to sleep. He slid it to the corner of the desk. “What’s up?”
Mandy stared at Armani. “Roxy’s in deep trouble.”
Armani snorted, “What else is new? Everyone in George’s lectures had learned about what happened to her.”
Mandy averted her gaze. “I accidentally sold her out but I didn’t mean it.”
“Mandy. I’m not a mind reader. You have to tell me from the beginning.”
“Before Roxy went MIA, she told me about Hershey
being kidnapped. And George and Edmund unleashing a pandemic.”
Alarm bells rang in Armani’s head but he said, “Go on.”
“I didn’t believe it at first. You know Roxy can be such a drama queen. When she disappeared, I was worried sick. Maybe what she said was true? I didn’t want to raise alarms so I told everyone she went to visit her folks. Now it turns out, things happened like what she said. The pandemic is really happening! After Roxy went MIA, Tracey kept bugging me about her. I accidentally let slip about Roxy’s family’s holiday house in Whiteshore to her. You know what happened next? Whiteshore was hit by Cranax. On that night Roxy returned to the Alps, cops came raiding our apartment.”
