by Candice Lim
“So, that explains it.” I turned to Vaxine. “Why you tried to kill me back there.”
Vaxine shrugged. “I couldn’t control myself.”
“But the peasants have been conditioned to hate us for all their lives, so can we blame them now? The only thing we can do is to contain them. We’re building a fence, keeping the Infected in and the civilians out. This way we can keep the rest of Asia Nova safe.” Derrick’s voice was desperate, contradicting with the harsh nature of his words.
“By turning Graybridge into a giant incubator of Cranax?” Vaxine sighed. “They hate us for a reason. But I won’t let the reason exist for long. We have to fix this. Remember, this is our job. The era of sacrificing the innocent for the benefit of higher society is over. You know the pattern of the Infected. We have the cure. Change is at hand.” Vaxine slid her Genex to Derrick’s side of the table. “Remember who we are.”
Derrick picked up the white gun, admiring it. He lifted his head, gazing at us in turn. “What is your plan?”
“You tell your people to keep containing the Infected. Allow no one to escape. We proceed from within.”
He nodded again, examining the Genex. “Why didn’t you contact the Community―?”
Vaxine placed her hand over his, cutting him off. “If I could, I would’ve by now.”
Derrick nodded in understanding. “So, how does it work?”
“Like all viruses, Cranax attacks and introduces its own DNA into host cells. This virus has the genetic codes to reproduce and hijack the host system to serve its purposes. And the anti-Cranax gene has been designed to sense and install itself into the virus’ virulence genes, rendering them useless.” Pride shone from Vaxine’s face. “And our job is to transfer the anti-Cranax gene into the host cells.”
“Cool.” Derrick looked more optimistic after hearing Vaxine’s idea.
“Well, all credit goes to my mentor, Dr. Hershey.” Her voice petered out. “Who indirectly created the Cranax Pandemic.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, Vaxine.”
Vaxine shrugged. “The past is the past. Now, is the time for vengeance.”
Derrick nodded. “Has the anti-Cranax gene been patented yet?”
“As of now, Graybridge is the site of human trials, Derrick.”
☣☣☣☣☣☣
“Illegal manufacture, possession, and prescription of unlicensed drugs and pharmaceuticals are Class A offenses, each one punishable by twenty years imprisonment without parole. I heard the canteen food is great on the inside and they let you into the courtyard once a week. Sounds like a vacation, eh?” Derrick smirked and handed the Genex back to Vaxine. “Plus another ten years for possession and discharge of illegal firearms.”
“Really? Is Vaxine’s plan more illegal than unleashing a virus?” I stared at them in dismay.
In honor of their service for the past week, Derrick and team had been awarded a room on the third floor of the most presentable shop lot in Graybridge. It was far from the common area and closer to the fence. Everything had been moved from the tent to the room. Vines and moss still covered the walls, like a vertical garden. A unique feature this building had to offer was a working elevator.
Vaxine looked up from the online reports she’d been reading since early morning. “Don’t talk about the law to us, kid. You’re still a fugitive.” She gave a wry smile and turned to give Derrick an impatient scowl. “For sciencesake, Derrick, it’s been a week already. It’s too late to be scared of anything.”
“Yes, ma’am,” laughed Derrick. The room returned to monastic stillness when his laughter died away.
“Good news, guys,” said Vaxine. “These reports show at least 560 people have recovered from Cranax. We made it through Week One with no signs of recurrence. Shall we celebrate?”
“Yes!” Many innocent lives had been spared from death. It gave me a glimmer of hope.
“Let’s get down to business,” said Vaxine with passion.
“I’ll be heading up north. Derrick, you’ll be going over east. And Roxy…” Vaxine turned to me and hesitated. “I’m thinking if I should allow you to go to Ridge Cove alone.”
“I see no reason not to.” I feigned confidence. If there was a chance to prove my worth, this was it. Nerves affected my stomach, but I wasn’t going to let this chance slip away.
“It should be safe over there.” Derrick gave me a reassuring nod.
“Fine. Come back in one piece.” Even though she had said that, reluctance was heavy in her voice. She never trusted me.
A grin still broke out on my face. After all we’d been through, I learned to be grateful for the smallest things. Life was too fragile. “I’ll do my best.”
“All right, good luck, people. See you again at tea time.” Vaxine threw me a parting glimpse.
Three of us moved in our separate ways. Ridge Cove was a small walk away, south of the rendezvous point. In the space of a week, I knew the map of Graybridge like the back of my hand. As it turned out, Graybridge wasn’t that big a town. I could remember every tree and every flower at every corner and every turn. I’d grown fond of this place, fonder now I was alone. No supervision. No eyes on me.
Peace was restored to Graybridge after the first round of administration. Half of the Infected had returned to normal. Others were still hiding away in the shadows. Afraid of the other Infected still lurking in the dark. I couldn’t blame them. What happened to them must have etched a scar deep enough to last a lifetime.
I walked along the row of lean-to shacks. Met with smiles in nameless faces. The peasants chattered. It was the first sign of humanity after the outbreak. I was happy for them. The extinguished hope of saving Mom and Dad had returned as a wild spark. I could go to Whiteshore again. With Genex, I could heal them.
A scream broke me out of my trance. My hand shot back to the Zapper at my waist. I looked at the shacks. The peasants had jumped to their feet. Their faces lined with worry as their heads turned left and right. From the other end of the street came another scream. Clear and loud, it sent people staggering back. Panicked murmurs rose as they clustered together.
“Hide!” I shouted at them.
They scooted back into the shacks.
The street was so quiet I could hear my racing heartbeat. I reminded myself I’d seen worse. This was nothing to be scared of. I inched forward, my eyes looking in all directions. A humanoid shape flung itself into the street and crouched on all fours five feet in front of me. His thinning hair hung from his scalp like seaweed and covered half of his face. His once white shirt was now soiled and full of holes.
A familiar revulsion reared up in my stomach, triggering my gag reflex. I suppressed the feeling and lifted my Genex. I squeezed the trigger, clear rays distorted the air and sent the intruder reeling back. It fell to the ground and shuddered.
I approached the writhing man. His skin was lined and pockmarked like the bark of an ancient tree. “Don’t worry, you are okay now.”
“NO!” The body jerked as he yelled, his fiery eyes drilled into me.
I stepped back. It was ironic how I was more frightened of the man now than when he was an Infected. I aimed the Genex at him again when I realized Genex wouldn’t do anything if it didn’t work the first time.
A rumble of voices swelled behind me. But no one had the guts to back me up. They stood further away, ready to run off. Tree Man’s eyes swept over me, and at the crowd. “Don’t listen to her! She is one of them! She is wicked!” He jabbed a crooked finger at me.
“What are you talking about?” I cried. “Excuse me, but I just saved your skin. You’re cured.”
“You are a fugitive!”
A pang of hurt and confusion slapped me right across the face. How did he know I was on the wanted list? Tree Man pulled out from his pocket a crumpled and faded poster. “See for yourself.”
It was a photo of me. To be exact, a hideous photo of me. Of all the photos I had, they had to pick t
his one. The one where I looked half asleep and drugged out of my mind. But what caught my eye was the bold printed words, ‘WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE. REWARD $500,000’
Lowering the Genex, I muttered, “I didn’t know I am worth so much.”
“Cut the crap!” Tree Man snarled, “She and her friends are from the Community! How do we know if they are not testing the cure on us?”
A chorus of whispers erupted behind me. Some of the cured threw dirty looks. But it was the truth in his words that pricked my soul.
“Aha! Silence means admission of guilt!” Tree Man huffed. “So, we are your unknowing lab rats!”
“No, you are not the experiment!” I shouted, stopping the noises at once.
All eyes on me. Weaving a tall tale was hard, but telling the truth now and facing Vaxine’s wrath later was almost impossible. “Listen. We’re not evil, okay? Yes, people in the Community have done evil to you. But we are not them, all right? We want to make things right again. We want a change.”
“Why are you a fugitive?” A female voice yelled from behind me.
“They want me because I’m trying to make things right! They are the evil ones, not us!” I laughed nervously.
“Why should we listen to a wanted fugitive who pops up out of nowhere and claims to be our savior?” Tree Man pointed at me and addressed the crowd. “Together we can bring her to justice. We get the reward then we share it among ourselves!” His final word set off an explosion of cheers. Fear and disgust gripped my heart.
“No!” I doubted any of them had heard me over the cacophony. “You can’t do this! This is our only hope. If you turn me over to them, they’re going to kill me!”
“Grab the fugitive!” As though the crowd had fallen under Tree Man’s spell, they advanced towards me with renewed fervor. Their hands struggled to get a grip on me.
“Let me go!” I was half pleading and half crying. I held onto the Genex and fought to reach for my Zapper. Sticky hands were clinging onto me like poisonous vines, impeding my movement. All I saw were ungrateful faces twisted with empty hatred. Their breaths brushed my cheeks as they cursed at me. A wave of nausea seized me, sending the sky spinning.
Bang! All hands withdrew from me as though everybody touched something hot at once. Their heads swiveled around like terrified animals.
Derrick’s voice broke out from the back of the crowd. “Nobody touches anyone unless I say so!” The masses parted as Vaxine and Derrick made their way through, their faces darkened with anger. Vaxine was holding her Zapper while Derrick had a rifle in his hands.
“I knew shit’s gonna happen when I leave you alone,” remarked Vaxine.
“Who do you think you are?” Tree Man stepped forward and found himself about a foot shorter than Derrick.
“I was put in charge of this place after the Cranax Outbreak. You and all of Graybridge are now under my command,” said Derrick.
“According to whose orders?” Tree Man challenged Derrick.
“By the Community.”
Tree Man stumbled back as his face twitched in surprise. He gasped, “The evil Community!”
“For your information, that’s treason, punishable by life imprisonment.”
As Derrick put a stop to his talk, more protests rose from the baying crowd. Tree Man backed off. Derrick glared at the people. “Any more questions?”
The crowd fell silent and met him with only scowls and glares.
“You people of the Community are all evil!” Tree Man spat, his voice dripping with contempt.
I couldn’t take in this scene anymore and ran down the street.
Derrick turned to Vaxine with a puzzled glance. “Where the hell can she go? The town is all fenced up, isn’t it?” Vaxine shrugged.
Evil Community! You people of the Community are all evil! Tree Man’s words still echoed in my ears. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t erase his look of pure hatred from my mind.
Exhaustion finally got the best of me when my aching legs gave in. I lost my balance and crashed to the ground on all fours in a cloud of dust. My breathing was ragged as though my lungs were filled with all the dust in Graybridge. I found myself in the graveyard of Graybridge, vacant buildings scattered about. No sign of life. No Infected. I wasn’t sure if this was a good sign.
I had run so fast and so far I’d lost my direction. But the town was fenced up, as Vaxine had said. Every possible exit was sealed off. I would always find myself within the walls of Graybridge.
I heard creaking from behind me and reached for the Zapper. My heart thumped as I checked my surroundings.
“Blot my gel, not again!” I muttered, expecting to see Tree Man.
Hissing came from all directions. I swerved around, seeking the source. My heart raced with anger. If it was one of the Infected, I’d kill it. Filthy ungrateful creatures. “Come at me, you cowardly piece of shit!” I snarled, hearing my own voice echoing around me.
Trees rustled behind me. I spun around and drew my Genex, leveling both guns at the flitting silhouettes. My finger was on the trigger, knowing my pursuer was nearby. The air reeked of the stench of a thousand bodies. It even surprised me that I was so calm, my fury had displaced my fear.
The shape slipped away from its cover, revealing a face that looked like it was bitten by a wild beast. It was big and pus oozed from where its cheek used to be. The creature smiled, a smile so vicious I cringed. I swore I could see the full set of its teeth through the gaping hole punctured in its face. I had seen many Infected, but the most gruesome had to be this one.
The creature charged at me.
“Screw you!” I fired the Genex, its beam hit the creature and it tumbled to the ground.
Curiosity drove me closer until I was only a step away from the vibrating body. The beast, despite its struggle, turned its head to me. Hatred shone in his eyes. I couldn’t fathom; something was not right. “What the―”
It flipped over on all fours, prowling like a cheetah. Despite its decaying form, it was still fit enough to perform the acrobatic feat. I doubted I could do it myself. Black veins stood out on every part of its body, its eyes still crimson from before I shot it. Saliva mixed with phlegm slicked its neck.
The anti-Cranax gene did not work on him.
“Blot. My. Friggin. Gel.” I muttered when the Infected leaped up. I pulled the trigger on the Zapper. The beam hit the creature right in the chest.
A tortured scream ripped out of the foul-smelling pit supposed to be its mouth. It dropped to the ground with a thump, dead as a tree stump.
☣☣☣☣☣☣
I stared at the worn wooden door to our base for a full minute. My mind whirled from everything I’d witnessed but couldn’t find a word to describe it. I took a deep breath and opened the door.
“Hello, Roxy. You done with your tantrum already?” Vaxine’s voice greeted me as I slipped through the crack of the half-opened door. Vaxine had her nose in a popular science magazine. That was what she’d been reading for the past week. I thought Vaxine had an endless collection of them.
Derrick sat on another sofa and had the courtesy to at least glance at me. He’d stripped off his lab coat, now draped over the coat hanger near the shabby and only window in the room. In his hand a stack of journals.
I tried to gather my scattered thoughts. I couldn’t find a word to describe how I felt inside. I licked my dry lips and closed the door behind me quietly. “It doesn’t work.”
A slight frown hinted on Derrick’s face when he glanced at Vaxine and back at me. “What?”
“The anti-Cranax gene.” I eased myself into the room. “It doesn’t work.”
Vaxine looked up from the magazine, the first signs of worry marking her face. She glanced at Derrick. “What do you mean the anti-Cranax gene didn’t work?”
“I encountered another Infected. I shot it with Genex. It fell on the ground and spasmed like the rest before. But it jumped up again like I’d never shot it!”
Vaxine and Derrick exchanged another worried look. The atmosphere in the room thickened.
“How’s that possible unless…?” Derrick let his words hang in the air. From the look on Vaxine’s face, I could tell I already guessed what happened. “Has Hershey said anything about this before?”
“No,” Vaxine said quickly. “This―this wasn’t even my project. I only know traces from here and there, and from the journals I read. It was supposed to be classified until this happened.”
