Carriers

by Krissy Reynolds

  "What are you doing?" She said. The others froze, turning and staring as if they'd been caught with murder.

  "You didn't say it wasn't safe, so…" Her curiosity was pulsing, but her logic was stronger. Situations like this required logical decisions, not irrational, emotional-driven ones. She knew it was best to get away. She opened her mouth to command them to get out, but another cut her off.

  "What is this?" Owen said, pointing to a glass structure in the center of the room. Her jaw tensed as her eyes fell upon it, every part of her knowing that was why the room was a BSL-1. However, it stood ajar, and if not sealed, how dangerous could it possibly be? Shay was a hungry student, always curious and exploring, some keen wanderlust trapped in her that couldn't be quelled, and in that moment, her logic was muted.

  The remaining four stepped into the room, following the others towards the structure/

  "You know we shouldn't be here, Katrina." she said sternly. The chill at the base of her neck refused to weaken, although she pushed along anyways.

  "I just want to look, Shay." Katrina replied, shooting her a glance. She sighed and followed, knowing she was making a bad choice. Carson and Marena followed her. It will only be for a few minutes.

  "Are we really gonna go in there?" Marena muttered under her breath to him, her voice just loud enough for Shay to hear.

  "The door's open, and it's only a BSL-1. There weren't even any facemasks in here, so how dangerous could it be?" She hoped Carson was right.

  "Look but don't touch!" She ordered as she shuffled inside the box, instantly registering she made a poor decision. Nine bodies were crammed together in the tight space, the ceiling no more than three feet above Carson's head, who was the tallest of the group. Although he stood at six foot even, Marena was not too far behind him. It was going to get very hot inside very fast.

  "Get out of my way, freak," Kyleigh snarled as Jaycee accidentally bumped into her. She watched on as Jaycee looked up, eyes clouded with hurt, while Kyleigh roughly shouldered her into a touchscreen on the back of the glass wall. The moment her body touched it the screen changed, flashing words the sprawl of Jaycee's narrow figure blocked out. It shuddered and went dark within seconds.

  "Doors closing. Please prepare for infection." A robotic voice informed them, identical to the one they'd heard outside. All nine heads whipped around to face the direction in which they'd come, finding the door now securely shut. Panic blazed in her chest as the words repeated over and over in her mind, driving a frantic look into her eyes.

  "What the hell does that mean?" Carson shouted as he shoved his way through the crowd. He instantly began catapulting his entire body against the door, aiming to force it open or shatter the glass. Somewhere behind Shay, the first sounds of chaos were beginning to rise.

  Others followed Carson, first Marena, then Owen and lastly Shay, all moving in sync against the door. No matter how much force they put against it the glass did not break, nor did the door move. The desperation had begun to take hold by then, and he ran at it with a final cry of war. His impact did not even scratch the glass. As Carson's lean body crumpled to the floor after the final collision, a dazed look glistening dark eyes, all hell broke loose.

  "Shay, are we going to die?" Katrina asked, voice cracking as she stood in the corner, back pressed up against the glass. Her amber eyes had grown wide, taking on an animalistic glint, and color was slowly seeping from her face. She looked as terrified as Shay felt.

  She didn't have time to respond, for the robotic voice cut her off the moment she parted her lips.

  "Releasing BPv-01."

  Chapter 2

  It started in Shay's throat. This terrible, searing pain than felt like a thousand knives stabbing into her at once, concentrated alone in one small area of her body. The girl clasped her hands around her neck, trying to find a voice to sound a scream, but no noise excited her burning throat. The agony quickly coursed throughout her entire body, bringing tears to brim her eyes. Everything besides her head was consumed- her mind remained strikingly clear, as if she was submerged in frigid water. The coughing began then, a horrible, body-racking wheeze that scorched her throat. Quickly she found herself short of breath, struggling to gulp air into her lungs between coughs.

  Oh God, I'm dying. It was all she could think about. I'm dying. I'm dying. I'm dying.

  The pain suddenly evaporated, the only clue it had ever been there were the memories, fresh and stark in her mind. Her lungs instantly began to scream for air and she answered the plea, drinking in gulps of hot, stuffy air. As quickly as it had begun, it was over.

  "What… what just happened?" Katrina stammered, hot-headedness gone. Shay lifted her eyes, scanning her friend's terrified face. She stopped when she saw her eyes, the claws of horror seizing her. Small rings encased the inky dots in Katrina's eyes, almost looking as if they could be glowing rings of light. She blinked a few times, believing her eyes were deceiving her.

  "Katrina, your… your eyes," was all she could spit out. All other sounds were silenced as Katrina's face went ashen. Her haunting eyes grew to the size of saucers.

  "What's wrong with them? She said quickly, voice quaking with fear. Disbelief was present in the curl of her lips.

  "There's rings around your pupils!" Some of the others began to move, leaning to get a view of the phenomenon. "Stay back," she warned. "We don't know if she's contagious." The group lurched back, whispers of panic swelling in the silence.

  . "Shay, you have them too!" Her heart plummeted. It felt like a blow to the face and a kick in the ass delivered at the same time, the ultimate bearer of bad news. Her body went rigid with a single, shaky breath released through her nostrils. It's BSL-1. Nothing in here could kill us. We'll be okay. She found her thoughts did nothing to quell the terror.

  "We all have it!" Katrina shouted, driving a finger first at Marena and then Carson before facing the others in a wide circle.

  "Cassie is fine! Shut up, just shut up! You're scaring everyone for no reason!" Marena's voice was shrill, her hands clenched at her sides. The golden-haired girl stood behind her, peeking out around a lanky arm.

  "Wait, Cassie has hazel eyes. Not blue." Kyleigh pointed out as she stood beside Marena, blocking any path of escape for Cassie. Shay's jaw stiffened as she approached, keeping a cautious distance. She had trouble believing the girl's eyes would just simply change, although her reserved motions spoke differently.

  Cassie's eyes had indeed changed color, shifting from her natural shade to something far eerier. Her irises were now a shade of pale blue gray, the hues of blue very icy and more prominent than the gray. She had to tear her gaze away, for a terrified squeal began to rise in the back of the throat the longer she looked- something was wrong.

  Behind them someone coughed, and Shay's heart leapt into her throat as her eyes darted around; counting nine people in her immediate proximity- none of them had coughed. Knowing the group of teenagers around her, someone would be sniping about it. She slowly turned, dreading what would be awaiting her.

  Nobody was there. Nothing at all, just empty space. Confused, she allowed her eyes to wander, searching for the source. Nobody ever presented themselves. She took a disoriented step forwards, her mind humming with all the frightening new discoveries.

  "Ahem, up here." The voice was far too deep and gravelly to be any of them. Looking skywards, a projection had flickered to life on the glass wall, illuminated by a source she couldn't pinpoint. On the screen was the image of an older man, his hair as white as the whiskers on his face. Bags were present under his eyes. He rubbed his wrinkled forehead as he sighed, a look of dismay falling across his features. She swallowed hard, only guessing what would come next.

  "Please raise your hand if your eye color has changed," he instructed, his voice scratchy and rough. Cassie's small little hand was the only one to ascend.

  "Which color is more prominent, gray or blue?" He questioned. Cassie shrugged, glancing at Shay as she did so.

  "More bl
ue," She responded for her.

  "Well, that isn't good." She heard Cassie gulp. The doctor was feverishly moving a pen across something off-screen, presumably a notepad. Oh God, he's taking notes on us. What if we're test subjects, lab rats? The idea made a storm in her stomach.

  "Please raise your hand if rings appeared around your pupils." All remaining eight raised their hands. She could feel her arm shaking. "This is certainly interesting," the doctor replied, pursing his lips. His eyes flickered to the left for a moment before snapping backwards, his body jolting as if something had frightened him. The dread in her stomach only increased as she watched; now suspicious the doctor was not alone.

  "What the hell is so interesting? Tell us what's going on, now!" Carson commanded. He was trying to act tough, probably for the sake of his ego, but inside the boy was shaking like a child, no more diligent than anyone beside him.

  The man's face instantly contorted in anger, his eyes flickering down to Carson with a disapproving stare. "What's interesting, young man, is how eight out of nine of you are Carriers!" He spat back stiffly. His reference to Carson as 'young man' made the boy cringe, as he wasn't the formal type. However, Shay was not concerned with her boyfriend's displeasure. She was curious as to what exactly a 'Carrier' was, as she was one of the eight who now carried those rings in her eyes. I'm one of these 'Carriers.' Knowing the definition of the word, that doesn't sound too hot.

  "What in the hell is a Carrier?" Marena shouted, taking the words right out of Shay's mouth. Standing next to the two of them she felt her posture become a little straighter, as her fear was steadily ebbing away, exchanged for a burning anger. They deserved answers but were only being fed more questions.

  "All of you, watch your language! If you would shut up, I could explain!" He said back, voice rising. Instantly, all panicked chatter fell into a hush. Silence once again cloaked the room, instantly becoming heavy and unbearable. Marena, not convinced, crossed her arms across her chest.

  "Alright, go." She ordered him, eyes glued to the screen, beckoning him to continue. The doctor observed her warily, pursing his lips in evident displeasure. His speech was hesitant.

  He cleared his throat, gathering all wandering attentions. "The nine of you have just become infected by a virus that was released into this room. Before you throw yourselves into a panic, let me tell you the eight of you with the rings in your eyes will not perish, although from other humans I cannot guarantee your mortality. I have a small window of time to tell you what you need to know. The less you talk the more you'll know, and the better off you'll be."

  She couldn't, wouldn't process the words as they spilled out of the doctor's mouth. Shay was clueless to what a Carrier was, he had failed to answer that question. He hadn't told them anything about the virus that was now livid inside their bodies.

  "Now, continuing on, the virus you have been infected with is BPv-01. Never heard of it before, have you?" Nine heads shook in response. She swallowed her nervousness, fighting the urge to spit something out again. She wanted to hear as much as she could before rattling the man with questions, especially after his reluctance. "Of course you haven't- it was developed in genetic labs. We were, say, making some final improvements when you triggered infection. The strain was not completed."

  "Why would you want to unleash an unknown virus onto mankind?" Marena cried, voice loud but rattled. Shay remained where she stood, eyes glued to the screen, struggling to distract herself from the gnawing terror.

  The doctor gestured to the wall behind them. She knew exactly what would be waiting for her when she turned around- the rapidly growing digit. It's the population of the world! The pieces suddenly snapped together with horrifying clarity.

  "Oh my God! You created a population control virus! I'm, we're infected with a population control virus!" She blurted, sounding shrill and shaky. Marena and Carson nodded meekly beside her, faces grim.

  The doctor grinned. His action sent shivers rocketing up Shay's spine. Why the fuck is he smiling in a situation like this? Her brain was processing everything at high speeds, soaking in every little word the man said and analyzing it. She wasn't even sure her theory was correct- she prayed it wasn't, but if it was… She shook away the thought, knowing her mind did not need to be shrouded in plight.

  "We've got a smart one over here. They'll be happy to know it worked…" He seemed to be talking to himself as his eyes slipped downwards, arm moving as if taking notes yet again. He looked up and instantly trailed off, as if what he'd said was not intended for their ears.

  "What the fuck does that mean?" Carson said. He wasn't one for language, usually, but something about the situation made it seem like even he found it acceptable to curse in such a manner. She could understand- if she wasn't so terrified she would have been swearing like a sailor. However, fear was like superglue on her lips. There would be no profane outbursts anytime soon.

  "Didn't I tell you to watch your language once already, young man?" The doctor snapped, eyes trailing down to Carson. She watched as he bit his lip to keep from spitting something back. Bite your tongue, Carson.

  "Yes, but you won't give us any answers!" Carson rallied, the hard edge to his voice bringing the doctor to scowl.

  "Shut up and I will! If you really must know, she figured it out before I had to tell her, which shows signs of intelligence. That is good! I can't tell you all the details; you aren't at that kind of clearance. You're just a bunch of kids! All I can say is yes; you nine are infected with a population control virus. As you can tell by that ever-increasing number on the back wall, the population of this planet has reached over ten billion and that is when resources will be stretched too thin. We've been struggling for at least the last decade. Something had to be done, but now, thanks to you lot, the unperfected strain is released seven months ahead of plan."

  "Can't you just keep us here until December comes?" Katrina asked, breaking her personal silence. His eyes briefly flickered down to her before he rolled them, muttering softly under his breath. Shay slipped her eyes over to Katrina, whose tight expression was the one of a girl biting back sharp-tongued remarks.

  "I was getting to that," he snapped. She shrank back, startled by his sudden aggression. Out of the corner of her eye, Katrina did the same. "There is, from my point of view, no major setbacks with releasing the nine of you now. The project will certainly be accelerated, but it's a large relief eight of you are Carriers. I can tell you that there are three reactions to the virus, the most common exampled by your friend with the changed eyes. These individuals, unfortunately, shall perish."

  Cassie unleashed a distraught wail as her body fell against the glass, lithe figure trembling. Shay felt anger swell in her chest as she watched, furious that her friend had just been given such a bleak ultimatum.

  "Would you mind telling me why the fuck there was a lethal virus contained in a BSL-1 lab?" The words, hot and furious, spilled out of her mouth before she could stop them. Although she regretted it, she did not show it, instead standing with her fists clenched and jaw tight. Something white hot pulsed in her chest.

  "You aren't standing in a BSL-1 lab, child! We're smart enough to follow safety regulations, unlike you lot!"

  "The sign above the doors into this room said BSL-1, so don't tell me I'm wrong. I can fucking read!"

  "Then explain why we would put two sets of locked doors only opened by handprint identification for a room that contained nothing more threatening than a common cold!" He shouted back, clearly furious now.

  "Shay, stop," Marena warned.

  "Why was it so easy for us to get in, then?" She rallied. The doctor's head turned, facing someone off-screen, the vicious scowl and blazing eyes a tell-all.

  "Did you have anything to do with this? Think it's funny to switch the signs?" There was no response, but something yet again seemed to spook the white-haired man, for he quickly turned back around, all anger dissipated. Shay narrowed her eyes, believing she could see a shaking in the man's shoulders.<
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  "Say one word I'll put my hand over your mouth," Marena said through gritted teeth. "We don't want to push him too far. We need answers, and he's the only person that can give them to us." The two locked eyes, gaze intense, but was understanding. Her mouth could be a blockade to vital knowledge.

  "Next is the second reaction, when the gray is more prominent than the blue. This person is immune- they have been infected, yet shall not perish. However these people cannot carry the disease, only the infected and the Carriers can. Normally, the infected die too quickly to do much spreading, which is where you come in." He'd changed the subject just as quickly as his mood had changed, she'd realized. He was speaking quicker, now, and panic was wild in his eyes.

  This evoked another distraught wail from Cassie as she pounded her fists against the glass. It made her wince, seeing someone in such a frail emotional state as the girl was then. Cassie was a sweet girl- she didn't deserve what had just been handed to her. I'm sorry, Cassie, I'm so, so sorry. There were no red flags. This wasn't supposed to happen. It's all my fault.

  "As I said, the immune cannot transfer the virus. The infected can, but as I also said, they tend to die too quickly to infect masses of people. The Carriers are like the immune- the virus is inside of them, but something registers that makes them immune to it. However, the Carriers are just extra special. The rings around your eyes are something only the Carriers get, as I'm sure you have noticed. BPv-01 is transferred through touch and bodily fluids. That is your job. Carry the virus. Spread it."

  She was dumbfounded, rendered mute by his words. Her tongue felt like lead in her mouth. There was no way this could be real. His words just wouldn't register. She was infected with a virus that she had to spread to the world. By the tone in his voice and the grim look etched into his features, he was not giving them an option. This was a command.

  "Shouldn't a virus that's made for some barbaric reason such as this be airborne?" Marena spat, although she was unsuccessful in veiling her fear. She found her head bobbing in agreement to her best friend's words.