Dawn of a New Day

by Mariano, NIck

  In neighboring Maryland some infectees actually showed up at Fort Detrick, and rather than killing them, the military managed to capture them and put them in special observation rooms so the doctors and scientists could study their mannerisms and behavior. They were amazed that some of those captured also seemed to be studying the enclosure and the observers, as if trying to figure a way out of their predicament. The scientists decided to inoculate some of them with a new modified X554 vaccine that had been developed after studying some of the Asian specimens recently received by the lab. After three days no changes were noted in the infectees who were inoculated, however, on the fourth day several seemed to have calmed down and displayed no signs of rage. Their physical appearance remained the same and scientists doubted that the massive skin damage could ever be corrected, except perhaps by surgery.

  In another exchange between infectees and a military patrol, one of the infectees appeared to try to pickup a weapon from a killed soldier and then shoot it. Even though he wasn’t successful in his endeavor, the soldiers were stunned that he even was able to try to do it. Were some of the infectees gaining more reasoning power the longer they stayed alive? Scientists and doctors started to wonder.

  The President and his immediate staff remained in an underground facility and additional national broadcasts were planned, however, no one seemed to have any positive news to pass on to the citizens of America. The news stations had slowed down their coverage of some of the more disturbing incidents that were taking place at the request of the White House, as people were starting to lose faith in both the government and that the pandemic would ever be stopped. On the outskirts of major cities the U.S. Air Force began intensified drone flights and sorties to kill and destroy the infectees who were roaming the countryside. Military patrols were then dispatched into these areas for a final clean up. Fall was rapidly approaching and as the foliage changed or fell, the drones were better able to detect hordes that had used the wooded areas for cover.

  So far there were only isolated outbreaks in the mid-country and some of the western states and officials were hopeful that they could maintain this containment.

  SEARCHING FOR LOST CARGO

  It was almost three weeks since the files from Germany had been sent back to Fort Detrick for analysis. Scientists and doctors poured over the translated files concerning Mengele’s experiments at Auschwitz and, in particular, all the files on his development of the super virus. Some were starting to become optimistic about finding a cure, especially after the successful use of the X554 vaccine on some of the infectees being studied. It was hoped that Mengele’s research papers might reveal some additional information about how he had engineered the virus and why it continued to mutate on its own.

  Meanwhile at a secret underground facility, actually a recently converted cold war missile silo, General William Sutherland, Chairman off the Joints Chiefs, was meeting with the heads of the Army and Navy to discuss a Top Secret project he had devised and gotten approval from the President for. Many of the files returned from Germany dealt with the actual deployment of the Nazi super virus and told how Himmler had decided to deploy the virus using three of his U-boats, which regularly plagued the U.S. coast during the war with great success. The war records indicated that three U-boats, the U-756, U-532 and U-751, left France and Germany on July 4, 1943, and sailed to the eastern coast of America, where the virus was to be offloaded and passed to German operatives on shore. The operatives were then to target cities and deploy the virus in order to start a pandemic in America. Records reflected that after their departure, the subs maintained strict radio silence, except for an occasional radio burst to show where they were located. Unbeknownst to the Germans, the Americans and British had already been successful in deciphering the Enigma Code used by the Germans throughout much of the war. The Americans were able to intercept all communications between the subs and Berlin throughout the subs’ voyages. As the ships approached the American coast two subs were intercepted by naval vessels. One ship, the U-756, appeared to sink for no known reason and neither the Americans nor the Germans could confirm that the sub was involved in any type of military action. This was the sub that divers had recently retrieved the container housing the virus, which was then accidentally released and resulted in the current worldwide pandemic. A second sub, the U-751, had reached its rendezvous point off North Carolina and landed its cargo. The operatives on shore were then either killed or detained by military authorities but the cargo was never located although it is now believed that it made ashore. Over forty years later, members of ISIS would somehow learn where the cargo had been buried for half a century and launch an attack on the homeland using the super virus developed by the Nazis. That epidemic was finally brought under control when a vaccine was developed to stop its spread and the ISIS members were killed. The last surviving container of the virus was destroyed by a hellfire missile when it took out the terrorist’s vehicle as they tried to flee from New York City. That left one U-boat, the U-532, which was sunk by a military convoy off the shores of North Carolina. Sutherland had studied the records from German Intelligence along with the reports filed by the U.S. Naval vessels after they had encountered the U-532 and sunk it.

  The U-532 was approaching Cape Hatteras and began a southerly turn, followed by a northerly turn that took the sub on a course to Wrightsville Beach and Wilmington. Three U.S. vessels headed on a course to intercept the sub after search planes had spotted its periscope poking above the water. The ocean’s depth dropped dramatically as the sub neared the shoreline.

  The US convoy steered on a course given them by the overhead patrol planes and the Captains ordered their crews to battle stations. The gunnery crews assumed their positions on the deck cannons and guns while other crewmembers prepared the depth charge racks for immediate deployment when needed. The crew of the Patrol Boat Icarus prepared its Mousetrap ASW Marks 20 and 22 antisubmarine rockets. All battle teams were at ready and awaited the final order from their Captains to begin their attacks as soon as a final heading of the sub could be determined.

  Slowly the convoy converged on the path of the approaching sub based on recent patrol plane radio reports and in a matter of minutes they began to engage the enemy U-boat. The sonar operator on board the USS Roper confirmed a contact off the port side of the ship and the Captain ordered his men to begin dropping depth charges. The Icarus maneuvered into position and began an attack off its stern side using the Mousetrap rockets. Explosions began to rock the ocean as charge after charge blew up.

  Captain Walkerling on board the U-352 must have realized that the surface ships were on his trail and it appears that he let his boat slowly sink until it hit bottom. The sub must have cut its engines and the surface ships temporarily lost contact with the sub and steamed away. The surface ships then returned to their original area of engagement and continued their attack. Explosion after explosion rocked the ocean. The sonar operators on the surface vessels listened intently but temporarily lost their contacts again. The surface convoy broke from its current heading and began steaming in large circles away from the immediate area, trying to relocate their target.

  The U-532 Captain ordered his sub to periscope depth and began to scan the surface and appraise the situation. The patrol planes again spotted the U-boat and radioed the new headings to the surface vessels. The U-boat Captain decided to engage one of the surface ships in hopes that if he could sink it. That might distract the other two ships long enough for him to make his escape. Maneuvering into position he fired the first two torpedoes toward the Unicol, an armed merchant ship that was part of the convoy. Ten-seconds passed, then fifteen and finally after twenty-seconds the sound of his torpedo making contact rocked the merchant ship. The Unicol burst into flames and began to take on water and sink. Fire quickly consumed the vessel and the Unicol’s Captain ordered his men to abandon ship. He sent out an SOS although he was sure the two accompanying naval ships could see what was happening. The USS Roper and Pat
rol Boat Icarus turned course and headed for the crippled ship. Roper began rescue operations while the Patrol Boat Icarus began another round of attacks on the would-be target using its depth charges and deck rockets.

  The U-boat Captain must have realized that the waters were too shallow to make an undetected run from the area and so after attempting to fire four more torpedoes on the crippled ship and the fast approaching Roper, the sub surfaced and its crew took up battle stations on deck. The U-boat Captain thought that if his crew could hit one or both naval ships, it would give him enough time to escape on the surface, as dusk was quickly approaching. The Captain was unaware that Naval patrol planes were still in the area providing overhead support.

  The afternoon had turned overcast and the seas were now swelling to over six feet making it difficult to maneuver and keeping his men from quickly manning the deck canons. Captain Walkerling climbed the conning towel bridge and directed his attack from there. He saw that the one naval ship was assisting the stricken merchant ship and so he turned his attention to the smaller patrol boat rapidly approaching him. Two more torpedoes were launched at the boat but both missed by the narrowest of distances. The men finally managed to man the deck cannons and fired at the approaching ship but the rolling seas kept them from hitting their target. Suddenly the radar operator advised the Captain there were three aircraft above him and approaching rapidly. Icarus began to fire its deck cannons on the struggling sub and almost simultaneously one of the patrol planes dive-bombed the submarine and before the Captain could take evasive action, the U-532 was going down with all hands on board. Multiple explosions ripped the sub in two and as it rapidly descended into about 120’ of water. The ship’s hull erupted from munitions blowing up as the sub sank. No one managed to escape or make it to the surface. The bombs from the dive-bomber instantly killed even the sailors on deck. It is assumed that the sub’s special cargo was sucked from the sinking ship and sunk to the ocean’s floor. The seas of North Carolina became a grave for the 48 officers and men aboard the ill-fated U-532. Most never knew what happened before they died.

  After the Roper and Icarus rescued any surviving members from the merchant ship Unicol, they began a search for survivors of the sunken U-boat. Scattered debris, oil slicks and a few bodies marked the spot where the U-boat had gone down but they failed to find anyone left alive after the attack. The Roper steamed for Norfolk to discharge the wounded from the Unicol while the Icarus resumed its shoreline patrol.

  General Sutherland began his briefing to the assembled men. Based on information received from the Germans it would appear that another container with the Nazi super virus was on the U-532 when it sank. The General had decided after reading both the U.S. and German reports on the U-532 that a U.S.Navy Seal Team along with members of the U.S.Naval Diving and Salvage Unit out of the Naval Support Activity in Panama City, Florida, would attempt to find and recover the missing virus container, if it was still intact. Two naval savage vessels would begin operations off North Carolina within the coming week. Once the sub was located the Seal Team and Salvage Unit would try to locate the missing cargo and bring it to the surface. The disposition of the cargo was classified and would be released only to those who had a need to know.

  July 2015-Operations began off North Carolina.

  TERROR THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

  While infectee incidents in the U.S. continued to be reported in outlying areas, the situation overseas and particularly Asia was going from bad to worse. Roaming hordes of infectees were now being found in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Jakarta, Indonesia. The virus coupled with the effects of the Indonesia fires was wrecking havoc everywhere. People already sick with respiratory illness, who then contracted the super virus, were 75% more likely to become walking dead as opposed to merely dying from the infection. Many of the main cities remained closed and incidents of large hordes roaming the streets and attacking anyone who ventured outside were on the rise. Police couldn’t keep up with reports they received because of the large size of several of the cities.

  On the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur a group of infectees gained access to the Malaysian Police College, a large compound on the outskirts of the city that housed police cadets and classrooms for senior officers. Over fifteen infectees managed to broach the security fencing around the perimeter and avoid guard patrols. They entered several of the dormitories, where they attacked room after of room of cadets before armed officers found and killed them. When the carnage was over, 150 cadets were either killed or gravely wounded.

  In another incident a small horde entered a large mall that had remained open and went on a wild rampage before police and military could reach the location. Report after report continued to flow in despite the governments warning people to stay inside until the crisis was over. It was now almost three months since Special Agent Taylor landed at the airport outside Kuala Lumpur along with a planeload of infected passengers aboard the Delta A-380 flight from the United States. People on that ill-fated plane had gone their ways and spread the infection throughout the cities of Asia and right now neither the governments, people, doctors or scientists, saw an end in sight. People who had received the U.S. X554 vaccine were less apt to contract the virus, however, the vaccine didn’t guarantee 100% immunity. Some people merely experienced the flu symptoms and never progressed to the plague and rabies stage. Others showed no immunity to the deadly disease despite the inoculation and cycled through the several phases of the virus before either dying or becoming part of the roaming hordes of undead. Supplying the population with necessary essentials continued to be the biggest problem as it was impossible to provide food and other supplies directly to the people unless they ventured outside their homes. The infectees seemed to sense or maybe smelled the presence of uninfected people and hordes moved rapidly whenever an outside presence was detected. The other problem cities were encountering was the removal of killed infectees without infecting workers. Sanitation began to decline when people started throwing garbage directly outside. Rats began to appear throughout the cities and as the rats ate remains of the infectees, they began to carry and transmit the virus elsewhere. It was almost like a reoccurrence of the Black Death that ravished Europe in the Middle Ages. Cities began to burn infectees and bury victims in mass gravesites in an effort to control the spread of the disease. Poison bait was dropped throughout the cities in an effort to control the rat and rodent population. People were advised to stay in at night as planes sprayed aerial poisons around the city trying to kill rats, and stray dogs and cats. Many had been exposed to the virus and became carriers.

  Gradually the virus began to creep southward of the United States and some South American cities were reporting the emergence of the virus. The scientists’ theory that eventually birds would transport the virus southward was beginning to come true. There was also one instance where a cruise boat, that had been infected, beached itself along one Caribbean island and the few remaining infectees left aboard, disembarked, and went on a killing spree before the local Gendarmerie could respond and end the attacks. Military aircraft and ships continued their patrols of the oceans of the world in an effort to stop vessels from gaining access to any country. Even though many ships, when contacted, swore that no one on board was infected, the navies forbid the ships from making land. Attempts to try to do so were met with deadly force. Naval forces and planes had already sunk over 60 ships that attempted to run blockades.

  Scientists also began to worry about the additional spread of the virus as cold weather approached in several parts of the world. Scientists and doctors previously determined that the flu virus was more prevalent and infectious in cold winter temperatures than during warmer months. As the temperatures begin to become colder, the virus’s outer covering begins to harden and shield the virus. This can cause the virus to spread easier from person to person. Warmer weather has the reverse effect. The virus’ outer layer becomes soft like and fluid and so the virus isn’t protected as well and transmission is slowed
or even stopped. Researchers also learned that when the body’s core temperature inside the nose drops by as little as five degrees, the body’s immune system has a harder time fighting infections, such as the flu or common cold. Doctors also determined the most virus strains cannot be killed with antibiotics. These medications may be helpful in attacking bacteria, however, a virus is quite different in its response to a medication. Doctors had already seen how the flu virus could change from year to year and so every year new and more powerful vaccines had to be produced to slow or stop the occurrence of the disease. Doctors also knew that once a strain of bacteria got old, it began to die. The reverse was true of most viruses. Viruses have no life span. They can lie dormant for several years and then become active again. That was how Mengele managed to transport his super virus. German Intelligence records revealed that the Nazi super virus was put into a state of suspended animation and when it was again exposed to warmth and air, it became active again and very contagious. Even in the case of the super virus, it was not completely out of the questions that some bits of the virus could be sneezed onto an object or into some dirt and become dormant, only to appear several years later. It was for this reason that doctors knew they had to produce a vaccine for people in order to protect them from a reoccurrence somewhere down the line.