by Franks, JK
A half-filled glass of water and several pills sat on a silver tray in front of her. She was unsure if she would live long enough to see this plan through. The president’s blundering was not helping, but the spread of SA1297 was out of her control now. While much of its creation had been her idea, it was simply one of many pet projects she had overseen. Its release overseas had not been noteworthy to her, but then reports that the antiviral was ineffective began to surface. Now, it seemed this virus might rule the world instead of the Council.
She called to her attendant who was stationed just outside the door, “Has he arrived yet?”
“Yes, ma’am, he is on his way.”
“Good…very good.”
“And you are?”
He looked at the outstretched hand before deciding to accept the handshake. “I’m the man they call when they need shit done.”
Releasing the grip with a sudden iciness, the man took an involuntary half step back. “And do you have a name?”
The pronounced Downeast Maine accent of the wiry man was annoying, “We all have names, probably best you just call me Grey.”
“I see. So, um…Grey, you’ve been out there? What’s it like?”
He let the question trickle through his memories. This man hidden away in this camp completely isolated from the real world didn’t actually want to know what was going on out there, he just wanted to know he was safe. It never ceased to amaze him how much people were willing to give up for safety. He decided to give him the truth, or at least a portion of it.
“It’s bad…really bad. No food anywhere, not many people left. Cities are abandoned. Hardly any fuel, much less anything else of use. The world’s gone, friend.”
“Sounds like a real Mad Max kind of existence doesn’t it?” The man had a nervous grin on his face that was completely at odds with the reality.
The man going by Grey cocked his head slightly, the way a cat might as he watched a mouse. The wiry man had said his name earlier, What was it again? “Look, uh…David, is it? It’s not a movie and certainly not Mad Max out there. Think more like colonial America. It’s a tough life, but people are hanging on. It’s just different now.”
The man looked puzzled. “So, what about the monsters?”
“What fucking monsters?” his voice rising above what he had intended.
David seemed to retreat at the response and looked like he wanted to hide back in his shell. “We, um…” he stammered. “We just hear things. Stories, you know.”
A tap on his shoulder rescued him from the awkward little man. The large black man gave a quick head nod, “This way.”
“Do we have monsters? Why do these people even know about the outbreak overseas?”
The black man shrugged his shoulders and kept walking down the dimly lit corridor. “It’s here now. People talk, and most of these are whip smart little assholes. Best of the best, you know. Give ‘em a few clues and they figure shit out. That guy that was talking to you ran a Fortune 100 tech company before ‘The Day.’ Had his picture on magazines and gave talks to thousands walking around on stage in his black t-shirt and sandals.”
“That guy?” he said looking back to see if he was still standing where he had left him.
“Yep. Pretty standard fare here, though. Did you ever watch the news, get on the internet, anything besides work, Archangel?”
“I was in lockup and…what was the point? I knew you assholes would fuck it up eventually.”
“You have a point there,” the other man said.
“Tell me, Vincent, why am I here? Why are you based here, with these people?”
Vincent stopped walking and turned to face him. “You know the answer to that. We serve the republic. Right now, this is the republic, or all of it that matters.”
“It doesn’t bother you? What they are doing here?”
They both resumed walking turning a corner, “Archangel, I do what I am told, I follow orders. That’s my fucking job, yours, too. Talking like that is what got you thrown in the brig.” They passed two sentries and came to a very substantial looking, nondescript gray door.
“No…shooting the president's dog instead of the president himself is why I was locked up.”
Vincent just looked at him. “You disobeyed a direct order just because you disagreed with it. This is your second chance, man…don’t fuck it up. I went out on a limb for you.” He knocked twice before pushing it open. “Ms. Levy, Archangel-9 is here.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Harris Springs, Mississippi
Gia Colton was exhausted and frustrated. She pulled her long, red hair back into a ponytail and went through the printouts again. She almost hadn’t come back to the AG tonight, she had too much work to do, but Scott was waiting for her. She didn’t want to disappoint him, not again. She smiled to herself, he really was such a good man. He almost took away the pain and hurt that was her constant companion—almost.
Tahir had been right about the virus. The new test results proved it conclusively. The updated treatments ignored the virus and went after the gene mutations directly. By using the new treatment protocols, they had been able to somewhat keep the lethality of the viral agent, the “A” side, in check, at least in the testing labs. They were beginning to make real progress. One thing Tahir had not been right on was the Archean not having a genetic payload. Of that, she was quite confident it did. Her lab was doing the sequencing on its genetic signature now. They were getting close, she could almost see an end to this mess.
It couldn’t come soon enough; her body was wearing out. The constant work, travel and stress had to stop. She knew she couldn’t keep it up; she looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Can I save them, save humanity? She was a confident person, but right now she didn’t even think she could save herself. This cabin aboard the AG was her refuge, her escape from reality. How much longer would it be safe harbor? The stack of files by the chair beckoned her to dive back into her work. She made a feeble attempt, but her energy had drained.
Scott walked into their cabin and saw Gia sleeping in the overstuffed chair. He closed a folder she loosely held and set it to the side, atop a stack of other papers and folders. He’d been told she was back aboard, but this was the first chance he had to come see her. She was the most beautiful woman in the world to him, and…she loved him. He was still smarting over the incident on her birthday. She had forgiven him but causing her pain had also hurt him to the core. He knew she was not that fragile, the woman had always possessed a drive that few could match. He bent over and kissed her forehead.
Her eyelids fluttered, then opened. “Hey, you.”
“Hi, love,” he responded with a kiss.
“Sorry I missed you getting back.” She had been gone for days, and he had missed her terribly, but he knew she had to concentrate on her work.
“I know, we made a lot of progress, though. I’m heading out in the morning to Lab 4. I think we are ready to expand some of our trials.”
“Really? That’s great.” He hugged her as she stood.
“It was Tahir, honey, he gave us the jump start we needed.” She reached into her bag and pulled out a vial and syringe.
“What is that, more of your vitamin cocktail?” She had been giving him booster shots for weeks along with some antivirals.
“No, this is our latest, it won’t prevent the Chimera, but it will keep it from killing you if you get it.” She injected it into his tan bicep.
She sat back down suddenly and held her stomach.
“You okay, G? What’s wrong?” She was pale. Beads of sweat appeared on her smooth skin.
“I’m, I’m…I’ll be alright, I just need some air.”
Scott panicked as he slid the balcony doors wide and the sea breeze swept in. She suddenly rushed to the railing and began vomiting. He held her up and rubbed her back as she kept pulling up content to spew out into the night air. His mind raced at the possibilities. She worked with deadly pathogens, but also bad food was
a real issue for everyone now. With resources so scarce and no refrigeration, foodborne illness had become a real problem. Her sickness finally eased up, and he ran into the room to get a bottle of water and a cloth.
The sickness seemed to pass as quickly as it had arrived. She seemed surprised and embarrassed. “Sorry about that.”
“Are you ok, did anything happen at the lab?”
“I’m fine, Scott. It’s nothing.”
He busied himself picking up the vial and syringe. The vial had part of a hand-written label on it. “297AV. one dose 15 cc.”
“How many doses of this stuff do we need to be immune, and is this really almost the 300th version you’ve tried?”
“She was wiping her face with the rag. She answered with a weary laugh, “Yeah, at least that many, and none of them will make you immune. Multiple doses are recommended, but one should likely do the job. The treatment is designed to kickstart your body’s own immune system into recognizing the pathogen.”
He sat on the floor beside her and began flipping through her folders; the notes and diagrams meaning nothing to him. “Are you ready to let everyone know? Does this mean we don’t have to leave?” He looked at more of the papers dislodging and falling free from the folders. He examined one, then another, completely lost in the science. Even the few terms he understood seemed foreign: telomeres, chromatids, eukaryotes and thermohaline. The notes were neat and even in Gia’s precise handwriting. Some of it made sense to him, some of it raised questions.
“Gia, isn’t thermohaline something to do with the climate?”
She looked at the files with a brief look of…something…but shrugged nonchalantly. “We’ve had to look at a lot of things. Lab-4, in particular, has had pretty expansive research going on.”
He began reading the file in earnest now, fascinated by science he could actually understand.
She grew impatient with him to stop and look up at her. She finally placed a hand on top of his and forced the papers to the floor. She left it there until his eyes met hers. Taking his hand, she placed it on her stomach. And just like that…everything changed.
“Scott, I’m pregnant.”
He woke up to find her lying beside him, watching him, grinning. “What?” he asked.
“Nothing, everything.”
They had talked long into the night. Was this the smart thing to do? Bringing a child into a world full of chaos and madness seemed so wrong. An earlier conversation with Roosevelt had played back in his head, Real survival meant folks fallin’ in love and makin’ babies again.
There was a sound, then another. The dim morning light in the ship’s cabin was suddenly joined by a flickering glow from the overhead lights, then the blessed sound of air blowing from an AC vent overhead. Gia’s face showed an expression that was priceless. “No way!” she exclaimed.
“Yes…way.” Cheering could be heard from every part of the ship. “They have been working on it around the clock the last few days. I told them to flip the switch whenever they felt good about it.” The overhead light was still flickering slightly but glowing brightly now. This was going to be the start of a very good day. He pulled her close and kissed her. “Gia, please marry me. Not just for the baby, I mean. I’ve, I’ve been wanting…”
“Scott.”
“Yes?”
“Stop talking.”
They made love beneath the glow of a flickering overhead light and the almost cool air flowing across their naked bodies. She lay next to him, their desire somewhat sated. We are going to be a family. He reached a hand under the mattress, then offered her the ring he’d been carrying around for weeks. She began to cry, nodding yes as he slipped it on. “I know it’s small, but it was all the jewelry store had.”
“It’s perfect, Scott, just like you. Thank you. Thank you for the ring, thanks even more for this.” She rubbed her tummy, and in the light, Scott could now see she was indeed a little plumper than he remembered. She wasn’t sure how far along she was, a month, maybe six weeks.
“I love you, Gia Colton.”
“Soon to be Gia Montgomery, when are we going to do this?”
“Soon as we can, I’ve been waiting for you to be my wife for years, so we can’t put it off long.”
“When I get back we can start making plans. It should be a real party – something special.” Gia beamed as she looked at the ring and smiled.
“As long as we are together in the end, I don’t care,” he said.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The following day, Gia left early to catch the Navy transport back to Lab 4. Scott had no idea where it was but watched from the top deck as she left. He wanted her to stay, begged her, in fact, but her work came first. They’d agreed not to tell anyone about the pregnancy until she was further along, but soon, everyone would know wedding plans were in the works. The first person he had to tell was his brother. Walking down the ship's corridors, now illuminated by recessed lighting, was an amazing feeling. The few people he passed all had a look of amazement. How long before electricity will be taken for granted once again? he wondered.
Bobby’s reaction was measured exuberance. He practically exploded with happiness. “Wow, man, that is awesome! Congrats! Did you have to threaten her, offer cash…what?”
“Hush, Big Ugly,” Scott answered.
Bobby held up his hands, “Just don’t forget Rule #18.”
Scott had to think on that one before flipping him the bird. As morning turned to day, everyone on board learned the news. The joy of having electricity just spilled over fueling even more excitement over wedding plans. Angel was the one he most feared telling, although he wasn’t sure why. She took the news in stoic silence. He feared he had mistaken something in their friendship, then she burst into a big grin and took him in her arms and danced across the floor. High fives from DeVonte and Bartos, hugs from Kaylie. He would tell Jack by radio when they checked in later, but Todd was sitting at a table when Scott walked over and sat beside him.
“I hear congrats are in order.”
“Yes, thanks,” Scott said, failing miserably to conceal the huge smile.
“She’s a pretty unique woman, Scott, and…she’s getting one hell of a guy. The two of you together will be an unstoppable force.”
Scott had been expecting a friendly barb from his friend. The show of genuine sentiment surprised him and left him without a response for several seconds. Then he got it, and as happy as he was, his heart ached for the man. He looked at his friend and placed a hand on the man’s arm. He could feel the big man was shaking slightly, just barely holding it together. “Thank you, Todd. I’m not sure how to say this, but if I have learned anything since this mess began, it’s to let people know how you really feel. You never know if you have another day to say those words. I learned from you, my friend. I watched you love, I watched you mourn, and I watched you struggle to heal. If Gia and I can have a fraction of the happiness that you and Liz had, I’ll be one lucky man.”
Todd’s eyes were tearing up as he nodded.
“So, would you marry us?”
“Huh?” the man said with a start. “Why me, why not Jack or one of the other preachers? I’m not even a captain anymore, that would be you or Angel.”
“You will always be our captain. Jack’s not here, and he won’t do it, I already know that. He refuses to ever step behind a pulpit again. Besides, Gia wants it to be you, and I know you can’t refuse her.”
The older man had tears streaming down his face in torrents now. “Of course, I will, Brother.”
Throughout the next several days, people continued to offer congratulations or ask if a date had been picked. The attention Scott got was somewhat unnerving, but he was as happy about it as they were. He tried to recall if getting engaged to Angela, his first wife, had felt like this. It hadn’t, he was sure of that. He’d been happy, but more surprised that she had said yes. The entire engagement, he had been afraid she would simply change her mind. Even during the service, he hadn�
��t been sure she would walk through those doors and down the aisle. In time, she had changed her mind, regretted that day, and that hole in his heart that she caused had taken years to mend.
He’d agreed to help Bartos’ team this morning make sure the power was off to the old buildings downtown. No need starting fires because an old lamp was plugged in. “I take it no problems with the generators?”
Bartos had been humming the unmistakable theme to “Love Boat” as Scott walked up. “Nope, they are doing fine. Well, the one generator we’re using is fine, no need for the other one just yet. Few issues with the substation settings and getting the routing right. Tahir was a big help on that as I was clueless. He says he separated out all the other stations from the local grid. So, no juice headed over to the old industrial park or the hospital. Just to the AG, marina and downtown area.”
“That’s good, so we could get power to those other places if we wanted?”
“Yep…well, up to a point. None of us are really sure of the amperage we have from that one generator, so we’re adjusting water flow to control the power levels. Scoots will be keeping someone out their full time now to adjust flow. Maybe times we just need to shut it down for short periods while bringing other buildings back up or even other substations back online.”
“This is amazing, Bartos, you guys did a fantastic job.”
The little Cajun smiled, his pride in the work was well earned. “It was your idea, man. You da one that convinced us we could do it.”
