by Jesse Gagnon
“It did? What did it do?”
“It infected and killed the host cells as to be expected. But when it reproduced itself it mutated into a more dominant and aggressive cell.”
“Okay, the virus itself is aggressive and dominant. How is it different?”
“Well, it’s responding to music, music from behind a vacuum sealed room at a cellular level.”
“It responded?”
“It danced to the rhythm of it.”
“Okay, this is ridiculous. Why are you wasting my time?”
“I’m not. If this individual were to be infected it’s possible that it would have control of its body at a cellular level. It’s not just the HIV virus that’s at play here; it’s the person’s dna.” The dead silence at the end of her sentence troubled Jane. “Sir?”
“I’m here. I’m just thinking.”
“Okay?”
“Would the individual still have the HIV virus?”
“No, it would kill off the debilitating disease. It wants to survive.”
“Would this person become an Azrael?”
“Of course they would. That’s a silly question. They would just be a super zombie.”
“Are you sure? Did you actually witness the necrosis event?”
“The cells were infected with the virus. I, I didn’t actually see it. I was asleep when it happened.” Jane stammered.
“Asleep?”
“I woke up still attached to the microscope. Apparently, it’s a thing that I do these days.” She joked.
“Test it again and this time watch for a change. Actually, I’m coming down. Wait for me.”
“Okay. I’ll see you then. Sir? Hello. He hung up on me!” Jane spoke to herself.
Eighteen minutes later she saw him through the glass window. He was a handsome man. His massive size and dominating personality added to his great looks. He entered after the door clicked open from his keycard. She was staring. There was no way that it could be his blood, she thought.
“So, where is it?”
“Where’s what?” She smiled and nodded her head.
“The blood and the microscope. What’s wrong with you?”
“Oh, right the blood it’s over here. Is it yours?”
“No, it’s not mine. It’s… a friend’s.”
“A girl… friend?”
“A friend. Jesus, let’s just get it going already.” He scowled and was annoyed.
“Fine. Let’s get it going.” She said sarcastically. Jane removed the old specimen and placed it on the table nearby. She dropped a few droplets of the HIV infected blood on a new sample tray and slid it under the microscope. She zoomed in and sharpened the focus. She turned on the screen mirroring function so that she could see what was on the slide in the microscope.
“So, human blood infected with the HIV virus.” She surrendered the microscope to Simon and he lowered the chair and sat as he peered through the scope. She dropped a lab altered pure Azrael infected blood on top of the specimen. She turned on the screen so she could see the change as well and pressed record to document the transformation. As expected the virus attacked the host cell, destroyed the HIV virus and copied itself within the cell. The white cell burst and released the virus copies throughout the sample tray. Every single white blood cell was infected with the Azrael virus kick starting an overhaul to the potential immune system. After a few minutes, the cells were stressed when nothing was left to infect and mutated. It split carrying a new gene on the rna strand. The new dominant cell attacked and killed the old weaker cells. After several minutes of reproduction, it became a new breed of Azrael once more. Only this time, it wasn’t just some random mutation. It possibly evolved because of the stress the HIV virus played on the cells. The actual dna of the individual could have also played a part in it. It was hard to tell when you can’t separate the two.
“Look there! They’re dancing!” Jane admitted when seeing them on the screen.
“Holy Christ you’re right!”
“You were right to check for necrosis. It invaded but didn’t kill the host, well not until it mutated.”
“Have you tested other specimens, normal blood with the virus? Maybe the virus was just on the brink of mutation?”
“Not likely, but we can test it out.”
After several minutes of normal Azrael infection, it was determined that the stress of the HIV virus and or the dna of the individual whose blood it belonged to drove the virus to attack all of the white blood cells while somehow bypassing the necrosis event entirely.
“I don’t know? What do you think?” She asked wondering what they discovered.
“Who knows what the host will become after the mutation.” Simon suggested.
“Would this friend of yours risk the unknown to be free of the virus?”
“It’s not worth the risk. She’s…”
“So it is a girl.”
“Or he’s…” Simon emphasized. “...too young for such a risk. Maybe when she or he gets older then I’ll give them the option.”
“You’re going to let them suffer? This could heal them.”
“This is all speculation on a small cellular level. Who knows what they would turn into?”
“I would do it.”
“Would you risk turning into one of those monsters?” Simon pointed to another artistic photograph of an Azrael that decorated the wall near the elevator.
“For a chance at living a normal life again, yes.”
“Define normal? Nothing is normal about this world Jane.”
“The fact that we are still here having this moral dilemma reminds us that despite all of this crazy zombie apocalypse horseshit, we are still human. Normalcy is in the eyes of the beholder as is beauty. This shit right here...” Jane pointed at the dancing virus cells. “…is freaky as fuck, but it’s normal now. It’s all about adapting our thinking. If we mope around saddened at how the world has changed for the worse then we’ll miss the golden eggs that life leaves us throughout the day.”
“Like what?”
“Uh, you. You are a gorgeous man.”
Simon blushed.
“I’m not having this discussion.” Simon turned away.
“And…Giselle is infected with the virus without losing all control over her actions. She’s totally a super killing machine that can heal from anything. Then there’s you again.” She gestured to Simon once more. “And… there’s still a lot of people alive because of all of this.”
“I’m grateful for what we’ve accomplished but it hasn’t been easy.”
“That’s what was wrong with the old world. It was too easy. We didn’t have to try any more to survive. Most of us stopped hunting altogether. Going to the nearest fast food place was considered hunter gathering. Our daily routine is different but it’s still normal. We’re still normal. Life is the same as it always has been. We were too blinded by society and the luxuries of technology. In the end, we all will revert to our primal animalistic principles. Eat or be eaten.” Jane explained.
“I should tell her then.”
“So it is a girl. Ha! Uh, who?”
“I’ll let her know. I’ll let her make the choice.”
“I think it’s the right thing to do Simon.”
“Thanks, for all of it. You really put optimism in all that you do.”
“I try to not let the world bring me down. A doctor without hope is a man without a woman. How can one expect a future in this world without that principle?” Jane rubbed the top of Simon’s hand softly as she looked up and into his eyes.
“You’ve got game girl. But I’m not playing.” Simon walked away and entered the elevator.
“I’m losing my touch. Maybe he’s gay? Yeah, that’s it. He’s totally gay.” Jane whispered under her breath.
CHAPTER 36: THE AFTEREFFECTS
The flap under the door pushed open as a tray of food slid within Savanna’s room. It smelled delicious and she wasted no time retrieving it from the floor. After what
seemed like a minute the tray was wiped clean.
“Thank you.” Savanna politely addressed her captor.
The classical instrumental version to a 90’s pop song faded away.
“Don’t thank us yet Savanna. The drugs within the meal that you just consumed will be evaluating your appetite for human flesh. You will feel discomfort in your stomach. That is normal…”
“What the crap! What are you doing to me?” She cried out.
“If the dormant virus activates then we will know soon.”
“Are you trying to turn me into one of those things out there?” Savanna spat out.
“We are merely attempting to challenge your immune system against the benign virus hiding within your system. Eventually, you may change as a result of the bite you received and since you’ve been bitten twice it could amplify the chances that you could be contagious. This test will give us control in when you change. If it happens of course.”
“So I could just become contagious at any given moment?”
“It is a possible outcome. Look, only three possibilities will derive from this experiment. Either you become an Azrael, not ideal. You could become contagious but retain who you are, also not ideal. Lastly, you could exhibit no changes other than an upset stomach and really bad diarrhea.”
“Diarrhea sounds desirable for once…” Savanna muttered.
“I received the latter myself.”
“You went through this process?”
“Yes, we all did. Only those with absolute immunity dodge this test. However, they have a more invasive and painful experience to compensate.”
“Like what?”
“Removal of bone marrow, brain tissue, and a weekly blood plasma extraction.”
“Sounds awful.”
“At least they are immune. They will never turn into an Azrael. Well, not yet that is.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Nothing, just speculation. You should probably have a seat on the toilet. If you do have the last symptom then things could get messy fast.” The woman’s voice faded and the music returned.
Savanna felt a knot building within her gut, hurried to the restroom and sat on the toilet. She began to sweat profusely and became light headed. Her stomach grumbled angrily. Her vision darkened and tunneled into a small window. Sounds became distant and muffled. Was she dying or turning into one of them? She couldn’t feel anything. She was at peace with herself. She felt sleepy and submitted to the darkness.
CHAPTER 37: MORE OF SIMON’S BAD NEWS
The warm breeze through Chicago’s large buildings brought a wide array of aromas ranging from decaying Azrael corpses to a fresh baked deep dish pizza. Taliah walked Samson through a grassy patch near her building so he could do his business. The guards usually brought him out to relieve himself. Today she wanted to get out and feel the city. Despite knowing that the terrors of the world were endlessly hunting and infecting humans while the HIV virus was doing the same inside her, Taliah still wanted to enjoy the rest of God’s creations. She watched as the clouds bellowing over Lake Michigan hurried across the sky and deformed into familiar shapes. The largest cloud appeared like a praying mantis head feasting on a beetle below it. As quickly as it formed it morphed into a massive pirate ship darting across the sky. Several armed guards were surrounding her and Franklin urged her to get back inside.
“It’s not safe out here. We should get you back.” Franklin instructed.
“It will never be safe out here Frankie. Staying indoors is only surviving. Enjoying life’s great gifts is living.” Taliah explained remembering long talks with Dr. Schwinn the day earlier.
“Doc’s got you brainwashed. Surviving is how to live out here. Those that don’t learn how to hide or fight end up roaming the streets like that piece of shit there.” Franklin explained while pointing at a headless corpse bobbing in the lake. Its body was swollen due to floating for weeks in the lake. It rubbed against the side of the pier as the waves pushed it along.
“The Doc says that fear can cause one of two things. Cause you to stop living or persuade you to prepare for the worst. He says it’s okay to have fear but to not be driven by it.” Taliah beamed at Franklin, patted him on the shoulder and began to walk towards her building. “Come on Samson. Let’s get some food.” Samson finished his business and trotted over to Taliah. She rubbed his head and also behind his ears with both hands. The guards followed behind keeping a vigilant eye out for dangers.
“She might end up running this place one day.” Franklin admitted.
“Which is why our job is so important. You’re not the only one that sees that.” Tommy Wong agreed. His fifteen years in the Marine Corp taught him what good leadership was. A leader with vision and hope will inspire courage among his people.
Taliah and her crew finally made it back to her floor and as she was walking to her door she noticed Ethan exiting his apartment.
“Hey, Taliah. How’ve you been? I haven’t seen you in a few days.”
“Hey, Ethan. Yeah, I’ve been real busy with the Doc.” That was a lie, but she didn’t have the courage yet to tell him her condition. “Those Highwaymen have awful handwriting. If the journals were all written by Savanna then I’d have been done weeks ago.”
“So…uh, are you busy later?” Ethan asked nervously.
“I’m baking some apple pies. Want to join me?”
“Sure. I’ll be right back. I’ve got a specimen that Dr. Barnett wants me to look at. She says it’s crazy.”
“I think it’s cool Simon placed you on the Lab Force.”
“Since my mom worked at the pharmacy and I’m familiar with a lot of medicines it makes sense.”
“Hope to see you soon Ethan.” Taliah waved and entered her apartment. Her door closed and the guards posted up outside.
“Yup, see you later.” Ethan responded to the door. The fat ugly guard Franklin gave him a scowl and he walked away towards the elevator. As the doors closed, thoughts of Taliah faded and the discovery Dr. Barnett wanted to show him caused excitement.
Taliah rushed to the kitchen and discovered that she had no apples. Why did she say they would make apple pies? So stupid, she thought. She decided to call down to Annie Baker, a woman who lived two floors down. She gave Taliah most of her recipes and usually carried quite a few fresh ingredients. The phone rang before she could dial.
“Hello, this is Taliah.”
“Hello Taliah, this is Simon.”
“Oh, hey Simon. What’s up?”
“I was just wondering…” There was a long pause. Simon was breathing heavily.
“Uh, about what?”
“Well, there is this uh. Shit.” Simon stammered.
“Unless you have a bag of fresh apples we can keep going at this. If not, I’ve got to get going.”
“I do have apples. What kind do you need?” Simon perked up glad that she gave him time to stall.
“Granny Smith, you got em?”
“I do...”He searched the fridge.”…not have those. All I have are red apples.”
“Ugh, I guess that will do.”
“Alright.”
“So, spit it out, Simon. What news do you have to ruin my day now?”
“Do I only give you bad news?”
“Mostly, where’s Mario?”
“Actually, I haven’t heard from them in a day or two. They should have been back by now. I’ll look into it. Thanks for reminding me.”
“So that wasn’t it?” Taliah sounded annoyed.
“I’ll have to come over and tell you. I don’t like to do the phone thing.”
“Is it bad news?”
“Uh…a little of both. It could be good.”
“Or it could ruin my day?” Taliah interrupted.
“Yes, it could ruin your day.” Simon agreed.
“Well, until you deliver those apples, all I’ve received from you is bad news. We’ll talk about it when you come over with them.”
“Now?” Simon
sounded surprised.
“Is it a bad time?”
“I was going to check on Mario.”
“I’ll go with you after you deliver the apples of course.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m tougher than you think.”
“You think you are. Remember you are still a child. You may have been dealt an awful hand in life but at the end of the day you are still under the age of 18.”
“Do I have to look at the world like it’s some fantasy land? The world isn’t some fairy tale. I understand that much. I’ve been kidnapped twice and raped I don’t know how many ti…”
“That’s enough. I get it.” Simon interrupted.
“Do you? All of this sucks. It hurts. No matter how…” Taliah began to cry. “…no matter…no matter how hard I try to forget my dark past it still continues to haunt me.” Taliah continued to sob.
“I’ll bring your apples, we’ll talk and then we can check on Mario.” Simon couldn’t do this again, especially not on the phone.
“Do you think I can handle what you’ve got to say?”
“It’s a choice I’m going to offer you. I want you to think about it. Make an adult decision when you have come to terms with all of the possibilities.”
“Okay, I’ll put some cookies in the oven for you. Chocolate chip again?”
“Of course, you know those are my favorite.”
“See you in a few.” Taliah ended the conversation in better spirits.
CHAPTER 38: THE WRECKAGE
The roads southwest of Chicago were in pretty bad shape. Rogue weeds and grass were fabricating organically shaped tiles with the asphalt. The sunlight was blazing on the surface creating distorted wrinkles in the horizon ahead. Jason jogged towards Chicago at a steady pace. He woke up a few hours ago and had to redirect his body to where he wanted to go. A herd of twelve was surrounding him when he awoke. At least his body didn’t acquire new blood stains on his clothes as he slept. The group didn’t even notice when he suddenly stopped travelling along with them. He doubted that they even cared. The other good news was the body moved closer to Chicago, probably drawn to the higher population of people.
