Omega Virus (Book 1): Beta Hour

by Jake A. Strife

  “What is that?” she cried and then groaned.

  “The-- I hesitated, not sure if I should tell her the cure would only be temporary.

  If I did, what would she do? She could just give up. No, I had to give her hope.

  “It’s the vaccine!” I lied. “I’m going to cure you!”

  I pulled the trigger on the gun, and I watched the vial empty its contents into her blood. She screamed and thrashed about so hard she knocked the injector gun right out of my hands. It slammed into the wall, the vial shattering.

  “Jessie!” I grabbed her arms, holding her still. “Just hold on!”

  She twisted her head back and forth and shrieked again, then suddenly fell still.

  “Jessie?” I whispered.

  She didn't move. I put my head to her chest and listened for a heartbeat, but heard nothing. I put my fingers to her neck and found no pulse.

  “No. No. No. No!” I screamed and slammed my hands on her chest.

  I put my ear to her chest again. Nothing still. I repeated the process so many times I lost count, but after at least ten minutes had passed, I gave up and put my head on her chest and began to cry.

  “What have I done?” I asked. “What have I done to deserve this?”

  I looked beyond the ceiling, picturing the night sky.

  “You bastards up there! I know you hear me! God, the Universe, whatever the hell you are! What did I do to deserve this?”

  “Nothing,” Jessie said.

  My eyes slowly trailed back down, to see Jessie looking at me with her eyes half-open. She gave a great gasp and her stomach heaved as she took in air.

  “Jessie!” I whispered, cupping her face in my hands. “Stop scaring me!”

  “You’re the one...” she gasped again. “Scaring me.”

  “I’m sorry!” I whispered, “I thought you were—”

  “I’m not,” Jessie grinned. “You saved me.”

  The smile that crossed her face appeared brighter than I'd ever seen. She grinned with such jubilance. I never wanted to leave her side. How could I tell her the horrible truth? How could I tell her of the infection still in her veins, and in mine too?

  LEVEL 30 – FAR CRY

  The gas station fire from outside still provided some visibility inside the apartment. Would it ever go out? What a waste. Gasoline, before long, would be impossible to obtain. If the world hadn’t gone to hell, maybe the gas prices would have skyrocketed? No doubt the police would have been setting up a perimeter to keep everyone back; firefighters would have been about, fighting the blaze.

  Just how did the virus spread so far, so fast? So many games prepared us for the zombie scenario, how did they ever take over? I'd only survived so long thanks to hours and hours of gaming, but now I'd been bitten. My survival had ended.

  Behind me, Jessie slept on the mattress, fast asleep and snoring lightly. No more groaning, tossing or turning. She'd become peaceful, and I felt thankful for that. I turned away from the window and set the briefcase down. Once again I popped it open and checked the injector gun hoping beyond hope to find another vial of the partial vaccine, the silver liquid of life, inserted and ready to inject. Had I begun to regret giving the vaccine to her? No, that couldn't be it, but already, my skin had started to warm up. I shut the lid again, but this time, it got caught. It wouldn’t close all the way.

  “Come on.” I ran my fingers around the edges, trying to find what held it open. It didn’t feel like anything. I opened the lid all the way and tried again. Still it didn’t click shut.

  “Stupid thing!” I muttered and shoved it to the side.

  It flipped upside down, and the foam interior lining flipped out. A white sheet of paper slipped onto the carpet

  “What’s this?” I crawled over and picked it up.

  With my luck, I expected it to be a dry cleaning bill. But as I examined it, my eyes went wide. I scurried back into the light. Formulas and garbled text filled the page. I couldn't understand any of the scientific mumbo jumbo. Something else caught my attention; words at the very bottom, ‘Gulf of Mexico’ and two numbers, 24° and -94°.

  I couldn’t believe what I saw. The beautiful white sheet of paper bore geographic coordinates. I had the location of Grandson and the actual vaccines. I'd never held anything more valuable. If we could get there, we’d both be saved.

  As I read further, I saw the words ‘Rockport Report.'

  I knew Rockport to be a city in southern Texas, somewhere near Corpus Christi. I'd never been there, but a sudden flash came to my mind. The dream I had with Tiffany and me as children. In that dream, my ‘uncle’ planned to take me to Rockport. I didn’t believe in fate, but it couldn't be a coincidence.

  “We’re going to be alright!” I crawled across the floor to the hand radio Wesley had given us. I picked it up and tuned to the frequency Wesley used. With hope in my heart, I held down the button.

  “Wesley,” I said. “Wesley James. This is Zach. I need your help. I’m in Houston at the Rooney Apartment building right inside the city limits. I know where one of those G.O.D. Mode scum is. I have the coordinates to a lab!”

  I let the button go and waited with held breath. Wesley told me to contact him once I had dealt with Jessie. I couldn't tell him she still lived just yet, but when he arrived, I would explain I found the cure. Of course, I wouldn't tell him we were both infected. Otherwise, he wouldn’t help us, even if I gave him Grandson on a silver platter.

  Seconds ticked by, and those seconds turned to minutes, which turned into an hour. I tried again and again, saying the same thing. But he didn't respond. Wesley had likely gotten everyone killed. Jessie and my survival proved nothing short of a miracle.

  More time passed, and I stared out the window. My eyes felt heavy. I hadn’t slept since the Belmont mansion. I needed rest, especially if Jessie and I were going to find a car and get to Rockport for a boat, but how long did I have? I remembered Mr. Murph turning immediately. Maybe the virus reacted differently in everyone? Jessie had survived without turning, after all. Still, fear loomed in the shadows of my mind, ready to swallow me whole. If I closed my eyes, would I ever open them again? Or would I awaken to find myself feasting on Jessie? I couldn’t risk sleeping, not until we had the cure in hand.

  Fight as I might, my head began to tilt. I couldn’t stay awake. Everything had been far too taxing. Still, I struggled.

  “Zachary Mastiff, you sly bastard!” Wesley’s voice entered my sleep some time later.

  “What’d I do?” I tried to open my eyes.

  “Are you there?” He asked.

  “Of course, I’m here.” My eyes were closed. “Where else would I be?”

  “Zach, if you don’t answer this damn radio I’m going to have to find a place to land this whirlybird!”

  “Whirlybird?” I murmured. “What the heck are you talking about?”

  Then I heard the whopping sound. Just like when Grandson had flown away. Wesley had come with a helicopter!

  “Zach, if you are still in that building I would get your ass to the roof—now! The copter is attracting tons of Corpses, and they are all heading inside! And get this crap, I think they're Lv03s! Dammit man, pick up!”

  I dove for the hand radio and held it up, smashing the button in.

  “We’ll be on the roof in a second!” I cried.

  I looked to Jessie whose eyes were wide and confused.

  “What’s going on?” She asked.

  “Wesley’s outside!” I pulled her to her feet and threw on Wesley’s coat.

  “He is?” She asked groggily.

  “We gotta move!” I said. “Corpses are coming!”

  “Oh no!” Jessie snapped awake.

  Seconds later we were out in the hall and rushing toward the stairwell. Wesley’s voice crackled over the radio again.

  “What do you mean we?” Wesley asked. “Is Jessie still with you?”

  “No time to explain!” I said back into the radio as we burst through the door to the
stairs.

  I couldn’t make out the next thing he said due to the cacophony of groans below.

  “Up!” I shouted.

  Jessie ascended, but a missile slammed into me. I hit the door with such force that it crashed open, and I tumbled back into the hall.

  “Jessie!” I cried.

  The Corpses were too close now. I couldn’t take the stairs.

  “Get to the roof!” I screamed.

  A Corpse staggered into the doorway. One of its arms hung to the ground as if its limb had been stretched like putty. It glared at me and gave a low growl. I took a step back and drew my gun. I pulled the trigger, and nothing happened.

  “What?” I gasped.

  The corpse thrust its arm forward and sent me flying back. I hit the carpet and rolled past several apartments. I scrambled back to my feet and turned to face the Corpse again. I pulled the trigger again; nothing.

  “Oh come on!” I cried.

  I hurled the gun at the Corpse and grabbed the radio. “Get Jessie out of here!”

  “No!” Wesley responded. “I’m not bringing her on board! She’s infected!”

  “You have to!” I argued as the Corpse took a few steps forward.

  “I said no!” He snapped.

  “She’s not infected!” I lied.

  “Bullcrap!”

  “I’ll give you the coordinates!” I cried. “Please! I won’t make it!”

  Before I could say another word, the Lv03's arm shot forward, stretching twenty-some feet. I threw up my arms and of all things it could have grabbed; it snatched the radio from my hands, and snapped back like a rubber band.

  “Son-of-a-god-damn-bloody-hell!” I shouted.

  More Corpses appeared in the hall behind the Lv03 Long Arm. I wouldn't be getting to the roof that way. I turned to see a window at the far end of the hall. I spotted a fire escape outside, and I made a break for it. I ran full speed.

  The Corpse came, but thankfully it didn’t seem to be a Lv03 Runner.

  I stopped at the window and pried my fingers into the handle, pulling it open. I jumped onto the fire escape and let the window fall behind me. Just then the glass shattered and the Lv03 grabbed my shoulder. It tried to reel me in, but I wouldn’t give. I grabbed onto the outside railing and held tight. If he wanted me, he would have to come get its meal.

  “You can’t have me!” I cried as it pulled me next to the window. I used all my weight to drop to my knees.

  A jagged piece of glass severed the arm and freed me. I didn’t take the time to breathe. I rebounded back to my feet and ran up the fire escape. Several stories above me the helicopter flew around the building. My pulse pounded, my feet slammed the metal, and I grabbed each handrail. I spun myself around each corner so fast I nearly tumbled over.

  Finally, I made it to the last stretch, a ladder. The Corpses groaned below, which fueled my flight response. I pulled myself up onto the roof to see the helicopter flying away, heading out of the city.

  I didn’t see Jessie anywhere, but I did see the roof door burst open, and Corpses come pouring out. The first of them turned to me and opened its mouth wide, unhinging its jaw just like the one at the gas station. It roared a sonic blast, but thankfully from so far, it felt like a nice breeze.

  The Lv03 hurled itself into a run, flailing its arms and running with abandon.

  I dodged to the side as the raging undead tried to spear me. I ran across the roof to the far corner, jumping over the AC units and more than one large pipe. I leaped and bounded, skidding behind an electrical box. More and more Corpses came.

  I looked back as I climbed over another huge ventilation pipe. I didn’t see the helicopter anymore, but I could hear the whopping of the propellers, but where had it gone?

  The encroaching Corpses had me trapped in the corner. I glanced back and forth as they shambled closer. If I fell, the drop would be a long fourteen stories down. I found myself trying to figure out how many feet that equaled, but I gave up. I couldn't survive such a fall. People did survive skydiving failures sometimes, so I had a chance. Which would be better? Falling or getting eaten? Splatting sounded preferable, if just barely.

  They were so close now, only feet away. I stepped back to the very edge, my heel hanging over the side.

  I readied myself. I would take as many of them as I could down to hell.

  The closest Corpses lunged, and I winced. Whopping came from behind me.

  Something grabbed me from behind and pulled me back over the edge. To my surprise, I fell back into something warm and squishy.

  “Zach!” Jessie cried out. “I’ve got you!”

  I watched as the Corpses fell off the side of the building, trying to follow, but I'd fallen into a helicopter; they wouldn't.

  I spun around as the helicopter door slid closed. A huge smile spread across my face. Jessie stood right in front of me, grinning back.

  “You’re alive!” Dave cried, from the other side of the copter, clapping his hands.

  “Good job, bro!” Jeff reached over and patted me on the back.

  They all wore regular clothing now, and while worse for wear, they looked well. As Jessie hugged me, I spotted Kessa across from us with her arms crossed her chest. She glared, and I quickly glanced away. I didn’t even know how to approach apologizing to her.

  “Zach!” Wesley snapped from the pilot’s seat. “Get your ass up here. We have to talk.”

  I didn’t like the tone in his voice.

  LEVEL 31 – BATTLEFRONT

  I'd never heard Wesley so pissed off. I climbed into the co-pilot’s seat, afraid he would push me out the door. He brushed his dirty, red hair from his eyes and attacked me with a glare

  “Can we talk about this later?” I murmured.

  “Hmm, you know what? I’d prefer we talk now. Right now. Or would you rather wait till we all start getting bit?”

  “She’s cured!” I lied. “I found the vaccine.”

  “Where and how?” He asked. “What G.O.D. Mode base were you at?”

  “It belonged to someone called Grandson,” I said.

  “Grandson,” Wesley said, and I could see something going on behind those eyes of his. He likely knew who I spoke of.

  “Grandson,” I said. “And he looked just like me. We even have the same scar!”

  Wesley nodded. “I see.”

  “What does that mean?” I asked. “Do you know?”

  He waved his hand dismissively. “Just give me the coordinates.”

  “Answer me first!”

  “Dammit kid.” Wesley snapped. “Give me the damn numbers or take your girlfriend and get out.”

  “You’re an asshole.” I unfolded the paper.

  Wesley snatched it, and startled, nearly crashing us into a building.

  “Ouch!” came from the back.

  “What the hell man?” Jeff snapped.

  “This guy is going to get us killed,” Dave grumbled. “I keep telling you!”

  “What was that about?” I snapped.

  “The Rockport Report,” Wesley said, eyes wide. “Do you know what this is?”

  “Um, a cooking recipe?” I rolled my eyes. “No! I don’t!”

  “The first findings of the virus,” Wesley said. “I’ve heard of it, but never got a look.

  The gloves needed to come off. “You worked with G.O.D. Mode. Wayne said you co-founded the company.”

  He lowered his head and sighed. “Not really. It was Serenade who brought me into the fold, but then she joined their way of thinking, and she wanted to hand over the company.”

  “She was your girlfriend—Or wife, or whatever. How could you?”

  “She allowed this to happen. She wanted it.” His voice went cold.

  “We can question the ethics of your decision later, I guess.”

  “There’s nothing to question.” He muttered.

  “Well, my question is, can you read the report?”

  “No.” He said at length. “Only those G.O.D. Mode freaks can.”
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  “Can’t the code be broken?” I asked.

  Wesley said, “A scientist worked on the code. His name was Beauregard. He worked at the Cornelia Facility. I went there initially in search of him, but he was gone.”

  I looked out the window at the freeway below. “There’s that name again. This guy must be pretty dang important.”

  “If there’s a hope for the human race, a way to stop G.O.D. Mode for sure, that guy has the answer.”

  I thought back to the G.O.D. Report at the Cornelia facility. Beauregard logged his work in that computer—the AI.

  “Leon!” I realized aloud.

  Wesley looked at me funny.

  “The AI unit that had the G.O.D. Report Part One!” I explained. “Beauregard said he was going to Rockport for Part Two.”

  “Oh ho ho.” Wesley chuckled. “The plot thickens.”

  “So are we fine then?” I asked.

  “With what?”

  “That Jessie is here?” I said.

  “Why would it matter?” He asked. “You said she’s cured. She is cured, isn’t she?”

  My hesitation told him enough.

  Wesley whispered, “Zach, did you bring an infected girl on this copter?”

  “No! I gave her the vaccine! The only one. She’s getting better as we speak.”

  “The only...one…?” Wesley asked.

  “Yes, well no. There are three more, but they’re at these coordinates.”

  “What further stakes do you have in this, might I ask?” He stared ahead, face emotionless.

  In the distance the sun had begun to rise; a beautiful sight. Would it be my last one?

  “Did you say something?” I asked, feeling the warmth from the gorgeous view.

  “Nah,” Wesley said. “Not a thing.”

  I knew I shouldn’t fall asleep, but I wanted to experience it one last time, even if I never woke up.

  But I did wake up. I woke up to the sound of screaming. The copter spun in a tight circle. Dizziness swept over me, and however distant, I could hear my screaming too.

  “Damn! Damn! Damn!” Wesley shouted.

  “Get control of it!” I pleaded.