Snow Outbreak

by Boris Licina

  "Hey, Half-Life-3 girl", Oliver waved at her sitting close. Each console had a screen and headphones so it was not likely she had heard him. But, she took notice, he understood by her discrete nodding. She was playing some shooter game, running through the jungle of bad guys, carrying a wounded friend on her back. How exciting! Beside the normal consoles and screens, there were also VRs, but it seemed Eli was more old school. Later he would find out why.

  "Yeah, I don't like VR", she told him as they were leaving the gaming room, "and that's my grandpa's fault. Since forever I've been playing video games with him. We started with Atari 2600! The ancient console he had played as a kid. Then we moved over to other stuff. He showed me the history of video games through each of them. In the end we chose PlayStation, I somehow like the TV as a screen. I'm sure there'll be enough time for VR, but for now I like this."

  "Then you should come with me to a telescope room once", Oliver said. "Telescopes are sooo old school! Actually, these are very good, but still old school. Watching the stars and other planets!"

  "Then, why not", again Eli surprised Oliver with her response. "Let's go right now. Nothing better to do, anyway."

  "Right", Oliver clapped his hands and pushed his glasses back. "I hope there'll be free rooms. You have to book them in advance, but sometimes there are no-shows."

  Gazing at stars was fun, Eli admitted to herself. Oliver helped with the history of galaxies and planets. What a walking encyclopedia! But, more than the real history, she liked the stories of Mars, the TV show that helped Jupiter become popular, and the locations of some SF books. What a geek! But, a cute geek, she smiled to herself while she listened about the Delta Quadrant with interest.

  10.

  "Houston, reading you loud and clear. Rene 9 is under control", Mikey was reporting back to Houston where the Company had a rented ground control unit. Instead of building one of their own, it was cheaper to use Houston hours and brains and pay fairly.

  "Cough! Cough!", somebody in the ground control was coughing and trying to reach the mike. "Hey, Mikey, it's Joe Bison. Excuse the cough … cough … cough, but we are swamped, totally. The flu decimated us."

  "Hey, you'll survive, just take plenty of lemon and honey!", Mikey was optimistic.

  "I don't know", Joe continued. "Lot's of things got delayed due to this flu. We were going to launch three in the next month, all delayed now."

  "Hmm, that's not usual. Where is the backup?"

  "Cough! Cough … none available, lots of people sick. Only the less affected are working, just a few of us."

  "Hell, long time no info on Houston. But, don't worry", he laughed again, "the delayed flights will launch eventually. I believe it is just a little set back."

  "I envy you up there …", Joe complained, but Mikey continued.

  "Oh, but we're only a floating space can. Trust me, Earth's better. Much better."

  "Hardly better, at the moment … cough! cough! … I see all operations are under control. Here we have no big changes, no announcements. You're free to float on."

  "Great! We monitor everything here, but feel safer with you there. Thank you, signing off and take care."

  "Cough! Cough! Bye …", the com link broke off.

  Morris, also called Mikey, got a little apprehensive about the conversation with the ground control. It was not usual that Houston's controllers were sick. They had backup for backup's backup and the sick never worked. It was simply too dangerous to assign such serious matters to someone who is not a hundred percent focused. Morris turned his chair away from several screens dominating the control room, sank back into his chair and crossed his arms. The situation back on Earth was definitely not great. News were all about the flu - several closed schools, productivity losses, but that was that. He had better contact Rachel Ray. She was an old friend of Morris from college. Their paths diverged, but they stayed in touch as good friends. Life took him to space, her to CDC. The last time they spoke, she was in her office in Washington working on the laws to improve our lives. But, he suspected she was not there anymore. Politics was too boring for her. She was more Atlanta type, or for virus hunting around the planet. Probably where the situation was the worst. He would try calling her on one of the messenger programs, wherever she might be.

  "Hey", he typed, "what is this flu that decimated Houston? I hope you're OK."

  "Lying in bed", she responded immediately, "but because it's now bedtime."

  "Sorry, let's talk later."

  "No, it's fine. Only a difficult day, that's all."

  "Where are you?"

  "Atlanta."

  "Bored with Washington?"

  "No, they pulled me back. For this flu."

  "Then the situation's not great when they pull their best?"

  "It isn't. And it's getting worse. Tomorrow we hold a conference. More than a hundred thousand dead."

  "What?! That's a lot! And the media's silent."

  "We kept it quiet. Only some leaks, but we wanted to prevent the panic. I mean, it's not that much considering three hundred million people. But, I worry because we have no solution. A new type of flu. Begins as normal, lasts for two weeks, then gets worse during the third week. We are in labs 24/7, trying to find the vaccine, but it's going to take a lot more time."

  "What are the prognoses?"

  "With new types like this one, it hangs on our speed. But, really, the number of the dead will be in millions. Maybe ten or fifty. We can't say."

  "Oh, shit."

  "Yeah. Exactly."

  "Does it mean a quarantine?"

  "Yes, but I still don't now how tight. The crew is finalizing the plan for it. We'll know more tomorrow."

  "OK, fine."

  "Hey, you guys are safe. I know your guest go through rigorous testing before the trip, everybody's healthy up there."

  "I'm not worried about us, Rachel."

  "If you worry for me, don't. I'll be fine."

  "OK, I'm off. So long. I'll keep in touch."

  "Right. Good night."

  "Night."

  11.

  Morris went into Ava's office without ringing the bell. She was not there. He ran down the corridor towards the conference room, where she would probably be. Again, he entered without knocking. She was not there. OK. He could call her. Rene 9 had its own mobile network, used only for staff communications.

  "Hey, Morris. I'm in the meeting …"

  "I have to see you right away", he interrupted her.

  "OK, my office in five minutes."

  She knew it was important, if Morris said it was important. Nothing had a greater priority than technical problems. Not even the most important guest in the hotel. In space, the customer is not always right.

  He was sitting in one of the armchairs when she came in.

  "Morris."

  "Ava. I'm sorry …"

  "No worries", now she interrupted him, "I know you'd not mess with my schedule if it wasn't important."

  "It is", he told her as she was sitting down.

  "I'm listening."

  "The flu outbreak on Earth is out of control."

  "But, the media said …"

  "The media was kept quiet by CDC. There are a hundred thousand dead."

  "Oh, that's not insignificant."

  "And there'll be more."

  "How would you know?"

  "I talked to an old friend, Rachel Ray from CDC. They predict several million dead people."

  "Jesus", Ava stood up astonished, "that's a lot of dead people."

  "Right. Tomorrow is the media conference. Public. But, there's more."

  She sat down again.

  "They are preparing a quarantine, I still don't know how tight."

  "This is a great problem for the hotel. Does the Company know?"

  "Not yet."

  "I suppose I'm not allowed to tell them?"

  "Not before Rachel and the gang make it public."

  "OK, fine."

  "But, the quarantine is not the on
ly problem. Many of the future guests are probably sick. Even if they manage to come to testing, they won't pass."

  "I understand. Does your friend know when this might end?"

  "No. They are working on the solution, but realistically it may be tomorrow or in a year."

  "Oh. That means probable panic tomorrow in the hotel. When it gets public."

  "Yes, it is to be expected. Perhaps we can prepare an announcement for the hotel guests."

  "Yes, we should. We have to contain the panic. I'll handle it. Also, call the meeting of the skeleton crew in the morning."

  12.

  "Dear guests, we'd like you to switch on your TV sets, tune into the hotel channel and listen to the service notification." The words reverberated through hotel rooms.

  "What now?", Joshua, called Josh, shouted from the bathroom.

  "I don't know, we'll soon find out", Eva was, as usual, calmer and more patient.

  "This must be about discounts in the shop", Eli commented somewhat cynically.

  "Stop it", said her Mom. "We'll listen to this and go to breakfast."

  "Dear hotel guests", Ava was speaking from her office. "Unfortunately, the flu epidemic on Earth got out of hand. As the media report, special precautions are required and a partial quarantine is in place. Travel of all kind will be restricted, but we still don't know how. We are certain that the situation will soon be under control so that there's no reason to panic. We invite you to spend a day in the zero-gravity chamber, today there's no admission! The evening menu shall include southern specialties. All additional questions please ask our staff. Thank you."

  Ava vanished from the screen, and a commercial for store discounts appeared.

  "There, I told you so", Eli said pointing to the TV screen.

  Josh and Eva exchanged glances.

  ◆◆◆

  There were fifteen people in the conference room. Hotel time was kept synchronized with Houston, where ground control was. So, it was morning. The conference room looked just like any other hotel conference room, also lacking windows like in many corporative buildings. Nevertheless, the room was cozy, just like the rest of the hotel. There was a huge TV screen, right above Ava's head at the head of the table.

  "You heard everything", she said to the people around the table. "The flu epidemic is raging, between ten and fifty million people are expected to die. The Company believe these estimates are pessimistic and that the situation will be resolved relatively soon. The fact that worries us most is that new guests will not be able to arrive due to limited quarantine. The good news is that not everything was shut down and domestic traffic still goes on. The majority of our guests are from the US, so we expect most of them will be able to come. For now, we operate as usual. Present guests leave in five days, new arrivals at the same time."

  "So, I'm preparing the flight?", Jessica asked.

  "Yes, for now, prepare everything for the departure and arrival", confirmed Ava.

  "OK", Jessica nodded playing with her pen.

  "What if an infected person arrives as a guest?", the biologist Rose Verdolac asked.

  "Good question, Rose", Ava expected it. "I am sure there is no threat to the health of the guests. All arrivals pass a thorough examination, for safety reasons, the Company is sending a doctor with the next flight."

  "Do we have a confirmation of the number of new arrivals? How many cancellations?", Cody was sitting next to Rose. "This would be handy to know to prepare the kitchen. And not waste food."

  "For now, there are no cancellations", Ava responded. "Stick to the plan."

  "Do we have to pay particular attention to hotel guests? Offer them some special activities?", asked Jeff, the head of extra hotel activities. Naturally, nothing was outside the hotel, this was only a name for everything other than sleeping and food.

  "That would be nice", said Ava. "The less they watch the news, the better for us. What we should in any case try to avoid is the smallest sign of panic. All staff should smile at all times and work efficiently as usual. I'm sure this will not last for too long and this limited quarantine will be lifted in a few days. Thank you all. If you need anything, come see me."

  Everybody stood up and queued towards the door. Ava saw them all out and closed the door after the last one, Rose.

  "FUCK!", she said quietly. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck."

  Ava was breathing heavily while walking around the large conference table. She knew this old feeling very well. Always before a panic attack. Her heart would beat a little faster, her breathing sped up. I'm going to die, she thought while she was pulling herself together, but it was almost impossible during the panic attack. Still, with years, she managed some self-control. She would recognize the symptoms and tell herself: "It's just a panic attack. No reason to fear, the worst that can happen is death. Death is just a passing …"

  She sat back into her chair and calmed her breathing. "I'm OK. I'm OK." The first attack happened in college. She remembered it well because she ended up in ER, thinking it was over for her. But, it was not. Those days, panic would strike her sometimes before extremely stressful situations, but she kept it at bay. Unfortunately, some events she could not. The fucking flu outbreak. She sighed and turned towards her office.

  13.

  The day was quiet. All the guest were aware of the outbreak on Earth, but it seemed nobody was really worried. There were people in the TV room, but no more than usual, and the program was mainly just white noise, less entertainment. People socialized and talked. The zero-gravity chamber was full, as were the telescopes. Kids were running around the corridors in between their multiplayer sessions in the gaming rooms.

  Eli's parents, Josh and Eva, stood in one section of the outer ring, beside a large window to Earth.

  "I know you worry", said Eva, "for you this is a zombie apocalypse."

  "Hey, not exactly a zombie apocalypse, but it's dangerous. Fifty million dead is not a small number."

  "Not so much considering the total of seven billion people", she said.

  "When we land, we'll rent a car. There's no need to contact other people. Better to not risk anything till this dies down."

  "But, that's over a thousand eight hundred miles by car. Anyway, we'd have to stop at gas stations, motels …"

  "All the same, fewer people than flying by plane. If we rent a Toyota Prius, we'd have to fill her up six times. If we choose a remote gas station, with less people, we'll solve most of it with canisters. I was thinking to go to my old man in Gig Harbor. Less people circulate there. And, Eli will like the idea of a road trip."

  "Let's wait and see how it all goes. When you plan for the apocalypse like that, everything gets resolved before it begins", she smiled.

  "I know, but you know me. I like to be ready", he laughed at his own obsession with planning.

  Not far from Josh and Eva, also in the ring, another pair of parents was sitting at a bench. Oliver's parents - Ben and Lika. It was more an easy chair, intended for people to lie down and watch Earth through the opening. It was the most romantic place in the hotel, but their conversation was far from that.

  "When we land, we go straight to the newsroom!", Ben was excited. "This outbreak will bring so many stories and so much work, we'll need help."

  "I agree, unless it will last for more than two or three weeks", Lika tried to be more realistic.

  "Hmm, according to the story so far, I'd say you're right. History shows us that such panic rarely ends well."

  "Well, yes …"

  "But, we've never had a quarantine before. This is new. I'm not saying it will remain so, but should it …"

  "Then we'll be separated for days, with work."

  "Hey, maybe they'll send us somewhere together. This outbreak is your shot for the Pulitzer, you were always good at documentary photography."

  "That's true", she came closer and kissed his nose. "But, let's enjoy these five days of vacation. I'm sure work will wait until we land on Earth."

  "OK, let's", he kisse
d her back, took her hand and pulled her out of the chair. "I suggest the zero-gravity chamber and … Nostromo!"

  "Brrr", Lika shook. "Aliens! I like it!"

  14.

  Jessica liked the TV room. She and some other guest spent time there almost every day. After the guests had been briefed on the outbreak, she expected more interested people. But, no. Either they watched the news in their rooms, mobile equipment or were not interested at all. It was hard to tell. Watching people in the corridors and the hotel, she concluded they looked carefree. Jessica hoped the flu outbreak would soon be put under control. She had was in one mission in Africa while still in the air force. The Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone was spreading very fast and they were supposed to evacuate the team from somewhere near the border with Guinea, one of the greatest Ebola center. From the air it definitely all looked neither nice, nor safe. Jessica preferred the enemy she could see. Then they landed the helicopters near the edge of the forest. The surroundings seemed deserted until a boy appeared on a meadow. He was disoriented, stumbling, looking over his shoulder. When he saw them, he stopped crying. As if he had been ashamed. He wiped his nose with the back of his hand. The team they were waiting for, exited the forest and boarded the helicopters. When she flew over the village, she saw at least a dozen dead bodies lying around. Far from the towns, they stood no chance. Everything seemed like a scene from a movie, the beautiful nature on one side, death in the dust on the other. It took Jessica some time to stop dreaming about that little boy. She was strong, but even the strongest would cry.

  "CDC estimates that this newly discovered flu variant might kill up to fifty million people", the reporter Amanda Bars stood in front of the CDC center in Atlanta.