I used to be big into writing, but this is my first story in awhile but regardless of that still be as harsh as you want excluding of course phrases such as "You suck, this is fucking ridiculous shit" etc please lets make all comments constructive.
Prologue
He stood at the edge of a cliff. His toes hanging slightly over the edge. His shoulders were tensed and sweat beaded on his forehead even though it was a cool windy day. The landscape around him was disgusting. Anyone who was not used to it might vomit at the sight of it, Trees that were crooked with green puss leaking from their bark, and red vines that resembled veins crisscrossed the ground.
He looked as if he bore the weight of the world on his shoulders and he did. He carried the weight of billions of lives on his back and the shame caused him to feel constantly tensed. He was at the breaking point... and that was why he stood at the edge of a cliff. Everything so far seemed to have accumulated to this.
“This isn't the end you know...” Someone spoke behind him. He turned around to face the speaker. She was a young girl eighteen at the most, blond hair that reached to her shoulders with red highlights that streaked through her hair and that were slowly growing out he could see.
“Your right... its the beginning...” He whispered the words but still she heard him.
“I didn't mean it-” He interrupted her in mid-sentence and spoke, “It doesn't matter how you meant it.”
“What where you doing when it all happened?” She changed the subject.
“You mean Infection day?” He asked.
“Yes, what were you doing.”
5 weeks earlier
He stood his eyes wide with shock and panic, sweet was perspiring on his forehead. Glass lay shattered at his feet. His hands shook wildly. He turned to the door out of the room he was in. The door had been electrically locked. A flashing orange light above it told him that before he even checked the door. A siren began going off it made him even more nervous.
“Dr. Orion. We have a reported breach in your laboratory. Can you confirm this?” A voice spoke through a big block box on the wall next to the door, a comm unit.
Orion clicked the button under the speaker so he could comment back , “The report is correct...” He said the words softly his voice slightly shaky. He was still in shock.
“Your sector has been sealed, I'm sorry-” The voice began to speak but Orion interrupted his voice shaking with anger and loathing at himself, “It doesn't matter if you've sealed it off it was to slow, the disease is already out, it made a jump before its containment shell broke... Its airborne.”
“Doctor are you sure...?” The voice from the speaker spoke slowly almost hesitantly not willing to believe what it was hearing.
“Yes... I'm sure General.” Dr. Orion was ashamed of what he had accidentally done, but he still spoke confidently the lives of the world now hung in the balance the base needed to be sealed.
“Alright Doctor... SEAL THE-”
“We have a security breach! Two soldiers making their way to the exit!”
“Are they infected!?” The General roared angrily, he was too distracted to cut the audio feed to Dr. Orion's lab.
“Checking scanners now... Runners are infected! I repeat they are infected!”
“Seal the base!”
“Sir! The command isn't going through something is wrong!... Oh God... Sir they're outside the perimeter!”
“God help us...what have we done...” The General whispered and stopped speaking and the speaker clicked off, Dr. Orion didn't hear anything else after that.
Present
She just looked at him the shock and horror obvious on her face. He hadn't expected a different reaction, he actually thought she was handling the knowledge pretty well.
"So now tell me what were you doing?"
4 Weeks Earlier
“Mary come quick look!” She was cleaning a dish when her mother called for her.
“What is it mom-” Her voice died in her throat when she turned on the kitchen TV. She dropped the dish she was cleaning and it shattered on the floor. Her mother didn't shout she didn't even seem to notice she was to enthralled by the news.
A news woman was on the Television United States soldiers stood on either side of her dressed in army fatigues and wearing gas masks and carrying guns at the ready in their hands. A city was in the background of the news reporter and smoke was rising from buildings.
“Something horrible has happened. The Government has issued a quarantine of Albany, New York. Their has been an outbreak of an unknown pathogen in the city, reports are coming in from all around, hundreds dead already and the death toll is rising. The army is trying desperately to keep the infection in th-” Gunfire interrupted the news broadcaster and ten hideously deformed people came running headlong towards them, the soldiers whirled around and began firing frantically. The news woman had tears running down her eyes as the infected got closer. Mary didn't see the outcome the camera man cut the feed before any more footage could be fed to the public.
“Mom did you just see that?” She called to her mother in the other room the panic in her voice was obvious.
“I'm afraid I did hun...” Her moms voice spoke softly she was frightened as well.
“Mum... I'm scared...” Mary spoke softly her teeth chattering in fear. She couldn't believe what was happening it was mind boggling. Things like this only happened in the movies, in books, and well they just didn't happen at least in her life they didn't well not until now they hadn't.
“Mom you don't think it will spread out of New York do you?” Her teeth were still chattering. Her mother came out of the living room and entered the kitchen. Everyone said they looked alike, her mother was just a more wrinkly version of her.
“I won't lie to you hun, but if New York is infected it won't take long until it reaches us here in New Jersey.” Her mom looked down at her feet, she couldn't meet her own daughters eyes she was to depressed to ashamed with herself, she wanted to be able to tell her daughter good news, but she couldn't she just couldn't.
Mary flung her arms around her mother and buried her head in her shoulder and sobbed...
Present
They stared at each other. She had tears streaming down her cheeks, he stood straight and unflinching. He had come to terms with what he had done already... tears wouldn't fix it, nothing would, it would take blood and maybe just maybe when enough people had died it would be over just maybe.
He stood at the edge of a cliff. His toes hanging slightly over the edge. His shoulders were tensed and sweat beaded on his forehead even though it was a cool windy day. The landscape around him was disgusting. Anyone who was not used to it might vomit at the sight of it, Trees that were crooked with green puss leaking from their bark, and red vines that resembled veins crisscrossed the ground.
He looked as if he bore the weight of the world on his shoulders and he did. He carried the weight of billions of lives on his back and the shame caused him to feel constantly tensed. He was at the breaking point... and that was why he stood at the edge of a cliff. Everything so far seemed to have accumulated to this.
“This isn't the end you know...” Someone spoke behind him. He turned around to face the speaker. She was a young girl eighteen at the most, blond hair that reached to her shoulders with red highlights that streaked through her hair and that were slowly growing out he could see.
“Your right... its the beginning...” He whispered the words but still she heard him.
“I didn't mean it-” He interrupted her in mid-sentence and spoke, “It doesn't matter how you meant it.”
“What where you doing when it all happened?” She changed the subject.
“You mean Infection day?” He asked.
“Yes, what were you doing.”
5 weeks earlier
He stood his eyes wide with shock and panic, sweet was perspiring on his forehead. Glass lay shattered at his feet. His hands shook wildly. He turned to the door out of the room he was in. The door had been electrically locked. A flashing orange light above it told him that before he even checked the door. A siren began going off it made him even more nervous.
“Dr. Orion. We have a reported breach in your laboratory. Can you confirm this?” A voice spoke through a big block box on the wall next to the door, a comm unit.
Orion clicked the button under the speaker so he could comment back , “The report is correct...” He said the words softly his voice slightly shaky. He was still in shock.
“Your sector has been sealed, I'm sorry-” The voice began to speak but Orion interrupted his voice shaking with anger and loathing at himself, “It doesn't matter if you've sealed it off it was to slow, the disease is already out, it made a jump before its containment shell broke... Its airborne.”
“Doctor are you sure...?” The voice from the speaker spoke slowly almost hesitantly not willing to believe what it was hearing.
“Yes... I'm sure General.” Dr. Orion was ashamed of what he had accidentally done, but he still spoke confidently the lives of the world now hung in the balance the base needed to be sealed.
“Alright Doctor... SEAL THE-”
“We have a security breach! Two soldiers making their way to the exit!”
“Are they infected!?” The General roared angrily, he was too distracted to cut the audio feed to Dr. Orion's lab.
“Checking scanners now... Runners are infected! I repeat they are infected!”
“Seal the base!”
“Sir! The command isn't going through something is wrong!... Oh God... Sir they're outside the perimeter!”
“God help us...what have we done...” The General whispered and stopped speaking and the speaker clicked off, Dr. Orion didn't hear anything else after that.
Present
She just looked at him the shock and horror obvious on her face. He hadn't expected a different reaction, he actually thought she was handling the knowledge pretty well.
"So now tell me what were you doing?"
4 Weeks Earlier
“Mary come quick look!” She was cleaning a dish when her mother called for her.
“What is it mom-” Her voice died in her throat when she turned on the kitchen TV. She dropped the dish she was cleaning and it shattered on the floor. Her mother didn't shout she didn't even seem to notice she was to enthralled by the news.
A news woman was on the Television United States soldiers stood on either side of her dressed in army fatigues and wearing gas masks and carrying guns at the ready in their hands. A city was in the background of the news reporter and smoke was rising from buildings.
“Something horrible has happened. The Government has issued a quarantine of Albany, New York. Their has been an outbreak of an unknown pathogen in the city, reports are coming in from all around, hundreds dead already and the death toll is rising. The army is trying desperately to keep the infection in th-” Gunfire interrupted the news broadcaster and ten hideously deformed people came running headlong towards them, the soldiers whirled around and began firing frantically. The news woman had tears running down her eyes as the infected got closer. Mary didn't see the outcome the camera man cut the feed before any more footage could be fed to the public.
“Mom did you just see that?” She called to her mother in the other room the panic in her voice was obvious.
“I'm afraid I did hun...” Her moms voice spoke softly she was frightened as well.
“Mum... I'm scared...” Mary spoke softly her teeth chattering in fear. She couldn't believe what was happening it was mind boggling. Things like this only happened in the movies, in books, and well they just didn't happen at least in her life they didn't well not until now they hadn't.
“Mom you don't think it will spread out of New York do you?” Her teeth were still chattering. Her mother came out of the living room and entered the kitchen. Everyone said they looked alike, her mother was just a more wrinkly version of her.
“I won't lie to you hun, but if New York is infected it won't take long until it reaches us here in New Jersey.” Her mom looked down at her feet, she couldn't meet her own daughters eyes she was to depressed to ashamed with herself, she wanted to be able to tell her daughter good news, but she couldn't she just couldn't.
Mary flung her arms around her mother and buried her head in her shoulder and sobbed...
Present
They stared at each other. She had tears streaming down her cheeks, he stood straight and unflinching. He had come to terms with what he had done already... tears wouldn't fix it, nothing would, it would take blood and maybe just maybe when enough people had died it would be over just maybe.
Chapter 1
The girl lay convulsing on the ground it had only been about ten minutes after their conversation... she had been infected. This is how it would always be when people talked to him
“...How-is this possible, I stayed away from all the infected...” She had even more tears streaming down her cheeks she was afraid she looked at him with eyes that were begging him for comfort... he gave her none.
“You shouldn't have talked to me...” She was confused by his words she had a look of pain mixed with utter moronic confusion.
“What do you mean?” She tried to fight through the pain of the disease to get out the question but the stuttering of her voice couldn't be hidden it was one of the viruses symptoms and an odd one at that.
“I'm a carrier.” He drew a pistol from his belt and shoved a clip in with a click he turned it at her his hand shaking ever so slightly.
“Please don't do this...” She was begging... she knew his intentions. She may have been young but he could never accuse of her being stupid.
“I don't have a choice.” He spoke matter of fact he didn't want to do it but he didn't have much of a choice, if he didn't she would change she would become some being possessed by the virus he couldn't let that happen. He aimed the gun at her once more and steadied his shaking hand.
“Your a monster!” She spit the words at him as if they would stop her fate. Insulting him would have no affect on the outcome.
“I know...” He whispered the words and pulled the trigger, the gun fired and a bullet buried itself between the girls eyes, she was dead. A small tear slid down his cheek. He should have let her change... Then she would have killed him, then perhaps all those who had died because of him would have consolation in their graves, but no he had denied them of that once again.
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He strode the abandoned streets of Albany he couldn't quite bring himself to leave the place yet. Buildings were crumbling on either side of him, he knew some of the Changed were watching him from the windows. They didn't bother him, they knew he wasn't much different then them he held the virus within him just as they did. He remembered when he first came across the Changed.
4 weeks earlier
“General... what has happened to you?” Orion spoke softly shakily. The thing in front of him barely resembled the general. Green veins were pushed against his skin to the point of bursting out and they seem to eerily pulse against his pale flesh. His eyes were two different colors green and gold his pupils seeming to be nonexistent. The Generals hair was falling out in places and half an eyebrow was now missing.
“Something wonderful...” The General's head had been slightly tilted down until he spoke, now he made full eye contact with Dr. Orion.
“But how is this possible... only one of the test animals ever exhibited similar symptoms, and we destroyed that strand for unwanted side effects...” Orion was confused this shouldn't be happening it didn't make sense.
“We changed, we modified are selves to suite the needs of are survival.” The General spoke with a slightly electric voice it didn't seem human.
“Who is we?” Orion was slightly more curious then he was frightened only slightly. he was pretty sure he his bowels would release their contents at any moment.
“The Virus! You need to stop-” The Generals normal voice pierced force but he began to gasp for air as if someone had just begun to strangle him.
“Thats not possible...” The Doctor whispered to himself but still the General heard him.
“Why is it that you humans only believe yourself capable of this level of sentience. We have accomplished this to and soon you humans will embrace us as your saviors and you will all experience the change!” The Doctor raised his bullet at the abomination in front it looked at him with eyes filled with humor. He pulled the trigger the bullet found its mark in the Generals forehead, it didn't kill him.
“Did you honestly think a bullet would kill us? We are a million different minds working together to control this body no meaningless bullet shot will kill us.” Orion watched in horror as the bullet wound healed.
Orion was completely and utterly terrified... he didn't know what to do. Then an idea hit him and he dug his hands into his pockets and pulled out a syringe it was filled with an experimental lethal drug that was designed to spread through the blood stream killing any cells it came in contact with instantly and shutting down all vital organs. He had grabbed it from his lab to kill himself with...Orion found it slightly humorous even in this situation that a plan to kill himself would no save him.
Orion rammed the needle into the Generals chest and the poison began to spread.
“Didn't you learn your les-” The Generals taunting words died in his throat as the poison slowly killed him and the possessing virus...
Present
He loaded his pistol with poison bullets (L.I.Bs as the military would later call them when they discovered how to make them), his invention the only thing he had found to stop the Changed. He heard the sound of running boots, the sound was coming from down an alley way. He turned towards it four soldiers came running out carrying machine guns and firing sporadically and fearfully at something behind them.
Soon their pursuers came into view of Orion, it was two of the changed, drool dripping down their chins in excitement at the possible feast in front of them. They showed no pain from the bullets piercing their flesh. The soldiers were running straight at him he took aim, they soldiers faces lit up with smiles they thought this man would save them. Orion steadied the gun he fired four shots taking aim each time. The soldiers glee was short lived
The soldiers dropped dead their faces were a mask of confusion they had been only five feet from him when he had fired the gun. “You were already dead when you saw me.” He whispered the words shakily he couldn't quite adjust to killing, it still horrified him to much.
The Changed stopped in their tracks and looked at him, the hunger gone from their eyes. Cold amusement had replaced it. “You can't stop us Orion.” They spoke in electric voice just like the General had it seemed to be a common trait of the infected.
“It doesn't matter.” Orion went to turn away from them.
“One day your body will serve us.” The Changed hissed the words at him.
“That day can wait.” Orion growled the words and turned and fired the gun at them. Their expression remained one of cold amusement as they died. Death didn't mean anything to the changed, they had thousands of bodies doing there bidding. They were like a tree... they could afford to lose a couple leaves.
His body started shaking revolting against what he had just done... He was a doctor he wasn't suppose to kill others even if they were infected like these poor souls in front of him. He forced himself to focus and turned once again away and continued walking down the deserted streets. Government fliers covered buildings, notices to stay inside, avoid anyone with certain symptoms, stock up on supplies. None of the warnings had mattered the disease had gotten to them regardless. Through carriers like himself who carried the only airborne strain of the virus or through the Changed.
The girl lay convulsing on the ground it had only been about ten minutes after their conversation... she had been infected. This is how it would always be when people talked to him
“...How-is this possible, I stayed away from all the infected...” She had even more tears streaming down her cheeks she was afraid she looked at him with eyes that were begging him for comfort... he gave her none.
“You shouldn't have talked to me...” She was confused by his words she had a look of pain mixed with utter moronic confusion.
“What do you mean?” She tried to fight through the pain of the disease to get out the question but the stuttering of her voice couldn't be hidden it was one of the viruses symptoms and an odd one at that.
“I'm a carrier.” He drew a pistol from his belt and shoved a clip in with a click he turned it at her his hand shaking ever so slightly.
“Please don't do this...” She was begging... she knew his intentions. She may have been young but he could never accuse of her being stupid.
“I don't have a choice.” He spoke matter of fact he didn't want to do it but he didn't have much of a choice, if he didn't she would change she would become some being possessed by the virus he couldn't let that happen. He aimed the gun at her once more and steadied his shaking hand.
“Your a monster!” She spit the words at him as if they would stop her fate. Insulting him would have no affect on the outcome.
“I know...” He whispered the words and pulled the trigger, the gun fired and a bullet buried itself between the girls eyes, she was dead. A small tear slid down his cheek. He should have let her change... Then she would have killed him, then perhaps all those who had died because of him would have consolation in their graves, but no he had denied them of that once again.
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He strode the abandoned streets of Albany he couldn't quite bring himself to leave the place yet. Buildings were crumbling on either side of him, he knew some of the Changed were watching him from the windows. They didn't bother him, they knew he wasn't much different then them he held the virus within him just as they did. He remembered when he first came across the Changed.
4 weeks earlier
“General... what has happened to you?” Orion spoke softly shakily. The thing in front of him barely resembled the general. Green veins were pushed against his skin to the point of bursting out and they seem to eerily pulse against his pale flesh. His eyes were two different colors green and gold his pupils seeming to be nonexistent. The Generals hair was falling out in places and half an eyebrow was now missing.
“Something wonderful...” The General's head had been slightly tilted down until he spoke, now he made full eye contact with Dr. Orion.
“But how is this possible... only one of the test animals ever exhibited similar symptoms, and we destroyed that strand for unwanted side effects...” Orion was confused this shouldn't be happening it didn't make sense.
“We changed, we modified are selves to suite the needs of are survival.” The General spoke with a slightly electric voice it didn't seem human.
“Who is we?” Orion was slightly more curious then he was frightened only slightly. he was pretty sure he his bowels would release their contents at any moment.
“The Virus! You need to stop-” The Generals normal voice pierced force but he began to gasp for air as if someone had just begun to strangle him.
“Thats not possible...” The Doctor whispered to himself but still the General heard him.
“Why is it that you humans only believe yourself capable of this level of sentience. We have accomplished this to and soon you humans will embrace us as your saviors and you will all experience the change!” The Doctor raised his bullet at the abomination in front it looked at him with eyes filled with humor. He pulled the trigger the bullet found its mark in the Generals forehead, it didn't kill him.
“Did you honestly think a bullet would kill us? We are a million different minds working together to control this body no meaningless bullet shot will kill us.” Orion watched in horror as the bullet wound healed.
Orion was completely and utterly terrified... he didn't know what to do. Then an idea hit him and he dug his hands into his pockets and pulled out a syringe it was filled with an experimental lethal drug that was designed to spread through the blood stream killing any cells it came in contact with instantly and shutting down all vital organs. He had grabbed it from his lab to kill himself with...Orion found it slightly humorous even in this situation that a plan to kill himself would no save him.
Orion rammed the needle into the Generals chest and the poison began to spread.
“Didn't you learn your les-” The Generals taunting words died in his throat as the poison slowly killed him and the possessing virus...
Present
He loaded his pistol with poison bullets (L.I.Bs as the military would later call them when they discovered how to make them), his invention the only thing he had found to stop the Changed. He heard the sound of running boots, the sound was coming from down an alley way. He turned towards it four soldiers came running out carrying machine guns and firing sporadically and fearfully at something behind them.
Soon their pursuers came into view of Orion, it was two of the changed, drool dripping down their chins in excitement at the possible feast in front of them. They showed no pain from the bullets piercing their flesh. The soldiers were running straight at him he took aim, they soldiers faces lit up with smiles they thought this man would save them. Orion steadied the gun he fired four shots taking aim each time. The soldiers glee was short lived
The soldiers dropped dead their faces were a mask of confusion they had been only five feet from him when he had fired the gun. “You were already dead when you saw me.” He whispered the words shakily he couldn't quite adjust to killing, it still horrified him to much.
The Changed stopped in their tracks and looked at him, the hunger gone from their eyes. Cold amusement had replaced it. “You can't stop us Orion.” They spoke in electric voice just like the General had it seemed to be a common trait of the infected.
“It doesn't matter.” Orion went to turn away from them.
“One day your body will serve us.” The Changed hissed the words at him.
“That day can wait.” Orion growled the words and turned and fired the gun at them. Their expression remained one of cold amusement as they died. Death didn't mean anything to the changed, they had thousands of bodies doing there bidding. They were like a tree... they could afford to lose a couple leaves.
His body started shaking revolting against what he had just done... He was a doctor he wasn't suppose to kill others even if they were infected like these poor souls in front of him. He forced himself to focus and turned once again away and continued walking down the deserted streets. Government fliers covered buildings, notices to stay inside, avoid anyone with certain symptoms, stock up on supplies. None of the warnings had mattered the disease had gotten to them regardless. Through carriers like himself who carried the only airborne strain of the virus or through the Changed.
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