The Zombie Bug Read online

ie Bug

  Orbit the Sun – Part 5

  By John Stevenson

  Copyright 2014 John Stevenson

  “A Virus?” Andrew was stunned.

  Emma nodded. “Yes, but something vastly more insidious.”

  “What antiviral medication have we got?”

  “We have some, but maybe nothing that can treat it?”

  “You’ve checked the manuals?’

  “I have to know what it is before I can tell what treatments will work.”

  Andrew shook his head in frustration. “You don’t know what is it?”

  “I don’t have the faintest idea, I’m not a virologist, but it was like nothing I have ever seen?”

  “So your saying it’s completely new?”

  “No… I don’t know, but I think it is?”

  “So what are we doing?”

  “We need to examine more samples; then contact Earth and get them to advise us?”

  “And in the meantime?’

  “We need to check everybody and see if we can find anyone who is infected.”

  “If you don’t know what it is how will you know they are?”

  “We have to look for anything odd?”

  “And if you find something?”

  “There’s probably nothing we can do other than quarantine them, or the area and wait?”

  “You’re expecting others to be infected?”

  “I don’t know, but I suspect yes.”

  “Okay, then we need to check everybody as soon as we can.”

  “If you authorize that I’ll get a team together and start straight away.”

  “Team?”

  “Well me and somebody who can use a microscope, maybe Ralph; it’s not his field but he can do the testing?”

  “We don’t want any mistakes? We can’t afford any spread of infection whatever its name?”

  Emma spoke without thinking of what she was saying. “I’m calling it the suicide virus.”

  “Suicide virus?”

  “Yes…”

  Andrew was astounded. “You’ve given it a name?”

  It had seemed a good name before she said it, but Emma suddenly felt self-conscious. “Only until we find out what it is?”

  He shook his head. “The area has been sealed off?”

  “I don’t expect anybody is likely to wander in there, but Mathews put a security guard outside.”

  Andrew was silent for a moment. “Is it likely to be a danger to us… I mean can whatever it is get out and spread?”

  “I honestly don’t know, it depends how it spreads, if it’s by contact then probably no, if it can become airborne and is released…”

  “Like if someone opens the door… Like you did.”

  Before she had felt justified, but now she didn’t.

  Andrew stared directly at her. “Why did you open the door?” he said accusingly.

  “I thought it would explain…” but there was no excuse.

  “I shouldn’t have to remind you that I didn’t give my permission?”

  “No.”

  “Did Mathew know how I felt?”

  Emma felt compromised. She didn’t want to inform on Matt, but being deceitful had already caused enough trouble. “I’m not sure…”

  “What is he doing about it; I assume he is already doing something?”

  “He’s got the area sealed off and is organizing decontamination.”

  “But he has no idea what he’s decontaminating?”

  “No.”

  “Then it’s a priority that we discover what we are dealing with. We have no option but for someone to go back in and take whatever samples are needed.”

  She didn’t need to take his look as an indication of who that someone had to be; she knew it had to be her. “I’ll go.”

  “No, not you.”

  Emma’s was surprised; she had thought he expected her to. “I caused the problem, I’ll be the one to go back.”

  “Yes you did, and if I had an option I would send you back in, but you are also the most qualified medical practitioner we have left. If… we need you alive and well.”

  “But it was…”

  “No, this time you will obey, you will stay completely out of the area. Do I make myself clear?”

  “Yes.” She said meekly.

  “And don’t even think for a moment that you can disobey orders again. We need you alive… If a sample has to be taken we have scientist’s aboard, they can sample, and they can do whatever they can to determine if we have a problem or not.”

  Emma nodded submissively.

  “Do we have bio-hazard suits?”

  “Not level four.”

  “Whoever goes will need protection.”

  “We’ll do the best we can?”

  “Before you do anything tell Mathew to arrange for one of the spare rooms in the adjacent pod to be to be the lab, I don’t want to give it chance to spread under any circumstances; we can’t afford for anything to be brought into the living area that we can’t identify; and treat… And when he’s done that tell him I want to see him.”

  There was only two of the science team left and both were well aware of what was being asked of them; neither volunteered. In the end they drew straws, and a man named Vincent drew the short one.

  As soon as he had made sure he’d done all he could Mathew went back to the medical bay. He was relieved to see Jennifer was still there, but she didn’t look any better.

  She looked at him blankly as he approached the bed.

  “I’m sorry,” he said.

  Her look didn’t change.

  “The commander should not have spoken to your husband.”

  “It was my mistake. I have found it best not to trust men; I should have remembered that.”

  “No you shouldn’t; you did the right thing by bringing your concerns to the commander.”

  “Your commander behaved as people do, he did what was best for him.”

  She was probably right. “He is overwhelmed with our predicament; I say that knowing it doesn’t excuse him for letting this happen, and I can’t speak for him if he treated your personal problem with less importance, all I can do is apologize. I know that’s not enough, but it’s all I can offer.”

  At last there was a glimmer of a smile. “Thank you.”

  “Is there anything I can do?”

  “No, there is nothing.”

  “Nothing? …” Matt knew this was where his duty as an officer ended. They stared at each other for several seconds as he plucked up courage. “Jennifer I don’t know what your experiences have been, but not all men think of themselves first.”

  She didn’t reply.

  “We all have bad experiences, we all get let down; men and women both: there was a woman… we’ll it’s a story you don’t want to hear, but I got hurt; it took a long time, but I still like women...” Mathews voice trailed away as a wave of embarrassment coloured his face: she wasn’t smiling in fact her expression had hardened. “I’m sorry… You don’t want to know about my….” He turned to leave, but her words rooted him to the spot.

  “My papa sold me when I was nineteen: so that he could drink vodka: I never saw him again, and I hope he had enough vodka to drink himself to death, because I wish him dead.”

  Matt slowly turned back, his mouth was frozen, his mind numb. He couldn’t imagine words to reply. He didn’t have to as once she had revealed what she had she told him more.

  “I wanted to die too; but I was beautiful. I had a face that could be on a magazine cover, and the body of a movie star: men have told me; and not just the men who wanted to use me; men like Pyotr; who have no concern for my feelings, they have told me it made me more desirable; if I had not been beautiful things could have been worse.�
�

  Mathew swallowed. “You are beautiful.” It sounded so inadequate after what she had told him.

  “Inside… I don’t to feel beautiful,”

  Matt wanted to grasp her and hold her tight and tell her things were good, but all he could do was reach for her hand; she let him take it gently in his. “I’m sorry…”

  “Maybe you are a good man, but you apologize for people and things that you can do nothing about.”

  “I can make sure this never happens to you again.”

  “Mathew I believe you mean what you say, but you do not understand what you are saying.”

  “Maybe I don’t but that doesn’t mean you just accept; whatever happens you can make things better: maybe it’s hard but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try, and I will help you.”

  “Pyotr has many women, all are beautiful. There are many men like him, and they all like beautiful women: they are trophies. If Pyotr has the most beautiful woman in the room it gives him prestige. He will not give up something that makes other men envy him.”

  “Maybe he thinks he’s someone important on the planet, but up here he’s not, he’s just a guest, and he has to obey our rules.”

  It was a sad smile but she was smiling, “Mathew you just do not understand people like him. He is not my husband: yes we were married but our marriage is worthless, Pyotr married me so he could travel into and out of the Russian Federation at will: he has told me that, that is my only use to him. He owns me, and I