Authors: Michael Bray
"I'm sorry about that," He whispered, his voice barely picked up by the two-way intercom. "Another side effect of your treatment I'm afraid.
"The aggression?"
"It seems along with enhancing my physical attributes, it also increased my testosterone output to dangerous levels. Anger. Aggression. Violence. These things which were once so alien to me are now part of my nature. Your product is brilliant, Doctor Genaro, but it is also flawed. All part of the balance of nature, I suppose."
"Then let me help you, let me go back and fix it."
"You can't fix it, we both know that. It’s a part of me now and that can't be changed."
"The alternative is death. You must understand that?” Genaro said, desperation creeping into his voice. “Please, Joshua, my superiors’ want an example made of you. If I can prove to them your actions were the fault of the product, we can delay any decision indefinitely. I can save your life and stop them from sentencing you to death."
Joshua smiled, and Genaro wondered why he looked so unconcerned. "I appreciate the sentiment, Dr. Genaro, but I'm afraid I won't be staying long enough for those government pigs to get their hands on me."
"I don't see how you have a choice."
"There's always a choice, doctor. Always." He replied the sinister edge to his voice impossible to ignore. "After all, isn’t that how this all began? With a choice? You see life is all about perspective. Finding a hundred dollar bill on the street to a poor man might change his life, and yet a rich man would give the same amount as a tip in a fancy restaurant without a second thought. Do you remember when I first came here? How afraid I was to have the injection and you put a hand on my shoulder and told me I could change the world?"
Genaro nodded, trying to decide if he was more fascinated or afraid.
"I didn't know what you meant, at first, but as my strength increased and my weaknesses faded away, I started to see the world in a new perspective. I saw it for the first time with open eyes. I saw how fragile man is, and how much better it could be. I see a different future for this planet, Doctor Genaro. One free of the current mindless creatures which pollute it on a daily basis."
"That sounds like something Hitler would have said,” Genaro whispered. “Come on Joshua, no one man can change the world, as much as we would like to. Sure enough, we may not like the way mankind behaves, but that’s part of life. We just have to deal with it. No man has the power to change that."
"An ordinary man, no. But we both know I'm no ordinary man."
A tightness in Genaro's gut brought a fresh surge of fear at the calm and casual manner in which Joshua was speaking.
“What do you mean?” Genaro asked.
“I’m talking about wiping the slate clean, Doctor Genaro. Starting again. The world is a mess. Wars. Disease. Famine. Global warming. People killing each other to fight over scraps whilst the rich buy real estate and overpriced art just because they have more money than they could ever spend. The world is unbalanced. It’s broken.”
“You can’t fix it, Joshua. It’s impossible.”
“Nothing is impossible. You told me that once.”
“Let’s say you could if you had the infrastructure and the ability to make people listen. How would you do it?”
Joshua smiled, the expression without any emotion whatsoever which made Genaro cold. “Like I said, I’d wipe the slate clean.”
“How. Exactly how?”
Joshua leaned closer to the Lexan, smiling at Genaro. “I wish I could tell you, but it seems we are out of time.”
"I don’t understand. Out of time for what?"
Joshua smiled and lay down on his bunk. "As I said, I won't be staying and letting those pigs get their hands on me. My brothers will be here for me soon. I know they will."
"Nobody knows you are here. Face it Joshua, they won't find you. You will either let me help you, or you will be sent to trial and executed. It's your choice." Genaro barked, the fear in him manifesting as anger.
"I wish you could see things as I do. Do you think I'd be here now if I didn't allow myself to be taken?" Joshua almost looked sad that Genaro didn’t see the bigger picture.
"The extraction team would have taken you anyway. There was no way out of those tunnels."
"No, they wouldn't. My brothers were willing to die for me. We could have fought them off with ease if we had so chosen."
"So you let them capture you?"
“Of course,” Joshua said with a thin smile
“Why would you do that?”
"Because I had to come back."
"Why?"
"For you."
Genaro froze, staring open-mouthed at Joshua, who stood and approached the Perspex, stopping inches from it.
"Why me?" Genaro whispered.
"Because it's your project. I want you to see what the world could be. I want you to join my cause. I want you to be everything you can be," he held his fist up to the glass as he said it, wiping away the blood to show the wounds on his knuckles had already almost completely healed.
"Listen to yourself Joshua, I know you believe what you're saying, but its madness. The virus has done something to you, given you some kind of unknown side effects, maybe some kind of narcissism complex. We can fix it, you and me together just like at the beginning.”
"I understand how difficult it must be to believe me. Which is why I'm willing to ask you again when you know for sure I speak the truth."
"I don't understand."
"You will."
"How?"
A dull thud followed by the sound of screams and broken glass drifted to them from upstairs.
"Because they're here," Joshua whispered as Genaro stood and backed towards the wall.
II
Draven had read and re-read the file and was utterly convinced he was right. He glanced at his watch, then to Goodall who sat on the opposite side of the aisle from him.
"How long until we land?"
"Still twenty minutes yet. Relax." She said, half wishing for the return of the less uptight version of Draven.
"You don't understand, we need to get there now. If these notes are accurate, I need to speak to Genaro right away."
"Do you want me to try the video link again?"
"Please. Anything you can do to get in touch with them."
She stood and tried without success to establish a link, then with a frown headed towards the front of the plane. "Wait here, I'll see if I can radio in," she said, before disappearing through the curtain.
Trying to ignore the giddy somersaults in his gut and the prickle of fear which had given him goosebumps, he turned back to the folder, checking his theory for the tenth time and getting the exact same cast iron results. There was no doubt in his mind.
Goodall came back through the curtain, wearing a frown which echoed his own.
"There's no contact from the lab, which is odd. I got in touch with Homeland to see if they can get a team out there. What's so urgent?"
"I need to check my findings with Genaro first, but if I'm right, this is a lot worse than I thought," He said, glancing out of the window as the plane banked slightly towards its final destination.
"Can't you give me the short version?" she said, not hiding her irritation as she sat opposite him.
"According to these notes, Genaro wanted to control the virus."
"Virus? You mean Project Apex?"
"It's still a virus whatever you call it. It was designed to enter the bloodstream and alter the host's DNA and with it the traits which go with the virus itself. He knew human antibodies were never going to be strong enough, and so did all he could to engineer a virus which was non-contagious as a safety measure."
"That's a good thing, right?"
"It is and it isn't. You see what he didn't take into account was the tendency of nature to change in order to adapt to its circumstances. We see examples of it the world over. The virus is so strong, so bonded with its host that it has the capacity to change, to mutate from its initial state."
"I'm sure Genaro would have seen and adapted for it. He's too good for that."
"I don't doubt his brilliance, and under ordinary circumstances, I would agree with you. However, look at the time constraints he was under. If anything, it would have been an afterthought. There is certainly nothing in his notes to say he has made contingency for mutation."
"Okay, so let's assume, for the sake of argument, he hasn't, what does that mean?" Kate asked.
"This virus is essentially a living organism in itself. The specific breed of monkey which is the basis of the virus carried a low-grade version of rabies. It wasn't as potent as the version we know of today, but it was present across the entire species. Those same markers are present within the Apex serum."
"You're losing me here, what does that mean?"
"It means this Apex virus is not only incredibly dangerous, it's also contagious."
Kate blinked, taking a few seconds to digest what Draven was telling her. "How? I mean, it can't be possible."
"That's why I'm hoping there is more information that Genaro hasn't provided in his notes. Some kind of missing information which means I'm wrong."
"What if you're right, how can this thing be spread?"
"I can't say for sure, but if I base it solely on the Tiger monkey, my best guess is that it can be transferred through bodily fluids. Blood and saliva being the most obvious."
"Could it go airborne?" Goodall asked, her features taut with worry.
"No,” Draven said with a shake of his head. “It would need immediate delivery into the body to allow the virus to begin the bonding with its host. We, at least, have that in our favour. Either way, I need to speak to Genaro. I don't need to tell you how quickly this could get out of hand. Based on the aggressive nature of those affected in the reports and the speed in which the virus is able to bond and change its host, we could be looking at a global epidemic here."
"Jesus," Goodall muttered, staring at Draven. "According to Homeland, there are Apex operatives stationed all over the globe that have gone dark. We don't know where they are."
"As long as they don't know they're contagious, we have a chance. Besides, right now the virus likely won't feel the need to replicate itself. It's still in its infancy."
"What does that mean?"
"It means we still have time. But it's absolutely vital I speak to Genaro."
Goodall nodded and stood.
"Where are you going?" Draven asked.
"To radio in. we need an emergency pickup to get us as soon as we land and to take us straight to Genaro's lab. Do you think you can stop this?"
"Me? No, not alone at least. I've been out of the game for far too long. With Genaro's help, though, it might be possible."
"In that case, let's get you there as soon as we can."
III
The sound of chaos and gunfire from upstairs filtered through to Genaro, where he cowered in his underground lab. Joshua made no effort to call out, or to alert them of his whereabouts. Genaro experienced another wave of nausea and sat on his chair before his legs gave.
"If you're thinking they might not find us down here, I can assure you they will," Joshua said, his conversational tone almost mocking.
"How did they find you? It's impossible." Genaro muttered, sure his life only had a few minutes left before it was snuffed out.
"Nothing is impossible. Miracles happen all the time. Just look at me. When people know who I am, what I represent, they will say I too am impossible. That I'm some kind of living, breathing miracle."
Genaro shook his head. "Your father would hate to see you like this Joshua. Although, I must take some of the blame for it, which is why I don't try to escape. Perhaps, knowing what I've done, I deserve death.” He heard footsteps descending towards the lab and knew his time was up.
"I'm going to let you out now Joshua," Genaro said. "I know it's pointless to resist this. I only ask one thing of you, one favour for old time's sake."
Genaro activated the controls, unlocking the heavy steel door. Joshua casually opened it and stepped out.
"What is it you ask?" Joshua whispered as his men started to break down the door.
"Kill me quickly. Don't let me suffer." The doctor whispered, his lip trembling.
The door gave up its fight, allowing Joshua's men to enter.
"Kill you? Whatever in the world makes you think I want to do that?"
"Then... what do you want?" Genaro stammered.
"Like I said, I came back for you."
"Why?"
"Because you're going to help me build my army."
Joshua lunged, biting Genaro on the arm, shearing away a great chunk of flesh. Blood spewed out of the wound, as Genaro fell to his knees and wailed.
"What have you done to me, what have you done!" Genaro screamed.
"I just made you immortal," Joshua said as he released his grip and wiped the blood from his chin, looking at his brothers with a smeared, crimson grin.