Newfound Hope

Z P.O.V.

As we split up and go our separate ways, uneasiness settles within me. Who was I trying to kid? There will always be danger lurking in the shadows waiting for the right moment to come and take her away again. I can not let that happen to her again. Emily must never know that kind of torture. 

"Z are you alright?" Neese eyes me closely.

I don't offer him a response, after the shit, he pulled he doesn't deserve to even be around us. I should just kill him right where he stands and be done with it. Truth be told though we still need him. Out of us, all Neese has better knowledge of the old Earth than any of us, so he will know where to look for answers in the archives. 

"Look I get your upset with me, but that was the only way to save her"

He pauses.

" Emily is nothing more than a tool to be used to help aid in our fight against -" 

My closed fist catches him on the jaw stopping the very words dead in their tracks. He looks to me angrily and wipes the blood from his lip.  A wicked grin grows from corner to corner of his mouth. His eyes are nothing more than a cold glare. 

" Let's get one thing straight Neese, you only breathe right now for the fact that I still have use for you, the day you are no longer valuable I will kill you for your heinous deeds."  I try to make my words sound like a promise instead of an empty threat.

Neese stands there unwavering no muscle reaction no facial changes. He just stands there composed like a statue. 

"As for Emily, she is hands-off"

He cackles at my last remark and smooths his hair back with his hand. 

"Oh dearest Z I would never dream of hurting the girl, she is as I said a tool, and lest we forget she is now immortal, therefore she is unkillable. That stone certainly helped her more than anyone else knows, even her"

" What is your endgame here Neese? You've gone from a kind and compassionate man to a monster" I growl.

Drawing in a breath of air his shoulders rise and fall. 

"I'm still the man you know Z, the only endgame here is stopping the reptilians and getting that cure"

This conversation just keeps going on circles. Neese is clever enough to know that whatever his plans are I won't be so inclined to follow them. Emily's safety is my top priority along with getting a cure made. I am positive when the cure is done he will make his move. So, for now, I mustn't let my guard down. 

The Archive Hall falls to view before us as we approach it. The massive size of the building grows inch by inch as we draw near.  Looking around the hall is mostly empty with the exception of a few others typing away on different computers. 

Walls of old books surround us, the shelves go beyond any normal length, some just as tall as other buildings on the planet. Clearing my throat, look at Nesse.

"Where do we begin?"

Pointing to a table with two chairs and a single computer we walk and take seats. Neese sits in front of the computer and I to the side.

" We will try simply with specimen X"

Entering in the name, a window pops up telling us access denied. He deletes and tries pandemic of 2020 and we receive an error code this time. We look at one another, both us growing suspicious. 

"It appears, someone doesn't want any information about the pandemic the bioweapon to be released. "

Rubbing my temples can feel my frustration level rise. 

"Indeed, but I have ways around it" Neese types in a few codes and soon breaks past the heavy firewall put in. 

"How long do we have before they notice the breach?" I ask him. 

" An hour maybe less, I have sealed our signal and our presence but only momentarily. Whatever we need to find let's hope we come across it quickly" 

His typing speed increases and window after window loads onto the screen. Scanning each one as quickly as possible we come across a page that is addressed to the human race from the state department. 

"Notice of Pandemic mortality rate" I read the words and it peaks my interests. 

Zooming in to make the words bigger we read the whole page fully, not missing a single detail. After we reach the bottom of the page I believe I have gone into shock.

"How, how is she still alive?", I find it hard to form the words.

" That is intriguing, I would say because of her immortality but she should've been dead long before that. So we can rule the stone out."  Nesse rubs his chin.

Printing of the paper I call the others to share this one bit of information before we are locked out. 

" Keep digging while I fill the others in" 

Neese nods his head and gets back to record speed typing skills. 

Natasha appears on the monitor with the others standing beside her. 

"Hey Z any luck?"  She asks.

"We have found some details that may be interesting, it seems that specimen X was developed by a large corporation. It was meant to be a short-lived pandemic that would turn a profit and die off. Secondly, the disease can evolve and keep evolving, at the stage Emily is at she should be dead." 

Emily's eyes go wide and the others join her. 

"Wait what do you mean dead?" Emily inquiries.

"Dead as in not breathing," I responded back. 

"I know what you meant Z what I was asking was how sick do I have to be to have the conclusion come up that I should be dead?" 

Emily is troubled by the news as I knew she would be. Sighing I hold out the paper with the notice we had come across. Figuring the page would be able to explain a bit better than I could at the moment. 

" If we have read this correctly and she is indeed more than five percent and still alive then we can officially conclude Emily is a walking cure" Neese slides in next to me on the monitor. 

"So now the trick is how do we manipulate your cells and get your body to fight back against specimen X."  Roland looks at Emily. 

Our body language gives away that we are all thinking the same thing. Spinning our gears trying to figure it all out. 

" First we need to do another test to see how much specimen X has grown inside her body."  Roland is the first to speak. 

Nodding to Nicole Emily lays back on the table and remains still. With Neese and I  still on the video call, Natasha draws a small amount of blood and then Roland types in a command to run a full body scan. After about five minutes the computer pulls up Emily's results and he is alarmed. 

" That can't...it must be a mistake." 

"What is it Roland, spit it out" Neese commands him sternly. 

" Emily is now ninety-five percent infected" 

A long and heavy silence falls amongst us all, ninety-five percent is a hell of a lot more than I had ever imagined. Emily really should be dead with a ninety-five percent rate of the body being infected with specimen X. 

Interrupting the silence an alarm begins to sound in the hall. We cut communication and dash away from the desk towards the exit as quickly as we can. 

"How long was that exactly?" I shout over the alarm. 

Running next to me Neese replies "forty-five minutes!"

Thankfully the hall is mostly empty and we are able to escape without any incident. We don't stop though continuing our sprint down every side street and alley we can find. The lab is just a few yards away from us as we begin to slow down. Trying to catch our breath we make it inside. 

Trying to catch our breath we fist bump and walk tiredly to the elevator. Pushing the button we fall back into the elevator wall. Slinking lower and lower tip our bottoms meet the hard floor. 

"Well now we have more questions than answers," I say disheartened.

"Don't be so glum chum", he holds open his hand and in his palm is a small hard drive.

Taking the drive from his hand I examine the little black box. Holding it between my index and thumb. 

" How did...when did...is this what I believe it is?" I finally managed to spit the words out.

"Yes, indeed it is Z, I managed to download a few files, their encrypted of course but the twins might be able to figure it out,"  he says pointing to the small object. 

"Let's hope they can"  

Clenching the drive in my hand the elevator doors slide open swiftly. Natasha and Nicole meet us and I pass the hard drive on to them.

" What is this?" Natasha asks, examining the item.

" Neese managed to download some encrypted files on specimen X. We hope you can break the encryption" I respond. 

My eyes fall to where Emily is sitting.it appears she hasn't moved since the news that the disease has spread to her body along with the fact she should be dead.

"Let me know once you have something, " I say as I walk away not waiting for a response. 

Emily looks at me as I approach her. "Can we talk?" I ask softly.  She curtly nods.

Leaving the others to their own accord we take a seat in the living room of the apartment. Far from relaxed Emily is stiff as ever and holds her hands together in her lap.

"I know it isn't simple, most of all it can't be comforting to hear that you should be dead" 

Emily scoffs As she puts her head down briefly and then picks it up looking at me as she licks her lips.

" No, it is simple...what I don't find comfort in is how I have eluded death not once but twice. I died Z and while I can't remember the details…..and now here I am again alive when I shouldn't be" 

Her thoughts are a jumbled mess and the strain on her voice only shows even more how much confusion and pain she is in. 

" Emily, you are alive because we need you and care about you. This situation right now might not look like much…"

I grab her hand and meet her eyes. Tears are filling them on the brink of overflow. "You belong here"  I whisper. 

Wrapping her in a tight hug I feel her warm wet tears fall in my shoulder. I know I can't hide the truth of what happened to her forever, but for now, at least I can protect her.

A knock on the door forces us apart and with her shaky hand, Emily wipes the tears from her eyes. Nicole opens the door and her head pokes around the door. 

"We managed to get one video so far, thought the two of you would like to join us." 

"We will be right there, thank you"

Taking her leave Nicole closes the door behind her leaving is alone. Standing I offer my hand to Emily helping her from the couch and to her feet.

"Ready?" I ask.

"Yes," she says.

Once we all gather to view the video, Nicole presses play. A middle-aged man with shaggy, bags under his eyes and a long beard appears on the screen. Behind him is a small counter with papers, files, and microscope scattered about. He clearly lacks sleep and is in a slight stage of paranoia. 

" This is doctor James Reed Ross, the date is June eleventh two thousand and twenty. Specimen X has evolved beyond all believable measures, bodies line the street's men, women, and children...no one is safe. At first to be thought of as a disease that only attacked livestock it has quickly spread. Death tolls are in the millions and climbing…. As our last act of hope we have put those we hope to be the cure in stasis pods, allowing them to live for many years to come….maybe one day there will be a cure found and the human race will be revived." 

He begins to cough and blood covers his hand. 

" I'm running out of time, it is every country for themselves, and all-out war has already begun with everyone blaming one another for this horrific disease. Specimen X has become a disease that cannot be stopped. Emily, if you see this, by some miracle to God I pray you have survived. If you see this Emily, know that I will always be with you." 

There is a loud explosion and the video feed cuts out and turns to static. Emily doesn't cry, she doesn't do anything but hold her hands to her mouth. 

"Emily" Natasha addresses her placing an arm around her shoulders.

"I'm fine guys, " she responds.

"So your dad was a scientist working on finding a cure, " Roland spins his chair around facing Emily.

" I guess so, " 

" Emily are you sure you are okay?" I ask her.

With newfound energy, she looks at us all with prideful eyes.

"I am the cure"