Omega Virus (Book 1): Beta Hour (11 page)

“What’s his name?” I asked, pointing at Colonel Mustache.

Wedge pointed a thumb at the driver. “Him? Sergeant Fox.
He’s a good guy.”

“So what's the place like where we’re heading?” Kessa
asked.

“It’s a series of armored labs.” Wedge explained. “They
connect from one building to the next with short elevated hallways. It’s kind
of like a maze, but it was the least we could do in twenty-four hours.”

“You built an entire base that fast?” Kessa asked.

“No, we printed it.” Wedge said. “With The Shock.”

“The Shock is the new 3D printer, right?” I asked, glad
the other subject had ended.

“Yes. Are you done panicking yet, boy? Did you hit
puberty? Or do I have to tell you that part
A
goes
into slot B?”

Again I shrunk away.

Wedge said looked at Kessa. “Do him a favor, and make him
a man.”

“Okay!” I thought I heard Kessa say, but dizziness swept
over me again, and this time I allowed myself to pass out.

LEVEL 14 – SECRETS

My eyes tried
to open, but crust held them shut. I reached up and wiped away the dried gunk.
Bright light assaulted my vision, so I winced as I looked around.

“Where
the heck am I?” I murmured, as I sat up in the bed.

The
walls, floor, and ceiling were all white and with a plastic-like sheen. There
didn't seem to be a door or windows. I had an IV in my arm and wore a hospital
gown pulled down to my waist. All of my cuts and bruises were nearly gone,
except for the few nastier ones.

“Hello?”
I asked the empty room.

When
no one came, I tried to stand, but as soon as my feet touched the cold floor,
my legs trembled and I nearly collapsed. I pulled myself back on the bed.
Feeling defeated, I
laid
back down.

What
had happened to me? I lay there in silence for
awhile
,
just being glad I could rest away from Corpses.

From
nowhere, a panel of the wall slid open, and a trio walked in; the woman I
recognized, Wedge. She wore the same camo dress and combat boots, but now held
a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other. She chewed on the end of the
pen, on edge. Maybe her cigarettes had run out?

The
thin man stood tall, wearing a white lab coat, and a stethoscope around his
neck. He seemed to be the doctor to this strange hospital.

Bearing
a crooked nose, he hid his dark eyes behind eyeglasses and shaggy dark hair. He
showed no emotion and held his arms behind his back.

From
the way the other man held himself, you could guess him to be the boss. He
stood straight with his chest puffed out, wearing a dark gray suit and red tie.
He had short gray hair, and a face covered in wrinkles. In contrast to Wedge
and the doctor, this guy wore a huge grin, one so wide I wouldn’t have been
surprised if he meant to swallow me whole.

“So
you’re our survivor boy.
”
he asked, spewing
confidence.

“I
am, I guess?” I shrugged.

“Of
course, you are!” he held his arms wide. “You’re safe and sound now thanks to
Sergeant Fox and the Link Brigade.”

“The
who?”

“They’re
the ones that saved you.” The man replied.

“Oh,
right.” I struggled to sit up.

My
memories seemed fuzzy, and distorted, but I definitely remembered my companion.

“Where’s
Kessa?” I asked.

Wedge
walked up to my bed. “Kessa’s fine and dandy, and as I’m sure you’re wondering,
we’re in the Cornelia facility.”

The
man shook his head. “But all of that is irrelevant. Allow me to introduce myself;
I’m Governor Wayne. I run this establishment in wake of the minor viral
outbreak.”

I
set my jaw. “Minor? A lot of people are dead!”

Wayne
held up his hands. “Hold your horses! We have much to discuss, but I assure you
the damage is minimal overall. Yes, a few thousand lost their lives, but it
isn’t the worst tragedy we’ve seen in our grand country. And it’s under
control, so don’t worry.”

My
jaw fell slack, and I looked to Wedge for an answer. She stared at me still
with that pen in her mouth, and continued to chew.

Wayne
said, “The Virus has been eradicated of course. I work very closely with
President Luigi in Washington.”

I
shook my head in disbelief and glanced at Wedge again. She stared back with an
intense fire. I didn’t need her to tell me, the level of
bullcrap
he spat.

“How
long have I been out?” I changed the subject.

“One
week,” Wedge interjected.

I
rubbed my forehead, and it felt cool. “From a fever?”

The
doctor finally spoke. “It was quite bad, young man.”

“What
has Kessa been doing?”

“I
said she’s fine.” Wedge sounded annoyed, now.

“You’re
not answering my question!”

Wayne
smiled. “She’s very loyal. She’s been by your side every night.”

I
looked to Wedge, who slowly shook her head, a gesture Wayne, and the doctor
didn't notice. I didn’t push the matter further. Wedge had something to tell
me, and keeping these guys around with my questions wouldn't give her a chance.

“Let
me remove your IV.”
 
The doctor
said.

Wedge
reached for my arm. “I’ll handle it, Doctor Smith.”

“I
have some paperwork to deal with.” Wayne sighed. “I swear I’m buried under it.
Wedge here will take care of you. Come Smith.”

Doctor
Smith turned on his heel and followed Wayne out of the room. Wedge quickly
ripped the IV out.

“Ow!”
I cried.

She
walked to a wall panel and placed her hand on it. “Kid I need your help.”

A
door slid open to reveal a closet. Inside I saw my clothes, but fear filled me
as I also saw Kessa's shoes and overalls.

“What’s
going on?” I whispered.

“First
off, the virus is not eradicated.” Wedge rushed my clothes over.

I
took them and started to remove the gown but froze and looked up at Wedge with
a frown.

“Oh
please,” she sounded offended. “Who do you think inserted the catheter?”

My
eyes nearly popped out of my head. She'd seen me naked!

“Just
change dammit!”

I
felt so embarrassed, dropping that gown with her staring right at me. I quickly
pulled on my boxers, which she gave me a wink as I did so, and I nearly fell. I
cursed myself for the Scooby Doo underwear; I felt stupid.

As
I pulled up my pants, she continued. “People are being held here. Innocent
people. We’ve been under orders to bring survivors here. We don’t know what
happens to most of them, but you were a lucky case. Doctor Smith thought you
were special I guess with the bacterial infection and all, so he put you in an
induced coma.”

I
knitted my brows. “Where’s Kessa?”

“I
don't know! Just listen to me. The Link Brigade used to be run by another man.
Wolfe. He refused to bring back survivors, see he knew something none of the
rest of us do, and Wayne had him court marshaled and executed right in front of
us.”

Rage
filled me to the brim. “Where. Is. Kessa?”

Wedge
hissed. “Moron! The rest of us have been devising a plan to put an end to this
facility. But we need someone who can get into Wayne’s office. And Wayne put a
personal invitation out for you.”

“Why
me? What good am I?”

Wedge
shook her head. “I have no goddamn clue. But let’s strike a deal.”

“And
that is?”

“Go
into Wayne’s office.” she said, “There’s a degree from Princeton on his wall.
The graduation date is what we need. It’s the password to the lab downstairs.”

“Is
Kessa there?” I asked.

Wedge
said. “Maybe, but I can’t be sure.”

Something
else came to mind, “I'll do it, but first tell me about the vaccine.”

She
cocked her eyebrow. “What vaccine?”

“The
one the soldiers in the tank had been injected with. You know, the dead guys.”

Wedge
shrugged. “No clue what you mean, but are you in, or do you want to die here?”

“I'm
in,” I muttered. I needed to find out about the vaccine and not only did I have
a feeling it would be in the secret lab, but I'd find Kessa there as well. “I
just want to ask, though, do you trust your entire brigade?”

“With
my life.” she said.

The
door slid open, and Dr. Smith stood there looking impatient.

“What’s
taking so long, Ms. Wedge?” he asked.

“I
was helping him dress,” Wedge said. “He’s still in pain.”

I
met eyes with Wedge again, and she nodded. “Wayne wants to see you.”

Fighting
the light-headedness, I followed Smith out and down the hall. As we made our
way I, saw various rooms. None of them stood out until we found the staircase.
Beside it stood a large steel door, one that looked to have been built in after
the 3D printing. A
ten digit
security panel sat beside
it. I made a mental note.

Smith
led me up the stairs and into a large room that looked more like a penthouse.

Each
wall had nothing but glass with a view of the outside all around, and in every
direction, I saw trees. Creepily enough, the entire room had taxidermy statues.
So many different dead, stuffed animals stared back at me. Including a tiger,
and a large raven.

At
the far end of the room, sat Governor Wayne, behind a big desk. A ray of
sunlight shined upon the old man, making him look divine.

Wayne
said as he stood. “Zachary! Come in! Have a seat!”

I
walked over and sat in a large comfy leather chair.

“Smith,
you can leave now,” Wayne said.

The
doctor slinked away.

Right
away I began looking for that degree. I spotted it within moments. An overly
adorned plaque hung from a hook built into the glass.

Wayne
began. “You survived the ‘zombie apocalypse.'“

“Yes,”
I said although I knew he lied through
this teeth
.

“I
commend you! It isn’t easy to do what you did.” He clapped his hands.

“Oh,
your girlfriend told me everything. She told me of your heroic acts in saving
her from a corrupt pastor, and your journey with Wesley James, the
self-proclaimed Zombie Killer. She also said you were at Epic Impossibilities
Games.”
   

I
didn’t like that he knew so much about us. Why had Kessa spoken?

“What
does any of that mean to you?” I asked.

“Do
you still have contact with Mr. James?” Wayne asked.

Wesley?
Why did he care about that jerk?

“We
went our separate ways.”

Wayne
grimaced. “That’s unfortunate. You see my daughter worked at the same game
studio. Her name is Serenade.”

Serenade
Kennedy? I didn't feel like ratting Wesley out after what he'd done for me.

I
shrugged. “Everyone there was dead.”

He
turned around in his chair. “I'd hoped she escaped. She was my only child. And
that Wesley, he should have protected her. I curse the day I gave my blessing
of their marriage.”

I
leaned forward to peer at the degree, but his words caught me off guard.

Wesley
and Serenade were married? I felt even more confused as to why he had killed
her.

“Have
you lost anyone you loved?” Wayne asked, getting up and walking to the window.

I
shook my head as I scanned the degree, but the words were so tiny. I needed to
get closer. I stood and joined Wayne by the window.

“My
parents are probably dead, an uncle too maybe. One, maybe more friends, but you
said Kessa is safe? Can I see her?”

“My
condolences,” Wayne muttered. He ignored my question about Kessa, which worried
me.

I
glanced at the degree. It read March 4, 2014. I had it.

Wayne
turned to look at me with a blank face. Had he seen me? Did he know my
intentions?

“Princeton.
I was valedictorian,” he said. “Now I don’t feel like such a smart man.”

“Why’s
that?” I looked out the window and repeated the number in my head. March 4,
2014.

“Because
I allowed that awful video game playing loser to marry my Serenade.” His voice
cracked.

If
he wanted me to feel sorry for him, he'd have to try harder.

“My
condolences,” I replied coldly.

“Thank
you.” He rubbed his fat nose. “I know you must be anxious to leave here, but I
have to request you stay until the quarantine is lifted from the surrounding
county. No one knows how the virus started, and we don’t want a repeat occurrence.”

“Of
course,” I said. I had no plans on leaving until I found Kessa and the vaccine.

Anxiety
attacked me as I stared out into the dying light. I wanted to get back to Wedge
and tell her so we could break into that lab.
   

“I’m
hungry,” I said, and as if on queue my stomach growled.

“Of
course.” Wayne waved his hand. “You must be. Just head back downstairs and
Smith will take you to the cafeteria.”

“Thank
you.”

“Did
Wesley say anything odd… or give any hints when you parted? I really must find
him.”

I
didn’t stop. “I’m sure he’ll show up. He tends to do that.”

The
governor didn’t respond as I left. Smith met me at the door. He looked me up
and down seeming a bit startled.

“The
cafeteria?” I asked.

“Of
course. Right, this way!”

As
soon as Smith turned around, I jumped onto his back, putting him in a
chokehold.