He walked over to the section he had been working on for a few days. They were trying to create a car that could fly in the air. It’s one of his most significant projects and his only motivation was the story of his great grandfather, who persisted in the face of discouragement and failure. This was his third trial, and he knew there might be more to come, but he wouldn’t give up.

  He stood close to a wall made of transparent glass and watched as they launched the car in the air after powering it. But as soon as it moved from the ground, it fell back to the floor with a loud bang. They all looked at him and shook their heads.

  “We will try again,” he said and left.

  He needed to cool off. He packed his things and left for his house. He’d been at the office for almost a week, and he knew if he didn’t go home, he would break down completely. Of course, he had a lounge at the office, a very comfortable one at that, but home was still home.

  “Don’t give up okay, you can do this” A text came in from Priscilla.

  He smiled.

  He had told her about the car via text. She was always there to encourage him to make him feel better about things.

  “Of course, if great-grandpa can create a time machine, I can create a car that can fly in the air,” he whispered.

  “Maybe if I combine…..” he began to think of possible ways to make the car work.

  “I will try that out next week. Right now, Brandon relax. One step at a time.” He said to himself.

  His father was visiting the following week, he will also ask for his input. When he told his father initially, he pulled him aside and said “I knew someday, you will do the impossible. It seems impossible. It is hard to believe. A car that can fly? How? But you are a Demarco after all, so you can do anything. Go ahead son. I believe in you.”

  His father was the president of the Lab, but he left everything to Brandon now, and often only showed up now and then. He visited more often on days when there was a particularly interesting experiment, or if the government reached out to him for a project.

  Chapter Four

  The experiment became more physically and psychologically demanding because he spent the next four months mostly at the lab, trying to understand why they kept getting it wrong. The more they failed at it, the more he became more tensed. He then decided to abandon it for a while. He wasn’t giving up, he just needed a break because each failure was beginning to take a toll on him. He decided to let it go for about a month and then resume again for the sake of his mental health.

  “I can’t go on like this Ryan.”

  “I was about to tell you that you should take a break. But I didn’t want it to sound like I was discouraging you.”

  “The fusion between the energies of the universe and the mechanics of the car keep failing, I have tried to draw energy from satellites but it’s not working.”

  “Okay…I don’t know what you said, but then you need the break.”

  Brandon laughed.

  “What’s up about our trip to Paris?”

  “it’s still on Bro…definitely still on. I really need it after all this stress. Also, I want to make a collaboration with Frigo’ lab in Paris.”

  “Why?”

  “They are doing well over there. However, the major reason is that they reached out to us. They want to carry out a major study in the UK, we can help.”

  “Does your father know about this?

  “Of course he does, and he has also approved their proposal. It will also look good for Demarco labs.”

  “You know if I didn’t see this side of you, I would think you are just one of those guys. You are on fire up there.”

  “I will ignore the first part and take the other part as a compliment.”

  “How is Priscilla?”

  Brandon tried to keep a straight face. He’d been expecting this. Though not exactly the way Ryan asked, but he’d been wanting him to at least own up to his shit for a while.

  “Well. She is going good. Last we spoke.”

  “oh…okay. Good to know.”

  “You can ask her though. I mean you have her number, don’t you?”

  “Yeah.”

  And he left it at that.

  They were at the club in a private lounge sipping wine and listening to the soft music.

  “Want some girls?” Greg the manager of the club asked strolling into the lounge. The short and plump man was rarely seen, but he often made appearances to VIP customers. Brandon and his friends were no exception.

  Brandon shook his head and yawned. Ryan raised his hand to signify he wasn’t interested. Brandon couldn’t trace the root of his lack of interest, but he was suspected it had to do with the recent strain his project had placed on him. He wasn’t even in the right frame of mind right now to even have fun with a woman. He only wanted to chill.

  They left the club around 1 am, and Brandon decided to visit his parents the next day because it’s been a while since he’d seen them.

  He woke up to call the following day around 8 am. It was his Dad.

  “Hmmm, I’m coming to visit today…” he started saying, but got cut off by his father.

  “Something is up son” his father said in a somber tone.

  “What’s wrong pops?

  “Check the news.”

  He got up abruptly, completely shaken by the urgency in his father’s voice. He switched on the television and was immediately taken aback. All channels carried the news of the breakout of an illness.

  He saw images of dead bodies tossed in a pit, as though books stacked together. He was moved with empathy, and he shook his head in disbelief. The deaths were too much, why didn’t the news carry this information when it first broke out? Now they can’t control it, and it’s broken out in the open. What was the government of the countries affected doing? Why wasn’t it curbed at an early stage? Now it’s beyond their control, and everyone is running around scared. The world does not need this right now. It will be bad for the economy and the continent as a whole. Brandon’s head reeled with questions.

  He rubbed his temple and decided to get to the root of the matter, he didn’t know how but every pandemic had a source and he started wondering what the source of the illness was.

  “This illness can be classified as a pandemic because it was first discovered in Thailand months back and it was attributed to the current change in the climate. However, that theory changed because the same symptoms started spreading across countries, and people were dying within 72 hours of contracting the illness, some who have really healthy immune systems could last maybe five days. It is believed it’s an airborne disease however nothing is certain yet. Patients are kept in isolation to prevent exposure. The countries affected are mainly Asian countries. However, Europe is now getting hit, though it’s only two cases reported as, at the time of the news, they were travelers who recently got into the country from the Philippines.” The newsreader said.

  He saw facilities all choked up with patients, some in the waiting room, some outside the hospital, dying in the streets.

  “Scientists worldwide are still trying to find out the cause, but no one has a definite answer yet. There may be an impending lockdown, but let’s keep our fingers crossed and hopefully soon a cure will be found.”

  He called his father back immediately.

  “Dad, You want us to get on board?”

  “Absolutely son, seems interesting.”

  “And also risky…..”

  “YOU ARE A Demarco. We are risk takers.”

  “Okay dad, I will contact the lab already working on it and let’s see what happens.”

  “Also…I may need to tell you something about this pandemic soon, but for now let’s just observe.”

  “Okay dad.”

  He hung up and looked on at the television. He was worried. This could be deadly if a cure is not created fast. What makes this illness strange is the fact that no one was sure yet how it was spreading. How can it be prevented?

  He had one assignment before leaving for the lab that morning. He picked up his phone and called Jennifer.

  “Hey…..wow…you called.”

  “Come home.”

  “What??..why??” She asked, amused.

  “The pandemic.”

  “Common bro, there at only two cases outside Asia.”

  “We don’t know that they are just reported cases. I know you always want to help, but if there’s a lockdown you may be stuck there.”

  “There won’t be a lockdown.”

  “Can you just listen to me for once, Jennifer?”

  “How can you just call me and tell me to come home. Leave everything I have worked for and just run away?”

  “That’s not what I’m saying…..I don’t want to lose you, also I feel it’s best we are together as a family because we don’t know what this current pandemic might mean. I know there is no lockdown yet, but what if there is one eventually, I don’t want you to be stuck, please listen.”

  “Brandon, you calling means a lot, but no. Even if I was stuck I would want to stay to do my job.”

  “You are stubborn….”

  “Look who is talking.”

  “Jennifer come home, I’m serious.”

  “Okay, I will consider it.” She said, but he didn’t believe her.

  “You know if I push this to the family, they will all support me.”

  “Blackmail doesn’t work on me, brother. I am not Priscilla.”

  “You need to listen once in a while.”

  “Okay, but am serious I will consider it.”

  “Okay then, see you soon lil sis. Love you.”

  “Love you too” she added ignoring the first part of his statement.

  She was in Europe, which meant she would be on the front-line saving lives if the illness got worse. As heroic as that sounds, he didn’t want to risk his sister.

  It’s not her choice to make, she will need to come home. They have enough health workers over there. He knew he sounded selfish, but he didn’t care. He sent her another message immediately stating “I will see you soon”.

  Without waiting for her reply, he got up and went to use the shower. He wanted to visit his parents, but he wouldn’t be able to. When his father spoke with him over the phone, he knew that he meant business. He would visit the house later, right now duty called. A task he would never neglect or overlook.

  The pandemic intensified and rapidly claimed more lives.

  Throwing the whole world into a state of panic. It was given the name – “Parabel 022” and was said to have been caused by an unusual strain of both virus and bacteria. How? That was the question. Scientifically, it’s either an organism is viral or bacterial, but this was a combination of both.

  Does that mean a specific type of bacteria and specific type of virus is causing the illness?

  No cure was found despite the rapid decline in the world population.

  The first country to close its airports was Russia, no one was allowed in or out of the country. Other countries quickly began to follow suit: Germany, China, Italy, and many more.

  Brandon had to cancel his trip to Paris because of the pandemic. Apart from the risks of getting infected, he’d been working overseeing with other teams working on it tirelessly at the lab for answers. After much persuasion, his sister finally left Europe - that was because more cases were confirmed though and at least eight of the patients died shortly after presentation at the hospital. It wasn’t just the illness that was the issue of the nations. It was the fact that it killed people within a short period after exposure. The incubation period was only between two and three days. It was spread by direct contact and air aerosols.

  The symptoms were headache, blood running from the nose, abdominal pain, vomiting, boils on the skin and sudden loss of consciousness, which many patients did not recover from. More countries started getting hit and hospitals were overflowing. Staff were reluctant to work. If not for the fact that he had a younger sister working in the field, he probably wouldn’t understand that. Though when it’s family he realizes no one wants to sacrifice their lives.

  The UK had not been hit yet. That was because the government blocked entry and exit from the country two weeks after the news broke. Many businesses and staff were working from home except necessary. Although people were still going out, the streets were much quieter.

  Before the lockdown the time machine was brought back disguised as household goods by sea. It was kept in an underground storage facility that had a secret lab at his parent’s house.

  “Any cure yet?”

  “Common dad, I was waiting for you. Also, you are joking, right?”

  His father laughed and followed him to his office. They sat opposite each other they seemed lost in deep thoughts.

  “If we can’t get a cure, how about a vaccine? If we can create a vaccine from the strain of the organism, that will save the country as a whole and other countries.”

  “This illness is deadly. The vaccine could be a disaster and create more harm than good if not well formulated?”

  “We are going to test it dad?”

  “On who, son?

  “We’ll have volunteers…. this isn’t the first time doing this. What’s the issue this time?”

  “You’ve watched this organism under a microscope. It’s strange, no scientist has been able to grasp it fully. Are we just going to give it to people like that?”

  “Dad, it’s the neutralized version.”

  “You know vaccinations have side effects don’t you. Can you imagine the side effect of something as deadly as this?”

  “You have a point…but you told me Demarco’s are risk takers.”

  “I meant that for a cure….not a vaccine.”

  “At least let’s try.”

  “Who will be the volunteers?”

  “It can be tested on me first.”

  “NO!!!”

  “Volunteers know whatever they are getting into often, dad. It’s not like we will force anyone to take it.”

  “Also, they get paid and that the money gets transferred to their next of kin should in case something happens to them”.

  “I know all that.”

  “Dad, if we can create that vaccine, it will be a big deal for our lab.”

  “We already have the fame we need son. We don’t need to create a vaccine to be relevant. The Demarco empire is envied worldwide.”

  “We can’t just live off a legacy father, we have to build on it.”

  His father smiled.

  “What?”

  “Go ahead son. But notify me as soon as the vaccine is ready before testing it on anyone.”

  “Okay dad.”

  “Also, I’ve been meaning to discuss something with you.”

  “What is it?

  “Your love life….Anyone we should meet?”

  “Hhhuhh?”

  “Dad, you are not serious. Are you?”

  “I am son.”

  “Dad, you should be asking my sisters, not me.”

  “Just because you’re a man doesn’t mean you have all the time in the world to meet someone.”

  “That’s not what I’m saying. I’m just saying they have more time for serious relationships, I don’t.”

  “Oh. But you have time to date Russian models and dump them two days after.”

  “…who….how did?...dad that’s not what happened”

  “I believe you. But I know you can do better. So do better and make us proud.”

  Without saying another word, he nodded. He would rather not argue with his father.

  Also, he was confused, how did his father know about Bella? He’d dated two women after her already, how did he know about her. Priscilla wouldn’t have told him.

  It was just she and Ryan who knew about Bella.

  “Your mother’s birthday is coming soon. We need to plan a surprise birthday party for her.”

  “hmmmm. What do you have in mind?”

  “I wanted the family to have a trip to the Maldives before all this. But with what’s happening in the world we have to limit whatever we do to the country.”

  “How about a boat cruise?”

  “hmm…let’s see. When are you coming home?”

  “This weekend.”

  “Okay, we will discuss it together with Jennifer and Priscilla.”

  “Okay dad.”

  “I believe in you son.” he said getting up and walking towards the door.

  Brandon immediately called his lead scientists, if he was going to save the world now was the time to do so.

  Days became weeks, and weeks became months. But the creation of the vaccine wasn’t successful. No matter how much they try to inactivate the organism, it still retained its potency and remained lethal.

  The spread of the illness and death toll increased considerably throwing the whole world into a state of doom. Fear and panic began gripping people when scientists could not produce a cure or vaccine no matter how much they tried.

  People were dying in their thousands daily, and the economy of nations began crumbling.

  The president of the World Health Organization called an online meeting featuring key leaders and prominent scientists. After much deliberation, the question remained.

  “What is the way forward?”

  For the very first time in millions of years the whole world became utterly powerless. People began holding on steadfastly to their religions. Those who believed in God called on him, those who believed in the stars and the moons called on their powers, and those who believed in ancient gods called on them. But no higher power answered the call.

  It became a case of survival of the fittest in underdeveloped countries as they were the ones being affected the most. Hospitals became deserted because many health professionals lost their lives in the process. The daily deaths of doctors, nurses and hospital staff increased in number. However, developed countries still managed to hold their health care system together, even though their grip was weak, and was growing weaker by the day.

 

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