The Onyx Seed - A Story of Survival by Clifford Beck - HTML preview

Chapter 6

Marty rose early the next morning to find Lucas sitting on the couch.

“You’re up kind of early, aren’t you?” he asked. “I couldn’t sleep,” answered Lucas. Marty walked over and sat in a chair on the other side of the room.

“You still worried about Maria?” he asked. Lucas took a moment to gather his thoughts and prepare himself to say what he hoped was an exaggeration.

“Marty,” he began. “We both know that Maria and her parents are probably dead by now.” Marty leaned forward with obvious concern. “Luke, we don’t know that,” he began. “We weren’t even able to get into the hospital.”

“Marty,” Lucas replied. “You’ve been looking out for me for quite a while and I appreciate that. But this shit is real. I didn’t think we’d get out in one piece, yesterday. So, you don’t need to sugarcoat this for me.”

Marty nodded his slightly.

“You’re right,” he replied. “You’re absolutely right.” Lucas let out a deep sigh of disappointment. He knew that she had died of whatever it was that caused the hospital to shut down. Having nothing else to say, Lucas got up and walked to the front door. “Luke, where are you going?” Marty asked. Marty’s question left him a bit surprised, as though it was somehow unusual to be going to work. “I’m going to work, aren’t you?” he asked. Marty got up and quickly approached Lucas. “Luke,” he said. “Hang on a second. I just had a thought.”

“I’m going to be late,” Lucas interrupted. “It’s my turn to open.”

“I know,” Marty replied. “Just hear me out for a second. The morning I left for Iron Mountain, everything seemed normal, right?”

“Yeah,” Lucas replied.

He wasn’t quite sure what Marty was getting at, but the question made him feel uneasy. “So, two days later, everything goes to hell,” he continued. “Whatever this is, it happened overnight.” Frustrated, Lucas put a hand to his forehead. He clearly did not want to see their situation for what it really was.

“Look,” he began. “I just want to go to work. I’ll catch up on the news when I get back.” He opened the door, darted down the stairs and out onto the street. Preventing him from leaving would have only made matters worse. Marty walked quickly back to his room and turned on the T.V. The channel was already set to CNN. As he watched the broadcast, Marty soon realized how much worse things really were. Hospitals across the country were closing due to the flood of people seeking care.

In cities like Boston, Tampa and Albany, hospitals were setting up examination tents in an attempt to deal with the overflow of those who had suddenly taken ill. A state of emergency had been declared throughout every state in the country and reserve troops were being called up to help maintain order. The President was expected to make a statement within the hour. Marty listened intently as the broadcast released more information. He knew that the situation was still evolving and suspected that whatever was happening would likely get far worse. Within the next thirty minutes, Lucas returned with a pale expression of fear on his face. Marty walked out the doorway of his room and back out into the hallway.

“What is it?” Marty asked, with concern. They both sat down as Lucas stared out into space, then shifted his gaze to Marty.

“There’s no one there,” he answered. “No one showed up. I’ve never seen the streets so empty. I mean, this is L.A., it’s never quiet here. There’s always the sound of traffic, or sirens, maybe a few gunshots, once in a while, or people arguing. But, to go outside and hear nothing. It’s like being on another planet. Marty, what the fuck happened?” Marty gave a moment’s thought to his question. “I have no idea,” he began. “But I think we should stay put, for now.”

His answer was not entirely true. While in the Army, Marty had received extensive training in biological warfare. He had been trained to recognize the symptoms associated with numerous pathogens, as well as how to respond to them. And while he could not yet identify the disease, he was certain that it was not the flu. Lucas nodded his head slightly and shifted his eyes to the glow of the T.V. screen. “I’m not going anywhere,” Lucas said. With the next few minutes, the news announcer deferred the broadcast to the White House, where the President was about to address the country.

“My fellow Americans, we live in a world of constant crisis and upheaval, both political and natural, at home and abroad. We have faced down a multitude of threats, including war, natural disasters and those who would seek to destroy our way of life. Now, we must yet again face another adversary. I am sure that most of you have become aware that this season’s flu is particularly virulent. There are reports being filed with the CDC of hospitals being overrun with the sick some even closing their doors to the public. The Centers for Disease Control have issued a comprehensive set of guidelines, with the goal of minimizing the number of those being exposed. And it falls to me to present these guidelines to the people of this nation. We are asking all Americans to stay indoors and away from public areas. If a member of your family appears ill, create a sick room for them and try to avoid any unnecessary contact. Avoid traveling outside your immediate area. If you, yourself, have fallen ill, stay in your home and avoid contact with others. The CDC will shortly begin large-scale vaccinations of the public, starting with those areas most affected by the virus. You are asked to stay near your televisions in order to receive local information on where to go, in your area, for vaccination. In order to more efficiently contain the spread of infection, all incoming and outgoing commercial air travel has been restricted. We are not, I repeat, we are not closing United States borders. Now, I understand that some of you may not grasp the potential of the issue at hand. But let me assure everyone that we are bringing all available expertise and resources to bear on the problem that lies before us. And, in the interest of assisting local law enforcement, each state has been asked to call up a modest number of their reserves. This should, in no way, be construed as martial law or a violation of civil liberties. Calm must be maintained. Local, state and federal governments will continue with the daily business of management for the public good. Price gouging will be swiftly and harshly dealt with. Local police agencies will continue with the enforcement of laws and ordinances. To summarize, we are confronted by an unseen foe. But we are Americans. We are a strong, resilient and resourceful people. We will rise to the occasion, and we will meet this challenge with the strength and courage typical of the American spirit that has so often, brought us many difficult times. We live in a great nation, with people who possess an undeniable degree of ingenuity that has made this country a formidable presence. Again, stay in your homes, avoid public contact, and wait for local information regarding vaccination centers. And, please, allow emergency personnel to do what they are trained for. We will get through these trying circumstances. But it is only with mutual cooperation that we will achieve success. Thank you and God bless America.”

It could be said that the greatest degree of honesty is that which leaves the mouth of a child. But this was not a child. This was the leader of the so-called free world, and there was a great deal that had been left unsaid. The President’s address was nothing more than a cookie-cutter speech, penned by an unknown hand. It was delivered as a pacifier of misinformation to a nation that only wanted to hear one thing that everything would be alright. P. T. Barnum supposedly said there’s a sucker born every minute. The quote seems to be true, especially when it comes to a country whose people suddenly fear for their lives.