Ruin and Revival

Chapter 45: The Labs

BRIANNA

The labs are unbelievably advanced, years ahead of the rest of the world. Men and woman in white coats turn towards me, so out of place in my shirt and leggings. Thousands of microscopes, Petri dishes, and other alien devices lay scattered throughout the work tables. One of the men catches my eye, with light brown, almost blonde hair and piercing emerald-green eyes. He seemed the same age as me as he approaches me purposefully, his strides powerful and long.

    "May I help you? Seems like you are a little lost," He smiles sympathetically. I find myself running my hands through my tangled curls, tidying my clothes.

    "Axel sent me here to see if a cure for the Plague has been found," I almost stutter out.

    "And your name," He cocks his eyebrow in question.

    "Brianna. You can call me Bri. And yours?" It is my turn to do the infamous eyebrow lift.

    "Sage, like the plant. Get it, because my eyes are green," Sage points a finger at one of his eyeballs and I can't help but crack a grin.

    "Really, no way! I thought they were orange," Sarcasm thickens my voice. Sage begins leading me toward one of the busier stations at the back of the massive room.

    "I have yet to meet someone with orange eyes," He laughs.

    "Why do you all work in one room? There is no privacy or space to do anything," I ask.

    "I find that when everyone is forced to work together, they learn to share any and all of their ideas. Humans are social creatures. We advance not through one person, but through the collaborative effort of many," I nod at the how logical this method really is. No wonder Aquaria has been able to thrive for so long.

    "I am director and head of all labs, research facilities, and hospitals in Aquaria. This is the headquarters. And this is what I like to call, the Heart of Medicine," Sage introduces the bustling table of clutter and disheveled men and women proudly.

    "Sage, we have found the strain of the virus. It is a mutated form of the virus, Ebola!" A woman says, her glasses holding back her thick, black hair.

    "Nice work. I have read about that disease, how it affected humans about 100 years ago, but a cure had been found,"

    "Yes! Yes! Sage, we've found several antibodies that can be injected with vaccines to prevent the infection. However, we have yet to find a way to cure those who have it,"

    "How about we begin mass producing and distributing the vaccines. Send them to the factories immediately. As for people with the sickness, have you tried growing a special kind of bacteriophage from stem cells to consume the virus within the body? I would consult the bacteria table and collaborate with them," I marvel in amazement at the utter talent of these individuals as they scream and shout over one another and at Sage, who is so young yet so bright.

    "Amazing isn't it. I call it, organized chaos. I find that trying to restrict people with rules just hinders their thinking," I nod enthusiastically, unable to speak. A coughing fit hits me out of nowhere, racking my lungs. I try not to scream in horror as I see the blood on my arms.

    "I'm sick. Everyone needs to get away from me," Sage only steps closer, his handsome face serious.

    "Everyone evacuate. Heart of Medicine, stay here. Keep this city quarantined. Do not let the sickness spread," He shouts with the confidence of someone in command, someone used to being listened to. He turns to me with a striking grin. I continue coughing, trying to back away from everyone.

    "Looks like you'll be the first to try the bacteriophages,"

    "No. Don't waste it on me, other people need it. The Imperator, Arika, they're probably sick too," I croak in between debilitating coughs.

    "Don't ever refer to yourself as a waste," Sage injects himself with the vaccine as does everyone else at the table.

    "Okay, it's ready," The same woman with the thick black hair presses her mouth into a thin, nervous line," I feel more than see Sage lift me onto a nearby table with ease. My head spins, throbbing and pulsing.

    "We have to work fast. Everyone, record everything and anything that happens. This is valuable information," Sage pushes my hair back, placing his calloused but warm hands onto my forehead.

"Everything is going to be alright. I won't let you die," He whispers comfortingly. I try to crack a smile through the metallic taste in my mouth. A sting numbs the left side of my arm, but compared to the pain that I have experienced in the last two years, it is nothing. Nothing compared to watching Jake getting executed while all I could do was watch, nothing compared to finding my parents bodies crushed underneath their house, nothing compared to watching Arika get whipped. I can survive this sickness, I have to. The lights on the ceiling seemed to come alive, contorting themselves into odd shapes. I hear Sage's voice, saying something about a fever and how it was a good sign. My head aches along with every part of my body. I let sleep consume me.