Luke's Diary: An Unlucky Man In A Zombie Apocalypse. Entries 757 to 956

Entry 804: Sunday 9th December 2018

Entry 804
Sunday 9th December 2018

TJ and I went to see to GRID HQ to see Helen today. It was a rather tense experience at times...

After I'd finished work, TJ and I walked through Cowes town centre together and then walked along the pebbled beach as we made our way towards GRID HQ next to Sector F. As I approached the massive Sector F, half of which was in the sea, I felt a bit anxious. I haven't been to the far end if the beach since I came out of the cryogenics so it was a bit weird being back here now. The memories of me emerging from the freezer and then laying helpless on the floor, thinking I was going to die suddenly came flooding back. TJ could tell I was bothered. "You alright Nanna?" I asked. I hid that it bothered me being back here and continued walking up to GRID HQ; a purpose-built structure that looked rather grand and impressive, sporting a large futuristic looking GRID logo. "I've never been here," said TJ, "It looks fancy doesn't it?"

TJ and I walked up to the large impressive futuristic looking structure and approach the main doors; two huge contemporary looking panels with an intercom on the right. I pressed the buzzer, told the person who answered that we had an appointment with Helen Harvey and we were buzzed in. The large doors slowly opened and TJ and I walked inside to be presented with a rather impressive looking space. A modern looking reception area with shiny panels and leather seating. GRID soldiers and people in lab coats were flitting about the place. "Bl**dy Hell," said TJ, sounding impressed, "Look at this." "Yeah, it is pretty impressive isn't it?" I said. "They must have some money behind 'em, this GRID lot," said TJ. We started to approach the fancy looking reception desk when Helene suddenly appeared and approached. She was wearing a white lab coat and had a determined look on his face. "Luke. TJ," she said, as she shook both of our hands, "Good to see you both. Don't bother signing in. I've already done it. I saw you coming on the cameras. Come on. We've got lots to get through." TJ and I both rolled our eyes, and we followed Helen who quickly walked off towards the lifts. "This better not take all day," TJ, quietly said to me under his breath. Helen pressed the button to call the lift and when it appeared the thereof us walked inside. Helen pressed a button labelled LB, swiped something that looked like a credit card through a swipe reader, entered a code into a panel and then doors closed and the lift descended. "So, what does LB stand for?" I asked. "Lower basement," said Helen, "It's restricted access. Hence the swipe card and the code. Not many people get to come down here. You're honoured." "Look, this sh*t isn't going to take too long is it?" asked TJ, "I've had a boner since I breakfast, I'm going to need to blow my load before tea time." "Oh TJ, shut up," I said, "Don't be so disgusting. Sorry Helen." "No need to apologise, Luke" said Helen, "TJ's wanks are clearly important to him. I wouldn't want to deprive him of pleasure. I will be as quick as I can."

Eventually the lift came to a halt, the doors opened and the three of us exited. TJ and I followed Helen down a long scientific looking corridor, past large labs and admin offices with big windows making it possible for us to peer in. We arrived at a large metal looking door with another number panel next to it. Helen entered in a code and then swiped her card down the reader. A loud swooshing noise was heard and the big heavy door slowly and automatically opened. Helene turned and looked at me and TJ and told her to follow her and not touch anything. My curiosity was certainly piqued. 

TJ and I followed Helene and discovered that we were in a large area that appeared to be some sort of scientific research lab; computers, lab equipment, tables covered with tarpaulin and an area of the room with body parts that looked like they'd been tested on. "What is this place?" I asked. "This is where my team and I are doing all we can to develop a cure for the E-Virus. You two are the first ever living civilians to enter this place." "Living?" I said, "What do you mean, living?" I asked. Helen walked over to a table that had something on it covered in tarpaulin. Helen grabbed hold of the tarpaulin and quickly removed it to reveal the dead infected body of Catherine. "OH MY GOD!" I loudly gasped. "That's Catherine!" TJ loudly exclaimed. Catherine's naked dead body was laid out on the table with her torso completely cut open from the base of her neck to the lower half of her stomach. All of her organs were on show, one of her eyes had been removed, her right arm had been hacked off and her left foot was missing. I know I'm familiar with killed infected and stabbing them in the eye and destroying their brain but this was something else. It was disgusting.  TJ and I both heaved and we were almost sick but we both managed to control ourselves. "Jesus Christ," said TJ, "That is f*cking gross." "Is this a morgue?" I exclaimed, "Have you brough us down to a morgue?" "Well, I suppose it is a bit like a morgue," said Helen, "But everything you see in this room, including Catherine's corpse is all used to try and synthesize a cure." "You could have warned us," I said. "I didn't think you'd come if you were warned," said Helen, "Anyway, I'm sure you've both seen worse than this on the mainland?" "I thought you wanted to ask us questions," said TJ, "Why do we need to be here and look at that?" "I want you to know how serious the situation is," said Helen. "What situation?" asked TJ. "This," said Helen, "You and Catherine's body could have information that could help me and my team develop a cure." "Why the Hell has she only got one arm, one foot and one eye?" I asked. "For tests," said Helen, "I'm conduiting different tests on different parts of Catherine's body. I just need you to answer me a few questions. Now, it is believed that Catherine became infected when she introduced some of her husband's infected blood into her own bloodstream, but how did she do that?" "Well how the f*ck do we know?" asked TJ, "We were too busy sorting out Nanna's Mum." "Nanna?" said Helen. "It's what he calls me," I said, "Look, we have no idea how Catherine got the blood inside her. We weren't looking." "So, you're saying you saw nothing?" said Helen.  "Look Dr Frankenstein," said TJ, "We told Blade everything we know." "Blade is safety and security," said Helen, "I am science – I have questions he won't have asked you. Now look at Catherine's body. There are no marks that provide any evidence that she introduced her husband's blood into hers. There's no sign of needles, no puncture marks; nothing." "Maybe she drank some of Jase's blood," said TJ. "Oh TJ," I said, "Don't be stupid. What's she going to do? Squeeze out some of Jae's blood into a toothbrush tumbler and wash it down with some Listerine?" "Stranger things have happened," said TJ, "I once met this b*tch on Halloween. She said she'd only let me do her up the wrong 'un if I pricked her in the back with a hair pin and made her bleed. Total nutter but she was a good shag. Weird thing was she was dressed as a vampire." "Look" said Helen, "Do either of you have any idea of how Catherine could have introduced her husband's infected blood into her system?" "Maybe she stabbed him or something," I said, "Maybe she then got his blood and swallowed it or something." "There are no wounds on Jase's body that suggest this," said Helen, "And there's nothing to suggest she swallowed anything." "Maybe it was an accident?" I said, "She was holding Jase in her arms. Maybe some of the blood got in her eye and that's how she got infected." "I have conducted tests on both of Catherine's eyes," said Helen, "And it doesn't seem that any infected blood was introduced." "Helen, are you saying that you don't know how Helen became infected?" I asked. "Wait a minute," said Helen. "Hang on," said TJ, interrupting Helen, "You're saying that there's a chance Catherine got infected without any Jase's blood. That's what you're saying aren't you?" "Is that what you're saying?" I asked. "Just calm down," said Helen, "There's no need to panic." "Just don't bullsh*t us," said TJ. "Yeah, tell us the truth," I said. Helene gave a depressing sigh, looked down and then looked back up. "We know that Catherine had the virus in her system," said Helen, "But at this point we don't know for sure that Jase's blood had anything to do with it." "So, if Jase's blood didn't infect her, what did?" I asked. "I don't know," said Helen. "You don't know what infected her!?" I loudly said. "There's every possibility that it was her husband's blood that infected her," said Helen, "But at the moment there's no proof of that. I need to do more tests. Right now, I have absolutely no idea for certain of how Catherine became infected and that concerns me." "F*cking Hell," said TJ, "Does that mean there's some sort of way that we can all get infected and not know about it?" "Listen," said a firm Helen, "I don't want to hear talk like that. My team and I are doing all we can. I don't want anything that is said inside this room leaving the room do you understand?" There was a pause. "Do you understand!?" Helene said in a louder and more authoritative tone. TJ and I nodded. "In situations like this, misinformation causes panic," said Helen, "And we didn't have enough information yet. You two, Blade and myself are the only ones who know about this. You must not tell anyone. In fact, this could be a storm in a teacup. As I say, further tests may show that Jase's blood infected Catherine." "And what if further tests don't show that?" I asked. "Then I guess we might have something to worry about," said Helen, "And it means we have a case of someone becoming infected and not knowing how. If that's the case then, at this moment in time, I'm not sure how we'll proceed." "So, you're lying to everyone?" I asked, "Everyone thinks Catherine's dead because she introduced some of Jase's blood into her own, but you're saying that's looking very unlikely." "Yes," said Helen. "So, you and Blade are lying to everyone," I said. "Yes," said Helen. "This doesn't feel right," I said, "People ned to know." "Luke," said Helen, "Let me make this clear. One, there is a chance that Catherine was infected with Jase's blood. As I say I am doing more tests; two, if it turns out she was not infected by her husband's blood then GRID will decide what course of action to take, if any; three, it is not in the interest of anyone in this island to know this information. We don't have the full picture, it will cause a mass panic and the situation is under control; four, it is GRID's decision to share information not yours and five; if you or TJ breathe a word of what has been said in this room today you will both be locked up in prison next to Harold Endo before you know what's hit you. Both nod if I have made myself extremely clear?" TJ and I exchanged tense looks and then we both nodded. Helene continued to bombard us with questions and an hour or so later we left.

As TJ and I walked back towards Cowes town centre we talked about what Helen had said to us. "I just don't get it," I said, "How could Catherine have got infected if it had nothing to do with Jase." "Who knows?" aid TJ, "Maybe she had some sort of undiscovered illness?" "What, and she just happened to succumb to it seconds after we kill her husband?" I said. "You killed Jase," said TJ, WE didn't." "All I'm saying is that I think that that suggestion is unlikely," I said. "Yeah well people can die from all sorts of things," said TJ, "I know it's all a bit freaky but it's not our problem." "Aren't you bothered about what she said?" I asked TJ. "Well, I suppose I am a bit," said TJ, "But they're going to sort it all out. What does it really matter? As soon as someone gets infected, they turn into the undead seconds later. That's why the world is overrun. If she finds out she got infected cos she died of some rare disease it's going to make much of a difference is it?"

I suppose I could see what TJ was saying but Helen's attitude really worried me. I can't help but feel like she and Blade are hiding something – maybe even covering something up, but TJ and I need to keep our mouths shut and ears to the ground. I hope Helen manages to find out how Catherine got infected. I feel like I'm lying to everyone. Maybe I need to try and put it out of my mind and focus on my new job, which I am loving!