The Ebola Wall by Joe Nobody, E. T. Ivester, D. Allen
Tags: Science-Fiction, Literature & Fiction, Medical, Thrillers, Mystery, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Dystopian, Thrillers & Suspense, Thriller & Suspense
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Their small island of sanctuary was threatened more than once. On Q+8, a sizable mob began gathering at the front guard shack, several of the younger males pointing toward the group of un-looted buildings residing on the grounds. The security detail soon found itself in a standoff with three dozen hungry-looking men.
The firefight erupted less than 20 minutes later. In addition to their sidearms, the colonel’s team had access to AR15 rifles and 12-gauge shotguns. “A pistol,” the Marine often said, “is only useful to fight your way back to the rifle you never should have put down in the first place.” The battle at the front gate didn’t last long.
For a period of weeks, numerous attempts were made to breach the facility. Often it was one or two teenagers trying to cut through the fence. Sometimes more organized hordes were the threat. But it was Ebola-B that presented the greatest danger.
Like a demon selecting its victims at random, the virus made its way through the ranks of the compound’s residents. Of the 65 souls now calling the warehouses home, 62 contracted the illness. Of those, 34 died. The staff who weren’t afflicted were almost as debilitated, worrying about when it would be their turn to suffer. Everyone found it odd that three of their ranks never contracted the disease.
By Q+11, the colonel’s fever broke. He was one of the lucky ones. When the virus had finally burned itself out, Northside had become the full-time residence for 31 hardy, Ebola-proof souls.
During his stroll back to the complex, Taylor encountered other survivors walking here and there. Almost everyone was wearing an armband of either blue or gold.
Blue, by far the majority, was proudly displayed by those individuals who had contracted Ebola-B and survived. The gold cloth adornment indicated that a person had been exposed, but by some miracle of their DNA, hadn’t been afflicted by the deadly virus.
While exact numbers were impossible to obtain, doctors had informed the board that roughly 2% of the population seemed to have a built-in immunity. Without nationally available labs and scientific resources, it had taken a while before the doctors realized that the Golds carried the virus, and probably would for the rest of their lives.
The Blues were thought to possess only part of any such immunity. Blues became ill, showing the same deadly symptoms as those who died, but for some reason their bodies ultimately overcame the viral invasion. Less than 30% of the population fell into one group or the other, the rest had died.
There was still a third category of citizen left in Houston, but they were now extremely rare. Often called the “Cavers,” they were the people who had hid from society and shunned contact, avoiding exposure. The colonel had heard many interesting stories about Cavers, included a tale involving a family who anchored their boat in the middle of Lake Houston and lived in isolation for weeks. Eventually, they ran out of food, and the fish stopped biting. All were dead from Ebola within 12 days of their return to shore.
At first, Cavers were partially blamed for Houston’s continued quarantine. CDC and World Health Organization (WHO) standards stated that a region or area was considered “Ebola Free” 60 days after the last recorded case. Unfortunately, Cavers kept coming out of hiding and resurrecting incidence of the virus. Even now, months later, the colonel knew of at least 200 individuals who were waiting to see if they were a Blue, a Gold, or dead.
But Cavers weren’t the only ones causing the CDC to keep a ring of steel around Houston’s throat. In reality, it was the Gold population that was causing puzzlement and paranoia within the scientific ranks. Before communications were cut off with the outside world, several government doctors had expressed concerns that Gold bodies were in fact the cause of the new Ebola’s strain.
The colonel didn’t understand all of the
Their small island of sanctuary was threatened more than once. On Q+8, a sizable mob began gathering at the front guard shack, several of the younger males pointing toward the group of un-looted buildings residing on the grounds. The security detail soon found itself in a standoff with three dozen hungry-looking men.
The firefight erupted less than 20 minutes later. In addition to their sidearms, the colonel’s team had access to AR15 rifles and 12-gauge shotguns. “A pistol,” the Marine often said, “is only useful to fight your way back to the rifle you never should have put down in the first place.” The battle at the front gate didn’t last long.
For a period of weeks, numerous attempts were made to breach the facility. Often it was one or two teenagers trying to cut through the fence. Sometimes more organized hordes were the threat. But it was Ebola-B that presented the greatest danger.
Like a demon selecting its victims at random, the virus made its way through the ranks of the compound’s residents. Of the 65 souls now calling the warehouses home, 62 contracted the illness. Of those, 34 died. The staff who weren’t afflicted were almost as debilitated, worrying about when it would be their turn to suffer. Everyone found it odd that three of their ranks never contracted the disease.
By Q+11, the colonel’s fever broke. He was one of the lucky ones. When the virus had finally burned itself out, Northside had become the full-time residence for 31 hardy, Ebola-proof souls.
During his stroll back to the complex, Taylor encountered other survivors walking here and there. Almost everyone was wearing an armband of either blue or gold.
Blue, by far the majority, was proudly displayed by those individuals who had contracted Ebola-B and survived. The gold cloth adornment indicated that a person had been exposed, but by some miracle of their DNA, hadn’t been afflicted by the deadly virus.
While exact numbers were impossible to obtain, doctors had informed the board that roughly 2% of the population seemed to have a built-in immunity. Without nationally available labs and scientific resources, it had taken a while before the doctors realized that the Golds carried the virus, and probably would for the rest of their lives.
The Blues were thought to possess only part of any such immunity. Blues became ill, showing the same deadly symptoms as those who died, but for some reason their bodies ultimately overcame the viral invasion. Less than 30% of the population fell into one group or the other, the rest had died.
There was still a third category of citizen left in Houston, but they were now extremely rare. Often called the “Cavers,” they were the people who had hid from society and shunned contact, avoiding exposure. The colonel had heard many interesting stories about Cavers, included a tale involving a family who anchored their boat in the middle of Lake Houston and lived in isolation for weeks. Eventually, they ran out of food, and the fish stopped biting. All were dead from Ebola within 12 days of their return to shore.
At first, Cavers were partially blamed for Houston’s continued quarantine. CDC and World Health Organization (WHO) standards stated that a region or area was considered “Ebola Free” 60 days after the last recorded case. Unfortunately, Cavers kept coming out of hiding and resurrecting incidence of the virus. Even now, months later, the colonel knew of at least 200 individuals who were waiting to see if they were a Blue, a Gold, or dead.
But Cavers weren’t the only ones causing the CDC to keep a ring of steel around Houston’s throat. In reality, it was the Gold population that was causing puzzlement and paranoia within the scientific ranks. Before communications were cut off with the outside world, several government doctors had expressed concerns that Gold bodies were in fact the cause of the new Ebola’s strain.
The colonel didn’t understand all of the
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