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    Biohazard
    Biohazard
    Biohazard
    Ebook111 pages1 hour

    Biohazard

    By MultipleAuthors1

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    About this ebook

    The hype surrounding the alleged end of the world according to sensationalistic misinterpretation of the Mayan calendar on December 21, 2012 -- a potential literary goldmine -- inspired this project.

    Hollywood and media jumped on the bandwagon early in the year. Then, it was our turn...

    In 1976, an outbreak of the Ebola virus caused 318 cases of hemorrhagic fever in Zaire. Of the 318 infected, 280 died: an 88% fatality rate. Outbreaks of such virulent diseases are often localized, though, as the pathogens kill the host too quickly for the epidemic to spread, especially when transportation is limited.

    The Ebola virus has an incubation period of 4 days to just over two weeks. Onset is rapid. Its symptoms include headache, fever, chills, and muscular pain3⁄4not unlike the common cold or influenza. In time, sore throat, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea appear. The most ghastly symptom, however, manifests itself within a week of infection.

    A deadly virus, such as the aforementioned, reached the North American continent.

    Modern aircraft enable travel from any major city, USA to Africa or the Pacific Rim, a trip that once required months, in only 15 hours. Given the sheer volume of traffic and connections from these airports alone, a pathogen brought in from abroad could infect most major American cities in a matter of days, or hours, given that its incubation period is 4 days; identical to that of the Ebola virus. By December, nine out of ten Americans died.

    Within Biohazard 2012, nine authors reveal what transpired in their last few weeks, days, or hours during such devastation.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBeanPods Press, LLC
    Release dateSep 4, 2012
    ISBN9780988345508
    Biohazard

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      Book preview

      Biohazard - MultipleAuthors1

      Biohazard

      Edited by Jocelyne Thomas & David Bean

      -

      Smashwords Edition

      Copyright 2012 BeanPods Press, LLC

      P.O Box 2381

      Roswell, Georgia 30077

      License Notes: This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      Revised Edition 2013

      Table of Contents

      Preface

      Missing You by Liam Jackson

      The Flame by Talon Overland

      CRATE 67, DOC 149 by Dawn Scovill

      Melody by Joe Johnson

      Alone Again, Naturally by Daisy White

      Lip Service by Cindy Brady

      A Quiet Conversation by Kirby Sanders

      Palimpsest by Jefferson Behan

      Dyin' Ain't Much of a Living by Cat Connor

      Coming Soon from BeanPodsPress

      Preface

      Everybody has a story. We want to hear it. was BeanPods Press' motto for its groundbreaking 2012 project. The hype surrounding the alleged end of the world according to sensationalistic misinterpretation of the Mayan calendar on December 21, 2012—a potential literary goldmine—inspired the project.

      Hollywood and the media jumped on the bandwagon early in the year. Then, it was our turn.

      The most popular 2012-as-end-of-the-world scenarios ran the gamut from highly improbable to utterly ludicrous. BeanPods Press solicited material for this anthology based on a more likely one—a global pandemic.

      The Black Death, better known as The Black Plague, devastated Europe between 1348 and 1350. The bacterium responsible, Yersinia pestis, is thought to have traversed the Central Asian Silk Road, borne by rats and transmitted by the fleas they carried. It then spread throughout the Mediterranean and Europe, going as far as contemporary modes of travel allowed.

      Fast forward six centuries.

      In 1976, an outbreak of the Ebola virus caused 318 cases of hemorrhagic fever in Zaire. Of the 318 infected, 280 died—an 88% fatality rate. Outbreaks of such virulent diseases are often localized. The pathogens kill the host too quickly for the epidemic to spread, especially when transportation is limited.

      The Ebola virus has an incubation period of from 4 days to just over 2 weeks. Onset is rapid. Its symptoms include headache, fever, chills, and muscular pain—not unlike the common cold or influenza. Sore throat, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea eventually follow. The most ghastly symptom, however, manifests itself within a week of infection: severe hemorrhaging from the lungs, gums, alimentary canal—and in rare cases, the skin.

      Modern aircraft enable travel from Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport to Africa or the Pacific Rim, a trip that once required months, in only fifteen hours. In the past, both regions have been hotbeds of infectious illnesses including Lassa, Hantavirus, Hong Kong Flu, HIV/AIDS, Marburg fever, and Ebola. Given the sheer volume of traffic at Hartsfield alone, a pathogen brought in from abroad could infect most major American cities in a matter of days—or hours.

      In BeanPods Press' hypothetical scenario, a deadly virus did just that. Reaching the North American continent at the end of November 2012, it spread. Its incubation period was identical to that of the Ebola virus. By December 2012, nine out of ten Americans died.

      Prospective contributors were asked to assess themselves, their surroundings, their loved ones, and their probable courses of action. In the final hours...

      What would you do?

      Liam Jackson

      Little Rock, Arkansas

      A highly decorated twenty-year veteran of the U.S. criminal justice system, he has served as a narcotics officer, tactical operator, Chief of Police and a Deputy Program Manager and Operations Chief for a federal counter-terrorism program. The American Police Hall of Fame awarded him the prestigious Silver Star for Bravery. Liam is the author of Offspring and The Keys of Solomon.

      Missing You

      For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. ~Matthew 24:21 King James Bible

      -

      "Lo' sky and earth and water tainted, souls crushed 'neath the wrath of gods forgotten,

      Man-made cathedrals sink beyond blistering sands, I stumble 'long the path, downtrodden.

      Blade and buckler crimson stained, deliverance comes to a sickened land,

      Sleep thee well, deserved so, I set thee free with mine own withered hand."

      ~Sir Cody Blount, circa 1690

      -

      Another long day filled with boredom, passing curiosity, occasional sirens, and the rare shouts and curses in my once-quiet suburban neighborhood. At least the emergency civil defense sirens are quiet. Goddamn things blared night and day for the first couple of weeks. And no more metallic-quacking public address systems ordering civilians to stay in their homes. The cops and firefighters tried. Man, they tried. But by the end of the second week, there weren’t enough of them left standing to make even a token attempt at maintaining order. First, there was the crush of humanity that flooded area hospitals. Then, the predictable panic, with the obligatory looting, shooting, arson, suicides, and vehicle accidents from people fleeing to...wherever the hell frightened people run. Every able-bodied cop and firefighter was...hell, who knows where they are? I hope they’re at home with their families.

      The bug had kicked some serious ass in remarkably short time. A mutated, airborne strain of Ebola, so claimed the talking heads at the CDC. Conspiracy theorists were having a field day, blaming every son and bitch, including Uncle Sam, for a preemptive biological attack or accidental release. The hard-line Religious Right stayed true to form, crediting God’s Wrath for the great purge. Maybe they’re right. I asked Him, but He hasn’t gotten back to me. Still, I tried to make my peace with Him while I could. This bug moves fast, and a guy never knows when he might be reduced to a mute pile of bloody fecal matter. It took my wife, last Thursday. Goddamn, I miss her. Miss her. Miss...her.

      Not sure what’s going on beyond my block. I was worried about it for a couple of days. Okay, I’m still worried about some of my friends, but most of them aren’t answering phones, now. Maybe they can’t. Before network news collapsed, the talking heads from the CDC estimated a 90% mortality rate. The odds of any of my old friends surviving diminish exponentially as long as I’m still breathing. After all, I represent the one out of some unfortunate ten.

      News of the epidemic first broke about three weeks ago. Seems like a million years ago, now. After the first week, I stopped worrying too much about the rest of the town. Had my hands full right here. My wife died at the end of the first week. It was quick, as I understand this particular bug. Not painless, but quick. High fever, evidence of abdominal bleeding, followed by cardiac arrest. I guess if I need a reason to thank God for something, anything, it would a quick ending. Hey, in times like these, you claim victory anywhere you can find one, ya’ know?

      Couple of pricks tried to steal gas from our vehicles. A few others cut straight to the chase and tried to steal the trucks. After the fifth attempt, I lost patience. The guy is still lying where he fell. I figure a body in the driveway beats a sign in the yard any day.

      At least it wasn’t some kid. Actually, I knew the bastard. He lived over on the next street. His wife came looking for him yesterday. Think her name is Barbara. When she found him, Barbara never said a word. She just kicked him in the head...twice...turned, and walked away. Funny, she didn’t walk back toward her house. She just took off down the street. Never saw her again.

      I’m looking at the corpse as I type. I didn’t feel anything. No anger, no resentment, no fear.

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