"Andy? Andy Jenkins wrote a book?"
"Several. He"s quite smart; get to know him and you"ll see." Chad walked to the door. "And Del, we are here for a while. He"s the only one you know. I"d really put forth the effort to make amends and get along. It"s for the best. You may need each other when the door to the facility opens."
"Yeah, he may be the only one I know down here, but when the door opens, I have my friends"
Chad nodded. "If this virus takes a worst case scenario route, which is possible, he may not only be the only person you know down here, but the only person you have left in the world. Think about it." Chad walked out.
Del moved to the door and closed it. "It can"t be that bad. It can"t," he said to himself. Then he grabbed the remote control and turned on the news. "I guess time will tell."
Time Stamp 1
Andy"s Journal
January 2nd
Despite the fact that I have been down here, New Years wasn"t much different for me. Except I think I drank a little more. These entries will go into my next book; I"m being optimistic about a world left above to read a book. Of course, no one really read my books when there wasn"t an epidemic.
For us down here, it was calm. There are only about 25 of us. I believe this facility was built for fifty or more. The recreation room is nice, but I keep mainly to myself. I make it a point to say h.e.l.lo to Del. I"m trying. We have a long time down here ahead of us. He doesn"t speak much to anyone either, but that isn"t a social thing, it"s more of him watching the news constantly. It"s always on in his room, plus he is constantly on the "net connecting, warning, getting the truth out.
It"s started. Some people right now are paying attention. New Year"s Day started off with a bang, literally. Half the world condemned our President for using a nuclear weapon on our own soil; the others more than just condemned, they threatened. He did what he had to do, and I felt bad watching him defend his actions.
People insist that Lincoln, Hartworth, and Mead weren"t really wiped out by a virus, but rather there was an attack or the US was weapons testing. Conspiracy theories gone mad. Weren"t they paying attention to what was happening in Los Angeles or Seattle, the scores of people not only getting sick, but also dying?
As of today, air travel has not been suspended. They use these heat scanners, because fever is a big first symptom. People with any cold symptoms are not permitted to board. Nevertheless, this is all going to contribute to an outbreak that will be far from controlled in a month"s time. I can"t see how it won"t. The symptoms. .h.i.t you in the snap of the fingers. On just one flight from LA to New York, a person can develop symptoms. It"s happened. They already quarantined a plane in Cleveland.
Dr. Walker told me the CDC estimates that only 8% of the population is getting the virus. Day eighteen of the virus since release in Hartworth and 8%. No one is worried about 8%; they should be. Eight percent of the United States" population is thirty million people. It has a kill rate of nearly 100%.
That means thirty million people don"t go to work or to school. Who is doing their jobs?
Last week it was less than 1% with the virus, this week 8%. Next week? Who knows?
When will people stop being dumb? When will they suspend air travel and do everything possible to stop this thing from spreading? Shut down schools, initiate a "necessary jobs only" rule. Keep people in their homes and allow this thing to burn out and infect as few as possible.
I"m afraid by the time these steps are taken, it will be too late.
However, I am not an expert.
Right now, like Del, I am just an observer.
He observes the television and I watch the countdown timer above the facility door.
I have 153 days remaining. I feel I"ll be here that entire time.
Time Stamp 2
Andy"s Journal
January 22nd
Ed is working extremely hard on the virus. He was discouraged again by no news from the former Soviet Union regarding the vaccine. They publically insisted the other day that Ebolapox was an invention of the United States, and they refuse to take credit for such a horrendously inhumane virus.
Well, someone created it, and someone has the vaccine.
I think Ed is working hard for his family. He called them frantically today because the workers that went to Hartworth with him are now sick. Those people worked with him daily. His family is fine; he wants to keep them that way. His goal is to bring them a vaccine when the seal opens up. I understand that.
A woman named Martha has vowed to doc.u.ment her illness every single hour and work until she cannot work anymore. She won"t work for long.
Del said the virus is still not always headline news, and other things take precedence. How ridiculous. North Korea, South Korea, who cares. It will be moot if this virus takes hold.
Dr. Walker, or Chad, seems optimistic. He says it is nearing being contained despite air travel continuing.
Day 38 of the virus 16% of population infected. No Cure. Kill rate 99.9% 133 days remain inside the facility.
Time Stamp 3
Andy"s Journal
January 27th
I do and I don"t understand humanity. On one hand, I get why people fight for survival; on the other, I don"t get why they don"t fight, instead, to stay alive as a whole. Who wants to destroy someone over a gallon of water, when you can easily save both of you by sharing?
Del was upset when a huge riot broke out in Los Angeles. He heard about it first from his publicist who hadn"t left his house in days. He had stocked up and planned to wait it out.
With typical Del neuroticism and obsession, he put on the news, but nothing was there for at least an hour after Del received the phone call. His publicist, Max, told Del that the southern part of the city was in flames. Martial law was inst.i.tuted, and no one was to go out.
Yet on the news, they seemed to focus on that one area. Looting, fighting. I swore I saw the same footage years ago. I swore it, but who knows.
Who in the heck fights over televisions? Why are they out fighting over technology? What do rioting and looting prove? Why turn over police cars and attack people?
The enemy is a virus, not each other.
The incident in Los Angeles prompted the President to take action.
By midnight, the entire continental United States will be under martial law.
Thank G.o.d. Maybe with control of people will come control of the virus.
Day 43 of the virus 19% of the population infected.
128 days to go.
Time Stamp 4
Andy"s Journal
January 29th
This was an insane day, and probably the most I ever watched the news as much as Del. Because I spend so much time with Del, I understand why he lost so much weight. He wasn"t all that big to begin with, but he barely eats; when he"s not watching the television he"s on a conspiracy site.
We"re talking more; today really brought that out.
He actually came into my room and woke me. Scared the h.e.l.l out of me. Told me I had to get up, that there was an emergency meeting of the UN counsel.
The UN pulled all of its delegates out of the United States. Now, really, was that smart? Let"s take a bunch of people in the US, a place where every single state now has at least one case of the sickness, and let"s send these people back to their countries.
The ever-threatening France, and I say that with sarcasm, gave a harsh warning, along with Russia, for the United States to control their outbreak or they will.
What the heck is that supposed to mean? Really. If the information is correct, Dr. Paltrov came from Russia and so did the germ.
Come on, people instead of fighting, cure this thing.
Day 45 of the virus hanging tight at 19% infected.
126 days to go until freedom.
Time Stamp 5
Andy"s Journal
February 3rd