Apocalypse: The Savior with System

43 Disease Control

“We don’t know if all of them are infected. It is not unheard of for families to want to stay together and even with just one person infected, the government assumes everyone in the same household is also infected and ships them off to treatment facilities.”

Judith was speaking not just to Paul but to the rest of the team sans Quinn. Immediately after the last human train passenger had been secured, the female assassin had promptly disappeared to her lair within one of the buildings, which was the best idea for everyone.

All the passengers—four-hundred seventy-two men, women, elderly, pregnant, disabled, and children—were herded into one empty building in the meantime, which gave them privacy to discuss what to do next…and kept them out of Quinn’s way.

“I’m assuming we don’t have the necessary equipment to determine that,” Paul stated grimly.

Eric shook his head, having successfully inventoried the sick bay’s contents during Judith’s period of convalescence. “The arsenal’s sick bay was built and prepared for trauma cases, as is expected. It’s not for the usual medical issues. I’ve begun checking on the public database but I don’t know how updated they are. At this moment, given the proximity of each sufferer to others who are not in those cramped train cars, it’s safe to assume they’re all infected already.”

Andie whimpered. “Obviously we can’t send them away. Some of them are really sick and should be in a treatment facility. And then there are the pregnant women and the kids…”

“You told me you’ve built a car before, right?” Eric asked Paul, hopeful. “I mean, you can build a train, too, right?”

Paul shook his head. “I can build maybe a train car for weeks…and then there’s the railroad track, which will need to be repaired. More than that, we don’t know what else could happen to them once they’re out of here.”

“Should you be responsible for that, too, Paul?” Rahu asked a few feet away.

Rahu’s question threw him off-guard and made Paul think deeply about his motivation and intentions towards those people they rescued.

In answer, he said, “They’re just like you and me, Rahu. Had we been less physically able and knowledgeable about protecting ourselves, we would’ve been grateful for any sustainable help we could get. They need medical attention and care but you’re all also correct that it’s quite impossible at the moment.”

“Not impossible, no,” Judith suddenly spoke up. All eyes turned to her.

She trained her gaze towards Paul. “Building a train that can just as easily be attacked again is not cost effective. And you will use up too much energy for that, Paul. Instead of taking them out, we can keep them here in a hospital.”

Paul didn’t know if blood loss and weakness had somehow done something to Judith’s usually astute mind. “The sick bay can only hold ten people at a time.”

Judith uncharacteristically rolled her eyes. “I know that. I meant instead of building a train, build a hospital. There’s a really large block that’s missing a building right now, thanks to you.”

As if a light bulb suddenly lit up in his head, Paul exclaimed, “That’s it! Of course! I can do that!”

“But how do we test them?” Eric prodded. “Unless you can also build huge amounts of centrifuges, syringes, and other stuff.”

“He doesn’t have to,” Judith said. “There’s a new method developed back when I was with Pearse-Sachly to cross-refer serum samples with known UCL-infected controls. As we don’t have the original controls, I will have to use a sample from both Rahu and Paul. Rahu’s, because he’s more in an advanced state and Paul’s, whose blood still contains the unmutated UCL viral type.”

She seemed to have something more to say so they all waited.

“But for me to do that, I need to replicate their samples,” she continued in a low voice. “I have to make more of the virus.”

“What?!” Paul and Eric exclaimed. Rahu grunted. Andie and Eli glanced at each other in confusion.

But Judith plodded on. “For that, I need a lab for isolation and a separate one for the testing…and it needs to be in the same hospital building you’re going to create, Paul.”

“B-But what if an outbreak occurs…”

“Exactly why everything has to be housed in one building,” she told him firmly. “Design it as if you’re designing a Pearse-Sachly lab.” She turned her had to look directly at Rahu. “Nothing and no one escapes the building in an outbreak. And easier to destroy, too.”

“But if you’re in there—”

“Like I said, nothing and no one leaves,” she reiterated with a hard look.

Paul gave her a glum look and averted his gaze.

“I told you I have plans so don’t worry about me getting infected any time soon,” she said in a much light-hearted tone. “I will discuss with you and Rahu the specifics later. For now, it’s best to start thinking about how to feed all of those people and ourselves.”

For the remainder of the day, Paul, Judith, and Rahu discussed on what building a hospital would entail while Eric escorted Eli and Andie outside the arsenal to forage for food. Surprisingly, they found Quinn already there, guarding five large deer shot cleanly with arrows.

By nightfall, Judith, Andie, and Eli were helping each other out in the large mess hall, cooking with human-sized cauldrons full of food. Paul and Eric had gone to the temporary shelter to organize the people for dinner and found Quinn already doing that in an even and authority-filled voice that did not leave for dissent from anyone.

“I thought she wanted them to stay away from her,” Paul whispered as Quinn made everyone fall in line within groups.

Eric shrugged. “I told you about the deer earlier, didn’t I? Hard to read, that one.”

Two hours later, when everyone had finished their dinner, Judith gave Paul a nod, a signal for Paul to start speaking. He wasn’t much of a speech-giver but the task somehow fell to him.

“If I may have your attention, please!” he called out over the din of conversation. In a few moments, the mess hall was silent save for a few children playing and a handful of people muffling their coughing.

“Right,” he muttered to himself. He schooled his features into a neutral expression and stood at the center of the mess hall.

“My name is Paul Justinos and I’m part of this team holding the arsenal,” he introduced himself. He cleared his throat. “It’s quite a long story how we came to be in this place which the government should own—” He caught Rahu’s narrow-eyed stare “—suffice it to say you are all now under our protection.”

There was hushed sigh of relief from the crowd. “We know that a good number of you are identified as sufferers and infected and that there are also some of you who are not…or at least were not before the database was updated,” he continued. “As we cannot allow the infection to spread to everyone, we have to take measures to contain it.”

The sound of fearful whispering carried over to him and Paul raised his hands in the air to calm them down. “I assure you that we are not going to employ barbaric methods or any such things as you might have experienced from where you came from. But we must isolate the sick from those who are not, to protect our elderly, the pregnant, and the children.”

“But how will you know who’s really sick and who isn’t?” someone asked from the back.

“Are you going to separate families?” another asked.

“What about my child?! She’s positive and I’m not and I’m all her family left!”

With all these questions popping up, Paul looked to Judith for help. Andie pushed Judith’s chair beside Paul.

“Everyone! I’m Doctor Judith Merkel! If you please, let me explain.”

The crowd quieted down to look at her. Judith nodded to Paul. “I am a former Pearse-Sachly researcher but circumstances have forced me to leave. Despite that, I can guarantee you that the measures we will be imposing here will not be exactly the same as what you’ve experienced or led to believe. A hospital will be built on the premises, complete with a laboratory for those tests you need. We will do our best to address your medical needs without having to open the arsenal to outside forces. At this point in time, we have to do some independent actions here to prevent you going out and being attacked again.”

With the crowd much calmer, Paul spoke again. “Those who will test negative for the virus cannot stay in the hospital but will be provided living quarters. Those who will test positive will have to remain in the hospital and isolation decks. Family members can visit but cannot be allowed physical contact. I hope you will understand.”

“Until a vaccine and definite treatment is discovered, we will have to adhere to these measures,” Judith added.

“And those who don’t wish to be separated from their families?” a voice asked in a cold tone. All turned to see Quinn lounging at the entrance to the mess hall.

It was Rahu who answered just as coldly, “Then they will be asked—or made—to leave.”

Paul and Judith exchanged glances, each one knowing how difficult such a separation will be. Paul had lived it himself and now suffered the consequences of his actions back then.

With the giant having said those half-threatening words, none from the crowd of people said any more.