Islands - The Epidemic: An Airborne Ebola Disaster Read online

  She looked at her husband, alarmed. “What should we do?”

  John stepped up to the door and looked for a way to activate it, but it was obviously controlled from another location and he could find no way to open it.

  “We’ll go around. We’ll have to go through Aquarius and get to Neptune from the other side.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Isabelle gasped,as their pace quickened further to almost a run. “This is my fault.”

  “I was led to believe there was no hurry,” John panted, “things must have moved on a bit quicker than they originally thought. They surely know everyone isn’t inside, but they must have had no option other than to lock down Neptune.”

  “It’s open!” Isabelle squealed when they spotted the tunnel leading to Aquarius, her voice shrill with relief.

  They hurried through to the far end. Their gasps and footfalls, echoing off the walls, masked the numbers in the passage until they rounded a bend and nearly ran into three engineers.

  “Bob.” John stopped in front of Bobby Henderson, the chief engineer. “Can we still get into Neptune?”

  “No, they’ve had to lock it down.”

  “That sub’s been picked up on sonar,” Liam Andrews, the Power Station Manager, added. “It should be here any minute.”

  “We’ve just locked down Aquarius,” Pip Ho, Chief Maintenance Engineer confirmed, “so if he does dock he can get no further.”

  “Surely he knows he can’t land?” Isabelle said.

  Pip shrugged. “Who’s to say? He’s most likely delirious. I doubt he’s thinking straight.”

  “So where should we go?” Isabelle asked.

  “To be honest,” Liam said, “we’re probably best off here.”

  Isabelle looked around, her eyes widening. “Here?” She was not convinced. She never liked the tunnels at the best of times because they were transparent, and now questioned whether this small circular segment could possibly be safer than the massive bulbous sections. “I would have thought the domes were made of a denser material.”

  “Actually no,” Bobby informed, “they’re all made in exactly the same way. Just because the tunnels are transparent doesn’t mean they’re thinner.”

  “If he were to crash, he’s more likely to hit one of the domes than these little sectors,” Pip explained.

  Isabelle lowered herself to sit on the floor, suddenly feeling very tired. “Are the children safe?” she asked.

  “Yes,” Bobby replied, “as far as I know everyone but us is inside Neptune. It was decided at the last minute to completely lock off Aquarius; that way we may only need to sacrifice one dome, so we volunteered to come back and shut this tunnel down.”

  Suddenly Pip swept her eyes from left to right across the roof of the tunnel. “What was that?” She pointed into the darkness.

  The group stared intensely, searching for movement.

  “What did you see?” John asked.

  “A large shadow.” She craned her head back and looked directly up.

  “Maybe it was a whale,” Bobby suggested.

  “No. It was the wrong shape.”

  Liam moved to the side of the tunnel and peered through the plastic when he spotted a faint glow to the left of Tundra. “He’s here.”

  “His power’s nearly out,” Pip said as the light drew closer, but still remained dim.

  Isabelle stood but stayed where she was, at the farthest point she could get at that moment from the approaching vessel. “He’s coming this way.”

  The pilot’s compartment, at the front of the sub and made of thick pressure resistant glass, was blacked out to save energy. However, as the vehicle advanced, the light from the domes illuminated the cockpit, allowing the group a brief glimpse of the occupant inside.

  He seemed to be having difficulty seeing, as he was leaning forward close to the glass. His ashen face, ghostly in the upward light, was made even more ghastly by the crimson trails, black in the soft glow, running from his eyes and down the front of his cheeks. A nose bleed left a wide dark channel of blood that stained his mouth and ran down to his chin, where it dripped onto his clothing. The vehicle swept overhead then disappeared into the darkness, before appearing again for a moment as it swung around and passed behind Neptune.

  “He’s looking for a way in,” John said.

  “The other ports have been blocked with subs,” Bobby informed, “but the port at Aquarius was too big to block off. If he finds a way in there, we’ll have to lose that dome, but at least he can’t get any further.”

  The group stood searching in silence for the sub for a few minutes before the faint glow appeared again, this time passing immediately overhead and following the line of the tunnel.

  “If he stays on that path,” Pip said, grimly, “there’s a chance he’ll see the port.” Then, “Oh, no,” she groaned, “he’s found it,” when she saw the vessel sweep left in a downward trajectory and then begin an approach to the dome.

  Suddenly, the rest of the group rushed back to the far side of the tunnel when a powerful beam illuminated the seabed. Briefly, it lit up the side of Pisces so brightly that the shadows of structures could be seen inside; then, as it passed them by, they gaped at the rest of the craft.

  The mini-sub, dwarfed by the nuclear vessel, was lifted in an upward current as the war ship moved beneath its position and disrupted its course. As it drifted further from the Domes, the larger sub swung around and slowed before driving head on into the small vehicle. The submersible tumbled, rolling across the nuclear vessel before floating away from the route leading into the port. Again the nuclear sub spun back, but this time moved closer to Aquarius and blocked the entrance to prevent a landing.

  Liam pointed. “Look!”

  As the propellers stopped rotating and the nuclear vessel went silent, a hatch opened near the turret and two small shapes, each with their own propulsion vehicles, appeared in the water.

  The mini-sub by then was returning for another attempt, but the divers, faster and more manoeuvrable, headed him off. The sound of metal clashing against metal could be heard through the water as they engaged with his vessel and forced him away from the Domes.

  After the struggle drifted from sight, Isabelle broke the silence that had descended upon the tunnel. “What the hell is going on?”

  Liam brought them up to date. “A nuclear sub, which has been below water since before the epidemic, was going to dock with us. It was these communications that allowed the guy on the oilrig to locate the Domes. Professor Cramb asked the submarine Captain to get here quicker in case they were needed.”

  Bobby jumped when his radio crackled to life. “Bobby, this is William. You can unlock Aquarius; the mini-sub is no longer a threat. The divers are on their way back and Captain Pendell said the rigger has died. Can you help them to dock please?”

  “Yes. I’m on it.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Edinburgh, East Scotland

  “Is anyone ill?” William asked when he contacted Joseph later that evening.

  “Not so far. We’re taking every precaution but, if it’s truly an airborne Ebola then, unless it’s become inactive, I fear the worst. Can you tell the Donnohews, Jacksons, and Tanya we found no one alive at the addresses we were given?”

  “Yes.”

  “We did find one survivor though.”

  “Oh...?” William’s tone perked up.

  “Max’s dog Seb. It was, at least, a partial family reunion, sadly soured by the fact that his brother was dead.”

  “That’s consistent with Ebola. The contact virus has been reported to be transmitted via fruit bats, but then enters the human population through encounters with pigs, or ill or dead gorillas, chimpanzees and antelopes. There are no documented cases of wild dogs or hyenas ever being infected.”

  “It was a distressing situation because Sean obviously knew he was dying. He’d left out as much food as he could to make sure Seb would be safe for as long as possible. We should reach the cottage
just outside of Kendal tomorrow. We used to go there when Hilary was a child; Hannah and I are praying we’ll find her and Beverly alive there. If we don’t find them, we’ll move on to her house in Leeds.”

  “The nuclear sub landed a couple of hours ago,” William informed him.

  “What happened to the man on the oil rig?”

  “Captain Pendell said he died as two divers were forcing him away from the Domes. They communicated with him sub-to-sub using extremely low frequency, but he was completely delirious and was barely making sense. They’d managed to move him about half a mile and were trying to persuade him to go to the shore when suddenly he started to vomit violently. The divers could see him through the front glass. He began to haemorrhage and then lost consciousness. They gave the sub, which was low on power at this stage, one last shove away in the opposite direction of the Domes and continued to try to communicate with him, but no further contact was made. Since then, we’ve lost it on sonar and can only presume it’s being washed out into deeper waters. After Andrew and his crew landed, he suggested you might want to make your way to Kershope Forest in Cumbria. There’s a top secret military base located about ten miles from Sleetbeck. Make your way to the village then follow the B6318 until you see a sign for Bartle’s Burn. There’s a left hand turn soon after the sign that leads to a private road. Follow the track for about two miles and you’ll come across the facility. They have bio-filters and locked down the site once they realised they had a problem. Since then, they’ve been working on a cure and – as long as they didn’t seal the building too late – they might be your best hope.”

  “Okay. We’ll tell you how it goes. Joseph out.”

  They had stopped in The Castle Hill Hotel in Edinburgh city centre for the night. The reception and restaurant were empty, but they found dead bodies in the first three bedrooms they entered. The fourth room was clear and, within the next five rooms, they found enough vacant beds for the entire team.

  “Seb’s never stayed in a hotel before,” Max said, as he followed Susan into the kitchen to look for something to eat. “Never mind one so posh.”

  The dog leapt up to have his ears ruffled at the mention of his name.

  Susan made her way down a line of cupboards. She opened each one, peered inside briefly, then moved on to the next. “There’s nothing here,” she said, a short while later. When she ran out of units, she turned to face a cluster of fridges and freezers and opened the lid on the first. “Wow,” she said, in delight, “we’ve hit the jackpot!”

  “What?” Max pushed the dog gently down then came over to check it out.

  A moment later they heard laughter from behind.

  “You two having fun?” Hannah asked when she entered the kitchen to find the pair with their heads inside a chest freezer.

  Max looked up and beamed. “Do you like steak?” He held up a large T-bone for Hannah to see.

  “I’m rather partial to lamb,” she replied.

  “We have that too,” Susan informed, her voice muffled by the unit. “This is nothing like my freezer. You can’t find anything in there. The food at the bottom has probably been in it for well over a year.” She stood and stepped away from the cabinet, visibly overcome.

  Hannah rushed over. “What’s wrong?”

  Susan paused, briefly unable to speak. She took a deep breath. “My freezer would have been the first job my mum would have done the moment I was gone.”

  Hannah gave her a hug. As they parted she asked, “You all right?”

  Susan nodded. “Thank you.” She turned to Max. “Right,” she said briskly. “Let’s get those meals sorted.”

  Hannah turned and started from the kitchen. “I’ll find out what Joseph and Judith want.”

  ****

  Judith strode into the dining room. “That’s the last of the luggage moved inside,” she said to Susan, then stopped and inhaled, “And just in time, that smells wonderful.” She crossed to stand beside the young woman. “Wow! This is nice.”

  “I know,” Susan said, as she put the finishing touches to the table. “It’s just a pity we don’t have any flowers.” She lit the candles and stepped back to admire the setting.

  The flames, reflecting off the glasses, made the crystal glisten as though they were dotted with orange jewels.

  “I could get used to this,” Susan said. Briefly, she struggled with a bottle of wine, then finally extracted the cork with a loud pop and moved around the table filling the glasses.

  “Yes, until the power goes off,” Judith warned.

  The bottle empty, Susan started to open another. “How long do you think that’ll take?”

  Judith shrugged. “Could be weeks, could be months. One area might still have power while another area loses theirs. It depends on the stations.”

  The women looked around when a door swung open.

  Judith pointed as Max entered the dining room with Seb. “Have you had that dog in the kitchen?”

  “Yes,” Max challenged.

  “If Health and Safety knew, they’d shut us down.”

  He stopped and placed a bowl on the ground. “A bit of dog hair never hurt anyone.”

  Judith’s eyes widened and she crossed the room to inspect the dish. “Steak!” She looked at Max, exasperated. “How come he gets fed first?”

  “Because if he doesn’t, he’ll sit and drool whilst we eat. If we feed him now, he’ll go to sleep.”

  “Okay, you win.” She spun around and returned to the table. “It sounds good to me.”

  Max disappeared into the kitchen and was soon back, dishes in hand, with Hannah close behind. While they were placing the food on the table Joseph arrived and sat between Judith and his wife.

  “If we’re the only ones left and we’re safe from the virus, where should we settle?” Susan asked later, over dessert.

  “I always liked Wales,” Joseph said. “The landscape is fantastic, you’re protected by the hills and you’re near the sea.”

  “Well how about Scotland?” Susan suggested. “You have the same as with Wales – the hills, the sea – and we’ll also have the sub. We could pick it up and go to one of the islands.”

  “It’s too cold so far North,” Judith said, “but that’s a good idea about the sub.”

  “I like the cold,” Susan protested.

  “I don’t mind it as long as it doesn’t get freezing cold, but we might be restricted as far as growing crops is concerned.”

  Joseph raised his brows. “You’re thinking ahead.”

  “Gotta be prepared.”

  “We don’t have to stay in one spot,” Max suggested. “We could be nomadic. In fact we don’t have to stay in the UK. If we’re going to pick up the sub, we could go to Norway, Belgium, France, etcetera.”

  The others nodded their approval.

  “I like that idea,” Judith said, “it would give us more scope, but would also add a different virus into our lives.”

  The rest looked puzzled.

  “I know technically we’re not considered to be Rabies free any more, but at least it isn’t in the large mammals, like it is in mainland Europe.”

  Max laughed. “You’re a virologist to the core, aren’t you?”

  Judith shrugged. She scooped the last of her dessert from the bottom of the dish and revelled in its sweetness. “You need to think of these things.”

  “What should we do if everyone isn’t dead?” Hannah asked, cautiously.

  “What do you mean? That would be great,” Susan said, brightly.

  “Do you think we can trust other people?”

  This confused the young woman. “Of course. The more the better.”

  “Don’t you think society may revert back to a time when it was everyone for themselves? This is why Joseph and I wanted to return in the first place, in case our daughter and granddaughter were having to fight for their lives.”

  Susan thought a moment. “I see what you mean.” She looked around the table, her eyes tinged with fear. “Do yo
u think we should get weapons?”

  Max pursed his lips. “Might not do any harm. It’s a bit late to decide we should have picked up some guns when we’re being attacked.”

  Judith shook her head. “I think carrying guns might invite trouble.”

  “I’m not talking about a whole artillery – one gun, just in case.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “I’m not keen.”

  “I’m with Max,” Joseph said, adding his support, “I don’t think one gun would do any harm.”

  “Well, whatever. I’ve said what I think.” Judith stood. “I don’t know about you lot, but I’m beat.” She yawned and started to clear the table. “Let’s get this lot away and then I’m off to bed.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Edinburgh, East Scotland

  “Morning.” Max bent down and picked up two of the bags from the floor in reception. “Sleep well?”

  “Yes.” Judith looked uncomfortably at the gun slung across his back. “Joseph told me where you were off to, first thing. I have to say,” she said, guardedly, “I’m not entirely happy.”

  Max returned the bags to the floor and stood to face the virologist. “Joseph and I thought it wouldn’t do any harm. One gun, just in case.”

  “Do you know how to use it?”

  “Yes. I grew up in a family of hunters.” He lifted the rifle off his shoulder and held it sideways for her to see.

  She took a slight step back, then crossed her arms in a protective manner.

  “The safety is on,” Max explained, pointing to the catch, “it’s unarmed and will stay that way, unless we need it.”

  She looked at the weapon for a moment, her eyes running its length, before: “Okay,” she relented, “but please be careful.”

  He picked up the bags again. “Come on let’s get sorted. We need to get on the way so that we can call into the army facility and then check out the cabin for Joseph and Hannah before dark.”

  Sleetbeck, Cumbria

  Several hours later, “This must be Sleetbeck,” Joseph said, as trees and shrubs suddenly gave way to houses and gardens.