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The Plague Part 1 by monitor101
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The Plague Part 1
Date: 19 September 2003, 10:58 PM
(The Virus was a master disease that plunged Sergeant Kurt Holmes and his men into a pit of death and betrayal at every turn. That is only the start of what is about to happen. But every story must have a beginning. This is the story of the start of the virus. This tells of the events of ONIs new Biological Weapons Division and how they genetically altered a virus and bacteria to create the ultimate killer. How a young Grunt named Nosliw fresh out of training, witnessed the first encounter of the Plague. How an accident shuts the entire project out. This is that first encounter twenty years before the events of the Virus)
(New Bisson 2, New Bisson system, Deforma river valley, 0300 PM, top secret ONI installation C23, year 2532)
A blanket of dark clouds hung over the Deforma river valley. A man in a thick parka looked up at the sheet of clouds that covered the landscape. The young man turned around and pulled a cigarette from his mouth and exhaled a cloud of smoke. The man was young in his early twenties. He had a thick mat of dark hair and a smooth face. His face always had a serious look to it.
"Hey Web you have a meeting with the brass in the tank Hood sent me up to tell you," a Dr. Brooks said.
Dr. Webber turned around and took one last puff of his cigarette. He threw into the grass and walked away to a hidden doorway. He and Brooks entered the top secret ONI building that went 25 floors underground. They walked along the main walkway in the first floor to an elevator. Webber pressed a button marked 16 and the doors closed.
"So have they started without me?" Webber asked.
"Yah Hood is on the line with them as we speak," Brooks said.
"So have they setup a deadline for the battle?" Webber turned to face him.
"Yah tomorrow that gives us little time to finish up," Brooks said.
"Ah shit!" Webber blurted. He banged his head against the elevator wall when it came to a stop and the doors opened up.
They exited the elevator and walked through a maze of corridors until they came to a set of double doors. One of the doors was marked: HANDPRINT AND RETINA SCAN REQUIRED AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY.
Brooks and Webber each put their hand s on the handprint scanner and set their eyes in the retina scanner. In a millisecond the C23 installation's AI quickly identified them as authorized personnel and the double doors opened. They both walked in to see LT. Colonel Paul Hood director of ONI's Biological Weapons Division and overseer of the making of the Deforma virus.
Hood stood in front of five large TV screens; the screens were video and audio links to high ranking commanders and other important figures in the UNSC.
"Dr. Brooks Dr. Webber glad you could join us please take a seat. They both nodded and took a seat. The "Tank" was a small black room that Hood and other men used to communicate with the brass that were light years away in places like Reach and Earth.
"So now can we get to business how are you progressing?" Vice Admiral Preston Cole asked from one of the view screens.
"We are coming along very well Dr. Webber here can give you the lowdown on the virus and its progression," Hood said.
"The virus is coming along well as Director Hood said. We have yet to correct a few flaws in the combining of the bacteria and Ebola," Webber explained.
"Yes well can you tell me how you're going to make this super virus again?" LT Ackerson asked. LT Ackerson was a man who was fresh out of the Academy and already had an impressive CSV. He had enlisted for ONI black ops and this was one of his assignments to oversee the making of Ebola X.
"Yes LT I can we plan to take the Ebola Virus and a flesh melting bacteria from around these parts called Deforma bacterium, and combine their genetic code to make them as one. If we succeed then this will be a very deadly disease that could end the war in a second."
"I see and when do you plan on doing this?" Ackerson asked.
"We already have combined them several times but failed to succeed the code would not go together if the genes mix then and only then can the it be a virus and actually kill."
"Yes thank you Dr. Webber now Colonel Hood as of 01100 AM hours tomorrow we will set up a battle with the Covenant right on New Bisson 2 right by C23 and we will call back at 0900 hours AM to see if you have made the virus yet. This battle will be a test run for you guys to see if this little lab experiment works and if you don't meet the deadline or if the virus doesn't work then we're pulling your funding." General James West said.
"Yes sir we will have it done," Hood said.
"Now if you'll excuse us gentlemen we have a lot of work to do," Hood said.
"Good luck," Preston said and his image snapped off the screen as well did the others.
"Sir we can't do it in under 24 hours we still need time to prep the virus go through millions of strands of genetic code do-" Webber was cut off by Hood.
"I know I know but you heard the general if you can't do it then they'll pull funding and this whole project is scrapped so I suggest you get to it if you don't want millions of dollars to be spent on nothing and all that you've worked for to be in vain," Hood said and left the tank.
"Ah shit," Webber rubbed his eyes.
"What's wrong?" Brooks knew that that was always a sign that said something was wrong.
"Its gonna be a long ass night that's what lets grab some coffee and get to work," Webber said a he stepped out of the tank.
Thirty minutes later they were on level 12 with a coffee buzz and a load of equipment. Both men stood in a level-4 biohazard laboratory. Inside a HEPA (high-efficiency particle-arrestor suit) suit of better known as the "space suit", Webber followed by Brooks walked over to a massive bulky looking Electron microscope. Webber took a seat on a stool that was screwed into the ground, and set down a tray of pencil like tools. Brooks carried a metal case that on the top read: WARNING BIOHAZARD LEVEL 4 HANDLE WITH EXTREME CARE. Brooks took out a card and inserted it into a slot in the case. With a hiss the top of the case opened to reveal a cooler. Brooks with the most extreme care took of the top of the cooler and inside was a small Petri dish. He took out the dish and set it on a slot that came out of the microscope. Webber activated the microscope and it came alive. A screen in front of Webber snapped alive. He pressed a button and the slot with the dish on it rotated on a rotating platform over to Webber. Webber zoomed in with the microscope until he could see the separated microscopic particles of the Deforma bacterium and the Ebola particle.
"Give me the virus's genetic code and the bacterium's and put them into the computer," Webber said as he took out two little tools and activated them. Unseen to the human eye small laser magnets activated as well as cutting lasers.
Brooks aimed a Felix gene scanner that was connected to the computer and he aimed it the dish. Data began to scroll down the screen.
tagggaaatttcaggggaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaccccccccggggggggg
ttttttttttccccccccccccccaaaaaaaaatttttttggggggggggggggccc
cccccccccccccccccccctttttttttttttttttttttttaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
aaaaaagggggggggggggggggcccccccccccccccccccccccccccttttttt
This was Ebola's and Deforma's genetic code mixed together. The a, t, c, and g stood for adenine, thymine, cytosine, and gunine-nucliec acids. The human DNA consists if about three billion bases of DNA a typical virus in the real world would consist of 7,000 bases the super virus's consisted of 500,000 but Brooks estimated that if they succeeded in genetically engineering the virus then it would consist of about 3,000,000 DNA bases. Brooks was amazed. He downloaded the information from his screen to Webber's screen.
Webber was about to perform micro surgery (A type of surgery where they are able to cut open cells and other microscopic organisms, a surgery that exists today). Webber took the magnet laser and the cutting laser and stuck them over the dish. Looking at the zoomed in display of the two microorganisms on his computer screen he slowly charted the genetic codes and matched the right ones.
"Okay now T to A easy easy G to C watch it T to G there you go no no no stop T to C not G there you go," Brooks instructed as Webber preformed the surgery.
Two hours later they had mixed the proper genes and Webber who had to hold the tools and with a light touch delicately combine the genes. He leaned back and watched as Brooks poured a vial of blood into the dish. The newly constructed virus immediately attacked the living cells and spread. Webber leaned back and took a deep breath. His hands had cramped up and it was hard to stretch them out.
"Well done we did it finally. Now we need to get some hosts so the virus doesn't die," Brooks said.
"Get some expendable soldiers down here and infect them we need to get this virus into bio- aerosol form for tomorrow. I'm going to go through decontamination and get a smoke and some coffee," Webber said as he got up and left for the exit.
He went through the decontamination process and put some clothes on in a locker room. He went for the elevator and went up to the cafeteria. He sat down with a hot cup of coffee and a cigarette. After smoking it to nothing and downing his coffee he went back down to level 12.
He came to an observation room. Standing next to him was Brooks. In the next air tight room was two soldiers who had been called down to this level they had no idea where they were.
"Did you get into an aerosol form?" Webber asked.
"Yep," Brooks said. They both watched through one of those windows where they could see through it but the people in the next room couldn't.
Webber watched as the men lounged around when a vapor like mist filled the room via air vents. The two soldiers first experienced nothing but when exposed to large amounts of the virus they both began to grab for their throats. One of them began coughing and he vomited until their was nothing left in his stomach and he began to vomit up his own entrails and internal organs. The other's skin began to melt and bubble and the screamed that it was too hot. They both fell to the ground and went into cardiac arrest they convulsed on the ground then thrashed for a second as the virus attacked their brains then they lay still. Their bodies still melted into a pool of melted flesh and blood. The pools then began to evaporate.
"Tomorrow we test on the Covenant with the brass watching then they lift the funding as well as legalize this whole project and pretty soon they will be handing out vials of this shit out to Marines as standard issue virus," Webber smiled. This was one hell of a weapon that could end the war in a second indeed.
To Be Continued...
The Plague Part 2
Date: 25 September 2003, 11:38 PM
(New Bisson 2, New Bisson system, Deforma river valley, 1100 hours AM, 2 miles west of secret ONI installation C23)
The cloudy day was exceptionally calm on New Bisson two, except for the patrol of thirteen Covenant who walked along an open expanse surrounded by thick trees. One of the Covenant was a small Grunt who walked next to the commanding Grunt.
Nosliw was a young Grunt who was fresh out of combat training. This was his first mission by the brass. He was having trouble trying to bog down the excitement and fear building up inside of him. He walked along behind Ragaw the commanding Grunt. Nosliw looked up to the 12 unit veteran who had survived several encounters with the humans and had been fighting them since the war began.
"Commander Ragaw what are the chances of us encountering humans?" Nosliw whispered not to attract the attention of the seven Elites who headed up the group.
"Don't worry if we come across any humans which is highly unlikely, then let the Elites handle the battle but still open fire, it took me 12 units and hundreds dead Grunts too learn that," Ragaw whispered back.
The head Elite named 'Pitoramee heard the little Grunts whispering to one another and he whirled around. "Grunts silences do not talk, what if the enemy heard you then we would all be dead," 'Pitoramee said almost at a shout.
"Excellency sorry for any inconvenience I will see to it that none of these Grunts says another word," Ragaw said.
"Another lesson I have learned is not to upset your superiors keep that one in mind," Ragaw fought off a laugh.
Nosliw looked up at the surrounding mountain chains and the thick trees that loomed around them. He was looked at his watch; they were 12 units into the mission. He sighed this was very boring he always thought through his basic training that his first mission would be a memorable one but he guessed not. Soon he would be proven wrong.
As he was walking in the back of the group a human projectile snapped past him. Nosliw ducked and hit the ground. More projectiles shot past but none hit any of them. Nosliw looked ahead to see 'Pitoramee and five others shooting into the woods surrounding them. Nosliw saw Ragaw urging a young Grunt to open fire. Nosliw stood up and fired off two plasma bolts into the forest. Suddenly a human grenade hit 'Pitoramee in the back and landed behind him.
Nosliw got dropped his plasma pistol and ran for the woods. He heard 'Pitoramee yell "Take cover" but no explosion. Instead he heard a hissing sound. He spun around to see a type of mist that looked like vapor, spray out of the grenade. Suddenly Ragaw began to choke and he clutched his throat. 'Pitoramee made a loud gurgling sound and screamed something about the heat. All of the 12 Covenant were enveloped in the mist and they were flung to the ground clutching their throats. Nosliw didn't stop to see what happened next he took off running to an awaiting dropship.
Webber sat in a thick green gillie suit, looking through binoculars at the group of 12 Covenant all flung to the ground melting. He smiled at the thought of the potential the virus had. The UNSC brass would want their hands on it the moment they saw it.
"Good job men did you get that on tape Brooks?" Webber asked.
"Yah we taped it," Brooks replied.
"Good lets head back to C23," Webber said as he got up. The five ONI men got up and walked 500 yards out of the trees to two concealed Warthogs. They hopped into them and drove back to C23.
Overhead a Banshee screamed over the area where the Covenant had become victims of the Plague. The Banshee was equipped with video recorders. Its pilot saw the bodies and swooped in low to have a closer look. The Banshee shot overhead past the bodies. Little did the pilot know that what it had just recorded would change everything and very soon.
Webber stood in front of the images of the five top members of the UNSC. Standing next to him were Hood and Brooks. They had already shown the video recording and the pictures of the virus attacking the Covenant.
"Very interesting doctors, you've made one hell of a monster," Vice Admiral Cole commented.
"Thank you sir," Hood said.
"Yah this is quit impressive work you men did and for that I congratulate you. But now your asking us Colonel Hood, to legalize this and consult the Congressional Committee to grant ONI permission to run black ops to use this on the battle field. Hell you say you have ideas to but this into missiles and launch them at Covenant ships," General West said.
"Yes sir you can't imagine the potential of this it is unlike anything we've ever come across," Webber said.
"Yah yah I know what it could do but we would be breaking five UNSC policies. One do you remember you high school history lesson on the UN Biological Weapons Agreement Conference, stating clearly that all Biological research, development, and use is strictly forbidden. I will not bring this subject up at my next meeting with Congress nor will I bring it up at my meeting with the UNSC Security Council. That idea is completely absurd and stupid flat out stupid. This is a weapon of vast potential but imagine when we would use on the Covenant it would still be there and you don't have a cure," West said.
"But sir the virus still being there would not be a problem after they drop the virus on the Covenant they would drop napalm bombs to incinerate it," Webber argued.
"But you don't have a cure and what about are own troops and what if the Covenant came across this?" West said.
"The chances of the Covenant coming across it and using it on our own forces are highly unlikely. You could issue out HEPA suits," Webber said.
"No this whole project is illegal and that little test you pulled with the Covenant just made me break two policies now I'm a fugitive, if my superiors found out that I allowed this project to be carried out they would throw my ass into a brig before you could even blink and The ONI Biological Weapons Division would be shut down and most of ONI's black ops would be trashed, your asses would be court marshaled," West blurted.
"But Gen-"
"No that is my finale decision this project remains under wraps for the time being West out," the picture of West snapped off as well did the others.
Webber turned around and left the tank.
To Be Continued...
The Plague Part 3 (Finale)
Date: 7 October 2003, 10:53 PM
(New Bisson 2. New Bisson system, ONI facility C23, Deforma river valley, 0400 hours AM)
A faint sound blared in the back ground somewhere. Webber awoke for a quick second and fell back into sleep but the sound continued. He guessed it was a drill; suddenly a knocking woke him up and the door to Webber's quarters burst open. A tech officer stood in the door way.
"Dr. Webber there's been a breach in the level 4 lab," the Tech said.
"Damn it," Webber grunted as he got out of his bed.
Five minutes later Webber, the Tech, and staging area supervisor Will Harding were standing in the staging area/control room of the level 4 biological laboratory. Webber saw what was happening.
Dr. Brooks, Dr. Sarah Peterson, and Dr. Jim Hatchet were in HEPA suits doing an autopsy on an infected Monkey, when all of a sudden Hatchet had accidentally cut himself with a knife that was covered with infected Monkey blood.
"Harding have you vented the atmosphere?" Webber asked.
"Yah I followed all the containment procedures, Dr. Hatchet has begun to crash. I sprayed the entire lab down with bleach from the overhead sprinklers and vented out the atmosphere and I sprayed it down with water. But Hatchet is going into the final effects of the infection, Brooks and Peterson have been tying to slow down the viruses progress by pumping Hatchet full of morphine, and some other shit and putting him on an IV drip," Harding said.
"Brooks you have to isolate Hatchet and make sure you or Peterson get infected," Webber said as he keyed the intercom.
"Web you better get us out of here quick, Jim is going nuts he could try and kill us, oh shit hold him down Sarah," Brooks said through the intercom link.
"Wait what the hell does he mean by nuts?" the Tech asked.
"The virus can cause its victim a serious case of insomnia," Webber said and he ran out of the control room. He went over to his personnel quarters and snatched his M6D pistol.
Brooks held Hatchet by the neck. He knew that Hatchet would soon go insane and try to kill both him and Peterson. He looked through the big view window at Harding and the Tech who were standing in the control room. "Damn it where the hell is Web?" Brooks shouted.
Suddenly Hatchet became conscious. He grabbed Webber's arm with a free hand and wrestled if off of his neck.
"Shit Sarah get back!" Brooks yelled.
"C'mon Jim lets talk about this," Peterson tried to reason with him.
"Noooooo...letttssss...not," Hatchet said his voice slurred and distorted. He staggered around a table he was lying on, and snatched a scalpel. The end of the blade was slick with infective blood from the Monkey. Hatchet turned around to face Peterson.
Peterson screamed never taking her eyes off the blade. She flung here arms up in front of her face and neck to protect her.
Hatchet was about to strike when a pair of tweezers smacked into his faceplate. He turned around to see Brooks holding a razor in one hand, the other motioning for him to come over to him.
"C'mon over here, Sarah make a run for the door and get outta here," Brooks said. He knew he was in no physical shape to take on the much more strong and agile Hatchet.
Hatchet lunged at Brooks who narrowly dodged a swing from Hatchet's scalpel. Brooks fell to the ground as he missed another swing. He sat up and saw Hatchet hovering over him. Hatchet brought the scalpel back and shoved it forward at Brooks.
Brooks closed his eyes and prepared to die when all of a sudden four gunshots rang out. Hatchet's chest exploded as blood sprayed from four bullet holes. Hatchet plunged to the ground and the scalpel fell from his hand.
Brooks opened his eyes and took a deep breath. He looked around to see Webber at the lab door in a HEPA suit, holding a smoking M6D. Brooks sighed and got to his feet. "Holy shit that was close...shit," Brooks muttered as he shook off the shock.
"You're welcome now come on lets get you decontaminated," Webber lowered the M6D and left the lab.
Brooks shook his head and looked at the lifeless body of Hatchet, lying on the ground in a pool of blood. The inside of Hatchet's faceplate had blood on it and rivers of blood streamed from the holes in his chest. Brooks wiped away some of the blood that had sprayed onto his suit. He left as a clean up team came in.
A day later after the mess was cleaned up and Brooks and Peterson were showered with bleach and checked for signs of contamination (which proved negative), Webber and Brooks stood along with Hood in the tank, with General West, Lt Ackerson, and Admiral Cole on the line.
"So what the hell happened?" West asked anxiously for anything that he could use as an excuse to shut the project down.
Brooks and Webber explained that incident in detail. West listened with full attention anxiously awaiting the ending.
"And so you see that this was a little accident that can be corrected," Webber finished.
"A little accident ha, this just proves the instability of this whole project I'm afraid that I am going to have to pull funding," West said trying to muffle down the excitement, building up inside him.
"WHAT?" Webber shouted.
"What was that do you have something to say to a superior officer, because I really don't want to get into another debate with you about the virus and it's potential, I really won't? I don't care if you have a PHD as well as an MD this is my final decision," West said with a tone that obviously dared Webber to challenge a man as high-ranking as West.
"Sir I have nothing to argue with about your decision even though I disagree," Webber said flatly. His palms began to sweat and fear surged down his spine, for the first time in his life he felt fear. His serious features on his face turned to a look of mild fright. Webber tried to shake away the fear coursing through him but failed.
"Good this is my finale decision, LT what do you think?" West asked.
"I totally agree 100%," Ackerson said through the screen. He knew that he was in a position where if he was to screw around with a higher ranking official as West he would be thrown out of spec ops.
"I agree as well until further study can be carried out and until you find a cure or vaccine then I suggest you scrap this project," Cole said.
"We will let you continue your study with this germ but we are facing a twenty million dollar lawsuit by that doctor's family. The remaining fund money will be directed to pay for this lawsuit, now get some sleep tomorrow you guys ship out back to Reach HQ, I will see to it that all the paper work is done, West out." The picture of General West snapped off as did the others.
"Well so much for this, two years of research and fifty million dollars down the drain," Webber said as he left the tank.
Nosliw stood in front of a group of high ranking Elites, in a waiting room that was just outside of the Council of Masters chamber.
"Grunt this is a very unusual story but there is proof to back it, a Banshee pilot had video recording devices mounted on his Banshee and was able to shoot the footage of the events you described," a red Elite said.
"But you say that this...plague came from the humans...no from a human grenade, this seems highly unlikely," the Elite laughed. Others behind the Elite laughed as well.
"Yes Excellency it was from a human grenade I swear on my life it was, the humans ambushed us and opened fire then the grenade came. The human fled as did I but my remaining 12 comrades were engulfed in a vapor and fell to the ground," Nosliw said.
"Ha humans using biological warfare against us the idea is absurd, humans wouldn't be that smart," the Elite laughed again as did the others.
"Excellency I think you underestimate the interlopers," Nosliw said.
The Elite stopped laughing and rose from his chair. His face was wrinkled with anger. One hand was clutching his Plasma rifle. "Grunt do you have any respect for authority?" the Elite demanded.
"Yes Excellency no disrespect intended," Nosliw stiffened.
"Good you should learn the chain of command; this event will be put into the interplanetary archives and will be known as a natural disaster not a human made weaponization of a disease. It shall be known as the Plague."
The End of Part 1 in the Virus series
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