Within two days, news of the virus’s weakness was spread among major outlets over television, radio, and internet sources. The key was proximity, and “recovery stations” were set up inside or near every major metropolitan area, including parks, arenas, stadiums, and larger government buildings. Smaller, more rural areas had similar stations, utilizing VFW posts, public meeting houses, and judicial centers.
Large or small, the goal was the same: get as many people under one roof as possible, each with enough supplies to last a week. FEMA, Red Cross, and a dozen other agencies and organizations were simultaneously instructed to provide infrastructure support and training for the massive relief effort. And thanks to the efforts of large telecommunications companies, many of the relief locations were provided WIFI access and secure data points, allowing work to continue without major conflicts.
Wall Street found little interruption in their operations, using mobile and wireless access points to continue trading and prevent any slowdowns in the US economy, and was able to ensure that losses in the major indexes were kept to a minimum. The government itself, operating for so long on pre-internet technology, seemed to be completely capable of keeping itself afloat without outside help.
Overall, the disaster relief efforts, while long and far-reaching, were successful. The nation watched as day after day, more public services were restarted, businesses were reopened, and municipal governments were resumed. Due to the staggering effect of healing the virus in phases throughout the population, as well as the increased desire to see America united again, many people were faced with nothing more than a week or two of unpaid vacation time while they were immunized against the disease.
Within a month’s time, the enigma strain virus was deemed to be ‘a minor threat’ by the Centers for Disease Control, citing the work done by Ben and Julie as well as the data gathered by each of the quarantine stations. The virus/bacteria was expected to reveal itself in less than 5 % of the population over the coming year, and while an actual antidote was still out of reach, plans had been made to control the infection by forced exposure and proximity, eventually leading to full immunization against the disease.
Chapter Sixty-One
“Valère, what happened?” Emilio asked through the screen.
Valère was pacing around the office, the speakers beaming the other man’s voice directly to his ears, as if Emilio was not behind a computer monitor but instead right there in the room with him.
“I have sent over a detailed analysis of the events that transpired —”
“Not now, SARA,” Emilio yelled. “I know you ‘sent over’ your little AI understanding of ‘these events,’ but I’m not asking that. Hell, it’s all over the news! I know exactly what happened. I’m asking Mr. Valère.”
Valère looked up, his eyes narrowed as he focused on the monitor. “Mr. Vasquez, I apologize for causing you undue stress. I assure you, our investments remain sound, as does our plan.”
“Our plan?” Emilio shouted. SARA automatically reduced the sound level before it was sent to Valère’s ears, so as not to cause any hearing pain. “Our plan has failed miserably. This was supposed to cripple the nation, not create a more patriotic and united one!”
Valère let the man continue, uninterrupted.
“Stephens failed, thanks to that escaped specimen Fischer, and those two CDC —”
“One CDC agent, Mr. Vasquez. The other was merely a park ranger at —”
“SARA, enough!” Emilio yelled.
Valère turned to the screen, noticing the rage building in his partner’s face. He held up a hand just as Emilio was about to start again. “Please, my friend, give yourself room to understand the true depth of what we have accomplished here.”
Emilio sneered but remained silent.
“Our plans have failed, perhaps, when seen through the narrow lens of the project’s parameters. But the Company remains strong, stronger than ever, perhaps, and that is in no small part due to the events that have transpired in America.”
Emilio nodded.
“In addition, the Company has confirmed that research continues in Brazil, and preparations are underway in Antarctica. We remain beneath the radar and will continue operations while the governments involved clean up the mess.”
“But at what cost, Valère? We failed. There is nothing we have accomplished by —”
“By what?” Valère asked. He steeled himself, pushing down the nervousness that he could feel creeping upward through his body. “There is nothing we have accomplished by failing? That is true. But what, exactly, do you think we were supposed to accomplish?”
Emilio frowned.
“Your parameters and objectives were the same as mine, and according to them, we have failed. Stephens was a loose cannon, and we have shown a lack of control over many of our contingencies. But what do you think the purpose was?”
“Of the failure?”
“Of even the success, were we to achieve it?”
“I–I don’t understand where you’re going with this, Francis.”
Valère paused. “Of course you don’t, Emilio. You were tapped for this project, and this one alone. But the Company has other interests, as I’m sure you’re aware. So what could they possibly expect to gain from a project such as this?”
Again, Emilio frowned.
“Nothing, my friend. Nothing directly. This project is busy work. It was something that seemed large enough to matter, though not crucial enough to place the entire weight and infrastructure of the Company behind it.”
“You mean…”
“Yes, Emilio. The Company needed us to create a distraction. One that would raise few eyebrows, regardless of success or failure. One that required little in the way of resources and management, yet caused all eyes to focus inward.”
“So the project —”
“The project was just that, Emilio. A project. A test, really. And we failed, but only in the sense of the direct mission. In this overall game, I believe we have achieved success. Massive success.
“Every eye in the developed world has been watching America, watching to see how they react. America is in fits, recovering, trying to stabilize itself. It will, in time. But it will be too late. The Company was working on a much larger project when they discovered the enigma strain. The virus was a side effect, a wonderful addendum to our research. I wrote the project’s overview and had it approved as a way to divert more attention away from their larger goal.
“And may I ask what that goal is, Mr. Valère?” Emilio asked.
Valère smiled, his eyes heavy, as he reached for the control to switch off the monitor.
“I’m sorry, Emilio. You may not.”
Chapter Sixty-Two
The cold had been creeping in for the past few hours, and Ben’s jacket seemed to be doing no more good. He sighed, watching his breath hang in the air and crystallize, the tiny specks sparkling as they collected and fell to the snowy ground.
He raised the long-handled axe and swung it once more. A satisfying crack reverberated around the tall pines, eventually getting lost in the white landscape. The block of wood split down the middle, sending the two halves in opposite directions, where two piles already lay. Ben paused, examining his work, then heaved the axe up onto his shoulder and began to walk toward one of the piles. He filled a wheelbarrow, then rolled the load back up a narrow dirt path.