sHe: Rise of the New Breed: A Dark Dystopian, Genetic and Gender war Thriller, #1

By Normen J. Arule

‘sHe’ recounts an epic tale of an airborne biochemical attack that occurred, wherein its aftermath, the deadly genetically engineered Medusa Virus had left over 4 billion women alone to grief and defend for themselves on earth -- after the virus had wiped out the entire male species completely worldwide, with a fatal super-flu.

Those women, who were pregnant with the infected males’ semen of the contaminated virus, soon gave birth to a unique Third Species -- who were a new breed of genetically mutated-transgender males -- resulting the co-existence of the majority women with these androgynous male-boys -- who were then branded by them, as the inferior NEW BREED outcasts.

Many years later, the women-ruled, totalitarian government had taken some strict and stringent measures, by containing many of these ‘coming of age’ orphan boys, inside abandoned prisons -- so to secretly harvest their semen, for the future propagation of womankind.

This led to a particular group of shemale mutineers, creating an insurrection, which soon spearheaded a prison riot breakout. Next into these packs of new breeds, led by an Intersexual religious monk, who soon went to create a mass civil war -- against the dominatrix government, in the nationwide, post-Apocalyptic America -- to make claims of their own rights to co-exist, as THE NEW BREED species on earth.

                               <><> 

NOTE: The digital eBook copy of sHe BOOK 1 can be downloaded in your favorite book retailer  -- please spread the word, and to share the good news…

This science fiction thriller (sHe: Book 1) is written in 3 chronological time-lines of the Present, then in 2027 & 2033.

                             <><> 

Interview with the Author

Q: What makes the ‘sHe’ series special?

A: It’s a mixture really when I set out to write and expand these books, based on my screenplay. I simply wanted to create something that mirrored books of the big named authors whom I like to read…

My top picks are usually science fiction thrillers that provoke my own wild imaginations, played by believable characters from the controversy classic tales written by George Orwell, Anthony Burgesse and even the earlier Stephen King’s storytelling vibes -- along with other disputation authors too, like John Green, Susan Kuklin, Bella Forrest, Margaret Atwood, Sean Platt and Craig Thompson. Basically, anything dark and deep, gritty and uncensored, with a butt-kicking attitude and fast-paced style should get my votes.

With that said, ‘sHe’ Book1: Rise of the New Breed has a great mixture of its scientific genres of a dark thriller happening during post-apocalyptic America, with a dystopian background.

It is a novel series of a trilogy, follows with ‘sHe Book 2: Battle of the New Breed -- where the story-telling will tie up nicely, as your mind goes deeper into this mysterious adventure trip, about genetic and gender war.

Q: So why should readers give these books a try?

A: The ‘sHe’ novels are fast and fun thriller reads that hooks and tales no prisoners! Ultimately, readers who enjoy lightning-fast pacing with unpredictable plot twists turns will be in this imaginative roller-coaster ride all the way to the end, getting a kick out of this original series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Normen J. Arule
• Release date: Nov 5, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386931164

Book preview

PART 1: The Death of a Nation

THE THREE GIRLS WERE LAUGHING when they rode their bikes uphill. It was the same race, which they had every day on that stretch of the road, when they returned home after school — Laura Jensen had always allowed either one of them to win and wanted no glory by beating them. She was after all the champion in the school swimming team — and these were her two best friends, and her biggest supporters.

The three of them were also known as ‘The Farmers’ Sisters’ — and were often ribbed by many at school — but, it was no use feeling angry or ashamed about it, because their fathers were indeed simple agrarians — working daily on their bucolic cornfields outside Wellsville, Utah.

Connie Pearlman and Haley Eastman were riding neck to neck ahead. They passed by fields of swaying corn on both sides in the afternoon breeze. Laura was tagging behind closely — and she was sure Haley, the leader of ‘The Farmers’ Sisters’ would beat them both as always.

Coming also from behind was a battered yellow, school bus that had younger children aboard, returning home to their farms after school. The nine year old Roberta, was sitting in that bus, looking bored, chewing bits of paper and spitting on the hair of two sleeping girls in the front seat. All of a sudden, a boy came from behind — and yanked her ponytail. She stood up at once, and she immediately kicked him in the guts.

She hated the ponytail she had, and wanted it to be cut off — so that she could be more like the other boys — but, her mother refused as she wanted her to be feminine like her older sister Laura Jensen.

Still angry, Roberta was about to punch the fallen boy’s head again — then he cried out. Robbie, wait!  I saw Laura outside...

Roberta peered out of the bus window, and saw the group of twelve year old racing ahead on their mountain bikes. A wicked smile shaped on her face. She took out a couple of pebbles from her pocket. She bit on one in between her teeth, and loaded the other on her catapult. The bus rode pass the cycling older girls, Roberta propelled and slung the stones, to hit them twice...

She particularly hated her sister’s friend, Haley Eastman — who often teased her and sometimes pinched her nipple through her blouse saying, that she would grow bosoms like a woman someday, even though Roberta wanted to remain a hoyden.

The sling shots missed, but yet the spiteful tomboy still felt victorious, and she sneered back at her sister instead — yelling out from the transporting bus’s window...

I am going to reach home before you, Laura!

The two sisters were totally different. Roberta had rivaled Laura all the years growing up together. This was because Laura was her mother’s favorite — as for her father — he was too busy working out there on his farm. Indeed, too occupied to pay attention to any of his children at home.

Roberta had always wanted to be the boy in the family — but, even that role was taken away when her twin brothers were born, two years ago...

Today, she played her duty as the ‘big brother’ to the toddlers.

Haley Eastman laughed and yelled back, teasing Roberta that she missed hitting them. The bus overtook, accelerated uphill, blowing out black exhaust smoke. The three girls noticed the poster at the back of the bus, of the waving Senator Walter Rosewood from New York, who had recently won the presidential election. 

***

The three girls were still laughing on an innocuous conversation about the boys in their class, while riding home through on a short cut. Laura was the quiet one among them and was even more subservient at home. She relished listening to their conversation, and the bantering between Connie and Haley.

Although, when occasionally asked for her opinion, Laura would either stump them with her very over-analytical point of view, or it would be something that would really be off the tangent, thus, leading both her friends to tease her for being a daydreamer — or a mermaid princess living in her own world, at the bed of the swimming pool.

They finally reached a forked road, Connie Pearlman and Haley Eastman waved goodbye to Laura, who had to take the other path home.

Laura rode alone — and she gazed up at the tall trees on the both sides of the serene path. It was a cooling stretch of shade to an itinerant, and she usually slowed down, and immersed in the afternoon tranquility with the surrounding sounds of the critters...

While she was enjoying the halcyon, her eyes fell on a baby Robin, which was flipping on its back on the path ahead, and two adult birds flew away when her bicycle approached. She quickly stopped and picked up the tiny chordate and peered up at its swivel parents, which whizzed from one high perch branch to the next. Laura wanted to leave the baby bird under the tree — but, she was instantaneously distracted by the screeching sounds that happened all of a sudden — with hundreds of birds in distress...

She looked back and saw flocks of birds of different species, flying towards her direction in mass departure. They were soaring just over her head, sensing an imminent danger and wanted to flee from the forest path...

‘What was freaking them!!? Was there a predator nearby!!?’

She then heard it too — a roaring distinct sound coming from behind her...

Laura glanced over her shoulder to see the path behind was getting darker. She placed the baby bird into her breast pocket. Laura began to peddle to evacuate fast like the trepidation of the exodus of birds fleeing in front. The bumpy path made it rugged — peeking occasionally over her shoulder with her wide probing eyes while she peddled...

Her mind was also screaming out that something was not right...

The trail got darker as she cycled on the uneven route. Laura slowed down to glance fleetingly over her shoulder again, her searching eyes flared when the thundering sound kept getting even louder. Her senses guarded, repeating in her mind that something iniquitous was nearing fast...

Her peddling then, picked up speed again...

The volume of the vociferating fathom with its gigantic and murky shadow, crept up rapidly from behind her. Laura’s panting was in timing even while being frightful — her legs were in hard kicking motion, just like how she competed in the swimming pool in getting ahead to the finish line.

Laura raced away from the ear-splitting strident noise...

A terrified deer raced ahead of her on the dusty trail. Smaller shrubs were uprooted and cart-wheeled, almost grazing her. She wanted to scream in fear — but, she just could not submit...

She looked down at her own trembling hands on the vibrating bike’s handle bar — before her bicycle was lifted off from the ground — both of her feet lost control — Laura spun in midair and was violently thrown into a nearby ditch...

She was flat on her back when she saw the metallic mammoth shape, deserting from above her — majestically roaring while passing above the furiously shaking trees. A dark storm of dust, frond and branches followed it — and buried Laura — who had closed her eyes, and finally screamed back at the enraged ear-splitting noise from above...

The Air-Tran Airways Boeing flew below the radar, right above the swaying tall trees tops — leaving a long snaking tail of yellow smoke.

When she revived, the shadow had left — the skies were back clear again, suffusing the afternoon sun — the only distinct sound her buzzing ears heard was of the far away Boeing — ascending back to its altitude. Laura was covered with dirt, and was bleeding from scrapes and cuts. She staggered to stand up in the muddy ditch, catching relief breaths while she was climbing herself out.

She peered around at the aftermath trail of broken branches on the dirt road. Her mountain-bike was on top of some shrubs, with the front wheel mangled. She looked up...

Laura was mesmerized a moment by the silhouettes of the murmuration patterns flight of some species’ of the fleeing birds in the skies. Her eyes widened again, with another set of sounds coming from above — but, they were less ominous...

She cupped her hand over her eyes, squinting towards the sun among the shattered treetops — three Army fighter jets were in hot pursuit, following the aerial trail of the yellow smoke.

Chapter 2

THE DRIZZLING SKIES URGED MARTHA to hasten on, removing the laundry from the clothesline. As she moved, the chain necklace given by her late father swung back and forth. She noticed and reminisced briefly of how he used to call her by 'Mimi', like it was engraved onto the pendant.

Now, she called Laura with that moniker, in memory of him.

Meanwhile, Roberta sat on the porch and played with Jimmy and Johnny's toys. The twin toddlers enjoyed being teased and ragged by her, who loved to act like an older brother. Roberta kept also looking at the farm’s gate, anxiously waiting for Laura to return.

She was waiting to annoy her rivaled sister that she was the first to reach home.  That was a sport, which she competed with Laura because she had no interest of her own to participate in any of the physical activities in school — as she was mildly obese, and she tired herself out fast.

The only time, she ran in recent months was the day the school bus came late to pick the kids up. It was the day she had walked twenty yards from their front gate to the farmhouse when she noticed Laura was coming behind on her mountain-bike — Roberta started to dash to be the first to reach the porch, with the laughing Laura chasing her rotund sister.

The nine year old tomboy then slipped and fell flat — scraped both her knees and elbows. She even later lied to her mother that Laura pushed her from behind — but Martha knew well of her canard of lies...

Martha then had chided, that plump girls should not run because they were unstable on their feet — Roberta hated that remark — it was just as badgering as when her mother sometimes called her ‘slow’ — in all her chores, studies and thinking — but, those days had long been forgotten — ever since Roberta had kept her record clean, by being the first to reach the porch every day after school — she had just wanted to prove to her mother that she was not slow in everything.

Roberta tore the middle section of her notebook and folded up two small paper boats. Seconds before the rain turned heavy, Martha managed to rush towards the porch. She was greeted with the sight of her twins sailing the boats on a puddle by the wooden steps, as the older sister tried to sink them with her sling shots. Lightning accompanied by thunder roared in the distance — yet Laura still hasn't returned.

Soon more approaching thunder claps were heard — and Martha was concerned about Laura.

Robbie! Get those two in the house! ordered the concerned mother. The girl looked back at her...

But Laura's not back yet... she quickly replied.

As much as Roberta wanted to point out that the eldest one had wandered off with her two friends after school, but she knew that her mother would not buy that. She hated Haley Eastman especially — who pulled her ear that morning, when she rebelled and was disrespectful to Laura at school.

She was still waiting for the day for Laura to be lambasted at home for doing something blameworthy — but that day had never seemed to exist.

***

Laura limped and pushed her broken, lurching bike in the heavy downpour, nearing her father’s corn farm. She looked up at the lone figure on a tractor in the fields — Herbert wore a poncho and was working hard turning the earth in the rain.

The ablution had the dirt on her body washed away, but blood was still dribbling in diluted maroon from her cuts on her knee. She did not want to bother her father about her fall — nor say anything about the plane she saw earlier.

She just wanted to go home to her mother.

Laura then remembered something she kept in her pocket...

Her fingers ran in, and gently took out the baby Robin that had died — probably, crushed from Laura falling into the ditch —  she felt instant morose —  and she stopped to bury it on the muddy soil nearby, before limping back home.

Roberta was minding the ebullient twins, who were using long twigs to tow their paper boats in the puddles from the porch steps. She glanced up and saw her sister coming towards the main gate...

Mum, look, it is Laura!

Martha dropped the clothes that she was folding in a basket inside the house, and she came out fast to the porch. She saw her disorientated daughter pushing her broken bike in the heavy rain.

Martha was nonplussed when she ran out towards Laura — while Roberta held back her screaming brothers, stopping them from following their mother in the teeming downpour.

Laura’s eyes noticed her mother rushing over to her. She dropped the bike down when she heard her mother's dulcet, concerned voice calling...

Mimi! Mimi, what happened to you? Did you fall?

Overwhelmed and shaken, Laura grabbed onto her and started to cry for duple reasons — like the terrifying plane encounter, and to the demise of the baby Robin. She hugged her tightly for a while, and Martha stroked her daughter's quivering head to solace her.

Roberta observed the two of them drenched in the rain from the porch. She now bitterly detested them both on the vindication that when she fell, her unfair mother nagged at her — but, when Laura hurt herself, she got a big hug instead...

She deliberately released her repulsive grips in both hands — the two small boys ran out into the rain towards their mother and eldest sister — while Roberta stood dry alone on the porch, watching her abstruse family from afar.

Chapter 3

TORN POSTERS OF THE RECENT presidential election, still waved all over the street walls. Life went back to business, after the talks died off of how the older Rosewood had won the pre-ordination, after the younger Senator Cory from Pennsylvania withdrew from the election race for an immorally and disgraceful scandal — and, he then killed himself at his home days later.

In the New York City neighborhood street, a portly old man in his sixties walked with a walking stick in one hand and a duffel bag in the other, that joined a tube to a full gas-face mask that he wore — Dr. Boris Yankoff, a DNA stem-cell bio-engineering scientist was inhaling from a mini EMS Oxygen kit.

He was accompanied by his young female assistant, his former student — Sonia Petrof — who was pleading to him...

I think you should not mail it, Professor...

This choler the old man who was walking ahead of her...

Then what do you expect me to do, Sonia? What Mladic has done is totally detrimental, he damn used me — he took my thirty years of research and my discoveries, and the bastard perverted it by making a weapon of mass destruction!

It is not proven yet. We can still run away back, and go, hide in Russia.

She was terrified and only wanted a rout out...

But Dr. Yankoff felt that those purview words were coming from an ignorant child, and not from a fellow research scientist, because she was rebuffing to see the repercussion damages from the wronging of his life’s works...

The DNA research, which he had won a Nobel Prize for —  had currently been incorporated by a certain flagitious pharmaceutical industrialist in Moscow — together with the Slovakian’s scientific influenza virus discovery, the Russian business-magnet, Mladic managed to create a super virus...

Remember this Sonia — that superfluous designed plague from now on, is going to kill millions of innocent lives in this planet!

Sonia kept repeating that the effectual was not substantiated — but, the old man's rancor countered her again...

"What more proof do you want when I know what that miscreant Mladic is up to next — that greedy bastard wants to misuse science to play God, by killing the targeted male gender population, genetically here in North America and also in the Western Europe...

"... so that, he and his organization can conspicuously control the world with his pharmaceutical business with a vaccine cure. He must be stopped at all cause! And...

...and, that truth too, must be told out to the public, Sonia!

They both walked in front of an electronic store with television sets on display. Though Sonia cringed, she still persisted...

But what about the implication, Professor — we can all go to jail if you dispatch that video to the TV station.

Yankoff knew she was fearful of the dilemma, but he had to be stanched and responsible — to both her ascetic-self and to his lifelong years of his research. He wished, it would be better if the sooner Sonia could grasp about the whole male genocide cataclysm, that was to occur soon in this part of the world — and the last thing she should mawkishly be worried now, was about going to prison.

He still walked ahead of her — ranting back in Russian — probably, she would understand the superfluous dilemma better in their mother tongue.

Dr. Yankoff pulled out a brown package from his jacket, and waved it at Sonia when he spoke back, while pointing at TV sets in a display showroom of the store — that showed a plane crash —reported in the evening news...

"See! You see that! It is already happening, and I can’t have that guilt in my conscious!

"Before I die of that same damn virus, I will expose all the truth that is out there — and everyone in the world must know those evil deeds of that greedy and depraved Mikhail Mladic!

He is going to terminate millions of people now! So let those who bury their dead finally know of his depraved ambitions. Even those dying, who are about to be buried soon should deserve to know who is killing them and curse — Mikhail Mladic, and not I — who is the imprudent mass murderer here!

The headstrong Dr. Boris Yankoff paced over, and he dropped the brown package into a mail box — with Sonia looking appalled in a disbelief horror.

She heard his intrepid, stentorian voice calling out to keep up...

Come on, hurry up, Sonia, we have lots of work to do. We must find an alternative solution to this damn mess.

They both walked away from the mail-box into the crowded street — to supervene on their pragmatic mission to exonerate their culpable flaws by saving the future of mankind from total extinction.

Chapter 4

THE NIGHT WAS COOLING after the rain had stopped at the Jensen’s farmhouse. It was the only luster in the pitch dark surrounding cornfields, and the next closest farm was the Eastman’s.

Laura looked out of the window in reverie — thinking about her friends, after her mum had excused her from going to school for a couple of days, until her biking injuries healed.

What Laura eagerly wanted to tell Connie and Haley was about the plane that flew low over the trees, just hours ago — which also elevated her mountain bike off the ground, tossing her into the ditch. But, would her best friends believe her, or would they laugh at her?

She did not even proffer about the incident too, to neither of her parents at home.

Roberta was watching a musical reality talent-show on television, while her noisy, kid brothers were running around, chasing each other in the living room. Little Johnny, then went and grabbed the TV remote control on the couch and ran away with it. Roberta hollered back...

Hey, give me that!

The two year old brother snubbed her.

Despite with the Band-Aids plastered on the lesions on her knees, Laura had insisted that she would wash the dishes for Martha. Her dad had come home drenched an hour ago, looking much worn out and foiled by overworking in the rain...

Laura knew that her mother wanted to tend to him.

She later overheard her parents arguing behind the closed bedroom door — Herbert sounded troubled, saying that he was not getting the loan from the bank. That was why he could not hire farmhands to do the work in the fields — and now, he was doing everything by himself...

Laura felt sorry for her dad, and instead wished that she was born as his son, so that she could help him out after school.

Her siblings were still fighting over the remote control in the living room. Little Johnny and Jimmy kept changing the channels — and Roberta was getting more miffed — and she yelled inimically...

Shit you Johnny — give me that damn thing now!

The two year old echoed, equally fuming...

No! Sponge Bob!

There is no stupid Sponge Bob at this hour, you dummy — give me back the remote control now! Both her brothers were now chanting to remonstrate...

Sponge Bob! Sponge Bob!

The channels on the TV kept on changing, before it landed on the national news station.

Roberta outburst next, she got off the couch and she chased her kid brothers, who ran around shrieking. Laura’s attention shifted from her parents' argument to her siblings’ racket — then to the news on TV in front of her...

She stepped into the living room, wiping a plate in her hand and watched a news anchor in a medical mask reporting from the disaster of a plane crash. He was detailing on a freighter Boeing 717 that was earlier reported hijacked, and then was shot down by the US Air force.

It then crashed outside the dense suburbs of West Valley City, ten miles from Salt Lake City — killing the five suspected terrorists and the two hostage pilots abroad.

Laura stood dumbfounded at that moment — that was the same plane that flew over her head four hours ago...

The TV reporter included there were no report of fatalities on the ground, from the crash — but a local eyewitness stated that there was visible yellow smoke dispersing from the cargo section of the plane before it nosedived...

Laura too saw that same yellow smoke earlier from that same plane.

Further reports she heard were of a team of CDC Hazmat personnel who were investigating — and there was also no confirmation from the NSA, whether the yellow smoke was a biochemical attack on the American soil.

Roberta observed Laura fixated by the news event...

Hey Laura, are you done? The younger sister sneered with the snatched remote control in her hand —  she wanted to get back to her musical show — but instead Laura walked ahead, passing Roberta to the TV screen and she watched earnestly at the developments...

Laura realized something malevolent was brewing across the country, by the suspicious coincident that she was witnessing — while, the present, unwitting Jensen household at home — who were either caught up with the daily money-problems or into comforts of their lives.

The two TV presenters in a newsroom then spoke on more breaking news received on a similar incident in San Francisco, where similar yellow smoke was spotted after a warehouse explosion, which happened earlier.

They took the viewers live to the scene with their reporter Tony Vinca who was there...

Chapter 5

AT A WAREHOUSE IN DOWNTOWN San Francisco — a fully-suited, CDC Hazmat team arrived at the scene of the explosion. The area was cordoned by the stationed enforcement. The firemen crew had just put off the small blaze.

The bomb squad unit soon coordinated with the Fire Department to break the locked front door of the warehouse. Nearby, the newsman, Tony Vinca was histrionically reporting live, among the growing number of onlookers behind him, who were contained by a small group of policemen...

Everything is chaotic here, and the Level-A Hazmat team seemed to be in control of the situation. I think, they want to enter the building to evaluate the situation of the yellow noxious smoke, which was seen coming from after the earlier explosion about an hour ago...

The two Hazmat personnel, who stood wielding their lab equipment beside the bomb-squad. They were at the front of the main door of the warehouse with some firemen — one of the firemen incised the chained padlock with a bolt-cutter...

The heavy chain dropped on the ground — and the fireman opened the door...

Three bomb-squad personnel stepped in — seconds later — someone took a stride to knock a trip-wire in the darkened and yellow foggy warehouse. It triggered a second explosion that ripped them out through the front door — killing all the men indoor.

Tony Vinca who was reporting outside in the open, dropped on his four, shaken — before realizing that he was appearing craven on live TV.

He then stood up with poise, brushing his knees...

Oh my God, this is really, horribly bad!

Vinca went on to his vigorous commentary on the explosive attack, and of the heroic, dead men on duty in the once again blazing building — with the deletion in his reporting of the lesser dramatic, yellow smoke fumes, which kept emitting around into the  surroundings, in the streets of San Francisco .

Chapter 6

IT HAD BEEN TWO DAYS SINCE the attacks...

In Wellsville, Herbert was on his tractor, turning the ground that morning. He looked wan and was coughing badly.

Laura had been at home and had not gone to her classes since yesterday. The wounds in her legs were hurting more but she limped and did her regular house chores...

Taking the discomfort of the aches, she had been distracting herself by listening to every radio stations — and even to the world news, during her house chores — she wrenched hard to understand the report spoken fast in the ‘funny’ British accent, about the yellow fume attacks in London by the BBC — an art museum was now being sealed by the London police, with high alert being issued in the city. BBC had also reported that there was an investigation by the Interpol to verify — if it was the same group of the terrorists — who were responsible for the similar attacks in some major cities in the United States.

Roberta stepped into her parent’s bedroom, and she saw her mother Martha tending to both her little brothers — who were sick and burning with high fever. The boys were groaning in queasiness and tears, while shivering uncomfortably under the covers. 

Roberta started to fuss to get her mother’s attention...

Mum, I am not going to school today — let me stay back, and I will look after Johnny and Jimmy. Her mother refused flatly. Roberta contrasted on why Laura could stay back — despite knowing her sister had hurt her knee.

Martha was now agitated. No, you will not give me excuses, Roberta. You have done enough trouble by letting them play in the rain — if you have only listened to me — your brothers would not be sick now!

Roberta stormed out of the front door and saw Laura sweeping the porch — she went and stood on the foot of the steps. She spotted afar, her father on his tractor, and was contemplating to ask his permission to stay back at home.

Laura sensed what her sister was intending to do — Laura cautioned her not to bother their father, who had a bigger burden to sort out about their future...

Roberta turned to Laura — and bellicose aloud, stomping her feet...

So you get to stay at home, and I have to go to school. That is not fair!

Laura ignored her — and Roberta kept on venting...

I know Mum always takes your side, and she blames me for everything that happens here. She does not listen to me. Why should I go to school when half the boys in class are absent? Even the teachers, Mr. Bailey and Mr. Dixon are sick too — and there were no classes yesterday!

It is that yellow smoke. Laura said out inadvertently at first.

What yellow smoke!!? Roberta snapped back at her...

Laura now wanted her sister to know the big secret, which she had kept from everyone at home — and even to her best friends, whom she had not seen for the past thirty-six hours. Laura started by revealing about the news on TV, two nights ago where the plane crashed — but Roberta would not have noticed it  — when Roberta had switched the news station over to her musical talent-show...

The plane flew over here outside the farm — it flew so low that it threw me off the bike — and that was how I hurt myself. Roberta disbelieved her at once...

Hah, get out of here, and you can’t fool me cos I am not as dumb as Mom, who always believes in your every bullshit — it was raining that day and you slipped, and fell down like a silly bozo.

But Robbie, it is true — the plane was releasing yellow smoke at its tail — and that is, what is making everyone sick everywhere. Can’t you see, Johnny and Jimmy are sick too, and so is everyone else at school? Laura vindicated further...

After watching and hearing the news, despite with information told they were still vague, Laura had pieced it all together to make sense, to what was going on around in her reality — but again, will anyone believe her?

That is bullshit! Hah, now that is a perfect excuse for you to stay home, while I have to go to school alone, Roberta cynically mocked. If that is true, Laura — why didn’t you tell this loony-tune plane story to Mum and Dad? Don't they believe everything you say around here, hah Mimi?  Just because you are older than me, they always believe your every stupid bullshit, isn’t that so, Mimi?

Roberta ridiculed Laura by mimicking her mother’s voice — especially when pronouncing Mimi — she hated that name — and probably was envious that her mother had not given it to her instead. But, Laura being older knew that both of her parents were having so many problems of their own — she even overheard that morning where Herbert was suggesting to Martha that he was going to sell a section of the farm to keep their family's expenses afloat...

No Robbie, I just don't want them to worry...

All of a sudden, both the girls looked up — they heard their mother's screams from the bedroom. They rushed straight away into the house — Laura and Roberta were dismayed to discover that Johnny was having an epileptic seizure — and their mother was in a state of dread — Roberta rushed to her side. Mum, what happened? What is going on?

I don't know! Oh God! Johnny!

Laura dashed out of the house, passing by her broken bicycle. She raced into the muddy, corn field to inform Herbert about her brother. At a distance was the heavy-wheeled vehicle, which was not moving in a straight line. Laura called out to her father while chasing it — Laura soon caught up — and hopped on to the tractor. Hebert was lying face down on the steering wheel. She took hold of the vehicle, and she straightened him up...

Dad! Dad! Are you okay? Herbert looked up at her, disorientated with a bleeding nose — he touched her face. 

Laura, help me!

Chapter 7

HERBERT RESTED ON THE BED, with a damp towel on his forehead, burning with high fever. At a distinct outer, silky voices were heard singing a Gospel song. A few cars and pick-up trucks were parked in front of the Jensen’s farm-house.

Outside in the open field, there was a group of twenty people gathered under an oak tree...

Two, torpor youth shoveled and dropped dirt below; it slowly covered the two, small, indigent coffins of Johnny and Jimmy — that were laid to rest in peace.

Martha looked distraught, seeing two of her baby sons being buried, while Roberta and Laura were hugging onto her sides and were crying, while noticing the coffins that were almost covered with falling globs of earth ...

Three black women sang the Ave Maria nearby them.

Among the faces of the mourning people, were the men present, looking pale and anemic — just as how Herbert was now — lying helpless on his bed, medically effected by the mutilating, killer virus — that was playing an equal role of an invisible God with its omnipresence felt in the atmosphere .

It had even made Herbert, too ill at hand to go to his own sons’ funeral.

***

Laura walked her mother into the house with the other folks, who included the parents of Connie and Haley, walking  away from the oak tree. Some of the people began to leave in their vehicles...

That was also the last time, Laura saw her best-friends, who came in at that brief moment for the twins’ funeral — ‘The Farmer Sisters’ — were later separated for many long years, from that day on wards.

***

The amber sunset hung at the horizon, and Roberta stood alone looking at the wooden cross with both Johnny and Jimmy's names carved on it. She placed her hand into her pocket and took out a small object, and placed it on the cross...

A Sponge Bob, plastic toy.

When no one was looking at her, Roberta sank on her knees and sobbed bitterly.  All of her fingers were buried into the grave’s loose soil — as the big ‘brother’ mourned.

Chapter 8

AT THE SITUATION ROOM TABLE in the Whitehouse, men argued in deciding the fate of the victims, of the attacked cities in the west-coast — both the Joint Chief of Staff Chairman, General Taylor and the Director of National Economics, John Greenhill were in verbal dispute...

They were both trying to get the attention of the seventy-four years old newly elected Commander in chief — President Walter Rosewood, who was staring blankly at a huge TV screen, with a paused still-image of the self-confession video of Dr. Boris Yankoff.

The old man was pretending to be imperturbable — but, the real fact was that he was befuddled in thoughts of handling his first major national crisis, after a month becoming the steward of the land.

But, we already have the CIA and other agencies working with the Russian government to hunt down the industrial terrorist Mikhail Mladic back in Moscow — and we also have dragnet for the whereabouts of Dr. Yankoff, who is here in hiding in the US.

John Greenhill informed while he pointed at the TV screen, as he continued...

"That scientist is somewhere now in the dark, back in New York; despite coming out as a whistle blower with this video confession recording — the DHS still believes that he is a prime suspect — and the culprit, who was also a part of the terrorist group conspiracy in Russia... 

Even, Langley too has named him now as one of the most wanted in its manhunt list!

But, General Taylor was irritated with his vague and penurious information...

"Greenhill, we are beyond that at this current stage. We can't be wasting time pinpointing who is to be blamed, when that damn virus is spreading rampantly — with the current immense death rate damage is catastrophically alarming — it is time for us to go in and save lives!

We need to call for an immediate evacuation now!

The Army General noticed that the old President was not attentive — who was still staring at the TV screen in reverie, like a deer to the headlights of a car.

Greenhill next figured out, that the mass demotion decision would cause a major panic nationwide, he argued that things could be self-contained — by sending medical supplies to the affected areas — which would be cost effective, and would only cost a fraction of the taxpayers' money.

The economist wanted the resources to be focused on the CIA and FBI instead, based on the confession video Intel — with the Feds doing their task with the investigation at hand, to bring political justice in exposing the foreign traitors of the scientific community working in America. It will also be the world’s marketing campaign — to promote the newly elected President Rosewood — in his homeland’s role towards world justice.

General Taylor became agitated again by him, and picked the brown envelope in which Dr. Yankoff's video came in — and tossed it — it slid across the long table towards Greenhill...

"You call this fucking Intel, Greenhill? We got it from a TV station, for Christ sake!

"Right now as we argue here — they would have already aired that video by now — and the nationwide panic of this biochemical attack has already begun!

So, a mass evacuation is still the best alternative in this dire situation!

Everyone’s eyeballs that had been trained on a contrite messenger who interrupted — who entered the situation room — everyone recognized the cross-dressed, gay man — who was in the administration, as the personal assistant to the First Lady...

He whispered something into the President's ear, the old Rosewood nodded — and the messenger left the room.

Greenhill rationalized further, and stood firm...

"That will be chaotic, General Taylor — and also how on earth are we going to do that?

We don't have the means to evacuate every citizen from eight different cities that have been attacked in those six states, so far! That is close to a massive fifteen million people out there — and let’s be objective here, with that size of the operation — it will take several weeks to mobilize it!

The ardent General ignored him and stooped his head low — to connect his view to Rosewood...

But we can't leave them behind to die, Mr. President. The hospitals over there are piling up with death of older men and children — mainly boys — and there are also with countless hundreds of stillbirth babies at maternity wards too — which are all affected by those yellow diabolic fumes.

Rosewood still remained silent from the argument.

"What I am saying is that, those who want to survive the virus will need to evacuate soon — and we owe that to them...

So what is your decision Mr. President?

It took a moment for the President to finally start speaking, especially from the building up of stress into his aging geriatrics...

But, how are these evacuations going to happen, General Taylor?

The sagacious Joint Chief of Staff Chairman briefed him of the operation in using all relocation means possible — by air, sea and road — but, with the current logistics, time constrains and resources — but, ninety percent of the evacuees would still have to travel by land in their own vehicles.

He added that the US Army would marshal the entire journey with checkpoints set-ups to assist the efficiency of the evacuation flow — the willing travelers would also be provided with the provision of food, medical assistance and gasoline for their vehicles; until they finally reached their destination in the east coast.

Based on the after-action report, if we act now — there is a likelihood that sixty percent of the fifteen million lives can be saved, Mr. President. Taylor elucidated probability.

The entire operation proposition took a momentous moment to digest — and Rosewood then thought of the divinity instead, and the old man finally spoke...

"Funny, this coincidence reminds me of the book of Exodus — where the great prophet Moses did a similar cause of action at his time of crisis, to migrate the masses from a certain death...

...it was tyranny back then — and it is terrorism today.

The old man stood up and eventually, caprice his orders...

"General Taylor will see to the immediate effect of this operation — with him in command with the backing support from the NSA.

"Also, set up a press conference later — and I will have to be transparent on this, and let the general public know that we are doing something in handling this major crisis...

Excuse me, gentlemen.

While gathering his papers, John Greenhill looked dissatisfied by the surmised decisions that had been capitulated. He watched the ceded whim President exiting through the door of the situation room — running over to his wife...

***

The same effeminate messenger saw the President walking over, escorted by two Secret Service personnel. He was standing in front of the Oval Office door.

The First Lady awaits you, Sir.

Walter Rosewood nodded, entering his office alone. Ann was in the far corner of the room on the cell phone, she waved at her husband and she continued her conversation.

She had to truncate an emergency international Third World Children’s Welfare Conference held in Copenhagen, so that she could return to Walter’s side for the current home domestic crisis — where after a couple of days of dealing with,  the occurrence of massive death of children worldwide.

The President poured himself double bourbon, and swallowed it fast...

He refilled a second and gulped it again. Ann noticed that he was inebriating himself, and she hung up her call. The president was about to replenish his glass again for his third, and his wife held his wrist. Walter then grabbed a bottle of mineral water in its place, and settled on the couch. His wife spoke...

How bad is it, Walter?

The perplexed president rancor back softly. A real disaster, I don't know how in this day and age, this country can be so vulnerable again since the 9/11 attack — I was just elected over a month ago, and damn this is what I get? He shook his disheartened head...

Ann Rosewood was briefed on the gist of the matters earlier, by the Secretary of State during her flight back to Washington from Europe. She then posed the question to her husband on the resolutions discussed in the situation room earlier...

What have you decided to do now, dear?

"Seriously, I don't know, Ann — for the first time in my life, during the last few days, I am cornered, deep in the far end by irrepressible situations, where I don't know what to do or say — things like, what if the virus attacks would soon reach the east-coast — then, will be even more millions of people falling ill, and dying over here too?

Oh God, this is beyond me, and I really don't know what I should do next...

His words were coated by both of his feelings of helplessness and hopelessness — even for the current president of a stalwart nation.

Don't say that, Walter — just keep doing the right thing, as always.

Walter’s face had ashen by the alcohol effect — his voice shook when he gave her instructions...

Ann listen, if this pandemic continues, it will first kill all the male children and the older men (and who knows what next) — so, if anything happens to me — I want you to stay in office, and finish the term! I want you to restore the order among the survivors — and, you do your best to bring things back to how it was before! But, Ann then replied her husband with a nervous laughter...

Come on, don't be silly Wally, nothing will happen to you... But, her husband was dead serious, as he had devised a mission for her...

"Ann, listen please, this is deadly important — the country needs someone who is caring and also, with integrity and honor — and it needs someone like you. If the entire male citizens come to an extinct — you must then step up in those times of uncertainty, and lead this country...

Ann, do you understand what I am saying?

She looked back dumbfounded with vanquishing thoughts of herself — presently pushing into her mid-sixties — and bewildered by the thoughts of her task, as a future leader in a country of the outlived women and their surviving female children.

***

Outside the Capitol Hill, an unidentified suspect stepped out of a Ford that was parked on an uphill slope. The hand-brake was disengaged and the car slowly went down in reverse before picking up momentum. A small statue of the Virgin Mary was on the pedestal on the car's dashboard.

At the road intersection, a speeding town bus, rammed into the side of the backing Ford. The bus driver hit the brake to a screeching halt — but the car rolled a couple of times before it turned belly-up — with the miniature holy statue upside down. Pedestrians rushed to the scene of the accident to discover yellow smoke — seeping out of the trunk of the vehicle. It was followed by a lot of clamoring and panic from onlookers that afternoon at the east-coast, with the bio-chemical attack that had finally breached into Washington D.C.

Chapter 9

A DISTINCT SOUND OF THE EVENING NEWS was coming from the television, the Puerto Rican maid gently removed an empty glass from her sleeping employer’s hand — Madeline Cory had drunk herself to sleep on the couch of her luxury mansion...

This was what she did every day — watched the news, got depressed and drank herself to sleep.

On the side-table, was a family photo frame with her recent deceased husband Senator Richard Cory with his teen daughter — Samantha, who was from his first marriage. There was an open page of a scrap book with newspaper cuttings pasted, that revealed Madeline's past of being married to the playboy-politician — who had recently killed himself, after Walter Rosewood exposed his major political scandal.

‘That  undeserving, old bastard then won the presidential election...’

Madeline presumed that — but in reality, after her ten years of ostentatious marriage, with the years of her supporting the politics of a man, whose greatest weakness was his infidelity with younger women — that had ultimately led to his overnight career downfall.

Madeline Cory’s greatest regret was not to be the First Lady in the White House like Jacqueline Kennedy — someone, whom she idolized and modeled after, since she married Richard — who was so close in winning the race — and was also the favorite to be the next president...

But, Walter Rosewood succeeded in his own fraudulent ways to end it all for him — and even her...

That was why she watched the news — got depressed and drank more.

Even her stepdaughter, Samantha had now been admitted in a drug rehabilitation program — she was dealing with her father’s death in her own way.

In the parlor, the video of Dr. Boris Yankoff's confession was now televised nationally...

The old scientist exposed his veracity and clarified openly...

What Mikhail Mlavic has done is a grave mistake by taking my genetic research, along with the recent influenza findings of some other scientists — and he has gone and built a chemical weapon of mass destruction.

"The virus strain which that rouge Mikhail Mlavic created is dubbed as — ‘The Medusa Virus...’

"It will cause the genetic death of any male homo-sapient species coming in contact with this airborne virus. It will cause severe influenza, followed by encephalitis — an inflammation of the brain and in this case, which will then slowly attack victims at the cellular level, in the matter of days it will leave them all dead...

In short, what I am saying is that, the Medusa Virus will destroy the healthy immune system of the infected male's stem cells in a rapid manner within days — with no present scientific cure to reverse it...

Yankoff then burst into sobs of contrition, to the fateful gravamen he had caused...

"I am so sorry, I am partially to be blamed for the Russians misuse of my scientific discoveries — but rest is assured that, I am going to further find a way to delay and immobilize the contagion process...

"All I can ask, to whoever is watching me now — to pray that the virus will not spread that quickly. Please also pray hard that I will have enough time to create the right antidote in devising a vaccine, for a probable cure...

"This is the very least I can do, for my mistakes for trusting my research in the hand of that depraved Mikael Mlavic...

May he soon rot in the depth of hell!

––––––––

Chapter 10

A BLACK VAN DROVE IN A LONELY, dusty side-road littered with scattered broken frond — it was the same path with tall trees, where Laura had encountered the Boeing plane earlier that week. The government registered vehicle now passed by a lone stalled tractor in an open cornfield, before reaching the Jensen’s farmhouse.

The van, with darkly tinted glass, then it stopped. The doors opened and three men in full-faced, Hazmat chemical suits alighted.

The side door had a printed sign — US National Guard.

The front door of the farmhouse opened, Martha stepped out, and tagging behind her were Laura, and Roberta...

They witnessed the men present outside from the porch — the strangers were in some unaccustomed outfits.

The man with the clip file, spoke up...

Is this the Jensen’s property?

Yes, we are the Jensens. Martha replied.

One of the other, Hazmat guards was coughing severely inside his covered suit.

The guard, with the clip file, acquainted...

We are from the National Guard Division, Ma'am, how many of your family members are still surviving at this very moment?

Why? What is this regarding, Mister?

The curious mother asked — the man got terse after his dozen visits that hot afternoon in Wellsville in the suit...

You probably know there have been chemical attacks in the country? Now, there is going to be a mass evacuation all over the state of Utah.

The parochial Martha nodded....

Yes, the Medusa Virus, we heard it on the TV...

It was actually Laura who explained to her the entire virus situation after the twins’ funeral. Even, Roberta felt slightly culpable for the pillory on Laura — and not believing her sister's story earlier, about the virus.

"Yes Ma'am, it is best for your family to evacuate soon, because we don't know what will the further cause and effect of this virus will be like — so there is a group leaving at ten tomorrow morning, from the meet-up point in the City Hall in Logan — there from Logan, they will all drive and join up with the other convoys, that are heading to Ohio, where it is a safe zone over there....

If you are coming, please pack light with only some essentials.

Herbert came barging out from the front door — and he pointed a shotgun at the National Guards.

Nobody is damn leaving anywhere! You can't force us out of here — this is our land!

Martha started protesting by calling out her husband’s name loudly. All the guards pulled out their sidearm pistols, and pointed back at Herbert...

"Whoa Mister — nobody is