It's the year 2038 and a deadly virus has consumed the world for more than 14 years.
In Denmark, an unknown politician took it upon himself to create a safe space from the infected. As long as you abide by the 8 Obligations, you are allowed to live...
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"Mr. McKenzie." I greet him as I enter the house. His young houseservant backs away quickly after closing the door behind me.
"Commander." He responds. "Are you coming alone this time?" He casts a glance behind me at the closed door. Distrust has always come easy to him.
"Yes. Don't worry."
"Good." He gestures for me to follow him as he walks deeper into the house.
"Tell me you have good news, McKenzie. We need that vaccine. Promptly."
He shoots me a quick look over his shoulder before opening the door to his cellar.
"Why the hurry, all of a sudden?" The stairs are slim and steep, but he walks down them with ease. "I thought you said that quality was the most important thing this time around. So, there would be no more mistakes."
"I did say that. And it is important that we don't repeat the mistakes from the first or second vaccine. No more missteps." Slowly I follow him down. Each step creaks beneath my feet. This house is old and rather rustic, but it was the best option for relocation, especially when privacy for him and his daughter was crucial.
"Mistakes tend to happen when science is rushed, Commander Aldertree."
"I know that. But a brain-eating virus or infertility are rather big mistakes."
McKenzie turns around instantly and takes a few steps back up the stairs, so he is only inches away from me. Glaring at me with fury in his eyes.
"Those mistakes weren't my fault! I was rushed. Pushed! It wasn't my decision to distribute the vaccines. Not in 2020 nor in 2024. I will not stand here and be accused of..."
"I'm sorry, Mr. McKenzie. It wasn't my intention of accusing you of anything." I know better than to agitate this man. He is a psychopath, but he is valuable to The City.
"Good." He turns back around and continues down the stairs. After a little while I follow. "And if you are going to continue talking about the first vaccine, you might as well use my real name instead. No need to pretend, when it's just you and me," A blond girl walks by the stairs with a tray of medical instruments and disappears into a room, "and my beautiful girl."
"Of course, Doctor Hastings." I can see the pride beaming from him, hearing his real name for the first time in years. I know he takes pride in his vaccines, no matter the mistakes that were along the way. And we do owe him a lot. He is a key ingredient in keeping us all safe. But not everyone agrees, so we have to keep him protected. The Chancellor will always keep him protected. No matter if it's changing his name for safety or giving him full immunity even though he is known to make human experiments. Truly horrific experiments.
I have even covered for him a few times. Lied about him being punished for his actions. McKenzie isn't his first cover name.
"So, Commander, why don't you tell me why you want me to rush the vaccine this time?"
"I don't want you to rush it... I just... some of my best men got hurt in the wastelands. One is in critical condition and fighting for his life at the hospital. Suffering from a wound in his neck. And we don't know if he has been exposed for the virus. Some of the others have visible symptoms and are now isolated. I loose good men constantly. Ever since the Chancellor ordered me to send out multiple search teams every day."
"So, you need the vaccine for The Protectors?"
"Yes... good men are hard to find, Dr Hastings."
"Well, the answer is obvious. Send me someone I can experiment the drug on, and everything will go a lot faster. And it has to be someone in the same physical condition as your protectors, if you want the results to be precise. So, no scrawny half dead people. Strong men. Fit men. Got it?"
He wants me to sacrifice some of my protectors to save others, and I'm becoming desperate enough to do it. It isn't just the chancellor who wants to catch the rebels out there. I want the traitor back. I want to torture him to a slow death!
"You'll get your strong and fit specimens. Just make sure you have the experimental vaccine ready."
"Trust me..." a dark smile appears on his face as we hear a painfilled moan coming from the room his daughter disappeared into earlier. "It'll be ready. We are working on it right now."
As usual I ignore the fact that some disobedient houseservant is being used as a lab rat and walk straight out of the room without looking back.
Survival of the fittest. By any means necessary. Its pure Darwinism. Sacrifice a few to insure survival of the many. And the best.
After all, this is the most important part of my job. To protect The City and its survival.
