Post-Pandemic: A New World

Chapter Thirty Seven: The Story So Far

Assembled in San Francisco Plaza were over one hundred and fifty survivors of the Fall, eighty of Them were Phoenixes and the rest were part of three different groups of survivors who had been scavenging the Plaza and had been brought together by the birth of Michelle's twins. The de-facto leaders of the Phoenixes, Bridge Winters and Anna Makarova were standing atop the bridge connecting the upper levels of the Plaza and everyone was listening intently on what They had to say. Bridge then began explaining loud enough for Everyone to hear "Almost three weeks ago, Me, My best friend Phinehas and Michelle, the young lady You heard giving birth just now, were a small survivor group living in New York City". The non-Phoenixes' faces filled with shock as Bridge explained where They had come from and Bridge continued explaining "New York was in the midst of a war. Rikers, escaped prisoners from the infamous prison Rikers Island, were fighting each other for control of New York. Social order had decayed to nothing like that of the corpses of those who perished from the St Peters Virus. The streets were running with blood and fire as the people fought just to stay alive..... The bodies burned in Their dozens". Many of the survivors in the Plaza felt horrified at that last sentence, They all remembered the anarchy that had occurred after the Fall, but They never thought it would continue for four months longer than the anarchy in San Francisco had. Anna then explained to the survivors "Looting, rape and murder spread across the city, while those who were law abiding citizens prior to the Fall became desperate scavengers, the Rikers became primal savages. Many people left for the safety of the rural areas as the Rikers teared New York apart, as We did almost three weeks ago, but for a reason other than the Rikers".

The survivors in the Plaza all had many bitter memories of the "Cons" who teared apart San Francisco for months after the Fall, so They were disheartened to hear of the continuing escaped prisoner turf war occurring in New York. But They were curious for as to what the other reason for the Phoenixes leaving New York was and one man asked "What was the other reason?" Bridge and Anna looked long at each other for a moment, then both nodded and Anna said to the survivors "Do You all remember, about eight months ago, when the Virus mysteriously disappeared?" Responses such as "Yes" and "Sure" were heard from the assembled crowd around the Plaza. Anna took a deep breath in and said "The reason why the Virus disappeared is because an Antidote was released and My Papa, Ivan, He created it". Gasps and responses of "What?" and "Huh?" filled the Plaza. The survivors all looked at Anna very confused as She said "I know that it is hard to believe, but it is true". Rachell, the woman who helped Michelle give birth, stepped out of the bed store and asked "What are You talking about?" Anna then looked at Rachel and answered "What I'm talking about is the fact that He saved Your lives. Look at His journal if You want, the evidence is right there". Bridge then explained "Anna appeared at Our apartment and told Us that She and Her father had noticed Us from Their apartment across the street and said that They needed to speak with Us. So We went with Her and Ivan explained everything to Us". One of the survivors raised Her hand and asked "What did He explain?" Anna answered and explained Ivan's story to the survivors "Papa was a scientist working for the World Health Organisation prior to the Fall. When the Virus appeared, He was assigned to a research team in New York to try and create a cure and I came with Him as morale support. But then one day He discovered something terrifying that shattered all faith He had in the Governments of the World". One of the survivors asked "What was it?" Bridge quickly answered "Trust Me, We're all in danger here".

The survivors continued to listen to Bridge and Anna as Bridge explained "When We arrived at Anna and Ivan's home, Ivan was on His death bed. Infection from the St Peters Virus had given Him cancer and His time was running out. It was then that He explained to Us the Governments' true agenda". Mummers of worry and confusion spread throughout the Plaza as Anna explained to the survivors "A few months into the Fall, Papa found a misplaced file at the lab and discovered that the Governments already had an Antivirus but no intention of releasing it until most of the population died". Gasps and yells of "WHAT!?" echoed the Plaza. The survivors were shocked at what Anna had just said, but listened intently as Anna explained "The Governments' planned on waiting until the Virus killed most of the population so that They could 'save' Humanity from the threat of overpopulation. They believed that a culling, niet, a GENOCIDE, was the only way to ensure the continued survival of the Human race". Drake, Bridge's estranged father, was filled with scepticism at what Bridge and Anna were explaining and stepped onto the bridge to say "If that were true, then why didn't Ivan take this evidence to the press?" Bridge was quick to answer "Do You remember how the Governments took control of the media? If Ivan took it to the press then the Governments would intercept it and His next stop would be the quarantine zones". Bridge looked back at Everyone in the Plaza and said "We have Ivan's journal with Us and We made copies using an old photocopier in Denver. We'll hand the copies out and You can see the evidence with Your own eyes. Then You will understand the truth".