The rise of NEXUS

Chapter 6: Plague Hits Locally

The atmosphere in the Nexus boardroom was suffocating with tension. A large screen dominated the far wall, displaying charts and graphs tracking the spread of the plague. Victor Kane stood at the head of the table, hands clasped tightly behind his back, his brow deeply furrowed. The scientists—Xavier, Malcolm, and the others—sat in tense silence, waiting for him to speak.

Victor turned to face them, his sharp eyes scanning the room. “We’re switching all of our resources and efforts to fighting this plague. The world is looking to Nexus. The question I have for all of you is—how can we help?”

The room remained still for a moment, the weight of his question hanging in the air.

Malcolm cleared his throat first, leaning forward slightly. “I can start by looking deeper into the virus’s structure. I’ve already seen early reports indicating that it’s mutating rapidly, but I need more data. I think we can map out its behavior.”

Victor nodded, his gaze shifting to Xavier. “And you, Xavier? What’s your angle on this?”

Xavier glanced at Malcolm before speaking, his mind racing with possibilities. “I’ve been working with regenerative medicine for a while now. It’s possible we could use what we’ve learned from tissue regeneration to help slow down the virus’s effects on the body—maybe even repair some of the damage it causes.”

Victor tilted his head, clearly interested. “You’re talking about slowing the disease down enough to give us more time?”

Xavier nodded, feeling more confident. “Exactly. If we can reinforce the body’s natural healing process, we might be able to give the immune system a fighting chance.”

Malcolm tapped the table, drawing their attention. “There’s another option. It’s a bit more... unconventional.”

Victor raised an eyebrow. “Go on.”

Malcolm shifted in his seat, glancing at Xavier before continuing. “We’ve been working on neural interface technology for other purposes, but there’s a possibility it could be repurposed for this. If we can stimulate the brain’s regenerative functions directly, we could potentially accelerate the body’s ability to heal itself—before the virus has a chance to cause irreparable damage.”

Xavier frowned slightly. “That’s... ambitious, Malcolm. The risks—especially when interfacing directly with the brain—could be significant.”

Malcolm shrugged, but his expression remained determined. “I know it’s risky. But desperate times call for desperate measures. We’re running out of time. The neural chip project is already in development. We just need to adapt it.”

Victor’s eyes flicked between them, considering their suggestions. “And you think it could work? Both of these approaches?”

Xavier hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “It’s worth trying. Even if it buys us time to figure out a more permanent solution.”

Malcolm leaned forward, his tone more intense. “We need to throw everything we have at this, Victor. The plague isn’t slowing down, and the hospitals are already starting to feel it. We have to act now, or it’ll be too late.”

Victor’s jaw clenched. He paused for a moment, weighing their words, before he finally spoke. “Do it. Both of you. I want daily updates on your progress. And Malcolm—get that chip ready for testing as soon as possible.”

The tension in the room shifted, the weight of the task ahead pressing down on all of them. There was no turning back now. Xavier and Malcolm exchanged a look, a silent acknowledgment of the challenges that lay ahead.

Victor turned back toward the screen, his voice cold and authoritative. “We’re not going to let this thing win.”

Victor glanced around the room one last time, his expression unreadable. “That’s all for now. You have your directives. I want updates by the end of the day tomorrow.”