Golden Melody

Chapter 10.6

The Wolves Head Quarters in Red City

April 3, 2014

Diannah, her face etched with worry, paced before the gathered group.

"Green City is a disaster," she said, her voice sharp.
"The Mimic Virus is spreading like wildfire. We need to act fast."

Lolita Chu the Wolves' tech expert, tapped her tablet, her brow furrowed.

"It's worse than we thought," she said, her voice low.
"The virus is airborne, highly contagious, and seems to be mutating rapidly. We've been tracking the spread, and it's already reached the outskirts of Orange City."

Diego, the Wolves' medical advisor, nodded grimly.

"The initial symptoms are subtle," he said.
"Fatigue, headaches, a bit of a cough. Easy to mistake for a common cold. But then, the emotional amplification begins. Irrational anger, sudden outbursts of violence, and a disturbing tendency to mimic those around them."

Zaren Wov the investigator added,
"It's like they're losing control, their actions driven by the virus rather than their own will. And the worst part? The virus is evolving. It's becoming more aggressive, more unpredictable. If it reaches Red City, we'll be facing a nightmare scenario."

Diannah slammed her fist on the table, the sound echoing through the room.
"This is a threat to our entire country, to the entire world. We need to find a cure, and we need to find it now."

She turned to Lolita.
"What are our options?"

Lolita tapped her tablet again. "We need to get to the source," he said.
"The Wayne Botanical Garden in Green City. That's where the virus originated. We need to investigate the research facility, find out how the virus escaped, and see if there's any way to stop it."

"And what about a cure?" asked Zaren.

"We're working on it," Diego said.
"But it's a long shot. The virus is evolving too quickly. We need to find a way to slow it down, to buy us some time."

Diannah nodded.
"We need to act on multiple fronts," she said.

A wave of unease washed over the room.
Diannah's brow furrowed, her gaze fixed on Lolita, the young hacker whose fingers danced across her keyboard, displaying the grim news on a large screen.

"Yellow City is in lockdown?" she asked, her voice tight.

"Yes, ma'am," Lolita confirmed, her eyes glued to the screen. "Their entire system is shut down. No communication in or out."

Zaren, his relief at his son's safety now replaced with a knot of worry, spoke up.
"That's not good. It means the virus has likely reached Yellow City. And if their systems are down, we can't contact Kyliah."

"Kyliah?" Diannah repeated, her voice laced with concern.
"We need to know if she's safe. She's our only link inside Wayne Academy and Green Garden. She could have vital information about the virus's origins and the research facility."

Diego, ever the pragmatist, added, "We need to consider the possibility that she's been compromised. The virus could be affecting her, manipulating her actions. We need to be prepared for any scenario."

Lolita, her fingers still flying across the keyboard, chimed in, "I'm trying to access Yellow City's network, but it's like a brick wall. They've gone dark."

"We need to get someone into Yellow City," Diannah declared, her eyes flashing with determination.
"We need to find Kyliah, and we need to find out what's happening there. This virus is spreading faster than we thought, and we're running out of time."

"I got through to Kyliah," Lolita announced, a flicker of relief in her voice.
"Satellite signal, barely there, but she's alive."

Diannah let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.
"Thank goodness. What does she say?"

Lolita hesitated, her brow furrowing.
"She says they're fine. Says Yellow City is overreacting, that the virus isn't as bad as they're making it seem."

Zaren's eyes narrowed. "Overreacting? That doesn't sound right. Why would they lock down the whole city if it's not a major threat?"

Diego, ever the voice of reason, nodded.
"It's suspicious. Kyliah's a good agent, but she's been in the origin of the virus. She might be infected, even if she doesn't realize it."

Diannah, her gaze sharp, added, "We need to be careful. We can't take anything Kyliah says at face value until we verify it ourselves. Yellow City's lockdown is extreme, and their silence is even more concerning. Something's definitely fishy."

Zaren tapped his tablet, his fingers flying across the screen. "I'm going to try and crack into Yellow City's network again. Maybe they're hiding something."

Lolita, her fingers dancing across her own keyboard, chimed in,
"I'll try to find out what's happening on the ground. Maybe there are some independent news sources or social media posts that can give us a better picture of the situation."

Diego, ever the pragmatist, said, "We need to prepare for the worst. If Yellow City is hiding something, it's likely that the virus is worse than we think. We need to start preparing for a potential outbreak in Red City."

The Wolves, despite the brief relief, remained on edge.
They knew the Mimic Virus was a cunning enemy, capable of manipulating both individuals and entire societies.
They had to be vigilant, trust no one, and prepare for anything. The fight for their world had just become even more dangerous.