The grey-clad guards stopped outside the doors to the bio containment chamber and scanned the corridor with infra-red visors. Determining that the area was safe, they activated a pager and stood back against the wall. Two figures emerged from the chamber, unzipping their rust-colored bio suits as they walked out. In the right figure’s hands was a large teal vial, carefully sealed and encased in a coating of silver liquid plastic to prevent cracking and seepage. Motioning for the first guard to precede them, the group set off with the second guard following alertly behind.
Winding their way down the sterile, stainless steel corridor, the group finally reached the loading bay. Outside the dust eddied about, and the sky was tinged with rust, the clouds few and far between, like a torn handkerchief above the desert sand. The rock-paved area immediately surrounding the facility was immaculate; the harsh winds had blown it clear. The main center for research and development resides in what was formerly Nigeria, in a reclusive valley set out in the middle of the wilderness. Outside of the perimeter, the rest of Nigeria waited in whirling silence, but not here. Protected by high dunes on every side, and only accessible through a trench in the dust, it is the ultimate research facility.
Unfortunately, nuclear and biological warfare has advanced enough to be permanently active when released. With no shut off valve, any bio weapons released will continue to plague current and future inhabitants. The effects have made great swathes of land uninhabitable, deserts spread over 84% of the earth’s surface causing continuous water shortages. Species across the earth have either died out or adapted. The human race is no exception to this change. 10 years ago, a new toxin had been naturally formed from the remnants of the weapons used, one causing a form of Progeria. Speeding up aging, it made the effects of the sand blasted world 8 times worse. It spread through the air, infecting any that inhaled its particles along with the dust. Without the antidote being developed here, the entire population of the world will soon die out.
Since the Progeria had reduced the average lifespan for humans to only 30 years, the research facility had been created specifically for the purpose of finding an antidote. The current project that the staff is working on is a new bio-antidote developed around the disease Progeria; by altering the strains of the DNA and recalibrating them, they have developed a cure that will enable doctors to slow the aging to an almost normal pace, reducing the risk of an early, dust choked death.
An E15 sand glider with a frictionless maroon skin was waiting for them, with the mottled rust and brown entrance ramp lowered to hover inches above the packed earth. Nodding to the guards, the two researchers carefully installed the vial in the storage bay, packed several layers of protective foam around it, and then sealed the hatch and bolted it before retreating to the bay. The guards hopped aboard the craft, entered the pilot’s cabin, the entrance ramp hummed as it sealed the structure in preparation for take-off. Once sure that the glider was air-locked and that dust couldn’t infiltrate any cracks, they taxied out of the hangar and took off.
Closing the door to the facility behind them, the two researchers finally relaxed. “Thank Nyx we got that anti-dote shipped out in time.” Rolling his shoulders to release tension, Tycho eased onto a seat at the edge of the viewing portal as he pulled off his helmet.
Shrugging out of her suit, Fallon wearily ran her fingers through her wiry, matted dreadlocks. At this point the texture was more like dried coconut husks, but there was little to be done for that. Humans have all developed hardy, compacted bodies that are shorter than before the war, and thinner; with calloused feet and hands, thick skin, strong muscles, and wiry, dense hair that covers most of their body and blocks dust and any insects that have adapted. General appearance had also undergone pronounced changes, morphing into androgynous figures, making gender distinction nigh impossible, fewer children surviving and reaching adulthood.
