Corrupted

Prologue

DR. MICHAEL FLETCHER CLINKED THE GLASS TEST TUBE WITH THE EDGE of his fingernail, while his thumb kept the rubber stopper in place. The pale green liquid inside it bubbled with diseased aggression. He pushed his glasses up as he squinted at a tiny white mouse trapped in a glass box. Its small, black eyes darted from side to side, looking for an escape route, and its pink nose twitched for guidance. It let out a shrill squeal that made the scientists behind Dr. Fletcher cringe as he lifted the box. Michael was unmoved.

He grabbed the mouse with his gloved hand as it wriggled in his grip, and gestured over his shoulder for Nancy. She moved over slowly and delicately took the mouse into her palms, whispering at it to calm down. Her voice soothed it slightly as Dr. Fletcher retrieved a syringe and pushed the tip through a minuscule hole in the stopper. He pulled back the plastic end, which drew the green liquid from the test tube and into the body of the syringe. He held the liquid between his eyes and swirled it like a glass of wine.

"The mouse goes straight into the glass box as soon as I inject it", he droned. Nancy nodded.

Her hands shook as the needle penetrated the creature's thick coat and skin. It screamed wildly as Dr. Fletcher pushed the liquid in and Nancy shoved it under the box. She rushed back to the observing scientists, while Dr. Fletcher leant closer.

The mouse gargled as the toxin rushed through its veins, unable to throw it up; a poor adaption of the species that made it a useful test subject. Then nothing happened and the mouse lay still.

"Is it dead?" Nancy murmured.

Dr. Fletcher pursed his lips and put the syringe down on the table beside him. "This has to work", he whispered under his breath.

The scientists began to leave, shaking their heads in disappointment. Dr. Fletcher felt fury course through his veins as the mouse continued to do nothing.

He slammed his fist down on the metal table, rattling test tubes in their racks. "This can't be!" He growled, "We need this disease to work to start the Epidemic".

Nancy turned to him. "Maybe this isn't the right way to go about things. Shouldn't we just protest our thoughts instead of wiping out a population to prove a point?" It was the loudest she had ever raised her voice.

Dr. Fletcher's face turned bright red. "This is the only way! The world will spiral into destruction if we don't do something to fix it now", he spat.

Nancy cowered and opened her mouth to rebut his point, but a low growl interrupted her. While the scientists argued the mouse reawakened. They moved closer to it and Dr. Fletcher had to adjust his glasses to clarify what he was seeing was real.

The specimen's fur fell out in clumps and the exposed skin showed webs of green, swollen veins. Its teeth were rotten and the fur around its eyes stained black.

Dr. Fletcher kneeled in front of the box and the mouse spotted him. It scattered towards him snarling and slammed into the box wall. Then it stood up on its hind legs and scratched at the glass continuously, desperate to sink its teeth into him.

Michael stared at the mouse and a small rumble erupted from his throat. Nancy touched his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" She mused.

He was laughing, and it ascended in volume the more he did. Nancy never thought she would hear such a magnificent chuckle from him.

"It worked", he faltered in incredulity. "I can't believe we did it". He was breathless.

Nancy smiled greedily. "You did it Dr. Fletcher. Now we can cleanse this ugly world of the weak and wasteful".