Astra Chronicles

Chapter 9: Patient Zero

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Excerpt from the Doctor Mediocre Logs:

Day 1 in the Astra Corps.

She was patient zero.

I saw her when they moved the hospital bed from the intensive care to the president's VVIP floor at the penthouse.

Beside her were three specialists, four nurses and two medical aides. All of them were completely covered with full masks and scrub suits.

The Jane Doe, however, was asleep. Or heavily sedated, if I were correct about the IV drip that hang by her bed.

Her fiery maroon-red hair reminded me of dried blood. This pop of color was in total contrast to her super pale skin. It was as if she was dead cold or as if she had no more blood inside her.

I had wondered what her disease was and why it required the staff to treat her like a contagious deadly virus. But in an institution for high end health service, it was hard to breach the privacy of a patient.

For a week, I shrugged it off and continued my work as a fellow in the medical research department. That was until the staff which work at the top floor gradually disappeared one by one.

Nurse Niana was my cousin's wife. She was asked to draw blood from the patient in the luxurious presidential suite but days passed and we lost contact of her. The last footage of her was when she entered the female restroom. Then, she was gone.

Niana Hendrick was the first. But she, certainly, wasn't the last to never return.

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"Skyler. . ." Lexi's voice was barely a whisper when she called me.

I turned my attention away from the screen to face her. My skin was covered in goosebumps, colors were drained from my cheeks, and my fingertips had long gone cold.

Lexi mirrored the same expression as I had. Even without words, we both knew we were feeling the same thing.

Lexi took a nervous gulp, finally finding her voice back. "I don't think we should continue, Sky."

It was tempting to give up.

I could agree that something was definitely not adding up.

It was also eerily too coincidental that the names 'Astra' were both on our school's name and that corporation's name.

What were the chances in the world that our search engine would stumble on a blog that mentioned that name?

I exhaled sharply.

It seemed all these things would be potentially too extreme and dangerous for kids who were ten.

"I think you're right," I answered, agreeing with Lexi.

Relief washed on her face.

I knew how anxious she could get and I believed telling her a small lie would be beneficial for her sake.

"Let's give it up. We might be courting more trouble than we can handle."

She eyed me.

Her grey orbs scrutinized my face. For a second, I knew she doubted me.