Prodigy (Complete)

Chapter Thirty-Four

They reached the end of the tunnel and came upon another ramp that brought them to the street level. Once on the open road, Alex and Aris took off like blurs in the night.

Over the next few kilometres, the vehicles on the roads were sparse, and the ones that were present drove slowly with very predictable patterns. This made it easy for Alex to weave through them at high speeds. Ever since the institution of automated drivers, automobiles operated at consistent speeds. The amount of traffic jams and accidents drastically reduced to almost nothing. However, with that another thing was lost – the joy of driving. The closest thing any of them had to this experience was in simulations, but nothing could compare to the real thing. Despite it being an old person’s car, Alex was having a lot of fun driving the supercharged electric import.

When they entered further into the city, an eerie feeling came over them, almost as if death was in the air. It felt like being in a ghost town or returning to a place after an apocalypse, which was particularly unusual considering the city of Megalopolis was home to more than 10-million people. Flocks of dead birds littered the streets, indicating that whatever was killing humans appeared to be affecting animals as well.

At a certain point, Aris pulled up alongside the Ferrari and gave Milo and Alex a quick nod before speeding off in another direction. From the passenger side, Milo watched Aris until he was out of sight.

The streetlights ushered them along as they approached mind-numbing speeds. Alex’s cool and calm demeanour suggested she had been racing cars professionally her whole life, but in actuality, it was her first time. Not much was spoken between Alex and Milo. He put his head back on the fine Italian leather and she focused on driving. They continued through the massive city until finally reaching their destination.

Alex pulled into a covered parking garage located across the street from the Facility.

“Milo, can I borrow your access pod?”

“What happened to yours?”

“You forgot to retrieve it from the prison when you broke me out, remember?”

Milo dislodged his access pod and handed it to Alex. After securing the small device to her wrist, she tethered into the mainframe. She gave a simple voice command and instantly the news was broadcasted throughout the speakers of the exotic car.

“Hey, look at that – the speakers on this old clunker still work.”

Alex shushed him. “I want to hear this.”

A small holographic image projected a news reporter in front of them. It was perfect timing since she was talking about the Doomsday Virus. The news station was running the piece on a continuous loop.

“The Doomsday Virus continues to wreak havoc on the entire planet’s population. According to compu-stat figures, the death toll has now reached well over one million fatalities worldwide. As the death count continues to climb, many people believe this may be the end of humanity as we know it. Some people contend human beings are the virus and this is simply Mother Nature’s immune system fighting us off. So far there has been no official word on what’s causing this sudden epidemic.”

Alex watched and listened in shock.

“We are now going live to the Leader’s compound where he is about to make a special announcement.”

The video feed switched over to a close up of the Leader. Alex and Milo were intently focused on what he was about to say. Alex looked at the Leader a little differently now. She studied his facial features, trying to spot a resemblance with her own.

“Citizens of Earth, my team of scientists have been working diligently to unravel this great mystery that has suddenly plagued the inhabitants of our planet and we believe we have found the answer. The gold dust in the atmosphere is depleting and allowing harmful radiation from the sun to flood the Earth. Many of us have never lived in a time when the skies were blue and therefore have not developed the adequate protection to negate the sun’s harmful effects. We therefore must get more gold to put in our atmosphere and restore the harmony of the planet. Fortunately, a large gold deposit has been discovered within our galaxy. The solution to our problem is within our reach, but we must act swiftly. I’ve put together a team of twenty-five individuals to embark on this important mission to save—”

“What a liar!” Alex said angrily as she cut the feed.

“So what do we do now?” Milo asked.

“We’re the only ones who know the truth, we must warn the people.”

“I suppose you have a plan for that, right?” Milo asked.

Without saying a word, Alex unravelled a silk scarf that was around her neck and wrapped it around her face.

“What are you doing? Are you going to rob somebody?”

“No, I’m going to broadcast a message.”

“Why don’t you want people to see your face?”

“For one, I’m a wanted felon; and two, I fear the repercussions. History has shown that people who speak out against governments tend to not live very long.”

Alex checked the mirror to ensure the veil was adequately disguising her face. She then held up the access pod and looked directly into it.

“Record,” she commanded. A little red light appeared, along with a running timer.

“My name is…” she paused. There was no use for a disguise if she was just going to volunteer her name. As intelligent as she was, her lack of street smarts was beginning to show. Making videos was something she had little experience with and so she was a bit nervous.

“Alex, what’s wrong?”

“You know what,” she said as she peeled the scarf off her face.

“What are you doing?”

“You’re right, I don’t need this.”

“What about what you just said?” Milo asked.

“Soon it won’t matter, Milo. Besides, I think the message coming from me will hold more weight.”

“Alright, I trust you.”

Alex quickly regained her composure, reset the recorder, and proceeded once again.

“My name is Alex Gray, and I have made an important discovery regarding the so-called Doomsday Virus. The Leader advised this is not a virus, and he is correct. However, he stated the reason we are becoming sick and dying is due to the harmful effects of the sun, but that could not be further from the truth. The lack of gold isn’t the problem; it’s the abundance of gold. We are being poisoned by our own atmosphere and I’m afraid there isn’t much time.

“However, there is still hope. I have made the calculations and enough time has passed that the ozone has restored itself and will provide adequate protection against the sun's harmful rays. If we stay indoors where the air is filtered, we may be able to endure for a time until the gold particles dissipate. This will keep you and your loved ones safe until more can be learned about how to prevent the illness and reverse its harmful effects.”

Alex ended the transmission and then played the video back from the beginning.

“What do you think?” she asked.

“It’s good. It’s concise and informative. I’m proud of you.”