Tainted

Introduction - Ignorance is bliss

"This is a public health announcement. If any members of the public begin to show more than one of the following symptoms, we ask you call the emergency number provided or contact your local healthcare professionals or authorities in case you are suffering early signs of Lichtenburg Influenza .

- Severe darkening and swelling of the veins.

- High temperature and fever

- Visual and audio hallucinations

- Severe perspiration

- Nausea, sickness and

- Insomnia and restlessness

- Chronic bodily pain

People who have come into contact with those infected are also advised to talk to professionals as a precaution. If you suspect someone of being infected, please call the emergency number so help can be provided.

The emergency number is 0800 110 011

Repeat"

The silence following the announcement was tense. The atmosphere of excited chatter, pre-summer plans and holiday romances abruptly changed to fear and uncertainty. Victoria's gaze shifted around the room, seeing everyone absorbed in their own thoughts or grimacing to their friends. Suddenly the sound of someone choking and a stools legs scraping against the floor caught everyone's attention.

"H-help, the plague is upon me" Jason, the self dubbed class clown gasped dramatically clutching his throat and flopping to the floor. The boys around him began to laugh hysterically fanning him calling for help. Victoria merely rolled her eyes.

"Mr. Coyton I hardly think this is appropriate!" Their teacher screeched from the classroom. The room was full of mixed feelings, most laughing, some scoffing and a few looking on in disgust. The laughter died down into chuckles at their reprimand.

"Sorry Ms. I was just trying to lighten the mood!" Jason exclaimed with a wide toothed smile.

"Yeah because nothing spells hilarity quite like an unknown disease and people dying" Victoria commented dryly. Jason met her eyes and the smile began to drop, he opened his mouth, in what she knew would be a poorly thought out rebuttal but was cut short when their teacher finally took control of the unruly class.

The rest of the lecture finished without anything of interest, but the whispers about the mysterious 'Lichtenburg Influenza' circled throughout the rest of the day. But true to student mentality after lunch everyone was back to talking about summer escapades and who was hosting end of year parties. Victoria wasn't interested in the hottest parties or who would do who over their summer break. She swerved through the crowds of students leaving her last seminar of the day to meet her friends by the front gate.

"Hey gorgeous, fancy giving me your number?" A deep voice rasped behind her, grabbing a handful of her bum as she walked.

"Well that depends if you're finally willing to swing my way handsome" Vi smirked, turning to wrap around her best friend's waist. Their eyes met before they both broke away snorting out in laughter. Tony slid his arm around her neck as they walked away from the college.

"Blonde, blue eyes, plush booty... you're exactly my type. It's just a shame you have the wrong equipment between your legs" He sighed dramatically. Victoria glanced up to her best friend before raising an eyebrow at him suggestively.

"How would you know what equipment I have? I could just be very good at hiding things"

Tony scoffed and turned to look at the blonde with his hands on his hips "You may have bigger balls than most men I know but there is no way these-" He began, pausing to gesture to her chest "are fake. If they are then you need to refer me to your surgeon because damn I'd get some work done".

They laughed as they walked through the gates continuing to joke about their undying love and how fate had cursed them to the wrong bodies. Victoria glanced to the road and paused as a large van with the letters OCA plastered on its side drove past them. The driver turned to look at the same time she did until their gazes met.

The OCA, short for the Outbreak Control Authority were the ones that lead the project to contain the latest outbreak. When Victoria had done some digging (by typing their name into Hoogle) about the mysterious new entity, she found they were a medical government sector that had been around since before she was born. She had never heard of them before the Lichtenburg Influenza first came to light in the media and it seems not many people had. According to their website they were dedicated to the study and eradication of new infectious diseases.

As their eyes locked Victoria saw what she assumed was a protective body suit and a face mask hanging loosely at his neck. He smirked at her before returning his eyes to the road and Victoria watched as the van drove past her, it's break lights flashing red as it slowed to turn the corner.

Sound rushed back to her when she turned away from the van to face Tony who waved his hand in front of her face when he failed to get her attention.

"Earth to Vi, care to join me in real life?"

Victoria shook of the bizarre feeling the van gave her and lightly punched her friends arm.

"Welcome back, so what was that about? Are you able to see the future now? Do I need to start calling you Raven?" Tony gushed. Victoria rolled her eyes at the TV show reference before walking further down the road towards her house.

Her and Tony went back to Vi's apartment, it wasn't anything to brag about just a small studio flat. In fact small was an understatement, Victoria would consider it a deluxe shoe box at best. Her life was simple and that's the way she liked it, university, her best friend and her over priced shoe box.

If only she appreciated it more when she had it.