Brett Battles
Ashes
What Came Before
The unthinkable has happened.
Using an extensive network of specially equipped shipping containers, Project Eden has unleashed the Sage Flu upon the world, intent on wiping out over ninety-nine percent of the human population.
Despite its best efforts, the group known as the Resistance was unable to stop this horrific act from happening, and found itself under attack by a squad of Project Eden commandos.
Caught outside the Resistance’s hideaway, Brandon Ash raced through the woods in search of safety. But all he found was a woman dealing with her own demons, and he was forced to move farther and farther away from his friends.
Twenty-four-hour curfews spread around the globe as people everywhere did what they could to keep themselves and their families safe.
Martina Gable and her family headed for a cabin in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the high desert of California, desperately trying to isolate themselves from those who might be carrying the disease.
In India, after Sanjay inoculated Kusum, the girl he loved, he reluctantly took her back to her family in Mumbai. He then went in search of more vaccine, while Kusum led the others out of the city. Once Sanjay found what he was after, he, too, went back to the country, where, after a panicked night apart, he found Kusum again.
And then there was Project Eden itself. Its leadership apparently dead, a new principal director emerges, one who has no intention of ever conceding the job to anyone else.
In a desperate race back to the Resistance headquarters from where he’d witnessed the destruction of Bluebird — Project Eden’s base above the Arctic Circle — Captain Daniel Ash arrived only to find his son missing. Out searching for Brandon, he came across a house in the wilderness that Brandon had visited earlier. But while his son had been able to get away from the woman who lived there, Ash was caught in the explosion that destroyed her house. He was rushed back to the Ranch, barely clinging to life.
Meanwhile, throughout the world, the sound of coughing grows louder and louder…
Epigraph
Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust…
December 24th
1
Perez hit play.
It was the fourth time he’d watched the video. He wasn’t one hundred percent happy with the piece, but changing it at this point would mean an unnecessary delay of at least a week.
“Fine,” he said to Claudia, his assistant. “Approved.”
“And the proposed date?”
It was three days away.
“Also approved.”
“I’ll let the communications team know,” she said. “Do you want this on automatic or would you like to activate?”
He gave it only a second’s thought. “When the time comes, we’ll do it from here.”
“Very good, sir.”
2
“Firefighters believe the blaze started in a grocery store on 22nd Avenue before it quickly overtook the surrounding buildings,” Candice Mandel said.
She was reporting from St. Petersburg, Florida. The camera revealed flames rising from nearly every building along the avenue. Firefighters ran up and down the street, pulling equipment from trucks and spraying water on the flames, but it was clear their efforts would not be enough.
“One official we were able to speak with said that the rapid spread of the fire indicated it had been set intentionally.” The camera panned to the left until Mandel was in the picture. With her free hand, she adjusted the surgical mask covering her mouth and nose before adding, “A mandatory evacuation of the residential area directly behind the fire has already begun. Unfortunately, the effort is hampered by residents’ fear of leaving their homes.”
The image of Mandel cut to prerecorded shots of the evacuation.
Police wearing gas masks normally used in riot situations were knocking on doors and moving people to buses parked along the street. Before they boarded, the evacuees were handed masks similar to the one Mandel was wearing. While most people seemed to be cooperating, a few could be seen struggling with the officers.
The picture cut to a shot of a front door as police knocked on it. It opened an inch, but no more.
“Sir, how many people are in the house with you?” one of the officers asked.
“Just me and my wife. Why?”
“You both need to come with us.”
“Are you kidding me? We’re not going anywhere,” the man said. “Not with that bug out there.”
“Sir, there’s a fire on 22nd Avenue that’s threatening to spread this way. We need to evacuate the entire neighborhood.”
“Sorry, buddy. We ain’t leaving!” The man started to close the door, but the officer jammed a foot across the threshold.
The image cut back to Mandel standing in front of the fire. “That couple was eventually escorted to one of the buses, but the man wasn’t the only one to express that kind of sentiment.” She paused. “Choosing between running from a fire or exposing themselves to the Sage Flu virus now spreading around the world is not what these people thought they’d be doing on Christmas Eve. Back to you in New York, Henry.”
Mandel was replaced on screen by PCN anchor Henry Nash. “There have been reports of looting and acts of destruction throughout the country, but so far these have been isolated events that authorities have been able to stop.” Nash fell silent for a second, his eyes becoming momentarily unfocused. When he looked back into the camera, he said, “We’re going to take you to the White House briefing room and correspondent Shelley Barnes. Shelley?”
The new image was a wide shot of an empty podium with the White House seal hanging on the wall behind it. In front of the podium were several rows of chairs, each filled with a member of the press. Most were wearing surgical-type masks, while a few went as far as donning full gas masks.
After a second’s delay, the unseen Shelley Barnes said, “Henry, we’ve been told that a White House spokesman will be delivering an important update on the situation at any moment. So far, we’ve only been hearing—” She paused as a door at the front of the room opened. “It looks like the brief is about to start.”
There was a rustle in the crowd as four men entered and spread out on either side of the podium. As soon as they were in position, the president himself walked out. He was followed by the majority and minority leaders of both the House and Senate, and the chief justice of the Supreme Court.
A murmur of surprise arose as all the reporters stood until the leader of the United States was behind the podium. The president’s normally vigorous and youthful face looked drawn and tired. He stared at the gathered press for a moment before he began.
“Ladies and gentleman,” he said. His face turned even grimmer. “In the last hour, I have received confirmation that deaths in the US directly attributable to the Sage Flu are in the thousands and climbing rapidly. I wish I could tell you these were confined to a particular location, but I cannot. The cases are spread throughout the country. In addition to the dead, tens of thousands more have already reported suffering from flu-like symptoms.
“I have been in touch with leaders in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and throughout Europe, and, without exception, all are experiencing similar outbreaks.