The moment Fenric demanded access to the virus vault, the middle‑aged doctor’s eyes changed. Terrorist. That’s what he saw.
He didn’t argue. Didn’t bargain. Survival instinct overruled everything. With shaking hands, he led Fenric through secured doors, badge after badge, until they reached a heavy blast‑sealed cold room.
Someone outside must have already hit an alarm. Fenric didn’t care.
In under ten minutes, the zombie pathogen would sweep Boston. Police response wouldn’t matter.
—--
Frost rolled from the vault as the door opened. The room was a walk‑in freezer: chilled air, metal shelving, rows of cryobox canisters and sealed vials—viruses, isolates, vaccine strains.
The doctor glanced back anxiously. "Please be careful. If anything in here leaks, it could be catastrophic—"
Fenric smiled faintly. "Then tell me: Which one infects fast and carries a high fatality risk?"
The doctor stiffened. Confirmation: bioterror profile.
He hesitated—so Fenric pressed the Beretta to his head.
"You’ve got three seconds. Three..."
"Two—"
"KBN!" the doctor blurted. "The KBN strain shows the fastest onset! High lethality!"
(Author note: Fictional code name. No real virus names used—thanks for understanding!)
Fenric’s eyes lit. He scanned labels, found the vial, lifted it. "Symptoms?"
"Initial: fever, acute follicular reaction—hair loss. After two to three days: vomiting, headache, joint pain, fatigue, nausea, vertigo... even healthy subjects die within seven days."
Perfect.
"How’s transmission? Oral? Injection?" Fenric asked.
"Primarily droplets... injection is faster."
"Excellent," said Fenric, and handed the vial back. "Inject me."
"What?"
"You heard me."
The doctor stared. "Sir, that’s not— You want to infect yourself?"
"Yes."
Fenric’s reasoning was simple: survive ten hours, extract, get full system reset
The doctor had no way to know that. "Oh my God—this isn’t a joke! Do you understand how dangerous—"
"Do it," Fenric snapped, voice going cold. "Or I redecorate the wall."
"...Okay. Okay. Don’t shoot."
He grabbed a syringe, drew a measured dose from the vial through rubber seal, swabbed an injection site, and plunged the needle into Fenric’s arm.
Then he frantically pulled a mask over his own face, as if that would save him.
"..."
At first Fenric felt nothing. Then heat bloomed under his skin. Fever climbing. Good—fast take.
Outside, muffled through steel and insulation, voices rose:
"Suspect inside! Release Dr. David immediately and surrender! Security en route!"
Fenric ignored them. He still had time. He checked the mission timer in his interface: just minutes now until virus emergence.
The doctor swallowed hard. "Sir... I did everything you asked. Please let me go. I have a wife... kids... they need me..."
Fenric turned, smiled without warmth. "That’s really unfortunate. They won’t be your family much longer."
"What?"
Before he could process the meaning, a shriek split the corridor outside.
Then another.
"Ahhh!!!"
The outbreak had begun.