45 The Hidden life of a Researcher ( A short side story ) 

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_3 months prior before the apocalypse-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-Polo Uy's perspective-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

"Dear, are you sure about this job?"

"Relax, honey. It'll be alright. The pay is good and the environment's nice. What more could I even ask? "

I had been offered a job by a company that calls themselves 'S.P.E.C.T.R.E', an organisation that houses elite researchers and medical practitioners known around the world. They base their staff not from their lineage but for their skills they have earned, hence they had took a great liking to my noble research—entitled 'A Cure for Cancer'. My occupation derives with the various chemical compounds and other hazardous materials stored in laboratories, which were a little bit lacking from my previous position. Even so, that didn't stop me for continuing my experiments. Soon after, the day had arrive when I finally accomplished my own research paper. I wasn't expecting it to be thoroughly safe nor accurate. What I had aimed for was an innovation for the upcoming projects that are yet to be established and studied by the younger generation. 

"We don't have to move in Japan now, are we?"

"Honey, as much as I wanted to stay here in Turkey, with your family, this project that I was invited for will earn us ample amount of money…for our little jr; for all of the expenses we need to provide when the kid comes out of your womb."

I turn to her side and hugged Valerie from behind. Her skin was soft like a pillow since the morning we had both woken up. She was still paranoid from the matter, nevertheless she had considered the opportunity of us working abroad.

"I love you. I really do. That's why I want to give our son, or daughter, the privilege which I had never received since I was a child. I know money isn't our main source of happiness, and we have bountiful cash deposited in the nearby banks. Still, don't you think we should invest for more?"

2 weeks after our honeymoon, Valerie had become nauseous and sick. She was also experiencing mood swings and muscles sores down on her breasts and abdomen, similar from what a woman would feel during their pre-menstruation period. Soon after, I went to the nearest pharmacy and hurriedly bought 2 sets of pregnancy tests, just for good measure, and a couple of medicines pouched in an adorable sachet. 

The situation could only mean one thing; she was pregnant. As if the gods have heard our prayers, two red lines sprouted on the hunter-green screen, followed by continuous beeping sound in a wild and merry manner.

She was pregnant, and I was soon to be a father. 

It has been already 8 months since the time we took the pregnancy test, and around this calendar, we are hoping for our child to be safely laboured outside her womb. I couldn't wait for the time that I could happily play with my baby's little hands. 

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah"

Despite affirming her response, she heaves out a sigh and stood up from her seat. She timidly stares for a brief moment, drowned in her own thoughts.

"Valerie, I know you're upset. But, can you please be cheerful throughout the duration of our flight?

"I'll try" she said in a downcast tune, as she gently lifts my fuzzed collar and shuffles her way to fix my folded tie.

"Sorry" I kiss her lips while caressing her soft and silky burgundy hair. I can still remember the time we had first met in college, and started looking for the supplies needed in our school. That was the first time I had seen her face, sacredly carved by in a goddess-like body. 

"You look handsome" I was reminded back from my reality as I saw her face flashing me with a vibrant smile regardless from what happened. 

I gave her a hug and abruptly flicked her forehead. The force released from the snap of my hands had made her whole body jerk backwards from the minor pain. 

"Hey! What was that for?" She retorted, while holding her head shocked from the matter.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't help it. You're too damn cute." I returned her smile and slowly walked to her side, this time with no ill intentions added like before. Her hand slowly interlocks with mine, as I gently pull her close and wrapped her inside my arms.

Soon after, we resumed our daily routines and packed our suitcase necessary for the said flight. Approximately 3 hours from now we'll be able to fly from Turkey to Japan for 15 hours and 45 minutes straight, with a 1-stop flight. Fortunately for us, I had booked a ticket a month prior right after I had received the job invitation.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ 

Our first stop had eventually came. Our journey took to a halt on Beijing China, while the pilot announces the details for our next flight.

"We'll be having a short 6 hours break before we can resume the next flight heading to Tokyo. For the meantime, please look around and entertain yourselves in the nearest tourist spots and souvenir shops. Thank you for choosing **** airlines! We hope to travel with you again!" 

It was expected from the book of flights prepared beforehand that the aircraft itself will receive proper maintenance and cleaning for the traveler's comfort. 

During the trip, my boss, Andrew Turner, had sent me an email regarding the first day of my work. 

The letter was brief and contains the rest of the schedule of my job in which I was inclined to. He had also mentioned that I can immediately start my first day of work the moment I was ready presenting myself to their company. Just as I was about to exit the email, there was a small sentence added on the latter part of the document.

'Congratulations for becoming a father! I know being a dad is the toughest job in the world, but certainly best regards to your family"

I small curl made its way on the side of my mouth upon reading his post scriptum. 

"Now, how are we going to spend our 6 hours?" I asked Valerie, who was still half-asleep for the time being. She had a terrible nightmare, where the plane had crashed down onto a nearby lake and was gobbled up by some sort of serpent-like creature around 5 kilometres long, as it bears its fangs on the metallic chunk of the wreckage plane. As soon as she woke up from the roaring breeze of the craft landing on China, she had thunderously shrieked from the top of her lungs and awoken everyone seated at the terminal. Valerie borrows herself in her seat filled with embarrassment, while I on the other hand had made my way apologising to the nearby individuals who had been bewildered from the event. They had thought that my wife was ready to conceive the baby, and the agonising screech was coming from the apparent labour process; which was neither from what they had thought about.

"Anything's good; but I'd prefer a hotel" 

"One 5 star hotel coming right up!"

"Idiot!"

Despite my wife being 8 months pregnant, she unhesitatingly slaps me from behind and stormily marches forward, frustrated from my comment.

Me and Valerie decided to stay in a hotel right next to the airport, so we can avoid exerting too much effort for her pregnant physique. Thus, we lazily slept through the whole duration of our break for the next flight to arrive. 

"Honey…don't add pineapples to my pizza…it's disgusting….W-WAIT, I'M AWAKE. I HAVE RISEN"

I was awoken by the cold breeze blown by our air condition hang from above. Unsure of what to do and what to think, I shifted my gaze upwards and studied the time, hoping I had not missed anything important.

I found my sleeping wife snuggling on the mushy orange blanket, and soon attempted to wake her up. 

"Honey, where are we?"

"The hotel?" she indolently respond, uninterested from what I was about to say.

"Right, the flight. THE FLIGHT. VALERIE, WAKE UP! WE NEED TO GO!" 

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

"I told you to set our alarm at exactly 5 hours! What the hell happened?"

"I don't know?! How about you ask your smart phone. Oh, wait, YOU FORGOT TO CHARGE IT"

We hastily sprinted our way towards the airport, 10 minutes before our flight. 

Just like my wife had already mentioned, the thought of charging my phone prior to our flight had never came across my mind. As soon as we checked in the insides of our room from the hotel, both of our bodies laid flat on the king-sized bed, exhausted and immobilised. 

"I never had the chance to eat something like the Roasted Peking Duck or…"

"Shut it"

It was hard for me to believe that my pregnant wife was running way faster than I could ever imagine. 

Just as we were about to arrive at the ingress of the line, where our plane had been waiting for the last minute passengers, we were ceased by two well-dressed man right infront of the stewardess stationed from the counter.

"Pardon sir, ma'am, there was an abrupt message sent in our airlines. It was stated that Mr.Polo and Mrs.Valerie are advised to take the private jet in the VIP quarters."

One of the staff, who seemed to be bewildered from the tablet she was presently holding, reads the words written on the screen aloud for us to hear. 

"A private jet? I don't understand." I raised a brow from the sudden news I have yet to hear. 

"It came from Andrew…Turner" She slowly recites the name of my employer. 

"He did, Polo?" My wife had switched her gears and suddenly called me in my first name, which can only happen once in a blue moon. When she does, we can safely assume that my wife is either angry enough to suffocate someone else or mad enough to suffocate mine. There is no in-between. 

"Don't look at me. I know nothing." I raised my arms, shaken from her gaze. I was innocent, my dear wife. If I had known it sooner, you would be the first person to be able to know it!

"Mr. Uy, have you checked the P.S. written on your email?" One of the guards, whom had stopped us from entering the check point, steps in front and queers me with a business-like smile.

"Do you mean the note which Dr. Turner congratulated me?" I asked, recalling if I had ever missed anything from the note. 

"Do you mind if you browse it right now?" 

"I would love to but my battery had died "

"Here. Use mine" the mysterious guy handed me his phone. 

The people around me kept staring at my fingers as I inputted my account number on the foreign device. With a soft chime, a grey clear box appeared on the screen indicating that I have successfully received another pair of messages sent by the same sender—Andrew Turner.

Message #1: 'By the way, I had already booked you another flight with one of my personal jets. Feel free to use it.'

Message #2: 'Oh, and you're assigned in one of our branches in Iriomote-jima, Okinawa. My secretary will be the one who would be guiding you there. My apologies~'

"Secretary?" I directed my question to the man who had lent me his personal phone, assuring every details I've read from the email.

"That would be me" A young girl just around her 20's introduces herself from behind. Her emerald dress fluttered elegantly down her knees, accompanied by a lavish bag freely dangling on her right shoulder, which made herself quite distinguishable from afar. Her forest green hair brought the uniqueness from her character, amplifying her love and care towards the nature's grasp. 

She removes her dark sunglasses and studies everyone's reaction in her sudden appearance in the room. 

"My name is Rose Garfield. I'm the secretary of Andrew Turner. Pleased to meet you both, Mr. and Mrs. Uy" She offers us a hand, as she introduces us her name.

After shaking our hands, she hurriedly storms off from the other side of the panel and advised the rest of us to follow her behind. Unsure of what to do, we trailed to her tail and managed ourselves to stick from her side, as we bypassed multiple rooms from the vast international airport of China. There, we came across a fine room leading towards outside. 

As we ventured forth from the exterior realm, a large jet welcomes our eyes. The aircraft displayed on the centre of the field was similar to the movies usually portrayed in Hollywood films, particularly in action movies. It was unbecoming of me to gape down on the marvelous plane laid before our eyes. 

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

"Here we are" Rose exclaims the gigantic laboratory found in the province of Japan, separated from the city's square. 

The jet landed on the open field, where various flying and land automobiles are parked to its side. We had arrived an hour quicker than the regular flights attended from the common airplanes from the popular airline companies. 

"Mrs. Uy, please stay at the nearest hotel assigned by our company. We will provide you the suitable lodge as a part of our courtesy."

"Furthermore, the expenses for the labour of your wife will be fully shouldered by our company. We treat our staffs very well—Dr.Turner had added in as well" 

The idea proposed by had rendered my curiosity. It was far too convenient for us to accept a free room for the sake of my family. 

"Will that be alright? It's far too generous for a company?" Conflicted from my thoughts, I couldn't help but ask the tiniest catch in this job.

"Our firm is highly advance and wealthy at the moment. We are the largest investors and stakeholders in the whole world. We do not only cater research projects, but business enterprises as well."

"I suppose you're a…Monster corporation, ey? He he he" I chuckled at my own comment as I carefully observed their unfazed reactions. 

"In the mean-time, Polo, you'll be the head of the pharmacologist department"

"SAY WHAT?!"

I was assigned as the head of the big project known as the Ophio-Virus, a wonder drug which was supposed to terminate any harmful cell residing in our body. 

However, a reaction had occurred within the process of our experiments, creating a live spread of fungus-virus disease that spread like hell-fire across the lands. 

It mutated any living organisms upon contact. A true parasite derived from the existence of the Ophiocordyceps unilateralis. 

Afterwards, our laboratory had turned into ruins, and the last thing I saw

was an enormous eel that had breached across the nearby sea. 

"Valerie…I remember now...the name of our child…Joseph if it's boy

Nancy…if it's a girl"

What happened next is for you to decide.