Survival

******Philippines, Manila*****

: 9:02 P.M. :

"Have you heard the news? Grabe, it's so nakakaloka (this is driving me crazy)"

"Yeah, according to the US president, we should evacuate immediately, diba (right)?"

"Hay nako! Siguro Fake news lang yan! (My god! That must've been a fake)"

According to my classmates and the news, which were spreading like wildfires on the internet, a virus/fungi or rather an epidemic had hit the lands of a foreign country, USA New York City.

'That's where my dad works…' I thought and started worrying about him. Not much that I could do, but as long as I remain calm, even the worst-case scenarios were to happen, I should probably make the smoothest comeback which how my dad always does his works.

I dashed straight home after hearing those rumours, using my bicycle which I had left in a nearby park provided by my international school. My house was close by but I've been having quite minor difficulties from walking over that distance. In short, I was too lazy walking.

I hurriedly opened the door, but gently not slamming it shut. My mum greeted me from the kitchen floor. She must've been preparing dinner, as I quietly observe her clothes with her apron intact.

"You're surprisingly early?" She tilted her head as if it was the natural question that needs to be asked.

"Yeah, things happened. Do you mind if I turn the T.V. on?"

I sat on my couch and grabbed the snack closest to the table, readily available. Potato chips, just what I wanted.

I slouched comfortably from my position as I turned the television on with a remote placed on the sofa's side; hastily making my way from the random channels available in my country, looking for the news spot.

'This just in, New York City announced an emergency evacuation from their citizens. The military is currently guiding everyone away from the very cause of the destruction. It was said that the famous Laboratory, the Health Organisation Enhancement, or the H.O.E have been experiencing technical crisis upon discovering a magical drug created by their scientists. Although the privacy shouldn't be leaked, the government claims that…' the monitor which was lively moments ago had turned black, which was turned off abruptly.

"Mum?" I turned around to see the origin of the power source and turns out, my mum was standing close, took the remote, and hit the power button.

"That's enough of that. We need to eat." She said bluntly, afterward turning her back and thus prepared our food.

I began to follow her, creating a heavy atmosphere during our meal.

As soon as I ate the last specs of crumbles on my plate, I head upstairs straight to my room. I immediately open the files that my dad had sent me a while ago in the morning. I noticed that some of his messages were elaborately linked towards the next, which includes subjects like 'antidote', 'recipes', 'shelter', 'experiments', 'how to cook a decent meal to my son'…it gets weirder the longer I scroll by; some of them were in videos, while others were plain online messages.

I started viewing it from the former. As the subject implies 'Genesis', the beginning of their project.

Message 1# genesis

"Hey, kiddo. If you're reading this, I'm sad to say that your father of yours had encountered a really strange problem. It's either one of my experiments that had been continuously exploding or I digested a weird drug coming from our labs. But I'm a smart guy, that will never happen!" I sigh at his latest comment, trying to stay focus for the next few sentences.

"Right below will be a series of messages that I want you to read. These are the top secrets left in my notes and I'm handling them all over to you. Read them well!" I believe the meaning of his message was 'I'd give these responsibilities over to you!' the energy felt similar, but still I continued my stroll from his corresponding messages.

Message 2# Experiment

"Hey, kiddo. I've been working on an experiment lately! I've been wanting to create a miracle drug just for your Uncle James' daughter. Remember her? She has lung cancer and all sorts of disease which are currently untreatable. I've been tweaking any sorts of plants, be it mushrooms or engineered bacteria for their sake. I'm such a good person, am I? Anyway, here's a copy of our recent results. This is the most updated as we can get. I've been updating it quite often for this crucial day that has yet to happen!" 'But it did happen, dad' I heave a tired sigh. I browse all the notes he had to offer and to my surprise, these data are neatly organised. For a father who had been fooling around, his job was well-done; a professional, I must say.

Miracle drug; Experiment 40#: works on the experiment (lab rats), but the sample would experience a tragic response in the brain, damaging the nervous system. Making it brain dead or unable to witness or take control over their actions. As soon as the samples experience this phase, its organs will soon decay, still being able to perform simple actions includes walking, running, grabbing, etc. Unfortunately, I… I noticed that the drug which had been successful had a lot of downfalls and I had to reject it down. Unbelievably, the drug's ingredient came from Ophiocordyceps unilateralis fungi which produce zombify bullet ants, and later on be there unfortunate prey. It has chemical properties that helped our current research from that miracle drug. Unfortunately, the plant had earned pretty much mutative abilities and took a deadly approach. I believe that the scariest theory which I have in mind will later be the greatest phenomenon ever happen in the world."

And thus he concluded. His succeeding messages include further findings, graphical and visual representation of the virus/fungi; even a video of the whole experimental process, injecting the serum to a common lab rat.

There are only two videos which had caught my greatest attention. First was the latest video, the latter one which lasted for about 20 seconds. The scene was my dad's laboratory, the main room. I can see a vague figure parallel from the scene which reminded me of something…or someone

"Uncle James?" despite its blurry quality, I took a quick glimpse of the physique of the creature. It had been wearing an id with its lace, tangled from its waste. Even the rummaged lab coat could be seen from his elbows all torn from the evolution. His body was now filled with veins, making him inhuman from all perspectives. The video ended right after the creature pounced that looked like someone, maybe Claire, my dad's colleagues. The title of the video wasn't present. It was sent merely in a whim. It happened twelve hours ago, it was the time lapse between the Philippines and New York.

The other video explains the formation of an antidote, available for preparations. It needed ingredients with a mixture of various chemical properties like sulfur and helium. Even gold was mentioned in the process.

'So I have to gather all these and mix them? Easy as that?' I thought, as I carefully examine the process. I have a great photographic memory. Memorising this much was a piece of cake for me. When the time comes that my phone got wreck from an accident, I had evaluated and remembered all the required ingredients upon making this 'antidote'. Unfortunately, even my dad came across a problem. It was around 60% potent or the possibility of the antidote working isn't a hundred. It can fail.

'Now that's a problem. Did my dad left this note for me to study it alone?' as I thought, my dad loves pushing responsibilities aside, towards me specifically. I had been helping him secretly on his experiments and my theories prove to be precise. For every correct theory, I had made comes with a gift as a reward. I took advantage of it and had my hands full of elaborate technologies that could be used efficiently, solar-powered.

I scratched my head at that note as I lied my body flat on the bed. What should be the proper action right now? Should I explain it to the government? Should I make the antidote now for future purposes? Should I visit dad? Should I tell mum?

As long as I have the ingredients, I should mix them any time given that I have a bowl ready and a cup for it to drink.

As I continued wandering, I head towards the guest room where my mum was seated, browsing all the notes which were laying on the floor.

"Mum, can I have a minute with you?" I walked slowly heading for my couch, on the other side of my mum hoping I had not interrupted her business.

"'Sup, honey?" she casually replied, scribbling down every note in our view.

"It's about dad. I think they had a problem in their lab" I slowly muttered the sentence, still aware of the weight of my words.

"I know. That's why we need to prepare and leave this place. Your dad…he should be alright. As for us, he instructed me to do these sorts of things. I'll have a car ready for tomorrow. We need to evacuate at the airport tomorrow" she said. I was unsure as I noticed her tone was becoming a little bit shaking, nervous, maybe?

I took a paper that was resting relatively close in my hand.

"Village in Madagascar. Owned by the Greyrat family." It was a villa bought last year. My mum loves buying eccentric houses from beautiful sceneries. This would be probably our 10th retirement home, which will be later on handled by me in the future.

"Madagascar?" I asked

"It's safe. Quiet. Few people live there, probably 20 million or something. Near the ocean and lots of greens. Like vegetables. Your father loves greeny nature" she giggles on her comment, refusing herself to panic. We were the few people who know the great danger of the crises heading our way, and somehow we are selfishly evacuating to a safer place not far from here.

"I notified our people. As long as we have the means to fly, they'll always be waiting readily on the island." This is how my mum works. She's a perfectionist. She wanted things to be done just for our sake. But she restricts extensively working herself as she spends her free time here at home, casually cooking our meals. We have 2 maids on our lawn but we never really interacted with them. They were in charge of cleaning the house and fixing our lawns. The closes that I would say for our interaction was when I had lost my pair of socks while trying my new bike. I was injured badly, but not too critical, and ended up trampling over from a stone, losing my balance. My shoes got separated, and so did my sock. I was wondering how on earth did that happened, but left it answered, losing interest from it. Luckily, the maid 'Marionette' found it from the mini fountain, right at the centre of our backyard, drench in swamp water. It was nevertheless my favourite sock that I wore since eight grade.

With that in mind, I stood up and walked towards my room.

"Grey."

"Yeah"

"Your dad might need us this time… especially you" she mutters, refusing to turn her head around me. I gaze on her back for a few seconds and naturally climbed my way to my comfy bed. I never slept well for that night. And neither anyone did.

'Morrow came and a loudspeaker resounded my room, greeted my wake. It sounded more of an alarm of some sort, alarming everyone in their vicinity.

"Attention all citizens, please stay indoors until further notice." Was the sound made in repeat, approximately four times since I had awakened? What was happening, seriously?

I stood from my bed and hurriedly meet my mum downstairs.

Loud banging sounds came rushing through our door and the people inside our house, my mum and the two maids had been placing barricades on the main entrance and other emergency exits; even our windows had been hammered with wooden planks and metal bars.

"What's happening, mum?!" I clamour, unaware of my surroundings.

Was it the virus? No, it can't be?

Their efforts bore fruit as the banging sounds finally resided, and softly the 'things' knocking on our front door might've lost their interest. I swear I could somehow hear faint footsteps roaming around there, but never did I expect that this event to happen so quickly.

"Mum, explain," I demand an explanation. I needed to be aware and gather all the information that I can. As I asked for my mum's details, I took out my phone and check the latest news in the world. The maids hurriedly set off, preparing something for who knows what.

"I snoozed for a bit after preparing everything that we needed for our flight but by the time I woke up, around 4 A.M. maybe, I turned the television on and I was surprised that all of the channels were interrupted, nowhere to be seen. It's like a thunder hit the antennas and the signal was cut loose! Fortunately, the news was still airing and I got a glimpse from the situation" she took a deep breath and solidify her mind.

"Mobs of civilians were observed attacking fellow humans and the media had been panicking that these people were carnivorous... they had been eating our kind. It was even live at that moment, and the reporter took a turn and became ground meat for these crazy people."

My mum shivered at the thought as she looks down on the ground. I grabbed her hands and looked her in the eye.

"We will make this through. Dad and I should be able to handle this situation. For now, let's stay until help arrives on our way." I comforted my mum who was nervously wracking, crouching on the sofa. She was usually calm, collected, and cool. But as I see her now, she was most likely overwhelmed by the horror of the situation. But to think it had reached the island here in the Philippines already. We are an Asian country in the east, how on earth did the virus end up here in the SEA? If my speculation is right, something or someone had gotten from a plane and escaped from their various countries, including Filipinos who returned from their homeland. Well, thinking this right now wouldn't solve anything. I closed my eyes and studied our situation.