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Edict 42

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opposites attract
bxg
genius
city
apocalypse
rebirth/reborn
alien contact
dystopian
scientist
70 Days Themed-writing Challenge
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Blurb

Ryan, Frank, and Alina have spent the last few years running and hiding in the city along with those around them from the parasites that took over the earth. With food running short Alina leaves to find provisions. Frank and Ryan watch over their safehouse only for it to be discovered and attacked. In the ensuing chaos, Ryan dies and finds himself back in a time before the outbreak.

Can he change the future or is the world destined to end?

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Chapter 1- Ryan
“Why are you not listening to me!?” he shouted, slamming his hand on the table. The detective scratched his beard. “Dr. Matters, calm down, your story doesn’t make any sense. If you don’t, we are going to have to put you back in restraints.” There was a slight quiet in the small room and for a while only the sound of the clock ticked loudly in the background. The man sat back in the chair, his eyes shifted to the brown table before him. In front of him was a visible document marked with his name Ryan Matters. Many other documents littered the table in front of the detectives, including a few books that were written by him. Ryan then regarded the two men. The two detectives had sat on his right. The mature bald one, had been writing down the information. He was light brown in complexion, he had a square shaped face with side burns and beard. He wore a green faded shirt and black trousers with black laced-up shoes. He looked like a body builder. Ryan knew he was a man that spent a lot of time on keeping up his image. The young one that had been asking him the questions looked almost fresh out of college. The questions were asked differently, but always the same. Did they think he was stupid? I have a doctorate for a reason, not everyone can achieve this. Ryan thought to himself before looking at his own clothes. He wore the same clothes he had on now for the past three days. They should be praising me for bringing this information to them. He saw it all, he saw the end of everything and time was of the essence. There were only a few years to go before the world was destroyed. “Dr. Matters?” the young man’s birdlike brown eyes met his. Ryan kept the man’s gaze. The young man wore a blue plaid dress shirt, brown trousers and black laced-up shoes. His skin was dark brown in complexion, he had high cheek bones, a well shaven face and skinny. He also noticed that the young man had a red pin on his left arm, it was an indication that he was a host of the Manere Parasitus. He wore gloves on his hand. He would not be his promotion tool, Ryan thought to himself. “Are you finally ready to listen to me?” Ryan probed. The young man eased forward almost a direct challenge to Ryan’s space, placing his hands on the table. “ I don’t believe that the dribble you have been letting off is the truth of the matter. There is no end of the world, no final countdown.” The mature detective chuckled creating wrinkles in his head. “I can’t tell you how many drunk men or religious figures preach about the end days that Mark and I have seen. You’re not any of those men, you’re a respectable man. Not a lot of people could achieve what you have and that is something for you to be proud about. That’s why we are holding you to a higher level of degree to tell the truth to set an example for others that you are better than them.” There was quiet in the room again for a while and Ryan said nothing. He just sat in the chair. He was tired, he glanced at the time it was11:00 pm and realized that he had been sitting here saying the same thing for three hours. They weren’t listening to him at all, they were just trying to break him down to make him slip up on his words and then erase what he had said as nonsense. Mark spoke, “Look, I have it.” He pointed to his arm. “My child had the Manere Parasitus for four years now. I had it five years back and it’s been in my family from the 80s. You feel a little sick every now and then, but that’s it. He isn’t going to turn into this thing you call a flesh eater or me.” “It’s not a thing, the flesh eaters---.” “And I quote… they burst out of a live host when they have gained enough substance of meat through cannibalism.” The mature man paused and tapped the pen on the paper. “ Pushing the forehead forward like some sort of tumour before taking control of the host body through a long series of agonizing pain. Subjects arms and hands expand and speak in a very incoherent manner.” “You can end it now with the excuses,” Mark said. Ryan huffed as he spoke.“A Polygram, have me do a Polygram test it will show the truth.” Mark replied, “The truth, we have you on CCTV stealing classified documents---.” “It’s just circumstantial. I need those things to work, to help cure the current plague before it worsens,” Ryan said to him. Mark probed. “And those documents from the lab most of it comes from a Dr. Cox. We allowed you to talk so that we could make sense of your behaviour but it’s mostly incoherent. Have you been resting well? Are you under pressure?” “Do I look like I have been resting well in that cell? Of course I am under pressure, I told you, didn’t I? I came back from the future! I saw it, I saw it all!” The bald detective spoke, “We have all the evidence in the back, Dr. Matters. It’s not a matter of if you did it. It’s why? What are you trying to cover up?” The chair sounded as Ryan’s body shifted to the left. “I am not covering up anything!” “You hear how crazy you sound? You want to cure a plague that you deem yourself is a minor virus and would have no effect in the human body. It was a side effect for the immortality that we gained and only resided in a certain amount of people. It can spread but it can also act as a defence mechanism for most people preventing them from gaining life threatening illness as it fought it off. It stays for a while, some remain dormant and then others leave. That’s what you said, your words.” The detective pushed forward a book that was on the table, it’s written here. “That’s before---.” “Before you died in the future and then came back? You know how crazy that sounds? Come on tell us the truth, your wife is outside and your child is waiting for you. You want them to know this is the kind of husband she married or your son to look up to you like this. Think about them and how this could affect them later.” “I am telling you the truth.” The detective leaned back for a moment before pulling his nose and folding his arm. “Tell me about your relationship with Alina Cox?” “Alina?” “Yes, Dr. Cox, your future included her? She’s been missing for four days now and you so happen to have a lot of interest in her lab.” “I don’t know anything about her.” “Is that so? That’s not what your colleagues had to say, I heard you all were close too close something you wouldn’t want your wife to know before you grew distant.” Ryan paused for a moment. “I didn’t know she was missing. I was in jail for three days.” “You don’t know?” He paused. “Maybe you're not telling me everything you know.” “You’re trying to say that I was responsible somehow?” “It’s from around the same time that her husband said she had last been heard. Why don’t you come clean, Dr. Matters?” “There is nothing to come clean about, I don’t know where she is.” “I can understand that, she’s been slowly moving up in the company taking the lead position and no credit from you. That’s why you broke into her office and stole those documents.” “What? No.” “Why you had to kidnap her?” “I didn--.” “Is this a love affair gone wrong?” “There is, was no love affair.” “I told you already Dr. Matters your colleagues and even her own husband has stated as such.” “You wanted to do a Polygram earlier, still willing to take that test?” “Yes, if it will help you believe what I have been telling you.” The chair screeched as it was pushed back and the young man got up. “I am going to get Sally, Frank.” “Wait Mark, on your way back stop at my desk and bring my diary.” He opened the door behind him and left, leaving Ryan with the mature detective Frank. Ryan’s glance fell towards the door. “You want to get out this room?” Frank asked before closing the book before him.“ Tell us what we need to know and if you’re speaking the truth. You can leave plain and simple.” “I am telling the truth, but I bet you heard that line a million times already.” Frank scoff. “I can’t believe you would let your wife and child go through this.” The door reopened and in came Mark and the woman who Ryan assumed to be Sally. She was tall and slim, her clothing was well fitted, her round brown face lit up the room with a smile, she could easily pass for a model as her brown golden hair bounced around her shoulders. A breath of fresh air, Ryan thought as he stared at her. In their hands were lots of equipment. Frank adjusted himself and made space on the table. Ryan and Sally brought the equipment down and began setting it up. Ryan watched them, saying nothing in return. When they were done Sally spoke. “Have you ever had a polygraph test before, Dr. Matters?” Ryan nodded his head side to side. “Never had a reason to get one.” She placed some equipment around his body, his upper left arm was strapped and then his two fingers were placed on a pad that was hooked back to the machine. Ryan knew this was all to monitor one thing his anxiety. He may not have taken the test before, but he had seen it many many times and he knew it wasn’t accurate and it couldn’t be admissible in court or used regardless. Still, he hoped that his words might put them at ease if they realise he wasn’t lying. She took her seat as the detectives gave her space to work. “Okay, it’s no problem, I am going to walk you though it. Don’t be nervous take a deep breath and relax, you’re telling the truth so there won’t be anything to worry about.” “I am telling the truth.” “We will be begin now, I am going to ask you a question and then you answer yes or no. Nothing else, ok? We will use a few simple ones to start.” “Is your name Ryan Matters?” “Yes.” “Do you work at Bostics Research Facility?” “Yes.” “Do you have any animals?” “No.” “Good, everything here is correct. See how easy that was? Now we will be getting through to the real questions, remember yes or no.” There was a pause as she looked at the questions. “Did you take classified documents from Bostic Lab?” “Yes.” “Have you been under the influence of any drugs in the last few days?” “No.” “Is Dr. Alina Cox your friend?” Ryan paused for a while. “Dr. Matters?” “She was, we were.” “It’s a yes or no?” “No.” “Had you seen Dr. Cox on the day you entered Bostic Lab?” “No.” “Were you having a relationship with Dr. Cox?” “No, Yes. It was a one time thing.” “It's yes or no Dr Matters.” “Were you having a relationship with Dr. Cox?” “Yes.” “Were you jealous of Dr. Cox?” “No.” “Do you know anything about Dr. Cox disappearance?” “No.” There was a knock on the door before one of the detectives went to the door. Ryan noted his shocked facial expressions. He wondered what had happened as he left. The questioning, however, ran on for a while before it finally stopped. Ryan felt exhausted and they hadn’t even asked him a single question about what he was talking to them about the whole time. Why wasn’t anyone listening to him? Why weren’t they? There wasn’t much time before the world would be plunged into chaos. It was a while before Frank returned. Ryan could tell before they spoke what their thoughts were. “Dr. Matters for the most part you have passed the test only a few questions where you slipped up and incorrectly answered.” The woman detached the equipment from off his body and left the room. Mark sat down.“I don’t know how you did it, the Polygram is never a 100%, but I know you know more of what's going on here.” “I told you everything I knew and more, isn’t your job to serve and protect. I have told you about a threat far worse than the petty criminals or the crimes you deal with day to day. The extinction of the human race.” Frank placed his hand on his head. “We don’t have a reason to keep you with the government breathing down our neck. The Mayor has called us directly and has pardoned your actions. Once we get your information updated in the system, you can go. Ryan rubbed his eyes and got up from the chair as Frank held the door for him. With the look on his face, Ryan knew he would probably be seeing him again. If only he would listen to him and allow him to do what he needed to do. Ryan wondered if he should tell him now how much he knew about him and that he had probably died alongside him. No, now was not the time, but eventually they would speak again. Hopefully then he would be more receptive. He took a step outside and went through the processing, receiving all the items that they deemed to be his. He was then led down the hall and there in the waiting area of the police station was his wife. Tears were in her eyes as he got closer to her. It had smudged her makeup. Had she been waiting for him all of this time? How did she even know he was here? The noise outside, however, caught his attention. A large crowd of people were being backed away from the building by many police officers in the distance. It was a scene, he wished he didn’t have to face right now, the media.

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