The Oasis (15 page)

* * * * *

The conference room was dim. The lights were turned down and the shades drawn. Every person in the room was part of the elite SEAL Team 3, a team he was relatively new to. Jasper looked around and saw mostly unfamiliar faces. It wasn’t hard to detect the camaraderie between the men. They all remained silent, knowing that whatever the Chief had called them together for was much more important than the training they had been working on. Jasper’s eyes scanned the room before settling on the forms that he was given. Most of it was standard, but the medical information they were requesting was not what he would call the norm. Being a SEAL often meant that his personal information was less accessible than that of the average sailor. The documents in front of him didn’t even require him to put his name, rank, or any other identifying information. The plan was obviously for them to fill out the information and carry it to the doc, after which it would be shredded. A little bit unorthodox, but who was he to try to decode why the military did anything.

The Special Warfare Group commander, Captain Dwain Livingston, walked into the room and they were all reminded of the seriousness of the meeting. All present personnel stood at attention and the commander quickly gestured for them to sit. Jasper sat back down and waited to hear the news.

“I’m not going to beat around the bush here,” the commander said. Jasper saw some of the other SEALs shifting in their seats. He already knew what they were thinking. As trained warriors, most of them hoped for some secret mission. Where most of the rest of the free world prayed for peace, SEALs were always ready, willing and often eager to go to war.

“We have a situation in Korea.”

A soft chuckle resonated in the back of the room. Jasper knew the man who laughed. He was a trigger-happy fighter. Every one of them was itching to fight. They were trained to do so. To keep them at bay was like training a dog to kill upon command and then tying him to a tree. These men were ready to bite.

The commander chose to disregard the SEALs’ reaction. It was often better to let little things like that ride. Jasper had seen his share of fights over trivial things.

“There has been an outbreak of a virus we are calling H5-37. We have surveillance from the SEAL team that infiltrated the center.”

As the commander played the video, Jasper could hear the men behind him settle into their seats. There wasn’t a man in that room whose mind hadn’t shifted from war to death. The creatures that had mutated in that video were something they hadn’t seen before. “As you can see, we have an epidemic on our hands.”

The lights were turned back on and Jasper could see that everyone in the room was affected by the images. Jasper knew that no amount of conditioning could get those images out of his head. Nothing could have prepared him for seeing a man devour another man’s flesh, and he had seen some wicked things.

“We thought H5-37 was contained in Korea. However, we have found cases of infected people across Asia. We expect the virus to spread across Europe and enter the continental US by the end of the week.” Someone behind Jasper dropped their pencil. “The victims are extremely dangerous.”

You think?!
Jasper thought. His mind was reeling with the new information. He still had family in Africa and he knew that any information he was given during this meeting was for his ears only. His career had been built on hiding things. Even this monstrosity had to be kept a secret.

“The infected first experience mood changes as the virus attacks the brain cells. After that, the virus kills off nerve cells and the victim loses many normal physiological functions. There is reason to believe that the infection affects hearing and the moral conscience. Scientists are unsure whether the victims lose their hearing or just lose their ability to communicate. No one has been able to get close enough to the victims to study them.”

The commander paused and cleared his throat. “The end result seems to be dementia on an extreme level. The victims no longer resemble normal human beings in action or physical appearance. So far the virus hasn’t directly killed any of its victims, but it is deadly in that the victims turn on each other and any uninfected people around them. The virus awakens some kind of mania that makes many of them extremely violent.”

He paused there. Everyone in the room was silent. Gone was the camaraderie Jasper felt before the Captain came in. Jasper couldn’t imagine what was next for them.

Although the room wasn’t hot, the commander wiped a bead of sweat off his forehead. Jasper was not surprised by his anxiety. He felt uneasy with the information in front of him. His training kicked in, though, and he tried to concentrate on the problem at hand. SEALs didn’t become SEALs because they dwelled on problems. SEALs are problem solvers.

“We have developed a vaccine for H5-37.” There was an audible release of breath in the room. “This experimental vaccine is being distributed and tested among the SEAL teams. As the days progress, it is imperative for the US military to remain a stronghold. Others will be looking to us for strength and guidance and we need to have our best people at the forefront. You have been chosen to receive this experimental vaccine in hopes that the medication will be distributed among other military personal down the road.”

He paused here and held up one of the packets that had been placed in front of each man. “You need to fill these out with your medical information now, and then you will be taken to get the vaccine.” Everyone looked down at their packets with fresh eyes. “I don’t need to remind you that this information is completely confidential and no one is to be told about either the virus or the vaccine that you will be getting.”

There was a shuffling from behind Jasper and he turned. Eric Freeman stood in the back of the room. He stood as if he prided himself on his own opinion. Jasper always got a sour taste in his mouth when around Eric. The man surrounded himself with others who either were not strong-minded enough to generate their own opinions or, as Jasper had discovered quite early, could be easily manipulated.

It wasn’t uncommon for SEALs to be called cocky or arrogant; they were. Jasper knew what it was like to stand taller than other men, physically and mentally. Their arduous training taught them to think of themselves as something more than the average sailor. This feeling, however, could easily go to someone’s head, as it did with Eric. Although they were in the same shop, Jasper found himself gritting his teeth with annoyance every time they interacted. Eric stuck to his likeminded followers and Jasper wasn’t one of those. It was better that way.

Eric plastered a smile on his face, but all Jasper could see was a snake.

“Will we be joining Team 6 in dealing with the issue in Korea?”

Jasper wasn’t surprised by his question. The men around him slapped his back and smiled. The Captain chose to ignore their actions, probably for the best. A lot of the times, men like Eric and his crew matured later than others. Jasper knew what Eric was doing and knew that, although others may not know it, Eric was a smart man. He was always aware of his position and chose his followers with great care.

Everyone was ready to fight, regardless of the cause. For people like Eric, killing meant validating himself and making himself feel superior to others. It was sadistic.

“No,” the Captain continued. “Your chief will fill you on the details, but in short you will not be joining the men in Korea.”

There was a moment of grumbles and comments about “killing those bastards” before silence again took over. Eric sat down and Jasper turned back to the captain.

Jasper’s expression changed as a question entered his mind.

“Excuse me, Captain,” Jasper raised his hand slightly.

“Yes,” the captain paused, looking over at Jasper’s name tag. “Anderson. What is your question?”

He cleared his throat and thought how he was going to phrase the question. “When will the vaccine be distributed among the other troops, or to the public, for that matter?”

All eyes stared at the captain, who shifted his weight uneasily. Jasper, and likely every one of the SEALs, recognized the shift and they already knew the answer to that question. However, Jasper waited, half in anticipation and half in dread.

The captain again shuffled the documents on the podium before continuing. “All questions should be directed to your chief. Thank you, gentlemen.”

Gathering his papers, he nodded briskly in their direction and walked out of the room. Jasper eyed the other men who all visibly relaxed once the captain left the room. His mind was going a mile a minute as he tried to understand what had just happened. Suddenly, the future looked vague and shadowy.

Before conversation started back up, Chief stood up but avoided the podium. Staying among his men made him more personable. However, it mattered very little at that moment as a chilly silence surrounded them.

“Once you finish filling out the forms, we are going to medical to get the vaccine. I shouldn’t have to tell you that the doc administering the vaccine was informed that you are getting a flu shot and nothing else. So keep your mouth shut, Freeman.” He looked back at Eric with a warning glare.

“Am I the only one with a conscience here?” Jasper stood up, appalled by the lack of civility going on. Initially no one looked at him. “This vaccine needs to be distributed. To everyone.”

“Sit down, Anderson.” Chief said quietly. Deep down Jasper knew that Chief agreed, but there was nothing to be done. “You’ve got your orders. Fill out your forms and then get the hell out of here.” He lowered his head before exiting the room himself. Chief knew that not distributing the vaccine meant a death sentence for many. Little did Jasper know that that number would eventually climb into the billions.

The men relaxed when the chief left, but Jasper could not shake the ominous feeling and his nostrils flared with fury.

“Relax, Anderson,” Eric said, his voice dripping with venom. He slapped Jasper on the back, rubbing in more than just his hand. “We are already kings among men.” He stepped away, raising his arms high in the air. Being a SEAL had given Eric a much bigger head than it did Jasper. “Why can’t we be gods?”

Shock quickly overcame Jasper. Was Eric talking about living in a world where someone could live normally among the infected? Or something more – taking advantage of the victims, of the chaos caused by the virus? Was that what he meant by living like a god?

The other men laughed and raised their fists in agreement.

Jasper couldn’t stand it. He grabbed his documents and rushed for the door. The laughter of the other men followed him. Eric’s face peered out and he continued to yell out after him. “Mark my words, Anderson, I will be a god!”

Their laughter filled the room and Jasper opened the door, intent on getting out of the building. He rushed forwards, leaving the complex as quickly as he could. He sighed deeply, trying to clear his mind. For a moment he allowed his anger to bubble to the surface. He tried to stop thinking about Eric’s words, but he felt trapped. Whether he agreed with the vaccination plan or not didn’t matter. He had little choice.

“I swear,” he mumbled to himself. Deep down he knew he was going to kill Eric. It was just a matter of time.

After spending some time cooling down, Jasper quickly filled out his medical history and made his way to the medical tent. The other SEALs were already there waiting. Their laughter faded as he approached and no one paid him any mind. One thing about the SEAL community was their ability to separate business and pleasure. They stood there, their faces blank. The corpsman distributed the vaccine without a second glance. Jasper felt the prick of the needle sting more than just his arm. Something told him that this was the end.

He walked away from the tent, putting on his cover when Eric came up behind him.

“Look, man,” he said. “I understand how you feel.” Jasper shrugged Eric’s arm off his back. He was wary and completely done talking to the man. “Hey!” Eric grabbed Jasper’s arm to stop him from walking away.

Instinctively Jasper turned and shoved Eric back. They stared at each other, and Jasper felt the blood pumping in his ears. A few of the other SEALs came running up but stayed back a bit. Their community had seen their share of brawls; they came with the territory. But this wasn’t some fight to blow off testosterone; this time it was over something much more.

“All I’m sayin’ is—” Jasper knew Eric was panting for a fight. Eric was the kind of guy who would do anything to keep his butch exterior intact. Now, with the others around them, Eric’s instinct to fight increased.

“Shut the fuck up!” Jasper growled. “I’m sick of it!” He turned away again. “This is wrong on so many levels.” He walked away, not even sure where he was going.

“You don’t even know, man! We
are
gods!” Eric’s laughter filled the area and Jasper turned back towards him.

When he reached him, Eric’s arms were crossed across his chest defensively and he had a stupid grin on his face. The other SEALs stood behind him, waiting for Jasper to make the first move.

“Gods of what, Freeman?” Jasper pulled his Special Forces insignia off his uniform and threw it at Eric. “People are dying and all you can think of is how powerful we are going to be? Fuck this!”

It was a battle he couldn’t win, not then.

Jasper saw the faces of the other SEALs darken as he walked away from his pin. He wasn’t just turning his back on them; he was turning his back on their community.

Over the next few days, Jasper lay low, avoiding the other SEALs as much as possible. Their missions had been suspended, their training put on hold. As the rest of the world began to fade away, the SEAL community remained strong. The vaccine seemed to work. The virus spread from South Asia, over Europe and Africa.

When it reached the continental US the panic began. True to their word, the military, specifically the SEAL community, remained a stronghold for the rest of the world. The president blustered about America’s strength and concerns regarding a cure but no one talked about the vaccine. The news portrayed the virus as a quick killer because once a person was infected they quickly turned on those around them. A few scientists had come forward with a “miracle cure” but most died before they could get trials underway. Although he was never directly told, Jasper suspected that the government had hopes of keeping the vaccine for the American people. However, the virus spread too quickly. It was too late. By the time there was confirmation that the vaccine did work on the SEALs, the virus had spread across the globe. Distribution of the vaccine on any level had become impossible and it ate Jasper up inside knowing that he was going to survive only because of his country’s need for superiority.