Big Brother Is Coming

Nobody ever expects it to happen.

Death was a pretty common thing in theory. People dropped every few seconds for various reasons all across the world. It would happen to everyone, someday.

But you never expect it to hit home.

Their mother had passed away giving birth to the youngest one. The father had been in a car crash a few years prior. For a total of two years, Michael had lived on his own, having ditched the foster family he'd been assigned immediately. They didn't seem to care and he wasn't going to be making attachments, anyways.

His sister, Jasmine, was off in some city, somewhere. Blaze had been sent to Texas – Houston, in fact. Alex was living in a quiet, suburban town in Kansas. Hannah was old enough to live on her own – She resided in California. They'd all had little contact. Again, it wasn't uncommon.

But that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

In the summer of 2012, Michael sat in laundromat, nibbling on a toaster tart from the vending machine and watching the television. The news streamed across the screen. He could care less, but it was what was on and he was far too comfortable to get up to change it. A police siren wailed in the distance. It was past dark and he wouldn't really be all that surprised if there was some break in down the street. Just so long as they didn't spot him.

“The Travis Crommons Foundation – heavily funded by several private contributors – has been experimenting with influenza,” the woman on the screen explained, cheerfully, “With the death of Travis, his father - Doctor Oliver Crommons – dived whole-heartedly into helping others. In the United States, alone, an astonishing...” Michael tuned the television out. He was even less interested in the medical world. He didn't have the medical condition and it wasn't like he was was having any issues with the flu. His immune system would hold out a bit longer.

“Hey! Kid!” a loud bang sounded from one of the entrances. His head shot over to see an angry officer looking directly at him, accusingly.

“<i>Shit,</i>” Michael hissed, scrambling to his feet and out the other exit. The officer was following directly after him, waving an angry fist and shouting. Michael slipped into the shadows before he was caught.

The autumn of 2013 housed another uneventful day for Michael. Winter was around the bend. Living in New York, sleeping outside wasn't going to be an option, soon, and this lobby of a grocery store was looking ideal. There was a twenty-four hour ATM, so the doors would be open, although the ones leading into the store itself were locked, much to Michael's dismay. There was, however, a television located at near the front door that was left on at night for some unknown reason. He couldn't hear the broadcast, but the managers had been kind enough to make sure the captioning was on.

<i>Recent studies show that influenza may be susceptible to a artificial chemical compound. Data collected by The Travis Crommons Foundation, started after the death of Travis by his father - Doctor Oliver Crommons – gives reason to believe that these diseases are easily dissolved through chemical warfare, however the lethality of these chemicals and their long term effects on the human cells will be experimented with the future.</i>

“Hey!” Michael twisted his head to see a large, built man running towards him, wearing clothing that could only belong to some kind of security guard. He was on his feet and off in the other direction without a moments hesitation, unable to finish reading the rest of the report – Not that he was particularly interested, anyways.

“<i>Damn security</i>” he muttered under his breath, crossing the parking lot in a few strides, leaving the guard to eat his dust.

It was the summer time, again. The year 2014 rolled around and Michael found himself in a grocery store, behind a counter and watching the television more than paying attention to the costumers.

“Highly regarded medical expert, Doctor Oliver Crommons, has stumbled across a cure for Influenza!” the male reporter stated, “In this revolutionary discovery, ninety-five percent of subjects were cured of the illness and remained unaffected by future attacks. Using the very disease itself, the Doctor was able to create a chemical that rapidly evolves antibodies as quickly as it can, creating the perfect defence system. In approximately eighteen months, the disease will be completely eliminated and our bodies will also have a higher immunity against other possible threats...”

The bell signalising someone entering pulled Michael's eyes away from the television and landed on a police officer. His hair was falling out and his moustache was neatly shaved. He recognised the cashier right away.

“Michael!” the officer greeted, “What are you doing here?”

“I got a job, Officer Rick,” Michael offered a small smile.

“Really?” he beamed, “That's great lad! I'm proud of ya!”

“Thanks, Sir,” Michael chuckled, “Maybe I'll get into something medical after this. It's been pretty great so far, I hear – What with that the Travis Crommons Foundation and all.”

“Pfft,” Officer Rick rolled his eyes, “Nothing good is gonna come from all this, I'm telling you.”

“But they've already created the cure to Influenza,” Michael pointed out, “That's pretty incredible.”

“Well, that's all fine and dandy,” the officer replied, “But when they start passing around free needles, I'm gonna pass. You should, too, Son.”

“I suppose you're probably right,” Michael chuckled, “At least until I know more about it, right?”

“Exactly,” Officer Rick nodded.

The year is 2015. Michael finds himself in the back of a police car. That in itself isn't out of the ordinary. What is a little out of place is the commotion around him didn't stop after he got in.

For the past month, the local hospital has been filling up with more and more people. Around noon, several hundred broke out and when Michael laid eyes on the first one, he couldn't believe what he saw.

The figure appeared to have been a middle-aged woman at first, although he couldn't be positive by the way she looked, strange formations sprouting off her body. One of her eyes had grown shut. He'd been peacefully talking with one of his acquaintances when she ran up to some poor guy across the street and started ripping him to shreds.

“Holy shit!” his acquaintance yelled, taking off, Michael hot on his tail. He tripped at one point and Michael just kept going. He could still hear the scream let out as he turned a corner and climbed a fence.

Over the course of the next few hours, things had only gotten worse. Most bodies weren't left without enough to live once one of the sick got ahold of them, but a few manage to stagger away after being bitten with the help of a trusty gun. Their outward appearance didn't change as much, but they quickly took up the rabid persona. Michael stumbled across Officer Rick at one point.

“Thank god you're alright,” the officer breathed, ushering him away from the calamity, shooting every now and again over Michael's head. Over the years, he'd come to accept the man as as close to a father figure as he was ever going to get and he took up the role pretty well, “In the car. Go!” Michael spotted his police car across the street and sprinted for it, Officer Rick close behind.

They were both barely in the car when a figure hit the side of it, rocking the vehicle as Officer Rick fumbled with his keys. Michael, despite being an eighteen year old who'd lived on the street the past few years, was terrified.

“We're gonna fucking die,” he said, sounding more like a whimper than anything.

“We're <i>not</i> going to die,” Officer Rick hissed, turning the key and making a break for it.

“We're not gonna get out of this. There's no way,” Michael swallowed.

“I'm not gonna let you die so just <i>shut the hell up</i>!” the older man snapped and Michael shut his mouth, but he was still shaking.