《Lunar China Red》 Prologue: The Three Dragons Of Death "To build it took one hundred years; to destroy it one day" (½¨Ô컨ÁËÒ»°ÙÄꣻ»ÙÁËÒ»Ìì) ~ Chinese Proverb Chan Li Yong, Journal entry: 2045-05¡ª23(Translated from Cantonese to English) When will I see my family again? I write this in the hopes it will exonerate me from the sins of my past. Eight years to the day, we''ve abandoned Earth after killing nearly seventy percent of the world''s population upon it. My government came to our labs for a viable strain of the COVID-19 and enhance it for possible mutation into other deadlier strains. As a scientist, I was fascinated at the possibilities of such a task, but after remembering the hardship endured from the last outbreak, I suddenly grew doubts of keeping them. The other scientists were excited at the prospects, it was like all memory of the last pandemic never existed. I remember my grandparents dying from it, their village completely wiped out from the sickness, and my mother weeping daily from the loss. How is it that I should come to be the next one to bring about the end of us all? I created three enhanced strains that targeted, not only the elderly and infirm, but the healthy and immune as well. The soldiers came to my lab and demanded I hand it over to them. I was not prepared to see such reckless abandonment for reason. I did not want this to be used as a weapon, only for study and further research into cures, mutations and advancement into bioengineering. What a fool I was to think that. To think that my government would not decide to take what they funded for so many years. My refusal to allow them to have it brought consequences to my fellow colleagues. They were taken away, beaten, imprisoned and tortured until I surrendered the trio of strains to them. I was glad my wife and daughter were in Canada at the time. Her sister there promised me to take care of them while this was happening. But once I found out what the military was doing with the new viral strains, I wanted to instantly flee to that country as well. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The money and prestige had blinded me to what was going on. I should have been more careful or destroyed the viral trio the minute the government demanded them. Had I known they were going to test it out on over populated cities and villages of our people, I would never have even created these abominations. They purposely launched it to decrease the burden of China''s economy and resource problems. "We need to thin the heard and begin anew", our president said. His big plan was to evacuate and reestablish our home soil onto the moon. Our people would now become isolationists, preserving our culture and beliefs. They unleashed the new three viruses, which were designated - TDOD-20 (The Dragons Of Death), a global pandemic that afflicted every nation within weeks of release. The contagion could not be quickly quarantined, nor could they anticipate who the carriers would be. It transmitted not only from human to human, but to animal and plant life as well. What I created was unstoppable. I secretly tried to warn the various worldwide agencies before China sent its infected patient hosts to their major cities. But, I was too late. I wasn''t able to say goodbye to my family before the communications went dark, a global blackout occurred within weeks and anarchy ensued everywhere. My fellow surviving scientists and I were corralled onto one of the rockets preparing to launch us to the base they built on the dark side of the moon. I was scared. We were all scared. The Earth was dying and it was my fault. I have to live with the death of billions, the end of life of the entire planet, and yet, all I really want to know is that my wife and daughter made it off world alive. Other nations launched into space, taking however many they could that weren''t infected. How could they know who was and who wasn''t? There''s no way to know if any of them survived at all. Our government is keeping us in the dark about any news of it. And now there is less and less ships coming into our new home¡ªLunar China City. I was feeling so depressed, so suicidal, that I was given guards to watch me at all times. I was now the star of our people, the hero to the state and the beloved scientist of our leader. He will never allow me to leave, never let me talk to anyone outside the laboratory environment, if I make an attempt to flee¡ªI will be tortured and punished. I know they will not kill me, though. I''m too valuable. And now, they want to create another virus, one that will purge our enemies once and for all. I do what I must to stay alive. I know my daughter and wife are out there somewhere. They have to be. I will live until I know they have as well. If they have not? Then there''s no hope at all and I will finish I what began¡ªand kill all of us that are left. A New Star In The Dark 2055 Earth¡¯s moon, ten years after¡­ The dark side of the moon remained shrouded from the light of the sun, yet in the perpetual blackness was a vibrant glow that emanated from the upper region. From a distance, the sprawling city of deconstructed spaceships, layered cargo containers and interlinked tubes, gave evidence of activity as lights twinkled from out of them. This was Lunar China City. The newly transplanted home of what remained of the country of China. The vast population of millions had now become a surviving number in the mere thousands. The Earth is dead. Life can no longer exist on its surface, the virus had spread rapidly and infected every form of life. Was there any other survivors other than them? No one seemed to know. The ruling leaders of this government kept a tight leash on any transmissions or radio signals, and shielded the public from anything other than what they could control. Isolation and disinformation was the daily life of the remaining people. Believing in hope beyond their city was discouraged and considered ¡®unhealthy¡¯ if they were to remain a united people. Screening for the virus was a necessary and preventative measure. Every hour, no matter where anyone was or what they were doing, they had to submit an automated test to the Central Health Control Agency; Minor symptoms would be recorded, catalogued and kept under the watchful eye of the agency. Citizens who failed to report or refused to be daily screened were dealt with immediately. Prison time or being spaced onto the moon¡¯s surface was the punishment. A zero tolerance was given and adhered to for all who resided in this moon city. As cruel and dominative as it was, one had to accept it as the new normal in a not so normal time. The one that resented it the most, the one who was responsible for this ¡®new norm¡¯, was Doctor Chan Li Yong. Yong was now living among the survivors of a pandemic he helped to create. Ten years ago, he was the head of a bio-science firm that cultivated and manipulated the RNA of various forms of viruses; From Ebola to Cover-19, Doctor Yong sought to create new strains, vaccinations, and take bold steps into new expanding research into them. It was cutting edge science and a well funded program, both publicly and from the state, but he never believed it would be used as anything other than research. He was a young pioneer in the field, promoted by the age of nineteen and overseeing all projects by his mid-twenties, Chan had become the rising new star of China. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Now in his late forties, Chan had become hardened, resentful and disgusted with his government. The pride he once took in his country had drastically changed. He was a flag waving loyalist in his youth, but through the years of dealing with the military and politics, it dwindled steadily until the curtain of lies pulled back and revealed the truth. They took his research and turned it into a weapon. A weapon that was released into the world and created the ultimate disastrous pandemic human kind will never forget. Did he consider himself a murder? No, he was just a pawn in his mind. He didn¡¯t unleash it to the world, he didn¡¯t infect random citizens to set out from their homeland to spread to others. He thought himself as just another victim, one who was innocent and naive, made into the frontman of his government¡¯s agenda. His importance of such bio-scientific knowledge made him an invaluable commodity, the Chinese government swiftly took him away to the moon once the outbreak occurred and made sure this ¡®new star¡¯ would be safe from the deadly virus. All they considered to be ¡®valuable¡¯ to their cause were taken up to the moon city. They built it quickly and as quietly as possible; taking great steps to hide the construction of it from the other nations. Those that didn¡¯t have the capability to spy on their work were shocked to discover its creation. The United States Of America had always kept a close eye on their activity in space. The Americans knew full well what China was up to, and had alerted the other nations to their secret construction on the dark side of the moon. But by the time the world took action, it was too late. The discovery of the moon city, and of their direct involvement of the creation of the virus sent the nations into a panic. The virus spread fast and infected everything; Humans, animals, sea life and plants. The virus continually mutated and adapted until all were dead from it. America scrambled to get spaceships built, to have vaccines developed and join forces with the other nations struggling to survive the ordeal. It was a disaster nobody was prepared for. Even China was caught off guard by the severity of their unleashing of the virus. They stepped up their plans and sent every ship they had filled to the moon. Time had run out. Yong had to witness the demise of entire world from space. And the one thing he seemed most upset with (the one thing other than witnessing genocide), was that he was unable to retrieve his wife and daughter living in Canada. Despite all his success and status in China, he wasn¡¯t able to have his family join him on the moon. His last contact was over the phone (before the call was discovered by his government and cut off) warning them to flee and find shelter far away from civilization. Did they listen? Where they all right? He would never know. He hoped they would be fine. That they did find some sort of shelter or taken to one of the limited spaceships the few nations were trying to launch before the end. That was his hope. A hope that would keep him going. One he would hold onto in this uncertain time. For now, he would play the role, be a good citizen, continue working for the science collective of this new Lunar China, and wait for any sign that would come his way. Lunar China City Sitting in the transport hurling through the lengthy connected tubes of the city, Chan Li Yong hung his head silently as he listened to the metal striking the tube seams. It reminded him of the subways or train rides he would frequently take into the cities. It was calming and sleep inducing as it rhythmically rocked him back and forth. But this was not like a normal train ride. The seats were spaced out from each other, with plexiglass barriers in-between them. Red and white markings on the floor indicated where they could stand and the number of people allowed to be near the doors. Before each stop, the passengers disembarking would be quickly sprayed with antibacterial mist that shot out all over their bodies. A small narrow poster near the exit reminded them to see their eyes closed and their mouth shut during the process. Yong took a moment to sit back and glance at the others around him. There were very few on this ride. There were a few elderly couples, a mother and son, and a group of teenagers laughing and sharing selfies they were taking on the trip. They had to hold up the phones that projected holographic images and scrolled each one causing them to burst into laughter. There was a time they would have clustered in one area, share a seating area or lean on each other. But nowadays, they had to sit apart, separated by clear plastic and keeping their distance as much as possible. He was rather surprised how they managed their ¡®social distancing¡¯, a concept that the last generation had trouble doing. Chan was about to get up as he heard his stop coming up as the automated voice informed of it. When one of the elderly passengers walked over and gawked at him. She eyed him curiously for a a moment and smiled. ¡°You are him, aren¡¯t you?¡± Yang said nothing and continued to stand up. She stood behind the red line and kept at a distance. ¡°It is you, my husband doesn¡¯t think so, but I remember the video interview of you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re mistaken¡­¡± Yong gruffly spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± She giggled. ¡°I may be old, but my memory is sharp. The ¡®New Star¡¯ is what they called you. China¡¯s brightest and best. Hero to us all¡ªthat¡¯s what they said.¡± Chen refused to look at her. He kept himself poised to the exit and waited for the transport to stop. He held on to the green railing near by and could feel the woman¡¯s gaze still fixed on him. He let out a barely audible sigh and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not him.¡± ¡°What did I tell you!¡± The elderly husband shouted to his wife. ¡°Leave him be and sit down.¡± ¡°I know it is him.¡± The old woman shouted back. ¡°I watch the vids and news blogs. And watch my bags! I just bought those supplies, I don¡¯t want them stolen.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s going to steal this garbage?¡± He laughed back. ¡°Ration noodles and rice, barely edible if you ask me.¡± ¡°Then I won¡¯t cook them for you, how bout that, huh?¡± On and on the two ranted to each other. The transport stop couldn¡¯t come fast enough for Yong. As soon as the doors opened, he stepped through the full mist and briskly walked away from it. The two seniors continued to banter loudly; The Cantonese swearing drifted far past the transport doors, so much so that others stepping onto the transport immediately stepped off again. Yong felt a slight chill and tried to button up his tattered brown jacket as he continued to walk briskly. The station was spacious enough to give everyone enough room to walk by with some distance. There were markers on the floor to indicate where the flow of traffic should come in and out. People had to observe this rule otherwise the patrolling officers (in protective suits) would stop them and ticket them for a violation. The line up to exit the transport station was very sparse. People remained a few feet away and keep out of reach of one another. Some wore protective masks or face shields as a means of keeping safe, but it wasn¡¯t always necessary to do so. The supply for such protection was minimal, most of it was priority for the medical and science division, and sent directly to them. As each person was screened, sprayed and allowed to pass through the checkpoint; the guards at the end of it would question them about their destination. This was the way of life now. Everywhere you went, anywhere you would go, whatever building you entered or exited, you were scrutinized and questioned. Yong detested this process, and his face would often express it accidentally. The guard signalled him forward as he passed through and demanded his citizenship card. Yong held his foil-embossed clear plastic identification and waited for the officer to scan it. ¡°Where are you going?¡± The officer questioned loudly. He was young with hardened eyes and forceful in his tone. Clearly a young man who took his role far to seriously. Yong sighed and answered with some mild hesitation. ¡°Health and Science Division One-one-seven¡­¡± ¡°What is your work number there?¡± ¡°Level 1, Six-two-nine alpha.¡± Chan grimaced in response. ¡°I¡¯m the head of bio-science research.¡± The young man¡¯s eyes flared slightly as he seemed slightly alarmed by that fact (though, ever so slightly). The officer placed the scanner back down on the table beside him and motioned for Yong to proceed. Yong placed the card back into his coat and walked away. As he was about to leave the section, a scuffle ensued behind and he turned about to see what it was about. A man and woman had accidentally stepped into the same path and bumped into each other. Guards shouted at them and immediately drew their weapons. The man screamed that he was running late and tried to apologize. The woman was embarrassed and held her hands up in fear. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The biggest mistake to be made is trying to talk your way out of it. The guards wasted no time and demanded they move to the ¡¯safe wall¡¯. The wall was a zone with two isolation booths for the guards to subdue and pat down the individuals while they were arrested. The woman wept as she did as instructed. The other guy, he continued to apologize and demanded they let him go. The guards issued their last warning to him. Five of them surrounded the poor frightened man with guns aimed at him. Again, he refused and asked to be let go. ¡°It¡¯s a mistake!¡± He bellowed. ¡°I won¡¯t let it happen again! I¡¯m sorry¡± Chen knew what was coming next and turned away. The sound of the weapons going off echoed all around. The woman screamed in horror but kept herself poised against the ¡®safe wall¡¯. The guards now turned their attention to her and continued with the arrest. Chen begrudgingly walked away and was grateful that didn¡¯t happen to him. * * * The city, or at least the section he was now in, was large and very overly developed. It must have had a rather quick construction from all the slabs of metal welded in place, the office buildings were built out of old shipping containers and had very little imagination in design. The streets weren¡¯t made for vehicles, just bicycles and pedestrians. They had different lines for each, distance reminders, path symbols for pedestrian and bicycles, and warnings about using them incorrectly. Everything was organized in this makeshift city, it had to be maintained and kept clean, to prevent infection or bring about disease. Yong headed towards his workplace, a giant lab facility that took up nearly two-thirds of this particular sector. There was no labeling or corporate identity adorning the structure, only a number and designation symbol painted on the doors. Corporations were no longer needed. Marketing products or advertisements for them were a thing of the past. The ruling government provided everything. Work wages were now used on a credit system. The more credits you had, the more items you could get for your daily life. But choices for that were limited. There was no entertainment or recreational diversity to choose from, just whatever Lunar China City could provide. A strict guideline of culture preservation was the mandate. ¡°The Dynasty Of China Is Forever¡±, that had become the only slogan seen or hear anywhere. A hologram of it floated over the mega-lab, it would infrequently flicker due to the power surges, and Yong felt a sense of uneasy ever time he looked upon it. His China was gone¡ªforever. This new version was like a spectre of the former country. It wasn¡¯t even a country anymore. To him, it was just a reminder of what they had lost, the hubris of ambition destroyed not only them, but the world as well. There was nothing to be proud of in this city¡ªnothing at all. ¡°Good day, citizen Chan,¡± The security guard bowed to him as he came to the door. ¡°Identification, please.¡± ¡°Do you ever tire of this, Jun?¡± ¡°You know, my wife was just asking that of me this morning,¡± He snickered. ¡°She thinks we¡¯re in a rut.¡± Yong handed him the identification card as he continued. ¡°I told her, ¡®at least we have a job, full bellies and reason to go on living¡¯, she didn¡¯t think that was enough.¡± ¡°Is it?¡± Yong glared taking back his card. ¡°For you, is it enough?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see why not,¡± He smiled. ¡°What else can we do? Where can we go? Better to live than not at all.¡± Yong smirked at his response. They were almost close in age, perhaps by a few years, and he felt the man was personable enough to have a meaningful conversation (limited as it was). But seemed disheartened by his complacency of living this way. At least his wife and more common sense. Yong stepped into the building¡¯s doorway, and was sprayed, had an ultraviolet light flash over him, and then a laser beam aimed at his forehead took his temperature. Once that whole dance was over, the secondary doors opened automatically and a pleasant recorded female voice greeted him to the facility. The floor was not like any other floor of any other building. This was a bright orange gel that covered the entire surface. A special compound that removed any viral or bacterial material from the footwear and protected them contamination even after they left. Young wished he had developed this. It was a remarkable breakthrough. But it was also very hard to re-create for any other building. Oddly enough, the first person to greet him in the elevator (as he swiped his card and stepped in) was the fellow scientist who made it. ¡°Morning Chan!¡± He beamed exuberantly. ¡°Another hard day at the ol¡¯ lab, huh?¡± Yong nodded with a slight grin. It must have been hard being the only white man among so many Chinese people. Nathan Tucker was a thirty year old who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Cut off from the rest of the world, and forcibly shipped to the moon with the rest of them. Thankfully though, he was not an American. That would have meant instant execution. Not that being a Canadian was much better, but at least the government could tolerate those kind people. Back then, Nathan was a young, idealistic intern in Hong Kong trying to study genetics and micro-biology. It was a fluke that his research led to the orange goo floors that this lab uses today. The government no doubt strong armed him to coming here and renounce his own country. He was as much of an asset to Lunar China as Yong had become. So, naturally, they got along very well. But Chan didn¡¯t really care much for his bubbly personality, it was slightly annoying at times. ¡°Canadians¡­¡± He muttered sarcastically. ¡°Got ya a double-double,¡± He handed Yong a cup. The man looked at him with a suspicious eye. ¡°It¡¯s tea kind, ok? Not a drop of coffee in this city, remember? Thought I would just kill for a large cup of that right about now. Tea? Who can always drink that twenty-four seven?¡± ¡°You could always go back home, you know?¡± Young snickered and took a sip of his hot tea. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll let you go any time you¡¯d like.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± He laughed. ¡°Right out the airlock you mean. I swear, I deserve a raise for all these innovative breakthroughs I¡¯m making for them.¡± ¡°Please¡­¡± ¡°Seriously, I deserve it.¡± Nathan continually tapped the elevator button as their level wasn¡¯t coming up fast enough. ¡°I could use the extra credits and get a better living space.¡± Yong chuckled at the thought. Better living space was a joke. There was no such thing. Everyone¡¯s dwelling was equal and had no additional space whatsoever. There wasn¡¯t any added room to be had. But, like Nathan, he too wished that was a possibility. ¡°Going to your office?¡± Tucker said (changing the topic). ¡°Yeah, why?¡± Yang said sipping his tea again. ¡°The big man is here. He¡¯s waiting in your office.¡± Yong stopped in mid-sip and lowered the cup slowly. ¡°Shit, what for now, I wonder?¡± ¡°He does like checking up on you¡­ and me, but, mainly you.¡± Nathan nudged him. Tong look of dread seemed to stop the Canadian scientist from giggling. He knew Chan was never happy when this kind of check up occurred. As the elevator reached the level, the doors opened up and Nathan gave a raised cup ¡®goodbye¡¯ to the bewildered looking man. Chan held his arm for a second before stepping out, ¡°Nathan, any word yet?¡± Nathan¡¯s face said it all to him, a look of defeat and half lowered eyes made Chan release his arm slowly. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard anything. But, this really isn¡¯t the time or place to discuss this.¡± ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Chan softly uttered. ¡°Come see me after, we¡¯ll find a spot out of the way.¡± Nathan finally stepped out and turned one last time to face Yong. ¡°Drink your tea, and pray that big boss up there is in a good mood.¡± ¡°Yeah, thanks..¡± Chan scoffed. The doors closed and he continued to the top level. ¡°Thanks a lot.¡± The Next Phase The elevator ride wasn¡¯t very long, though it was a bit slow due to the grinding of the bearings, he would make it a point to remind maintenance (once again) to fix it. The sound of the screeches and whines of the lift lulled him into memory. It was one he was trying to forget, and for a time, had managed to do so. But, the sound sparked it again, nonetheless. How he wished it would be about the birth of his daughter, or the moment he married his beautiful bride, instead it was the time he fled for the moon, straight to Lunar China City and having to go through the whole ordeal of getting to the last remaining ship. It seemed so long ago to him, the struggle to flee amidst all the chaos,it brought aboutthoughts of regrets and fear of all those he left behind. Including his poor intern whom still believed in what he was doing, still thought him an heroic idol, one would fix problem with the research. He only remembered shouting at her in hysteria. * * * ¡°What are you doing? Never mind those files, we¡¯ve got to go now!¡± The pandemic had reached critical in Hong Kong, Chan Li Yong scuffled with his young intern as she was scooping up every available file folder she could in the office. He quickly grabbed her arm and fled the room. The two lost in a sea of people rushing through the corridors of the facility. She begged him to let go while pointing back to where she had dropped all the files needed. He wasn¡¯t concerned about it. He pulled her closer and guided the frightened woman to the exit. Panic was everywhere they went. The office staff and security guards were in a flurry of activity as they all tried to salvage what they could and flee the building as soon as possible. Everyone (including Chan and his intern) were wearing protective masks and gloves. Distancing in such a tight space had become next to impossible. Though many tried to give way to each other as they hurried along. Yong wasn¡¯t paying attention to the intern as she suddenly broke free and ran back to his office. ¡°Mia! Mia! There¡¯s no point,¡± He screamed at her. ¡°We need to get out of here!¡± ¡°The research!¡± She begged. ¡°It¡¯s important to you and to the world! We need it to survive!¡± He couldn¡¯t quite hear her as she continued running away. He was dumbfounded by her lack of judgement. Things were collapsing, the government was out of control, and anarchy was taking over the entire country. The virus had been released and mutated beyond anyone¡¯s control. He couldn¡¯t wait for the foolish woman to return, if he was going it had to be right now. He managed to escape the frenzy and found a military vehicle waiting for him. The soldier saw him and waved him over. People were trying to get into it and brutally were being beaten by the armed escorts surrounding the large SUV. As he got closer, the ranking soldier pulled him in immediately and closed the door. The soldiers surrounding it stayed close until they could help it exit the parking lot without any others jumping in front. He could hear the screams and frantic words of the civilians rushing about. Yong felt ashamed to look out the window. The pandemic had reached an ultimate peak and, by now, the infection wasn¡¯t so much a question of how it will happen, but rather when it will happen. For many, it would be at any moment. The streets and roadways were littered with cars of dead people hanging out of them or laid on top of the hoods. The ranking soldier sitting with Yong constantly stared at him. It wasn¡¯t hate, that much he knew, but more of a look of wanting to be somewhere else. Yong was too important to not survive. The government wanted him on the moon as soon as possible. Only those that were vital to the survival of China were taken. In the distance, he could see the massive space rocket waiting for him. It overshadowed the whole city as it sat there like the Tower of Babel. ¡°How many more are joining us?¡± He inquired. The dead-eyed soldier simply snickered at the obscurity of the question and refused to answer. Yong pressed the man, ¡°How many more?¡± ¡°What do you care,¡± He replied looking away. ¡°You¡¯ll be safe, nobody else matters.¡± ¡°I need to know.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡± The soldier scoffed. Yong grabbed the man¡¯s shirt tight and held on with contempt. The officer slapped his hands away and shoved him back into his seat. ¡°Sit down! I¡¯m not above shooting you if you get in my face again. Just enjoy the ride until we get there.¡± ¡°Just tell me what I need to know!¡± Yong strongly voiced again. ¡°Ten!¡± The man yelled back at him. ¡°There are ten. Ten of you are going¡ªthat¡¯s all. Ten of the ¡®rising stars¡¯ that our country needs to survive. And that includes you¡­¡± Yong bowed his head in distress. The answer was not what he wanted to hear. He was singled out with nine other contributors of this viral pandemic and had become an unwilling icon for the whole of China. Even now, as he glanced out of the window as they sped past through Hong Kong, propaganda advertisement and banners touted their names as heroes. It made him sick to his stomach. He wanted to retch right there in the car, but felt he¡¯d be ejected and left to the mercy of the crowds trying to flee the country. As the driver tried to avoid every obstacle (people, abandoned cars and trucks), the other military SUV ahead of them suddenly came to a halt and nearly took them out in the process. The soldier siting with Yong demanded to know what was happening, as the three in front quickly replied with equal confusion. The lead officer got out in frustration and told Chan not to get out of the car. He shouted to the other vehicle and asked what the problem was. The driver struggled from the other SUV and flopped to the ground. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Upon observation from a distance, the soldier could see the driver was dead. His ears, eyes and mouth covered in blood; he knew right away what was the cause of that horror. The others struggled to get out of the military vehicle as well, something this officer demanded them not to do. He drew his gun out and instantly shot every one of them trying to walk over to their car. Chan was horrified by the sudden and swift punishment. The sound of the automatic weapon caused him to wince and lower his eyes in fear. Once it was over, the soldier came back into the car and shouted at his driver to keep going. As they maneuvered around the other military car, Yong got a good look as they flew past quickly. ¡°Now there is eight of you.¡± The lead soldier said to him. He put his weapon on his lap and looked even more bitter than before. ¡°We¡¯ll all have to be screened again when we get there. Otherwise we¡¯ll end up like them.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Yong sombrely questioned. ¡°Why did you have to shoot all of them? They might all not have been infected? You didn¡¯t have to shoot them all.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to take the chance.¡± The soldier coldly replied. ¡°Incase you didn¡¯t notice the virus is getting harder to predict. It might even be airborne now. If I got close to them then all of us would have gotten it¡ªor died from it. Either way, its a matter of survival now¡­¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t airborne originally.¡± Yong stated. ¡°It must have mutated again. That¡¯s why it¡¯s getting more widespread.¡± ¡°You made it? Right?¡± The soldier sneered. ¡°This is all your doing? How does it look to you? The price we all have to pay for doing what¡¯s best for our country.¡± He held on to the door as the car took a sharp turn around a corner. ¡°You¡¯ve killed us all. You get that, right? This isn¡¯t about politics anymore.¡± Chan nodded hesitantly. He couldn¡¯t begin to explain how this all happened to him, but knew full well the implication of that meaning. The virus was meant as means of leverage for the government, a way to control population and weaken enemy nations for possible invasions. While he did have a hand in the creation of the deadly virus, he was an unwilling martyr for the politics behind it. Over the SUV¡¯s radio, the orders came in that all surrounding military were to withdraw from their locations and return to the spaceship launch site. The soldiers glanced at each other for a second with a shocked expression. The bickering of which street to turn onto next died down as they suddenly realized what that order meant. Yong watched their faces and seemed like he needed to ask the obvious (even though he probably didn¡¯t have too). ¡°What? What¡¯s the matter? What are they talking about?¡± ¡°This is it.¡± The soldier grimaced at him. ¡°This is the last ship out. We¡¯re making our final stand there.¡± Yong¡¯s eyes grew wide as he looked out the window. The vaporous clouds of smoke increased around the rocket as it started its countdown and prepared for lift off. A swarm of helicopters swooped in and encircled the ship like a flock of birds weaving about. They carried the last supplies, equipment and high paying civilians who managed to bribe their way onboard. * * * The drive didn¡¯t take long for them to reach the entry to the rocket site. The driver¡¯s lead foot tactic and steering aggression got them to the location at record speed. Yong had been silent for the rest of the drive, contemplating the devastation and panic he witnessed along the way. It would be the last time Yong would see the city, or the planet ever again. They drove past blockades building up around the base of the ship, and were granted access immediately as they overshot other vehicles waiting in line. The soldier looked at Yong with distain in his eye and nudged him with the butt of his weapon. ¡°All of this because of you; doesn¡¯t seem right to let you live when so many have died and will keep dying¡­¡± Yong didn¡¯t know what to say back. He simply kept looking out the window watching the many faces of distraught families, workers and military staff as they headed for the rocket¡¯s entry area. It made him wonder of his own family, still trapped in Canada, and wept for them deeply. ¡°Did anyone send for my family?¡± He asked (trying to hold back tears). ¡°Did they get my wife and child so they could be on the ship with me?¡± The soldier shook his head in disbelief. Even now, this pitiful scientist was asking for things he knew full well was an impossibility. What comfort could he give in return? Everyone¡¯s family was in danger, dying or left behind. He had little sympathy for this man or for his family that may or may not be dead by now. He gave him nothing back. Not a word, not a glance, not even a gesture. He wasn¡¯t worth it. All this soldier had left was his duty, and that was small comfort to him. The military car came to a stop. They exited out and headed over to the main entrance. The soldier shoved and ordered people out of the way as they brought Yong over to be processed for the flight. Once he was registered as a ¡®special dignitary¡¯, the soldiers felt their duty was done and returned to the vehicle. Yong ran over to the man and blocked his path, he wanted to at least tell him he was sorry about everything and show his gratitude for bringing him there. He nervously stumbled in his words, but soon collected himself long enough to talk to them. ¡°Thank you, I just want to tell you and your men, thank you. That¡¯s it¡­¡± ¡°Thank you?¡± The soldier gruffly repeated. ¡°I spit on your ¡®thanks¡¯ to us. We¡¯re staying behind, do you get that? We have to stay here and die a slow, painful death. Not because we¡¯re to volunteer our time or get the next ship, which there isn¡¯t any, no¡ªwe are to die because there is no more choice left to us. You will live, and we will die. Don¡¯t thank us for that, because we didn¡¯t want it in the first place.¡± The soldier forcefully bumped into Chan¡¯s arm as he walked away and left the scientist looking bewildered by his comment. Chan Yi Yong will be remembered as a hero on the moon, and the bringer of death to all those that are left behind on the planet. Holding on to his boarding pass, he noticed a woman crying on her knees to the military men keeping her from stepping onto the ship. ¡°I need to be with my son!¡± She wailed. ¡°He¡¯s only a boy! Please, I need to be with him.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no more room.¡± The soldier coldly stated to her. ¡°No more seats left. Turn around and go.¡± She kept repeating it over and over, ¡°My son, please, he¡¯s just a child!¡± Yong looked at his pass, and then at the woman on her knees. He walked over to the soldiers, the woman stopped crying as she saw him approach, and gave a passing glance at her and handed over his ticket to one of the soldiers. He took the ticket in hand and looked at him with confusion. ¡°This for her?¡± ¡°No,¡± He stated. ¡°I just want to get on before I see any more of this.¡± Yong stepped past them and entered into the checkpoint. As he was being sprayed down with anti-bacterial mist and the UV light beamed over head of him, he turned to see the woman beyond looking at him in shock. She thought he was going to save her, to give her a chance to be with her son, but instead he saved himself. The door closed while he continued to see her kneeling before the guards with a distraught face, and missed the last few seconds of her getting slapped down by the end of the soldier¡¯s gun. At this point, he didn¡¯t care anymore, he hadn¡¯t the sympathy to give to anyone. They were the unfortunate ones, the ones to die on this stricken world, but not him¡ªno, not him. He was the ¡®rising star¡¯ the only hope they had to survive. That¡¯s what they were led to believe¡ªand now, so did he. The Red Box When Chan entered his office, he wasn¡¯t surprised there was someone sitting in his chair and looking over his paperwork. He had become use to the usual military harassment and ¡®casual¡¯ visits. The man sitting in the chair was slightly older, well groomed and wore a suit that many couldn¡¯t afford in their lifetimes. Not even Yong had such a suit, not anymore, that is. All of his clothes were left behind on Earth during the pandemic. He could admire it though; a silken-striped grey, pressed to perfection and even the gold coloured tie made it stand out. ¡°Good morning¡­¡± The man smiled. It was a pleasantry grin, nothing of sincerity behind it, but the man continued to flip through the pages, ¡°I was just reviewing your work. You haven¡¯t updated the progress in a while, so, just thought I¡¯d pay you a visit.¡± Chan started to remember this particular official of the new Lunar China government. He had been with several inspectors before, touring the facilities and even accompanied the military generals during their usual drop-in. Chairman Jin Xi Mao, the official overseer of this new moon state, had always eyed him with great scrutiny. ¡°It¡¯s not ready yet.¡± Chan stated. ¡°So I can see.¡± Chairman Mao nodded. ¡°It is taking a long time, too long for our liking. Results are needed if we are going to continue.¡± ¡°The vaccine is ready for a second trial¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about that.¡± Mao scowled at him. ¡°Where is the next phase of the virus? The mutation to eliminate all others accept our own people? That one is what I want.¡± Chan said nothing. He simply stared at the floor. What could he tell him? The research and development of that very thing was causing him nightmares? That he wanted to space the virus completely and never see the likes of it again? No, he didn¡¯t have the boldness to voice that to such a powerful man. The fact that they brought it here, endangering the very last remains of humanity, was abhorrent to Yong. ¡°Chan Li Yong!¡± The man yelled. His fist banging down onto the desk causing a slight echo in the room. ¡°You are the rising star of this new regime! You gave us the perfect weapon against our enemies and now you drag your feet on the next one? Explain yourself!¡± ¡°It¡­¡± Yong grimaced and tried to choose his words carefully. ¡°It¡¯s a matter of separating the genome, to target others and not our own. It takes time, Chairman. And most of all, it is fragile. The virus needs to remain resilient or else it could be¡­¡± ¡°Excuses!¡± Mao shouted again. ¡°All I ever here are these pitiful excuses!¡± He stood up and approached Chan slowly. His face bore a deep dissatisfaction and eyed the lead scientist down. ¡°You have been given the same amount of time as before. You managed to cultivate that one rather rapidly, but this¡­¡± ¡°Exactly¡­¡± Yong gazed back at him. ¡°We rushed the other too fast. It mutated and spread to everyone and everything it could. Now all that¡¯s left of our people is here, on this moon, in orbit of a dead planet.¡± Mao¡¯s brow unfurled and gave a sigh of agreement. Yong continued, ¡°Why do we want to create another like it? Earth is gone, our enemies are gone¡­ there are no more worlds to conquer.¡± Chairman Mao scoffed at Chan¡¯s use of a Shakespearian quote, and withdrew from his close stance. It seems physical distancing didn¡¯t apply to him, otherwise he would have stayed near the desk. Mao rubbed his chin in thought and looked back infrequently at Yong still giving a questionable gaze. The Chairman clicked his tongue and smirked. ¡°You could be right. However, there are still survivors orbiting the planet, and the Americans have a base on the moon as well. I¡¯m sure you are very aware of this.¡± Yong nodded slightly. Unlike many among Lunar China, he knew of the truth that a few space-fairing nations had managed to save most of their people as well. A limited number perhaps, but enough. Mao sat back down behind his desk and slowly opened a draw on the right. ¡°The threat of retaliation is still a possibility, they want to meet with us and discuss a possible cure for the virus. But, we know this is just a lie. They want us to be vendable so they can strike and bring us to our knees.¡± Mao pulled out a small red box from his desk and held it up to show him. ¡°What exactly is this?¡± ¡°A box¡± Yong truthfully stated. ¡°Yes, but, what¡¯s in it? There¡¯s no opening? What¡¯s contained inside of it?¡± ¡°My wife¡¯s ring,¡± Chan sombrely said. ¡°And my daughter¡¯s photo, that¡¯s all I had of them when I left. I keep it sealed so it doesn¡¯t get lost. It might even have the virus on it, so it¡¯s just for protection.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Mao nodded. He still eyed the red box with some scrutiny, but then placed it back into his desk and closed the drawer. ¡°Your wife was lovely. I never knew your child. It must have been hard for you to leave them all alone in Canada. Perhaps it was unwise of you to send them there.¡± ¡°It was her choice, not mine.¡± He stated. ¡°Of course¡­¡± Mao sighed, tenting his fingers together as he stared at Yong. He remained that way for a few moments, the silence deafening the room, then he stood up and walked by Chan. He stopped by his side and patted his shoulder. ¡°Focus on the work, and bury the past my friend. Get that virus going, or else¡­¡± Chan sharply turned his head at that implied threat and waited to hear him finish it. Mao simply smiled and changed the subject. ¡°You could use a new suit, I¡¯ll see about getting you something similar. We need to impress the women if we¡¯re to be fruitful and multiply, yes?¡± A few more passive pats to Chan¡¯s shoulder and the Chairman stepped out of the room. Chen gave a slow breath of relief once he had and walked over to his desk. He sat down and grabbed the red box carefully. Looking at it, he started to well up with tears, and brought it closer. ¡°I will find you, both of you,¡± He held it to his chest and slowly sobbed. ¡°You are alive, I know you are¡­ you have to be¡­¡± * * * If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Later, on the laboratory floor, Chan watched as the factory personnel used the robotic limbs and devices to create thousands upon thousands of vaccine nodules. The workstations were enclosed in Plexiglas and spaced out evenly to ensure safe distancing from each other. Chen wore a full bio suit, clear face shield and filtering breather as he roamed down the marked pathway between. The vaccine was for all of them, not any other nation that had survived. Yet, it seemed a tad wasteful since there was only a limited amount living on this moon nation they created. While this vaccine was nearly meant as a preventative measure, the second one they were created was to be a cure for those that might have the virus locked away inside of them.It would target the virus and systematically destroy it. Oner time, it would be eliminated and the immune system able to ward off any other strains of it. It was a shame he wouldn¡¯t be allowed to give this to any other nation. China, or at least Lunar China City, was destined to become the only survivor of the human race. The workers acknowledged him with a slight bow as he passed by and showed him their progress charts when he asked. For the most part, they looked content being there, they all felt a pride working for someone like him. ¡°The rising star¡­¡± Chan thought with distain. ¡°I am the rising star of death, yet they love me like Jesus. I hate it.¡± From behind, someone tapped on his shoulder causing Chan to flinch. He saw a man waving at him and similarly dressed in protective gear. ¡°How goes it?¡± Nathan spoke through the cumbersome filter mask. ¡°How was the tea? Good right?¡± ¡°Nathan, what do you want, I¡¯m busy¡­¡± ¡°Just wondered why you didn¡¯t come see me like I asked.¡± The Canadian scientist followed Chan as he continued to walk about the factory lab floor. ¡°I wanted to show you something.¡± ¡°If it is another one of your lame movies to lend me¡­ no thanks. I think I¡¯ve had enough of your surprise porno titles. Hard to believe you had so many with you in the big rush up here.¡± ¡°Hey, man¡¯s got to have a hobby, eh?¡± Chan shook his head at his response. Nathan was the only white man living among so many asians. It must be very hard to be living among so many devoted to a ¡°Chinese Only¡± mentality. Dating for him would be next to impossible. Although he suspects there are some shady businesses in this moon city that might cater to his needs. Prostitution it seems, will always be available no matter what disaster or change in location might occur. ¡°Come on, dude.¡± Nathan pushed on him slightly. ¡°Come to my office, I think you¡¯re going to like what I¡¯ve got.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid to ask what it is.¡± Chan sighed, rolling his eyes. Nathan leaned in closer to his covered ear and whispered (as best he could in such a noisy environment), ¡°I think I might have a way to contact your wife and daughter¡­¡± That made Chan spin around and look at the man with surprise. He studied Nathans face to see if he was joking. But, despite all the gear he had on blocking any facial features, his eyes told Chan that he was being factual. ¡°How?¡± Chan glared. ¡°Think of it as bit of a side project I¡¯ve been working on. So¡­¡± He looked at him again with half eyes, ¡°Care to see it?¡± * * * Nathan¡¯s office was, well, not the cleanest environment Chan had ever witnessed. On a base devoted to keeping thing clean and sterile, this was a complete one eighty of that. Nathan aplolgized for the state of the room, brushing off papers on a chair and looking to find a new home for all of his old food containers. Chan figured that was the stench he couldn¡¯t quite place in this chaotic death trap. Nathan pulled out a slim, flat device that he quickly unfolded and hooked up to another laptop on his messy desk. The two computer¡¯s synced and both screens flickered to life. The slim device had a program running on it that Chan couldn¡¯t quite understand. It wasn¡¯t one they use on a daily basis, and it certainly wasn¡¯t in Chinese. This one was in English and had multiple icons with almost cryptic names under them. ¡°Where did you get this?¡± Chan frowned. ¡°This is mine,¡± Nathan stated. ¡°Well, ok, something I smuggled onboard before we got taken forcefully, I should say.¡± Chan wasn¡¯t sure what he meant, so Nathan quit his grinning and explained further. ¡°This is the project I was talking about. I was building my own tablet on the side, one that I could use to hack anything¡­ and before you ask, yes, I was hacking. Where do you think all that free porn came from?¡± ¡°You need to get a life.¡± Chan quipped. ¡°Uh huh¡­¡± Nathan dismissed, he continued on, ¡°Well, since I¡¯m pretty much brilliant in just about everything science,¡± Chan cocked a brow at him mockingly, ¡°I thought I¡¯d find a way to break through the communications constrains they¡¯ve been using and get a message back to my government¡­ or what¡¯s left of any out there.¡± Chen paced about the room. His feet shuffled through the mess strewn about the floor; papers, old coffee cups and wrappers that may, or may not, have food still stuck to them. For right now, that didn¡¯t really bother him, too much. But he wasn¡¯t sure what to make of Nathan¡¯s project. It was very risky. Something he had to mention out loud. ¡°If you try to do this, they will catch you and imprison you¡­ hell, they¡¯ll probably space you for treason.¡± ¡°And risk losing the only brightest mind here?¡± Again, Chan raised a brow to the man¡¯s obvious ego. ¡° Not a chance. Besides I¡¯ve got it covered.¡± He waved Chan to come closer and look at his tablet as he tapped on it. ¡°See, I¡¯ve been using a program to modulate certain bandwidths and radio signals, random intervals mind you, and find a weak spot where it can get through their network.¡± ¡°And¡­¡± Chan said, gesturing with a rolling hand. ¡°And, I¡¯ve done it. I made contact with a ship on the far side of Earth. Not sure who they are, but one willing to talk to me anyway.¡± ¡°Was it¡­ uh¡­¡± Chan stammered to think, ¡°The Americans? Or Canada?¡± ¡°No, apparently, Canada didn¡¯t make it. According to those on that ship.¡± He sighed with disappointment. ¡°But, they did say that most Canadians did manage to get aboard a few of the American ships.¡± Nathan looked at Chan and motioned to the pad. ¡°We could try to contact them to see if your wife and daughter are with them.¡± Chen¡¯s eyes widened. The possibility was not unreasonable. He seemed overjoyed at the prospect and laughed. He hugged Nathan with all his might, but quickly retracted and apologized for not keeping his distance. Nathan didn¡¯t seem to mind and dismissed the apology. This was big news and he was more than glad to share it with him. They were after all, good friends. He was only trying to give Yong a reason to keep hope alive for his wife and daughter. Chan soon became apprehensive, the danger of trying to contact the Americans was equally as dangerous. If they knew who he was, would they try to pin point his location and destroy the lunar city?This had to be done with the greatest discretion. ¡°Nathan, if you try to contact them, do me a favour.¡± Nathan nodded and looked at him curiously. ¡°Don¡¯t mention who I am, or my family, not just yet.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± He nodded again, puzzled and waiting for more. ¡°Just build up a trust with them, get someone of authority and use that Canadian friendly humour of yours¡­¡± ¡°I object to that stereotype¡­¡± Nathan passively stated, folding his arms and grinning. ¡°Whatever¡­¡± Chan dismissed. ¡°I just want to be sure whomever we talk with, doesn¡¯t try to manipulate us from the start. Can you do this for me?¡± ¡°Absolutely,¡± Nathan nodded. ¡°Hey, Chan, look¨C¨CI don¡¯t want to jeopardize this either. I want to see if I can get out of here. No offence¡­¡± ¡°No, not at all, I agree.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Nathan gave a surprised glare. ¡°I want to join my family, Nathan. I¡¯m tired of living in fear. I just want to see my wife and daughter again¡­ if they¡¯re alive.¡± Nathan looked at the tablet and keyed in a code to activate the program again. Chn gave his friend another quick pat on the shoulder for the good work, and Nathan grinned with a dovish smile. ¡°Alright then, lets see who¡¯s out there¡­¡± A Place Full Of Dangers Instead of taking the usual mode of transit, Chan decided to walk back home, he felt the need to contemplate on everything that just happened. Nathan had opened a radio channel and essentially committed an act of treason. If the Lunar City communications station detected it, both he and Nathan would be instantly arrested and sentenced to death. It was a high price to pay for something so simple and futile. Luckily, Nathan did a good job of covering his tracks. Chan heard no police sirens, no armoured officers charging in to arrest them, and even as he walked home, there was no plain clothed agent following behind him. He¡¯d been use to that kind of paranoia all his life. Even when he was just a boy, officers would occasionally keep a close eye on him, especially if he or any of his friends misbehaved in any way. Living in a country ripe with communism, there were always tension and fear in everything they did or how they lived. Rules were strictly adhered to, independent thought or any type of action considered to be ¡®an act of revolution¡¯ would be stymied by the authorities. The pandemic years heightened the tension level another notch. Now that he was figure of such high publicity, it made it even worst. He felt trapped, like a fly in-between panes of glass, watching him squirm about as it kept him contained within. And once again, he could feel that level of uncertainty and fear rising at the back of his skull. ¡°Hey, you there¡­¡± Chan snapped out of his thoughts as he heard the voice calling out. A rough looking man with a group of others stood in his way.Chan soon realized he had walked into a forbidden sector. This was a dark place, where underlying crime and drug users were known to be lurking in the shadows. ¡°Yah, I talking to you¡­¡± The rough-looking man said with a smug grin. ¡°Where you think you going, ah?¡± ¡°I-I-I¡¯m sorry, I wasn¡¯t paying attention,¡± Chan stumbled to speak. ¡°Please, I just want to get home¡­¡± ¡°Oh!¡± The guy laughed. He looked at his crew and they joined in the lagging. ¡°You wanna go home? Eh? Well, where is that? You got some good stuff there? Maybe, got something that help us? Yah?¡± Chan started to back away slowly. This was a sinister looking bunch. He knew they¡¯d get violent if he didn¡¯t offer something to them. But the last thing he would do is show them his home. He held out his hand and pleaded that they let him pass. They were not so inclined to do so. Without realizing it, the group had surrounded him and started to take out make-shift weapons. Some had crowbars, others had hand-made shivs, and the leader of the group¡­ he took out a gun. ¡°Crossing here comes with a price, yah?¡± The leader glared. ¡°What you got? Cash? Credit? Maybe some good body parts we can sell, uh?¡± Chan glared at them all in terror. It was commonly known there was black market going on for human organs. Underground doctors were surgically removing infected parts that had the virus and replacing them with healthy tissue. A useless practice, seeing how the virus would continue to spread regardless. But, it was big money for harvesting, and those doctors weren¡¯t too picky on the details. Most weren¡¯t really ¡®doctors¡¯ as such, having only taken a crash course and using their skills to get rich. ¡°No, please,¡± Chan pleaded again. ¡°I have nothing¡­ just take my wallet. Whatever is in there you can have.¡± ¡°Show me¡­¡± Chan gave his leather wallet to the brute and nervously gulped. The criminal tore through it; spilling out his identi-card, his work pass, some small receipts and then the few slips of cash. ¡°This it?¡± He glared. With a disappointed click of his tongue, he threw the wallet back at Chan. ¡°Pitiful! You have more! I know you do. You look like money¡­ even smell like it. Ya? So¡­ where home at? Huh? You take us there.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Chan uttered. ¡°No?¡± The man repeated, his eyes wide with surprise to his defiance. ¡°You say no to me? Fucking guy, man! You think you say no to me? I own all this sector, all you see here is my place, you think you stroll through without giving me something¡­ you fucking rich asshole! What? You think you better than me? Huh? You think you better than this gun here?¡± He put the tip of the barrel to his forehead and applied pressure. The weapon was an old, military issue hand gun. Either it was stolen from military ranking officer, or the man used to be one at one time. Chan shook in fear. The determined gaze from this gun wielding thug showed his level of commitment. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ no¡­ I¡­¡± ¡°Yah, yah you do¡­¡± The man stated back. ¡°You think you better, right? Better than this bullet I gonna put in your brain? Ah? What you think? Ya?¡± ¡°Hey, Kai, come on¡­¡± One of his guys said, tapping his shoulder lightly. ¡°He just some stupid fool, ya know? We got his money.¡± ¡°You shut up!¡± Kai said, pushing him away with his free hand. ¡°I say when it¡¯s enough! I¡¯m fucking Kai Ji Zhao! The Lunar China City Tiger! I¡¯m the fucking law here! Ya? You got that?¡± The gang member defensively put up his hands and agreed that he was. The others nodded as Kai eyed them all. ¡°Fucking tiger of this city!¡± Kai shouted to them. ¡°If I want someone dead¡­¡± He turned his eyes back at Chan. ¡°Then¡­ they are dead, ya?¡± Chan closed his eyes tightly. He saw the man was readying to pull the trigger and grinned at him with evil intent. But just as he was about to shoot, sirens blared and vehicle pulled up with four policemen. Kai reacted instantly and started to runaway with his posse. Chan¡¯s life was spared. The gun didn¡¯t go off and he stood there shaking with his eyes still closed. He was too terrified to open them. ¡°You ok, citizen?¡± One officer asked as he stayed with Chan. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Chan opened his eyes slowly. He could see the group fleeing the other three officers giving chase. The man gave a sigh of relief and glanced over to the policeman looking at him with concern. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m fine¡­¡± ¡°Your lucky to be alive.¡± The policeman said. ¡°We just happened to be scanning the area with a drone when we saw you step into this zone. That was stupid, ya know? This is a high crime area.¡± This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°I know,¡¯ Chan nodded. ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking clearly¡­¡± ¡°Next time, take the transit,¡± The officer said folding his arms. ¡°That¡¯s what it¡¯s there for. This city is full of danger, can¡¯t let a rising star like you go to waste.¡± Chan froze for a second. He quickly glanced at the officer. ¡°What? What did you say?¡± ¡°Yeah, I know who you are. They probably did too.¡± He said motioning in their direction. ¡°Your face is practically everywhere. Even for a city like this, it¡¯s still a small community. Everyone knows everyone here, well, almost everybody.¡± ¡°I guess so¡­¡± Chan conceded. ¡°It¡¯s my duty to get you back home, citizen Yong. I must inform my superiors of this as well.¡± ¡°Must you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my duty, and of course, the law, yes?¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± Chan sighed. This meant another visit from Chairman Jin Xi Mao, who was already overly skeptical of his behavior, but now would be ten-fold as this incident would alert him. Chan wondered if he would be able to keep speaking to Nathan after this. A stupid mistake that cost him the chance for freedom. But like the officer said, everyone knows everyone in here. So how could he ever hope to leave? Lunar China City, now more than ever, felt like a prison to him. * * * Chan arrived home after his police escort; the place was a non-spacious apartment-type dwelling that barely had enough room for a kitchen. The only thing giving it some character (if any) was the few old photos of family hanging on the walls, along with some varied paintings of landmarks (China, New York and other world cities). Those images were from his phone. They were blown up and not the best of quality, the pixelation notable on many, but it was enough to give him something to look at. As expected, Chairman Mao left a message on his vid-phone. Mao briefly berated Chan for his stupidity, which then lead to informing him of changes that would be made to and from his work. Now he would be picked up by an officer and seen home personally. Yet another freedom taken away from him, it seemed. He wouldn¡¯t be able to meet Nathan before or after work now. Not unless it during work hours. He took out a bottle of bourbon, hidden in the depths of his kitchen top cabinet, and poured it into a relatively clean glass sitting adjacent on the counter. Defeated and tired, he sat down on his small, tan coloured love seat sofa, alcoholic drink in hand, and let out a long sigh. ¡°What a day this has been¡­¡± He thought. ¡°What a year¡­ what a life even¡­¡± Taking a swig of his drink, he slowly savoured the taste and eyed the glass afterwards. This type of drink was almost hard to find anymore. While many stores did carry a good variety of alcohol, the harder liquor brands and other ¡®westerner¡¯ versions of it no longer existed. Of all the things to bring with them, it seemed that keeping good supply of alcohol was almost paramount for survival. That made him chuckle in thought as he took yet another sip and relaxed in the sofa. Just before he could finish it completely, the holographic vid-phone projected in front of him with an unidentified name and number displayed. He wasn¡¯t sure if he should answer it, but, feeling like this day couldn¡¯t get any worst, he tapped on the screen. ¡°Yes? Who is it?¡± ¡°Hey¡­¡± Nathan said, as his face appeared on the screen. ¡°You okay? I heard you got picked up or something.¡± ¡°How did you¡­¡± Chan quickly sat up, looking surprised while placing his glass on the coffee table. ¡°Wait¡­ we shouldn¡¯t be talking about this on an open line, you do know they¡¯re monitoring all communications.¡± ¡°Not if you know how to run around them¡­ I¡¯ve got the skills, remember?¡± ¡°Oh, right¡­ I forgot who I was talking too.¡± Chan slumped back in his sofa and glared at him with disapproval. ¡°I guess you hacked into the police channel too, right? Figures someone like you would be constantly monitoring the monitors¡­¡± ¡°Well, you know me, I have to stay one step ahead. Especially being the only foreigner here¡­¡± Chan shook his head at the man¡¯s sheer arrogance. Nathan constantly pushed the line to where he might get caught someday. Hacking was definitely one of those, so-called ¡®skills¡¯, of his that would one day be discovered. Did he care? Probably not, maybe overly cautious to say the least, but, definitely not worried if he was found out. But Chan felt nervous about it. Especially if he was associated with one of Nathan¡¯s illegal activity. He¡¯d have to be careful himself. ¡°Why are you calling me?¡± Chan finally said, giving a slight yawn and rubbing his eyes. He was weary from the events of the day. ¡°You don¡¯t call unless you want something.¡± ¡°Or¡­¡± Nathan smiled. ¡°When I have something to give you.¡± Chan raised a brow and suddenly sat up in realization. ¡°You made contact?¡± ¡°Yeah, I made contact.¡± He nodded. ¡°It was a low transmission and the message wasn¡¯t too complete¡­ but, I managed to get in touch with the American outpost.¡± ¡°American? You mean the transport, right?¡± ¡°Uh, no¡­ I got redirected.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Look,¡± Nathan grimaced. ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to contact the same guys as before, but this one was much more¡­ uh¡­ direct, if you get my meaning.¡± ¡°Where? Nathan¡­ whom did you contact?¡± ¡°Look they¡¯re aware of my last transmission to the transport, and it¡¯s an American colony base, okay.¡± Chan rubbed his face in frustration. He couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. He swore at the Canadian friend and took yet another big gulp of his alcoholic beverage. ¡°Yeah, I know¡­¡± Nathan said, motioning his hands for him to calm. ¡°That¡¯s on the other side of the moon. Not sure if it was just a random communications satellite that dipped out of its elliptical zone or what.¡± He took a sip of water from his bottle near by. ¡°It makes sense it would be them. I mean, they would have a greater presence on this moon than any other former country. Anyway, they said they¡¯d be in contact with me in about four days and would send instructions on where I¡­ or we, I should say, can meet up with them.¡± ¡°Meet up?¡± Chan glowered. ¡°I don¡¯t understand, Nathan. All you were going to do was to send a message. Now they want us to meet them? So, how are we going to meet up? Are they near by us? Or are they already in Lunar China City?¡± ¡°Neither,¡± Nathan dismissively gestured. ¡°We have to get out of here and meet with them.¡± ¡°What? How?¡± Chan gasped. ¡°How are we suppose to get out without being seen? Where are we to meet up with them?¡± ¡°On the edge of the Sea of Crises, where the dark side and light split.¡± ¡°Nathan,¡± Chan frustratedly balked. ¡°That¡¯s like a good four hours away from here, that¡¯s only if you take a dune buggy at full power. Which we don¡¯t have, by the way. And even if we do manage to obtain one, somehow, the battery will not keep charged for that long. It¡¯s a very long stretch, understand?¡± Nathan glanced away for a second. There was a pulsating beep suddenly from his end and he looked concerned. ¡°Shit, looks like my time is up. I¡¯d better get off if I don¡¯t want their AI to start tracing this call. Look, we¡¯ll talk more later after work. Meet me in the Garden of Memories, say around five o¡¯clock?¡± ¡°Wait, I can¡¯t¡­ you know I¡¯m being¡­¡± ¡°See you then.¡± Nathan waved one last time and switched off his communication. Chan opened his mouth to say something more, but Nathan had gone before he could speak. Chan flopped back in his seat and swore out loud. This wasn¡¯t what he had in mind at all. Yes, he wanted to free of the tyranny keeping him in this place. But, he knew that was impossible. All he wanted was to find out if his wife and child had survived. A message telling him that they were safe, in orbit or living somewhere on the moon on one of the other smaller makeshift bases other countries had built. Looking over to the faded picture, the only one of his wife and daughter, hanging on the wall, he soberly bowed at it with shame. How he missed the two of them so much, he felt like a failure, as a husband and father, abandoning them both in another country. Are they still alive? Did they survive the pandemic that claimed the entire globe? All he had was the hope that they did. Perhaps if he did escape, join up with the American colony, he could properly begin his search for them. Chan didn¡¯t realize he¡¯d been crying in that moment. Once he did, he let it all out, the emotion took over and lied down. All that emotional turmoil and pain flowed out of him. He cried for a few hours until exhaustion put him to sleep. He hoped tomorrow would be a better day, but then, that¡¯s all he kept hoping for ever since he came here. As he drifted off, the memory of being with his wife and daughter in their old house in Beijing, made him smile. The one last good memory of a life wished he could get back at any cost. ¡°I will be with you again¡­¡± He slowly rambled in his slumber. ¡°I love you¡­ I love¡­ love¡­ you.¡± The Garden Of Memories Chan slept as well as he could. The moon¡¯s gravity wasn¡¯t like Earth¡¯s at all. Even with a sealed environment, making it appear ¡°Earth-like,¡± it just wasn¡¯t. He always felt like he was floating away, or like someone was tugging on his body in either direction, it was rather disruptive to his sleep. He missed being back on the planet, were he could step outside and breath in the morning air and view the sun in the sky. His dreams of it were few and precious, but always he dreamt of being in his bed, and getting a solid sleep. How he envied those days, and those nights.But, as always, he roused from his slumber and realized who was a fault for all of this¡ªit was him. Was it by choice though? Really? The government was kind of responsible in the blame as well. They pushed to have a biological weapon, something to use against their enemies, and keep countries like The United States on their toes. Communism, for all its immoveable politics and stance on unity, did have some good ideals in there, he felt. But, for the most part, he also knew it had too numerous bad points about it as well, with terrible consequences from being so stark and militant. He would never voice theses opinions openly, not if he wanted to go to prison for doing so, or worst¡­ he dared not think of it. When he looked at the time, he shot up to his feet. ¡°It¡¯s nearly five! I¡¯m Late!¡± Chan fiddled with his hair, rushed over to his kitchen sink, splashed some water on his face and drank some out of the running tap. He gave his clothes a sniff. They were still okay, of a sort. There was no time to change. He scrambled in the room, looking for deodorant or cologne, and only found an air freshener spray. He shrugged, sprayed it on himself, and headed out the door. The over powering smell of lemon wafted off of him, causing several passerby take note of it by giving a sour face. He was too frazzled to care about that. He quickly hustled from out of his unit to the street below. He had only ten minutes to get to The Garden Of Memories, where Nathan was waiting for him. If hung about there for too long, the authorities might start to get suspicious, they might question his being there alone, or even arrest him. Chan turned his light run into a full jog. Again, that conflict with the moon¡¯s unusual gravity. A jog would turn more into a sprint or long leaps. That would draw too much attention, especially from the police. They might ask, ¡°Why are you running? What¡¯s your hurry, old man?¡± But he didn¡¯t care at this point. His friend was waiting and he didn¡¯t want him to get into any trouble. Nathan, for all his irritating quirks and Canadian sense of humour, was still his only and loyal friend on this base. Chan dodged lots of people on the way, running down side streets and back alleys that were a tightly spaced. That shaved the time down, he figured maybe a few minutes, and panted heavily from the excursion of it. He¡¯s not a young man anymore, his heart was palpitating wildly, he wasn¡¯t the sort of man to do exercise on a regular basis. His doctor would be stressing this point to him if he could see him now. ¡°Shit! Five minutes¡­¡± He glanced at holographic clock on a storefront he ran past. ¡°Got to hurry.¡± A few more long sprints and he was nearing the corner to where the Garden was. As he saw it within view, he slowed his pace and tried to regain his lung capacity. The sweat clung to his face and beaded all over. He glanced about to see if there were any security cameras or guards in the vicinity. Thankfully not, he gave a deep sigh of relief. He slowed his jog to a casual walk, and entered the grand archway of the Gardens. The Garden Of Memories, was the only greenery in the entire Lunar base. It was a rounded section full of lush green grass, blossoming cherry trees, and plants of every variety. There where paths cutting through like many parks he had seen before on Earth. Wooden benches were randomly placed on the edge of those paved walkways running through, and saw his friend Nathan reading a book on it. Chan calmly joined him and collapsed upon sitting down. Nathan paused in his reading and gawked at the sweaty, heavily out of breath man beside him. ¡°Jesus¡­ what did you do? Run here?¡± ¡°As a matter¡­ a matter of¡ªof fact¡­ I did¡­¡± He huffed in and out. ¡°I overslept¡­ sorry.¡± ¡°Nah, do¡¯t be¡­¡± Nathan grinned, placing his book down. ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to have a heart attack, I don¡¯t really care to do CPR on you, we¡¯re not that close, ya know?¡± Chan gave a simple laugh. That surprised Nathan, normally Chan was as stern as rock, no laughter at all, well¡­ maybe not from his type of light-hearted sarcasms. He patted his friend¡¯s arm and waited for him to catch his breath. Once he was good, Nathan started to explain the reason for the meeting. ¡°Look, I know you¡¯re worried about the plan, but I¡¯m telling you, we can get out of here. There¡¯s an opening on the far side of Lunar China City, I¡¯ve got a friend who found it and has been kind of¡­ well, smuggling in some stuff for me.¡± This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Really?¡± Chan glared with surprise. ¡°How? Wouldn¡¯t they be detected if they got within a few feet of the place?¡± ¡°Normally, yes¡­¡± He conceded. ¡°But, there are sections of this vast construct where the imagers can¡¯t scan or monitor twenty-four-seven.¡± He inched closer to Chan, trying to keep their conversation low. ¡°Anyway, the guy can signal his people, get us on their light moon-rover, and take us to the American base just beyond China¡¯s border. They¡¯ve got lots of energy packs to keep the thing going, and¡­¡± He paused, taking a moment to look around to see if anyone was watching them or listening in. He continued on once he felt it was safe. ¡°They¡¯ve got weapons, just in case we do run into any trouble, say like¡­ boarder patrol.¡± ¡°This is far too complicated¡­¡± Chan gruffly bemoaned. ¡°We¡¯re going to get caught¡­ I¡¯ll be publicly executed as a traitor.¡± ¡°Not if we play our cards right, Chan.¡± ¡°I dunno, Nathan.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you want to see your family again, or don¡¯t you?¡± Nathan gave him a reassuring pat to the shoulder. Chan grimaced and stared out to the garden. The scenery was beautiful. It was like being home on Earth. The round and pristine tended park was calming, tranquil even, it made him think about the times he go on a picnic with his wife and daughter. Happier times that he did so yearn for again. He could almost picture it in his head; his wife laying out the blanket, placing the food for all of them to enjoy, and his daughter playing with him as they waited for the set up to be finished. ¡°The Garden Of Memories, indeed¡­¡± He stated. ¡°That¡¯s all we have left, no thanks to me¡­ and the military.¡± Nathan took note of his somber attitude and gazed out to the garden in kind. He nodded agreeingly and passively motioned to it with his hand. ¡°All of this wasn¡¯t your fault, you know. Yes, it was a tragic outcome of that union, but¡­ you didn¡¯t do this. Your family is still out there, somewhere, they¡¯ve got to be. I¡¯m not giving up hope for you Chan. You¡¯re a good man.¡± Chan scoffed at that remark. ¡°Right¡­ cause I did it for the good of all mankind, huh? No, I did it because I was a selfish and greedy bastard. A true countryman, a communist through and through¡­ bullshit. Truth is, I did it just to see if I could. I never thought about it ever being used in real life. Stupid, I was utterly stupid for trusting our government.¡± ¡°Not so loud¡­¡± Nathan hushed at him. ¡°We¡¯ve got to stay careful.¡± ¡°Right-right¡­¡± Chan nodded apologetically. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m just tired. So when is the next window of opportunity? When will those guys show up?¡± ¡°He¡¯s got a new shipment coming in two days¡­ kegs of American beer¡­¡± ¡°American beer?¡± Chan gawked. ¡°There¡¯s no beer in any of the bars¡­ other than our own brands.¡± Nathan glared at him sarcastically. ¡°Oh, you¡­ where do you think all of that comes from? They just re-label it all and pass it off as if it does come from those companies. Not that any of them still exist.¡± ¡°There¡¯s only one left¡­ I¡¯ve had some of theirs, it¡¯s passible.¡± ¡°The point is¡­¡± Nathan scowled at him. ¡°Those containers they¡¯re shipping them in are big enough for us to be put into. We could lie in there, and not be detected. They¡¯re chilled, so, our bodies wouldn¡¯t give off a heat signature. The metal would also hide our impact trackers.¡± Nathan pointed to the back side of his neck. ¡°They¡¯ll be muted. They won¡¯t have a clue as to where we¡¯re at.¡± ¡°Do you know how stupid that is?¡± Chan retorted with a raise brow. ¡°A chilled container? That¡¯s the vacuum of space out there, it¡¯s always cold. And what of the radiation? Hm? Four hours is a long time for exposure. Even in metal containers. You can¡¯t tell me they¡¯re that protected.¡± Nathan threw back his head in frustration and rolled his eyes. ¡°Oh, geez¡­ will you stop. Gawd!¡± Nathan stood up and grabbed his book tightly in hand. ¡°You¡¯re always looking for an excuse not to go. Are you, or are you not, wanting to get back to your family? Yes or no?¡± Chan let out a slow sigh. He looked at Nathan, then the garden before him, and then back at the Canadian scientist. He didn¡¯t say anything back, just a quick nod of agreement and leaned back against the bench arched backrest. Nathan seemed satisfied by that and gave a light tap of his book on Chan¡¯s right leg. ¡°Ill give you the details later in an encrypted email. I¡¯ll make it so that it erases once you¡¯ve closed it out. We¡¯re on our way out of here buddy, just keep tight, okay?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Chan answered back. But noticed Nathan still staring at him. ¡°Okay, yes, I got it.¡± ¡°Good¡­¡± Nathan nodded. He started to walk away and out of the Garden park. ¡°Wait, Nathan¡­¡± Chan quickly called to him. His friend turned around before taking another step. Chan got up and walked over to him. ¡°I don¡¯t understand how you seem to know all this. Where, how, why you have all these so-called special connections¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m good at what I do¡­¡± He shrugged. ¡°Plus, I¡¯ve been really wanting to get out of here anyway I can. I mean, let¡¯s face it, I¡¯m the only white dude in this place. A Canadian one, at that, right? China never seemed to care much for us Canucks. I¡±m pretty sure they¡¯re watching me all the time, but, I¡¯ve not been much of a threat to them¡­ so¡­ maybe their bored of me already?¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± Chan snickered. ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Nathan grinned. He came over and gave Chen a hug. ¡°DOn¡¯t worry so much. I¡¯ll get you out safely, and you can see your family again, okay?¡± ¡°Yes¡ªyes of course¡­¡± Nathan gave him one last friendly pat to the shoulder and headed out of the Garden. Chan watched on as he sat back down onto the bench. Nathan really was a true friend to him. A rarity in his life, yet, he still wasn¡¯t sure if he could trust him one hundred percent. Was that because of his suspicious nature, dealing with people stabbing him in the back all the time? Or was it something else, something he couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on?It didn¡¯t matter. For now, he would enjoy the park one last time, and reflect on those memories once more. ¡°Maybe I could take a quick nap here¡­ just a few minutes, before it all goes away.¡±