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The speedboat rounded a bend in the tunnel, roaring into view on a V-shaped feather of spray. Number 10 stood ready, mask in place, gun in hand. Number Three, black-clad, wind-swept, expertly piloted the Sea Hawk 285 toward the dock, using bursts of throttle to maneuver. They were about 20 feet beneath the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris; slanting shafts of sunlight cast yellow circles on the choppy waves. Number 10 had to wonder how much bat guano and other noxious material he'd inhaled since arriving here five minutes ago, barely ahead of Number Three and their special guest.
They secured the nose of the craft to a piling. Number Three exuded his usual cool. His handsome face was partially obscured by a plain gray mask, its black loops hooked around his small pink ears. His eyes twinkled in lieu of that killer smile.
?We made it,? pronounced Number Three, his voice small and tight in the confines of the watery trench. Somehow, despite the gloom of their surroundings, his skin shone radiantly. If this were a movie, Number 10 decided his boss would be played by the biggest star in the world, none other than ?
?Hey, guys,? called out Number Seven. She was a stunning, statuesque blonde, who looked as impressive in a skin-tight black ninja suit as she did in business attire. Number 10 glanced over his shoulder, squinting to pinpoint her voice. ?Got some news for you,? she called, urgently waving her mobile phone.
?Not now,? said Number Three, turning to the boat. Flat on the aluminum deck, clad in prisoner orange, with a heavy canvas sack on his head, was the most dangerous terrorist in the world, Paul Hewson. Hewson had been en route to prison when his police convoy was interrupted by Number Three and the rest of the MI6 crew. Using smoke and lots of rubber bullets, they had managed to wrest Hewson away from the police and down here into the catacombs. Now Hewson stirred, his arms and legs bound.
?It's kinda important,? sang out Number Seven.
They stood over their prey, victorious. Number Seven sauntered over, still wagging her mobile.
?Alright," panted Number Three, resting his hands on his hips. ?What is it??
?Oh, my God!? he cried. ?What are you doing? There's a pandemic!?
Number 10 chuckled. ?I don't believe it.?
?Check your phone,? challenged Number Seven. ?It's all over the place.?
She took a step toward them and both men flinched. ?Social distancing!? cried Number Three.
?For God's sake,? replied Number Seven. ?Have we even paid attention to social distancing for the past month? We've all been in close contact with each other. Besides, we've gotten our shots. It's fine.?
Number Three squinted, as if the air had filled with smoke. ?I don't understand,? he said through his mask, ?who lifted the orders??
?The blokes I just rattled off. Isn't that official enough??
?What gives them the right to do that??
?I imagine they're acting on the advice of the health authorities.?
Number 10 piped up, phone in hand. ?It's breaking now. The UK and EU have agreed to lift the emergency, with the US soon to follow. No more masks!?
He stared at Number Three, who had yet to move.
?I don't like it,? declared Number Three.
?What's not to like, mate??
?What if the virus is still out there? We can't take that chance.?
Number Seven frowned. ?Did you catch a blow to the head? You feeling alright??
?What if it's misinformation??
?Erm, what??
Number Three clenched his fists. ?We're down here,? he said, indicating the sweaty brick walls. ?Hewson has friends up there. We know they control certain media outlets and communication satellites. What if they're trying to expose us to the virus??
?But we got our jabs!?
?I've only had the first dose,? said Number Three, his voice brittle. ?What about you??
His friends traded sheepish looks. ?Well,? said Seven, ?if I'm being completely honest ? I've not had the second dose. Not yet.?
Number 10 nodded. ?Same.?
?Oh, Christ,? said Number Three. ?Then we're not all 100-percent protected!?
?Eighty percent is better than none,? snapped 10, realizing Three didn't take well to snapping. ?What I mean is, we should be fine.?
?Easy, mate,? said Number Seven, ?what Ten's trying to say ??
?Alright,? interjected Number 10, ?now you're sounding paranoid.?
?We can do that, mate,? said Number Ten, ?only minus the face coverings and social distancing!?
?THE MEDIA IS UNDER HEWSON'S CONTROL,? roared Three. ?NOW SOAP UP!?
He prodded Hewson. ?How about it, Paul??
?It's true,? said Hewson. ?Twitter shut me down.?
?What about all this other talk??
?No idea. It isn't me. Must be the real thing.?
?Shut up,? snapped Three. ?This guy killed 40 people in a car bombing.?
Three stomped on Hewson as if he were squashing a bug. ?Point taken,? Hewson wheezed.
?Listen,? Three said to his subordinates, ?we're gonna continue following protocol. We're gonna wash our hands, wear our face coverings, and social distance, as we have done all year. We can't assume life has gone back to normal. Let's complete our mission and go from there.?
Ten abruptly chucked his mask. ?No,? he said firmly. ?You can be stubborn, but we've got to put this behind us sometime. This is it.?
Three blinked stupidly. ?That's ? that's your lifeline! I only have one backup mask and it's for me!?
Ten shrugged. ?Let's haul Hewson to the surface and catch our plane,? he said, reaching for their hog-tied prisoner.
?No,? cried Three, shoving 10 aside. ?I can't let you do it!?
He seized Hewson around the waist and pitched him into the bow. In a flash, he had the boat unmoored.
Seven stepped toward him, eyes wide. ?What are you doing??
?I can't risk it!? exclaimed Three, leaping behind the controls. He threw the lever into forward gear. White foam churned beneath the outboard. ?I'm taking him to a secure site!?
?No, Three!? yelled 10 as the boat roared away from the dock. Seven held him back, preventing him from leaping in after it.
?Let them go,? she said, gripping her friend's shoulders. Number Three executed a perfect U-turn in the midst of the tunnel, slinging water on his companions. She caught a glimpse of Hewson, sliding around on the deck like a fish. Then the boat accelerated and was gone.
?What an idiot,? she said, puffing hair out of her face. ?What a goddamned idiot.?
The lockdown had started over fifteen years ago and it showed no signs of abating. Well, that is how it seemed for Luna who had been forced to hide in an underground bunker with her family and best friend. Luna had been in Canada when disaster struck. Canada, the land of the hopeful, the last safe haven. Her father, a virologist, had known about the virus all along, but our of fear for keeping his family safe, he had chosen not to tell anyone. Until it was too late.
The year 2135 AD had proven uneventful. As uneventful as it could be considering that the earth had become overpopulated, famine had spread across the globe, the ozone was almost depleted, and the icebergs had all but melted. With the melted icebergs came the viruses along with viral strains that had never been seen before and no cures were ready to combat them. By the time scientists had noticed what was happening, it was too late. Exactly like what had happened in 2020 with COVID-19.
Canada was one of the last countries to be deeply affected by the virus. When the virus was given a name, V-KA (virus kill all), over five million people had died of it, and that was just the beginning. Airports shut down, cities too, until countries closed off their borders and no one was allowed to roam the streets. Martial law was declared in every country and countless more people died. The thing that terrified people was not the fact that millions died, rather it was the fact that the survivors of V-KA were changed; physically as well as mentally. Government officials tried to hide it, but once social media got hold of evidence, it was also too late for the governments. Coup d'états occurred everywhere until total anarchy reigned everywhere.
That was the end of Luna's life as she knew it, as well as the end of her parent's life. On hearing the news about the nuclear weapons, her parents had left the bunker in the hopes of saving at least a few innocent souls. They hadn't come back. At ten years old, Luna and Evan were thrown into a situation that was out of their control and with it came the responsibility of taking care of each other. They had done so. Over fifteen years they had grown very close to each, in more ways than one, and they knew everything about the other.
With the nuclear weapons striking the planet, the news broadcasting systems had been completely destroyed, and only radios remained as the source to get news. The bunker proved to be very large upon searching through it. It contained three levels. The first level, the lowest, was where all of the machinery needed for the bunker to be livable where located. These included oxygen vents, clean water, and a waste disposal system. The second level had a garden where food could be grown, the living quarters, washing areas, and a living/study room. The uppermost floor, which was the smallest of them only contained a small room with a door that led to the outside world. Rules were quickly made between Evan and Luna, but the most important was to never open the door, unless it was an emergency. That rule had been followed for fear of seeing what the earth had become.
Fifteen years had passed since the two friends had been locked. Now at twenty-five years old, they were rethinking their future based on the resources they had available to them.
?Evan!? Yelled Luna. ?Come here. I think there's a problem with the garden.?
Running from his room to the gardening area, Evan was greeted with Luna looking in horror at the dead leaves of the garden and the rotten vegetables.
?What happened, Luna??
?I don't know. I just came in to do my daily visit and I found this. Do you think there's a problem with the oxygen vents??
?Stay here. I'll go check,? said Evan, before leaving in a hurry and jumping down one floor. Upon reaching the oxygen vents, Evan found that nothing was out of the ordinary, except that the machinery was getting old and no replacements could be found for the old parts.
Luna and Evan made quick work of what was required of them and they were soon done with the task.
?How much time do you think we have bought ourselves?? Luna asked, sitting in the living room.
?Not much, I daresay,? responded Evan. ?You know that we don't have much longer. Probably a couple weeks at best.?
?I know we don't have much longer. I know. I'm just afraid of what we will find out there. The last reports we received from the radio talked about mutated creatures and humans roaming the land. And what if the air is still poisonous after the nuclear weapons?? By the time Luna had finished speaking, she was hyperventilating and Evan was holding her against him.
?Don't worry, love. These are just things that we will have to take care of when the time comes. Don't worry. We will face it together.?
?I promise.?
Luna shortly fell asleep against Evan. Bringing her to their bed, Evan covered Luna's small body with a blanket, and left the room to get ready for what lay ahead of them. He had not lied to Luna; the oxygen vents were old and there wasn't much they could do about them. However, he hadn't told her that air from the outside had found a way inside the bunker. At the rate that the air was coming inside the bunker, keeping in mind that it was probably poisonous, it would only be a few days before Luna and Evan would asphyxiate.
Heading to the storage room, Evan grabbed two hiking bags, opened them, and started filling them up with materials that they would need for their impossible journey if they made it out alive. Ropes, weapons, water, and dried food were quickly put into the bags, as well as some fresh food that could be eaten in the upcoming days. Fumbling with the straps of the bags, he hadn't noticed Luna creeping up behind him. Only her voice startled him out of his thoughts.
?What are you doing?? She whispered to him.
?Um? well, I was going to tell you, but um? we have to leave.?
?What do you mean we have to leave? Didn't you say it was safe for us to stay in the bunker for a little while longer. What changed? Have you decided to leave without me??
Dumfounded, Evan could only tell the truth, ?No, I am not leaving without you. I did not want to tell you yet because I didn't want to worry you for any longer than necessary.?
Stepping forward, Luna said in a quiet voice, ?You don't get to decide what is good for me. We do this together, not separately. Why do we have to leave though??
?Earlier when I went to check to oxygen vents, I found out that air from outside was leaking in. I thought that I would start getting things ready for us.?
Evan took a deep breath, and answered, ?Tomorrow morning would be best.'
?Then come to bed with me. We'll figure it out tomorrow.?
Luna led Evan back to their room where they both slept a restless night imagining all of the worst scenarios that could occur the next day. So many things could go wrong, and the worst that could happen would be both of them dying to the environment.
The next morning was as stressful as both of them thought it would be. The breakfast they ate tasted like ashes and felt like rubber in their mouths. In what seemed like no time at all, both of them were ready with their bags and some oxygen masks that Luna had found while rummaging through the storage room.
?They might not work, but it's better to try, isn't??
With the masks in place, Evan and Luna walked up to the uppermost floor, stood in front of the door and waited.
?Are you sure you want to do this?? Evan asked.
?What other choice do we have? We would have had to leave the bunker soon anyway. It's better to do it on our own terms.?
?You're right. We don't really have another choice. Let's do this, shall we??
?I love you,? Luna murmured.
?I love you, too,? Evan responded, while gripping her hand.
Pushing against the opening button, oxygen slowly left the room as the door opened, revealing the outside world. What awaited left them breathless; the land surrounding them was completely blasted and grey mist covered the murky ground. It was only after standing outside for a few minutes that Luna noticed what was happening, removed her oxygen mark, and breathed in fresh air for the first time in fifteen years.
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