Human Nature (Book 4): Human Nature IV by Borthwick, Finlay (book recommendations website .TXT) 📗

This time, however, the door did not creak open; for the robed figure was already in the restroom, watching over her as she slept.

Her vision was blurry, but eventually she was able to fixate on her captor.

Then, the figure pulled down their hood, and removed their mask.

Naomi was too weak to properly decipher the facial features, but she could clearly tell that it was a man.

He cleared his throat. “To answer your first question,” he spoke with a Canadian accent as well, “Who am I? My name is Gale.” He addressed the question from days prior. “I’m a friend of Tanika’s and a crew member of the S.S. Aquarius…”

SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, USA

DAY ZERO: THE BEGINNING OF THE APOCALYPSE

“Is everything alright sir? You sound very… Oh… What? Seriously? As in…? Yes sir, I understand.” Gale put down his cell phone. He was sat in his car, suspiciously watching a single coffee shop. Through the window, he could see several customers and staff alike all collapsing and spitting blood out of their mouths. Upon seeing this, he began to breathe hysterically, thrown completely off balance by what his boss had just told him. Picking up his cell phone again, he dialled his top contact.

“Tanika, have you heard about this?” He questioned whilst gripping his chest.

“Uh… Heard what?”

“I just got a call from The Director! He wants us on board the Aquarius and away from mainland in fifteen minutes. What’s going on?” He began to sway, his breathing becoming more and more irregular.

“I…” Tanika stuttered over the phone. “Christ!”

“Tanika? Hello? Are you still there?”

“Yes! Yes, I’m here…” She sounded just as distressed as Gale felt, “Look, I don’t know what’s going on. I’ve been told what you’ve presumably been told; that a virus is breaking out, and it’s going to do considerable damage to the world.”

“Considerable?!” Gale squeaked, his knees trembling and his forehead sweating, “People are literally coughing up their own insides! Is this really what Zodiac has been about this whole time? Has this all also been planned?”

Tanika sighed. “No, Gale. Don’t be ridiculous… Oh shit!”

Gale could hear the car tyres screech, as though Tanika had slammed on the brakes.

“What is it? Are you alright?” He said rather breathily.

“It just happened… Right in front of me…”

“Calm down, Tanika. Just meet me on the Aquarius and we’ll be fine.” He focused his remaining energy onto calming down his friend, despite how alarmed he himself was. “I’ve tried calling the rest of the team, but nobody else answered--”

“—Because they’re dead.” She interrupted.

They argued about this notion, but this stress only worsened Gale’s condition.

“I…” He tried to speak, but then he vomited on his dashboard. “Tanika...” He mumbled inaudibly before collapsing hard against the car door.

“Gale! Please, Gale!” Tanika begged as the phone call continued. “Don’t do this to me! Gale!”

Vomit began to cover the phone as it slid across the dashboard. The substance disfigured the device, causing the call to end abruptly…

Some time later, Gale woke up again. His arm was dead from where his entire body had leant on it.

Before he was even fully conscious, he reached for his phone from the dash and spammed the buttons; but it was completely fried.

Needing something to pick himself up, he pried open the car door with a struggle, and staggered towards the coffee shop, faithful that he could still get a brew.

Stepping inside, he was greeted with blood and corpses scattered around the place.

“Fuck…” He mumbled and covered his nose, completely overpowered by the scene.

Feeling himself about to throw up a second time, he backed up outside and wretched. Then, he noticed a payphone across the road, and now staggered towards that target instead.

Using up his last quarters, he dialled Tanika’s number. It rang out for some time. “Come on!” He groaned.

Much to his surprise, the call was answered.

“Hello?” Tanika was both confused and happy to hear from another survivor.

“Tanika,” Gale began droopily, “Come and get me…”

She paused, “…Gale? Is that you?”

“Yes.” He answered bluntly.

“You’re alive? But how?”

“It takes more than a panic attack to kill me,” he joked unenthusiastically, still feeling extremely hot and overwhelmed.

“That’s amazing! It really is!” She affirmed. “But… It’s nearly been a whole day, Gale. You realise that, right?”

“W-what?” He asked in confusion. “But the sun is still rising!” He looked up at the celestial object, not caring about the damage to his eyes.

“No… It’s setting. Gale, I’m sorry, but I’m already way out into the ocean. I simply just can’t come back.” Tanika said empathetically.

“Damn Pacific.” He jeered.

“I should’ve gone for you the moment the call went dead… I’m sorry.” She blamed herself.

“Don’t sweat it.” He forgave her.

“What will you do?” She asked.

“Probably head back to our home… Back to Newfoundland.” He said deludedly. “I take it you’re gonna roll over for The Director.”

“Don’t say it like that.” She rebutted. “Look, what else am I going to do? There’s a plan, and even if it does indeed take years--” She ceased speaking after this slip-up.

“Years? Tanika?” Gale caught on and became concerned about the future. “What are you talking about? Do you mean… That I was right? That this whole thing is staged?” He became weak with that last word and began to stagger away from the payphone.

“Gale, please… Just listen.”

But it was too late. Falling backwards, he passed out again…

EIGHT YEARS LATER

“…And to be fair, I did make it back to Newfoundland in the end. Much to my surprise, Tanika headed there as well. Then, reunited, we both sailed for this place on the Aquarius… I mean, there’s a little bit more to it than that, but never you mind!” Gale finished explaining his story to Naomi, who was