Chapter 4

The compound was huge its entirety spanned over a total of 3 acres, 3.5 if you include the lake. The entire compound was almost completely self sufficient, other than the meat and materials provided by the outside world, meaning that during an apocalypse they could survive with minimal losses. Unfortunately in the coming apocalypse there losses would be bountiful if they didn't find a way to inoculate the people under their command.

Cameron looked up to see his parents smiling again and felt a tinge of sadness in his heart, in order to inoculate them they would have to be infected with the Covid-19 virus. His parents were getting old and Shaz had a bad immune system as a result of the surgery to remove her tumours, the result of them being infected had unknown outcomes, so the only way to save them could result in killing them.

"Shaz, Dad I want you and the girls to come over for dinner later at about half 9, is that okay?" Cameron asked suddenly, interrupting the conversation that they were having with Cole.

"Me and Cole have something we need to do right now otherwise we would invite you in for tea and a nice chat."Cameron tried to explain.

" Okay that's fine love, we'll come over later then after we get settled in." Shaz replied.

" Alright goodbye then. " Cameron and Cole waved them off, as they turned the corner towards their apartment Cameron shut the door and turned to Cole.

"We need to find a way to get a sample of Covid-19 and disperse it across the residential buildings, but I have no idea how to do it."Cameron said.

" Well that's easy, just leave it to me."Coke replied with confidence. Cameron had long since learned to trust in Cole's plans so he didn't question him and just turned towards the kitchen to start making dinner.

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The family sat around the large dining table and were currently gorging themselves with a wonderful dish that Robert had taught to Cameron back in England, good old Spag Bol.

Spaghetti bolognese was one of the only things Robert knew how to cook so he taught it to Cameron, Cole and Lexie who all showed an interest in cooking, it made him proud to see what good people his children had become.

As the family sat enjoying the food Cameron was waiting for a lull in the conversation so he could interject and tell them all the bad news. Cameron and Cole had debated the matter again whilst cooking and decided they needed to know about the coming events, even if they didn't believe it.

The conversation fell silent for a moment so Cameron took that opening to speak his mind.

"We have something important we need to tell you."Cameron stated as he stood from his chair, they all stayed silent and looked at him expectantly. Cole rose beside him and took over the conversation,

" What we are going to tell you is going to sound stupid, but we need you to know that we are not making this up and the events we describe will happen and there is nothing we can do to stop it."Cole said sternly, he then looked towards Cameron expectantly so Cameron carried on.

" There is no good way to say this so I'm just gonna say it... The end of the world as we know it is at hand" Cameron said with a serious tone as to not provoke laughter from the rest at the table. The people at the table looked at Cameron, then Cole, then back at Cameron again not quite knowing what to say. Had they gone mad? Or maybe they were just pulling some kind of tasteless practical joke, but it didn't look like it. From the serious looks displayed on their faces they were telling the truth about everything.

Lexie was the first one to speak up,

"Please tell me you are lying, or off your nutter or both."she said looking towards them in desperation.

" Sadly we're not"Cole replied to her "We have already lived and and died through the apocalypse once, that's why we brought you to the compound so you'll be safe." She stared at him in disbelief not wanting to believe the words coming from his mouth, but all the while knowing they were true.

" What happens?" Robert asked in a solemn tone hoping they had enough to survive.

" A meteor hurtles towards Earth then gets blasted out of the sky causing the plauge inside to seep across the world, turning everyone into different beings like that of a nightmare." Cameron answered while remembering the first few days of trying to survive locked in their apartment while the screams of the innocent getting slaughtered filled their ears.

" But there is hope."Cole said while looking at the depressed look on Cameron's face."If you have been infected by the Covid-19 virus then you won't turn into one of the beasts, you will become an evolved human instead." With that the atmosphere around the table became less depressing and more hopeful. If all they had to do was be infected with something else in order to survive the coming plague then that should be easy. Cole then started to explain his plan of infecting the entire compound and blaming it on the CDC set up outside, it was quite a brilliant plan. First he would obtain a sample of infected blood but he would not tell us how, then he would infect the water system with the virus, chain the doors of the building shut at night, trip the fire alarm and have everyone get soaked by the infected water from the sprinkler system in the residential buildings. After he was done explaining his plan he looked at Cameron with expectant eyes, now came the hard part.

"Anyone who does not have the virus will die when the meteor hits, but people with more fragile immune systems may not survive the inoculation."Cameron stated blankly whilst looking at his parents with apologetic eyes. He didn't know how they would react but he didn't expect what came next, his dad got up from his seat walked towards him and gave the two of them a hug.

" You do this no matter what okay, if me and Sharon don't make it you boys have to promise me you'll look after everyone okay? Don't you dare leave any one of your siblings alone in this new world of destruction and mayhem, you got that?" He whispered in their ears quietly before letting go and heading back to his seat. The two brothers looked towards each other then answered there father together,

" You can count on us"Cameron said,

"Yeah Dad don't worry we got this" Cole added with a tear welling up in his eye. No one would die whilst they were there to protect them.