Recovery

(SPOILER: THE MAIN CHARACTERS ARE GONNA BE THE IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN HISTORY)

Prologue:

The year was 2063 A.D. The world had been faced by a devastating war leaving 1.2 billion dead and others homeless and in starvation. Pollution had wiped out billions of animal and plant species leaving a handful of animals and plants left. War had devastated the nations of Russia and China while the EU and America struggles to keep the public safe. The Middle East had all but ran out oil decades ago leaving most cars dead (which many still run on oil because of the Second Great Depression of 2016). Communications have been lacking lately but electricity and the Internet still runs. Cell phones and Skype allowed global communications to still run.

In America, the Second Dust Bowl had rotten the Great Plains for three decades leaving the economy to stagnate. In the EU, many nations fell into chaos as Islamic Immigrants leaving the dry deserts of Africa and the Middle East cause tensions as millions of Muslims relocate to Europe and America. Russia and China faced a nuclear war over the Siberian Pipeline and some other minor reasons that was mainly about the expanding Gobi Desert or the Maglev trains and whatnot. India is well off into desertification. Canada and Mexico nearly collapsed during the Great Depression and the Mexican Cartel Wars and is in the same recovery process as the United States. Brazil faced the worst forest fires in the history of ...well... forest fires. Latin America faced desertification, starvation, and pollution itself and is either immigrating to the US or Brazil (which add more Brazilian tentions). Africa is well off into desertificatin and chaos like India. The Middle East is abandoned though few stayed in abandoned metropolis and skyscrapers such as the Burj Kalifa.

Starvation soon came after the wars which left another 2 billion dead during the famine of the 50's. Disease from Central America and Africa spread like wildfire killing about a few million people left. The world population is left to five billion by the start of the 60's. Many are looking into prayer asking, "When will our burden end?" I asked that question all the time after I left church. I just never knew the answer to this. Hi, my name is Jackson Penoli. This is  my story about the apocalypse.

Chapter 1: Not the end YET!
Living in New York is harsh. Pollution had polluted this city so much, it begins to look more like Beijing during the first decade of the 21st century. The government was able to run electricity in this place 24/7 which was lucky for the millions of refugees living in this busy metropolis. I drove my electric car down the financial district. I know I'm supposed to be at my high school, but come on, who doesn't enjoy the view of the polluted green ocean. Besides, it's Friday and no tests are coming up so I'm free to go. The East and the West Coasts of the US were the lucky regions that weren't hit from the Dust Bowls. Some Dust Bowls even made it across Canada and into the Northwest Territory.

I drove past Battery Park when I tuned on the radio to FOX. I know they're not that reliable but it's good still. As I stopped to a stop sign I listened more closely.

"This just in, the Americans have found out that the Chinese had been making these damn disease, whatcha ma call it...X-Virus. Yeah, we have reported that the X-Virus will be delivered to Vladivostok by truck since ya know, planes no longer travel high because of oil prices. I bet these Canadians had been hogging the oil to them-"

I tuned out as I continued down State Street. Well, that's surprisingly new. Just then, my cell phone buzzed. I put my phone on speaker.

"Jackson Penoli get your a-- right here this instant! Ya been skippin' school again. I swear you can go to hell you-"

I closed my phone. Ughh. Not again. I drove home as soon as possible knowing the consequence I'm about to endure. She can be so stubborn sometimes. My mom could explode like a hydrogen bomb if she can. I just wish I could get out of this polluted sh place called New York. I just can't stand all this poor people, helpless, and homeless living in New York. Ughh! I hate the economy. I hate the wars. And worst of all, I HATE MY MOTHER!

Two Months Later and an unknown Child Beating in NY...

Xia Jonhou's POV:

What the hell am I doing? Today is Christmas and I'm spending my a-- here delivering some unknown whatnot package to Vladivostok. I've know idea what those government officials put in this vat, but I'm sure hella gonna die if I don't follow them orders. Heck, I'm gonna die if I cross the Russian-China border anyway. It's a lose-lose situation. Oh well, can't do anythin' about it. As the last package is loaded onto my truck the official said, "加油！这个包，并把它与一个大胡子男人. 他会知道用它做什么. 无论做什么...不要打开包装. (Go! Take this package and bring it to a man with a beard. He'll know what to do with it. And whatever you do... Don't open the package)."

He loaded the last package without a word. Geez, what's with the Chinese government these days. So secretive and destructive. It's about time for a change.

As I drove my a-- down an uncharted road because the government wants me to be secretive also so I don't get caught by those sniffy Russians. Ughh. What it would be like to live in America right now. My friend Jackson lives in New York, though complains how polluted and dirty it is; New York sure sounds a hella good place than a nuclear wasteland here. My people are starving, dying, and all sorts of suffering you could think of. Why can't I swim to America right now. I tuned in to my only secret radio set (expensive in China these days) and tuned in to American FOX. I was just bored and I wanted to see what's going on near my good friend Jack. I could understand English, Mandarin, and Russia so I've made friends with a lot of people and got this job as a delivery boy for the government.

"Hello there! It's Christmas. If you can't go anywhere this year because of this cr wars and pollution. Just stay with your friends and family and just have a good time. Also just zzz in zzz-"

"DIGITAL PIECE OF SH--! Come on..." I swore as I slammed my fist onto this cheap radio (cheap in the West of course).

"zzz- China had immediately declared war on Russia again! What the hell! We've just went through a nuclear winter here in North America and you Chinese want to do it again! GOD YOU CHINESE ARE SICK! Why can't you ram your guns up into Russia and deal with them the hard way instead of using nukes like its that easy. You do know that your also affecting us y-....SIGNAL BLOCKED *ERROR* SIGNAL BLOCKED *ERR-"

What the. I stopped the truck as I scramble my thoughts. First, I'm a little offended by this radio host. Second, war! China had immediately declared war? I paced my thoughts together. Why would the Chinese declare war again and why this fast. I looked back and wondered what the package had to do with the war thing. I opened my truck door. It's still night and in the middle of nowhere. Using my rechargable flashlight, I walked to the back of the truck. The Chinese government is gonna kill me for this but what the hell. They made a stupid move so why can't I? I grabbed the lid of the package and opened it slowly. What I saw was strangely weird? It was just a tube with a swirly thing inside of it. And its a hole crate of them. I've no idea what these are, but they sure look dangerous. Just then, my cell phone rang. I just got this last month on my 19th birthday.

"Hey, Xia. Did you heard? Your people are going to war again," Jackson said.

"Yeah, I've heard."

"I bet it has something to do with the X-virus thing that the Chinese will deliver to Vladivostok."

"Wait. What?!"

"Oh, you haven't heard. Of course, your government censored lots of things. Anyway, they were going to send a disease-virus thing to Vladivostok, some Russian city in Manchuria-" I dropped the phone. So, does that mean, I'm delivering the virus to Vladivostok? What the hell am I doing! I'm gonna kill innocent lives! I've gotta stop this.

"You still there?"

"Yeah, call you back Jack." I shut my phone. I can't tell Jack this. It'll bring public attention and would certainly trace back to me. I've gotta do something. So the rumors had been true. The Chinese are making a homocidal virus cable of wiping out the human population. I can't continue this mission. I gotta find a way out of this. The government is not expecting me to be there within two days so I got time. I gotta find someone. I gotta find Domonic Voskyvik, he'll know what to do...

One hour later

Jackson's POV:

That was weird. Xia was definitely hiding something. Oh well. I'm here spending my Christmas in a McDonald's place with my mom. My life sucks, I know. As my mom orders something for us, I quickly grabbed my phone. 8:12 PM. Damn, time goes so fast when your wondering what's going with life. I looked at my phone again. A message from Xia.

-I know what's gonna happen! Can't tell you much because of the government but just here me this. The X-Virus isn't some disease scare that will kill millions. It will kill billions. BILLIONS! Love Xia.

Well, that was awkward. I know I'm gonna regret asking, but what was that all about? I texted him back...

-Dude. Talk to me later about the virus. It's Christmas!

Just then, the news from the television sprawled up.

"Thank you Renold. And here's breaking news. A live report of the second bombing of Moscow is shown. As you can see, the bomb had been delivered by truck so it was unexpected. These bombs emitted large amounts of nuclear toxic spreading across the Moscow districht. In this diagram, these areas right here show the direction of air flow and how the air belts affect which regions will be affected. Right now, much of the bunkers are closed around the regions west of the Urals in case of radiation exposure. The Russian government had been evacuated as soon as possible. And now for the weather-"

Oh my gosh. Another World War has yet to begin. Seeing this report makes me wonder about what Xia had said. About that virus. It kills me to know that the virus had a threat to humanity's existence but why did he suddenly hung up on me. I'll call Domonic if he heard anything about him.

One Day Later

The Global Panic begins. Somehow, Xia Jonhou crashed the virus onto the Pacific Ocean spreading the virus from China, Japan, Korea, Australia, India, Indonesia, Russia, and eventually the West Coast of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Latin America. Everyone panic. The X-virus, short for Xing Virus, attacks the brain cells of the living and produce more of the virus until much of the higher brain functions are dead leaving the cerebellum to control behavior. The living subject will act more animalistic within an hour or more; leaving the subject the only survival skill left, the need to feed spreading the virus to other victims. As the virus spread through the Pacific Ocean. Reports of the living becoming the risen dead caused massive panic. The Pacific Islands and Hawaii is quickly infected within a day. Much of Asia is in a frenzy while the West begins evacuations.

Xia's POV:

The last thing I remembered was some men in black taking the package and dumping them into the ocean. I was being dragged into their van with them. They were saying something in Russian which I could barely make out since I was half concious. I knew I was in big trouble.

"Спешите. Мы должны следить за больше тех китайском языке. Оставайтесь на этот ребенок привязан. Доминик будет знать, что с ними делать. (Hurry. We need to watch out for anymore of those Chinese. Get this kid strapped. Domonic will know what to do with them)," some guy in the driver's seat said. They set me down on the van's rear end next to a suit case and a black package.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked in plain English, if they understand.

"To Domonic, our special friend of ours."

Chapter 2: Awakening...
Five Years Later

Jackson's POV:

It's been five years since the X-Virus was realeased into the ocean. The Atlantic ocean was surprisingly safe but it somehow gotten to the EU and Brazil through the black market and whatnot. The United States was able to hold the infected back by setting up a barricade protecting its citizens east f the Rocky Mountains. Two-thirds of the nation was safe. Canada and Mexico wasn't so lucky and required America's assistance. China and Russia is shattered and its government broken down as the population dwindles. Within the Second Year, the infected reached Africa. Much of the Middle East was already abandoned so the virus spreads across the Indian Ocean and made it through the Mozmbique's shoreline. India begins to evacuate towards the nation of Tibet, now gaining population as refugees flee to the mountanous regions. Berlin and Paris falls leaving London as the new EU headquarters. Much of the Caribbean is open for refugees while Latin America faced massive loss. Those are the news I've been hearing for the pass five years. I'm now unconscious. I've been laying in the sand of Malibu Beach in the ruins of Los Angeles. I'm a US soldier. At least, that's what I could remember. I also remembered someone jabbing me in the head. I felt pain surged through my body and I felt motionless and sleepy in Malibu Beach.

I felt a light surged through my eyes. A flashlight. As I open my eyes, I saw Xia standing right in front of me holding a flashlight facing my eyes. I squinted.

"Huh? Where am I?" I asked.

"You're in some abandoned gas station in downtown Los Angeles. And if you're asking how I got here, Domonic will explain everything."

"Domonic?"

"Yeah, he's right here," Just then, Domomnic showed up behind the curtains. To my surroundings, where in a tent in a gasoline station.

"Hey Jack, nice meeting you in person. Anyway, I've come up a way to find a cure for the virus. We need your help to get pass the US Center of Disease Control since your a US soldier. Xia here is a Chinese rebel wanting a democratic change."

"Wow," I said.

"Xia had been a rebel for two years before the population dwindle so much that the nation was disbanded. Right now, he's helping the remnants of his people to the American Safe Zone. I'm leading my Russian people to the American Safe Zone and the British Safe Zone."

"How did you find me?"

"We came through Los Angeles by boat and boom, we found you," Xia exclaimed.

"We need your help," Domonic asked, "The US is forming the new UN with the EU and the remaining nations. We will be representing as Russia and China. We need to get to New York somehow. Are you with us?'

"Sure, I guess," I said, doubtfully. Then, from behind, an infected crept behind Xia.

"Watch out!" I yelled as I pushed Xia and a grabbed his knife from his pocket; jabbing his eye. The infected still lives so I jabbed him on his forehead, he soon died.