A virus which changes the world Word count:1803

David arrives home from work, enters his home to his favourite jazz sound and tv news channel. He waves a hand, the music quietens and the lights turn on as he puts his work station down, removes jacket and shoes. Now to relax, he says to himself, turning towards the kitchen saying “usual coffee”, and at once there is the sound of a machine busy responding.

He turns his attention to the tv just as the news music comes on and the presenter welcomes him to this evenings edition of the day’s news. He is partly listening as he goes back to the kitchen for his coffee, picking up a large mug of freshly made black, and he walks towards the comfy leather lazy boy, to give his full attention to the presenter’s commentary.

The well-groomed presenter looks and behaves flawless which gives him a clue the channel maybe using their robotic presenter; but he has been caught before, so is not prepared to be certain, as news about a local protest is airing.

Taking a sip of coffee, a sign of satisfaction is made while at the same time his second guessing is verified with the musical intro as words ‘breaking news’ dance across the screen.

A switch of presenters is made, and David is being informed of a country wide outbreak of a deadly virus. The presenter is speaking;

'We inform our viewers, that the National Health Centre confirms that the virus detected at the capital hospital yesterday, is deadly and unknown. We will take you live now to Paul, our reporter stationed outside the hospital'.

'Paul, in this breaking news, what can you tell us our President is proposing'.

'Yes, good evening, the President is speaking now nationwide and is asking all citizens to remain indoors as each state organises a national lockdown.

The National Health Centre, is urgently coordinating national testing centres, asking our elderly to remain calm and to wait for local assistance'.

'Thank you Paul, we shall return to you in our later edition'.

David is upset, but not too surprised at this breaking news and the Presidents reaction, being aware that a possibility of a national lockdown would eventually be imposed. As a surgeon, in a private hospital he has been reading and listening to many reports in relation to the unusual upsurge of an unknown virus outbreak in other countries.

Now it is has been detected here, he muses to himself, I guess it will affect me immediately but it is more interesting how it will affect the young ones.

Not only has my generation experienced much change since our parent’s teenage years, there will be much more change for today’s young ones. Even now I could speculate some of the major ones; work life, public transport, schooling, and industrial advancement in internet dependence.

He recalls a recent recorded zoom presentation, sent to him by a friend. Speculation is ripe that vaccination labs are gearing up for the need to impose mass vaccinations will be a cover to manage mass implantation of micro chipping. David, though well versed with the ethos of the pharmaceutical industry, is a bit gobsmacked at the detail being spoken of. Going as far as to say it will be a way to entrap the young into a controlled monetary system which will surprise even the well informed.

'Dinner, well I better organise myself', he speaks aloud as though talking to his once partner while at the same time knowing she is no longer there. Must be a habit I have, better get that changed too, he tells himself as he scans the fridge for a likely meal choice. He settles on banana blossom with rice; selects cook and walks back to the lounge, as he waits for dinner.

The news has turned to sport, he shrugs his shoulders, announcing 'blues jazz' as though speaking to a dinner guest. Waving his hand the music ramps up and David touches the tv screen to check his speedagrams.

A voice is heard saying;

'Brother Jim won’t be visiting this winter due to illness in the family and to stay safe'. Next up,

'Tom (who sent the zoom presentation) is asking him to be careful because there is a probe into national health employees engaged in surgery; no doubt you’ll recall by recent blog'.

The voice drones on letting him know the monthly invoices have been noted and filed and then there is a click sound and the music returns.

In the meantime David has been notified that his dinner has been prepared; passing the wine cabinet he selects a wine glass and holds it under a sign reading ‘red’.

Dinner has been eaten, wine is partly drunk, and David retires to his reading hub to continue with the writing of his new novel; working title – a virus which changes the world. He is up to the concluding portion and wishes to intertwine tonight’s ‘breaking news’ and his own speculation as to what will change.

His ideas are being formed from various technical reports, reading of medical journals and general knowledge he acquires through his hospital connections.

His mobile chimes, a face appears, as he touches the screen to activate the connection. The face is female and is asking if he can hear;

“Yes”, he answers to which the caller continues to speak, as David closes his laptop, to be fully engaged.

The caller is Sue, from New Zealand, the manager of a world renowned lab.

‘Hi David, I will be quick; we have managed to grow the new virus compatible with animal ones. You’ll read about it in the next science quarterly’.

‘Well that could be good news for my new novel, but I’m not sure how the general public will react’.

Sue continues by saying,

‘It’s not your age or mine, but the younger ones who will experience the biggest change’.

David agrees, by telling Sue how he wishes to conclude his new novel; ‘the younger generation are going to see and live with changes which far out do what you and I have experienced in our life time’.

He continues, but is really writing the final chapter of his novel, aware of his thoughts and the connection he is making, he presses record.

‘You know the virus has been declared as here, so there will be much rushing here and there. But we will be implementing changes which will eventually become normal; there will be a reduction in inner city employment thus affecting retail, city public transport will be down sized and a reduction in airline commuting. And the most unexpected happening is going to be the re-population of small country towns, ones which in our great grandparents days, had more hotels and shops then you and I can ever recall. You know like on your West Coast when the gold and coal mining were the equivalent to our stock share market buying and selling’.

Sue grunts a polite acknowledgement, as David continues.

‘We humans are not the type of species to go backwards; we strive for change to lifestyle as though it is the answer to life’s riddle. History is full of uprisings; today’s social protesting is going to be mild to the dictatorial governmental style which will challenge our present; and then there is the advancement of banking and the devaluation of currency’.

Sue butts in with ‘Speaking of that, I read today that one of the outcomes, it is hoped, is to achieve an implantation of a tiny tracking bug along with the vaccine so movement of people is known and another thing is the idea of no plastic cards, money will be stored and exchanged, a sort of like bitcoin’ she stops,

David has listened but is too shocked to speak immediately due to how close Sue’s words are to what Tom’s zoom meeting was about. Conversation continues a bit longer, and concludes with pleasantries.

David, is too tired to return to his writing, so he saves the conversation under – novel idea – and heads for his bedroom. Taking off his clothing, he scans the wall screen and locks his house down as he passes to the en suite for a warm shower. Toweling himself, he is wondering just exactly what type of clothes, housing, and lifestyle the young ones today will have when they are his age. This type of thinking can be too puzzling, yet he needs to grasp an understanding so he can conclude his novel, and sleep well.

In the morning it is a breakfast on the run, as David collects his work station and various items lock and unlock as per a programmed house closing check list is actioned.

In his garage the door begins to open, the car charger is disconnected, and he gets in his car, presses start and drives out to face a new day at the hospital.

He selects the local radio station, music comes on for a few moments, then an abrupt stop as the announcer intervenes with an emergency announcement.

'Listener we are contracted to make this public announcement; If your commuting is not of an essential service nature please consider returning to where you departed from. Such action will help towards the curtailing of the virus the President addressed yesterday, Thank you'.

The music resumes and David’s thoughts are set on a new idea speculation as to what the hospital will be dealing with today.

His phone watch chimes and he is hearing the hospital chief surgeon, advising him to proceed to work and at 10am met with others in the staff lecture theatre.

Alighting from the elevator at the surgeons’ floor, he says 'hi' to the front staff, and goes to his office.

He spends his first hour reading hospital internal mail, then decides to call his publisher to let them know he is cracking on with the novel. He finishes his call with a promise to have the draft done and dusted by end of the month.

It is now near 10am, so he closes the computer to join others making their way to the staff lecture theatre. The chief surgeon along with hospital management are on the stage, silence is called as the chief executive stands to speak.

Coming forward to the podium he thanks all for attending and proceeds to explain how the virus, which has been affecting other countries and now is affecting our country, is predicted to cause causalities not seen before and challenge the way we live and work. Much more is said, but David finds he is wondering off to the epilogue of – a virus which changes the world; that is his novel, to the point in his mind’s eye he sees a bound copy being held up by a young David, at a future protest rally.