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Chapter 4 - Prodrome

It was dark and damp, the only thing that could be seen was a lone bed, a long stand, and a monitor that had a constant *beep* sound to it, but, there was somebody else, somebody on the bed, breathing, attached to the intravenous fluids, it was a man, not an unfamiliar man. It was Robert.

"So doc, how is he", asked an old man in farmer's clothing, standing tilted with a worryful tone, "He seems to be in a good state for the moment, but, I'm afraid that won't last for long as he is suffering from liver cirrhosis." told the doctor to Louis, "And what might that be doc?" asked Louis in a hesitant and stuttered voice. "Through our investigations and the ultra sound, we saw inflamation in his liver, most probably being hepatitis, then the next day when we did it again, the liver had shrank to an concerning amount, it could be indicating that the hepatitis is curing but that's not the case as Mr. Robert had vomitied blood which means the hepatits has already developed to liver cirrhosis and if he doesn't get a liver transplant any time soon, I'm afraid to say he will die." "DIE! A TRANSPLANT!" shouted Louis, and the doctor calmed him down.

"I have some questions to ask to Robert when he wakes up, so he will be staying here until then." said the doctor to Louis who didn't seem to be paying any attention as he was in utter shock, after that the doctor dispersed and continued his work as Louis was standing there frozen, "Come and sit down, old man." approached a young woman to Louis, "Is that you, Kinsey?" the young woman answered yes and Louis continued to say, "Oh Kinsey, is it okay for you to leave your receptionist duties like that? Did you hear what they say, they said he was goin' to die, they said he needed a transplant, now who the hell in this ruined world that doesn't even know Rob is goin' to give him a transplant, I would do it but I'm old and our blood group doesn't even match." Louis also sheds a tear or two showing he truly cares for Robert's health. Kinsey asked, "Did they give a time, so we could probably find a transplant if it's enough." "YES, YES, they said he has two to three months. "GREAT then, why were you worrying, that's enough time innit, we'll definitely find a transplant as soon as we can!"

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Faint voices are percieved by Robert, "Go ahead...he seems.....Miss.....he's awake..." Robert opens his eyes to a familiar woman standing stoically over Robert, "We meet again, although, I hoped this wasn't the reason we had our encounter today, but, what else can we do. Robert Oppenheimer, we are going to ask you some questions regarding your health and the future of See Green City, now if you are kindly obliged, we are going to start." A puzzeled Robert asks, "Miss Audellia, what is happening am I in trouble!?" "No, your'e not in trouble. Hello, nice to meet you, I'm Doctor Palmer. Robert two days ago, you were seen in the womens bathroom collapsed under the sink, with blood on your mouth and on the sink, that's why you were brought here to us who ran tests on you from which we were able to discern that you have early stages of liver cirrhosis, a chronic disease that puts your life in danger." said the doctor to which Audellia continued with, "And that brings me to this, Robert you said you had forgotten everything before four days, and I won't say I don't believe you but this disease you have is definitely caused by something, and to find that cause we are going to ask you some questions about your past, well from what you remember atleast; the only way to treat this disease is a transplant and that job would be in our hands so if you don't speak up and tell the truth the transplant might not be possible."

"Transplant.....Disease!?"

"Dont panic Robert," says the Doctor while exchanging looks of suspicion with Audellia, "See Robert, had thought of two ways that the cirrhosis might have happened, one was either something terminal in your older past that led to this or, and bare with me here, you could have been injected by a de-sanitized syringe which was previously injected to someone with hepatitis and that transferred to you, and coincidentally..." then started Audellia, "We have seen this sort of case before, not exactly the same condition but it invloved syringes. And all the people we have witnessed who were victim to this treatment were once held as Guinea Pigs by the world renowned revolutionary organiztion: 'Radiant'." "Now Robert, out of everything you remember, was there anything that resembled the conditions we told you?" asked the doctor to which Robert replied:

"Yes.....four days ago, when I gained consciousness, I woke in a labortary of some sorts." Audellia and the Doctor listened carefully as Robert went on, "There were these guards who were chasing a family that was running from them, like they were trying to escape, then tragedy occured and the family lost their little daughter and were taken back, until then I started screaming but was probably silenced and took to somewhere else, next, when I woke up, I was strapped in a stretcher and there was a guy beside me, I can't remember his name, but he was telling me that this was the usual and you'll get used to it something like that, then came a nurse who was referring to me as a subject, and she had this weird sign or emblem on her uniform, couldn't discern what it was but it looked like it had a hawk on it and a crown...." "It was a falcon...." uttered Audellia "Yes a falcon, yes that's it." Audellia devloped a distressing look on her face and asked, "I knew it, they are on the move again, Robert was there anything that happened after that?" "Yes, they brought a injection containing an unknown green substance that they put directly into me, it was a abhorrent feeling that I would never want to feel again, but next thing I know I woke up in the middle of the road and that was where I met Louis then you all." Audellia clenched her teeth and covered her forehead with her hand, then breaked in an rage. "Damnit! How could this happen, we had closed their operations for such a long time, how could they have resumed." She turns back and kept cursing them, meanwhile the doctor assured Robert that he was going to be safe and he better find a suitable doner for his liver in 2-3 months or he will be in serious trouble, he also said he was going to show symptoms and probably shouldn't indulge in any heavy physical activity. Robert understood and was discharged later.

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While Robert was battling his illness, the rest of the world wasn't standing by, the people who called themselves 'Radiant' were on the move....

In a rather futuristic, enclosed and spacious settlement, thousands of workers roaming around were espied, with one strange looking human-sized tube right in the center of it that omitted an eerie aura. There approached a young tanned man wearing glasses and a headset microphone, in formal full suit clothing, with a cunning smile on his face, he says to a hefty man, with a long mustache and intimidating presence that, "Sir, it's ready" to which he comments with, "Finally, the ultimate weapon......"