From: joshua@dmccorp.com (Joshua Lellis)
Subject: Epidemic: On/to (damn)nation
Date: 9 Dec 1995 15:37:27 GMT

comments and critiques welcome.
joshua@client.dmccorp.com

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Epidemic:
On/to (damn)nation
by Joshua Lellis
Copyright 1995 Joshua Lellis

"If irresponsibility's a crime,
I got five life terms without parole."
			- Foetus

   And wouldn't you know it, this town was empty, too. I'd heard about 
this one, though. This one was involved in the Mexican War, way back in 
the 1840s. El Paso... the last recorded population was sitting up on the 
sign as 250. Pity, really, that all those people would die without being 
able to change the sign quickly enough. "Christ, guys" I think to myself 
as I pedal past the sign, "you could have at least dropped the two and 
the five off and let it be known to all. 
   But I guess they didn't. In fact, every city I'd passed through since 
New Orleans (which was quite a route: New Orleans to Baton Rouge to 
Beaumont to Houston to College Station/Bryan to San Antonio to 
Dallas/Fort Worth to Laredo to Austin to Brownsville and up along the Rio 
Grande to El Paso) had been empty or near empty. I'd heard that New York 
had dropped to about two million. It started at Berkeley, though. 
   Yep, that's where it began. Berkeley had been studying the virus (HIV, 
that is) and had been, to put it very simply, "flipping the on/off 
switches of the genetic code of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS" (Time, 
1997). Well, that's true. They had been flipping the on/off switches. 
Trouble is, they found a switch that they didn't know what it did. They 
found out, though, but it was too late.
   Labs aren't easily contaminated, and especially, when you're working 
with AIDS. But, to my knowledge, AIDS is only a level three biohazard, 
and isn't used in the level four area with all those space suits and 
shit. Anyhow, to make a long story short:
   They had been working with the virus in the level three when they were 
flipping on/off genetic switches. Much to their surprise, they flipped 
one and the virus, appearing under a high-powered microscope, had 
mutated. 
   Now, the person handling the virus that had mutated wasn't really 
ready for handling a lethal virus and was spooked very easily. Sure 
enough, she heard something (as to whether or not it was actually heard 
out loud or was just a figment of her imagination is anyone's guess). It 
spooked her real bad, and she wasn't looking at what she was doing. And 
sure enough, crash. 
   I really know you're really wondering what switch they had flipped, 
aren't you? Actually, it's a series of flips. They'd made it 
communicable. Stupidest thing they could ever have done in a level three 
biohazard, but who knew that communicability would be a genetic trait? 
Apparently not them (but I've, personally, heard rumours about how they 
wanted this to get out). 
   And so the question was, how communicable? You know, some things you 
wipe against a wall and if they get wet within eighteen months they can 
still infect you. Crystallization, right?
   Welp, very communicable. 
   Turns out, the same woman that dropped it takes a bus home, and she 
happened to stop by a water fountain near the bus station, cough on her 
hand, then pressed her thumb down to get a drink. Most anyone that came 
by in the next three days was subject to receiving over a million 
particles of HIV. 
   And if that wasn't enough:
   The bus seat that she sat on.
   Any drool that came out of her mouth.
   Any sneezes.
   Any coughs.
   Anything she touched.
   And this wasn't more than a twenty minute bus ride. It was a pretty 
full bus, too, and wouldn't you know it, half the people on the bus were 
getting ready to go to the Airport to leave town. And where to? 
   You know how much some people hate flights that have to stop in some 
places before continuing to others?
   And you know how thirsty some people can get. Remember when mom told 
you not to shove money into your mouth? How very true it gets when you 
realize HIV could be on that. But, then again, you *have* to touch the 
money to move it, so it wouldn't matter anyways. People would touch the 
money and then they'd wipe their nose or mouth. It could get in any which 
way you know about.
   And sometimes people don't wash their hands before they eat. But, of 
course, there's still that person handing you your food and handling your 
money. 
   But I didn't make sure who was handling my bicycle before I bought it 
(I was going to go the safe route, use a bike so that I wouldn't have to 
touch the fuel pumps that other people most likely used) but wouldn't you 
know it? 
   I guess this is a good a place as any to die. 



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             joshua@client.dmccorp.com
joshua        lellis -- jacob        latter -- stauf