When We Began To Age 136p6u

WHEN WE BEGAN TO AGE

A SHORT STORY

WRITTEN BY

C.O. AMAL

Copyright © 2019, 2020, 2021 C.O. Amal

This version published by C.O. Amal on February 2021

All rights reserved.

1st Edition

Smashwords Edition

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For information email to [email protected]

Visit www.coamal.wordpress.com for more information about the author’s works.

This book is a work of fiction. Names and characters are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

DEDICATION

TO MY LITTLE SISTER, ANULET C.O.

When We Began To Age

Tony was combing his hair, by standing in front of the mirror.

“Tony, breakfast is on the table.” His mom yelled from the dining room.

It was then Tony saw a white hair strand on his head. Tony plucked that strand of hair from his head. The hair strand quickly came out of his head. Tony curiously looked at that white colored strand of hair.

“Am I becoming old?” Tony mumbled.

He was only fifteen years old and it wasn’t common whitish hair on kids’ head. Tony dumped the hair strand in a nearby waste box. And he exited his room, slowly pacing towards the dining room.

On the dining room, he found his sister and mom eating breakfast. Tony sat next to his sister and he slowly began to eat.

“Tony, your hair is white.” His sister curiously stared at his head.

“What?” Tony was confused.

“Oh, my god, Tony,” Mom closed her mouth using her hand in horror.

Tony began to panic. He quickly stood up and he ran inside his room, to check his hair. Within seconds he reached in front of the mirror. Then he saw it. There were numerous whitish strands of hair on his head.

“Mom,” Tony screamed out loud. Then he saw it. All his dark strands of hair were becoming white.

His mom stood in the doorway, looking at Tony, with complete horror.

* * *

Doctor Raj hurriedly paced through the hospital hallway. Within seconds, he reached at the end of the hallway, and there, he saw a dozens of men and women standing nearby a door. Without paying attention to anyone, Raj opened the door and got inside.

Inside the small cabin sits the female doctor Samantha. In front of Samantha sits a couple and a kid.

“Is this the kid?” Raj immediately asked Samantha.

“Yes, doctor.” Samantha replied.

Raj curiously looked at the kid. The kid’s head which once hosted millions of black strands of hair now hosts exactly the same amount of whitish hair. Raj looked at the kid’s face. His face had wrinkled at both the cheeks and there were too many folds on his forehead.

Raj looked at his parents.

“Did he take any medication recently?” Raj asked the couple.

“No, doctor. Please tell us what is happening to him?” The mother almost cried.

“This is definitely progeria.” Raj said. “Does any one in your family have this?”

“No.” The mother said whimpering.

“But, doctor,” Samantha started. “If it is genetically occurred, how did it become dormant all this time?”

“I don’t know.” Raj doesn’t know what else to say.

Suddenly the cabin’s door swung opened and a lady nurse appeared in the doorway.

“Yes?” Samantha asked.

“There are twenty more progeria patients waiting for you.” The nurse replied.

“What?” Samantha could not believe what she was hearing. Now, caring the kids was making her mad.

Raj was clearly astonished by the nurse’s words. Twenty more. That means this could not be a genetic disorder.

Some kind of plague was on the loose.

* * *

Two Years Later

For the first time, Raj had no idea what to do. This new kind of progeria was killing the entire human race. This sickness had spread through the world within two years, mutating multiple times. And all this time, nobody stopped its growth. Actually there wasn’t anybody who could stop this outbreak.

Nearly all the staff in WHO research facilities were got infected by this sickness,

and most of them were now dead. And the worst problem was, there weren’t any immune, so far. Human race don’t stand a chance against this, unless the human race came up with a plan. For some reason, so far, Raj was not infected. But, that doesn’t mean he was immune. He was actually careful, all this time. He always wore face masks when dealing with the patients.

It seems that this disease was rapidly spreading through the air. He had to come up with an idea to preserve human race, before he would become an infected. Human race was certainly going for an extinction phase.

* * *

Two Years Later

Nearly all the humans were now extinct. This version of progeria had no distinction between people. It affects everyone. And Raj too got infected. It was last week he showed the symptoms for the first time.

The streets were now empty. Food was scarce. Water was plenty. No electricity. And no government.

The whole system of humans got leveled by this progeria. But now, Raj was a little happy. He first thought all the humans would die out. But, his experiment on gene editing had proved that he could create a genetically engineered version of humans, who were immune to progeria.

He and his friend Samantha built a gigantic laboratory, and they had created the genetically engineered humans. Now the old humans should make way for these advanced humans. Now, they were fully grown in suspension tanks. But, their next generation could be produced by normal reproduction mechanism.

This was it. There was no cure. They wasted so much time looking for a cure. They could have done this, years ago. But now, things were looking good.

Raj had only days left in his life. Samantha died two weeks ago. And now, he was completely alone in this laboratory. Raj was now finalizing his project. He hurriedly typed the instructions on his solar powered computer. He had just finished ing the human data bank from the US. Defense satellite. And now he had started to the information on to the men and woman who were inside the suspension tanks. There were five thousand of them in this facility. They were the future of humanity.

The data may take days to complete. But, the process was fully automated. Now, he could relax and sit on his laboratory porch, and he could drink a coffee. And he could embrace death. After all, he had nothing to regret. He just hopes that he had done everything perfectly.

God, this is my end…

* * *

Two weeks later

Doctor Raj was now dead, like all the other humans. The humans were now an extinct species. But, Raj’s and Samantha’s creations were still alive in suspension tanks. Five thousand of them would now break free at any moment.

Inside the vast laboratory, the suspension tanks were neatly arranged in rows. And inside the suspension tanks sleeps fully matured, genetically altered humans. Suddenly, all the suspension tanks flew up as a solar powered electromagnet attracted them. And, as the suspension tanks flew up, the bottom layer of the glass tanks broke apart from the main body, and through the now formed hole, the fully matured humans, along with the suspension solution fell on to the floor.

Water splashed all over the room. The humans slowly opened their eyes. They don’t know what they were doing here. But, they knew everything to live a life. They first stood up, and analyzed the room, thoroughly. Then, they searched for clothes as they were naked from head to toe.

A moment later, they found clothes stacked on nearby shelves. Raj in fact took precaution in every way.

Within moments, silently, all the men and women wore their clothes. Then, they exited the laboratory and they walked into the sunlight. The morning sunlight warmed them pretty good. Some of the men and women were actually freezing as they were in cold suspension tank all this time.

The genetically engineered humans slowly walked away from the laboratory, to find out what this apocalyptic world had in store for them.

* * *

Ten Years Later

Humans again reclaimed earth. They were now many. Their healthy progeny become matured adults within years. And, so far, no sign of progeria. World was again a happier place.

The new humans reinvented many things which were necessary for human life. They formed a system of government. They formed a system of order. And finally, these new genetically altered humans learned to live like a normal human.

* * *

Ten Years Later

Tom Samuel stood just outside the delivery room, with a worrisome face. His wife Susan was giving birth to his first child.

A moment later, the door opened from inside and a nurse stood in the doorway, carrying a new born baby. The baby cried loudly.

Tom slowly approached the nurse. Nurse looked up at Tom, and she placed the

child in Tom’s arms.

“He is a healthy new born.” The nurse said. “Look after him well.”

Tom was full of joy. He nodded at the nurse. “Susan?” He asked.

“She is fine. She is sleeping. She suffered a lot.”

Tom nodded. Tom slowly sat down on a nearby bench and he rocked his baby. The baby was not ready to stop his cry.

Tom said all the soothing words he knew to the baby. But, the boy kept on crying. A few minutes later, the boy fell asleep. Tom took a deep sigh.

* * *

Ten Years Later

“Susan, where is Sam?” Tom yelled from the living room.

“He is in his bedroom.” Susan yelled from the kitchen.

Tom slowly walked towards Sam’s bedroom. As Tom reached in front of the door, he knocked on the door.

“Sam, come on, we have lot of things to do in the barn.”

“I am not coming.” Sam yelled from the room.

“What is it, son?”

“I said I am not coming.” Sam was very angry.

Tom quickly swung opened the door and he rushed inside. Suddenly he stopped. In front of him, on the bed, sits Sam. What peculiar about Sam was, all his dark hairs were now white.

“Son?”

“Dad,” Sam was crying loudly.

Tom slowly approached Sam and he looked at his face. Then Tom saw it. Sam’s face had wrinkled and there were too many folds on his forehead. Then realization struck him. His son was infected by progeria – premature aging.

Tom don’t know what to do. Only one thing makes sense. The old dormant progeria had awoken, after a few generations. This was it. His son was going to die.

Susan, on hearing the commotion, rushed inside the room. Then she too stood frozen, looking at Sam.

“Sam,”

Like Tom, she also don’t know what to do.

* * *

Two Years Later

Tom sat on the green meadow and he stared at the kids who were playing nearby. He was actually mourning for his dead son. Progeria had returned. Last week, fifty kids were dead due to progeria.

Progeria was inert all this time, waiting for the perfect opportunity. It was actually sleeping in the DNA. And when that opportunity came, it rushed outside, killing everyone it saw. Now, once a person was infected by progeria, that person becomes a living bomb, infecting others. Normal progeria wasn’t like that. This progeria easily transfers through air since it had undergone numerous mutations.

A moment later, Susan came nearby him, and she sat on the grass. And she leant on to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

“I think it’s time for another kid.” Susan said.

“What if that kid too dies on our watch? I can’t bear another death, Susan.”

“We can’t live in fear, Tom.”

Tom said nothing.

* * *

Two Years Later

Susan was dead, due to progeria. Tom was grieving. About 99 percent of human race was now infected by progeria. And Tom thinks that he was immune. Last day, a lady died due to progeria, in his arms. Normally, a person in the vicinity of the progeria victim might catch the disease. But he was so far fine.

Tom hurriedly packed his backpack. He needs to get out of here while he still could. The government might have realized that he was immune. Tom knows

better what they would do to an immune. They would dissect the immune’s body to study.

Human race was going to die. But he could survive this and live his whole life, if he reaches the forest.

He first thought about suicide, after Susan’s death. But, no matter how hard he tried, he could not commit suicide, because, he love his life.

Suddenly, the loud siren of the cops’ vehicles came from outside. They were here!

Tom opened the back door and he ran out of his house. Then, he started his run. He don’t know how much he had to run. But, if he wants to live, he needs to run. The streets were completely empty. The siren of police cars hovered over the silent city.

Far away, he could see the outline of a forest. There would be many immune inside the forest. Now, only the forest could save him.

Suddenly, a police car started to chase him. Tom broke into a sprint through the empty lawns. Within seconds, he rushed inside the forest. And the police car stopped its chase. Tom took a deep sigh. Suddenly, footsteps came from behind him. He looked back. Then he saw it. A dozens of cops were chasing him on foot.

“God,”

* * *

Doctor Andrew hurriedly paced through the corridor. Within seconds, he reached at the end of the corridor. He swung opened a nearby door and he got inside a spacious room. Inside the room, there were a few dozens of experimental tables and on top of the tables rests the bodies of immune.

“Sir, here.” A researcher yelled from the far corner.

Andrew quickly walked towards that researcher.

“Tell me what you have found.” Andrew said.

The researcher took a deep breath. “As far as I can tell, there is no cure to progeria. But, we could synthesize a barrier liquid from the immune's’ blood. This barrier liquid could prohibit the progeria’s symptoms for a while.”

“You’re saying?”

“All I am saying is that, we could extent progeria victims’ life for a while by injecting a barrier liquid synthesized from the immune's’ blood.”

Andrew for a moment fell in thoughts. “Keep this between us, okay?”

“Okay.”

“I will you if I need you. I need to report this to the government. And produce as much barrier liquid as you can from the immune. Can you do that?”

“Yes, sir.”

Andrew smiled at him, and he walked away from the scene.

* * *

Andrew hurriedly got inside the president’s chamber. He found the president writing something on a note pad. President on seeing Andrew looked up at Andrew.

“Andrew, my dear. Why are you here?”

Andrew quickly told everything that the researchers had found to the president. President patiently listened to everything.

“So, there is no cure?”

“No, sir.”

President for a moment fell in mourning. “Then, produce this barrier liquid as much as they can. And find all the immune. I heard from the technical division that they had invented a device which could detect immune. Go and bring all the immune to our research facility. And keep this killing between us, okay?”

“Understood, sir.”

Andrew smiled at the president and he walked away from the scene.

* * *

Tom Samuel hid behind a bush and he forced himself to stop breathing. The cops looked here and there and they slowly walked away from Tom.

“Look there, he can’t be gone far.” One of the cops said, and they all ran away from the scene.

As the last of the copes went out of sight, Tom took a deep breath. Suddenly, Tom saw someone standing nearby him in the corner of his eyes. Panic surged through him. Tom looked at that person. Then he saw it.

This person was a man, and he wore torn clothes. And he had long hair which was a mess with dirt.

“Come with me, if you want to live.” The man walked deeper into the forest, without looking at Tom.

Tom looked here and there for any cops. Then he followed the man.

“Where are you taking me to?” Tom just whispered.

“To a safe place.”

* * *

It had been a while since Tom started following the man. They ed a shallow stream, and they moved pretty deep into the forest.

“Hey, where is this safe place?” Tom impatiently asked.

“It’s near. Just follow me.” The man said. “You’re fortunate that only a few cops followed you to this forest.”

Tom nodded and he increased his pace. Suddenly, the man stopped moving. Tom went near the man and he saw it. There was a huge cliff in front of them. Then, the man started to climb down the cliff using the vines on the cliff wall.

“Shit…” Tom cursed something and he too began to climb down using vines.

Within seconds, they both reached at the bottom of the cliff. Then, Tom saw five men standing nearby. The man who led Tom here smiled at them and walked away from the scene. Tom for a moment stared at the leaving man, and then he looked at the men who were standing nearby.

“What is your name?” A tall man with white beard asked.

“Tom. Tom Samuel.”

“Tom, you can call me Stuart. I guess you’re immune, yes?”

“Yes.”

“We have to be careful. They invented a new device which could detect the presence of an immune.”

“How do you know?”

“We have someone there, watching their progress.”

“Why am I here? Is this place safe from them?” Tom asked.

“Yes. This place is a safe haven. Since Justin saved you from the cops, you owe us something. Are you ready to the rebellion?”

Tom for a moment stared at Stuart. Then he looked down at the ground.

“You know,” Stuart started. “We humans had done awful things to our mother nature.” Tom looked up at Stuart. “For all that awful things, nature decided to hinder our growth, and thus the new kind of progeria was born.”

Stuart continued. “Then, a scientist named Raj created us for preserving the human life. But again, we had done awful things. And now nature is in destructive mode, to reduce the amount of humans. We immune are the next generation of humans. Through us, nature allowed the humans to live again in this planet.”

“What is your point?” Tom asked.

“My point is,” Stuart said. “We have to save other immune. We are the future of human race. They are catching all the immune to kill them. They had found something.”

“What something?”

“Something that could extent their life. And this something is produced from immune’s blood. We need to save all the immune from their research facility, before they kill them.”

Tom nodded. “I have nothing to lose.” Tom said. “I am in, for the rebellion.”

* * *

“There,” Someone yelled from top of the cliff.

Tom and Stuart looked up. Then they saw it. A dozens of cops were standing atop the cliff, looking at them. Then, one by one, they all began to climb down through the cliff wall using vines.

“Shit,” Tom cursed.

“Come this way.” Stuart led him to a nearby cabin which was made up of woods.

Within seconds, they all entered inside the cabin. Then Tom saw it. In the living room lies a pile of guns and ammunition.

“Where did you get all this?” Tom asked.

“It was here. Old humans’.” Stuart said. Stuart and team grabbed guns from the pile. All guns had two handles on its bottom side. Tom don’t know much about guns, but he knew how to shoot, if the need arrives.

Tom grabbed a gun and he looked at its beauty. Suddenly, the cops reached in front of the cabin. And one cop started to thrash open the cabin door.

Stuart stood in front of the door and he trained the gun at the door, and he pulled the trigger. With one pull, numerous bullets sprayed out of the gun’s mouth. Tom heard a yelp and a scream. And that was it. All the cops lay dead.

Tom opened the door which was full of holes. He found six cops lying outside. He went near the yard and looked at the top of the cliff. Then he saw it. A cop was saying something on his radio.

“Shit, more will come.” Tom worriedly said.

“Don’t worry, Tom. Most of them are sick. We will probably be fine.”

Suddenly, a series of rumbling came from the distant sky – helicopters.

“Shit, run,” Stuart yelled.

All of them ran inside the nearby trees. Tom then saw a few dozens of people – most probably immune – running for their lives. Tom and Stuart followed them. Suddenly, it happened.

A few dozens of cops came from in front of them, training their stun guns. A moment later, Tom heard a series of swooshes of stun rays. He felt a sting. And that was it. He went down, like all the others.

* * *

Tom felt someone lifting him. Then he heard the loud rumbling of helicopter rotors. There had to be a few helicopters nearby. Tom slowly opened his eyes. His hands were bound by plastic tapes. And he could not move his arms, even a little.

Tom then somehow sat up. And he looked around him. He was inside a helicopter and a dozens of immune like him were lying nearby. Then, Tom saw two copes, armed with stun guns, sitting nearby. They were staring at Tom.

The helicopter was huge, and there were two small doors on both sides, with a small glass window in the middle. Tom worriedly peered outside through the glass windows. The helicopter was flying across the gigantic forest. They would arrive at the medical facility soon.

Tom put up his most sincere look and he looked at the two cops. The cops looked at him without any emotions.

A few moments later, the helicopter landed on a helipad, nearby a huge building. By this time, all the other immune were awoke. The copes opened the doors and they pushed the immune outside. A moment later, a dozens of cops arrived at the scene from the facility.

All the cops led Tom and other immune to the building. Tom looked around, looking for a way out. Suddenly, one of the immune broke into a sprint, away from the building. A cop quickly shot down that immune by his stun gun.

Tom began to panic. He knew what they would do to him. They would definitely cut open him. If Stuart was right, they would suck out his blood to make whatever which could extent the progeria victims’ life.

Then it happened. Three other helicopters were about to land when all of a sudden, the helicopters crashed one another and they crash landed on the nearby tree land. The cops nearby Tom yelled something in their radio.

Suddenly, sound of gunfire came from the helicopter crash site. Then Tom saw it. Stuart and a few others managed to break free from the plastic restraints and they had hand guns already drawn out from somewhere in their clothes.

The cops nearby Tom quickly ran towards Stuart and team who were coming towards Tom.

Then, Tom heard a series of gun shots. And all the cops dropped dead.

A little hope kindled inside Tom. Suddenly, a series of footsteps came from deep inside the building. Stuart and his team quickly ran towards Tom and his team.

Within moments, Stuart reached near Tom. He quickly cut down the restraints from Tom’s hands using a dagger.

“Grab the stun guns,” Stuart yelled.

Tom without further thought ran towards a fallen cop. He quickly grabbed the cop’s gun. By this time, a few dozens of cops arose from the building’s doorway. Cops fired a round of stun rays. But, Stuart and his team were quick. They shot down all the cops. And Stuart and his team ran inside the building, probably to find other immune. Tom followed Stuart.

* * *

Within seconds, Stuart, Tom and others reached inside a vast experimental room. Then they saw it. On the experimental tables lie a few hundreds of immune, all were dead for certain. The researchers inside the room stared at Stuart and his men.

“Kill them all, Break all the equipment.” Stuart yelled.

Tom and others quickly began to unleash their anger on the glass instruments. Stuart ran towards the nearby researchers and he put them down for good either by gun or by twisting their neck.

Suddenly, an alarm began to ring all over the building. But, there were no extra cops here. Actually there were not much humans left alive on earth.

“Run this way,” Stuart ran out of the building. Tom and others followed him.

One thing was certain to Tom—they are the future of humanity.

The End

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