Outbreak

Chapter 2

The engines of the UH-1 Huey roared loudly as it swung low over the canopy of the Zebrican jungle, weaving its way between the the taller trees that sprouted out from below. Looking out the window, I could just barely make out the small form of another helicopter, rapidly approaching. Before it could reach us, however, the Huey gave a small jerk, and the crew chief slid the doors open, motioning for me and my team to jump out. I took a moment before exiting to make certain that I had pressurized my suit, and connected it in the correct manner to the oxygen supply hanging from my belt. With a satisfied nod, I stood up from my seat and jumped out.

As soon as I had leapt out of the chopper, I could tell that something was wrong. In most situations that I had faced, we would have been swarmed by villagers pleading us to save them. This small settlement seemed to be abandoned, yet there was a large plume of smoke going up somewhere within the village.

I took a look back to Sunny and Fluttershy, nodding to both of them before continuing on slowly. There was a light haze that hung over the town like a blanket. It doesn't need saying that I was apprehensive at the sight of this ghost-town.

We continued our search into the settlement, keeping our eyes peeled for any signs of life; however, there was not a single person alive in the village. At least, not that we could find.

Finally, I spotted a small hut on the outskirts of the village, and beckoned my team over. Brushing aside the curtains, I stepped inside. When I was in the hut, I almost regretted it. Laying all around the hut on the ground or in beds, was the entire population of the town. Stallions, mares, and foals, all of them here in this one building.

A grim look of remorse swept over my face. I felt sorry for these zebras, who had suffered more than I could care to imagine.

Showing pity on these zebras had to wait, however, as we had a job to do. Turning to my subordinates, I ordered, "Alright, let's get to work. Sunny, I want you to start asking the living if they know how they might have gotten sick. Fluttershy, I want you to get a few tissue samples from them. We need to be out of here quickly." With that, we separated and went about carrying out our various duties.

Whilst my associates worked fervently, I walked around the hut, surveying the dead and dying. A good portion of the townspeople had already passed on, and those that were still alive had no more than a few minutes at least, but no more than three or four hours.

My attention was drawn away from the dying villagers by a small, child-like cry. There was pain and grief in that cry, which turned my stomach inside out. Before I could turn to the source of the scream, a series of hushed whimpers were uttered through my headsets, followed by the sounds of vomiting. I looked in the direction of the noise, and saw Fluttershy was heaving into her suit.

Without so much as a thought, I rushed over to the young mare, and shouted, "Shy! Don't take your helmet off!" Instead of heeding my orders, she struggled against me, trying to remove her helmet. Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I attempted to calm the panicking pegasus, although she wasn't as feeble as she seemed. Before I could stop her, she had pushed me to the ground, and removed her helmet.

"Lunadamnit!" I screamed in anger as I got up. Looking towards Chaser, I growled, "Isolate her, right this minute."

Before he could respond, a very deep male voice cut in, "Don't worry. It's not airborne." I turned to the entrance of the hut to find a zebra leaning up against the doorframe. There was a look of slight depression on his face.

After taking a moment to compose myself, I walked over to him and gave him a hoofbump. "Colonel Storm Dasher. We came as soon as we could." I said to him.

"Not soon enough." He replied, "The village is dead. Come with me, Colonel." I chose not to answer, as he would most likely provide me with the information that I needed to know about the virus. The two of us stepped out into the bright sunlight and began trotting along a small dirt path that led back into the village.

I figured that there was no threat of being infected from breathing in the air, so I removed my helmet. The air was filled with a dense cloud of smoke, causing me to cough and hack violently. After several moments, my coughing ceased, and I looked back toward the zebra. "Do you know the incubation period?" I inquired.

"No, but it kills in two or three days. The mortality rate is one hundred percent." This shocked me quite a bit, as there were very few viruses that could kill that quickly, leaving no odds of survival.

"Sweet Celestia. Is it possible that an infected individual has gotten out of the village."

"No. If he did, he'd be dead or dying in the jungle. And the closest village is fifty miles away"

"First case?" I asked with a sigh.

"One of the locals went with a pony to build a road into the capitol city. When he returned, he was sick. He drank from this well," The zebra pointed to a small structure made from bricks, "From there, it spread to the entire village."

I stopped right there and took several seconds to look around at the village, which was now populated by a clean-up crew. "Did you identify the carrier?"

"No. Patient Zero was incoherent when he arrived. He died two hours later. He didn't say how he got sick." My attention was drawn to one of the hills that surrounded the village, as there was a loud chanting echoing throughout the settlement. Standing on the hilltop was a female zebra, chanting in her native tongue.

I nodded in the direction of the zebra atop the hill. "She's not sick." I pointed out.

"She's a local witch doctor," My guide replied with a sigh. "She stayed in her cave for an entire week."

"I'd like to talk to her, too." I stated.

Obviously, this was not the best course of action, as the zebra guiding me was quick to deny what I had said. "No. She speaks only to me. You see, she believes that the gods were awoken from their sleep by the ponies cutting down the trees. This...is a punishment."