The Beginning of the End: Part 2

This post is a continuation of my story, The Beginning of the End. To read Part 1, click here.

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“Me? Babe, I’m a twenty-two year old with no money, no home, and until last week, no job. How exactly do you expect me to get rid of this pandemic for you?”

“Scientists have traced the origins of the virus to Wuhan, to a certain virology institute in the city. Can you guess which one I’m talking about?”

“No, no, no,” I shook my head resolutely as soon as it dawned on me. “Tomorrow’s just my first day there; I can’t do something stupid to jeopardise my career immediately. And what if this is all some scam to ruin the institue? It was fine when you were just telling this elaborate tale, but now you want me to put my job at risk-”

“On the street perpendicular to this one is a bungalow with a shingled blue roof. Inside it sleeps my past self, myself from your timeline. I can take you there right away, or you can visit tomorrow before work, and see her for yourself. Furthermore, I’m willing to wait here for you until tomorrow evening; you can even tie me up to ensure that I don’t leave. Is that proof enough that this isn’t a scam?”

“I suppose,” I grumbled, “but I’m still not agreeing to anything until you clarify what you want me to do and how it’ll ‘change the course of destiny’ or whatever. Oh, and how I can carry it out without, you know, losing the one lifeline I’ve been granted through this job.”

“When you arrive at the institue tomorrow, you will be shown to a desk in a hall of shared cubicles on the second floor. At the end of the hall is an elevator. At 1 o’clock, most of the staff on your floor will begin eating their lunch, some using the elevator to visit friends on other levels. This is when you can go up to the fifth floor. Upon exiting the elevator, you will see ahead of you a long, narrow corridor. Put on a pair of gloves. The second door on the right leads to a room containing the earliest form of the SARS-CoV-2 in a glass dome. The panel beneath this dome has a series of buttons. All you have to do is press the one labelled “contain”. When it asks you to enter a password, type in the code 1-3-a-c. This will seal the container and make it impenetrable. Anyone who tries to open it won’t succeed without damaging its contents in the process. Basically, it’ll be impossible for the virus to escape into the outside world. Once you’ve guaranteed this, get back to work and keep your head down. You can report to me at the end of the workday.”

“I need some time to think about it,” I murmured. “This is all just… too much handle.”

“Perhaps this will give you some incentive to save the entire human race.” She replied contemptuously, plucking a fat wad of bills from her pocket. “300, 000 dollars. You won’t have to worry about finances for a while.”

I contemplated the money, nearly convinced. “I have one last question.”

“Go on,” she exhaled.

“In the future, where am I? Do you know me? Am I happy?”

“You’re in Beijing. You’ve got a stable career, a golden retriever, a broad circle of friends. But, no, I wouldn’t say you’re happy. You see, your mother passed away during the second COVID wave, and you haven’t been truly happy since.”

...

“Good morning!” I called to my new neighbour, Mrs Zhang, as I skipped out onto the street, cup of coffee in hand, for a breath of crisp, wintry air.

It had been a week since Diya’s visit, and my life had taken a dramatic turn for the better. 300, 000 USD was more than triple my total debt, which I had already begun to pay off; in small increments, so as to not raise suspicion. I’d moved out of the cramped one-bedroom and into a nicer place uptown with a lounge and an open kitchen and a balcony chockfull of flowers and herbs. My personality had transformed, too, after completing my mission. Once consumed with self-doubt and regret, I’d learnt to be proud, to love myself wholly and deeply. I mean, which other person could boast that they had, almost single-handedly, saved the world? I looked with excitement towards the future I had safeguarded.

I lifted the coffee to my lips, ready to taste the rich bitterness of the bean blended with the creamy sweetness of the milk. As the liquid flowed into my mouth and down my throat, though, it was flavourless. I frowned, sniffing at the rim of the cup; I could hardly detect a scent, either. Hardly had I swallowed a second sip when the first fit of coughs began.

Oh, Diya, I thought to myself, as a ripple of dread washed over me, you didn’t think to take a COVID test before meeting me, did you?

The heroes who had arrived from the future, in a blaze of glory, to deliver the human race from the pandemic, had only brought it to us sooner. They say you meet your destiny on the road you take to avoid it. They’re right.