Project 43
Epilogue

“Amelia patient 23236 was the person we had been looking for even if it was just a corpse. The only intel we had of the origin of patient zero. We have attempted to locate her in the last fifteen years since discovering her importance in the event that Ronnie disappeared. He has not been heard from or located in the last three years despite our best attempts.

“The record of this journal not only confirms that Amelia was not patient zero of Project 43 we’re looking for that carries the mutation. Amelia was most likely the origin of the initial infection of the virus that had been genetically altered to try and enhance the bodily functions before it became spreadable in several methods depending on the corpse.

“Because of the unstable genetic material of all of the private company’s subjects, it is unsurprising that Anne bonded with something in her natural environment. We now know that it’s an organic material that is of a fungi variety that bonded with her cells when her body was weak. What we still don’t understand is the complexities that go into what makes her unique as a possible cure to humans instead of the threat we’ve seemed to become to them.

“Anne was 23237. Which means that the other subject missing is Julia. So many records were scrubbed about these girls that it's hard to know what the truth is other than the few records we've managed to get a hold of. Even the ones we found that Anne mentioned in her journal back in Red Dear, Washington still in a silver briefcase sitting in the car registered under a false name. It was difficult to replace considering the lack of description in many of Anne's entries and everything being overgrown after thirty-five years of neglect.

"My name is Robert Glom one of the first decedents of Ronnie Adkins. I have been tasked with one responsibility and one responsibility only.

"Find patient zero and bring her or any direct decedents back alive.

"Even if I die doing it. "

Robert swallowed hard, his blue rimmed eyes shining against his dark chocolate skin that mirrored his eye color perfectly. He had been the first one to open the book and see its contents, and now he had to do one of the hardest things he ever thought he would have to do.

He had to burn it.

This wasn't to protect himself and it saddened him to know that the real reason he was burning it was to protect her even if she was alive or dead. Despite all her ramblings about being a cure, humans never saw it as anything but another dangerous virus that created monsters.

Honestly, they probably weren't too far off. He thought as his hand struck the match; the journal already soaked and in a fireproof container. Maybe we truly are just monsters.

Then again...

The flames where instant lighting up several colors from the mixture of chemicals to make sure every bit of evidence would be gone. Robert was always known for being thorough, careful; perhaps slow even. It was something that despite the drawbacks of what they were- made Robert open his mouth to express his words out loud as if saying goodbye to a lover as he looked down longingly at the book.

"It's better than mindlessly eating each other isn't it, Anne?"