Virus: Insanity

Epilogue

Two men and a woman sat in front of a set of computer screens, not unlike the ones in a security room. It was a 3x3, with nine screens overall. They looked at the far left column of screens, each one tinted yellow. The screen in the middle showed a slowing green heartbeat, the other two darkening. Behind them was a table with three buttons on it, two already pressed down. The first one was green, the second was pink, the third was blue. The second column of screens, tinted pink, were all static. The third column was black. On a separate table to the right of the people was a cellphone. They were surrounded by windows, each giving way to endless stretches of stars. Light came from a ring of swirling golden substance held above them by a metal trough, the light shining into the top of the white domed roof and onto the scene below. The woman was tall and willowy, with thick brown hair pulled back into a ponytail that reached her shoulders. She wore a collared, button-down green shirt with cuffs above her elbows, as well as tan cargo pants and brown leather mid-thigh boots. She wore black rectangular glasses over her amber eyes. The man on her right had wild blond hair that stuck out at the ends and blue eyes, as well as an old Beatles t-shirt and blue jeans. He wore black and white sneakers on his feet, laces untied. The man on her left had slicked-back red hair and emerald eyes, a bit of stubble on his lower jaw. He wore a brown long-sleeve shirt and jeans, as well as red sneakers on his feet. Together the threesome watched the middle screen in the far left column. Slowly the heartbeat ground to a stop, the pink tinted screens springing to life instantly as the green ones went dark. The pink ones had the same display as the green, two cameras on top and bottom of a steady heartbeat. The three sighed and stirred to life as if broken from a trance.
    "Well," the red-haired man said, Irish roots clipping his words. "It's done."
    "We made it through Phase One," the woman said, brushing the little hairs tickling her forehead back. "And Phase Two is in action."
    "She hasn't started the illusion yet," the blond man said. "She's still killing off her brother."
    "Aye," the redhead said. "Your viruses are working, Richard."
    "Yes," Richard replied, "but they never would've worked without your expert placement, Stark."
    "Bull," Stark said, slapping the air. "It was all Wayne's idea."
    "Oh..." the woman said shyly. "Stop. You guys did all the science."
    "But you gave them names," Richard said, getting off of his metal stool and wandering backwards. "And their personalities, genders, and their effects. You thought up each detail that we made a reality."
    "A pity Banner isn't here to see it," Stark said somewhat sadly. Wayne nodded, looking away.
    "He knew what he had to do," she said. "He had to prepare Stephen for the things to come."
    "A pity he had to do it with his life," Richard said sadly.
    "I know that this must hurt you more than anyone," Stark said to Wayne, setting a hand on her shoulder.
    "He knew what the price was," she said. "It's just that...I had always wanted to see our son reform the world together."
    "Yes," Richard agreed. "It is a shame. But we all have children down there."
    "I found it cute that my Connor and your Luna fell in love," Stark laughed. "Maybe we can go to their wedding with a little help from Illusion."
    "Let's not do that," Wayne said, shaking her head. "But I can't wait to see who Stephen ultimately falls in love with. He's got an eye for both Naia and Vera."
    "I say Naia," Richard said. "She's just his type."
    "Aye," Stark said. "I agree."
    "What about Jace, Sola and Smock?" Wayne asked. "Think they'll be able to do it?"
    "For ten years?" Stark laughed. "No! They'll run out of  everything beforehand anyways."
    "Yeah," Richard said with a shrug. "I wouldn't bet on it."    
    "Your daughter's a tough one, though," Stark replied, nudging him. "She might make it a year or so with Jace there." An alarm went off, turning everyone's attention to the monitors. The heart rate on the middle screen had evened out at 95 beats per minute, and the screens above and below began to flicker to life.
    "She's waking up," Stark said, sitting down.
    "And so it begins," Richard said, standing behind him.
    "Ten years," Wayne said, shaking her head. "Ten years before Infinity is released. Ten years before we can see our families and planet again."
    "Well, eleven, technically," Richard said. "Infinity takes a years to work."
    "Whatever," Stark said, leaning back. "I'll just be glad to be breathing non-recycled air and seeing things OTHER than space."
    "It's going to be a long eleven years," Wayne replied, watching the screens as they turned on. "Might as well get used to it."