The Adult

The Adult
March 15th, 2033 AD
Nathan smiled at the cameras around him. He was holding a press conference about the new Super Ebola virus ravaging the globe. He was now the CEO of the largest pharmaceutical company in the world, having worked his way up from the labs after college. He was as equally qualified to be working in the lab as much as he was at being the leader of the company. His company had been the face of the fight against the virus and he was the face of his company. He was tall, with a ruddy freckled face, and dark red hair just now slightly tinged with white hair here and there. He was often listed in People's Most Beautiful People, but this past year with the virus, he had also made the top spot, along with Time's Man of the Year and the press talked about rumors coming out of Stockholm that he was the frontrunner for a Nobel Prize; some rumors said he was to be awarded all three this year.
So far, over one billion people had already died. It had started in Senegal, where his parents had been murdered as missionaries, and it had ravaged the country. From most reports, ninety-eight percent of the Senegalese population had died in the first three weeks. It had jumped borders quickly from there south to Gambia and north to Mauritania. The airport in Dakar hadn't closed fast enough and it had reached Europe and North America where their medical care had stemmed the flow, but only through the strictest martial law. People had been shot for daring to step out of their home. Constitutions had been revoked from Asia to South America and the African continent was nearly gone. The surviving five billion people were now living under the tyranny of the Super Ebola and their governments.
He had called the press conference to announce the release for his vaccine cure. His manufacturing facilities in Great Britain, Germany, Poland, India, Brazil, Russia, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico and China had already started producing the vaccine with the US having actually confiscating his laboratories and assets. This was why he was holding the press conference; to denounce the US government and its willingness to let their people die without a vaccine.
"Welcome everyone. First, I want to congratulate my team and all the work they have accomplished over the past three months. With the cooperation of our partner nations, we are here to announce the roll out of the first vaccine to stop what has been dubbed, Super Ebola. The vaccine, that the world has desperately needed, has finally arrived and is currently being shipped to hospitals all around the world. This effort has truly been remarkable and our fantastic scientists and virologists achieved what will usher in a new age for mankind. Our virus doesn't just protect against Ebola, but is designed to protect against every disease. It is truly a Super Cure for a world full of disease and death. No longer will you lose a loved one to pneumonia or AIDS. Every virus is eradicated by this vaccine. We estimate we will be able to vaccinate everyone in our partner countries within two weeks.
"Of course, I regret to say that the United States has refused to participate and is instead choosing to believe fake news and conspiracy theories that this ancient virus has human origins. I've examined the base pairs on the Super Ebola virus myself, along with every geneticist who works in our labs, and no one thinks it's man-made. Because of their confiscation of our labs and our equipment, hundreds of millions of Americans will now be at risk. All I can do is urge Americans to go to the streets, rise up against their tyrannical government, and demand our vaccination or take the action necessary to ensure their survival, even if that means a violent revolt. This unfortunate evolution of a deadly virus has now killed more people than every war in human history and America, as usual, is playing politics instead of listening to scientists. They are dooming their people to death." He didn't know if that was a true statistic about war, but it was a good soundbite, and the press would eat it up.
"I would like to answer any questions you might have about the vaccine."
"Is it safe?" The first reporter asked.
"Safe enough that I am taking it here, right now." He took off his expensive jacket and placed it carefully on the chair behind him. He then took off his dress shirt and tie and placed them next to them. In just his tight undershirt, which he had chosen because it was a size too small, his toned and muscular body gave him the appearance of health and vitality. Grinning, he flexed a little for the cameras before turning his arm to the nurse who had come onto the stage. He had chosen someone that looked like everyone's mother to give the shot to help people feel safe. She wore her mask and gloves and administered the shot quickly to him. The vial she drew the clear liquid from held only saline solution though. When she finished cleaning up the small spot of blood. He jumped up and raised his arms over his head, to cheers from the journalists; he didn't try to hide his slightly twisted wrist. He then got dressed and returned to the podium, show over.
"What are the side effects?" Another reporter asked.
"Well, in our studies, our side effects have included not contracting Super Ebola and dying horribly three days later by bleeding out of all your orifices. This vaccine is as safe as we could make it, and we wouldn't give it to you, if we weren't willing to give it to children also."
"But some of your employees have left the lab in the last month citing ethical concerns in your use of hybrid animal DNA in the vaccine."
"Nature gives us answers for the problems we find in nature. DNA from some animals was used in the development of the vaccine, but it is safe for you. We went to extreme lengths to develop this vaccine and we went to extreme lengths to make it safe."
"Liar!"
The accusation surprised Nathan and he looked around for the voice. A young man, maybe just twenty, with purple hair, wearing a PETA shirt with a dead beagle and a large needle, was screaming at him.
"You're a lying son of a bitch. Your vaccine murders children and the elderly."
Nathan waited patiently until his security removed the young man who was struggling, fighting, and cursing as they dragged him forcefully out the doors. The young man even managed to kick a couple reporters in the head and they had to be escorted out too to be checked out for injuries. When everything had settled back down, he continued the press conference.
"Listen. You can believe the crazies," he pointed at the door the young man had been dragged through, "that I'm here to kill everyone with a vaccine or I'm the only one with a vaccine which I am sharing freely; anyone can get it for free at your local hospital or doctor's office. Our projections are that we will lose billions in revenue still we are delivering it for free to everyone. The costs alone to the company will be tens of millions of Euros in shipping and we can't forget our salaries to all our fantastic employees. This is the right thing to do and we won't deny the vaccine to anyone because they can't afford it."
Nathan continued to answer more questions, but no one asked another question about the safety of the vaccine. Most of the questions were now softballs and some were asking if he was seeing anyone new or what he would do when the lockdowns ended.
"No. Haven't been seeing anyone. Just too busy working to have a personal life right now. When I find the right person, I will let you know.
"First thing I want to do at the end of the lockdown? Well, I would like to go back to Africa where my family raised me as a little boy. Some of you know I was raised by Christian missionaries and their desire to make the world better is what drives me. I want to see Africa rebuilt now that almost the entire continent has been lost to the virus."
The questions ended and he said his goodbyes, leaving the stage to thank the reporters and shaking hands with as many people as he could. He smiled at them, though they all had to wear masks in his presence. When he was finished, he stepped into the backroom where his guards were holding the young man from PETA. He was sitting down when Nathan entered the room and jumped up when he saw him.
"That was brilliant!," Nathan said, "You really got them to shut down asking questions about the safety of the vaccine. You may be one of the best actors of your generation. I really believed you were a crazy radical."
The young man blushed. "I was glad to help Mr. Bristlecone. You're my hero and I want to help others like you have."
"You have. You have helped me save billions of people. But there is a small problem. You accidentally injured some of the reporters with your commitment to the role. We can't have the press dig into who you are in the next couple weeks because they are so key in prepping the world for my next great virus. I know this was the point I was going to pay you, but," he stepped closer, "you're too idealistic to live."
The young man smiled like it was a joke, but Nathan reacted faster than the young man could react and he reached forward and tore the young man's head off as he twisted it. Nathan dropped the still grinning head into his guard's hands as the body crumpled to the floor.
He left the room and his guards to clean up the body, licking the blood off his fingers.