Before The Year 3333

-1-

“The Zn-26 virus outbreak is increasingly spreading, almost all regions in the world are infected. Only 0.5 percent of the world's population has not been infected by this virus. The virus that turns humans like zombies and then dies in less than a week is really disturbing the world. If one of the scientists does not find a vaccination for this virus, then it is certain that even before the year 3333 the entire population on earth will ... be gone."

The sound of the television continued to roar in Ethan's ears. While eating a piece of wheat bread he listened to the news echoing in the air.

His grandmother was busy with some wheat, while his grandfather plowed the field to plant new wheat seeds.

“I really don't know about this. I think our place is the only area that hasn't been infected by this virus.”

Elissa, Ethan's grandmother, had an opinion. While slicing a whole loaf of bread into several pieces and sitting in front of his grandson she said,  "This is because none of the residents in this place have gone to the city or vice versa. So it has not been contaminated by this virus outbreak from outside. I hope it will be like that forever, I can't imagine what it would be like if the people in our village were like zombies."

Elissa gave Ethan his favorite peanut butter, then he nodded his head too.

“You are the only young man who often goes back and forth to town to sell some crops and buy some goods there, Ethan. And you know, the crops of the people in our village have piled up in the warehouse because of this annoying virus problem. Their money is already quite low. If this continues then inevitably one of us will have to go to town to get money."

Ethan was silent, indeed of all people, he was the one who had the task of carrying the harvest of all the village residents in one truck, after which the villagers ordered several items for Ethan to buy.

The suburbs of Washington were pretty quiet. Even quieter was the village where Ethan lived. It was so remote that it was often overlooked or even forgotten.

Even when Ethan went out into town, and someone would have asked where he was from. Ethan was like an alien from a planet of unknown origin.

“Everyone is infected with the virus, Elissa. Do you think I can sell your crops? Where should I sell it? To those zombies?”

Elissa fell silent again, then she frowned perfectly.

“Look,” She said. “There are still many city residents who carry out their usual activities. You're going too far by assuming everyone there is a zombie.”

“Be patient, I'm about to make a spectacular discovery.”

“From six months ago, then what did you get? You spent my money on useless things and have blown up your room three times.”

“You're so nosey, Elissa. Really!"

Ethan simply put down the wheat bread he had in his hand, then he ran towards the room. Inside his room, it was exactly like the laboratory room of a professional professor. Even though Ethan was just the grandson of a wheat farmer who didn't even go to school.

He only had reading provisions from several books, the internet and several other media. But, since he was little, Ethan had often been called a genius by his neighbors because of several skills he had that exceed those of other children his age.

And now Ethan was wearing his spectacular glasses, sitting behind his desk. There were some colorful substances that were bubbling, and some were even emitting smoke. Several sheets of paper, most of which had been torn, were crumpled messily from the table until they littered the floor.

“I don't know why all the things I tried to do didn't work. If it is like this, I will never be able to rule the world with my experiments.”

"Even a professor has to study for dozens of years to get that title, Ethan. Why do you, who only study as little as possible, hope to compete with all the professors in this world?"

“Elissa, shut up. I'm thinking."

Elissa shook her head, picking up the papers scattered on the floor.

“Stop, I beg you. Don't ever touch my valuable papers, don't ever move anything from their place."

"Haven't you thrown away these papers, crumpled them, and torn them?"

“They are my most precious treasure, Elissa. Just let them be, okay?”

Elissa just nodded, placing a piece of bread and orange juice on the empty table in Ethan's room.

“Whatever, I didn't expect to see your room tidy either. Eat this bread if you're hungry, don't be too obsessed with things you can never achieve, Ethan."

Ethan just glanced at Elissa while snorting, then he went back to concocting each of the substances one by one. Until Ethan closed his eyes completely, a voice started to sound randomly.

“Pinete … pinete ….”

Ethan frowned perfectly, what did he just hear?

Pinete?

What was pinete?

Ethan was still shaking his head, trying to ignore the faint voice he heard. He went back to work, from day to night. Until he himself didn't know when he would stop and rest every time he touched those jobs.

*****

“Ethan, are you awake? I'm coming in, wake up!"

Elissa knocked on Ethan's door, and there was no answer. Until then, Elissa opened the room. It turned out that Ethan had fallen asleep in a much more terrifying condition.

Several potions that Ethan had gotten that were no longer used were in a medium-sized glass tub, and Ethan fell asleep on the table very soundly. Not even sunlight could enter the smallest crack in Ethan's room, making the atmosphere in the room quite stuffy.

“Ethan, wake up… stop all this ridiculous research of yours.”

“Let me sleep for a while, Elissa. I didn't sleep for three nights, I almost finished it.”

“Didn't you hear the latest news? One of the professors in L.A. has already discovered the vaccination. They have managed to overcome this terrible epidemic, Ethan.”

Ethan immediately took a sitting position, his extreme drowsiness disappeared instantly. He looked at his grandmother with a look of extreme shock.

Though he was almost done.

"Is it true?"

"Yes of course. Take a look if you don't believe it."

Ethan immediately turned on the television in his room. He fell silent while listening. His hand squeezed the remote in his hand, he was annoyed beyond belief because of this.

Finally, Ethan felt that he had done all these things in vain. However, he did not say it directly.

 "Never mind, stop your silly games. Take a shower, and go out to eat. Only after that do you want to sleep all day, it's up to you. And remember, your grandfather asked for help plowing his field this afternoon."

Ethan was silent, he looked down. He was confused to death about what to do now. He then looked at the potion that had gone wrong and was purple-gold in color.

Ethan held his breath, took the potion and carried it out of his room.

"Alright, maybe my mission is over. In the year 3333 there will never be any destruction of the world.”

Ethan walked out the back door of the house, he walked back to his grandmother's garden behind the house. He was standing there for a moment just to look at the sky, then he let out an annoyed breath.

A rabbit passed Ethan, then the rabbit ate one of the plants there.

Ethan was still silent and thought it was all normal, until not long after, the rabbit started having seizures. Ethan, who was watching, ignored it, he even ignored that the color of the plant that the rabbit was eating had changed to pale purple. Annoyed, Ethan threw the potion at the plant and a few drops splashed on the rabbit. Ethan left, the plants which were initially purple and almost wilted slowly turned fresh and green again, even the rabbit which initially had a seizure and almost died immediately became healthy and was able to jump again.