Echoes of the Unseen: The Forgotten Man

ＰＡＲＴ [05]: "The Dark Secret Of Spreading"

In a tense conversation, the Higher Official inquired, "Is there something we can do?"

Dr. Benjamin, overwhelmed by the situation, admitted, "Probably nothing."

The Higher Official, concerned about the implications, asked, "Is that a threat to the human race?"

Dr. Benjamin, burdened by uncertainty, replied, "I don't know."

Frustrated by the lack of answers, the Higher Official pressed, "Then what do you know?"

Dr. Benjamin offered a piece of knowledge, saying, "I only know about that thing inside the fish."

The discussion continued with Dr. John's curiosity, "What was that?"

Dr. Benjamin revealed, "The thing inside the fish was a fungus, a zombie ant fungi."

Dr. John, incredulous, asked, "You mean an Ophiocordyceps ?"

Dr. Benjamin confirmed, "Yes."

Dr. Jackson, another scientist, chimed in, "You're kidding, right? Those fungi can't infect fish."

Dr. John clarified, "Yes, they primarily affect insects. Those fungi aren't compatible with more complex organisms and nor with their immune systems."

Dr. Benjamin was puzzled, "Yes, they aren't, but this evolved version of the fungi can."

The Higher Official was concerned, "Evolved? How?"

Dr. Benjamin explained, "The fungi has evolved to invade the immune systems of more complex organisms. Additionally, it completely transforms the whole organism into something else."

The Higher Official sought guidance, "So, what should we do now?"

An urgent question arose, "Could this fungi infect humans?"

Dr. Benjamin, grappling with the unknown, replied, "No, but I can't say for sure."

Dr. Jackson raised doubts, "How is that even possible? Those fungi can't just evolve like that."

Dr. Benjamin admitted the mystery, "I don't know, but they have evolved."

Dr. Jackson pressed further, "It's possible for an organism to evolve, but such a drastic jump in evolution, from basic multicellular organisms to complex ones? Why did we witness this all of a sudden?"

Dr. Benjamin added, "And the strangest thing is that this isn't a contagious fungus like the original one."

Dr. Jackson, bewildered, remarked, "That's just baffling. How did these fish get infected then?"

Dr. Benjamin acknowledged, "You see, I don't know. All we have right now are speculations, nothing more. What we witnessed is new to everyone."

Ethan, trying to contribute to the understanding of the situation, suggested, "I think finding the origin of these fish could help us learn more."

Dr. Benjamin considered this, saying, "Well, that could be the case, but it's unpredictable to determine where these fish originated from."

The Higher Official inquired about the unpredictability, and Dr. Benjamin explained, "The country Ocean is vast, and exploring where these fish came from is challenging. We don't know their exact point of origin in such a vast ocean."

Ethan continued his line of thought, "Is this a terrestrial organism?"

Dr. Benjamin confirmed, "Yes, but why?"

Ethan speculated, "If the fungi is a terrestrial organism, then they originated from the land of the ocean."

Dr. Jackson questioned, "You mean islands?"

Ethan clarified, "It's possible it originated here itself, but I haven't found any leads."

A Lieutenant joined the conversation, suggesting, "He could be right. We haven't seen anything suspicious around our country, nor the neighbouring countries."

The Lieutenant inquired further, "What were the directions of the ocean waves in the last few weeks?"

Dr. Benjamin, consulting satellite data, pointed out, "Looking at the screen, according to the satellite data, it's in this area."

Lieutenant closely examines the maps.

The conversation continued as the Lieutenant made a revelation, saying, "It's Sentineles."

The Higher Official, puzzled, asked, "What?"

The Lieutenant clarified, "It's Sentinel Islands."

Dr. Jackson, now understanding, chimed in, "Oh, you mean from the notorious North Sentinel Island?"

The Lieutenant corrected and expanded on the information, saying, "No, it's not just that."

He continued to clarify, "Sentinel Islands doesn't only mean North Sentinel Island. The islands around this area are known as the Sentinel Islands. The actual North Sentinel Island is at the end of the Sentinel Islands boundary."

He zooms in on the image and starts checking the islands, then he notices something suspicious.

The Higher Official, intrigued by the discovery, questioned, "What?"

The Lieutenant explained, "And view the pointed island through military navigation."

Upon closer examination, the Higher Official noticed a building on the island and remarked, "Is that a building on that island?"

Dr. Jackson, also observing, added, "I think there's an antenna on top too."

The Lieutenant disclosed, "That's a laboratory."

The Higher Official, shocked, exclaimed, "What?"

Perplexed by this revelation, the Higher Official inquired further, "What are you saying? An abandoned island has a laboratory?"

The Lieutenant clarified the island's history, saying, "It's not abandoned, or rather, it wasn't abandoned."

He continued to provide historical context, revealing, "In the 80s and 90s, it was the most wanted laboratory in the world."

The Lieutenant elaborated on the island's purpose, stating, "All the bioweapons were developed here, weapons that could wipe out the entire human race."

He further detailed the island's history, saying, "When the Second World War ended, every outpost, every laboratory, every military base, hidden outpost was seized by different governments."

The Lieutenant explained the island's dark past, saying, "This deadly laboratory was shut down by the British government in the late 90s, left untouched for years. There's no mention of this island in the history books."

He continued to share the island's history, revealing, "This place came to the attention of the Country government when they were searching for a location for weapon testing."

The Lieutenant described the island's secretive nature, saying, "Hyper-futuristic laboratories, kept private from the rest of the world."

When Dr. Jackson expressed amazement at the story, the Lieutenant emphasised, "This isn't a story."

Dr. Jackson, intrigued, asked, "Then what is it? We never knew about such a laboratory."

The Lieutenant explained, "This isn't about knowing."

Dr. Jackson, advocating for immediate action, suggested, "Okay, so bomb that place and everything will be fine. Why have more discussions about this matter?"

Dr. Benjamin, a voice of reason, disagreed, saying, "That isn't right."

Dr. Jackson pressed, asking, "Why not?"

Dr. Benjamin explained his stance, saying, "If we bomb that place, everything will be destroyed, including any potential cures for these Fungus. We can't ignore the cause; we need to know the actual reasons."

Dr. Benjamin emphasized the importance of understanding the situation, adding, "And who knows, many other parasites or viruses could have originated from that laboratory."

Dr. Jackson, still advocating for a direct approach, asked, "So, how do you propose we learn more about this laboratory?"