Chapter 5: Interruption

03/28/2025 - Cedric

I sat there in Gabriel and Wendy's fancy living room, nursing my glass of whiskey and trying to wrap my head around the bombshell Gabriel had just dropped. Their place always made me feel a little out of place with its perfect furniture and those art pieces Wendy collected, but tonight I couldn't even appreciate the comfortable leather chair I was sinking into. My calloused hands gripped the tumbler so tight I was half worried I'd shatter the damn thing.

"Let me get this straight," I said, my voice rougher than I intended. "Some kind of virus has infected women worldwide? And it's… rewiring their brains?" I glanced over at Wendy, who was perched on the edge of the sofa looking like she couldn't decide whether to laugh or bolt for the door. Her fingers kept twisting that silver bracelet Gabriel got her for their anniversary, round and round like she was trying to screw it into her wrist.

Gabriel paced in front of the fireplace, his professor-type vocabulary failing him for once. He looked like hell: hair sticking up where he'd been running his hands through it, eyes bloodshot. The TV behind him showed some talking heads yakking about politics, the woman anchor's perfect smile a weird contrast to our conversation.

"I've double-checked all the data from Ramona and Phoebe," Gabriel said, stopping to lean against the mantel. "I'm not a biologist, and I don't specialize in neuroscience, but the evidence is… compelling. Look, I've known Ramona for years. She doesn't panic, and she doesn't make mistakes. If she says this is happening, I believe her." He took a deep breath. "I'd trust her with my life."

Wendy's face changed then, the skeptical half-smile dropping away like someone had wiped it off. "You're actually serious," she whispered. "This isn't some elaborate joke or misunderstanding." She stood up suddenly, arms wrapped around herself. "You're telling me my brain, my actual brain, has been altered without my knowledge or consent to receive some… some signal? Like I'm a goddamn antenna?" Her voice rose with each word.

I'd known Wendy for years, seen her handle museum disasters and budget cuts with grace, but I'd never seen her like this, scared in a way that made my chest hurt.

"What will it do to us?" she demanded, staring at Gabriel. "Just say it. You think it's mind control, don't you?"

Gabriel flinched like she'd slapped him. "We don't know for certain—"

"Gabriel." Her voice could have cut steel.

He sighed, shoulders slumping. "Yes, that's… one possibility."

"Jesus Christ," I muttered, draining my whiskey.

"But," Gabriel added quickly, "Phoebe and Ramona think it might be more limited. Perhaps just altering states of consciousness or—"

Wendy let out a sharp, bitter laugh that didn't sound like her at all. "Oh, well that's fine then! They're only going to alter my consciousness. Nothing to worry about!" She threw her hands up. "For fuck's sake, Gabriel!"

I'd rarely heard Wendy curse, and never like that. Gabriel looked like he'd been gut-punched.

My mind went straight to Olivia, my little girl who wasn't so little anymore, off at art school, painting and dreaming and having no idea that someone might be planning to hijack her brain. My hands started shaking, and I set the glass down before I really did break it.

"Is there any way to protect them?" I asked, my voice hoarse. "Olivia, Wendy, all the women we know? There's gotta be something we can do."

Gabriel ran both hands down his face. "Ramona and Phoebe are working in Echelon's MRI room. The shielding might block very low frequency transmissions, which is what they think will be used. But…" he hesitated.

"But what?" I pressed.

"But the space is limited. And we're not even certain the shielding will work. Worse, there's a possibility that if the virus contains some kind of failsafe, preventing the signal from reaching the altered brain structures might trigger… adverse effects."

The room went quiet except for the TV's murmur. The male news anchor was laughing at something the woman had said, both of them oblivious to the end of the world we were discussing.

"So we're damned if we do, damned if we don't," I said finally.

Wendy sank back onto the sofa. "We need to tell people. Our friends at least. They deserve to know what's happening."

Gabriel shook his head firmly. "We can't. Not yet. If this is as big as we suspect it is, a global conspiracy with resources to engineer and distribute a virus this sophisticated, then we can't risk attracting attention. Anyone we tell becomes a potential security leak, or a target."

"So we just sit here and wait?" Wendy's voice rose again. "While our friends go about their lives with no idea what's coming? That's not just wrong, Honey, it's cruel!"

"It's not about being cruel," Gabriel shot back. "It's about being smart! If whoever's behind this realizes we've discovered their plan, they might accelerate their timeline. Or worse, target us directly."

I could see them both getting worked up, Gabriel's logic battling Wendy's compassion, neither willing to give an inch.

"Look," I said, cutting through their argument. "I get where you're both coming from. Wendy, I'm scared shitless for Olivia too. The thought of her being affected by this…" I had to pause, my throat tightening. "But Gabriel's right. If we start telling people and word gets out, we could make things worse."

I turned to Gabriel. "And you need to understand why this is so hard. It's not just about logic. It's about watching people we care about walk around not knowing they're in danger."

Wendy's eyes were bright with unshed tears. "I can't just do nothing."

I reached over and took her hand, something I rarely allowed myself to do. Her fingers were cold. "We're not doing nothing. Ramona's working on this, right? And if anyone can figure out a solution, it's her. That woman's the smartest person I've ever met, and I've been around some damn smart people since you two dragged me into your fancy science circles."

That got a small smile from Wendy, which felt like a victory.

"Fair enough," she said quietly, echoing my favorite phrase. She pulled her hand away gently and wiped at her eyes. "I won't tell anyone. For now. But Gabriel, you need to keep me updated on everything. No protecting me by keeping me in the dark."

Gabriel nodded, relief visible on his tired face. "I promise."

I watched as Wendy started shaking, her arms wrapped around herself like she was trying to hold all her pieces together. Her eyes were wide, scared in a way I'd never seen before. Gabriel moved to her without hesitation, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her close against his chest. She buried her face in his shoulder, and I could see her fingers clutching at the back of his shirt.

I watched them, feeling that familiar little twinge in my chest, not even strong enough to call jealousy anymore, just an old ache I'd learned to live with years ago. Seeing them together always reminded me what I'd lost when Sarah died, but I couldn't begrudge them their happiness. I loved them both too damn much for that. They were family to me, and family comes before everything else.

After a minute or so, Wendy pulled back, wiping her eyes with the heel of her hand. "I'm going to make some tea," she said, her voice steadier than I expected. "Would either of you like some?"

"I'm good with this," I said, lifting my nearly empty whiskey glass with a weak smile.

Gabriel shook his head. "No thank you, Honey."

She nodded and headed for the kitchen, her back straight like she was forcing herself to hold it together. I could see the effort it took.

"Well," I said, breaking the heavy silence, "on the bright side, at least we don't have to worry about the city raising property taxes this year. End of the world should put a damper on that."

Gabriel let out a surprised snort, then a genuine laugh that sounded like it had been dragged out of him. "Trust you to find the silver lining, Ced."

"It's a gift," I shrugged, refilling my glass from the bottle Gabriel had left on the coffee table. "Though I gotta say, if I'd known the apocalypse was coming, I would've splurged on the fancy bourbon."

Gabriel sank back into his chair, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. Not much, but enough that he didn't look like he might snap in half anymore.

"I feel so damn powerless," he admitted, running a hand through his already messy hair. "I know Ramona and Phoebe are the best people to be working on this. If anyone can figure it out, they can. But…" He gestured vaguely. "The scale of this thing. It's global. And we're just a handful of people in a medium sized research facility."

"Yeah, well, David and Goliath and all that," I said, refilling my glass from the bottle on the coffee table. "Sometimes the little guy wins."

"You're right," Gabriel nodded, some of that academic determination creeping back into his expression. "We don't need to solve the whole problem at once. We just need to understand the mechanism, develop a countermeasure. If we can protect even a small percentage of women, or reverse the effects after the fact—"

He stopped mid-sentence I and suddenly became aware of the silence. The TV had been a constant background noise until… it wasn't. We both turned to look at the screen.

The female anchor was frozen, staring straight ahead with empty eyes, her mouth slightly open like she'd forgotten what she was saying mid-word. The male anchor beside her looked confused, then concerned. He leaned toward her, saying something we couldn't hear at this volume.

"Gabriel," I said, but he was already on his feet, staring toward the kitchen.

Wendy stood with her back to us, perfectly still in front of the electric kettle. The water had finished boiling. I could hear the click of it shutting off, but she wasn't moving to pour it.

"Honey?" Gabriel called, his voice tight. No response. "Honey!" He was running now, and I was right behind him, my heart hammering against my ribs.

She didn't turn when we reached her. Didn't blink when Gabriel moved in front of her. Her eyes were open but empty, staring at nothing. Her face was slack, expressionless, like someone had wiped away everything that made her Wendy.

"Wendy, Honey? Can you hear me?" Gabriel's voice cracked as he gently touched her arm. Nothing. No response at all.

"Wendy, come on now," I tried, moving into her line of sight, waving a hand in front of her face. "Snap out of it."

She didn't blink. Didn't flinch. Didn't seem to see us at all.

"It's happening," Gabriel whispered, his face draining of color. "The transmission. It's happening right now."

I felt cold all over. "What do we do?"

Gabriel carefully took Wendy by the shoulders and turned her away from the counter. She moved like a doll, offering no resistance but no help either. "Help me get her to the couch," he said, his voice tight with panic.

Between the two of us, we managed to guide her back to the living room. She walked when prompted but showed no awareness, her movements mechanical. We sat her down on the sofa, and she stayed exactly as we positioned her, hands in her lap, back straight, staring at nothing.

"Jesus Christ," I muttered, running a hand through my hair. "This is really happening."

Gabriel turned back to the TV and grabbed the remote, cranking up the volume. The male anchor was alone now, his professional demeanor cracking as he spoke rapidly.

"—reports coming in from across the country of women suddenly becoming unresponsive. Emergency services are overwhelmed with calls. We're seeing similar reports from Europe, Asia... This appears to be happening worldwide."

The screen split to show footage of a multi-car pileup on a highway, then cut to a sidewalk where women stood frozen like statues while panicked men tried to help them.

Gabriel fumbled for his phone, his fingers shaking so badly he could barely dial. "I need to reach Ramona," he muttered. "They need to know—" He pressed the phone to his ear, then pulled it away with a curse. "Voicemail. Straight to voicemail."

"That's good, right?" I said, still staring at Wendy's blank face. "If they're in the MRI room like they planned, they wouldn't have reception."

"You're right," Gabriel nodded, some of the panic leaving his expression. "You're right. That means they're protected. They can still work on this."

I knelt in front of Wendy, taking her cold hands in mine. "Wendy? Can you hear me? It's Cedric." Nothing. Not even a flicker of recognition. Just that empty stare and the occasional blink. "Come on, Honey, snap out of it."

Gabriel tried again, touching her face, saying her name over and over. I'd never heard him sound so ****. But Wendy just sat there, breathing steadily, completely unaware of our presence.

I turned the volume up higher as more footage appeared: a news helicopter showing highways dotted with stopped cars, a restaurant where half the patrons stood or sat in eerie stillness. The anchor was saying something about governments mobilizing emergency responses, but his words barely registered.

"Olivia," I suddenly blurted out, my head snapping up. "My God, Olivia will be affected too." The realization hit me like a physical blow. My daughter. My beautiful, talented daughter who was probably in her dorm room right now, painting or studying or hanging out with friends. Was she frozen like Wendy? Trapped in her own body? The thought made me sick with fear.

I was on my feet before I knew it, grabbing my jacket from the back of the chair. "I have to go. I have to find her."

Gabriel nodded, understanding in his eyes despite his own terror. "Go. I'll stay with Wendy."

I paused at the door, looking back at them, Gabriel kneeling beside Wendy's still form, the television flashing scenes of a world suddenly gone mad. "I'll call you when I find her," I promised, then I was out the door, running to my truck, praying I wasn't too late.

Alright! This was chapter 5 out of 67. I'll post one or more chapters daily. If you wish to support my work, or want exclusive access to the rest of the story, feel free to purchase it on Kindle or Smashwords, and do not hesitate to check out the rest of my published work there. As always, feedback is highly appreciated, good or bad.

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