Chapter 7
Pyotr
To: Michael Haugen, Director-General
Cold Shore Global Contingency
I will introduce myself first, so you will understand my expertise.
I hold a PhD equivalent in Genetics – what we call Candidate of Sciences in Russia – and a Doctor of Sciences degree specializing in Biotechnology.
Before the virus, I was a lead geneticist at the Centre of Genetics and Biotechnology in Novosibirsk, Siberia.
I first learned of the Cold Shore Contingency while working with them, though I must admit that I never believed it would be something humanity would need to rely on during my lifetime. Then, I thought such an event was far from possible – perhaps it was wishful thinking, perhaps denial.
The zombibeshenstvo – the virus we would eventually know as the lyssavirus genotype-8 – spread rapidly as soon as it was discovered. Fortunately, the cold slowed the infected, and the vastness of my homeland meant that we had more time than most.
The infected are driven to bite and claw, spreading the disease easily. The incubation period is horrifyingly short – just 24 to 72 hours from exposure to complete loss of reason. They seem to feel no pain, fueled by relentless surges of adrenaline and an insatiable hunger.
Looking back now, I realize that we were doomed from the moment the virus emerged. I stayed too long in the laboratory, desperate to find solutions. By the time I fled with my wife, Irena, and our two children, the city had fallen to the zombies. My wife and younger son did not make it out.
Traveling across the countryside, the scale of the devastation became clear.
Millions were dead, and those who survived faced terror not only from the infected but from each other.
Resources were scarce, and humanity fell back into their most violent, desperate urges.
It took six months to reach the sea and another month to secure passage to Cold Shore.
The events of those months confirmed what I now know: Cold Shore is humanity’s only hope.
This is the very catastrophe that the initiative was designed to address.
As one of the leading experts in genetics and biotechnology, I am uniquely qualified to assist in this mission.
I have devoted my life to these studies, and I am prepared to devote the rest of my life to the contingency.
All I ask for in return is that my surviving son, Dmitry, be allowed to stay with me at Cold Shore. I understand space and resources are limited, but I cannot work if it means abandoning my son.
Especially now, I cannot make that sacrifice.
It may seem bold to make such a request, given that I am not currently a part of your organization.
We are not colleagues, and I am just another survivor.
But I know that in a world starved of intelligence and expertise, I have the skills and knowledge to justify my presence. I ask you to weigh my words carefully.
I will await your reply at the base camp beyond the compound gates.
With the utmost respect,
Pyotr V. Popov, PhD, DSc