100 years ago, amidst WW3's nuclear bombing, a deadly virus was released in the atmosphere and nearly wiping out the humanity.
It lives inside the human brain thriving on the empathy receptors, leading to irrational behaviour and ultimately brain death. To slow the damage, scientists created L.O.V.E, short for Living Off Vital Emotions, a nanovaccine that numbs the virus and switches off all strong emotions.
As a last resort and with a dying planet, the Supreme Government created the City, a place to contain the infected survivors suitable for the experiment. Those in the first stages of illness became ideal candidates to receive the neuroinhibitor. Having their feelings restrained and their memory altered, those who come of age are designated a life partner through a Selection process, thus preserving the humankind.
A few decades after the trial had started, scientists had a major breakthrough. The nanites, which are highly chemically reactive organisms, are changing their bio-engineered purpose when dopamine levels are high. With a new generation of nanoids, stronger and smarter to fight the battle, the virus doesn't have a chance. Many attempts were made to create a man-made version of synthetic dopamine and each time the outcome was a disaster.
Their goal is to create new generations, immune to the virus. These are called Purebloods, the offsprings of those who find pure love, the only cure to save them from a violent death.
Running out of time, the Experiment entered in its final stages. To minimize the threats, the Colonies have sent their best soldiers to oversee the trial and protect its key subjects. If only things were going according to plan, or better...stay hidden.
With Iron Guard, the resistance outside the walls, hunting the Purebloods too, will the trial save human race before it's too late?
#3 in #dystopianfuture (27.06.2020)
*THE UNEDITED VERSION* Beware of typos, errors, and general mistakes. This is a very, very rough draft.
"I live in a place called Compound 4. We are one of ten different compounds placed at strategic locations around the US. It's been thirteen years since the virus overtook humanity, turning about ninety percent of us into zombies. I'm not sure how it started exactly; that's classified information. I do know that in order to save what was left of the human race, the president at the time took a bunch of really smart people and kids and relocated them into new 'protected' cities. My father was one of those really smart people. I was only five at the time, but I knew what was happening."
Within the walls of the compound, Jay makes stupid mistakes, mistakes even she doesn't understand, putting everyone inside at risk. All because she can't shoot someone. All because she misses the wind in her hair, the flowers on the hillsides, the sound of crickets at night. All because she's different, the only person untouchable by the Virus.
When the mistakes begin to duplicate, and a girl shows up who knows her name, everything begins to change in Compound 4.
Highest rank in Science Fiction: #9