Human Catastrophe

Chapter 1

A small airplane flew through Brazilian Northeast. Using night vision equipment, the airplane crew could see a greenish landscape. They could see two large formations emerging in the horizon. The pilot and the co-pilot thought they were seeing two giant identical stones, one faced to the left and another to the right, which was intriguing because there were no mountains of such dimensions in the region. A fear came upon each one; gradually appearing beneath what they thought to be the mountains, fingers spread out on the ground making the unbelievers occupants of the airplane realizing they were seeing two giant feet.

The airplane went by one of the feet and the frightened crew could saw a giant human form lying on his stomach. While the airplane occupants saw part of one leg on the right side, high definition cameras filmed and photographed the found. The pilot and the co-pilot felt cold when they realized what they saw was breathing due to oscillation of his back. Briefly, the crew could saw, miles below, a giant left hand spread with his fingers raised, which the aircraft occupants, stupefied, estimated only the palm should be about 3 miles long.

The human form stayed behind, the crew, known the reconnaissance plane, traveling at 280 mph took about 10 minutes to travel the distance from the feet to the top of the head, came to the idea of the immensity of the supposed human.

***

SOME DAYS EARLY

Sometimes we work for good, sometimes for evil, thought Francisco Moraes holding a Red Bull tin Why for evil? The country must arm itself to prevent the leeches from taken their riches, he took off the glasses and rubbed his face My God! Here am I trying to fool myself, I never cared if foreign powers are wanting or not the national wealth after all, he took another sip. He remembered the day he met an old acquaintance. Prof. Moraes knew Armando Bastos from his youth. Both studied in Colegio Militar do Rio de Janeiro (Military College of Rio de Janeiro), when they grew up, Francisco chose the College and Armando followed the Military career. Some time ago, the soldier searched for him to propose the return of an old project where both are involved.

Francisco formed in physics, 55 years old and with gray hair. His small circular glasses were before reddish eyes with dark circles around. He wore a light green coat with an institution logo in his pocket. After his wife having leukemia, he decided to research some kind of cure. She passed away but he decided to continue his research in her honor and a few years ago, he developed a wave emission system who worked in the bone marrow cells and increased by up to 30% the chances of spontaneous remission of some kinds of leukemia. It was unknown exactly what the mechanism was, but it was what eight laboratories around the world tried to answer. At the same time that he worked in a project for the improvement of the brachytherapy, a cancer treatment technique which goal was to eliminate cancer cells by saving the healthy ones, he secretly worked in the development of a powerful weapon.

The truth is I don’t know how to say no, for fear of lose friendships. I even thought about making this weapon in my youth, but I matured and Armando too. However, he matured like a soldier and now he is General Armando Bastos. He put his glasses on again.

The property in which he spent until the dawn belonged to Cenapesci – Centro Nacional de Pesquisas Científicas (National Center of Scientific Research), based in Brasilia and with facilities in several cities in Brazil. It was a two-story building with ice-blue façade located in Alto Gávea at the end of Marques de São Vicente. There were three rooms exclusively designed to allocate the projects of the students and teachers, however, that night, only one of them was used – One was with their projects suspended and another was waiting of sufficient equipment to start a new project.

Holding his can of Red Bull with some liquid, he got up making a face placing one hand in his back. He left the kitchen and entered in a large room with 1077 ft². There were tables, chairs, cabinets, project materials... He approached a generation of the project called Wave Emitter: a device about 4’11" feet long, light grey with an LED flanked by a cabinet. That device was not the last generation of the project and it had a rustic looking. Not far away from the Wave Emitter had a table with instruments, plants and pieces — result of several days of work. After emptying his drink, he threw it in the trash.

He walked to the embryo of the project of the Wave Emitter. The object with 4’11" feet tall caused vibrations in the air. Francisco took of his coat and shirt and pushed an interrupter. He stood with this back to the device and began to feel vibrations in his backside and neck. A security guard entered in the room. He was using a work uniform: gray shirt and black pants. At first, he was startled to see Francisco’s static body flickering in front of the machine. He approached of the scientist and talked.

Nothing better than a massage after a night full of work.

Francisco opened his eyes and agreed

This is great! I was thinking of getting rid of this thing until I discovered that this was a sizeable massager.

What about the other device? the security guard asked.

Cancer treatment, but it’s not ready. replied Francisco.

The security guard walked to the locker room and the scientist stayed exposed to the air shocks. After five minutes, he left the field of action of the device and squirmed a little to see if the pain had reduced or disappeared. He smiled a satisfied smile at the result, turned off the device and replaced his shirt and coat.

He walked over to a table and picked up a silver object of 5 centimeters who looks like a spearhead. This name was WESS (Wave Emitter Super Stimulator). He approached of the Wave Emitter and fitted the WESS. He went to the kitchen, returned with a pear, and put it on a bench in front of the Wave Emitter. He put one of his eyes in front of the display, seeing a blue circle aiming to a corner of the room. With one of his hands, he held a lever and moved the display until the blue circle aim to the fruit. He pressed a button, initializing Windows. With a mouse, he pointed to an icon, which, after be clicked, showed a software on the screen. After typed some commands, a WESS image slowly rotating clockwise appeared. He put the cursor in the image and clicked on it. The image grew ten times, showing amplified details of the pieces. Francisco typed a password who only he knew and pressed Enter. The image of one WESS detail that he secretly installed began to blink. After he pressed a button, he waited. It was not long before the pear start to tremble. He took off the glasses, speechless. The fruit levitate a few centimeters from the bench. A red light involved the pear who starts to tremble intensely.

But, what is that? ... asked the scientist undertone.

He waited for one minute to see if something would occur, and after that, he clicked on a command. The fruit fell to the ground. He picked it up and squeezed it to see if any change had occurred.

So much show for no progress, he thought disappointedly. But what was that light?

***

The gate opened. Alda, in her Peugeot, was waiting at the same time that Sandro walked into the lobby. He, who came by bus because his car was in the maintenance, entered in the building through a small door. The car entered the courtyard. Alda saw a Mercedes and parked next to it. She left the Peugeot and locked the door.

Alda, 25 years old, with brown hair and eyes, white skin; Medic, specializes in Oncology and after that, fell in love with Physics. The profession, added to the passion made her approach Nuclear Medicine. She has worked with Francisco Moraes in the project for leukemia treatment. She was now doctorate in Medical Physics linked to Francisco’s project and she attended patients in her office in Copacabana in the afternoon.

Sandro graduated in Mechanical Engineering and worked for an extinct Formula 1 team. He could work in another team if he wanted, but he resolved study Physics and teach related subjects with Mechanical Engineering. He started to make both in the CNURJ – Centro Nacional Universitário do Rio de Janeiro (University National Center of Rio de Janeiro), teaching in the afternoon and studying in the night. With 28 years, he showed the same skin color, hair and eyes of Alda. There were even those who thought they were brothers.

Alda, Sandro and the janitor greeted each other. When they saw the Mercedes, the newcomers soon deducted Francisco has stayed the whole night. Alda suspected he had slept there. Both greeted the watchman, who confirmed that the scientist had stayed all night. They entered in a room and saw Francisco seated in a chair looking a plant. When he saw the newcomers, he greeted them and commented that both arrived early.

Yes. In fact, we get up early agreed Alda And you? It seems you slept here... she noticed Francisco’s red eyes.

I think he not even slept, noticed Sandro.

I don’t have classes today; so, I think I can recover part of my forces sleeping in afternoon weighted Professor Moraes.

Sandro said he would prepare the coffee and Alda followed him. Professor Moraes warned then that he exposed the pear who he left to the Wave Emitter just for his curiosity and do not threw it because the trash was full. They went to the kitchen and Alda opened the pantry’s door to take coffee powder and a coffee maker.

My god! Sandro was amazed looking for all the cans of Red Bull.

Alda saw the cans and shook her head. Sandro put all together so they could be dump in the trash afterwards.

After about one hour, more two students arrived: Fabio and Estela, both Physics students of CNURJ. He was 19 years old and she was 20. Despite the red hair, Fabio had oriental features due to his Japanese descent. Estela had African descent despite her green eyes and brown hair. They passed respectively for the 3th and 4th grades as students of afternoon class. Thanks to the project they did together in a robotics contest, Prof. Moraes invited then to join his team. All of Francisco’s team were present now.

A Guinea Pig with lung tumor was on the table. Tiny stainless steel capsules were surgically insert. Francisco was already in front of the Wave Emitter’s display. While he typed the commands, the Guinea Pig’s image accented on screen until the blue circle was on a certain region of the drawing of the animal. He typed some commands and the emitter start to buzz. Inside the animal, the capsules started to vibrate and emit alpha radiation. The Guinea Pig was expose for ten minutes; Prof. Moraes turn off the device and put the animal inside a box to examine afterwards.

That morning, the team follow their routine: Sandro reworked a technical drawing; Alda presented the design of new pieces for the device to the others and Fernando, taciturn, seemed distant in his thoughts.

***

A red Corsa arrived in front the building of Cenapesci followed by a van. A biologist and a brown-haired girl got out of the car. The girl was 30 years old and the glasses she wore gave her an intellectual air. Six men, a support team, got out the van; shortly after, the driver got out stretching his legs; the biologist went to the van to take the cargo. One of the men passed some boxes for the four men who were outside and for the biologist. The newcomers entered the building. The biologist has gotten one of the rooms to work in a project. He put what he carried down and opened the room’s door with a key. Someone caught the girl’s attention: the security guard Jorge. It was her first time there, so she never had seem him. The guard greeted everyone.

Is my dad in his room? she asked to the janitor.

Yes Miss Cíntia replied the janitor, He and all his team.

While the girl talked to the biologist that she would see her father, Jorge asked to the janitor if the Francisco‘s daughter would work there and knew that only the biologist would use one of the rooms with his team.

Among the support team was a Jorge acquaintance. He put a box on the floor and went to the guard.

Good news! The university needs people for the support team. If you still interested in vacation’s work, just go there with your documentation.

Thanks José! Jorge said with a big smile in his face, I needed a little more money.

After passed the address and the necessary documentation for Jorge, José went to the street to take another box. Back in the room, he took a microscope from a box and placed it on the table. Curious, Jorge putted one of his eyes on the microscope. He said that he saw nothing and José explained that he would have to move the mirror. Jorge still spoke that he saw nothing but a glare and José explained that he would put something under the microscope lens. The biologist intervened and said that he would bring something; he returned with a small leaf and putted it under the microscope lens. He putted one eye above the lens and commented:

Ok, now you can see something

Jorge putted an eye on the lens and saw a greenish landscape divided by grooves.

It’s amazing! commented Jorge amazed.

He kept looking the telescope until he saw a tiny white animal with four pairs of legs. More of his kind appeared. Jorge took his eye off the telescope and stared at the leaf, trying to see the little beings. He told the biologist what he saw.

They are mites, informed the biologist looking through the lens.

It is impressive how can exist creatures so little! said Jorge returning to the microscope.

They are giants compared to amoebas and bacteria, commented the biologist.

The biologist returned to clean the room and Jorge continued to observe the mites. He started to shake the leaf and talked in a deep voice:

I am the giant who will shake your world!

The mites continued their lives and Jorge thought about the indifference of the little beings

It’s like another world; another dimension

All equipment already brought in occupied a few tables but still lacked to bring some more for the biologist start his research. After locked the room, he left with the support team.

***

The morning was over and the researchers took off their coats after store all the materials. They heard a sound and all looked for their direction: the Wave Emitter who was trembled. Francisco went in front of the emitter’s display and saw that it was off. He looked all the structure of the device and typed some commands.

What you are seeing, Fabio? Sandro asked.

Curious... Fabio said, A fly freeze in the air and it barely flaps its wings

Professor Moraes and his team saw a fly frozen in the air trembling a little. A red light around it. The researchers looked a little closer to try to believe what they were seeing.

What’s hap...? Alda started to ask.

Francisco went back to the Wave Emitter. At first, he did not know what to do until he turned on the device. No matter how much he typed controls, he came to no conclusion. He looked for the WESS, who still was plug in the Wave Emitter.

What’s happening, Moraes? Fabio asked, What do you found?

N... Nothing answered Francisco pressing the command to turn off the