Jakarta, Indonesia

Ground Zero Cordyceps Outbreak

September 23, 2013

Lieutenant General Agus Hidayat was sitting in a small room across from a pensive woman. She was on a yellow couch, with a shaking cup of tea spilling in her hands.

Her name was Ibu Ratna, a professor of mycology at the University of Indonesia.

"I have written up a statement. Please sign here that everything is true and correct."

"You'll have to read it to me Lieutenant General, I'm simply not capable right now."

He held up the paper in front of him where he sat, and began,

"On 23 September 2013, I inspected the body of a person infected with cordyceps fungus. These are the facts I was presented with:

-The body of the woman had become infected thru a human bite approximately 30 hours prior to inspection

-This event occurred at a flour and grain factory on the west side of Jakarta.

-A normal woman became violent and attacked 4 men; biting 3 of them.

-The wounded men locked her in the bathroom.

-The police came and when she was confronted, she tried to attack them. They dispatched her in self-defense.

-The wounded men were taken in for observation. Within a few hours they became violent and were dispatched according to procedure.

I advised that this outbreak could not be contained.

Ibu Ratna looked off into the distance. "Where were they bitten?"

"The neck. And the female was bitten on the foot" Agus responded quickly. His lips were pursed tight.

"Add that to the statement of fact. I would like to go home." She put her tea on the table and dug her nails into the backs of her hands. He diligently wrote a few more sentences of fact.

The Lieutenant General's eyes were filled with desperation, "Do you really believe that we have to…b-b.."
"I would like to go home." She said slowly, in a voice that was already sobbing. He handed the paper over to her and she signed it along with the date.

He cleared his throat, "Someone will escort you back. May God seize you and keep you."

Agus looked at the statement in his hands and went outside the building by himself. He'd seen the proof of the infection. He'd heard from multiple experts now. He steeled himself and using his radio, called his driver. He was going to the U.S. embassy, to hand over this paper. He'd bribe the driver handsomely for his silence.