The disease struck the young and the old. Men got a cough. Women got considerably more.
Some nations had different reactions than others. Most of China viewed those afflicted as something to exterminate. Getting to the Amazon Village was difficult, but Cologne assured them that those that left right away with them could make it there without problem. She had... resources apparently.
There were nations that were dealing with a panicked populace that were not immediately giving into the mob reaction - those were mocked at the very least by their 'fourth estate' and various pundits. Some, like Canada and the United States, were positively schizophrenic in their attitudes - taking both pro and anti stances at the same time.
Not everyone was a mob ready to tear apart the afflicted. There were loved ones who had stood by their women through their illness and transformation and who stood with them thereafter. In some tragic cases they were being slaughtered alongside those they sought to protect.
As the news worsened with terms like 'mandatory euthanasia' being used, some of those afflicted chose to flee rather than stand their ground.
Still the virus spread despite attempts at containment by panicked authorities. As it did, so too did the fever pitch of the hysteria of those who were only getting their information from the often haphazard news reports.
As happened in soccer matches in Europe, or other sports matches on occasion in the US, there were the occasional mobs of protesters who simply went about engaging in truly mindless violence.
The flashpoint occurred in a place no one would have truly expected it to. A place called Shinjuku.
"-what seems like hundreds of people who have cornered the yoma and are using everything they can lay hands on to throw at these monsters. They are - oh my kami."
"That's it, I'm packed," announced Nabiki. "Let's go."
"NOOOOOOO! MY LITTLE BABIES!" wailed Soun. "You can't go to some foreign country!"
"You'd rather we face THAT?" demanded Nabiki, jerking her thumb at the scene of mob violence on the screen. "If we sit here and go through this argument again, Cologne will be gone and our ride with her."
"But you'd be safe here," tried Soun.
Nabiki simply ignored him and walked out. If her sisters accompanied her - fine. Better than fine actually. There was a time for dialoguing and a time for acting. This was a time for 'getting the hell out of Dodge' as an old TV program had once put it. Eventually things would calm down but right now things were anything but calm.
Cologne was waiting and nodded once as Nabiki arrived. "The truck's in back. We'll go from there to the harbor, leaving in five minutes. Use the bathroom if you need to. There's a fishing boat which we can use to get to China."
"You had all this arranged?" asked Nabiki, not complaining but curious.
"The Japanese tend to be insular and many prefer to do business strictly with other Japanese. Foreign nationals therefore form similar 'networks' as a matter of economic survival," stated Cologne.
"Ah," said Nabiki, understanding now.
Five long minutes passed while Cologne busied herself around the restaurant and Nabiki waited by the grocery truck. When it was over:
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(Posted Sat, 04 Jun 2005 08:37)
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