141 Humanity's Last Hope?
Furthermore, later on, it became apparent that people who were already infected with the normal HIV for a long period of time were dying one after another even though they were previously diagnosed to have at least a year or two to live.
But since there were less than forty million people with HIV/AIDS in the world, almost no one paid them any attention.
Before the news had spread, some people had already realized the shocking increase in the number of people who now had AIDS, which was to the point that the result of everyone who came to test for AIDS came positive.
However, they assumed it was a simple increase in the statistics and even if they began to worry about it, their thoughts would never reach to the pandemic level.
A very few numbers of people, countable with two hands, though had realized that something was wrong with the world, but they couldn't spread it to the rest of the world in any way because they would be called insane, mad, or something similar.
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THE WHITE HOUSE
Currently sitting inside the Oval Office, the President was talking to someone.
"So you're saying the news is spreading all over the world and we have no way of putting a stop to it?" The President questioned with a deep frown on his face.
"Yes, we've also experienced some small riots at some places because they are upset that the government has kept this from them and more importantly because they are despairing." That person responded.
"Why didn't you stop that News Company from broadcasting it?" He questioned with a little bit of anger apparent in his voice as if he had finally found an excuse to let his anger out on.
"That News Channel works independently... and they planned this revelation in secret, so we came to know of it when it was already too late sir... I'm sorry." The other person replied with an apologetic voice.
"Jesus Christ... just thinking about this whole situation makes me really afraid, to be honest..." The president voiced, still frowning as his face was also pale.
"Sigh... whatever, what's done is done... so what's the best solution you suggest right now?" The President queried further.
"I believe what's important right now is to gain people's trust back... and since we can't control the situation and keep the information from spreading, I believe our best option is to reveal it all right now. That's my thought, Mr. President."
"Hmm... what happened to those groups of scientists we gathered from all around the Earth? Did they make any progress? Is there any hope left?" Questioned the President with very weak lights of hope burning in his eyes.
"This... unfortunately, no sir, there was almost no progress at all and they seem quite pessimistic about this whole situation."
"Hm... that's what I thought... okay, you can go outside now, I will think about it and notify you of my decision in half an hour at most." And the small meeting between the two was adjourned just like that.
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HALF AN HOUR LATER
"Okay, I've decided, tell the other countries this..." The President finally notified that person of his decision.
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CONFERENCE ROOM IN THE WHITE HOUSE
Currently, the conference room was filled with waves of reporters who had rushed here with the fastest speed they could, the moment they heard there was going to be an important announcement from the White House Office.
Now, the reporters were all gathered in the conference room and after they waited for around ten minutes, finally someone came on the tribune.
And looking at the face of the person on the tribune, the reporters were a little surprised to see that it was the president himself facing them.
With this, they could immediately infer that the matter must be quite serious for the President himself to personally show up.
"Hello everyone, please let me do all the talking, also, keep in mind that there will be no Q/A sessions." Saying this, the President began.
"Today I'm going to reveal this piece of information we've been keeping to ourselves from the public eye for the good of the people because we thought it would cause unnecessary panic."
"But since it's already out, there is no point in denying or keeping it a secret... so, what I want to announce today is..." As he talked until here, the president went entirely silent.
Then, after what seemed like an eternity later, he replied, "Yes, the news regarding the mutated HIV disease is absolutely true, this disease has come to be called the Super HIV by the group of scientists we gathered from around the whole world."
"And, after intense research and investigation, we realized that every carrier of this Super Virus will be dead in around a year... and that it was highly infectious, like none other seen before... and ..." Once again, he was quiet after that.
"Unfortunately, almost the whole world has already been infected with this extremely infectious disease... because by the time we realized the existence of this Super Virus, it was already too late." And so, he was finally done revealing the shocking news which would probably greatly affect the whole world.
Lots of gasps could be heard shortly afterward, as the reporters even forgot to start taking photos or noting the President's words until a long while later when the sounds of repetitive pictures being taken were finally heard.
"So it was true..."
"Is this world ending for real...?"
"Oh my God, I can't believe we're all dying... the whole world is dying, does that make any sense?"
Then, mumblings like these could be heard among the reporters, when finally one of them asked what would probably be everyone's question after calming down, "Mr. President, please reply to this question..."
"Has our government or any other governments throughout the world found a solution or a cure for this disease?"
Listening to this question, the President's face darkened a little, but after a short period of silence, he replied, "Everyone can be rest assured because we've already gathered the best group of scientists in the field of HIV in the most advanced laboratory along with hundreds of thousands of other scientists helping from the sidelines... so, it's only a matter of time before we find the cure to this deadly disease, that will be all, thank you for coming." Concluding with this, the President began to walk out of the conference room.
"I see, so we might be saved after all."
"That will definitely happen, this can't possibly be the end of this world."
"Sigh... that scared me for nothing..."
"But, what if they are unable to find the cure in a year? What then?" Someone asked worriedly.
"Didn't you hear the president's words, almost every scientist is putting his brain on this... so like this, with just one year of research, it will probably compare to hundred years of gradual research, don't worry."
"Yes, yes, he's right, let's announce the bad news along with humanity's last hope to the rest of the world."
Almost every reporter was so preoccupied biasedly deducing conclusions from the President's words that they forgot the President had said it's only a matter of time and hadn't announced a specific time like 'The cure will be found within a year' which meant, now, everything was up to this one simple question: Would mankind last until that fateful moment?