The two had deployed a force field of such; well, essentially it was X-rays that could easily penetrate the bacteria’s cell walls and immobilize them. One drawback, however, was the waves could not be emitted for more then several seconds, unless the humans operating them were protected. Apart from biological, chemical, or worse yet, nuclear warfare, this method had proved most effective.

As for the bug, its intelligence allowed it to mutate itself and other bacteria. It had the ability to rearrange DNA in cells and make them harmful or self-harming. Basically, they had complete control on a cellular level. They also had learned several other problematic things: the swarm theory, which added to their intelligence, and how to make other bacteria produce toxins. That being said, this bug could work unnoticed so that entire communities were unaware of their existence, a diabolical dilemma.

“Larry?” the man in the black jacket, Steve, asked, “is it safe to leave?”

“I haven’t a clue,” Larry responded.

“Well you’re the scientist!” Steve snapped back.

“Don’t take your problems out on me! I probably just saw all my co-workers die too,” Larry shot back. That effectively ended the conversation. Both of them knew that eventually the bug would figure out a way to cut the power, or the power would run out. The power could last for about three days, according to the force-field’s generator. In that time the bug would hopefully decide to leave the two for the dead. When the bug came through an area it killed everything, usually starting with the humans.

A day later, the two sat in their protective bubble wondering. The man in the black jacket, Steve, was thinking of his family, which had been moved to the Antarctic some months prior. The bug hadn’t developed into a strain that could survive in the sub-zero yet; it was only a matter of time.

However, the remaining humans needed to build a space craft to ferry them elsewhere. The Antarctic was simply not a good place to launch. To counter this, the humans sent multiple parties to various sites, across the globe, to set up a launch zone in hopes that one of them would finish construction.

Two days after being trapped in their bubble, with one to go, the scientist started wondering. How could evolution have gone so wrong? Why had we not foreseen it, and worse yet, why can’t we stop it? The problem was, as the scientist was well aware, natural selection. Right now the humans were being deemed weaker.

The last day. The force field was going to fail. They had only today. Either this was their last day, or they’d spend the rest of their lives wandering for food, looking for areas unaffected by the bug. There would be a constant worry: What if we are walking into a trap, what if the water’s poisoned, what if we can’t find food. Either way, they both wanted to live.

“Larry….” Steve asked dryly, barely finishing the one word. They had nothing to eat or drink since the bug had come.

“Yes?” Larry asked as dryly as Steve.

“Well what happens if we cut a deal with the bacteria and tell them the where the humans are hiding, maybe they’d let us go,” Steve theorized.

“No that won’t work they’ll kill us anyway,” Larry answered, so dehydrated and hungry that no sense of worry overcame him.

“Well why don’t we try, we got nothing to lose,” Steve argued.

“Yeah, we’ll get everyone else killed,” Larry answered, his mind slowly beginning to realize what Steve was proposing.

“It’s still worth a try,” Steve begged in his rasp voice.

“Think of your family,” Larry begged back.

“I think we should make a deal,” Steve concluded. He groped around the machine for a split second, trying to locate the release button. He found it and deactivated it. He quickly yelled, “I have a deal for you, I have a deal.” Larry wondered if the bacteria had left. “I can tell you where the humans are!” In reply, the bacteria devoured Larry in a split second. They were everywhere, under his nails, in his eyelids and his mouth. If Steve blinked he would have missed it.

Steve stared where Larry had stood in horror. “Don’t do that to me!” Steve yelled. He felt a sharp pain in his right toes. He looked and saw that they were gone. He held his breath, as if hoping to delay the pain. “Alright I’ll tell if you promise not to hurt me!” to this the bacteria devoured the left toes. “They’re in Antarctica! The south pole!”

And then, like he was never even there, Steve vanished.