Chapter 9: The Trail of Shadows
New Delhi, India – AIIMS Virology Research Lab
Dr. Ananya Bose flipped through the decrypted files, her pulse quickening with every new page.
The Crimson Strain was no accident.
Sitting across from her, Vikram Mehta—an investigative journalist—was already recording notes on his laptop. He had spent weeks tracing the outbreak’s origins, uncovering irregularities in the genetic sequence of the virus.
“This isn’t a natural mutation,” he muttered. “The sequencing is too precise, too… tailored.”
Ananya nodded. “And the markers… These are laboratory-induced changes.”
She pulled up an analysis from their forensic virology team. The telltale signs of genetic tampering were clear—strategic deletions, artificial gene insertions.
“The signature matches BioGenX.”
Vikram’s eyes snapped to hers. “The UK-based biotech firm?”
Ananya leaned back, exhaling sharply. “They’ve worked on gain-of-function research before, under classified government contracts. If they’re involved…”
Vikram rubbed his temples. “It means someone commissioned this virus. Someone wanted this pandemic.”
A heavy silence filled the lab.
Then Ananya whispered, “We need to get to the bottom of this—before they realize we’re onto them.”
Mumbai, India – A Sealed Hard Drive
Two days later, Vikram was standing in a dimly lit basement beneath a run-down cybercafé in Mumbai. Across from him sat a hacker known only as "Cipher."
“Your friend at AIIMS was right,” Cipher said, pushing a hard drive across the table. “BioGenX had a contract with a private research facility in the UK. But here’s the kicker—some of the preliminary work was done here in India.”
Vikram’s heart pounded. “What do you mean?”
Cipher’s fingers flew across the keyboard, pulling up an email chain. “Look at this.”
The emails were between BioGenX executives and a private pharmaceutical lab in Pune. The subject lines alone made Vikram’s stomach drop:
“Human trial viability in tropical conditions”
“Deployment modeling: South Asian demographics”
“Thermal adaptation sequence integration”
“They weren’t just testing a virus,” Cipher muttered. “They were modifying it for targeted outbreaks.”
Vikram swallowed hard. “This means India was more than just an accident. It was part of the plan.”
Cipher nodded. “And the people funding this? They’re in London.”
Vikram clenched his fists. The real masterminds were across the ocean.
London, UK – The First Clue
By the time Vikram arrived in London, he had already arranged a meeting with Evelyn Carter, a former BioGenX virologist who had contacted him anonymously.
They met in a quiet café near King's Cross.
She was pale, her hands shaking as she slid a USB drive across the table. “Everything you need is on there.”
Vikram plugged it into his laptop, skimming through the files. Then he saw it:
A document titled ‘Project Sanguine: Strategic Containment Protocol.’
His blood ran cold.
“This wasn’t just a bioweapon,” Evelyn whispered. “It was designed to be deployed selectively. The outbreaks in India were just the first phase.”
Vikram looked up. “And the next?”
Evelyn’s voice barely carried over the noise of the café.
“Europe. But only in the areas they want.”
His chest tightened. They were controlling the spread. Deciding who lived and who died.
The world was being reshaped. And now, they were running out of time to stop it.
SURBHI SINHA