Valter was sprawled on his bed, his headset stuck in his ears, laughing quietly so as not to wake up his parents. It was dawn and he was, as usual, on a call with his friends. The screen of the cell phone glowed in the darkness of the room, and you could hear, muffled, the voices of Ian, Cassiano, Mateus, and Gabriel, shouting about the team’s defeat in the match.

― Oh no, bro, this internet sucks! ― Valter said angrily.

While his friends were talking at the same time, to the point where he didn’t understand half of what was being said, Valter got out of bed to pack his backpack for the trip. As usual, he had left the packing at the last minute. In a corner of the room, Finn’s backpack, from one of his favorite cartoons, ‘Adventure Time’, is lying around, along with some clothes; he put them together randomly.

Until Gabriel, one of his friends, who was coming with him on the trip, asked about the time once again.

― No, bro, listen to me… ― Valter tries to speak amid the chaos of the group call. ― My parents decided to go in the afternoon because in the morning they need to sort out a few things before the trip… Ian, have you given me your address?

“When are you coming, bro? Tomorrow?”

― No… ― the boy stares at the open closet, not sure what to pack. ― I don’t know if we’re going to get stuck in a traffic jam or not, so I’ll have to check with my dad… ― he starts picking up any clothes and throwing them into his backpack; if he woke up the next day without it ready, his mother would certainly cancel the trip.

The conversation in the group was still chaotic, and it only got worse when they decided to play Gartic. No one was good at drawing.

The trip from Anchieta to Saquarema would take around two hours, with no traffic or accidents along the way. Valter put his headphones and Nintendo Switch in his backpack and went to the kitchen to find some cookies in the cupboard.

Returning to his room, Valter said goodbye to his friends, as he didn’t like sleeping in the car, and threw himself on his bed. It didn’t take him long to fall asleep.

It had been three days since the end-of-year vacations had begun; it was the time when many families from the capital took a few days off, or even weeks, to go to their summer homes in the Lake District.

Like any family busy with the final preparations for a trip, Valter’s house was in chaos. Outside, the trunk of the family car, a Kia Sorrento, was open, while Carlos, his father, was trying to pack his things so that they would all fit in that space. It wasn’t just the bags; in addition to their son’s friend who was about to arrive and would take up space in the back seat, they needed to take some bedding clothes, blankets, pillows, the bags, an extra fan, the cat box with the cat…

Inside, Joana, his mother, was running around trying to get the cat into her transportation bag.

― Valter! ― she shouted. ― If I can’t put this cat inside in two minutes, she’ll stay here on her own.

― Calm down, Mom! I’ll get her… Morgana… ― he calls affectionately to the cat, and it doesn’t take long for her to come, all sweet, onto his lap. ― Just call her nicely…

― You’ll see the nicely, soon… ― Joana threatens. ― Put her in her bag and call Gabriel… Where has that boy been that he hasn’t gotten here yet? I swear, Valter, if your friend makes us get stuck in a traffic jam, I’ll go-

The doorbell rang just as Joana was about to finish her threat.

― See? He’s here… And how could he delay us if we’re not leaving until after lunch?

― Okay, okay… Go and see your friend.

The young shook his head, ran to the gate and as he opened it, he shouted, passing on his mother’s message to his father. Gabriel was a little taller than Valter, and, because he liked to train, he was bulkier. They studied together and, even though Valter’s family had moved to a more distant neighborhood, their friendship continued.

― Good morning, Uncle! Is Auntie inside?

― She is… She’s crazy about this trip… ― Carlos greeted the young man. ― Give me your backpack… Do you want to take something out of it to go with you?

― No, no, you can take it…

Gabriel handed over his backpack and followed Valter inside.

― Good morning, Aunt Jo!

― Good morning! ― the woman gave her son’s friend a side hug. ― Lunch will be ready soon, okay? Then we’ll wait half an hour and get on the road… Call your mother and let her know you’re here…

― You got it.

Gabriel sent a text message to his mother and was soon on the sofa next to Valter, both with their cell phones in hand, playing the same game.

Carlos returned, turned on the TV, and sat down on the other sofa. He looked through the news channels. It was his addiction. Unlike most men his age, he didn’t care for soccer and hated everything when it came to politics. But he always watched global news.

Joana teased him. She asked why he needed to know what was going on in other countries. They were in Brazil, where events were the same year after year: the public healthcare system in crisis, rising crimes, politicians promising and not delivering, unemployment, water shortages… Any problem in another country wouldn’t make any difference to them.

But Carlos thought it could be useful. According to him, one day something could happen that would shake the whole world and he needed to know things.

― Joana… My dear, come here… ― Carlos called out, pointing frantically at the TV. ― Look at this…

On the TV, the anchorman was announcing the latest updates on the war between Russia and Ukraine.

― What’s wrong, Carlos? Are we in Russia, by any chance?

― No, my dear, but look at this… There are rumors of a biological weapon that went wrong… If it’s true, even we’ll get hurt in this…

― How, Carlos? We’re a long way from Russia, man…

― Biological weapon, woman! It's gonna hit everywhere, even us…

Joana grimaced at her husband but began to pay attention.

The camera adjusted to focus on Tomas, the anchorman with a serious countenance, in his news studio. Behind him, a graphic pulsed, displaying red-stained maps of the world.

“Good morning, viewers. For many of you, it’s almost lunchtime, isn’t it? Today, we bring you alarming news that is reverberating across all continents. In a shocking development, Russia’s attempt to create a biological weapon, the Thanatos project, has resulted in an unimaginable disaster. A virus, now known as Thanex, escaped from their laboratories. And what began as military research turned into a global crisis.”

The screen split, showing images of cities in chaos: people running, sirens sounding, hospitals overwhelmed. Tomas’ voice became more intense, almost urgent.

“According to official sources, the Thanex virus causes a devastating mutation in human behavior. Those infected not only lose their minds but also turn into bloodthirsty creatures, viciously attacking any living thing that crosses their path. The statistics are alarming: there are already more than two million people infected across Europe, Africa, and Asia, and the number continues to grow. We still have no information on those infected in Oceania or the Americas.”

He paused, allowing the words to sink into the audience’s mind, while a new graph appeared, showing the spread of the virus by country and continent. The map looked like an open wound, spreading further every second.

― I told you, Joana, I told you it would hit us too…

― Carlos, nothing is happening here! Do you think we wouldn’t have known if it had gotten here? Especially in Rio de Janeiro?

― Shh! ― Carlos signaled for silence.

“In the last week, entire cities have been evacuated. Reports of violent attacks are becoming commonplace. Amateur videos are circulating on social media, showing the carnage in the streets. No, my dear viewers. These videos are not montages. It’s no longer just an outbreak, it’s an epidemic of terror. The international authorities are urging people to stay at home, to not come into contact with strangers, and to be vigilant at all times. This is a time when solidarity and caution are crucial. What we are facing is not just a disease, but a real urban apocalypse. And please, if you notice any strange behavior, get in touch at the number here on the screen. Now, let’s go to an expert who will give us more information about what we can do to protect ourselves and better understand this new threat, should it arrive in Brazil. Stay with us.”

As he spoke, the mood became darker. Joana picked up the remote control and turned off the TV.

― That’s nonsense, Carlos. What are the chances of this being true? How can they be sure it’s not fake?

― They must have analyzed it, woman… They wouldn’t say that on national television if it was a lie.

― True or false, the fact is that it didn’t get here. And I doubt it ever will… Rio de Janeiro doesn’t have room for anything else… ― she picked up the dishcloth slung over her shoulder and wiped her hands. ― Come on, kids, lunch is ready.

The aroma of beans and rice mingled with the smell of roasting meat; Carlos watched the youngsters with a distant expression. Joana was cutting up the meat and serving generous portions.

― Carlos, eat up! We still have to take the road…

― What if it really happens? ― Carlos insisted, his voice lower but firm. ― We need to get ready…

Gabriel leaned his head on his hand, amused.

― Just imagine, Valter! We could be the heroes of the apocalypse! Like setting up a fortress on the terrace and defending the city from zombies!

Carlos shook his head, a mixture of exasperation and affection.

― Look, kids, this isn’t just a joke. People are dying. What if the virus gets here? What if one of them…

― Dad, that’s not going to happen… ― Valter interrupted.

― Can we talk about something else? ― Joana asked. ― The last thing I want to talk about is zombies eating people when our lunch is meat.

Valter and Gabriel laughed.

― You’re right, Joana. Let’s talk about something else. ― Carlos nodded. ― But I still find it worrying.

The subject died down, and between jokes and plans, the food was finished and Carlos went back to the car to finish everything. It wasn’t long before Joana left the house, locking the door.

Within half an hour, without any traffic, the car was already driving up one of the entrances to the Rio-Niterói bridge. The sun was shining that December morning, with spring already at its end. The open windows of the car carried the wind with the strong smell of sea air from Guanabara Bay. The road was clear, but they knew that in a few hours, everything would be congested.

Carlos still had the habit of listening to the news on the radio. After fiddling a bit with the dial, looking for the right station, the announcer’s deep voice sounded serious.

“…new updates on the Thanex virus epidemic. According to official sources, the first case in Brazil has been confirmed. The patient, a man in his thirties, showed symptoms…”

A static interrupted the transmission, causing Joana to stare worriedly at the device.

“…recent contact with travelers from abroad. The authorities are already investigating the case, and it is recommended that…”

The voice began to fail again, a series of pops and squeaks. Carlos adjusted the tuning knob, but it didn’t seem to work.

― Dad…

― Calm down, just a moment… ― Carlos muttered, turning the dial.

“…stay calm and avoid crowds. The Ministry of Health is taking measures to…”

More squeaks and the announcer’s voice diminished until it almost disappeared. Joana frowned anxiously.

“…more information about the patient and the measures being taken. The government recommends that everyone…”

And suddenly there was a final pop, followed by a deafening silence. The radio went silent, just the distant sound of sirens and cars on the bridge.

Carlos let out a heavy sigh, staring at the blank radio screen.

― It looks like the signal’s gone down… It always does around here… ― Carlos grumbled and clenched his hands on the steering wheel. ― It’s never going to get here, huh?