Cells at Work: Ebola

Prologue

On a dark alley near the epidermis region of the left toe, a genocide was taking place.

A maiden in pure white swung her large scythe and cleaved an infected skin cell into two. Cellular fluids gushed out from the felled enemy staining her short caramel-brown hair and frilly maid uniform with splatters of crimson.

Surrounding her were her fellow maids also in the middle of extinguishing other infected cells that had turned into mindless zombies donning weird spiky hats. They wield an assortment of deadly weapons that looked terribly out of character from the noble persona they always try to project.

In their path laid the corpses of hundreds of their enemies with hundreds more to follow.

Another wave of the infected came rushing in from all opening alleyways, some crawling like spiders on the walls, hellbent on adding these maidens into their ranks.

The maid with a scythe looked at the incoming enemy and smiled.

"Sisters, we are outnumbered," she yelled. "The enemy sends reinforcements, and we are surrounded,"

The group had formed a circle on an intersection for four alleys now filled up with the second wave of the infected.

She tightened her gripped on her weapon as she chuckled. "They can't get away from us now."

She raised her scythe, and her entourage howled their delight for more carnage.

Their enemies responded with the haunting screams of the damned.

-0-0-0-

Her boots trudged on a sea of corpses. Her white maid dress had turned red from being drenched by the fluids of her felled enemies.

A still-living infected cell tried to get up, but she brought down the blade of her scythe on his back, ending his existence for good.

The second wave came, and they decimated it completely.

No mercy shown, no quarters given.

A grin slowly crept on her face. A sense of euphoria filled her body that made her tingle with pleasure. She dropped down her scythe as she tried to wrap her hands around her.

"This slaughter," she moaned. "It feels so good…"

Her fellow maids also stopped to savor the slaughter they've made.

In the vast society of cells inside the human body, they, the ever-industrious macrophages, have many roles to fulfill. They donned eloquent maid uniforms to indicate their work as nursery teachers, caretakers, and cleaners. A friend to many, a saint to all. They speak in a refined manner so as to maintain the nobility and respect expected of their breed.

However, beneath their smiles and proper etiquette lies a mitochondrion of a natural-born killer. Fearless and yet feared, they struck terror to all those who seek harm to the body.

They were the macrophages, the immune system's maidens of death.

"Beg your pardon Onee-sama…"

She turned her attention to her right where one of her subordinates stood and doing a curtsy.

"Yes, sister?" She bowed her head in return. "Anything to report?"

Her subordinate held out her right hand to show her a hat with spikes protruding from its surface. It had six chitinous legs and a long tendril dangled on its back that looked like a pneumococcus' tail if worn on the head.

She furrowed her brows as she leaned forward to get a closer look. "I have never seen such a strain of virus before."

"Aye, Onee-sama," Her subordinate concurred. "I've reported this virus to Dendritic-sama, and he mentioned there was no record of it before."

"Nasty little buggers," she quipped. "They must have spread through fluid contact with the ski-"

Her eyes suddenly went wide. Alarm bells inside her head screamed at her of impending danger, and she immediately jerked away from the virus hat.

She was just a fraction of a second too late.

The virus hat let out a screech as it leaped directly at her face.

The assault made her stagger a few feet back before she fell to the ground with a thud. She tried to dislodge the virus hat from her face, but its spindly legs had already dug into her neck and temple.

She let out a shriek her subordinates tried to yank the face-hugger out to no avail.

"Get it off!" She yelled. "Get… This… O-"

But before she could finish her sentence, the virus hat's tail curled around her neck, and like the stingers of a pneumococcus, it stung her on the neck, injecting black fluids into her.

She struggled for a couple of seconds before her arms and legs went limp.

"Onee-sama!" her subordinates cried. "Onee-sama!"

"S-stay back… All of y-you!"

One of her subordinates rushed in to kneel beside her. She grabbed hold of the virus hat with her hand as she raised her other hand wielding a long jagged dagger.

"Onee-sama, please don't die!" Her subordinate muttered as she plunged her dagger toward the virus hat.

But the dagger never reached its intended target.

Instead, the fallen maid managed to grab her subordinates' weapon before it could kill the virus hat.

"O-Onee-sama, what are you d-doing?" Her subordinate asked, horror clearly audible in her tone.

Her subordinate tried to squirm her hand away from her hold to no avail. Her grip remained tight and firm until her subordinate finally dropped her dagger.

Then, with heavy effort, she staggered to her feet as the virus hat started to move up from her face to settle on top of her head.

Her subordinates watched in horror as black fluids dripped down from her temples and her eyes now glowed a sickly yellow hue.

"I feel…" she moaned. She started to wobble. "I feel…"

"O-Onee-sama?"

Then without warning, she lunged at her nearest subordinate, ripping out her throat with her jaws. Red cellular fluids burst out from her dying prey who didn't even have the chance to react.

"Onee-sama is lost!" One of her subordinates shouted. "Kill her!"

Without any hesitation or remorse, her other subordinates quickly moved to suppress her, but she'd already jumped to her second victim.

The screams of her doomed subordinates filled the air only to be accompanied by her unworldly cackle.

A/N:

Years ago, I got terribly sick, and in my feverish state, I suddenly got this weird idea of writing a story for Cells at Work.

And yes, the cover image is that of Macrophage in Space Marine armor from Warhammer 40k. Weird things happen when you're sick. Image Credits goes to ToxicStarr.

Originally published on Sept. 18, 2018

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT (MARCH 22, 2020):

Dear readers, as you know, we are all facing a pandemic which has severely affected a number of countries right now. Since this is a fanfic about an anime show of anthropomorphic cells in our body, I believe it's only proper for me to also reiterate here that our bodies, particularly our immune cells, definitely need our utmost care.

When the Covid-19 invades our lungs, it will start hijacking the lung's epithelial cells and force them to create more viruses. After some time, your immune cells will be called up to deal with this infection. Neutrophils and KT cells will be called up to do battle against this infection, but if you have an immune system that is compromised, this microscopic war could prove to be deadly.

As such, please do not take any chances. This is not just any ordinary flu. Several countries already have their healthcare systems seriously overwhelmed by the flood of patients. Let's do our part in 'Flattening the Curve' by practicing Social Distancing, religiously washing our hands (absolutely important!) and Community Quarantine. Our country's governments are doing what they can, let's also do our parts.

Shout out to all my readers from the US! The huge bulk of readers I get every month is always from the US. Shout out to everyone in Canada and Mexico as well who I also have a number of readers. I'm definitely grateful for all of your continued readership. Please, stay safe all of you!

Also to everyone in Europe especially in Germany, the UK, and Italy... please stay safe as well especially since, from what I hear, the infection is still getting severe.

And to everyone else, especially from developing countries like mine, the Philippines... Don't drop your guard, remain vigilant. We can all survive this!

Don't get sick, and I'll meet you again in the next chapter. ^^

...

This PSA was originally posted on March 21, 2020 on Chapter 24.

For more info on Covid-19's effects on the lungs, please watch the latest Kurzgesagt video titled: The Coronavirus Explained & What You Should Do.