The Good Virus
by
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Memories flashed through Samir’s head. He was running, running very fast. Bleak metallic walls surrounded him in a tight corridor. Fluorescent lights shone brightly upon his face drenched with sweat. It seemed as if he was a lab rat bounding hopelessly through a meandering maze. There were no openings to be seen and the corridor looked exactly the same. Was he running in circles? As soon as he rounded a corner he noticed something different. The metal color became darker and the lights dimmed. The temperature shot down and it became extremely chilly. Maybe he was traveling deeper and deeper underground. He also spotted a video camera fixed upon him in the corner of the hallway. Now he knew for sure he was being watched. At least one thing was good: he wasn’t running in circles. He heard a noise. The sound of rubber soles padding against metal resounded through the corridor. Was someone after him? His pulse quickened and adrenaline rushed through his veins. He started to run at maximum speed as the air whipped at his face. Dizziness from exhaustion and dehydration swept over him. He was being chased! Soon his breath was heavy. He took deep gasps of the frigid air, trying to take in as much oxygen as possible. How much more of this could he take? Suddenly his surroundings changed. He was no longer in a claustrophobic hallway but in a large spacious room. The dark gray metal changed into lavender tiles. Large vats filled with some type of liquid were spread throughout the room. Test tubes of the same clear liquid were placed in holders. He wanted time to look around but his pursuers were hard on his heels! Unexpectedly, a giant of a man tackled him, pinning him to the ground. He strained to get a good look at his pursuer, but could only capture a glimpse before being knocked down again. The man was Caucasian, brawny, strikingly hairless, and had piercing blue eyes. As he was being tackled, Samir noticed a deep scar running down the man’s hand and forearm. Then a brown-haired man with a large forehead appeared and pulled a syringe from his white coat. “You have seen too much.” The man stated. The last thing Samir saw was the word “Vaccine Corp” painted in large black letters upon the wall. A spark of recognition shot through his brain before the man injected him with the syringe and he fell into a dark dreamless slumber.
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About the Book
"The Good Virus is a tale replete with humor, adventure, science, and mystery. Through the well plotted narrative, Govind Mattay instills a certain believability in every situation his heroes face. No moment or action is wasted, propelling the reader towards the climactic end." -US Review of Books One year after Samir Gupta’s mysterious disappearance, his son Veer starts school at Medley Middle. Like many other middle school kids, Veer is worried about bullies, being late to class, and angry gym teachers. He did have one thing to look forward to: winning the end-of-year Medley of Talents competition. But little did Veer know that preparing for the competition would lead him, his brother Jai, and his best friend Vidya on a perilous journey. The journey begins as the trio notices strange signs. They see figures lurking near the house and find small surveillance bugs implanted in their phones. Suddenly they surprisingly overcome their greatest weaknesses and start to uncover fascinating clues. Can their newfound strengths help them with their search for Samir and their attempt to stop the diabolical plan of one of the world’s most powerful corporations?
About the Author
Govind Mattay is a student at the University of Pennsylvania. He is studying bioengineering and hopes to attend medical school. He wrote this novel when he was fourteen years old. He tutors middle school children in reading and wants to expand the genre for this age group. He is from Mclean, Virginia and in his free time he enjoys playing tennis, traveling, and trying new foods.