Jack was the youngest child of three in his family. The next eldest child was 15 years older than Jack. His parents had married young and had started a family early. 15 years after what they thought would be their last child, they decided to have one more.
Because of this Jack grew up almost like an only child. By the time he was at school his brothers had left home and started lives for themselves.
Jack loved having his brothers visit and he got on well with them both. Duncan the oldest was a Computer Programmer. One year Duncan gave Jack a laptop computer for his birthday and this is where Jack’s love of computers began.
He would spend hours searching the internet on his favourite subjects and creating basic programs that his brother had taught him. Jack loved to learn. He always did well at school and was considered a “geek” because he seemed to know something about everything. He didn’t have many friends but he wasn’t picked on by others. If someone wanted an answer to something they were sure Jack would have an answer.
Jack never really had a girlfriend at school either. He was always a bit scatty and nervous and wasn’t sure how to deal with them. Being brought up with brothers only, he didn’t know how to relate to girls. He had never found a girl with the same interests like computers and electrics. Girls just aren’t into that kind of stuff. Jack hoped that one day he would find a girl that was.
Jack’s father ran an electronics store in the city. After school Jack would go to the store and wait for his father to finish work for the day. Whilst there Jack would muck around in the back of the store with all the spare parts that were lying around. Jack loved to tinker with things and his father taught him to create electrical circuits and gadgets which Jack had a natural talent for making useful.
When the virus was sweeping through the city Jack’s father took him aside to prepare him for the day they weren’t going to be around. Jack wasn’t going to be able to rely on his brothers either because they were going to be caught by the virus too.
Jack’s father took him to the electronics store which was located at Phoenix mall in the centre of the city. He showed him all the security grills and secret entries through the sewers. His father realised that if Jack was in any danger then the Mall would be a great safe haven for him. The Mall had everything Jack would need to survive including blankets, beds, food and it was safe from predators on the outside if the security grills were working. Jack’s father showed Jack if the power went out in the city how the circuits for the grills could be rewired to batteries and still work.
Although Jack was afraid, he trusted his father and had confidence in himself that he could handle almost anything.
The day finally came when none of Jack’s family were left. Jack stayed at the family home for about two weeks before chaos broke out in the streets around his home. Jack felt the time had come when he wasn’t safe in his own neighbourhood. He packed up as many necessary items as he could manage and set off for the mall.
Everything his father had taught him was put to good use. The mall was the perfect safe haven. All Jack needed now was some company…