Love From Last Light

August 2025

“Ellie and I would love to take this time to thank y’all for being here. We weren’t sure this day would ever come, and I didn’t think I’d live to see it but somehow Brandon…well damn if you didn’t do it right, son.”

The crowd whistled and clapped, equally as excited for Brandon as the rest of his dad’s speech. As Brandon’s closest friends and family knew, once Nick “Captain Tex” Martin was handed a microphone, all bets…and gloves were off.

“Despite smelling like a musk ox in heat most days and only learning how to do laundry at the impressive age of 27, somehow you found this amazing woman…Valerie, will you please stand up, darlin?”

Valerie glowed, though underneath the shine of a hundred strings of patio lights, it was impossible to tell how much was from the wedding’s illumination, her lighthearted embarrassment of having to stand in front of this crowd, or the pure beauty of a bride happy beyond her wildest dreams.

“How ‘bout a round of applause for MY NEW DAUGHTER IN LAW!?”

Somehow, she glowed even brighter. Brandon gazed at her, awestruck, finally comprehending that this woman was actually his wife. His partner, his best friend, and the one person he didn’t mind admitting was stronger than him by a mile, was dedicating her life to him. He whooped joyfully, tears tinging the edges of his eyes. She shot him a jubilant glance, equal parts joy and seduction. Alright dad, he thought, wrap this up!

“Now, many of you know that Brandon’s first attempt to propose to Val was called off the day of, when she called to tell him she’d unfortunately caught Covid-19. She didn’t want to get him sick and forbade him from coming to see her. Her case was bad, she even lost her sense of smell and taste. Damn near a month later Brandon tried again, this time fate let him propose and her lack of taste let her say yes.”

The guests erupted in laughter, equally from his delivery and the catharsis of laughing at the pandemic as a villain of the past. Over four long years, multiple mutations, and too many consecutive days of bad news the world breathed in relief in 2024 when the virus was finally defeated.

The “Ultra-Vaccine” had been synthesized in an emergency lab established at Joint Research Base P.U.R.E.L.L. in Antarctica. Despite great promise, the first few rounds of vaccinations failed to stand the mutated strain of 2022, and a global population weary from continuous beatdowns almost lost hope. A coalition of epidemiologists, vaccine experts, and UN peacekeeping forces from around the world volunteered for a

last-ditch effort proposed by the WHO: Project P.U.R.E.L.L (Pandemic United Research Expedition at Last Light) to develop a vaccine at all costs.

Antarctica was chosen as neutral and secure ground to eliminate all risk of triggering a new wave through accidental spillage. NASA and the Chinese National Space Administration, with help from their respective countries’ militaries, created a facility capable of hosting 200 people for upward of two years in the harsh Antarctic climate. Each member of the coalition arrived fully prepared for the project to fail and consigned to the idea that they would most likely die.

After eight months, a team of thirty coalition members sealed off a wing of the facility and began testing experimental vaccine trials on themselves. During the second week of their isolation, a massive storm besieged the facility, cutting the main power and damaging four of the five backup generators. The remaining generator provided just enough power to keep the building heated. One week later, full power was restored to the facility, but too late for the thirty brave souls. Without power, their crucial medical equipment was useless and in sealing off their lab to protect the remaining coalition members, they had trapped themselves when the magnetic locks wouldn’t reverse.

When the room was eventually unsealed a week later, one man was found barely alive desperately clutching a black, Moleskine notebook. The book painstakingly detailed the thirty different permutations of potential vaccines each scientist had tested, written out longform in a final act of preservation once the computers cut out with the power. Only one vaccine cocktail was successful, bravely tested and recorded by US Army epidemiologist Captain “Tex” Martin.

Captain Tex and his Moleskine became symbols of hope and the grit of the human spirit as the governments of the world rolled out the “Ultra-Vaccine”. By 2024, the last recorded case of Covid-19 came and went with a whimper, and the world moved on. Captain Tex received countless offers for book deals, movie rights, and ad campaigns; but ultimately, he turned them all down in respect for his 29 colleagues who’d made the ultimate sacrifice. His one exception was accepting a $20,000 yearly stipend from a special fund arranged by an overeager young Texas Congressman. He had surprised his son Brandon and his beautiful new bride Valerie with this, on top of her father’s contribution, to throw them wedding of their dreams.

“You all good there Captain Tex?!”

Nick blinked in stunned silence, realizing that he’d been silent for about 30 seconds now, caught in a flashback to his time in the facility. For a brief moment he was paralyzed, feeling the cold of Antarctica…and then he saw his boy, Brandon, happier than he ever could’ve hoped for his son, and all Nick Martin knew was warmth. His eyes watered and he finished in his strong, humble way.

“Anyway, boy, I’ve been jawin’ on too much. Must be a side effect of that damn vaccine! To the future of my boy Brandon and his better half, I love you, I’m proud of you, now get out of here and make me a grandbaby!” The crowd laughed, the couple kissed, and the world was a better place. And all Nick Martin knew, was warmth.