by Eliza Green
Stephen leaned against the second workbench behind him. He stared at the floor, not sure where they should look next. He and Anton had scanned each of the elders and Margaux. He’d considered all five of them to be patient zeros, but the scans had shown up nothing unusual about their physique.
‘I’m still not sure Margaux was affected by the same thing.’
‘You should continue to monitor the elders, though. Do your own research.’
The worry in his friend’s voice snapped Stephen out of his funk. ‘Are you okay?’
Bill nodded, but his smile lacked energy. ‘Just not sleeping, that’s all.’
It was the glaze in his eyes that alerted Stephen to the true cause. ‘I’ve seen that look before on you. Once, on a passenger ship destined for Earth, right before you passed out in the recreation room.’
Bill’s mouth quirked nervously. ‘It’s not like before. I’m being careful.’
He’d heard that excuse before. ‘Until it turns into three or four, and before you know it you’ve skipped a week of sleep.’
‘I know. I just needed something.’ His friend sighed. ‘I haven’t been sleeping anyway. I didn’t see the harm.’
‘You banned their use here for a reason. Surely your memory can’t be so thin as to forget why?’
‘I remember.’ Bill’s tone sharpened. ‘I’m stopping anyway so you can drop it.’
Stephen wished his ability to read minds extended some distance. Aside from Bill being at the ITF office in New London, his friend had never been easy to read. Stephen relied on tics and patterns in Bill’s behaviour to determine if he was lying. Given Bill’s expression, he was telling the truth.
‘Okay.’ He changed the subject. ‘I’ve ordered new blood tests from everyone, in case the carrier is someone we haven’t considered. We’ll compare it to your doctors’ results. The medics have also scanned the elders and Margaux to check for the presence of cell damage, or elevated levels of antibodies. Nothing so far, but we will comb through the results again.’
‘And if it turns out to be the same as before?’
‘Then we must take other action.’
‘Like what?’
Stephen didn’t know. If it wasn’t a virus caused by Tanya’s forbidden entry into the Nexus, then what was it?
A new plan formulated in his mind. ‘I’ll enter the Nexus myself and use data from my DNA as a baseline for the illness.’
Bill’s eyes widened. ‘What? That’s stupid. Serena won’t go for it.’
‘She doesn’t have to know, and if you’re my friend you won’t tell her.’
Bill drew nearer to the screen. ‘If you do something stupid, of course I’ll tell her.’
‘Then I’ll block all outside transmissions to here.’
He leaned back. ‘Then I’ll visit.’
‘Not if the scanner permitting entry is offline.’
Bill blew out a hard breath. ‘When we became friends, I didn’t think you’d be more stubborn than me.’
Stephen shrugged, an action he’d picked up from Bill. ‘I may have no choice.’
‘We don’t know how this virus might affect other generations. If you use the Nexus again, it could destroy your abilities.’
It had already dulled them. Stephen couldn’t say if the foggy feeling was distraction related, or because he was infected. He’d already ordered Anton to take a sample of his blood.
‘I have to go. Anton should be finished with the second checks shortly.’
‘Be careful. Don’t do anything I would.’
Stephen chuckled at Bill’s response then clicked off. His smile dropped away and he stared at the blank screen.
A visitor at the entrance startled him. He looked up to see Arianna there. Why hadn’t he heard her?
‘Anton needs to talk to you.’
She turned and left, leaving him to chase after her. He caught up to her on their way to Anton’s lab, three tunnels over.
‘What did he say exactly?’
‘He wouldn’t tell me. He wants to speak to you about it.’
It took them no time to reach the area where Anton’s labs were. Inside the room, Anton pored over a duplicate of Harvey and Jameson’s data on a screen. Beside him was an array of blood samples. He leaned in closer, clearly in thought.
Analysing samples was Stephen’s forte, but he didn’t trust his mind right now. He’d asked Anton to double check the samples.
‘What’s the issue?’
Anton appeared to startle at his approach. All the Indigenes were on edge today.
‘I wish everyone would stop sneaking up on me.’
He’d never been able to before; Anton’s hearing was too sharp. It worried him that the virus might be neutralising their abilities.
‘What did Bill say?’ asked Arianna, resting against Anton’s workbench.
‘He said the virus might not have come from Tanya.’
Arianna frowned. ‘Then from where?’
‘I don’t know.’ To Anton he said, ‘What did you find out?’
‘The data from Harvey and Jameson tallies with our results.’ Anton pointed at the samples posted side by side. ‘There’s no difference.’
‘What about my blood?’
Anton pulled up a separate image, pointing to activity in the sample. ‘You have high levels of antibodies. I took samples from me and Arianna and it showed the same.’
‘So if we’re infected, why aren’t we sick like Emile and the other elders?’
Anton shook his head. ‘That, I haven’t figured out yet.’
‘We need to work out where it’s coming from.’
‘There’s only one common denominator,’ said Arianna.
But they’d been using the Nexus for weeks with no issues. ‘How so?’
‘Everyone Clement, Anton and I spoke to had used it.’
‘But not everyone is showing symptoms.’
‘It has to be a generational thing,’ said Arianna. ‘The first gens must have less immunity than the second or third.’
It made sense but he still wasn’t certain of the source. ‘Are all the tranquillity caves blocked?’
‘Yes,’ replied Arianna. ‘We have volunteers posted at each cave entrance.’
He nodded.
‘But Indigenes will get antsy with that arrangement fast, especially if they get sick. They’ll want to use the Nexus to heal.’
That thought had occurred to him. Which was why he needed extra bodies to stop them.
‘We should prepare to double down on our efforts if that happens.’
What’s the long-term plan, Stephen? asked Anton, shrugging. We can’t keep them out of there indefinitely.
‘I agree, which is why I need to enter the Nexus.’
Arianna straightened up. ‘What? No!’
‘I’m already infected. What harm would it do?’
‘Other than producing extra antibodies, we don’t know how the virus will affect you.’ Arianna’s anger made his skin prickle. ‘Anton, talk some sense into him.’
But Anton glanced at his mate. ‘Sorry, but I agree with him. We need someone to go in, to see where the infection originated from.’
Arianna threw her hands up. I can’t make sense of you two.
Her reservations were valid, but this was the only way. Stephen had to see the problem for himself.
31
Harvey and Jameson’s preliminary work on the blood samples confirmed it was indeed a virus. Perhaps not as potent for the second or third generations, but harmful enough to affect the first generation.
‘They have robust immune systems, so it must be a strong virus to affect them like this, something their bodies haven’t encountered before,’ said Harvey. ‘When we created the first gens, we strengthened their immune systems. During our testing phase, we were careful not to create a new pathogen or virus that could pass between Indigenes and humans.’
‘But it’s not a guarantee? This virus could still affect us?’ asked Bill.
They should be doing more. ‘And if the virus is dormant in humans?’
‘In the absence of antibodies, there should be other markers present to indicate an infection.’
There was one thing they could do. ‘We have to test the New London population, see if they’re exposed.’
‘How?’ asked Jameson.
Bill nodded to Harvey. ‘His clinic. We’ll disguise the blood draw as an inoculation; tell them it’s a booster.’
‘For those who moved here that will work,’ said Jameson rolling up his sleeve and showing Bill his pockmarked skin. ‘But the people who were born here won’t bother.’
‘Then we’ll make up some excuse.’ Bill spoke to Harvey. ‘Make something up, anything that will get them in the door.’
‘How about a free age-reversal treatment? Those things were in demand on Earth.’
Bill waved his hand. ‘Sure, whatever. We need to test the New Londoners asap.’
‘And the virus?’
‘Gentlemen, we still need a damn cure. Establishing what we’re facing is half the battle. You’d better get working on it.’
He nudged Ben and walked to the exit.
‘I’m going to need some help, Bill,’ Harvey shouted after him. ‘How about letting me use the boy?’
Ben visibly stiffened beside him.
He would not put Ben with the likes of Harvey. ‘I’ll see who I can spare.’
Leaving the lab behind, he and Ben entered the lift, riding it one floor up.
‘Don’t worry. I would never leave you alone with him.’
‘I can handle myself,’ said Ben. ‘You don’t trust him?’
‘Didn’t trust him on Earth, no reason to think he’s changed. He helped your buddy to escape here.’
Ben growled. ‘He’s not my buddy.’
They exited the lift. As they walked through the clinic containing curtained-off areas, Bill thought about Laura. Seeing her again had rattled him. He hadn’t expected her to look so at ease with Indigene life. A part of him had hoped she would struggle. It felt too much like she’d moved on, and that hurt more than he would admit.
He punched the door open. Sunlight dazzled him, forcing him to shield his eyes against the glare.
The car was where he had left it, but he needed to do something first.
To Ben he said, ‘Wait in the car.’
‘Where are you going?’
‘I won’t be long.’
He waited for Ben to turn his back and climb into the car before rounding the corner. The path led him to the biodome structure behind the hospital. His entering the space jolted the bored guards into action. They stood up from their chairs and saluted. Bill waved them out and focused on a despondent Marcus, sitting on his bed in his glass box.
He looked up when Bill came closer. ‘What do you want?’
‘I need to speak with you.’
Marcus wiped his brow with the back of his hand. ‘It’s like a fuckin’ sweatbox in here. How about some air conditioning?’
It was cooler inside than out. Bill stepped closer to him. Marcus stood facing him, a thick pane of glass separating them. He caught the light sheen on his forehead. His cheeks were flushed.
‘You sick?’
Marcus blew out some air. ‘Marcus Murphy doesn’t get sick. I’m strong, indestructible.’
Yet, his brow said otherwise. It couldn’t be the virus in this case; Marcus had made it no farther than the entrance to District Three. They’d found him unconscious, half-in half-out of the district. Tanya hadn’t even reached the Nexus at that point.
‘So you gonna let me out, or what?’ He lifted his chin. ‘I need my hour’s walk in the yard.’
There was no yard. Prison life on Earth had consisted of similar-sized boxes all crammed into an underground facility, where the air had been better. Since there was no natural light on Earth anyway, it hadn’t mattered if they were up top or down below.
‘You must have been reading some old stories. There’s no exercise yard.’
Marcus narrowed his eyes. ‘So let me the fuck out. The old guy who gives me food... he... he tried to touch me... inappropriately. I ain’t some freak show for others’ pleasure.’
He wasn’t even that. First, the old guy was the chef and was married with two grown-up daughters. Second, the food was fed through a slot in the base of the glass wall.
‘Unless he felt up your ankles, I’d say you’re safer in there than out.’
Marcus wiped his nose, the end dripping with gathered beads of sweat. ‘I did nothin’. So I helped the GS freaks. They were forcin’ me. I don’t know how many times I have to tell you people.’
Bill wasn’t here to listen to Marcus’ confession. He believed him about being forced to help. The ex board members weren’t the most diplomatic of people, before or after the change.
‘Records say you had a visitor yesterday. Tell me about it.’
Marcus frowned, as if he were trying to remember. ‘A visitor?’ He shook his head. ‘Nope, not me. Just the old, fat pervert with his tray of slop.’
‘Harvey Buchanan came to see you.’
Again, Marcus didn’t look surprised. Years of working for criminals who would kill you if you looked at them wrong had perfected his game face.
Bill pushed for answers. ‘What did he want?’
Marcus’ mouth downturned.
‘Don’t play games with me. We’ve seen you two together. We know you’ve been working together outside of hours.’
Marcus’ eyes widened. ‘Oh, that Harvey. I thought you meant a different one.’
One of his weaker efforts to disguise his true intentions. Okay, Bill would roll with it. ‘Yeah, that one. What did he want?’
‘Just to check on his old pal.’ Marcus shrugged. ‘Make sure they were treating me right.’
‘And what else?’
‘I’m not sure what you mean...?’
Bill knew a bullshitter when he saw one. Harvey had visited him for a different reason.
‘You two weren’t close, so why would he give a shit about you?’
‘What can I say?’ Marcus shrugged again. ‘I left a lastin’ impression on him. He knows talent when he sees it.’
‘Talent?’
It was an odd way to describe himself.
Marcus’ eyes widened at his slip. Then his expression neutralised. ‘I call myself that. Harvey’s too grand to say it to my face but I can tell he’s thinkin’ it.’
Bill wanted to ask him what Harvey was up to, but Marcus would most likely replay their conversation next time he visited. And there would be a next time. Bill was sure of it now.
‘Why you so interested anyway, military man?’
Bill lied. ‘I like to know the business of all my prisoners.’
‘And there we have it. Because I shouldn’t be a prisoner. You brought me here when I was unconscious, against my will. Let me the fuck out.’ Marcus wiped a new layer of sheen off his forehead.
His reasons for holding Marcus were weak at best. Yes, the Elite had used him to locate District Three, but Marcus was no mastermind. In fact, Bill was sure Tanya would have found the entrance eventually. Harvey was more of a concern. Keeping Marcus locked up was mostly to protect Ben.
‘Sorry, looks like you’re sick. Best we keep you isolated for now.’
He headed for the exit just as Marcus unleashed a string of expletives at him.
‘Wait until I get out of here, asswipe, then you’ll be sorry.’
Bill would make sure that never happened.
He returned to the car, neutralising his expression for Ben. He got in and commanded the car to return to the ITF.
‘Where did you go?’ Ben frowned at the area where he’d come from.
‘New order of equipment needed my approval.’
He stared out the window, hoping Ben’s cu
riosity would dissipate. But the teen cleared his throat, and he tensed up.
‘A message came in, from Greyson.’
Bill looked at him. ‘What did he say?’
‘It’s waiting for us back at base.’
Bill settled into the seat, wondering what news Greyson had. The car took an agonising twenty minutes to reach the ITF. Bill hopped out without waiting for Ben. He passed through the security scanner and took the stairs two at a time to the first floor. Ben kept pace and they both entered Laura’s old office.
‘Pull it up,’ he said to the teen.
It was a recording from Greyson. Ben played it.
‘Bill, it’s Greyson. I’ve reviewed the files you sent. Even roped in Robinson to help.’ Robinson was one of the doctors who’d helped to overthrow the criminal regime. ‘Bad news, I’m afraid. The data is incomplete. Why? That’s anyone’s guess. But without it all, it’s like giving someone eight digits of a sixteen-digit encryption code. Anyway, let me know if there’s more I can do here.’
The message ended.
Ben frowned at him. ‘Incomplete, why?’
There was only one reason Bill could think of. ‘Because Harvey and Jameson are up to something.’
‘But they’ve been forthcoming with the results they sent to Stephen, haven’t they?’
They had. ‘Pictures only. None of the actual data.’
‘Do you want me to call Greyson back?’
Bill’s head thumped with a new headache. ‘No. Get back on the Wave and search for any data relating to Harvey or his cronies.’
‘On it.’
Ben activated a new channel. Several boxes appeared, to indicate active chat rooms. They sat idle.
Bill left Ben to it. On the main floor, a feeling he hadn’t experienced in a long time hit him. The Actigen unsteadied him and he stumbled into one of the desks. Hands on him kept him upright. He looked up to see a concerned Julie.
‘You look like you’ve gone six rounds with a boxer. You okay?’
He felt like shit. He had to stop using the Actigen. He had no idea if his paranoia was due to his taking it, or if things really were going on behind his back.
‘Yeah, nothing sleep won’t fix.’
She pulled him into the conference room that rivalled the Council Chambers in District Three for its soundproofing abilities.