He opened a drawer and found a mess of business cards, each organized into neat rows with elastic bands around them. The next drawer was locked. ”Mars!”
Marissa returned from the employee-only hallway beside the front desk, “What?”
“Can’t get this open with one hand. Want to try?”
She tried and failed to get the drawer open. Struck by inspiration, she hurried back into the hallway and then came back with a toolbelt. It took less than three minutes to get the drawer open.
Half of the drawer were largely empty, containing only two credit cards, a piece of jewelry and a paper noting procedure for managing the lost and found. The other half of the drawer was sectioned off with a grid of wood panels, with keys and slips of paper in some and plastic cards with numbers in stylized golden letters in the others.
“Score,” he said.
A dozen keys in hand, they made their way to the parking garage, stopping at the stand with all the brochures to find one with a map of the area. Marissa got in the first car they found. Testing the remaining keys, Krouse made another nearby car beep. Seven of us, and Noelle should lie down. This works.
They opened the metal paneled door to the parking garage and hurried back to their cars. He followed her out.
The plan had been to loop around and find the others. If they couldn’t, they were to beep and signal them. With things this quiet, it wouldn’t be too difficult to hear the horn. Still, he’d rather not have to. There was no guarantee the freaks weren’t still around. Two people would be hard to spot in the gloom and the curtains of falling snow, but cars with glowing headlights?
Oliver and Cody were nowhere to be seen.
He beeped twice and waited, while Marissa drove ahead and did the same. A minute passed as they staggered their movement across the area Oliver and Cody had headed off to. The pair didn’t show up. Either Oliver and Cody were in trouble, or-
He peeled out, driving past Marissa.
Was the gut feeling his own, or was it something implanted in his head by the Simurgh?
The wheels skidded on the snowy surface of the road. He didn’t have far to go. If he was wrong, he knew this would cost them only a little time. If he was right, though-
There would be a car parked outside the house. There was; Cody had left it sitting in the middle of the street, by the fence. Krouse pulled his car to a stop and climbed out.
The soldiers on the other side of the fence were still there. All but a few were inside their vehicles, now. Others were outside, smoking. They didn’t seem to care about what was unfolding ahead of them.
Krouse rushed into the house. He glimpsed at Noelle. She didn’t seem to be any worse, and Oliver was beside her. Jess shot him a concerned look, but Krouse wasn’t waiting long enough to exchange words. He rushed towards the kitchen.
Luke was standing, one leg bent and off the ground, holding a door frame for balance.
“Cody-” Luke started.
“I know,” Krouse replied.
There was a noise as someone ascended the stairs. Cody burst into the kitchen. ”Where are they!?”
“And you call me the asshole,” Krouse said.
“Fuck you. You hid them.”
“Close, but no cigar. We did leave the suitcase in plain sight, took the canisters out.”
“Where!?”
“But we didn’t hide them. Jess and I destroyed ‘em, before we started cooking dinner.”
“Bullshit.”
“We weren’t going to use them,” Krouse shrugged. ”It’s a bad idea.”
“You fucker! Making decisions for the rest of us!”
Krouse shrugged. ”Cope.”
Cody turned towards the area where Luke was at the door frame. ”Luke. You’re going to stand by and let him act-”
“You don’t have any ground to stand on,” Luke said, interrupting. ”Not that Krouse is doing much better, destroying those vials before we had a chance to discuss it further, on top of what he’s already pulled, but the worst Krouse has done thus far is lie by omission. You lied to my face. Said you were looking for something to help transport Noelle.”
“I’m willing to bite the bullet,” Cody said. ”I’ll take the hit. I’ll drink the stuff, or inject it, whatever. And if the Simurgh has things set up so I get fucked over down the road, I’m okay with that. I can still use whatever powers I get to get us out of here. Maybe get us home.”
“Get us home?” Krouse asked, “Like it’s that easy.”
“Everything comes down to money,” Cody said. ”Think about it. We get a few million bucks, pay one of those mad scientist types, and they get us home. Maybe I die or something in a few months or a few years. But I’m not staying here! I’m not putting up with this fucking dynamic!”
Krouse noted Marissa coming in through the front hall, standing behind him.
“What dynamic?” Luke asked.
“The one where he comes out on top! Where everyone else is okay with the shit he pulls and then pats him on the back when that shit works out in everyone’s favor!”
“The Simurgh fucked with your head,” Krouse said.
“No! This has been bothering me for a long time!”
“Listen!” Krouse raised his voice. Cody glared, but didn’t speak. Krouse continued, “She fucked with your head, brought that simmer to a boil. She wanted this. She wanted Luke and Noelle and Oliver to be distracted, that’s why she made them remember the things they did. She wanted you to hate me, and I think she wanted me to go just a little too far.”
“Krouse,” Luke said, his tone a warning.
Krouse’s tone was matter of fact, calm. ”I will. I’ll admit it, I’m a crummy person and Noelle seems to like me anyways. You have no conception of how major that is, or of the hurdles we’ve had to get past to get even this far in our relationship. So yeah, I’ll go too far if I’m pushed, right here, right now, because I have to protect Noelle.”
Cody folded his arms.
Krouse continued, “It’s probably what the Simurgh wanted, maybe even why she made me as reckless and violent as I was when we ran into those supervillains. So I’d cross that line once. She set me up so I’d do it, like she’s set you up so your resentment’s at a fever pitch. If you attack me, I’ll probably kill you.”
“You’re talking out your ass,” Cody snarled the words.
“I’m done with you,” Krouse said. ”You can’t let go of shit, can’t see far enough past what’s between the two of us to know how shortsighted you’re being. Our situation right now? We’ve got priorities. Noelle is number one, but the rest of these guys come in a close second. So I’m going to go help Noelle and get her into the car I brought, and we’ll get her and Luke to a hospital.”
Cody only glared.
“And Cody? If she suffers at all because you wasted time, then I’m going to make you answer for it.”
Krouse turned his back on the guy, making his way to the living room.
“Need help?” Marissa was on his heels.
“Help Jess. I can carry Noelle, and I want to be out of here sooner than later.”
“Okay.”
“Luke?” Krouse said, “Want to use my shoulder to steady yourself?”
“I can use Oliver.”
Krouse nodded.
One by one, they made their way to the cars Krouse and Marissa had brought. It took time to get Noelle settled in with blankets around her. Even a little cold left her whimpering and moaning, struggling with less strength than a baby might have offered. Her eyes never opened, and she couldn’t even lift her arms beneath the blankets, after they were in place.
All the while, Cody stood in the doorway of the house, staring.
It was only after Krouse and Marissa had pulled away that Cody made his way to his car and followed.
■
“Need help!” Krouse shouted, as he pushed the hospital doors open with his foot. Noelle was in his arms.
There were only twenty or so people present. No staf
f. Plastic panels had been boarded up so that they blocked half of the access hallways. The front desk, too, was similarly blocked off. A camera sat on the desk, pointing forward.
Krouse went out of his way to avoid putting himself in front of the camera. He banged on the plastic panel that hung over the front desk’s window. ”Hey! This girl is dying!”
“Please wait,” a voice said. It sounded over an intercom or something.
“She’s waited way too long already!”
“Stay calm and be patient. The staff at this facility are strictly limited to the volunteers who were willing to undergo the quarantine procedure themselves. As such, this facility is currently understaffed.“
Was it an automated message? No. He didn’t get that vibe.
“Sit, Krouse,” Marissa said.
Krouse settled Noelle into a chair, then sat beside her. ”Fucking creepy. I think that thing in the booth is an artificial intelligence.”
“No shit?” Luke asked.
“No shit,” Krouse said, his leg bouncing up and down restlessly. It had to have been at least eight hours since the initial injury, but the minutes that were passing now that help was so close were a special kind of torture. He studiously ignored Cody, who was standing on the other side of the waiting room.
The others in the waiting room included two nuclear families, a collection of older people who might have come from an old folks home and five men in protective gear that looked like what a firefighter might use, but they had the word ‘Rescue’ emblazoned across their shoulders.
“We get asked about where we came from,” Krouse murmured to the others, “We stick as close to reality as we can, but we don’t name people or places. Better to look dumb than name a place that doesn’t exist. Any tips, Jess?”
“Nine-eleven didn’t happen here. Endbringers did. They have one dollar coins in this America, not bills, and they phased pennies out. Um. There’s an installation on the moon, half-built and abandoned. I don’t know. Stuff is different.”
“Is any of this even liable to come up?” Luke asked.
“Don’t know. Better to be safe,” Krouse said.
Two people in nurse’s uniforms hurried out of the mouth of the hallway. One, a man, approached Krouse and his friends. Krouse stood from his seat.
“Situation?” the nurse asked.
“Two moderate injuries, one severe,” Krouse said.
“She’s the severe one?” the nurse asked.
“Yeah. Stuff fell on her. Her stomach’s turning black.”
“We’ll look after her,” he said. He whistled. ”Esme! Stretcher!”
The other nurse ran to get one.
“Only six of us volunteered,” he said. ”Lots of rules, lots of drawbacks, when it comes to the quarantine. We were on the outside, but we get treated same as you for coming in. Can’t blame others for not being willing to make the sacrifice, but it’s tough with the limited staff. Who else is injured?”
“Impaled hand,” Krouse raised one hand. He pointed at Luke. ”And sliced leg. If you’re going by priority, put me last.”
“Not critical?”
“No,” Krouse said. He looked at Luke, “No, right?”
“I’m okay for now,” Luke said.
The other nurse had arrived with a stretcher. The pair checked Noelle over, then loaded her onto it. She disappeared down one hallway
Krouse sank into his seat. It was out of his hands now. He could finally let himself relax just a little, finally-
“Sir?“
It was the intercom by the camera.
Hesitant, he stood, then he stepped closer, still avoiding the camera.
“Please take these papers and distribute them to your companions.“
Krouse took the stack of paper. They were stacked together in packs of six.
“Be informed, individuals within the quarantine area must meet the prerequisites noted on those sheets before they can be permitted to process out and re-enter society. Under the D.D.I.D. measures, individuals found to be circumventing the listed procedures and strictures or violating the post-release conditions will be criminally charged.”
“What?”
“Do you require further explanation of the D.D.I.D. measures?“
“What measures?”
“To be processed out of the quarantine area, individuals are required to undergo ten months of twice-weekly checkups with a rotating body of quarantine processing agents. Eight of those months will also involve weekly sessions of counseling and psychiatric evaluation.“
“Ten months?”
“Ten months, correct. Further, anyone processing out of quarantine is required to accept a tattoo marking their D.D.I.D. status. Each such individual will be placed on a list, with twice-weekly checkups with quarantine processing agents continuing indefinitely. Attendance at any official or non-official function with more than ten individuals present requires permission from a quarantine processing agent, a minimum of forty-eight hours in advance. The individual in charge of the function should be notified of your D.D.I.D. status upon your arrival. Any employers should be notified of your D.D.I.D. status at the first opportunity. Anyone selling or renting property to you should be notified of your D.D.I.D. status at the first opportunity. Financial institutions should-”
“Stop.”
“The remainder of details are noted on the sheets provided. This counter can answer any further questions. The operator overseeing the quarantine area can answer any further questions. As noted on the sheet, the operator can be contacted-”
“Stop. Shut up,” Krouse said.
The mechanical voice went silent.
Krouse turned to leave.
“Sir? There is one other matter to discuss.”
Krouse turned back. ”What?”
“Regarding the care of the young woman, will you be paying the balance?“
“I don’t have any money.”
“Understood. If you will provide the name of your financial institution-“
My financial institution… a world away.
It dawned on Krouse, belatedly, that he was a person without an identity. His driver’s license, his banking info, his birth certificate… they didn’t count for anything here.
“Why?” Krouse interrupted it. ”Can’t you guys pay for it?”
“Of course. You will be reimbursed for costs incurred in the course of your processing. But the process will be expedited if you pay now. Failure to do so could mean additional delays.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Krouse said. He thought of the credit card he’d taken from the drawer. If he used that… No. Too dangerous. But there had been any number of stores that had been left abandoned. ”I can pay cash, if given a chance to go collect it.”
“These measures were put in place to ensure that we are able to track anyone undergoing quarantine processing, as well as those who may be attempting to circumvent processing. We will require a credit card or a bank account number.“
“If I don’t?” he asked. ”My stuff got destroyed in the attack.”
“Again, we can contact your financial institution on your behalf and start the process of restoring your accounts to your control. If you do not pay, you will not be processed.”
“And my girlfriend?”
“The patient will not be processed, either.“
“If I say I don’t have the money, and I can’t pay her fee?”
“We will request financial information from the patient at the first opportunity.“
Noelle, Krouse was almost certain, didn’t have a wallet on her. No, they’d left her purse in Luke’s apartment, and that was in shambles.
“If she can’t pay?”
“We will attempt to contact her financial institution.”
“If you can’t?” He searched for an excuse, “She was confused, before she went unconscious. She might have hit her head. If I can’t give you that information and she can’t give it to you, what then?”
“Then th
e department will pay. But quarantine processing will not continue until you have provided identification and financial information to verify your identity.“
Krouse returned to his seat, set his hands on his head.
Fuck you, Simurgh, he thought. Fuck you and fuck this foreign Earth.
“Krouse?” Marissa asked. ”Was it about Noelle?”
She’s forcing our hands.
“Quarantine measures,” he said. He shoved the papers at her, half-crumpled in his hand.
She took them with a gentle touch that stood in stark contrast to the force he’d just used, as if afraid to provoke him further.
“What do you mean?” Luke asked.
Krouse spoke in a low voice, “I mean we don’t get out of this quarantine area without I.D. and bank info, which we don’t have, and even then, we get treated like criminals for the rest of our lives.”
“There’s got to be a way around it.”
“No. I don’t think there are. They’re on the watch for that stuff. For anyone trying to slip past the system. So we either need to take ten months to process out of here, with enough psychiatric counseling and talks with quarantine officers that we’re bound to slip up somewhere, and we’d have to get flawless I.D. that’s going to meet the standards for their checks-”
“Which is impossible,” Cody said. He’d approached and was listening.
Krouse nodded. ”-and we’d get treated like criminals for the rest of our lives, or we take option two, we try to escape, and again, we get treated like criminals for the rest of our lives, only we deserve it.”
Another family came in the front doors, finding chairs to settle into. Two twenty-somethings and two people who looked more like grandparents than parents. They were sitting close enough that Krouse couldn’t continue risk being overheard.
He fell silent, and the others read the papers detailing the quarantine protocols.
It was two hours before the male nurse returned to the lobby with news about Noelle.
Krouse didn’t even finish listening before dashing for the door.
■
“Well played,” Krouse said, as the car skidded to a stop outside the house they’d borrowed. ”Well fucking played, Simurgh.”
Worm Page 264