Perfection

by Larissa Emerald

  She thought of Brianna in cryo, and her stomach tightened. “Come on,” she whispered to the computer. “Give me a vaccine.” She hung her head.

  Cal rested a hand on her shoulder. “It will happen. Have faith.”

  “Kindra,” Comp Nine said. “Director A-Isaac has requested your presence in his office.”

  Wearily, she stood. Cal rose beside her.

  “You don’t have to come with me,” Kindra said.

  “Oh, no, you don’t understand. The suspect could be anywhere. York would kill me if anything happened to you.”

  “But I’m not leaving Seville.”

  He crossed his arms. “Your point?”

  “I’m sure I’ll be safe.”

  “Really? Because I’m not sure at all.” He vigilantly scanned the halls and offices they passed as he tagged along after her. He leaned close, whispering, “I don’t know how you can work here. The place gives me the creeps, all sterile and detached. Too many robotics.”

  “Not you, too, with the robotics thing.” It must run in the family.

  When they reached A-Isaac’s office, she rapped on the door. “Enter,” he said.

  Without a word, Cal propped himself against the wall in the hallway to stand guard. Inside the office, the director sat behind his desk. Her first thought was, What are you hiding? She looked at his cool expression.

  “Have a seat,” he said sympathetically. “We have a problem.”

  Apprehension skated through her as she did as he requested and sat in front of the desk.

  “Everyone in the world is coming down on the Committee about the virus. Seville’s credibility has been severely damaged. And while they’re glad for the improvement from the cryogenics, it’s not enough. It’s been a PR nightmare, and there’s an outcry for someone to take the fall for this. The Committee has decided that someone is you. I’m sorry, Kindra,” he said, folding his hands on the desk and leaning forward.

  She inhaled sharply. She’d figured if it came to blaming someone, it would be her. But the reality was far worse than she had imagined.

  He continued. And he actually did sound sorry. “I tried to dissuade them, but the decision has come down from the top. I have to let you go. You may collect your belongings and leave the building.”

  Kindra stood, even though her knees were about to buckle. How could they do this in the middle of a crisis? She didn’t care a whit about her job, but someone needed to advocate for the children and find a cure before the virus became an epidemic. “Sir, don’t do this. I’ll stay without pay and leave right after we develop a cure.”

  “No. We can do this without you.”

  Kindra stepped forward, placing her palms on the desk and leaning in. “My daughter is among the victims. I have a personal stake in this. Please, I have to find a cure.”

  “I’m sorry. It’s not my call. I have orders I must follow. You are done here, Kindra. Please leave.” He pushed backward in his chair and stood. “Computer, have Harry B-Watson escort Dr. B-Zaika out of the building.”

  Stunned, she headed for the door.

  “And Kindra,” he said, lowering his voice. He peered toward the exit and then his eyes bored into her. “I’d be careful how much you cavort with the lieutenant. Illegal entanglement… Well, it looks bad. It could be another strike against you.”

  Kindra tossed back her head, beyond infuriated. She had no words. They wouldn’t do her any good anyway. A shot of anxiety hit her in the chest. The injury to her back throbbed with every heartbeat. The truth struck her that she would be at the mercy of Seville, just like all the other parents.

  With quiet determination, Kindra left A-Isaac’s office. Cal jumped in step with her as she marched purposefully down the hall. She wasn’t about to wait for B-Watson.

  “What’s wrong?” Cal asked.

  “I’ve been fired.”

  “What?”

  “I know. Crazy, huh? I never cared for A-Isaac. There has always been something about him… We never jibed. But he says it’s not him, that it’s the Committee that’s behind this decision.”

  “What now?”

  “I’m going to Chairman B-Cobb to see if he will appeal to the Committee on my behalf.”

  “Do you think he can help?”

  “That’s the hope.”

  They came to the set of doors that led to B-Cobb’s section of the building. Kindra pushed on the door. It didn’t open. The unexpected resistance caused her to slam into the metal door. Pain spread from her back and wound through her shoulder blades and chest. She gnashed her teeth and fisted her hands. “It’s locked.

  “Nine,” she said, modulating her voice. “I need to speak with Chairman B-Cobb. Please locate him.”

  “Unfortunately, I can’t honor your request. Your privileges have been revoked. You must leave the building.”

  Cal’s gaze swept the area. He tipped his head close to hers, whispering, “Where are the stairs? Are there any adjacent offices?”

  She understood the tactic he was subtly suggesting. If you can’t go through it, then find a way around. At Seville, it wasn’t that easy. Backtracking halfway down the hall, she came to the stairwell door. Cal tried to push it open, without success. From down the hallway, she saw two men approaching. One was B-Watson, no doubt here to escort them out.

  She set her jaw and stared at her former assistant.

  “You’re going the wrong way,” Harry said with a smirk.

  For some reason, she was reminded of the game Last Man Standing. Today, that would be Harry B-Watson, and he gloated in the victory. She made a growling sound low in her throat, which surprised her with its intensity. It was so uncharacteristic of her. “B-Watson, this is ridiculous. I’m sure if I speak to Chairman B-Cobb, this can all be straightened out.”

  “This way, Kindra. Or I’ll have to call more security,” Harry purred, gesturing at the guard beside him.

  “Let’s just get out of here.” Again, Cal moved within earshot. “If you get arrested, then you won’t be able to help the kids.”

  She hadn’t considered that. He was right. Security had jurisdiction over that kind of thing, and it would not be in the best interest of the children for her to be tied up in the judicial system. She needed to leave the premises and think things through from a distance.

  “All right,” she said to B-Watson. “We’re leaving. But can I get my things first?”

  Her lab assistant considered. “Yes. On our way out.”

  As they stopped by her office, she raised a brow at Cal and jerked her head in B-Watson’s direction. She hoped Cal could read minds or at least pick up that she wanted him to distract the assistant.

  To her relief, he got the message and engaged the man in conversation while she got her bag. With her back hiding her actions from the security cams, she slipped the most recent backup micro-dots into it.

  She wasn’t sure what Cal had said, but B-Watson was all smiles as they exited. Or maybe that was because she would no longer be there and he could step into her shoes.

  Whatever the reason, it didn’t matter because she’d gotten a copy of the files. That was a start.

  * * *

  Cal scowled as he escorted Kindra into the police station.

  “What’s wrong?” York asked from his seat behind a desk.

  “We have a serious problem,” Cal told him.

  “I’ve been fired,” she said in a rush. “Banned from the facility.”

  “What? Why?” York’s brow furrowed.

  Her lips tugged sideways. “Because they had to blame someone.”

  He shook his head. “Damn.”

  Kindra waved a hand in a flippant motion. “To hell with Seville. I had no choice but to put the children in cryo. The virus would have progressed. The children would have died.”

  “But to fire you? It doesn’t make sense.”

  “I know. They believe the other scientists there will find the cure. HERO does the bulk of the work.” She exhaled sharply. “I’ll keep t
rying to appeal to Chairman B-Cobb.”

  “Tell him the good news,” Cal prompted.

  Her eyes lit with a show of sparkle. “I have a copy of the latest updates on a micro-dot.”

  “Excellent,” York said, proud of her initiative and quick thinking. “That means you can continue to work on a cure?”

  “Yes. It will set me back and take longer without access to the resources at Seville, but it can be done. I just have to find a new workstation.”

  York swept his gaze around. “Would this place do? We have testing equipment.”

  “No. I’m certain your computers aren’t advanced enough.”

  “What about the morgue?” Cal asked.

  She shook her head. “No. That won’t work, either, for the same reason.”

  York entwined his fingers, then twisted his wrists, stretching. “The police lab? They have forensic equipment and supercomputers.”

  Kindra nodded thoughtfully. “Yes. That might do.”

  York clapped his hands together and rubbed them enthusiastically. “Let’s go.”

  “Wait,” Kindra said. “We need to establish a system where the cryo facility acquires blood samples from new victims and sends them to us as well as Seville.”

  “That’s a problem. Will Seville want to continue testing?

  “Probably.”

  “Then they’ll have to submit samples to both,” York said.

  “The more people working on the cure, the better,” she said.

  “Yeah. And besides, the Coders won’t go to Seville,” Cal added.

  “We’re the police. Where a crime is concerned, we have jurisdiction over any health and safety issues. We have authority over every aspect of a suspected crime, which is how the virus originated. So Foster Cryo shouldn’t argue with sending the samples to the police lab, too.” York moved to the door and held it open. “After you.”

  She paused as she moved past him, briefly resting her hand on his arm. “Thank you for your help and support. I… I don’t know how I would have dealt with this without you.”

  “You’re welcome,” he said uncomfortably. A selfish part of him was pleased Kindra wasn’t associated with the genetic center any longer, but he didn’t have time to examine that inappropriate feeling. They had to focus on saving the children and finding the perpetrator. Flashes of the conflict he’d had with the Committee over his son beat at the edges of his memory. The Committee could be impossible to deal with.

  This was a huge setback.

  * * *

  York had called ahead to Captain Avery to get approval of the change in plans and venue, officially bringing Kindra under the wing of the police jurisdiction as a consultant. When they arrived, maintenance workers were still pushing things around inside the lab they’d created for her. He guided Kindra toward the wall and out of the way.

  Captain Avery strolled in with Cal right behind him.

  “Captain, this is Dr. Kindra B-Zaika,” York introduced her.

  “Glad you’re hanging in there with us, Dr. B-Zaika.”

  “If Seville pulls back from working on this with us, then she’s the only expert we have,” York said.

  “Then all the more reason to keep her safe.” Avery stood with his hands on his hips. “And get her everything she needs. Oh, and keep the pressure on Seville. Whether she’s there or not, they owe us answers. They’re not beyond the law.”

  Kindra absently rubbed her left bicep. “Is your arm okay?” York asked.

  “Just a little sore. Are there any leads on who shot me?” Kindra asked.

  Captain Avery answered. “From surveillance footage, we’ve determined it was a man. About York’s height, but with a smaller build. The suspect managed to stay away from any major cameras that would show a frontal view, though.” Avery backed toward the door and paused. “We’ll keep looking. In the meantime, just be careful.”

  “Thank you,” she said with a nod. To York, she said, “Let’s get started. We don’t want anyone falling through the cracks. If even one child goes undetected, it could mean a wider spread of the disease. With Coders contracting the illness, too, I suspect the virus has mutated.”

  “God, it’s been a long time since science class,” York muttered.

  “Has anyone checked the city travel log? As far as I know, the outbreak is contained in Chicago. Are cases showing up elsewhere? Have any of the infected children traveled recently?”

  York blew out a breath. “I’m not sure, but I’ll get someone on it. It’s been so long since we’ve had to worry about disease, there are no procedures in place to handle an outbreak of anything. I know other cities are monitoring what’s happening here, though.”

  “What about the additional cryo units?” Captain Avery asked.

  “We can’t get other cryogenic units shipped in because the wealthy are buying them up. Cities are putting holds on them due to pressure from the GEI population.”

  “The manufacturers should be required to sell to cities like ours, where there is a desperate need,” Kindra said.

  “That’s one for our politicians. But we can use whatever pressure we can muster,” York said. “I’ll contact Senator Russ.”

  “I’m going to go back to Foster Cryo,” Cal said. “Just in case anyone from Seville shows up, but also to help if more kids come in.”

  York cuffed his brother’s shoulder. “That’s why you’re the Golden Boy. Good thinking.”

  Cal wrinkled his nose. “I don’t know. With the attempt on Kindra’s life and now this crazy firing with Seville…” He shook his head. “My gut says we should increase security at the cryo center.”

  “Agreed,” York said. “This sick perp could decide to take out the kids.”

  A gruff voice joined the mix as Avery added, “Good job. I’ll send more officers to pump up security, plus assign some drones for good measure.”

  “All in a day’s work,” Cal said as he headed out along with Avery.

  York turned to Kindra. “Have a seat and relax for a minute. I’ll be right back.” He hussled through the door following his brother and the Captain.

  “Wait,” he called to them. “I followed up on the suspect Vi was after. Found her dead by genetic mutation, just like Vi.”

  Cal’s jaw tightened and his eyes hardened as he looked at York.

  “Sorry, I couldn’t include you on this one,” he said. Peering at Avery he added, “I’m not sure of the connection to our genetic case. But my gut says they’re related.”

  Avery nodded. “Stay on it.”

  * * *

  Kindra advanced through the halls of the police lab. She wasn’t used to such scrutiny, and it made her very uncomfortable. She felt like the outsider she was.

  Good heavens, she’d never envisioned a scenario like this for her life. On one hand, she felt at home around the lab techs and their sterile gear; on the other, the place reeked of Coder testosterone in both the males and females. They were more forceful and vibrant in their interactions than her GEI colleagues, and their personalities were so different.

  But York was in his element. He led the way into her makeshift lab. He reorganized a few tables after she had mentioned the lack of flow. The muscles of his arms bulged as he lifted the last table and set it on the other side of the room.

  It struck her how much her life had changed in the span of a week. She’d lost her job, wasn’t staying in her own home, her daughter was in cryo, and there’d been an attempt on her life. It was all so overwhelming. She chewed the corner of her lower lip. If she were honest, York was the only support system she had. Her life was comprised of work and her daughter. And now both of those things were gone.

  Temporarily, she vowed to herself. Yet a kernel of fear nestled inside her chest. She blew out some of her nervous tension, dismayed by the reality. She had no real friends to speak of. Had she become as mechanical as a Nanny Sally?

  York seemed to sense her unease and strolled over to join her in that cocky way he had. He swung an arm aroun
d her shoulders. “Everything will be okay.”

  He said that a lot, she realized. And she wanted to believe him.

  “I sure could use a unity session,” she said with a shaky voice that didn’t sound like her own.

  “I’ll see what I can do.” His eyes held hers before he leaned toward her. She thought she saw something more in him, something he wanted to express. But he kept it to himself.

  She reached up and wrapped her fingers around his hand, which had settled on her shoulder. It was really, really nice to have someone to lean on.

  She shifted her gaze to the equipment. She sighed. How could life go from comfortable to a catastrophe in a matter of days? She’d never been through a natural disaster, not an earthquake or tornado or flood, but she’d seen pictures of trees uprooted and houses flattened, lives ruined. A survivor—that’s what she felt like. But the storm wasn’t over yet. Plus, she had to start all over again with her job…from scratch.

  She let go of York’s hand, eased away from him, walked to the desk, and fired up the computer. According to York, it was connected to the main system the police department used. The question was, would it be powerful enough to process all the data housed on Seville’s genetic supergiant HERO? Cloning and genetic fabrication, from the food they ate to the skin wrapped around a car chassis, was a well-established norm. However, nothing was as complex as the genomes that comprised every living thing.

  Now someone’s misconceived notions of good and bad had triggered a calamity like none she’d witnessed in her lifetime. She sighed as the computer booted.

  “Hello, there,” it said. “My name is Steven. I’m here to assist you. Who are you?”

  “I’m Kindra,” she replied, disappointed. She missed Comp Nine.

  “Do you have something, in particular, you wish to accomplish, Kindra?”

  “Yes. I need to access the information on a micro-dot.” She pulled out the case and removed the two-millimeter dot. The computer prepared the reading compartment. She placed the dot on the slide and waited.