The Infected [Books 1-6]

by P. S. Power

  “So, the renovations are almost done. I can't believe that story actually worked. Renovations? With that mess? The good rooms are going to be taken if you don't claim yours soon. Oh... Yeah, something I wanted to talk to you about Bridget,” He twisted, his skin finally healing up, sporting fresh marks on his face from an Infected with razor like talons the other day. Burrows told him they'd heal clean, but probably scar. It didn't bother him at all. Karen said it would make him look rakish and dashing. Bridget voted for pirate like.

  He put out a hand and placed it on the slight girl's back. It felt hard and warm, hot, her metabolic rate nearly twice his own. Most of that energy going into fidgeting and making people worry about what she'd do next.

  “I talked to Director Moore about you being on Team Three, and he nixed it.” Before she could speak he held up his hand. “You just aren't cool enough for us, sorry. Should have been obvious from the start...”

  He grinned and punched her shoulder softly as her eyes suddenly looked hurt. “Silly! You'd be more than welcome, but the higher ups were kind of hoping that you'd go on to Team One. Like, for real, not as a super secret mascot or anything like you would be on the other teams. You get paid and everything, full amount too, same as what Karen and Argos make. You have to control your behavior, but I told him that wouldn't be a problem. You get to design your own uniform and everything, as long as you stay mainly clothed. Remember the whole family friendly idea and you'll be fine.”

  Bridget clapped but Rachel gave him a skeptical look. “I see. Now, is this generous offer of employment contingent on her father coming back as well?”

  “Nope. It was suggested... but I pointed out that doing that would be beyond creepy. Bridget's worth having on her own, and everyone agreed with that. Scott and Charlot still have to sign off on it, even if they don't come back. She does need an adult supervisor however, until she's eighteen at least. I voted for you, by the way, even if your son does come back.”

  The older redhead who looked more like the very young mother of the young looking girl next to him leaned into him and put an arm around his shoulders giving him a soft squeeze.

  “I see. So am I slated for the Team One dog and pony show too?”

  He leaned into her a bit too, knowing that the woman was just friendly all the time and wouldn't take it amiss. For that matter she wouldn't take blatant requests for sex badly either, or so he'd been told. By her. More than once. It was tempting, especially since Becky didn't seem to be having any luck blocking out what he was doing yet. If nothing else Rachel was fun to be around and had some great stories about Alpha squad. He tried to memorize everything she told him, going over the data points often to keep them fresh in mind.

  “You'd think, right? The Director suggested that. I told him to go fuck himself. You're with us on Team Three.” He winked at her and then Bridget in turn. “By the way, for future reference he really doesn't like being told to go fuck himself. I've had to apologize about six times since then for it. He keeps giving me these hurt looks... Not that I'm knocking Team One,” Brian kicked his right foot out to touch the younger girls leg lightly, playfully getting her attention. “I just think you should be working on the other problem. Alpha. For that matter I put Moore on notice that we're going to pull him out of retirement and that his second in command needs to get trained up ASAP, if they're not already. I'm thinking you'd be the one to get him back in shape. Doctor Burrows says his heart is good for it, so have at.” Brian stood so he could face both of them.

  “Director Moore... seemed to think I was kidding for some reason. No doubt it will be a shock when you show up to take him to the gym the first time, which is why I'm sending the pretty woman that he used to have a crush on instead of going myself. Brilliant plan, don't you think?” Rachel made a derisive sound.

  “Crush on moi? I think not. What gave you that idea?”

  Brian shrugged. His voice sounded flat still, even as he fought to make it more lively and playful. “Maybe because he said so? The first time he told me about Alpha? Actually I think what he said was that he thought he was in love with you at one point. Good enough to get his attention now I think.”

  Rachel looked pleased and blushed warmly at the idea.

  A knock came at the door, Charlot's voice called through. “Is anyone decent enough to come to the door?” She giggled as if the idea that they wouldn't be amused her for some reason.

  Bridget let her mother and father into the room quickly, bouncing in place, but determined not to say anything about the job offer. She winked at Brian to keep him from saying anything about it either. Charlot kissed him on the cheek dryly and looked at the other women.

  “News. Scott and I have decided to return to the IPB – for now at least. The political climate can't handle Prime disappearing...”

  Sitting back Rachel let Bridget have her moment, unveiling her own invitation onto Team One. Prime sat, mouth hanging open a little bit for a few seconds, but not too long. He turned quickly and grabbed his daughter up in a swinging hug that would have broken something in Brian, he was sure.

  “Of course! Where else would you belong? Silly of them to hide my daughter away on Team Two all this time anyway.” The possessive nature of the statement was clear to everyone. Bridget smiled anyway.

  “I know! Anyway, I get a new costume and everything!”

  Visions of her playing dress up for days at a time filled his mind briefly, her trying to insist that a princess dress would make a perfectly good costume. That or something really punk looking. Of course if anyone could pull off a princess dress it would be her. She'd look six, but that kind of worked for now.

  “You get a new code name too. Rat girl's good, but lacks a little bit of promotional...whatever. You know what I mean?”

  Charlot agreed instantly, rats didn't exactly have a good public image, which meant that guilt by association was a real possibility. Bridget didn't want to be blamed for the black plague, did she? The tone came out as playful, something that Brian had only just learned to associate with the woman in the last few days.

  Bridget stood, looking ready to fight suddenly. “No. Becky gave me that name before she died. I won't change it.” Her fists went to hips, legs wide in “Power Stance” he associated with Team One's promotional posters.

  Everyone else looked worried, but Brian stood and smiled slowly.

  “See, I knew you'd say that, but I have the one thing in the whole world that might change your mind right here...” He tapped his head. Dharma stepped out and took a close look at the tiny woman in front of her willing to hold on to the horrible name that she'd burdened the girl with years before.

  “Don't be a prick Brian, let her in on it already!”

  “All right, the ghost image of Becky in my head came up with a new name for you... Ready to hear it? It's pretty cool.”

  The girl crossed her arms and made a disbelieving face. So distrusting he nearly laughed. He gave her a blank look in return, finally shrugging. “Don't take my word for it, ask Christian. She talks to Becky way more than I do. They hang out and stuff. So ready?”

  Reluctantly the girl nodded, but she quirked her mouth to make him laugh at the same time. He didn't, going for a dramatic unveiling.

  “Impulse.”

  The name went over well with everyone, even Bridget, on the condition that Chris really told her that it came from Becky and this wasn't just some trick to make her change names. She hinted that she might bring Martin Joabs in on it just to be certain. Brian nodded and told her that was fine, if the man had time to spend on that kind of thing.

  The news that she'd be partnered with Quartz almost caused Prime to back out and refuse to come back, once he realized that was Marcia's new handle. Brian held his ground on the matter.

  “It's politics Prime, you're a master of this stuff, so tell me, do we not need as many hot chicks to compliment you on your team as possible or not? You're cool, but face it, straight guys just aren't attracted to you as much as t
hey will be cute girls, and Bridget's underage for years... Good for getting the young boys attention maybe and a good girl role model, but just creepy if some forty year old man has too many posters of her, right?”

  It still took a while for him to agree to the point, but he eventually did. After all, it wasn't like Marcia and him had to be friends or anything, he told everyone, as if they were going to argue the point. Marcia hadn't been really happy about it either, but she'd agreed to it when Brian told her the idea felt right to him for some reason. It wasn't like they wouldn't see each other for hours every day anyway, since he still had a lot to learn about fighting, as Hobbs had shown him pretty clearly, about a week before. Brian had been intrigued to find out that the man didn't have a discernible first mode at all and that his only real power was the ability to coax plants to grow faster. The rest was just all due to the incredible amount of practice the man had put in. If he could find time maybe Hobbs would help him plant a garden in the spring?

  Rachel smiled and winked at Bridget.

  “I wonder if I should get a new code name too, Foggy's a little out of date. I got it back when no one really cared what we called ourselves. Tess picked it for me, because I was always so fuzzy headed in the morning. I mean look at the names, Less, Braid, Foggy, Stillness, Know-it-all, Tesseract and Earthbitch. Not exactly inspired names.”

  Brian looked at her and tilted his head on purpose, trying to be sociable.

  “Earthbitch?”

  “Yeah, that's what we all called her behind her back. Don't worry, she earned it. What's the current trend for naming on Team Three Brian? I know that this Quartz was called Beatdown... You just told me after all, but I don't know the rest...”

  Was there an actual naming convention for the team?

  “Well, I think it's just simple descriptive stuff. The team leader is Christian, kind of a super telepath and hers is Mind Reader. Penny, who's invisible and unnoticeable is Cellophane. Mark stops time for everyone but himself and goes by Stasis. For all I care you can go by Rachel if you want, or Foggy, or we can make up something nonsensical. I hear “rat girl” is going to be opening up as a name soon...”

  Everyone laughed, but no one had anything better than Foggy, not really. Almost every good animal based name had been taken already, usually by criminals, and her powers, while really high end were in the main set of what Infected people showed up with. Strength, speed, endurance and toughness. She may be a class six for those reasons, but the names left were a little thin on the ground.

  Rachel looked at him and shook her head gently. “Right, and that Proxy guy switches places with people, which kind of makes sense as a name. What's your code then Brian?”

  Everyone laughed, causing her to look perplexed. Before anyone else could say anything Brian answered, trying to keep his face straight.

  “Crash test dummy. Isn't it obvious?”

  Charlot and Scott had to cover their mouths and turn away, but Bridget just nodded seriously, eyes going wide.

  “Yeah, he's really famous for his work... Don't you read consumer reports? He's mentioned there, like, all the time...”

  Impulsively he stood up wanting to get another run in for the day, just a slow jog. It wasn't his normal habit, but he'd need to be in as good of shape as he could possibly be in the coming months. Leaning in he kissed all the girls on the cheek and patted Prime on the back telling them all how glad he was that they'd be staying with him. “I'd get lonely without you all. Well, back to the testing facility!” Brian got a chuckle and left then, on that relatively high note.

  The drive back to the base went quickly, the tinted windows hiding his face from any passing police, preventing unwarranted attacks from that quarter, at least for now. Some day it would happen, he knew, they'd try for him again or something else would happen. When it did, the next engagement would go differently, he hoped. Brian didn't go out unarmed any more for instance. Back at the base he changed into his Team Three work out sweats and started running the perimeter fence just as night fell. After half an hour he heard footsteps behind him, when he turned there was an unfamiliar but fit looking woman jogging up to him.

  “Hey, hold up Brian! I'd like a word, if that's all right? If you slow down a bit I think I can keep up and talk while we get a work out in...”

  No one had ever come to run with him before out here, so he slowed letting her catch up, when she fell in beside him, he nodded, welcoming her. Closer now the flood lights illuminated her face, high cheek bones, stately looking, her long black and gray hair held back in a single braid that kind of gave away where he'd seen her before. The picture that the Director had shown him. She had really long hair, below her backside even.

  “Hello, Mrs. Moore. Have you come to try and seduce me to the dark side?” He lacked inflection, but it worked with the line.

  She busted up laughing.

  “God! They told me you were different, but meeting you is so... refreshing. To answer your question, I've actually come to tell you the truth, and in doing so confuse you in the future, so that my plans might come to fruition.”

  They ran for a bit, her breathing stayed even and gentle.

  “All right. Just know that the Director told me that if I ever met you I should probably try to kill you. Depending on what you say I might. I don't know if I can do it, but I'm not too happy with you and your little troop of evil villains right now.” Turning his head a little Brian kept her in view, waiting for an attack to come, or for her to summon someone else to fight him.

  Still looking happy she shook her head. “Yes and no. Yes, you'll probably try to kill me some time in the future. About thirty percent of the time you even succeed. In a few I kill you and in about half we bump heads but without direct violence. In one or two we even become lovers, but I'm not holding my breath on those, too many things can get in the way. But it's there regardless. That's the problem with the future... There's so much of it to pick from. Too much.”

  They ran in silence for a while, a few minutes, feet hardly making a sound on the cold ground for either of them. The woman, Braid, wore sweats that looked nearly identical to the ones he wore, her t-shirt however was different, definitely a girl-cut, and instead of “Team Three” it had large block printed letters that said “Team Twee”. Cute. Brian almost smiled when he saw it.

  “So, I couldn't help but notice that you and your group seem bent on starting a war. You know, having Infected kill government officials so that the Hooper act will go through? Do you know something I don't there, because that seems like a whole lot of people that don't need to, innocent people, will die if that happens.” Brian cast a look toward her, trying to read her face when he said it. She smiled and shook her head slightly, a tiny movement and an expression that seemed slightly sour.

  “I'd guess that you've been behind most of the attacks against Hopper. On some level at least...”

  The older woman, gray and black hair bobbing, everything else holding tightly to her body, laughed. “Now you're just fishing. But I did say I was here to tell you the truth, didn't I. Yes. We're behind it. More precisely, I'm behind it. It has to happen for the world to come out right in the end. I'm not a bad person for all that I see the need for millions to die in the near future Brian. I'm just doing my part in the scheme of reality, just like you are.”

  She stopped so Brian did too, sweat suddenly cooling on his body, causing him to shiver slightly. He ignored it after a few seconds. The cold annoyed him, but he'd live.

  “Right now in the world there are two forces squaring off, picking which future path we all go on to. A war is coming, regardless of who wins, but it can be a war between the Infected and the normals, or it can be a war between these two forces. Ultimately the choice is up to you and you alone. Will you stand aside and let my vision take place, a war now for a greater world in the future, a stronger thing that holds all as equal and right prevails, or do you choose to stand in my way and create a world less able to defend itself from outside threats
in a hundred, or even a thousand years?”

  Brian shook his own head and asked her if she knew of any threats that were coming, but she didn't, not specifically. “But, there's always something, shouldn't we be ready for it?” She offered this with a blank face, her eyes calculating something.

  “Not at the cost of millions of innocent lives now. That's... not exactly sane thinking, is it? If you want me to get out of your way you'd need to do better than telling me that in a thousand years there might, maybe, possibly be a threat of some kind... sorta.”

  She shrugged and smiled at him.

  “I didn't think you'd go along with my plan. Oh well. There are other ways to get you out of the way. You aren't immortal after all, not really. No one is in the end. First, though, let me tell you about yourself and see if that doesn't shake your world view a little bit?”

  He shrugged back at her. If she was delusional enough to think he even pretended to be immortal what harm could listening to her do? What could she possibly say that would change his mind on this? Especially about himself. Brian said it to her out loud, earning a smile and pat on the shoulder, one that came at him slowly and cautiously, like a person putting bait in a trap, not wanting to trigger it themselves.

  “Easy Brian. The girl you tried to save, Melany Miller? You didn't try to save her at all. Rather, your powers didn't. She was never who you protected.” The woman suddenly looked sad.

  “No, you protected everyone else from her. If you'd lost her to those creatures, if they ate her flesh like their biology told them too, then each one of them that did would have become an infector as well. Worse, every day that passed, every week, they would have matured and become stronger, smarter.”

  Her gaze shifted off into the distance.

  “Did you notice at some point a larger, stronger looking creature? That was the first one you know, her own father. He was already a class six and in a few more months would have reached seven, fully coming into his speed finally. Not even you would have been able to beat him then, especially if he carried with him an army of thousands of those things. They would have taken the whole of North America in a matter of months. Everyone else dead or converted.