Lethal Outbreak

by Malcolm Rose

  Troy stepped forward. What he did next and what he said next would decide the fate of every outer. Trying to control his emotions, he said, ‘I don’t think you want this on your conscience, Fern. Someone would have to invent a new term for what you’re thinking of doing. It’s north of ethnic cleansing, worse than genocide.’

  ‘There’s already a word for it. Extinction.’

  ‘Is that what you want to be remembered for?’

  ‘I dare say you’ve got the place surrounded. Let me go, clear me a way through and no one’ll die. Get me a cab and I’ll leave this,’ she said, nodding at the vial, ‘by the side of the road.’

  At once, Troy shook his head. ‘I can’t do that. For lots of reasons. For one thing, I can’t trust you to leave it. You could get in the car and throw it from the window.’

  ‘You have to trust me.’

  ‘Why would I do that?’

  ‘Because I have to trust you not to rig the cab to take me straight to Crime Central.’

  ‘No.’

  She gripped the vial in both hands, ready to snap it into two pieces.

  ‘No!’ he shouted.

  ‘A cab, then,’ Fern said.

  Troy took a step towards her and then hesitated. ‘Let me check something on my life-logger.’

  Immediately suspicious, Fern said, ‘What are you doing?’

  ‘It’s a big call for me and Lexi. I’m asking our commander if he’ll offer you a deal.’

  ‘Under these circumstances, what choice has he got?’

  ‘It’ll take a few minutes.’ Troy looked up at her and said, ‘Think of your friends. Outer friends.’

  Fern screwed up her face. ‘They weren’t friends. They were insurance, so I didn’t look like a separatist. Sick of the sight of them all.’

  Playing for time, Troy said, ‘What’s the problem with outers, Fern?’

  ‘Don’t you know what it’s like to work with them, live alongside them, go to school with them? Always claiming to be superior to you.’

  ‘They’re better than me at some things, not as good at others. That’s okay.’

  ‘At school, I had a friend – a real friend. A major. They – outers – made fun of her all the time. It was relentless. Until she snapped.’

  Troy allowed her a moment of silence.

  ‘I was the one who found her hanging from her bedroom door.’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Troy said softly. ‘That’s awful. It must have been a terrible shock. But you can’t blame every outer for a few rogue bullies. You can’t condemn them all. Lexi wouldn’t have done anything like that to your friend.’

  ‘I would have tried my best to stop it,’ said Lexi.

  Troy took another two steps towards the technician. ‘You can’t take it out on Lexi and all the others who’d be horrified by what happened. That’s not fair.’

  ‘But they just keep digging away. “We’re cleverer than you.” Well, they’ve dug enough to make themselves a great big grave.’

  ‘What was your friend’s name?’

  ‘Celine.’

  ‘Is that what Celine would have wanted? The extinction of outers.’

  ‘After what she went through, yes.’ Fern looked down at him and hissed, ‘Don’t come any closer. What has your boss said?’

  ‘Nothing yet,’ Troy replied. ‘He’s a major. Probably asleep. Someone will get him on task as soon as possible.’

  ‘It had better be soon.’

  Troy looked again at his life-logger and came to a decision. ‘Here’s the thing, Fern. I’m not as clever as most outers. I admit it. But I think I know people. I think I know you.’

  Her hands tightened on the glass container. Her knuckles were white. ‘What are you talking about?’

  ‘I don’t think you’ll do it, Fern. I don’t think you’ll kill every outer. That’s why I checked something.’ He motioned towards his life-logger.

  ‘You weren’t consulting your boss?’

  ‘No. I’m looking at images of glass vials. And I’ve got a dilemma. That one in your hand isn’t the same as the one in the video about the Integrated Games. It’s different from the photos in the other two demands. And I don’t think it’s the same as the ones our drone picked out in BSL4.’

  Fern swallowed and said, ‘That’s because I transferred the SUMP to this one.’

  ‘In here?’ Troy looked around at the facilities – far more crude than Shallow End Laboratories. ‘I’m a long way south of outers when it comes to science as well, but I think that’d be too risky.’ He glanced at Lexi and she nodded her nervous agreement. ‘And I don’t know why you’d change one sealed bottle for another.’ Troy walked forward two more paces until he was at the bottom of the stairs.

  ‘Get back!’ she yelled.

  Troy mounted the first step. ‘It’d be better if you handed it over to me, Fern.’

  There was a loathing in Fern’s face.

  Troy knew her expression wasn’t aimed at outers this time. In that instant, she loathed him. Because he’d figured it out. He went up another step.

  And that triggered her. She raised the vial over her head and threw it down onto the hard floor where it smashed into three pieces. Something that looked like soil spilled out.

  At once, Fern turned and flew back up the stairs.

  Troy let her go. The team outside would deal with her. He had more important work.

  Lexi came to his side and said, ‘I hope you’re right, Troy.’

  He got down and photographed the main part of the broken container and immediately sent the image to Julia Nineteen. Talking to Lexi while he made the phone call, he said, ‘She’s an outer. She’ll be up.’ As soon as the laboratory supervisor answered, Troy said, ‘Well? Is that your vial – in pieces?’

  There was deathly quiet for five seconds.

  Troy was sweating and the silence seemed like a lifetime to Lexi.

  Then Julia’s voice said, ‘No. No, it isn’t.’

  Troy replied, ‘Thanks. That’s what I thought as well.’ He ended the call and turned to his partner. ‘She was bluffing, trying to make her escape. That’s all.’

  ‘So, where’s the real vial? I can’t see it here.’

  Troy took a deep breath. ‘I don’t know, but she met up with Precious Austin and Oriana Skillicorn so I’m guessing … ’

  Lexi checked her life-logger. ‘You might be right,’ she said, the dread clear in her tone. ‘I’m getting reports that all the tailed TRAPT members are getting up early. Skillicorn’s already heading in the direction of the community centre.’

  ‘As if they’ve got something new and urgent to talk about. Like a way of killing all outers.’

  ‘We can listen. I haven’t removed the bugs and cameras yet.’

  Troy said, ‘We’ve got to do more than listen.’ He made another call. This time, he had to be patient.

  While he waited for the ringing to wake Dominic Varney, Lexi whispered, ‘They’ve arrested Fern Mountstephen upstairs.’

  Troy nodded. ‘We’ll charge her on our way out.’

  Dominic’s voice, barely recognizable with drowsiness, said, ‘Yes?’

  ‘Troy Goodhart. I need you right now, Dominic. I’m delegating to you – to Gritty really – the job of saving every outer on the planet.’

  SCENE 38

  Saturday 19th April, Dawn

  Masking the first light of dawn, the black cloud overhead unleashed a torrent of rain on Troy and Lexi as they huddled under some trees outside the entrance to the community centre, watching the events inside on their life-loggers.

  Making his way through the downpour, Dominic Varney approached the main door. Troy and Lexi stood up so that he could see that they were already in position. Dominic glanced across at his colleagues and, totally immersed in his role of bigot, he shouted abuse at Lexi before he entered.

  Oriana Skillicorn was on her feet, standing in front of three rows of believers in the ideas of Two Races Apart. When Gritty walked in, dripping water from his raincoa
t, there was a commotion and a disruption. But he seemed to be welcome.

  ‘I heard you were getting together,’ he said in a loud voice. ‘Strange time to do it, so I reckoned something big had come up. I didn’t want to miss out.’

  Oriana waved him towards a seat. ‘It doesn’t come any bigger.’ She clutched a vial and lifted it up. ‘A poison that doesn’t affect majors. A poison that kills only outers. All outers. It gives us incredible power and incredible responsibility. Right now, we could banish outers to hell forever. We alone could inherit the Earth.’

  The reaction from the TRAPT supporters was hard to gauge from outside in a noisy April shower. Troy and Lexi guessed that a majority – including Gritty – were calling for the extermination of outers. A few were shaking their heads. Perhaps they had their quibbles with outers but a terrible, irreversible revenge was simply too much for them to sanction. Some were cheering. Ralph Hester was waving his walking stick in the air.

  Precious called out, ‘Let’s go for it. We – majors – can fill the holes they’d leave behind. All it takes is a bit of learning and a lot of determination.’

  Gritty glanced around at them all and then shouted above the mayhem, ‘Let’s have a vote.’

  Troy said to his partner, ‘He’s making sure we’ve got pictures – proof – of who’s in favour of mass murder and who isn’t.’

  Rainwater ran down their faces and necks and seeped into their clothes but neither Troy nor Lexi noticed the discomfort. Hearts pounding, they were focused entirely on the meeting. They were focused on the future of outers. They had also steeled themselves in case there came a moment when they’d have to decide whether to storm the meeting.

  Precious got to her feet. ‘I agree. It’s the only way.’

  ‘All right,’ Oriana said. ‘Let’s do it. First, hands up … ’

  ‘It should be a secret ballot,’ someone shouted.

  Outside, Troy muttered a curse.

  ‘We can’t organize that here and now,’ Gritty argued. ‘It’s a waste of time, man.’

  There seemed to be general acceptance that a formal vote was going too far.

  ‘Okay. A show of hands. Put your hand up if you want to save outers.’ Oriana paused for a second or two and then counted the raised hands. ‘Now, hands up for casting them out for all eternity.’ Again she counted.

  The members of Two Races Apart didn’t need to wait for Oriana’s announcement. They’d seen the decision of the majority for themselves. Even so, they gazed at her.

  ‘If you include my vote, it’s ten in favour of releasing the poison and five against.’

  More applause.

  ‘You’re all welcome to stay,’ she told the meeting, ‘but some of you – five – might want to leave now.’

  Three got to their feet straightaway. The remaining two were going to stay but, on seeing the others grab their coats, they followed suit.

  Lexi and Troy ducked down, making sure they were out of sight when the five objectors traipsed out of the community centre.

  ‘Now,’ Oriana said, ‘if we’re going to go ahead with this, one of us has got to break the vial.’

  ‘She’s a coward as well,’ Troy muttered. ‘She doesn’t want to do it herself.’

  ‘We should draw lots,’ Ralph suggested.

  ‘It’s one possibility,’ she replied.

  ‘She won’t agree to that,’ Lexi said with a sneer. ‘She might get the short straw and be forced to do it.’

  ‘It’s just like the secret ballot,’ Gritty replied. ‘Too much trouble. And I don’t know about you but I’m completely out of straws.’

  ‘What are you suggesting?’ Precious asked.

  ‘A volunteer,’ Gritty answered.

  ‘That’s a good idea,’ Oriana said. ‘All right with everyone?’

  There was a murmur of approval.

  ‘Do we have any volunteers?’ she asked.

  ‘I’ll do it.’ Grim-faced, Gritty was totally convincing. ‘It’d be a privilege to damn the lot of them.’

  ‘Me too,’ Ralph called out.

  ‘Ah. Two volunteers.’ Oriana was clearly annoyed that Ralph had added an extra complication. ‘How do we decide?’

  Using Ralph’s unimaginative nickname, Precious said, ‘You’re an old man, RH. I’m sorry to mention it like this, but you won’t have long to live with … your burden. And if you got caught … Well, the powers-that-be can’t do much to a man of your age.’

  ‘Quite right,’ he agreed, nodding.

  ‘Anyone got anything else for us to think about?’ Oriana asked.

  ‘RH tends to let things out of the bag when he’s talking to people,’ Gritty said.

  Ralph cackled and replied, ‘That’s true, Gritty.’

  ‘We have a one-all draw.’

  ‘I was first in the queue,’ Gritty reminded them.

  Troy sniffed and said, ‘He’s getting desperate.’

  A different member of TRAPT called out, ‘I’m persuaded by the age thing. I think RH should do it.’

  ‘God’s chosen one,’ someone else agreed.

  ‘Give me the vial,’ Gritty said. ‘I’ll hold it out and RH can whack it with his stick.’

  ‘It’s a bit theatrical.’ Oriana shrugged. ‘But I like the idea of a joint effort.’

  Gritty stood up. ‘Let’s get on with it.’

  ‘Are you sure?’ Oriana asked.

  ‘Absolutely.’

  Her eyes sought out Ralph. ‘Are you sure as well?’

  ‘Yes, definitely.’ He made his way to the front.

  Oriana looked at the two men, face to face, standing there as if about to fight an old-fashioned duel. ‘This is it, then. No going back.’

  They nodded at her.

  ‘Let’s take a few seconds for silent prayer.’

  After half a minute, Oriana gave a little cough and held out the sealed container towards Gritty.

  The undercover officer intended to enclose it in his large hand, leaving no glass for Ralph to strike, but the old man didn’t wait. Impatient and unpredictable, he swung his stick immediately and with surprising force at Gritty’s fist.

  Gritty couldn’t dodge quickly enough. Instead, he tried to cushion the blow. Tried to soften it with his hand. The stick cracked him across the knuckles before he had the vial fully in his grip. He couldn’t hold on and it shot out of his grasp.

  They all turned. Every pair of eyes followed the vial as it flew up and across the room towards the door. It was a brief moment in time – a second, perhaps – but it seemed to happen in slow-motion.

  The door opened and Troy, who had used the period of silent prayer to sprint into the building, dived towards the fearsome vessel. Outstretched, he slipped his right hand under the tumbling container and caught it centimetres above the floor.

  Shaking with emotion, he got to his feet. Unable to trust himself with the vial, he gave it to Lexi who had appeared at his side. Together, they blocked the way to the exit.

  ‘Stay exactly where you are,’ Troy demanded. ‘Don’t try anything stupid. We’ve recorded this whole thing. You are all under arrest.’ For a split-second, he glanced at Dominic but did not break his colleague’s cover. He gave no hint that Gritty was anything other than a failed multiple murderer.

  For the benefit of the inbuilt microphone in his life-logger, Troy said, ‘Backup to the community centre. We need an immediate police escort. Ten to be arrested, questioned and charged.’

  Lexi also sent a message. Hers went to Shallow End Laboratories and Julia Neve Nineteen. ‘One unopened vial for immediate return to BSL4.’

  SCENE 39

  Saturday 19th April, Morning

  On the way down the corridor, Troy and Lexi saw Dominic Varney emerging from the commander’s office. He walked up to them and said, ‘I’ve been explaining why I did what I did to Cheryl McVeigh. The new guy took it well.’

  ‘Not surprising,’ Troy replied. ‘You gave him a clear run at the top job.’

  ‘I guess
.’ He smiled and added, ‘I pointed out the bugs while I was in there. I heaped praise on you two as well.’

  ‘Did we need it?’ Lexi asked.

  ‘Probably not.’

  Troy said, ‘You did us a favour with TRAPT. Good work. Thanks.’

  ‘Pleasure. Well, maybe not a pleasure. But between us, we got it sorted.’

  ‘Yeah.’

  He winked at them. ‘See you around.’

  ‘Mustn’t keep the temporary commander waiting,’ Lexi said with a mischievous smile. As she knocked on the door, she whispered to her partner, ‘I’m looking forward to this.’

  The commander looked up at them as if accusing them of ruining his plans for their murder investigation. ‘Just when I’m about to appoint a new senior investigator, it seems that you two have closed the case.’

  ‘Of course, we would have been able to do it earlier,’ Lexi replied, ‘but we were denied a search warrant for Fern Mountstephen’s house.’

  The police chief’s eyes narrowed as he stared at her. ‘I won’t have insubordination for a perfectly rational – and legal – judgement, Lexi Four. In fact, I won’t have insubordination for any reason.’

  ‘Sorry,’ she said, ‘but you wouldn’t understand. I’m an outer and, like every outer, I’ve been on this crippled plane that’s about to crash. It’s a relief when two young and inexperienced detectives come along and make it fly again.’

  ‘I’m going to review the case before I make my report on you.’

  ‘There’s something else you should do first.’

  ‘Is there?’

  There was a knock at the door and Terabyte’s long cute face appeared. ‘You wanted a room debugging.’

  ‘Yes,’ the police chief replied. ‘Come back in five minutes.’

  As soon as Terabyte withdrew, the commander said to Lexi, ‘You were about to enlighten me on what I should be doing.’

  ‘Expecting an apology’s probably too much,’ she replied, ‘but you should at least congratulate us for saving half of the human races.’

  ‘I’m going to review the case before I … ’

  ‘Huh. At least we’re detectives, not temporary detectives.’

  Lexi’s usual composure had deserted her. Troy realized that, if there was a mark, his partner had just overstepped it. He was proud of her.