The Susquehanna Virus Box Set

by Steve McEllistrem

  “Hey!” Benn said.

  “You’re right,” Wee Willie said. “Cool.” He pointed at Rendela. “Try it.”

  “Gross!”

  “You don’t have to throw up. Just think about slapping Poole’s face.”

  “Ew!” Rendela made a face.

  “See? Try it, Aspen.”

  Aspen’s pale face wrinkled in distaste. “I already did.”

  “Okay,” Zora said. “That’s enough of that. I don’t trust you, Curtik. I know how devious you can be.”

  “Devious,” Benn said with a grin.

  “But for the moment,” Zora continued, “I can’t afford to assume you’re wrong. We do it my way. I still won’t give you a weapon. Use your implant to tell your boys I’ll be coordinating the attack. We capture the Elite Ops. Then we negotiate with Poole and Cho. Learn the truth.”

  “That’s all I’m asking,” Curtik said. For now.

  Chapter Twelve

  On the screens in Admiral Cho’s office, the children, armed with Las-rifles, marched toward LB1, laughing and whooping. Only a handful had been left behind to guard the Elite Ops, who had fallen to the cadets, partly because of their orders—modified by deep conditioning—not to use extreme force on the children.

  “They’re out of control,” Taditha Poole said to Eli over the vid. Her stomach tightened and twisted.

  “Let them come,” Eli replied after the three-second time lag, his voice slightly slurred, the left side of his face partially paralyzed by his recent stroke. He also spoke with a pronounced lisp. “We’ll put the plan into effect immediately. I assume you saw that India and China have fired rockets at each other’s military bases?”

  “I don’t care about China and India. The cadets might kill everyone on the Moon, including us. Is that your plan? Are we expendable?”

  Cho said, “Their conditioning will hold. We’ll be safe.” His voice, though, sounded shaky.

  “Taditha,” Eli said, “of course you’re not expendable. If I thought you were in real danger, I’d allow you to put them to sleep.”

  “I already tried that,” Poole said. “It didn’t work. Someone is blocking all my transmissions to their implants.”

  “You tried to knock them out?” Cho said.

  “And failed. Look at them.” Poole pointed to the screens. The children, more than halfway to LB1, moved with a kind of horrific synchronicity, yelling something indecipherable. “Whatever controls once existed are no longer holding.”

  “You tried to sabotage the project?” Eli said.

  “Not sabotage,” Poole replied. “I just felt we needed to slow down, get the cadets under control and re-analyze everything before we proceed.”

  Cho shook his head. Three seconds later Eli said, “We need to accelerate the timeline, given the situation in Asia. Brazil has already declared its support for China, while Britain and France have backed India. All my analysts agree that a regional war is inevitable, and most think a world war is weeks away.”

  “I just can’t wrap my head around killing thousands of people,” Poole said.

  “Better than the millions, perhaps even billions, that would die otherwise,” Admiral Cho replied before Eli’s response could return from Earth. “We’re just ridding the world of certain hostile governments.”

  “You’ve been on board with this plan for years,” Eli said. “What’s suddenly gotten into you, Taditha?”

  “Nothing,” Poole said. “I just want to move cautiously. I don’t think these kids are stable enough for what you have in mind.” She glanced at the screens again. The cadets increased their pace, their faces twisted in a kind of desperate anticipation. Crazy Vigg fired his Las-rifle into the ceiling and the others howled in delight. She shivered.

  “I understand you have reservations,” Eli continued. “You might experience some remorse at the necessary violence we have to inflict. But we all know this is the only way to prevent the greater evil.”

  “Look at them,” Poole said. “I don’t know what they’ll do. All I can say for certain is that the level of rage they’re experiencing is way beyond what it should be—the cascading effect of mob mentality.”

  For a few seconds, while the time lag to Earth delayed Eli’s response, Poole studied Cho. He took off his glasses and mopped his glistening forehead with a handkerchief as his gaze settled on the screens.

  “I’ve seen all the data you’ve sent,” Eli said finally. “My people agree that the controls will hold. Everything is fine. You two need to relax and let this happen. Taditha, I understand your concerns. But you’ve done everything right. Ready or not, this is their time.”

  “I guess we’re about to find out.”

  The cadets had reached the tunnel entrance. “Oh, Choey,” Curtik called, “Can we come out to play?”

  The cadets laughed.

  “If I have to open this door myself,” Zora said. “I won’t be happy.”

  Poole shook her head at Cho, but Eli said, “Let them in, Admiral. I’m transmitting the Las-cannon access codes and the initial targets. Once the children secure Lunar Base 1, they can begin the first attacks on Earth.”

  Poole got to her feet. “Don’t let them in. The situation is too explosive.”

  Cho drew his Las-pistol and pointed it at Poole while palming the pad on his desk, opening the door to the tunnel and the sound of children laughing and cheering. “Calm down, Doctor. Everything’s gonna be fine.”

  The cadets swarmed into Cho’s office, Curtik wearing a QuikHeal bandage on his stomach. He was one of the few not carrying a Las-rifle. His eyes had a glazed look, probably augmented by the anesthetics. Zora kept one hand on his arm. She too carried no Las-rifle.

  “Hello, Piscine,” Curtik said with a smile, “and Admiral Cho.” Curtik waved wildly. “How nice to see you again. It’s been such a long time.”

  Zora said, “You planning to use that Las-pistol, Admiral?”

  Aspen stepped over to Cho, who placed the weapon in her hand. Benn directed cadets out into the hall beyond, but Rendela stayed by Zora, while Wee Willie, Crazy Vigg, Roze and Addam—also wearing a QuikHeal bandage and walking with a slight limp—stood against the wall. Addam’s eyes, much more glazed than Curtik’s, indicated he was under heavy anesthesia.

  “I’m looking forward to spending more time with you, Choey,” Curtik said, “once I figure out how to undo some of this programming in my head.”

  “Zora,” Poole said, “I’m concerned about the implant readings I’m getting from you and your friends.”

  Curtik said, “Are you concerned about me as well, Piscine? I hope you are because I’m certainly concerned about you.” He broke into laughter.

  Zora’s gaze shifted from Poole to Eli. “Ah, the great and powerful Oz. We’ll talk later. Take a seat, Doctor. Admiral, you’ll be coming with me. Crowd control. I don’t have time to chat with either of you at the moment. We’ve decided to take over LB1 as a precaution. Rendela, you and Benn keep an eye on Dr. Poole. I don’t want her contacting anyone. Admiral, have your people surrender their weapons and congregate in the hangar. We don’t kill anyone we don’t have to, right, Curtik?”

  Curtik smiled with his lips, not his eyes. “We’ll have to get rid of them eventually. Hey, we could ratapult them.”

  Zora looked at Cho. “Admiral? Now, please.” As Cho reached for the intercom, Zora said, “And, Doctor, I’ll take your interface.” She let go of Curtik and held out her hand. Poole disconnected from the device, removed it from her temple and gave it to Zora, who pocketed it and said, “Everyone else, with me. Ciao for now.”

  “Zora,” Poole said. “I think we should talk.”

  “Good idea, Doctor. Why don’t you start without me?” Flashing a smile, Zora flounced out of the room, pulling Curtik with her. Aspen pushed Cho out the door behind them.

  “Don’t worry,”
Rendela said as she used a plastic restraint to tether Poole to Cho’s desk. “We won’t harm you.”

  “What did you do to us?” Benn said.

  “I made you special,” Poole replied.

  “How sweet of you,” Rendela said. “And now we’re going to complete our mission. Curtik told us you were planning to discontinue the program, that you were going to get rid of us. Is that true?”

  “No,” Poole said.

  Rendela nodded. “He said you’d deny it. Zora will get to the bottom of it once she finishes securing LB1. Let’s watch TV, shall we?”

  The screens showed the main hangar of LB1. Cho’s soldiers had begun assembling there, wearing sullen expressions, while half a dozen cadets surrounded them, aiming their Las-rifles in the soldiers’ general direction. Zora, leaving Aspen to guard Cho, went to the military desk and switched the intercom on. She spoke in a pleasant voice that went to every room on the Moon:

  “May I have your attention, please? I’m sorry to interrupt whatever you’re doing, but your immediate presence is required in the main hangar of Lunar Base 1 for a safety inspection. This is not a drill. Everyone must be in the main hangar in five minutes. Anyone who fails to follow this order will be subject to immediate discipline, including expulsion from the settlement. Thank you for your cooperation.”

  Zora looked up at the nearest camera and smiled. She looked angelic. Poole wondered if she was as much a monster as Curtik. She’d always played by the rules during training, whereas Curtik had a tendency to push them, often for no reason that Poole could see. But she was smart too, smarter than Curtik, probably smarter than Poole. Had she been hiding certain talents all along just as Curtik had? Underplaying her abilities to gain an edge? Even if she hadn’t, what would Zora be like without the controls upon her? Would she be as dangerous as Curtik?

  Workers and tourists filed in gradually, some belligerent at first, until they saw the Las-rifles and the subdued soldiers. Most came quietly, moving into the center area where the next LTV was due to arrive in four days. The Verloren mother carried her youngest daughter and the father kept a firm grip on the older one—Carla? Cora? Kyler—the one who’d unwittingly caused Jones’ accident.

  Poole searched for Devereaux in the crowd but didn’t see him. She wondered if he was in the hospital wing with Jones again, continuing his research into the Susquehanna Virus. The Escala hadn’t arrived from LB2 either. Would the children go after them? Despite the fact that they were scientists, they had demonstrated that they were formidable fighters, though without weapons they’d be slaughtered if the children attacked them. What the hell is Zora planning?

  Now teams of cadets began to move off into the hotel and other areas, no doubt to ensure that everyone was accounted for. Zora stayed at the military desk, where she had access to the scanners that could identify the location of every individual on the Moon.

  “You’re awfully quiet,” Rendela said as they waited for the stragglers to be brought to the hangar.

  Poole sighed and said, “What do you want me to say?”

  “Don’t you have any questions?”

  “I’m curious what you’ve got planned,” Poole said. “Believe it or not, I want you to complete your mission. And you need our help—mine and Admiral Cho’s—to do it. We’ve got all the access codes, the target specs.”

  “Oh,” Rendela said, “I think we can find them.”

  Benn stared at Poole and said, “You look a little off to me, Doctor. You’re always asking how we’re feeling during and after our exercises. How are you feeling?”

  Poole’s stomach continued to roil. She said, “Actually, I have a little nausea. Perhaps I’m coming down with something.”

  “The Susquehanna Virus?” Benn said.

  When Poole raised an eyebrow, Benn said, “Yeah, we know about that. Zora tapped into the medical database and discovered it was sent here. Curtik says you were going to use it against us.”

  “Curtik’s a liar,” Poole said, “and a manipulator. He’ll say or do anything to get what he wants. And right now he wants the freedom to kill. He wants to destroy every human on Earth.”

  “You made him what he is,” Rendela said.

  Poole nodded. “We made all of you. And we’re proud of you. You’re gifted. We enhanced body and mind, and made adjustments to your personalities to bring forward the skills you’ll need to complete the mission.”

  “After what Curtik did to Mouthy Man,” Benn said, “you’re probably wishing you hadn’t made him so well.”

  Poole blinked rapidly, holding back the tears. She refused to cry in front of these children. God, she hated Curtik—and herself.

  Composing herself, she looked at the screens, where everyone was turning toward the tunnel to LB2. Emerging from it in a single group, the Escala strode into the hangar. Close to seventy strong, with a few children and infants, their presence overpowered everything else in the hangar.

  “Whoa,” Benn said, “those mofos are huge!”

  Quark was the biggest, but even the smallest adults were over six-feet tall—most were well over six feet. And the lightest woman probably weighed two hundred-twenty Earth pounds. Poole had forgotten how impressive they were as a group, how muscular and athletic. She hadn’t seen them all together since they landed a year ago. They must have all walked from LB2 to arrive at the same time. Quekri and Quark stood at the front, protecting their charges. After a few moments, Zora detached herself from the military desk and walked over to them. She had to tilt her head way back to speak to the giants, but her voice didn’t carry to the sensor pickups, so Poole couldn’t hear her.

  Rendela’s face went blank, as did Benn’s—accessing their implants. Poole said, “What’s going on?”

  Benn and Rendela ignored her. After a few moments, Zora finished her conversation with Quark and Quekri. She turned toward the military desk and asked, “Where is Devereaux?”

  “In the infirmary,” Wee Willie answered, “with Jones. You want me to get them?”

  Zora went still for a moment, then said, “No. Let them be.”

  A group of four cadets dragged two burly workers wearing the blue-gray of the ice harvesting crew into the hangar. The workers cursed at the cadets and the bigger of the two fought against his captors who, despite being smaller, were easily strong enough to hold him.

  “Who do we have here?” Zora asked.

  “Leggo!” the big worker yelled. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, little girl?”

  Zora smiled at him. “Did you not hear the order to report to the main hangar?”

  “Screw you! We’re off duty. You can’t tell us what to do.”

  “I’m sorry,” Zora said. “I didn’t mean to upset you, Mr. Evgeny Sorokin. I can see by your face that I interrupted your beauty sleep. In fact, you must not have gotten any at all.”

  The other cadets laughed.

  “What the hell’s that mean?” Sorokin shouted.

  Zora turned to Curtik and said, “This gentleman doesn’t want to be here. Could you show him to the door?”

  “Gladly.” Curtik grabbed Sorokin and shoved him toward the airlock. Let’s go.”

  Cho stepped forward, ignoring Aspen’s Las-rifle. “You won’t do this.”

  For a second Curtik paused, as if his body refused to obey, then Sorokin began to struggle and Curtik kicked his legs out from under him. He nodded to Phan, one of the cadets who had dragged the man out to the hangar. Together they pulled Sorokin toward the airlock. Sorokin yelled, “You’re psychos! All of you. You wouldn’t dare throw me outside.”

  Cho took another step forward. Aspen swung her Las-rifle into his stomach and Cho bent over double. Poole gasped. “How did Aspen do that?”

  Rendela and Benn ignored her.

  Aspen, Poole noted, looked nauseated with the effort she’d made to stop Cho. Her face was pinched in
revulsion. When Curtik looked at her and laughed, she giggled. Some of the other cadets joined in. It wasn’t until Curtik opened the doors, which slid apart with a kissing sound, that they stopped. Now their attention was on Sorokin and Curtik, who grabbed the big man’s coveralls and threw him inside the airlock. Kicking and cursing, Sorokin landed against the outer door, scrambled to his feet and shouted, “Wait! I’m sorry. I won’t cause no more trouble. Please let me back inside. I’m begging.”

  With a grin, Curtik closed the doors and hit the emergency lock.

  “Curtik,” Cho warned. “This ain’t part of your mission.” He turned to Zora. “This is simple murder.”

  Zora shook her head. “Admiral, I think you might want to go to your quiet place. Pretend this isn’t happening.” She nodded to Curtik, who turned back to the doors, where Sorokin pounded on the plas-glass with one hand while he tried to work the latch with the other. Behind him, through the outer glass doors, the desolate lunar landscape, harshly lit by the sun, confirmed Poole’s version of hell—a jagged wasteland of gray and black, shadow and nothingness. She shivered. Sorokin continued to pound on the glass. Curtik, giving an exaggerated slow wave, opened the outer doors. Sorokin reached for the latch handle and screamed as he was sucked toward the vacuum. Almost immediately the sound vanished along with the air and he tumbled to the ground a few feet outside the hatch. He twitched for perhaps a minute, then lay still.

  Poole shivered with fear.

  “It ain’t too late, son,” Cho said. “We can still save him.”

  Curtik continued to watch Sorokin through the window until it no longer mattered and said, “Hunh. That wasn’t much fun. He didn’t explode or anything. Maybe we should try again.” He turned to the smaller worker who had been dragged to the hangar with Sorokin. “Who else can we put out there?”

  The worker fell to his knees. “Please,” he begged. “I’ll be good. I promise.”

  The captives in the hangar took a step back. Even the big Escala shifted side to side.

  “Let’s do Cho,” Addam said.

  “What?” Cho bellowed.