“From my conversation with him, I ascertain he was infected no more than three months ago,” Kristen says.
We’re back in the dining area, sitting around the largest available table. Speculations have been running high since Simon Whitebear—the first human to receive the cure—rejoined the human ranks.
The event begs several questions.
Does the cure only work on people who were infected recently? If so, what is the magic number? Three months? Six? A year? Does the cure only work on hosts without mutations? Would it work on Symbiots? How do we keep testing? How long do we test? What is the most effective way to distribute this cure? Can it be refined to save long-infected humans from a death like Gecko Man’s?
On and on. The questions are endless, and none of them have straight answers. Not this early. Not without more data. Not without more time. Something we don’t have.
James has been pacing alongside the table, deep in thought. His brow is etched with worry lines, his mouth set in a tight line. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this conflicted, not even the time IgNiTe openly declared war against Eklyptors, and he gave all IgNiTe members carte blanche to leave the team.
“I hope that during all your secret planning you came up with a way to massively distribute this cure,” Blare says. “Water system? Airborne? What’s it gonna be? We can hardly run around the city interviewing Eklyptors, asking when they were infected before we shoot them up. Not that I would ask.”
“Shit, Blare!” Aydan exclaims, losing his cool. “For once, I’d like to hear something helpful come out of your fucking mouth. You’re always full of sarcastic opinions, but ZERO solutions. Next time you wag your tongue, why don’t you make it something we’d actually want to hear?”
Several heads bob up and down in agreement. To my surprise, Blare tips a smile at Aydan and simply flips him the bird. If I’d been the one to say that, she’d have jumped my ass. It seems she and Aydan have built more than a decent rapport while I’ve been gone.
Before we came in here, James asked me if I was okay with Blare coming in. He told me he’d talked to her, and she had promised not to bother me anymore. I told him it was fine. I’m no one to decide she should stay out of the crew—not when she’s been at it longer than I have.
James stops his pacing and stands at the foot of the table. All eyes turn in his direction.
“Everyone knows why secrecy has been and is necessary. Cell members who are captured and infected immediately divulge everything they know. So secret plans are and will continue to be crucial to our success. Rest assured, however,” he looks over at Blare who seems barely able to hold his gaze, “the dissemination of a cure as well as many others topics have been thoroughly discussed, whether or not you are aware of it.
“Much work is already underway. Additional tests will be necessary, of course. We need to make sure a massively distributed cure won’t have any adverse effects on the uninfected human population.
“What I’d like for us to discuss, at the moment, is more immediate than that, however. I know some of you are concerned with ethical questions.” He looks around for Rheema, but it seems this conversation is one she decided to pass.
“We’re beyond ethics at this point,” Jori says. “The majority agrees already, even before Kristen administered the second shot. After seeing Simon reclaim his body, whatever qualms I had to begin with are gone.”
“Yes.”
“I agree.”
“Couldn’t have said it better myself.”
There’s general accord among everyone present. It’s hard to argue with words like reclaim. Simon was only given back what was taken from him. Nothing more. Nothing less. Every hijacked human who still has hope to regain what was stolen from them deserves a chance.
“Okay,” James says, his unwavering command back in place in light of his team’s unequivocal support. “As plans for refinement and widespread distribution of a cure continue, I would like to discuss more pressing matters.” His gaze drifts in my direction then moves over to Aydan.
I don’t need to hear more. I can put names and faces to these pressing matters James is talking about: Whitehouse and Hailstone.
I guess my stay here has come to an end. It was good while it lasted.