by A M Lopez
Arthur’s skin was turning pale because of his lack of sunlight, having long since shut out any unneeded light and going paperless. He wasn’t getting enough nutrients despite the needles, his health once again declining. Dimitri had already tried multiple times to get his twin away from his computer by then, so he knew he needed to find a new way to help. He had been taking a break from working on an alternative cure in Cato’s kitchen when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. His fried brain was thankful for spotting the vitamin gummies, unable to think straight about anything at that point. He immediately stood up and grabbed them, rushing to the computer lab.
He slowed upon reaching the room and entered quietly, not wanting to disturb his brother too much. The last time he had, Arthur had locked down the room for two hours. Spotting his twin, Dimitri slowly walked over and gently placed the bottle of gummies near him. It was close enough for Arthur to reach, but far enough that it was out of his way. After scanning his twin, Dimitri turned around and left. When he returned later on, he was glad to see Arthur chewing on gummies, until he realized the previously full bottle was half way empty. He quickly snatched the bottle back and added it to his bag, leaving Arthur a healthy amount of vitamins on his desk.
The original item, the blanket, was for whenever Arthur passed out. Dimitri would take the blanket and drape it over his twin, a soft goodnight leaving his lips. He then plugged in whatever devices Arthur had been using that needed to be charged, knowing his brother would freak out if anything died with his work unsaved on it. Dimitri would turn and quietly walk to the door of the room, glancing over his shoulder at his twin one last time. Afterwards, he would head to the guest room Cato had provided him and look out the window. Orae lacked pollution, allowing the stars to shine brightly in the night sky. Looking up at them, Dimitri would occasionally be tempted to make a wish on one. Laughing quietly at himself, he would shake his head and leave the window to get ready for bed. Making wishes upon a star didn’t work. He knew from experience.
~
Dimitri groaned, letting his head fall to the table. He closed his eyes, and let the silence that had been consuming the area, drown him. They were in an unused room inside Cato's home, working furiously on ways to not kill Cato while curing him. So far, they had found nothing.
"Dimitri, come in." His watch rang out with the voice of his leader.
"We're landing outside now with the materials, be ready." Her voice sounded strong, but tired.
After all the updates he heard from Arthur, Dimitri let out a sigh of relief. He stood up and looked to Arthur, who had his head buried inside a computer typing furiously. His hair was flopped over his head, covering his eyes.
"Arthur, we have to go get the materials." Hesitantly, he walked over to his twin.
Arthur's hands slowed and he nodded, getting up and quickly walking to the door. Anston was seated on the other side of the room, reading. Instantly, he rose to his full height and also headed out of the small room.
"Cato?" Dimitri walked out into the hallway, softly knocking on the man’s bedroom door.
A shuffle was heard from the inside and Cato quickly opened the door showcasing his ragged face. He hadn't shaved in days, and had lines of exhaustion all over his face.
"The team is back with the materials."
Cato widened his eyes and quickly ran out of the bedroom, Dimitri following in pursuit. Arthur and Anston were both tapping their foots in anxiousness. Leaning against the side of the house, Dimitri looked down the large hill. Aaron, Allison, Eva, and Connor were hiking up the hill. Each person had the same look on their face, fatigue. Connor and Eva seemed to be holding on to each other as if at any moment, they could be taken away. Aaron held her arm tightly and winced in pain.
The team reached each other and Aaron nodded.
"Here's the crystal." She tilted her head towards Allison, who brought out a cloth with the purple crystal wrapped around it.
Arthur leaned forward and took it, immediately analyzing its specifications. Miniature robots flew from behind him and started to scan the crystal.
Connor cleared his throat and brought out a vase with the strange looking flower inside.
"Hope this works, we were almost beheaded."
Eva groaned and leaned into him. "Don't even mention it again."
Connor chuckled and passed it to Anston, who was excitedly looking at it all around.
"This is incredible!" Cato gasped, bringing Arthur and Anston together to look at the materials. "I never thought this would be possible, but you all did it!"
His eyes seemed to glow in excitement and he started to usher everyone into the house. They sat around the same table that had brought them together to deliver the materials.
"Alright, so how do we put this together?" Allison laced her fingers together and leaned forward towards Dimitri.
"The crystal has to have power running through it, and be in motion in order for it to fuse with the flower." Dimitri said, looking to Arthur who was squinting at him and rolling his eyes.
Dimitri tilted his head but ignored it. "We have to go aboard Dawn, and do everything inside a room in the medical ward."
Eva furrowed her brows, but before she could ask, Dimitri said, "The room has to be completely sealed in order to collect the cure and cause enough pressure."
Cato nodded and said, "Should we go, then?"
~
"Dawn, can you please raise room A4?" Dimitri asked with the rest of the team and Cato lined outside of his room.
"Already done, you can go in." Dawn responded and Dimitri opened the door to the Medical Ward.
Eva gasped and looked to Connor who was also shocked. "Why didn't we know the rooms could completely change?"
The room had no trace of what it was before. The beds, cabinets, and counters were all gone. In its place was a single glass room with gray borders.
"The occasion never came up." Allison shrugged and went up to the room.
Allison and Arthur entered the room and started to set everything up. They connected a wire to the wall, and wrapped it around the crystal. On the side, Dimitri mashed up the flower with the herbs and spread it across the floor in a singular line. Allison held a lighter at the beginning of the line while Arthur put on rubber gloves and grabbed the wire.
"Okay, we're ready to start." Allison yelled, causing Anston to nod.
The team surrounded the room, looking into it.
"Arthur, you're going to swing the crystal around at a steady rate. The electricity will start charging it up." Anston looked at his clipboard. "Allison, once the crystal reaches its full potential, you will set that line on fire."
Anston looked to the rest of the team who were on the edge of their nerves. "Once the crystal connects to the fire, it will cause a small explosion. That will bring out clouds, and therefore, precipitate the cure."
The team nodded in silence.
"Arthur, whenever you're ready."
He took in a deep breath and his eyes closed in concentration. He opened them back up and exhaled. At his side, he started to swing the crystal around and the electricity came pouring through. Steadily, he kept at this, while the team held their breaths in anticipation. The crystal began to glow brighter and brighter as time passed.
"Alright Allison, you can light it up." Anston ordered.
She flicked on the lighter, bringing out the flame and slowly put it on the line. The fire slowly ran like a train down and she quickly stepped to the other side of the room.
The fire began to rise up as if climbing a ladder and Anston yelled, "Now!"
Arthur swung the crystal on the fire, lighting it up. His eyes widened and squinted, right before the explosion occurred. They cried out and knocked on the glass, the room filled with the color white.
"Arthur, Allison!" They all yelled, before hearing two laughs.
"We're here! It worked!" Allison laughed in glee.
The whiteness cleared up and there the two were in their corners, but
there was a liquid on the glass. Dimitri leaned in to investigate just to see liquid coming down from the clouds that had accumulated at the top of the room.
Allison ran towards Arthur, gripping him in a hug while the cure rained down from the clouds.
"The room is collecting the cure on the bottom, get out of there you guys!" Anston smiled, his eyes twinkling.
Dimitri looked at his twin, laughing, but he knew what was underneath.
A sudden alert began to ping on everyone’s devices. They quickly turned on their devices, and a holographic Director began to immediately talk.
“Astrolabe, we need you here straight away. There’s been an outbreak of mutants. They are close to being completely contained, but we need every agent to be present just in case.”
Those were the last words before he immediately hung up, not giving Aaron the chance to say anything about the cure.
"Alright, let's go to the medical room while Arthur and Allison get cleaned up. We can start testing Cato while we head back to Triangulum." Aaron stated, turning around to leave the room.
Cato looked to Dimitri, who then said, "Guys, there's a slight problem."
Chapter Twenty-Two
“No. Absolutely not. We're not doing it." Aaron was settled in a defensive stance, glaring at the vials of the cure.
The team was united around the table taking in the news of the cure. Dimitri had his head hung and Cato was looking anywhere but the team. Arthur was face to face with Aaron, stance held firm.
Eva felt her heart drop to her chest and choked back a scream, there was no way anyone was considering doing this. Connor sensed her look at him and stood behind her, putting a hand on her shoulder. She wrapped her arm around his waist, sighing at the news.
"What else do you suggest we do? Give a chance of the mutant outbreak spreading without having a cure?" Arthur crossed his arms and stared directly into Aaron's brown eyes.
Aaron didn't relent. "We take the cure back to Triangulum and see what they can do. From what you've told me, the cure basically works. Just not on Cato, or he might die."
Arthur settled his palms on the table. "If he does die, maybe others won’t from the lack of research we have. If we examine his cells afterwards, we can tell what to improve so no one will."
Aaron glared at him. "Everyone except Cato."
"Cato and the rest of those we couldn't save on Libra, or have you forgotten about them already?" He spat out, tilting his head menacingly.
Aaron shot back as if Arthur had slapped her. Eva widened her eyes, about to stand up for their team leader but Cato interrupted.
"He is right." He stood up, brown curls flopping. "I am okay with dying. My people believe that sacrificing yourself for the universe is an honor and I will do it."
Aaron looked down. "Why don't we just go back to Triangulum and see what the scientists there can do?"
Cato shook his head. "There is no time. You only have so long until the outbreak can no longer be contained. This is the only way of being sure, plus it is not proven that I will die."
Eva had enough. "I cannot believe you are considering doing this!" She dropped her head into her hands while Connor rubbed her shoulders soothingly. "I came into this team to save people, not willingly murder them."
Cato came around the table and sat next to her. "You won't be doing it, I give full responsibility to myself."
Eva looked up to him, his kind brown eyes radiating calmness. The hole in her heart was dug deeper, and she stuffed her face back into the table.
Aaron took a deep breath and closed her eyes, massaging between her brows. "No. He doesn’t deserve to die." She glared darkly. "I’m not my father. I don’t get to decide who dies. I won’t play executioner."
There was a small silence before Cato said, "I was already prepared for this circumstance. I'm ready."
Aaron shook her head. “I won’t allow this.”
Cato glared, surprising everyone but Arthur. “As you said you don’t get to decide who dies. This is my choice.”
Anston placed his hand on Cato’s shoulder. “Please rethink this. It isn’t right.”
Cato sighed, placing his hand on top of Anston’s when Arthur cut in.
“Cato is right, this is his decision.”
Allison screeched, “You only think that because he is on your side!”
Dimitri stared at his brother, almost as if begging him not to go along with this. Arthur ignored his stare and stood, showing Cato to the white medical bed. Dimitri looked to Aaron who was glaring at his brother. He sighed and watched as Arthur started to hook Cato up to the system.
"This isn't possible, you are out of your minds." Eva spat, and abruptly stood, stalking out of the room, Connor and Allison on her tail.
"I agree, for the matter." Dimitri muttered under his breath.
Cato put a hand on top of his. "Do not worry."
Dimitri shook his head. "This is wrong."
"Are you ready, Cato?" Arthur asked from the man’s side.
“I have one thing to say first. Anston,” Cato looked at the boy silently leaning on a wall. “I will miss you, but I am glad I got to meet you and see who you became. I’m proud.”
Anston clenched his jaw, pushing himself off the wall. “Thank you, Cato. But, you can’t do this.”
He walked over to the mutant, grabbing his hand. Cato smiled at him, squeezing his hand to reassure him. “Everything will be okay.”
Aaron nodded. “You’re right, because you won’t be doing this.”
Cato turned back to Aaron. “Aaron this is my—”
“No. That’s final.”
“You aren’t my leader.”
Aaron glared at him, knuckles white from clenching her fists too hard. “You’re right. I’m Arthur’s, and if he does, I will remove him from Astrolabe.”
The twins froze, both turning to look at her.
Dimitri stepped forward, eyes wide and desperate. “Aaron, please. Rethink this. There has to be another way—”
“No.”
“Aaron—”
“You think that’ll stop me?”
Everyone’s heads snapped to Arthur, who placed a needle full of the cure onto the bed.
“This is not a game, Aaron. This is life and death to trillions of people on multiple dimensions. You really think being removed from Astrolabe will stop me from saving them? News flash, I’ve already been betrayed by one family. What’s another?”
The silence in the air was suffocating, yet no one knew how to break it.
Finally, Aaron spoke softly. “Arthur—”
He glared at her. “You won’t change my mind.”
Anston stepped in between them, hands raised. “Let’s calm down, guys. We can talk this out.”
“There is nothing to talk about.”
Everyone turned to the person who had spoken, Cato. What they saw sent a spike of fear through the hearts of all but one. Cato had picked up the needle and inserted it into his inner elbow, pressing down on it and releasing the cure.
Anston screamed and rushed for the mutant. “Cato!”
Aaron and the twins were right behind him.
“What have you done?” Aaron’s voice was shaking.
Cato sighed, rubbing his arm. “This was for the greater good, Aaron. There was no alternative. You may not be your father, but you are a leader. Leaders need to make the hard calls.”
Aaron shook her head again, eyes blazing. “No, you didn’t have to do this.”
“Almost no one else would.”
Cato smiled, eyes shining as he turned to Arthur. “Thank you for respecting my decision when no one else would.”
Arthur nodded, face still expressionless. “Of course, anytime. Just in case this goes wrong. . . goodbye.”
“Hopefully, it won’t but in the chance it does, goodbye to all of you.”
Finally, the cure in Cato’s bloodstream began to take effect. The system they had hooked him to immediately begun taking notes and scans of what
was happening to him, especially his cells. Arthur walked over to the monitor connected to the system, studying the information flying across the screen. Everyone except Cato watched it from their perspective spots, dread filling them as they saw his cells change. The acid had begun to revert to normal blood, red and white cells being created. However, no organs began to grow back and his skin cells had started to shut down, the man wincing slightly.
At the top left corner of the monitor were his statistics, tears slid down the cheeks for some of those gathered as they watched Cato’s heart rate decrease. His breathing slowed, chest rising and falling less and less. They watched on helplessly as Cato’s body returned to normal, his lack of organs killing him. Anston looked away from the screen and watched Cato’s face, hoping it wasn’t as painful as he expected. His face was slightly scrunched up, but it seemed to be more from discomfort than pain.
The two locked eyes, and Cato smiled. “May the rain fall on your faces once more, brave ones.”
Anston weakly smiled back, unable to look away as he saw the light leave Cato’s eyes.
On the monitor, Cato’s heart rate had decreased to zero. They saw his final breath be released, hearts hurting when they saw Cato had died with a smile on his face. No one could look away, pain spiking and hearts breaking. Aaron was the first to turn her head, unable to breathe as loss crushed her lungs. Dimitri was the next, closing his eyes. Arthur and Anston kept their gazes on Cato’s corpse, both grieving. Arthur looked away and began to download the data the system had gathered onto his laptop.
Anston stayed by Cato’s side, having become incredibly close to the man in the few days of knowing him. His tears refused to stop flowing, and he didn’t bother to wipe them away. He didn’t pull his hand back, unable to let go just yet. Anston’s tears fell onto Cato’s body, convincing him to stand and step back hesitantly.
