Emerge

by Heather Sunseri

  The way Justin spoke had me cringing. Cricket had no interest in being introduced to the people of New Caelum. And I had no idea what he was up to. I had to get my mother alone, and soon. But I couldn’t leave Cricket to fend for herself.

  Justin turned to the doctor. “Well, Dr. Hempel, what do you think? Are we going to be able to cook up a cure to Bad Sam?” His tone was so casual, like we were trying to cure the common cold.

  “As has always been the case, Mr. Rhodes, I’m not sure. We don’t have much time. It would help if I could have fewer interruptions.”

  “Good point. We will have food brought to you, and you can sleep in the exam room when you absolutely must. What else do you need?”

  “Well, it’s very difficult to evaluate possible cures without something or someone to test them on. We don’t have lab rats, and we had yet to perfect a simulation of the Samael Strain to test with.”

  Justin held up a hand. “Actually, I already thought of that.” Justin’s lips suddenly tugged downward, yet no hint of sadness touched his eyes. “Unfortunately, there are a couple of children who have contracted Bad Sam. They are in the quarantine units down the hallway. You may test your cures on them.”

  A look of horror passed over Dr. Hempel’s face, and an audible gasp escaped Cricket’s mouth. “More people inside New Caelum have caught the virus?” she asked. “Because of contact with Willow? How can you be sure you don’t have a widespread outbreak on your hands?”

  Justin turned to her. “Because we have traced every person and location within the city they’ve had contact with. It’s under control. We know when and how these two individuals were infected.”

  Justin’s explanation didn’t lessen the horrified look on Cricket’s face.

  “Can you use what Caine sent?” Justin asked Dr. Hempel.

  Dr. Hempel shrugged. “He was much closer to finding a cure than anyone here has gotten. I’ll try.” His voice shook slightly. “I have very few antibodies from the sole survivor, though. They won’t last forever.”

  Justin’s head turned slightly toward Cricket, but he stopped short of revealing her true identity to Dr. Hempel. “You do what you can with what you have. Let me know immediately if you run out of whatever it is you need. I’ll leave these guards with you. They won’t allow any distractions.” Justin turned, but just before he exited the lab, he spoke to the guards. “See to it that Dr. Hempel is not bothered. He needs anything, call me.”

  As soon as he was gone, Cricket let out a huge breath.

  Dr. Hempel turned back to his microscope and notes. Without looking up at us, he said, “Unless you have some knowledge that isn’t included in these notes from Dr. Quinton—or unless you can produce the survivor of the virus—the two of you can see yourself out.” This time when Dr. Hempel spoke, his voice was stronger. Anger had seeped into it and crowded out the fear he had shown when we first arrived.

  “What do you need from the survivor of Bad Sam?” Cricket asked.

  “Nothing yet, but I might at some point.”

  “I’ll produce the survivor for you if and when you need something from her. Until then, I’m not leaving. I need to know the minute you have a breakthrough, and what that breakthrough is.”

  Dr. Hempel lifted both eyebrows. “You’re an outsider. You don’t have the immune system the people of New Caelum have, and that makes you a risk to everyone. Get out. And make sure you decontaminate thoroughly when you go.” He redirected his stare to the guards by the door, who immediately stepped forward.

  I touched Cricket’s arm. “Let’s go. We’ll check back in later.”

  She jerked her arm out of my reach, then glared at Dr. Hempel. “Fine. I’ll leave. But I will be back.” She nodded toward the clock behind him. “And Dr. Hempel?” Her voice contained the warning of an approaching blizzard. “Do take that clock seriously. I need to have a cure in my hands and be long gone from New Caelum when that clock hits all zeroes.”

  chapter twenty-seven

  Cricket

  Claustrophobia was starting to set in as West and I walked the hallways of New Caelum. How did these people live like this—cut off from the outside world—all these years?

  Add to that, I had given up control of everything Caine had sent me here with, everything that could lead us to finding a cure. But Caine had assured me that if there was anyone who could do something with his research, it was Dr. Hempel.

  “West, I need to see your sister.”

  He stopped in the middle of the hallway and faced me. “First you tell me what that clock is really counting down to.”

  “No. You’ll know when you need to know.”

  He stepped closer to me. “So it’s not just counting down the incubation period of Bad Sam.”

  “No, it’s not.” I stared straight into his eyes. I wanted to trust him, but how could I? I knew he was keeping information from me. And he’d never once mentioned what he and Justin had talked about after I was asked to leave the room.

  West cocked his head. “Why are you keeping this from me?”

  “I think you and I have different agendas, West. We’re inside your city now, and I don’t know what you’re up to. Meanwhile, I’m a prisoner, for all intents and purposes. Can you look me in the eye and tell me that’s not so?”

  His lips formed a thin line. “That’s unfair. I’ve been honest with you.”

  “And I’ve been honest with you. But honesty and full disclosure are two entirely different things, are they not? You of all people, in your leadership position, should know that.”

  He squinted as he seemed to ponder the situation. “I will not let you become trapped inside New Caelum against your wishes. I promised you that already.”

  “Great. And I promise you that that timer—and everything it means—will leave with me when I go. So can I see your sister or not?”

  His jaw took on a hard edge. “Fine.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me behind him. “But prepare yourself. It’s not pretty.”

  I knew it wouldn’t be. I’d already seen many suffer and die from the virus. Too many.

  When we arrived in the infectious isolation wing, two guards in light gray stood outside the entrance. As we approached, they moved to block the door. “Mr. Layne, you may not enter at this time.”

  “Why not?” West stood taller. His hand rested on the Taser he kept at his waist. He was a different man inside New Caelum than the one I’d met outside. Here, he was confident, decisive. In his element.

  “We have orders. Only family can enter.”

  “I am family.”

  One of the guards nodded toward me. “She isn’t.”

  West looked down at his feet, chuckled, and squared his shoulders as he stood directly in front of the guard. “I am second in line to rule over New Caelum. So unless your orders have come from President Layne herself, you will step aside, or you both will find yourselves wearing beige by the end of the day.”

  The guards traded uneasy glances. I played with the strands of hair that shielded my face and remembered fondly the beige sweater I’d been wearing when I’d arrived at New Caelum.

  “Mr. Layne, you know our orders come from Mr. Rhodes. If he finds out we disobeyed his orders—”

  “Then don’t let him find out. Either way, it seems the two of you are in a tough position. Disobey my order, and you face the consequences with me. Disobey Justin’s order, and again you face punishment—but only if you’re caught. Choose quickly, now. Time is limited.”

  The guards looked at each other, then stepped aside.

  As we passed, I couldn’t help but notice how they each gave me the once-over. And when their gazes landed on my cheek, their own faces scrunched up in disgust. West apparently noticed, too, because just as he was about to enter the isolation wing, he stopped, backed up, and then shoved an elbow into one of the guards’ necks.

  “You both will remember your places, and I will consider allowing you to keep your jobs on the executive level.”

  W
est released the guard, and the man’s hand flew to his neck as he coughed. “Our apologies, Mr. Layne. It won’t happen again,” he sputtered.

  West threatened the other guard with his Taser. “And what about you?”

  “I’m sorry, sir. We were out of line.”

  West and I passed through the open doorway. When it closed, I grabbed his arm, prompting him to look at me. “Was that really necessary?”

  “Yes. And not only for the reason you think.” His clenched jaw softened, and he breathed a heavy sigh. He glanced over my shoulder. Two nurses stood far enough away that they wouldn’t hear our hushed voices. “There’s a shifting of power happening inside New Caelum, and not just since Willow’s illness, I’ve felt this building for a while now. I don’t know what’s going on, but I know I can’t let the guards think they can walk all over me.”

  I analyzed the determination on his face, and I hoped he had enough resolve in his heart to be the leader the people of New Caelum were going to need. Especially if they were facing an epidemic.

  We walked up to what looked like a nurses’ station. A lady and a man, both dressed in pale blue, stood at a computer. They had been staring our way when we entered, but had quickly turned away when we finally crossed the room.

  “Good evening,” West said.

  “Good evening, Mr. Layne.” The man gestured with his hand out. “Your sister is right this way.”

  The two nurses must have witnessed what had transpired at the door, because neither of them even looked my way.

  “You know the rules. You may stand out here, but you may not enter the isolation chamber. If you do enter the isolation chamber, you will stay in there until you die.”

  Harsh. I guessed the nurses wouldn’t believe me if I told them that neither of us could contract the virus.

  “That’s fine,” West conceded. “We just want to see her. How is she doing?” West tried to continue to sound official, but his voice cracked just slightly when asking about his sister’s well-being.

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Layne, but she’s not doing well at all. In the last twenty-four hours, she has suffered multiple seizures and her kidneys have nearly shut down. She is in severe pain, and she is starting to display lesions on her torso.”

  My eyes closed involuntarily as I fought back tears. No one knew the severity of pain Willow was in like I did.

  “What are you doing to help her?”

  “Unfortunately, we can’t do much. She’s receiving fluids, antibiotics, and the highest dose of pain medicine we can give her. We’re monitoring her blood pressure and oxygen levels. As she loses blood, we replenish it.”

  We reached the window to Willow’s chamber, and the nurse left us alone with a nod.

  West leaned against the railing and peered inside. Willow appeared to be sleeping peacefully. Two more nurses were with her; one stood by the door while another looked to be jotting down readings onto a chart.

  I slid my hand over West’s, letting my fingers slide between his. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.

  “How did she contract Bad Sam in the first place?” West asked without turning away from his sister. He lifted his hand, adjusting his grip on mine, and squeezed tighter. “No one was more aware of the risks than she was.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “Even though I’m the one who’s next in line to run New Caelum, Willow has always taken it upon herself to learn everything there is to know about preventing future outbreaks—of Bad Sam, or of any other infectious disease. She likes to think up horrible scenarios and then come up with reaction plans for the city. I think it makes her feel more in control, knowing that whatever happens, she has a plan for it. She even has a plan for if we ever decide to allow citizens to venture out of the city.”

  I wondered what would happen to this city if they opened up their walls and allowed people to pass freely in and out. Worse, I wondered what would happen to my own community. I couldn’t imagine people on the outside being accepting of such a scenario.

  “How, after six years of complete eradication, did Bad Sam manage to return? In a city that was specifically designed, from the ground up, to prevent its return? And how, of all people, did my sister become the first one to contract this—this death sentence?” His voice cracked again.

  “You know how,” I said. And I didn’t bother to remind him that Willow wasn’t the first—just the first he’d heard about.

  Slowly, he met my gaze. “They gave this to her.” He knew this already. His mother had suggested it; I had suggested it. But perhaps now was the first time he really believed it.

  I nodded. “Most likely.” But who was “they”? And was that the only possible scenario?

  “Who?”

  “I don’t know enough about what’s going on inside the city, but New Caelum doesn’t seem to be the utopia Justin and President Layne want everyone to believe it is. When the people in the lower sectors learn that the virus is back, this place is going to implode.”

  “No it won’t,” West argued. “The people of New Caelum have been kept healthy and safe by my mother and the rest of the government. They would never rise up against us.”

  He said “us” with warning in his voice, as if he were already one of the higher-ups. I pulled my hand from his and backed away a step. “And yet, someone with access to the virus—which was undoubtedly stored somewhere in your medical laboratories for the last six years—has now exposed several people to the disease. Do I need to remind you that your best friends are also lying in my hospital right now? Or that two other New Caelum residents who left your city the same night you did also appeared to have contracted the virus? Not that we’ll ever know for sure, seeing as your guards gunned them down inside your own walls.”

  I didn’t bother bringing up the fact that two other trucks had also left that night, and that we still had no idea what had happened to them. “Something is going on inside your city, West. If you’re truly in line to govern, you probably ought to find out who had access to samples of Bad Sam.”

  ~~~~~

  It was near midnight when West and I returned to the Presidential Suite. He led me down a short hallway, opened one of the doors, and gestured for me to enter. “This is our guest room. You’ll find everything you need in here.”

  The room was lavishly appointed, with way more than I needed or was used to. After taking it in, I turned back to West. His eyes were bloodshot and a V had formed between his eyes, telling me he was analyzing something. “What are you thinking?”

  He shook his head and peered beyond me, refusing to make eye contact. “I don’t know. I just can’t help but think how well everything was going just last week. My friends were doing well in their new positions. Ryder and Key had been matched…” West’s voice dropped off with the last word, and he squeezed the bridge of his nose. Maybe he hadn’t meant to reveal something.

  “Matched?”

  West did look at me then. His face drooped even further. “They’ve been in love forever. But Ryder had been assigned to serve on the leadership staff—to serve me—which meant his future wife had to be approved.”

  “But they’re so young to be getting… matched.”

  “The people of New Caelum decided a long time ago that they would see to it that the human race would thrive and grow. Because Bad Sam wiped out so much of the population, many believe we’ll be stronger by reproducing more quickly. So they match us as soon as we have a career path, which typically happens around seventeen or eighteen.”

  I squeezed the pressure point on my wrist. I could feel my own pulse racing beneath my fingers. New Caelum was attempting to control every aspect of their people’s lives, down to whom they procreated with. “Matched,” I repeated as if I was testing the concept.

  West was staring at me like he was trying to figure something out. I narrowed my gaze as I asked the question that hung between us like a dark curtain.

  “Have you been matched?”

  As soon as the words lef
t my mouth, I backed up a step and threw my hand up. “No. Please don’t answer that. Forget I even asked.”

  What good could possibly have come from me knowing that information? I was not a resident of New Caelum, and never would be. And West always would be.

  And I didn’t think I could possibly handle knowing that West was promised to someone else.

  “Cricket.” He followed me further into the room, closing the door behind him. Everything was eerily quiet. “I need you to understand something.”

  I raised my hand as he got nearer. “Don’t.”

  His chest met my palm, but he continued forward until very little space was between us. He wrapped his fingers around mine and squeezed. “Don’t what?” With his other hand, he traced the line of my hair down my cheek, grazing the skin all the way to my neck.

  My heart beat wildly, and everything I had been thinking about my mission while inside New Caelum vanished. “I don’t need to understand the rules and assignments… or the matchings… that go on inside your world.”

  He leaned his forehead against mine while sliding his hand to the back of my neck and massaging the tired muscles there. As much as I knew I should pull away, I didn’t. “You’re wrong,” he whispered. “But we don’t need to discuss it now.”

  He tilted his head, and when his lips found mine, it was as if the entire world fell away. I knew with every part of my being that I should put a stop to what was happening between us, but I couldn’t. He was what had been missing from my life.

  After a brief but passionate kiss, he released me and backed away a step. “Try to get some sleep.”

  He turned and left me standing there wondering what had just happened—what kept happening. I touched my lips, where the tingling lingered, as I willed the fog in my head to dissipate.

  I gave West a few seconds’ head start before I cracked the door from my guest room to see where he went. I barely caught a glimpse of his back as he exited the suite. I tried to follow him, but when I opened the door to leave, the guards turned and informed me that it was not safe for me to be outside of my assigned quarters, and that West would return shortly.