She throws the papers in the air, stands there as they snow around her. -And food, just regular food, were sneaking it in. So the neighbors don't know how many are here. I mean, the FreshDirect truck cant be rolling up every day and unloading enough groceries for a cafeteria, can it? I mean. My God. Jesus. Shit.
She sighs, looks at me, smiles.
— Listen to me. I mean, could I sound a little more like my dad? He d come home from work, it d be just like this. The lab or the office or both, something was always blowing up. All he wanted to do was be up to his eyes in research, but it was always patent this or government oversight that or board of directors
are cock-suckers.
She rubs her forehead.
— And that's what really kills. Not being in the lab. I mean, I know I have responsibilities here, and I took all this on and I have to deal, but it's not even what I want to be doing. I mean.
She drops her head back and opens her mouth wide. -Gaaahhh.
She rolls her eyes.
— This stuff is so boring. And I mean, the whole point is a cure, right? I mean, that's why these people are packing in here, right? I mean, why name the Clan Clan Cure if I never get to work on it?
She leans against the desk, opens a cigarette box and takes out a clove. -And that place. It's a whole different headache. Cause the Vyrus, It's testy as hell. It's really, what's so sad, it's really a pussy. I mean, there are other viruses that are way more robust. Think about it.
She comes over and puts her cigarette in her mouth and leans in. -Light?
I snap a match and she touches her cigarette to it.
— Thanks.
She moves away, blows a cloud.
— Think about it. The Vyrus, it can only live inside the human body. It can only survive in a human body. It can only spread itself blood to blood. And it's so hyper, it colonizes host cells so quickly and burns them out, that it needs to have its environment constant/y refreshed. And it kills its host and rarely gets a chance to reproduce. I mean, is that inefficient or what? Seriously, it is one crap piece of engineering. One of those evolutionary steps that's so random and poorly designed that it actually proves evolution. I mean, why would God bother with a thing like that? Intelligent design? Not.
She crosses to the window. Lifts the hook that holds the shutters closed behind the curtains.
— Something fussy like that, just getting a look at it is a pain. Creating a stable environment for it outside a host? Talk about tedious. And then, a thing like this, finding a cure for a virus, you don't do that alone. Not even when you're smarter than everyone else.
She opens the shutter a crack, puts her hand through and parts the curtain. -There's just way too much busy work. I mean. Cultures, batches of this and that, computer modeling, archiving. Its like working on a code. Like how when
they try to break a code they sometimes give just a piece of it to each team. So they don't really know what they're working on. Keep them isolated from one another. I have to do that. I mean, the lab I assembled for this at Horde Bio Tech, it's not staffed with assholes. Well, some of them are assholes, but they're really fucking smart assholes. Show these people the whole Vyrus, let them get a good look at it and see its behavior? You will see some serious freaking out. But.
She turns, light from a streetlamp drops through the curtain and crosses her face, makes her perfect skin glow. -It is amazing.
She lifts her hand to the light, stares at it reflected there. -That's one of the things that's amazing. Light. Like we've been doing things with light. These guys at ASU, they've been blasting viruses in blood samples with a laser. Like fifty megawatts per square centimeter. Which isn't half as nasty as it sounds. And so, like, we've known for a long time you can kill viruses with UV radiation, but that causes mutation. And mutation leads to adaptation over time. So, these guys, they've been using visible light pulses. And it works. It.
She holds up her cigarette, wiggles it, creating a jagged stream of smoke. -It vibrates a virus, physically disrupts the virus shell, this thing called the
capsid. It cripples the virus it affects. Virus cant function, and dies. So.
Her eyes are big, staring a million miles.
— The Vyrus, your Vyrus, goes haywire when exposed to solar UVA, it mutates. But not adaptive mutations. Or not that we can see because it happens way too fast. But, but, maybe we can find a wave of radiation, a visible wavelength to shatter the Vyrus1 capsid? It's so, it's way outside the box, but the Vyrus isn't in the box, so this is the kind of stuff we have to. I mean.
She stares farther, going away from the room, deep inside some other place. -It is so fucking cool.
She takes a big drag.
— It's like, like being a pioneer. Like none of the rules apply and you can try anything. Anything. Nothing is out of bounds. And. Oh, and I said about computer models. The good thing about having too many people here, it gives us a really good pool to draw samples from. And, because the Vyrus, it does mutate. Radically. From person to person. I mean, we've got a couple people here who infected other people here. And even then, the same strain passing from host to host, it mutates. But within a range. I think. So we can draw samples. And like I said, the Vyrus is a total puss, and if you mishandle a specimen it croaks like that, but if you do it right we have time to log the
mutation. So we're creating a database of mutations. Like, we can look and see its favorite tricks. How it hides. How it defends itself. Maybe get an idea why some infecteds get a lot stronger, and some not so much. Or healing. Like some strains seem to mutate in a fashion that really enhances new cell growth. But not all of them. And.
Her eyes slide sideways, unfocus, and someone cuts her strings and she's hitting the floor.
Sela gets to her before I do, feels her pulse, takes the burning cigarette from between her fingers and stubs it in an ashtray on the edge of the desk.
I look at her as she brushes loose strands of perfect hair from Amanda's forehead. -She OK?
Sela doesn't look at me, just lifts the girls head into her lap. -She's exhausted. -Yeah, well I guess being crazy will do that to you.
She looks at me now. -She's not crazy. She's a visionary.
She looks back at her lover's face.
— She's special, Joe.
I fish a smoke from my pack. -Specially fucked up, Sela.
I drop a match in the ashtray, see Amanda's clove still smoldering and crush it.
— She had mind-fuck parents and they mind-fucked her. She's got too much money and she's too smart for her own good and she's seen too much and she knows things that are too weird. And that's all fucked her up. She's not normal. She's bent as hell. She's crazy.
Sela rests her hand on the girls forehead. -You calling yourself normal these days, Joe?
I smoke some more.
Sela looks at me. -Yeah, I didn't think so.
She slides out from under the girl.
— She works harder than any of us. She never stops. She's here in this office or she's at the lab. I can barely get her to sleep two hours out of every thirty. She never stops. She never gives up. Everyone who shows up on that
doorstep, she says yes to. She takes them all in. -Like I said, crazy.
She steps to me, every flawlessly cut muscle on her is rigid. -She never stops working, Joe. For us. She's not infected, but she never stops trying to help us. She works harder to help us than we work to help ourselves.
She raises a finger and shows me the short, sharp, red nail at its end. -So be careful how you talk about her.
She angles the finger at my face. -You only got one eye left to poke out if I lose my temper.
Its true Sela wouldn't even know the girl if I hadn't been around. It's true I've known Sela since she was a punk-attitude pre-op tranny down with the Society, as opposed to a fashion-plate, lipstick pre-op up here with Amanda. It's even true she saved my life once.
But none of that will save my eye if she decides she's got a hankering to see it on
the end of her finger.
Diplomacy is required. -Sure thing, Sela. I get it. Mean, the fact she's investing her energies in
trying to save a bunch of people who look at her like food, fact that she's filled a building with them, all of em close enough to smell her all the time, that doesn't indicate anything about her sanity. Stable as a rock, your girl there.
She pulls the finger in, joins it up with four or five others, and I get a second to wonder how far my head will fly if she decides to knock it off my neck, then she lowers her fist. -Yeah, you re right about that part. That part's a problem.
She steps back. -Those people downstairs, that's a problem.
She folds her arms.
— Think it's tough getting enough burgers in here to feed all them, imagine what it's like getting enough blood. We've got the money. We just got no place to buy from. They're starting to starve. Couple already have. Burned out. Went berserk. Want to know how good it was for morale when I had to bring those ones down? Not good at all. And last night. That thing we were getting into when you showed up. One of our members went hunting last night. Just a block away. On our doorstep. -Sloppy. -Desperate.
— Witnesses?
She rubs the back of her neck.
— Witnesses. No. Not to the act. But he left one majorly fucked-up corpse. I expect to see coverage on that the second I take a look at New York One. -Where's the guy?
— He's here. He's locked in the basement for now. We're trying to sort out what to do about him.
I take the last drag off my smoke and stub it. -Kill him.
She shakes her head.
— No. That's not what were doing here. Were making something different. -Fine. Make something different. But the smart play is you kill him. You know that. He went off the reservation. So now you kill him. And make sure everyone in the place knows you killed him. -That's what I've been telling her.
We look down at Amanda, her eyes open, fiddling her hair back into place. -I mean, I want there to be room for compassion around here, but we're on the brink. Order has to be maintained at some point.
She holds out a hand and Sela pulls her to her feet. -Easy, baby.
— I'm fine. Its just a little sugar crash. -It's severe exhaustion and borderline malnutrition is what it is.
Amanda twists her hand free. -I said I'm fine. I just need a smoothie or something. -You need a proper meal and sleep.
— Sela, back off. I love you, honey, but give me just a little space here before I positively freak out.
She turns to me.
— I mean, you don't see Joe going all flattery on me just because I got a little dizzy.
She brushes the back of her hand across her forehead, fusses her hair some more.
— That's like one of Joe's great assets. He doesn't get flattery, do you, Joe? He just sees what needs to be done and deals with it. After that, It's all just like a question of whether you do it and accept the consequences, or don't do it and accept some different consequences. Like with this problem today. Joe
gets it. I mean, you get it too, Sela, but Joe gets it in a different way. Joe sees the consequences of not handing out some kind of punishment here. Don't you, Joe?
I shrug. -If you say so.
She bunches both fists, tucks them beneath her chin and smiles wide. -Oh, Joe! I'm so happy you re here. I mean, I always knew you d come sooner or later, but its just perfect that you came when we really really need you. Having you join us, that's going to make all the difference for so many reasons. -Yeah, well, thing is.
I take a drag. -I'm not here to join you.
I take another drag. -I'm just here to spy on you for Dexter Predo. Now that I've done that.
I point at the liquor cabinet. -III be looking for a drink. After.
I point at the door.
— Ill be looking for the rear entrance.
— No.
— Can I finish?
— No.
— I mean, so, what, just out of hand, you wont even listen?
— No.
— Joe, really, all I'm asking is for you to listen for a minute. Just a couple
minutes while I explain just what it would mean to us. I mean, this is really
really important.
I toss down my drink. -And all I'm telling you is no.
She sips on the smoothie Gladstone brought her.
— What is that about? I mean, I know you dont like to be indebted to anyone, but I'm not even talking about a favor. I'm talking about a business transaction. And you just want to sit there and be all.
She makes a stone-face, drops her voice an octave. -Wo. Wo. Wo. My name is Joe Pitt and I don't do nuthin' I don't want to do and I
won't even listen because I don't know a good thing when I have it and I'd rather be all fucked up and tragic and sad and go hurt people.
She points at me. -And you're doing it right now, you're thinking about hurting me.
She shakes her head. -You are so thin-skinned.
She leans forward and puts her elbows on the desk.
— But OK, you don't want to join us. You don't want to do business with us. But you're here. I mean, there has to be a reason why you're here. Besides spying for Predo, I mean. I mean, I'm not saying that's not what you re doing, but there's a reason. Because.
She folds her hands on the desk and lowers her face and rests her chin on them.
— I know you, Joe. I know you like people to think you just run around from job to job looking to stay ahead. But I know you have things that get you worked up.
She winces.
— Like when you slapped me? When I was talking about your girlfriend that time.
She looks at Sela. -Sela heard what happened.
I run a finger around the rim of my glass. Crystal, it sings a pure note.
Amanda bites her lower lip. -You tried to infect her. That's what she heard. And it didn't work.
Jeo Pitt 4 — Every Last Drop
It's quiet, just the glass repeating its song.
— I know I never met her. But she must have been something, Joe. I know that. I mean, she must have been something else.
She lifts her chin from her hands.
— So now, I mean, I guess that means you re alone. Like, not just alone like you like people to think you are, but really, seriously, alone. Sooo. So, I'm guessing that's why you're here. Because I don't know where you've been, or what kind of deal you made with Predo, but, and please don't get all pissy with me about this, but I think that the reason you took his job is because you were tired of being alone.
She stands.
— But being, like, you, you couldn't just come here and say, Hey, guys, mind if I hang out?
She comes around the desk.
— So here you are, too stubborn to just jump in and join the family. OK. But, I mean, you came up the stairs, you saw those people. Those people, Joe, they're starving. I mean, its getting bad. The guy were talking about that went hunting, that's, like, that's the tip of the iceberg. Pretty soon, there's gonna be more of that. And more. And we're not going to be able to contain it.
She sits on the edge of the desk. -It is going to get so ugly. So fast. And so soon.
She rubs her face. -We've just.
She looks me in the eye.
— We've got to have more blood. Now, we think we know where we can get it. But its going to be a serious pain in the ass.
She reaches out and rests her fingers on my knee. -And we need your help. -You shouldn't be asking him.
She looks at Sela. -Why not?
Sela points at me. -He's spying for Predo.
Amanda looks around the room like she's missed something. -So? I mean, he told us that. He's obviously not all Coalition all of a sudden.
Sela watches me as I pick up the bottle from the desk.
— It doesn't mean anything. Predo may have told him to tell you. This could be their game.
Amanda grabs the sides of her head. -Well if you're going t
o get all twisty-turny about it well never get anywhere.
She holds out her arms.
— I mean, what's he going to tell Predo? What are we hiding? Were like all of twelve blocks from his office. He can come take a look if he wants. Shit, far as I'm concerned, he can come join if he wants. We're here, we're taking all comers, and were finding a cure. What's the big secret?
Sela puts her hands on her hips.
— I don't know! But he wants something. And he sent Pitt here to find it. And letting him stay is fucking dangerous no matter what your feelings about him are. It's stupid. And you're not stupid.
Amanda rolls her eye. -Baby, you know what, fuck you.
Sela cocks her head. -Excuse me?
Amanda cocks her head to the same angle. -Oh don't whip out that sistah attitude and throw it around in my office.
Sela raises an eyebrow.
— Uh-huh. Alright, I wont bring the sistah attitude in here. Ill leave it at the door. Ill leave all that shit outside as soon as you stop acting all Mata Hari. Like you know how this is played. Because, little lady, you do not. You may be the smartest one in the room, but there is shit you do not know. This guy, your precious Joe, sure he comes across sometimes. Sure he's turned up in the right place at the right time once or twice, but mostly what he does is he gets people killed. And a lot of them, they get killed because he has a history of playing off both sides. You want to get all sentimental about him because he saved your life, I get it, but he has been in Predos pocket for years. Fuck, he's been in everyone's pocket one time or another. He comes out and tells us he's here for Predo, that means shit. All that means is whatever he's after, whatever Predo's after, it has nothing to do with him being here spying.
She looks at me.
Amanda looks at me.
I set my empty glass on the desk. -Well, I had my drink.
I stand. -Now can you show me that back way out?
Amanda watches as Sela enters the code and unlocks the door that leads to
the alley.
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