“Hey, Kesia, Jace is over there by himself,” I say pointing to his table. “Why don’t you go join him so he doesn’t look so lonely?”
Kesia hesitates, but eventually goes to accompany him. Finally, I have a moment to check in with Hadwin and Sayda.
“You guys find out anything new?” I ask while continuing to force my food down. Even though we are not in a private area, most people are actively avoiding each other out of fear of contamination. This is probably the most privacy we have ever had at lunch.
“I didn’t, but someone else did,” Sayda admits while glancing toward Hadwin. I have noticed they seem closer lately.
“Well, since I do possess the sharpest mind in Securus, would you expect anything less?” Hadwin asks.
“Yeah, sharp as a well-worn plastic spoon,” I counter.
“Okay kids, can we get to the point,” Sayda interrupts.
“You can’t rush this kind of investigative prowess,” Hadwin protests, but Sayda’s icy stare stops his joking.
“So, I was thinking about all the electronic pieces we saw. I figured if they came from my department, there should be some electronic record of them somewhere. People here love their paperwork way too much to not leave some trail.
“There are only two distributing managers, and one of them is me. Since I didn’t authorize the shipments, it had to have been Bara. I let myself in to her office and found her logs waiting for me in a hidden file on her computer. We were both right,” Hadwin says. The smugness he was displaying erodes as he leans closer to us, lowering his voice. “It’s a lot more pervasive than we thought. Apparently, the majority of our electronic pieces are not going toward their intended purpose. Or at lease what we expected their intended purpose to be.”
I sit back for a second to process this new development. The news is good for us but disturbing at the same time. If there are stored records, it will be easier for us to get evidence when needed. But how could the majority of the pieces be siphoned off for an alternate use? And how was this misappropriation never noticed before? What about all the equipment we need to maintain and upgrade the facility?
I lean back toward the others. “Did the records say where the pieces were being diverted to?”
“No. There was only vague reference to something called Caelum,” Hadwin answers.
“We need copies of that file,” I say.
Hadwin’s self-satisfaction returns. “Already done. I made a copy. It’s hidden for whenever we need it.”
My elbows rest on the table, keeping me from losing balance from the increased gravity of the cover-up. There has to be an extensive involvement in Leadership for this to go unnoticed. Though I am certain Talia can be trusted, maybe it is a good thing we did not divulge too much.
“Well, getting you involved wasn’t as big of a waste of time as Sayda said it would be,” I tell Hadwin. He looks at Sayda to protest before realizing she never said anything. “What about the idea you mentioned, Sayda?” I ask.
“I’m wanted to set up a tracking device to put in the outgoing electronics. I got one to work, but it’s too bulky. I have to make it smaller. That’s going to take some time,” she says.
“That’s a good idea. Let us know when it’s ready. I have to get back to the infirmary, it’s one of those days,” I say. When I get up, my eyes are drawn to a man at the other end of the hall in a Leadership uniform. He appears to be watching us. “Hey, do either of you know that guy?”
“I don’t know him, but I’ve seen him before,” Hadwin says. “He popped up after I was in Bara’s office. He said he was looking for her.”
“Did he see you in there?” Sayda asks.
“I don’t think so,” Hadwin says, sounding unsure.
“Well, keep an eye on him and Sayda, keep Hadwin out of trouble,” I say before leaving.
As soon as I move in his direction, the man leaves the hall. I feel like I am getting paranoid and tell myself his presence must be a simple coincidence. Even so, we need to be more alert of those around us. On my way out, I collect Kesia and Jace. I feel bad for having to get rid of her all the time, but she will get used to her independence. As she gains confidence, she will be less attached to me.
“Rana keeping you busy, Jace?” I ask him as we walk.
“Oh yeah, she’s sneaky sometimes. Just when I think she’s not paying attention to me or is getting off subject, she makes a point or observation that’s surprisingly insightful,” he says.
“Yeah, eerie isn’t it?” I say.
When we near the infirmary we find a lone figure waiting outside. Normally, I would assume he was a patient waiting to be seen, but his uniform tells me otherwise. The man turns as he hears us coming, confirming my suspicions. I find it curious that Aamon waited outside the infirmary this time. I guess this is the one benefit of the new virus. The threat of the disease keeps him outside.
“Go find Rana. She’ll get you started while I have a word with our friend here,” I tell Kesia and Jace. Calling Aamon a friend, even sarcastically, makes me feel ill.
“What can I do for you, Aamon?” I ask when the understudies are gone.
“I came to see how our Healers are dealing with the outbreak,” he says causally.
“We’re doing everything we can. Let’s just hope these cases don’t spread like the flu did before,” I answer.
“Are the new understudies performing adequately?” he asks.
“They’re doing fine,” I say, becoming annoyed with his dawdling small talk. He needs to get to the point.
“You know, I find it interesting that this outbreak started after you lead us to a new cave system, and the first victim was the same man you confronted to help arrange the rescue team,” he says.
I think I liked it better when he was skirting his intended topic.
“Are you sure you didn’t have any interaction with the other victims?” he asks, watching me expectantly.
“I‘m sure,” I answer while forcing myself to unclench my jaw and maintain a calm façade. “I would definitely remember that beard of Delvin’s. What about you? As I recall, you were there that whole night, and you spent more time than I did with Leland. Are you sure you haven’t been interacting with any of them?” I ask, using the same annoying emphasis on my words as he did.
As I accuse him, the thought sends a chill through me. Even Aamon is not sadistic enough to unleash something as dangerous as this into Securus. But hearing him imply I had something to do with the outbreak is infuriating. Turning the words on him helps keep me from losing my control.
“Oh, I’m very sure as well,” Aamon says.
An uncomfortable silence lingers between us. I have nothing further to say and simply wait for him to finish. He stares at me. I think he is trying to unsettle me. Aamon greatly overestimates his ability to intimidate. He simply does not have the presence of someone like Mr. Vaden.
“Oh, by the way,” he finally says. “The Death Detail, excuse me, the Solar Panel maintenance detail is fast approaching. There’s some mandatory training sessions required before then. Since the infirmary is too busy now to have you go during regular hours, special sessions will be set up during your free time. I’ll have the schedule sent to you later this afternoon.”
I have been avoiding the subject of the Solar Panels as much as possible. For me, the best way to handle these types of situations is to not dwell on things I have no control over. There will always plenty of time to worry when the day comes. It appears now I no longer have a choice. Aamon knows the seventeen percent mortality rate the detail carries. He is more than happy to remind me of the danger.
“Okay, I look forward to fulfilling my duties,” I say while walking past him to enter the infirmary. “You coming in, or were you done?”
Aamon leaves, but his words linger with me. He was merely trying to throw me off, but his inquisition makes me wonder if he knows more than he is letting on. The question of me interacting with the other ill patients was more pointed than sim
ple instigation. I’m just being paranoid, I repeat to myself in my mind. If he really knew about my trip to The Caves, he would have thrown me into the Detention Center instead of toying around like this.
I sneak past Rana’s exam room. Inside, she lectures Kesia and Jace, so they should be busy for a while. Back in my exam room, I pull up the records from the last detail. Since the dreadful thoughts cannot be escaped, I may as well search the records for the injuries and deaths on past Solar Panel detail. There was one death over the week of work along with multiple other injuries. Unfortunately, this is the average toll for the detail. The man who died was a high ranking member in Leadership. I open his record and read the last entry.
I was called to examine the patient in the decontamination hold. It appears that while working, he sustained a cut in his bio-suit, exposing him to the atmosphere. He displayed all the typical symptoms of an infection consistent with The Agent. He had intense visual hallucinations and began screaming incoherently. As his symptoms progressed, all of his bodily secretions dried up. In this delirious state, the dryness of his mouth and eyes agitated him to the point that he attempted to rip his own eyes out before attempting to fill his mouth with his own blood. He was placed in a five point restraint harness to prevent further self-mutilation.
When his agitation slowed, he began to develop involuntary muscle spasms and twitches that eventually gave way to the flaccid paralysis of all of his musculature. With this, his heart and lungs ceased to function and he passed. As per protocol, the body was returned to the surface for disposal in order to maintain the safety of Securus. The family has been notified.
The Author of the record was Trent Riley. He has been given special consideration for volunteering to care for those who become ill or are injured while on Solar Panel detail. In exchange for the inherently dangerous duty, he is exempted from ever having to serve on the detail himself. I am not sure I would have taken the same deal, though right about now it sounds a lot better than the alternative.
The new virus we are facing in Securus is nothing compared to The Agent. It was a weapon made to specifically target human physiology and is one-hundred percent lethal once it fully infects someone. The people who originally made the bioweapon had placed a death protocol within the virus meant to inactivate it after one month. Unfortunately for all of humanity, the death protocol never worked. The Agent spread across the entire planet, driving the sole group of survivors into Securus. Now, here I am one-hundred years later, being forced to expose myself to this invisible killer.
As I continue searching through the records from the detail, footsteps come from the hallway. Not wanting anyone to see me searching through the records, I close the files and open my incomplete charting from the morning rush. While waiting to see who is coming, I struggle to push the gruesome account of The Agent’s effects out of my mind.
Chapter 15
Kesia appears, leaning against the doorway. “Hey, was there any important news from that Leadership official?”
“Official? That was just Aamon. He wanted to let me know some details for the upcoming Solar Panel detail,” I tell her.
“Is that coming soon?” she asks. “I don’t think the infirmary can spare you. Maybe Leadership would grant an exemption if you told them how busy we are.”
Kesia seems to be naïve to many of the workings in Securus. The detail may be dangerous but it is vital task needed to keeping Securus running. The Deep Thermal Vents alone cannot supply our energy needs, so maintaining the Solar Panels is imperative. Leadership would never grant an exception for the detail, even if they were not making an example of me. My only option is to move forward and accept it. So, I turn my attention back to my work in an attempt to push the thought of The Agent from my mind.
*
The afternoon patient flow is similar to that of the morning. Our time is spent reassuring worried patients as well as caring for some scattered people with the usual maladies. Kesia stays glued to my side for the rest of the day, up until we are ready to exit through the decontamination chamber. Instead of leaving with me, she lingers, waiting for something. She is probably waiting for Jace. Whatever the reason, with her absence, I am able to enjoy the first few moments I have had alone in a while. It is easy to forget how useful and recharging time alone can be when the rest of your waking hours are filled with the presence of others.
I walk into the dinner hall with a sense of hope that proves to be foolish. The food served is the same bland sludge as before. Some of the natural food we eat is grown within Securus itself, so why has even that been completely cut off? I understand not having the resources of The Caves, but not why the shortage has reached even further than that. The only logical answer is Leadership wants to stockpile whatever they can for a prolonged drought of resources. Whatever the reason, dwelling on the misfortune will not accomplish anything. I have too many other things to occupy my mind. Our food is the least of my problems. The rest of my family has not arrived yet, so I find an empty table, looking forward to a few more moments alone. Unfortunately, my solitude does not last long.
“Hello there, Kagen,” Abira says cheerfully as she sits next to me. She sets her food tray down, settling in for dinner.
“Hey, Abira, what’s up? I heard you were looking for me?” I give her a playful look of concern.
“It’s nothing important. How’s the infirmary been?” she asks, avoiding my question.
“Really busy. But all things considered, it’s going as well as can be expected,” I answer. By the way Abira pushes her food around her plate, I sense she has something more on her mind. I am not in the mood for prodding, so for now I pretend not to notice and continue eating.
After a few seconds, Abira looks at me and draws a deep breath. She looks as if she is about to speak, but then stops. Instead, she greets Arluin as he joins us at the table. I did not even see him coming. Through the rest of dinner, Abira makes small talk with us, but never gets back to what was really on her mind. Whatever it was, it will have to wait.
I received my training schedule from Aamon’s messenger during the afternoon. Tonight is the first session. I excuse myself to go to the training area. The session is being held in a room near the surface, since that is where they store the equipment we will be using. I walk up a seemingly endless spiral of stairs, having to pause a few times to prevent my legs from cramping. I have not been up here before, but Securus is well mapped, making it easy to find the way.
Aamon stands in the middle of the room when I arrive, and he is not alone. At the front of the room, another Leadership member neatly arranges the pieces of a bio-suit on a table. Once inside, I realize this special training schedule is not being held solely for me. Balum, one of the Leadership boys Arluin overhead talking about volunteering, sits near the front table. Behind him is a woman I do not recognize.
“Glad you could make it, Kagen,” Aamon says, as if I had a choice. “Have a seat and we’ll get started.”
“You going out there with us, Aamon, or are you just here for the show?” I ask trying to irritate him.
“Leadership wants to make sure everything goes smoothly, so I agreed to oversee this detail,” he says.
“Kagen, Balum, Nyree, this is Rupert. He’ll be explaining the bio-suit’s features and functions,” Aamon says, pointing to the man in the front of the room.
Our attention is drawn to the elderly man in front of us. Based on his appearance, he must be one of the oldest inhabitants of Securus. His thinned hair and furrowed brow, mounted on a tremulous frame, has the look of one that has withstood many long years in this facility.
“I would advise you all to pay close attention. These details will not be repeated, and your lives do depend on them,” Rupert says in a strong baritone that clashes with his frail appearance.
“First is getting into the suit, which is a tedious process in itself. Balum, we’ll demonstrate with you.” He waves for him to come up front. Balum strolls at a leisurely pace, eventually windin
g up next to Rupert. He has a young face and is roughly the same age as Arluin. Despite his age, he has a muscular build almost too big for the bio-suit. He rolls his eyes at Rupert’s instructions, exuding arrogance in a manner that reminds me of Aamon.
With Rupert’s sluggish help, the process takes double the time it should have. Surprisingly, Balum maintains some level of patience through the procedure. After the suit is on, they carefully seal the few exposed joints and affix the helmet. Once this is locked in place, Rupert turns on the suit’s life support systems. The external system is impressively small and is carried like a backpack. The control panel for the various systems rests on the left forearm of the suit. Rupert opens it and shows us how to perform a diagnostic of the various systems. Among these is an air filtration system that combines with a temperature control and humidifying mechanism. These all help maintain comfort within the suit for its wearer.
Another system continuously monitors the integrity of the suit, instantly warning of any breech in the seals or the suit’s lining. In case of a breach in any of the extremities, Rupert shows us the compartmentalizing safety function that can only be initiated manually. When activated, this feature compresses the extremity at the most proximal joint, encasing the rest of the body safely away from the breech. The compression is tight enough to restrict blood flow to the extremity. This is painful but intentional. If The Agent infiltrates the exposed extremity, the infection cannot make it past this barrier. Of course the infected extremity would later need to be amputated, but losing an extremity is preferable to the alternative. This is an interesting feature, though I do not find it particularly comforting. Like in the case file I read, it cannot help if the operator panics too much to be able to activate it.
The next feature Rupert displays looks rather uncomfortable. Once above ground, no one is allowed to return to Securus until the end of the work day. This restriction limits potential exposures to The Agent, but has also made it necessary to have an additional system installed to allow for human waste collection and disposal. I cringe from the instructions Rupert gives us to connect the collection attachment. I am definitely not looking forward to putting that piece on. On top of the physical discomfort, it will be more than a little weird to be forced to relieve myself in a suit I have to wear the entire day.
The Death Detail (The Securus Trilogy Book 1) Page 14
