5.”
“The big-wigs?”
“The high-level scientists.”
“What became of them?”
“Dead. Vanished when the complex went into security lockdown after an experiment error. Everything was burnt to a cinder. Even the samples.”
“No survivors, except you?”
“I happened to be outside at the time of the purification.”
When Jave entered the control room, Naakrit understood exactly what his next request would be. He made the first move. “A T-J is ready to take off for New York.”
The emissary contented himself with thanking him.
“I’m joining you,” the reptilian added.
“Perfect.”
He watched the Lynian sit down in front of a console. His claws touched the landscape of information which reorganized itself right away. Varied opinions existed regarding Lynians, considered either geniuses or instable beings. The analyses did come together on one aspect, at least: as soon as they had a lead, they didn't stop for anything. According to other Primarks Naakrit had encountered during his career who had employed them, the obsession could reach such a degree that they lost their much appreciated qualities and therefore their usefulness.
Naakrit observed the emissary, on the lookout for an indicator of hyperpolarization behavior, or so it was called.
E laine fell onto her knees in front of the Asian while the first of the infected fought off by Masters fell down on top of one another. Double the amount of those creatures, or maybe more, were lugging about near the pools. They were coming towards them.
“Do you know how to swim?”
The near expressionless features of the boy prevented her from being sure if he correctly understood the matter. Did he only speak English? He looked foreign. Lost.
“They’re going to attack us. We need to jump. Do you understand?”
Against all expectations, he took a notebook out of his pocket as well as a pencil.
I know how to swim
, he wrote.
“Good. You see the big man, there, with his rough face and his pistol?”
He moved his head in his direction.
“His name is Masters. Do exactly what he tells you to. What's your name?”
Dewei
.
“Perfect, Dewei. I'm Elaine.”
Tension and indecision threatened to pull the group apart. Already, two people were moving away from them. They clearly intended to test the plan out themselves. The colonel couldn't reason with them. Beside him, the twenty-something year old in the red t-shirt and a brown-haired woman hesitated as to what to do. The other couple, moving away, sent them imploring glances. Elaine made her determination clear.
“Listen to me. They’re making a bad choice. They won't get off of this cruise ship against the horde that infests it. We’ll follow the departure plan. We’re re-joining the Colombian's boat.”
“No offence, but he doesn't look like he wants us on board. Who says that he's not going to kill us?” the young man asked.
The question seemed reasonable to her. She was asking herself the same thing. “Because I saw it in him. I'm jumping first.”
Masters handed her his 45.
“I won't need it,” she assured him.
Before the tormented gazes of her companions, she climbed, then stepped over the railing. Below, Hector's boat was passing through the channel once again. The Colombian was upright on the prow, his shotgun raised in a defiant posture. Elaine closed her eyes and let herself fall.
Her first thought was that the water was colder than in Miami. The second: that she had been overwhelmed by a sort of insane hallucination. Her mind suddenly chilled, Elaine realized the madness of her past twenty-four hours. She had executed a man, had saved others, fled from dozens, or hundreds of infected. She had almost died as well. For sure, there was also Hector. And that strange boy... Dewei. She had taken him with her like someone who picks up a lost puppy without a collar.
Since yesterday, she felt sucked up by a sort of infernal whirlwind, forced to run against the wind to stay
“The big-wigs?”
“The high-level scientists.”
“What became of them?”
“Dead. Vanished when the complex went into security lockdown after an experiment error. Everything was burnt to a cinder. Even the samples.”
“No survivors, except you?”
“I happened to be outside at the time of the purification.”
When Jave entered the control room, Naakrit understood exactly what his next request would be. He made the first move. “A T-J is ready to take off for New York.”
The emissary contented himself with thanking him.
“I’m joining you,” the reptilian added.
“Perfect.”
He watched the Lynian sit down in front of a console. His claws touched the landscape of information which reorganized itself right away. Varied opinions existed regarding Lynians, considered either geniuses or instable beings. The analyses did come together on one aspect, at least: as soon as they had a lead, they didn't stop for anything. According to other Primarks Naakrit had encountered during his career who had employed them, the obsession could reach such a degree that they lost their much appreciated qualities and therefore their usefulness.
Naakrit observed the emissary, on the lookout for an indicator of hyperpolarization behavior, or so it was called.
E laine fell onto her knees in front of the Asian while the first of the infected fought off by Masters fell down on top of one another. Double the amount of those creatures, or maybe more, were lugging about near the pools. They were coming towards them.
“Do you know how to swim?”
The near expressionless features of the boy prevented her from being sure if he correctly understood the matter. Did he only speak English? He looked foreign. Lost.
“They’re going to attack us. We need to jump. Do you understand?”
Against all expectations, he took a notebook out of his pocket as well as a pencil.
I know how to swim
, he wrote.
“Good. You see the big man, there, with his rough face and his pistol?”
He moved his head in his direction.
“His name is Masters. Do exactly what he tells you to. What's your name?”
Dewei
.
“Perfect, Dewei. I'm Elaine.”
Tension and indecision threatened to pull the group apart. Already, two people were moving away from them. They clearly intended to test the plan out themselves. The colonel couldn't reason with them. Beside him, the twenty-something year old in the red t-shirt and a brown-haired woman hesitated as to what to do. The other couple, moving away, sent them imploring glances. Elaine made her determination clear.
“Listen to me. They’re making a bad choice. They won't get off of this cruise ship against the horde that infests it. We’ll follow the departure plan. We’re re-joining the Colombian's boat.”
“No offence, but he doesn't look like he wants us on board. Who says that he's not going to kill us?” the young man asked.
The question seemed reasonable to her. She was asking herself the same thing. “Because I saw it in him. I'm jumping first.”
Masters handed her his 45.
“I won't need it,” she assured him.
Before the tormented gazes of her companions, she climbed, then stepped over the railing. Below, Hector's boat was passing through the channel once again. The Colombian was upright on the prow, his shotgun raised in a defiant posture. Elaine closed her eyes and let herself fall.
Her first thought was that the water was colder than in Miami. The second: that she had been overwhelmed by a sort of insane hallucination. Her mind suddenly chilled, Elaine realized the madness of her past twenty-four hours. She had executed a man, had saved others, fled from dozens, or hundreds of infected. She had almost died as well. For sure, there was also Hector. And that strange boy... Dewei. She had taken him with her like someone who picks up a lost puppy without a collar.
Since yesterday, she felt sucked up by a sort of infernal whirlwind, forced to run against the wind to stay
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