to work on a vaccine for the Eugenics Virus,” said Peter.
“What? Why?” said Gabriel, shocked. “Why would we need a vaccine for a virus that we have the last sample of?”
“We need to be prepared for the future. A backup is vital,” said Peter. “I don’t trust the Council or the Bernay. The most deadly virus known to mankind is sitting in our lab. I want a vaccine. We need the expert.”
“She’s usually busy, Peter.”
“We need her, right now.”
“Analysis error,” said CIM.
“Typical,” said Gabriel. “You always get out of calling her.”
“Explain,” said Peter to CIM.
“Unknown error. Cannot continue.”
“You cannot continue?” said Peter.
“Affirmative.”
“Explain!”
“Unknown error. Cannot continue.”
Peter couldn’t remember their computer system ever having an error. “CIM, any explanation possible?”
CIM displayed a simple white star symbol in front of them.
“Now that’s odd,” said Gabriel, trying to poke it. “You going to ring her now?”
“Shut up,” said Peter, going to get the pad Christopher had given him earlier. With Christopher having discovered the Council had really discovered humans a lot longer ago than claimed, something wasn’t adding up.
Chapter 16
Christopher and Freda sat in silence on the edge of her large, dark oak desk, watching the interview recording for the twentieth time. Freda was frustrated. There was so much to do, and she was being held up watching a video recording. “I can’t see any connection here at all. The girl is calm and collected one moment, violent the next.”
“The questions are asked slowly and politely. Freda, maybe she just went mad.”
“That’s hardly a scientific explanation.”
“And neither of us are scientists—or detectives, for that matter. We’ve played this recording in 3D, 4D, and every other format we have. I’m not getting any clues.”
“Well, the file is definitely genuine. It hasn’t been tampered with. Grace assured me of that.”
“At least it was Grace who said it,” said Christopher. “I trust her more than any on the Council.”
“Something doesn’t add up with all this.”
“Yeah,” he agreed. “One second…”
He grabbed a pad from her desk and began scrolling down, finding the right section.
“According to this report”—he pushed his glasses up—“once the host is infected with the Eugenics Virus, total loss of self and control is experienced within minutes. Freda, she’s been infected for at least an hour in this video, probably longer. CIM, zoom in on the human female’s eyes, play from the beginning, and speed up by a factor of five.”
The girl’s face was now magnified, with perfect clarity, on the big screen. They watched as the video sped forward. They noticed the small intricate changes taking place on the girl’s face, particularly the pupils.
“We’ve been watching her slowly be overcome by the virus. Look at the eyes, compared to in the beginning. You can see blood vessels beginning to pop.”
“I see them,” said Christopher. “Look at the sweat beads, heavy breathing. There’s the moment.” He stood up and walked right up to the screen.
“Pardon?”
“Something changed in her eyes there.”
Freda joined him.
“Computer, replay from time index 3619 and zoom in again on the human female’s face.”
“Can I leave?” asked the girl.
“No, not yet,” replied the interviewer.
“Computer, freeze frame,” said Freda quickly. “You’re right. Look at her face.”
“Why did the virus take so long in this case though?”
“She is a child,” said Freda. “It’s the only variable. Maybe the Eugenics Virus takes longer to effect children?”
“A longer incubation time,” said Christopher. “But why does she turn violent? I didn’t think that was a side effect of this virus.”
Freda lifted a report pad, reading some of the bullet points Peter had sent her over.
“Debilitating reduction in brain
“What? Why?” said Gabriel, shocked. “Why would we need a vaccine for a virus that we have the last sample of?”
“We need to be prepared for the future. A backup is vital,” said Peter. “I don’t trust the Council or the Bernay. The most deadly virus known to mankind is sitting in our lab. I want a vaccine. We need the expert.”
“She’s usually busy, Peter.”
“We need her, right now.”
“Analysis error,” said CIM.
“Typical,” said Gabriel. “You always get out of calling her.”
“Explain,” said Peter to CIM.
“Unknown error. Cannot continue.”
“You cannot continue?” said Peter.
“Affirmative.”
“Explain!”
“Unknown error. Cannot continue.”
Peter couldn’t remember their computer system ever having an error. “CIM, any explanation possible?”
CIM displayed a simple white star symbol in front of them.
“Now that’s odd,” said Gabriel, trying to poke it. “You going to ring her now?”
“Shut up,” said Peter, going to get the pad Christopher had given him earlier. With Christopher having discovered the Council had really discovered humans a lot longer ago than claimed, something wasn’t adding up.
Chapter 16
Christopher and Freda sat in silence on the edge of her large, dark oak desk, watching the interview recording for the twentieth time. Freda was frustrated. There was so much to do, and she was being held up watching a video recording. “I can’t see any connection here at all. The girl is calm and collected one moment, violent the next.”
“The questions are asked slowly and politely. Freda, maybe she just went mad.”
“That’s hardly a scientific explanation.”
“And neither of us are scientists—or detectives, for that matter. We’ve played this recording in 3D, 4D, and every other format we have. I’m not getting any clues.”
“Well, the file is definitely genuine. It hasn’t been tampered with. Grace assured me of that.”
“At least it was Grace who said it,” said Christopher. “I trust her more than any on the Council.”
“Something doesn’t add up with all this.”
“Yeah,” he agreed. “One second…”
He grabbed a pad from her desk and began scrolling down, finding the right section.
“According to this report”—he pushed his glasses up—“once the host is infected with the Eugenics Virus, total loss of self and control is experienced within minutes. Freda, she’s been infected for at least an hour in this video, probably longer. CIM, zoom in on the human female’s eyes, play from the beginning, and speed up by a factor of five.”
The girl’s face was now magnified, with perfect clarity, on the big screen. They watched as the video sped forward. They noticed the small intricate changes taking place on the girl’s face, particularly the pupils.
“We’ve been watching her slowly be overcome by the virus. Look at the eyes, compared to in the beginning. You can see blood vessels beginning to pop.”
“I see them,” said Christopher. “Look at the sweat beads, heavy breathing. There’s the moment.” He stood up and walked right up to the screen.
“Pardon?”
“Something changed in her eyes there.”
Freda joined him.
“Computer, replay from time index 3619 and zoom in again on the human female’s face.”
“Can I leave?” asked the girl.
“No, not yet,” replied the interviewer.
“Computer, freeze frame,” said Freda quickly. “You’re right. Look at her face.”
“Why did the virus take so long in this case though?”
“She is a child,” said Freda. “It’s the only variable. Maybe the Eugenics Virus takes longer to effect children?”
“A longer incubation time,” said Christopher. “But why does she turn violent? I didn’t think that was a side effect of this virus.”
Freda lifted a report pad, reading some of the bullet points Peter had sent her over.
“Debilitating reduction in brain
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