“Callie! Don’t land! Stay on the ship!” I yelled into my link.
No one answered me. I watched in horror as the Magpie wheeled sound and landed next to the transport vehicles.
“Stay on the ship!” I was screaming. I heard the others making similar demands. Rema had taken to the air to get to them before us. The wind had picked back up and buffeted him around. It was too late. The belly ramp descended.
Patty stepped out. Her slight form appeared miles away. The distance between us stretched and expanded until I felt like I was running through molasses. Rema screamed. Patty looked around until she spotted us running towards her and smiled. The smile died quickly, taken over by confusion. She hesitated a step and then jogged to meet us. Rema hit her first, wrapping her in his arms, groaning in despair. I was the second to reach them. I pushed Rema’s wing out of my way and reached past his arm to turn her to face me.
“Patty, no,” I whispered in a ragged voice. “What have you done?”
“We lost comms after you found the first scout. They knocked out communication with some kind of jammer. We had to make sure you were all okay,” she said slowly, still confused.
“Ghix wouldn’t let us leave, so we stole a ship,” Callie said from the ramp and I sucked in a breath, whirling to her. The world narrowed to a pinpoint. The breath in my lungs froze. I wanted to fall to my knees and wail. I pulled Callie into my arms, meeting Ohem’s eyes over her head.
“We have to get them to the Archive.”
Patty touched my arm, and I looked at her. “What’s going on, Jack?” She asked.
I closed my eyes, hoping that when I opened them again that they wouldn’t be here. They’d be back on the ship like I’d asked them. I’d said to stay put.
“Is Sam on board the Magpie?” Aga asked.
No. Please say no.
“No. She stayed on the Solus,” Callie said, pushing away from me. I didn’t want to let her go.
“What’s going on?” Patty asked again.
“There’s a virus. It’s deadly. Everyone is sick. Some are already dead. We have to get you to the Archive.” I didn’t waste anymore time talking about it. I picked Callie up, ignoring her curses, and watched to make sure Rema had Patty before sprinting back to the Archive.
I didn’t stop to help any of the crew members. Didn’t stop to see if the others were following me. The sight of the sleek metal door opening in front of me barely registers as I barreled past it and into the room. The table was gone and in its place were two white pods.
Place the females in the medical apparatus.
I did as Anu asked, pining Callie with a glare to make sure she didn’t give me anymore lip, but the woman was pale already, with beads of sweat rolling down her temple. She looked dazed.
“I don’t feel good, Jack. I’m sorry. We were only trying to help,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Hush. It’s okay. You’ll be okay.” I watched while Rema placed a sick Patty in the other pod. He kissed her forehead and then stepped back. I jumped when Ohem’s hand pulled me back by my shoulder. I looked around the room and Aga hadn’t come with us.
“He’s staying with the men. He feels the most well out of all of us except you,” Ohem said.
Jack is immune. Generations of the vaccine teaching the nanos have accomplished the job the scientists thousands of years ago set out to do. We will use those nanos to make a new vaccine. We have all we need here.
“Show me. I grant permission for my friends to see,” I said, my voice hard.
Lights flashed beyond the surrounding glass, illuminating miles and miles of open area. Some sections had metal shelving as far as the eye could see. There were ships, machinery, crafts of unknown origins. Tall walls filled with blue cells took most of the space up. Mechanical arms moved all over them, rearranging things. Floating crafts followed the arms, waiting for the cells to be removed and placed on them. The crafts then took the cells off into the distance until I couldn’t see them anymore.
The cells are DNA samples collected over hundreds of years at the height of the Rijiteran civilization. Taken from mates or from donors. I will use them in addition to your nanos to formulate a vaccine for each individual. These two females are more delicate. They will need special consideration.
A tube rose between the pods and opened. A single bowl, no bigger than my palm, sat in the middle.
Place your hand over the extractor.
I did as she asked and held my hand over the bowl; the sides digging into my palm. Air hit my hand, and there was a pulling sensation, but no pain.
Stand by.
Dozens more arms converged on the walls holding the cells. I was watching Patty and Callie intently and saw their skin flush red with rashes right before my eyes. Patty groaned once and then a mist sprayed over her from inside the pod and her eyes closed. Her breathing leveled out and grew calm. The same thing was done to Callie.
