It's the year 2038 and a deadly virus has consumed the world for more than 14 years.
In Denmark, an unknown politician took it upon himself to create a safe space from the infected. As long as you abide by the 8 Obligations, you are allowed to live...
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"Damnit!" I slam the palm of my hand into the wall next to the microscope. Still no positive results and I have been working on tissue samples from Miss Jensen for about six months. To keep her from decomposing, I had to cut her body into smaller pieces and freeze it down. Thank God my lab is in another building a few feet away from the Hostel. Otherwise, some of the residents might be severely freaked out by the things I do out here. Especially since Jakob is still locked up in one of my cells. I'm hoping that I will be able to cure him one day, but nothing seems like it's working.
"Still no results?" Clary brushes her hands slightly over my back as she walks up next to me to look into the microscope.
She has grown a lot these last few months. She has settled in great, pulls her own weight and helps me out in the Lab. It's like she has seen things even more horrible than this, so it doesn't bother her. Besides, she truly believes in our cause. It's important for her, that we find a cure.
It's great having an assistant. Other than Simon, that is. He helps out too once in a while, but he is actually more squeamish than Clary. There's only one thing that isn't so great about her helping me. She is distracting as hell. I don't know why I'm so compelled by her, but I am. I haven't been attracted to anyone since The Outbreak, and I thought it was because I knew I didn't have the time to nurture a relationship, but now I would almost throw everything away just for a chance to be with her. I haven't told her that of course. But I think she knows. We have been lowkey flirting for a while.
"Don't worry, Jace. We'll make it work..." for a second, my fogged brain thinks she is talking about us, and then it occurs to me that she is talking about a cure.
"Oh, yeah... sure... it'll work. At some point."
She smiles knowingly at me, and I blush slightly. I haven't blushed in a long time.
"Maybe we should check my blood again? I mean, I was vaccinated, and there has to be something in the vaccine that made the scientists in The City believe that it would work."
"We've tried that. And from what I can tell, the vaccine can't do anything to the virus."
"I just wish there was something I could do..."
"You are doing it, Clary. You are helping me, and it means a lot."
"Thanks, Jace."
stands so close that I can smell the vague perfume from her shampoo. It's intoxicating. Suddenly I notice that she is looking at my lips... Is she going to kiss me? My heart slams against my chest as the seconds slowly tics by. She darts out her tongue and wet her lips, then moves closer to me.
She is... she is going to kiss me. I'm getting dizzy. I look at her soft pink lips and lean forwards. Ready to cover her lips with my own...
"JACE!" the door slams open and we jump away from each other. Simon rushes in. "we need you inside. Alec is trying to keep Darren and Wayne from killing each other!"
