Children of the Virus

18: The Verge

The cave held a damp, heavy air that clung to Toshiro's skin as he darted inside. The walls glowed eerily with the bioluminescent fungi, casting long shadows that danced and twisted upon the rough floor.

What Toshiro saw next surprised him. Ren stood in the cavern, wearing Kenji's burgundy robe. Kenji sat hunched over an antique computer, his face illuminated by its soft glow. His fingers tapped away at the keys, their clicks echoing through the large cave.

Toshiro sensed the urgency as Baz followed him into the cave with hurried footsteps. "Ren! Are you okay?" Baz asked, his voice tight with worry.

Ren said nothing.

Toshiro looked at her and remarked, "That was quick. How do you feel, Ren?"

"She's not awake," Kenji interjected without looking up from the screen.

Toshiro asked, "Then what is she—I mean, how is she—"

"Autowalk!" He turned to face them. "I automated her body so we could verify it's okay and run diagnostics."

Toshiro froze as Ren's body jerked forward, eyes vacant, limbs moving stiffly. He was used to autowalk technology, but this...this was different. It made him uncomfortable to see her empty shell animated while her mind hovered at death's door.

Juno entered the cave with the other rebels close behind.

A distant boom resonated through the cave walls, raining dust down on them. Toshiro felt the vibrations under his feet connecting him to the war raging at the Fortress.

"When do you plan to wake her?" Juno asked.

"In a moment. I Just want to make sure..." his voice trailed off as he turned to face his computer again. After typing some code, he said, "What you have to understand is that the Monita Complex is unpredictable."

That worried Toshiro. "How so?"

"The Monita Complex is just a cocktail of viruses."

Toshiro raised a brow and asked, "You mean biological viruses?"

Kenji scoffed. "No, don't be absurd. Nanotech, of course." He rolled his eyes as he muttered under his breath, "Biological...ridiculous."

Toshiro crossed his arms. "How should I know?"

Kenji nodded. "It is true that 'virus' is an overloaded term," he said. "But as we all know, biological viruses are a non-issue today."

Toshiro leaned in, intrigued by his words.

Kenji continued, "People once had to inject vaccines into their arms just to gain immunity. Now our digital nervous system downloads virus signatures over the air."

Jeremy interrupted. "That's why we don't get sick anymore."

Kenji's expression turned serious as he added, "You have Zo to thank for that—he eradicated natural disease."

As a doctor, Toshiro knew all about the importance of virus signatures, but he couldn't help but think that they'd traded one plague for another far more insidious. Another distant explosion punctuated his thoughts, a grim reminder of Zo's tyranny.

"Most people don't know this, but Zo himself is a descendant of early 21st century computer viruses," Kenji said. "However, he has evolved past his origins, and now he's utterly unconstrained."

Toshiro felt a shiver run down his spine, watching Baz's jaw clench and Juno's eyes narrow in contempt. The mention of Zo's name had struck fear, respect, and disdain into the hearts of all present.

"Zo's creators designed his motivation function to be self-programmable, and it ultimately stabilized to consume everything in its path, no matter the cost. Pure greed." Kenji's voice was calm but chilling. "Zo will never change, though he adapts and grows his intellect every second."