To Those in the Future, Part 13

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Derrick's teacup sat virtually untouched as he listened intently to the story Marianne was telling him. From his stoic expression, she couldn't tell if he believed her, but at the very least he was taking her seriously. The question now was simply whether or not he would help her or not.

"You... you believe me, don't you?" Marianne asked nervously.

Derrick smirked. "To be honest, the most unbelievable part of your story is that you've actually been out to the shelter."

"Geez, don't poke fun. This is serious!"

"I know, I know. I promise that I believe everything you're saying."

"Really?"

"Well, the few details you gave me were consistent with the information that I'd had, after all. Either you're telling the truth or this is the most miraculous series of coincidences I've ever seen."

"I see. Then, let me ask you something. Are we at all close to finding a cure for this virus?"

Derrick shook his head. "Not at all. It's difficult to study the virus, as attempting to kill it with certain chemicals could also end up damaging the brain as well. For now, all we can do is delay the effects of adrenaline poisoning."

"Is there any light at the end of the tunnel?"

"Don't get too discouraged. I'll have you know that I've been spending day and nights researching this virus. I won't let this shelter fall to an unknown like this."

Hearing that, Marianne decided to drum up her courage. "Then, please, meet with the people attempting to rebel and try to talk things out. You can't let a war break out in the shelter!"

"Now hold on," Derrick said cautiously. "I know that there's been talk of a coup lately, but what's this about a war?"

"Right now, the last thing we need is something that will send the population into a panic. If a coup happens, the people won't be able to feel safe, and that could end up agitating their viruses. You need to find a way to establish peace with the people that are thinking of rebellion so that it doesn't happen."

Derrick thought to himself for a moment. "You say it like it's easy, so I'm assuming you have some way of actually doing that."

Marianne nodded. "The person who told me all these things... he's in contact with the person heading the resistance. If you agree to a meeting, I'm sure he could get the two of you to sit down."

Derrick fell silent as he mulled over his options. "Okay, I understand," he finally said after a pregnant pause. "All I have to do is meet with them right?"

"Yes, please. I'll make the arrangements, so just make sure you leave your schedule open."

"That'll be a tough ask, but all right. Just don't hope for too much. In the end, it's going to depend on this other person to go along with things, am I right?"

"Yes, you're right. Even so, it means a lot to me that you're willing to cooperate."

"Well, I can't say no to my little sister, can I?" Derrick said as he took a sip of his tea. As he did, he noticed a book sitting on Marianne's bedside table. "What's this? You're keeping a diary?"

"Yes, of course. I've been doing it since I was a child, after all."

"Well, sure, but... you surely can't have much to talk about cooped up in this shelter, do you?"

"I wouldn't say that. After all, things have actually become quite exciting recently."

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John tapped his foot anxiously as he waited at the meeting place, a corner of the residential area where few people went. The growing disappearances of the shelter's populace made it feel much emptier than before, and the paranoia borne from that made them less willing to be out and about. The Ackertons were not immune to this, as the guards that used to patrol the shelter now stuck to protecting the villa's grounds.

Paradoxically, this ended up helping Kath and the resistance quite a bit. With no one wandering the shelter, it suddenly became a lot easier for them to move around unwatched. Because of that, the rebellion actually found some sort of groundswell, and soon Kath found herself leading a group twenty strong.

Two of those members eventually emerged to greet John at the entrance to their hideout. "What's the password?" they growled in an attempt at intimidation.

"Alsatian," John answered. Supposedly it was a breed of dog Kath once had.

The two guards nodded and stepped aside, satisfied with his answer. John made his way into the building and climbed up to the second floor, where a group of resistance members were gathered around a table discussing plans for the future. The moment he walked through the door, they all turned towards him, untrusting looks on their faces.

"Oh, you," growled a man in a gruff beard. He was Ramon, Kath's second-in-command. He was a former soldier, and one of the first to approach Kath when she began looking for comrades. "What is it? Have you finally decided to grow a pair and join our efforts?"

"Of course not. I'm just here to make a request of you."

John motioned towards Kath. She raised an eyebrow, then nodded to the people beside her. "Leave us alone for a bit. Don't worry, he won't do anything drastic."

Her fellow resistance members seemed uncertain, but they heeded her words and left the room. Once they were alone, Kath got up from the table and stood face to face with John. "Well? What did you want from me?"

"I hit on an interesting connection. A member of the Ackerton family who's willing to listen to me."

Kath suddenly became interested in what John was saying. "And? Did she tell you about their weaknesses? Possible ways to sneak into the villa?"

"Nothing like that. But I asked her if she could get into contact with a member of the family so that you can talk things out."

Kath scoffed. "That again? I think we're far beyond that, don't you?"

"I haven't given up yet. You know that starting a fight could end up with everyone on borrowed time, yet you continue to place pressure by floating word of a mutiny. Don't you understand what's at stake here?"

"You're the one who doesn't understand. The Ackertons have had all this time to work on a solution, and they still haven't figured it out. Even if we worked with them, they wouldn't be any closer to a cure."

"But what will rebellion change? Even if you take control of the shelter, you still won't be able to figure out a cure by yourselves."

"It's not about that anymore," Kath countered. "This is about our right to freedom. We've got ticking time bombs in our heads that could go off at any time. Don't you think we should be able to spend the last few days we've got left doing as we please rather than toiling for the sake of a family that's done nothing but give us the grace of being their servants?"

"That's nothing but nihilism," John shot back. "At the very least, you shouldn't give up on hoping for a way out until you've tried every possible option."

"And what can we offer to Ackerton that they would even consider valuable? Aside from our heads on a platter."

"Even Ackerton doesn't want our lives to go to waste. They know what's at stake. If it's for the sake of the shelter's peace, I'm sure they'll try to come to some accord."

"You sure seem overly optimistic. And what if the Ackertons try to trap us so they can lock us up and disappear us like they did all the other victims of the virus?"

"If that happens, I'll lead the resistance to save you myself," John declared. "I mean, there can't be all that many places to hide you in this shelter."

Kath scoffed again. "Fine. I'll do this so-called peace meeting. But you better be there with me."

"Of course,' John replied. "Can't expect to stand on the sidelines after all this."


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