Isolation-#Wattys2015

Excerpt 28-Scotch

A huge shout to RedDragonflyxx for finding a few continuity errors that I never would have caught if he hadn't pointed them out. Thanks for that man.

James and Allen were waiting for us when the train pulled into the station. Mike killed the engine as Alcatraz and I stepped out. I could tell just from the looks on their faces that they were pretty badly stressed out.

"So we've been fighting the wrong enemy huh?", Allen asked.

"It would seem that way", I sighed, "those two Synthetics in Jourmungand's pen said that they were infected with Redstar and that they didn't think they had long left."

James' head dropped, "if it can infect synthetics then none of us are safe", he looked at me, "you might not be safe."

I sighed as we started back for the lounge, "yeah don't remind me."

"Did you get any pictures of the mutants you fought in the nexus bay?", James asked.

"We were busy killing them so I don't know", I answered, "Mike or Alcatraz might have while I was talking to Tyler though, so ask them."

"If they did I'll have Sarah look at them", James said, "but without an actual body to open up it would probably just be a waist of time."

"It occurred to me in the Nexus Bay stairwell that those guys Allen and Jacob found my have been infected with Redstar", I said as I pulled open the door to the lounge, "Mike suggested that the parasite stops the heart to render the host dead so doctors will leave it alone while it works. My theory was that if the main parasite gets cut off from the brain stem, detects purging chemicals or maybe has it's oxygen supply shut off by a saline solution, the results are rather explosive, when those two men shot themselves in the head, the parasite was cut off from the brain and it triggered a sort of self destruct mechanism."

"First time I've heard of something like that", James said, "I'll have Sarah look at those bodies right away. Allen, you get back on that console, as for you boys", he looked at me, Mike and Alcatraz, "get some rest, you earned it."

James walked down the hallway and entered Jacob's lab, while, Allen, Mike, Alcatraz and I walked back to the lounge. Tyler was sitting just inside, doing some work on his PDA. He looked up when we entered.

"What did you find in Deadscape?", he asked.

"A whole lot of wake up calls", I said unstrapping my vest, "we found out that there's a parasite on the loose called Redstar, and it doesn't cut anyone any favors. From where I'm standing, unless your body can dissolve it on contact, it's a death sentence. If you try to flush it out it will turn you into meaty tomato paste, about the only thing you can do to keep it from killing you is to shoot yourself in the head. Even Synthetics can be infected and James is worried it might get me too."

Tyler sighed, "that brightened my night."

I sighed, "sorry, is what it is I guess."

"We've got to get off this damn planet", Mike said placing his vest beside the bean bag he'd been using as a bed.

"You think we don't know that?", Tyler said, "what has Skyline been sticking his neck out for the past five weeks? Cotton candy?"

"Point taken smart ass", Mike replied, "and it's not just skyline sticking his neck out. What about me? What about Alcatraz? What about Jacob or Sarah who are stepping in front of Biological Agents that could bring down some of the biggest, baddest creatures known to man just so we can stay ahead of it?"

"Oh I get it", Tyler said, "because James, Allen, Matt and I don't have guns in our hands that means were not part of it huh? Because it sounds a lot like your saying that the self aware hypercomputer known as the Cluster 300 which only a few people in existence have the mental capacity to operate on their own has absolutely nothing to do with the fact were still alive."