Genetix

11- Jakob

They pack up as much water as they can onto the half-charged hovercars. Olivia dumps a box of sun shield dermal patches into my arms.

"Make sure everyone gets one," she commands. "And bring an extra if you can find a place to put it. I don't want to assume Maya took one then find out she didn't."

I trail after her as she walks away. The others seem to be ignoring her and accepting her participation, but I'm not about to let her get away with this.

"Olivia, you have to stay here," I say. I don't say it as a command, in case she decides to be stubborn. Lucky for me, she seems almost pliant in her response.

"I get that you're worried about me," she replies, "but with all these supplies, I can more than handle myself. And before you come up with some other excuse, let me tell you this." She takes the box back from me and sets it on the ground. "You saved my life. I don't know if that means much to you guys, saving one person when you're supposed to be the saviors of the human race, but out in the world it's a hell of a thing to do." She rubs her arm sheepishly. "Now Maya's in danger, and I'm gonna help with that if I can, and then maybe we can call it even, okay?"

The blue-haired woman seems determined to shock us with everything that comes out of her mouth, but I figured something like this was coming. I know it'll hurt her feelings, and possibly make her mistrust me, but I need to keep her here.

"I'm more worried about you getting yourself killed before I can get some samples," I say coolly, giving her a nearly predatory once-over that sickens us both. "You're the first-- and possibly last-- immune humans we've seen. If I can find out what keeps you from becoming like the others, I might be able to make a cure." I throw in a smile like the ones the scientists gave us as children, condescending and encouraging at the same time.

I must be doing it wrong, because Olivia laughs in my face, doubling over from the force of it. I can't keep my face composed at that.

"What's so funny?" I demand.

Olivia forces her breathless guffawing back to giggles.

"You want 'samples'?" she gasps. "And you really think that's going to stop me from leaving?" She laughs again and goes back to packing up supplies.

The others have already finished with the other hovercars and begun wandering over to us.

"Jakob, the girl's immune to the disease," Trixie says, "and she's gonna have all of us to look out for her. Don't be an ass."

The others seem to share this opinion, but then Derek steps forward.

"Ollie," he says gently, "he's right."

Olivia jerks her head around to face him, eyes blazing in surprised anger. She's nearly as hotheaded as Trixie, if a bit more in control.

Derek flings up his hands defensively, as if trying to deflect her gaze. "I only mean, he needs samples. From both of us, but especially you."

I'm glad to see he's taking my side, but I'm not sure I understand his reasoning. Olivia certainly doesn't.

"Don't you 'Ollie' me," she snaps. "Why especially me?"

Derek shrugs. "As the female, you're biologically more precious. It's more likely that you would be able to pass on your immunity to the next generation."

Wow. I should have thought of that. It's not necessarily true, of course, but it definitely gives Olivia pause. She looks from face to face, but the others are buying it too.

"Fine!" she snaps at last, turning on her heel and storming back to the elevators. "Derek and I'll stay here with you so you can get the damn samples."