The Touch of Infection

Chapter 31: Let me bring her

Having left Carisa and Ezhno, Amite was going as fast s she could to HQ while Marnik was still knocked out. Making it just through the doors when she began hearing him stir and groan. Parking she shook him completely awake.

His eyes opened wide searching for Carisa, "Where is she?" He was just about ready to grow arms at her.

"Calm down! She's with Ezhno, we are going to go talk to the commander together. And then you can go running back to her no matter what they say." She told him, opening the door to the vehicle and stepping out.

The room they were in having many more lab vehicles like the one they drove. Alaois were walking around calmly, all in perfect order.

"That doesn't exactly tell me where she is." He walked out after her, keeping his anger bottled up.

"After we talk with the commanders I'll tell you." With that said she walked through the corridors of the place seeming like a maze.

Marnik growled quietly, "Then let's hurry." He walked ahead of her, taking some turns and walking upstairs.

Others greeted them, and while Amite answered politely he ignored them. Her demeanor was so calm it was like nothing could bother her. While Marnik walked hastily, practically dragging her with him when she fell behind.

Getting to the part of HQ they needed to be in, they stood in front of the doors to the commander's office. Waiting at the door in silence until hearing, "You may both go inside now."

Entering the two commanders stood up to greet them. One was the woman that had called Amite and Ezhno, she sat at the right. While the other was the male who'd called Marnik previously a couple of times, sitting in the left.

The woman smiled genuinely, "It's good to see you are fine Marnik. You had worried us when you didn't call, specifically when your last recorded location was the red zone."

The two commanders sat back down while Amite and Marnik sat across from them, "Sorry, I had been busy." Marnik explained himself, waiting for the moment to get into detail.

"What can we help you with? After all I understood that Marnik wanted to speak with us... actually before that, care to explain why you didn't answer any of our calls?" The commander in the left asked, looking directly at Marnik as if Amite wasn't there.

Marnik kept calm, "As you know the last time you had my location was in the red zone, it must have gotten damaged while I was there. I never received any of your calls." Truth be told he hadn't checked, his attention had been elsewhere the last days and he hadn't bothered.

The commanders looked at each other, thinking about what he said. The woman took the lead, "Then how come you didn't use Amite and Ezhno's communications when you joined them?"

Amite was quiet until then, "Because we've got bigger things to deal with. Marnik would like to speak of a very serious topic... we hope you understand."

The commander's eyes where on him and even Amite looked at him expectantly, "I'd like to bring a human to HQ with me."

The man raised a brow, "An infected... did you find something special in them?"

"She's not infected... she's a normal living human surviving the infection. I know this hasn't been done before, but I'd like for her to stay here, away from the infection." Marnik's explication went by deaf ears after he said she was a normal living human.

"A human?" The male questioned unbelievingly, " Humans are the plague of this world... you want them gone just as much as I do."

Marnik held his breath a second, looking at them with a blank expression, "I wish to make her my partner."

There was a long silence, the two commanders stared at Marnik and then at each other. Even Amite was getting worried over what they would say. When they stood up and excused themselves Marnik hunched over.

"They won't let me." He murmured.

"If that was the case they would have already told you." Amite told him, her eyes on the door the commanders where behind, "The fact that they haven't answered still means we have a chance."

She grabbed Marnik's hand and held onto it tightly, whispering, "Come in, you can't look like your backing down."

He agreed with her and sat down, his eyes on the door and his arms crossed over his chest. The commanders came back and sat down in front of them.

Before they could say anything he spoke up, "I'm in love with her, if you don't let me bring her here then I'll leave."

"Settle down Marnik." The woman began letting the other commander continue.

"We believe what you say. She can come here under a few conditions. No hiding her around, she has to face everyone herself. Speak for herself and not let you or anyone do it for her. We personally wish to meet her as well." When he was done with his part the other commander said the finishing statement.

"We are kind beings Marnik, our pure kind only seeks to protect what is around them. But when we see a plague... we have to crush it. Remember you are one of us, we'll have your back always." Finishing the doors behind Marnik and Amite opened, "We'll speak to the leaders and other commanders in your name. You can go fetch her now."

As soon as they walked out the doors closed, Marnik looked at Amite, "Thanks. Now where is she."

Amite nodded but held her tongue, "This planet is dying Marnik, our efforts to save it have been for nothing. We can't even control the infected population." She looked down at him, "They kill everything, all the species we wanted to save are the ones we've indirectly killed. The ones that have survived have done so because we have them contained here." She took a deep breath and looked into his eyes, "Even the plants are being infected slowly, the animals as well... and soon the planet will be desolated... what will you tell her?"

Marnik looked at the floor and averted eye contact with her, walking ahead as she followed slowly. She couldn't stand the way he ignored the situation now and mocked him, "Carisa, darling, the world you know is dead. We're leaving and never coming back... But don't worry, I still love you."

"Just tell me where she is so I can go get her." With that said he stopped in his tracks and awaited her answer.

"I left her in a town not far from here..." she grabbed his arm, "you can't just drag her into our world when she doesn't want to. Don't be a fool Marnik, you take her from this planet and she'll be miserable... we barely got her away from her old home and she wanted to go back... what happens when you take her away from her planet?"

Marnik closed his hands into fists, "I don't know!"