The Touch of Infection

Chapter 66: A mistake

Carisa was put in the vehicle along with other humans, and while that group looked frantically around the alaois she sat down calmly. Neda walking is giving the news Carisa was there and the other alaois poked their heads out.

Carisa not knowing what else to do waved at them and smiled, the group of humans looking at her weirdly and confused. While the alaois returned the gesture, Zareb came out right after walking up to her.

He leaned down and whispered to her, "I hope you don't mind Carisa but we need to go to a certain another base. Dropping off the humans, but right after we'll be back on track to HQ. Is that alright?"

"It's fine really, just let Marnik know where I am," Carisa said looking at the device Neda took from her to communicate with Marnik.

Zareb nodded, "I'll do just that, the ride might take a little over an hour to get to that camp. After it's a while longer to get to HQ."

Nodding her head he walked off and they continued the trip. The people were silent, their hands shaking as their eyes looked everywhere. When Neda walked in front of them they hid away, looking at the floor and waiting until she walked past them.

She sat beside Carisa looking at the people and speaking in her native tongue, "Why are they scared... we saved them from the infected."

Carisa looked at the group before answering back, "Did they choose to come?"

Neda shook her head, "But still we're giving them a chance at living-l

"Neda," Carisa stopped her, "They're not happy because they don't get to choose, besides they've known for the last two years that the alaois caused this... we're all angry... don't you expect us to be?"

Neda looked down, frowning, "Are... are you angry?"

"Of course I am." Carisa said in a heartbeat, "and I was so much angrier before I met Marnik... but I don't know why that first time I saw him knowing I should run I was just too curious about you all. You look so tough... you all just seem like... Undefeatable in a sense."

"Well maybe if we've would have known firsthand you all aren't that bad... maybe if humans hadn't seemed as cruel as they were... we could have been nicer." Neda spoke and clutched her hand, "How can a race just destroy its own home?..."

Carisa leaned beside Neda, "I know what you mean, we're terrible as a whole... but we all believe we are just surviving-"

"-I'm sorry... but only to you if I'm being honest. I didn't mind when the commander said we would save more humans... but honestly, I don't care about them. You however became one of us Carisa, so remember this for me. We are not changing for you, you're changing for us."

Carisa raised a brow, before she could ask further Neda got up and left. She looked over at the people again and one of them mustered the courage to ask, "So you work with the monsters?"

"No, I just agree with some things." She answered and saw them cock their head to the side, "Where you headed to the town that wasn't far?"

"Yeah." A female of the group answered, "we had been out hunting for them. And before we knew it these things came and shot the zombies around, then just threw us in here."

Carisa pushed out a smile to them, "They're not as bad as they look, just try and talk to them, they might not sound the nicest at first but... maybe you'll warm up to them."

A male in the group crossed his hands and rolled his eyes, "You're a sell-out for all we know."

As Carisa tried to convince them otherwise Marnik was stuck in another vehicle having Amite parade him with scoldings.

"Like really, who in their right mind, leaves a child stuck in a room just sending messages to a few people saying 'yeah come get him in running away' and then actually doing it!" Amite yelled and grabbed Marnik by the collar, "Bavyn was alone for hours! What would have happened if he got infected with the crazy virus!"

"Have you ever gone to HQ to speak like you know what happened!? YOU DIDN'T SEE WHAT I SAW!" Marnik yelled back and pushed Amite's hand away as Ezhno pushed Marnik's back the wall.

"We were there," Ezhno told him and then sighed.

Amite pointed at Marnik, "We saw, the clean up of it all looked horrible. And yes... many died... and Amil was one of them..."

Marnik growled and screamed nothing, "I told you! You didn't believe me."

"I'm sorry Marnik, never in two years had any of the infection do anything to us... why would we ever believe it happened." Amite explained and saw how Marnik's eyes shook and his breath became heavy, "I miss Amil too..."

"You barely knew him..." Marnik spoke bitterly, and moved to get out of the vehicle, "You didn't see him willingly walk to his death! I tried talking to him... but loyalty to our kind made him go... I don't want to be loyal if that's the case. I want to live and I want to live with her, and I don't care what the world or the universe has to say."

Amite stood back and Ezhno snickered oddly, "Really!? Alright, Marnik cut the games. Haven't you had your fun? I mean this has gone on long enough, but you've meant to keep her, like for the rest of your life..." Ezhno walked up to him, "You've toyed enough, now it's time you let her go, let her die-"

Amite's eyes widened, "That's no right Ezhno-"

"She isn't one of us!" He screamed and pointed a finger at Marnik, "You can't be siding with him wasting his life on her-"

"If he loves her let him be. Everyone's accepted her... why are you saying this?"

At Amite's question Ezhno huffed, "I don't think we should have ever agreed to help him... it just doesn't make any sense to keep the human... she's weak..." Ezhno turned to look at Amite, "Maybe we should leave her as lost, and send Marnik to another ship while we can still save him from this."