Secret Value of Zero, The (20 page)

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Dear The First Special Minister of Science and Technology,

I have completed the experiments on subjects ###376-497. I have modified the protein compounds to increase the likelihood of subject survival. This strain shows tremendous promise.

I will send updates biweekly.

Best regards,

The First Star of Genex, Aster Ball

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Dear The First Special Minister of Science and Technology,

After initially promising results, the subjects are not responding as predicted. After the third week of treatment, subjects’ cardiac and respiratory functions rapidly decline. Total organ failure occurs after four or five weeks.

It seems like results for subjects cannot be replicated consistently. For best results, I must to study both #135 and #323 closely. If I must only study one, it should be #135. She demonstrated the highest aptitude.
 

Please advise.

Best regards,

The First Star of Genex, Aster Ball

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Dear Esteemed Doctor Ball,

I find this new update very disappointing. I endeavored to provide you with the best genetic material possible.
 

Meanwhile, we have been hard at work retrieving subject #135 since she holds the most potential. We received communication that subject #135, otherwise known as Meke Lichota, will emerge from hiding and attempt to breach the Genex facilities. I am sending a special unit of the Elite Forces to assist you in her return. Fulfill your duties as a Star.

Any further communications should be with the First Commander of the Elite Special Forces of the Prosperon Army, Praveen Damore.

Regards,

The First Special Minister of Science and Technology, Lucio Donner

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As Meke finished reading, she felt the Equi commander staring at her, the woman’s mouth slightly open. Meke swallowed hard and handed the handheld to her.

Meke frowned. They were trying to replicate her. Well, perhaps not replicate her, but her abilities. But, it hadn’t worked. She clenched her left hand, but winced when pain shot up her arm.
 

These poor fools in the mountains, used and buried because they happened to share some DNA sequences with her. Meke felt the weight of these lives on her. The line between their deaths and her traveled straight and true.
 

Sterling spoke as everyone completed their inspection of the tablet’s contents. Meke could only catch a few words, but she understood their meaning.

“Questioning Doctor Ball.”

“Exposure…public…”

“… on the Webs…”

“Our chance…public resistance…”

“…remind people….life…”

After a few minutes’ discussion among the commanders, everyone stood and nodded at the still-seated Sterling. Numbly, Meke followed them. Sterling raised a hand for Meke to stop. Confused, she remained standing in front of his desk.

He smiled at her, his teeth gleaming white. He formed his words slowly and carefully. “I am very sorry about the mission. It was supposed to be an easy one, a safe one. However, you performed beyond expectations. Because of you, we can bring Doctor Ball to justice. The whole house of cards will fall down.” Sterling’s hands imitated the visual of the cards falling.

After the obligatory farewells, Meke left the room, half-pleased, half-dumbfounded. Arya leaned against the wall outside of Sterling’s office. “So, now you know what happened back there.” She paused. “Nothing you could have done to prevent it.” Meke wished that was true. “You came back safe. Be happy with that,” Arya said.

“What about the rest of it? Doctor Ball?”

Arya leaned her head back onto the wall. “We’ll bring him to justice. We’ll expose his true nature to people.”

“You mean, reveal the purpose of Genex?”

“Yes.”

Meke frowned. “Why would that do anything?”

“Prosperon isn’t supposed to kill people directly. Survival of the fittest, right? That’s nature, not Prosperon interfering.”

“So, Sterling is betting on people getting angry that Prosperon is killing people? But it has been doing that for years.”

“We couldn’t prove it before. Now, we can.” Arya said, smiling.

“With Doctor Ball.”

“Precisely.”

“But he isn’t responsible.”

“He is. He went along with it.”

“Shouldn’t we blame Lucio Donner?”

“People think too highly of him right now. We have Doctor Ball. We don’t have Lucio Donner.”

“Will you tell people that they killed Fivers and Squares as well?”

“Why would we? It doesn’t matter. Life is life. Sterling wants to do away with the ranking system. If we focus on this, we’ll reinforce the idea that rank matters.”

These ideas settled themselves into Meke’s brain. Yet they felt misplaced, odd. She needed to rest. Her head ached with too many things to think about.

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Meke peered into Trove’s room. Her nose scrunched up when she realized that something out of place sat at the foot of Trove’s bed: Tooth.

Meke inhaled before she went in. She hadn’t seen Trove since the mission. He needed rest, not people bothering him.

Meke put her hands around Tooth to pick him up awkwardly with one hand in a cast. Trove didn’t need a cat staring at him. No wonder he wasn’t waking up. Who would want to see that sight? Tooth whirled around and sank his teeth into Meke’s forearm. She jerked back, two tiny puncture marks now adorning her arm. Rubbing her forearm, Meke inspected Trove.
 

Grayness tinged his light brown complexion, but he had more color than before. His breaths came in a steady rhythm.
 

Meke stared at the chair at the far corner. She had told herself that Trove needed rest, not people, but only doctors came to see him. She pulled the chair next to the bed. Who would want to wake up alone? Maybe Tooth had the right idea.
 

Arya opened the door. “There you are. I was looking all over the place for you,” Arya said, leaning on the doorframe. “I wanted to tell you that the plans are all set for the exposé. It’ll start next week. We have to move quickly before Donner figures out what we’re up to.”

“What will it be like?” Meke asked.

“We’ll provide all of the evidence. Papers, testimonies, and e-comms. We’ll hack the Webs and take over every screen in Prosperon. We won’t be ignored.”

“Great.” Meke’s mouth dried up as she signed.
 

Arya’s eyes shifted to Trove. “So, how is he?”

“The same as ever,” Meke said.

“He’ll be fine. He has had worse.” Arya shrugged. “His genes are wired for healing.”

“And he’ll be teasing as soon as he wakes up, I suppose,” Meke said.

Arya knitted her thin eyebrows. “Tease? Trove?”

Meke felt her cheeks flush. “Never mind.”

Arya narrowed her eyes, then straightened. “Well, don’t stay too late. We need to plan. You’ll be the star witness,” she said. With a wave, she left.
 

Meke turned and looked at Tooth, who was curled up next to Trove’s feet, fast asleep. As Meke watched the smooth cadence of Trove’s breathing, she wondered why the exposé felt misaligned. It all made sense. Once they exposed Doctor Ball, Prosperon would either collapse or it wouldn’t.

Now, Meke hoped it would fall and fall hard. Something had shifted deep inside of her. Now, she knew who had killed everyone. She knew who had turned her into a half-mutated human being. No matter how she made this sense her own, she couldn’t deny the invasion.

She wanted Prosperon to fall. This realization raised goose bumps on her skin. She had never wanted anything this badly before. Looking at Trove’s stubbly face made Meke wish that he were awake. He would have some ideas. Meke’s thoughts rambled until a yawn crept upon her. She gave into her exhaustion and eased into unconsciousness.

A touch jolted her out of her uneven slumber. Blinking, Meke’s mouth fell open as she saw Trove’s eyes on her.

His upper body hung off the bed, his arm outstretched on Meke’s chair. Meke gasped and hauled Trove back on the bed. He weighed far more than she did, so she collapsed on the bed, panting. “Are you all right?” Meke asked, searching for any signs of torn wounds, nausea or dizziness.
 

Trove winced, but he managed to nod.

“I feel terrible, but I’m all right. I’ve had worse.” He lifted his covers and examined his thigh, which was still bandaged. “And they fixed me right up.”

“You were asleep for three days!”

“Oh, they do that if you’ve lost blood. Once I was out for five days.”

Anxiety lifted a weight from Meke that she hadn’t known she was carrying. Meke wrapped her arms around Trove. His large body stiffened, then his chest rumble as he laughed and his muscles loosened.
 

His hands moved behind Meke. “Glad to see me up?” he signed.

Meke shrugged and squeezed harder. With a deep sigh, Trove placed his hands on Meke’s back. His arms were firm and warm. Meke felt the heat radiating from his body. Good, she thought, he’s healing.

With a regretful sigh, Meke untangled herself from the hug. She couldn’t remember the last time she had a hug like that. She suspected never. As her face passed by Trove’s face, Meke paused. Trove’s eyes focused on hers. A strange heat flickered up Meke’s neck.
 

Before she realized it, Trove’s warm lips were on hers. It felt strange, but the feeling disappeared as she fell into the kiss. The heat deepened into something intense and addictive.

As she felt Tooth stirring, Meke jerked away. She gasped and covered her mouth.
No, no, I don’t know what this is
. Meke needed to leave. As Trove raised his hand with a startled look, Meke grabbed Tooth and ran out of the door.
 

Tooth trashed in her arms as she ran. By the time she arrived at her door, long cuts graced her arm and even her cast. Meke slammed the door behind her. Tooth leapt out of her arms, bared his fangs at her and stalked away. Meke collapsed into the chair next to the bed, her hot face in her hands.

MEKE COULDN’T sleep that night. Her mind revisited the kiss over and over again. She didn’t understand how things had transformed from a friendly hug to that. Yet, she couldn’t help but wonder about the possibilities. She imagined staying in his arms. Her mouth curved up at the thought, despite its owner.

Then what?

There would be stares. There would be murmurs. None of these would do her credit. Trove would get sick of it. Then he would say goodbye and she would be left alone. No, worse than alone, ruined and alone.
 

A Fiver and a Zero together? Impossible. She knew what people would say about her and Trove. They would say that she got some respect on her back. Everything that she worked for would disappear for a man who would leave her.

Her thoughts about Sterling, Trove, the exposé, Prosperon and Doctor Ball snarled together. She tried to pick out threads from the tangle, but it was impossible. It wasn’t a good time to go gallivanting around and kissing people. With that thought, Meke fell into an uneasy sleep.

In the morning, Meke sat at her bed, wondering if she should leave. It should be easy to avoid Trove since he still needed bed rest. She would be able to see him coming and slip away before he caught sight of her.
 

You’re such a dolt, Meke told herself when she realized what she was doing. She shouldn’t avoid him. She wasn’t going to cower in a corner just because someone kissed her. The thought of the kiss made Meke blush. Then she reminded herself of the consequences and the pleasant flush faded. Yet, she sat at the bed, hands in her lap. Her thoughts sped too fast for her to understand. She was so consumed by her thoughts that she didn’t react in time.
 

Meke felt Trove limping down the hall, using a cane to shuffle toward Meke’s room, wincing the whole way. Meke ran and opened the door to behold a sweaty, ashen Trove. His eyes were fixed on the ground right in front of him, pushing himself forward with jerky, shuffling steps.

The thought of simply fleeing flashed in Meke’s mind. As soon as she saw Trove stumble, the thought disappeared as she reached out and braced him. His weight almost made Meke fall. Somehow she managed to stay upright and drag him into the room. He staggered onto Meke’s bed.
 

With a scowl, she plunked herself down on the chair, making sure she was as far away from him as possible. “Why would you drag yourself down here in this state?” Meke demanded.

Trove, struggling to catch his breath, raised his hand. Meke huffed. “We should talk.”
 

Meke felt churlish for keeping a scowl on her face, but she didn’t know what else to do. Her body shook as she waited, staring at the silent man on her bed.

Trove suddenly averted his eyes and looked down on his hands. These hands didn’t move, nor did his eyes.

“Well, if you want to talk, actually talking may be a good start,” Meke said.
 

He sighed. “I had it all planned out in my head before I came here. I knew exactly what I wanted to say, but now—” Trove trailed off.

Now she had the ridiculous urge to put her arm around him to comfort him. Surely, she wasn’t that desperate.

She decided to save them both some pain. “I understand. It was just a mistake. We were both—” Meke tried to think of the right word, “overwrought.” Trove peered up to her, his mouth set. “Friends?” Meke said, extending her hand. It was better this way. No confusion. No strange feelings. No Trove saying goodbye.
 

To Meke’s surprise, Trove leaned back and crossed his arms. Meke withdrew her hand and threw them up in the air instead. “Now you don’t want to be friends? Good riddance! I don’t need friends who are so easily scared away.”

Trove chuckled. “I don’t think you just want to be friends. You hugged me first.”

Heat flickered in the base of Meke’s neck. “Hugs are perfectly acceptable between friends. You were the one who kissed me. I am not responsible for that.” Her finger stabbed the air in Trove’s direction.