Authors: Kyra Anderson
“No,” Kailynn said quietly.
“I’m so sorry, Kailynn,” Isa murmured.
Kailynn’s arms tightened around the Elite
and Isa’s head leaned against the younger woman’s.
“I’m sorry,” Kailynn said. “I thought I
could do it, but…”
“But?” Isa asked. “What do you mean?”
“I screwed it up, didn’t I?” Kailynn said,
her voice cracking with fear at the end of the sentence.
“No, no,” Isa assured, rubbing her back
tenderly. “You did not screw anything up.” Isa closed her eyes and kissed
Kailynn’s head. “I’m sorry I put you in that position.”
“I can’t do this,” Kailynn said, shaking
her head. “I don’t know how to do this political thing.”
“You don’t have to the political thing,”
Isa assured. “I can handle that. I’m sorry that I put such pressure on you. I
did not know it would be that bad.”
Kailynn swallowed hard and closed her
eyes.
“Will you help Emira?” she murmured.
“Like you helped me and Tarah?”
“Of course,” Isa said without hesitation.
A small chime at her door caused Tarah to
look up from where she had been reading on her bed. She climbed clumsily off
the bed and walked to the door, opening it. When she saw Rayal, she jumped a
little.
“Oh,” she said, “I didn’t realize that
you were here.”
“Isa let you off early?”
“She didn’t feel like eating, so she said
I could take the evening for myself,” Tarah said. She leaned against the
doorframe. “But…I know it was just because she was worried about me.”
“Then you saw the broadcast,” Rayal said.
She nodded slowly. “Are you alright?”
Tarah sighed heavily and crossed her arms
over her chest, averting her eyes.
“I think so…”
Rayal did not bother to push Tarah. He
could tell just from looking at her that she was upset. He lowered his eyes to
the ground and nodded slowly.
“Alright,” he murmured. “But, if you
every want to talk about it, or about anything, you know you can call me,
right?”
Tarah smiled.
“Do you remember, five years ago, when I
had that meltdown and collapsed in the middle of the hospital waiting room?”
“Yes,” Rayal said, confused why she would
bring that up.
“And you brought me back here, even
though you were extremely sick as well, and you sat with me and held my hand as
I cried until I finally passed out?”
Rayal nodded slowly.
“I don’t think I ever thanked you for
that,” Tarah said. “Or for everything else you’ve ever done for me.”
“There is no need to thank me,” Rayal
said.
“There is a lot of reason to thank you,”
Tarah corrected. She swallowed hard and looked down at her feet, her face
flushing. “You always put my comfort and needs before yours. You always made
sure that I felt safe, no matter the situation. You always made me feel like I
was stronger than I actually am.”
“Tarah, you are amazingly strong,” Rayal
said. “That has nothing to do with me. That’s all from within you.”
“But I only feel it when you’re around,”
Tarah murmured. She shyly glanced up at the former caretaker. “You make me see
it in myself.”
Rayal stared at Tarah for a moment,
unable to respond. Tarah, nervous and embarrassed, cleared her throat and stood
straight.
“Anyway, thank you.”
Rayal smiled gently and reached forward,
pulling Tarah into a gentle hug. The younger caretaker was startled at first,
but then relaxed and hugged Rayal back. The hug only lasted for three seconds,
but Tarah’s head was still swimming when Rayal pulled away.
“If you need
anything,
just let me know,” he murmured. “I’ll always be here for
you.”
Isa took a deep breath and closed her
eyes, facing the closed door, gathering herself as best as she was able. No
matter how many times she had an audience with Venus, she was never prepared.
Seeking an audience with Venus was very
different than communicating to her through the NCB chair or terminal
messaging. There was something far more intimidating when staring at the
hologram of the machine’s persona and discussing delicate topics.
Venus had called her to audience to
discuss the protests in Trid and the spread of information about the Wheezing
Death Virus and the viral way the video of Emira spread, not only around the
planet, but through the entire Altereye System.
Isa reached one hand out and pressed her
palm against the orb outside the door. The warmth of the sensor made her skin
tingle. A small needle pricked her finger and drew a drop of blood for DNA
verification. The door hummed open and Isa stepped in, stopping two steps into
the first chamber of Venus’ audience hall. When the door closed behind her, Isa
closed her eyes and waited for the second verification process.
She could see flashes of green light pass
beyond her eyelids and her skin warmed around her chest as beams of light
passed over her.
When the lights shut off, the doors in
front of Isa opened and the Golden Elite was allowed into the main audience
hall. The room was stark and bare a single ring near the high ceiling of the
domed hall allowing for the hologram projection. Venus’ computers were hidden
under the floor and behind the walls of the room, secured very tightly. Isa had
only seen one of her processors when she had to repair it, but the central
units that kept Venus running were never accessed, not even by Isa.
But, because of the massive computers and
power cores, the audience hall was exceptionally hot. Isa was in full Syndicate
uniform, and almost immediately after stepping into the room, she felt sweat
break out over her skin.
Alone, five paces into the room, was a
single chair—not an NCB chair, just a normal chair with a cushion on the seat
and on the back with thick arms and a simple, metal design.
Isa walked to the chair and sat, leaning
back and putting her wrists on the edge of the chair arms, activating the
hologram.
A whirring of the machines filled the
room, and the lights flickered. The composite form of Venus took shape. The
image towered into the room, human in appearance, though shrouded by a cloak
with the hood pulled over the face. The nose and mouth were visible, though the
mouth never moved, as Venus’ language was comprised of tones.
“
A-C89072
,”
she greeted, using Isa’s prototype number.
“Venus.”
“
You
understand that there are several reasons I called you here
,” Venus
started. “
The first of these reasons has
to do with the Y-99 Virus that has been in Trid
.”
“I am unfamiliar with the Y-99 Virus.”
“
It
is the new virus, undocumented. This is the first time that it has been seen.
It has been named Y-99
.”
“Is there any treatment?”
“
More
research is needed
,” Venus stated simply. “
I have had samples sent off-planet for testing in other areas of the system.
Though it has not been documented on any other terminal, it is possible that
this virus is in other parts of the system and has gone unnoticed, as it has on
Tiao.
”
“I see.”
“
However,
I noticed that you have put the Trid girl under your protection. She is now
listed within your circle. Why?
”
“The girl had very little to begin with,
and now she has nothing,” Isa stated. “If we are to continue to get samples
from her for the virus, she needs to be protected from harm. Very few take
kindly to Trids.”
“
That
is precisely why she needs to be returned to Trid at the nearest possible time
,”
Venus said.
“Forgive my defiance, but I disagree,”
Isa said, shaking her head. “She will die if we return her to Trid. Her face
and story are now wide-spread news, which means that it would be more beneficial
to keep her close, as a sign of good faith to the Trids.”
“
The
Trids want her back
,” Venus said. “
They
are protesting at the border, demanding that she be returned
.”
“The sentiment has been noted,” Isa
admitted. “However, if we were to return her to Trid untreated, there will be
no one to care for her. The Trids try to stay away from those who have this
virus. She will be isolated and she will either starve or the virus will kill
her.”
“
Where
did you get this information?
”
“From Jacyleen, the Significant, and
advisor for the Trid District.”
“
I
did not approve her as your advisor
.”
“She is the only Trid I have to advise me
on matters concerning the district.”
“
Your
caretaker was once Trid, and has proven her loyalty to you far more than the Significant
.”
“Tarah has been with me longer, it is
true,” Isa admitted. “But she was a young child when she left. Jacyleen still
has contacts in Trid. And she has proven to me, on three occasions, her
loyalty.”
“
You
would keep her close, despite the fact that she forged her citizenship
originally to work at Companion Corporation?
”
“Yes,” Isa said strongly. “It is as she
said in Trid. The Trids have very little means to change their lives. She did
what she had to do to survive.” Isa leaned back in her chair. “Venus, you have
access to all the numbers. Eighty-five percent of incarcerated criminals in
this hemisphere are Trids. Their crimes are very often not violent, which is
why we imprison them rather than execute them. Two percent of these Trid
criminals have been convicted of rape or murder. Seventy-seven percent of Trid
criminals are convicted of forgery, falsified documents, and sedition. These
numbers speak for themselves. They are willing to risk imprisonment to earn
money to survive.”
“
You
know the Trids are vital to the security of this society
.”
“We can maintain social order with the
Trids receiving citizenship.”
“
No,
”
Venus said, her hologram flickering slightly as a red tinge washed over her
figure. “
This is the twenty-ninth time
you have suggested the Trids be granted citizenship.
”
“Venus, these are the same people that
are willing to kill me to tear down the Syndicate. Compared to that, the risk
of grating citizenship would be—”
“
No.
If citizenship is granted, then they are given healthcare, sustainable ration
numbers, coded housing, and minimum salary unemployment pay. There are no funds
to provide these services to the numbers in Trid. And Trids will not obtain
jobs upon being granted citizenship. The low-paid workers are now robots. You understand
that there is no way for Trid to contribute to society other than to be our
low-point scare tactic.”
“The scare tactic does not work when the
Trids grow in number every day,” Isa protested. “They are having children of
their own because we do not provide birth control and we cannot regulate their
numbers with the Child Licensing Board. Soon, those protests at the border are
going to turn into an insurrection, and if we try to put them down with force
as we have done in the past, they will flood the city and destroy it.”
“
I
will not entertain the notion of Trids being granted citizenship
,” Venus
said, her beeps becoming shrill and causing Isa to cringe. “
You are also to remove the Trid child from
your circle. Two Trids close to you is far too many
.”
“Alright,” Isa said. “She has secondary
protection from Dr. Michael Busen, who is keeping her under his protection as a
research patient for this new virus. If you wish to remove her from my circle,
I will not protest.”
“
She
is removed from your circle.
”
“Venus, I have been noting the trends in
your network and have noticed that many nobles and other citizens of Tiao have
put in requests for non-profit fundraising for Trid,” Isa started carefully.
“If we are unable to grant citizenship, and the public already knows about the
V-99 Virus, then it might be best to allow them to raise the money and put that
into a hospital along the Trid border that provides healthcare to Trids and
those living in the Walking District.”
“
We
do not need this becoming a larger problem,
” Venus stated. “
In a few months, this will fade.
”
“I do not think it will,” Isa disagreed.
“We need to assure the people that the virus is being treated. The people are
more concerned about the spread of the virus than the Trids themselves. If we
allow the citizens to raise money for a hospital, it will be easier to assuage
their fears and keep the peace.”
Venus was silent for a moment, doing her
own calculations and algorithms.
Isa sat in the chair, her expression
controlled, though the heat of the room was starting to make her light-headed.
“
You
have my permission to approve fundraising for a healthcare service building in
the Walking District
,” Venus said. “
Submit
a proposal to me by tomorrow.”
“I will.”
Isa tried not to show her relief at
making small progress.
“
Update your investigation on the virus that
took down the feed blocks
.”
Isa tried to hide the deep breath she
took to prepare herself, her relief vanishing.
“The virus was an R-type. It was aimed at
your security computers. Since you were linked with the feeds, it attacked
anything blocking it. Thankfully, Rayal noticed what was happening before more
of your security code could be copied for decryption.”
“
The
origin?
”
“I have been unable to locate it.”
“
The
timing of this is too close to the attack on Caroie and the various pirating
acts that have been occurring along our trade routes,
” Venus stated. “
Someone is trying to destroy us
.”
“I understand.”
“
You
must find the origin of this virus,
” Venus said. “
There has been another attack on my systems. The coding is in Gihoric.
”
Isa straightened, her heart racing
suddenly. She was unaware of the second attack, and she knew she could not tell
Venus that she was the perpetrator for the first virus.
“
Your
heartrate escalated
,” Venus noted.
“When was this attack?”
“
Three
hours ago
,” Venus answered. “
It has
been blocked and destroyed.
” Venus was silent a moment. “
You understand we are on the brink of war
with Gihron.
”
Isa swallowed hard and tried to gain her
bearings.
“
Take
precaution,
” Venus said. “
After what
you did five years ago, you should have known this war was going to take
place.”
Remus punched in the code for Isa’s
office door and it opened, allowing him into the locked room. Isa was reclined
on the couch, one arm over her eyes, her breathing slow.
“Feeling better?” Remus asked, walking to
her NCB chair and leaning against it as he looked her over. He had been sure to
let her rest for at least an hour after her meeting with Venus so her headache
could subside.