----- Chapter 17 : Truth and Reconciliation ------
Sue tried to stifle a yawn as she walked wearily down the Guild concourse. Doctor Montague's 'workshop' had no windows and not being able to see the artificial sun meant that her bodyclock was a touch out of synch. But for now she needed to stretch aching muscles and digest the information she had been given.
The Doctor had speed through Osto's notes in thirty Beats and for a photon engineer had quite a good grasp on the subject matter. Next came the cellular scans on tissue samples taken from the mini De Rol Le. Sue had attempted to grab a quick nap on a cleared bench while Cassie processed the sample back at the Guild Hospital. This proved to be a foolish endeavour, Elenor pestered her every three Beats to see if she was comfortable and Montague was happy to work noisily through the night.
The samples analysed, it was time to 'connect' to the DNA database, the Hunters Guild's central computer and the central government's records database for cross checking. Sue was glad for something to do at this point, but bypassing the security for each system was laboriously slow going, fatigue dulling her abilities.
Data retrieved, more time passed while Montague unleashed his formidable brain upon what they had gathered. When he finally got round to explaining to her she could barely comprehend what she had gotten herself into.
The people of Pioneer One had come across something called Parasite Cell 'D'. Apparently it seemed to mutate things. Osto had cultivated some in a more pure form resulting in a specimen that would eventually become De Rol Le. The analysis of the samples confirmed what Sue quietly suspected but dared not contemplate. During his encounter in the underground channel Ash had become infected.
Sue was at least grateful that there was an explanation for Ash's strange behaviour, but she was concerned with him mutating. The sample taken from the sewer creature showed that the DNA corruption had advanced since the sample taken from the grill in the Hospital washroom.
A disturbance up ahead roused her from her inner musings. By the telepipe reception area there was a small crowd of people. At the centre were a RAmar and Black RAcast, both she had met before. The RAcast, Boc, was so dented and scratched that he looked as if he had just participated in a war where both sides had used him as a target to calibrate their weapons.
The RAmar, who went by the nickname Logical, seemed to be suffering from an eye twitch as three scientists grilled him.
"It wasn't human!" Said Logical.
"Yes we gathered that..." Replied one of the scientists. "But can you give us a proper description?"
"It wasn't human!" Said Logical.
"Hey Boc, what's up with him?" Sue indicated Logical with her thumb.
"We were in the Ruins, and fleshy here claims that he saw something 'that wasn't human'. I checked but I didn't see anything strange. I mean apart from the terrifying monsters, but they didn't seem to bother him. But this is all he's been saying for the past ten Beats."
"It wasn't human!" Said Logical.
"Yeah, sure buddy, not human. Everything down there wasn't human." Replied Boc sarcastically.
"So, is there anymore you can tell us." Another scientist asked.
Logical grabbed him by his lapels of his lab coat and pulled him close as he spoke through gritted teeth.
"It... Was... Not... Human..."
Logical shoved him away. Boc put his large arm around Logical's shoulders.
"He'll feel a lot better once we get to Razor's and get a few drinks inside him, may some vodka."
At this, Logical's eye twitch doubled in rate and he was reluctantly dragged away by his bulky friend. Sue knew that Logical had artificial eyes, why had Boc not detected anything? She watched them go before speaking to scientists.
"Do you know what that was all about?"
"We are not at liberty to discuss these matters. If, however, we require someone to do some dirty work we will submit the request through the proper channels."
As they left Sue wondered if the satisfaction she would get from roughing them up would be worth the trouble she would get in.
Sue tried to stifle a yawn as she walked wearily down the Guild concourse. Doctor Montague's 'workshop' had no windows and not being able to see the artificial sun meant that her bodyclock was a touch out of synch. But for now she needed to stretch aching muscles and digest the information she had been given.
The Doctor had speed through Osto's notes in thirty Beats and for a photon engineer had quite a good grasp on the subject matter. Next came the cellular scans on tissue samples taken from the mini De Rol Le. Sue had attempted to grab a quick nap on a cleared bench while Cassie processed the sample back at the Guild Hospital. This proved to be a foolish endeavour, Elenor pestered her every three Beats to see if she was comfortable and Montague was happy to work noisily through the night.
The samples analysed, it was time to 'connect' to the DNA database, the Hunters Guild's central computer and the central government's records database for cross checking. Sue was glad for something to do at this point, but bypassing the security for each system was laboriously slow going, fatigue dulling her abilities.
Data retrieved, more time passed while Montague unleashed his formidable brain upon what they had gathered. When he finally got round to explaining to her she could barely comprehend what she had gotten herself into.
The people of Pioneer One had come across something called Parasite Cell 'D'. Apparently it seemed to mutate things. Osto had cultivated some in a more pure form resulting in a specimen that would eventually become De Rol Le. The analysis of the samples confirmed what Sue quietly suspected but dared not contemplate. During his encounter in the underground channel Ash had become infected.
Sue was at least grateful that there was an explanation for Ash's strange behaviour, but she was concerned with him mutating. The sample taken from the sewer creature showed that the DNA corruption had advanced since the sample taken from the grill in the Hospital washroom.
A disturbance up ahead roused her from her inner musings. By the telepipe reception area there was a small crowd of people. At the centre were a RAmar and Black RAcast, both she had met before. The RAcast, Boc, was so dented and scratched that he looked as if he had just participated in a war where both sides had used him as a target to calibrate their weapons.
The RAmar, who went by the nickname Logical, seemed to be suffering from an eye twitch as three scientists grilled him.
"It wasn't human!" Said Logical.
"Yes we gathered that..." Replied one of the scientists. "But can you give us a proper description?"
"It wasn't human!" Said Logical.
"Hey Boc, what's up with him?" Sue indicated Logical with her thumb.
"We were in the Ruins, and fleshy here claims that he saw something 'that wasn't human'. I checked but I didn't see anything strange. I mean apart from the terrifying monsters, but they didn't seem to bother him. But this is all he's been saying for the past ten Beats."
"It wasn't human!" Said Logical.
"Yeah, sure buddy, not human. Everything down there wasn't human." Replied Boc sarcastically.
"So, is there anymore you can tell us." Another scientist asked.
Logical grabbed him by his lapels of his lab coat and pulled him close as he spoke through gritted teeth.
"It... Was... Not... Human..."
Logical shoved him away. Boc put his large arm around Logical's shoulders.
"He'll feel a lot better once we get to Razor's and get a few drinks inside him, may some vodka."
At this, Logical's eye twitch doubled in rate and he was reluctantly dragged away by his bulky friend. Sue knew that Logical had artificial eyes, why had Boc not detected anything? She watched them go before speaking to scientists.
"Do you know what that was all about?"
"We are not at liberty to discuss these matters. If, however, we require someone to do some dirty work we will submit the request through the proper channels."
As they left Sue wondered if the satisfaction she would get from roughing them up would be worth the trouble she would get in.