"Jak!"

Jak groaned. The clammy air stuck to him as he slowly woke.

"Dammit! This thing is on dT, right?"

He heard Ashelin banging her comm on the nearest available metal surface.

"Ow! Dammit Ashelin!"

Jak grinned. That was Torn's voice.

"Jak! I'm serious, pick up your comm! You're gonna like this news."

Jak seriously doubted that. He managed to stick one arm out and felt around for the comm. "Coming," he muttered. He found it and flicked on the video. A furious Ashelin and a frowning Torn, rubbing his shoulder, regarded him.

"Bout time you answered," said Torn. "I was just gonna send a team over there to rip you a new one for not reporting in."

"Good morning to you, too." Jak rubbed one eye.

"Shut up," said Ashelin. "We have a serious problem."

I'm shocked, thought Jak. He yawned. A serious problem. Here in Haven? Never.

Ashelin frowned at him. "You need to check in at the Palace immediately for testing."

Testing? Jak woke up a little more.

"A level two contaminate was found at the site; you're at high risk."

Jak narrowed his eyes. I thought you said I was gonna like this news.

"Work on DS 12B has been temporarily halted."

Wahoo!

"So get your infected ass in here before you die and I have to pull even more KGs from duty to burn your body," said Torn.

"And bring any clothing or armor you wore yesterday with you."

"If I'm contaminated do I get the day off?" asked Jak. He grinned.

Torn's right eye twitched.

"Is that a yes?"

Ashelin's frown deepened. "Get to the Palace. We'll negotiate from there." The comm went black.

"Negotiate? What is there to negotiate? Either I get the day off for working all week and then getting infected, or I don't." Jak paused and looked down at his arms. "Am I infected?" The only answer was a steady drop of sweat making its way down his face. "Mar, it's so hot."

Jak looked at his armor with distaste. "She didn't mean I had to wear it, did she?" He shoved everything into a plastic bag and put on a set of civilian clothes. As he reached for his sandals, his hand brushed the trophy. "Oh yeah." He picked it up and looked at it thoughtfully. The man in the picture grinned. Jak tucked the trophy into his extra backpack and stomped downstairs.

Outside, the streets were bare. Not even the slummers are out, it's so hot. And it's only morning. Jak edged his way through the streets, jumping from shadow to shadow, always trying to stay under an overhang. After only a few minutes his tongue hung out. He ducked into a convenience store and bought a flask of water. "Thanks," he muttered to the clerk. She pushed his change across the counter.

"This ain't a laund'ymat," she said, eyeing his bag of clothes.

"I know."

"Then you's business is done he'e, ain't it?" She twisted her fingers protectively, banishing the evils that came in with the Dark One. "Git."

Jak sighed and left. "Idiot," he muttered. "What do they think they're doing, waving their hands around like that all the time?" He frowned and pressed forward.

At last he came to the Palace door, shimmering in the heat. It opened and Jak almost died with relief as cold air blasted his face. He shivered and dropped the bag. "Oh yeah."

"Jak?" A man wearing a green biohazard suit pointed to him with a pen. His voice was muffled by the plastic mask over his face.

"Yeah." Jak squinted at the man. "Who're you?"

The man muttered, "underpaid medical technician." He scribbled on his clipboard. "This way. Leave the bag." He nodded to a guard and went through the door.

The long hallways were lined with white plastic. Every few minutes they stepped through a set of portable double doors. "What the hell is the problem?" asked Jak.

"A level two contaminate was found at DS 12B," said the man, not looking up from his board.

"Yeah. I know that. What does it mean?"

"After years of stagnancy, some of the sewage that was unearthed yesterday evaporated. We believe the fungus is a result of an old meds dump. The biologically active mist starts out as a nose, throat, and ear irritant. Have you had any problems breathing in the past twenty four hours?"

"Nope."

"Any shortness of breath? Any strange sensations while going from a sitting position to a standing position?"

"No." The plastic lined floor crinkled under Jak's feet. "Um. Should I be worried?"

The man paused. "We believe prolonged, untreated exposure could result in death."

"So yeah. Worried it is." Jak grit his teeth. They reached the end of the hallway and entered another room.

He recognized some of the KGs from yesterday, standing around uncomfortably. There were two lines. Ashelin and Torn were in one corner, talking to a doctor. Only a few of the med staff wore suits. Jak folded his arms and stood in a line.

After an eternity, he found himself standing before a young, black-haired man. "Name?" the medic droned, scanning his paperwork.

"Jak."

The man stiffened, then looked up. His green eyes were harsh, but as he stared, a faint fear crept into them. He pulled back his lips and hissed softly, revealing filed teeth. Part of his left ear was missing. A Hi my name is Slitter name tag was pinned to his biohazard suit. After a moment, he said, "right arm."

Jak extended his arm, staring down at the man with the utmost impatience. Another superstitious moron, scared to death that he has to touch the unholy Dark One. I'm getting sick of this.

Slitter pulled on an extra set of gloves and flipped Jak's arm over. He pressed down on the inside of the elbow. Unlike most medics, he didn't flinch at the pulse of blood and dark eco. "Just a stick," he muttered. Jak grit his teeth as Slitter shoved the needle into his elbow. He looked away, waiting for the sucking pain to end. A few seconds later, he heard Slitter chuckling.

"What's so funny?" hissed Jak.

"Nuthin,'" replied the medic. He grinned at the vial; sticky red shot through with black. "Interesting specimen." He tilted the glass tube back and forth between two fingers, watching the colors.

"Yeah, real interesting." Jak leaned down and grabbed the man's collar. Slitter's smile vanished and he bared his teeth. "You wanna tell me if I can go home now?"

Slitter's eyes froze over. "Careful," he said. He tore Jak's hand off his neck with surprisingly strong fingers. "Don't know what you're dealing with." Slitter decanted the blood from the vial. He added a blue liquid. The blood turned black. "Negative for contaminate. You're free to go." He hesitated. "Free to go," he repeated. He shook his head.

"YEOW!"

Jak turned, recognizing that voice immediately. "You are NOT sticking that thing in THERE!" Daxter was standing on a table at the far wall, screaming in a startled medic's face.

"It's procedural with animals-"

"Listen, sweetheart! There are only a few things I let NEAR that area, and none, I repeat, NONE of them involve pointy COLD metal instruments!"

"Hey!" Torn turned away from Ashelin and the doctor. "Keep it down, or I'll rip your vocal chords out myself."

"I'll bite your fingers," muttered Daxter. The medic sighed and picked up a flashlight.

"Say ahh."

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh." Daxter stuck out his tongue and gagged purposefully on the wooden stick.

The medic grit her teeth. "One more thing, sir," she said, picking up a needle.

"Oh no. OH NO!" Daxter turned to run, but she grabbed his tail. "Help! Jak! She's gonna stab me!"

"Can I have some assistance, here?!"

"I have very sensitive skin!"

Jak heard hissing at his elbow. Slitter was laughing to himself, watching the ottsel struggle against two Guards. Jak sneered at the man and walked over to his friend.

"It's okay, Dax. They only take a little."

"Hold him still, I need to take the sample from his nose." The medic squinted and pulled Daxter's head back. "Damn fur," she muttered.

"No! Not the face!" Daxter panted and grimaced. "Owwwww! Ow! Ottsels don't like pain!"

"We're done," spat the medic. She shook the tiny vial and added two blue drops. The blood turned black. "Negative for the contaminate. You can go."

"Finally!" Daxter swept his tail off the table in a huff. He rubbed his nose. "I'm sending my rhinoplasty bill to you."

Jak rolled his eyes and they walked over to Ashelin and Torn. "Seems like just a scare," Jak said casually.

Ashelin faced him, one hand on her hip. There were dark circles under her eyes. "What do you mean?" She pointed to a group of KGs walking into another room. "All those guards tested positive. They're going into isolation ASAP."

"Pity the furball isn't going with them," said Torn.

"Yeah, I'd be sure to bleed all over you," snapped Daxter.

"However," Ashelin said, a warning tone in her voice. "You need to come back tomorrow for another stick. We're not sure what the incubation period of the contaminate is."

"Incubation period?" Jak frowned. "Is this a chemical or what?" He and Daxter looked at each other.

"It's an airborne fungus that produces a chemical once established in the body," said Torn.

"A fungus?!" Daxter jumped up and down. "Doesn't that mean it could've spread all over the city by now?"

Ashelin rubbed her forehead. "We're doing the best we can to isolate the site. That's why demolitions have been canceled. So yes." She turned and faced Jak. "You do get a day off."

Jak grinned.

"Enjoy it while you can," said Torn. "There are two more eco sprawls to dewire."

"Oh great! More sliding around in the sewage of the city, risking death by electrocution!" Daxter sighed dramatically. "I almost miss the valiant missions where we got to kill Metal Heads!"

"There are plenty more of those outside the walls," hissed Torn. "Perhaps you'd like to see for yourself?"

"Nice try-"

"What's that guy's story?" Jak interrupted, pointing to Slitter.

Ashelin squinted. "He's been demoted."

"Why?"

"Used to work on some of the Baron's more... intense projects," said Torn. "Need to know basis. Get out of here. We have tons of work to do."

"You can pick up your armor tomorrow," said Ashelin.

"Great. Another stab in the face. At least it wasn't in the back!" Daxter shouted at Torn. Jak hastily grabbed the ottsel and ran through the plastic lined hallways.

"Wooo! It's hotter than a nest of fireants out here," Daxter said, waving his face. He walked in Jak's shadow, instead of opting for his usual high perch.

"Yeah." Jak wiped his forehead, slick with sweat already. "Did you get that air at the Ottsel yet?"

"Nope. Repair man had the nerve to charge me four hundred up front, then demanded a few unacceptable services from Tess." Daxter snarled. "I bit him so hard he cried for his momma. I wish I had rabies."

Jak smiled weakly. "Is someone else gonna fix it?"

"Hope so. Sig said he'd pull some strings. There aren't very many Air/Duct guys in Haven." Daxter itched behind his ears. "This is killing me. I'm about to gnaw my own fur off. Is there anywhere else to go in this stinkin' city?"

"Hmm..." Keira doesn't have air. I don't know where Sig lives. If the water slums weren't so disgusting I'd dive in. Maybe the Temple...?

"Ohhh... I know where we can go." Daxter grinned, then looked at Jak. "Wait. No. Never mind."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"What?!"

"Nothing!"

Jak sighed. "What about the Underground?"

"I dunno. Well, it is underground."

Jak rolled his eyes. "It's not too far. Let's go."