Chapter Six: The Cleansing
Mit'gai blazed past Ta'lay when he entered the medical lab to obtain some samples. Ta'lay continued his work as if he had not heard Mit'gai. Mit'gai thought he could obtain the samples quickly, check them, and walk out just as quickly, but jealousy got the best of him. He had to say something.
"Enjoying my position I see," he told Ta'lay grumpily.
"Letting the green-eyed monster take a hold of you, I see," Ta'lay retorted.
"You had no right to steal my position," Mit'gai said. "I served under Kee'sha for twenty years trying to take his place, and you robbed me of it as if it was nothing."
"I served under Ne'eg for thirty years, and had Quo'on not died before naming a replacement to that blundering idiot Kee'sha, he would have chosen me for that reason alone. However, this entire argument is mute. I did nothing to 'rob' you of anything. Zo'or did so because he could not stand your incompetence anymore. The only reason he tolerated it in the first place was because of your loyalty. You dug your own grave the moment you chose to commit subterfuge with Da'an. It is not my fault that you crack under pressure."
"You were involved, Ta'lay. I know it. You enticed some Synod member to recommend you for that replacement."
"Is it your lost position that hurts you, or is it the fact that I am its replacement?"
"You, Da'an, Zo'or, T'than—all of you. You are all the same. You manipulate people and words in order to further your own agendas. You trample hard-working, decent individuals like me in order to further your own goals. The medical caste, like all other castes, used to be about who was the best, who was the most experienced, and who was the most deserving. Now it is just about politics."
Ta'lay pretended to be thinking really hard. "I apologize. I am merely trying to figure out which of those three categories you spoke of accurately describes you."
Mit'gai blushed in anger. "It is all secrets and lies with you and your kind Ta'lay, and you will pay dearly for your treachery."
"Excuse me, Mit'gai, but I have worked just as hard for this position as you have, if not, harder!" Ta'lay said angrily. "I was more qualified than you to begin with. You think that my taking your position was hard? Try being in my position. I was the most highly regarded Taelon surgeon next to my own master. He spent twelve years teaching me everything he knew, and another eighteen preparing me for this. All of that work, all of that commitment—wasted the moment he died and was replaced by Kee'sha! And to add insult to injury, I was passed up again by you! You really want to know what separates you from me? I actually care about the welfare of my patients, and I have the skills and the compassion to always put them before myself and do what is in their best interests. That was the first thing Ne'eg taught me. He said that if I remembered nothing else, I was to remember that! The real difference between you and me is that I like what I do, and I would never change it for the world. So what if I played the part of the mole? So what if I gave Zo'or a little push in my direction? It was all for the greater good and in all honestly it was inevitable. I just made it happen a lot faster than it would have."
"You claim that you care for your patients? How is furthering your own career in their best interests? You are nothing more than a rat, Ta'lay. That is all you will ever—"
A sharp pain prevented Mit'gai from completing his insult. The pain was so unbearable that he could not see or speak. It felt as if someone had driven a hot steel rod through his head. Ta'lay let all his anger towards Mit'gai slip away and rushed to his aid. He caught Mit'gai just as the Taelon began to collapse from the pain. He place Mit'gai in a bed and began to check his vitals.
"Mit'gai. Hold on," Ta'lay said urgently. "I am going to give you a sedative to dull the pain, and then I will commence an internal scan."
Mit'gai was in too much pain to respond. Ta'lay returned with the sedative and was ready to give it to Mit'gai when the same agonizing pain took him. He collapsed over Mit'gai and was stricken completely blind. He could not find a way off Mit'gai if he wanted to.
Mit'gai began knocking his head against the hard bed in a vain effort to dull the pain. Ta'lay thought he heard Mit'gai cry for help and felt for his hand. When Mit'gai felt a hand take his, he squeezed as hard as he could. He was too delirious to know whose it was, and he did not care either.
A dark shadow grabbed Ta'lay and pried his hand from Mit'gai's.
"Your time with humanity has infected you, Ta'lay," a raspy voice whispered. "You must be cleansed."
"No," Ta'lay whimpered. "No!"
As quickly as he was able, Liam obtained and prepared a shuttle. The plan seemed simple enough. Link and Renee would enter the Moonbase disguised as FBI agents and make their way to Central Command, the control center for the entire security system. Upon disabling security, Liam and Da'an would enter and find out what was happening to the Taelons.
"Whoa. Hey, Da'an, I just figured something out," Link said.
"What is it?" Da'an asked urgently.
"I have been awake for three years straight," Link said. "You think Guinness has a record for that?"
Da'an chuckled. "Probably. They have a record for who can spit crickets the farthest."
"Three…years?" Renee asked, who had overheard him.
"Yeah," Link answered casually.
"What are you? A vampire?" Liam asked.
"Nope, just an insomniac," Link replied. "You know, if we get outta this alive, I have no clue how I'm gonna break the news to Reyes's family that this was all a conspiracy."
"You'll think of something, Link," Da'an said.
"Da'an, what the hell is that?" Liam asked pointing to a large foreign structure near the shuttle station.
A large black temporary structure had consumed the entire shuttle station. The only way in was through a hole large enough for only one shuttle at a time to pass through. Through the small windows, they could see volunteers all wearing biological hazard suits and oxygen masks. As they got closer, they saw brilliant blue flashes from an enormous portal. Four stretchers with sick Taelons in each one appeared and were pushed beyond their sight.
"What in God's name is going on?" Renee asked in bewilderment.
"They have quarantined the Moonbase," Da'an said. "That is a decontamination bubble. We only use it when there is an epidemic and we need to isolate the infection."
"Wait a second. If there's an infection on the Moonbase, why are they sending people right into it?" Link asked.
"They are only sending the sick ones," Da'an said. "Those Taelons must have come from the Mothership, and they are sending them in groups."
"Ta'lay told me about this," Liam said. "He said a virus is infecting everyone, and they're sending the sick ones to the priests to get cured."
"Why in the hell are the priests there if there is a virus on the Moonbase?" Link asked. "And even if there was an infection, why aren't the priests sick too?"
"I bet the priests brought the virus with them," Renee said. "They probably deliberately infected the Taelons so that they could cure them. Any Taelon doubters would renounce their faith, revere them as heroes, and word would spread to humanity."
"Every station looks like that from what I can see," Da'an said. "I had not anticipated that. Liam, go to the Mothership."
"What? Are you kidding?" Liam asked, giving Da'an a worried look.
"We have to. The only way we can slip in the Moonbase unnoticed now is if we are volunteers like them. Fly to the Mothership, and do it casually."
The shuttle docked with the Mothership. Sandoval was there to meet Liam when he heard Liam's voice on the comm. When the small ship opened, Sandoval was ready and waiting.
"Major, explain why you're here," Sandoval said.
Liam walked out of the shuttle cautiously, trying to keep Sandoval's focus away from the back of the ship. "As you know, I'm investigating the death of Agent Reyes. Some volunteers in his unit are here now, and I'm going to interview them."
"That won't be necessary," Sandoval said. "I already have. They don't know anything."
"Well, I'm not calling you a liar, but I'd like to hear it with my own ears if that's okay," Liam said.
"Now's not the time for this," Sandoval said. "We have a bigger problem on our hands right now. Look around, Major. What do you see?"
Liam looked. "Ships…not as many as I'd like to see."
"Anything else?"
Liam was no fool. He knew exactly where Sandoval was going with this. "There aren't any Taelons here."
"Exactly."
"What's happening here, Sandoval?"
"I was hoping that you could help me figure that out," Sandoval said.
"Uh…excuse me?"
"This alleged 'virus' that has infected the Taelons is surprisingly selective. It's started with the lowest Taelon castes and is working its way up. I've noticed it because I've seen it. Taelon pilots first started becoming infected, and then the technicians. Now, it's worked its way up to the doctors and the scientists. Ta'lay and Mit'gai just fell ill about an hour ago."
"What?" Liam asked in astonishment.
"It started a few days after you returned from Nye's clutches. Taelons pilots started falling ill with terrible headaches and shortness of breath. The doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong with them, so the priests took them to the Moonbase. Little by little, more Taelons got sick. Now, however, they've started coming back. I directed the Taelon pilots back to their stations on the Mothership. Their eyes were strange. They appeared darker than before. Their hands were branded with some kind of mark they said the priests had given them for protection. When they spoke, they sounded…empty."
"Empty."
"Cold…desolate…distant. There's nothing in them anymore. There's no feeling inside of them. Their voices are toneless. They feel cold to the touch, and they speak in riddles. It's almost as if they're walking dead. There's no life inside of them. They're emptier than Zo'or."
"And you want me to help you find out what's going on? Why do you care?"
"Because Reyes knew…and he got killed for it. I want to know what was so important that someone was willing to sacrifice him to keep it secret. Also, I…"
"Fear that the priests might have the same thing planned for humanity," Liam figured out.
"Yes. I think the Taelons are the priests' guinea pigs right now for an operation they plan to use on humanity. If they can do it to the Taelons, they can surely do it to humanity."
"So you've gone from existentialist to humanist in just three weeks. That's something."
"I've become a humanist ever since Da'an was put to death."
"Is that what they've been telling you happened?"
"What else could have happened?"
"Come on, Sandoval. We all know that if Da'an was alive, the Synod wouldn't tell us."
"Your faith in your former master is exceptional."
"He was your master too."
Sandoval rolled his eyes. "The Synod killed Da'an. I saw them do it myself. I was the one who took Da'an to the prisoner's deck to be terminated. Zo'or did so when he learned of Da'an's resistance affiliations. Zo'or did not want Da'an standing in his way of conquest."
"Conquest of what?"
"Just tell me you will help me or go back to Washington where you belong," Sandoval said tonelessly.
"Why should I trust you?"
"Because you're just as curious about the priests as I am. We both know that's the real reason you're here."
Liam paced around the deck trying to think of what to say. He knew that Sandoval could get him on the Moonbase unnoticed, but he also knew that taking Sandoval would mean leaving Renee, Link and Da'an here, and there was no way he could rescue Mi'en without them. Da'an seemed to know more about this than she was letting on, and she had to be there with him in case something went wrong. As for Renee and Link, he was not about to leave them here to get captured, especially Renee. But then, if he objected, there was no easier way he could think of towards getting on that base. Maybe Da'an knew something.
When he turned back to Sandoval, something caught his eye. Just past Sandoval was a corridor with three people standing at its opening. They must have left the shuttle while Liam had distracted Sandoval. His focus turned to Da'an, who was looking at him with sharp eyes.
"Give him what he wants," she mouthed.
Liam was stunned by what he thought he had seen her say, and his eyes widened as if looking for confirmation. Da'an understood the gesture, nodded, and mouthed it again.
Liam sighed. His gut was telling him that this was a bad idea. "I'm not quite ready to trust you yet," he told Sandoval, "but you're right. I am curious. Let's do it."
"Good. Then, follow me."
Liam looked back at the corridor. The three had disappeared.