E M P T Y . W O R L D
B y . S o r r o w . R e m i n i s c e
. x . x . x .
9 June, 2022
9.23am
Max placed her hands against the wall of the building she had quarantined the group of newcomers to the previous day, and leant in, resting her forehead against the rough concrete surface. She had won the verbal battle held with Mole over whether these transgenics should stay or go - they had at last agreed that the entire group would be quarantined until the sick X6 had recovered.
On top of that, upon Alec and Logan's return, Mole had insisted that Original Cindy and Sketchy be placed in isolation too in case they'd contracted the virus while delivering packages. He'd all but suggested Logan and Alec be segregated along with them. Max had grudgingly agreed to have her two Jam Pony friends kept in quarentine, knowing it was best to be cautious considering the seriousness of the problem. But it made her feel as if 'gaoler' had become a title to add to her list of Terminal City credentials.
Nearby, Mole regarded Max with a certain measure of detachment. With the exception of the few X5's he'd come to know personally, the transhuman had never developed affection towards the X-series. He would have been just as happy to send these newcomers back to where they came from. Hell, send them to the charred ruins of Manticore for all he cared. Better to turn away a few of their own, than to sacrifice hundreds upon the altar of sentimentality.
But of course, Max was too damn 'human' for her own good. For their own good. And as with all things that could be attributed to 'damn human emotion', Mole just knew that bad things were going to come of these infected transgenics being here.
"Come on then." Max strode past Mole, her voice matter-of-fact as she pushed herself back into 'leader' mode. "Guess we better find some way to feed these guys."
"We?" Mole grunted the question under his breath as he turned to follow the X5 back to headquarters, knowing he wasn't going to get an answer.
As the rundown warehouse that the transgenics had converted into a mess hall came into sight, Max halted in her tracks. "Wait. You go on, organise some rations for them. I'm going to the Infirmary to see how we're going for medical supplies."
"Why?" Mole turned to find himself speaking to Max's retreating back, as she had already began to make her way to the tall grey building a few streets over. "Oh yeah just walk away… typical."
Max blocked out the sound of the transhuman's grumbles as she picked up her pace. A strange sickly feeling was snaking around her stomach, and with every step she took, the feeling grew. There was too much to think about, she couldn't handle going back to HQ and facing the assorted queries of everyone right now. Maybe Mole was right, maybe she shouldn't have allowed a sick transgenic here with all they had at stake, but it was too late now. She'd just have to face whatever might come, and hope her shoulders were strong enough to take the responsibility.
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6.13pm
A small group of transgenics stood behind Logan and watched as he hacked his way into the Centre of Disease Control's main computer. Even Dix, who spent much of his time finding things to fix, marvelled that the human had been able to achieve this from the computer equipment they'd salvaged around Terminal City, and the nifty theft of a phone line by a few technically savvy, and particularly sneaky transgenics.
"Logan, what are we doing again?"
"Just making sure they're not giving us the run around." Logan murmured the words as his fingers flashed across the keyboard, threading his way through access codes, firewalls and whatever other security measures the CDC had tried to take to keep out people like him.
"And you're making this seem incredibly easy because?" This remark was made by Mole, who also stood transfixed at Logan's shoulder, watching his actions as if witnessing Houdini in action.
"Because some idiot in their department has obviously been siphoning off funding that was otherwise meant to go towards upgrading their security system." Logan paused to grunt with mirth. "Since '83 from the looks of it."
Max had finally crept out from her retreat in the infirmary, and now smiled to see Logan truly in his element, watching the way he chewed his lip as he concentrated upon the task at hand.
"And why do we need to keep tabs?" Alec wandered over to join the small group clustered around the computer, half realising the answer even as he asked the question.
"There's a good chance that if they do find a cure to the virus, we won't be the ones to receive it." Max glanced down at her watch, 8.16pm.
"It's been over twenty-four hours since they first reported in…" Pausing to check that those in the room knew of the possible cure, Max continued, "They should have concise results by now. Surely."
"I dunno Max, maybe they want to be 100 and give it 24 hours or so?" Alec shrugged. "I mean, what's another hundred deaths in the meantime?"
Those in the room stopped to stare at Alec and he held up his hands in entreat. "Hey, I didn't mean it literally!"
Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Alec looked around the room, making a studied effort to find something else he could divert the discussion towards.
"Logan, why are you taking out the garbage?"
Joshua's question caused everyone to turn their attention to the computer once more. Logan was busy searching though the CDC's Recycle Bin.
"Well Big Fella, he's doing his bit for the environment. It's all part of fighting the good fight, you know?" Joshua's forehead creased in confusion, and Alec laughed, resting a casual elbow on his shoulder as he leant in and whispered conspiringly, "because that's often where people think they can sneakily hide their important files."
"Ah. I understand." The dog-boy nodded, not understanding at all and looking to Max for help in the matter.
"Shut up smart ass." Delivering a punch to Alec's arm and laughing as a mock expression of pain crossed his face, Max signalled to Joshua that she'd explain later, and turned to the man at the computer. "So have you found anything Logan?"
"Give me just a minute…" Clicking out of the Recycle Bin and going into a freshly restored folder, Logan then proceeded to search through the subfolders, until at last he came across one that triggered a "bingo!"
Suddenly Logan found himself boxed in by six transgenics eagerly thinking that cramming their noses against the monitor would get the files opened that much faster.
"Space people. Please!"
With an almost collective sigh, Max, Alec, Mole, Joshua, Luke and Dix stepped back.
"Thank you. Now, I just need to figure out the encryption codes, and we'll be in with a grin." Stopping to consider his words, Logan added, "I hope."
"And what do we do if they're pulling the wool over our eyes?" Luke's question seemed incredibly naïve for a transgenic. But then, he had been designed to dig trenches, not hack into top secret files.
"We break in and steal our share of the cure of course!" Max looked to Alec and winked. "I'm up for some good old fashioned B&E. How 'bout you?"
"Why Max, it would be my pleasure!" Alec's grin wavered as he thought about the possibility of there not being a cure for them to break in and lay partial claim to. His mood turned suddenly serious. "So what's the death count out there so far?"
The room fell silent, even Logan's typing ceased, as they waited upon Dix's answer to the question no one bar Alec had dared to ask until now. Dix was the only one who'd been willing bear the bad news, and closely monitor all news broadcasts.
"By 11pm last night it was two hundred and twenty. The body count across America has been notched up another hundred or so since yesterday, but that's going to quadruple in the next few days when those already sick and dying in the hospitals succumb to it, and so on."
The nomolie waited for a reaction, but when he was met by nothing but stunned expressions, he continued. "This virus is pretty damn scary guys. I mean, a couple hours ago, there was a hospital in Northern Carolina calling for the government to help with their patient overload."
Joshua cleared his throat and spoke up, "how are they getting sick? Why are they getting sick so fast?"
"The virus is spread through skin contact - just like with Max and Logan. But worse. Now it's not simply targeted specifically to one person. People have been thinking they have the flu, and when they break out into ulcers, they think it's an allergic reaction to the antibiotics their doctor's prescribe. By the time they have the ulcers, they're well and truly contagious. Basically, they're sharing this bitch around like it's a game of pass the parcel, and by the time they realise there's something seriously wrong, they've already given the gift to a dozen others."
"Max, how are OC and Sketch doing?" Logan regarded her evenly, refusing to let the fear he felt show in his eyes, knowing Max was finding it hard to cope already.
"Uh, they're fine." Max nodded quickly, her eyes darting to the others - to Mole in particular.
The reptile-like transgenic let out a very un-lizard-like growl, the cigar bobbing up and down in his mouth as he rumbled, "and what about the X6?"
"Chris? Not so fine." Swallowing back a lump of anxiety, Max admitted that which she'd been trying to deny since the evening had progressed into darkness. "I checked on the group a couple of hours ago. They're pretty scared - Chris has been burning up with fever since about three o'clock, and he's getting worse."
"Max, I don't think it's a good idea that you expose yourself to whatever it is they might be carrying."
Although Logan had a valid point, Max could see no other alternative. "So better to risk another transgenic? Look, we can't let them just starve in there, and I don't think I should delegate the responsibility of looking after them to someone else, when I'm the one who insisted they stay."
"But you're too important to risk!"
"Would you like to pick someone out and tell them they're expendable?" Holding Logan's eyes in a silent battle of wills, Max sighed as he at last diverted his eyes. She wished she could go back to the good old days of simply stressing over Ames White. Life seemed so much simpler then. "Now do you see what I mean?"
"I'll do it Max." Joshua spoke up, his voice gentle but firm. "I think I'll be okay."
"It's not airborne, is it?" This question came from Luke. "I don't mind checking up on them. I mean, if I don't touch them, I don't have any danger of catching it, right?"
"Yeah but the virus keeps mutating. That's half the reason why the CDC are finding little luck in beating this thing. It's not airborne today, but it may be tomorrow."
Unwilling to let anyone else undertake the task she felt responsible for, Max continued to deflect any other scapegoat the others offered her. Instead she drew attention back to the current task at hand. "Look, I don't want to talk about this anymore. I've made my decision, I'm sticking to it, and I seriously advice that the subject be dropped right now."
Max's gaze swept across them, steely with determination as she silently dared someone to argue, while hoping no one would take up the challenge. Her body ached with fatigue, and a verbal showdown was the last thing she could cope with right now. Fortunately, those before her turned their eyes away one by one, deciding it was a topic best dealt with while wearing full body armour and balls of brass.
"We need to concentrate on finding out what the CDC know - and whether they're hiding it from us." Softening her tone, Max forced a smile for the sake of morale, and looked to Logan. "How's it going?"
"Huh?" Raising his eyebrows quizzically, Logan looked blankly at Max until he realised she was inquiring about his attempts to hack into the CDC's database. Turning back to the computer, Logan scanned the screen and resumed his task. "Yeah it shouldn't be long now. How 'bout you guys just give me some space, and I'll let you know when I've found something?"
Behind him, the group at last dispersed, each drifting away to do their own thing. Max lingered behind and pulled up a chair, spinning it around backwards and sliding onto it beside Logan, her arms resting against the chair's back. Silently she regarded him for a few moments, awkward at first, until he shot her a sidelong look and a quick smile.
Letting out a quiet breath of relief, Max felt the tension drain out of her system - just a little. For so many months, their friendship had become stretched to breaking point. They had exchanged one kind of dance for another and the tune had changed to one neither could identify. The last thing she'd be able to bear right now, would be for him to turn her away altogether.
"How are you holding up Max?" Breaking into her thoughts, Logan's fingers stopped their tapping against the keyboard, and he turned towards her, his expression one of cautionary care.
Max hesitated, wondering whether to go for the carefully screened answer laced with false optimism, or bare honesty. Knowing Logan would see the truth behind her words regardless, she forced a weak smile and replied, "well I've seen better days."
Nodding, Logan moved his hands as if to reach out and comfort her, before catching himself and curling them instead into fists upon his lap, a torn look on his face. ""We'll get through this Max. I promise. We've gone through so much together, we can get -"
Realising he was speaking more of their own situation, than that which was going on around them, Logan held in the words that had become a mantra where his relationship with Max was concerned. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean us.."
"It's okay Logan." The words burst out of Max's mouth, smothering Logan's apologies. "I understand."
Silence hovered between them, and with it, a myriad of unspoken words. Max's gaze swept Logan, noticing the slight perspiration at his brow. Her heart jumped to her throat. "How about you, are you feeling okay?"
Hesitating just a moment, Logan nodded. "Yeah I'm fine. Just a bit anxious about…" Waving his hands towards the computer, Logan searched his head for the words that had suddenly left his head. "You know. Everything."
"Yeah." Smiling genuinely now, Max felt a spark of their old undefinable relationship once more - their way of understanding each other without necessarily needing the words to do so.
"So uh, how's things with Alec?" As Max's smile fell, Logan silently kicked himself for asking. Why couldn't he just have let sleeping dogs lie? Why did he have to keep torturing himself like this?
"Oh. Good. Fine." There it was. The increasingly familiar wedge driven between them once again. Max sighed inwardly. "Well, I'll let you get back to what you're doing. Let me know when and if you find something?"
She hesitated, half-hoping Logan would ask her to stay, knowing he would let her go. And when he nodded in response and at last tore his eyes away, she rose to her feet, whispering a good night as she turned her back and walked away.
Slipping past the others, Max mumbled an excuse for leaving, and made her way out of HQ. As she wandered through the streets of Terminal City, the darkness folded around her, enveloping her in its anonymity. Making her wish desperately that she could just sneak right out of this prison and escape to the comfort of the Space Needle.
Looking over the city of Seattle from atop of that great height, she had always been able to perceive life's problems with a clearer mind. It was as if she was viewing the whole forest, instead of just the trees that surrounded her. And the path that lay ahead was always that much clearer when she could step out of the situation and inspect life's twists and turns from afar.
Why was it that she, a genetically engineered soldier, bred to be strong, and created to rise above the confinements of human emotion - was the one quietly collapsing from within? After all, wasn't she meant to be a leader? Wasn't it her duty to set an example?
The questions Max asked herself were bitter. Zack was the leader. Zack was the soldier. She was never meant to be any of these things. Runes or no runes.