I may end up taking a week off in April to have a short rest. Been getting severe headaches of late and my doctor has said it's quite likely because I've been overworking myself for years. He's suggested regular breaks, so I'm thinking of doing a week's rest every 4 months. Probably not as much rest as he wants from me, but it'll be a start.

I'll decide on a date later. Maybe do it around Easter hols to time it easier.

Chapter 11

Fire roared as dedicated flamethrower units cast big arching streams of fire over the area, incinerating everything they could find at the area where the Grimm Rot spores had been released. Everyone had been rounded up, Phoenix Squadron included, and given repeated blood tests. Jaune breathed a sigh of relief when those came back clear, but then they'd worn their helmets the moment they showed up for duty. There'd still been a little panic at the thought of his filters not working or a spore somehow making its way through.

That didn't mean they were deemed entirely safe, though. They had been forced to strip naked at gunpoint, men and women alike, and stand in place with their hands covering their privates as they were hosed down with a chemical wash and their clothing was burned. Spores could have stuck to the fabric that might later infect them. Once they were deemed as clean as they could possibly be, they were given spare uniforms to hastily change into. No one commented on the unintended views they'd gotten of one another. It was silently agreed that this would be a thing no one ever mentioned again.

Not everyone was so lucky.

"Well done on raising the alarm so early," said their XO, addressing the squad once they were cleared. "Because of your actions, fatalities were limited. Regretfully, thirty-six people within Project Terminus tested positive for rot and have been euthanised. Outside, we have located eight civilians so far, who had been within range of the cannister and reported feeling unwell. We expect more might be found in the coming days."

"How the fuck did they smuggle rot into the arcology?" asked Yang, slamming her foot down angrily. "What's even the point of fighting like this if she can just let spores loose whenever she wants!?"

"If she could have always done this then why did she not before?" asked Ren, echoing her sentiments. "Why wait until now?"

"Those are good questions and you and your squad will be involved in finding the answers." Lieutenant-General Goodwitch stared them down, waiting for Yang and Ren to take their seats like good soldiers. They did after a brief, mumbled apology. The XO ignored it and carried on. "Command believes that this was a rushed job by Salem, and that the spores within the city were intended for a different purpose. It serves her more in the long run to keep such a stash secret, and her sleeper agents hidden, and try to expand their influence. Breaking out like this and revealing their hand threatens to destroy everything they have worked for. So, at the very least, we can take comfort in knowing that she is desperate."

"As you have already figured out, this could have been much worse. They could have released the spores at a crowded parade, in a military academy, or even into the manufacturing facilities of our mask filters, sabotaging us from the ground up. They didn't. This is fortunate for us. Whatever deaths we've had today, things should have by all rights been much worse. The identities of the sleeper agents is being looked into and we'll find out where they entered the arcology, how, and who let them in. Your job will be to take a part of those details and interview the ones responsible. Find out what went wrong and how they got past testing."

"And if they weren't tested?" asked Ruby.

"Arrest the individuals responsible immediately. Should they fight back, kill them. We cannot take the risk that Salem has her agents deciding who comes in and out the arcology. Follow the trail as best you're able. Report to me if you need further instructions."

"I assume we won't be the only ones doing this," said Nora.

"No. It's all hands on deck right now. Two thirds of all huntsmen and cadets are working to restore the peace, check civilians for signs of rot, and hunt down any remaining traitors. The other third will be investigating how this happened alongside yourselves. We are not taking any risks with this. The arcology is locked down. No missions outside the walls, and anyone who returns is being sent to a camp outside the walls until this is dealt with. Martial law has been declared."

No big surprises there. It was inevitable that they hadn't gotten rid of all the spores; some would have travelled on the wind, or stuck to clothing and gotten away. The spores were heavier than air, which was a good thing since they would have washed over Vale years ago otherwise, but that didn't mean they couldn't be blown a long way before settling.

It was going to be a nervous week for everyone in the arcology. A paranoid week. Anyone who acted suspicious, even if it was unintentional, was going to be pulled aside at gunpoint and subjected to blood tests. Itchy trigger fingers might endanger lives, but the alternative was to have traitors in their midst working for the Grimm. He wouldn't be surprised if a curfew was ordered, and non-essential travel between districts banned.

"Any questions? No? Good. Dismissed."

/-/

Home Security, or HomeSec as it was colloquially known, was something of a prestigious position in the arcology, and it was often reserved for veterans who were getting on in their years, or members of the military on long-term sick or recovery from injuries. It was a job that didn't involve as much movement, much less danger, but which still demanded utmost discipline. The arcology needed to make the best use of everyone it could, so Jaune wasn't too surprised when the woman he was sent in to interview was in a wheelchair. The woman caught his gaze and smiled weakly.

"Friendly fire," said the soldier, grimacing. "Some smaller Nevermore got among us and the squad panicked. I didn't even realise I'd been hit until they were gone and the adrenaline faded. They say I'll be back on active duty in a couple of months."

"You're lucky."

"Didn't much feel it at the time but I agree with you now. What can I do for you, sir?"

Jaune held no rank over her so the respectful term was likely born more out of worry than anything; he was here interviewing her after the sirens had gone off, so she had to know this was serious. Even the innocent have reason to worry, he reminded himself. Some people took the attitude that you should only be afraid if you were guilty but that was nonsense. False accusations happened all the time, and even the most virtuous person would be worried about that.

"Are you aware of what has happened in the city?"

"I heard the sirens, sir. Orders for us are to maintain our post and we're always fully masked. I'm not aware of the details. News reaches here slowly."

"There's no news of yet. Media blackout."

"Oh." The woman winced. "That… Okay, that sounds bad. I've cooperated, sir. I've given blood."

"Your tests came back negative of rot," said Jaune, and the woman sagged in her wheelchair. It wasn't impossible that someone could have been infected and never realise it. "That said, there has been an incident in the city. Several rotted individuals were able to smuggle in material from outside the arcology walls. Records show that one of the soldiers had come through your checkpoint in the past."

"I… but no… I've always been careful. I'm infantry, sir. I know how important this all is."

"We only have records that he had come through you in the past, soldier. There is no guarantee the materials were brought past you specifically."

"R-Right. Sorry, sir."

Jaune rattled off the man's name, identification number, and the date of his registered entry into the arcology. It was one of thousands obviously, as military came and went as missions demanded. He felt bad for the woman as she filed through her computer database with him behind her to locate the incident in question. There really was no guarantee she had failed specifically, and there was as good a chance it was someone else as not. Still, everyone had to be questioned in person. There were hundreds of soldiers in rooms like this being interviewed by huntsmen cadets like him.

"H-Here it is, sir. The 24th May. One year ago." The woman breathed out heavily, relief showing through. Given the long time even she must have been wondering if she hadn't made an error, but whatever she saw had been a comfort. "As per protocol, the interview was fully recorded and logged onto the system, sir. Would you like me to play it for you?"

"In a moment." Jaune felt his own relief. He hadn't wanted his interviewee to be the traitor either. It was a little selfish but he'd much rather someone else have the dubious honour of catching the perpetrator. "Let's just look over the details first. This was a mission return, yes?"

"Yes sir. I can't access mission parameters – it's a security measure – but I'm sure you could if it's for an investigation." To show him, she clicked on the folder and it came up demanding a password. Luckily, Jaune had been brief ahead and leaned over. The woman quickly looked away as he typed it in. "Should I move away from the terminal, sir? I may not be authorised to see this."

"It'll only take a moment."

He couldn't trust her with his back at a time like this and the mission details were short anyway. It was a reclamation mission – an aircraft had gone down and the soldier had been sent out with his squad to scavenge as much from it as they could. There were few notes from the commanding officer, and no incidents reported to suggest Grimm. Jaune closed the file.

"You can look now. Tell me, did you interview the whole squad?"

"I wouldn't have, no. We try to streamline things by splitting squads among multiple HomeSec agents. I could check the records but I probably did two of them at most. Do you want to hear the recording, sir?"

She was insistent, and eager to prove her innocence, and Jaune let her play it while he listened in. It was voice only, but clear enough to make out all the details. Her voice was firm in the recording, strict, and not at all laid back or apathetic. There was no laughter, no jokes, and she demanded his arm for a shot of blood, and he heard the hiss of the device taking it. Moments later, a sound pinged to suggest he was clear, and she let him through. The woman then repeated her name and date for the record before ending the recording. In her wheelchair, she sagged and look up at him warily. He didn't leave her hanging.

"Everything looks to be in order." He pretended not to see her naked relief. "You followed procedure and there is a good chance he was not yet infected at the time of this incident. One final question. Have you had any incidents where people coming in had been infected?"

"Yes sir. It's almost unavoidable."

"What's the procedure?"

"I hit the alarm under the desk and a glass barrier comes down between me and the individual. The doors for both them and myself lock, in case I'm already infected, and an anti-bacterial aerosol is released to try and do what it can. I then don a mask and wait for a team to recover me and the infected individual." She hesitated, then added, "Most are dead by the time they arrive. They kill themselves by taking EX-Pills, and one tried to break through the glass to get to me with their head and died from her injuries."

This was nothing new, then. Jaune thanked her for her time and left the interview room.

/-/

"Mine was clear." Yang looked thrilled to say that, strolling out to meet him and exchanging a fist-bump. "Yours, too? Lucky us. My guy was shitting bricks when I showed up; he even confessed to having flirted with a few female soldiers. Like, I didn't need to hear that."

"Did he try and flirt with you?"

"In between nearly having a heart attack? No. How was yours?"

"Understandably nervous and eager to show she did everything by the book." Jaune lowered his voice. "Our target got a blood test in the recording, so he was clear as of May last year."

"Clear of four months ago, too. This must have been recent. Or – and much more worryingly – it somehow spoofed the tests."

He wasn't prepared to believe that just yet. It was much more likely that a single person had failed than that the Grimm had found a way past all technological detection. A chain was only as strong as its weakest link after all, and people were fallible. Jaune knew that well enough. "Let's not jump to extremes until we have more evidence. There's a good chance he was infected inside the arcology if they smuggled spores in."

"Yeah, that's a point. Fucking hell. Can you imagine? You do everything perfectly, you do your best, and some asshole infects you when you're at home – right when it's okay for you to take off your mask and let your guard down."

It was a betrayal of the highest order. In the field, every soldier understood that their lives were at risk and that their squad and their CO might have to make the order to leave them behind, or even kill them to prevent the spread. The arcology was meant to be safe, though. It was meant to be a place where you could be human again and put the soldier aside for a brief moment. It must have been the same for the civilians who had been caught up in this incident. And the engineers and researchers who had been put down. Euthanised, the XO called it. A mercy. It probably was.

No one quite knew how the spores worked, but they were spores. Living entities. It wasn't hard to imagine that they ate your literal brain and took over. If he had to pick between a quick drug-assisted death and having his brain slowly eaten away by a parasitical creature, he knew which he'd take.

"None of that," said Yang. "You're making me feel bad just looking at your damn face."

"Ha. Sorry. Look, here's Ren." The man was smiling through his mask. "Yours clear as well?"

"Yes. I assume the same for the both of you. What is the consensus?"

"Yang's tested the guy just four months ago and he was clear. Yours any sooner?"

Ren shook his head. "Seven months ago. So, it's a recent acquisition on her part. And it's good to know HomeSec is taking their work so seriously. Protocol is followed to the letter as far as I can see, which really does raise the question on how they got spores in."

"Jaune thinks they might have turned people in the arcology."

"I mean, I raised the possibility. I didn't say I believed it."

Ren rubbed his jaw. "It's possible, but that doesn't change the fact the spores would have had to originally be smuggled in by someone. We know for a fact they can't replicate and spread from person to person. Once a person is infected, the spores are exhausted. They're just a vector for initial transmission. That barrel of spores must have been gathered outside the walls and brought in by someone. It just isn't looking like it's our guy."

"There were a bunch of people on that truck," said Jaune. "It has to have been one of them, and other squads are tracking the other members down and interviewing their HomeSec agents. They'll be found."

"You think the agent who let them through will be scapegoated?" asked Yang.

"I'm not sure how you could call it that if they legitimately failed to get a blood test and let the person through the checkpoint with unchecked cargo. There's making a mistake, and then there's failing at every possible level."

The others joined them soon after and the news was the same all around. Their guy had been clean up to and including four weeks ago, which raised the spectre of contamination within the arcology. It would have been so much easier to find they'd been let in through negligence. They reported the news to Lieutenant-General Goodwitch, who didn't sound surprised. Command must have already had the suspicion.

"I want you to investigate the accused's home while you're at it," said Goodwitch. "There's little chance we can trace every step he took in the arcology – we can't monitor every citizen like that – but if there's any evidence there then it would behove us to look."

"That hasn't already been done?" asked Yang.

"A cursory examination was undertaken and the area has obviously been cordoned off. Neighbouring apartments have been evacuated and residents have been tested. None proved positive for rot but I would keep your masks on and replace your filters just in case. Report to me if you find anything. The address will be sent to your scrolls."

The address came up soon after. Normally, they might have flagged down a transport but the entire army was on high alert and deployed around the arcology right now. There just wasn't anyone free. It wasn't a long walk either way, and there were few civilians out. Those at work were kept working, and those at home were likely glued to their televisions as the news, heavily edited of course, was laid out to them. The perp's apartment was in a blocky tower several hundred storeys high, and it turned out that they'd cleared two floors up and down from his. Military Police held the cordon but waved them over. A gas masked man spoke.

"Lieutenant-General Goodwitch informed us of your arrival. The room you want is obvious enough. It's the one with the door smashed in and all the belongings scattered around in little bags. Please try not to disturb too much in there. Should you remove your masks at any time, you will be restrained. Failure to cooperate will result in lethal force." He shrugged. "You lot know the drill, I'm sure, but I have to say it."

"Was anything found?" asked Ren.

"We were told to only gather intelligence for now and that others would be along to check it all. That's presumably you lot. My job is keeping people away for their own safety."

Unhelpful information aside, they were quickly directed to the room in question, where it looked like a team of investigators had already gone over everything. They had left behind items in little plastic bags here and there with labels on each of them.

"Right," said Yang, sighing. "Spread out and go through whatever catches your eye, I guess."

None of them were specifically trained for this and Jaune certainly didn't know what clues he was meant to be looking for. They plodded about obediently either way, lifting things up, turning them over, and trying to make heads or tails of what they were seeing. The first person to notice something was Ren, and Jaune couldn't say that surprised him too much.

"The rations in his cupboards have been pretty much untouched. The week's delivery would have been four days ago, and he was killed earlier today. Half of this should have been eaten."

"Do the rotted need to eat?" asked Ruby.

"Their bodies are still human." He rummaged about. "Hm. It's only food from this week that remains. There are no leftovers from the week before."

He'd have been on strict rations. Beacon was an exception due to the calorific content of a cadet there, but Jaune had been infantry before and he was used to very limited and carefully curated meals. You ate what you were served in the cafeteria, but when you did have time off or leave you would be put on a ration budget. You didn't get to pick your meals or have any say, and the specific amount that had been determined for the full week would be sent to you on a Monday.

It was your job to make it last the week, and if you failed that then you'd go hungry. There were always provisions to make sure no one starved to death, but accessing those meant admitting your mistake, and that would be logged. You might face "budget training" for the first infraction, unless you had a good excuse like sickness or a surprise pregnancy – in which case your budget was increased. Repeated infractions could lead to real trouble. It was everyone's duty to do their part for the arcology.

To have most your rations remaining halfway through the week like this was a clear sign of something being wrong. No one was so well-fed that they could just casually skip out on several days of food and not feel it.

"Are they marked?" asked Yang. "What day is missing?"

"Monday is missing. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are still here – and today's stock, of course. His last meal was on Monday, and he finished them all. Does that mean he was infected sometime between Monday night and Tuesday morning?"

"It might. You guys keep looking and I'll call this in."

Yang moved out the room with her hand to her helmet, leaving the rest of them to poke about. Jaune picked over some books in the hopes of finding a journal or diary, but there wasn't one. And really, it wasn't like the Grimm Queen would write her plans down in one if she took him. There were a few old-timey books with brown pages from heavy use, but nothing out the ordinary. The man's EX-Pills had even been left in the narrow cabinet beside his bed, along with several clips of ammunition. There were no laws against having those within the arcology, and the only suspicious thing about their presence was the suggestion he hadn't thought he'd need them in the assault.

"We have new marching orders," announced Yang as she came back into the room.

"Already?" complained Nora. "We've barely even started here."

"Things are disorganised, but it's not the XO's fault. I doubt we're the only ones being yanked about either. Apparently, our boy here was seen to have been at a bar with another of the infected three nights ago. Yeah, Monday night. We're to be first contact on this one so we should be there a while sorting out evidence for others to look through." Yang grinned. "So I doubt we'll be given orders ten seconds in to go and look somewhere else. Good for you, Nora."

"At least we can get a drink."

Everyone laughed, though no one would dare. This was the kind of situation where being caught drunk on the job might just mean a military tribunal and perhaps even execution by firing squad. The arcology was in lockdown. Martial law was in place. A few vices might be overlooked most of the time, but it sure as hell wasn't going to be now.

The bar itself wasn't in the undercity where they'd been before. It was one of the rare places above, which inevitably meant the "beer" was more water than alcohol, and its true purpose was to bolster spirits and provide a safe place to mingle and interact with people without fear of getting too rowdy.

It was the kind of place you'd be laughed at for unironically going to by your squad mates, but where a commanding officer might invite you or your team for an "informal" briefing. Sort of a relaxed drinking experience that both parties knew wouldn't lead to inebriation. There were a host of them around the arcology, and they were fairly popular. Not loved by any means, but popular enough because even weak beer and relaxation was still better than working yourself to the bone at work.

The interior was spacious and oval in shape, with numerous round tables and a sloped bar by the wall. There was a man behind it; grey hair streaked with white, a pale grey waistcoat, and a red shirt. He looked a little lost, like he wasn't quite sure what to do with his time now that the city was locked down. Jaune was surprised he'd stayed at work in the first place.

"Oh, visitors?" He looked over to them and smiled. He was wearing a gasmask over his lower face, as the sirens dictated, but it wasn't a full-face helm and mask like theirs. It was a civilian model. "Has the lockdown been lifted? I cannot legally serve drinks in the event it has not. You have my deepest apologies."

"Lockdown is still in effect so no drinks," said Yang, moving over to the bar. "We're here to ask you some questions about a few customers of yours." She help up a photo of both the man they were looking into, and another that the LG had sent through. Jaune let his eyes wander over the seating areas she talked to him, and the rest of them fanned out a little. They had to look the whole place over. "These men were said to have visited here Monday night. Do you recognise them?"

"They do seem a little familiar." The man leaned in with squinted eyes, and then turned away. "One moment. I need my glasses if I want to see anything nowadays."

"Yeah, sure. You mind if we have a look around while we're at it?"

"By all means. I can unlock the back door for you if you wish."

"Cool. That'd be-"

A gunshot cracked loudly in the air.

"-appreciated," finished Yang, still leaning on the bar, now sighing as Nora's handgun smoked. "Thank you, Nora. Good shot. Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to put the shotgun down."

The man was slumped back against the wall with a hand gripped to his bloody right shoulder, and spray from the bullet exiting his body splashed up the wall behind him. The round had pierced all the way through him and the thin wall, and a military-grade shotgun lay on the ground, having fallen from nerveless fingers. The old man was glaring heatedly at Yang. His mask was still in place but his eyes were red pinpricks in an ocean of pitch black. When he smiled and removed his gas mask, blood ran between his teeth and down his chin.

"Do you think this will change anything?" he asked, voice hoarse and wet with blood. "Your weapon didn't avail Atlas any, and it won't save you. She has prepared for this moment for centuries, and you are on the cusp of extinction."

They closed in on the man. Jaune's tongue felt heavy in his mouth, and he felt a thrill of fear at the inhuman eyes. He was grateful for his mask, especially as his breathing picked up. His own hand clutched his SMG tight, ready to raise and fire if he made another move. Nora already had that covered however, and kept her handgun trained on his face.

"Looks like we've found the place," remarked Yang. "Lucky us. You can tell your master, if she's listening, that we've rooted out her little operation."

"Oh, she knows," rasped the rotted man. "The queen knows all, and she listens even now. Hah." He spat a glob of blood at them. "Enjoy your reprieve, and treasure your hope, for your efforts have not gone unnoticed." His smile grew manic. "There will come a knocking on your doors soon enough."

He lunged forward suddenly, his good hand outstretched for Yang's helmet, to pull it off. Nora squeezed the trigger and his face snapped back, blood and grey matter spraying out the back of his skull as he collided with the bar and slid down to the floor, dead. Nora and Ruby quickly circled the bar and aimed at his body, and Ruby swore loudly.

"Uh! Yang! I think these are the same barrel as what was thrown off that truck!"

Yang came around. Jaune went with her. There were silver, cylindrical barrels beneath the bar. Alcohol kegs. Yang tapped her foot against one and it felt worryingly hollow for something that ought to be full of liquid. Jaune groaned.

"Oh, that's not good. How many people have visited this place since Monday?"

"I'll call it in," she said, already activating her comms. "Lieutenant-General Goodwitch? We've dispatched a confirmed infected barkeep at the target location. We suspect he may have spread spores through alcohol sold at the venue but cannot confirm. I'm sure the spores were brought in via his shipments, so you may want the teams to find out who in HomeSec dealt with him specifically. All the soldiers he infected were probably loyal until the start of this week. We've yet to explore the place fully."

"Noted. Secure the location but do not go deeper. It could be trapped and I'd rather another team be there to support. We will send out news of contaminated alcohol supplies and advise citizens to visit their local hospitals. You won't be asked to take part in that."

"Copy that, ma'am. Holding location."

The moment she ended the call, Ruby sighed unhappily. "They're going to kill everyone who had a drink here in the past week, aren't they?"

"I'm sure they'll be tested first," said Yang. "Probably…"

Next Chapter: 28th March

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