IF I DIE BEFORE I WAKE
Chapter 6: "Carrier"
A Neo-Sailor Moon fanfic
By Bill K.
Jun and Tomohiro walked silently through the palace halls from the cafeteria. Flanking them on either side were two men in anti-contamination suits from the Ministry of Health. Jun and Tomohiro were wearing respirators at the request of the Ministry people. Following close behind were her fellow Amazons, led by Ves. Palla-Palla and Cere were concerned.
Ves was just mad.
As they walked, Jun noticed that the halls were empty. Usually there were workers buzzing from job to job or residents socializing or on errands. The clack of her shoes, high heels that she frankly wasn't used to wearing and privately wishing she could abandon, echoed in the hall eerily. Jun glanced at Tomohiro. The man glanced back at her and offered silent encouragement.
Jun expected to be brought to the palace infirmary. Instead, the pair were escorted to the palace ballroom. She began to wonder what exactly was going on. There were security guards at the door with respirators and anti-contamination suits on. One stepped past them.
"You three are going to have to stay outside," the guard warned the Amazons behind Jun.
"The Hell we are," rumbled Ves.
"Ves, heel," growled Cere. "Is there a reason we can't go in with Jun?"
Suddenly Palla-Palla gasped. That instantly drew the attention of her sisters.
"We don't want to risk contamination," the guard told her. "It's for your protection."
"What is it, Palla-Palla?" asked Cere.
Jun didn't hear the answer. The two ministry representatives led them into the ballroom. And Jun had her answer as to why the halls were deserted. The ballroom was filled with medical scanners, medical techs and doctors, and roughly one third of the population of the Crystal Palace. Spotting her, Dr. Mizuno walked over. She had a handheld scanner and a grave expression on her face.
"If you'll wait a few moments, a scanner will open up soon," she told them.
"Do we have a choice?" bristled Tomohiro. Ami looked at him in confusion. "Your prison guards here didn't ask very nicely. Has personal freedom suddenly evaporated in this country?"
"I apologize if these aides were brusque or demanding," Ami answered. "Unfortunately, we're dealing with a potential epidemic here and the time to arrest it is growing short. Manners and courtesy are important, but secondary if it means saving someone's life."
"So what's this all about, Mizuno-sensei?" Jun asked.
Ami exhaled. "I assume you are aware of the viral infection that's been sweeping through Crystal Tokyo. For a while, we thought the disease had been arrested, due to use of respirators and closing unnecessary businesses temporarily. Unfortunately, it has surged again. And the initial victims are beginning to die."
"The disease is killing them?" Tomohiro asked, astonished.
"Through massive respiratory failure," Ami replied. "The virus replicates very quickly and absorbs the oxygen in the lung tissue before it can be metabolized. As such, the body becomes increasingly starved for oxygen."
"But oxygen IV solutions . . ." Tomohiro began.
"Are a temporary fix," sighed Ami. "The virus eventually intercepts the oxygen before it can be metabolized. Eventually the body weakens to the point that the patient suffocates. That's the reason for the urgency of this situation. We must arrest the spread of this virus and also find out where it came from. If we do, perhaps we can determine a way to eradicate it. That's why you're both here. Having recently returned from being outside the city, you may have unwittingly transmitted the virus into the community." She exhaled again and Jun could see how tired she was. "Your cooperation would be greatly appreciated."
"Um, Mizuno-sensei," Jun began. "I've been in my quarters with the others since I got back. If I have the virus, could I have transmitted it to them?"
"If you have the virus," Ami replied, "it's quite likely. If that proves to be the case, they'll be placed under observation."
All the feeling drained out of Jun's body. Numbly she followed Ami and Tomohiro over to the scanner station. All she could think about was that she may have inadvertently condemned her only living family to a possible death sentence.
As Jun, Tomohiro and their escorts disappeared into the ballroom, Ves turned and leaned in to Palla-Palla.
"OK, what did you hear?" Ves asked pointedly.
"Jun-Jun may have the sickness," murmured Palla-Palla, speaking softly in case some god might overhear her and make it happen.
"Damn," Cere swallowed.
"The doctors think Jun-Jun or Mr. Tomohiro-Sir brought it back from the animal park," Palla-Palla revealed.
"I figured that Tomohiro guy for a wrong item," Ves grumbled.
"You're acting like he did it on purpose," fussed Cere, "IF he even did it!"
"So what are they gonna do if they're right?" Ves asked sourly. "Burn her at the stake or something?"
"VES-VES, THEY WOULDN'T!" exclaimed Palla-Palla.
"Would you stop scaring her!" hissed Cere. "Palla-Palla, they're just going to check her and make her well if she has it. Mizuno-sensei wouldn't let anything bad happen to Jun."
Palla-Palla didn't respond, but the teen was clearly afraid.
"Hey, I know!" Cere said. "Let's tell Usa. She can hack into the palace medical records and find out how Jun is. You know she can hack just about anything."
Instantly Palla-Palla turned and ran off in the general direction of Usa's quarters. Ves and Cere took off after her. They caught her at a hallway junction. Palla-Palla's poor sense of direction had betrayed her once again and she didn't know which way to turn. Taking her hand, Ves led her to the quarters Usa and Helios shared. Cere trailed behind. At the door to their quarters, Ves was about to barge in, as Usa had given them computer clearance to enter. Cere, however, stopped them and activated the computer scanner.
"The Princess Usagi is currently not available," replied the environmental control computer.
The three Amazons looked at each other, puzzled.
"Hey! What's up?" they heard and looked. Usa and Helios were approaching. Usa looked a little frazzled.
"We have a favor to ask," Cere began. Then she noticed the Princess. "Did something happen?"
"Spotted an air car crash and tried to help," the Princess shrugged. "What's with you three? Palla-Palla looks like she saw a yurei."
"The Ministry of Health took Jun and her boyfriend away," Cere explained. "They want to see if one or both of them transmitted the virus into the city."
"We were wondering if you could find out anything," Ves added.
"Please, Princess! Palla-Palla doesn't want Jun-Jun to be burned at the stake!" wailed Palla-Palla. Usa gave Cere a curious look.
"Never mind. Ves shot off her mouth again," huffed Cere. "Any information you could get would be appreciated."
"Why don't you just ask her when she gets out?" Usa asked.
"And if they don't let her out?" Ves shot back.
"Ves, this is Crystal Tokyo, not a prison camp," Usa replied. But she could see her senshi remained firm. "OK, I'll see what I can find out. Maybe Pop or Aunt Ami won't yell at me - - THIS time."
King Endymion entered the infirmary and immediately noticed how many patients were there. The facility, built to only hold fifteen patients, had twenty-four, and there were dozens more in the palace ballroom. The staff was in the midst of testing each patient. He recognized several biologists from the Ministry of Health's Infectious Disease Division. Endymion wanted to get an update, since the last time he'd talked to Ami was that morning and the situation had clearly gotten worse. But Ami wasn't around. Mildly frustrated, he went into Serenity's private room.
"What is going on?" he exclaimed.
Rei was there, valiantly trying to push Serenity back into bed. His wife was just as valiantly trying to push her way out of the room. If Serenity hadn't been sick, it would have been no contest. As it was, the two women were stalemated.
"This bubble head thinks she's going to go out and cure everybody!" raged Rei. She had her hands on Serenity's shoulders and her feet dug into the floor.
"People are dying!" wailed Serenity, looking like she might pass out at any moment. "I have to help them!"
Moving quickly, Endymion came over and swept Serenity off of her feet. Before she could protest, the Queen was back in bed under the anti-contamination field.
"Endymion!" wailed the Queen. "People are dying from this disease! I overheard it from Ami-Chan!"
"And what were you going to do?" Endymion asked, his face right up in hers. "Tell me how passing out and making your condition worse will help them?"
And Serenity began crying. It tore her husband's heart out, just like it always did when she cried. Endymion struggled to stay strong.
"I have to try," she sobbed. "I'm the only one who can help them!"
"No," he said, trying to enure himself against her inevitable bitter protests. "You can't help them by making yourself sicker. If you use the crystal, you risk doing permanent damage to yourself. And there's no guarantee that you'll help anyone else."
"Oh, I'm so useless!" Serenity sobbed.
"Serenity," Rei said, her tone soft and comforting. "We don't expect you to do everything for us. This is one of those times where we have to succeed or fail on our own. It has nothing to do with you being worthless. It has everything to do with us not wanting to risk you because you mean so much to so many people."
"I'm no more important than they are," Serenity whimpered.
But she stayed in bed.
Inside the quarters Helios and Usa shared, Usa was furiously typing on her work station. Helios had assumed a lotus position on the sofa, while Ves, Cere and Palla-Palla watched. Diana had also joined the group.
"OH, BLAST!" Usa exclaimed. She glared at her computer screen.
"Princess, it's not nice to think those things about people," Palla-Palla admonished.
"What happened?" chuckled Cere.
"I'm locked out!" fumed Usa. "Pop locked me out of the medical records! Or else Aunt Ami did! Or maybe it was both of them!"
"I have warned you," sighed Diana.
"Well I'm not beaten yet," Usa said, her face twisted into a scowl of exertion. She attacked her keyboard again.
"We really appreciate this, Usa," Cere said. "The way they took Jun and her guy away was really scary. Is this virus that serious?"
"I haven't been keeping up," Usa said distantly. "I've had other things on my mind."
"Is that right," grunted Ves and glanced at Helios. Helios seemed to be smiling.
"Get your mind out of the gutter, Ves," murmured Usa. "I've been taking care of Mamoko-Chan while Mom is sick."
"How is the Queen feeling?" Palla-Palla asked.
As if in answer, every object in the room that wasn't over five hundred grams in weight and wasn't attached to something began levitating into the air. When they reached a height of five feet from the floor, the objects began to orbit in a lazy circle around the room. Usa glanced up at them as Ves and Cere stared.
"I'm thinking she's still sick," Usa sighed.
"Is she doing this?" gasped Ves.
"The Queen is very sick and is hall. . .um, not thinking right," Palla-Palla answered.
"AHHH!" spat Usa. "It's no use! They really put up a barrier that I can't break through." Then her eyes narrowed. "Yet."
"Maybe we can call Hotaru," suggested Cere. "She might be able to give us the low down."
"Miss Hotaru-Ma'am is very busy and can't be disturbed," announced Palla-Palla.
"How do you know?" huffed Cere.
"How does she know anything?" Ves replied. "I guess I'm camping out by the ballroom until she comes out."
"Palla-Palla will . . ." she began, then stopped and glanced at the chronometer. "Two o'clock! Time for Yumi-chan! Palla-Palla can't be late!"
And she scurried out the door.
"I guess I'll join you, Ves," sighed Cere. "Between sitting and waiting or listening to Yumi-chan's Toy Shop again, I'd rather wait with you."
Jun and Tomohiro waited while the scanner did its work. Dr. Mizuno had been called away, so the scan was on automatic. Each one surveyed the people in the room. Some of them didn't look too healthy. Normally Jun would chalk their condition up to a cold or mild flu, as they were at least ambulatory, though coughing into their masks and paler than normal. But that was before the virus hit, before she found out it was deadly, and before the prospect of possibly infecting her sisters began to haunt her. Memories of her foster father expiring against the trunk of a tree in the Amazon jungle, age and disease finally catching up with him, came unbidden.
In the jungle, fear was something used to avoid danger and preserve your life. But in civilization, Jun had learned long ago that fear was something that handicapped and debilitated.
"Hey," Tomohiro nudged her. "It's going to be all right."
"How do you know?" Jun asked him. "Are you familiar with this disease?"
"I'm only familiar with animal diseases," he admitted. "But I figure that, since you're a senshi, you'll get through this. After all, you senshi don't die."
Jun thought this over.
"Is that why you're attracted to me?" she asked. "Because I'm a senshi?"
"No," Tomohiro replied. "I mean, it doesn't hurt. But I like the rest of you, too. You're smart, you're polite, you're not pushy or arrogant. I mean, Dr. Fujima is a first class zoologist and very pretty, but she's a little arrogant. I can work with her, but I'd never want to date her."
"I see," Jun murmured.
"And the fact that you're really pretty doesn't hurt, either," Tomohiro added.
Jun felt herself begin to tingle. However, a medical assistant approached and the feeling was gone. Because she was dressed in an anti-contamination suit and a full face respirator, Jun didn't recognize her at first.
"Hotaru!" Jun exclaimed.
"Jun, you've been brought in as well?" Hotaru said with surprise.
"Yeah, Tomohiro and I were in the Kyushu Preserve and they're afraid we might have transmitted something," she answered. "Oh, this is Tomohiro Shimizu. Tomohiro, this is Hotaru Tomoe, a friend of mine."
"Pleased to meet you," Tomohiro said and bowed to her. Hotaru returned the gesture. "So what's the verdict on us? Did we bring something back?"
"Let me call up the screening summary," Hotaru said.
"Are things very bad? Mizuno-sensei said people are dying," Jun asked.
"I'm afraid so," Hotaru said. "I've been on call for four hours now because patients just keep coming in. And I'm just a med student. And the city hospitals are overrun. Apparently the virus in its later stages is very painful. And now people are beginning to die from it, too."
"How many?" asked Tomohiro.
"The death rate that I heard last was seven percent of those infected," Hotaru replied.
"That's terrible, of course, but not out of line for a respiratory disease," Tomohiro said.
"That's only if we can find where this virus was engineered or find a treatment it will respond to. Otherwise, the percentage will only go up."
"Engineered?" gasped Tomohiro.
"Oh, I shouldn't have said that," Hotaru winced. She exhaled. "Dr. Mizuno is convinced that the virus was artificially bio-engineered."
"By who?" Jun asked.
"We don't know. You're results are coming up." Hotaru read them. "First, there is no evidence that either of you brought the virus back from Kyushu. Infections predate either of you returning, and there has been no sign of the virus in Kyushu."
"That's a relief," sighed Tomohiro.
"Jun, your scan can find no trace of the virus," Hotaru told her. "You're free to leave. I have to caution you to keep your respirator on at all times and avoid public crowds if possible."
"What about Tomohiro?" Jun asked.
Hotaru scowled. "The scan shows the virus is beginning to incubate within you. My guess is that you were infected sometime within the last twelve hours." She looked at him with a pained expression. "You should begin developing symptoms by tomorrow morning."
Continued in Chapter 7