IF I DIE BEFORE I WAKE
Chapter 4: "Is It Love"
A Neo-Sailor Moon fanfic
By Bill K.
The palace was silent. It was after one a.m. and nobody was awake except for the night shift of palace security, and Luna of course. Barely perceptible footfalls approached from down the hall. The black cat looked to the sound.
"Jun-San?" Luna inquired when she was able to recognize who it was. "You're returning rather late, aren't you?"
"Just got back from Kyushu," Jun shrugged. "I only got out of quarantine a few hours ago."
"I see," the cat replied. "You didn't stop anywhere?"
"For a drink or twelve?" Jun asked incredulously. "That's Ves's thing. I just want to crawl into bed and sleep."
"Are you hungry? The cafeteria night shift is functioning."
"I ate in Kyushu," Jun said as she passed the cat. "Anything happen while I was gone?"
"Aside from a few illnesses, the most noteworthy being Her Majesty, nothing unusual," Luna remarked.
"How's she doing?"
"Her condition is," Luna began, searching for the proper description, "unusual, but so far not serious. Dr. Mizuno expects a full recovery in two to four days."
"Good," she sighed and Luna heard the fatigue in her voice. "Good night, Luna."
"Sleep well, Jun-San," the cat returned.
The door recognized Jun and slid open. She expected everyone to be in bed. However, Cere sat in a corner, on a video call. From the cloying romantic expressions she was making, it had to be her boyfriend.
"Hi, Jun. Glad to have you back," Cere chirped. "It was just Jun, Hiroki. Who else would be in my room at this hour?"
"Nothing like a relationship built on trust," Jun chuckled to herself.
After pausing in her private bath to prepare for bed, Jun headed for bed. Ritualistically checking all the dark corners for predators, something she'd done since she was five, the teen climbed into bed. Her thoughts drifted to Tomohiro. As she began to drift off, Jun wondered what it would feel like to press against his chest.
Then her senses detected movement in the dark. Instantly alert, Jun rose up from bed.
"Lights!" she told the environmental control computer. The room flooded with light.
Palla-Palla stood by her bed.
"Why didn't Jun-Jun say 'hello' to Palla-Palla when she came home?" Palla-Palla said, the hurt obvious in her child-like tone.
"I figured you were asleep," Jun replied in exasperation.
"Palla-Palla was," she responded, as if that explained everything. The teen clutched a plush unicorn to her chest and waited for Jun to respond.
"I'm home, Palla-Palla," Jun sighed, placing her hand on the teen's shoulder. "Now good night."
"Good night, Jun-Jun!" Palla-Palla chirped happily. She lurched in and kissed Jun on the cheek. "Palla-Palla will let you get back to dreaming about Mr. Tomohiro-Sir." And she scampered out.
"Don't tell me she doesn't do that on purpose," sighed Jun. And she returned to pleasant thoughts involving Tomohiro Shimizu.
Morning found Ami Mizuno in the Royal Chambers early enough to interrupt breakfast. The King paused his meal, while Usa tried to get Momoko to eat slow enough that the child didn't choke herself. Usa listened to the serious conversation between Ami and her father with one ear.
"A new strain of viral infection?" Endymion repeated. "Obviously since you're here so early in the morning, it must be serious."
"I apologize for that, Endymion," Ami said. "Yes, the new strain began appearing yesterday. We haven't been able to isolate and identify the virus as yet, but we do know that it's spreading rapidly through the city's population and current treatments are having at best minimal effect on it."
"How rapidly?"
"Medical facilities have encountered eleven thousand, two hundred and fifty-nine cases in the last eighteen hours," Ami said. "And we have no way to determine how many more cases haven't sought out medical attention yet."
"That is one virulent virus," Endymion murmured. "Recommendations? You are chief medical officer for the island."
"I recommend a city-wide quarantine," Ami replied. "Nobody comes into Crystal Tokyo or leaves. And every citizen should wear a respirator to filter out any possible contamination. I realize that will be considered drastic and unpopular at best and could possibly induce panic at worst. But so far the virus seems localized to Crystal Tokyo and I'd like to keep it that way."
Endymion considered his options.
"I'll go on vid and make the announcement," he said. "Get Luna to prepare a more detailed response for the media services. And I'll call Chief Nakamura to have the security drones reprogrammed for enforcement of a city quarantine, at least as far as people coming into the city. I don't want to go as far as a travel ban just yet. And you're right, this isn't going to be popular."
"Aunt Ami," Usa interjected. "Is that what Mom has?"
"No, Serenity is suffering from a very common, very identifiable strain of influenza," Ami assured her. "And though she would be quite susceptible to this virus in her current state, the antiseptic field around her will protect her from any possible transmission."
"Good." She turned to Mamoko. "Well, how would you like to wear a respirator?"
"Brat!" Mamoko exclaimed happily.
At the first sound of pounding on her bedroom door, Jun was awake and alert. Reflexively she looked around for a threat.
"Yeah?" she shouted at the door.
"Transmission for you," Ves shouted back. "It's some guy. Want me to chase him off?"
"Did he give a name?"
"Tomohiro. Mean anything?"
Instantly Jun was through the door so fast that Ves barely had time to get out of the way. By the time she'd turned to look, Jun was already sitting in front of her computer station, still dressed only in a sports bra and panties.
"Guess so," muttered Ves. She wandered over to Palla-Palla, who was playing with some dolls. "You know anything about this?"
"Eight O'Clock! Time for breakfast!" Palla-Palla proclaimed.
"In a minute. Answer the question."
"Mr. Tomohiro-Sir is Jun-Jun's boyfriend," Palla-Palla chirped happily.
"Boyfriend?" Ves grunted and gave her fellow Amazon a sideways look.
"Tomohiro!" exclaimed Jun, smoothing back her green hair. It hung loosely behind her because she hadn't had time to fix it in the Quechuan style yet. "Did you arrive safely? Well, obviously you did. I mean you wouldn't be calling me if you hadn't. So when did you get in? I'm babbling, aren't I?"
"It's OK," chuckled Tomohiro. "I got in and was able to input all of the data we collected with time to spare. So I thought I'd run down to Crystal Tokyo and take you up on that lunch you promised me."
"YOU'RE IN CRYSTAL TOKYO!" Jun squealed. She caught herself. "That's great! Where are you staying?"
"The Sakura Inn off the Promenade," he replied. "Got in just under the wire, too. They closed down all of the ports right after my shuttle arrived."
"Why would they close down the ports?" wondered Jun.
"I don't know. I'll contact the Ministry and find out. If you hear something, tell me at lunch. Pick you up at twelve?"
"Sure!" Jun grinned. "I'm at the Crystal Palace. I can give you directions."
"I think I can find it," grinned Tomohiro. "Biggest structure in the city, right?"
"Right," grimaced Jun. She felt herself flushing. "Well, see you then." The transmission disconnected and Jun shot out of her seat so fast that she knocked the chair over. "I've got to get ready!"
"Relax. You've got four hours yet," Ves said, approaching.
"Three hours and fifty-six minutes," Palla-Palla corrected her. "Time for breakfast."
"Whatever. What's the deal with this guy?"
"Tomohiro Shimizu is a zoologist with the Wildlife Ministry," Jun explained. "He and I hit it off at the wildlife preserve."
"Yeah, I'll bet," grunted Ves.
"What's THAT supposed to mean?"
"He's a guy. We both know what they're after."
"WHAT ARE YOU, MY FATHER?" bristled Jun. "If I want to go out with him, I DON'T have to clear it with you!"
"You check him out first?" Ves asked.
"I have to get ready," Jun huffed, heading for her room. "See you all at breakfast."
As the door slammed shut on Jun's bedroom, Palla-Palla approached her.
"Is Ves-Ves worried that Jun-Jun likes a bad man?" Palla-Palla asked.
"It's happened before," Ves replied. "We all remember Quadrel. Well, maybe you don't."
"If Ves-Ves wants, Palla-Palla will peek into his head when he comes, to see if he's a bad man," offered Palla-Palla.
"You would?" Ves asked. "Sounds like a plan. But don't tell Jun about it. Or Cere. They'd probably squawk."
"Palla-Palla will be very sneaky," Palla-Palla told her. "Now can we go to breakfast? Palla-Palla doesn't like being late!"
"Jonesing for those Sugar Bombs, huh?" chuckled Ves.
"Who is Mr. Jones-Sir?" Palla-Palla asked innocently.
At breakfast, Ves and Palla-Palla got very curious looks from the cafeteria staff, all of whom were wearing plastic filters strapped over their noses and mouths. When they approached the table Usa and Hotaru were at, they received the same looks from them. The two young women also had plastic filters, but they were off to allow them to eat.
"What's everybody glaring at me for?" Ves asked defensively.
"Didn't you get the alert over your work station this morning?" Hotaru asked.
"I don't pay attention to those things," grunted Ves. "And I doubt Palla-Palla understood it."
"There's a virus rampaging through the city," Hotaru told them. "It's highly contagious, too. I was up half the night helping out at the infirmary just from the palace cases."
"What's contagious mean?" Palla-Palla asked.
"It means if you get too close to someone who is sick, or if enough people get sick with the same thing, you could get sick, too. Unless you do things to prevent it, like wear the respirator you were issued."
"Palla-Palla doesn't want to get sick!" the teen gasped. "Ves-Ves, let's go back to the room and get our resper!"
"You can have breakfast first," Hotaru assured her. "If you haven't already been infected, a half hour or so exposure won't hurt you much. But try to wear it as much as you can."
"Those things really work?" Ves asked. "Seems to me just a lot of hand-wringing over nothing."
"Ves-Ves, you don't want to end up like the Queen, do you?" Palla-Palla admonished. "Do like Miss Hotaru-Ma'am says! She's very smart!"
Usa glanced over at Hotaru, expecting her to be blushing. She wasn't disappointed.
"It's also a directive from Pop," Usa warned. "It's not going to hurt you to play it safe. That way, you'll be available if the Senshi are needed."
"If you put it that way," grumbled Ves.
"Where are Jun and Cere?" Hotaru asked.
"Cere-Cere is sleeping," announced Palla-Palla. "She was up very late last night making mushy talk with her boyfriend."
Unable to help herself, Usa started giggling.
"Jun-Jun is making herself pretty. She has a date with Mr. Tomohiro-Sir. She likes him a lot."
"Tomohiro?" Usa and Hotaru asked in unison, leaning in.
"Some guy she met at the preserve," muttered Ves. "Hey, any way you can look this guy up? See if he's got any red flags? I don't think any of us want another Quadrel."
Usa pulled out her PDA and began typing. "What's his last name?"
"Shimizu, right?" Ves said, glancing at Palla-Palla. Palla-Palla nodded.
"You don't trust him? Have you met him?" asked Hotaru.
"You know me. I don't trust anybody except us. I just - - it took so long for Jun to get over Quadrel. I don't want her getting her heart busted just because some guy wants to get into her pants."
"Tomohiro Shimizu, twenty-four, graduate of Honshu University, Masters in zoology," Usa related. "Been with the Ministry for eighteen months, no record, no complaints. Kind of cute, too." She showed the picture to Hotaru and her friend nodded in agreement.
"That just proves he hasn't been caught," grumbled Ves.
"Is anybody good enough for your posse?" chuckled Usa. "Or do they have to prove themselves to you in combat?"
"Wouldn't hurt," grunted Ves. Just then Jun ran up.
"Sorry I'm late! I got in late and overslept!" Jun said. Then she noticed the looks from Usa and Hotaru. "Is something wrong?"
"Didn't you see the alert on your work station?" Hotaru asked.
"No! I didn't have time to look!" Jun grimaced. "What did I miss?"
"So, Serenity," Minako began, sitting a distance from the Queen's bed. She wore a respirator mask, as Ami wouldn't let her in without one. "Levitate any cute doctors recently?"
"Only you would make fun of a dying woman," moaned Serenity.
"You're not dying," Minako told her. "But if you do, can I have Endymion?" She got an evil look from the Queen.
"Ami-Chan says I've just got the flu," Serenity rasped. "But I feel like I fell down Mt. Fuji! I can't breathe! I can't eat! I can't get up!"
"Is that orders from Commandant Mizuno?"
"No, I tried, but I got so dizzy," sighed Serenity. She glanced at Minako. "And DON'T say it!"
"Who do I look like, Rei? My wit is much more sophisticated," grinned Minako.
"You laugh at people passing gas," Serenity frowned.
"Like I said: sophisticated," Minako smirked. Serenity fought it, but ended up grinning as well. "Say, here's an idea: why don't you cure yourself?"
"Cure myself?"
"Yeah. How many plagues and pandemics have you ended just by thinking hard? I trust you more than I do these doctors."
"That is a very foolhardy and uninformed opinion," Ami stated as she entered the room. "Medical science has done too much good to even begin to catalog. If it were anyone else, I would assume a lack of education or insight. Since it was Minako, I am assuming you said it just to be provocative."
"That's using an awful lot of words to tell someone to shut the Hell up," Minako grinned at Serenity. She got a sniffling grin in return.
"Excuse me," Ami said and worked her way around Minako to the virtual vital signs display by the bed.
"So tell me, Ami," Minako began with a sly wink at Serenity, "has Makoto brought in a fifty-five gallon drum of disinfectant for the quarters yet?"
"Your temperature and respiration are still reacting stubbornly to the medication," Ami said, ignoring Minako. "Are you still experiencing body aches?"
"Too many," whimpered Serenity.
"I'm telling you, you're better off curing yourself," Minako added.
"Minako, I realize you're either trying to help or trying to lighten the mood," Ami said patiently, "but if Serenity isn't able to control her telekinesis adequately, it would be extremely risky for her to try to eradicate the virus within her. She could have a delirious episode and end up destroying a vital organ by mistake."
"Eep!" squealed Serenity.
"OK, OK. Just spit-balling," Minako replied. "So why isn't she better? She doesn't have that new strain, does she?"
"No, the virus she has was identified as a common virus," Ami responded. "I theorize that Serenity's altered metabolism, due to her ascension to what she is, isn't responding to the medications the way most humans respond. I wish I had better news for you, Serenity. We are working on the problem."
"I have faith in you, Ami-Chan," Serenity said. "How are things going with this new virus?"
"Not well, I'm afraid," Ami confessed. "Infections are leveling off, due to respirator use, but those who are sick aren't responding to any known treatments. At the moment, I couldn't even give you an estimate of how long this virus takes to incubate, let alone what harm it's capable of doing."
"That bad?" Minako asked.
"It's an entirely new strain of viral infection," Ami said. Her mouth thinned. "But my studies have yielded one fact: it's not a mutation. This virus was engineered."
Continued in Chapter 5