Fugue: The Cure (4 page)
She blinked away the tears and focused on the lab report in front of her. Her eyes were drawn immediately to the test for Scalars Disease. Next to it was a single word in all capital letters that should not be there.
He motioned to the folder in front of her, the rage building in him spilled out onto his face. “You tested negative for Scalars!”
She looked up at him and shook her head. “That’s impossible.”
The unemotional detachment of the interrogator took over in his eyes. “You tell me which of these scenarios is impossible. You are a terrorist working with La Guérison, and came here to distract me from my duties so you could start an underground terrorist transportation system or, as you say, you were injected with an antidote for Scalars by the system’s most notorious terrorist himself, and were an unwilling participant in the attempt to extract a terrorist from my custody.”
She could tell he had already made up his mind as to which he believed.
“Your father finally understands that the Empire has everyone’s best interests at heart. You can thank him for intervening before you made the biggest mistake of your life.”
She stared back down at the report that showed she did not have Scalars.
Something that was impossible stared her right in the face.
No, not impossible.
There was one explanation.
Croft had not injected her with a virus that would kill her. He had injected her with a virus that targeted Scalars. But it didn’t just kill Scalars; it eradicated it completely, as if it had never been there in the first place. Then she remembered what Croft had said after he injected her.
She looked up at Severn. “Can you tell me one thing?”
He frowned at her. “What?”
“How long have I been in this room?”
“I know it may feel like days, but you’ve only been in here for nine hours.”
She spit in his face before he could react.
He wiped her spittle out of his eyes and stared hard at her. “Your father may have prevented you from making one mistake, but it seems that you want to make all new ones.”
He closed the folder and picked it up as he stood. “We will get the rest of your friends, and remand you to the Empire Marshals. After a swift trial, you will all die a horrible death.”
She watched him intently as he knocked on the door to be let out. As the door opened, she called out to him one more time. “Severn?”
He turned around, but said nothing.
She nodded at him as a smile spread across her face. “Your nose is bleeding.”
Emperor Augustus strode in to the war planning room and sat at the head of the long table. Every one of his trusted advisers was already seated around the table.
He did not apologize for getting everyone out of bed for this emergency meeting. “Tell me about the situation on Voltaire.”
General Bacchus Cole cleared his throat.
“I received confirmation from one of our moles within La Guérison that this was part of their ongoing terror campaign against the Empire. We believe one of their agents injected himself with the virus and spread it to the population. Before we blacked out the planet’s communication network, word spread around the system that people were getting sick with an unknown disease in increasing numbers. Our main office has denied thousands of requests for communication exceptions to Voltaire.”
“Good. Continue to deny all requests. Nobody off-planet knows that everyone is recovering without any casualties?”
“No, your Majesty.”
“And did I read my briefing correctly that this virus somehow eliminated Scalars from among those infected?”
“I have personally verified that information is correct, sir.”
“I want a contingent of warships in orbit to keep anyone from getting off of Voltaire.”
“Several are already en route.”
“Excellent. As always, you anticipate me perfectly General.”
The General bowed his head. “I live to serve.”
“Voltaire is still a level four colony, correct?”
“Yes. They are not yet self-sufficient and still rely on imports from the other colonized worlds to survive.”
“Inform the newswire immediately that we will begin daily supply drops for the people of Voltaire while we search for a cure. In one month, inform the newswire that supply drops have been stopped because the entire population of the planet is dead from the plague.”
“Yes your Majesty.”
“And then I want you to bombard the planet until the entire surface has been reduced to ash.”
Inherit The Throne
The Warrior’s Code
The Red Cell Report (COMING SOON)
Written as S.D. Stuart
The Wizard of OZ: A Steampunk Adventure
The Scarecrow of OZ: A Steampunk Adventure
Fugue: The Cure
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