Season of Rot (4 page)

Mitchell and Jack’s men unloaded the supplies
as Martin followed the others into the stairwell. Daniel tossed
aside the cigarette he was smoking and stayed behind to scope out
the helicopter, get a feel for the controls. He wanted to be ready
in case something happened and he needed to fly it.

Glancing around the cockpit, Daniel saw the
standard controls of a military bird. He’d only flown traffic
copters before the plague, but the difference didn’t look too
drastic.

Vince led Martin and the others down what was
usually the quickest route to the conference room, but the hallways
were clogged with refugees. They all wanted to see the man who had
restored their hope. Vince hurried past them as quickly as he
could, dragging the others with him as if by sheer force of will.
With each person they passed Martin’s muscles tensed underneath his
clothes, as if he expected the group to attack. Vince kept glancing
at the twin side arms strapped to Martin’s hips, praying no one
spooked the stranger enough to make those weapons leave their
holsters.

On the trip down, Martin only paused once to
really take in the people and the surroundings. It was when Chris,
carrying his daughter Natalie, nearly bumped into them outside the
conference room. Martin’s eyes went straight to Natalie and stayed
on her as if he didn’t register Chris’s presence.

Finally, he looked up at Chris. “Is the child
yours?” Martin asked, awed.

Chris nodded, unsure of how to respond.

Martin’s eyes drifted back to Natalie. “You
must be very proud.”

Before Chris could reply, Vince shoved Martin
into the conference room. “You can meet folks later, Martin. We
really need to talk right now, okay?”

Martin glanced at Vince and saw the man’s
fear naked on his face. “Yes, you’re right,” Martin agreed.

Vince closed the door behind Jack and Laura
as they entered.

After he finished familiarizing himself with
the helicopter, Daniel caught up to the group outside of the
conference room. Martin could hear him talking with Chris in the
hall, but he took a seat at the table anyway. Laura sat at the head
of the table, facing Martin, and Vince and Jack sat on either side
of him.

“So you made it, Mr. Kier,” Laura began.
“There were those among us who thought you wouldn’t show, or that
if you did you’d only bring death and trouble with you. It seems
they might have been wrong.”

***

Out in the hall, Chris clutched Natalie close
to him. “Did you see the way he watched my daughter? It wasn’t
right.”

Daniel said, “Come on, Chris, he’s military.
He may be one of those guys who are freaked out by kids. No
offense, but I am too.” He laughed.

“No. It was more than that. He looked at
Natalie like she was some kind of alien.”

Daniel put a hand on Chris’s shoulder.
“Everything’s going to be okay, Chris. He kept his word and came
alone just like he said he would. I think he’s been alone for a
long time, as long as we’ve been cooped up in this hospital.
Solitude will do that to a person. It can affect people in a lot of
ways. He’s been through as much, if not more, than we have. He was
just happy to see breathing people again, I’m sure.”

Chris shook his head. Cradling Natalie in his
arms he walked off, leaving Daniel to frown after him.

***

Martin met Laura’s eyes across the table. “I
brought only what you asked,” he said, then changed the subject.
“You have children here. This place is not safe.”

“Beggars can’t be choosers.” Vince’s joke
hung in the air like the stink of sour meat. No one laughed.

“It’s been safe enough so far,” Jack informed
Martin coldly. “We’re all supposed to be friends here. Why don’t
you put your weapons on the table, Mr. Kier.”

Laura blinked at the gall of Jack’s request.
To her surprise, Martin unsnapped his belt, placed the weapons on
the tabletop and slid them toward Jack, who took them eagerly.

“Mr. Jack, isn’t it?” Martin asked. “If I
wanted to harm you, you’d be dead by now. Having me relinquish my
weapons does nothing to change that fact, though I am willing to do
so if it will put you more at ease.”

“Were there children in the base you’re from,
Mr. Kier?” Laura asked before Jack had a chance to defend his manly
pride.

“No. I had never seen a child before until
just a few moments ago. Today is a day of new experiences for
me.”

“What about your family?” Laura asked. “Were
they killed by the virus?”

“Yes. My fathers all perished from the
disease.”

“Fathers?” Vince asked.

“The men who gave me life,” Martin said, a
quizzical look on his face, as if he had said nothing peculiar.

The room fell silent. Jack wondered if Martin
was insane, but both Vince and Laura caught what Martin meant, or
were able to guess at it.

“They were doctors?” Laura proceeded
cautiously, hoping she was wrong.

“Scientists.” Martin’s face was impossible to
read..

“Do you mind if I ask how old you are,
Martin?” Laura was on the edge of her seat with nervous energy.

“I am slightly over thirteen months old.”
Martin attempted a friendly smile to assure her that he was not
offended by such an odd question.

“Jeez.” Vince shook his head.

Jack stood up. “Thank you very much, Mr.
Kier. I think that’ll be all for now. If you’ll just wait outside,
we need to discuss some things privately before we continue.”

Laura said, “Sit down, Jack. Now.”

He hesitated, considered disobeying her
order. Finally he took his seat.

“Martin,” Laura said, “you were one of the
projects at the base, weren’t you? It’s how you survived whatever
happened there, isn’t it?”

Martin felt both relieved and worried that
his attempt to pass for a normal person had failed. “Yes, Ma’am. My
first name was X2114, but I named myself Martin Kier after two of
my fathers who died. I was created as an experiment in human
genetics. It was an attempt both military and scientific in nature.
Though I may be different from you and immune to the dead virus,
please understand that I am human. My fathers told me so.”

“Martin,” Laura began, but this time Jack put
her in her place.

“Oh for God’s sake!” He slapped the table.
“This is insane! And you’re full of shit! Who in the hell are you?
I want to know: were you really living in that base, or did you
just break in after everyone was dead and set yourself up as a
king? Were there some people left? Did you kill them off yourself
so that everything would be yours? Is that how it went down?”

“I have told you the truth.” Martin’s face
was stone. Laura and Vince could see him struggling against what
must have been an implanted urge to defend himself from Jack. At
that moment, Laura knew Martin meant what he claimed: he was
human—or he wanted to be. If he was just a weapon the military had
created, Jack would have been long dead..

Laura tried to warn Jack, but he whirled on
her and Vince. He couldn’t believe they were buying this horseshit.
Without another word, he stormed out of the conference room.

“I’m sorry,” Laura said, shrugging her
shoulders. “Jack isn’t always like that, I swear. Some things are
hard for him to accept.”

“His response was what I had expected from
all of you. I must confess, I didn’t think you would find me out so
soon.”

“Martin,” Vince said, “what were you created
for?”

“I was created as a weapon. The military took
over the project not long after it began. I was originally supposed
to be the first cloned human being, but the military made sure I
was much more.”

“Then why didn’t you react like a weapon when
Jack threatened you?” Laura wondered. “Surely you were designed to
defend yourself with lethal force. I can’t see the military
settling for anything less.”

“The project may have been taken over by the
military, but it was originally civilian in nature. My fathers
taught me about humanity even as the military tested and honed my
offensive capabilities. I believe my fathers hoped what they were
teaching me would make me useless to the army and allow them to
continue with the project without the army’s interference.”

“Okay,” Vince said, dragging out the word. “I
don’t suppose it matters much now. You’re here and you’re not like
the flesh-eating monsters outside, so I guess that makes us
allies.”

“Where do we go from here?” Laura asked them
both.

“Daniel expressed to me your desire to leave
this hospital, but it may not be wise for you to travel to my base.
It was infected with a mutated strain of the dead virus, and
despite the base’s automated safety measures and my personal
efforts, I cannot promise that you wouldn’t be exposed to the new
airborne pathogen.”

“We have to try something, Martin,” Laura
argued. “We can’t stay here forever, even if you continued to bring
us supplies. The people here are coming apart at the seams. It’s
not just about surviving anymore. It’s about starting over. And I
don’t think the virus has mutated in the way you believe it has. If
it had, you would’ve carried it here with you, I’m sure. Its
gestation period is usually only a matter of minutes, not
hours.”

“How can you be sure?”

“I can’t be, but none of us have changed
since you came and that’s a good sign. I just believe it’s
unlikely. If everyone here remains uninfected by the time we’re
ready to send the first few members back with you, then we at least
know the virus wasn’t altered enough for you to carry it here. The
first group that goes can check out the base and make sure it’s
safe before we transport the others.”

“What about Jack?” Martin asked.

“Jack will come around in time,” Vince
assured him.

Laura shook her head. “I wouldn’t be so sure
of that. Not until he sees proof that you are what you say you are,
Martin. Just try to stay out of his way until then.”

“And the others here?” Martin asked.

Vince laughed. “I’ll introduce you around
while Laura and I decide who your first passengers will be. Don’t
worry. Jack’s Jack, and most people aren’t like him.”

“Thank you,” Martin Kier said, nodding. He
hoped Vince was right. He’d come to help this group of fellow
survivors, not kill them in self-defense. Perhaps what disturbed
Martin the most was that, after seeing the child, he was not sure
he could bring himself to execute them, even if they chose to
eliminate him first.

***

Mitchell headed down the corridor to Alyson’s
quarters, tired from unloading the supplies and pissed that he
always got stuck with the grunt work. As much as he needed Alyson
at the moment to take away the stress, he nearly went back the way
he had come when he saw Jack marching toward him. He could feel
Jack’s anger like it was a physical force. He stopped dead in his
tracks, clutching his fists just in case.

Jack walked right up into his face and looked
him dead in the eyes. “Get the guns. It’s time.”

Mitchell’s mouth dropped open. He’d always
known Jack walked a thin line with the other members on the
tribunal and had hoped one day Jack would take command of the
hospital by force. He never thought it would happen though; it
would start a civil war, and Jack wanted the group to survive more
than anything. It was the driving purpose, perhaps the only
purpose, in his life.

“Jack, are you sure about this?”

Jack grabbed Mitchell and flung him against
the wall of the corridor. “Get the damn weapons! Get the others
too. Laura has gone too far this time. I can’t sit by and watch her
take us all to hell.”

Mitchell forgot about Alyson. He could get
off later after things were put right. He darted down the
passageway back the way he’d come.

Jack smiled after him. Maybe today, he
thought. Maybe today is going to be a good day after all.

As Jack set his plan for a coup in motion,
Vince called a meeting in the hospital’s cafeteria. His voice
echoed over the intercom throughout the building, urging everyone
to attend and meet their new guest. Vince wasn’t worried about low
attendance. Even the dejected like Alyson and Chris were curious
about Martin and the new sense of hope his presence had bought. In
fact, Alyson was the first to arrive in the cafeteria where Martin
and Vince waited.

Out of habit, Martin stood at attention
beside Vince, who’d plopped into one of the chairs. Alyson
approached them and smiled at Martin. “Hello, stranger,” she
purred, flicking her long red hair out of her face with a slight
shake of her head.

“Hello,” Martin answered. A good number of
the base’s staff had been female, but none of them had ever acted
in such a fashion toward him. He realized her movements were
designed to initiate mating, but he could neither explain nor
understand the feeling inside of him as she drew closer to kiss him
on the cheek.

“Back off, Alyson,” Vince said. “Martin isn’t
human.” He saw the hurt in Martin’s eyes and immediately cursed
himself for being so tactless.

“What?” Alyson squeaked, retreating a few
steps.

Vince hated his poor choice of words even
more. “That’s not what I meant,” he said, trying to explain himself
to both of them at once. “Martin’s a person just like us. I just
meant give him some space, okay?”

“A person like us?” Alyson asked. “What in
the hell is that supposed to mean? Why would you say shit like
that?”

“I am a bio-genetically engineered weapon
capable of evolution and independent thought,” Martin
explained.

“Oh,” Alyson gasped. Neither Vince nor Martin
could tell if she believed him, but she did seem calmer and she
continued to look Martin over. “I’d let you be one for me.”

More people started pouring into the room,
and Martin locked onto Chris and his newborn daughter as they
entered. “I came here to help,” he announced to the crowd.