The System #2 (35 page)

If he didn’t stare directly at the artwork, Scott could pretend that he was back in the real world, meeting Huck for the first time, sitting at that office. And when he let his imagination travel in that direction, he often wondered if he would make the same decisions. Ultimately, despite the fear and complications, he was proud that he had saved his family. Lucy could pontificate all she wanted with her narrow understanding of how the world worked, but Scott was secure that he had done the right thing.
 

Lucy would understand someday. Maybe it wouldn’t be until she had children of her own, but she would understand.
 

“Sit, sit,” Huck instructed and Scott obeyed. He lowered himself into the big leather chair opposite Huck’s desk and waited for his boss to explain the nature of their meeting. “Your daughter and I had a lovely breakfast this morning, Scott.” Huck leaned back in his chair and folded his hands above his head.

“Thank you for meeting with her. I’m sure you were able to answer many of her questions,” Scott answered, weighing his words.

“She cares deeply for the boy.”

“So it would appear.”

“Young love. It’s hard to decide if it’s wonderful or misguided. In this case, I told your daughter that Grant was unsafe from a practical standpoint.”

“That was my concern as well,” Scott admitted.

“What have you been able to discover? An anomaly?”

Scott shrugged. “There are markers that would indicate it could be genetic. But I’m running tests against some of our other blood samples…without a larger sample, I don’t know. I’m trying to narrow it down soon.”

“Good. Here’s the deal. If Grant is a singular case…a mistake, then he can live.”

Turning his head, Scott looked at Huck. He blinked and bit the underside of his lip. “I’m sorry. What?” Scott asked. This edict defied everything he had been told; all of his experiments and tinkering were for nothing. “There’s no way to know if he’s a single case…just the fact that
anyone
carried an immunity to that virus is suspicious.”

Huck waved Scott’s reply away like it was odiferous. “Like a flip of a coin. If the resistance to the virus is genetic, I want him gone. Nobody should know that there could be people out there who have survived. It will only create dissention and a desire to go after them. But if he’s an exception…a mistake. A rarity. Then,” Huck crossed his arms over his chest, “we can pass off his inclusion like he is a miracle.”

“I can’t know for sure unless we can compare him to others like him…”

Huck waved this impediment away too. “You are the best, Scott. You will submit a full report and you will
deal
with it. And in the meantime…I promised your daughter that she could see him.”

Scott stayed still, but his left leg twitched. After a moment, he rubbed his forehead with his pointer finger. “Oh,” he muttered. “Well, then, Lucy must have had a compelling argument…I’m impressed. I’m sure she’ll be very grateful…”

“Her arguments were
weak
. Based on the assumption that someone deserves to live simply because they’ve been born. In the end, I told her it was up to
you
.” Huck rose and paced the length of the room, his hands behind his back, and Scott watched. “I figured,” he continued, “that you’d want to make that decision…since you appear to need to play God.”

“What?” Scott remained seated, but his eyes followed Huck’s pacing. “I don’t know what that means.”
 

Huck stopped and locked his eyes into Scott’s and Scott resisted the urge to look away first. “You know…deciding on your own to go against what we had outlined. You have some explaining to do, Mr. King.”

“I don’t know what—”

“I
trusted
you,” Huck seethed through a clenched jaw. “We had rules. You, who were asked to enforce the vaccinations…”

Scott’s heart began thumping in his chest and his leg picked up momentum. Huck leaned over the desk, and he pointed a shaky finger at Scott’s chest, his face a full blanket of accusation.

“Huck,” Scott started. “Do you have something you need to ask me specifically?” He asked the question, put it out there, although he knew where this was headed. He knew the minute he was summoned that this was not a friendly visit.
 

“You have created
variables
, Scott. Do you understand the ramifications of your actions? You have single-handedly jeopardized the rescue mission of your son—”

“Wait—”

“How can I send my men to go get Ethan if I don’t know what waits for them there? I asked you to create a secondary virus and I’ll need it. Now.”

“It’s not ready…and I’ll need Grant to complete my testing…”

“Then Ethan will stay where he is. He is lost to you.”

“Huck—” Scott felt clammy. He stood up, so he could face Huck eye-to-eye. The old man came out from around his desk and stood next to Scott, his nostrils flared in and out.
 

“You abused the position I gave to you…while those people begged for extra vaccines, begged to save one more person…you hid them away? You used my time and my money to create problems for me down the road? Do you have any idea how annoyed I am by this betrayal?”

“It was my vaccine. My creation,” Scott stammered. “I created the extras on my own time…”

“If your family failed to meet the vaccination date by the vaccination time…that was
your
fault. Those were our rules.
Your
rules, even. You stood beside me and upheld the statute despite tears and panic with dozens of other families.”

“I was worried. I thought if I had them at my disposal, why shouldn’t I try to protect them in case…”

“You told them where we were. The first violation. You left behind our only commodity. The second violation.” Huck slammed his fist down upon the desk and Scott took a step back, and he looked down at the carpeted floor and stared at his own plain brown shoes. “How many vials did you leave behind?” Huck asked after taking a breath.

“Six,” Scott whispered.

“Lucy told me two of those went to a woman and her son. A young child.”

Scott knew what was coming next. He closed his eyes and held his breath.

“Decide their fate,” Huck said. “You created them. You tell me what I should do with them.”

“They are accidents. Those vaccines weren’t supposed to leave my family, Huck. I’m sorry.” Scott shook his head and took another tentative step backward.

“Decide!”

“Kill them,” Scott said. “That solves it…that fixes it. We kill them.” He said the order softer now. He closed his eyes and tried to push the image of the woman and her young son away. His vaccines had saved them and now his decision killed them. His stomach ached.

Huck stomped to the office door and opened it; then he called out, “Get me the General.” Then he slammed the door and walked back to Scott.
 

“I’m sorry,” Scott replied, wiping his brow. “I didn’t think beyond that…didn’t think that they would use the vaccines for others.”

“You didn’t assume they’d use it? To save friends? Or help others? To trade?” Huck asked, dripping with supercilious contempt. “Then I overestimated you. And you underestimated them.”

There was a knock on the door. Both men turned to look as the man Huck called the General waited to enter. Huck motioned for him and the tall man, with dark hair and a buzz-cut walked with brisk, clipped steps into the room. He was dressed in a specially designed uniform. It was notably similar to the guards, but more colorful, and a brass tag identified him as a high-ranking official of the Elektos military. He saluted Huck, but Huck did not return the old-world action.

The General had been a well-decorated Army general and a multi-war veteran in the former world. But he had traded that position for a job in the Elektos military and a chance to build a new world. The General’s intimate government affiliations were invaluable as they planned the Release and the System. Huck could dream it, but the General could make it happen.

Even Scott didn’t call him by his actual name, Phillip, but only as the General—which solidified the man’s mystique as Huck’s third-in-command behind Gordy. It was the General who helped Huck hide his building development and recruit cabinet members. He was intimidating and severe: as unapproachable as Scott was personable.
 

“Where are the planes?” Huck asked without formalities.
 

“At the runways. Fueled and ready. The System in Botswana isn’t expecting you for another week, sir,” the General said, he relaxed his shoulders a bit, but his face stayed rigid and focused on Huck, following the leader’s actions with his eyes.
 

“Rescue mission in Oregon,” Huck stated and if the General was surprised, he didn’t flinch. Huck walked back to his desk and stood behind it, resting his hands against the wood. “We’ve decided to go back for someone.”

“We could be ready to go within the day. Depending on the team. Urban or rural location?”

“Urban,” Huck answered.

“We have available helicopters outside Portland. Two at the Hillsboro airport…”

Huck cut him short. “I don’t need the details. Between all the travel arrangements…when could you get to the location?”

“Tomorrow morning.”

“I want you to go with them,” Huck commanded.

“My team is quite capable of leading a rescue mission without me,” the General replied. Then he added, “sir.”

“It’s more complicated than that.” Huck wagged a finger. Then he turned to Scott. “Tell him his orders,” he instructed and the General shifted his attention to Scott, his eyes narrowing.

“My son…Ethan…I’ll give you my address, I believe he’s still at home. But my daughter said he was injured badly…hit by a car. We don’t have any other details…”

The General nodded, waiting for the rest.

“Go on,” Huck said. “Tell him about the variables.”

Scott looked at Huck, his jaw tightened, and he swallowed. “There might be others…a woman for sure, and her child…”

The General looked to Huck and then to Scott. “How many survivors should we prepare for?” he asked.

Huck put his hand up to stop the conversation. He looked at Scott expectantly and then turned back to the General, “Bring back only Ethan. Kill the others.”

“We’ll take care of it,” he said swiftly, without a hint of surprise. Then the General pivoted, poised to leave.

“Wait!” Scott yelled and he took a giant step toward Huck. “Wait.”

Everyone turned to him and stopped. Scott put his hands out toward Huck, pleading.
 

“You having a change of heart?” Huck asked with a sneer.

“Bring back Ethan
and
the child,” Scott answered. Then he looked to the ground.
 

For a long moment, the room was quiet. The room hummed and then Huck turned to Scott. “You heard him. Ethan and the boy.
No
other survivors. Are we clear?”

“Yes, sir,” the General replied. “We’ll kill the mother and any other survivors on sight. Bring back the boy and the child. Easy.”

“You are dismissed. Let me know when you leave and I expect a full debrief when you return,” said Huck and with a nod the General spun and left the room.

After the door had shut behind him, Huck turned to Scott. “You’re weaker than I predicted.”

“I know.”

“I believed more of you.”

“It was a momentary lapse.”

“This child will be
your
responsibility…”

“Of course,” Scott mumbled. He had no idea how Maxine would react to him adding a seventh child to their brood. But he rested in the comfort that she would stand by his side in the decision to bring the boy back. He didn’t know why he felt compelled to offer the boy a chance at life. Something inside of him couldn’t stomach the idea of killing another child. His hands were bloody enough.

“I do admire your compassion,” Huck continued, slumping down into his chair. “Don’t get me wrong. You are an admirable man, Scott…but in times of great war and great change, there are hard decisions. The end will justify the means, I believe that and so do you. We have a cause and we have a plan. Do not waver, and do not hesitate. Remain strong.” He put out his hand, palm down, and motioned for Scott. He reached, grabbing Huck’s hand in a side-shake.
 

“Of course,” Scott replied again and he tried to pull back, but Huck held on.

They stood there, with outstretched arms, Huck locked on to Scott.

“You are one of my most trusted colleagues,” Huck continued. He looked close to tears, his chin wobbled. “It hurts to think you didn’t trust that I would take care of you.”

“I’m sorry.” Scott looked to the floor. He admired the brown speckled carpet. He could still feel Huck watching him, assessing his every move. And Scott felt his hand go cold. The prolonged handshake felt more ominous the longer it continued.

Then Huck released him and Scott hesitated for a second before letting his hand drop to his side.

“I will let you know when the planes leave,” Huck added with mechanical and businesslike air. “We shall welcome Ethan home like the prodigal son. And we shall spin the story of the child…we’ll find a way. Leave the details to me.”

Scott nodded. Frozen.

“And…Grant…our stowaway,” Huck said as a reminder. “I expect to be notified when the results are in. And continue to work on our second virus. No matter the outcome with Grant, I still intend to follow-through with a second release. I won’t take any chances before we move to the Islands. Do you understand? I’m done cleaning up all of your messes. Lucy. Grant. Ethan. This child. Make it right or suffer the ultimate consequence. Is that clear enough, Scott?”

With his eyes steely, cutting into Scott like a saw, opening him piece by piece, Huck sat in his chair. He turned his body away, and after a lingering moment of awkward silence, Scott nodded, turned, and let himself out. Once in the hallway, a safe distance from the man he had followed into the underground System, Scott took a shaky breath. He put his hand out against the wall to steady himself and let all the ramifications of his choices wash over him.

He knew what he needed to do next.