Botanicaust (40 page)

Alone in the dim room, on a plush chair in front of a dark computer screen, the big man Tula had befriended sat hunched. Levi faltered.
“
Michael?
”

Ahead of Levi, the guard turned and called out. Michael looked up and Levi saw his giant fist clenched around a string of feathers and baubles.

“
Levi!
”
the guard barked, close enough now to clamp a hand around Levi
’
s arm.

Michael held out the necklace. His long face was creased with tears. From his mouth came a moan.
“
Doo-aaaaa.
”

Levi began to tremble. The guard tugged on his arm while speaking into the wristband. Levi jerked free of the guard
’
s grasp and stepped into the room.
“
Tula? Is she hurt?
”
He gasped out, unable to take a full breath.

Bowing his head over the necklace, Michael rocked forward and back.

Had the big man hurt her? Levi stepped close enough to touch him.
“
Michael, where is Tula?
”
At the door, several sleepy individuals in nightshirts gathered. The guard advanced on Levi and grabbed him firmly by the backpack to propel him from the room. Levi craned his neck to look over his shoulder.
“
Michael!
”

Rising from the chair, Michael ambled after them.

“
Wait. I want to see Tula. I want to see Dr. Kaneka.
”
Levi
’
s demands fell on deaf ears.

Digging in his heels, he grabbed at the nearest bystander, shouting,
“
Dr. Kaneka!
”
When he saw the Down
’
s
Syndrome
eyes, he abandoned that person for another, and another. Each person babbled unintelligibly as the guard bullied through the crowd. Where were the real Fosselites?

More people arrived to press tighter and tighter in the narrow hallway, mumbling, seeking explanation for the chaos. The guard shouted past him, but no one seemed to heed. Then the pressure eased, and the guard no longer had him. He could still hear the man
’
s shouts. From behind, a big hand wrapped around
Levi
’
s ,
and he found himself following Michael deeper into the compound.

Tula bucked against the restraints. Ultraviolet drilled into her exposed skin. They
’
d taken her skirt, leaving her more exposed than she
’
d ever felt before. She screamed again, her cries echoing off the barren walls. Bodies of fellow Haldanians twitched as if in empathy, but they remained blessedly unconscious.

Someone in a radiation suit loomed over her. Through the visor she could make out the blood red eyes of Dr. Kaneka.
“
I
’
ll need a thumbprint, if you don
’
t mind.
”
He pressed her quivering thumb to a sensor.
“
And a retinal scan before the chemicals overwhelm you.
”
Forcing her eye to remain open with a thumb and forefinger, he scanned her eye.

“
Why are you doing this?
”
Her words came out mush as the chemicals flooded her system.

“
Your friend has taken the beacon and will lead us to his settlement. Our agreement still stands. I
’
m simply assuring there will be no legal complications if I ever need to present my findings to your Board. Dr. Dedecus has been a fine subject, but his autoimmune disease is rejecting the symbiosis.
”

“
Vitus Dedecus?
”
She gasped, overcome by tremors.

“
I
’
ll be inserting symbiotic fungi into your bio system which will self replicate telomerase and make the need for drip treatment a thing of the past. Until now, the fungi have been unable to function in ultraviolet exposed individuals. I
’
ve developed a new resistant strain. Quite revolutionary. You will be an excellent test subject for extreme solar exposure.
”

“
You
’
re making me immortal?
”

“
Oh, no! You will live longer under full exposure than you would otherwise, but like I explained before, the telomerase alone is not a cure for mortality. I
’
d hoped Dr. Dedecus
’
s ripening would act as a natural immunoreactive, but his T-cells have become non-selective.
”
He calibrated the machine next to her.
“
Ah, well. At any rate, the fungi should reduce the cost of our steroid production one hundred fold. One step closer!
”

A cold horror settled below her breastbone.
“
You
’
re harvesting Haldanians.
”

“
It is so nice to have a patient who understands the science behind my experiments.
”
He patted her arm.
“
These others are no more than cannibals.
”

“
So are you!
”
She struggled harder against her bonds. The straps dug into her skin, rubbing it raw.

He glanced down at her with disdain through the visor of his suit.
“
We are nothing of the sort. We are scientists. Would it be better to waste your prisoners? We are developing technology that will allow humanity to live forever. A few Haldanians who were scheduled to die anyway is a small price to pay.
”

“
Tell that to your test subjects.
”

He bent low and looked directly into her eyes.
“
I just did.
”

T
hey stood before a door with a placard that read
“
Phytogenics.
”
The soft wail of a siren filled the empty hallways. Illuminated only by widely spaced emergency lights, Michael stood in the narrow corridor, stroking repeatedly at the center of his chest, and tried the door again.

Levi
’
s heart beat so hard he felt the pressure in his eyes. Tula must be behind that door.
“
Who has a key?
”
Levi nudged.

Michael twisted his fingers until his enormous knuckles grew painfully white. Turning first one direction, then another, he seemed to consider. Finally, he turned and rushed down the hall in the direction they
’
d come from. Glad for his experience hiding from cannibals in the tunnels as a child, Levi made note of how to return to this door.

Dr. Kaneka
’
s voice erupted over the sound of the siren. Michael stopped at a door with only a number and pounded on it. Almost immediately, a Down
’
s
Syndrome
woman looked up at the big man, then at Levi.

Michael made a hand motion and the woman stepped aside. Entering behind Michael, Levi again halted in shock. At a small table with an open book before her sat Rosalee.

She blinked at the newcomers.
“
Michael?
”
She formed another question Levi didn
’
t understand.

Moving quicker than usual, the big man plucked a gamma pad from a bedside table. Tip of his tongue protruding from his mouth, he slowly scrawled on the surface. He handed the pad to Rosalee.

She scanned the screen, then considered Levi and nodded, rising to her feet. She went to a shelf holding double rows of worn books and removed one. Opening the book, she retrieved a card and held it out to Michael. The big man hugged her, snatched the card, and offered it to Levi in triumph.

Levi accepted the card and shot a look to Rosalee.
“
What is going on?
”

“
No time to explain. Save her. This is the key. Go, now.
”

Over the loudspeaker, Dr. Kaneka
’
s voice pierced the air. Rosalee
’
s already pale face drained of remaining color.
“
He
’
s given orders to stop you.
In any way necessary.
Go!
”
She pushed both men out the door ahead of her. The three of them rushed toward Phytogenics.

The light tubes in the once darkened hallway flickered on. Down the corridor, a guard stood at their destination.

Before Levi could react, Rosalee launched forward, screeching and clawing at the man. The guard threw up his hands to ward her off, stepping backward down the corridor. Michael moved in, allowing Levi access to the door.

Levi looked between the card he held in one sweaty palm and the pad next to the door. Rosalee had called this a key, but it was nothing like the few keys he
’
d seen back home, where locks were only used to keep children out of dangerous areas.

On the pad near the door handle, a red light gleamed above a slot sized the same as the card. With trembling hands, he guided the card into the slot. Nothing happened. He pushed harder, but it hit a stop at the back. He took two tries to pull the card back out. Looking over the card, he saw a triangle that might be considered an arrow.

Next to him, the struggle between the three Fosselites was over. Rosalee lay on the cement floor, unconscious, while Michael held the guard in a bear hug. The big man
’
s face contorted in pain as the guard kicked and bucked against him, roaring unintelligible words.

Trying the card again, Levi breathed a sigh of relief as the red light toggled to green and the door clicked. He twisted the knob and pushed. Inside, the scent of chemicals and evergreen burned his eyes. The room was empty. Another door across the way had a lock with a red light. Levi didn
’
t hesitate. He yanked the key from the pad and rushed to the next door, swinging it open so hard it slammed against the wall.

An arm
’
s length away, a third doorway didn
’
t have a lock. Thrusting open the door, Levi threw an arm over his eyes at the sudden brilliance,
then
blinked to clear his tearful vision. His heart stopped at the sight before him. Green bodies sprouted tubes and wires like grotesque vines.

“
Tula!
”
He rushed to her side. Was this the treatment she
’
d been seeking? It looked beyond painful. Through slitted lids, all that showed were the whites of her eyes, and her mouth stretched in a rictus of pain. He put his hands on her face, trying to get her to look at him. Her skin burned with the heat of a hundred fevers. None of the numbers or words on the screens meant anything.