*** Isolation Unit 1B1 ***
Security was tight and that was putting it mildly.
Rangi entered the quarantined zone with a view to talking to
Major Cortez. In her hand she carried a two padds, a
transcript of his report and the photographs he had brought
back with him from Aeran III.
She both looked and felt tense because the last six hours
had been some of the most challenging in her professional
life.
Passing through the security stages, she came at last to
the isolation room that Cortez occupied.
When she entered it gave the appearance that he was able to
meet her freely but in fact there was a force field between
him and her. It was partly for medical reasons but partly
because of a security measure as Cortez had recently set
foot on Aeran.
Rangi knew that the man she had come to see would not be
best pleased to find himself in such a setting but she
needed to talk to him and only hoped he would be reasonable.
This was not something she expected.
Richard sat on the floor against the wall furthest from the
force field that was keeping him confined. He understood the
necessity of it all but he still didn't like it. But what
really angered him was the idea that he had been betrayed.
The parting words of the operators who had escorted him into
his new quarters were quite simply very revealing.
His mind sped a hundred miles a minute seeing conspiracy's
at every turn. He wondered if his suspicions were indeed
correct and if they were, were Guzman and Rangi both in on
it?
No matter how he figured it, there just wasn't any way
around the possibility that the Federation was trying to, or
perhaps already had used this virus as a biological weapon.
Perhaps it wasn't even natural at all.
Cortez leaned his head back and took a deep breath and as if
on cue the door leading to the outside walkway in front of
his containment cell swished open revealing Commander
Summers. Richard pretended not to notice.
Rangi walked into the room, glanced back at the door sealed
itself behind her and then transferred her attention to the
figure seated on the floor. She stepped towards the force
field and stopped, waiting for him to look up. He didnt.
" I really hope you're not going to sulk." she said. " I
need to talk to you...about this."
She held out the padd for him to see should he raise his
head.
"So talk", Richard said simply without looking up.
An audible sigh escaped her lips, her hand holding the padds
dropped to her side and she glanced away from him.
" Look.." she said. " I know this isnt ideal but I have to
talk to you. Things have happened since you went away and
you can help me...probably." she added for she wasnt
entirely sure that he could although the chances were high.
"In case you hadn't noticed Commander", Richard said
looking up, "I'm not really in a position to help anybody.
In fact, I'm quite content to sit in this cell, I have
dinner coming shortly and I'm very hungry."
" Dinner can wait." she replied and immediately regretted
her words for she saw the slight frown between his eyes.
" I'm sorry." she said. " I didnt mean it to sound
uncaring. Im sure you 'are' hungry...but I really need to
know a few things."
She raised the padds again indicating what she wanted to
talk about. " Would you?" she asked.
Richard sighed and stood up.
"Fine, send it through."
He watched as Summers pushed the padds through the slot and
then watched as they reappeared in his cell.
"OK, what am I looking for?" he added as he thumbed through
the info front of him.
"The photos.." she said. " Particularly of the woman with
the blonde hair. In the first one you can see the blue lines
quite clearly but in the last I can't see them at all." She
paused as he located the ones she referred to.
"Doesnt that remind you of something?"
Cortez flipped to the images she was talking about.
"I don't know", he said somewhat confused, "I haven't seen
this picture...she wasn't a patient when I arrived."
He paused and looked up at Rangi, "Must have been admitted
before I got there", looking back down at the screen, "It
says here shes dead, why do you ask?".
"Because that's what happened to Georgia Pegg." Rangi
replied. "There were no signs of the lines on her body when
it was found, none at all. In the time you were away fifteen
more people developed the symptoms.... Fifteen." she
stressed.
Richards eyes narrowed and he held the padd down to his
side.
"You should have listened to me and killed her when you had
the chance. Now at least fifteen more people are going to
die", his voice was becoming louder, "You and Guzman both
messed up big time".
He paused and took a few steps to the side.
"How many more people are you going to let die?", he stopped
moving and turned to look back at Summers, "Or is that the
point, is this some sort of experiment, are you playing God
Rangi?"
He threw the padd against the force field causing small
sparks to fly,
"Or was this just Guzmans idea and you being the loyal
housewife just went along with it?", his accusations, though
erratic, had a point.
He watched her reaction carefully.
*** End Part 1 ***
Major Richard Cortez
CSEC
USS Chimera
&
Commander Rangi Summers
Med Adv 1st Task Force
CMO
SB Unity
