Lethal Seasons (A Changed World Book 1) (23 page)

Kyle shot Angus a startled look. “This is...”

Angus jumped on it. “Is it?”

Ruth saw the look on Kyle’s face and leaned forward. “What is it?”

They all waited for Kyle to answer. Nick felt a collective breath held.

“I think it is,” Kyle said in a hushed voice, as if afraid of being overheard.

Ruth inched closer and asked again, in a whisper, “What is it?”

Kyle closed the notebook and held it firmly closed. “The BEHHM Virus.”

“Is that what you folks call it?” Angus asked eagerly. “What does it stand for?”

Ruth sat a little straighter. She put out her hand to take the book, but Kyle would not relinquish it. “Let me see it please.”

Kyle looked at her with indecision on his face.

“More minds at work on a problem solve it quicker,” Angus said.

Kyle handed over the notebook without a word. Ruth leafed through it skipping over the journal pages to the ones with formulae.

“BEHHM,” Angus repeated, “What does it stand for?”

“Biobot Eradication High Human Mortality,” Kyle said.

“Did it really kill off biobots?” Nick asked.

“That was what we were told it was intended for, but I have not been privy to the statistics of its efficacy.”

“Anecdotally?” Angus ask carefully.

Kyle shrugged. “It did not affect me or Wisp.”

“Or your other brothers?”

Kyle gave Angus a look of surprise. “No. None of my brothers who were alive at the time were affected by the virus.”

Angus nodded, tapping a finger to his lips. “So it was genius that created the virus, but all based on the wrong assumption.”

Kyle frowned at Angus. “What do you plan to do with this?”

“I don’t know
what
to do with it,” Angus said plaintively. “I don’t know if it’s real, or the ravings of a madman.”

“Or a little of both,” Nick added.

Angus gave him an agreeing nod before continuing, “And if it is real, is it useful?”

“My God,” Ruth said in an awestricken voice. She looked up from the notebook at Kyle. “If this is...” She leaned toward him pointing to a line. “This.”

“Yes.” He gave her a tight nod, pressing his lips tightly together.

“This
could
be it,” Ruth raised frightened eyes to Angus. “Where did you get it?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Angus said waving away the question. “Is it useful?”

“I can’t say,” Ruth said, her eyes wandering back to the notebook. Like Kyle she shut the notebook and held it closed. Angus looked to Kyle.

“The virus has mutated regularly,” he said. “It is interesting to see how it began, but at this point, it is a completely different organism.”

There was a bland vagueness to Kyle’s statement that made Nick think he was lying. “So if this is useless, a young woman was killed for no reason.”

“Well, at least not for this reason,” Angus said gesturing at the notebook.

As if she knew the course of the discussion, Lily skipped into the room. “Oh, sorry, I forgot to knock.”

Angus gave her a warm smile. “That’s OK sweetheart, is my wife looking for me?”

“Um, no, I don’t think so. But my mom said that she thinks you should talk to her.”

“Where did your mom come from?” Nick asked. He was glad to see that the shadows and sharp angles were gone from Lily’s face. She was safe and well-fed, and it did his heart good to see that small success.

Lily giggled, looking younger than her age. “You brought her, silly.”

Nick felt a tingle of danger work its way up his spine. “What does she want to talk to us about?” he asked in as casual manner as he could muster. Both Kyle and Angus sat a little straighter letting him know his concern came through.

“Grown up stuff, I guess?”

“How old are you?” Ruth blurted out.

Lily smiled, despite Ruth’s abrupt tone. “I was just twelve, and we had a party and Harley let me ride Socks!” She gave a little hop of joy. “He said I can ride him again.”

Angus’s eyes twinkled at the sight of her. Nick felt his spirits rise a little more.

“Tell your mother that we would be glad to speak to her. She should come by whenever she’s free.”

Ruth’s eyes followed Lily to the door. She whipped back around and skewered Angus with a penetrating look. “Her eyes are red.”

Angus tipped his head to the side. “I think it’s more like burgundy.”

“Her eyes are not normal.”

Angus nodded. “It’s a side effect of the flu I think. Children have very strange eye color these days.”

Ruth sputtered. “What?”

Nick settled back into his chair, letting Angus weigh in on this.

“I noticed it about three years ago. We had a child born here with orange eyes. Very unusual. And then purple. Somehow the flu must be affecting our DNA.”

Ruth’s mouth dropped open. “But, but, no...” She turned to Kyle. “Have we done this?”

Kyle licked his lips, blinking a few times. “Possibly. Probably.”

Nick felt a deep anger building. “You? You people making the vaccines did something to change the kids?”

Ruth’s hands fluttered as if she was trying to physically shape her thoughts. “No. Well, yes. But not for that. We were improving, strengthening...” She grabbed Kyle’s hand.

“The work we did was to combat the disease. The change in eye color is incidental,” Kyle said bluntly.

“Like killing off eighty percent of the lab was incidental?” Nick snapped. Angus frowned. Nick hadn’t had a chance to tell him the whole story.

“No.” Kyle raised a hand as if to stop him. “That was fool hardiness on Rutledge’s part. But Lily is
twelve
,” he said to Ruth.

Her eyes widened. “She’s too old for our work to have had an effect on her. Someone else must have done that.”

“That would be my husband’s handiwork.”

All heads turned at the sound of a new voice. Melissa stood in the doorway watching them. Angus jumped to his feet again. “Please come join us.” He offered her a chair. “I think there might be some coffee left,” he said giving Nick a stern look.

“No, thank you, I’m fine. I’d like to have my say and get it over with.”

Angus took the notebook from Ruth and offered it to Melissa. “I believe this might be yours.”

Melissa leaned away from it. “No. I want nothing to do with it. The man was sick, insane. But he didn’t start out that way.”

“Biobots were highly trained, and the few remaining were of inestimable worth.”

History of a Changed World
, Angus T. Moss

Wisp could feel the high spirits of the farmers. It was contagious enough that he found himself smiling as he finished his breakfast in the solitude of the field house. He walked out to the fields to find them. Mary and Joshua were walking hand in hand around the football field. Something green and grass-like was growing about knee high. He approached slowly, so that they would see him coming.

Mary swirled around, a wide smile on her face. “This is marvelous.”

Wisp had to smile back. “They try hard.”

“They have chickens!”

“This is an excellent set up,” Joshua said. “The field covers are ingenious. We lost a lot of crops to weather. How long have they been breeding this flock of chickens?”

Wisp shrugged. “I am new here, too.”

“Really?” Joshua frowned at him. “I thought you and Nick were old friends.”

“We met during an attack.”

“That makes fast friend,” Joshua agreed with a grimace. “Nick said they have guards here?” He looked around the field.

“They call it the Watch. They have men out on the roads.” Wisp reached out to find the outlying men. “A few in the woods. They are well trained by Martin.”

“Will I have to join?”

Wisp could sense the oscillating emotions in Joshua. Fear and relief, excitement and dread. He was afraid to accept that they were in a good place. “I don’t think so. Angus says that people should work to their strengths. If you know about working the land, they will want you to do that. They aren’t too sure about things.”

Joshua nodded enthusiastically, gesturing to the field. “This is pretty small for a field of wheat. And I’m not sure what else they have growing here. The round field over there has hardly enough potatoes for a family much less a settlement. And they have a couple of places that they could use better in rotation.”

“They will be very pleased if you choose to stay.”

Mary’s smile wilted a bit. “Do we have to live in there with everyone else?”

“No. Have you met Bruno?”

They both shook their heads. “I heard he had a vineyard,” Joshua said.

Wisp sifted through the thoughts and emotions for the taste of Bruno’s mind. He was away from the med center. “I can take you to him.”

Mary looked a question at Joshua. He smiled. “Why not? As long as it’s not too far,” he added with a pointed look at Mary’s swollen belly.

Wisp led them at a comfortable amble across the campus, past the incipient orchard, which also caught Joshua’s attention. “What are they growing here? Apples?”

“I’m not sure.”

Joshua inspected each tree. Wisp realized there were some subtle differences in them. “Fruits and nuts?” he asked.

Joshua grinned pointing at a sapling. “I swear that’s an olive tree.”

“Olive?” Mary’s emotions hopped up into joy, and Wisp felt a slight echo in the child. “We could get olive oil.” She laughed. “No more cooking with old bear fat!”

Wisp winced at the thought of it. He was fine with toasted over a campfire if it came down to it. They had butter from the Creamery now. Nick brought back oil occasionally. Without animal fat, there were very few options.

They walked two blocks past storm-damaged houses to a short cul de sac. Five low profile houses crouched on the street, two to either side and a slightly larger one at the end. The first one on the right showed signs of habitation with curtains in the windows and a tidy front yard. Wisp couldn’t feel anyone, but he wondered who had chosen to leave the main building. Reclaimed lumber, pipe and other construction materials were stacked outside the big house on the end with a handcart and a few tools. Wisp could feel Bruno concentrating deeply inside the house.

He walked up to the front door and knocked. After a moment Bruno limped out. “Wisp, my friend. You are back safe and sound!” Bruno slapped him on the shoulder.

“I’ve brought some new people that might be interested in a house.”

Bruno stared at Joshua and Mary where they waited on the front path. “A young couple.” His voice was tight with grief. Wisp felt them flinch misinterpreting his grief for something darker.

“Their farm was attacked,” Wisp said.

“Bastards!” Bruno swore. He approached with a hand out to Joshua. “I’m sorry to hear that. Everyone okay?”

Joshua shook his hand. “Um, no. That’s why we’re here.”

“Lost my whole settlement,” Bruno grumbled. “Still don’t know why.”

“Oh!” Mary took his hand in both of hers. “I’m so sorry.”

Bruno melted a little. “Look at you with a babe on the way. Of course, you need a good place. A big place with room for a family.” His voice broke a little. He stomped past them, gesturing them to follow. “Come!”

Bruno led them around the corner to a long low house on a large piece of property. The yard was overgrown, but a path had been cut through to the front door. “This is a good one. Has a greenhouse in the back. And a nice lawn for the kids to play on.” His kind words were in contrast to the gruff tone he’d taken. Wisp could sense a growing compassion in the couple. They could see beneath Bruno’s bluster to the sorrow he was drowning in.

The entry way was full of light showing a dusty, empty home. Bruno gave them a tour. There were two wings with a total of six bedrooms, three in each. A big country kitchen, with a table that would seat twelve, had a wall of glass looking out on an overgrown yard that sloped down to a stream. Mary looked around the kitchen and started to cry.

“What’s wrong?” Joshua was alarmed. He grabbed a chair for her.

“It’s a-maz-ing,” Mary hiccupped through her tears. She sat in the chair and sobbed.

Bruno grinned at Joshua. “Women get a bit emotional when they’re that far along.” He took Joshua’s arm. Look here at these walls. Good solid construction. The appliances are electric, so everything can be left as is.”

Wisp slipped back out the front door, unnoticed. He was sure that the farmer folk would stay. Another asset for this settlement. He headed back across the campus to his room, surprised at his feeling of ownership. It was a good space, safe and somewhat isolated. He could always take a place further out in the neighborhood. He wondered if Kyle and Ruth would stay. She was the sticking point. Kyle would go wherever she wanted to go. He wasn’t sure what he could find that would make her want to stay.

Wisp stopped at the edge of the campus, where he could see the young fruit trees, the green fields. Someone in a big hat was crouched in the vegetable garden, probably weeding. A horse called, and all six of them ran across the back meadow kicking up their heels. It was a happy day, but something was off. This was a good place, for now, even a safe place. But there was something in the wind that abruptly put him on edge. Something was coming, and he had a feeling that it might be a good time for him to stay put. He checked the sky, brilliant blue and without a cloud. Sometimes he felt this way before a big storm. There wasn’t a breeze, the day was hot and still. Could be a storm.