Falling Sky Read Free Page A

says.
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œWe need to go back. To the last location.”
    I reach for the canteen of filtered water and take a gulp. “Why?”
    She pushes back the wavy brown hair from her face. “Because I need to find that Feral. The one I drew the blood from.” She looks at my face. “There’s something in it.”
    â€œYes. It’s called the Bug.”
    â€œSomething else.”
    My eyes narrow. “What kind of something else?”
    She takes another slug from the bottle. “I’m not really sure. A mutation maybe? But the virus seems to react differently in him, and I need more plasma to look at. I need to maybe do a physical examination. It’s by no means sure, but this specimen could exponentially increase our knowledge of the virus and help us find a cure.”
    I rub my hands over my face willing her not to say it.
    â€œBen. . . ”
    â€œDon’t say it.”
    â€œWe need to capture it. Alive.”
    I shake my head; I can’t stop myself. Craziness. I keep telling myself she’s really not all that fucked in the head, and then she opens her mouth and—
    â€œAre you fucking crazy?”
    â€œBen—”
    â€œNo.” I start pacing. “No. I thought you were crazy when you wanted to transport blood. And you are. And yet I found a way to accept that. To deal with it. But now you want to capture a Feral, knock it out, and what—bring it on my ship? No. No way. Not ever.”
    â€œBen, you know this is important.”
    â€œWhy? Because you say it is? Because you believe that you’ll find a cure? I once knew a woman who believed the Bug was God’s judgment, and that one day he would rescue those who were pure from this hellhole of a life. What’s to say that your belief is any better than hers?”
    â€œC’mon Ben—”
    â€œNo. Fucking no. You. Jesus. You hired me to protect you. To keep you and the others safe during all of this. Well, I can tell you that dealing with a live Feral is not. Fucking. Safe. Especially if you’re thinking of. Goddamnit. Thinking of poking it with needles and getting all up close to it. You know how it is. One drop. And that’s not even considering what happens if the sedative wears off prematurely. Or if he manages to escape and run wild in the Core. Goddamnit, Miranda.”
    Miranda stares at me. Silent. Then says, “Are you done?”
    â€œI just might be.” It takes a moment for what I’m saying, what I’m really saying, to sink in.
    She shakes her head. “You confound me.”
    â€œExcuse me?”
    â€œYou’ll risk your life for trinkets—for scissors and hubcaps—but something real. . . ”
    My face flushes with heat. “I risk my life so that I can prolong it. I risk it for food. Or I risk it for things I can barter for food. You find me a magical machine that spits out good food on a regular basis and I’ll hole up there until my old age. Until then, I aim to keep on living. What you’re talking about reeks of going in the opposite direction.”
    â€œWhat I’m talking about is the long view, Ben. What happens when the food runs out? When your sources of barter dry up? If we find a cure—”
    â€œThat’s a big fucking if, Miranda. And in the meantime, people are going to die. People are going to be infected. And then more. And then more. And I’m not sticking around to have it happen to me.”
    She leans forward. “There are risks, yes. But what we’re trying for . . . it’s worth it. Don’t you want to help save the world? Isn’t that worth putting your neck out for?”
    â€œNot if I lose my head,” I say.
    She shakes her head again. “You’re a selfish coward.”
    The words sting more than I thought they would. “Fuck you, Miranda. Get off my ship.”
    â€œBen—”
    â€œNow!”
    Her scowl breaks for a moment