Ryan stopped. Marianne waited, sensing there was more to come.
Finally Ryan said, “Some of what he did might be called brutal. Was called brutal. His first goal was to not contaminate the base with RSA, because he needed the scientists who were not immune to stay alive and find a way to combat the weaponized disease. He kept out sick people begging to get in. They died, some of them, just outside the airlock, including children. Lindy wanted to go out in an esuit and do what she could to at least ease their dying, but he wouldn’t let her, even though she’s an RSA survivor. He couldn’t risk some crazy survivor killing one of his two doctors. He instituted strict control of the birds brought into Lab Dome for research, and he enforced it with weapons when he had to.”
She said, startled, “There are RSA-bearing birds inside Lab Dome?”
“There’s a biohazard lab in the underground annex, with its own decon. Not a biohazard level 4, unfortunately, but an engineer rigged up negative pressure. Everybody allowed to work there is an RSA survivor, I’m told, which pissed off some scientists who aren’t and feel their hands are tied, relatively.”
Ryan had once been a scientist, too, long ago. A botanist concerned with invasive species, especially purple loosestrife. Not relevant now.
He went on, “When the war started with New America, I think Jason did… other things. I’m not sure what. But that’s when Lindy left him. She doesn’t understand that Jason is doing what he thinks is necessary. So is Colin. Mom—what about this virophage you brought back from World?”
She could have asked why Ryan chose to live with Colin instead of at the base, but she didn’t. Ryan’s tone said he was done discussing his sons. She said, “Zack McKay told me that the virophage from our tissues has proved useless against the weaponized version of R. sporii. The leelees—that’s an animal native to World—aboard the Return were also infected with both virus and virophage, but they all died when Terran air filled the ship. The cultures that Claire and I made on ship died, too. None of us refugees is going to be much help to Zack and his people.”
“You are a help. You brought the ship.”
“Well, yes, there is that. We— Come in, Jane.”
The Kindred woman stood uncertainly in the doorway. Marianne saw that to Ryan, Jane still looked alien. Marianne had been around Worlders so long that now they just looked like another group of Terrans, no stranger than people with red hair or brown skin.
She saw something else, too: the way Jane looked at Colin. Unlike Ryan and Jason, Jane was not guarded. Her whole young heart shone in her big eyes.
She said in her musical English, “Will Colin become completely well?”
“We hope so. Dr. Ross says he’s recovering as well as can be expected.”
Jane glanced at Ryan and then at Luke, snoring loudly on the floor.
Marianne said, “This is my son, Ryan Jenner, Colin’s father. And that’s Luke, a friend of Colin’s from the Settlement.”
“I greet you, Ryan Jenner.” Apparently Jane had decided to resume the World greeting; for a while she had dropped it. It must be difficult to decide how much of your culture to keep or shed in such different surroundings.
Ryan said, “Hello.”
Lindy suddenly pushed past Jane. “What are all you doing in here without so much as a face mask? Where’s Amy—why did she let you in? Out, all of you!”
Marianne said, “Don’t blame Amy. She has too many to nurse in the ward. We snuck in, but we’ll go now if you say so.”
“You and Ryan can stay, with masks, but not until after I examine Colin. And get this big sleeping lump out of here, now. You, Jane: don’t come back until I say so, and—Jason? No, you can’t come in, stay out there in the corridor, and the rest of you—out. This is a vulnerable patient, people. I wish you would all remember that!”
Ryan woke Luke and got him out of the room, although only by constant soothing murmurs as he tugged Luke along. Jason and Jane left, followed by Marianne. Jason and Jane stood at the end of the corridor, talking in low voices. Sooner than Marianne expected, Lindy emerged from Colin’s room.
“He’s doing well—everything looks good. Find Amy and get a face mask before you go back in there. Jason, I need to talk to you.”
He said stiffly, “Colonel Jenner, please.”
Before Marianne heard Lindy’s reply, she left to find a face mask. Marianne had no intention of leaving Colin until she could see for herself that he was awake and rational.
Although the more she thought about it, the less rational everything seemed. Why should Colin be any different?
At least her headache had lessened. That was something.
“What did you do with him?” Lindy demanded.
Jason didn’t have to ask whom she meant. Her green eyes, shadowed with fatigue, glared at him. Jane glided discreetly away. Jason didn’t let his gaze follow her.
Just beyond the infirmary corridor, Zack McKay conferred with two other scientists. Boxes of God-knew-what lined the walls and narrowed the hallway; one of the scientists sat on a tall crate. By last count, 203 Settlers had survived the attack by New America, and all of them had been jammed into the base wherever they would fit. Families in two-room apartments were now down to a single room. Storerooms had been emptied to use as quarters, which was why the corridors were now crowded with crates and shelving. All but the main conference room in Lab Dome had been commandeered, and most other such amenities had been eliminated. Sergeant Tasselman, the billeting officer, had done the best he could. Susan McKay, quartermaster, had stretched blankets and cots and kitchenware as far as they could possibly go. Jason was sleeping on a cot in his command post. But, then, he’d often done that since he and Lindy divorced.
Lieutenant Allen had taken the contaminated Return back to orbit, along with Information Technology Specialist Ruby Martin and J Squad soldier Corporal Jeffrey Michaelson. Jason had hesitated over the decision to park the ship upstairs, even though that would keep it safe from attack. Branch Carter had no idea how much fuel was left, or even what fuel the ship used when it wasn’t jumping through time and space. Carter was not aboard. With no immunity to RSA, Carter lay in the infirmary, having his gut microbes adjusted back to Terran.
Also aboard the Return was Monterey Base’s only physicist, Major Thomas Farouk. Jason wasn’t happy about that, either, but Farouk, an RSA survivor, was more eager to investigate the Return than to do research on the ground. During the frantic days after the Collapse, Jason had concentrated on gathering up biologists, virologists, doctors, anyone who could help with R. sporii avivirus. He had not anticipated needing more physicists to reverse-engineer an alien starship. But maybe Farouk would learn something useful about the alien technology.
In addition to the Army personnel, the Return now carried more weapons from the armory, transported to the ship in heavily guarded FiVees.
Lindy folded her arms across her chest. “That prisoner is underground, isn’t he? In your dungeon?”
“This is none of your business, Dr. Ross.”
“It sure the hell is! I’m chief medical officer here and—”
“You aren’t an officer at all.”
“—torture is against your rules of engagement that—”
“For Christ’s sake!” he hissed. Two of the scientists glanced their way and Jason cursed himself. Nobody could make him lose his temper like Lindy. He lowered his voice.