Page 81 of The Fall

Kerr scurried over, the smoking rifle slung over her shoulder.

“We could have driven away with the DocPod without firing a shot.” Alana wiped at the gore. It only smeared the blood around like face paint.

“Yes, but then they’d still be alive.” Kerr kicked at one of the corpses staining the snow red.

“That was the point.”

“They’re Styx. We usually kill them on sight.” Kerr explained.

“I see.” Alana snatched her rifle back before Kerr could do any further damage. “And do they do the same?”

Kerr scoffed. “No. Chargers aren’t dumb enough to wear gang affiliation you can see from that far away. We’re more discreet.” She pointed to the two red marks Lusa had thought were freckles.

“Were you planning on killing me?” Alana emptied the chamber.

“Yes. But you threw me your rifle without a magazine.”

“And now?”

“Lusa would get mad.” Kerr grinned.

“You’re a little shit, you know that?”

Kerr only smiled wider in response.

Alana jerked her head toward the lorry. “Get in. Let’s get this to Model 2 before you attract any more attention.”

To Be Or Not To Be

Lusa leaned back in the chair. Endless desire. Endless greed. Sesi had mentioned a monster known to some of the southern traders. Speaking its name was forbidden.

PRIMARY: WHY KILL EVERYONE THEN? WOULDN’T HE WANT TO FEEL HUMANS’ DESIRE AS WELL?

MODEL 2: I CAN ONLY SPECULATE. HIS INTENTIONS WERE NOT REVEALED UNTIL MUCH LATER.

PRIMARY: WHAT DO YOU THINK, THEN?

MODEL 2: COLLATERAL DAMAGE. EXTINCTION WAS NOT THE GOAL. HE PLANNED TO LIVE ALONGSIDE HUMANS.

Lusa couldn’t decide whether that was better or worse – that someone could be so evil as to intentionally kill everyone to get what they want or so callous as to not mind if everyone dies in their pursuit of everything. The result was the same.

The monitor flashed again. Model 2 wasn’t finished.

MODEL 2: WE WORKED TO REDUCE NANITE ACCUMULATION AND EXPANDING THE FERTILITY WINDOW, BUT IT WAS IRREVERSIBLE. I BELIEVE THE RETROVIRUS WAS RUSHED BECAUSE DR. BLACK WAS TERMINALLY ILL.

The story differed from what she had been told, but she supposed Model 2 would have more information. Or she was lying. Callie and Talia had said they made things up all the time. Being manipulated was a very real possibility.

PRIMARY: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THE DOCPOD?

MODEL 2: REVERSE THE PROCESS.

PRIMARY: WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

MODEL 2: I WILL DESCEND.

Anxiety tittered at the edge of her thoughts. Model 2 was being evasive.

PRIMARY: WILL YOU KILL EVERYONE?