Over in a corner, she spied a play area. Among the stacked, and scattered blocks, the dozens of stuffed animals, and squeaky toys, stood a small two-seater tin wagon. It was old, rusted, and dilapidated, but it would do.
Gem made for it, but as she pulled it forward, and it complained violently, a fear struck her.
What if the noise draws the attention of the attendants?
Looking around, Gem frowned. She hadn't seen a single caregiver the whole time.
Where are they all? There is obviously a fire in here some place...why doesn't the pump system clear away the smoke? And, where are the firefighters?
It dawned on her, then, the fire and emergency men had been unavailable, ever since the flood in their lodgings, way before Galar had taken her.
These babies will die of smoke inhalation...they haven't just left them to die? Surely not!
All the more reason to take those she could...
Tugging the squeaking wagon, she went along the rows.
Whom to choose; who to let die?
Gemma shivered with dread. It was a terrible task, playing god.
A very small boy caught her eye. His skin was coal black; a fine feather of curl covered the top of his head. He was balled into a fetal position, as if trying to escape the inevitable. Gemma had never seen such a tiny year old.
As she lifted him, placed him in the wagon, blanket and all, he hardly stirred. She covered his mouth, and nose, with one of the surgical masks. At least, he was still breathing.
She couldn't save them all...but, maybe, just one more...
In a far corner of the room, a single crib stood by itself. Gem stopped short, drawing in a breath in shock.
****
Da discovered Lydia right where he had found their infant daughter. She was staring morosely into the little torture chamber, the incubator, where the Physicians had held captive their tiny belly-ball.
Why has she come here? Does she want to see what was done? Would she rather put our baby back?
But, purely by accident, Lydia had come upon the containment pod. She appeared mesmerized by the empty bed, with its tubes, and cord hanging loose, and as she gazed into the empty container, Lydia had suddenly realized its purpose. She drew her infant more closely against her, as if, now, she felt more qualified to protect her from any future damage.
Da tugged at her arm; Lydia jerked as if struck. Finally realizing he was there, she went into his arms, and he embraced her in the firm hug she so desperately needed.
By the time they pulled apart, they were both coughing uncontrollably. Da reached to a nearby shelf, pulled down a handful of surgical masks, put one on Lydia, another on himself, and stowed the rest in his pack. Then he led her away, out another door.
Chapter 37
Gem stared at the infant sitting in the crib; it was like looking at a miniature Loni, except that this two year old had delightful, tiny, shell-shaped ears. His skin was the same pale white-blue; the eyes were turquoise, hair a curly white-blond. The boy sat there, staring back at her, as if he could see right into her mind.
Her immediate reaction was to close her thoughts from him.
And suddenly, Loni stood right there beside them.
"He looks just like me," Loni marveled, projecting both his thoughts, and his shock. "They've been experimenting with mother's genes; they must have grown him..."
They both cringed in revulsion at the very thought.
What an awful thing to do!
But the little boy had followed their silent communiqué. His immediate reaction was to think, rejection. His soulful eyes filled with tears, and he inched away, to the back wall of the crib.
"Oh, no!" cried Gem. "You are not the bad one. They were wrong, in what they did with you..."
The tiny boy sighed, reached his arms out, and up toward them. Mirroring tears filled Gem's own eyes, as she picked him up, and folded him against her.
She fitted him with a mask, before she made to place him in the wagon. As Gem leaned forward, the small boy patted questioningly at the bump inside her pouch.
My...little girl.
He grinned broadly, and allowed her to set him down. When she placed the sleeping, smaller, black boy in his arms, he was quite willing to hold him tightly to keep him safe.
As they passed a shelving unit, Loni grabbed a handful of surgical face protectors. Both he and Gem began fitting the smaller ones with the masks, The two young ones, Gem's baby, and the black child, were already quite lethargic.
The little blue-skinned boy seemed to understand the reasoning behind their actions; he had submitted willingly to the imprisoning of his nose and mouth.
As Loni finished securing the mask to the second boy, Gem forced another into his hand for himself. He quickly donned it, then, took the handle to pull the wagon.
****
With the wagon full of the two toddlers, and both Loni and Gem burdened down with loaded backpacks, Gem carrying her baby, as well, they knew they could not go straight down the ladders. They had to find another way out, so they travelled parallel, out along the corridors, through the lounge area of the holding quarters for the waiting pregnant women.
To Gem's dismay, even here, the air was thick with smoke and fumes.
"What is causing all the smoke in the air? Why doesn't the ventilation system filter it away?"
Loni answered her questions direct to her mind, as was their usual way of communication.
"Da started a fire, as a distraction; that's gotten out of hand. It was a chemical fire, and you know the firefighters have been nonexistent since our unit flooded. There is no one who
