“Abhilasha Anika Yoxall,” the dark-skinned woman replied. She was probably older than Roslyn had initially guessed, with gray streaked through her black hair. “I am the principal of this school and I am responsible for these children.
“The school was designed during the war; it doubles as an air raid bunker, and the barricades can hold against weapons fire,” she continued. “My charges are safer here than anywhere else.”
“Neither the Protectorate nor the Republic used bioweapons or nanotech weapons during the war,” Roslyn told the principal. “Is your school’s air system rated to filter out weapons-grade nanotech, Ms. Yoxall?”
Yoxall blinked, her face darkening as she glared at Bolivar.
“I don’t know,” she admitted.
“And it doesn’t matter,” Roslyn told her. “I am the Voice of the Mage-Queen of Mars, Ms. Yoxall. Do you know what that means?”
“I am a schoolteacher. I know what that means,” Yoxall replied. “But these children—”
“Will be safer on the right side of a bioweapons filter than they will in your school as this city is under bio-attack,” Roslyn said. “And this isn’t discretionary, Ms. Yoxall. I will tear those doors open myself if it will get those children to safety—and if it comes to it, I will die to defend them.
“Now get them moving.”
Something in Roslyn’s tone—because she doubted her faceless armor was any more sympathetic than Bolivar’s—convinced the woman. Yoxall tapped a command that lifted the barricades.
“Where are we taking them?” she finally asked.
“Adkins, show her the way,” Roslyn ordered one of the Marines. “I have more Marines incoming. I need to coordinate.”
She gestured for Bolivar to join her as the looming exosuit stepped up to the principal—and then went down on one knee to present a less intimidating figure.
Thank god for smart Marines.
“What’s the Guardia doing?” she asked Bolivar quietly.
“Panicking,” he admitted. “We barely train for bioweapons attack, let alone zombies, and we don’t have the numbers for this. Out-city Guardia is trying to blockade the main roads, but people are panicked and running.
“And the Guardia isn’t much better.”
“I’m guessing subdividing the city to try to contain the infected zones isn’t going to happen?” Roslyn asked.
“If we had ten times as many Guardia officers, maybe, but we’re just cops, sir. There aren’t that many of us. How much violent crime do you think this city has?”
“Not that much,” Roslyn conceded. “So, what can you do?”
“Right now, I’ve got maybe a hundred Guardia officers on a tac-net around the park,” he told her. “From the map you gave me, none of the sprayers are close to here—and those decon units in the lab should deal with any non-active infection.”
“They should,” Roslyn agreed. “You’re sending people our way?”
“Exactly. Right now, this section of the city is quiet. People are having a hard time believing how bad it is elsewhere.”
“I’m having a hard time believing it,” Roslyn admitted. “I just can’t believe anyone would build a weapon like this, let alone use it in this messy of a way.”
“Some people are broken and can be helped,” Bolivar told her. “I’m a cop; my job is to find those people and find them their help. Some people, though… Some people can’t be helped.”
“Usually, that’s when we send in Marines,” she said. “Speaking of, I have more coming. I need you to coordinate with the school, the Guardia, everyone local. Let’s get some cables run down into the lab so we can communicate.
“We can’t waste time on trying to hack their communications system. I need Knight to tell me how to turn off these damn nanites.”
“Magic, maybe?” Bolivar asked. “I’ll admit I know nothing about it.”
Roslyn shook her head.
“It’s not that easy, Captain. It’s never that easy. You need to know what you’re doing—I can kill a lot of people at once if I’m pushed, but I barely know enough about the human body to splint a broken bone with magic, let alone actually fix the bone.”
“A man who knows nothing can hope, at least,” Bolivar said quietly. “I’ll see if we can source that cable.”
A chirp in Roslyn’s helmet told her the Marines were closer.
“Sergeant Colburn?” she asked.
“Yes, sir,” the Marine replied. “I’ve got Lieutenant Evanson on the channel as well; he’s flying the shuttle.”
“How are you doing for fuel, Lieutenant?” Roslyn asked.
“Enough to get back to orbit again, so about twelve more hours in the air,” Evanson said. “I’m in contact with the other shuttles as well. Despite the plan…well…we all got close to those sprayers, sir.
“There’s no way we can trust our hulls not to be contaminated. I don’t want to bring us too close to your area. We’d be bringing the damn weapon with us.”
“I wish I could tell you going into orbit would kill it, but I have no data,” Roslyn told them, considering how best to use them. “I need you to orbit the city and provide whatever coordination support you can to the Guardia. They’re undermanned and terrified, but the sight of RMMC assault shuttles might help them find nerve, even keeping them high enough to avoid any infection risk.”
“Understood, sir,” Evanson replied. He paused and audibly swallowed. “What mapping we’re getting from Huntress flags major movement of infected victims. Mobs, basically. Do we…engage?”
“Negative,” Roslyn said. “For now, at least. Those people are as innocent as the ones we’re trying to protect. I’m hoping to find an answer in the damn lab, and everyone who dies isn’t someone we can help later.”
“I really, really wish Nix worked on these poor people,” Colburn admitted.
“Me too,” she agreed. “And that is why the monsters who designed the Orpheus weapon made sure Nix wouldn’t.”
“Please tell me those fuckers are dead,” the Marine said.
“They’re dead,” Roslyn confirmed. “Cost too many good people even finding them, but they’re dead.”
“Good to hear,” the Sergeant told her. “Linking into the Guardia net now, sir. We’ll see what we can do.”
Roslyn sighed as she dropped the channel.
“I hope you find something, Sergeant,” she whispered. “Because I’m not even sure what I can do.”
38
There was nothing calming or peaceful
