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Whatever the cost.”
    He stared at me a while longer. Almost, he
broke me with that will. But at last, he relented.
    “If you remember anything about your recon,
you can talk to me personally. Remember what I said about the
xenovirus. Not a word.” He paused. “That is all.”
    Just like that, the interrogation was over.
Chan turned his attention to some papers, and seemed to have
forgotten me in quick order.
    But I had to ask one question before I opened
the door to go.
    “Officer Chan…why was that man coming to our
Bunker, anyway?”
    Chan looked up, trying to decipher what I
knew. Finally, he spoke.
    “It is a matter of governmental security that
I cannot relay to you,” he said. “How he came to be infected in the
first place…” Chan frowned, lost in thought. “That is all I have to
say on that subject.”
    “Yes, Officer Chan.”
    I left Chan to his work, and closed the door
behind me.
    Questions raced through my mind as I walked
home. By the time I returned to my father’s and my apartment, it
was 21:00. Only then did I allow myself to relax. As soon as I shut
the door, I heaved a huge sigh. Chan was the one person whose bad
side I didn’t want to be on. Up until now, I had done well in not
drawing attention to myself. Chan would forever remember this, and
it might make things difficult.
    At least I had my dad to help with things.
Tomorrow, after class, I would speak with him. He would know what
to do.
    I closed my eyes, trying to find peace. When
I opened them, I looked at my familiar surroundings. Our apartment
was two rooms – a bedroom, and a small living room. The living room
contained a couch, several bookshelves filled to overflowing, and a
large desk littered with papers and yet more books, where I did my
homework and my sketches.
    I went to the bedroom, and lay down on the
corner bunk. It was a while before I fell asleep. After what Chan
told me, it was a wonder I could sleep at all.
    I could only hope the morning would bring
answers and resolution.

Chapter 7
     
    The next morning, I went to class. It was
hard to concentrate as Mrs. Watson introduced the class to
geometric proofs.
    When lunch break came, Khloe walked up to
me.
    “What happened last night?”
    “It was fine. He didn’t get anything out of
me.”
    I turned around to leave.
    “Wait. Where are you going?”
    “Sorry,” I said. “I need to go see my
dad.”
    I stared at the wall, so frazzled by
everything that had happened that I wasn’t sure I could function
anymore.
    “Need company?”
    I nodded. “Sure. I could use the moral
support.”
    Khloe and I left the classroom and headed for
the medical bay. It wasn’t far. We were there within a minute.
    But when we entered through the double doors,
it was completely empty. Not even my father’s assistants were
there.
    “Did everyone go home?” Khloe asked.
    That’s what I thought, at first. Then I
realized…
    “He must be with the patient.”
    We walked toward the operating room. Through
the small window in the door, the patient lay sprawled on his back,
motionless. But that’s not what worried me. CSO Chan was standing
next to my dad and two assistants. All wore face masks.
    We ducked out of the way, before any of them
saw us.
    “What is it?” Khloe whispered.
    “Chan’s in there,” I said.
    “Should we leave?”
    “No. I want to listen.”
    “Oh, Alex. Do you really want to get into more trouble?”
    “I’m already in trouble. Besides, this is too
important.”
    Khloe sighed. “Fine. I’ll stay too, I
guess.”
    I leaned against the door and listened.
    “Will he expire soon?”
    It was Chan. I heard whispers from the
assistants, followed by my father’s voice.
    “Yes. He is dead now, in fact. But the virus
is still changing him. It must take a while before it expires,
too.”
    “How is it still transforming him?” Chan
asked, his voice both awed and horrified.
    “I have yet to run a DNA sample, but as you
can see, all of his hair is gone. The