Unforeseen Consequences

by Lyta


Disclaimer:  Earth: Final Conflict and its characters are copyrighted by Tribune Entertainment Company.  All rights reserved.



Note from Author:      Based loosely on my idea of what might happen in S3.



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Liam Kincaid and Augur inched toward the silver color refrigeration unit that contained the altered version of the virus released by the Metal Scarecrow probe. They did not have much time: Jonathan Doors had contacted Renee Palmer with instructions to reveal the location of this facility. It was not until Dr. Park revealed that was where she had stashed the virus, and Renee had already placed her call to Sandoval, that Liam and Augur set out to destroy the virus.

Augur tried to break open the lock on the refrigeration unit, but it was taking too much time, so Liam forced it open with his shaquarava. The lock was gone, but the alarm was going full blast. One of the vials containing the virus had cracked a bit, but neither of the two men noticed as Augur set explosives in the refrigation unit.

By the time the Volunteers reached the room where the virus had been kept, the storage area was a burned out shell.

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Liam had to sit down as soon as they returned to the temporary Resistance HQ, his head was spinning and he felt so dizzy he could hardly walk. A minute later his vision was filled with gray specks and he collapsed, sliding off the chair and onto the floor. Augur and Doors hauled him to the medical area of the facility. Doors had intended this place to be used in case the hideout under St. Michael's church was exposed, but it lacked many of the amenities the old facility contained. One thing the HQ did have was an isolation area.

Dr. Park ran a scanner over Liam and noticed his tempiture had shot way up. After his birth and rapid development, she ran run a battery of tests to determine what was normal for Liam. She detected a virus at work in his system and gasped when she recognised it.

"Oh my God." She whispered. Park had never considered that her virus, designed to kill only Taelons, might harm someone she cared about. She took a deep breathe and slid into professional mode, feeling guilty and sorry for herself would not help Liam.

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"I designed the virus to attack anyone carrying a certain gene sequence I believed at the time to be unique to the Taelons." Dr. Park explained.

"Let me venture a guess: Liam has that gene as well." Augur said.

Park nodded.

"Is he contagious?" Doors asked worriedly, thinking of how to quantine the facility.

"No, not even to a Taelon. The virus was designed to be airborne for a brief period of time, not even five minutes, and then is only infectious for a few hours after that. It is harmless to humans, and now Liam has passed the point where he could pass it on to others." Dr. Park assured them. "Also with his unique chemistry, I'm not even sure he could pass it onto a Taelon."

Doors walked up to the glass partition that separated the isolation area from the rest of the facility. "Will he live?"

"I don't know and it does not look good." Dr. Park said sadly.

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Liam felt hot, he had never felt so warm in his life, but no sooner did he kick off the blanket covering him than he was beset by chills. He thrashed on the medical bed deliriously, calling out in a languages known of the Resistance had ever heard of before.

"He's not speaking either Taelon or Jaridian." Augur told Park and Doors.

"Kimeran?" Doors asked, recalling the name of Ha'gel's race. "Most likely," Augur confirmed. "There are alot of similarities between the language and Eunoia, but not enough to figure out what he's saying." Augur paused. "Da'an might know."

"He might." Doors said slowly, "but Renee tells me he's been put under arrest for treason. The Taelons are keeping this under wraps for now."

***

Da'an sat in his cell, waiting. He had already endured a visit from Zo'or, but was surprised to see Sandoval. The former North American Companion had been told only Zo'or and high ranking Synod members had access to him.

"Agent Sandoval." Da'an said.

"Da'an," the human acknowledged and pulled out a global. He pressed it to the access panel and when he pulled it away, Da'an saw it bore a readout of Zo'or's energy signature. He wondered how Sandoval had obtained it. "There is a shuttle prepared for the usual run at this time. The pilot is quite ill. Tell no one that I helped you. I've already arranged an alibi."

Da'an nodded and took off for the shuttle bay.

TO BE CONTINUED