Decima: One Mission - Chapter 1 - A'mara Books

1

(Mid-Komanari
888 Terrenden Common Era)
(Wirnday)

Imperial Hospital Irola

.
Beep… beep… beep…

The medical equipment made lots of noise. How could anyone rest here, Hrista Hollins wondered as she watched her mother labor just to breathe. She wondered how a healthy, mature woman who was laughing and scheming in their apartment two weeks ago could be so ill now! She wiped a tear from her eye. She must be strong – strong for Mother, strong for Father, in a land across the Sound… strong for her brothers who had left to find him, and not returned. She was all her mother had left on Irola. Hrista had to be strong!

She stood and looked out the window. In the distance, she could just about see a sliver of shining blue as the sun sparkled on the water. She imagined that the clouds were the distant shore and the slopes of Mt. Çtarest, the highest point on Kranisis.

“You mustn’t blame him,” her mother’s weak voice reached her.

Hrista pivoted and returned to her mother. “But you need him!”

She nodded. “But if someone were to see him… kill him… I would take the guilt with me to the grave. I do love your father so. Even now.”

“Why did the people ever have to elect such a horrible person?” Hrista asked as she thought about the dollops of truth her mother had given her over the past two weeks. Little bits that wouldn’t threaten anyone, but Hrista knew there was a lot more her mother couldn’t tell her while in a hospital run by the Empress.

Her mother shook her head. “People do what they think is best for their own situation. Belmara promised wonderful things for the planet. She promised good health, good education, good life in general. People want to believe they can be happy, if only the right stroke of luck happens. They want the easy way. It’s human nature, Hrista.”

“What do they think is wrong with you, Mom? What is Decima?”

“The doctors aren’t sure. It seems to be a new virus which popped up in the Distant Lands – escaped a laboratory, it seems. I will be all right in a few days, then you and I are going on a trip together.”

“Are we going to see my brothers?!”

“We can try,” she said with a weak smile. Then a coughing fit overtook her. “Hrista… if I don’t make it… don’t hang around. Promise to find your father and your brothers… Take my love to them.” She started coughing again, gasping for breath between each fit.

“You’re going to be fine, Mother. You just said you were.”

“Get out of the way!” an order was barked as half a dozen medical personnel crowded around the bed.

Hrista backed out of the way into a corner.

“Who are you?” someone asked.

“Her daughter.”

“You need to go. Now!”

Hrista left the room and stood at the window, watching the doctors try to save her mother. The machines started making strange noises and more doctors came, all arguing about how best to treat her.

<Go! I will always be with you.> the thought came to her mind. It sounded like her mother’s voice, but they had never spoken telepathically. <Go! Don’t let them keep you here!>

Hrista fought back the tears and oriented herself.

“So young too,” a nurse said with shame, shaking her head. “Too young to die.”

“But she has,” a doctor replied. “This is a very serious disease. All who are exposed must be quarantined for the good of the planet.”

“Who has been exposed to her?”

“There was a young woman in here when we came in. She needs to be found and quarantined immediately.”

Hrista stopped listening and started walking towards the zip-lifts.

“Excuse me, miss. Are you the woman who was with the deceased earlier?”

“No,” Hrista lied, and kept walking.

“She is,” the doctor’s voice said. “I had to tell her to leave the room. Miss, you need to come with us. You have been exposed to a deadly virus.”

Hrista ignored them and jogged to the zip-lift.

“Stop!” a doctor commanded. “Quarantine that woman!”

A wave of Hrista’s hand opened the zip-lift in front of her and another wave shut the doors behind her. She pressed the button that said, “Street level.”

Only a minute passed as the lift descended faster than usual. Hrista didn’t waste time musing about the fact she had always been able to make the zip-lifts move faster than they were meant to go. Normally, it was a cool little trick to play on her friends. Today, it could just save her freedom.

Out of the zip-lift, she resumed her jog through the crowds. As she reached the corner, she turned to see the doctor and nurse emerge from the hospital. They didn’t pursue her, but used their PCS links.

Hrista boarded the first hoverbus that stopped even though it was going the wrong direction. She put a token in the box and sat in the first seat, heaving to catch her breath.

A news bulletin came onto the HPS screen at the front of the passenger area.

It has been confirmed that Irola has had its first death from the Decima virus, the plague known for killing one tenth of those affected. Attempts are being made to contact next of kin before releasing the name of the deceased. We would like to emphasize that anyone exposed to this deadly virus must submit to quarantine for the good of all!

Hrista’s tears began running down her face.

“I will find Dad, Hamon and Hergil, Mother. I will tell them that you loved them!” she muttered quietly.

She got off at the next stop and transferred to another bus.

Finally, she arrived at the building where she had shared a flat with her mother after her father and brothers had left them alone.

She opened the zip-lift and stepped out. She turned the corner of the corridor and pulled back as quickly as she could. There were people outside her door!

She looked again, but more carefully. They pressed the bell to her door again. Then someone used something and opened her door anyway. They went inside, leaving someone outside to guard.

“Shit!” she breathed. Then she went back to the zip-lift, making sure the doors closed behind her quickly. Using her gift, she engaged the zip-lift to extra fast again, but went below the street level into the Understory. She felt her heart beating fast as she did. No one chose to go into the Understory unless their situation was one of need. Hrista’s situation was now dire.