Virch code, p.34
Virch Code, page 34
The baby looked up at him, eyes dark blue, never used before. Then she yawned, closed them again. He could feel her heartbeat under his thumb, like the beat of a hummingbird’s wings. So fast, so tiny.
Lee sat down, holding her close, lost in looking at her. It was almost startling when silicone-wrapped fingers pulled the blanket away just a bit.
“What do you see?” he asked Bellona.
“My research indicates that all mammals find their young to be precious things,” Bellona said thoughtfully. “It is biologically hardwired, an evolutionary advantage.”
“And you?”
“I have seen the ultrasounds,” Bellona said. “The genetic tests. Everything. But it is different, seeing her like this.”
“Different good?”
“Different…fascinating,” Bellona replied. “New emotions are always fascinating.”
“She’s ours to protect now,” he said. “Caring for her is our primary purpose, yours and mine. She moves to the top of your priority stack when it comes to decision-making.”
“Already done,” Bellona said. She smiled at him.
Her kugu’s face was mechanical, not a projection. As good as Lee could make it—faces were important for babies. It was far from perfect, but Lee would get it there. He’d get them all there. Today, Bellona had managed to squeeze some real emotion out of it. She looked…awed.
Lee hugged his daughter tighter, wanting to savor this. Later would come the hard work. Later. Right now, he was going to enjoy it.
“What are you going to name her?” the nurse asked them.
“Daelia,” Bellona said. “Her name is Daelia.”
Daelia was bone tired as they stumbled back out into the October night, cold as could be. Argo, waiting beside the facility door, slung the shotgun back over his shoulder and held out an arm for her. She fell into it, grateful for the support, too tired to be irritated at herself for needing it.
She didn’t much care that her dad was watching them. Let him, she thought savagely, but couldn’t summon any real anger.
The events of the night had hollowed her out. She was empty.
“Where are we at?” she heard her dad ask.
“The bus is ready to go, we’ve got Dingo a fresh tire and a new ammo belt, and Emily’s still got one Hellfire left, so she’s going to stay with us as best she can,” Argo said. “It’s about as good as it’s going to get.”
“It’ll have to be enough,” Dad said, and looked down at the plaque in his hands. Daelia had the feeling he wasn’t talking about their current situation.
“Are we leaving or what?” Lara called from the bus. She sounded anxious. Daelia didn’t blame her. She’d been in this damn place for less than a few hours, and she couldn’t wait to get away from it. Being stuck in there for weeks had to have been a total mindfuck.
“In a minute!” Dad called back.
In the open space between guardhouse and doors, in the AR but somehow no less real than anything else, a huge dragon-form was landing.
“What’s up, Emily?” Daelia asked.
Problems, the abiota said.
“What kind of problems?” Argo pressed.
All lights in Austin dark, she said. SATCOM link to base dead.
Daelia stared out into the night, thinking about her earlier words to Lara and the rest of the captives, about how Unity hadn’t bricked the world. A horrible suspicion came over her, a terrible idea that wouldn’t go away.
Just how far was Unity willing to go to stop them?
“We need to get back to Ellington,” she said. “Now.”
Desperate gambles, last stands, and final revelations in Book Five, Anyon Code, available for pre-order now!
AUTHOR’S NOTES
When I started this, I thought it would go easy. One day, one very well-defined objective for both Argo and Daelia. But stories sometimes have a way of fighting you.
The biggest issue here was finding the right balance of elements. It would be easy to make Austin a utopia or full-on cyberpunk hell. It would be easy to make Bellona a villain or excuse her actions, based on her nature. Heck, even Sean Robinson’s personal philosophy could be admirable or terrible, depending on a reader’s perspective. But life, even artificial life, can be a heap of contradictions sometimes. The real bad guy here is ultimately Unity, and don’t worry, that showdown is coming!
If you liked this book, there’s no greater compliment a writer can receive than a review! More importantly, it helps other readers find and enjoy it as well. Even just giving a star rating is a great thing. (And hey, if you hated it, thank you for reading this far and I’d love to hear your thoughts too)
If you’d like to subscribe to my newsletter for some free short stories, future release information, and the occasional Embarrassing Cadet Tale, please head over to my website and sign up!
https://rensingwrites.com/
Cheers,
Eryn
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A lifelong science fiction fanatic, E.M. Rensing still managed to surprise her family when she decided to pursue a commission in the US Air Force. A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, she enjoyed a 13 year career as a Cyber Operations Officer, and has traveled all over the world. E.M. Rensing lives with her husband and daughters in south Texas.
E.M. Rensing, Virch Code
