Devyn stared at the numbers on her laptop screen inside her office. Well, more of a lab than an office. The offices on the high floors had windows. Devyn had a bunch of artificial lights and machines for blood samples. Two long tables exhibited the room's length with a few refrigerators along the back wall. Since there weren't too many researchers here, they each got their own lab, complete with machines. Behind her, Devyn could hear footsteps every so often as her coworkers passed her open door.

The screen looked the same as always: blood sample identification number, antibody count, foreign antigen identification, link to a brain scan, if applicable. Important work. But, today, today, it seemed dull. She knew this work had to be done. Vials of blood sat in her refrigerator, waiting to be analyzed. To let the higher-ups know what the state of the spread is like. These lists used to be so much longer. Maybe that is why she was bored. The lists were shorter. There were fewer people with active Z infections, and if infected... Devyn clicked on a link to a brain scan and pressed her lips together. The deterioration of the brain tissue, especially in the frontal lobe, was limited.

What do they do with these people? Devyn thought.

Maybe she was in a mood because she read an RFUPU update. Those things always made her wonder: Did she just rack a herd, or will this help find the cure? Or, maybe, that P.U. got to her. She probably wouldn't show up on her list as anything special. Perhaps she'd have a foreign antigen, but the antibodies should be doing their work. Brain scans would probably be within normal ranges. She seemed to be able to stay in control.

Those red eyes were intense. Devyn thought. Maybe she knew.

"I see you," a cheerful voice whispered in her ear, making Devyn jump and curse.

"Dang it, Joy," Devyn muttered, holding a hand to her heart. "Why the hell did you do that?"

Joy laughed and waved her coworker's question away. Well, sort of a coworker. She worked more in records than in hematology and epidemiology.

"Obvious," Joy laughed. "To mess with you. You've been staring at the same screen for the past thirty minutes. You're usually for these findings confirmed and are on to the next batch. Did your dad's burning become unexpectedly emotional?"

Devyn ignored how her friend rolled her brown eyes as she crossed her arms. Joy huffed and sat on the table; a few strands of purple hair fell into her eyes. Devyn could already see the early signs of her friend's black roots. The sight made her smile.

She still remembered Joy's happiness when she learned that "hair dye" would be back. Joy had been adamant about being able to stand out. Her friend had become obsessed with a stack of Manga her Japanese grandmother gave her. Joy saved up whatever rations she could spare for the hair dye.

"I'm totally going to look like one of those manga characters!" Joy had gushed as they walked down the street.

"Or a complete idiot," Devyn muttered.

"What was that?"

Devyn avoided Joy's gaze. The two had attended basic hunting training together, and Devyn knew what her friend could do with a knife.

"Nothing."

Joy sighed. "My grandmother was almost nine-years-old when the first wave happened. She said coloring your hair had been a normal thing then. The vaccine is out. We are safe. We deserve normal."

Devyn grabbed her friend's hand and gave it a squeeze.

Joy tapped her fingers on Devyn's desk, bringing Devyn back from her memory.

She frowned at Joy. "Do you have to be so annoying?"

"Do you have to be so evasive?" Joy countered, narrowing her brown eyes.

Devyn sighed and leaned back in her chair. "It isn't really anything. I just went out beyond the wall. Watched some flesh burn. Came back. Looked at blood samples. Fun and interesting stuff."

"You stopped for updates, didn't you?" Joy whispered.

Devyn nodded. Joy walked over to the door and closed it. She with a rolling chair.

"Tell me all about it," Joy whispered.

Devyn shook her head. "There really isn't anything new. It just hit me when I got back here, ready to protect humanity, but there hasn't been anything new for a while. We're tracking a virus while the living kills the dead and partially dead."

"We will—"

"Will we?" Devyn cut Joy off before she could say make a difference.

Joy swallowed and nodded. "I mean, look at your numbers. The rate of active infections has dropped, and the effectiveness of vaccinations has gone up. Now, there will be little reason to continue the hunting season. We will save some humans for when the cure is created."

The cure. Devyn had read about the elusive cure for years. It had been the hope of the living since the first infection. But what if there was no cure? What if this was now what humanity had to live with? Would we all simply kill ourselves?

"Listen," Joy sighed. "You've had a rough day. Death is hard. Why don't—"

Joy's words were cut-off by the shrill ring of Devyn's phone. Devyn pushed her feet against the ground to propel herself to the ringing phone on the other table.

"I got one of these earlier today," Joy muttered.

Devyn raised a finger to indicate "just a second" before picking up the phone.

"This is Devyn Palmer," she said into the receiver.

"We don't like your numbers," an electronic voice said on the other side.

Devyn rolled her eyes. "I can only report what is seen on the blood samples provided."

"We saw you on the orange line," the computer-distorted voice tried.

Devyn rolled her eyes. "Many people walk on the orange line while waiting for their train."

"Just know we are watching. You should show your loyalty to the living."

Devyn forced a smile on her face to keep her voice sounding cheerful. "I'm glad you are concerned about my well-being, but, you see, I already have a brother. And, I do show my concern for the living daily by coming to work and making sure the vaccine keeps the living safe."

"Listen, you smart-ass—"

Devyn hung up the phone and sighed. "The Protectors of the Living are really annoying. He even had the guts to drop his voice changer at the end."

Joy nodded. "Tony, the guy on third, decided to disconnect his phone while working. We could tell Central, but, you know."

Devyn nodded as Joy shrugged. The only person she would trust to tell at Central would be her brother. He probably wouldn't do too much about it. Tell her to find a new job or carry a good gun.

"I know. I don't think the Protectors of the Living will do anything either. They're just trying to scare us into putting out numbers to show the hunts are still needed."

Joy's fingers tapped along the desk for a moment. "We were all thinking about going to a meeting."

"A Protectors meeting?" Devyn gasped.

Joy laughed. "Oh, hell no. The other one."

Devyn held Joy's gaze for a moment. The other one would be the RFUPU.

"They're watching me," Devyn whispered.

"Who cares?" Joy asked. "They said the same thing to me. It is a scare tactic, Dev. They want us to bend to their will. These numbers don't lie. We need to advocate for all humans. Not just the living. That is what scientists do."

Devyn nodded. She wanted to add something like, "But, I'm a Palmer." It sounded too pretentious to use her last name. Plus, it would just be used as an excuse to avoid doing what was right. Sure, her father had been on the Council, but it didn't mean she couldn't act out of what the majority on the Council wanted. Jim would be the one to take that seat anyway. Not her. Devyn could do what she wanted.

The phone rang again. Joy rolled her eyes and motioned for Devyn to take it while pulling out her phone.

"This is Devyn Palmer," she said with a touch of weariness in her tone.

"He needs you," a feminine and hoarse voice said in a melodic tone.

"Excuse me?" Devyn asked; hairs on her arm began to stand up.

"They found out."

Devyn's eyebrows pressed together. "Found out what?"

The voice sighed in annoyance. "What he did and who he is, obviously."

Devyn's heart began to speed up. She wet her lips before speaking. "I think you have the wrong—"

"You are Devyn Palmer," the female voice cut her off. "Go see Jim and stop wasting our time."

Devyn's eyes widened, and she felt her cheeks heat. "I don't know who you are, but—"

Dial tone.

Devyn looked up at Joy to see her friend staring at her phone with a hand covering her mouth. The first signs of tears were prickling at the corner of her eyes.

"Joy?" Devyn asked.

Joy looked up and motioned her over. Devyn's chair flew a foot back as she jumped up to walk over. Her hand flew to her mouth as she watched the scene on the screen. Central officers were setting fire to buildings in a town. Silent screams of two red-eyed persons filled the screen as the officers pulled them out of buildings by their hair. The terrified red eyes of a teenage boy turned to the camera as a Central officer pressed the barrel of her gun to the P.U's head and fired.

"Shit!" Devyn hissed as a sob shook her body. "Shit—shit—shit."

Joy pressed her eyes closed and nodded. "I can't believe—"

"I need to go see Jim. Jim, he—shit! What an idiot!"

Joy jumped out of her chair and stuffed the cell phone into her pocket. "Let's go."

Devyn shook her head. "You really shouldn't be part of this. The person on the phone said they know about Jim."

Joy pressed her lips together. "Well, if he released that video, you going alone isn't safe either. I'm much better in hand-to-hand combat than you are."

"You only beat me once in training," Devyn huffed while shutting her computer down.

Joy shrugged as she watched her friend place the computer in a backpack. Devyn then transitioned a gun from inside her bag to a holster on the side of her pants. Joy walked with Devyn out of the lab. They took the elevator to the twentieth floor, where Joy followed the same pattern. She then paused and took out a pad of paper.

"Need to leave a note for Tony, so he is aware. We were supposed to walk together to the meeting," Joy muttered.

Devyn nodded and glanced at the note.

Sorry, can't make happy hour. Dev had a moment and needs help. Check-in later- J

Joy didn't meet her friend's gaze as the two walked out. They shut off all lights but a single desk lamp. Everyone needed a code.

***

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WC Chapter: 1,843

WC Total: 4,476