Botanicaust (15 page)

E
ven after three successive Reversions on her record, the Board declined Vitus
’
s recommendation to remove Tula from her position. She was the best interpreter in the department. With the lure of more converts from the mongrel village dangling before them, the Board only issued a formal reprimand to go on her record.

Vitus snapped his favorite set of beads in frustration and flung the gamma pad with the report across his desk.

She
’
d thwarted him too many times. He wanted to see her suffer. The only way to get to her was through the prisoner downstairs. But after his last visit, the man seemed leery of any interaction. The weedy bitch had poisoned the captive against him.

Well, he had her, now. The attack footage on the prison tapes was all he needed for the prisoner
’
s immediate extermination. This didn
’
t require Board approval. But just to cover his ass
—
and rub it in Arnica
’
s face
—
he
’
d make sure the Board issued the order for euthanization.

He watched the video again as the
man grabbed
Tula around the neck and nearly lifted her off the floor. Vitus imagined his own arm around her neck, how hard he could squeeze while she pleaded for mercy. The prisoner had relented. But Vitus wouldn
’
t let her off. That bitch
’
s life would be living hell from here on out.

Torn between abandoning his escape and his unaccustomed bout of violence, Levi could not sleep. The latest food canister brought a little while ago sat untouched at the edge of his cage.

He paced, both yearning for Tula
’
s return and dreading it. Surely, she had bewitched him in some way. He should pray for guidance, but his knees refused to bend. Mixed messages from God were not something he could handle today.

The sound of movement on the stairs drew his attention. Two Blattvolk hauled in a bald, naked child and placed him in a cell at the far end of the room. They glanced Levi
’
s way, murmured to each other, then retreated up the stairs. The child stood in the center of his cell and stared at the bars. Then he started crying.

“
Little boy.
”
Levi called softly.
“
Little boy. Shhh.
It
’
s okay.
”
It wasn
’
t okay. No one in this prison was okay.

The boy sniffled and halted his sobs. He stared, dark eyed, in Levi
’
s direction. Levi struggled for basic words the boy might understand. If only he could give the little boy his canister. Food always made Awnia more content. Levi flinched at the memory. He hadn
’
t thought of Awnia in days.

More footsteps on the stairs made him hopeful someone was bringing the child food. But instead, an entourage of Blattvolk marched down the path between the cells without a glance at the boy. At the head of the group, the bald man, Vitus, palmed the lock on Levi
’
s cage. In his other hand, he held the device he
’
d used to subdue Awnia.

This didn
’
t look good.

Two other Blattvolk entered, larger than most, but still several inches shorter than Levi. They held a set of chains between them. Levi backed against the cell wall.

They
’
d finally come for him. He
’
d lost his chance at escape forever. Should he fight them? Being transformed with the Mark would be the worst possible fate.

The Blattvolk jabbered too fast for Levi to understand. But he caught one word
—
the same word they
’
d used with Awnia.

Euthanize.

Relief flooded through him so quickly he nearly dropped to his knees. They were going to kill him. Not turn him into a monster.

“
Thank you. Thank you.
”
He held out his wrists without a struggle. The two Blattvolk approached warily, flicking glances at Vitus, who only scowled more deeply. They expected him to fight back. Tula must have told them about his earlier attack.

A tiny niggle of betrayal squeezed him. He
’
d done as she asked and retreated back into the cell. How could she turn him in?

The men shackled him hand and foot,
then
Vitus took the lead and jerked it forward, urging him out of the cell. At the stairs, Levi looked up and locked eyes with Tula. Her brows pinched as she stepped in front of the escort.

She and Vitus argued, and when Levi
’
s entourage tried to pass, she blocked the way, refusing Vitus passage. Her frantic tone confirmed Levi
’
s suspicion, and in his core, he was glad. She hadn
’
t told them about his attack.

Vitus threw back his head and laughed, and Levi recognized the word
“
please
”
on Tula
’
s lips. The evil man shoved her aside, causing her to lose her balance on the top step. Levi lunged forward, arms extended in case she fell.

The Blattvolk on both sides of him shouted, and Vitus swung around. The last thing Levi saw was the stunning device aimed right between his eyes.

Tula sagged against the steps and sobbed. Over the last few weeks she
’
d lost more patients than during her entire first abysmal year as a genetic psychiatrist. Even Bats felt like a failure, since he was now forced to work at the protein production tanks instead of as a Burn Operative.

In the morning, Levi would die, and there was nothing she could do about it. The Board had approved immediate euthanization. Violence would not be tolerated. She should have erased the video footage after he attempted to escape.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

She should forget about Levi. A new little boy waited for her in Confinement. But Vitus
’
s words on the stairs stung.
“
There
’
s another mongrel down there waiting for you to fuck up.
”

She rose on unsteady legs and stared down the steps. Her feet would not obey her command to descend. Maybe Mo was right. She should take a leave of absence.

Turning the other way, she proceeded to her lab. The euthanization
chamber
was
only three doors
down. Prisoners were given a real bed, a last meal of protein sludge flavored with agave syrup, and a night of solitude. She sat at her desk and pulled her gamma pad close but didn
’
t activate it. She knew her recent case files inside out. The only
thing to do was mark Levi
’
s
“
euthanized
”
and close
it.

The one thing she couldn
’
t bear to do.

She absently tapped the pencil on her gamma pad and stared at the only photo on her wall. Dr. Werne next to her at graduation, so proud of her, a convert, achieving her doctorate, especially so quickly. He was the reason she believed in conversion. The closest thing to family she ever had, he
’
d died of a stroke almost two years ago. What would he say if he was with her now?

He
’
d ask what the cases had in common. She squeezed her eyes tight with the pain of thinking of them. Four deaths. Four people she
’
d rushed toward genetic alteration. Why did the department insist on so little time between capture and acceptance? Almost like they didn
’
t want new citizens. Which made sense. Not many Haldanians were as fanatic as Vitus, but even fellow converts like Mo had a hard time accepting new blood.

She lowered her forehead onto the desk. Her job was pointless. Bats
’
s pathetic work at the vats had more value.

If only native-born Haldanians had as much appreciation for the gift as she did. Conversion would put an end to cannibals. People would no longer live in terror of eat or be eaten. But it wasn
’
t like Levi was a cannibal. In spite of his attack on her in the cell, she believed he was peaceful. His people were probably peaceful. They
’
d see the value of conversion if given enough time.

What gave the Board the right to take away someone
’
s life, just because they refused to be altered?

Her fiber-optic puddle of sunlight faded to night, leaving her in darkness. The sounds of the department drifted to silence. The only one here would be the tech on duty.

She crept to the door and peeked into the dim hall. Light streamed from the monitor room, but the rest of the doorways were closed or dark.

Take Levi out to the Burn and let him go.

Her heartbeat quickened until she was sure the tech could hear it. So what if she lost her job? She and Bats could work side by side in the protein factory. She
’
d have one less death on her conscience.

Stepping back into the darkness of her lab, she sucked in a few deep breaths. The skimmer attendant would be gone, but she knew where he kept the ignition fobs. Levi would need clothing and a few supplies.

Her golden robe hung in her lab closet. She grabbed it and her first aid kit, and was about to leave, then remembered his drawing pad. It was in her desk drawer, the only thing left from his arrival. Tucking it under an arm, she crossed the hall to the protein dispensary.

The refrigerator was stocked with water bottles. She emptied a few and refilled them with protein fluid. He
’
d also need water.
Lots of it on the Burn.
She grabbed a dozen more bottles and realized she had no way to carry it all. Searching the dispensary, she found one small bag barely large enough to carry three bottles.

She removed her lab coat and spread it across the floor. Using the notebook for a base, she stacked bottles in the middle along with the first aid kit. Then she brought the corners up and tied them together. For a handle, she knotted the sleeves at the ends and swung it over her shoulder. Awkward, but the best she could do.

Again peering into the hall, she listened for movement from the monitor room. If Faran
was
on duty, he wouldn
’
t budge until he had to. She tiptoed to the euthanization room and looked into the window set high in the solid door. The room was pitch black.

She swiped her hand across the locking palm pad and heard the click. Tensing, she darted a glance toward the monitor room. Nothing.

Easing the door open, she squinted into the cell. She
’
d always avoided the room, and didn
’
t know how it was laid out. A rustle to her left told her where Levi must be.
“
Tula?
”
His voice was groggy.