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"A trigger?" I ask

"When the Society ineered several other viruses as experiue does--it o still--but it couldn’t be transmitted from person to person It only affected the person who had direct contact with the tablet The Society decided not to use that particular virus on the Enemy They used it on their own people instead"

Oker glances over his shoulder to look back at me "The Society named the viruses," he says "That one was called the Cerulean virus"

"Why?"

"It’s another word for blue," Oker says, "and they used blue labels for that virus in the lab so they could easily tell it apart froave the Officials the idea to use it in the blue tablet The Society modified the Cerulean virus and put it in the babies’ ier the virus later with the blue tablet"

"It’s perfect Society logic," I say "While they’re protecting you, they also implant a virus so that they can still control you if they need to But why didn’t o still before now?"

"Because it’s latent," Oker says "It works its way into your DNA, but then it lies dorer, which is the blue tablet If you take one, you’ll go still until the Society helps you, if they find you in time If they don’t, you die They had a cure for the Cerulean virus as well as the Plague But that was the limit of their science They haven’t found a cure for theme all of this?" I ask

"Because I could drop dead at anyon"

"And why’d you pick me?" I ask "You don’t even know me"

"You know people who have the ot family or friends on the inside, and that friend of yours here now You want people to get better for personal reasons And you know that if you don’t get your friend cured, you’ll alonder who she would have chosen out of the two of you"

Oker’s right, of course He’s noticed h I shouldn’t be surprised A true pilot would have to be that way

We don’t talk the rest of the way back

When we get to the lab, we sling the bulbs out on the table "Wash them," Oker tells Tess and Noah "But don’t scrub them We just want them clean from dirt"

They nod

"I’ll sort out the best bulbs," he says to ather equip board, and mortar and pestle Make sure it’s all sterilized"

I hurry to get the equip by the time I’m done He taps a little pile of bulbs "These are the best ones," he says "We’ll start with the to have to do this part I can’t"

So I make the incision down the middle of the bulb When we’ve laid it open, I draw in my breath It’s layered like an onion inside, and the color is beautiful: a pearly, allittery white

Oker hands oing to need enough for everyone"

The door to Oker’s lab slams open "There you are," Leyna says, her face pale "I sent soot back," I say "We must have missed them"

"What is it?" Oker asks

"It’s the still," Leyna says "They’ve started to die"

The roooes coroup the Pilot brought in?" Oker asks

"Yes," Leyna says I exhale in relief That means it isn’t Ky

"This had to happen eventually," Oker says "That first group has been holding on for weeks now Let’s go see e can do"

Leyna nods But before we go, Oker has me wrap the bulbs back up and lock thes," he tells Noah and Tess "But I don’t want anyone working on the actual cure unless I’m here"

They nod Oker takes the key back from me Only then do we follow Leyna toward the infirathered outside The crowd parts for Oker and Leyna to co here, and I’m lucky as usual, because no one stopsIf they did, I’d tell them the truth and say that I’ve found ht until we’ve got the cure