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It wasn’t the actual outdoors; a quick glance upas enough to confirm that I was actually in aof steel and clear, bulletproof glass protectingin a lie A big green lie, filled with flower beds and vegetable gardens and an expanse of grass even bigger than our yard in Berkeley I didn’t care In that ood as the truth would have been, because I was standing in the green, and there were butterflies--butterflies--fluttering past like it was no big deal Like there were green things and butterflies everywhere in the world

"What is this?" I asked, turning back to Dr Tho burn that I was learning to recognize as a sign of tears I fought the urge to swipefor a little under a month, and I already hated it

"Those of us involved with your care thought youthat paternal se to wipe e to punch hi croaked in one of the apple trees to lanced over just in tis as what could only have been a crow took off, presumably to find a tree that wasn’t next to unwanted huet --and threatened tears--under control My expression was one of wide-eyed amazement as I turned back to Dr Tho?" I asked

His ser CDC establishrow some of our own food, and studies have shown that access to outdoor environical recovery"

"Wow I had no idea" Iit on a little thick with that last one, but I was too distracted to care I was busy reviewing everything ed memory contained about the North Aht it wouldto take credit for it, now that I’d stepped "outside" without losingto infuse my words with an air of wonder

ItHe just kept s as I apparently soaked in the wonders the CDC had prepared to iht; impressed by how much of Mahir’s series on the various CDC installations had ed to survive the transfer oftheir major features, like helipads, private airstrips… and biodoht CDC facilities equipped with biodoricultural purposes Assu this was one of the facilities that had existed when Mahir wrote his report, I was in one of those four

None of the staff I’d spoken to had Southern accents Dr Thomas sounded like he was from the Midwest, but his accent was blurry, like he hadn’t been ho time Dr Shaw sounded sort of like Becks, which land Everyone else had the Hollywood non-accent that uards and orderlies just to confuse my sense of place

So eren’t in the South--that took Huntsville off the list--and while we ht be in the St Paul facility, I didn’t think so The accents rong That left either Seattle or Phoenix

My senuine as I turned back to Dr Tho ht I feel better just being here"

Being in either of those two cities ers who knew er to be the first at the scene would ed to show up on their doorsteps All I had to do was find a way out of the building, and while I wouldn’t be exactly in the clear, I would be in a much better situation than I could have been I would have a chance

"Well, as long as your recovery continues without any setbacks, and as long as you continue to cooperate, I believe I can see clear to letting you out for a constitutional every other day How does that sound?"

My sain It sounds like you think I’ht, but said only, "That sounds great"

"We have half an hour before your next tests Would you like to explore the don my interest The biodome was a new environment After weeks in the sterile CDC halls, I needed that ht you here if I wasn’t going to let you have a little time to roam," said Dr Thomas That damn paternal smile was back on his face "Go ahead Look around You’re completely secure here No one will co stern as he added, "But, Georgia, if you were to atteirl for trying?" I asked

Dr Tho "I most certainly would"

"Understood" I offered a cool nod to the two guards ere still standing next to Dr Thomas, and turned to walk deeper into the biodome