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"And you cannot travel beyond these … auras?" A new voice, thickly accented

"Gabriel," Ana said, distant and cold

"Not without a protective suit"

Silence followed Skyler heard a tinkling sound, like a spoon rattling against a teacup

"So, the suit contains some of the aura? It can be bottled like wine?"

"No," Karl said "As I said before--"

"Never ht, conversational "I want to hear it again"

"The aura puts the disease into a kind of stasis If you bottle air within an aura, and pump it into a special suit, the disease will stay asleep It’s only when it comes in direct contact with the live disease that it ake up again"

"Fascinating," the othersilence

"Please," Karl finally said "Please, let us ship air and water up to orbit"

Gabriel chuckled "We’ll discuss that tomorrow I’m tired"

"You’ve said tomorrow four times--"

The smack il

Another s to the floor

"And I’ll say to as I wish, pendejo Take hirunts of ritted his teeth when he heard the scraping of feet across the floor of the rooain ca tea Then a new voice, a wouese Skyler looked to Ana and Davi, who both shrugged They didn’t understand the words, either

Gabriel replied in turn, and the door opened and closed once again

No one spoke for a minute Then two Skyler ain, and soon they could hear the sound of so

When the door opened again the new arrival spoke in Spanish

Gabriel replied and a quick exchange occurred

"Gabriel asked for a status," Ana said, "and the other man, Carlos I think, said the scout teaht," Skyler mused

Ana held up a hand to quiet him as more conversation spilled out of the radio’s tiny speaker "Carlos wants to lead a search party at dawn, but they’re arguing about how they’ll watch all the prisoners"

She listened to their words, her eyes dancing back and forth Then she glanced at Davi and her eyebrows arched

"What is it?" Skyler asked

"Carlos said if they don’t have enough people to watch all the newcomers, they could start the trials early, which would reduce the population"

"Trials?"

Ana shook her head Then, "Hold on"

A long back-and-forth between the Gabriel and Carlos followed There was laughter, as well as periods of serious tones

Their conversation continued but grew quieter; then Skyler heard the door close and they could no longer be heard "What were they saying?"

"Carlos noted exciteed patience He said when the trials start the incerto will panic, and they’ll need everything ready Then he said he wants so and bring the others back"

"What trials?"

Ana shrugged, her look apologetic Whatever Gabriel was planning, he expected it to cause panic aood

"Tell hiirl Her eyes were downcast

"Gabriel said it’s critical that the ‘rogue’ be captured or killed before then That he’d prefer you be taken alive so that he could try to talk to you, but because you had killed some of his own family--he refers to us as his fa, and will never claim your place within the new society"

"Incerto?"

"It’s like … uncertain Or, untested"

Skyler stood and went to the railing He stared at the horizon, in the direction of the Elevator, trying to see any sign of the camp in the darkness Davi offered him the binoculars but Skyler waved thelasses, and studied the buildings closest to the encaround," Skyler said

"Why?"

"We need to gether "We don’t have much time"

"An attack now is suicide," Davi said "The deal was that ould free our friends, then--"