Only Human (Themis Files, #3)(45)

It’s all about perspective, really. Just don’t call it a prison camp. I could be living the life in a gated community. Yokits, I’m nervous. I have to get to Mariehamn first. One step at a time, I guess. One foot in front of the other. I don’t know what else I can do. If you see something wrong with the world, fix it. But what if it’s the whole world that needs fixing?





FILE NO. EE249—PERSONAL FILE FROM ESAT EKT


    Personal Log—Dr. Rose Franklin


   Location: Assigned residence, Etyakt region


I have felt vulnerable, powerless even, since we arrived on this world, but it came with a feeling of excitement, like a child riding a roller coaster for the first time. Now there is nothing but helplessness. My friend is dying, and I can’t help him. I can’t see the world around me. I can’t see anything else.

It was stupid of me to think I could find a cure. I’m not a geneticist. I don’t know enough about DNA to even recognize what I’m looking for. I thought I could trick the Ekt into doing some of the work for me, but they saw me coming a mile away. Deception doesn’t come naturally to them, and they’re not really good at detecting it. Or at least they weren’t. They’re fast learners. The Ekt won’t pass on new knowledge to us, but we, humans, know a hell of a lot more about genetics than I do. I told them I could get information if I were on Earth. I could read papers, talk to people. I don’t have access to all the research we’ve done. I don’t have access to anything. I’ve explained that to them in every way that I could, but they don’t believe me, or they don’t care. I just need more data. It’s not…fair. All I want is to save my friend. I have to save him.

I can’t find the right mutations. Even if I had found them, I wouldn’t know what to do next. I need to study how their weapon worked, how it found the right cells and what it did to them. They won’t let me. I understand why they won’t let me play with that weapon, it was designed specifically to kill them, people with Ekt DNA. I understand that now. I didn’t when I asked them for a sample. They were…confused at first. They became agitated and threw me out of the lab. I suppose that “I promise to be careful” doesn’t quite cut it when it comes to weapons of mass destruction. I’ll need to find a new place to work in. I get the feeling I’m not welcome there anymore.

I’m not giving up. I don’t care what they tell me. I’ll do what I have to do. I discovered ancient alien artifacts buried in every corner of the world. I put together a giant robot that can lay waste to entire cities. I stopped an alien invasion, for God’s sake. I can save one man.

Everything I’ve done now seems insignificant next to Eugene’s life. I’ve lost people before. I’ve lost the people closest to me, and I can live with that. I can because there was nothing anyone could have done. But they can save Eugene. They can cure him in a matter of minutes, without effort. I respect, and I even understand, their principles. Where Eva and Vincent see arrogance, I see profound humility. There is a deep respect for life and the universe in their refusal to mess with it. But we’re not talking about life as a whole, we’re talking about a life, my friend’s. It might be me who is arrogant, but I don’t want to see that life gone so needlessly.

I’ll convince them. I’ll convince them it’s in their best interest to help him. I’ll find a way to make them bend their rules. I’ll steal the medication if I have to.





FILE NO. 2142


INTERVIEW BETWEEN DR. ROSE FRANKLIN AND DR. ALYSSA PAPANTONIOU

Location: United States Central Command (CENTCOM), MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa, Florida

—Dr. F…Franklin. I didn’t think we’d meet again.

—I didn’t think I’d meet anyone on Earth again, but you’re right, you’re the last person I expected to call.

—I have sssso many questions. I dd…don’t even know where to start.

—Why don’t you start by answering mine?

—Are we…Do you still hate me? I sincerely hope you d…don’t.

—Do I hate you? That’s an…interesting way to start the conversation. I…I’m not your friend, if that’s what you’re asking. I’ll never forgive you for what you did. But I don’t…You don’t seem as insane as you did before. I guess the rest of the world has caught up with you.

—I’ll t…take that as a compliment.

—When did you stop working for the Russians?

—They didn’t need me after you d…disappeared. There was no need to find pilots with Themis gone. Then I learned the Americans were putting Lapetus back together, so I came.

—Just like that. New job. You start on Monday.

—They took some con…convincing, but they knew I could help. I did.

—It didn’t bother you? Switching sides, again?

—Have I ever misled you into thinking I was a p…patriot? Even if I were, I’m a Bosnian. I do what I do for everyone. I don’t care where I do it.

—You’re a regular Mother Teresa.

—Whatever you think of me, Dr. Franklin, I am not responsible for what is happening in the world. If anyone is g…guilty of that, it’s you.

—I didn’t come here to fight with you, Alyssa. I just want to find a way to stop this.