Page 14 of Remnants: Disruption
“—don’t get why De Luca likes that dyke. I’m all for using Remnants like tools, but the death shit is freaky.”
I grit my teeth and look back across the table at Percy. She clearly hadn’t heard Bellick’s final comments. Though she looks thoroughly riled up by the less-than-stellar run-in.
“I’m sorry,” she says, her eyes soft. “I wish there was more I could do to stop them. I’ve filed—”
“It’s fine,” I say quickly, shaking my head. “People don’t like Remnants. That’s why there’s a registry, right?”
“And you’re on it,” she says, as if that actually helps. “And registered as a low-level utilitarian. You’re as human as the rest of us.”
I nod and try to give her a genuine smile—but humans don’t hear the other side. The veil isn’t as thin for her.
“Let’s go,” I say, nodding at her empty plate. “We shouldn’t keep Blair waiting.”
She gives me an assessing look, her eyes flicking between the uneaten sandwich and full coffee.
“Alright,” she finally says, her tone only confirming how pathetic I am right now.
Chapter 9
Bodies
One P.M., October 22nd, 1030 A.D.
Affliction lays within the very bone marrow of the Remnant. Lower tier Remnants have similar biology to humans. Higher tier Remnants, however, are made of Affliction. Their bodies alone could power weapons capable of wiping out the rest of humanity.
Dr. Blair Andrews in a lecture given at New Chicago University
The morgue is freezing when we step into the metal-lined room. Various tools and surgical implements are organized along the tables on one side. The other has a selection of exam cots. All but two are bare.
Dr. Blair Andrews turns to us, their grin genuine. They push a curl of their auburn hair from their eyes as they round the desk.
“Detectives,” they greet gently, their green eyes glittering with intelligent curiosity.
“Just a PI, doc,” I say, returning their smile. “What do we have?”
“Never just,” Blair says, but they nod and turn to the two tables laden with what I can only imagine are the bodies. “We have two dead. Two very different ways of dying.”
They pull back the sheet on Mara first, then the unidentified man.
“And they have two identical marks on their wrists.”
Blair reaches a hand below the covering on both corpses, pulling their right wrists above the sheet.
“Here,” they point to the wrists of both corpses.
Percy and I move forward together. Her closeness always settles my nerves, but now?
“Those weren’t there before,” I whisper, my mind racing through possibilities.
“No,” Percy says just as quietly.
The marks look like tattoos. In fact, they look like tattoos that were just done in the last few hours. It’s simple, it looks like—
“A compass?” Percy asks, her train of thought mirroring mine.
“An old world, pre-Second Disruption compass,” Blair says with a nod. “I thought the same thing.”
They move to Mara’s wrist, holding it up to the light.
