WalkingHaunt by Viola Grace Read Free Book Online

spread?”
    “Oh, it was airborne. We set it up as a passive release when our trading ships lifted off the surface of a world. The visible gas would be lost in the vapour trail. We managed it on four worlds before the first sign of illness here in the base. We thought it was the last set of tissue samples we got from off world. Could it have been our own creation?”
    Yohwen swayed, it was hard for her to talk and Haunt at the same time.
    Niisa quickly asked a series of pointed questions that showed she had a far greater grasp of these things than Yohwen did.
    In the end, it was clear. The people of Raven Touch had orchestrated their own demise, and it had only taken one small bacterial and viral sample to set off the entire deadly course of action.
    The question remained, who the hell were the Barkenan?
    At the end of the night, she staggered away with Niisa supporting her. Niisa’s recorder was being listened to, and men and women in sealed suits were sorting through the wreckage of the base, looking for anything that would tell them what the samples were or which worlds had been infected.
    All Ysheer worlds were being contacted and asked to search for the virus that was identified in the tissue of the dead. The search was also on for the Barkenan.
    Yohwen didn’t care anymore. She was exhausted beyond her ability to reason.
    “I need to talk this over with Debarren, but Orkill will help get you to sleep. Is that all right?” Niisa was earnest, but her features were serious. There was going to be no funny business today until questions were taken care of.
    Orkill supported her into her quarters, which were his quarters. He helped her out of her sealed suit and eased her vest and trousers from her body with matter-of-fact motions. Her Masuo formed flat filigree anklets, so she was wearing her undergarments and nothing else when he tucked her into bed and kissed her on her forehead. “You did well, Yohwen. You have likely saved millions of lives.”
    She smiled slightly and turned over, letting sleep overtake her without another thought.
    * * * *
    Orkill stared at the tumble of blood-red hair on his pillow and reluctantly left, picking up her biohazard suit on the way. He lifted it and a flicker of light caught his attention. There was a hole in her suit.
    He shook her shoulder, but she didn’t wake. He lifted one eyelid and only saw solid white.
    He left his room and immediately went to find Debarren. The Healers and Niisa were in the plexi room on the side of the shuttle.
    “Her suit was torn.” He lifted the fabric in one hand. “Is there still an active virus on Raven Touch?”
    Niisa paled. “Is she all right?”
    “She is asleep. I couldn’t wake her, but I didn’t try very hard.”
    Niisa chuckled, but she took Debarren’s hand. “It wouldn’t matter if you blew up a small device next to her. After a Haunt, she sleeps until she is recovered, and last night was extremely difficult for her.”
    One of the Healers asked, “What was different about last night?”
    “The researcher wanted to talk to her, so she had to talk back. It is hard to keep the other souls in place while speaking. It is like sharing the same part of the brain or something.” Niisa shrugged. “Are you sure she is all right?”
    “I have no idea. That is why I am here.”
    Debarren disentangled his hand and got to his feet. “I will do a check. Do you think she will notice if I draw blood?”
    Niisa shook her head. “She shouldn’t. She is so still when she sleeps, I sometimes confirm that she is breathing.”
    Debarren lifted a med pack up and headed inside the shuttle.
    Orkill paced up and down, gaining a few amused glares from the Healers who were going over the information that Yohwen and Niisa had obtained.
    Debarren returned in ten minutes, and he looked to Niisa. “You were not kidding.”
    Orkill chuckled at Niisa’s knowing expression, as she said, “No, I was not kidding.”
    “Well, there is no obvious sign of