Awakening: Parables From The Apocalypse - Dystopian Fiction by Norman Christof Page B

seen all the classified information on Christa and the drug, Doctor.”
    Judith tilted her head and gave Chaz a skeptical stare. “Why would they give you access to that kind of information?”
    “It doesn’t really matter.  But rest assured, I know all about the drug.  I’ve seen the blueprints for the delivery systems.  I know about the initial side effects on humans that showed up in that little midwest town that no longer exits.  I know about the pack of freaks that didn’t respond to the initial version of the drug and how they ended up killing an entire research team.  They let me see everything.  It was part of the deal I made to accept this little job they have for me.”
    Shaking her head, Judith answered, “So, what do you want with me, Colonel, if you’re so well informed?  I’m sure this can’t just be a social call for old times’ sake.  What is it you need?”
    “Well, classified documents are always an interesting read.  At least, I’ve always thought so.  Maybe not all the technical details so much.  You science geeks can be a little bit too wordy for my liking. I usually just skip to the executive summary.  It’s less reading for us military thugs.  What I always find interesting is what they don’t say.  Maybe it’s just my suspicious nature, but I never take anything at face value.  I’m always thinking there’s another story behind the page.”
    “I’m a busy person, Colonel.  Get to the point.”
    “See, that’s what I’m getting at now.  You’re a busy person. But why?  Why would you be such a busy person?  I mean, your lifelong career goal has been accomplished.  You’ve got the freaks right where you want them.  Totally under control.  Yet, here you are, still busy.  Here you are after all this time, still working in a top-secret underground bunker.  I would have thought you’d be dying to get out of this place.  I mean, who in their right mind after living and working for fifteen years in a damp, cold basement would stay there when they really didn’t have to?”
     
    Judith got up to close the office door before returning to sit on her desk, facing Chaz.
    “Colonel.  I’m a career person.  I don’t have a family, and I never had much of a personal life.  For me, it’s always been about the work.”
    “C’mon, Doc, don’t play that lonely old maid married to her work shtick with me.  I know you’ve had some big offers from the private sector since the success of Pacize.  You could have left long ago for a lot of money and a very cushy life.  It was all in the classified reports.  Hell, with the kind of money they were offering you, you could have bought a real personal life.  Maybe even a husband.  Maybe even a wife?”  Chaz grinned.
    “None of that was any of your business.”
    “I think you stayed because you know it’s not perfect.  You know things could go wrong.  You don’t trust the system.  Either the drug itself, or the distribution systems, or the long-term effectiveness of it all.  You know it’s going to fail at some point, and that bothers the hell out of you.  Your grand solution to all this is going to fail at some point, and you’re going to take the blame for it.  That’s what keeps you up at night, and that’s what keeps you here.  Pride.”
     
    “You want more information from me then?  You want what isn’t written down anywhere?  You want to know what’s in my head?  Why would I share that with you?  What can you possibly give to me that I don’t already have?”
    Chaz looked down, smiling, then raised his head.
    “I can give you the one that got away.  The one piece of the puzzle that you thought was lost for good.  I’m going to get Christa.  That’s the mission they’ve put me on.”
    “That’s ridiculous.  Christa’s dead.  She’s been dead for years.”
    “She’s not dead, no one’s ever recovered a body.  That’s just what you all wanted to believe.  I know that the