After getting all the answers I could for now from Redbank, Ghost and I sat on the beach. I thought about what the mission meant for this zone. The way forward had always been difficult, but clear. Now? Less than ten percent of the zone needed to be vaccinated. By all standards, a ninety percent adoption was quite high. If I walked away right now, couldn’t I leave this zone by marking it down as a success?

Only, it wasn’t so easy. There was an entire group of people who weren’t given the choice. It wasn’t right to exclude them, no matter how small their number.

At least now it was clear that Adversity Management knew this was a vaccine, and were willing to distribute it. They’ll also have realized by now that’s what I was here for. Maybe they won’t be as hostile to me now. At the very least, they’d probably be willing to talk. Maybe they were just trying to figure out a way to get the vaccine to Rockport without conflict, and I’d be doing them a favor by being a liaison.

“I think we should leave,” Ghost said, as if reading my mind.

“Because such a high number of the population has been vaccinated, right?”

“That’s only part of it. The chance of conflict with Adversity Management is still high. Our ability to flee is limited. We couldn’t escape a battle on Bereth and Isaiah’s small fishing boat, not if being pursued by a submarine for a ship designed for combat. They probably have artillery on their beach as well. It’s too risky.”

I opened my mouth, but was interrupted.

“And you’re going to do it anyway, aren’t you?”

“Maybe I just want to exchange notes. That was a pretty crafty way to vaccinate a group of people. There’s only one large zone left, and the rest would be small.”

Ghost tilted his head.

“Is this humor or are you attempting to lie to me. You’ll always give every individual the choice. You don’t care at all about the methods they used.”

I leaned back, placing my hands behind my head and staring up at the sunny sky.

“Would I be a bad person if I just stayed here and ate fruit until I died of old age?”

“No, but you’d also never do that. You’re incapable of it. Maybe you could keep it up for a day, or a month if you’re dedicated enough, but you could never live that way.”

“Why not?”

“Because you always need to be doing something when you know something needs to be done. You don’t wait for others to do it for you. By the time most humans decide to do something, you’re already halfway finished.”

“Are you over there complimenting me, Ghost?”

An exaggerated hiss escaped his beak. Was that a scoff?

Ghost perked up, looking out.

“Bereth and Isaiah are here.”

I sat up, waving as they approached, tying their boat off.

“Is it true? Have these people been cured?” Bereth asked.

“That would seem to be the case, yes,” I said.

“The… stars?” Isaiah asked, seeming embarrassed to even suggest it.

I laughed. “Hardly. It was done exactly the way I would’ve done it. Except I would’ve informed everyone of the side-effects and given them the choice.”

“Side-effects?” Bereth asked, tilting his head.

“With the exception of those already pregnant, you will never see another child born here again. I doubt Adversity Management even realizes this outcome exists. They could’ve asked me. Then again, that might require a bit of humility. A trait that isn’t common in PanTech’s Adversity Management division.”

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Bereth and Isaiah looked at one another for a moment. I could see the realization slowly etch across their expressions.

“But wait… No… That means…” Bereth mumbled, his eyes wide.

“It means humanity goes extinct either way. Just that one option offers a major reduction in suffering along the way.”

Bereth stepped out of the boat, sitting down on the beach next to us, with Isaiah absentmindedly following along.

“I do not envy you, Taylor,” Bereth said, still looking down at the sand.

“How many other zones have you been to so far?” Isaiah asked.

“Let’s see… this one makes the fourth for delivering the vaccine."

“What are they like? The other zones, I mean.”

“They’re all different. In theory, they’re based off time periods and cultures throughout human history. Snippets of time that often have stories written about them. I think PanTech just wanted to live out their own fantasies by making them the way they did.”

“What about technology?” Bereth asked.

“It varies, but PanTech isn’t ever going to allow anyone the means to rise up against them. Your… Captain Markus stories, they’re rare. I can’t think of any other examples other than. Well…”

Isaiah grinned. “Sounds like a story involving Taylor herself.”

“Once, a young Adversity Management soldier and I killed a giant snake made in a lab. It was made with the intention of killing many people and livestock from my village. Strength Through Adversity.”

Bereth nodded. “Strength Through Adversity. Not the first time I’ve heard that.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask you two about that. I’ll be honest with you, I’m not seeing a lot of adversity here. Especially on Redbank. As someone from PanTech I can see a lot of signs that things have been made easier for them, intentionally. The weather is perfect, seemingly year-round. I didn’t notice any invasive insects that farmers normally deal with. Don’t get me wrong, it’s always possible that these things can happen by chance. Just not when Adversity Management is around. There’s a reason they use the word ‘adversity’ instead of just calling them Zone Management. Their job is to make sure things are difficult. As difficult as the people of the zone can bear. Has it always been like this?”

Isaiah looked to Bereth, as though he was as curious about the answer as I was.

“No, it was not always like this. You’ve heard the tales of Captain Markus. He was a real man who really existed, to my knowledge. Their strategy in those days were to pit three islands against one another in constant conflict on the waters. Pirates ruled, and PanTech made sure of it. Markus unifying them and sinking a PanTech warship was the moment that began to change.

“Piracy was outlawed. Any ships big or strong enough for conflict were destroyed before it could depart on its maiden voyage. Rockport has a large ship currently, but it was a bittersweet project. Everyone understood the reason they left her be, and none more than Jeremy himself. Ships were no longer a threat. You saw PanTech’s favorite vessel already. It travels underwater and can’t be seen until they want it to be seen. We don’t even know how many they have, or what they’re capable of. Isaiah and I are the only two who are allowed to travel to their island.”

“How many are there, roughly?”

He scratched his chin, thinking it over. “No more than fifty, I’d say.”

“Is Lunaria a visitor, like me?” I asked. This was the question that had been burning in my mind for a while now.

“No, she was born here,” Bereth said, narrowing his eyes. “Why do you ask?”

“Something isn’t right about Redbank. This whole thing with the stars… I’m not going to judge anyone for their beliefs, but this is very much not PanTech. Certainly not Strength Through Adversity. I guess you could say the mystery is pulling me in.”

“Some mysteries are best left unexplored. Lunaria and Jeremy will both be uncooperative if you try to go down that road. Especially Jeremy. He believes she sacrificed their daughter for power. She gained the ability to hear the stars after the girl disappeared, and she immediately pushed Jeremy away when he tried asking any questions. The man became bitter and wanted to get as far away from the new culture as possible. Many went with him. Rockport had long been abandoned by that point, and no one thought they could make it a livable home. Only, they should not have underestimated the man who designed the temple here and oversaw its construction. I’d not be surprised if the man could build a house on the water itself. A few stones aren’t going to slow him down.”

“What do you think? About the missing girl, I mean.”

Bereth fidgeted with his sleeve. I’d clearly pushed a few too many times in this conversation and had probably crossed the line.

“I could say a lot on the topic, but it comes down to this: It’s all very strange, and hard to make sense of. I don’t really know what to think, Taylor. I like being an old fisherman who isn’t expected to do any thinking.”

“Sorry, Bereth. You two have done a lot for me since I arrived. I can’t thank you enough for that, so I’m sorry to pry. There’s a lot for me to unravel here. Your stories have helped me there too.”

He took a deep breath. “Just… please be careful. These islands are our home, and if you dig too deep in the wrong places, you may unearth something terrible.”

The warning itself may have been more telling than any other statement he’d made in the conversation. He knew there was foul play. He knew something nefarious had taken place, or at least suspected it was a possibility. Unfortunately, I’m the kind of person who likes touching things they aren’t supposed to. My curiosity was piqued more than ever.

Ghost looked at me and seemed to be scolding me with his dark eyes. Very likely, he’d read my mind. As usual.

“Can you take me to PanTech’s island?” I asked. “I need to clear up the vaccine issue with them.”

“Is that wise?” Isaiah asked.

“Of course it isn’t,” I said, laughing. “But safe, I think.”

I was in too deep now to walk away.