Memory transcription subject: Daniel Stat, human virologist
Date [Standardized human time]: August 9th, 2148
[Day 2]
I woke up hungover. After the news report, I couldn’t handle being sober and helped myself to the drinks in the hotel room’s mini-fridge. I failed to notice the drinks were locally-brewed, and probably just sentenced myself to instant liver failure.
“Eugh,” I mumbled, rubbing my head. I dug into my bag and popped a couple of painkillers Silvon insisted I take in case I got sick. Thank god for overprotective girlfriends. I stretched out, popping my joints, and then began making myself presentable. The meeting was in just a few short hours, and I wanted to look my best. I brushed my teeth, combed my hair, and put on a really nice rental suit. I fiddled with the tie for a few minutes, finally got it looking the way I wanted, took my vitamins with breakfast, and was out the door, carrying with me a folder full of printed-off documents.
I shot Silvon a text, omw 2 SHO meet, ttyl <3, and strode along the sidewalk. Everywhere I looked was an assortment of species all going about their lives. Plenty of humans, venlil, a shockingly high yotul and zurulian population, and I even spotted an arxur decked out in a hoodie and jeans, being given a wide berth by every other passerby.
I imagined for a second, from the dark recesses of my mind, how many of these happy civilians were now living on borrowed time. If the SHO doesn’t do anything, this unity could become a thing of the past. I pushed out those thoughts, physically shaking my head and earning a couple of odd looks.
At last, I arrived before a set of double doors, the Skalga Health Organization’s headquarters. I stepped inside, being greeted by the peppy venlil secretary.
“Dr. Stat, I presume?” she chirped.
“Yes, that’s me. Scheduled for the 10 pm.” She nodded and flicked her tail toward another set of double doors that led to a long hallway.
“You’re going to the third door on the left,” she smiled.
“Thanks,” I said.
The hallway stretched on seemingly forever, it was also very clearly human architecture, with glossy tile floors and buzzing fluorescent lights. The third door on the left was ajar, and I stepped inside to see a rounded table, four chairs occupied by three venlil and a female UN representative.
“Dr. Stat,” the left-center one croaked, “come, have a seat.” He was an elderly venlil with thin, graying hair. I obliged setting myself down in the chair that sat opposite the four.
“Please present your case, we’ve been informed you fear a potential pandemic?” the human asked.
“That’s correct, ma’am,” I replied. I flipped open the folder I brought and handed the contents over. “These here are some documents I was able to procure on Kreiv, the venlil that died recently. Just the day before his death, I was studying a sample of rhinovirus taken from him.”
“Is rhinovirus not an earthborn pathogen? Surely there is no way it could infect a venlil, we’re too biologically dissimilar,” the furthest right venlil explained. He was younger than the other, but not by much, with cream-colored fur just on the cusp of silver.
“I thought so too. Upon looking into it, Kreiv’s exchange partner, Eric Merrifield, was sick with the common cold the day before he went to the clinic,” I said.
“Then case closed, I don’t see how this could even remotely be considered a threat. Simple causation, Kreiv happened to be carrying the virus when he got his check-up,” the final venlil said. He was the youngest, a cloudy color with well-groomed fur and greenish eyes.
“I was just getting to that. Provided here,” I pulled out my holopad, “is a recording of a phone call I had with the doctor that diagnosed Kreiv, Dr. Nuava,” I let the audio speak for itself, her coughing fit and hoarse voice got their attention immediately.
“I originally wanted to get into contact with Eric,” I began after the recording concluded, “but he was incarcerated?”
The green-eyed venlil shuffled in his seat awkwardly, then the oldest spoke up, “He was arrested and deported for murder.”
“Murder? What?” I was taken aback.
“As per the laws written up when the exchange program started, if your partner is found dead, with seemingly no cause, which there wasn’t one at the time, then it’s considered an act of fright, and the human is deported back to their Earthly country,” the representative explained, “Since he’s a resident of the UK, their jurisdiction rules death by fright is a manslaughter charge.”
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“Is there no way to bail him out? He didn’t do anything wrong!” I exclaimed. The cream-colored venlil shook his head. “Earthly affairs are out of our jurisdiction. In light of this new info, we’ll push a memo out to their government, but we won’t really know what happens from there. Now then, please continue with your case.”
“Uh, right, well, if you’ve been checking the news lately, this ‘offseason zesui’, has been spreading quickly. The other day it was just a few, last night it was 8000, today? Lord knows how many people are sick now, or even if it’s still contained to Ransu City.” I caught my breath. The UN popped open her holopad and began checking local news reports. Her eyes lit up, and a horrified expression contorted her features as she tapped the old venlil sitting next to her, and slid him the screen.
“Stars… It’s true… Dr. Stat, thank you very much for coming, we appreciate you informing us of all… this…” He was quick to usher me from the room, panic crept across the other venlil’s faces. “We will contact you again, we trust you’re capable of handling samples of the strain once we can procure them?”
“Yes sir,” I said, the heavy door slowly shutting behind me.
~~~
Memory transcription subject: Sadie Hughs, UN representative
Date [Standardized human time]: August 9th, 2148
[Day 2]
Once Dr. Stat was out of the room, I immediately turned to face my venlil cohort. Old man Bernid was still focused on the headlines, an unknown amount of civilians were infected, and in such a major city, it was devastating.
“Miss Sadie,” Cauxin said, flicking a loose tuft of cloudy gray fur from his face, “Could we try to contact this Dr. Nuava? Perhaps a house call is in order?”
“Good idea,” Servaen chimed in, “Contact the Ransu City Clinic and see if she clocked in these last few paws.”
I nodded and dialed the clinic’s number. The holopad rang a few times, and then a softer voice answered, “Ransu City Clinic, this is Pera,”
“Hi Pera, my name is Sadie Hughs, and I’m with the Skalga Health Organization, we’re calling in regards to the whereabouts of Dr. Nuava, would you happen to know if she’s been to work these last couple of paws?” I questioned. The line went quiet for a moment. I could distinctly hear Pera clicking away at a keyboard.
“I can email you her work schedule, it says here she called out two paws ago for zesui, she was supposed to come in today, but never showed,” she explained.
“Thank you so much for your time, Pera, the documents are much appreciated. Can you also forward her personal files? At the very least her address?” I asked.
“Is everything okay?” Pera questioned, “Is Dr. Nuava alright?”
“I can’t disclose anything,” my holopad buzzed, alerting me to the files transferred through, “Your cooperation is appreciated.” I hung up, quickly scanning the documents for an address, then dialed up Ransu City law enforcement.
“RCPD, what is your emergency?” a gruff, human voice boomed from the speaker.
“My name is Sadie Hughs, I’m with the Skalga Health Organization, and we’d like to request a house call for Dr. Nuava, address: 213 Northeast Plaucem Lane. Please make sure the officers you dispatch are entirely human.” I stressed.
“Strange request, I’ll slip that in the briefing. Legally, though, we need a reason to make a house call,” he said.
“Yes, of course, we believe Dr. Nuava is either very, very sick or potentially-” my words caught in my throat, “deceased.” It was real now that I said it.
“Understood. You said you were with the SHO?” he asked.
“Yeah, I’ll forward my credentials,” I said, uploading a PDF of my badge and UN info.
“Shit! UN? You should’ve just started with that. Alrighty, I’ve got a team dispatched now, all human.”
I glanced up, the three venlil were murmuring amongst themselves, all of them stiff as a board and shooting nervous glances about.
We waited with bated breath. I heard the operator mumble something to someone else, then “They uh… they found her.”
“What’s her status?” I asked, knowing the answer.
“Deceased. At least 12 hours.”
~~~
Memory transcription subject: Daniel Stat, human virologist
Date [Standardized human time]: August 9th, 2148
[Day 2]
“Good news, hon!” I spoke cheerily into the holopad as I pulled off the suit vest and unbuttoned the shirt beneath.
“Did they listen to you? Are they gonna fix things?” Silvon’s voice finally had traces of hope I’d missed hearing from her.
“They listened to my full case, took all the evidence, and they’re looking into things, and they said they’d contact me again when they have samples!” I grinned.
“Oh! Danny, that’s great! I’m- I’m proud of you,” she said. “You’re coming home tonight, right?” she asked longingly.
“I am. I missed my fluffy little cuddle bug,” I put on a casual shirt and jeans. “I’ll see you in a few hours, okay? Love you, Silvvy.”
“Love you too, Danny. Don’t you take too long!” she laughed, for the first time since the lab. She has such a cute laugh. I checked out of my hotel room with haste, I hated sleeping alone at night, and couldn’t wait to be home again.
I hailed a taxi and had it transport me back to the planetary shuttle terminal, then I hitched a ride back home. It set me down in front of our driveway, all safe and sound. The neighborhood was quiet, and the lights in the windows were all out. I creaked open the door, the living room was illuminated by candlelight. I felt a sly smile creep across my face. I set down my luggage and followed the trail of candles to the bedroom, where my Silvvy waited for me.