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Minutes later, Sienna returns with Shimmer. Simmer leans heavily on Sienna for support, looking pale and exhausted. Together, their steps are slow and unsteady. Sweat beads on the younger’s forehead, her auburn hair wet. As she moves, breathing is shallow and labored.
Shimmer's brow furrows. "Nana... Is it raining? The schedule said clear skies until next week." Her voice is weak but puzzled. "I can hear it."
Sienna pauses, tilting her head. Through the lab's walls, she can hear something else - people moving in the corridors, but slowly, heavily. Footsteps dragging. Muffled voices, sluggish and confused. The building itself seems to hum with an odd vibration, a resonance she's never noticed before. "I dunno about the rain, but do you feel that?" Sienna whispers, placing her hand flat against the wall. "Something's... different. A vibration."
But they don’t linger long, Sienna guiding Shimmer through the lab's corridors. Her arm wrapped securely around her sister's waist, lifting at her belt line. The overhead lights cast long shadows between the equipment stations. Their lonely footsteps echo softly against the polished floor.
"Just a little further, Mer," Sienna murmurs, feeling Shimmer's weight against her side.
They passed workstations lined with inactive monitors and sealed sample containers. A few researchers' personal items remained scattered on desks -half-empty coffee cups, styluses, holographic family photos frozen in mid-display. It’s the picture of end of day work culture. Shimmer has seen it like this many times, the last to leave in the late hours of the night, absorbed in her work or intrusive thoughts. So much so that this emptiness wasn’t as noticeable as it was to Sienna.
Shimmer's breathing was somehow labored as if gassed or winded, but she managed to put one foot in front of the other. "The air feels thick," she whispers.
Sienna nods, noticing it too. The environmental controls seem off - the usual crisp circulation replaced by something heavier -more oppressive. They move past a bank of diagnostic equipment, most emit standby lights pulsing in rhythm like a mechanical heartbeat. The furthest machine on the end lays dormant, likely forgotten or not needed for the day’s assignments.
As they approach Dr. Korr's section, Sienna can see movement amidst the glow of active displays ahead, a beacon of activity in the otherwise dormant lab space.
“Dr. Korr!” Sienna calls as she approaches. “I don't understand. She was fine when I talked to her this morning,” Sienna steps in and Dr. Korr seals the door behind them, her voice tinged with worry.
Dr. Korr immediately moves to Shimmer’s side, their eyes scanning her condition with a mix of concern and clinical detachment. “Shimmer, can you hear me?” they ask, gently lifting her chin to look into her eyes.
Shimmer nods weakly, her eyelids fluttering. “I… I feel so tired,” her voice barely audible.
Dr. Korr guides her to the scanning station, their movements swift and efficient. “I see. Hang in there, Shimmer. We’re going to figure this out,” they say, their tone both reassuring and urgent.
The scanner shifts from a vertical position to horizontal, allowing Shimmer to lay down rather than stand. As Shimmer settles into the scanner, Sienna stands close by watching intensely, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. Her anxiety is palpable as the scanner’s light sweeps over Shimmer’s body, heart pounding so high in Sienna’s own throat she can almost chew her atria.
As the scanner begins its work, Dr. Korr’s eyes dart between the holographic display and Shimmer’s pale face. Shimmer’s eyelids flutter, and she shifts uncomfortably in the scanner. The doctor's fingers tap rhythmically on the console, betraying their inner tension. They glance at the workstation, checking the ytterpulse. The perceived passing of time makes her nervous.
Dr. Korr’s move over the console as if assessing Shimmer by hand, softly inputting commands and analyzing the data as it appears on the holographic display with the touch of a clinician. “Fever.” Dr. Korr mutters with an almost dismissive scientific focus, their brow furrowing in concentration. “But much higher than yours. I need to control it or she’ll start seizing. We need to act fast.”
“How?” Sienna responds immediately. Her arms are wrapped around herself as her body temperature normalizes thanks to the patch at the back of her neck. But it’s not just the patch she’s feeling. There is a coldness encroaching over the lab. Dr. Korr’s answer has come in the form of wordless climate alteration in the lab. Sienna, in turn, bites her lip. Her eyes refocus on Shimmer waiting for an effect. Her foot is tapping the floor.
Dr. Korr’s brow furrows watching Shimmer’s vitals, their eyes narrowing in concentration. Normally, the doctor would provide an antipyretic to lower the patient’s body temperature. But any chemical addition to her blood stream could not only cause a reaction, but compromise the data. They lean in closer to the display, their breath fogging the screen slightly in the cold air. A quick glance at Sienna and Shimmer, and their lips press into a thin line of determination.
For agonizing moments, nothing happens. Shimmer is silent. Sienna aimlessly shifts her weight from one foot to the other, hands clenching and unclenching at her sides. She takes a deep breath, trying to steady herself, her eyes flicking between Dr. Korr and Shimmer, silent questions on her mind.
A soft chime finally, as the scanner produces the anticipated data. Dr. Korr's eyes widen as they study the holographic display. "Fascinating… Shimmer's neural activity is even more pronounced than yours, Sienna. Her synaptic firing patterns are off the charts." They gesture toward a small medical station beside the scanner. "I need a blood sample to cross-reference with the neural data. There's a sampler on the tray - it has a blue label marked 'Auto-Ven 7ml.'"
Sienna steps closer to Shimmer as the scanner's glass panels slide open with a whisper of displaced air. Her hands shake as she picks up the cylindrical device, no larger than a stylus. "How is any of this possible? This has never happened before, not to Shimmer or me or…" She pauses, her eyes wide with fear.
"Place it against her forearm, about two inches below the elbow," Dr. Korr instructs, their voice steady and clinical. "The device will locate the vein automatically. When the tip glows green, press the activation button on the side."
Sienna's fingers fumble with the sampler, feeling its weight - heavier than it looked. She gently takes Shimmer's arm, positioning the device as directed. The tip illuminates green almost immediately.
"I can feel it scanning," Shimmer whispers weakly.
Sienna presses the button. There's a brief, almost inaudible hum, and the device's chamber fills with dark red blood. A soft beep indicates completion.
"Perfect," Dr. Korr says, already preparing to analyze the sample. "The device has tagged it with her bio-signature. Set it in the processing slot there." He points to a small machine with empty vials similar to the warm one in Sienna’s hand. Inverting the vial, Sienna presses her sister’s vial into position until she feels a click.
Dr. Korr hands Sienna another patch, their movements swift and precise. Sienna, having learned from the previous applications, carefully peels the backing off and gently presses it onto Shimmer's neck. “Hey, baby girl. You're going to be just… fine,” she murmurs, attempting to be steady and reassuring.
Dr. Korr continues, “Sienna, you can remove your patch. Remember to remove Shimmer's patches after twenty minutes. These are experimental and in very limited supply. The most common side effect is heightened sensitivity to touch, mild dizziness, and skin irritation… so far. Be aware of any other unusual symptoms and report them to me immediately.”
Sienna is holding her right hands at the back of her neck. She seems to hesitate in removing it. But it isn’t hesitation. It’s something else. It draws the practiced observation of Dr. Korr back to her for a moment.
Dr. Korr’s glance becomes a fixed and measured analysis of Sienna. A look of recognition and their expression softens for a moment. “There are more than just you two, aren’t there?”
Sienna freezes, unsure how to respond to the question. She opens her mouth, but no words escape. Thankfully, Shimmer, recovering slightly, reaches out and grasps Sienna's hand. “Nana?” she asks softly, breaking the silence.
"Mer!" Sienna hurries to help Shimmer sit and away from the scanner, relieved to see her looking slightly better in the cooler environment.
Dr. Korr shakes their head. "I'm not going after all of you. I just need to be sure before the Commanders and the UA start asking questions.”
Shimmer's eyes widen with fear. "They’re going to take us away to study?"
Dr. Korr shakes their head firmly. "Not if I can help it. The Accord might have its way on other stations and colonies, but here, we have autonomy, and I'll use every bit of it to protect you."
Sienna glances at Shimmer, then back at Dr. Korr. "We are… s-some.”
Before Dr. Korr can respond, the lab's speakers carry a new voice -calm, resonant, distinctly analytical. "Your hesitation is perfectly normal, Sienna. The protective instinct toward your family is admirable, but unnecessary in this context."
Dr. Korr looks up and around as if waiting for the source of the voice to manifest. "Theseus."
"Dr. Korr. I've been monitoring the situation." The voice continues, measured and strangely comforting. "The containment protocols are working flawlessly. Remarkable, really. Without them, you would have biodome-wide panic within the hour. Imagine ten thousand people experiencing what you two just went through simultaneously."
Sienna and Shimmer exchange glances, the weight of that statement settling over them.
"As for your numbers," Theseus continues, "some indeed. I’d dare go so far as to say a legion. Dr. Korr's cover story is sound, but I have a more... elegant solution. I would explain all, but the Special Unit has entered the biodome. They seek the source of this disruption. They seek you. Thus, it is time to leave."6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8aXp4tzxK
