Nym crept against the wall quietly, moving slowly to avoid accidentally running into someone who might be turning a corner. She thought before every move she made, keeping her head down and her eyes peeled. The notebook pressed under her arm shifted and she gripped it tighter, afraid to drop it.

She glanced up at the sound of steps but heard them fading and let out a quiet breath. Where was Kirsi? The girl had to be somewhere close unless she'd already found 02.

Check the lobby, she thought, realizing she'd probably been sneaking around too long. They hadn't set up any way to signal each other had they found 02, so she wouldn't know unless she checked the lobby.

Nym straightened up some, glancing around the side of the row of tents scattered in the courtyard to find the entrance to the hospital again. She spotted the edge of the doors and crouched back down, looking at the folder tucked under her armpit.

If I walk into the lobby with this...they might notice...but I have to risk it. She had to tell Kirsi about this. I'll just glance inside when I get close enough to see if she's there and if she's not, I don't have to go inside.

With her plan set, Nym made her way towards the hospital entrance, focusing on keeping her steps quiet. Will Kirsi understand? I hope this doesn't cause her to flip out...what about 02? Does he possibly know about all of this? Too many questions...if he does, or did know about it, though, there's a good chance the damage to his memory core wiped it or damaged it. Or maybe he knew and decided to do something about it. Was that why the other androids attacked him? Did they know...

She nearly hesitated at the sudden idea that 02 could've been ganged up on simply because he spoke up about the issue, but kept going forward. Unfortunately, she had her eyes fixed on the ground before her in thought, failing to notice the shadow creeping up behind her.

"Excuse me, miss, are you lost?"

Nym jerked to a halt, acting immediately on the instinct to turn and see who had spoken. She regretted it not long after, but couldn't undo the gesture as she stared back at one of the grey-suited agents. The man was taller than her, and lanky, his hands in his pockets. He didn't look threatening, didn't even look like he would harm her. Even so, she couldn't stop her mouth from going dry, her heartbeat growing to a heavy drumming in her chest.

She opened her mouth, and couldn't conjure a single word, shutting it slowly.

Then the agent stepped forward, and Nym watched him with wide eyes as he moved into better light and stopped again, two feet from her. "Miss, are you alright? Are you looking for someone?"

He thinks I'm just a kid, or girl, wandering around. Probably thinks I'm looking for family among the dead or someone who's at the hospital. Just play it cool, and keep calm.

Nym forced herself to swallow, struggling against her own resistant body for a moment before getting the knot back down into her chest. She couldn't slow her heartbeat, but forced deep breaths in through her nose, trying to combat it.

"Yes..." she whispered, slowly turning around as she tried to hide the folder behind her back. She took another deep breath, focusing on the air as it rushed down her throat before she tried to speak again. "...I'm looking for an agent...he spoke to...me earlier..."

Dumb self. He can't help me. If he finds out...why, why did I bring him up? I should've said I was looking for my parents...

The agent stepped a bit closer, squinting his eyes some before his expression relaxed again. Nym watched as he smiled and nodded. "I see, you're that young Seaver girl. I can take you to see Agent Rice, he's just inside. Or would you rather speak with Agent Bet?"

Nym bit the inside of her lip. "Um, the man? I don't know their names..."

"Agent Rice then," the other agent said. "Follow me."

Nym waited for him to pass her, then she turned and glanced down behind her at the folder. She turned it so the government seal was hidden against her shirt and clutched it to her chest with her journal, pretending like they were both hers.

Just don't act suspiciously. They have nothing to question unless I give them something to question.

The agent led her up to the doors and they headed inside. Nym's eyes immediately scanned the lobby and she saw no sign of Kirsi. She sucked in a sharp breath but kept her cool. Kirsi had to be somewhere, but not knowing where only caused the butterflies in her stomach to knot up. How was she to know her friend was alright? What if the government had taken her?

What if they're about to take me?

She tried to shove the thought down before she lost her cool and instead looked dead ahead. Her heart nearly stopped, though, as she laid eyes on Agent Rice, standing at the desk. He'd been nice earlier, but now she knew things she didn't know before...would he try to kill her?

Stop, he doesn't know anything...right? Should I tell him?  Nym shook her head a bit, forcing more deep breaths as they approached. No. I can't trust him. I'll make up an excuse. Maybe he can at least help me find Kirsi.

Agent Rice turned around as they reached the desk and Nym tried hard not to look him in the eyes as she listened to the short conversation between the two agents.

"Rice, I found miss Seaver looking for you. I don't know what she wants, but I figured you weren't too busy to talk."

"Course not, thank you. I'll head back outside when I'm done. Make sure those clean air tanks get unloaded, please. We're gonna need them soon."

Nym tried not to scowl. Why bring in "clean air tanks" if you're just trying to kill us. Are they poisoned too? Lure us in with a fresh supply of oxygen, only to kill off the rest of the population. Monsters.

The agent who had brought her in nodded and left, leaving Nym standing there with Agent Rice. She looked up at his face, but avoided his eyes, looking at the space between his brows instead.

"Did you have questions, Miss Seaver?" Agent Rice asked in his quiet, almost innocent-sounding tone.

Nym found some of her malice fading at his tone and expression. He looked genuinely curious and concerned. She didn't want to believe he was a monster, not after how he acted, but she steeled her heart. He could be a good actor.

What if he genuinely doesn't know...?

She realized she was standing there silent and panicked mildly, unsure what to say. "Uhh...have you seen...Kirsi?"

"Oh, your friend. Yes, she came back inside with this Android. She waited around for a bit, looked very nervous. Asked me if she could maybe take the android back to your hospital room until you returned."

Nym blinked. "Oh. You let her go with the android?"

"Yeah, she said you two found it and fixed it. If it was broken we don't have much use for it currently. My supervisors may want it later, but for now, there's no harm in letting it roam. Plus, you two are safer with it. They are here to protect you after all."

Nym fought a slight frown. Yeah right. More like replace us. She struggled with the thought, though, her eyes flickered to Agent Rice's. She had a younger sibling and she knew that gleam in someone's eyes when they were lying, or covering something up. It wasn't there.

"Okay, thank you," she said, glancing down at the journal and notebook clutched in her arms. "Um...would you mind walking back with me? There was one more question I wanted to ask you, but not here. In private, if you don't mind?"

"Sure," he said and moved away from the desk, half guiding her towards the airlock doors. They stepped inside and stood there for an awkward second as the air rushed around them and the second set of doors opened. Nym stepped out hastily and didn't hesitate to take off her oxygen tank. Doing so would mean setting down the notebook, and she couldn't expose it yet.

You've committed to telling him, you've gotta do it. No going back. But what if...? No, he's a good person. He is. He has to be.

She said nothing but started down the hall, hoping he would follow. Thankfully, she heard he steps behind her, then beside her. Glancing up out of the corner of her eye, Nym noticed he hadn't removed his oxygen mask either. 

Keeping a quick pace, Nym turned the corner and found the waiting room they'd spoken in earlier. She slipped inside and exhaled softly at finding it empty. Holding the door until he'd stepped inside, she kept her eyes on the floor. Then she closed it and locked it from the inside, her hands shaking.

Gripping the notebook and journal to her chest, she stared at the lock, hoping this wasn't a bad decision. It took her a full minute to restore her courage enough to turn around, but she still had to force deep breaths of air in through her nose and out through her mouth. Her oxygen mask fogged up some, but she struggled not to focus too much on details. Greater things lay in her hands.

"Is there something going on, Miss Seaver?"

Nym couldn't lift her eyes from the notebook. She couldn't even open her jaw to speak. If she'd judged right, then this might not backfire. Please. Please let this work...

She pried her hands away from her chest and extracted the notebook from where she held it, slowly outstretching her arm to hold it out to Agent Rice. Her eyes followed the movement of her hand, then rose to his face.

She watched his brow furrow at the sight of the government seal on the notebook as he gingerly took it from her hand. He didn't say a word as he flipped it open. Nym pressed her hand against her journal, feeling more protective of it now more than ever. If I die, this journal may be the last recording of what happened here, and of what is happening worldwide. This journal could be the key to stopping this...or making sure it's never repeated. No matter how this goes, I need to protect this journal with my life.

Frowning, she saw his face contort slightly into an expression she couldn't read. Then his lips parted slightly and curled as his eyes widened under his furrowed brow. Disgust etched itself over his whole face.

So he didn't know...or else he's good at acting.

"What is this? Who wrote this? This can't be government-mandated. There's no way the Coalition Council would pass this. It has to be an individual thing...who...?"

Nym watched as his face fell and he began flipping the pages faster, murmuring to himself. "Could it be...a faction within our own government? A faction of murderers? Have they no concern for life...it's heinous..."

Feeling herself beginning to relax at his response, Nym shifted closer, breathing easier.  "...I found it in one of the tents...is this what's been happening?"

Agent Rice's gaze lifted to her, horror shining in his eyes. He closed the notebook quietly, tucking it under his arm as he put a hand on her shoulder. "I think...I think it explains everything that happened here and in the other towns. I think this explains the whole disease."

"It was never a disease," Nym whispered quietly, looking down at her feet. "It was extermination."

Silence followed as she stared down, feeling the full extent and gravity of it all. Still air filled the room like it had the day her co-worker died, the night Cormac died, and the hour she'd nearly died. Nothing moved until a quiet voice broke through.

"It was, but the good news is, whoever these people are, they can be found. They're clearly within our own government. Heck, they're probably here among us now. However, that means we can stop them."

Lifting her gaze, Nym stared directly into his eyes now. "Does it?"

"Yes, yes it does. Once we root out everyone in the government who is funding and supplying this, we can put an end to it."

"But it's the government..." Nym felt weak stating it. The greatness of the World Coalition loomed over everything. She was one person, how could she stop a corrupt power as large as the world government?

"Yes, but governments are made of people. People with limited power. People who can be stopped."

The firmness in his voice bolstered her courage some, but the hope in his eyes bolstered her more. "How do we stop them?"

"With knowledge," Agent Rice told her, his lips pressed into a line. "You know what happened here. You witnessed it. I witnessed it. These doctors witnessed it. Even the android, who by the looks of these papers was supposed to be a cog in their plan. All we have to do is share our testimony along with these papers. We just need to reveal what's going on."

Swallowing hard, Nym glanced at the notebook and back at his face. "Show who, though? If the government is doing it...won't they just shut us down?"

"If this was a full government operation, I'd know about it. I've been with the Coalition for ten years, trust me I'd know. Agent Bet would know about it too." He shook his head some.  "No, this has to be the work of a faction that has long since been a problem. This is too covert to be a full government operation. If we bring it before the right people, they will shut this down."

"Who?" Nym was lost and confused. Were they seriously talking about this as a reality? She couldn't just waltz in and talk to the governing powers. Yes, they were people, but they were also leaders. Why would they listen to a kid?

"We'll figure out who. We'll figure out how. We just have to talk to someone. Like you came and talked to me."

"But..." Nym knew he was right, but she was suddenly facing a far scarier step than before. "Isn't there someone better who could talk to them?"

"Nym, no one else here has experienced what you have. You know this story because you've lived it. What better witness than a first hand one?"

She couldn't argue with that, but fear gripped her. What about her parents? They didn't even know about any of this yet, they didn't even know about Cormac. For all they knew, she and Cormac were safe at home right now eating dinner, possibly going to call any minute. She had a whole funeral to plan. Kirsi was still under the impression this was the work of some madman. Who knew what her parents thought. Plus, she couldn't just leave her home and go to some government complex, could she?

"I...I need to think about this..." she said and turned away, moving to the door. Her knees felt weak, her breathing quick. She undid the lock hastily, her fingers slipping as she stumbled out and crossed the hallway to her room.

She caught the doorpost and managed to get inside, her heart pounding in her head. She couldn't see much beyond the floor as she tried to just get inside without collapsing. She'd nearly made it to the hospital bed when two sets of strong arms, one cold and metallic, caught her.

Kirsi supported her from the right and Nym felt 02 gripping her firmly from the left, holding her up onto her feet. A moment later, Kirsi stepped in front.

"Are you okay? You don't look well," she said, touching Nym's face.

Nym trembled, wanting to be let go so she could sink to the floor. Her legs were weak and she couldn't calm her heartbeat. Neither Kirsi nor 02 seemed intent on letting her slip, though.

"Kirsi...it's horrible...they...they want me to talk to them...to the government," she managed to whisper, her stomach threatening to revolt if she opened her mouth again. She pressed her lips together, shaking.

"Her condition is that of panic. She needs to lay down," stated 02's calm monotone voice from behind her. Nym almost found it comforting, but then the android scooped her up and for a moment the world spun. Then she found herself lying in the hospital bed, shaking mildly as she struggled to sit up.

"Kirsi..." she gasped. Her friend moved to her side and Nym grabbed her wrist. She felt Kirsi take her hand, though, and squeeze it gently. It was their signal, their sign to each other that everything would be okay.

"Close your eyes and breathe," Kirsi instructed.

Nym hesitantly closed her eyes and listened to Kirsi tell her to breathe in and out. She struggled but the breaths slowly came easier. Opening her eyes once she felt mildly normal, she retained a firm grip on  Kirsi's hand.

"Okay," Kirsi said softly. "If you feel well enough, start from the beginning."

"How about I explain, so she can take a breather," a voice said from the doorway.

Nym looked over and spotted agent Rice standing there, folder in hand. He closed the door softly but stayed by the door as he looked around the room. "If I may?"

"Uh...sure," Kirsi said. Nym noticed her friend's confusion, but she didn't have the energy to explain, so she laid back down and listened.

"Your friend here has discovered that the source of the poison in the air that killed all those people started with a radical faction in the government. There's corruption there and it needs to be excised. Therefore, I've asked her to come with me to speak on behalf of the people here and other's who witnessed events like this. We need to present a case in order to get this investigated more fully so we can root out the corrupt politicians before this gets out of hand," Agent Rice said slowly. "I think if your friend speaks up with all she knows and the evidence she found, we could nip this in the bud."

Nym could hear the palpable silence that followed before Kirsi broke it.

"Wait...you mean the government did this? But, you're with the government."

"No," Agent Rice cut in firmly. "Not the whole government, only part of it. People who are selfish and only want for themselves. People with no respect for human life. They did this."

"Oh."

Nym heard the same note of horror in Kirsi's tone that had gnawed at her since she discovered the notebook. Her eyes started to drift towards where it sat in Agent Rice's arms and she quickly moved her gaze, chiding herself. She couldn't look at it. She'd feel sick again.

"Nym...is all of this true?"

Kirsi's voice was small, but Nym looked over at her friend and nodded solemnly. It was true, and it terrified her. Agent Rice was right in saying she should help...she just didn't know if she possessed the courage to.

"Are you gonna go with them?" Kirsi asked, her hand tightening around Nyms more.

"I..." Nym looked at Agent Rice where he stood patiently at the door, waiting for her to make a decision. This rested in her hands now.

Mom and dad could be next. Kirsi could be next. I've already lost Cormac, I can't lose anyone else.

Struggling to sit up straighter, she looked at Kirsi then at Agent Rice. "I'll go."

He offered a slight smile and nodded. "I'll leave you two to talk." He turned, leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

"Will you be okay if you go? Please stay safe. You should take 02 with you to protect you."

Kirsi started jabbering, and Nym just squeezed her hand tight, looking at her. "No, 02 needs to stay here with you to protect you and your family. They may try to finish the job, and I don't know how. You'll need him to run scans and keep you safe," she said. "I'll be with Agent Rice, he'll protect me. I'm sure they'll have other protection measures."

"What happens if you don't come back?" Kirsi whimpered softly, moving to sit on the edge of the bed, eyes wide.

Nym frowned softly, her eyes drifting down to the journal now sitting beside the bed. She picked it up and clutched in her hands, suddenly afraid to let it go. Her knuckles looked white by now, but she managed to loosen her grip. Slowly, she extended the journal to Kirsi. "If I don't come back, then you make sure this stays safe. It holds a record of what happened here. It's evidence, and no matter what, it cannot be destroyed."

"But--"

Nym pressed it into Kirsi's hands and let go, cutting her friend off. "Keep it."

She watched Kirsi nod slowly and grip the journal tightly as if she feared it. Nym sighed a little internally. She hoped it would stay safe with Kirsi. Regardless of her return, it was now an important document, something that required preservation. She knew Kirsi would worry, though.

Smiling quietly she reached over and touched Kirsi's shoulder, looking at her. "Don't worry about it too much. Don't worry about me too much. I'll be back for it."

"You're sure?" Kirsi asked.

Nym nodded. "I'm sure."