“Don’t fucking touch her again,” I say in a low, dark voice. “If you think I need my knives to hurt you, you are wrong.”
“Because we’re the ones with the knowledge,” my father says, ignoring my threat to his guard. “We have the knowledge. We have the resources. We have the expertise, and we have the power to make those decisions. It’s about time both of you start to realize that.”
“Power.” I laugh humorlessly. “That’s what this is really all about, isn’t it? You and your power. You couldn’t control me, so you got rid of me. You couldn’t control Naughts, so you try to have them all killed. It doesn’t work, so you just keep trying and failing again. That’s why you can’t let go, isn’t it, Dad?”
“You are the one who can’t let go,” he says.
“You released a virus, and when that didn’t work efficiently enough, you decided to burn their villages. If you think I’m going to get behind you on that, you’re crazier than I thought you were.”
“I did not release a virus.”
“Sure you didn’t.” I roll my eyes.
“Harp, please locate Dr. Harvey and bring him here,” my father says.
“Yes, sir, President LaGrange.” Mark Harp gives a quick salute before marching out the door. A few minutes later, he returns with a bald, chunky man with a white goatee.
“Dr. Harvey,” my father says, “will you please explain the virus outbreak to my son here?”
“The one from the CDC?” Dr. Harvey asks for clarification. “The original outbreak?”
“Yes, that one.” My father narrows his eyes at the doctor.
“The CDC was compromised during the original eruption. Several viruses were released into the general population.”
“That was a century ago,” I say.
“Yes, and it takes quite some time for a virus to travel this far without the benefits of motorized transportation,” the doctor replies. “We believe the H1N1 flu virus mutated into the rodent populations, then mutated again to infect the human population. It took some time. There were earlier cases, but the epidemic came much later.”
“And tell him why it only impacted Naughts.” My father waves his hand in the air.
“It didn’t,” Dr. Harvey replied. “It impacted those who were exposed. Many Naughts choose to live off of rodent flesh, so they were impacted at a much higher rate.”
“You see, Theo?” Dad places his hands on his desk and leans forward. “I had nothing to do with it.”
“Just because he says it’s true doesn’t mean I’m going to believe him.”
“That does actually make sense, Talen.” Aerin turns toward me. “Naughts do eat rodents, especially around the capital.”
“You believe him?” I ask.
“I’m saying it’s possible.” She looks longingly at her mother, and I reach out to grab her hand, but Ford stops me. “Don’t listen to any of this, Aerin.”
“She’s obviously brighter than you are,” Dad says. “She can see the logic.”
“Fuck you!” I stand, ducking immediately as Ford tries to grab me. I spin around, grab the edge of the trash can, and spill the contents—including my knives---onto the floor. With a quick tumble, I grab both knives and right myself with them now securely in my hands before pointing the tips at my father.
“Your decision to burn Plastictown was your last decision.”
Ford draws his baton, but my father tells him to stand down. Ford does so reluctantly.
“What are you going to do, Theo”—my father laughs loudly—“kill me?”
“Yeah. That’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
“You don’t have it in you, son. You never did.”
Before I have a chance to prove just how wrong he is, an alarm blares, nearly deafening us all.