Page 22 of Twins for the Barbarians

“These were Elian Daron’s researchers,” Alicia says, frowning as she starts rummaging through the documents left behind. “They were taking measurements of volcanic activity, but they were investigating the town’s population, too. Look here…”

We gather around her as she pulls out a sheet of thin glass with medical information printed on it. From what I can tell, we’re looking at blood test results.

“They were taking blood samples from the locals,” Kingo says. “I think the volcanic research was more of a front for this.”

“That is precisely what they were doing here,” Alicia replies, sifting through other glass plates. “They had physical measurements, behavioral studies…whoever trashed this place, I don’t think they were looking for something in particular; they were just trying to destroy the evidence.”

“They probably didn’t have time to clear everything,” I say.

“Or they did find what they were looking for and were told to ignore the rest,” Helios surmises. “This place was already under quarantine when Elian Daron left with his findings and headed over to Diamond City. Those responsible were likely forced to evacuate or flee altogether. The plague was probably at its peak.”

“Either way, we’ll need to go through every single piece of information available,” Alicia declares. Kingo, you handle everything pertaining to medical relevance, and I’ll try to figure out more about their operation and their habits. Maybe the so-called cleanup crew didn’t take everything they came here for.”

“Helios and I will take the bodies away and bury them,” I say solemnly. “They deserve that much.”

Alicia gives me a pained look and a soft nod. I squeeze her shoulder gently, then get to work. It doesn’t take long for us to remove the dead researchers. They’re just bones now, light, and easy to carry out back. Digging the holes is another story, but Helios and I hope to bury them all before nightfall. As we work, we talk about this place and about what Red Rock used to mean to our culture.

It was a mountain of great historical significance. This is where some of our first people gathered as a tribe long ago. From here, they spread south, drawn by the lower temperatures and gentler winds. That allowed agriculture to truly develop, and once our ancestors discovered the river stretching far into the purple grasslands and eventually the Crimson Sea, our civilization flourished.

Soon enough, the conversation reverts to Alicia. We can hear her from outside as she talks to Kingo. They’re busy organizing the documents in a sensible manner. Diaries and personal items go on one desk, medical research on another. I’m sure their work won’t be in vain. I hope we’ll find what we’re looking for.

“I don’t want to go to Kaos Volcano,” I finally tell Helios as I lean against my shovel. That’s four bodies buried and five more to go.

“Me neither, but we may have to,” he says. “It’s ground zero for a reason.”

“How do we avoid the marauders?” I ask him. “We swore to protect her, and we managed to do a decent job so far, but how many of those fuckers are we going to have to deal with farther south?”

Helios gives me a cold smile. “Something tells me we’re the only crazy ones headed there.”

“What if we’re not? Look at Red Rock. It was thought to be a wasteland. Well, technically, it is a wasteland, but if anyone wanted to settle here again, they could, at least until the volcano erupts again. You wouldn’t even need to go that far for food and resources. The mountain is plentiful, and the absence of people has only served to enrich the animal population.”

“I think they’re afraid of the plague—too afraid. That’s why the Sky Tribe is clustered in the cities and why we’ve stuck to the riverside and the northern regions. Nobody wants to go back there.”

“What if they do?”

Helios takes a deep breath and adds more dirt to the sixth grave, then walks over to me and pats my shoulder. “Brother, I understand your fears, I do. I share them. But we have to forge ahead, whether we like it or not. You know Alicia won’t stop until she gets her way, and I can’t say that I blame her. She has proven herself braver than many of our kind. The mere fact that she’s here now, trying to get to the truth, is enough to tell us that much.”

“I don’t want to lose her.”

“Neither do I. Yet the best we can do as partners is to be there for her every step of the way,” he says, and I know he speaks the truth.

I’m tempted to agree with him. It’s hard sometimes, but loving a woman as deeply as we’ve come to love Alicia comes with a clouding of one’s judgment when my head should be clear.

“We’ll overcome each hurdle as it presents itself. So far, we’ve made it.”

“I hope you’re right,” I reply. “I just hope we don’t run into any more enemies on our way south.”

“We will survey each road and each region carefully. It may take us longer to get to Kaos Volcano, but at least we’ll be safe.”

By midnight, we’re back in town, gathered around the fire and listening to Alicia and Kingo’s conclusions after the first day’s investigations. Thankfully, it was not a wasted day. Alicia is a brilliant researcher, and Kingo’s medical training has helped her piece together some of Elian’s work in Red Rock.

“This was definitely the second hot spot,” Alicia says. “They studied the viral strain. The first cases here showed identical markers to the samples they lifted from Opal City.”

“Given the distance from Kaos to Red Rock and the number of settlements and cities in between, we should’ve seen a more varied strain here than in Opal City,” Kingo adds. “That means the first strain present in Kaos was brought directly here. I’m certain that if we manage to find samples from any place between here and Kaos, we’ll see more markers that match the strains farther north than what we found in Red Rock.”

“So this place was deliberately infected?” I ask, trying to understand the revelation. My blood runs cold.

“Yes. It’s the only reasonable conclusion,” Alicia replies. “The people of Red Rock were healthy. There was barely a history of other illnesses, and life on this mountain was particularly good for them. The mineral streams flowing along the eastern ridge gave them a plethora of benefits, and both the children and the adults showed stronger immune systems than those in Sapphire City, for example. And from what I’ve gathered from studying their records, the people of Red Rock didn’t have any direct contact with those from Opal City. They’re too far away, and when the plague first hit, the authorities immediately shut the city down.”

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