Page 77 of Penny for Your Saints

"You're a smart girl, Louise. I trust that by now you have at least some working knowledge of the cabal known as the Windmill; an ultra powerful group that controls players in government and pharma from the shadows. I'm not surebetween the government and the Windmill who Mother and I fear the most. Not just for our safety, but for your own."

Though she's been strong for the entirety of the recording, Louise's mother folds forward, her face twisting as she begins to sob.

"We cannot pretend as if we are completely innocent in all of this," Louise's mother admits, her own pale face a mirror of Louise's, marked with the shimmering trails of tears.

"In the infancy of our research, we had used you, our own daughter, to run tests for advanced indicators of designation in early childhood. Of course, we had to use a larger population than just our daughter. So, in collaboration with the US government and with the cooperation of other intelligence programs from allied countries, we began to expand our testing population," Margot explains.

"Of the potential candidates, ultimately, only a small group went to final trials. Through our copious testing, we had become confident that we could declare designation long before an individual's ripening in adulthood. Not only were we confident in this method of testing, but we had been fairly confident that we could alter the designation presentation before an individual reached the ripening age as long as we had the right chemical intervention." Landon winces at this last part, before Margot adds with a chilling solemnity.

"This was our hubris." Margot bows her head a moment before continuing. "You, Louise—a sickly child, had been indicated as an omega in our testing. We were shocked when another test subject within the group came back with positive indicators of being one of your fated mates."

My blood runs cold at this. Only recently, Sébastien found evidence that Louise is connected to all of us Saints as our fated mate. If this is true—which of us is it? Or someone we'vesomehow never met? I can feel my pulse in my neck as I wait for the next revelation.

"This was a difficult truth to accept. Even though your mother and I were prepared not only to know your designation, but to potentially change it—we had simply not anticipated this aspect of our work with fated mate indicators, revealing to us the fated mates of our own daughter."

Louise, who has struggled against her own tears until this point, has gone entirely silent—tears dry, a nascent horror hollowing out her cold, pale features.

"You have to believe me Louise when I say that we didn't know, your mother and I—we didn't know what would happen," Landon stammers, he and Margot falling silent for a long moment before Margot finally speaks, slowly and deliberately.

"There were three final groups. One group contained 2 fated mates; you and the boy you matched with—there weren't any other faded mates indicated within the larger testing population, as the other two groups were seven each—one child of each pre-ripened designation. All the poor children in these groups had parents just as foolish as we—who thought they'd try their hand at playing God and changing their children's future." She falls silent as Landon steps in to carry the torch.

"We administered what we thought to be a designation changing serum. What we ended up doing was administering what would later become known as the Zeitnot virus," Landon confirms gravely. "Immediately we knew something was wrong. While none of the gamma, beta, delta or theta children showed any indication of change, the alpha, sigma, and omega children were affected. At first it was difficult to tell that the alpha children had been affected at all since it was the omegas and sigmas falling ill that let us know we had made a terrible mistake," Landon adds shamefully.

"It became apparent almost immediately that the virus was attacking healthy sigma and omega children's biological systems. Alpha children, while not symptomatic, would become carriers—unknowingly holding a deadly secret deep inside themselves, ready to spring out and affect omegas and sigmas they came into contact with at any time," he concludes.

"It was catastrophic, a disaster," Margot sniffles. "We were nearly certain that we would lose you." she hiccups down a sob."But you saved us—you saved everyone!" Margo cuts in, eyes sparkling with tears.

"In desperation we attempted to fashion a treatment, an antidote. While the others continued to worsen, you alone had begun to recover, but as you had begun to recover—a most curious phenomenon had begun to take place. All previous indicators which had shown that you would ripen as an omega had begun to shift, beginning to show that you would ripen as a sigma. None of the others in the test group yielded similar results. As a last ditch attempt, we used your blood—your antibodies to develop a treatment," Margot adds triumphantly.

Louise has lifted to a low crouch now. Hands balanced keenly on her bent knees. Eyes locked like lasers on the computer screen.

"We gave the treatment to the symptomatic omegas and sigmas as well as the asymptomatic alphas—including your fated mate who had become infected as part of the test group for the serum.

The good news? Those who received the treatment immediately began turning the corner—their symptoms becoming more manageable with a full recovery finally in view. However, all subjects who had been treated exhibited changes in their designation indicators—even those alphas who had only been asymptomatic carriers." Another hush falls over Landon and Margo as they allow the information to sink in.

"We don't know how much you remember about the testing. You were so young and so in and out of hospitals for most of your early life that it may not even be something that you recall. Or if you do, the memory is murky." Landon's face pinches in a way that evokes a silent apology as Margot speaks again.

"We gathered as much information as we could to share with you, about not only your own history, but about your future and ongoing connection to the virus."

"Your mother and I had honestly thought that we would have been eliminated right then and there. The implications of what our research could be used for hit us all at once. Not only could there be mass commercialization of our test to find designation or fated mates, but enormous profits could be made off of anything that could allow someone to choose their designation," Landon adds fretfully. "From what we can understand in our limited experience with the virus and the treatment developed from you, Louise—there is no ability to choose designation. The designation of the individual cured of the Zeitnot virus does not have any apparent rhyme, reason, or pattern. Even though we communicated this to our superiors, we were already under pressure to find a way to manipulate the results."

"This is to say nothing of the opportunity to use such a virus for a chemical weapon—the cure available to only those who can pay or those who capitulate to the will of those holding the weapon.

Surprisingly, we were allowed to continue our research as long as we made the appearance of cooperation. For years we have done our best to find another path, another resolution—but our time is running out.

Louise, you must do everything within your power to make sure this virus has a cure," Margot pleads.

"We should have told you ourselves while we were still alive, but we are both so worried about what they might do to you ifthey knew you knew about the Zietnot virus and your role as the keystone of the cure. I don’t want to think about what kind of action the Windmill or the government would take if anyone knew that you would be willing to go against the odds and stand against them. It’s frightening, yes, but stand against them you must," Landon adds with duty.

"We have very few friends and allies who haven't been compromised by the Feds or the Windmill.

Trust no one. Even people who you think you can trust, like Susan Lowry or Ed Compton. Do not trust them." Margo momentarily loses her composure, dissolving into a river of tears as Landon drapes an arm over her shoulders and does his best to comfort her.

"You will find the contact information for two of our research partners on this machine, along with the other materials and records we were able to provide. If you can, make contact with them. They'll know how to help you safeguard the future against the virus." Margot wipes her eyes with the back of one hand. "I know this is unfair and that you may hate us, but this is all we can offer you. Please understand, Louise, that it was never our intent to create this great evil, to hurt you, or to put you in danger. We know we will pay for our arrogance with our lives. We can only hope that is a high enough price to pay to safeguard your future," she weeps.

"We're counting on you, Sweetheart. Good luck," Landon concludes—and the image freezes Margot and Landon with their bleary faces and watery smiles. Forever held as a still in time.

Louise lets out an anguished animal cry and crumples laying flat, face down on the ground, her body gently shaking with sobs.

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