Page 88 of The Artist
“Take it easy.” Victor pulled away from her, but Aubri was fuming and made a sudden mock attack on him, stopping her hand just above his thigh. It made Victor shriek and jerk back.
“I said, do you understand?”
“Oui.”
“Aubri, upsetting Victor when we need his help isn’t very wise,” Freya reprimanded.
“He called my twin a mutant.”
“Victor was trying to be funny. You just didn’t get his humor.”
Aubri crossed her arms. “Don’t defend him, Freya. It wasn’t funny.”
Restoring some of Victor’s pride, Freya, who was across from him, gave a strained smile. “Victor, would you mind telling us the real reaction to radiation? Like Indiana, I’m curious.” It was so typical of her to try and smooth things out and get things back on track. Not for a second did I believe Freya didn’t already know the answer. She was willing to play ignorant in the name of diplomacy.
With his shoulders pulled high in a defensive position, Victor stroked his thigh as if he was trying to restore blood supply to the area. "Well, it depends. If we’re talking about a high dose of radiation, typically the person will start to vomit. If you’re inhaling a smaller dose over a period of time symptoms might show up as rashes, loss of hair, bleeding, fever, diarrhea with bloody stool, and other unpleasant things. Inhaling or swallowing radioactive material will basically deliver it straight to your cells. When they accumulate there’s a chance of developing cancer. The first four generations after the Toxic War had a high mortality rate because back then we didn’t have a cure for cancer like we do now. That’s why our Explorers receive regular check-ups and vaccines.”
Indiana leaned forward. “I want to hear more about your Explorers.”
“What do you want to know? They collect samples for us scientists and go on expeditions to find new land. We spend a lot of resources on developing equipment to make their job safer, but it’s still a dangerous life and many get injured and die.”
“Yeah, but what kind of expeditions?” Aubri asked.
“I… ehm. I’m not sure what the expeditions entail exactly since I’ve never been on one, but they spend days and sometimes weeks in nature and bring back the samples we need to determine if an area is safe. They also plant vegetation that combats pollution and spread the fungus that cleans radiation. Some of them specialize in marine life and watch over coral reefs and algae farming.”
I looked out the window, now seeing nothing but forest underneath us. When Victor was done talking, I looked at Aubri and Indiana. “If you want to meet a real Explorer, I can introduce you to my friend, Banni. He’s the leader of the South-Western squad and an amazing guy.”
Mason narrowed his eyes. “Oh yeah?”
“What kind of name is Banni?” Victor wrinkled his nose. “That can’t be his real name.”
“No, of course not. His real name is Benny, but he goes by Banni.”
“What’s wrong with Banni?” Freya asked. “I don’t hear much difference between Benny and Banni; does it have a meaning?”
Victor dipped his chin. “Banni means…” He searched for the word. “Trash – no, that’s not it. Expelled maybe. I’m not sure how to translate the word.”
“Banni means outcast,” I said.
“Outcast.” Aubri rocked her head back and forth with a smug smile. “I want to meet this outcast. Sounds like he’s a rebel like me.”
“I don’t know if Banni is away on an expedition, but I’ll reach out to him as soon as we land. I’m sure he would be ecstatic to meet my new friends.” My gaze found Mason’s.
Victor scoffed and muttered in French under his breath, “These aren’t your friends. You’re nothing but a breeder for Mason and a fun pet for the rest of them.”
I was provoked by his demeaning words. Empowered by my talks with Doctor White, Freya, Pearl, and Aubri, I stood up for myself and pushed back. “Sounds to me like you’re jealous. How would you know what a friendship looks like anyway? All you have are admirers. You never had a real friend in your life.”
Victor’s stare was cold enough to give frostbite.
“Whoa, what just happened?” Mason looked between Victor and me. “Did he insult you?”
Aubri raised her hand like a claw. “Victor, what did I tell you about offending my friends?”
I smirked and took a last jab at him in French. “See!”
Victor zipped his lips and turned to stare out the window next to him.
“What’s his problem?” Thor asked.
