We set a time and place to meet and went our separate ways. I had significant doubts that any of my crew would risk their lives over this, but I had equipment that might ensure my safety. If any of them came along it would be a bonus.

I tried to ignore the coughing humans along the way. It all made me uncomfortable. I had to wonder if this were connected to the bombing, and if any of it was connected to Yadek. He’d never shown signs of being connected to anything extreme before, but he had said that I looked sick. Had that been his way of trying to let me in on something before it happened?

Shivers ran down my spine at the thought.

“Garul?” Yadek’s voice punched me in the gut.

I turned to face him. “Yadek my friend how are you?” I put as friendly of a tone as I could manage into my voice.

“You don’t look so well. Are you ill?” He sounded concerned.

I paused for a moment. Was he being sincere? Maybe this was a misunderstanding. “A bit stressed I suppose. I’m not coping with the attack well.”

He patted me on the back. “Understandable. I could get you out of here. Some connections of mine are getting permission for a second quarantine in a space station. It’d be more comfortable than staying here.” He grabbed my shoulder and looked me in the eye before adding, “Pantechnians only.”

I frowned. “I’d love too but I’ve already committed myself to helping with the quarantine.” I motioned around to the humans and the puddles of blood. “This is already out of hand, and I haven’t seen a single one of us ill yet.”

He narrowed his eyes at me. “Help how?”

That startled me. Did I long so much for him to be innocent that I took him at his word? Did I make a human level emotional mistake? My heart skipped a beat and launched into warp. Now wasn’t the time to panic. It was the time to lie my ass off and get moving. “Just cleaning up and taking care of the bodies. Like I did after the bombing.”

Yadek nodded, a look that said he suspected me of something treacherous never leaving his face. “I didn’t know you liked humans so much.”

I shrugged. “Neither did I.” That wasn’t a lie.

“You should reconsider,” he said and motioned to the same people I had. “They’re disgusting roaches. They can’t even die with dignity.”

Something in me snapped when he said that. Rage unlike anything I could remember boiled up. My heart pounded loud enough that each beat echoed in my ears like drums. My face flushed red and began sweating. I thought I was going to explode before I calmed myself down but I managed a few seconds too late.

Yadek had already walked away without so much as a farewell. My fading rage turned to blood freezing panic. Whoever he was with was organized. Enough so that they planted a sophisticated series of bombs in a secure facility and detonated them. Perhaps sophisticated enough to have made this disease. I couldn’t think of how. I didn’t want to believe it was possible. Yet, I had to suspect him of any and everything. That meant speeding up the plan.