"You don't list your sick tests on the official register." I pulled the deposit slip from my pocket. "And you've been taking money on the side. How's that work, Dr. Karsten?"
Karsten's face went ashen. His hands trembled, curled into fists.
For the first time, I felt fear. Was the man crazy? Desperate? We were alone out there, miles from help.
Instead of lashing out, Karsten removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. When the thick lenses were repositioned, a different man peered through them.
"You're right," he said quietly.
Excuse me?
"My project was secret. Illegal." He inhaled deeply. Exhaled. "I pray I haven't caused irreparable damage."
"Like torturing an innocent puppy?" I demanded.
Karsten glanced at Coop. Coop growled.
"Why'd you do it?" Ben asked.
Karsten shook his head. "You wouldn't believe me."
"Try us."
"To save millions of canines from untimely deaths. To create a cure for parvo, not just a vaccine." The thin lips drew up in a humorless smile. "And yes, to make a fortune doing it."
As before, Karsten's demeanor changed without warning. His fist slammed his palm.
"I took every precaution! That door was supposed to be impenetrable. No one knew of that lab but me."
"If that was your goal, why not get approval?" Shelton asked. "Why sneak around?"
"I know why."
Eight eyes shifted to me. I could feel Karsten trying to read my mind.
"Dr. Karsten created a new virus. A dangerous experimental strain. A hybrid of canine parvo and Parvovirus B19."
Karsten appeared to shrink in on himself. "How could you possibly know that?" he whispered.
"We saw the clipboard by Coop's enclosure. You infected Coop with something called Parvovirus XPB-19." I glanced at Shelton and Hi. "Tonight we learned about a human strain called Parvovirus B19. Doesn't take a genius to do the math."
Defeated, Karsten didn't bother to protest.
"The names could be coincidence," I went on. "But that's not how I know."
"Then how?" he asked quietly.
"Because we caught it, Dr. Karsten. We've been infected." I spread my arms wide. "You turned us into Virals."
CHAPTER 52
"You've been sick?" Karsten blanched. "Describe your symptoms."
He moved one yellow-sneakered foot in my direction. A growl from Coop drove him back into his chair.
"What are you experiencing?" He studied me like a bug on a pin. "Tell me! Leave nothing out."
No one spoke.
"I'm the only one who can help you," Karsten pleaded. "You must believe me. I never meant to harm anyone. You know how hard I tried to maintain security."
Right," Hi snorted. "Try changing the default code next time."
"Default? What? That code was supposed to be randomly generated!"
Ignoring him, I looked a question at the others.
"How can we trust him?" Shelton was skittish.
Karsten answered. "You're infected with a dangerous variant of parvovirus." He held up his hands. "What I did was stupid. I admit it. We're past that now. We need to make sure your lives aren't at risk."
Shelton still looked dubious. I couldn't read Hi or Ben.
Fingers steepled, Karsten spoke in a lecturing tone.
"Tory guessed correctly. I inserted DNA from canine parvovirus into the genetic code for B19. I was searching for a mechanism to weaken the canine form."
Karsten looked from face to face.
"I'll never know if the approach would have been successful. I destroyed the new strain immediately after the dog was stolen. The paperwork, too."
"Why destroy it?" I asked.
"Testing indicated the virus might have the potential to infect humans. I hadn't followed proper protocols. When I lost containment, I panicked. My credentials were at stake."
"Your credentials!?!" Hi exploded.
"Let me make this right!" Karsten practically begged.
"Let's tell him," Ben said.
A beat, then Hi and Shelton nodded.
I told Karsten about the blackouts. The nausea. The fatigue. The chills and sweats. All of it. His shoulders drooped more with each new detail.
"The blackouts have passed?" Karsten asked when I finished.
"Yes," we said.
"The flu-like symptoms? Gone as well?"
Nods all around.
Karsten let out a breath. Relieved.
I changed that.
"There are side effects."
"Side effects?"
"We call it flaring."
I explained the powers. How our senses would expand, our perceptions sharpen. The flashes of strength and speed. The glowing golden eyes.
Karsten almost slipped from his chair. We managed to catch him.
"Amazing." Karsten's head wagged from side to side. "Amazing," he repeated.
"Okay, doc," Hi said. "We're amazing. But what do we do?"
"Can you call on these abilities at will?"
"No," I said. "The flares come and go randomly."
"Probably not," Karsten said. "From your descriptions, the episodes seem to be triggered by strong sensory input. And by stress."
"What does that mean?" Shelton asked.
"I believe your powers are activated by stimulation of the limbic portion of your brains."
"Meaning?" Ben asked.
"Neuro-anatomy is very complicated." Dismissive.
"So am I."