I caught my breath as I saw the boxes. Leaning over slightly, I nudged Shaun with my elbow. He followed my gaze and whistled. ?Pulling out the big guns, there, Steve-o??
Steve cracked a thin smile. ?The senator wants to be certain you?re all right.?
?My brother?s never been all right, but Rick and I are clean,? I said, holding out my right hand. ?Rock me.?
?My pleasure,? he said, and slid the box over my hand.
Blood testing kits range from your basic field units, which can be wrong as often as thirty percent of the time, to the ultra-advanced models, which are so sensitive that they?ve been known to trigger false positives as they pick up the live Kellis infection harbored by nearly every human on Earth. The most advanced handheld kits are the Apple XH-237s. They cost more than I care to think about, and since they?re field kits, they can only be used once without replacing the needle array, a process that costs more than most independent journalists make in a year. Once is more than enough. Needles so thin they can barely be felt, hitting at sites on all five fingers, the palm, and the wrist. Viral detection and comparison mechanisms so advanced that the Army supposedly bought the right to use several of Apple?s patents after the XH-237 came out.
Shaun and I carry one?only one?in the van. We?ve had it for five years. We?ve never felt rich or desperate enough to use it. You only use the XH-237 when you need to be sure, right here and now, with no margin for error. It?s a kit for use after actual exposure. The army didn?t wonder what was in that syringe. Somehow, they knew. The implications of that were more than a little disturbing.
Steve activated the kit. The lid locked down, flattening my palm until I felt the tendons stretch. There was a moment of pain. I tensed, but even waiting for it, I couldn?t feel the needles as they began darting in and out of my hand and wrist. The lights atop the unit began to cycle, flashing red, then yellow, and finally settling, one by one, into a steady, unblinking green. The entire process took a matter of seconds.
Steve smiled as he dropped the unit into a biohazard bag. ?Despite all natural justice, you?re still clean.?
?That?s one more I owe to my guardian angel,? I said. A glance to the side showed me that Shaun?s unit was still cycling, while Rick?s test was just getting started.
?Yeah, well, stop making that angel work so hard,? said Steve, more quietly. I looked back to him, surprised. His expression was grave. ?You can leave the zone now.?
?Right,? I said. I walked to the gate, where two blank-faced men in army green watched me press my forefinger against the much simpler testing pad. Another needle bit deeply, and the light switched from green to red to green again before the gate clicked open. Shaking my stinging hand, I stepped out.
Our van and Rick?s car had been joined by a third vehicle: a large black van with mirrored windows that gleamed with the characteristic patina of armor plating. The top bristled with enough antennae and satellite dishes to make our own relatively modest assortment of transmitters look positively sparse. I stood, considering it, as Shaun and Rick made their own exits from the ranch and moved to stand beside me.
?That look like our friendly order-giver to you?? Shaun asked.
?Can?t imagine who else it would be,? I said.
?Well, then, let?s go up, say hello, and thank them for the welcome. I mean, I was touched. A fruit basket might have been more fitting, but an armed ambush? Definitely a unique way to show that you care.? Shaun went bounding for the van. Rick and I followed at a more sedate pace.
Shaun banged on the van door with the heel of his hand. When there was no reply, he balled his hand into a fist and resumed banging, louder. He was just starting to get a good rhythm going when the door was wrenched open by a red-faced general who glared at us with open malice.
?I don?t think he?s a music lover,? I commented to Rick. He snorted.
?I don?t know what you kids think you?re doing?? began the general.
?Pretty sure they were looking for me,? said Senator Ryman, stepping up behind him. The general cut off, shifting the force of his glare to the senator. Ignoring him, Senator Ryman moved around him and out of the van and clasped Shaun?s hand. ?Shaun, good to see you?re all right. I was a bit concerned when I heard that transmission had been intercepted.?
?We got lucky,? Shaun said, with a grin. ?Thanks for getting us through the red tape.?
?My pleasure.? Senator Ryman looked back at the glowering general. ?General Bridges, thank you for your concern for the well-being of my press pool. I?ll be speaking to your superiors about this operation, and I?ll make sure they know your part in it.?
The general paled. Still grinning, Shaun waggled his fingers at him.