0-SA (The Last Ship Series)

Chapter Twelve: Agreement

"Why do we need to meet with these guys anyway? They're just a bunch of hotshot professors wanting to dissect the thing when we find it. They aren't even worried about Raven." William and Jacques were making their way down the hall through the flea market. All the while people were offering them goods in their trade, but we denied as the two made their way through the passage.

Jacques made his way into the main hall, at first he wasn't sure himself, "Maybe they want to see a soldier face to face huh?" Jacques grinned a he gave William a nudge, who clearly wasn't assumed by the man's antics, "Come on lighten up. Things could be worse."

"A lot worse." Sage was standing at the door way, her arms crossed and that same coat shrouded her, but her mask was off. The woman had short blonde hair, her eyes, one a vibrant green, and the other, clouded with a scar wrapping around it against the side of her face, "You two take to long." She shoved her hands in her pockets before glancing inside, "Take a look at these two." Sage watched the two professors, who were highly guarded. One, a woman in her late twenties, early thirties. She wore a pair of reading glasses, and had dark brown hair. A African American man who looked a bit older stood next to her. Both were speaking with their sergeants, "What is going on here?"

William shrugged, "Hard to tell. Those two usually never come out of the labs." He wasn't a fan on the professors. Often they wanted samples of the Irinaut's, but that was near impossible with their fast decay. By the time they get the body to them, it's melted into nothing. Including the bone.

"Good to see you too." Jacques shrugged his shoulders, "Anything in those labs is above my pay grade." Once they were in the doorway, it seemed to had gotten the scientists attention.

William offered a wave, and the female professor flagged them down.

"Please do come in." The brown haired woman approached them, a smile on her face. She reached her hand out to shake theirs, "I'm Professor Jewel. My colleague other there, is Professor Reed. I must say your finding is quite astonishing. We both have so many questions."

Sage shook her hand hesitantly, as did William. Jacques eyes wandered for a moment before he took her hand, "Nice to meet you Professor. I can't say I think the same as you when it comes to those things." When it came to people higher on the table, Jacques was more reserved. He didn't bark out as he normally did when he was with the team, but that didn't mean he wouldn't look.

The Professor only smiled, "Professor Reed believes we can communicate with them." She held her arm out, "Please, do come this way. We have so much to ask."

Sage and William looked at one another, and then back at Jewel. Jacques shrugged before walking towards the other scientists. A set of young male twins were running about, chasing each other with what looked like a small bug.

Professor Reed smiled as they approached, "Ah! There they are. The soldiers who met the healthy Irinaut." The man shook their hands with excitement, "You must understand this is a remarkable discovery. The infected have never shown any sort of restraint, or are smart enough to stay out of the infected air." He shook his head, "My apologies I'm Professor Reed. I study the communications between Irinaut's, and I believe that it could be possible to break this barrier between us."

William cocked his head, "What would the point of that be?"

Reed adjusted his glasses, "Well, if we are able to speak with them, we could know their goal, why they're here. We just might even be able to find a cure. Does it not raise questions that this Class A Irinaut wasn't infected? It's a prime specimen." Professor Reed looked at them, "Did it act like it knew what you were saying? Did it respond at all?"

"It knew we could hurt it." William said quietly, "It knew that what Raven put on it was a weapon not restraints. Only she knew how that stuff works and it knew that." The soldier rolled his eyes, "It just wanted to get out of there. It could have killed me, and it didn't. Just took Raven and left." William rubbed his own shoulder.

Reed nodded, "We believe it's close to that facility it destroyed. Its resources are limited, and if your friend is smart she won't take those bombs off it. It will buy her time and us to find her."

Jacques' eyes widened as he glanced at William as a 'I told you so' but was only scowled at. Sage all the while was picking under her fingernails, not really caring for the talk about the Irinaut's.

"So we're going to go look for her?" William seemed relieved, as did Jacques, "What's the catch?"

Professor Jewel approached them, "The catch to what?"

"Going to get Raven. I thought we already had parties out." William looked at Jacques and then Sage, his brown furrowed as he seemed to be questioning this sudden green light.

The professor smiled. Jewel simply clasped her hands together, "Raven knows you. We don't know what this creature could be doing to her head, and your Sergeant agreed it might help to have someone she trusts."

Sage cocked her head, seeming confused, "What's the point of that? Not like she's going to want to stay with that thing anyway. If anything she'd see my face and turn running." Sage laughed, but it wasn't reciprocated. The woman sulked a bit, "Seriously though. We got what, three squads out looking for her?"

Professor Jewel nodded, "We don't want to waste any chances. Besides you are some of the best recruits according to your records. Bring back Raven and this Irinaut alive, and I'm certain you will all be accommodated handsomely for your troubles."