Yesterday's Gone: Season Three (THE POST-APOCALYPTIC SERIAL THRILLER)

can’t catch it.”
    “It’s not like a virus,” Boricio said. “They are parasites. If it’s in you, it’s in you. It’s not a matter of catching something. You are infected. Yet, it hasn’t advanced to later stages of the infection as we understand it. My scientists are speculating that perhaps there is something unique about your case or you that would explain this — something they may be able to use to develop a cure to drive out the parasites. Or reverse the mutation to restore an already infected person’s humanity. We’d like your help.”
    Something was calming in this Boricio’s voice which cast him as day to the other Boricio’s night. This Boricio seemed more intelligent and deliberate, calmer in his approach. Imaginary Boricio had momentarily vanished again, leaving Charlie alone to contemplate what he should say or do next.
    He wanted to trust this new Boricio, but was still shaken by what the Guardsmen had done.
    “Why should I trust you?” Charlie said. “You have us locked in here like animals. And you burned a man alive in front of me!”
    “You’re locked up here as a quarantine measure.”
    “Is everyone here infected,” Charlie interrupted. “Is, Callie?” He pointed at Callie, who was still sleeping in the next cell.
    “No, she is not infected. Nor is everyone else. Some people are here because they’d volunteered to help us.”
    “She didn’t volunteer!” Charlie said. “Your men in vans came and grabbed her. Just like they did me and my friend, Adam!”
    Boricio looked over at Callie, then back at Charlie. “We did bring some people in from the outside, but I assure you, they’re better off here than out there. It’s dangerous out there. No one will survive long once these things colonize the planet. We need people to help us test. Not only to cure the infected, but to stop the aliens. To kill them.”
    “So you’re testing people against their will? You’re testing Callie against her will? What kinds of tests are these? Are you infecting people?”
    Boricio sighed again. He was far more patient than the Boricio that Charlie knew, who would have long ago smacked Charlie into obedience, saying something like, “You don’t like it, Charlie Cock Sucker? Tough shit.” Then he would’ve given Charlie the finger and added, “Sit on this and rotate, Chuckie Fuck-Stick!”
    This Boricio chose his words wisely, which made Charlie wonder why he was being so patient.
    Wait … do I have some leverage to negotiate?
    “Ding! Ding! Ding! Tell the boy what he’s won,” Imaginary Boricio suddenly chimed, appearing beside Charlie again. “These fuckers need what you’ve got in that body of yours! I’ll bet it feels good to finally not get handed a rock, eh, Charlie Brown?”
    The real Boricio finally spoke, “Sometimes our hands are forced to do things we’d rather not do, for the better good. We must test a few to save the many.”
    Charlie shook his head. “You’re killing people. Turning them into monsters!”
    “It’s science,” Boricio snapped, his patience thinning. “We don’t have the luxury of fancy computer models or a supply of lab animals to work with now. These aliens are spreading, and we are this close to understanding the how’s and why’s and actually helping people. This close,” Boricio repeated, holding his yellow gloved fingers about an inch apart. “Would you have us abandon our research and throw our hands up in defeat until every man, woman, and child left in this world is either infected or food? Because that’s what happens when we do nothing.”
    Charlie shook his head, “No, I guess not.”
    “We’re not the bad guys,” Boricio said.
    “Then why did you burn that man? What had he done to deserve that?”
    Boricio’s eye met Charlie’s. “We needed something to get you in line. To see that we mean business. That man was no innocent. When we found him, he’d been keeping a child in a cage — as a sex slave. So I have few compunctions about experimenting on, or killing, a child rapist. How about you?”
    “No,” Charlie shook his head. “But you guys killed an innocent child too! One that wasn’t even infected!”
    Boricio’s head titled ever so slightly, “What are you talking about? We don’t have any children as test subjects.”
    “No, in the truck I was being transported in. There was a young boy with me. We were the only survivors. The men tested him and he showed negative, or whatever you call it when