“The official liaison for the CDC has just informed me that they will be holding a formal press conference tonight at 10 P.M., Atlantic Standard Time. The spokesperson has assured me that the virus is not airborne and is contained within the Margaree River Valley area. Once again, a spokesperson for the CDC has just confirmed that it is indeed a virus and that it has been contained to the Margaree Valley area. The virus is not airborne and the rest of the island is not in any danger of infection.”

Jess re-read the last piece of information on the paper, then hesitantly added, “Authorities are warning citizens that anyone attempting to leave the Margaree area will be dealt with swiftly and severely. This is Jess Jessup, ATN Evenings News.”

“Thank you, Jess. That was Jess Jessup reporting from outside Margaree on Cape Breton Island. More on that story later tonight on the Late Night News. Up next, the Maritime Weather with Meteorologist, Jimmy MacIntosh. Any chance of this heat letting up any time soon, Jimmy?”

“Father?” Robin’s voice echoed in the empty lab.

Various rooms flicked on and off her screen in rapid succession. The images on the monitors changed to those from the cameras mounted outside the cabin then stopped on a group of people walking towards the lodge. As the group stepped into the light, Robin scanned the individual faces of these uninvited guests. She searched her memory banks. This group of people was unknown to her. The locks on the door clicked shut as the strangers stepped onto the huge veranda and a hand reached for the door knob.

“It’s locked,” Lucy said as she jiggled the handle.

“Hello?” she raised her voice as she knocked on the door. “Is anyone there?”

She waited a moment, listening intently, then pounded the door harder. “Hello! We need help! Somebody open the goddamn door!”

The computer monitors flashed in rapid succession, still searching the rooms. Once again the image on the monitor focused on the strangers at the door. Unable to find Heslin, Robin’s only course of action, the most logical one, was to allow the strangers entrance to help search the places her camera eyes could not see. If Heslin was hurt, these strangers could administer medical aid, something else she was unable to do. Robin sensed something in her system she never sensed before. It was a new process, outside her primary programming. It felt like… No, Robin knew that was impossible… Computers could not feel. Robin’s artificial brain could duplicate various preprogrammed expressions to simulate feelings, but they were only simulations. Somehow Robin knew this was different. This was new. She was… scared.

The locks on the door clicked open as her monitor went black.

Lucy tried the door again, and this time the knob turned. She pushed the door open, expecting to see someone. A large, empty foyer welcomed them. The teens rushed into the lodge, locking the door behind them.

“Hello?” Lucy yelled again.

No answer.

She turned to Michael and Paul. “Check up stairs.”

She turned her attention to Lauren and Emma. “Check the kitchen, check…” she paused for a moment, “Just check everywhere. The door didn’t unlock itself, so somebody has to be here. Everyone meet back here in five minutes.”

Paul looked at her. Slightly puzzled and rather annoyed.

“Who the hell put you in charge?”

“You did!” she snapped back.

“What did I do?”

“Not a damn thing,” she answered as she turned her back to him and walked away.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” he yelled after her as she disappeared around a corner.

Michael patted him on the shoulder. “It means you didn’t do a damn thing when we walked in here. So she did.”

Paul’s face still held a puzzled look as Michael headed upstairs.

Lucy walked into an all white room filled with computers and laboratory equipment.

“We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto,” she said to no one as she headed for the open window.

She looked at the greenish stain above the window, then quickly pulled the window shut and locked it. The others soon found her in the lab.

“What the fuck is this place?” Paul asked as he entered the bright lab.

“I need a drink,” Lauren said as she turned and headed for the kitchen.

“I need a hot shower and get out of these wet clothes,” Emma announced.

“Something’s not right,” Michael thought out loud.

“Let’s see,” Paul said. “We are in the middle of fucking nowhere in some sort of secret laboratory with flesh-eating zombies outside. Seems about right.”

“Wait!” Michael yelled, running to the kitchen. The others followed as Michael yelled to Lauren, “Don’t drink that!”

Lauren paused just long enough for Michael to pull the glass from her open mouth. He tossed it into the sink, shattering the glass.

“It’s only water,” Lauren explained.

“Listen, what do you hear?”

Everyone froze and listened intently.

“Don’t hear a damn thing,” Paul told him.

“Exactly,” Michael said bluntly. “Other than that bear, we didn’t see or hear anything. No birds or crickets. Nothing.”

“So?” Lauren asked.

“So we are in the middle of the forest on top of a mountain and we can’t hear a damn sound?”

“Enough with the cloak and dagger bullshit,” Paul told him, “just tell us what the hell you’re talking about. What do birds and crickets have to do with Lauren having a drink of water?”

“This place is deserted, and there’s some type of high-tech lab here. I don’t know what the hell happened to the people up here or down there, but the only way for anything up here to get down there is through the water.”

They looked at him, not quite fitting all the pieces together.

“Don’t you get it? Water runs down hill. So I think whatever happened up here got into the water and caused all that shit down there.”

“Oh, that’s just fucking great!” Paul said. “It was your bright idea to come up here, and now you’re saying that this is where it all started?”

“I don’t know if it started here,” Michael admitted. “I just know we can’t take any chances until we figure it out.”

“I think he’s right,” Lucy told everyone.

“Oh, look,” Paul said sarcastically. “She agrees with him… There’s a shock.”

Lucy just rolled her eyes and tried to ignore him. “Follow me. I want to show you guys something.”

They followed Lucy into the lab. She pointed to the window.

“That window was opened when I got here. And look, there’s some sort of stain above it.”

“Yeah, so that stain could have been there for years,” Paul said.

Michael looked out the window then pushed it open again.

“Way to go, Einstein,” Paul yelled to him. “Open the window and let whatever’s out there in here.”

Michael ignored him as he leaned out the window, his eyes following a tiny, green trail down the side of the building, then off into the darkness.

“I can’t really tell,” he informed them as his eyes reached the end of the light cast from the window. “But I think a trail of that stuff leads down to a creek over there. So maybe whatever leaked out the window did get into the water.” Michael thought for a moment. “That has to be it. It’s the water.”

Paul was not convinced. “Water runs downhill, so we have nothing to worry about up here, now do we?” he looked at Michael, “Or should we all just die of thirst because you think you might be right?”

Emma nodded towards the computers.

“Maybe we can find out what they were working on.”

They moved towards the computers, but just as Emma’s hand hovered over the keyboard a voice startled them.

“I would not do that if I were you.”

“Who the fuck said that?” Paul jumped back, fists closed as his eyes searched the lab. Michael’s grip on the machete tightened. The monitors turned on revealing Robin’s face.