Robert leaned back against the cold wall, eyes half-closed, his breath dragging with memory. "Funny thing," he said, almost to himself. "When I let myself remember… I can still smell it. The stew cooking, wood burning in the hearth, the sound of neighbors laughing. My wife humming. My little girl reaching for my hands." He gave a dry chuckle. "Life was hard, sure. Dark. Hopeless. But I fought anyway. For them."
Iggy stayed silent, watching him. The heaviness in Robert's voice wasn't just grief, it was bone-deep exhaustion. Robert's gaze drifted. "Then the Mass Virus came," he continued. "Turned people into Cannibals. Gluttonous, vicious things. Faster, stronger than we ever could be. We thought the sun was our only shield. Our safety died with the night."
Iggy swallowed, shifting uncomfortably. Robert didn't stop.
"But then, something different appeared," he gazed into Iggy's eyes from over the distance, but Iggy averted the eye contact. "People infected like the Cannibals, but… sharper. Intelligent. Blood-lusting, sure, but thinking." His lip curled. "We called them Guardians. Together with us, they drove back the howling. Built walls. Food. Water. Schools. Safe beds of straw at night, without fear." He let the thought linger, then added bitterly, "For a while, we thought it was a blessing."
Iggy leaned forward. His question posed as a frail whisper, "what happened?"
"One Guardian showed his true face." Robert's tone dropped to a rasp. "Attacked a villager. And when the poor bastard was bitten, he turned—fast. That's when we realized: the infection had started with them. They carried it."
The words landed heavy. Iggy's stomach turned. He leaned back into the wall, drawing his knees up and shielding his eyes. Only his ears could take in what Robert was telling him.
"Communities split," Robert continued. "Half of us forgave the Guardians. Needed them. The other half? They wanted them all dead. Left in anger, called it a righteous separation." He scoffed. "Fifteen years later, they came back, not neighbors but soldiers. The F.U.S. And they brought vengeance-" He pressed his knuckles into his thigh, his leg trembling "-They burned through communities like fire. Claimed we were all guilty by association. Anyone who lived behind walls, they said, supported Firmin Fenderson—the one who made the virus in the first place. Their logic was twisted, but their guns were real." Robert's jaw clenched as the memory shifted. "I was a carrier back then. Hauled produce between towns. I came home one day and found everyone lined up. Guns aimed. The Guardians—ashes on the ground." He laughed once, sharp and hollow. "The commander smiled like the devil himself. I see it in hindsight, but back then? No. Said we had two choices: swear allegiance to the F.U.S. or die."
Iggy's throat tightened. "And you?"
"I was first in line." Robert's hands curled into fists. "I told him, 'I have a wife and daughter, and I've never even held a gun before.' Thought it might buy us mercy." He shut his eyes. "He asked me to show them. Promised I wouldn't have to fight at all. I looked at her. My beautiful wife. Just… beautiful. Tall. My little girl in her arms. I thought… maybe this was a way out." His voice cracked, barely audible. "She stepped forward. He shot her. Right between the eyes."
The silence stretched, crushing. Iggy lifted his head in horrible surprise. His eyes widened and stared ahead of himself at the opposite wall. He could see it happening as if Robert's memory was a broadcasting against the grungy cinderblock walls.
"She fell. Dropped our baby." Robert's shoulders shook. "I ran after her, but they broke my hip with the butt of a rifle. I couldn't reach her. Couldn't save her. The commander shot her too." His face twisted, then fell utterly flat. "Both of them… gone. Just like that."
The room seemed to shrink, the air heavy with Robert's grief.
"They dragged me to the Laboratory after," Robert whispered. "Said my pain was my punishment. And here I've been ever since." Neither spoke for a long while. Finally, Robert forced a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "So yeah. I know about communities. Kinda popular back in my day."
Iggy's eyes were still rounded spheres when he turned his head back toward Robert. His voice was soft. His jaw slack. "I didn't know anything about them until recently. I grew up behind walls… I never even saw outside until I was infected. My brother took me there."
Robert tilted his head, curiosity faintly stirring. "Seventeen years locked away? What about your parents?"
Iggy dug his fingers into his palms and clenched his hands into fists. "I don't have parents."
Robert rolled his eyes. "Now, you're really sounding like an eighteen year old. Come on, everyone has parents. What are their names?"
"I hate this question." Iggy sighed through his nose. "I don't know anything about my mother. Apparently, my father's name is Firmin Fenderson."
"Fir… Firmin Fenderson?" Robert stuttered. "The one who got away from the East Continent Labs? The original?"
"Apparently. That's what I've been told, anyways."
Robert pondered for half a moment, but then he couldn't resist bursting into mocking laughter. "That's a little farfetched, don't you think?" he hooted. "I've heard all sorts of stories down here, but no one has been ballsy enough to claim that they were the son of the original. No one has even claimed to have met the guy."
Unsure if the truth was worth telling, Iggy turned his cheek and leaned back against the wall. "Yeah, well… I was told that he abandoned me, and left me with my brothers."
"Right." Robert's smirk slanted on his face. "And who are your brothers? A unicorn and a mermaid?"
Iggy perked his chin up. "My brother's name is Baine… and my other brother's name is… was…" He couldn't force himself to say his name. The images of Nansen's burning corpse being trampled over and over by those sons of bitches blinded him. His screams filled his ears just as they had on the night of the invasion. He shielded his eyes, but found no relief. "Never mind."
"Thanks for the entertainment, kid," Robert grumbled under his breath. He sat back down in his chair and nonchalantly flipped a few pages of his book. "Regardless of what you believe, I'm sure that you'll be out of it soon enough. Then, I won't have to listen to your bullshit and lies. Not to say that you aren't a bit entertaining, though."