85 - EPILOGUE

ORCHID

Six months later

Orch joins me on the ground at the base of the Fountain. She settles down cross-legged next to me and makes herself comfortable. The glow from the data slate in her lap illuminates her face a pale blue in the dark chamber. Once she settles down, she starts reading.

Checking the reports coming out of the hive city has become a daily ritual for us.

In the days and weeks after Orch's message was released among the public, there was quite an uproar. People turned against SynerGen and the government. There were protests, which led to disturbances, which ended up leading to total chaos in some sectors of the city. There was destruction of property, looting, and in some cases worse.

But there were also good effects. Eventually, the government came under pressure to overthrow SynerGen. Scientists and leaders who knew about the cover-up were exposed and brought to justice.

With one exception.

Colonel Fulgore never went to trial.

When they came to pick him up, he was fou