Quaranteam - AU Ch. 03

Quaranteam: Alternating Uncertainties

Chapter 3

I want to thank each and every one of you for your support! For someone who's been stuck in writer's block for two years, the simple fact that you all have been enjoying my work has brought immense joy into the act of writing it. The delay for this chapter was due to an injury, and painkillers don't do much to leave you with a clear head.

Now, you might consider me an ass for stopping Chapter 2 where I did. I don't regret it, because it was an extremely organic stopping point. Pushing the third encounter (between Ty and Lottie) right then and there would have felt forced to me, and so I didn't. Look forward to it, and sorry, because it's not here.

Once again, any connection to reality and actual process or procedure is purely coincidence, and I'm happy to have it that way for the most part. As always, thank you to the spinoff crew for their advice and input and CorruptingPower for the universe as a whole and his blessing to play in the sandbox. Please check them out if you haven't already!

Lastly, I suppose there were also those of you who wondered why I chose 'alternating' in the title. Well, here's why. -SilverRyden

Melbourne CBD, Victoria, Australia - October 22, 2020 - 5:43 AM AEDT

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Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! Ping! The rapid stream of incoming messages cut through the silence, soliciting a groan from the room's two occupants.

"Ray, if that's Annabelle I swear to God I'll cuntpunt the bitch. It's not even six." The feminine voice carried no small amount of irritation as she nudged her bed mate.

Rayne hated it when he was roused from sleep by Discord. It was never a good sign. He mumbled something incoherent as he reached over and grabbed his phone, squinting at the bright screen as he attempted to read.

Problem. Big Problem!

Someone's been hijacking our research.

They weaponized it. It's bad. Really bad.

The military is putting a stop to it, but they want us to shelve our research and do something else.

Call me ASAP. This isn't a joke.

Rayne sat bolt upright, almost throwing his girlfriend, Stella, clean off the bed. "Holy shit!"

"What happened? What the hell does she want, hun? She knows we were up crazy late yesterday." Stella sat upright herself, running her hands over Rayne's muscular form as she tried to look at the screen over his shoulder.

"Belle's saying somebody weaponized our research, babe. We need to call her."

Stella's eyes widened at the news. The pair worked for a think tank called BioWorks, affiliated with one of Australia's biggest pharmaceutical companies, CSL. With his biochemistry and pharmaceutical background and Stella's expertise as a virologist, they had been busy researching and breaking down the individual aspects of the DuoHalo virus. They were looking for clues to help create a vaccine, and for someone to willingly take that research and weaponize it was a gross violation of ethics.

"What do we do?" She got out of bed, stepping over to the dresser to find some clothing.

"Have a quick shower. Get coffee. Call Annabelle. In that order."

Rayne's gaze swept over the 5'6" blonde, eyes dancing over her naked double Ds as he stood to follow her. Matching his own age of 28, Stella Andersen would never be a supermodel, but Rayne found her completely gorgeous and she almost never failed to turn heads. Blue eyes, pale skin, perhaps a little heavier than the average, but not fat or obese by any means. They had been together since before the pandemic, though they'd worked together for almost a year before that. They'd been lucky. The lockdowns and stress had never gotten the better of them and had served instead to bring them closer together. She was brilliant, funny, generous and capable and everything he wanted in a partner, and to the best of his knowledge, she found him adequate as well. He was ready to propose, but he'd wanted to wait until they were past the pandemic. He'd long since sourced a ring; it was sitting in a drawer Stella never went into, safe. He turned on the coffee maker and followed Stella into the bathroom.

They showered together, normally a very sensual experience, but right now they needed simply to be clean and awake for what was likely to be a very awkward call. The couple dressed swiftly, heading into the kitchen without any delays.

Armed with mugs, Rayne sat on the couch and called Annabelle. She answered on the first ring, clearly expecting him. Annabelle Periera had worked with Ray and Stella for their entire time at BioWorks and was one of their closest friends. If Stella was amply curved, Annabelle was petite and slender. Where Stella was pale, Annabelle's caramel skin tone gave her an exotic look that matched perfectly with her ebon locks and chocolate brown eyes. She was fire and passion, compressed into a 5'1" frame. Annabelle clearly hadn't slept and gave the pair a tired smile before Rayne launched into the conversation.

"Belle, what the hell happened?" No time for pleasantries; they needed info.

"Hi to you too, handsome. Morning, Stel. Sorry to wake you guys. It's just like I said. Someone at the lab was messing with our research. They used it to create a weapon out of Duo."

"What do you know about it? How bad is it? Characteristics? Transmissibility? How fast does it spread?" Stella was furious. She'd lost her parents to the pandemic and it was still raw for her.

"It's not a spreader. It's a killing tool. The thing is completely fucked up, Stel. It's super accelerated. 24-36 hours from infection to death. There's no phase where it can just spread undetected. I don't understand the point of it, but someone in the lab made it, using our research to figure out where to twist it."

"How did the military learn about this before us?" Rayne had plenty of respect for the military, but this was out of their wheelhouse, so his curiosity took hold.

"It was yesterday evening. Apparently one of the officers went loopy and attacked another. The crazy guy had a syringe with this...I don't know what to call it. Assassin Variant? Jesus, that's a horrible concept. Though, there is one really bright side to all of this though."

"How the fuck is there a bright side here, Belle? That poor bastard has barely a day to live!"

"Slow down, Ray. I also learned that there's a vaccine. The US has apparently got one working and is ready to mass produce. I've been told they were already on their way here and the military wants us to head up production since they don't trust the people in the labs right now. Your name came up."

Stella and Rayne sat there, staring. A vaccine. So many months of horror, watching friends and loved ones die. Watching an entire generation of children succumb with no hope. Stella had tears running down her face. "How can receiving a vaccine after infection help him? That doesn't make any sense!"

"I honestly don't get it either, Stella, but they say it works. We're gonna have to trust it for now."

"What do you need from us?" Rayne's voice took on a hard edge. It was a habit learned from a friend when it was time to get serious.

"They didn't supply us with any details yet. Can you call your family for answers? They'll be in the know, I bet. If we can get a head start, it'll be to our credit."

"I mean, sure, but I don't know how much either of my sisters is going to tell me, or even if they know, for that matter. It's still crazy early, so let me get back to you when I have something, ok?"

"Sure Rayne. You two be careful. If this is legit, it means the end is in sight. First thing I'll do once I'm vaxxed is hug the two of you, so don't get sick on me before that."

Stella smiled through her tears. "Love ya, Belle. You be safe too."

They hung up and Rayne pulled Stella into his arms. This was big news, but it left them with a sense of bitter defeat. If only it had come a few months earlier, so many lives could have been spared. Stella sobbed, the grief now overwhelming her. She had been numb to the loss of her parents, detached from reality since there had been no hope at the time. Nothing they had tried had shown merit and all she could do was watch her parents pass. She wasn't even allowed to organise a funeral. Rayne's parents had died in a car crash several years ago, leaving him and his older sisters devastated. For a few months, they had all been in a fugue, supported almost entirely by a family friend; his sisters' best friend, Tiberius, to be exact. He'd organised everything and kept them all going. Rayne loved him like a brother and often wished that one of his sisters would marry him. He'd never understood Ty's hesitation to date them. Rayne decided to call him too, later today, and tell him to get off his ass and finally ask one of his sisters out. Get a ring on her, so he'd actually be his brother-in-law.

Get a ring on her. The irony of that thought struck him all at once. He needed to practise what he was preaching. Rayne knew he was ready. The timing could be better, sure, but they were about to be swamped with work. If she said yes, and Ray desperately hoped she'd say yes, they'd be able to go into this thing comfortably knowing they had each other, and he'd have great news for his sisters too. He took a deep breath and steeled himself.

"Hey babe? You know I love you, right?" Rayne kissed the top of Stella's head as he spoke, taking in her scent. "More than anything and anyone. You're beyond amazing. How a guy like me got lucky enough to land you is something I've never understood, but I'm not looking the gift horse in the mouth here."

Stella turned her head up to look at him, wondering where he was going with this. Rayne knew he wanted to do this better, but something in his heart told him that this was right.

"I love you too, you big dork. And I'm the lucky one. You don't really know how many of the girls at BW are hot for you, do you? You could have any of them, but you wanted me. Why all of a sudden?"

"Because, I felt that this was the time to say it. I don't want anyone else. You're my one and only, and with this news, our lives are going to become really hectic and I don't want to miss the opportunity. So, I'll say it." He released her and stood, stepping over to the side table where he'd hidden it. He stepped back in front of her and dropped to one knee, holding the ring box out. "The time I've spent with you has made me happier than I've ever been and I have realised that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Stella Annika Andersen, would you marry me?"

Stella just stared, her jaw dropping open as she saw the ring. She had hoped for this, prayed for it, even. Rayne Valiant had been a beacon of light in her darkness. He'd won her over from the first goofy smile he'd sent her way almost two years prior, at the induction party for the new hires. He'd been making conversation with some of the higher ups in the company, and she'd spotted him when she'd looked over and seen his nearly 7' body and deep red hair towering over the others. He'd seen her looking and he'd smiled her way, breaking off his conversation to come speak with her.

In her own mind, she was, if not fat, chubby at the very least. She'd had a hard time with it in high school, and though it had gotten better during university, she was no model and had no confidence in her looks. She was the introvert who only had her big tits going for her. Boys were all too eager to try and cop a feel, but actually have a relationship with her? 'Nah, no thanks' was the general consensus. Even the few girls she'd been with had left her feeling used. It was almost enough to make her quit dating entirely. But Rayne never thought of her in those terms. After all, he'd been a gangly science nerd in school, one step from being bullied. It was only his association with Tiberius that had seen him get interested in fitness, and since he'd stuck to the training regimen that had been made for him, he filled out and became less of a target for the bullies, and more of a target for the ladies. No one had ever thought to tell the young man that the regimen Tiberius had devised was harsh even by military standards. In his own head, however, he was still the gangly science nerd. He'd spotted Stella from across the room, looked into her eyes and was smitten.

The next instant was a keystone moment in his life, to be sure. He went and spoke to her.

Lightning struck. Sparks flew. Lives changed.

For him to hook up with a woman as beautiful as Stella, and Rayne had no doubts that to the general public, Stella was considered beautiful, was a dream come true. He knew most of the women around that day were absolute knockouts and he appreciated their looks, but he never expected them to have any actual interest in him, and now, genuinely didn't care even if they did. But Rayne and Stella clicked. It just worked.

So, for Stella, this proposal only ever had one answer.

"Yes!" She dove into his arms, tears once again flowing as she kissed Rayne all over his face. "Yes! Yes! A thousand times, yes!"

They cuddled for a few minutes, right there on the sofa and Rayne slipped the ring onto her finger, smiling broadly.

"I promise I'll do right by you." He kissed her again. "We can start thinking about wedding stuff soon, but for now, shall we call my sisters and tell them the news? I can see what they know about this vax business too."

Stella nodded, her eyes wandering down to the ring now securely on her finger. It wasn't some enormous rock like some celebrities showed off, but it was hers.

Rayne had dialled his eldest sister, Charlotte, but the call rang out, eventually going to voicemail. He tried again on Leticia's and got the same result. That was odd. Both of his sisters should have been awake by now, and even if they'd been indisposed, one of them should have tried to call him back immediately. Slightly worried, he set the phone to speaker and called the base directly, something he only did in an emergency.

"Brigadier Davis' office. How can I help?" Rayne immediately recognized the voice of the Brigadier's assistant, his wife, Sophie. She sounded tired, but he attributed that to the early hour.

"Colonel Davis? Sophie? It's Rayne Valiant. How are you?"

"Hello Rayne, I'm doing well. It's nice to hear from you. Is something the matter?"

"Actually, I can't reach either of my sisters. Do you know where they could be? If they're out on some operation, they forgot to let me know they'd be away."

There was a pause on the other end as Sophie spoke to someone else in the room, before she let out a small 'oh!' and returned to the phone.

"I'm sorry Rayne. We forgot to tell you. They, along with Tiberius underwent a medical procedure. They're entirely ok, but it was something of an emergency situation."

"They're ok? And why is Ty there? Wasn't he discharged? Hang on, does this medical emergency have something to do with this problem happening at CSL?"

"How do you know about that?"

"I'm part of the team that is breaking down the virus. It's our research that was subverted. Was the victim really Tiberius? Is he really ok? Does that mean the vaccine is real?"

There was a shuffling on the other end of the line and another voice came on.

"Rayne? It's Barry Davis. I assume you were informed of events by Ms. Periera, so I'll give you the short version. Yes. It was Tiberius that was the victim. He should be ok now. The vaccine...well, your clearances are up to date and you're going to be brought onto the project later today anyway. Yes. It is also real. He was already slated to be the first in our pilot program for the vaccine but the timeline got moved up thanks to this fiasco. Right now, he and your sisters are probably asleep; an aftereffect of the serum. You'll receive an explanation later today, and your people will be among the first to get treated, probably in the next few days, once an actual shipment of the vaccine arrives. Just understand that there are some very unorthodox aspects to this, ok? And don't get mad at Tiberius, he was unsure about the whole thing until the very last moment."

Rayne frowned at that. "What does that mean, sir?"

The sigh that came back was heavy with frustration. "We're sending all members of your team an info pack soon, but I'll have Sophie forward it to you right now. Read it all, and you'll understand." The Brigadier paused, as if considering something. "I can't recall, was your relationship something long-term? I don't remember you being married."

"Uh, yeah. I, uh, actually just proposed. I was calling my sisters to let them know and find out what they knew about this bad business."

"Oh! Congratulations! But, uh, shit, this might make it a little awkward for you, Rayne. Read the paperwork and talk to your partner. I mean really talk to them. What you'll learn today might irrevocably change the dynamic between you and it is imperative that you go into this thing with both eyes wide open. You hear me, son?"

Rayne's confusion was growing, but if info was on its way he'd hold off on further questions.

"And my sisters? They're going to be fine, right?"

"Perfectly. They underwent the vaccination process with Tiberius. Again, read the paperwork and it'll make sense. Ok, we've got to go, Rayne. Too much to do. Sophie's sending the info now. I'm sure your sisters will be in touch when they wake up later today, so don't worry. We'll speak in the afternoon."

The call ended, and Rayne just stared at his phone for a moment. The Brigadier was usually very laid-back, but today he seemed so...frazzled.

"Stel, I'll go get my laptop. That info pack is probably already in my inbox, knowing the Colonel."

Rayne retrieved his laptop from the condo's small study and returned to the dining table. Stella had refilled their mugs and they pulled up the documents that had arrived from Colonel Davis.

Rayne could feel the world closing in around him as he read. What was being asked of women was already hard to accept, but he had literally just proposed to the love of his life. This was unacceptable. Stella seemed to believe the same as she gripped his forearm.

"Ray..."

"No. There's no way I'm doing it. I won't betray you like that. You're all I need. I'll just be careful."

Stella looked conflicted. "But it says the protection isn't strong enough with just one person."

Rayne was furious, almost yelling. "I will not let the first thing I do after proposing to you be to accept that I need to sleep with and...what is it? Bond? Other women. I won't start our life like that!"

She threw herself at him, burying her face in his chest. It was beyond unfair. She had worked so hard to get him, to make him hers and hers alone; terrified that at any time, he could fall for another, prettier woman and leave. She hated the idea of sharing but losing him forever scared her more. But there was also the part of her mind that whispered to her; said that this was better. She could be bound to him forever, and even if he had other women, he was stuck with her. It wasn't like she was 100% straight anyway. She squeezed Rayne hard, and he spoke, cutting off her own words before she could utter them.

"Don't. Don't you dare even think it. It's not me that's stuck with you, it's you that's stuck with me. The only woman I want is you."

She flinched. She hadn't expected him to read her so cleanly, but she knew she'd have to make her position clear. She leaned up and kissed him, looking him in the eyes.

"Ray, you have to. The documents; the research is clear. One partner isn't enough. Don't be stubborn. I...I know I'll still have you. I just have to learn to share. It scares me that I could lose you, but I do understand why this is. It all makes sense anyway. There are far fewer men around now. The ones left are a resource. And good men like you are going to be a rare and sought-after resource. So, within this new 'Team', I'm going to be proud to be your first. Just promise me you won't lose sight of me. There's a lot of women in your future. It's what men dream of."