Book Five, Chapter 41: Mutagen 6
We lost track of Bobby and the surrogates as they fled the superbugs, but I knew where Bobby was going. Occasionally, as we followed slowly behind, we would come across one of the mutant bedbugs, and either Dina or I would have to squash it with our feet.
If one came up that was too big to handle, we could always call for Antoine.
Bobby had managed to get the surrogates into his hiding spot at the dispensary.
Dina and I found a communication relay and listened as IBECS fed us their conversation upon request. That kind of convenience was only possible because I had run through all the conversation trees we needed to have to get to that point.
"You tell us what’s going on out here right now," Michael said in a threatening manner to Bobby.
Bobby took a moment to think through his lines. I wondered if Carousel was giving him lines on the script based on the story we made up or if he had to come up with them wholesale—and if that was the case, what was on the script?
"I didn’t do anything," Bobby said. "It was you—all you scabs and KRSL. I had a grant from the government, alright? I was sent here to find a way to feed starving people in space. I did not do this. I was promised this would be a contaminant-free ship and that their onboarding methods were 100% foolproof at detecting and eliminating pests. I should have known everything they promised was a lie.”
There was a pause while the surrogates took in what he was saying.
“One of you tracked a bedbug onto the ship," Bobby said. "They've been feeding and multiplying for a year and a half. And about four months ago, the bedbugs finally made it into my lab. At first, they just fed on me, but then they found my livestock. And after they found them, the bugs weren’t so interested in me."