Chapter 84: Natural Anthem

"Okay, guys. Looks like Tony's intel was right," Sam says, and I all but sigh in relief. "He found a clear route around Hyde Park, and I'm not seeing zoms or mind controlled people anywhere in Knightsbridge."

"What's the news on the home front?" Simon asks.

"Quiet as a grave around here, but like, not in a sinister way. We've sent people into New Canton. Totally deserted. They're probably all down in London and, well, that's the less good part on Tony's report. He went on a recce of Comansys Tower and it's knee deep in Moonchild's forces, dead and alive. They're surrounding it, and they've taken over the streets."

Maxine sighs heavily. "That's just great. How are we going to get through them?"

"With enormous difficulty? We've had some kind of Roufflenet ping from Pro. Downes. She's concerned about the ZRD interface. She says she doesn't know how the interface in the building could work the way we think it's going to work, but more research is needed."

Simon huffs. "Helpful."

"I know, right? We-" Sam's voice is cut off when the door opens. "What the-Milo, what are you doing in here? This is a crucial mission, and why are you wearing a headset?"

"Tell your runners to turn to channel twelve on their headsets," He replies.

"What? Why?"

"Please, just do it."

I quickly do as told, static coming through my headset, and then a voice.

"Hello? Hello? Sam, Dr. Meyers, are you there?" Veronica asks.

"I was messing around with frequencies on the headset when I heard her talking," Milo says. "She says she thinks she can help you."

"Really. How so?"

"I can see your runners coming up the road, towards the Museum of Natural History. That's where I am now. I've been conducting research at the museum since I left Abel and..." She sighs. "There's no time to explain. The sooner you get here, the better."

"What's wrong?" Maxine asks.

"Nothing yet, but we don't have much time. You can come in through the eastern entrance. I've left the door unlocked. Hurry."

"Wait, what?" Sam says, before hearing a quiet click. "No, Veronica, don't... and she's already hung up on me. Of course."

"Milo, did she tell you anything about why she thinks she can help us?" I ask, deciding not to chastise him for stealing a headset, which is a vital piece of equipment.

"No, she just said she needed to talk you guys, but needed you to turn to that channel to pick her up on your headsets," He replies.

"So, what do you reckon we do?" Simon asks. "We are on a bit of a tight schedule, what with the satellites due to align on the twenty-first, and the whole world set up to end as soon as they do. Think the little nipper's really got something for us?"

"She's fourteen," Sam says, "and one of the most brilliant scientists still alive."

"Veronica wouldn't have called us in for nothing," I say, before a sly smirk spreads across my face. "Plus, I think it would give someone a perfect excuse to look at the dinosaurs."

"Are you talking about me or your kid? 'Cause if you're talking about me then you should know I'm not that easy to bribe."

"Uh-huh. So you're saying you don't want to see the dinosaurs?"

"I never said that. I mean, if you have a second... you could pop by the main entrance and stare at Diplodocus for a minute, but only if it's on your way."

Maxine chuckles. "We'll see what we can do. Where are we headed?"

"The eastern exit is on the other side of the building. Your way is clear, but you'd better hurry. We don't have much time."

I nod, and we head onward. "Thanks for letting us know, Milo."

"No problem."

"Yeah," Sam says, "thanks, but you seriously can't be in here."

"Why not?"

"Because Janine will kill me if she finds out you're in here while I have my runners on such a dangerous mission," He replies, and I don't miss the way Simon flinches at the mention of Janine. "Plus, don't you have to help Penelope in the greenhouse today?"

"She's good with plants. She'll be fine being in there by herself. I'd much rather be in here anyway and get to see what it's like to be out there."

"Milo."

"Sam."

Sam growls in frustration. "Why do you have to be so much like your mother?"

I shake my head, smiling slightly as I continue running. Sam murmurs something to Milo, mostly just saying he can stay as long as he isn't distracting and if he promises to never mention this around Janine. I see Simon tense when her name is said again. There's a pain there in his eyes that shakes me to the core.

The regret I see leaves a horrible feeling in my stomach. But that feeling's been there for a while now, since I remember the vision I had before leaving for London.

"Simon... you'll die."

"Yeah. Yeah, that's the plan."

I shudder. I have to hope we can stop that from happening, although I'm not sure how... I have to hope Simon won't go with us to Comansys Tower, but unfortunately I don't have the time to focus on that now. Instead I focus on entering the museum, looking around in awe and amazement.

"Wow," Maxine sighs.

"What do you see? You should be in the main foyer of The Earth Science Hall," Sam says. "They've got the walls done up like the night sky, all of the different constellations picked out in white, and there should be an escalator in the center that sort of sucks up into this big model of a globe."

"What do you mean 'should be'?" Maxine asks.

"I've disconnected the camera systems in this building," A female voice replies from across the room, and I turn to see a familiar dark haired girl with a neutral expression on her face. "I didn't want any of my own movements to attract the wrong kind of attention."

"Great," I hear Milo sigh in annoyance. "I'm still staying even if I can't see anything."

"Yeah, guess you'll be flying blind for awhile," Sam says. "Let's try to make that a really short while. Uh, Veronica, where's everyone headed?"

"The curator's office, next to the British Geographical Survey room," Veronica replies, taking the lead.

"Alright. So, you'll go through the Main Hall, around the escalator, past the deli and wind power exhibits, and then straight through the gift shop. When you've reached the fossil room, take a left."

There's a beat of silence.

"How'd you know that without looking?" Milo asks, which earns a sheepish laugh from our operator.

"Once you've been to the museum two or three or fifteen times, it's hard to forget."

I open my mouth, my mind thinking of ways to tease Sam immensely for being such a freaking nerd. He's a cute nerd, but a nerd nonetheless.

But my thoughts of playful teasing are put to a halt when the escalator starts moving. We all turn to Veronica, who blinks, her eyes just as wide as ours are.

"I'm going to guess by the look you're wearing that that wasn't something you rigged to happen," I say, and she shakes her head.

"It wasn't me."

"Bloody hell," Simon curses. "It's Moonchild. Has to be. Damn it. I knew we shouldn't have come here."

Veronica quickly shakes get head. "I don't think it's her, not yet. But we have to get to those offices."

I don't have time to ask her what she means by that. Veronica dashes off before any of us can utter a single phrase. She disappears, knowing the different rooms and exits much better than I, or anyone else in our group for that matter. Sam thankfully retells us where we need to go, and we set onward.

I hate that she does this. Veronica is bright, almost too bright, and yet, for some odd reason, she thinks we automatically know what she's talking about, or that we understand the reasonings behind her actions without her having to tell us. She acts without warning.

In the realization of it, I feel a sudden fear that that may be why Milo has an interest in her. He can relate to that.

"We're at the fossils. Where now?" Maxine asks, looking around at the large bones that are in the room. The lights keep flashing on and off, and I squint, the transition from total darkness to bright light making my head spin.

"There's a big wooden door marked 'British Geological Survey.' It's pretty hard to miss, actually."

Simon scoffs. "With the way these lights keep flashing, I wouldn't bet on it."

Veronica suddenly emerges from a room. There's frustration written on her face, or at least, I think there is. It's hard to tell with the changing lights.

"I'm here. I'm sorry. I thought we had more time."

"Yeah, I have bad news," Sam says. "I'm looking at the outside cameras, and it looks like Moonchild does know that you're there. There's zoms streaming in to surround the building."

"She must have spotted us crossing the front lawn," I saw, cursing quietly. Then I remember Milo's still listening, and I grimace.

"It's not..." Veronica starts. "Never mind that now. It's through this door."

She leads us into a room that looks to be an office.

"Runner Five, go to the filing cabinet at the end of the room and look for a padded envelope in the bottom drawer. In it are the seeds for the first calming plants."

Maxine gasps as I practically spring for the filing cabinet. "You found them?"

"According to the museum's files, they came up with an ice core sample in Greenland in the 90's. They'd been frozen since the Little Ice Age. They might have bloomed in an era even before the Vikings."

"So, what, the people in Comansys just planted them and hoped for the best?" Sam questions.

"The part of the seed that grows into leaves and roots  isn't exposed directly to the ice," She explains. "So as long as it's not damaged, you can pull it out thousands and thousands of years later, and sprout it into a test tube. The hard part is figuring out the right soil to use. That was Cynthia Hill's project."

My breath hitches, and I momentarily stop in my efforts to grab the envelope. "Moonchild."

Veronica nods. "She's listed as a co-author on all of the early research articles. After Moonchild's forces destroyed the calming plants, and tricked us into destroying all the extract, this became literally all that's left of the plants in the world. I've saved a few of the seeds to try to grow a new batch of the flowers. With the others, I made this."

She pulls a vial out of her pocket. It's a tube of the zombie repelling serum, the same serum she used on me when I was with her back at Treetop Base.

"It's a refined version of it. I wish I could've made more, but that's all there is." She hands it to Maxine. "It might not be enough to get you into Comansys Tower, but it should help."

"Veronica, you're amazing!" Milo exclaims, and I roll my eyes.

"But now I need your help getting out of here," She says, taking the envelope from me. "If she sees me, I don't think she'll let me leave."

"She?" I question, and the speakers turn on.

"She's here. We have to go."

"Wait, Moonchild is here?" Maxine asks.

"Follow me."

She runs off, loud music coming from the speakers. It doesn't sound like tones, just music, but why?

Veronica is ahead of us, just barely in sight. We keep following her, but it's hard to keep up since she knows the museum so much better than we do.

Within a few minutes of running, I hear Sam speak again. His voice is tinged with fear and nervousness.

"Uh, guys, the zoms are already through the Earth Entrance Hall, and it's not looking good on the other two floors. Where are you right now?"

"Another room full of bones," Simon replies. "Really doesn't have the kind of appeal it used to."

"It's marine fossils!" Veronica calls from the other side of the room. With how big this place is, we can barely see her. "We're headed for the west side of the building."

Suddenly Simon grabs my wrist, jerking me slightly. I turn and give him a raised brow, but his eyes keep flittering to me and then to the nearby hallway.

"Did you see that?" He questions.

"See what?"

"I saw something move around the corner."

"Something or someone?" I ask, but I get my answer when I see a flicker of light around the corner. When I relay it to Sam in question, he simply chuckles.

"Oh, no. That's just the Water Cycle Exhibit. It's just video loops. Nothing to worry about."

Still Simon shakes his head, refusing to let go of my wrist. "No, it wasn't a light. I could've sworn I saw a person-a woman."

"No!" Veronica yells, and to my surprise she hasn't moved from her spot. "Don't go after her."

"Water is the source of all life on earth," I hear from down the hall. It's the exhibit recordings. They're being played through the speakers now, instead of music. "Throughout the process of evaporation, precipitation, and condensation, water cycles from land, to air, to water is the source-the source-the source-the source..."

"What?" Sam questions. "I can't hear with that blasted recording-"

"There she is again! Get back here!" Simon yells, and I see the woman who was once in hiding dart off back the way we came. He tries to run after her, but I stop him from doing so. I tug on his arm and stay planted to the ground.

"Si, just wait a second."

"What's going on?" Sam asks. He's frantic, and I grimace in remembrance that he is basically blind at the moment.

"She's run off the way we came," Simon replies, giving me a confused look as he does so. "It's some mind controlled lady. I don't know who it was it."

"I do," Veronica replies.

"As do I." Maxine sighs. "Veronica, why didn't you say anything?"

Simon looks at me with furrowed brows. "What are you all talking about?"

"Her name is Iona Evans," Veronica says. "She's a friend of mine, and we need to get away from her as fast as we can. Come on."

I pull Simon along, following Veronica's lead while the exhibit continues on loop.

•

"Where are you now?" Milo asks.

"H-hey," Sam says. "I said you could stay if you kept quiet."

"Sorry."

"It's fine. Now, where are you guys now?"

"Headed past your Diplodocus," Maxine replies.

"You'll forgive us if we don't stop and chat." Simon casts a glance at the dinosaurs before glancing over his shoulder at the woman that's been trailing behind us, following us. "Sorry, Veronica, but your friend doesn't seem very friendly."

"It's not her fault," She snaps, turning to look at me. "You understand, don't you, Five? I'm sorry to bring it up, but you do."

I grimace, wondering why she had to bring that up. She could've just said 'it's not her fault.' Why do I have to be reminded of what I've done? It's not like I don't think about every single day.

I say nothing, but Simon sighs and moves his hand from my wrist to my shoulder in what I guess is an attempt to make me feel better.

"Yeah," Maxine says, "we all understand."

Veronica looks back at Iona's hiding place. "When this all started-when I saw someone turn gray for the first time-the spark of intelligence flicker out of his eyes, and this horrible animal hunger glow instead, I thought, 'Well, this is it. This is as bad as it gets.' But what Moonchild is doing is much worse. Mrs. Evans was my friend, and now she's used everything I told her against me."

"How long have you known that she was in the building?"

"Since she arrived. I think she's been dosing the water supply with the last of Moonchild's ginseng tea. I haven't drunk any, but... Mrs. Evans has been talking to me, telling me how much happier I'd be if I just listen to Moonchild. She said that she and I can continue our research together, like we used to."

Simon rolls his eyes. "The usual mind control bullocks."

"It's not! It's not bullocks! That's the trouble. Together, we could push the boundaries of research much further that I've been able to do on my own."

"But you'd be working for Moonchild!" Milo yells, earning a scolding from Sam. Still he continues. "You'd be-you'd be working against us."

"I know. I thought if I just ignored her... She didn't do me any harm. I didn't realize she'd use the noise to draw the zombies on me instead."

"We have to stop her," Milo says.

"Will you stop stealing my mic? And my lines?" Sam sighs in exasperation.

"I've got a bullet that would take care of that in a second," Simon says, and Veronica glares at him.

"No, I'm not letting you kill her," She says lowly. Her tone holds quite the threat, but he doesn't seem effected.

"I know you don't want to hear this," I say, "but Simon has a point. If she keeps on like this, we'll have half the zombies in London following us to Comansys Tower. And since you wanted to bring up the fact that I understand mind control, I know that killing her would be a mercy, because she would never forgive herself if she killed you."

"No. We'll just have to take care of the zoms."

"And how exactly are we gonna do that?" Simon asks.

"Iona's not the only one who can think of ways to use the museum against people."

"The horde just breached the west entrance," Sam states worriedly. "The main doors are gonna go any second. Whatever you're gonna do, make it fast."

She nods. "Alright, Dr. Meyers, go back to the Earth Hall and lead the zombies my way. Simon, you do the same thing in the opposite direction. Runner Five, you come with me."

"And what if this brilliant plan of yours doesn't work?" Simon asks as he lets go of my shoulder.

"It will. Now go."

An uneasy feeling settles in my stomach, but still I follow Veronica. I really do hate when she does this. I hate when anyone does this. I like to know the plan before trying to execute it.

But Veronica is a smarty pants, which isn't surprising, but very annoying at times. I mean, I already have enough to worry about in the department of 'sort of knowing but not really', such as my death, as well as...

Simon's.

How I wish I could not think about this-about him.

I have to find a way to stop this. I have to find a way to save him somehow, even though I have absolutely no clue as to how I can do that since I don't know how he's going to die. It has to be something pretty terrible since, as far as we know, he's practically immortal.

I shudder. I don't want him to die. Not Simon. I have to save him. I have to figure out a way to let him live, even if he feels he doesn't deserve it.

After though. After this. After we get out of this situation we're currently in. Simon, for the moment, is safe, being immune to zombie bites, and that's good enough for now.

"Sam, you know the Mammals Room, don't you?" Veronica asks, drawing me back to the present.

"Oh, yeah! That was one of my favorites, after the dinosaurs," He says. "Oh, Five, you're going to love it. It's packed with models of all kinds of animals-rhinos, a-and elephants, and about a million whales hanging from the ceiling."

I smile at his enthusiasm. "Yeah?"

"Yeah! B-but the best bit of all-"

"Is the life sized blue whale model handing in the center of the gallery," Veronica interrupts as we enter the room. It's pretty. The animal models look incredibly lifelike. The only thing that ruins the setting is the nearby crane. She points the blue whale out to me, although it's not exactly hard to miss. "Runner Five and I are looking at it right now. I like it too. Don't you, Five?"

"It is impressive."

"What are you planning to do with it?" Sam's voice shakes in nervousness and slight fear.

"The museum was in the middle of hanging a new set of dolphin models when the outbreak hit. We'll use the construction crane to lift Runner Five into the rafts. She'll cut the whale's support cables, and the zombies won't know what hit them."

I stare at her with wide eyes, panic blooming in my chest. "I'm sorry. Runner Five's going to do what now?"

"When did you learn to operate a crane?" Milo asks. She shrugs even though he can't see it.

"I got bored. Five, hop into the bucket. There's a saw already in there, gas powered."

"But-" I start, but she's already climbing to the driver's seat of the crane. Reluctantly I get into the bucket of the crane, making sure to watch my feet. I grab the chainsaw, my heart pounding as the crane starts up.

"Now, let's swing you around."

"Woah! Woah! W-wait!" I yell, desperately grabbing onto the bucket's edges to keep from falling as Veronica lifts me up towards the rafters. Once the bucket stops moving, I shakily step off and start along the rafter towards the whale. I keep my eyes ahead, refusing to look down.

"You can do it, Mum!" I hear Milo cheer. It does little to encourage me, but I'm still grateful that he tried to make me feel better.

"Dr. Meyers, Simon, how's it looking?" Sam asks, and through my headset I hear a series of moans, growls, and labored breaths.

"Nearly at the end of the Earth Hall," Maxine pants. "It's getting pretty hot in here."

"So, what, you're picking up a lot of zoms?"

"That too. But I mean literally hot. Heat's on full blast."

I reach the whale and fire up the chainsaw. With a deep breath, I will my hands to stop shaking as I lean forward to reach the nearest cable. I tense when the blade hits it, the sound of the cable being cut embedding itself into my brain, making my ears and head throb like an infected wound ready to burst. I grit my teeth as I can just barely hear Simon give a reply to Maxine.

"I'll swap you, Doc. It's like a bloody freezer in Central Hall. I swear I saw frost on the statue of Charles Darwin."

The chainsaw cuts through the first cable, and Veronica gives me a small praise for doing it so quickly.

"Head down those stairs and around the parapet to get to the next one. Everyone else-"

"Back in a jiff," Simon says.

•

"That's another. There's only one cable left," Veronica says, and I nod, sweat beginning to drip from my face from the exertion. "Run to the middle of the whale and be ready to cut in my signal."

I do as told, running along the rafters, fear still pulsing through my veins like poison in my blood.

"Excuse me! We've got a delivery of zoms for Veronica McShell!" Simon yells as he rushes inside.

"Simon, you'll die."

"Yeah. Yeah, that's the plan."

I shake my head. Not now. Not here.

"Funnel the zombies under the whale, as many as you can!"

"I'll go left, you go right," Maxine says. "Let them run between us."

"Deal."

"I'm not letting you do this. I won't." My own shaky, water voice echoes in my head.

"Yes, you will," Simon replies.

A loud scream echoes into my mind, searing itself into my brain. I jolt, my grip slipping on the chainsaw. I try to regain control of myself, of the saw, but it's hard. I hear Veronica scream at me to cut the last cable, and I try to.

But my attempt to regain hold of the chainsaw and swing it towards the cable ends up in it going the opposite way, and the rotating blades get too close to my left upper arm.

I scream when the blades cut through the skin, but it goes on deaf ears because of the loudness of the zombies. I wrench it away from me, towards the cable as blood runs down my left arm. It cuts through the cable instantly, and the whale falls onto the zombies, crushing them.

"Thar she blows!" Simon yells.

There's a loud splatter as blood and guts go flying. I just barely turn off the chainsaw before dropping it, my right hand going to cover the bleeding wound in my left arm. Large droplets hit the floor, and within seconds my hand is covered in blood.

"That poor whale," Sam murmurs as I stagger to get down from the rafters. The cut is deep, and I'm losing blood quickly. The last thing I want is to faint and fall over. I shakily climb down the arm of the crane, my blood dripping onto every nearby item.

"It looks like we made zombie jam," Maxine says in disgust as she comes out from behind the lion model, which I guess she used to shield herself. Simon leaves his hiding place as well. "I didn't know you could mash organs like  that."

"Look, a zombie head landed in the horn of a rhino sculpture," Simon laughs, pointing it out. "Been impaled through the eye. What are the odds of that, Fi-oh, my God."

He pales when he sees my arm, which causes the others to turn their attention to me as well.

"What? What happened?" Sam questions. "What's wrong with Five?"

"I lost control of the chainsaw," I answer, feeling dizzy. I grasp onto Simon's arm with my uninjured one, but still I manage to get blood on him. He doesn't seem to mind.

"Mum, what do you mean? What's going on?" Milo squeaks. "Are you okay?"

"She's losing a lot of blood. The smell will be attracting more zombies," Veronica says.

"I brought my medical bag with me," Maxine said, "but I can't stitch her up here, not in such unsanitary conditions. You've given us hope in succeeding against Moonchild, Veronica. I know you know that. Thank you."

"I do know that. I suggest you leave now. I've got to get those seeds out of London as quickly as possible."

"What about Mrs. Evans?" I ask, my voice slurring. "If she follows you-"

"I'll deal with her. I'm not letting Moonchild turn me into a murderer. After this is over, after everyone goes back to themselves, don't tell Mrs. Evans I destroyed the blue whale."

"I won't," Maxine promises.

"Uh, hello, we've got Five here still losing a lot of blood." Simon sends the two an annoyed look as he picks me up, having me press my hand harder against my bleeding wound. Blood slips through my fingers, staining my skin, my clothes.

"Yeah, uh, you really need to get going," Sam says. "I-we can't lose Five, not now. N-not... Milo, maybe you should, uh-"

"I'm not leaving."

"You're gonna be alright, Five," Simon says, and it almost sounds like he's trying to convince himself of that instead of me. He and Maxine rush to leave the room, and then the museum.

"You're gonna be just fine."

I look up at him, feeling an overwhelming sense of sorrow as I hear his voice in my head. He says my name, with a goodbye. I hear myself crying as the world starts to fade.

"Goodbye, Simon."

A/N: Hey, everyone! Yes, I'm still alive! Sorry it took so long to update. Things have been bad and kinda crazy these last few weeks. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please be sure to vote and comment! Thank you and have a blessed day!