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next morning, along with everyone else arrested. The charges were dropped.  
    When he returned to his apartment, he turned on the television with the sound off. Not much coverage. Nothing about the arrests. Behind the talking heads on CNN were publicity stills, images of the way ATELIC used to be. As if the buildings Donovan knew burnt to the ground still stood intact, bravely holding their special contents still frozen and protected.
    Abruptly, Cathren’s face was front and center on the screen. Donovan cranked the volume on the remote.
    “...leading to her whereabouts would be appreciated. She has unfortunately been exposed to dangerous chemicals at the ATELIC plant. What she needs, we are told, is a quick and easy detox. This must happen soon, within twenty-four hours experts say. Now, let’s get over to Bob Cullens at our weather desk.”
    “Thanks, Marra. Well, it seems some strange black clouds have been forming over the west end of the city in the last few hours…”  
    Donovan muted the TV and wondered what happened. Where was Cathren? He kicked himself mentally for not doing more last night to help her. He scratched his head, pondering these questions, when someone started banging at the entrance. It scared the crap out of him, causing him to jump to his feet.
    “Yeah? What? Who is it?” he asked.
    No one said anything at first, and then a female voice whispered against the doorframe, “Let me in. It’s me.”  
    Donovan got up, snapped open the deadbolt, and threw open the door.
    Cathren.
    Should’ve known.
    Before he could say, “oh, it’s you,” she entered, then closed and locked the door.
    At first, Donovan couldn’t say a word. He wanted to hold her and tell her how glad he was to see her. Instead, he asked, “Okay. What’s going on, Cathren?”  
    Cathren hesitated. “The chronological events are simple, but what the hell’s happening to me… I don’t know.”  
    Cathren told him what she’d seen last night. The tumbling head, the bite.
    “It bit you?”
    “Yes, the damn thing bit me.”
    “That can’t be good,” Donovan said.  
    Cathren stood at the door, weaving and wobbling, and then took two steps forward and fell face-first onto the corner of Donovan’s coffee table to land face-up on the rug, still as a stone.
    Donovan ran to her. She had a nasty bruise on her forehead, but there was no blood. Her lids drooped and all he could see was a thin stripe of the whites of her eyes. Her mouth gaped open, and she was breathing heavy, almost snoring. Then, abruptly, it stopped.  
    He knelt beside her, his ear near her cheek, and listened for her breath. Gently, she inhaled. She was all right. He didn’t raise his head at once, though. Now that he lingered so close to her, he was struck by her beauty. Her lips, parted as she breathed, glistened. Her lips were so close, so delicious, he found himself leaning in to kiss her.
    “What. The. Fuck.” She opened her eyes and rose to her elbows.  
    “I, er, thought you were dead.” he said.  
    “If you thought I was dead, why the hell were you thinking about kissing me?” She glared at him, reaching out at first to slap him. She stopped an inch before making contact with his cheek and, instead, raised her hand back up to her own forehead.
    “Owww,” she said.  

Chapter 14

    Welcome back. I’m Zoë Krant, and you’re watching Investigation Nation. We’re speaking with Dr. Burkhart Egesa, founder, CEO, and chief scientist at ATELIC Industries.
    Dr. Egesa, how did this crisis we are witnessing today come about?
    I don’t see it as a crisis at all. Rather, it’s a fantastic opportunity to explore the far reaches of the science of immortality, if you will. And, please, call me Burkhardt. Look, the technology for using stem cells to recreate certain body parts is already available. Right here, right now. Some labs are inserting stem cells into living, human bodies. To repair injuries. To recover from surgery. To generate a new