Free Riposte (The Redivivus Trilogy Book 2) by Kirk Withrow Page B

researchers had been close to successfully creating a rather sophisticated bio-assassination weapon, but somewhere along the way something went terribly wrong. Lin thought the answer to that question might also be the secret to unraveling LNV itself.
    While the virus sweeping through the world’s population certainly destroyed those it infected, Lin was not certain that it killed them. Moreover, it lacked the specificity they originally intended; this virus was plenty capable of replication as well as human-to-human transmission. Were these simply unknown characteristics of LNV-human interaction or had the virus somehow changed, mutating into something far more diabolical? Once again, Lin repeatedly found herself running into the same brick wall, her more experiential side offering error messages of its own.
    Unbelievable. How is any of this shit even possible? This can’t really be happening.
    Understanding that time was of the essence, Lin reflected on these questions despite her overwhelming exhaustion. The thought of the daunting task ahead was like a battering ram, slamming her brain against the inside of her skull repeatedly. Everything swirled through her mind at once, making it virtually impossible to get a firm grasp on any one idea. Her breathing grew restricted and a feeling of lightheadedness settled over her. I can’t do this! I can’t do this! Why the hell did they pick me? I can’t do this! It was all too much.
    Lin’s burgeoning self-doubt made her question whether it was even worth trying. Is it not already too late? The problem had so many variables that every question proved more mind-boggling than the last. Although she knew the data on the USB drive likely gave her a leg-up on anyone else who might be working toward a cure, she worried it would not be enough to make a difference in time. Lin also knew that she could not accept the situation as it was without seriously rethinking many of the fundamental scientific principles that had played such an instrumental role in shaping her life. Even so, she had observed LNV in action with her own eyes; she could not refute that.
    The more she thought about the prospect of a cure, it seemed inconceivable that many of the infected she had seen could survive, even if the virus could somehow be eradicated from their bodies. Such were the severity of injuries often incurred by the infected. Assuming recovery was possible, would people even want to? Would they have any recollection of the things they had done? If so, it would certainly create an all-new category of PTSD.
    In light of her serious doubts, Lin shifted from thoughts of eradicating the disease to those of preventive vaccination or post-exposure prophylaxis. When she considered a vaccine, she wondered if there were enough humans left, and if they could hold on long enough for such a thing to be created. Even if they succeeded in creating an effective vaccine, she had no idea how they would distribute it to the isolated pockets of survivors she hoped still dotted the globe. Lin knew, or at least hoped, that if infection could be prevented in a handful of people, perhaps they would be sufficient to rekindle the entire human population. After all, regardless of one’s beliefs on the matter, the world’s human population had been little more than that at some point in the remote past.
    Lin’s scattered thoughts were interrupted abruptly by the sound of tires screeching against pavement and the sensation of being hurled toward the seat in front of her. Sliding forward, her nose smashed into the headrest of the front passenger seat, causing her eyes to water profusely. She let out a pained yelp and silently cursed herself for being too preoccupied to put her seatbelt on when she got back into the vehicle. As she cleared her involuntary tears, she raised her head to search for the cause of their sudden stop, simultaneously noting that no one else in the vehicle was making a sound. With jaws hanging slack in